Harry Potter and the Secret Summer.

This idea won't leave me alone, and while I have read stories similar, nothing quite what I envisioned. While there are likely similarities in this story to other published works it is wholly unintentional. After all, many a fan-fiction writer has further explored Salazar's chamber. I own nothing but my ideas, all of the HP universe rightly belongs to J. K. It's her toy-box, I am just playing with her toys.

My other stories will continue, I think I have figured out a way to force my head to co-operate :-)

It is the end of Harry's second year at Hogwarts. All the drama is over and everyone is looking forward to going home for the holidays. Everyone except one bespectacled, dark haired hero. A spur of the moment decision leads Harry to finding his own happy-ever after.

CHAPTER 5

Shocks and Godfathers

Harry had expected Dobby to go into an apoplexy of over-protective paranoia upon seeing the newspaper. However, as he often did, Dobby surprised him. He took one look at the headline and gave an elfish snort. "Mr Black's nots a Death Eater. Bad Old Master was one of the Evil One's closest, he laughed often with his wicked friends about how Black had been thrown into Azkaban without a trial and how Draco would inherit the Black fortune when he died there. The Guards of Azkaban are most awful things Harry Potter Sir." Dobby was quiet for a moment, staring hard at Harry, his eyes growing as wide a soup bowls. "Sirius Black is Harry Potter's Bonded Godfather... he didn't betray Harry Potter or his parents, his magics woulds have killed him." Harry goggled at Dobby. "How did you know that Dobby?' he asked in amazement. Dobby shrugged his skinny shoulders. "Harry Potter Sir is Master, a Good Elf knows all about his Master. Dobby is a Good Elf." Harry was quick to agree and reassure his small friend. "Your the best Elf ever Dobby. I don't know what I would have done without you this past few weeks." Dobby practically glowed with delight at the praise from his beloved Master Harry Sir. The two sat in companionable silence for a moment before Dobby got a wicked little grin on his face. "Dobby thinks he knows how to find Harry Potter Sir's Godfather." and with a loud POP the little elf disappeared to do just that. He returned a few moments later and conjured a very large wooden washtub that he filled with warm sudsy water. Harry was about to ask him what he was doing when Dobby gave a wiggle of his big ears and suddenly another, much older and meaner looking elf appeared, a huge odd looking mass of black fur in tow. Dobby indicated to the large tub and the other elf gave a malicious grin and dropped the bundle into the soapy water. A loud yip of shock told Harry that the black fur was actually canine. The mean looking elf disappeared with a shark crack and Harry cautiously approached Dobby and the sudsy dog. "Um Dobby?" he queried. "Harry Potter Sir, meets your Dog-father, Sirius Black!" Harry blinked and looked into a pair of startled silver grey eyes full of intelligence and shock.

Sirius Black had been having a bad day. He had been making his way to Hogwarts, not bothering to go to Surrey looking for Harry, he had escaped Azkaban because that idiot Fudge had taunted him with the boy's disappearance. That and the picture of the Weasley in the Daily Prophet Fudge had given him. Sirius wasn't sure which had been the bigger motivator but they both had the same outcome, his Godson, his Pup needed him. He had 'borrowed' a wand from a Guard on his way out of Azkaban and some clean, if ill fitting, clothes from a Muggle washing line. That had been the end of his good luck. He had been running and hiding ever since, even his Padfoot form wasn't much help because the Muggle seemed to really not like a large, scruffy.. OK feral looking, dog wandering their streets. He hadn't been able to get any money for food and his few attempts to steel some as Padfoot had ended badly. Muggles really didn't like strays near their bins and Sirius had been reluctant to appear in his human form as he'd seen his own crazed face on a Muggle newsstand. He'd caught a very thin rabbit and took pleasure in being a very good rat catcher, they didn't made much of a meal for a huge dog, much less a man. That had been several days ago and now he was beginning to feel the weakness from lack of food and the abuses of Azkaban. He had had to run from a large muggle with a weird long pole with a loop upon it's end. He wasn't sure what the man was up to but Padfoot recognised the pole as a threat. This had lead Padfoot to running right into a dense patch of undergrowth and blackberry bushes. The Muggle hadn't followed, rather had tried to call the 'dog' out. Padfoot however was past the other side of the thicket and limping down a shallow tributary.

He was eyeing a rough hollow beneath a tree for a kip when the Black house-elf Kreacher appeared beside him, sniffed and muttered.. "Kreacher's Mistress said Disgraced Smelly Master was nothing but a Filthy Mongrel. Disgraced Smelly Master has proved Poor Kreacher's Mistress right again." and before Sirius could react he had been immobilised and apparated away. He caught a brief glimpse of what looked like a large, underground cavern before he was unceremoniously dropped into a huge tub of water. Gloriously warm, sweet smelling, sudsy water. A quick shake of his head and his ears pricked up at the words of the little elf, much kinder looking then his own childhood hobgoblin as it set to work scrubbing the filth of Azkaban from Padfoot's fur and nattered to the small boy beside him. Upon hearing the elf address the boy as 'Harry Potter Sir', Padfoot and Sirius were both overwhelmed by their first good look at their beloved Pup in over 10 years.

Lily's eyes in James face. That wild Potter hair. Lily's smile. But.. he's too short and too thin; the man registered. Smells of wary distrust, fear, hope, old hurts and powerful healing magic; the dog's sharp nose said.

Dobby took charge. "You'se stay a doggy Mr Blacks sirs, Dobby has get you all flee free before you can goes have a bath as a Wizard. Then yous and Harry Potter Sir can have lunch and talk." Sirius gave an affronted growl at the mention of flees before scratching madly, making water slop everywhere. The elf might have a point he conceded.

To Padfoot's delight Harry joined in the washing and rinsing of his thick black fur, getting just as wet as he was and squealing with laughter along with the elf when Padfoot got some of his own back and shook his out long, shaggy and sopping wet coat. Water sprayed everywhere and he gave a happy bark and grinned a doggy grin at the squeals from his Godson and his wonderful little elf.

Once Padfoot was as clean as Dobby and Harry could get him, and that was saying something, Sirius found himself popped into an old fashioned but functional bathroom where he luxuriated in a bath that Dobby refilled three times. Sirius gratefully took up Dobby's offer of a shave and a haircut, he had been horrified at the state of his once shiny black locks and had whimpered a little seeing matted clumps fall to the floor. Dobby was as gentle as he could be and used judicial amounts of house-elf magic but ten years of neglect and filth had taken a heavy tole. Sirius stepped from his bath, his clean shaven face smarting a little, exposed to fresh air for the first time in many years, a thick towel wrapped about his emancipated frame. A POP and Kreacher appeared clutching a bundle of clean clothing. He sniffed and muttered "Well Disgraced Master is not so smelly anymore.. Kreacher thinks he looks like a plucked pheasant." Dobby glared at the rude elf. "Kreacher is a Bad Elf, speaking of his master in such a way." Kreacher sneered and opened his mouth but Dobby snatched the clothes from him and, too Sirius's delight, stuffed one of the dirty socks he had been wearing right in Kreacher's mouth. "You's should go now, before Dobby be getting angry. Yous won't like Dobby when he is angry." He glared at the spluttering Kreacher who still had not been able to extract the offending sock. "Yous WILL be keeping your master's secrets. Yous be telling no-ones or no things about this." and with a snap of Dobby's finger's, Kreacher was gone. Sirius could not help it. He sat down and he laughed. Kreacher and he had always been adversaries, the elf's undying loyalty to his mother and then younger brother, had seen to that. Seeing the nasty little blighter get his comeuppance was a balm to Sirius's bruised soul. That Dobby had unknowingly used a line from that Muggle tee-vee show Lily had shown them made him laugh even harder as he pictured a bright green, purple pants wearing Dobby swelling to Hagrid's size.

Dressed in clothes he recognised as brand new and expensive, Kreacher might hate him but he was a faithful elf and his Master would not be allowed to disgrace the noble house of Black. (anymore then he already did anyway). They fit surprisingly well, if a little loose but he hoped some regular food would fix that soon enough.

Padding on bare feet he left the bathroom and followed the sounds of voices down a flight of stairs into the most incredible stone chamber he had ever seen. Books and all manner of oddities lined the walls, although empty spaces told him things had been removed. A fire crackled in the large hearth and there was a table set for three laden with food. At the table, waiting for him was the most beautiful thing he thought he had ever seen. Harry James Potter, freshly bathed and dressed in clean dry clothes, sat grinning a wide welcoming smile at him. Sirius couldn't help grinning back, glad his teeth were once again white and shiny.

Next Chapter Sirius and Harry bond, the whole sad story is revealed and Sirius finds a way to let Dumbledore know he is innocent.

Will they bring in Remus now or at start of term?

Will they capture Peter now or never?

Stay tuned.