A quick apparation later and they were in Tom's office, sitting in armchairs by the fire.
"Did you come only to go hunting?" Tom asked after he poured himself and Harry a glass of red wine.
Harry shook his head and leaned back on his armchair.
"I think we need to plan a few things. Especially regarding Sirius," Harry spoke.
"What about Black?" Tom remarked.
"One of your Horcruxes is in Grimmauld Place. The best way to get it is through Sirius. Though we would have to tell him the truth. At least about me siding with you," Harry replied.
"We?" Tom couldn't help but sound slightly shocked and confused. He remembered Black. It was far more likely that he would start to curse him as soon as he saw him instead of listening to him.
"Yes, we. We are partners. These kinds of decisions... we make them together. If you don't feel comfortable with telling Sirius that you are back, then we won't," Harry replied. A part of Harry was hoping that Tom would say he didn't want Sirius to know.
"What do we do if he doesn't accept this?" Tom asks.
"You know there are thousands of ways to make sure that he doesn't talk," Harry replied.
Tom took another sip from his glass of wine and sighed. He wanted to say no, he truly did. Though he knew what Black meant to Harry. He had already taken so much from him, he didn't want to take any more. And, Harry was right. There were many ways to make sure that Black didn't talk.
"When do you want to tell him?" he asked his equal and saw Harry close his eyes and take a deep breath. He almost smiled, for someone as powerful as Harry, he sure was insecure about the most ordinary things.
"I'll be meeting with him next Hogsmead weekend, I'll bring him here then. Is that alright?"
"Yes. You'll have to come by tomorrow so that I can tie you into the wards and give you control over them. Are you that nervous about it?" he asked Harry.
"I don't know," Harry said, sounding somewhat broken, "It's neem such a long time since I saw him. I never really dealt with his death. I don't know how I'll react. A part of me is afraid that I won't care one way or another," Harry admitted, "I don't want to lose my humanity."
"Harry..." Tom took a deep breath, "You aren't human. You may have been born human but now... You are Death's son."
"I know," Harry sounded somewhat broken, "I just... I am afraid that I will lose myself in that, do you know what I mean?"
Tom nodded. He knew exactly what he meant. From what Harry had told him... he had lost himself to Voldemort. He had created Voldemort for a reason, though he never wanted to be only that, to be a mess of anger and hate and little else.
"I do, Harry," Tom started, "I don't know if it will happen or not... though I can promise to do my best to bring you back if you do lose yourself." It was the lease he could do since Harry brought him back as well.
Harry saw the sincerity in his eyes and smiled. Siding with Tom was fast becoming one of the best decisions he had ever made.
_____________
Harry couldn't quite contain the groan of dismay when he woke up on the morning of the Hogsmead weekend. He was really dreading his upcoming encounter with Sirius. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he was rather scared. He didn't want to face his godfather alone. Why had he told Hermione not to go with him? Oh, right, because he was going to tell Sirius that he had joined Voldemort. Who's bright idea had that been? And more importantly, in his opinion, why the bloody hell hadn't Tom talked him out of it? He was supposed to be sane now.
He sighed. There was no need to delay the inevitable. It wasn't as if he was going to his execution... it was just a talk between godfather and godson. Nothing more. He snorted, sure.. nothing more.
He got out of bed, ignoring Ron's glare, proceeded with his morning routine. He should be out of the castle before the other students started to leave, it would decrease the risk of any of them seeing him and possible following.
He was almost out of the castle when he abruptly stopped. A little smirk graced his face, he turned around, almost jogging up the stairs. He couldn't take Hermione, but that didn't mean he needed to go alone.
A few minutes later found Harry bursting into Barty's bedroom, startling the man, and having to dodge a curse that was fired at him from the sleepy-eyed Death Eater.
"Really? What is it with you and Tom? It's always cast first, ask questions later," Harry muttered, sending a small glare at the man on the bed.
"Harry?" Barty asked, squinting at him. Harry would never say this out loud but Barty did look quite cute, "What are you doing here? How did you get in?" Barty asked, looking a little more awake. Barty sighed and shook his head, "No, never mind. I don't want to know. What are you doing here?"
"I want you to come with me to Hogsmead," Harry told him, "Not as Moody, just add some glamor until we reach the place we are going, then you can be yourself."
When Barty did nothing more than stare at him, he sighed, "You have ten minutes, I'll be waiting in the living room," he informed Barty and turned around. He chuckled when he heard Barty curse and stumble out of the bed.
Five minutes later, Barty was leaving the bedroom, grumbling under his breath. Harry smirked, it was so much fun to aggravate Barty.
"Ready to go?" he asked after he saw the glamor being cast. It was still Barty, but younger, maybe around seventeen, with slightly fuller cheeks and darker hair. It was rather simple changes but it was doubtful that anyone would recognize him as Barty Jr. especially because he was supposed to be dead.
"Yeah," Barty muttered, he clearly wasn't a morning person, "Just where are we going, exactly?"
"Oh... you know, just meeting Sirius," he replied, leaving behind a spluttering Barty.
"Why are you taking me to meet Black?" Barty asked as soon as they were out of the castle, keeping his voice low. There weren't many people around, so the probability of being overheard was rather low, but there was no reason to tempt fate.
"Does there have to be a reason? Maybe I just want to spend some time with you and I'm using Sirius as an excuse," Harry replied.
Barty looked at him incredulously, then he snorted.
"You may be attractive, but I rather enjoy being alive," was the muttered reply.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Harry asked him, rather perplexed. True, he hadn't expected Barty to play along, but the second part of the answer was slightly puzzling.
Barty stopped abruptly, his eyes widening when they looked at Harry, then he started laughing.
"What?"
Barty got his laughing under control. He shook his head and a small fond smile appeared on his face. A smile that Harry hadn't seen on the man yet. Barty was rather attractive but that small smile made him look gorgeous and Harry had to stop himself from blushing. He silently cursed his hormones and his pale complexion. He was silently ashamed that the blushing wasn't something he had been able to control, not even later in his life.
"Let's go meet this godfather of yours," Barty said, grabbing Harry's hand and dragging him along, he looked far more enthusiastic about it than he had moments before. Harry followed along, doing his best not to notice just how warm Barty's hand felt and cursing his hormones all the while.
As soon as they approached the path that led to the caves, he stopped short, his grip on Barty's hand tightened slightly. Barty stopped as well. He looked back at Harry, noting the pain, fear, and grief in Harry's eyes. Even though his face was masked, the worry Barty felt bled through his eyes, along with some confusion. However, Harry was barely aware of it. His eyes were fixed on the black grim-like dog that was sitting on the path. His breath hitched and his eyes teared up a little, remembering when his Sirius had died. Harry blinked the tears and emotions away, his face going completely blank.
"Harry," Barty whispered, noting the changes, slightly concerned.
Harry looked up, a little startled when he noticed how close Barty was.
"Everything will be fine," Barty whispered.
Harry didn't let any emotion show on his face, however, you could hear him swallow thickly.
"Black loves you. He will always love you. He may not understand, he may not agree, but he will never stop loving you," Barty continued, after taking in his blank expression. Barty decided to ask about it after, storing this with the other bizarre things Harry has either said or done.
Harry nodded and gave a small smile, "Thanks."
He looked back at Padfoot, who had noticed them and was wagging his tail, looking like an overgrown puppy. He smiled more and pulled Barty along.
"Hey, Padfoot," Harry whispered when they were close enough, "Lead the way."
Padfoot tilted his head to the side, his eyes landing on Barty. The question clear in his eyes.
"I trust him, he knows the truth," was all Harry said. He almost winced when Padfoot just turned around and started leading them to the cave he was hiding in. He was afraid that that kind of trust would disappear as soon as Sirius learned the truth.
As soon as they were inside the cave, Sirius changed back and pulled Harry into a hug before anyone could blink. He felt Barty tense beside him but aside from that, he was glad the Death Eater didn't react.
"Sirius," Harry whispered, with a slight whimper. The 'I missed you' Harry said in his mind was heartbreaking. Harry's eyes teared up a little again.
It started raining randomly again, confusing Sirius and Barty. Barty looked at Harry and could see the emotion gushing off of him, like a waterfall, even with his eyes closed. Barty grew more concerned when a single tear escaped Harry's eye. When Sirius let go, Harry's eyes were still closed, his head down.
Harry swallowed his emotions and took a deep breath. He wiped his face, forcing himself to relax. When he looked back up, his facial expression was showed relief and calamity. The rain stopped when Harry calmed down and Sirius and Barty both noted this.
"Hey, pup. I missed you," Sirius spoke up.
"I missed you too," Harry muttered.
"So, who's your friend?" Sirius asked, turning to Barty.
"His name is Barty," Harry replied, completely ignoring Barty's shocked and disbelieving expression.
"Nice to meet you, Barty. I'm Sirius Black, mass murderer extraordinaire," Sirius gave a dramatic bow, a demented grin on his face.
Barty chuckled in response, "Well, at the very least, the Black madness didn't skip you," Barty muttered,
"Be nice," Harry scolded lightly, though he was chuckling too.
Harry conjured two small couches and sat down on one, dragging Barty with him. He missed Sirius's wide eyes at this. Sometimes he forgot that he shouldn't be able to perform certain spells.
Sirius sat down slowly, looking at Harry with curious eyes.
"How are you, Sirius?"
"I'm fine," Sirius replied, waving the concern away, "I may not be able to sleep in some five-star hotel, however, it is much better than Azkaban. How are you, Harry? Do you have any leads about who entered you into the Tournament and why they did it?"
"Actually... I know who did it and why they did it. It's all been taken care of. That's one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. Though I am not quite sure where to start."
"Usually the beginning is a good place," Sirius said after a few moments of silence, he looked far more serious than usual. For a moment, Harry had forgotten that Sirius had an incredibly sharp mind since he was rather laid back, but now it seemed he was completely focused.
"Right... the beginning..." Harry muttered, "I don't think that is the best place to start. I have literally only told one other person the beginning," He admitted.
After a bit more thinking, Harry asked, "Let me ask you a question, why do you hate the Dark? Because it's the Dark or because of their policies?"
Sirius's gaze sharpened, then his eyes narrowed.
"I'll assume that all of this is related and you actually have a reason to ask that," seeing Harry nod, Sirius leaned back on the couch, he looked at ease, however, his eyes gave him away. "Alright, I hate the policies. I am a Black, no matter how much my mother wished I wasn't. My magic is more inclined towards Dark Magic. Even so, I couldn't, I don't agree with their policies," Sirius sighed, "Your parents knew, of course, they never held my magic affiliation against me."
"And if their policies changed?" Harry asked.
Sirius snorted, "I doubt that Voldemort would change Harry, and the Dark is Voldemort," he replied seriously.
Harry nodded, slightly lost in thought. That answer revealed far more than Sirius probably wanted. Though, it was much better than Harry had hoped for.
"Do you trust me, Sirius?" Harry asked.
"With my life," the answer came without a second thought and Harry felt his heart swell. He could only that the answer would remain the same after everything was said.
He held his hand out for Sirius, hoping he would take it without questioning it. He did and Harry almost sighed in relief.
"You too, Barty," Harry said, holding his other hand out for Barty, "He put wards up, you aren't keyed in."
Barty nodded, understanding where they were going, and took Harry's hand. Not a second later there was a low pop and the cave was empty, save fora slumbering hippogriff.
"I didn't know you could apparate," was the first thing that Sirius said as soon as they landed.
Barty snorted, ignoring Harry's glare; which should be somewhat commended. His death glare was a thing worthy of nightmares, or so he told himself.
"You will learn rather quickly that Harry is able to do many things that most people don't know he can. It is better for your sanity if you just go with it," Barty remarked.
"Do you want me to curse you?" Harry asked pleasantly when he noticed how ineffective his glare was being. "You can drop the glamor now," he added, keeping his eye on Sirius.
A second later Sirius's eyes widened and he took several steps back.
"Crouch?" it was no more than a whisper, "You're supposed to be dead."
"And you are supposed to be the Dark Lord's right hand. Funny, I don't remember seeing you anywhere when my Lord called," Barty snarled back. He was a little touchy about his supposed death.
"Barty," Harry spoke firmly, it was enough of a warning for Barty to bow his head, giving a silent apology. They both knew that it wasn't the best of times to aggravate Sirius.
It was also enough for Sirius to focus back on Harry.
"What's going on, Harry?" it was a demand, though Harry was grateful that Sirius hadn't drawn his wand.
"It's a long story," Harry replied, "Just... hear me out, alright?" Harry pointed towards an armchair, almost begging for Sirius to take it.
"Alright," Sirius replied slowly, taking the offered seat.
"I joined Voldemort," Harry stated bluntly and Barty snorted.
"That was rather short," the Death Eater muttered, earning a glare from Harry.
"I'm not a Death Eater," Harry continued when Sirius did nothing but stare at him, "I don't have his mark." He showed him his unmarked forearms, just to make a point. "I am his equal. A second Dark Lord, if you will. Though I do not agree with most of the policies that Tom had in the previous war. I do not believe in blood purity," Harry made sure to stress that last bit, "However, I do abhor muggles, not because they are muggles or because I believe they are inferior to us, but because of what they can do," Harry stopped, letting Sirius digest all the information.
"You joined Voldemort," Sirius whispered, "You joined that monster?"
"He's not a monster, Sirius," Harry told him firmly, "You may not agree with my choices, but I ask you not to call Tom a monster. He is a magical prodigy, he's a genius, the most brilliant wizard I have ever met. If there is anyone on this Earth able to save us from the muggles, it's him."
"I'll call him a monster because that's what he is!" Sirius exclaimed, jumping to his feet, "You don't know anything about the first war, Harry. All the atrocities he committed. People are afraid to say his name for a reason, Harry."
"Sit Down!" Harry ordered, his voice cold and harsh. Sirius was shocked into compliance.
"Don't talk to me about atrocities, just don't," Harry said firmly. Harry doubted that anything Tom could have done would never compare to what the muggles did to them. "It was war. He did what he had to. I don't agree with many things he did, however, we can't change the past. We are also here to talk about me and my decisions, not the first Blood War. We aren't even here to talk about Tom."
Barty, who was still in the room, noticed the tone Harry used when he talked about atrocities.
"Yes, your choices," Sirius said, his eyes dark, "Let's talk about those choices."
"Will you actually listen to what I have to say or will you ignore it completely and cling to your preconceived notions?" Harry asked him, a slightly bitter edge slipping into his tone. His dad could have told me how difficult and stubborn Sirius was going to be.
"I'll listen," Sirius replied, his eyes warming a little.
"I brought Voldemort back. I wasn't threatened, I wasn't Imperiused. I was acting on my own free will. I did it because I believe that Tom is the only one who could save our world," Harry sighed and leaned back in his sofa. Harry closed his eyes, forcing the pain from the memories away, not before Sirius and Barty saw it. Harry took a deep breath and opened his eyes, his expression going blank-ish.
"What do you think will happen when the muggles find out about us? And they will find out about us," a small bitter smile appeared on his lips. He continued when no answer came, "They will kill us. They will treat us like animals and experiment on us."
"They wouldn't..." Sirius started, but a harsh laugh from Harry stopped him.
"They will. Things haven't changed. There was a reason we separated our societies. The same base emotions that made them hunt us then, will make them hunt us now. They fear us, so they will kill us. The only difference is that they have much more powerful weapons now. When they hunt us, when they declare war on us, we won't survive," Harry stated firmly, his eyes darker than ever, and slightly fogged as he kept his memories at bay.
"How can you be so sure of that?" Sirius asked him, his eyes narrowing.
"It's basic human nature," Harry replied.
"No... that's not it," Sirius muttered, "You are speaking as if you know as if you lived it."
Both Barty and Sirius saw Harry's smile at that comment, the bitter and somewhat self-deprecating smile. Both of their eyes widened slightly.
"Barty... Go get Tom for me, please. He should be in his office," Harry ordered before Sirius could say anything else.
"Yes, my Lord," Barty replied, getting up from his seat.
"You said you trusted me," Harry said as soon as Barty was out of the room, "Then trust me on this, Sirius," he almost begged. "I'm not asking you to join Voldemort, I am just asking you to trust me. I know what I am doing. The war that is coming will be nothing like the first one. Our target isn't magical beings, it's the muggles. We have no intention of harming magical beings, however, if they get in our way..."
"You're asking me not to get in your way," Sirius stated, instead of asking, but Harry nodded anyway. "I... I don't know if I can do that, Harry. He killed James... Lily..."
"I see..." whispered Harry, closing his eyes.
Abruptly he got up from his seat, leaving the small parlor, not even noticing Tom as he passed by the entrance.
No matter how much he had told himself that he was prepared for Sirius rejecting him, a small part of him couldn't help but feel hope. He wanted Sirius with him, even after all these years. Blindly he found his way to Tom's office and fell into his usual armchair. He closed his eyes and tried to get his emotions under control. No one was around to see the shadows moving ever so slightly, and a heavy rainstorm started outside.
He almost jumped out of his skin when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. The panic stopped as soon as it appeared, the familiar scent invading his senses. He couldn't really place what it was, but he knew it as well as he knew himself.
"Father," he whispered, relaxing into the strong arms holding him.
"Shh..." Death whispered, his arms tightening around Harry, "Everything is alright."
"He doesn't want me," Harry replied, hating how broken he sounded.
"Of course he does," Death assured him, "That mortal loves you with everything he is. It's just a big shock."
"I'm sorry," Harry whispered after a few moments of silence, "I'm supposed to be old enough to not behave like an angst-ridden child." He didn't want to disappoint Death, he wanted to be strong, he had to be.
He squeaked, a very manly squeak mind you when he was picked up and deposited on a rather comfortable lap. He couldn't help the blush that painted his cheeks when he noticed that he was sitting on Death's lap. It didn't help that he was a rather small teen, thanks to the loving care of the Dursleys. He hid his face in Death's neck when he realized that he didn't want to leave his new sitting place. When a hand started petting his hair he almost melted into a puddle. This was something he had always wanted when he was younger. To be comforted like this, it was all he had ever wanted.
"Harry," Death said in a soothing voice, "Your soul, compared to my own, is nothing but a toddler. It recognizes me as it's father, it is natural that it would seek comfort from me," Death explained patiently, "It is an instinctual reaction. Nothing to be ashamed of, truthfully, I enjoy it very much when you do seek me. You are my son, Harry. I will always be here for you, always care for you, always comfort you. If you break down, I'll pick up the pieces. Do you understand?"
"But I am over fifty years old, I had children of my own."
"I know," Death told him, still petting his hair, "But that does not change the fact that you are incredibly young to me. You are my little one, my child. Even a thousand years from now I will still treat you as much. Besides, your body is fourteen years old. With everything that entails."
Harry couldn't quite contain the groan that left him. Oh, joy. He had forgotten just how his hormones affected him in his teenage years. He valiantly ignored Death's chuckle.
"Not funny," Harry muttered, earning another chuckle.
"Are you feeling better?" Death asked, looking out the window and seeing it was still slightly overcast, which is normal for the area, but it is no longer raining.
"Yeah," Harry whispered, "Thank you for coming."
"It was my pleasure, Little One. Though I would appreciate it if you called me the next time you felt like this," Death commented.
Harry nodded and was slightly shocked when he felt Death kiss his mop of black hair tenderly, "Good. Now, go talk to your mortal. Call your parents, they'll talk some sense into him" Death got up and put Harry on the ground, shooing him away with a fond chuckle.
Harry grumbled a bit, then straightened his back and left the room.
That had been exactly what he needed. He wanted Sirius with him, he would make sure he got him, even if he used slightly underhanded methods to achieve it.
He stopped in his tracks when he reached the living room he had left Sirius in.
Tom was sitting in his previous seat, glaring murderously at Sirius, who was sitting stiffly in the same place that Harry had left him. He was unbelievable pale and Harry glimpsed Sirius' wand beside Tom. He almost sighed when he guessed what must have happened.
"Tom," he called softly, gaining their attention.
Sirius relaxed minutely and the concern in his eyes made Harry smile.
"Harry," he glanced at Tom when he heard his name, "Are you alright? Did he do anything to you?" it was rather well masked, but Harry heard the concern underneath his tone and had to stop himself from smiling at Tom.
"I'm fine," he said, taking the seat beside Tom, "his reaction was somewhat what I expected," Harry admitted.
"So, will we be taking care of his memories? Or assure his silence?"
"Not yet," Harry replied, looking at Sirius, he smiled, "I want to try something else first."
Tom wanted to ask what he planned on doing, however when he saw the ring on Harry's finger he snapped his mouth shut and prepared himself for what was coming. He wasn't all that comfortable with it, however, if it brought Black to his side, then he wouldn't complain. Besides, he knew it would make Harry happy to have Black with them, and though he would never admit it, he wanted Harry happy.
"Really Paddy, must you be so difficult?" came the slightly exasperated voice of James Potter.
Sirius's reaction was quite amusing. He jumped from his seat, gaped at the Potters for a second, then lost all strength in his legs and crashed to the floor. Though, Tom refrained from chuckling when he saw the glare that Harry was aiming at him.
"Wha... James? Lily?" Sirius' voice was a barely heard whisper, though the disbelief could be heard with crystal clear clarity.
"Hey, Paddy," James replied in a soft voice, a fond smile on his lips.
"How?" Sirius asked, getting back on his feet, taking a few steps towards his friends, though he stopped just out of reach. It was as if he was afraid that if he got too close they would disappear.
"Our Harry is rather talented and powerful," James replied, with a mischievous grin, his eyes full of pride.
Sirius turned sharply to look at Harry, "You did this?"
"Yes, though I can't hold them long. They are dead, their place isn't here," he told Sirius, "Hey mum, dad." he greeted them with a smile.
"Hello, Sweetheart," his mother beamed at him, "Your dad and I have been keeping an eye on you, we are so proud of you, love. Never doubt that." Then his mother turned a little and smiled at Tom, "Thank you, for looking after him. He does need it. I swear it's those Potter genes that get him into all sorts of trouble," the last bit was grumbled and she threw a small fond smile at her husband. Tom just nodded his head, looking slightly uncomfortable and Harry chuckled.
"And you," his mom continued, turning to look at the corner of the room, where Harry noticed a flabbergasted Barty was standing, "You've been good to my baby too. Thank you."
Barty seemed to pull himself together and bowed, "You're very welcome, ma'am."
Lily gave a delighted laugh, her eyes shining brightly.
"Oh, I like him. So polite," she commented.
James glared at Barty, "Don't you go seducing a married woman," he grumbled.
Lily shoved him a little, glaring at her pouting husband. "Don't be daft, James. I'm clearly not his type," she stated, smiling mischievously.
Barty's cheeks painted pink and Harry couldn't help but laugh. His parents were the best.
"It's really you," Sirius whispered, making Harry and his parents loo at him. He was looking between the two shades in awe.
"Yes, Sirius," Lily glared at him, "If you hurt my baby more than you already have, I will come back to haunt you, do you hear me, Sirius Black?"
Sirius actually cowered a bit, he looked helplessly at James.
"Sorry, Paddy," though he didn't sound all that sorry, "You were on the brink of breaking our baby's heart. We don't hold a grudge against Tom for killing us, you shouldn't either, especially since Harry joined him. We know why; we approve of his choices. Harry is Dark, Sirius, but he does have a good heart. He will protect those he loves. He represents the Potter values well. Lily and I couldn't be prouder of him."
"The last war ended, Sirius," Lily told him gently, "Let those grudges die with it too."
"Stand with our son, because we cannot," James smiled sadly.
"I will," Sirius whispered, "I promise."
"Good," James replied solemnly, "He will need you. Don't let him drown in who he will become. Make him enjoy life as a child should; challenge him to a prank war, teach him the way of the Marauders. Hell, recruit Moony to help you, that old wolf needs a bit of cheering up as well."
Sirius laughed his bark like laughter and shook his head.
"Moony became a professor, James. He's all proper now," he teased.
"Yes, I saw that. Moony and I will be having a serious conversation," James said shaking his head, "Defecting to the side of proper and all that."
Lily looked at the two exasperated and smiled fondly at them both.
"You both never grew up," she threw her arms up and winked at Harry.
"Grow up?" both males asked, looking scandalized, "Never." Then they dissolved into laughter.
"We have to go now, Paddy," James said after they got their laughing under control, "Take care of our Prongslet and of yourself."
"I will," Sirius promised, his eyes filling with tears.
Both Potters smiled at him, then turned towards Harry.
"Bye, love," Lily whispered.
"Have some fun as well, baby. We love you," James smiled, then they were gone.
For a while no one said anything. No one moved. Then Sirius stumbled into the sofa. He looked at Harry, his complexion paler than usual.
"You're a necromancer."
Well, Harry hadn't expected that. Was he a necromancer? In a way he was, wasn't he? Though, not really. Could he control the dead? He had never tried. Maybe he should ask his father.
"In a way," he replied. He was so not ready to tell Sirius that he had been adopted by Death.
"Thank you," Sirius whispered, "For letting me see them again, for letting me talk to them."
"You're welcome. But Sirius, I cannot call them all the time. Their place isn't here. They belong with Death now."
"I know. I just needed that."
Harry nodded. He could understand that. He would have given anything to see his loved ones one last time. To say goodbye to his children. However, he didn't think it was possible. Plus, he didn't think he was ready to face them yet, he had failed them.
Guilt, shame, sorrow, grief, and pain flashed through Harry's eyes. The other three in the room noticed this. However, it was gone before they could ask anything. None of them would forget it though.
"I won't stand in your way," Sirius whispered, "I know you aren't telling me everything. And I don't understand why you joined him, or how you brought him back. But I won't stand in your way."
Harry sighed in relief, slumping in his seat slightly, "Thank you, Sirius."
____
"You're a necromancer," Barty whispered, a little over an hour later, when they were both back at Hogwarts.
Sirius had agreed to stay at Riddle Manor until the following day. They had agreed to meet there the following night so that Sirius could take them to Grimmauld Place. He had looked at Harry suspiciously when he found out that Harry knew about the place, but to Harry's relief, he hadn't asked questions.
Tom grumbled about the new house guest but promised to stay out of Sirius's way, as long as he didn't cause trouble. Harry hoped that both survived the day.
"Does it bother you?" Harry asked. He knew that even the most Dark wizards didn't stray into those magics. Death was something to be feared and respected.
"No, not really," Barty said after a moment, "It just makes me more curious about you. You are not what I expected. I fear you, but I find you fascinating as well. It's like what I feel with my Lord, but different. Plus, you are definitely hiding something
"I'm just Harry," he had never felt less like 'just Harry.'
"No," Barty replied, he looked sad, almost heartbroken, "You want to be just Harry."
"I think you really are my favorite," Harry said with a small smile on his lips. He chuckled when Barty blushed slightly.
"You should go," Barty stated, looking away, "Those two Hufflepuffs will be looking for you. They appear to like you more than Diggory."
"You're right," Harry sighed getting up from his seat, "I'll see you later."
Barty slumped on his seat as soon as the door closed behind Harry.
"Idiot," he mumbled into the empty room.