Prongslet

Chapter One: A Free Man

A tall man walked out of the Ministry Gates. Long, curly golden brown hair cascaded down to his shoulders, while large, burning mauve bluish gray eyes drank in his surroundings. His long, purple coat's ends flapped in the cool breeze.

Finally, he was free. He had suffered the tortures of Azkaban for almost exactly ten years. Three years, without a word of complaint.

People saluted the war hero. The man who had given everything up, to protect his best friend's son. The man who restored hope in friendship. The man no one had believed. The one who had been wrongly accused of several heinous crimes. A man who had been deserted by everyone, both the Aurors he had worked with for years, as well as the Death Eaters he had never been a part of.

Sirius Black. He walked out now with all of his rights returned to him. Every last little detail.

Firstly, his wand. They had, unsurprisingly, taken the Marauder's wand from him, when he was sentenced to Azkaban. Now, the long stick lay in the inner pocket of his comfortable thick coat.

Secondly, his inheritance. With the new alterations made to the Magical Law of Inheritance, no Death Eaters would avail of their family inheritance while there remained those who weren't Death Eaters. Which meant that the two hundred million Galleons in the Black family vault now belonged solely to Sirius Black.

Thirdly, and most importantly, in his opinion, he had the formal adoption papers all signed and sealed in his pocket. He was now legally the guardian of his best friend's son. The Minister had been quite happy to announce the instant annulment of Albus Dumbledore's guardianship.

Lastly, he was also now the owner of all Black property: the royal castle known as Black Manor, as well as the London 'social house' the family owned, No 12, Grimmauld Place and a few beach houses around Europe. He hated No 12, but it could come in handy. Specially with a young kid around.

Now, he was heading to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had already given clear instructions to Kreacher and Isabel, the house elves, to clear every nook and cranny of Black Manor. He also made sure to set up a room for his godson, who would hopefully move in. All he had to do, not out of obligation but out of the last shred of respect he had for his former Headmaster, was inform the said man of his new custody of James Potter's one and only heir.

He reached the Floo Network Platform, pinched a bit of the powder, and smirked to himself. "Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore's Office."

The next minute, he was entering the all too familiar office. His sharp, wary gaze fell on the tall, old wizard sitting at the desk in the room.

"Professor Dumbledore," he said emotionlessly.

"Sirius, my boy," Dumbledore nodded. There was no longer the usual twinkle in his blue eyes.

"I am now the custodian of Harry James Potter," Sirius said right away, not caring to sit down. "I will be taking him to Black Manor. He is my godson and deserves better than to be living in a hellhole of ungrateful magic hating muggles."

Dumbledore, for once, stopped before replying.

The twenty-nine-year-old in front of him, was not the same as the fourteen-year-old who had tried to mate Mrs. Norris with a stray tabby cat. This was a man with a strong mission.

A man who had been wrongly convicted of murdering his two best friends, as well as the first one's wife. A man who had been sentenced to the horrors of Azkaban for three years. A man who had witnessed every injustice of life. A war hero who was scarred beyond comparison. A man who could and would kill to protect those he loved. A man who would fight anyone who dared cross his path to the death. A man who had never, and possibly would never, fear death. A man who had lost everything he had ever had.

Disowned by his Death Eater family at sixteen, he never had known the comfort of a family. A man who had seen his best friend fall. Not to mention,  his wife fall after him. His werewolf best buddy deserted him, believed him a traitor. He - they all - had been betrayed by the last of the four.

The mischievous sparkle had long since died from his eyes. Yet there remained a haughty, almost longing glint in those resigned eyes. A look that said that he didn't care. He wanted for no one's company, asked for no one's time and understanding. No one had offered it when he had needed it. He didn't need them now. They needed him, but hell if he gave a damn.

For a moment, Dumbledore hated himself. He had loved the boy, now man. He hated the way he had been forced to change. Sheer torture had taken the prankster, soul and life out of him. Pain had been inflicted so many times, those eyes had died. His body had grown immune to it. There was still love, though, much to his surprise, as well as, he had to admit, he felt so guilty. He had allowed Sirius to suffer for three complete years.

"Please take a seat, Sirius," he sighed after a long moment, unable to meet the young man's gaze.

"I am perfectly fine, Professor," came the reply. "And it's Black. I will be taking my leave now."

"Sirius Black?!" A soft feminine cry came, before he was being hugged fiercely by a tall lady.

"Professor McGonagall," Sirius sighed, gently prying her away. "You are... unlike yourself."

"Thank Merlin, you're here. Where's Harry?" Minerva asked, dabbing her eyes furiously.

"I'm going to pick him up," Sirius said shortly.

"Do reconsider," Dumbledore spoke finally. "For the sake of the child, S- Mr. Black. You live on your own. Had it been Remus, this might b-"

"You!" Sirius snarled. "You would give my - my - godson, to a traitorous, unstable werewolf?! Who has nothing, is nothing, can do nothing for the child? Over me, at that? Are you finally, at long last, going senile, you foolish old man? Listen to me well, Albus Percival Brian Wolf Dumbledore! I am his legal guardian! I decide where he lives! And if you go against me, I will have absolutely no qualms, none at all, you hear, in having YOU sentenced to a few decades in Azkaban! I'll sit aside and watch, Headmaster, the same way you did!"

"Why would you do that?" Minerva gasped.

"Because, Professor," the Black heir smirked. "I am now, unfortunately for you, a free man."