HARRY POTTER, SIRIUS BLACK'S GODCHILD

A/N: Greetings new and returning readers. I have to get this off my chest- this story, as well as the sequels are not written in the best of my abilities. I am very well-aware of the mistakes that still linger in them. From grammar or spelling to out-of-character moments. I know there are things I have characters say or do that they wouldn't in the actual series. I spend too much effort on plots that aren't very important. I know Harry appears weak at certain moments. There are many things I would change about this original story but unfortunately I don't have the time to do it and if I were to change those things, too many other things will need to be changed that it might as well be a new story. Also, I am more focused at the moment on writing my South Park fics. Not to say that I love that any more than Harry Potter, it's just what my focus is on atm. I hate that I am doing what I said I never would- leaving a story unfinished but I had to leave this message. I have gotten reviews that say the story is lame. And it is. I wanted to make it clear that I would change it if I had the time. But this is my very first story on this site so it is still special to me. If you want to continue to read it, great. But expect OOC moments and such. Thanks a lot.

Full summary: Harry finally has everything he could ever want. A home with his now freed godfather Sirius, his best friend Remus and the security that comes with family. However his fifth year is one chaotic mess after another. Romance blossoms, troubles persist, Voldemort is out for something that everyone but Harry knows about, and even though his life is far better off than it was during the summer he still has little time to rest. New friends, new enemies, new places, new ideas and new dreams follow Harry wherever he goes. He's about to find out that starting a brand-new year with a new outlook on life wasn't how he planned. Will he be able to figure out why Dumbledore is so keen on keeping from him in the dark? What starts out as a very eventful summer only leads to an even more eventful fifth school year.

Shipping warning: This story has Harry/Hermione and Sirius/OC romance.

PONDERING

It was a fairly cool night, on July the 15th, 1995, and far away in a house in London, England, was a man, pacing. He was a tall man, with slight muscle forming on his once wasted body. He had shoulder-length black hair which was still damp from the shower he had taken not long ago. The locks shined when the candle's flame on his desk shown upon it. His face was still a bit gaunt and waxy, but he was looking more and more handsome as the days passed, and looking more like he did sixteen years ago. His blue-gray eyes sparkled with a look of worry and curiosity as he paced the cold wood floor of his bedroom. His robes billowed by as he walked up and down. This man was a wizard, thirty-five of age, and thanks to his room-mate and a lot of nutrient potions from the nurse who worked at the school he used to attend, he was now beginning to weigh as much as a normal six-foot tall man should weigh.

The man's name was Sirius Black and he had spent the past twelve years in the wizard prison Azkaban for a crime he did not commit. Thankfully, he had been freed not long ago, with a heaping bag of 1,986 Galleons as hearty forgiveness from the minister Cornelius Fudge who never did like to be made a fool. Sirius did not have a place to go (he refused to go back to his childhood home that was also in London), but thankfully, his best friend Remus Lupin had helped purchased a home quickly and Sirius, not caring where or what the house was moved in right away.

Just then, the sound of the bedroom door opening brought Sirius out of his musings and he turned round to face who had just stepped in the room. It was Remus. He rubbed his tired brown eyes as he looked to his friend.

"Sirius, why are you pacing again?" he said heavily. "I thought that shower would do you some good. Look, it's already midnight, why don't you just get to bed all right? You can finish pacing the floor tomorrow. Just get some rest; you haven't been sleeping well lately."

Sirius growled as he turned his back to Remus. "I thought that shower would've done me up some good too Remus, but- I don't know, something just has me up… Sometimes you just go off in a daze and you can't get out of it and right now- my mind is racing," he finished looking troubled.

Remus rubbed his temples. "I know Sirius. You've been doing it for three nights now. Are you sure you don't know what's bothering you?"

Sirius turned to stare at his friend. There was no readable expression to his face. "I think you know what's been on my mind Remus."

Remus sighed and nodded. "True. But you heard Dumbledore, it's best Harry stay with his aunt and uncle during the summer holiday."

Sirius didn't like these words. "But that shouldn't matter now, I'm free. That little traitor of a rat is locked up as he should be. James and Lily appointed me as Harry's godfather. Now that I'm able to look after him I should be allowed to do just that. Harry should be living with me with the little amount of time he has left before he's of age."

"I know you don't like hearing it but Dumbledore has his reasons. Harry will be able to stay with us during the Christmas holiday. If you want we can talk to the old man and see if we can't have Harry come here before term starts. Take him to get his new books and whatnot. I'm sure he won't have a problem with that."

Sirius didn't answer right away; he took up a seat at his desk and crossed his arms. "You haven't seen Harry's owl, Hedwig, recently have you?"

Remus stepped forward. "No."

Sirius took a minute to continue his thoughts. "I find it a little strange. My freedom was released all over the Daily Prophet. I would have thought by now we would have gotten a letter from Harry about that. Even if he can't stay here at least we'd be able to exchange letters without them being intercepted."

"Maybe he's simply not getting the Daily Prophet daily."

"I doubt it. With everything that happened just a couple months ago, he'd want to know all the news and updates. Waiting to see if any strange activity has been spotted or if Fudge himself claims Voldemort's back."

Remus opened his mouth then shut it. "True, that is a little odd. I can only assume the Muggles are keeping him busy since he got back. But I know what you're thinking and I'm sure he has every reason to not write you. If there were trouble we would know."

Sirius glared. "Harry would have still sent me an owl by now even if he didn't know I was free. I haven't heard anything from him at all."

"We can ask about it tomorrow but it'll do no good worrying now. Harry's fine."

"I don't know if he is Remus," Sirius said still looking uneasy.

Remus sighed. "He probably is Sirius. Don't stress over it. Dumbledore would've told us if something happened. Remember, Ms. Figg is there to keep an eye on him too. She would talk to Dumbledore if Harry was in danger."

Sirius nodded, but stopped when a new thought entered his mind. "He hates his aunt and uncle Remus. And we both know how horrible they were to him before he started second year. Harry would be safest with us. Whatever is protecting the Dursley home can protect this one we're in now."

"You heard Dumbledore Sirius, Harry is better off with the Muggles. I know you want him here and so do I but it won't happen. You know why Harry has to stay at his aunt's, there's a protection there that can't exist over here. Do you not remember what Harry had to witness weeks ago? A boy died Sirius, and Harry had to witness Voldemort's rebirth. If I were him I'd want to be on my own for a while."

Sirius still looked iffy. Remus took hold of his friend's shoulders and looked him in the worried blue eyes of his. "Harry is fine mate, say it with me, Harry's fine."

"I can't Moony, I can't. Call it parental instinct or not but I feel I need to see him. At least then I will know I can stop fretting about how he is."

"He probably only needs help with grieving but even then he won't listen to us. Leave him to his own thoughts for a while then maybe we could see if we can see Harry sometime this month."

Sirius nodded. "I'd like Harry to stay the rest of his summer here. It's a lot better than Headquarter's. I just wish he'd send us an owl stating he wants to be left alone that way I won't have to worry about him."

"Harry is very like his mother in the way that he's not going to show someone how he truly feels if he feels there's no need for it," Remus reminded the man.

"I know but"-

"Stop fussing. You know Harry doesn't need someone fussing over him."

"I know, I know. All right, Harry's okay. Happy?" Sirius got to his feet.

Remus didn't look amused. "We can talk to Dumbledore first thing tomorrow. I want to see Harry just as much as you do. In the mean time we should get to bed. C'mon…"

The unfortunate thing the two did not know was that miles away Harry was anything but fine. In the small town of Little Whining, Surrey, Harry was as far as fine as you could be, (without being dead that is), and poor Remus and Sirius had not a clue in the world…

Originally posted: February 11, 2007

Updated: May 13, 2013