Disclaimer: see all previous chapters

Chapter 10

Harry awoke the next morning feeling content with the world. He had slept well without any nightmares last night. Which was a first for him. Yawning and stretching he glanced at his clock.

And grinned.

"Breakfast!" he said loudly. Ron jumped and half fell out of his bed, a thump on the other side of the room told him that someone else wasn't fast enough to keep their balance. Grinning happily Harry climbed out of his own bed and walked round to the foot. Sirius was awake, just.

Harry crouched down next to him. "Goooood morning snuffles. Are you hungry?" Sirius barked in reply and Harry ruffled the thick black fur on the top of his head. He frowned.

"After breakfast you, my furry friend, are having a bath." Snuffles whined, but backed down when Harry tapped him on the nose. The said boy stood up and got dressed, when he was ready he moved back over to Sirius who was now sitting on his bed watching him.

"Hey Harry!" Seamus called, "Where'd you get the dog?"

"I found him last night on the grounds; Dumbledore says I can keep him."

"What's his name?" This time it was Dean.

Harry grinned and scratched Sirius under the chin. "Snuffles!"

Neville looked confused, as did Seamus and Dean. But all three shrugged it off. It was a Saturday luckily so they didn't have class.

"Come on snuffles lets go get breakfast." Snuffles barked again and followed Harry out of the door. Behind him he heard Dean mutter: "He's got him well trained."

Harry laughed and he and Ron meet up with Hermione who was waiting for them. She bid them good morning then knelt down to stroke Sirius. She had accepted the escaped convict on the grounds that if he made Harry happy, then she was happy. That and she had the inclining that Harry knew more then he was letting on.

The three teenagers and dog walked down to the great hall, and wandered over to the Gryffindor table. Around them people stared as Harry invited the dog to sit next to him on the bench, and began to pile food onto a plate before placing it next to him and the dog.

Harry glanced around and asked Ginny, who was an earlier riser then the rest of them. "Has the post come yet?"

Ginny looked up and blushed, oh yeah, this young she still likes me. Doops.

"Um … no it hasn't yet. Nice dog."

Harry grinned at her, "Yeah his name is Snuffles, I found him on the grounds last night."

"Finally found someone with your level of IQ to talk to Potter?" came a drawling voice. Everyone looked up and Harry stared into the silver eyes of Draco Malfoy. Besides him Sirius growled.

Harry smirked, "Good morning to you too Malfoy. And yes, actually I have. He's a very smart dog."

"He's trained already Malfoy, in one night, bet you couldn't do that." Came Seamus' voice as he joined them at the table. Malfoy turned his glare onto the Irish boy, who was unfased.

"I don't associate with animals Finnegan." Malfoy snapped at him.

"Why do you hang around with Crabbe and Goyle then?" Asked Ron, speaking up for the first time since last night.

Malfoy looked at the red-head and sneered. Realising he was beaten, he backed down and moved away from the table.

The Gryffindor's laughed, they had just beaten down Draco Malfoy in front of most of the school.

Harry returned to his breakfast and the looked up when the owl post arrived thirty seconds later. He kept an eye out for Hedwig, in case she wanted to say hello. She didn't turn up but a posh looking owl with a collar and the letter 'M' hanging off it landed in front of him.

Curious Harry took the letter and the paper from the owl who took off immediately.

"That was a ministry owl." Ron said following the bird with his eyes.

Harry unrolled the paper first and grinned.

Peter Pettigrew found!

The dead, but whole body of Peter Pettigrew was found last night by Mr Harry Potter. Mr Potter has so far been unavailable for an interview but Headmaster Dumbledore says that Sirius Black, Harry Potter's Godfather has applied for custody of young Mr Potter.

14 years ago a man was wrongly imprisoned without a trial. 1 year ago the same man escaped Azkaban Prison. Today that man is declared innocent.

Sirius Black has been freed of all charges against him. He is now a free man.

Harry put the paper down, the report went on to tell the public about Pettigrew and Sirius and the switch of secret keepers. Harry didn't need to read it. He knew it all. Obviously Dumbledore had stayed up last night and had written off a load of letters to both the Ministry and the Prophet.

Harry turned to Snuffles. "You're free!"

Grinning the dog changed back to him human form and Sirius Black was sitting at the Gryffindor table, looking much like the convict that he was once said to be.

Harry grinned and pulled the man into a hug again. Tears were in his eyes. Sirius was free. He had custody of Harry. He was never going to have to go back to the Dursleys again. And he had delayed Voldemort's return to power again. Harry knew that Voldemort would come back. But it had been delayed again, but for how long he didn't know.

He held onto Sirius tightly, his mind going back to the words which Hagrid had said to him at the end of his first 4th year.

"What would come would come, and he would have to face it when it did."

END CHAPTER

AN: This is the end of the first part. I hadn't intended to do this in parts but I think I will.

Not sure when the next part will be up though. If you want an e-mail when it is leave your address in a review.

Thanks for all your support through this.

Lady Mandara Snake