Two weeks had passed and little Harry Potter lay huddled in the cupboard under the stairs of the Dursley’s home. Harry didn’t understand what was going on in his life. He missed his parents, and Uncle Sirius who had promised to take care of him hadn’t come for him. He didn’t like the people here. There was a very large man who liked to yell at him and hit him. Harry had learned to avoid the large man. There was a thin blonde woman who never talked to him. In fact, she ignored that he was even there. The only thing that let him know that she actually acknowledged his existence was the small plate of foot she left by his cupboard three times a day. But worst of all was the large boy that lived in the house. He was loud and always screaming. He always gave Harry headaches. And he liked to poke and pinch Harry. Harry wished that someone would come for him. But he had been left all alone for what felt forever. It seemed to him that his Mommy and Daddy must not love him anymore.

It was Harry who first heard the large pounding on the door. But he didn’t dare look to see who it was. The large man was home and Harry didn’t want to be hit. But Harry did listen carefully, hoping that it was someone coming to take him away.

“I’ve come for Harry.”

The voice barely filtered in to the cupboard, but Harry recognized it. Pulling open the door he launched himself at the dark-haired man standing in the door.

“Siri!”

“Hey kiddo!” Sirius leaned down and picked Harry up into his arms. “Sorry I couldn’t come sooner.” Harry looked up at Sirius with confusion in his eyes.

“Where Mommy?”

The tall wizard visibly shook at the question. His godson, not even eighteen months old, was too young to understand the answer to that question.

“She had to go away for a long time, Harry. But Uncle Sirius is going to take care of you now.”

“Why Siri leave me?”

“I had to, kiddo. Had to make sure that you could come live with me. You do want to come live with me?”

“Yes!” Harry wrapped his small arms around Sirius’ neck. “Harry luv Siri.”

“I love you, too, kiddo.”

“Don’t know why anyone would love a freak like him,” Vernon muttered from the living room where he had retreated when he saw the wand clenched in Sirius’ hand. Sirius heard him, and stalked into the room.

“You, Vernon Dursley, don’t understand what it is to truly love someone. I would hate you only you are too far beneath my notice. I am taking Harry away, and you will never see him again. You don’t know what a great kid you are missing out on.”

“Wish you would have taken him two weeks ago. Then I wouldn’t have to decontaminate my house from the freak being here.”

Sirius roared in outrage and leveled his wand at the man in front of him.

“You should be grateful that I’m only here for Harry. I should kill you for how you’ve treated him. Instead I’m just going to have to leave you something to remember me by.” He muttered under his breath and an orange light shot out at Vernon. Smirking at the livid man in front of him, Sirius turned and walked out the door.

“Come on, kiddo,” he said to Harry, who was watching in shock as his uncle turned into a large gray animal. “Let’s go home.”

Harry happily hugged his godfather, glad to be leaving the place forever. And Sirius was thankful that Harry didn’t seem to have any permanent damage done to him. Every spare minute in the last two weeks that wasn’t taken up with securing their new home and speaking to Dumbledore Sirius had stood guard outside the Dursley home, hidden under the invisibility cloak. He had watched as the Dursleys had mistreated Harry, unable to do anything about it until he had a safe place for them to go to. He had had to stop himself countless times from marching in and hexing both of them for hurting Harry. But Dumbledore had told him that he was not allowed to interfere. They didn’t want to draw anyone’s attention to the fact that Harry Potter was living there. A visit from the Ministry of Magic would have been disastrous. So Sirius had watched and fumed, glad that he had listened to Dumbledore and not gone after Pettigrew himself. Harry needed him more than he needed revenge.

The tall wizard and small boy appeared out of thin air down a small country lane. In front of them was a small cottage nestled among the trees. Dumbledore had recommended the location. It was remote enough that no one would think to look there. Over the past two weeks the Headmaster had placed every protection and concealment charm he could think of on the small house. And tonight he was waiting for them in order to add the final level of protection.

“Any trouble, Sirius?”

“I may have turned Vernon Dursley into the Hippo he so strongly resembled.” Albus looked at him with twinkling eyes. “He called Harry a freak. He deserved it.”

“I’m sure he did. But on to more important matters. Everything is ready for the spell. Shall we?”

Sirius nodded and pulled out his wand. He muttered several incantations until a silver light seemed to surround the Headmaster. Then Sirius guided Harry’s small hand until he, too, was touching the wand. Ignoring the questioning look coming from Harry, Sirius whispered the last phrase. “The residence of Harry Potter and Sirius Black is 13 Midnight Lane. The location of Midnight Lane is Fernworthy Forest in the county of Devon.”

The light changed to a brilliant white before quickly dissipating, causing Harry to hide his face against Sirius’ shoulder. Instantly, the cottage before them disappeared from view along with the lane they were standing on. To Sirius, it now appeared that he was standing in the middle of an uninhabited forest. He could even hear a small stream nearby. Turning to the wizard in front of him he beamed, “it worked! I can’t see a thing.”

“Good. Now let me introduce you to your new home. You are standing on Midnight Lane in Fernworthy Forest, Devon,” Sirius’ surroundings shifted to once more reveal the road he was standing on, “and your home is 13 Midnight Lane.” The cottage once more came in to view. “I will let the two of you get settled. In a day or two I will come and check up on you, and bring Remus Lupin with me. He is most anxious to see you both again.”

Harry watched with wide eyes as the tall man with the long beard walked down the lane and then turned and vanished into thin air. Then he looked back up at his godfather. Sirius was grinning down at him.

“Welcome to our home, kiddo. Let’s go find your room.”

They walked into the cottage and Harry looked eagerly around. The front room held a small couch and several large chairs that surrounded the fireplace. On the mantelpiece above the fireplace Harry could see several photographs. He could just make out his parents waving at him from the closest one. There were two doors off of this room, one that seemed to lead to a kitchen and the other that led in to a small hallway. Sirius took him down the hall and showed him a bathroom. Then he opened a door that led to a large bedroom.

“This is my room. You can come in and get me whenever you need anything at all.” Then Sirius took him through the last door in the hall. “This will be your room.”

Harry looked around happily. It looked just like his room in his house. There were brooms and bears dancing around the walls and a large crib in the corner standing under the window. Harry could even see his favorite toys scattered around on the floor. It felt just like home.

“How about a story, kiddo.”

“Babbity, Siri, Babbity!”

“Okay, Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump it is.” Sirius sat down in the rocking chair in the corner and cradled Harry against him. “A long time ago, in a far-off land, there lived a foolish king…”

For nearly ten years, Sirius Black and Harry Potter lived happily in their little cottage. Harry never knew that he was famous, and they usually only left the house to play in the forest that surrounded them. Uncle Albus came to visit every week for dinner and he would tell Harry stories until Harry fell asleep by the fire, then Albus and Sirius would talk. They discussed the wizarding world and Voldemort; they talked about the Prophecy and how they were going to prepare Harry for the war that was going to start again someday. Uncle Remus came to visit even more often. He was the one who brought them things when they were needed, and together he and Sirius told Harry all the stories they could remember of Lily and James Potter.

Harry Potter was a lucky little boy. He grew up surrounded by three uncles who loved him and constantly told him the stories of his brave parents who had died fighting the evil man Voldemort. For his fourth birthday Harry was given a broomstick, and then almost every day he and Sirius would go flying. Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus taught him many things. They taught him to read and write, and they taught him the history of wizards. They taught him that all good wizards are supposed to fight dark wizards to make the world safer, and they taught him how one day he, too, would get to fight to protect the world. They taught him about the Marauders, and how when he was eleven he would get to go to Hogwarts and start a new generation of Marauders. They taught him how to get away with good pranks, and laughed whenever he was able to prank them.

Sometimes, Uncle Sirius and Uncle Remus would take him for a walk in to the villages nearby. Harry loved to watch the Muggles and learn about how they were able to live without magic. He would get to play with the other kids in the park, always watched closely by his uncles.

On Harry’s eleventh birthday he woke to the sound of Sirius yelling from the kitchen.

“Harry! You’re Hogwarts letter is here!”

Harry raced out of the room. He was so excited to get to go to Hogwarts this year, though he was a little sad that he had to leave Uncle Sirius and their little cottage. But the best part was that today was his birthday and Uncle Sirius had promised to take him to get his school things today. He was going to get a wand!

Sitting on the kitchen table waiting for him was the envelope addressed in emerald green ink to Mr. H. Potter, 13 Midnight Lane, Fernworthy Forest, Devon. He eagerly pulled out the letter and read:

HOWARTS SCHOOL

Of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl no later than July 31.

Yours Sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress

“Uncle Sirius! I got in to Hogwarts!”

“Of course you did, Harry. You always knew you would. Especially given the number of times that you have made me look ridiculous with some bit of accidental magic or other.” Sirius sat down across from Harry. “But there are some things we need to talk about before you go to Hogwarts.”

“I know. I’m supposed to prank Snape whenever I can, become a Gryffindor if I don’t want you to be extremely disappointed in me, and study really hard so that I can be an Auror like Dad was.”

“Those are all really good things, Harry, but that is not what I mean.” Sirius pulled his hands through his hair in frustration. “It’s time to tell you why your parents really died.”

“But Voldemort killed Mom and Dad.”

“Yes, he did. But that isn’t the whole story. He killed them because they were trying to protect you.” Harry sat and looked at Sirius, confusion on his face. “Before you were born Uncle Albus was in a meeting when a prophecy was made. It’s not important exactly what it said right now, all you need to know is that it said that you would be the only one who would have the power to defeat Voldemort.

“So to protect you, your parents went in to hiding. They were protected by the same spell that keeps are cottage hidden, but the secret keeper was a man named Peter Pettigrew. He was one of the Marauders at school with us, and we thought he was our friend. But he betrayed your parents to Voldemort and so Voldemort came to kill you. He killed your Mom and Dad, but when he tried to kill you the curse he used bounced back on to him instead.”

Sirius watched as Harry’s face slowly lost all its color. He hadn’t wanted to lay this burden on one so young, but it was unavoidable if Harry was going to attend Hogwarts this year. Harry struggled for several minutes, as if unsure what was the most pressing question to ask.

“So I killed him. Isn’t that what was supposed to happen?”

“Not quite. He didn’t die. Uncle Albus says he is hiding in Albania right now, but some day he will be coming back. And then it will be up to you to get rid of him and make the world safe once more.”

Harry sat staring at his hands for a long time, and Sirius was beginning to wish that he had had Albus tell Harry. Or that they could have put off this discussion for several more years. Harry was so young to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. Finally, Harry looked up with tears in his bright green eyes.

“Voldemort killed Mom and Dad. I would have wanted to fight him anyways. Now I just have another reason. I don’t want to let him hurt anyone else.”

Sirius stood up and walked around the table so that he could pull Harry in for a hug. He held him for a long time, before pulling back and looking at him with pride in his eyes.

“I thought you would say that.”

He pulled Harry in to the sitting room and sat him down on the couch. Then he began pacing in front of the fireplace.

“I didn’t tell you because I wanted you to have a chance for a childhood, but you can’t go off to Hogwarts not knowing. No one else knows about the Prophecy, but everyone in the wizarding world knows who you are. They are all going to recognize you and want to meet you. They think you got rid of Voldemort for good. They don’t know he is going to come back. I don’t want you to tell anyone about the Prophecy, at least not yet. I want you to make friends and learn and not have to worry about it for several more years.”

Harry looked up at his godfather, and Sirius watched as the boy grew up before his eyes. He was not a kid anymore. He knew why he had to fight and he accepted the fact that he would. “But I need to be ready.”

“Yes, you do. I’ve got some books for you that I want you to read, and once we get you a wand I am going to show you a few things. But remember, Harry. It is okay to be prepared, but don’t spend all your time thinking about this. You still get to be a kid. You can still enjoy all your time at Hogwarts.”

“I know, Uncle Sirius.” He seemed to be struggling with something. “But am I going to be able to win?”

“Course you are, kid. Remus and I are going to help you learn as much as you can. And Uncle Albus is going to help you while you’re at Hogwarts. We are going to teach you so much that when it comes the time to fight back Voldemort won’t stand a chance.”

Harry hugged his godfather one more time, and Sirius breathed a small sigh of relief. He knew that Harry hadn’t really taken it in yet, but he was glad that Harry seemed to accept it so well.

“Come on, kid. It’s time to go to Diagon Alley.” Distractions had always worked well on James.

“Yes! Can I get an owl? Then I can write you all the time about the pranks I’m doing.”

“Knew you were a Marauder. We’ll have to get you the best owl they have. Now go get dressed. It’s time you were introduced to the fame that comes with being the Boy Who Lived.”

“They call me the Boy Who Lived?”

“Sure do.”

“Why can’t they just call me Harry?”

“No idea, kid, no idea.”

For the first time in ten years, Harry was going to voluntarily enter the wizarding world. And Sirius was terrified about it. He didn’t want Harry’s first trip to the Alley to be marred by too many stares and well-wishers, so when Harry came down dressed in Muggle clothes Sirius added a hat that he pulled down low over the scar on Harry’s forehead. Then the wizard and boy took the floo powder to the Leaky Cauldron. It was time for Harry to renter the world that he was destined to save.