Harry wasn't given the full chance to ponder on his thoughts nor consider a way to open up the topic, since the silence was broken by Sirius' threatening voice.

"Hands off, wolfie!" Sirius exclaimed, as he caught sight of Remus helping himself with a chocolate frog.

"Wha- I was just going to hand it to Harry over here." Raising his hand up in mock surrender, Remus spoke a bit too quickly as he innocently did what he'd just said.

Harry shook his head, a smile etched on his face. "It's fine, you could have one," he said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Why thank you, Harry," said Remus, offering him a smile. Remus ripped the wrapper and took the chocolate down his throat in one gulp before the frog had the chance to bounce around.

Remus was engrossed in the watery taste of chocolate that the card of the phenomenal wizard slipped from his hold, falling to the ground. He knelt down to collect the card which had Dumbledore -beaming and twinkling his bright eyes at Remus- pictured above appreciative words of his achievements.

"One, you say!" Sirius exclaimed, scoffing. "He'd hardly leave any," he ensured, knowing how Moony always was around chocolate.

"Shove off," Remus said, rolling his eyes, as he returned the smirk Sirius gave him.

Harry's face was taken over by a disbelieving frown at the prospect of acting like children. Harry had never been given the chance to act his age, as he always held the weight of the world on his shoulders.

But here, around him now were two men who had already seen the dark side of the moon and endlessly tackled the ugly face of the world... but still knew how to laugh their worries away, instead of leaving themselves to drown in the waves of pain.

Memories of what they once were, as carefree children, could lighten up their depressed souls. So, happiness and darkness were tightly held onto one another, just as two sides of the same coin, Harry mused.

And only then, did Harry truly understand the meaning of what he had once heard from Professor Dumbledore: happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.

***
The air circling around drove back in a tense silence. Heaving a sigh, Remus reached into his worn out grey jacket, revealing a neatly folded newspaper of the Daily Prophet.

"Anyways, I wanted you to see this," said Remus, eagerness popping out from his eyes, cautiously handing Sirius the paper.

Sirius unfolded it hastily, flipping it to look at the front page. His eyes flew across the headlines, and the words fired into his mind and that of Harry, who was also reading from behind him.

You-Know-Who is Back! However, it's advisable to maintain harmony and to not panic, as the situation is put under control... the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, quotes.

Peter Pettigrew, who was previously thought to be dead for fifteen years -brutally murdered and destroyed with nothing left but a finger- was revealed to be alive by aurors and the minister himself, Cornelius Fudge.

Along with newly discovered death-eaters, Pettigrew is, at this very moment, held as a captive by the dementors of Azkaban, awaiting his trial.

Was Sirius Black, publically known as the notorious mass-murderer, the deatheater feared by everyone... or was he framed into a crime he didn't commit?

More details shall be revealed later as the dark secrets unfold.

***
"That was about time," exclaimed Harry when he reached the end. Relief flashed across Harry's face and warmed up his spine.

Reading the words in full focus was more satisfying and reassuring to Harry than just being told of the final results without much concrete evidence.

"It's unbelievable how the ministry took claim of discovering everything on its own... putting all the Order's efforts in the nearest bin," Remus spoke in a low frustrated voice. "That's just- ridiculous."

Remus eyed them carefully before continuing in an even lower voice. "Fudge is still fearful, to the extent of being delusional. He probably still needs massive and dark explosions to break free to finally believe the severity of danger the wizarding world is falling into."

Remus breathed evenly, narrowing his eyes. "Anyways, it's not the time nor the place to discuss this," he said, scolding himself for bringing this up now, of all times.

***
Sirius silently handed Harry the paper that had been clutched between his fingers. His mind was in complete turmoil, racing with contradicting and intense thoughts. Sirius couldn't find any words to express how he felt.

Harry re-read the words he had been waiting for so long to see in clear ink. The corners of his lips twitched upward in a heavy smile, removing the weight that had been overwhelming his chest for years now, ever since he saw Sirius for what he really was.

The desperation of Sirius being declared innocent had never felt more remarkable, to Harry, than when Voldemort returned... that's the time Harry needed Sirius the most.

Since then, Harry had been bombarded with the hope for reassurance and the need for positive support. And even up till now, he's still desperate for familial ties that would empower him to move forward.

The joy in Harry's bright eyes faded away, as his gaze caught onto something. The question mark, after the claim of Sirius being innocent, tortured Harry.

"How thick could they get... to still doubt that you're innocent," Harry said, his voice erupting in a bundle of emotions.

"Do you reckon they would still... take you away, again?" Harry hesitated, the words dying in his throat.

That's just... N.O. Harry's mind whole-heartedly argued, and he mentally slapped himself for thinking like a naive child... a vulnerable child who was just desperate for a father figure.

Sirius caught the crushed look popping in Harry's eyes and the fearful worry ringing in his voice. The thought of the crumbling hope inside Harry was the only thing that gave Sirius the power to come back to his senses. Desperate to reassure his godson, Sirius found his voice again.

"Harry, Azkaban would never be a place for me again," Sirius spoke in a heavy voice, gently placing a hand on his shoulder.

Even as he tried to reassure Harry, Sirius wanted someone to tell him that everything would turn out perfectly fine. Sirius was desperate to be ensured that he'd finally get the happiness he was denied of since the past decade and a half.

Maybe, this was his time to feel alive once again, a sensation he had nearly forgotten.

"It should never have been, anyway," said Remus, with a reflection of sincere apology found in his eyes.

Sirius smiled back at Remus and heaved a sigh. "I know," he spoke in a dramatic demeanor.

Even with a public apology from the ministry, Sirius wouldn't -and just couldn't- forgive for these lost and ruined years.

"All it would take is a simple Obliviate spell to erase my memories of these twelve years... and voila, life can be sunshine and diasies again," Sirius spoke in a sarcastic yet a pained air.

The suffering agony of these torturous years would never leave Sirius alone, no matter how much he tried to move on.

"Seriously?" Harry exclaimed, rolling his eyes.

"Well, it wasn't really a Hogsmeade trip, you know," said Sirius bluntly, his poker-face efficiently masking the emotional rollercoaster sliding within.

"That was that. But now, things can be different," said Harry, hope swirling in his gaze, to which Remus eagerly nodded.

*********************************
*A dreadful Flashback*

Yes, different it is... His voice trailing off and the words dying in his throat, Sirius resorted to mentally reply in desperate determination. Now that, and for the first time in years, the bars on his window had finally crumbled to the ground, hitting the thick grass with a loud bang.

Fighting against the stormy clouds, Sirius flew on a hippogriff with his thoughts to break free from the bars that had always locked him up.

The bars on his window had never left him alone, always with him, whether behind the grey walls of Azkaban or in the Grim-Old-place... where he didn't belong, not ever.

The gleam of the moonlit shades never failed to remind Sirius -while spending his dead nights in Azkaban- that he had nothing left to lose...

Not only had Sirius failed James and Lily, but also he left Harry and Remus all alone.

He'd left Harry crying for someone to pick him up in a hug, in his endless pursuit of attentive affection. Sirius spent his early years in Azkaban visualizing Harry's desperate pleas for his parents... those who could never answer him back, despite of how much they would've wanted to.

Sirius had promised baby Harry that he would, one day, come back to him. However, Sirius had even failed to stand by what he said... breaking his promise to his one and only godson, as he left him without a family.

But... maybe, just a maybe, his life calender would somehow reach that day he waited for, and he could re-unite with Harry once again.

The thin shred of hope would transform into nothingness, as soon as a cloaked dementor would slide against his cell, making him feel internally empty again.

Holding onto the bars of Azkaban with his claw-like fingers, he would transform into Padfoot, his dog animagus. His pale grey eyes sparkled against the tears, shadowing the full-moon.

Sirius' heart never ceased to pinch, knowing that Moony was -by this very second- having absolutely no one with him... as Remus had no other option but to suffer alone from the aftermath of his transformations.

But what hurt him even more, if that's even possible, was Remus being countered with evidence to believe that he, Sirius, was the traitor.

Padfoot would curl his body in the fetal position, with his back curved -bending his aching limbs- and his head bowed. He would listen to the sound of crashing waves for hours running out, desperate to keep his stomach from growling and his thoughts from wandering.

***
Before Padfoot would give in to his daily haunting nightmares, he could feel the soft touch of Harry's tiny fist gently stroking his black fur. Followed by a choking moan, the corners of his closed eye-lids watered from the tears wanting to break free.

Opening his pain-filled eyes and transforming back, Sirius was willing to pay anything for this to be real once again, instead of it being a cruel trick from his dead mind.

Sirius could even imagine baby Harry's bright face flashing an adorable toothy smile at his godfather. Sometimes, his bony hands would reach to ruffle the black tuft of his godson's hair... only to find nothing and no one there, just thick air spinning around in despair.

He spent his nights reminiscing over what he once had, before everything had slipped from between his hands. Sirius saw how much every single detail meant to him, only when he had lost everything.

Every single night, before sleep overtook him, Sirius would whisper a heart-broken apology to Lily for failing Harry, for not being the responsible godfather he should have been... for not giving Harry a family when they couldn't.

With the day-break, the sun would lose its meaning in failing to shine the corners of his cell, which was the only shelter he was given and the dreadful home he had left.

Helplessness... Guilt... Regret... Betrayal... were what made his chest grow in blinding rage as he thought of the rat who was once a friend, being the reason of destroying everything and forcing him to watch his life fall apart.

In bursts of fury, Sirius would repeatedly punch the freezing walls till his already weak fists ached and almost broke. He very much welcomed the pain, being the least he deserved.

Unable to handle even the mental pain he was overwhelmed with, Sirius would let out agonizing screams, piercing the dead air, till his voice went hoarse. Drained from the explosive anger, Sirius would fall to his knees.

***
The dead silence beating on the walls would occasionally be broken by the voice Sirius had missed hearing... but he feared the words it spoke.

I thought a single betrayal from a friend would be enough, but yours was much more... A back-stab from a brother would kill even the strongest of men.

What little Sirius had left of his already shattered heart was crushed to death by James' hurtful voice.

"I tried... P-prongs, to save you all. Trust me." Sirius' barely audible voice would burst with emotion, as he tried and failed to ignore the deadly stabs repeatedly pinching his heart.

You destroyed my family... what a beautiful unexpected pay-back for trusting you?!

Now, this James made it crystal clear to Sirius that he shouldn't have been nor ever be trusted.. Trust brought pain, because he always fell out of the expectations.

"You shouldn't have listened to me, Prongs. You could have been safe if you haven't.. I am sorry, I didn't mean to, I sol- I swear."

An agonising pain teared at his chest, and Sirius wanted nothing more than to just rip his heart out.

It's your fault... James' accusing voice would ring out in Sirius' delusional mind.

"I know."

Through the tears flowing down and sparkling his sunken cheeks, his lips would whisper apologies non-stop to the silent stars glistening behind the bars.

The boggart shadow of James would taunt Sirius endlessly and pull his already loose heart-strings. His chest gripped in horror, Sirius wondered if a real boggart -which allowed his worst fear to break free- could have ever shown him anything more than this.

As he rocked his body back and forth, Sirius would carry on mourning, till the end of time.

***
Sirius was desperate to be forgiven, spared from the overwhelming weight of regret that had already broken his shoulders. He wished to make up for what he had done, but he was denied of all opportunities.

It was all because of him. His life had been crushed down by his own hands.

Sirius blamed himself for everything that turned his world upside down... that James and Lily were gone, cold and dead... Harry was parentless and unloved... Remus was lonely and depressed... Pettigrew was still free and alive.

With no one around, he only had company of the cruel dementors, lurking at every corner. They fed on his pain, forcing him to re-live his worst memories... that darkened his soul till it would eventually depart his body.

Sirius had no mental protection from the overloading depression but Padfoot who was the only loyal friend that stuck up with him in Azkaban... not that he wished any of his real friends would share a cell with him.

***
Sirius was destroyed... Not only had he lost his freedom but also his one and only family was gone, all in one malicious twist of a single night.

Grieving guilt broke Sirius down and dropped him soo low, to the point that he didn't want to exist anymore.

That's what he called his life, for years and years. And, he was hopeless, thinking that's the reality he'd carry on with... till the day he would finally fall into the bliss of death, with his body decaying into a lifeless corpse.

Being sure of his own innocence was the only thought that kept him going... something that could never be taken away from him, not even by the cruelest of creatures.

Long after he thought it would be impossible, Sirius -being who he was- freed himself from the place fate had chosen for him in a dark twist.

Having no other option, Sirius returned to the portrait of his deranged mother who could've also been qualified as a competent guard for Azkaban... out of her remarkable resemblance to the happiness-sucking cold beings, known as the dementors.

Being locked behind the bars on his window, Sirius had to only gaze at the world from behind his dreaded cage, as he watched life crumble and unfold in front of his helpless eyes.

Sirius was never the man to sit, his back straight to the chair, while knowing that all those he cared for were out there risking their lives, from the other side of the protective charms... But, unfortunately, this was exactly what his so called freedom had only been.

***
Such bars had always blocked the air from reaching his lungs, slowly eating his soul bit by bit. The darkness around the cold walls never failed to suffocate him, crushing his heart against his chest.

But now, Sirius could live in the wild, seeing nothing but open sky for miles and miles. The breeze of fresh air would open his nostrils to breathe and his lungs to live life to the fullest.

Even more, Sirius was no longer alone, now. He'd have Harry and Remus, his new family. That was the golden chance Sirius would always protect with all he had.

Such bars had forbidden him from any and every sort of happiness under the tormenting influence of the internal gloomy air.

Now that the bars on his windows were no more, Sirius could move on. Fate finally gave him a well-deserved chance, and Sirius was willing to hold on to that second life for as long as he could.

Returning to the world of the living, Sirius had to pick up the pieces of his ruined life. He was willing to live, really live, before death would knock on his door.

After all this time, Sirius felt truly free.

He just had to search for himself, the one he had lost for so long.

Hope you enjoyed it ^_^

Sorry if I pulled any of your heart-strings, again.

Trust me, that last part was pure torture to me too!

Now, Please, pretty please... Vote and Comment, lovelies.

C'mon, I did my waiting.. twelve years of it :)

Now, if you'll excuse me... I need to cry my heart out by the nearest corner. You guys are free to join me, anytime!

Also, if you want to get a better grasp of what Sirius felt during his stay in Grimmauld place, it's all in the first chapter of this story.

Stay tuned for the next chapters... where Sirius could get what he deserves. Or would he? *smirks maliciously*

Also, do you guys prefer to read a long, emotional flashback all in one go. . . or if it was seperated into smaller parts between scenes or chapters, would it be more stricking?