CHAPTER 42

THE REQUEST

Harry flopped face down on his bed as soon as he entered his room. He had just gotten back from training with Mad Eye Moody and he was exhausted. The Auror had insisted that he increased his training with him as Voldemort and his death eaters had gained momentum. He thought back to the past few months and smiled to himself. After he had duelled with the unruly professor, his relationship with the professors had improved. He had also been able to implement his visions to improve the school with their cooperation.

He was just starting to drift off when he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in"

His godfather poked his head in. "Hey pup, how was training today?"

"Brutal" he answered simply.

With a chuckle, Sirius entered the room.

"Moony is coming home tomorrow…the term is over" he said as he settled on the bed next to the boy.

"Oh really?!" Harry sat up excitedly. He really missed his other guardian., not that he wasn't having fun with Padfoot.

"Yes, really" Sirius grinned excitedly. He couldn't wait to see his best friend and also introduce his girlfriend, Jennifer, to him. "That being said, I am going to Diagon Alley later…do you want to come along?"

"Sure, I need to get some potion supplies anyway…" Harry paused as he eyed his godfather with suspicion. "Is your girlfriend coming along?"

"What? Why do you ask that?" Sirius asked. "I thought you liked her"

"I do like her. She's cool…but when you lot get together you act so disgustingly in love" Harry answered with a roll of his eyes. It really is disgustingly sweet to watch. If he hadn't experienced and seen with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that his playboy godfather could ever fall in love.

"I can't help it, pup, I'm in love" Sirius replied with a sappy smile. "But it is just going to be the two of us going to Diagon Alley. I realised that we haven't spent time together lately…you being so busy with everything you've got on your plate and me with work and my girlfriend"

"Ok, do you mind if I took a quick nap before we go?" Harry asked with a yawn. He really was worn out from all the training that he had been having lately with Mad-Eye.

"Of course, pup" Sirius answered as he patted his son reassuringly on the shoulder.

Neville gazed around anxiously as he stood by the entrance of a muggle library. He was waiting for James. They were supposed to be hanging out at a muggle game arcade that Lucas had discovered before heading off to the James's house. He was looking at his wristwatch when he felt a hand on his shoulder causing him to jump.

"There you are" he said as he looked up and saw Lucas grinning at him.

"Sorry, we are late" James replied as he approached them. "Lucas is staying over at the Manor this summer and he arrived late. We left as soon as he arrived"

"I already apologised and told you that it was not my fault. My mum kept fussing over me" Lucas protested with a frown.

"That's because you are her baby and she didn't want you to go" James replied with an eyeroll.

"No, I'm not!"

"Lucas, she still calls you her baby" James answered with a laugh.

"Guys…you're bickering again" Neville said as he rolled his eyes fondly at the duo. "Let's just head over to the arcade…whatever that means"

"Oh, you'll see" Lucas replied mysteriously as he exchanged a smile with his best friend.

"Ignore him…you're going to love it, Nev"

Sirius was just stepping out of his office when he noticed Kingsley Shacklebolt headed towards him.

"Sirius, how are you doing today?" the Auror greeted jovially.

"I'm doing great…just heading home" Sirius replied cautiously, suspicion tinging his voice. Although Kingsley Shacklebolt was a fellow Auror and a good one at that, but he just couldn't bring himself to trust the man due to the fact that he was practically almost Dumbledore's right-hand man.

"Can I talk to you privately?" the Auror asked before glancing around surreptitiously. "In your office"

"Um, sure" Sirius answered, his suspicions peaking.

As soon as they were inside the office, Sirius casted a muffliato spell on the room.

"Thanks for seeing me" Kingsley began. "I have a message from Dumbledore and…"

"Kingsley, you know that I want nothing to do with Dumbledore" Sirius cut in, as he held up a hand to stop the man from talking.

"I understand, trust me, I do" Kingsley replied earnestly. "But this has to do with Harry as well as you. It has come to our notice that Voldemort has stepped up his search for Harry which was why he had tried to send his death eaters to kidnap you. His plan had been to torture the information out of you and if that hadn't work, lure Harry out with you being held hostage as an incentive"

"I am aware of this and in case you have forgotten, I was responsible for their plan being thwarted as well as their capture" Sirius said with a frown as he folded his arms across his chest.

"We are very well aware of that fact. Tonks is after all a member of the Order and so are you, by the way" the man said as he levelled Sirius with a disapproving stare. "Anyway, Dumbledore would like to meet with you, Lupin and Harry to discuss. He wants to work with you three to put an end to Voldemort but on your own terms this time. You can even choose the place of meeting"

"And why would we want to do that? The last time, he tried to get to Harry, it was in the ruse of wanting us to make up with Remus. Why should we trust him this time?"

"You shouldn't but I think you should work with him to put an end to Voldemort. You can't keep the boy hidden forever without the threat of the Dark Lord hanging over your heads" Kingsley said before he began to make his way to the door. Before he exited, his hand on the door handle, he paused to say over his shoulder "I really think you should take him up on his offer, not just because you think he would try to get to the boy but for the child's safety as well as yours"

With that final comment, he departed, leaving Sirius scowling at his retreating back.

Remus was catching up on some leisure reading in the vast library of the manor when he heard his name being called out by Sirius.

"Why in the name of Merlin's beard are you yelling my name for, Padfoot?" he asked as Sirius found him.

"We have an issue" Sirius huffed a breath as he took a seat. "Where's Harry?"

"Oh, he's out with Lucas and Neville…apparently they are meeting with some of Lucas's classmates who were friends with Harry before he graduated"

"And they took Neville with them?" Sirius raised a brow.

"Yeah, but Harry had informed his friends to play along with calling him James" Remus replied as he folded up the newspaper he had been reading. "What exactly is going on though?"

Sirius got up and started pacing, while Remus patiently waited as he watched his friend agitatedly run his fingers through his hair.

"I got a visit from Kingsley Shacklebolt at the office today and he told me that Dumbledore is requesting a meeting with Harry and us"

"What? Why now?" Remus shot up from his seat at the comment.

"He said that we needed him as much as he needed Harry" Sirius stopped pacing and drag his hand down his face in frustration. "I think he might have information on Voldemort that could be beneficial in his defeat. He wants us to schedule a meeting on our own terms, we can even pick the location"
"Hmm…" Remus replied with a frown.

Sirius glanced at his friend, only to see him frowning in deep thought.

"Don't tell me that you are actually thinking about us agreeing to meet up with the old git" he asked, trying to keep the anger and frustration he felt from edging into his voice.

"Well…" Remus began, carefully phrasing his words as he knew how his friend could get whenever the topic of Dumbledore is brought up. "With the situation on ground with Voldemort getting stronger and gathering more followers, I think it is time that we put aside our differences with Dumbledore and work together to put an end to the Dark Lord"

He held up a hand to stop his friend who had opened his mouth to speak.

"Padfoot, we have to do this…this is not just about us. This is about Harry too" he finished softly as he watched the fight in his best friend dissipate.

With a heavy sigh, Sirius collapsed back on the seat beside his friend. "We have to tell Harry"

Harry and Lucas thundered in laughing as they did but stopped short when they found Sirius and Remus sitting in the living room looking sullen.

"What's going on?" Harry asked as he glanced between his two guardians.

"Have a seat, pup, we have something we need to discuss with you" Sirius spoke up.

"Do you want me to leave?" Lucas asked, understanding that they might need to have a private discussion that he didn't need to be privy to.

"No, no, Lucas…you can stay" Remus answered. "You are pretty much a part of this family"

"So, what's going on?" Harry repeated.

Sirius recounted his encounter with Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt and his message from Dumbledore.

"So, what do you both think?" Harry asked after his godfather had finished explaining.

"We think that we should meet up with the Headmaster and hear what he has to say…he could have some sort of information that could help us" Sirius answered.

"We can't keep you hidden from the Wizarding world forever, Harry, and frankly I don't want us to. It is not fair to you" Remus said. "We won't however set up a meeting if you aren't on board"

"I trust you both and whatever decision you agree upon, wholeheartedly, besides it is time we stopped hiding and get active in stopping Voldemort" Harry began as he glanced at Lucas who nodded in agreement. "I am definitely on board"

"I will contact Tonks and get her to relay our decision to Dumbledore" Remus said with a proud smile directed at his son.