Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter. I write for entertainment purposes only and never for pay.

Author's Note: Hello, and welcome to the sequel to my fic "The Portrait of Sirius Black"! Please, please, please DO NOT START this fic without first reading that one. It will not make sense as this is a direct continuation of that story. If you're returning from TPOSB, welcome back, and I hope you enjoy the start to the sequel! As I am still in the process of writing this story, it will be slower to update, but my hope is to update weekly, so don't fear. I'll continue to make sure you have plenty to enjoy! And now, go, read, and let me know what you think when you're done! Thanks for dropping by!

The Second Sixth Year of Sirius Black: Chapter One

By: Rae

-A "Harry Potter" Fic-

"Just how does he think I'm going to conceal the fact we are harboring a fugitive is beyond me." The voice of the Mediwitch issued from somewhere beyond Hermione's bed as she slowly woke up from her deep sleep.

"Don't worry, Poppy," came Minerva McGonagal's voice as she soothed her friend and colleague. "I understand your position, and I know you understand the headmaster's. It will all work out. As soon as Hermione is well, we can release her and move Sirius to one of the private rooms to recuperate."

"Do I even want to know how he came to be in the girls' bathroom with her? Or why he looks so young?" The question was earnest.

McGonagal's sigh was loud enough to carry across the room. "Poppy, I don't believe anyone will be able to believe the story," she said. "It's just too fantastic to be true, but I can assure you that you do not want the details right now. Let's just leave it that Sirius Black is in need of rest and time to recuperate after what I imagine was a very difficult time."

"She has no idea," came a grumble from the bed beside her.

Hermione's eyes popped open, and she turned immediately to see Sirius looking at her from the other bed. He blinked at her a few times, and she could tell he'd been awake for a few minutes. She chanced a smile at the man she'd sacrificed so much to bring back.

"You did it," he told her softly, a wondering smile gracing his face and lighting up his features. "You really did it."

Hermione smiled more broadly now and said, "Yeah, I did. You're alive, Sirius." Her words were barely a whisper, and she felt a thrill of anticipation go down her spine.

He seemed to be trying to decide what to do with this news. "I can't believe it," he finally said. "I never thought I'd get a second chance." She saw him lift his arm with effort. "Though I'd rather be a bit stronger than a baby for my second life." He complained, but it was good-natured.

"Ah, Minerva, Poppy, I see you're here to check on our patients, too?" Albus's warm tones drifted across the room, and Hermione turned to see him enter with Remus on his heels. "And it seems our patients are awake!" His tone was light, but she saw a tension in his face that seemed a bit foreboding.

Remus strode quickly around the headmaster and made a beeline for his best friend's bedside. Sirius was trying and failing to sit up, unable to get the strength together for such movements. When he saw Remus, though, his eyes lit up in excitement that was palpable.

The adults moved quickly to the beds and Madam Pomfrey began to do her assessments of Sirius. She seemed a bit nervous to touch him at first, but soon enough her training came to the fore, and she lifted first his arms and then his legs to check their responsiveness. After letting his right arm drop to the bed, she tsked a bit while jotting down her notes.

Meanwhile Sirius and Remus talked about what had happened over the last 24 hours. Remus asked Sirius about how he felt, and Sirius, clued in by Dumbledore's quick look, made sure to be rather vague in his responses.

Finally Madam Pomfrey finished her assessment of Hermione as well and looked up at the waiting group. "I believe Miss Granger will make a full recovery," she said, smiling down at her bushy-haired charge. "She will need to take at least another day's worth of the healing draught, and I'll want to make sure she can stand and move with no dizziness, but she should be able to leave tomorrow morning."

Hermione thanked the Mediwitch and tested her range of motion, unaware of Sirius's rather jealous eyes on her movement.

"Mister Black will be with us a bit longer," Madam Pomfrey now said, a bit formally. "I'll need him to finish out another few days' worth of the healing draught, but his muscles will need additional time to heal. They're suffering terrible atrophy, almost as if they haven't been used in months. I'm not certain what's causing this, but I can try a few remedies. The worst case scenario is he'll need further rehabilitation I am not qualified to provide. In that case, we can send him to St. Mungo's or bring in an experienced rehab Mediwitch for assistance."

She seemed not to notice the frowns on the faces of those present, or if she did notice, she ignored them all as she continued her diagnosis. "Aside from that, I am concerned that there is something at work in both Mister Black and Miss Granger that is rather unusual." She looked pensive.

"What do you mean, Poppy?" Minerva asked.

"It's something you see in families occasionally," Poppy explained. "There are times when, especially in twins, siblings will have grown together in the same sack and will share so much of the same development that they have trouble being separated. It's even been known to occasionally happen between a very well matched husband and wife that they are so close they find it difficult to be apart." She looked at the two in the beds and shrugged her shoulders. "It sounds rather clichéd, I know, but as I examined you both I noticed a pattern in your blood types that I've seen only in research on those with familial ties. I am concerned you might find it difficult to be separate from one another."

Hermione stared at her, absorbing her words from what felt like a far away place.

"Now this might mean nothing," Madam Pomfrey said, "but it's something I observed and felt you needed to know. It could be nothing and some sort of anomaly based on whatever happened between you two." She gazed at them sternly, and Hermione blushed despite herself. "But in case something does arise, we'll know where it came from and can proceed from there."

Her words a bit cryptic, the Mediwitch excused herself to go get breakfast, and the rest of the group sat in silence a few minutes, thinking about her last comments.

As usual, Sirius was the one to break the silence and with a rather off-color remark. "Well, I suppose if I must be stuck with someone, it's best to be stuck with the best witch in her year," he said. "Besides, as I'm assuming she's already seen me in all my glory, at least we don't have to go through the preliminaries." He winked at Hermione as she blushed again, but it was absent the leer he was accustomed to giving.

Minerva gave him a disgusted glance while Remus rolled his eyes in amusement. Hermione looked up to the Headmaster to see his response, but he appeared deep in thought, and as he looked down at her, she noticed him fingering the black diary.

"I believe we might be wise to discuss Madam Pomfrey's concerns," he now said. "Miss Granger, I was able to do a bit of light reading in this diary of yours." He ignored Sirius's humph. "Though I'm afraid I did not read it cover to cover as I assume you did. Would you be so kind as to direct me to the exact potion and incantation you used to revive Sirius?"

He handed her the book, and Hermione flipped the pages by memory, enjoying the feel of the familiar book in her hands. She flipped first to the potion, marked her spot with a finger, and then to the incantation before handing it carefully back to the headmaster.

Remus and Minerva remained quiet through all this, but they seemed nearly bursting with curiosity. Dumbledore began to peruse the pages quietly, and Hermione glanced to her right to see Sirius looking at his arm in annoyance as he tried and failed to lift them.

"I don't believe you'll have strength for that today, Sirius," Dumbledore remarked, catching him off guard. The man had the book open in his hands and said, "I am afraid this incantation renders you quite weak until you can replenish all the stores of blood that you need to be fully healthy. You can continue to take the potion Madam Pomfrey supplies, and I suggest you take it as long as she recommends. However I am concerned with the use of your blood in this potion, Miss Granger."

The door opened then and Severus strode into the room, black robes billowing behind him. He marched over to the occupied beds and stood waiting as Dumbledore finished his comments.

"As I'm sure you've learned, the use of blood in potions and incantations can create a rather volatile state and be very unpredictable," he said softly. "I spoke with Madam Pomfrey, and she said you lost almost 40 percent of your blood to the potion, which nearly killed you. Had you not been carrying that healing potion, I'm not sure we would be speaking today."

He spoke kindly, but the severe words and the frown on his face expressed the seriousness of his words. Hermione thought about that and how weak and woozy she felt during the potion's mixing with the blood and dirt. She winced at the idea that she very nearly deprived Harry of another person in his life.

"That said," Dumbledore continued, "your plans worked, and we are seeing the results in the form of a fully alive Sirius today. Unfortunately without doing some research and testing the abilities of our friend, I'm unable to say with certainty that you both will not experience some sort of side effects from the incantation and potion. I've asked Severus to go over the potion ingredients and Remus to look over the incantation used to see if they can pinpoint any negative side effects before they emerge."

"Ah, Headmaster," Snape interjected, "I might have someone who would be able to give us more precise information on the incantation than Lupin. Much as I trust him, Lupin is not an expert in portrait charms, and I spoke with Horace this morning about this very thing."

Dumbledore gave the potions master a severe look that he read instantly.

"I told Horace nothing," he said, waving his hands in front of him, "only that I wished to know more about portrait charms. I overheard him discussing them with Miss Granger one day a few months ago and remembered his comments." Hermione blushed, remembering the conversation. "It seems that Horace invited a student of the Devlin Hamish approach to his Christmas party, and she is staying in Hogsmeade for the next day or so before leaving. I believe we could make use of her knowledge to interpret both the incantation and the potion."

Dumbledore mused silently while both Remus and Minerva began to object.

"No one can know that Sirius is here," Minerva protested. "He's a fugitive! And if she isn't a part of the Order, we simply can't trust her."

"Minerva is right, Severus," Remus said. "You and I can study the spell and figure it out. We don't need to add an extra person who might have problems keeping her mouth shut."

Hermione decided to speak up. "I met Nicole," she said quietly. The others looked at her. "She's very nice, but she's also incredibly intelligent. She knew that Lord Henry and his friends were trying to find a way to revive the dead through portraits, and she told me she dreams of finding his lost diary."

She glanced at Sirius and saw him smirking at that. "But mostly, she's passionate about portraits," Hermione said. "She invited me to join the Devlin Hamish school upon graduation, and she seems genuinely interested in everything having to do with portraits."

"It's possible, I suppose," Albus now said. "We could invite her here to look at a portrait text. I imagine we might have to make a few concessions, but I think it can be done. We'll need to work out a few details with Horace and see if—Nicole, was it?—would be willing to come visit us at the castle. Severus, can you ask Horace to come to my office? If you'll accompany him, I think we can see how amenable he would be to this plan."

Snape nodded and swept out of the Hospital Wing. Meanwhile Minerva and Remus looked to Dumbledore to see what he wanted them to do. Sirius, quiet since his initial outburst, seemed content to practice lifting his hands a few inches off the bed at a time.

"Minerva, I must ask you to send word to Tonks," Dumbledore now said, causing Remus to eye him suspiciously. "I believe we might have need of her transfiguration skills. And you might need to work with her on this as well." Professor McGonagal looked mollified but nodded stiffly and made her way out of the room.

Dumbledore looked to Remus, Sirius, and Hermione. He smiled at the three and said, "I imagine you would like to talk to your friends, Remus, so I'll leave you to it. I only ask that you be at dinner tonight so that the students who remain do not question a lack of staff."

Remus agreed and settled himself more comfortably on Sirius's bed as the headmaster made his way out of the room. Madam Pomfrey bustled back in the room with the tangy potion and bid them take their next doses. When she headed for her office, the three relaxed.

"So," Remus now said, "how are you really feeling?" He looked at Sirius with concern as his friend tried to lift his hand and struggled.

"I've never felt this way before, Moony," Sirius replied, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "I feel as if I'm disconnected from my body, my arms and legs are too heavy for me. I can't even sit up properly." He sighed and said, "But what's worse is this pulling sensation I feel."

"Pulling sensation?" Remus asked him, frowning.

"Yeah," Sirius replied. "I feel as if my whole body is being pulled to the left." He looked down at himself, but there was no noticeable movement. "And since I feel so heavy, it feels like there's resistance to the pulling sensation keeping me here."

Hermione realized she felt the same way. She'd been too dizzy before to really pay attention to it, dizzy and tired from being up so long. She, too, felt pulled like a magnet, but for her, it was to the right. She rolled onto her side and decided to test a theory.

Sirius and Remus looked at her as she moved to the edge of the bed and reached for the Marauder who now lay next to her. Her arm moved slowly as she tested her muscle strength, and she just managed to reach his bed and touch his shoulder.

They both sighed in relief at the first touch, and Hermione felt a profound sense of rightness fill her.

"Ahem," Remus said with a significant look at the other two. "I assume you felt the same way, Hermione?" He asked, his brows crossed.

Hermione nodded, leaving her hand stretched across the open space between them. "I just noticed it when Sirius mentioned it, but I've been feeling the same way," she admitted. "I'm not sure what it means, though."

"Must be my animal magnetism," Sirius joked, winking at her again. Then his eyes lit up as he told her, "Hey! I'll be able to transform again!"

Remus asked, "What do you mean, Sirius?"

"I wasn't able to transform to my animagus self in my portrait," Sirius said. "But now that I'm alive again, I should be able to turn into a dog again, right?" He looked at them hopefully and was less than encouraged when neither of them could answer him. "When I get my strength back, that's the first thing I'll do."

"Right now the first thing you should do is eat," Remus said suddenly, standing up. "I just realized it's almost lunch time, and neither of you has eaten. I'll go down to the kitchens and bring you some food up."

"That sounds wonderful, Remus," Hermione said, not noticing her slip-up as the werewolf nodded and walked out of the room.

"Remus?" Sirius asked her significantly, and she scowled at him. "Since when do you call Moony by his first name? I thought he was your professor."

Hermione sighed and told him, "If you must know, after third year, I started calling him Remus and it stuck. It's been rather difficult to go back to calling him professor."

Sirius grinned at her. "Well, I'm sure ole Moony doesn't mind," he drawled. "He's never had many girlfriends, and having a pretty girl calling him by name probably does wonders for his ego."

She rolled her eyes at his words and told him primly, "I'll have you know that Professor Lupin," she stressed his title, "does just fine with women. In fact, I happen to know a certain witch who is rather enamored of him."

Sirius's eyes got huge, and if he'd been able to, Hermione imagined he would have sat on the edge of his bed. "And who is this certain witch you speak of? Do I know her?" He looked positively thrilled at getting this bit of gossip firsthand.

Hermione laughed at his excitement and said, "I'm not telling you. He can tell you if he likes, but I'm not telling his secrets."

"Oh, come on, Hermione," Sirius wheedled, pouting with his bottom lip pushed out and eyes drooping sadly. She thought he looked a bit like a Basset hound rather than his more intimidating lab-like form. "You can tell me. I promise not to tell anyone. Not even Moony."

"Nope, I'm not falling for that," she told him, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Besides, it's none of my business either. I just happen to be observant."

Sirius spent a few minutes pouting and pressing her to spill, but Hermione just laughed at him until her stomach rumbled, reminding them both how hungry they were.

"Wonder what's taking Moony so long," Sirius mused, realizing he was not going to get the information out of the young witch.

"Maybe the house elves finally went on strike," Hermione said with a laugh, imagining Dobby leading a house elf rebellion. "It's nothing but hard tack and cold grub for us."

Sirius's face grew thoughtful, and he said, "I wonder what this means for Grimmauld Place."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked him.

"It belongs to Harry now," he said softly. "But I don't know if it reverts back to me if the original owner turns up alive."

"Oh." That hadn't occurred to her. She realized then she wasn't familiar with how magical wills worked in the first place and asked him.

"When a wizard creates a will," Sirius explained, "a charm is placed on the will binding every part of the wizard's possessions to it. It's also bound magically to the wizard's lifeline. When a wizard dies, the lifeline breaks and the will becomes active. All registered wills are held in the Ministry of Magic's Department of the Treasury. When a will becomes active, it alerts the Department of the Treasury, and they examine the will to make sure it's fully taken care of."

"So the will has charms that alert the Ministry, and then they have to act on the will," she said. "Does that mean the Ministry can do what they want with the contents of the will?"

"No," Sirius said. "Most wizards put very specific charms on their wills and possessions to prevent tampering with them postmortem. So all the Ministry has to do is make sure the possessions go to the correct people, and once everything has been transferred in ownership, the will bursts into flames, signifying that the wizard's affairs have all been set in order."

"Hmm," Hermione said, "so when Dumbledore and the Order members weren't certain about Harry's ownership of Grimmauld Place, they used Kreacher as a test. If Harry couldn't command Kreacher, then your will wasn't valid and Headquarters wasn't safe anymore."

Sirius looked surprised. "Well, that's one way to do it," he said. "But I made sure the will was locked down as soon as I offered Grimmauld Place to the Order. The only changes I made were when I added Harry as my heir. You can be assured it was made safe so that he would be well cared for."

"In that case, you might not have to worry," Hermione said. "Harry will make sure you can go back to your home and be there when you get free of Madam Pomfrey." She grinned at him, and Sirius responded in kind.

They talked much of the afternoon, Remus joining in when he returned with lunch. Hermione found she quite enjoyed listening to the two Marauders reminiscing with one another and trading barbs and tales back and forth.

And so Sirius spent his first day back among the land of the living while stuck in a bed in the Hospital Wing.