A/N- This is my first fan fiction so please go easy on me. I am open to any comments and constructive criticism but please no flames.

Disclaimer- I do not own any of the characters in this story. (though I would love to own Remus.)

A/N- This chapter has been slightly altered so if you have already read it you might want to read it again.

'I must not tell lies'

Harry had just finished yet another 'detention' with Umbridge, if they could even be called detentions, they were more like being tortured for 2 hours or more. His hand was still bleeding quite freely due to the amount of times he had carved the words 'I must not tell lies' into the back of his hand. Harry sighed as he realized that it would probably scar now and he would be stuck with the words forever.

He perked up though at the thought of going to Grimmauld Place the next day, Albus Dumbledore had given him, Hermione and all the the Weasley children at hogwarts permission to spend the weekend there and return to hogwarts sunday night. Even though Harry really didn't like Grimmauld Place he couldn't wait to see Sirius again, he hated the thought of his godfather locked up in that miserable house with only Kreacher the psychotic house-elf for company.

Yes, Harry thought, I'm definitely looking forward to tomorrow and not even Umbridge can get me down.

The next day Harry and his friends arrived at Grimmauld Place early in the morning in order to spend as much time as possible with Sirius. Harry grinned as he saw his godfather waiting for them in the kitchen along with their ex-professor Remus Lupin.

"Hey Sirius, professor Lupin," Harry greeted, while receiving a warm hug from Sirius.

"Please Harry, call me Remus, I'm not your professor anymore," Remus smiled kindly.

"Oh okay pro...Remus, sorry it's just habit I guess," replied Harry. The Weasley children and Hermione left to go greet Molly and Arthur in the next room and Remus followed after them with a small wave to Harry which was returned. Leaving Harry and Sirius alone in the kitchen.

"So kiddo, how have you been?, got into any trouble lately?, land any detentions?, turned Snapes hair pink?" Sirius asked with a grin, only half joking.

"I'm doing okay but even though I'm trying not to get any detentions, I seem to get loads from Umbridge anyway!"

"Umbridge, yeah I've heard about her, hates half-breeds doesn't she?, yeah she's a nasty piece of work, what does she give you detention for?"

"I apparently keep 'telling lies' about Voldemort returning, she doesn't believe me!" replied Harry, raising his voice slightly in anger.

"What does she have you doing in these detentions then?" Sirius asked.

"Oh, erm.. just.. you know.. lines, not much really," Harry replied somewhat nervously.

"What do you have to write?"

"I must not tell lies..."

"Just lines Harry, you sure?"

"erm... yep, just lines.. nothing else..."

The next day Sirius, Harry and Remus were sat around the table eating breakfast. Everyone else was still in bed snoring softly or in Ron's case loud enough to wake the dead. As Harry reached across the table to get a piece of toast from the plate in the middle, the light from the window fell onto his hand causing the scar on the back of his hand to briefly light up. Remus, who was sitting across from Harry, noticed this and immediately reached out to grab Harry's wrist preventing him from pulling his hand back.

"what's this?" Remus asked quietly, acting calm.

"Oh, er... it's nothing, just a cut," Harry replied, trying to pull his hand back to cover up the words.

"A cut in the shape of the words 'I must not tell lies'?" Remus asked, raising one eyebrow and keeping a firm hold of Harry's wrist.

"WHAT?!" shouted Sirius leaning forward to get a look at Harry's hand.

"Harry, how did you get this?" Remus asked quietly.

"Detention..." mumbled Harry figuring he might as well tell them since he couldn't see a way of avoiding it.

"Detention..." repeated Sirius thoughtfully, then a look of understanding came across his face, "detention!, Harry you said that Umbridge was giving you lines! not cutting you hand open!!"

"Yeah well, technically it is lines, I'm just writing them in my own blood," said Harry.

"A blood quill, thats what it is isn't it?!" said Remus looking a bit pale.

"Yeah..." mumbled Harry.

"A BLOOD QUILL!, but...but that's ILLEGAL!" shouted Sirius, clearly outraged.

"Yes it is, we should report it to the ministry," said Remus.

"MINISTRY!!, no way, she'll just get a warning, I doubt the minister will even care!, NO! I'm gonna kill that bitch!" roared Sirius.

"NO!, Sirius please, that's what she wants, it doesn't matter, I can handle it fine by myself, you don't need to get involved!" Harry shouted desperately.

"He's right Sirius, you don't need to get involved, I'll just tell Dumbledore and..."

"NO!, you cant tell anyone, that's what she wants and besides, telling someone will probably just get you and me in trouble, it's best just to leave it alone," Harry reasoned.

"But Harry, that woman's torturing you! she needs to be stopped!" Sirius cried with Remus nodding in the background obviously agreeing with Sirius.

"Don't you get it? If you say something the ministry would probably just turn it around saying that I'm obviously unstable and cutting the words into my hand is my way of gaining attention! Umbridge would never admit to it! and what evidence it there? none! it's just my word against hers and who do you think the ministry is going to believe?" Harry explained.

Remus sighed in defeat and nodded his head, "as much as I hate it and think it unfair, what Harry said is true Sirius, at the moment the ministry is of the opinion that Harry is just an 'attention seeking liar' they would never believe him if he told the ministry what was happening."

"Damn it! it's not fair, but we can't just do nothing, there must be something we can do!" pleaded Sirius.

"No Sirius, please you've got to promise not to do anything to Umbridge." Harry begged desperately.

"Fine, I promise." mumbled Sirius while secretly crossing his fingers behind his back.

"I'm afraid the best we can do is give Harry a potion for the pain and to try and lessen the scarring," Remus said tiredly, he stood up and walked over to a cabinet filled with various vials and rummaged through them until he found what he was looking for, before returning to his seat at the table. "There you go Harry just rub a bit of this on your hand and it will ease the pain and hopefully minimize the scarring." Remus said, passing the jar to Harry.

"Thanks Remus."

Later that day, just before Harry and his friends' return to Hogwarts, Sirius pulled Harry aside for a last minute chat. "Look Harry, I know there's not much I can do but if you ever need me for any reason, I'm just a firecall away, and if you can't contact me directly try owling Remus and he will pass it on to me." Sirius told Harry quietly.

"Okay, thanks Sirius." Harry replied smiling warmly.

"No problem kiddo, take care of yourself." Sirius said while ruffling up Harry's already messy mop of hair. "I will, you too Sirius, be careful!" Said Harry frantically trying to smooth down his hair. Harry gave Sirius one last quick hug before turning and disappearing through the floo with a shout of "Hogwarts."

TBC...

A/N- This story was originally a one-shot but I have had a few requests to extend it so I have wrote Chapter 2: Sirius' Revenge.