A/N: Written for the Houses Competition forum's Round 6.

House: Ravenclaw

Position: Acting Year 7

Category: standard

Prompt: 10. [weather] clear skies

Word count: 1,116

June 19, 1999

It was a clear day. Odd for the occasion but strangely fitting for this person. It was exactly the same as it had been three years ago: sunny, not a cloud in the azure sky, and a warm breeze running through the grass of Hogwarts' grounds. What was not the same as it had been three years ago was that on this day in 1996, exams had been over and all the students had been celebrating in the glorious weather. But exams were in full swing now and everyone was forced to stay inside, so Harry had the grounds – well, he thought of them as more of a graveyard now – all to himself, which was just the way he liked it.

It had just so happened that Harry had completed his project on the exact date of his Godfather's death. Perhaps Kingsley had recognized the significance of the date for him and given the Wizengamot that little extra push – Harry would never know and he didn't care.

He had been walking around the Black Lake for a good fifteen minutes now, trying to figure out how to phrase what he was trying to say, as if Sirius would care. He wouldn't care even if he was alive (Harry smiled a little at that), but Harry had worked a lot for this and he wanted to deliver the good news to the underworld as eloquently as possible.

Harry knew there would be no more stalling. He was now approaching the tiny stone in the ground, hidden from nosy or disrespectful students by a small little sapling only a few inches high. But already, Harry could the beginnings of branches and as he looked about a hundred yards to his right, he knew this tree would grow to the size and shape of the willow planted twenty-eight years ago, and would grow branches to guard his godfather as the willow before it guarded the shrieking shack (though it wouldn't attack people trying to visit).

Harry knelt down at the symbolic grave – they hadn't had a body, of course – and admired the tree for another moment before starting.

"I've made it all right with them, Sirius. I know you probably don't care…" Oh crap, he could feel the tears already. "...but I made them do it. You've been posthumously exonerated and you have an Order of Merlin, First Class for your bravery. I've inherited the reparations for the years you spent in Azkaban and on the run, but I gave them to Hermione and Neville and they're going to open up a shelter for wizard kids who don't have a great home life. I know that's probably the only part of this you'd care about if you… if you were here.

"The Ministry released the formal apology yesterday– I think Kingsley might have pushed it through the Wizengamot for me, since it's already taken them a whole year. The Black family name has been restored to its former glory – it's glorious for different reasons now, of course, but I'm sure you still hate it. I tried to get them to do something else instead, but they wouldn't budge. I'm sorry.

"Your name is on the memorial right over there. It's carved really big too. If you could see out of this rock, you'd get a really nice view of it, I made sure of that. There's also a small commendation for mischief under the heroic war stuff you did, I thought you'd like that.

"Anyway, that's what I've been working on this past year. I might take a few months off before going out and rebuilding the Ministry with Hermione and the others, we'll see. Hermione's high in the DMLE now, and she's got long term plans to become the Minister of Magic. You know she and Ron are already engaged? It's crazy.

"You know, we've all been forced to grow up because of this war, and now the other people I know are still continuing to become adults and they're not even twenty yet. But I want to live out my twenties being like any other person. I know you and Mum and Dad and Remus didn't really get to, so… It seems that one of us should.

"We have long term plans to reform the Ministry, though. That's a small part of why I did all this. Most of it was for you, of course, but I also think that going back and repairing any mistakes that the Ministry made back then is worth doing. Hermione is also working on house elf rights and we're putting blood-status equality legislations in so that prejudice can't take hold. The Wizengamot is going to be equalized and everything… it'll be great.

"I always thought Ron, Neville, and I would become Aurors, you know? Catching bad guys is all we know how to do. But Neville is teaching Herbology at Hogwarts starting next year and Ron has decided to work with George in Weasley's Wheezes. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do.

"Anyway, I think that's it for now. Can you say 'hello' to Mum and Dad and Remus and Fred for me? And Tonks, too. Let her and Moony know that Teddy's doing just fine. Andromeda and I have worked out how we're going to take care of him. He can already change his hair to red, pink, and turquoise– he likes that last color the most. I'll talk to you soon. Bye."

Harry stood and brushed off his robes, looking at the Herbology exam taking place in Greenhouse Two all the way across the lake. He reached up to touch his face and was surprised to find it wet. He hadn't felt the crushing weight of despair he used to every time he thought of his godfather. Perhaps the man just made him emotional. Besides, Harry felt more stable now. More relaxed, more at peace. Maybe this was closure. It felt good.

Harry looked into the clear sky. This day was so similar, yet so different to the one three years ago. His life was no longer falling apart at the seams, but it was coming back together, and the sense of peace he found carried him all the way to Andromeda's house to pick up Teddy, where they played with blocks and little dolls and other things Harry had collected for his godson. He enjoyed his time with Teddy, as he knew Remus and Tonks hadn't been able to, as he knew his Mum and Dad and godfather never got to enjoy with him. He felt grateful for the opportunity. He was going to make every moment count.