The Ritual

In all her life, she had never imagined she would ever feel like this. This feeling of sheer ecstasy and fulfillment that she was experiencing as her lover showered her with his affections in a manner so meticulous, she felt she could wither away and still not feel any pain whatsoever. Her dark, curly hair, slick with sweat, her wet palms clutching his back fiercely as he continued to ravish her, and her full, pouty lips attached to his rough ones – it felt as surreal as it was real.

A loud cry tore its way out of her lips as her lover gave one final shove deep inside her. She could feel her climax tear through her, her insides quivering and squeezing his erection so tightly, all he could do was grunt and endure. The familiar sensation of his hot potent spunk showering her inner walls never failed to send her into a frenzy, and right now was no exception. Shivering in ecstasy, the dark-haired former killer looked into the emerald pools of her soulmate and smiled.

XXXXX

"Ah, dear Bella, come here child. This is Rudolphus Lestrange, your intended."

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"I take him as my lawfully wedded husband, and I vow to love and cherish him. I will take no steps that will bring him adversity or dishonour. May Mother Magic judge me if I am found unworthy."

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"Ah Rudolphus... a nice, proper pureblood bride, and the Blacks no less. A bit young, but she will do. You've done good."

"I live to serve, Master."

"So you do. Take the assignment from Yaxley as your reward."

"You're too kind, Master."

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"Adiuro te voluntati meae, ut voluntati meae adhaereas, et voluntati meae subjugatus maneas. Hoc decerno."

A wave of calmness swept over the young woman before her eyes shot open. Purple orbs were tinged with a slight ruby tint, and a menacing smile adorned the once-beautiful face.

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She awoke with a loud gasp, her breathing ragged as she inhaled deeply. Her eyes refocused on the cream ceiling as she felt his arms wrap tighter around her. Slowly, she calmed down and turned her head around to look at the peacefully sleeping face of her lover. She could never thank him enough for breaking her out of the haze that had clouded her mind for decades. With a tearful smile, she kissed him softly and burrowed her face in his neck.

XXXXX

It started back in the summer of 1993. The Minister for Magic had come around for his yearly inspection of the Azkaban prison. She hated the man. He reeked of greed and fear, and it was apparent to anyone with the ability to sense the vibes that the man was nothing more than a cowardly puppet.

She could hear her cousin screaming incoherently, and despite not being able to make out what that idiot was saying, she could hear the word "Hogwarts" being mentioned a couple of times. What was that idiot of a cousin going to do now? Escape the prison and go to school somehow? Yeah right.

Turns out he wasn't that big of a fool. She had no idea Sirius was an animagus, and as she saw him openly walk out of the long corridor, it was as much of a revelation as it was an obvious conclusion that dementors could not sense him. She chided herself for overlooking that simple fact. Obviously, the Dementors would ignore animals, after all, they were cursed demons who were humans previously, having had their souls sucked and their corpses thrown into the dark abyss of Azkaban prison where the dementors did something no one knew about, until nothing remained apart from a shell of their former selves, forever cursed to wander the plane of existence with no life or motive apart from devouring souls of other humans. A cursed existence, aptly said.

However, her cousin escaping the prison gave the dark-haired witch her lifeline. She thanked her lucky stars that she had undergone the animagus transformation right after graduating from Hogwarts. It was going to save her life now. Swiftly, she concentrated, and where lay a frail-looking woman dressed in rags stood a small black cat with shining purple eyes having a reddish tint. Said cat slowly walked out of the prison bars and into the corridor. Looking back, she saw the sorry state of the Azkaban inmates and twisted her whiskers once. Not giving them a second glance, she made her way out of the fortress with a slight limp in her step.

XXXXX

It took considerable effort for her to somehow cross the raging sea but she managed. It didn't help that she was a cat animagus. The wards extended a few miles off the shore, and she had to swim until she could reach the end of the wards before she could try to apparate.

It took her three weeks before she managed to reach the northern shore of Scotland. She dared not turn back, her innate fear of getting caught too fresh in her mind, and so were her dark memories of that horrid place. No, she could stay a cat for as long as it took.

Months passed and she stayed a cat, resorting to eating leftover food by the roadside or whatever some kind soul gave her after taking pity on the cat with bruised furs. She hated it, wishing nothing but to sink her canines into their throats and devour them in an instant, but her self-preservation won out every time, battling her bloodlust into submission. However, all was not dark and dreary in her life. She had managed to bathe properly every night in a pond and was able to find a decent pair of clothes – a black jumper and torn jeans that had been thrown out by some snotty rich girl. She wasn't complaining, the clothes were in remarkably good condition. It wasn't much, but for a woman like her, it helped a lot. She would've liked to get a proper makeover but couldn't go anywhere.

The news had broken out long ago regarding the escape of two of the biggest criminals in Wizarding Britain, and it had the entire populace in a frenzy. Even the muggles had been notified of their escape, and she had seen their law enforcement people on patrol, searching for her and Sirius. So she stayed a cat, morphing into a human only in the seclusion of a forest to take a bath in the brooks flowing through, the cold water chilling her to the bone.

Her time on the run might not be fun, but it had done her a lot of good. After almost half a year since her escape and feeding off the roads or stealing or depending on the generosity of strangers, coupled with her rigorous walking for days on end, she could feel her body recovering from the decade-long stay in Azkaban. At least she was doing better than what she would've managed if she had stayed locked up.

The black cat was strolling by the roadside one evening, looking for a secluded spot to crash in for the night when her entire body seized up. Her purple eyes widened in fear and shivers rocked her body at the familiar coldness emanating from somewhere in front. Wasting no moment, said cat bolted down the alley, not stopping until the dark feeling dissipated entirely.

Dementors. There were dementors nearby.

She quickly looked around the settlement she found herself in, finding it somewhat familiar but unable to discern it in the dark. Spotting an empty shed, she made her way inside and burrowed herself under the haystack. She was out cold in minutes.

The morning rolled around sooner than she would've liked. She mewed softly and made her way out of the shed, squinting in the bright light outside. Slowly she walked out and looked around. Her eyes widened when she realized where she was.

Hogsmeade.

XXXXX

The black cat looked on as footsteps formed on the snow. Confused, her eyes trailed the steps, her mind going through the possibilities.

Disillusionment Charm? Must be a powerful witch or wizard to maintain such an impeccable one.

Slowly, she followed the steps until she reached the outskirts of the village. The steps ended right in front of a large rock, and she could hear some heavy breathing. Cautiously, she approached the rock before sitting on her hind legs and looking up at whoever it was.

XXXXX

Harry Potter was seething. He had just overheard the minister and Professor McGonagall conversing with a few others, the topic of discussion being Sirius Black. He knew Black was Voldemort's most trusted, but the revelation of his true nature had rendered him shellshocked before pure, unadulterated rage consumed him. He didn't pay anyone any mind and quickly made his way out of the settlement to vent somewhere.

The 17-year-old wizard whipped his wand out and blasted a huge rock into smithereens, before reverting it and blasting it once again, his magic rolling in waves around his body. He was about to blast some more in anger when his eyes landed on a small black dot on the white expanse of snow. Eyes widened, he slowly pulled his cloak off and stuffed it in his moleskin pouch before squatting down to look.

A cat. An ugly black cat. Great. As if he wasn't angry enough, now a bloody cat was giving him such an odd look.

The cat was looking at the wizard with a gobsmacked expression on her face. Normally it would've been funny but Harry was in no mood. Disinterested, he stood back up and made to walk away before frowning. The cat was in really bad shape, her furs ruffled and bruised, and it looked a bit thin to him. Sighing, he bent down and scooped it up in his arms.

That cat? Well, all she could do was sit there in bewilderment, utterly fascinated by the display of power and magical control while wondering just what the odds were that she would be picked up by Harry Potter of all people.

They made for a strange sight. Normally, Harry Potter would be found in the company of a snowy white pet owl, but here he was, carrying a midnight black cat in his arms. Not willing to endure the constant hustle and bustle of The Three Broomsticks, he made his way to the shady-looking pub on the other side of the village.

The Hog's Head. Harry clicked his tongue as he read it and walked in.

Making his way over to the counter, he opened his mouth before his eyes widened. The barman looked remarkably like the headmaster.

"Yes yes yes, you're not the first lad who's looked at me like that. I am the brother of your headmaster. End of discussion. What do you want?"

Harry frowned. This man was entirely different from the headmaster. Sighing, he placed the cat on the counter. The barman looked down and frowned.

"Pet in bad shape, huh? Yer not an abuser, are ya?"

Harry's eyes widened.

"What the hell? No way! I just found this one outside the village. Looked unhealthy so I brought it with me!"

The barman looked at him with narrowed eyes before he nodded.

"Going to keep it, are ya?" He asked as he put forward a bowl of milk in front of the cat and made his way to the drinks cupboard. Harry glanced at the cat drinking greedily before shaking his head and moving toward the seat.

"Haven't decided yet."

The barman grunted.

"Well, decide soon. I'm not gonna keep that one here. Merlin knows who'll skewer her at first glance for some cheap Kneazle meat."

Harry's eyes widened.

"Don't tell me you didn't know? That's a Kneazle alright. The whiskers are a dead giveaway. I'd suggest you take her in, lad. Not too many left, Kneazle," the barman said, putting a bottle of firewhiskey in front of Harry. Harry quickly placed a few sickles on the counter and sipped his drink. The barman swept the counter and left to tend to other customers, leaving a pensive young wizard in his wake. Said wizard looked over at the hungry cat with his eyebrows furrowed before shaking his head and downing his firewhiskey.

He placed the bottle on the counter and walked over to where the cat was sipping the milk. Said cat was long finished and was yawning softly. With raised eyebrows, he looked over at the barman.

"A little rejuvenating punch mixed with milk. Would leave the little lady tired for a day or two, but will fix most of the injuries. Helpful with goats apparently," he gestured with his head, and Harry looked to see a few goats tied in the corner. Not willing to ask any further, he nodded and scooped the cat up in his arms. Said cat buried its head in his chest, snuggling up to him and Harry sighed. With a final nod to the barman, Harry Potter walked out of The Hog's Head and started trekking back to Hogwarts.

XXXXX

Purple eyes slowly opened, and then abruptly closed. A sharp hiss tore its way out of the cat's mouth as blinding light invaded her vision with all the force of a Bombarda. A chuckle sounded and the cat opened her eyes once again. Emerald green orbs greeted her, and she cocked her head to the side in bemusement, wondering just who this person was. Slowly the memory of what had happened came crashing down on her, and she blanched.

This was Harry Potter. Harry Bloody Potter. And he had taken her in. She could recall him bringing her inside that dingy pub and feeding her that delicious milk. Oh, she could still taste the flavor on her lips. Promptly she swiped her tongue over her teeth. However, she realized she could recall nothing since then. What had happened? Slight panic was starting to set in, and it must have been reflected in her demeanor as the wizard in question quickly scooped her up in his arms.

"There there, no need to panic, you're completely safe with me."

'Yeah right, as if I'd ever be safe with the one who did away with my master.'

It had taken her over a decade as she observed her dark mark slowly fade away over the years until it was barely visible to the naked eye. Whatever remained of her master was barely clinging to life. Hell, deep down she doubted he even lived, at least if the faded mark was anything to go by. She didn't understand the intricate magic that had been woven into that mark, but if she had to guess, only the link connecting everyone bearing the dark mark remained, with the lynchpin long gone.

She shook her head and refocused on the emerald-eyed wizard who was holding her carefully.

"You were really messed up, girl, but I'm glad you're alright. The barman really knows his stuff, he said you'd be perfectly healthy in a day or two, and see, it's been only over a day and you're looking much better,"

She stared at him. Blinked. And stared.

Over a day. This boy had had her for more than 24 hours. Did he know who she was? After all, all it would take is one spell and he would know just who he was holding in his arms. Bellatrix Lestrange, the Dark Lord's most special!

But no! If he did, he wouldn't be acting the way he was doing right then. She calmed down slowly.

She could use this. This brat had killed her master. He had to die. But not right now. Everyone would've probably seen him carry a cat, and if he died so soon, people would surely suspect the cat, especially if she disappeared right after the act. And she had to disappear after killing him, otherwise, she would certainly be busted during the investigation that would be sure to follow. No. She would bide her time. She could exercise patience. She had survived Azkaban. She could do this. All she had to do was act like a perfect little pet until she could see the coast being clear.

"Wow, you're thinking too deeply, I guess what they say about Kneazles is right, you guys are surely intelligent," Harry remarked, softly caressing her back and scratching her under her chin, and she purred.

"You like it, huh?" He chuckled before stroking her chin softly. She snuggled up to him, the feeling was so good. Never had anyone treated her this way, and being a cat made everything extra sensitive.

"Well, now that you're okay, I guess you can be on your way," he muttered before he placed her right by the door. Only then did she look around. This room was different. She didn't know a room like this existed at Hogwarts. But then, the castle had many secrets.

She looked up at him and cocked her head. Harry chuckled.

"Don't wanna go, huh?" He asked, scooping her back up in his arms. She mewled.

"To be honest," he began, "I was hoping you'd stay, I wouldn't mind taking you in. Would you like to stay with me?"

Harry looked down and he could swear he saw the cat nod with a smirk. He shook his head. A smirking cat. He surely was getting drowsy. It was kinda late too. The curfew would begin in half an hour.

"Alright, I've done this once before. I've a familiar, my owl Hedwig. Never thought I'd do it again, you ready?"

Bellatrix was hesitating now. She was not sure what would happen now. There had never been a recorded case of doing the familiar-bonding ritual with an animagus, which made this uncharted territory. But absconding now would put a dent in her plans. She had to kill Potter, and the best way was to stay by his side all the time. Only then would she be able to take her merry time dragging her revenge as long as she wanted. A duel was taking place inside her mind before her vengeful side won. Putting all her concerns aside, she looked up at him and blinked. Harry smiled.

He walked forward and placed her on the pedestal.

'Where did that come from?'

However, she didn't have time to think about that as she felt him take her paw and make a small cut. She saw him do the same on his left palm before he brought them together until the wounds were pressed together. Their blood mixed and she heard him start chanting the familiar Latin words.

"Te in familiarem accipio, comitem et socium vitae, me serviturum et tuendum, adiuvandum me in omnibus periculis opponam. Vinculum nostrum perennet in aeternum."

Emerald and purple glow emanated from their joined hands, slowly rising above them and encasing the room in a mighty aurora. Suddenly, a loud blast echoed throughout the room, and Harry screamed. The cat jumped in alarm before she too let out a loud screech as a blinding swirl of colors exploded right in the center of the Room of Requirement.

Twin thuds sounded, and as the swirl of colors faded, the unconscious bodies of Harry Potter and Bellatrix Lestrange, in her human form, became visible.

Outside the room, everything stilled.

XXXXX

A swirl of colors greeted him as Harry Potter opened his eyes with a groan. He looked around in confusion, trying hard to remember what had exactly happened. He recalled carrying the cat over to Hogwarts with him, and with a sudden jolt, he remembered that he had performed the familiar ritual.

But it was different this time. He had already performed the same ritual with Hedwig, and he didn't encounter anything like this.

'Have I botched this somehow? The words were right though."

Harry didn't have much time to ponder as his body was suddenly lurched forward by an invisible force. He found his body dropped in what seemed to be a living room.

As the scene followed, he realized he was watching what seemed to be the life of none other than Bellatrix Lestrange. His eyes widened when he saw the young beauty that Bellatrix was. There was no hint of the madness that adult Bellatrix exhibited every time. He wondered what had happened to transform this gentle girl into the murdering psychopath that her adult self was.

Little did he know that he was going to get all the answers he wanted, or that the same was happening to the innocent little cat that he had claimed as his familiar.

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He jerked upright; his mind numb with shock at what he had just witnessed. He simply couldn't believe it. Bile rose inside his throat as he recalled the horror the young girl had gone through. Robbed of her sanity, her mind, her entire being. Harry couldn't help but feel deeply saddened and he belatedly recalled that tears were running down his face.

Suddenly, he snapped his head sharply to the right where the cat was, however, instead of a black cat, a young girl in her late teens by the looks of it was looking at him with wide eyes, tears cascading down her face. Harry scrambled forward, cradling her in his arms as fresh tears leaked out of his eyes.

He didn't think of anything. What mattered was comforting this woman who had endured so much. It didn't matter that she had committed heinous crimes in the past. She was not the one to blame. She was never in control. Her entire personality had been taken away, her will bound as she was forced to watch the maniac that she had been converted into commit acts of tremendous horror.

Hours passed and the broken pair clutched each other tightly, neither willing to let the other go, crying their grief out.

XXXXX

Harry slowly pulled back, his arms still wrapped around her, and gazed at her tenderly. However, it seemed that she didn't want to let him go, as her grip on his shirt tightened.

"Bellatrix," Harry began before a choked sob cut him off. He wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back soothingly while whispering sweet nothings in her ear. She was shaking uncontrollably, and Harry was at a loss for what to do.

"Bellatrix please," he tried again, slowly pulling back but staying close enough for her to keep her hold on him.

"I cannot even imagine how you must be feeling," Harry started, and she tensed.

"Yeah, I know... I saw it all."

The broken look in her eyes brought a fresh wave of tears and Harry blinked furiously.

"I don't know what happened, one moment I was completing the familiar ritual, and the next, I... I saw your entire life..."

Bellatrix could do nothing but bury her face in his chest, and Harry simply held her. Softly stroking her back until she calmed down. It took a while for her to bring her breathing under control.

"I saw it too," her soft voice murmured in the silence as she looked up at him. Their faces were close to each other, and he could feel her breathing on his lips as he kept his eyes on her amethyst eyes.

"I saw what those horrible monsters did to you since you were a child."

Harry's eyes widened and his grip on her arms slackened. Unbidden tears poured out of her eyes as she cupped his cheek.

"I saw your entire life too," she whispered.

"And I also saw what I did. Their screams..."

She broke down, and Harry sat there, shell-shocked. Her gut-wrenching sobs brought him out of the cloudy haze and he quickly gathered her in his arms yet again, stroking her hair softly.

"Shh... it's not your fault. You're as much a victim as anyone. That woman was not you; you get me? She was not you. You're a precious woman, Bellatrix, never forget that."

Her wide eyes greeted him before his own eyes widened. The shock lasted only for a moment before he closed his eyes and started reciprocating. Their lips moved together in perfect harmony, and Harry could feel his heartbeat escalating with every second their lips stayed locked together.

Slowly they pulled back, and Harry saw her face flushed with embarrassment.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," she mumbled, her eyes looking anywhere but at him, and Harry smiled softly.

"C'mere," he opened his arms, and she looked surprised for a moment before snuggling up to him. A degree of closeness previously unseen was palpable between them, and Harry couldn't help but wonder what the ritual exactly did. By now he had concluded that the cat he had been intending to make his familiar was Bellatrix in her animagus form.

"Do you have any idea what happened between the two of us? Why we saw each other's lives? How you broke through whatever binding there was?"

Bellatrix shook her head, and Harry sighed.

"We should ask Professor Dumbledore then; he would know what happened."

He felt Bellatrix tense slightly for a moment before she gave a slow nod.

"There's barely something he doesn't know, and we have to decide how to proceed from here as well. His help will be needed," Harry whispered and felt her nod in his chest.

"Should we go then?"

At her nod, Harry slowly stood up, dragging her up with himself, and draped the invisibility cloak over both of them.

XXXXX

And he was spot on. While initially flabbergasted and quite alarmed, the headmaster had listened intently. After borrowing his memory of the events, he had seen and verified the authenticity thereof, and there was no denying the fact that Bellatrix had been destroyed by forces so dark that it sent a shudder through the wizened old man.

Dumbledore had been struck silent for a moment when he gazed at Bellatrix. Gone were her signs of torture caused by a decade-long stay in Azkaban. Gone were any signs of aging. The current Bellatrix looked barely older than 18. With soft lustrous black hair that reached the small of her back, her face featured a pair of soft, amethyst eyes that seemed to sparkle whenever she gazed at him. Her cute button nose and those full luscious lips evoked a strange sensation within him, even more so when he recalled their passionate kiss barely an hour ago. Bellatrix was a true beauty.

Initially, he was confused at the feelings he got whenever he looked at her, and unbeknownst to him, Bellatrix felt the same. It took Dumbledore explaining their bond for them to realize the magnitude of his action. Apparently, by claiming her as his partner for life, Harry had invoked an ancient bonding ritual, one which had restored her to her optimum self, casting away any inhibitions on her mind and magic, and in essence, bound them for life. The headmaster explained to his intent listeners that the act was performed without any ulterior motive on either part, which invoked the ancient magic.

When Bellatrix had expressed the intentions of her alter ego, the headmaster had calmly informed her that her actual self was never involved, and since her personality had been altered by a heinous ritual, magic did not extract any price, instead, it sought to fix everything it deemed necessary to make both of them as compatible to one another as possible.

The headmaster had informed them that they would always feel a heightened degree of physical attraction toward one another, something which prompted priceless flushing of the skin, much to the old wizard's amusement. Not that they denied him, both of them knew it was true, and one look into the other's eyes confirmed that fact.

When asked about any other perks of their unintentional bonding, the headmaster had speculated heightened pleasure during coitus, something which provoked intense blushes from the pair yet again. There was no way they were ready for that kind of stuff. Another side-effect, Dumbledore grimly admitted, was the fact that they had seen each other's lives in their entirety, and he believed that it would make them ideal partners for one another. After all, who was better than the one who has seen everything about you, both good and bad?

Their discussion had continued late into the night, and they had come to the point where they had to make a decision. Bellatrix could not go into the outer world with her current identity. Dumbledore had suggested she take up another identity, and the girl was all too eager to forsake her name and title. She reasoned that it had brought her nothing but misery. Harry understood.

Adopting another identity required a minor ritual, something Dumbledore had no trouble setting up inside the Room of Requirement. Half an hour was all it took, and she was Valerie Swann, a muggle-born witch, and Hogwarts' new transfer student. They concocted her background story, and she became Harry's first and only childhood friend who had to move away when they were ten because of reasons previously unknown, but now revealed to be her magical home-schooling.

XXXXX

Valerie and he acted their part, both of them pretending to be shellshocked at her introduction, unable to believe what they were seeing. The entire school was flabbergasted to see the usually anti-social Harry Potter eagerly hug the new girl in front of the entire school when they came back from the Christmas break for the new semester. The scene in front of them was so surprising that they either didn't pay any attention or ignored the fact that they had had a student transfer midway into the school year, albeit at the start of a new semester.

It had been somewhat bizarre in the beginning to see Harry Potter walking together with someone, let alone a girl, but as the year passed, it became the new normal. It helped when people got to know that the two of them were childhood friends.

XXXXX

They could feel their attachment growing the more time they spent with each other. And they spent a lot of time together, sometimes having light-hearted discussions about random things, while sometimes they delved into more serious topics.

It was during one of their discussions that Harry admitted that he wanted to deal with Sirius Black for the role he had played in the deaths of his parents. Valerie had been confused for a moment before she informed him, much to his shock, that Sirius had never been a Death Eater and that it was Peter Pettigrew who had betrayed his parents and possibly killed those twelve muggles as well. Harry had felt numb for a moment, but when Valerie told him that Sirius was his godfather, Harry lost it.

That was the second time Valerie had seen his rage. Raw, scorching, and terrifying.

They had wasted no time and quickly informed Dumbledore. The headmaster had been flabbergasted at the revelation but assured them that he would do something.

However, it seemed Sirius had other ideas. It was a cold late-February evening and they were taking a walk together on the grounds when they saw a large black dog dragging a struggling Ron Weasley under the Whomping Willow. Wasting no time, they followed.

That was when Harry first met his godfather, and to say he looked filthy was an understatement. The man looked at them, and for a moment, he looked like he had seen a ghost. Only later did they know that he had looked like that because Harry looked so much like his father, while Valerie looked so much like a young Bellatrix.

Sirius quickly started blabbering about how he was innocent, and that the rat had been the one to betray his parents as well as kill those muggles. At their confusion, Sirius told them that Pettigrew was a rat animagus, posing as the Weasley pet rat for years. Ron Weasley kept cursing them, but Harry paid him no mind.

Wrenching the rat out of his grasp, he handed it to Sirius after stunning it. The gaunt man wasted no time, placing it on the floor. One spell later, the rat was replaced by a portly man, his head balding, his mouth set into a squeaky form which was a side effect of being in his animagus form for too long, and his posture slumped as he stayed stunned.

What happened next was something none of them could've guessed. Somehow, Lupin came in and fired a spell at Sirius which was quickly blocked by him before Valerie disarmed him. The man looked shocked for a second before looking around. Only then did he see the unconscious body of Peter and his eyes widened. It didn't take them long to fill him in and he quickly hugged Sirius. That was the exact moment Snape arrived. Snape being the asshole he was, gloated about how he was going to enjoy turning Sirius in, along with Lupin as his accomplice, when Harry drew his attention to himself.

"Look to your left, see if it rings a bell."

Snape sneered and looked down at the unconscious wizard, and his eyes bugged out.

"Seems like you understand now, huh? So what will it be? Are you going to behave or do I have to take some drastic measures to make sure you don't fuck this up?"

Snape wisely kept his mouth shut, and with an intense glare, pocketed his wand. Harry looked at him for a moment before nodding. Had he turned around, he would've seen the look of absolute adoration Valerie was giving him.

Stunning the rat man for good measure, Harry bound him and cast a Petrificus Totalus. Levitating him in the front, he started walking, prompting the others to follow.

"Mr. Black," Valerie called as they started to enter the tunnel, "morph back into your animagus form, the Dementors can be anywhere on the grounds, and Professor Lupin, it would be better if you stay here. It's full moon tonight."

The escaped convict and the werewolf looked surprised for a moment before they nodded. Harry flashed her a quick smile as Sirius transformed. Their walk through the tunnel was spent in silence.

And indeed, the dementors were nearby, hovering at the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest.

The procession paid them no heed and started walking back to the school. The students were gobsmacked at the sight of Harry Potter, Valerie Swann, and Professor Snape accompanied by a black dog walking with a bound and petrified man levitating in front of them. A few of them cringed when they saw the livid look on the face of the potion master and they wisely stayed out of the way.

The group ascended the staircase and arrived in front of the gargoyle.

"Acid Pops," Harry called out, and Snape's eyebrow twitched slightly.

The gargoyle twisted and moved, and a spiral staircase rose. They made their way up to the Headmaster's office in silence.

"Come in," the voice of Albus Dumbledore sounded, and the door opened. As they walked in, Harry saw the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Oswald Fudge, and a red-haired woman sitting on the chair opposite the headmaster.

The minister stood up, confused at the interruption, before the stunned and bound body of Peter Pettigrew came in, and his eyes bugged out. Harry saw the redhead looking at the rat man with wide eyes as well.

"This is a surprise," the jolly voice of the headmaster sounded as he came around his table. "Why don't we take this to the conference room?" He implored before waving his wand. The cupboard to the side slid open, and it gave way to a passage.

"After you, Cornelius," Dumbledore's voice was amused. The minister was in shock before he caught himself and shakily nodded. The procession made its way to the conference room, and Snape levitated the stunned and bound man to a nondescript chair, reinforcing his bindings with another anti-animagus spell on top. A wave of his wand and Dumbledore locked the room.

"It seems certain new evidence has come to light. If I'm not wrong, this is Peter Pettigrew, presumed dead, killed by Sirius Black alongside 13 muggles by way of a blasting curse," Dumbledore began, his voice slowly growing severe.

"I presume you have Veritaserum with trial-clearance, Madam Bones?" Dumbledore asked the redhead, who started before fishing out a vial from the pocket of her robe.

'So this is the head of the DMLE,' Harry thought, as he looked at the headmaster push Pettigrew's mouth open and drop three standard drops of the colorless potion. One quick Ennervate and the traitor slowly blinked his eyes open.

"Madam Bones, if you would?"

The woman steeled herself and took charge. What followed was an expose of the highest order, and as the interrogation proceeded, Fudge went paler and paler. Finally, the interrogation ended and Fudge dropped audibly on a chair, his head held in his hands.

In the Great Hall, the school populace watched in shock as the interrogation was played out on the giant screen right in front of the Headmaster's podium. A marvelous idea by Dumbledore, one that made sure the events were not buried under the rug.

When the minister saw the floating orb, he glared at Dumbledore outside direct view before the man quickly signed off the order to remove the dementors from Hogwarts as well as to rescind the Kiss-on-sight order for Sirius Black, granting him full pardon while Madam Bones quickly finalized the paperwork for Pettigrew's shipment to the Azkaban resort.

As soon as the pardon was signed, the black dog morphed back and lunged at Harry, hugging him tightly. Smiles, sneers, and shocked faces greeted the pair, one of which was trying to get as far away from the filthy man as possible. Seeing his godson's antics, the man clutched him harder. Harry looked over his shoulder to Valerie for help, who only gave him a sweet smile in return, making the young wizard sigh. Seeing no other option, Harry wrapped his arms around Sirius and hugged him back.

XXXXX

The rest of the year passed in a monotonous manner if you didn't count the growing affection between him and Valerie. Harry had never had anyone in his life who had cared for him, and he had kept mostly to himself even after coming to Hogwarts. However, Valerie evoked something entirely different within him. Their closeness intensified, their kisses more frequent, and they held hands whenever they were together. It was becoming second nature to the couple, and they were surprised by the magnitude of their feelings for each other.

Several students approached Harry and Valerie to ask about the entire ordeal with Pettigrew. They calmly explained the events, holding back several details but giving away enough to satiate their curiosities.

Sirius had gone back to his ancestral home and had hired an interior decorator from wizarding France to give the grim place a makeover. His letter stated that the work would be complete by the time the school year ended, and Harry was looking forward to his new home.

He had informed Sirius that his girlfriend would also be staying with them, something the older wizard quickly agreed to. They had still not decided whether they would inform anyone about Valerie's true identity and what had transpired in her life. They decided they would cross that bridge when the time came for it.

The time passed quickly as the year ended, and soon they were making their way to London aboard the Hogwarts Express. They had a compartment all to themselves, and as Harry sat by the window, he looked down to the sleeping visage of his girlfriend (wife) who was cuddling up to him and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He would always cherish her will all he had, he thought, as his resolute face gazed outside at the passing landscape.

To be continued...

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