As Harry and Sirius embraced, a gentle melody of flute and piano drifted through the room.
Harry found his mind wandering back over the past few years—how unpredictable life could be...
Sirius was swept up in his own memories, two decades' worth of pain and longing...
Lupin too seemed lost, his gaze distant and empty...
The spell was abruptly broken when Dobby suddenly dropped to his knees, wailing so loudly that everyone was yanked back to reality.
Sirius was the first to snap out of it. He released Harry and turned sharply to glare at Douglas Holmes.
He saw Douglas holding a pocket-sized radio—the very source of the music.
"Douglas!" Sirius's bark of outrage jolted both Lupin and Harry from their reverie.
Harry recognized the device in Douglas's hand; it looked exactly like the magical recorder Douglas had once used to capture Parseltongue. He'd even tried to buy it from Douglas as a gift for Hermione, but Douglas had told him that Dumbledore had borrowed it and never given it back.
"Cousin, did the Headmaster finally return your radio?"
Douglas snorted. "No, this is a new one I made myself. Remember, Harry—never let Dumbledore get his hands on anything valuable. He's notorious for borrowing and not returning."
Harry suddenly recalled his own Invisibility Cloak—how Dumbledore had borrowed it from his father and only returned it when Harry came to Hogwarts.
Lupin asked curiously, "Douglas, what was that piece you just played?"
Douglas replied with obvious pride, "A Window to the Past—it's the theme from Prisoner of Azkaban, the music that played when Sirius met Harry before his escape. I recorded it ages ago."
It was one of the few melodies Douglas could recall in fragments from his previous life. He'd even written a little story to go with the scene, then asked his Muggle-world editor to find talented musicians to recreate the music from his memory. He'd even managed to squeeze in an update for his Muggle works.
Sirius listened closely, then remarked, "Did you sneak in a bit of siren song to make it so enchanting?"
Douglas scoffed, "Hardly. I modeled it after Orpheus's lyre."
Seeing Harry's puzzled look, Lupin smiled and explained, "Orpheus was an ancient Greek wizard. Legend says he owned a magical lyre of exquisite craftsmanship. When he played, his music was so captivating it could entrance even the darkest wizards and ordinary folk alike. Even the fiercest magical creatures would become gentle and obedient at its sound."
Harry let out a soft "Oh." Suddenly, he thought this music would make a perfect gift for Hermione—especially now that she was so commanding. If she played it while speaking, wouldn't everyone be even more eager to listen?
Afterward, Douglas had Dobby set up a hotpot feast, and the group began a proper celebration for Sirius.
During the meal, Harry suddenly turned to Sirius. "Will I get to see you often from now on? Are you still going to turn into a big black dog and stay at my cousin's house?"
Sirius hesitated, then admitted, "Actually, I have a house in London—the Black family's ancestral home. I'm the last heir. If you'd like, you could move in and live with me... Of course, if you'd rather not, I can always stay at Douglas's place with you, just like before..."
Harry glanced at Douglas, then shook his head. "I'm pretty happy staying with my cousin. And I have to go back to my aunt's every summer, anyway. What I meant was—will I be able to see you at school? Just now, I saw you come out of that fireplace..."
His words made Lupin and Sirius freeze, both turning to stare at Douglas.
That fireplace was Douglas's greatest secret at Hogwarts. Everyone who knew Sirius was here had always assumed he stayed in dog form, hidden away in Douglas's office. In their excitement, they'd let slip the secret of the fireplace.
Douglas calmly wiped his hands, then fixed Harry with a serious, almost solemn look.
Their reactions made Harry's heart leap into his throat. "Did I say something wrong?"
Douglas shook his head slowly. "Harry, that fireplace is a fixed Floo Network connection. The other end links directly to our home in Surrey. Not even the Headmaster knows about it, so..."
Harry nodded earnestly. "Don't worry, Cousin. I swear I'll keep it secret."
Douglas shook his head again, then casually drew his wand. "Harry, you still don't understand how secrets are kept in the wizarding world..."
Seeing Douglas draw his wand, Harry swallowed hard. "I—I can make an Unbreakable Vow!"
Douglas raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Looks like you really have grown, if you know about Unbreakable Vows. But that's not foolproof. How about I give you two options?"
He ticked them off on his fingers. "Option one: I erase this memory. But I'm not exactly an expert at memory charms, so there's a chance I'll wipe your mind completely and turn you into a drooling idiot. But don't worry—your cousin will take care of you..."
Harry went rigid with shock.
Sirius's hand tightened around the new wand he'd bought at Ollivanders that day, but Lupin quickly grabbed his arm and gave him a warning shake of the head.
Douglas ignored their silent exchange, still twirling his wand and staring Harry down. "Option two: For the remainder of this year, you must learn Occlumency. That way, no one using Legilimency can pry secrets from your mind."
Harry looked blank.
Douglas sighed inwardly—he'd just praised the boy, and now he was back to square one. He turned to Lupin and Sirius. "Godfather, uncle—would you mind explaining Occlumency and Legilimency to the child?"
Lupin looked worried. "He's so young. Isn't Occlumency a bit much for him?"
Douglas shot Sirius a meaningful look. "Did I mention? Professor Snape is a master Legilimens..."
He hadn't even finished before both Sirius and Harry blurted out together, "I'll learn!"
"I'll learn Occlumency."
Douglas finally stowed his wand, giving Harry a mock-severe nod. "Very good. Otherwise, if the school discovers this fireplace, I'll have to go on the run—maybe even end up on the wrong side of Dumbledore and the Ministry. And if Voldemort ever learns the secret, he might sneak through the fireplace and murder me in my sleep..."
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