Chapter 147: Chapter 147: The Only Family
Lupin's words filled the room with a heavy silence. Black's teeth ground together as he retorted, "Harry is well taken care of by his aunt, there's no need for him to be burdened by my existence. James and Lily's demise was my fault, I'm not fit to bear the title of his godfather."
"If he were truly content with his life there, he wouldn't have resorted to escaping to Hogwarts using a secret passage, only to be apprehended by Snape," Sherlock replied devoid of emotion. Black's eyes narrowed in his direction. "What are you saying?"
"His aunt and uncle refused to sign Harry's permission slip because, in their eyes, Harry is a freak - he's abnormal, an anomaly. And he happens to be their most detested anomaly in the entire Potter lineage."
Even Lupin turned his gaze onto Sherlock at this point. "Is Harry not safe and taken care of with them?"
"He has food and a roof over his head," Sherlock stated nonchalantly, "but, he's never received any form of affection. However, it's not as if he's begging in the streets, starving. He's not in danger, but they aren't really his family, they treat him like an unwanted burden."
The underlying meaning of his words hit Sirius and Lupin hard: Harry's life with his reluctant guardians was indeed barely survivable, only just preventing him from ending up on the streets.
"How could that be!" Black pounded his fist onto the table. "He is the child of her own sister!"
Sherlock maintained his cold stare. "I'm not here to argue about Harry's family status, you likely know best how Harry's mother viewed her sister and James. But Lupin is right, it's your responsibility to take care of Harry, you can't recklessly decide to pursue your revenge fantasies by dismissing your role as godfather because 'Harry has his Aunt and Uncle'."
Sherlock had spent the previous summer with Harry and got to learn some things about the reasons behind the Dursleys' extreme negativity towards Harry. Their disdain was not for the magic community overall, but stemmed from their interactions with Harry's parents which left them with negative impressions. This, coupled with Petunia's immense jealousy of Lily's magical abilities, ended in almost complete estrangement between the two families.
Once Harry moved in with them, they redirected all their animosity onto him. Their actions were reprehensible, but James Potter's past wasn't without blame either. Sirius and Lupin fell into an uneasy silence, clearly comprehending the revelations, being the lifelong friends of James who was also quite wayward.
"I don't claim to know James Potter, but I can't imagine he would want you to go on this crazed hunt. These are your selfish desires for closure." Sherlock leaned back, eyes locked on them, "Harry may not require your protection, but he is in desperate need of a family's love."
Having the audacity to mock the face of death, Sirius found himself taken aback by Sherlock's words. If his accusations rang true then apart from his so-called 'family', the only remaining relative Harry had left was him, given he was made Harry's godfather at his birth.
Slouching in his chair, Sherlock took a sip from his tea, patiently waiting for him to make a decision. After what felt like an eternity, Sirius finally turned his gaze onto him and stated, "Can I see him?"
Sherlock merely shrugged in response, "He visits my office every weekend evening to learn the Patronus Charm. If you wish to meet him, you're welcome. However, the decision to reveal your identity to him is yours to make."
"I can't disclose my identity until Peter is apprehended," Sirius shook his head. "Only when all's settled can I let him learn of my existence. It could lead to unnecessary problems if he gets wind of everything now."
"Seems like you do understand his temperament reasonably well."
"After I fled Azkaban, I observed him in secret for a while."
Sherlock rose from his chair. "If that's your decision, then assume your Animagus form and accompany me. We need to inform Professor McGonagall. It's necessary for the professors to know of your existence, so you can move through the castle freely."
With that sorted, Sirius transformed back into his dog form, and after Sherlock used magic to alter his breed – he led him to meet Professor McGonagall. "When did you get a dog?" Professor McGonagall frowned at Sirius's Animagus form.
It was evident she wasn't a fan of dogs. Sherlock clarified, "This dog is more intelligent than he seems. I believe putting him on overnight watch within the castle could aid significantly in capturing Black."
To show his agreement, Sirius wagged his tail and approached Professor McGonagall, his head affectionately nudging her. "Alright, if it could prove helpful in catching Black. But you must ensure it doesn't cause harm to any student," she finally relented. Sherlock reassured her, "Don't fret, it will be friendly with the students."
Having gotten the approval from Professor McGonagall, Sirius was now authorized to operate within the Hogwarts castle. Immediately, Sherlock and the undercover Sirius exited Professor McGonagall's office. As they were descending the stairs, they encountered Severus Snape in the entrance hall.
Draped in an ink-black cloak about him, his face ghostly pale and hair as greasy as seaweed, Snape encountered Forester and his companion. "Forester, you still owe me for the ingredients you leeched off of me last time," he spoke with a menacing air.
Sherlock Forester, suddenly awash with recognition, remembered he had neglected to remit payment for a recent purchase he had made from Snape. "I'll have it for you by noon."
Snape gave a frosty snort in response, his gaze soon shifting to Sirius who was standing behind Sherlock. A look passed between them, Snape seemingly repulsed by the sight of the canine, as if he had run into his nemesis. Sirius growled and bared his teeth in a show of hostility.
"What's with this mongrel?" Snape grumbled, knitting his brows in irritation.
"He's helping us track down Black." Sherlock answered nonchalantly, an eyebrow raised for effect, "Professor McGonagall approved of it."
Snape didn't even try to mask his distaste, stating icily, "It would be a shame for this 'creature' to fall prey to a killing curse by Black. Better be careful with it."
With those words, he turned on his heel, striding towards the Great Hall. Throughout the exchange, Snape remained oblivious to Sirius's true identity. Sirius, once Snape had departed, gleefully rolled his eyes in the direction of his retreating figure. Sherlock patted Sirius, silently instructing him to follow, and together they made their way back to his office. Given that it was Saturday, Harry was expected later that evening, for his continued Patronus lessons. Sherlock cautioned Sirius to remain indoors while he informed the house-elves in the kitchen to drop off their meals in his office henceforth.
Meanwhile, the rift between Ron and Hermione had finally healed. The same day Snape had confiscated Harry's Marauder's Map, Hagrid found himself on the losing end when trying to save Buckbeak at the hearing at the Ministry of Magic. The jury, largely sympathetic to Lucius, had ruled that Buckbeak was to be executed.
Hermione was heartbroken but had found solace in a tearful reunion with Ron and Harry. Ron had dismissed her apologies, emphasizing that none of this was her fault, culminating in their reconciliation while being on the receiving end of Draco's jibes. Fueled by her resentment towards Lucius, for having influenced the jury's decision against Buckbeak, she responded to Draco with a resounding slap. Afterwards, her frustration abated, Hermione decided to withdraw from Divination, a subject she found futile, opting to concentrate on her other subjects instead.
On top of working towards mastering the Patronus Charm, Harry also had the final Quidditch match against Slytherin to juggle, still he arrived punctually for his lesson at Sherlock's office. After the day's session, he planned to request a week off to prepare for his match. On walking into Sherlock's office, a large dog lounging beside the desk caught his eye. "A new addition to the family, Professor?"
As he approached, Sirius, tail wagging furiously, fixated his gaze on Harry while moving closer to him. Harry stroked the dog's head and Sirius welcomed the attention. Sherlock observed Sirius's excitement closely. Harry was, after all, not only family, but as close to Black's lost best friend as he could get. "Not quite a pet, he's assisting in ensuring Black doesn't infiltrate the school. I figured I should look after him in the meantime."
After petting Sirius for a bit, Harry turned to Sherlock. "I need next week off, Professor. With the Quidditch finale approaching our team needs all the practice it can get."
Sherlock dismissed the request with a nonchalant wave. "No worries. You've grasped the Patronus Charm pretty well already. What you lack now are opportunities to shape your Patronus. Your theoretical understanding has been impressive."
"So this is the end of our lessons?" asked Harry.
Sherlock nodded before motioning towards Sirius. "As for today, you can walk him around the school, he needs to know the castle well if he is to patrol it. Consider it your final assignment."
Accepting the task without hesitation, Harry left Sherlocks office with Sirius in tow, exploring the castle's sundry corridors and corners. He even led Sirius into the Gryffindor common room, much to the astonishment of his housemates. Even Ron, preoccupied with helping Hermione research about how to free Buckbeak, blinked in amazement. "Where did you find the dog?" he inquired.
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