The Duelling Champion

The end of the academic year was finally here. After Professor Quirrell had died in an unfortunate accident (according to Dumbledore), the headmaster had decided to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts himself. During the end of year exams, Harry impressed all his teachers with his astounding practical application of magic. Professors Babbling and Vector were overjoyed with his grasp of the subjects of Runes and Arithmancy since he had joined in the middle of the third year classes. He had needed help with the latter but was able to catch up after private lessons with Professor Vector. He had worked very hard, so it was no surprise (at least to him) when the results stated that he was the top student amongst the third years.

Thanks to Harry tutoring her, Daphne too sailed through her first-year exams and stood first in her year. Padma Patil stood second and Hermione Granger third, followed by Draco Malfoy and Ernie Macmillan. While Daphne was ecstatic, a few others were not. Hermione Granger had ranted about how there was no possible way she could not have come first.

Throughout the year, she had been under the impression that she was the top student until Professor McGonagall clarified that the rankings displayed on the notice board in Gryffindor Tower only gave information about Gryffindor students. Ergo, she was the top student amongst the first years in Gryffindor. But Hermione didn't like it. In her Muggle primary school, she had always stood first in class, and that position had been snatched away from her here at Hogwarts. She decided to study harder next year, and maybe even get into the accelerated program like Harry Potter. Draco Malfoy was unhappy because he had been beaten in the exams by a Muggle-born.

Due to their performances in the matches, Slytherin won the Quidditch Cup, but thanks to the two hundred points the four Prefects had gained in saving Hermione Granger, they were able to snag a victory for Ravenclaw for the House Cup. All four students had also been rewarded for their bravery as they had risked their lives to save a fellow student. The Ravenclaws were especially happy as they hadn't won the House Cup in several years, thanks in part to Snape and his less-than-cheery attitude towards anyone other than a Slytherin. The older year students in all four Houses had finally calmed down after they had to grudgingly admit that Harry Potter really did qualify to be in the accelerated program because of his intelligence and talent and not because of his fame.

Once the end of year feast was done and the golden plates and cutlery cleaned, Harry let Hedwig fly back to Potter Castle while he shrunk his trunk which was already packed by one of his house-elves. Just as he walked down to the common room, Professor Flitwick informed him that Professor Dumbledore wanted to speak to him. Harry immediately excused himself and withdrew his communication mirror.

"Sirius Black," he whispered.

The mirror heated up and his godfather's face appeared. The man's eyes narrowed dangerously. "He's calling you to his office, isn't he?" he asked without preamble.

"Yes," Harry answered stiffly.

"I'll take care of it, Harry," said Sirius calmly. "Don't worry."

"Thanks, Sirius," said Harry with a small smile as he put the mirror back in his pocket. About fifteen minutes later, when he and Daphne were walking out of the castle, they saw Sirius Black walk in and head directly towards the marble staircase.

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Lord Sirius Black walked towards Dumbledore's office after getting the password from a surprised Professor Flitwick. He saw the gargoyle jump to the side, so he stepped onto the moving staircase and knocked on the door. When he heard the old man invite him in, he opened the door and stepped inside.

The room was exactly as Sirius remembered it, with Dumbledore sitting behind the ornate desk, on a throne-like chair. He seemed surprised to see Sirius there.

"Sirius?" asked Dumbledore, confused. "I believe I asked Harry to meet me before he leaves. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here because I am his guardian and this does not concern his schooling," said Sirius curtly as he took a seat uninvited. "What is this about? Wait, let me guess … Is this about making Harry go back to Petunia?" he sneered.

Dumbledore mentally sighed. He did not expect Sirius to come here himself. He thought he might be able to persuade Harry by bribing the boy with books from his personal library, but he didn't think it would work with the Lord of House Black sitting in front of him.

"Sirius, you have to see reason. The protection I had created around the Dursley residence was based on Lily's sacrifice. As long as Harry calls the place home, and where Lily's blood lives through Harry and her sister, Voldemort cannot touch him. It is imperative that he goes back there for his own protection."

"I will never allow that, Dumbledore," said Sirius coldly. "You're delusional if you think I would condemn Harry to such suffering again. You knew Petunia was a bitch. Lily told you so, didn't she? And yet you placed Harry with that woman and her husband, making my godson grow up in a magic-hating, abusive household. I can't believe you would sink so low as to condone child abuse!"

"Sirius, I had no idea –"

"Save it!" spat Sirius angrily. "You should have known about it since it was you who left him there in the first place. You were the boy's magical guardian. It was your duty to protect him! I don't even want to know what state my godson would have been in if he hadn't escaped when he had. There are a lot of mysteries surrounding you, Dumbledore and I don't like it. You're playing a very dangerous game. It's rather convenient that it was you who sealed James' will which stated that I was innocent. It was convenient that I didn't know who actually cast the Fidelius Charm. All this time, I was under the impression that it was Lily until Harry proved otherwise. You're very lucky that James and Lily's journals are not admissible in court as evidence because if I had solid proof of your involvement, I would have ensured that something was done about it. You sent me to Azkaban on purpose. You put Harry with Petunia for a reason. I'm warning you now, Dumbledore. Stay out of my way and out of my son's life."

"Your son, Sirius?"

Sirius fixed Dumbledore with a haughty look. "He's as good as my own. I couldn't love him more if he actually were my son. I repeat; leave Harry alone or you will face my wrath!"

With that, Sirius Black got to his feet and walked out of the office, slamming the door in the process, leaving Dumbledore to ponder the situation. The headmaster's eyes grew hard and a frown formed on his face. He seemed to be the recipient of many threats lately. He had to get things back under control; get Harry under control. Sirius was, unfortunately, protected. The Chief Warlock could wage political battles, but that was it. He needed the young Lord Black for the fight with Voldemort when the Dark Lord eventually returned, and hence, didn't want to consider any route that could sour their relationship further.

Dumbledore turned to his trusted phoenix. "We need to find him, Fawkes," he said softly. "I think it is time we brought him back."

The phoenix trilled and soon, both the old headmaster and the phoenix disappeared in a flash of flame.

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The train reached Platform Nine and Three-Quarters several hours later, and Harry smiled when saw Sirius waiting for him. The moment his godfather spotted him, Sirius lightly ruffled Harry's hair and said, "Everything's ready, kiddo. Come on."

Harry bid everyone goodbye and after returning Daphne's hug (much to the surprise of Daphne, her parents, and Sirius), he took Sirius' hand and Disapparated. When Harry opened his eyes, he could smell the salt water. They were standing on a beach, with the waves crashing on the white sand.

"A beach?" he asked incredulously. "I thought you were bringing me to your home!"

Sirius barked out a laugh. "I did bring us home. This island, owned by the Blacks, is off the coast of Cornwall. You can have all the privacy you need here. Come on, let's head inside."

The older man led Harry towards a path which was off the beach. They walked in comfortable silence and after a few minutes, Harry's eyes widened when he saw an elegant castle made of black stone. It was much smaller than Potter Castle, but still impressive in its own right.

"Welcome to Black Castle," said Sirius as he led Harry inside. "The other homes of the Blacks are in a state of disrepair. The house-elves are fixing them, but it'll take time. The ancestral manor in Scotland is where I'll be moving in once repairs are complete, but for the summer, it's more than enough. Besides, I like the seaside view."

"I've never seen a beach before! The Dursleys went to Nice once when I was six. I saw the pictures and since then, I've wanted to go there too."

"We'll go on a vacation to France later this summer, then," said Sirius as he led Harry to one of the bedrooms.

"Really?" asked Harry incredulously.

"Of course, Harry," said Sirius, fondly ruffling his hair. "We can go to different places every summer for a holiday. That's what families do."

The young boy was momentarily stunned and stopped walking. Sirius frowned. "Is something wrong?"

"You consider me family?"

"I have always considered you family, Harry," he replied patiently. "You're as good as my own son. I know that I made a mistake by giving you up all those years ago, but this time, I'm here to stay. I'll be with you all the way. I promised your parents that I'd take care of you, and I intend to honour that promise. You're not alone, Harry."

Harry's face was blank as always, but his lower lip trembled as he swallowed thickly. "Thank you," he said quietly before entering the room. He was quite touched by his godfather's words. He was feeling emotions he couldn't identify and that confused him more than anything.

Sirius just smiled slightly as he walked out of the room. Baby steps, he reminded himself.

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Sirius had kept his promise.

On the twentieth of July, Sirius Black, Amelia Bones, and Harry Potter were at the International Floo Terminal in London. When it was their turn, they stepped into the massive Floo and were swallowed up by the green flames. When they emerged, they were greeted by the officials of the French Ministry of Magic in Paris. After their wands were registered, with Amelia flashing her credentials that showed that she was the Director of the British D.M.L.E, they Portkeyed to the villa in southern France that was owned by the Black family.

"So, what do you want to do first?" asked Amelia.

The relationship between her and Sirius had improved over the past year. He had still been frosty in the beginning, but after spending several months talking to each other, with Amelia convincing him that she had never forgotten him, things had slowly improved. They weren't back to how it was before he was chucked into prison, but their relationship was slowly mending itself. Apart from her fiancé, Amelia had also taken up the responsibility of being there for Harry too, and over the course of three weeks, they had become comfortable in each other's presence. The fact that Amelia had already gained Harry's respect and trust thanks to her involvement in his godfather's trial helped immensely, and hence, the latter wasn't as hesitant to open up to her.

"I want to learn and explore some of the magical culture here in France," replied Harry as he enlarged his bags with a wave of his hand. His wandless magic had grown over time and he tended to practice it as often as he could.

"I don't know about you, but I want to eat some of their food," grinned Sirius.

Amelia laughed and Harry too agreed that he was interested in sampling the local cuisine. After a heavy lunch, they went to Paris and toured one of the best shopping districts of Magical France. Harry found several pairs of beautifully designed magical wrist watches which he purchased while Amelia made Sirius buy clothes. The next two days went by in laughter and shopping.

On the twenty-third of July, Harry was nervous. He knew that he was very talented for his age, but he had never participated in a Duelling Championship before. There were witches and wizards from all over the world who would be taking part. Sirius and Amelia had helped him train ever since he had come back home from Hogwarts. He had also been given tips by the portrait of Fergus Potter, his great-grandfather, who was an International Duelling Champion himself. He ate a light breakfast and dressed in appropriate clothes that didn't hinder his agility. Once they were ready, the three of them Apparated to the arena where the championship would be held.

There was a person outside checking the names of the contestants. Harry stood in line, with Sirius and Amelia behind him.

"Name and country?" asked the man, not looking up.

"Harry Potter, Magical Britain."

The man's eyes widened as he looked up, and his jaw dropped in surprise and awe. He flushed when he saw Sirius glaring at him, but it was not every day you get to meet the boy who had survived and deflected a bloody Killing Curse when he was a baby!

"Sign here please, Mr Potter. You may enter through that gate over there. You'll have to submit your wand for inspection and you'll be informed about anything else later. Here are your name tag and badge. Good luck."

"Thank you," muttered Harry as he turned away.

"Stay calm," Amelia muttered as they walked towards the gate for the participants. "There are talented kids here, true, but I doubt they would be able to match your skill. Most importantly, do the best you can and nobody will think any less of you."

"Thanks, Aunt Amy."

"We'll be right there in the audience, cheering for you, understood?" assured Sirius. "Now go and show them what you can do. We have the utmost confidence in you."

Harry smiled at them both and turned to enter through the gate. Sirius took Amelia's hand in his as they both walked to a different gate to enter the arena. They paid for their seats, choosing the most expensive ones so that they could be as close to the duelling arena as possible.

"He'll be fine," whispered Amelia, squeezing his hand comfortingly. Sirius took a deep breath and nodded.

After about an hour, the lights dimmed around them, with the stage being prominently illuminated as the host stepped onto the podium.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he began in French, but both of them could understand what he was saying. "Welcome to the Under-13 International Duelling Championship for the year 2002! We're going to have our preliminary rounds today, and those who qualify will be eligible for tomorrow's tournament. Those who qualify for the Quarter-Finals in the morning will take part in the Simi-Finals that afternoon. The winners of the Semi-Finals will take part in the Finals that night. So, shall we begin?" he asked and the crowd roared.

"Our first match is between Mr Adonis of Greece and Mr Potter of Britain. Let's give them a big round of applause!"

People clapped, but many began whispering when they heard Harry's name. The Boy-Who-Lived was known all over the world for surviving and deflecting the dreaded Killing Curse when he was but a baby.

Harry stepped forward towards the arena and bowed to his opponent who bowed back. He then extended his left leg forward; his left arm was raised for balance, his wand was pointed sixty degrees away from his opponent. His face was expressionless and back straight. This was a stance he had worked on. It provided a means for both defence and offence, depending on his move. Harry's opponent took an offensive position. The boy was going to strike the second he was ready. His wand was pointed at Harry, so he would use a spell that didn't require any elaborate wand movements. The best bet was either the Disarming or Stunning spell, mused Harry.

"The rules are simple. No lethal spells can be used, and unforgivable curses are banned; standard International Duelling Rules, level one. The duel ends when the other party is incapacitated or yields. Get ready. BEGIN!"

As Harry had predicted, the Greek boy shouted "Expelliarmus!"

A red jet of light headed towards Harry, but he neatly dodged it.

'Langlock; Expelliarmus; Stupefy!'

The three silent spells hit the mark. His opponent's tongue got stuck to the roof of his mouth, his wand flew out of his hand and the stunner hit him in the chest. The boy dropped to the ground, unconscious. The stadium was quiet. No one had ever expected a twelve-year-old boy to perform spells non-verbally.

The host recovered quickly and cried, "Amazing! That was an impressive display of non-verbal magic! The winner is Mr Harry Potter of Britain." The crowd roared and clapped for the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry bowed to them and exited the arena.

Harry blasted through Round Two as well. Since it was Under-13, the duels took very little time. But he had to admit, the competitor he faced was good for her age, but Harry was a lot better. Harry hit her with a few jinxes for which the girl used a shield, but was eventually defeated when Harry cast the Auguamenti charm, soaking her to the bone, and stunning her to end the duel.

The Quarter-Finals had twelve participants. Here, Harry decided to dodge rather than fire. His opponent was quickly getting tired after firing so many spells, and he took advantage of that and fired a stunner of his own when the opponent had just stopped casting spells, ending the duel.

The Semi-Finals were much better, in Harry's opinion. There were six duellists. If Harry won this round, he would be automatically qualified for the finals thanks to his record of wins in the previous rounds. The other five would have to fight in another round and the winner would join him in the Finals.

His opponent in the Semi-Finals was a boy from Brazil. The other wizard was cautious as he knew Harry was a fierce opponent. He dodged spells as well, and instead of conventional spells, he used a mixture of different charms in his arsenal. It definitely worked, as Harry got hit once when he least expected it, but managed to overcome his opponent by using his advanced knowledge of charms against him.

The Finals were between Harry and a girl from Japan. "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the finals of the Under-13 International Duelling Championship! We have today our two finalists – Akeno Hana from Japan and Harry Potter from Britain! Both have proven that they are way ahead of their peers in terms of magical knowledge. Take your places, finalists. Get ready. BEGIN!"

But to the crowd's surprise, neither party fired any spells. Harry had observed this girl and realised that she liked to set a trap for her opponents.

After several seconds, Harry decided to lay a trap of his own. He took his wand behind his back and started shifting it between his hands. The girl didn't know that he was ambidextrous. He could use that to his advantage. She would probably shift her focus to the hand where he was holding his wand. If he could fool her and attack with the other, she would be thrown off guard. The crowd watched in confusion as Harry shifted his wand from one hand to the other, the entire time keeping it away from his opponent's eyes.

Amelia's eyes narrowed in calculation. This wasn't a technique she had seen before. Just a moment later, Harry suddenly attacked. The witch had expected him to fire with his right hand, as she had seen it twitch, and that was where she aimed her spell. But she figured out too late that Harry was using his left hand. She dodged, but was still caught in the path of the hex. Painful boils erupted on her upper arm. Everyone in the arena realised that he was simply toying with her, trying to predict her movements by striking first. It was standard duelling tactics.

Harry smirked as he dodged another spell coming his way. She sent a volley of hexes and jinxes his way, but he switched to Transfiguration, one of his favourites in a duel. He conjured a huge bunch of leaves with sticky sap and banished them towards her. The girl set the leaves on fire and banished them back at Harry. Harry expected this and used the Auguamenti charm to put off the fire and create a ball of water, a very impressive feat of magic. He pushed it above the ground where it was rotating at a fast rate using a smart array of quick runes.

He then cast a variety of spells that the girl dodged. It was clear that her opponent wanted to end it and deal with the water bubble, so she said mouted a spell and a white beam of light shot out of her wand. Harry cast a stunning spell and both spells connected. Flashes of light could be seen as white and red clashed with each other. After several seconds, Harry let go of the spell, dodged, looked at the ball of water suspended above and slashed his wand in the air. The water fell directly on the girl below. Harry immediately took his chance and fired the spell chain he had used in the first duel. His opponent lay unconscious on the floor.

The audience was stunned.

"What a spectacular display of the various branches of magic and sheer brilliance for one so young! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE WINNER OF THE UNDER-13 INTERNATIONAL DUELLING CHAMPIONSHIP OF 2002 IS HARRY POTTER OF MAGICAL BRITAIN! Congratulations, Mr Potter! And congratulations to our runner-up, Miss Hana of Magical Japan!"

The arena was cleared and the Minister of Magic of France came up to them to give them the cash prizes and trophies. A smaller trophy was handed to the runner-up and Harry was given the larger one. The crowd roared and several people took pictures as he hoisted his cup in the air, and Harry Potter couldn't control the tears which pooled in his eyes as he saw the proud, beaming faces of Sirius Black and Amelia Bones.

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"I knew you could do it!" Daphne grinned as she followed Harry to the Trophy Room at Potter Castle. This was a place which was filled with all sorts of medals and awards earned by the members of the Potter family over the centuries. He carefully placed the trophy in the front, and couldn't help but smile himself.

"I was actually quite nervous," he confessed softly. "But it was well worth it. I can't believe I won!"

Daphne smiled widely at him. "I knew the moment you told me that you were taking part in the championship that you would win."

Harry simply chuckled as they returned to the drawing room of the castle. It was just the two of them here, but neither of them felt awkward anymore. They spent all their time in school together anyway, so this was no different.

"My parents are thrilled," she continued. "And so is Astoria; she was actually asking Father whether she could take part in the duelling championship too."

Harry smiled faintly as he grabbed the newspaper that was lying on the centre table. "It looks like the news has gotten out," he commented as he saw the headlines.

BOY-WHO-LIVED WINS UNDER-13 INTERNATIONAL DUELLING CHAMPIONSHIP

"What do you expect?" snorted Daphne. "At least no one is saying anything negative this time. Rita Skeeter can't write a positive article to save herself."

"Yes, I know," said Harry darkly. He didn't like that woman. She had written a scathing article about their betrothal and also about him being accepted into the accelerated program. Recently, there was a small article questioning Sirius Black's ability to take care of Harry because of his 'instability' caused by his stay at Azkaban.

The editor had resigned after information about his dealings with several smugglers made its way to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Harry was sure that Sirius had something to do with that story being leaked to the Ministry, but unfortunately, his godfather did not seem to have any information on Rita Skeeter.

Right now, though, Harry wasn't worried about that. He was wondering how he was going to handle the situation with Remus Lupin the next day; someone who had been a close family friend once, and a person Harry was least interested in meeting.

HP*SAVIOUR OF MAGIC*HP

On the first of August, Remus Lupin appeared in the entrance hall of Black Manor in Scotland with a flash of green flames. He was greeted by a house-elf that showed him to the formal drawing room. Remus of in awe of the wealth and splendour of the place; he had forgotten what large manors were like, as Potter Manor was the only home of an Ancient House he had visited. As he entered the room, he saw Sirius sitting in one of the plush armchairs. Remus was quite surprised by his friend's appearance. Gone were the days when Sirius used to have an amused expression on his face nearly all the time. His face was impassive and his eyes still had a haunted look to them that would probably never disappear. He was dressed in expensive clothes and the Black family signet ring was gleaming from his finger.

"Remus," Sirius said softly, his lips curving into a small smile. "It's been far too long. Please take a seat."

Remus Lupin did not miss the formal way in which Sirius greeted him. He also didn't miss the way he called him by his first name and not by his Marauder nickname. He took a seat on the sofa, trying not to let the décor bother him. He looked terribly out of place.

"Nice to see you again, Sirius," said Remus quietly after several seconds of silence. "How have you been?"

"Just fine as any prisoner who had lived for ten years in a high-security cell in Azkaban would be."

Remus winced. He paused for a moment and blurted out in excitement, "Where's Harry?"

He followed Sirius' gaze to the other side of the drawing room and his eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't seen Harry since he was a baby, but this was certainly not what he had expected. There was a resemblance to James Potter, most definitely, but he could see a lot of Lily too. The boy didn't have the messy hair of his father, but instead, it flowed in slight waves like his mother's. Harry was quite tall for his age and looked fit. He was wearing a light blue shirt with black trousers and an informal open robe was slung over his shoulders. He was leaning against the wall, his legs crossed at the ankles, and arms folded against his chest. Remus could see a silver locket glittering under the sunlight and also a blue diamond ring which adorned Harry's right ring finger – the Head of House ring. The last time Remus had seen it, James had still been alive.

"Harry," Remus greeted him with a warm smile. "The last time I saw you, you were just a baby! How are you doing?"

"I'm doing just fine, Mr Lupin," replied Harry neutrally. "And that is precisely what I'd like to talk to you about."

"Harry," said Sirius sternly, with a hint of warning in his voice.

The boy silenced himself immediately, looking slightly abashed. Remus was surprised that Harry was willing to listen to Sirius. According to Dumbledore, the young Potter heir was quite the rebel. Unfortunately, Remus had not understood what kind of rebel the Headmaster was talking about. He had pictured Harry to be like James, which was far from the truth.

"How are you, Remus?" asked Sirius, his attention on his guest once more. "How has life been for the past eleven years?"

The man shrugged. "It's been fine, I guess. I've been abroad mostly, working in the Muggle world since I can't find work elsewhere. Accommodation has been the worst problem as all magical governments have strict laws about werewolves living near a large wizarding population, but I can make do in the Muggle world. I was completely cut off from Britain and only came back the day before yesterday after Professor Dumbledore found me. He told me what happened and once I found out that you were exonerated, I immediately contacted you."

Sirius hummed. "May I ask a simple question?" he asked quietly. When Remus nodded, looking confused, he said, "Why didn't you ever check on Harry all these years? I know that you were not eligible to be his guardian, but you could have just popped over there from time to time to ensure he was safe and happy. Why didn't you?"

"Dumbledore said it was not safe, Sirius," Remus replied, frowning slightly. "I did ask him if I could meet Harry, but he declined, and I've never held that against him. I had to maintain distance. The magical population is scared of werewolves as it is, so it would have been dangerous for me to interact with Harry at all. What if I'd infected him accidentally?"

"You transform one night a month," said Sirius pointedly. "You didn't even have to talk to him. All you had to do was observe him and ensure that he was happy. You couldn't be bothered to look into the living conditions of the only son of your best friend who was kidnapped by Dumbledore and left with Petunia, of all people? Knowing how Lily felt about her sister, you still stayed away?"

Remus was startled. "Sirius, Dumbledore said Harry was safe and happy there, so what more could I do? How could I doubt his words? Besides, it all worked out, didn't it? Harry looks perfectly healthy. You were also released from Azkaban and now he's living with you. So what's the problem?"

"What's the problem?" Harry repeated, his voice very soft and cold. "The problem, Mr Lupin, is that I was neither safe nor happy with those filthy Muggles I call my relatives. Not one person in the magical world cared enough to check on me. They all thought the wise old Albus Dumbledore would ensure that their precious saviour lived a pampered existence. Were you not aware of just how much Petunia hates magic? How much she loathed my mother? Put the pieces together, Mr Lupin. What do you think she would do if she found the freakish son of her freakish whore of a sister who got herself blown up by consorting with freaks, placed in a basket on her doorstep in the middle of the night? Those were Petunia's words, not mine. She and her bastard of a husband put me in a tiny cupboard under the stairs, starved me for days on end, turned me into a slave, and did their best to beat the magic out of me. I assure you, I was far from happy or healthy there."

Remus turned white as a sheet. "But Dumbledore –"

"Ah, yes, Dumbledore, funny story," said Harry sarcastically. He would never have been this candid about his experience at the Dursleys, but he had been pissed ever since he had learnt about Remus Lupin's existence. "As I mentioned earlier, he left me there on a bloody doorstep, knowing that my father had expressly forbidden me to be placed there in his Will. He also sealed the said Will which clearly stated that Sirius was not the Secret Keeper. He has been lying to you the whole time. He knew what life I would lead when he gave me to the Dursleys. He knowingly threw Sirius in Azkaban. I was nearly beaten to death by my uncle, and the only reason I'm alive today is because I escaped through pure desperation and accidental magic."

Harry took a deep breath. Logically, he knew that Remus Lupin didn't have to care about him at all. He was not his godfather not did he shoulder any responsibility in raising him, but Harry remembered all those times when he had cried in his cupboard, broken and bruised, wishing that someone, anyone, on his father's side would come and take him away. It was difficult to forgive the man, even though Harry tried. He didn't think for a moment that he could ever have a relationship with Remus like he did with Sirius.

"No, I can't believe that," said Remus vehemently. "Dumbledore would never do something like that, Harry. You must be mistaken. He told me that you both hold a grudge against him but I never realised that it was to this level. Sirius, this is Dumbledore we're talking about. Surely you can't honestly believe that!"

"Once upon a time, you would be right, I wouldn't have believed it," said Sirius quietly. "But times change and people change. There are too many inconstancies regarding Dumbledore and his actions against me and Harry. He was the one to perform the Fidelius Charm, from what I found out later. How could he not know that Pettigrew was the Secret Keeper? Don't even get me started on his actions with Harry. He testified for Snape, Snape, but decided I was guilty and denied me a trial. He is nothing but a manipulative old bastard."

Remus fought the urge to growl. To him, Albus Dumbledore was the Alpha. To not obey the alpha or for someone to insult the alpha was something he couldn't handle. But at the same time, Sirius and Harry were part of the pack. The way this was going, Remus knew he would be forced to choose a side and his inner wolf was howling in pain.

"Sirius, think rationally," he pleaded. "Albus Dumbledore is the Leader of the Light. He was the fighting force against the war with Voldemort. I can't believe you can believe such things about him. This isn't you. Dumbledore told me you are also spending time with Malfoy and his ilk, joining their faction of the Wizengamot. What's happening to you, Sirius? Can't you see that you are letting your hatred for Dumbledore blind you against your true enemies? If Voldemort ever returns like the headmaster believes, we won't stand a chance! Professor Dumbledore is our only hope!"

Harry's eye twitched as he fought to keep his anger in check. Clamping down his Occlumency shields, he suddenly moved forward.

"Permission to leave, Godfather?" he asked formally. He needed to burn some steam, and much to his joy, Sirius had gotten him a new Nimbus Thousand and One for his birthday. Flying always helped him calm down.

"Of course, Harry," said Sirius as he watched the boy walk out of the drawing room. A minute later, he felt the wards inform him that he had gone back to Black Castle.

"He's nothing like what I expected," said Remus quietly. "Is he always that cold?"

"Yes. And he's quite different from James," commented Sirius. "He's more like his mother, but even that's barely noticeable. He's quite – unique. Or rather, his experiences have made him unique."

"Do you really believe all those things about Dumbledore, Sirius?" asked Remus desperately.

"Tell me something," said Sirius, after a pause. "It's been a whole year since Harry came to Hogwarts. Why didn't you at least write him a letter? He's an orphan who doesn't know about his parents. A simple letter saying, 'I was your father's best friend and would you like to know more about him' would have been enough."

"I thought it would be prudent not to," exhaled Remus. "I didn't have any contact with him all these years, so I figured he wouldn't appreciate me writing to him now. Besides, Dumbledore didn't want me to get in touch with him at all."

Sirius was quickly losing patience. "Dumbledore, Dumbledore, Dumbledore!" he yelled in anger. "Even with all the evidence in your face, you still look up to that man. I can't believe it! What has he done for you that make you worship him like that?"

"He provided me with education when no one else would have!"

"And we stayed by your side even after knowing what you were! James and I decided to learn how to become Animagi at the tender age of eleven so as to help you! We gave you companionship. What has Dumbledore done? He sent you on useless missions for the Order, trying to convert werewolves to his cause. Why would the werewolves want to join Dumbledore at all? I found the whole notion ridiculous back then and I still stand by it. He's using you, Remus, can't you see that? He never once helped you find a job, here or abroad, and he's the fucking Supreme Mugwump, for Merlin's sake! He never cared about you until now; until he needed you again. You're nothing more than a pawn to him!"

"You've changed, Sirius, you really have! Dumbledore was right. Your grudge and anger could be the death of us all, not to mention could put Harry in grave danger!"

"Stop right there," said Sirius coldly. "I know how to take care of Harry. I will do my job without Dumbledore's help."

"Like you did ten years ago?" snapped Remus. "Without Dumbledore, who knows what might have happened to him!"

Sirius' expression contorted, with his eyes blazing with fury. "Is that so?" he whispered dangerously. "Dumbledore's man through and through, aren't you, Remus?"

"Always," spat Remus angrily.

With that, he walked back to the Floo in the entrance hall. Sirius sank back into his armchair, absentmindedly summoning a bottle of Firewhisky and a glass. Pouring a generous amount, he emptied it in one gulp, relishing the burning sensation.

He had lost another friend tonight. A lone tear slid down his pale face, but his anger at the headmaster increased tenfold. Yet another friendship had been destroyed thanks to the old man. He would never forgive Dumbledore; ever.