Godfather and Godson

Chapter 3: Check-up

"Wait, so you were in contact with somebody else the whole time," Harry asked through a mouth full of food.

"Yes, he was dear," Mrs. Tonks replied for Sirius while she continued brewing the potion in front of her. "And please chew and swallow before you speak. You are the last scion of the House of Potter, a most noble and ancient house, you need to act more befitting for your station." At that comment, the older witch not only gave Harry a pointed look, but Sirius as well who was wolfing down his food with gusto.

"Yes, Mrs. Tonks," Harry mumbled, he knew nothing about this stuff of most noble and ancient houses, but it was clear the House of Potters carried a lot of weight and history than he had ever imagined.

"Now back to your question," Mrs. Tonks said once she saw that Harry started to eat with a modicum of decency. "Ever since I heard that Sirius betrayed your mother and father, I had my doubts. The Sirius I knew and grew up with would never have betrayed his friends and chosen family, so when he came to me at the end of the school year and told me his story, I nursed him back to health. Now with you in tow, my hunch has been proven right."

Harry turned to look at Sirius, now that he had a closer look at the man he noticed that he was a lot more healthier. That thin, gaunt pale palate and the fitly Azkban clothing he had on all of the school year was gone and in its place was a charming, young man in his late twenties. "Yea, I do notice that he is a lot more cleaner now." Harry joked.

"Very funny pup," Sirius said with a grin and a shake of his head.

"Here," Mrs. Tonks said, interrupting Sirius and Harry's light banter. "Drink up," the woman added as she poured a ladle full of azure colored liquid into a flask then passed it over to Sirius. "All of it." the witch affixed in a low dangerous voice.

"Alright, alright," Sirius said as he put the container to his mouth and in one gulp, swallowed. "Agh," Sirius uttered as he stuck out his tongue in distaste, "That tasted like old wet socks!"

Ignoring the older wizard's whining the witch continued on with "You will be taking this batch for the rest of the month, a single flask every day, and you shall not argue with me on this or else I will make you drink a more horrible concoction." The witch added as she saw Sirius's whimpering face.

"After that," the woman carried on, "I will put you on some nourishing potions so that we can get some fat in you. Then it will be reinforcement potions to strengthen your muscles and bones so that we can get you back into a proper fighting state."

"I am already in proper fighting state" Sirius argued as he took out his wand and started to wave it around in a graceful manner.

"No offense dear cousin," Mrs. Tonks said in a stern manner, "But from what you told me, you had a lot of failings last school year. If you were truly at the height of your power you would never have let that rat escape, or let that Death Eater that Dumbledore likes to keep around have the jump on you, and let us not talk about those soul suckers surrounding you and nearly killing you."

At those explicit indicators from Mrs. Tonks, Sirius seemed to have gone silent and still, not making a single retort at all.

"Now will you let me continue my ministrations cousin, and take my remedies?"

"Yes," Sirius answered back as he let loose a long sigh, then seemed to sink into himself and went back to being silent, obviously contemplating a lot of different thoughts.

Before Harry could try to uplift the man's spirit, Mrs. Tonks turned her gaze towards him and uttered, "As a mediwitch I can tell with a look when somebody is a bit scuffed up. When was the last time you had a check-up dear?"