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Harry awoke at seven thirty, according to his alarm clock, the events of the previous night still ringing in his head. He didn't know where to go, and he didn't know what to do. Hedwig had gone hunting a few days before, and not returned. Harry wasn't worried, Hedwig would often leave for several days when Harry was at the Dursleys. Harry called out to his feathered friend with his magic, sending it out in a pulse to attract the wayward bird.

After an hour of walking around Little Whingning, Harry was quite sure he never wanted to be there again. In every window he saw people point and whisper, they saw Harry Potter, a leech and a blight on the good family of Vernon Dursley. Harry thought about going to the Weasleys, but he needed a plan. Sirius's letter was an ever present reminder to plan and contemplate. Somewhere, out in the tropics most likely, Sirius was enjoying his freedom.

Suddenly an idea formed in Harry's mind, it took root in an instant, and refused to budge. Harry was now free and able to cast magic, for all intents and purposes he was an adult. Quickly, Harry whistled for Hedwig to come, and he wrote a short note to Sirius, asking him to send a portkey to wherever the man was, Harry then cast a spell on Hedwig that would allow her to travel much faster for a short amount of time.

Several hours later, and hundreds of miles away, Hedwig's beautiful white plumage was seen by Sirius.

"Oi! Moony! Harry wrote again!" Not receiving a response from the werewolf Sirius looked around the Isle of Black, "Where are you?"

No sooner than he spoke, Remus dropped down from above him, landing less than a foot behind the most wanted man in Europe. "Boo." Sirius jumped no less than a foot in the air, his heart racing.

"Good god Moony, I just got out of Azkaban, do you have to do that?"

"Yes." Remus smirked as he raised an arm for Hedwig to land on. "What have you got for us girl?"

Sirius took the letter from around Hedwig's leg and read it aloud.

Padfoot, send me a portkey. Vernon killed the wards around my house, but now I guess I can live with you.

Godson

Sirius let out a bark of laughter as he reread the note. His face instantly morphed into a visage of fury as he realized what Vernon would need to do to break the wards around his house. Sirius swore loudly and extensively in French.

"Padfoot, I don't speak French. Why are you so angry?"

"Moony, for Vernon," Sirius spat the word like a curse. "To have broken the wards, he had to declare that Harry was not welcome in his house. He kicked Harry out." Sirius quickly pulled up every occulmency barrier he ever created in order to mask his rage. Not hearing Moony's own curses against the large man, Sirius strode to retrieve his wand from where it lay on the beach. Tapping a stone with a muttered portus, Sirius took hold of Hedwig and apparated to the alley that he glimpsed harry from nearly a year prior.

Hedwig gave a squawk of indignation as she experienced side-along apparaition for the first time. "I'm sorry girl, but I needed to get both of us here quickly. Now, I'm going to transform, just fly low enough for me to see you, and I'll run as Padfoot."

The snowy owl hooted once then took off in the general direction of London.

Harry was enjoying a nice dinner in a small pizza shop a couple miles out of Little Whinging, when a large black dog put its' paws on the window, and gave a bark so deep that the glass shook. Smiling, Harry walked out to meet his godfather.

After they had turned into a dark alley Sirius transformed back into his aristocratic self and gave Harry a firm hug. "Harry, we're going to portkey, I know you read about them in the grimoire but that won't be enough to be expecting it." Sirius turned his head to address Hedwig, "I'm sorry about apparating you girl, do you want to portkey or fly back to the Isle?" Needing no motivation Hedwig took to the sky and flew south. "That's a smart bird. Alright Harry, hold on tight. You're going to feel a jerking sensation behind your navel, when you're flying through the air keep your knees bent and your center of gravity low." Sirius smirked, "Just pretend you're on a broom, or a woman." As Harry's face displayed outrage Sirius sent a jolt of magic at the pebble he made into a portkey, and Britain's most wanted left with The-Boy-Who-Lived hugging him.

Sirius laughed as Harry went sprawling face first into the sand of the Isle of Black.

"I told you, bend your knees."

"Yeah, maybe if you would have given me more warning…"

"It's hardest the first time. Now that you've gotten that under your belt, how about I give you the grand tour?"

Harry looked around himself for the first time. He was standing in a secluded cove, with white sand and crystal clear water. There were several pelicans flying above that would dive into the deeper water and come up with fish in their beaks. To his right and left rose a sheer cliff wall going up about nine meters.

Sirius stood back with his arms crossed over his chest, looking at Harry with a critical eye. At thirteen and doing the magic deepening practices Harry should have had much more muscle than he did. The boy's clothes were maddeningly large, he might as well have been swimming, and tied around his waist was a piece of thin, frayed rope used as a belt. As Harry turned around the wind ruffled his hair, revealing his scar, gone was the ugly red flesh, instead it was a narrow piece of silvery skin.

"Harry, what happened to your scar?"

"The goblins checked it out, and it somehow attacked them, I don't know the specifics but four goblin warriors died." Harry went to push up his glasses before he realized he didn't have any. "They did something, and some sort of green magic went into my eyes. It hurt as much as basilisk venom, but cured my eyes. Apparently there was some sort of ocular magical buildup… Whatever that means."

"It means your eyes contained magic, some people can use focusing runes to see magical auras. It's a really useful skill for Curse Breakers and Aurors, among others. I used to have an enchanted piece of stone just over my shoulder blade that allowed me to read the magic in wards, and prevented people from using things like Malfeasance or Necromancy on me. It's called a gram, your dad and I added the part about seeing auras." Sirius's eyes took on a forlorn expression as he recalled building the grams with James.

"What is Malfeasance?"

"It's a form of combat magic, think of a voodoo doll, the ones where if you stab them then the person will feel the pain. Those dolls are called mommets, the only defense against Malfeasence is either a gram or actively guarding against it with your own magic. I've never felt the effects of it myself, and never wanted to, so I made a gram."

"Can you make me one?" Harry's eyes were pleading, looking rather scared.

"No, you have to make it for yourself, my magic would interfere with the process. A properly made gram will only work for the person who makes it. Besides, few people these days know how to preform Sympathy. Now, how about that tour?"

Harry nodded eagerly, his mind obviously processing the idea of a gram.

"As much as I love answering your questions right now, we do have all summer."

Sirius showed him around the Island, it was larger than Harry expected and it had a large clearing for vegetables and many fruit trees. The parts of the island that were not manicured lawn (Harry wondered what charms kept it so well trimmed) or beach were dense rainforest. Sirius promised that when Harry mastered his animagus the two of them would practice hunting and navigating in the forest.

"The jungle is densely magical, I don't know what all lives in there but it's much larger than it looks."

As they were walking around, talking, Harry's stomach growled loudly. Harry stared at the offending region in surprise. "I just ate!"

"How much did you eat pup?"

"Two slices of pizza," Harry answered as he realized he never really got full at the diner.

"Is that it? Pup, you're growing magically and physically. The magic exercises you're doing at night make your appetite go through the roof, when James and I did them we would eat enough for five people."

"Really?" Harry's eyes were downcast, he felt like he failed.

Sirius knelt in front of his godson, and raised the boy's chin with a finger. "Harry, this was my fault, and the Dursleys'. I should have told you that you need to eat more, and they should have had enough sense to feed Heir Potter." Sirius's eyes flashed dangerously. "Harry, have you been told about the responsibilities that you will face when your magic is fully matured?"

"No, why?"

"Pup, when you're mature you will have to take up your seat on the Wizengamot. That means that you will be a Noble Lord and a Hogwarts student at the same time, without any form of guidance you could have destroyed our society from the inside." Sirius raised a hand to prevent any outbursts from Harry. "There was no way that you could know, Petunia and Vernon didn't believe James and me when we told them that we were Lords. Dumbledore probably didn't want you to feel needlessly burdened, which is bull. Arthur and Molly, bless them, are just trying to look after you like one of their own. Unfortunately you are not a member of their family, nor will you ever be. The fact is that you are Heir Potter, and if I don't produce an Heir or adopt a son, you'll become Lord Black as well. Many would jump at the idea to control that much power, but it corrupts." Sirius's eye's sparkled with mirth. "And you don't seem like the kind of guy to want two wives."

Harry's jaw dropped, and he took a half step back. "Two? Two wives? Why would I have two wives?"

"One to carry the name of Black, one to carry the name of Potter, I've made you my heir until something else happens. That means that if you marry one woman, your magic would force you to marry another. I don't know how or why it does that, but it does." Sirius adopted a shit-eating grin "So, who are the prettiest girls in Hogwarts? And how do their names sound with Potter, and Black after them?"

Harry took in Sirius's crouched form, and tackled him. As they rolled on the ground Sirius transformed, and Padfoot tackled Harry; and proceeded to slobber all over the young noble.

Sirius and Harry were standing in the kitchen of the deceptively large house on the island, looking for a meal suitable for their needs.

"Remus must have gone to get some food, we ate the last of it for lunch. I wouldn't eat anything here, that's for sure."

Although he was used to eating small portions of bad food Harry had to agree. The food choices amounted to ancient cold soup, nearly rotten meat, or the island's fruit; which Sirius was nervous to eat, the island was so heavily warded that the magic could have adversely affected the fruit trees.

"Sirius, I have an idea, can House Elves get through the wards?"

"The Black family ones can, most likely the Potter ones as well, since you're here. Why? Do you know any?"

"Two years ago I freed the Malfoy house elf, Dobby. He was nearly worshiping me, so I might be able to get us some food."

"Do it, just call his name. It also wouldn't hurt to put magic behind your words."

Harry looked around the kitchen and called to Dobby, crossing his fingers. "Dobby!"

Suddenly Dobby appeared with a soft 'pop' and nearly tackled Harry's legs. "Harry Potter sir called Dobby! Dobby knew Harry Potter sir would call him!"

Sirius chuckled while Harry's face started to turn red. "D-Dobby, could you do me a favor?"

Dobby's eyes started to tear up as he wailed, "Anything! If Dobby is capable Dobby will do it!"

"Ok, this is Sirius Black, my godfather, and we need some food to eat. Do you think you could get something for us?"

"Oh yes Harry Potter Sir! Dobby is being working in the Hogwarts kitchens, we house elves always prepare enough for more that are eating! Dobby will go get some of the food!"

Before Dobby could pop away, Sirius stopped him. "Dobby, could you make sure no one knows you're getting the food for us? Just be sneaky please."

"Of course Sirius Black Sir! Dobby can be sneaky!" Dobby disappeared with a soft 'pop' the same way he arrived.

"Why does Dobby have to be sneaky? It's not like Dumbledore is going to be mad at me for speaking to my godfather."

Sirius shook his head slowly, "The thing is, Dumbledore doesn't think I'm in any condition to raise you. It honestly doesn't even seem like he wants me near you period, most likely he's still concerned for my sanity." He gave a throaty chuckle. "Maybe James and Remus made one too many insanity cracks in Hogwarts."

An hour later Sirius and Harry were stuffed to the brim with the best of Hogwarts cuisine, courtesy of Dobby. The two had been talking about Harry's adventures through Hogwarts, from the Philosopher's Stone to the Dementors right before freeing Sirius. Some portions Sirius gasped in shock, while at others he would double over laughing. "Pup, in your first three years you've outdone all the Marauders, I can't wait to see what the next four have in store."

"Well, according to you, I might be in the Triwizard Tournament this year."

"Merlin, I hope not pup. The reason it was disbanded was that too many people died in the gods forsaken tournament, it uses an ancient gladiatorial cup to determine the contestants. That means that it'll choose the best show, not the most skilled. It's an honest mistake really, the Black family has a Goblet of Fire that will choose the best suited for whatever competition it was; whereas the other one, I don't know who owns it, will choose for the show. I think the judges meant to use the one from my family but accidentally got the other one. Either way, it's too late to change anything. The commands must be entered into the Goblets a year in advance, things like rules of competition and other such things are set in stone but minor adjustments can be made with a confundus or other charm like it. That made it so that if one gladiator or Olympian athlete, what my family's cup was used for, got sick it could be changed at the last minute. My guess is that if anything happens, it will be then."

"Sirius, why do you think I'll be in the Tournament? I think so too, honestly, but it's a gut feeling. Why do you think I am?"

"Pup, planning for a prank is a lot like planning for a war. You have to keep the guards out, the authorities distracted, and the path clear of obstacles. Dumbledore told me the prophecy about the servant of the Dark Lord escaping, if Voldemort has indeed come back, even in part, the Tournament will keep any suspicious eyes away from his rebirth. There was a prophecy made about you that probably said something along the lines of you being the one to kill the Darkest of Wankers, because he is ridiculously intent on killing you. With this event he will be in a perfect position to do it, and make it look like an accident." A dark smile made its way onto Sirius's face. "That's how Moony would get away with so many pranks; he made it look like it was an accident, or someone else. Wormtail, would stutter and look weak, which made him able to avoid detection. No one suspected when Peter pulled a prank, he was almost never caught."

"But, I thought McGonagall said that he wasn't very skilled…"

"She probably meant in comparison, honestly everyone within a couple of years of us were rather amazing. From Bellatrix to Regulus, those years were chock full of amazing witches and wizards. Peter was average and that made him look unskilled or weak in comparison to all of his classmates."

"No kidding Padfoot, I was expecting to teach people at our level of skill when I was the DADA professor, no such luck. My best students were Harry, a few Slytherins, and one very skilled Gryffindor." Remus spoke up, neither Harry nor Sirius had known he was there. "If only there were more pranksters, right now it's pathetic. We gave everyone a reason to be skilled. If someone couldn't figure out a way to remove the color changing charms we put on their hair, their hair would stay that way forever."

Harry was sure that one year wasn't good enough to judge the Weasley twins, they were excellent pranksters. "What about Fred and George? They are really good at what they do."

"No, not really, their pranks don't extend much beyond putting a dungbomb in someone's bag, or setting off a firecracker. What I'm talking about is animating entire lines of armour suits to waltz with specific people, or mixing their studies to make interesting results. James and Lily worked together in their sixth year to prank the current defense teacher. Lily made a potion that would trigger a charm on the defense teacher's robes when he would sweat, the charm would then set off James's transfiguration effect turning the man's ears into that of a donkey and give him the tail of one too. Keep in mind that this guy was a former Auror."

"That's amazing! But why did they do that?"

"The professor told Lily that she had an amazing ass. Lily was not amused to have a forty year old man flirting with her, so she enlisted James's help."

Sirius felt the need to interject, "When it was all done, Lily said, out loud 'While I may have an amazing ass, you are nothing but a baying jackass.' For three days the professor had to write what he wanted to say with an air scribe. Every time he tried to talk the words came out as the bay of a donkey. To this day I'm not sure how she changed the voice patterns. Normally I would say it was a potion, that makes it simple, but a second potion would have interfered with the first one."

"Why would my mom ask my dad for help? I thought she hated him until seventh year."

"Not really, once she stopped hanging around Snape in fifth year she was able to see the real James. Before then all she saw was a guy who picked on one of her only friends. It probably didn't help that he asked her out once a month, at the very least."

Remus snorted the juice he was drinking. "Once a month? Prongs would ask Lily out once twice a week every week for two years."

"Sure, before fifth year, but with the ministry under attack like it was he was more concerned for our nation. Besides, James was always concerned for his Dad." Sirius turned to Harry. "Charlus was a very high ranking member of the Wizengamot, and highly supportive of James pursuing Lily. That made many purebloods, the Blacks specifically, furious."

"Why the Blacks in particular?"

"My uncle had three daughters, Bellatrix, a psychopath, Andromeda, a genuinely nice person; and Narcissa, a survivalist. Uncle Cygnus wanted James to marry either Andromeda or Narcissa, but Charulus was against the idea when he heard about James and Lily."

"That's it? It doesn't really seem like Cygnus had a reason to hate my grandfather."

"Well, I think that Cygnus and Charulus were in the negotiaitons already, which would give my uncle reason to be upset. However the man took it way out of proportion and he began to loathe your grandfather."

Remus looked at his watch and sighed. "As much as I would love to stay up all night talking, I have a job to get to in the morning. Goodnight Harry, Padfoot."

"'Night Moony."

"Goodnight Professor."

Remus chuckled. "Call me Remus or Moony, I'm your uncle first and your ex-professor second, maybe even third." With those words and a small wave, Remus departed to an upstairs room.

"Sirius? Why do you think those three Slytherins are a good choice to reach out to?"

Sirius chuckled. "Last year at Hogwarts, I didn't make nearly as many attempts to kill Peter as I could have. I spent most of my time as Padfoot on the grounds, and I listened to the conversations of many of your classmates."

"I learned a lot about the Slytherin political structure these days, and everything I put in the letter. I also know things about the school, like the Harry Potter fan club is thirteen members strong."

Harry's face burned crimson, he had no idea he had a fan club.

"Don't worry Pup." Sirius's eyes shone with glee. "It's nowhere near my fan club's size!"

Sirius and Harry laughed and talked for hours, Sirius told the boy about his parents, and Harry told the convict about his friends.

Late the next morning Sirius awoke with a smile on his face. Since breaking out of Azkaban he had precious few things to be happy about, and an overabundance of things to be depressed or furious about. Sirius set about his morning routine with a slight deviation from the norm, he was humming. While in Hogwarts Sirius would almost always go about his morning routine humming a light tune, the Marauders took it as Sirius's normalcy check. If he was humming, his life was ok, if he wasn't humming something was up. The morning after Harry had arrived from Surrey was the first that Sirius hummed in thirteen years

Sirius made his way across the house to the kitchen, and not once did his humming cease. Sitting on the small breakfast table in the kitchen were two plates of food, both piled high with all assortments of breakfast foods. In the middle of the weathered wooden table was a note from Remus.

Padfoot and Prongsson

I didn't want to wake you, I'm sure you've slept in late. I got up this morning and Dobby was here, he got us breakfast. Since I don't know what Harry likes and Padfoot has some unusual tastes I just told the little elf to get a bit of everything. I've put it under warming charms, if you sleep longer than the charms hold, you don't deserve breakfast.

Moony

Sirius chuckled at the note, and sat down to eat his food.

Harry woke up slowly, his eyelids were tinted a light red from sunlight. Moving his head and opening his eyes Harry looked around his spacious room. The walls were done in a light cream, and the floor was a light hardwood. The bedroom alone was twice the size the Dursley's sitting room. A large four poster bed dominated one wall, and a moderately sized sitting area took up the opposite side of the room. Off against a wall stood a wardrobe large enough to fit every piece of clothing the Dursley's had ever owned.

Harry preformed his morning ritual quickly, and went to eat breakfast.

"Hey pup, I wasn't sure when you would get up so I started eating. Dobby brought some food from Hogwarts again, and Moony put it under warming charms." Sirius looked good in the morning light, his skin had lost the grey pallor that it gained in thirteen years of Azkaban. While the wanted fugitive was nowhere near peak physical condition, he was looking much better than he had when Harry watched him ride away on Buckbeak. "Hey, what do you say we send Hedwig out to get some books? I don't know if you intend to take Arithmancy or Runes, but if you do we'll need the textbooks. I think we should also get a few potions books, your Mum was a natural at potions and you seem to have about the same magical skillset. With you and me working together we could make some restorative draughts, appetite replenishers, and general nutrition potions. What do you say about that?"

"It sounds good, and I do want to take those classes, but I was wondering about Care for Magical creatures. I like the idea of the class, but aside from the hippogriffs on Hagrid's first lesson I haven't really seen anything I'm interested in."

"Hmm, I understand that. When I was on the grounds I watched several of your classes, and I can tell you Hagrid is following the general coursework. And yes it is boring, you won't find many interesting creatures until your Newt level. What I recommend is ask Hagrid if he will give you any private lessons, that way you can spend time with him while not doing any essays."

"Yeah, I think I'll do that. Thanks, and I don't think that I got my mum's skill with potions. It's always so difficult to brew."

Sirius looked thoughtful. "Pup, why do you cut a shrinkhead bean in thirds instead of flattening it?"

Harry dug in his memory. "I don't know."

"Ok, why do I need to make a turn counterclockwise after so many clockwise?"

"I don't know."

Sirius chuckled mirthlessly. "Your problem doesn't lie in being unable to brew, it is poor teaching practices. Snape, for all his faults, is a potions genius. He either doesn't understand someone's incapability to understand certain practices, or he deliberately stunts student's growth."

"Why would he stunt a student's growth in potions?"

"Either because he's a greasy git, or because the Auror corps will only take people who pass their potions newts. Dumbledore trusts him but I don't."

"Dumbledore says that Snape owed my dad for saving his life."

"Yes, technically he owes your dad a life debt, but unfortunately the only reason he was in that situation was because of me. Remus was in the middle of a transformation, and I told Snape how to get to him. Being too curious for his own damn good the idiot ran into the tunnel to the shack. He got the door to the shack open; saw Moony, and James pulled him away before he could get bitten. I felt horrible for a couple hours, then James looked me in the eye and told me to check for mind charms. He wanted to make sure that I was the one who told Snape before he read me the riot act. Turns out I had been 'persuaded' to tell Snape about the tunnel. That's when I took the time to raise my basic understanding of Occulmency to a master's level."

"So, did he owe my dad a life debt?"

"Yes, I think so. But life debts are tricky things, if you know you saved someone's life, and they know you saved it, there is a debt. Snape hated your Father's guts, and would think the worst of him. He might be able to convince himself that James only saved him to protect Moony and me. Thereby meaning he doesn't owe your father, or you, in any regard. Like I said, they're tricky things."

Sirius and Harry ate in silence for several minutes, Sirius was lost in memories and Harry was in thinking about life debts, and other forms of crazy magic. "Padfoot, can you teach me to be an Animagus this summer?"

"Sure pup, I can try. It took James and me three years to do it, but I'm pretty sure we created a new method of preforming the shift, and it might even be something different."

"Different?"

"Possibly, have you ever heard of Shapeshifters?" Harry shook his head no. "They're like Animagi, but seem to have a higher tendency to be magical creatures. I think we may have stumbled upon the method they use, it's also less painful than the other two methods."

"How is it done?"

"In detail it uses Ancient Egyptian runes of changing combined with Arithmatic principles of vectors and parabola. The angles the runes intercept each other create a self-sustaining field of energy directly beneath the surface of your magic. This makes your magic react to the primal instincts that drive your core being, and forces those instincts to the surface. When you are put in situations that require you to have your instincts up at a moment's notice, your magic may respond, activating the basic function of the runic circle. Thus transforming you into your animal form, it can be awkward to explain in crowds…"

Harry's eyes swam in his skull. He was digesting the information and trying to understand all of the terms. Certain things were hard to misunderstand but the majority of what his godfather said to him sounded like an entirely different language.

"Don't worry if you didn't catch all that, it is far beyond NEWT level work. Honestly if James and I had done it legally, we would have published our results. People that wanted to teach that method of becoming and Animagi would have to pay us for the right to use it. As it stands now though, I am most likely the only person in the world who knows how to do it." Sirius grinned and stood, his plate went soaring through the air with a wandless banishment charm as he beckoned Harry to follow outside.

"Padfoot, I know you have money, I mean you bought me the Firebolt… Could we maybe buy some clothes for me? I don't want to wear Dudley's cast offs." He and Sirius were laying on the beach.

"Harry, first of all, I have more money than I could ever need. Secondly, I have no son, I have no wife, and I have no other family that I want to inherit my money besides you. That means that if I were to keel over dead right now, you would own everything I do. You don't ever have to ask me if you can spend money on something vital like that. The only tricky part will be to actually do the shopping. I am a wanted man after all." Sirius put his hand to his chin, trying to think of a solution.

"We have two options, as far as I can see. We can get all of your sizes, like the width of your shoulders and length of arms, and get clothes tailored to fit perfectly. Or we can make a quick jaunt into a small town in rural Britain laden with enchantments out the wazoo. The first option would get you better fitting clothes with higher quality, but the second option would be a lot more fun." Sirius looked to Harry for his opinion.

"I think I like the sound of the first option better."

"Me too, while going out would be fun, it would not be practical. Not to mention I don't have any muscle tone, or a good tan. How would I seduce any beautiful ladies?" Sirius's grey eyes sparkled with mirth.

"Maybe with your quick wit and charming speech, but even then, you would need a few confundus charms." Harry grinned, his prior shyness forgotten.

"Why you dirty little back biter! I'll get you for that!" Harry had taken off running and Sirius had to transform in order to catch up to him. The two spent the rest of the day playing and laughing, outliving and outgrowing the abuse they had both suffered.

Sirius and Harry were walking back to the house leisurely while Sirius was explaining some of his and James's pranks. Suddenly Sirius reached out an arm and stopped Harry's movement.

"Hold up. Look at the threshold; do you see the mud tracks?" Sirius's tone was hushed and intense.

"Yes, why?"

"They go into the house. We have not gone in at all today, so it must be Remus." Sirius's eyes swam with a spark of insanity, and an ocean of mirth. "Silence your footsteps, and I'll disillusion you. Be prepared to take any opportunity to prank him."

Harry preformed the necessary charm on his feet, while he felt Sirius's cool magic wash over him and his body started to become transparent.

"Advance slowly, wand out, spells at the ready."

The pair advanced slowly, with Sirius in front, in a low crouch. As Sirius approached the sitting room door he shifted his ears into those of a dog. He held a fist up, clearly indicating for Harry to stop. After half a minute of listening, Sirius beckoned for Harry to continue moving. Nearing the kitchen Sirius heard the even, steady breathing of Remus. The black haired marauder looked back at Harry and motioned for him to move to Remus's right. Slowly and silently, a pitcher of water floated from behind Remus to be directly above him. Sirius quickly disillusioned it as Remus looked up. When Remus went back to preparing a bowl of cereal with painstaking precision, Sirius waited. Just as Remus started to pour the milk onto the dry cereal Sirius disillusioned himself. "You know, it's impolite to come to someone's house and not announce yourself."

Remus jumped nearly right out of his skin, and almost poured all the milk he had onto the counter. He opened his mouth to retort, and Sirius dumped the water on the startled werewolf.

Harry was howling with laughter right alongside Sirius, and Remus was just staring at his clothes. His amber eyes locked with Sirius's. "Mr. Padfoot, Mr. Moony would like to formally declare that this means war."

Sirius's eyes were shining with humor. "Mr. Padfoot recognizes Mr. Moony's declaration of war, and would like to extend the Son of Prongs an offer of alliance."

Harry, having caught on, replied just as quickly as his godfather had. "The Son of Prongs would like time to learn from the masters of war, and will aide both sides of this impending conflict. On the condition that Mr. Padfoot and Mr. Moony will not directly target the Son of Prongs, but any area of effect pranks are allowed." Had they known the boy better, Sirius and Remus would have been wary of his devilish smirk.

"Mr. Moony accepts this condition, for this war only."

"Mr. Padfoot also accepts this condition, but like his friend, only for this current war."

Harry smiled, having pulled off his ruse. He then cast an area of effect tickling hex at both Padfoot and Moony.

After a couple of minutes under Harry's hex and a minute of rest, Remus and Sirius realized they could not actually retaliate against Harry. To do so would break the promise they made to the boy. Sirius looked Remus in the eye and asked the question that was on both of their minds. "How is that kid in Gryffindor and not Slytherin?