No, I haven't abandoned this story. I just got majorly stuck on the subject of Sirius. I think I wrote the section 5 times and was never happy with it. But I finally have what I want and the next chapter will show Harry's reaction to it. And once I was able to figure out this out I was inspired and wrote the outlines for the next two chapters.

Updates still won't be fast, I have three active stories and 80 hour work weeks, but it won't be months before the next chapter is out.

See chapter one for disclaimers and notes.

Happy reading.

"Wotcher Harry," Tonks called as she stepped into the back garden of Privet Drive. She gave a little wave to Petunia when the woman stuck her face in the window.

"Ha," she crowed when Harry's aunt slammed the curtains shut. "I really enjoy annoying her so." Turning she surveyed the boy sprawled out on the ground "What's the matter?" She asked observing the look on his face. "Bad night?"

"No," Harry grumbled. "Got lots of sleep."

She snorted at the lack of enthusiasm. "Un huh. You know most people consider that a good thing."

He sat up to frown at her. "No dreams again, for the third night in a row. Not even nightmares. Just a regular deep sleep." He pulled at the grass in frustration. "That never happens to me."

Tonks struggled not to laugh. "I know you might not want to hear this but a night of uninterrupted sleep is a blessing. Enjoy it while it lasts."

"But I'm not learning anything," he whined. "How am I supposed to figure out what's going on if I'm not dreaming it?"

She shrugged. "Maybe there's nothing left to dream," she suggested.

Harry quickly shook his head. "It can't be done. I need to know what's happened the last two years, especially what led to the graveyard." He frowned as he had a sudden thought. "Do you think the meditation could be stopping them? I'm getting good at it but if I'm keeping my mind clear maybe it's not allowing the dreams to come through."

"I wouldn't think so," Tonks said thoughtfully. "A benefit of occlumency is your mind is more organized so you concentrate better. Maybe if you thought about what should be happening next it'll trigger it."

"Maybe," he agreed, a thoughtful look on his face. "If it goes like it has been, Sirius broke out of Azkaban that summer."

"That might be the answer right there," Tonks pointed out softly. She continued hesitantly at his enquiring look. "Well it's just you have some doubts about Sirius right now and maybe subconsciously, you don't want to find out anything worse."

Harry remained silent as he thought about it, a ball of dread curling in his stomach.

"You haven't heard from Sirius at all this summer have you?" Tonks asked softly.

Harry scowled and pulled up more grass. "Because of stupid Dumbledore."

"You know that's not true," she corrected gently. "Sirius is smart enough to have gotten something to you if he really wanted to."

Harry grimaced at that. He had the same thought several times over the last weeks. "You're not making me feel any better you know," he grumbled, shoving his feeling of unease away.

"Well pardon me for trying to be reasonable about your problem."

At her tone he turned to look at her, taking in her appearance for the first time. "You look, I dunno, irritated or angry. Did I do something?" He asked worriedly.

"No," she quickly assured him before letting out a huff. "It's just, I can't find my damn unspeakable and it's making me so mad."

He stared at her for a moment before falling back onto the grass and chuckling. "Maybe you should stop looking for him," he suggested. "I'd bet you anything that he'd show up if you did that."

"I can't take the chance," Tonks shook her head as she frowned into the hedges. "I have too many questions. What's his connection to Riddle? What did he find about about the adoption? Then there's the fact he knows where I live and the fact we spend so much time together." She sighed again. "I would just feel better talking to him."

Harry smirked at her. "It is pretty crappy to ask you on a date then just disappear," he teased.

She swatted at him. "It wasn't a date," she protested as she willed the blush away. "It was just a meeting to share information."

"That just happened to be on the day you went to Azkaban," Harry pointed out smugly. "It wasn't because he was worried about you or anything."

This time she couldn't control the blush that flooded her cheeks. "More likely he was afraid of what I would find there and what I would do about it."

"True, but when you think about it you don't even know if he's really a he," Harry grinned as he scrambled out of the way of her foot.

"I think I know how to tell a man from a woman even if they are covered head to toe in tan cloth," she grumbled as she stood up and dusted off her jeans. "I'm starving and I'm done pandering to your moods,"

Harry grinned as he joined her. "I'm not the one that's grumpy."

She snorted. "Not at the moment. I give it five minutes." She motioned for him to wait as she scouted the area, paying close attention for Mrs. Figg's kneazles. The woman had taken to watching her oddly during the shift changes.

Once clear they made their way over to a busy street where they caught a car, Tonks having insisted that they not not use the local eateries as much.

"You know money is like magic. It just makes everything so much easier," she started once they'd ordered. "I don't think I've ever realized that before because I always do everything with magic."

She went on at his noncommittal shrug. "I can't keep side apprating you without arousing suspicion, thank you very much Mrs. Figg, but without money we'd be walking everywhere and wouldn't get far."

He gave her a sour look proving the prediction about his moods. "You act like you grew up without a dime to your name."

"No," She agreed pleasantly. "But I never realized how good off I was because of magic."

Harry frowned at her. "So you're saying the Weasleys are poor but they'd be a lot worse off if they didn't have magic?"

"Definitely, especially with such a large family. Shopping and cooking alone would defeat them." A smile crossed her face at the image of a non magical Molly attempting to cook for her brood.

"You know, we only have money because Tom took pity on us," Harry pointed out grumpily.

"I'm not taking it for granted but it's nice to have," she said, taking in the new clothes she had forced on the teen. "Have you given anymore thought to writing to him?"

"You sent him a thank you note," Harry reminded her. "I didn't sign it just in case he didn't know how close we are."

Tonks privately thought that was redundant considering she'd been given the money to care for Harry. "Have you thought about writing him just to talk? You have a ton of questions."

"I can't do that," the teen exclaimed. "What if none of it's true? He'll think I'm crazy. Plus it might lead him to me and then I'll be dead."

She resisted the urge to point out how everything had proven to be true so far. "So you're never going to contact him? Just let Dumbledore go on playing his games?"

"No," the teen denied vehemently. "But I need to finish the dreams first. I need to know everything." He turned pleading eyes to her.

She sighed as she played with her chips. "So what movie are we going to see today?" She asked brightly, drawing a smile from the boy.

Later, alone in his room Harry stared at his bed as he thought about what Tonks had suggested that afternoon. How he might be subconsciously suppressing the next dream because it most likely involved his godfather.

Tonks had guessed that he was upset with the man which was true in a way. Sirius had never been there for him growing up, then once he'd entered his life he'd let his godson down time and again. Sirius had left him after the tournament when Harry had needed him the most and he hadn't written all summer.

But it hadn't been all bad, the little voice in his head spoke up. The man had lived off rats for him for most of the year and every time Sirius had let him down it was directly related to Dumbledore.

That thought brought even more confusion and questions making him want to tear his hair out. Why was Sirius still in the Order of the Phoenix and taking orders from Dumbledore? He had grown up around Tom, knew the backstory between the two men. So why?

Harry thought about what he knew, most of which was second hand from Tonks and the dreams. Tonks had subtly pumped Remus about Sirius's involvement in the Order, citing concern over his lack of participation this go around. According to the werewolf Sirius had only joined for James's sake and had only gone on missions that involved Harry's father, almost like he was only there to protect him.

Sirius had grown depressed after the death of that girl Marlene and had gotten even worse after his brother disappeared. Then he'd spent twelve years in Azkaban with dementors sucking out all his happy thoughts. Was all that enough for him to believe Dumbledore about all else, even his own godson?

Giving up on trying to find explanations Harry closed his eyes and began his meditation , slipping into sleep after a few minutes. His heart leaped in his chest as he open his eyes and recognized Tom's living room. The man himself was seated in a chair, a cup of tea at his elbow as he leafed through a sheaf of papers. Lucius Malfoy sat nearby, watching expectantly.

Blaise's extradroiny mother sat on the other side of the room, engage in conversation with a younger woman Harry hadn't met yet.

Harry looked around, wondering why he was watching this scene when Regulus Black came storming into the room, a newspaper crumbled in his fist.

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" He demanded, glaring at his father. His angry words had the unknown woman hurrying over.

Tom raised at eyebrow. "I have not had a chance to read the paper yet today. Perhaps you could calm down and relay what's happened in a more respectful tone," he instructed in a stern voice

Regulus shook the paper out so that the man could see the headline. "Sirius is out, he broke out on his own," he said, excitement replacing the anger in his tone.

Tom didn't say anything, merely taking the paper and reading the article.

Lucius grimaced. "It actually happened several days ago. The minister was able to keep the story hidden while plans were put into place."

Regulus settled himself in a seat as he gave the blond an annoyed look. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? He'll be coming here, might already be close. Of course we'll give him sanctuary just like everyone else we rescued from Azkaban," he finished sending a challenging look at his father.

"He doesn't know how to get here," Lucius pointed ou,t reminding them that Sirius had broke with the family before the compound had been completed.

"So he'll go to you, knowing that you can bring him here. You better be nice to him," Regulus warned, his voice threatening.

Tom looked up at that, his gaze somber. "There's no question that we wouldn't take him in. But I don't think it's going to come to that. He would have no reason to come here, he still doesn't know you're alive," he reminded his son gently.

"Where else would he go? James is gone," the younger man protested stubbornly.

Tom pinched the bridge of his nose. "There's Lupin, and Harry. But until we know why he escaped we have no idea what he he's going to do."

Rabastan chose that moment to make his presence noticed. Harry hadn't seen him sitting in the far corner and from the expressions on the faces of the others they hadn't either. "You're missing a key piece of information. The guards at Azkaban overheard him talking about someone being at Hogwarts."

Tom was giving his son a probing look. "How did you happen to find out this information?" He asked suspiciously.

Rab gave him an innocent smile. "I overheard some people talking." He grinned mischievously before turning back to his brother. "The minister believes he's going after Harry to finish the job."

"Who else would he be talking about at Hogwarts,". Lucius asked blandly. .

Regulus glared balefully at him. "We know that's not true. He didn't have anything to do with that night in the first place. And Harry's his godson, he wouldn't want to hurt him."

"I hope not," Tom murmured. "If it comes to that I'll be protecting Harry even if it's against Sirius." He didn't back down when his son turned to glare at him. "Harry is a child. Sirius is a grown man who of his own free will said he don't want anything to do with us."

"He wouldn't do anything to Harry," the younger black protested vehemently.

Lucius gave him a pitying look. "He was unstable before he spent 12 years in Azkaban. What do you think he's like now?"

"That doesn't mean he's going there to kill the boy," the unknown female argued. "The words could have meant the he was going there to protect him," she finished earning a kiss from Regulus.

"He could mean Snape," Rabastan offered. "There was never any blood lost between those two."

"I bet Severus is looking forward to tangling with him," Luc mused, a smirk crossing his face. "Dumbledore has hired the werewolf against the wishes of the school board. Of course if I was still there that would not have happened."

"It's your own fault you lost your position. Be thankful that was the only consequence you suffered," Tom growled. Harry made a face as he was reminded that he hadn't seen the reaction to the chamber, though from the look on Tom's face that might be a good thing.

"That's not the only thing the minister has planned," Rabastan muttered. From the apprehensive way he was eyeing his father Harry guessed the news wasn't going to be received well. "He's putting dementors around the school for the upcoming year."

"He what?" Tom exploded throwing down the paper in disgust. "That man has the sense of a gnat."

"It's the best way to save face in light of the escape," Lucius pointed out calmly.

"Yes I can see how his political career is more important than children's' safety,". Mrs. Zabini spoke up for the first time, disgust evident on her face. "I do not want my son exposed to those horrible things."

"There will be no contact between the students and the dementors," the blond argued. "They will be surrounding the school, not going in. Blaise will be perfectly safe."

"And accidents never happen," Tom muttered.

Lucius avoided looking at the older man as he continued. "They are merely there to catch Sirius before he makes his way in."

Regulus shot up angrily at the statement. "Catch my brother and give him the kiss you mean."

Lucius gave an elegant shrug. "He shouldn't have advertised his plans so loudly if he didn't want to get caught."

The scene dissolved before the argument could get out of hand. When the mist cleared Harry found himself in the dining room. The four occupants of the main house, as Harry was coming to think of it, were eating breakfast with their choice of reading material in front of them.

He jumped as the doors to the room were thrown open violently.

"Severus," Tom greeted as he slid his wand back into its sheath. "What in the world could have caused this much discord this early in the morning?"

"Do you still acknowledge the Potter brat as one of your own?" The potion master growled, his hands curling over the back of a chair as he glared at the older man.

"I do." Tom confirmed cautiously.

"Then I'm begging you, for Salazar's sake, find a way to discipline him. He is completely out of control and he's going to get all of us killed one day soon. Any other child…" He trailed off unable to articulate what he would do had the brat not been the exalted boy who lived.

Rabastan and Regulus exchanged curious and apprehensive looks as their father sighed and waved to a chair. "Sit down Severus and have some tea before you explain what he has done now."

Harry pouted at the calm acceptance on Tom's part. His attitude and the pact that nothing had ever come of this conversation made him think that while the man might say he claimed him he didn't actually want Harry around.

Confused and angry he turned back to the scene as Snape began ranting again.

"What hasn't he done?" The man growled out. "He attacked me, blasted me into a wall and knocked me out," the man raged. "If he's willing to attack a professor who knows what he'll do next."

"What were you doing to him at the time?" Rabastan asked pointedly. Tom remained silent but lifted an eyebrow demanding an answer.

"Trying to save his miserable hide," Snape sneered back. "He and those idiotic friends of his were facing off against Black and the werewolf."

"You saw Sirius?" Regulus broke in excitedly.

"There's nothing to get excited about," Snape told him harshly. "He certainly wasn't thinking of you. He was too busy renewing his relationship with his pet wolf."

"Severus," Tom whipped out as Regulus wilted in his seat. The tone caused the potion master to flinch.

Rabastan ignored the byplay in favor of finding out the truth. "Did Sirius or Lupin have their wands out?" He asked curiously.

"What does that matter?" The unknown woman from the previous part of the dream asked. She had her arms around Regulus for support.

Rabastan gave her a smile. "It matters Elizabeth, because from the sounds of things Harry and his two friends had their wands out, probably trained on the two men asking them questions. I have no doubt Severus burst in, misconstrued the situation, barked out a lot of insults and threatened to kill Sirius, who by then Harry would have know to be innocent."

"That sounds about right," Harry muttered while Snape sputtered in anger.

Regulus glared at his former housemate. "You threatened my brother? Why would you do that? You know he's innocent."

"Of being the secret keeper," The potion master bit out through gritted teeth. "There's is no proof that he didn't kill those thirteen muggles the same as he tried to kill me in school."

"He told me…. "

Snape slammed his hand on the table. "No proof."

"Where are you going with your train of thought?" Tom asked his younger son, choosing to ignore the two seething men.

Rabastan shrugged. "Just defending my little brother since he isn't here to speak for himself." He grinned as his father cracked a smile. "Sev wants you to punish Harry for knocking him out. But from the sounds of it Harry was in control of the situation and only took action to defend himself and his godfather. Pretty brave if you ask me."

"Agreed," the man said causing Harry to brighten. "though it sounds like he put himself in danger, again, and that I'm not happy about."

"Sirius dragged Ron away. What was I supposed to do?" Harry protested

Rabastan lifted an eyebrow. "The only danger came from Sev and it sounds like Harry handled that beautifully." He grinned cheekily at the fuming potion master.

"It was a full moon last night." Tom answered before looking at Snape. "Did Lupin take the wolfsbane?"

"No," Snape answered triumphantly, omitting the fact that he'd not taken it to him until the very last moment. "When I awoke the moon was high in the sky, Weasley was unconscious at my feet and Potter, Black and Granger were unconscious by the lake. It appeared they had been attacked by dementors though something had driven them off."

"Were any of them bit?" Tom demanded, alarm crossing his face.

"Or kissed?" Regulus added worriedly.

"No," Snape answered, his tone conveying his disappointment. "I took them up to the hospital wing where they recovered swiftly."

"And Sirius? What happened to him?" The worried brother demanded.

The other man shrugged dismissively. "He was placed in a locked room while a Dementor was fetched on the minister's orders."

Regulus jumped up, his face pale. "You let my brother get kissed? How could you? You're just as bad as you say he is."

Tom's face was stiff , his blue eyes angry. "You condemned him without the facts? Hurt two members of this family in order to soothe your own wounded ego?" He asked, his voice sharp.

"It didn't get that far." Snape hunched his shoulders, uncomfortable with the disapproval. "Black escaped before the Dementor could be fetched. Just disappeared. Potter had something to do with it. He's breaking laws now and could go to Azkaban for that. Is that what you want for your precious brat?"

"Don't worry about Harry." Tom advised, his tone not yielding in the slightest. "In fact I think it would be best if you had as little to do with Harry as possible from now on."

"Of course you would take the brat's side in this," Snape accused, throwing back his chair.

Tom stood to stare him in the eye. "Your behavior has nothing to do with that child. Without Sirius's escape you would have celebrated an innocent man's demise, not caring that in the process you would have hurt everyone in this house." He lowered his voice as he loomed over the stiff man. "And to add insult to injury you are so disappointed by the fact that it didn't happen that you're taking your anger out on an innocent child."

The mention of Harry broke through the man's shame to ignite his anger once again. "He is no innocent child."

Tom's stare turned pitying. "One would think that someone who received support and mentorship at a time he desperately needed it would return the favor by looking out for another needy boy." He sighed as the potion master flushed with shame. "You should return to the school before you are missed."

"There's never a dull moment here," Elizabeth remarked wryly.

Rabastan gave her a grin though his attention remained focused on his father. "Harry does keep us on our toes."

Her reply was cut off as Regulus shoved away from the table, a look of determination on his face. "Where are you going?" She asked in alarm.

"The only place I can think of Sirius going is to at this point is Grimmauld place. I need to talk to him," Regulus told her. He narrowed his eyes at the look on his father's face. "You can't stop me from going."

"I can," Tom corrected him. "You have no idea what state Sirius is in and your magic is weak. You won't be able defend yourself."

Face set in determined lines, the younger man refused to back down. "I'm an adult and he's my brother. I have to see him."

"At least take someone with you," Tom admonished, his expression saying he would be more than willing to go.

Regulus was already shaking his head. "Sirius isn't going to talk if anyone else is there. And I'm not sure I would be able to take anyone through the wards."

The older man sighed in defeat before giving him a stern warning look. "You do realize how much I'm going to worry?"

"We're going to worry," Rabastan inserted mildly.

"I want you to promise me you'll be as careful as possible," Tom continued. "If you're not…"

"It won't matter how old I am or that I'm married, you'll still tear me a new one," Regulus finished dryly. With an impatient shake of his head he was through the floo.

Harry was disappointed that Tom had not gone as he wouldn't be able to see Sirius or get the answers he needed. As it was, he spent the next three hours following Tom around the house as he paced in worry.

Finally the floo flared. Harry followed Tom into the darkened sitting room to find REgulus slumped over with his head in his hands.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Tom asked softly as he took a seat next to his son. He frowned at the uncharacter shrug he got in response.

"Were you even able to talk to him or did he just start hexing?" He tried again, unobtrusively running a diagnostic spell. He gave a sigh of relief when it came back negative.

Regulus lifted his head, a sneer on his face. "He was talkative. Of course he was deep in his cups and thought I was a delusion or maybe a ghost, I'm not sure. I couldn't get him to believe me that I was alive. He just kept laughing about the Black curse."

His brow furrowed as he looked up his father. "If anyone has ar ight to get intoxicated it would be him right?" He asked with a searching look. "I'm not just making excuses for him?"

"A healthy drink now and then is fine but when you start using it as crutch…." Tom started before sighing. "I know many men who spent a lot less time in Azkaban who drink to ease their memories. Did he answer any of your questions at least?"

The younger man snorted. "Enough to know that he's bat shit crazy." His eyes were devastated as they met Tom's. "It's wasn't the alcohol. He was really and truly not connected with reality."

Tom placed a hand on his shoulder. "Twelve years of one on one attention from the dementors was bound to take a toll."

Regulus shook his head sadly. "No, it was more than that. The way he talked about Dumbledore and Potter. Half the time I think he thinks that he's still in school and the other half, the half in the present, still thinks that Dumbledore knows best. He agreed to be locked up in that house, with all its horrible memories, just because that old goat said. He hasn't tried to leave either. Doesn't he remember you or any of this at all?"

Tom thought for a moment as he phrased what he was about to say. "Sirius has never been all that stable. A lot of that had to do with your mother. He was so determined not to be like her and she was obsessed with thinking I was a dark lord, it made it easy for him to ignore reality and embrace this enchanted life they were offering. Azkaban probably just cemented it in place. Light was good, dark is evil."

"Did you know this would happen? Is that why were so against me going?" The younger man asked in a soft voice.

His father sighed. "I knew he was going to hurt you emotionally, there was no getting away from that. I was more worried that he would hurt you because you are my son." He continued at Regulus's questioning look. "I killed James Potter. No matter the circumstances, that isn't something that he will ever be able to forgive, even if he wasn't mentally unstable. I didn't want him taking it out on you."

"He might have," he admitted. "If he hadn't seen me as a delusion. Plus I think he was so happy to talk to anyone. You know he doesn't blame Dumbledore at all? The man put him in Azkaban for twelve years. How can he just ignore that?"

"Dementors bring up all your worst feelings, especially guilt," Tom reminded him. "In his mind Dumbledore didn't put him there. It's what he deserves. He let James down. He wasn't there for him that night. He didn't warn him about he. He wasn't the secret keeper. If he had been he wouldn't have let me near there and James wouldn't be dead."

"James Potter again!" The younger man growled. "I'll never understand the hold that man had on my brother. It's not like they were lovers."

"They had a closer bond than that," Tom mused. "James was the first person Sirius had to love him and for someone that has been routinely abused that makes a powerful impact."

"I loved him," Regulus protested angrily.

"I know you did," his father soothed. "But your mother twisted that love too many times and in the end you abandoned him. He understood it and he was grateful that you got out but he was resentful too."

"You tried to include him as much as you could."

Tom sighed again. "I tried but the damage was done long before that. And then James Potter stepped in and offered him everything we couldn't."

Regulus' shoulders slumped once again. "I really think he's just biding his time until he can join his old friend," he murmured.

"I'm actually surprised he hasn't done it yet," Tom agreed.

"I asked him that, well yelled it really," he admitted. "In a lucid moment he told me that he can't meet up with James without having helped James' son."

Hearing this Harry stepped forward while Tom straightened up in his seat. "What did he have to say about Harry?"

"Nothing. The kid's feelings, thoughts, none of that matters to him. It's only about what James will think once they meet up. I only hope Harry never learns how little he matters to his godfather." Regulus said in disgust.

In a threadbare room in Little Whinging Harry Potter woke with a start.