Friday, June 25th, 1995 – Malfoy Manor – Mid-Morning
Lucius Malfoy felt naked. Oh, he was impeccably dressed, as per usual. But he felt naked, because he no longer had his loyal wand. It was currently in the hand of Lord Voldemort who was pacing around the long table in the dining room of Malfoy Manor. Several wizards and a couple witches – including Lucius' own wife, Narcissa, who was seated next to him – were sitting at the dining table staring forward, their eyes only moving left and right when Voldemort walked behind them. These witches and wizards – aside from Narcissa – were Death Eaters, all of whom had answered the summons, when Voldemort had used Lucius' own wand, pressing it to Lucius' Dark Mark and calling his followers to him.
Earlier that morning, Voldemort had come knocking on the wards of Malfoy Manor, then on the front door. Lucius had greeted his old Master himself. He invited the Dark Lord inside, and Voldemort's first request was to take his wand. Having no choice, Lucius had handed his cane, which held the wand in a secret compartment, inside. Lucius had watched as Voldemort removed the handle from the cane, revealing the wand, then watched as Voldemort had snapped the handle, separating it from the wand and threw it away.
"Not as fine as a match as I had hoped it would be," Voldemort had said, his voice cool and crisp, and almost a hissing sound, "But it will do."
Now Lucius was staring at his wand as it slapped against the pale, white palm of Voldemort's hand. Voldemort's red pupils turned in his direction, and Lucius' gaze turned forward again. He released a soft sigh of relief as Voldemort turned away and continued pacing.
"Thirteen years," Voldemort's cold voice spoke up, "thirteen years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday. We are still united in our common goal... or are we?"
He put back his terrible face and sniffed, his slit-like nostrils widening.
"I smell guilt," he said. "There is a stench of guilt upon the air."
A shiver ran around the table, as though each member of it longed, but did not dare, to move away from the table, in order to get away from him.
"I see you all, whole and healthy," Voldemort said, "with your powers intact — such prompt appearances! — and I ask myself... why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?"
No one spoke. No one moved.
"And I answer myself," Voldemort whispered, "they must have believed me broken, they thought I was gone. They slipped back among my enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment...
"And then I ask myself, but how could they have believed I would not rise again? They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death? They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living? "
And I answer myself, perhaps they believed a still greater power could exist, one that could vanquish even Lord Voldemort... perhaps they now pay allegiance to another... perhaps that champion of commoners, of Mudbloods and Muggles, Albus Dumbledore?"
At the mention of Dumbledore's name, the Death Eaters stirred, and some muttered and shook their heads.
Voldemort ignored them. "It is a disappointment to me... I confess myself disappointed..."
Finally, one man stood up from his chair, the knelt down in front of Voldemort.
"Master!" he shrieked, "Master, forgive me! Forgive us all!"
Voldemort began to laugh. He raised his wand. "Crucio!"
The Death Eater on the ground writhed and shrieked. Lucius stared forward and hoped that Avery did not wet himself, and cause a stench of urine to contaminate his beautiful dining room.
Voldemort raised Lucius' wand. Avery lay flat upon the ground, gasping. Voldemort turned to Lucius.
"Lucius, I thank you again," Voldemort said. "Your wand performs wonderfully for me."
"I am glad to be of service, as always, My Lord," Lucius replied, clearly.
"Get up, Avery," said Voldemort softly. "Stand up. You ask for forgiveness. I do not forgive. I do not forget. Thirteen long years... I want thirteen years' repayment before I forgive you. Lucius has already repaid his forgiveness, by turning over his wand to me. Such loyalty he shows... how many wizards would hand over their wand freely, when most feel useless, vulnerable and weak without their wand? Malfoy has promised me more... so much more. He has offered his fortunes to fund my war chest. What could you possibly offer me, Avery?"
Avery hesitated for a mere moment, and Lucius winced as Voldemort hit the man with another Cruciatus. Avery shrieked again and fell back onto the carpet. Voldemot lifted the curse."
"Your hesitation speaks volumes, Avery," Voldemort hissed. "Sit down and never think that I am not merciful, that I have not shown you mercy!"
"Th-thank y-you, my Lord," Avery said, as he shakily moved back to his chair.
"The Lestranges should be here," said Voldemort quietly. "But they are entombed in Azkaban. They were faithful. They went to Azkaban rather than renounce me. When Azkaban is broken open, the Lestranges will be honored beyond their dreams. The dementors will join us... they are our natural allies... we will recall the banished giants... I shall have all my devoted servants returned to me, and an army of creatures whom all fear..."
He walked on. Some of the Death Eaters he passed in silence, but he paused before others and spoke to them.
"Macnair," he said, "destroying dangerous beasts for the Ministry of Magic now, I have been told? You shall have better victims than that soon, Macnair. Lord Voldemort will provide..."
"Thank you, Master, thank you," murmured Macnair.
"MacNair, what is this I hear about you bringing forth Dementors to Hogwarts last night?" Voldemort asked. "Those Dementors were intending on giving the Kiss to two of your fellow kin. Two who should be seated here."
"I had to do my job, Master," MacNair said. "If I had refused... I might no longer have a job inside the Ministry. I could not risk that, when I knew you would have need of me when you returned, as I had hope that you would."
"I see," Voldemort hissed.
MacNair went tense, as Voldemort's cold eyes stared into his back. Then he sighed in audible relief as Voldemort moved toward MacNair's neighbors.
"Crabbe, Goyle, Nott," Voldemort said, as he walked by them. "You will do better this time, will you not?"
"I will, my Lord," Nott said, "Whatever you need me to do. My home, my fortune. Do you need an heir? My wife is very fertile... aaah!"
He fell to the ground in pain and agony as Voldemort hit him with a Cruciatus Curse.
"If you cannot show your loyalty to your own wife, by offering her to me, Patroclus," Voldemort said, "Why should I believe you are loyal to me?"
"I-I am s-sorry, My Lord," Nott stammered. "I... I thought... aaagh!"
He was hit with another Cruciatus Curse.
"Yes, you thought," Voldemort said, "That was your mistake. This is not the Wizengamot, where you are a Voice, Nott. I do not need to hear your pandering."
"No, my Lord," Nott said. "I am sorry, My Lord."
"Get up and sit back down, Nott," Voldemort hissed.
"Y-yes, my Lord," Nott said.
As Nott struggled to his seat, Voldemort walked on. "Two of my loyal followers will be in Azkaban... or dead... before the end of the weekend. One gave his own hand to prove his loyalty, but that is all he was good for. If I see him again, I will show him, and everyone here, what happens when you upset me. The other... so very loyal. But I imagine he will be kissing a Dementor before the end of the weekend. Or will be going face first through that mysterious Veil of the the Unspeakables. Both of them have served me well. But their usefulness has come to and end.
"Two others should be here... they did not answer my summons. One, I expected. He is deeply undercover, and could not get away, I suspect. I do not blame him. When he can get away, he will be by my side at the first opportunity, I trust. The other... I suspect he is too afraid to come back to me. I will deal with him later."
"But that is enough of me reminscing of those who are not here," Voldemort said, as he sat down at the chair at the very end of the table. "Those most loyal to me, those who are either in Azkaban, or serving me in other ways, will soon be by my side. For now, I will simply have to do with all of you, I suppose."
He picked up a copy of the Daily Prophet and showed it to everyone.
"Harry Potter witnessed my return last night, and was lucky enough to survive the encounter," Voldemort said. "He kidnapped my follower who helped me return, and brought them back to Hogwarts. He has all the evidence he needs, and yet... there is nothing in this newspaper that tells of my return."
Voldemort turned to Lucius. "Lucius... you were there to witness the moment Potter returned from the graveyard. Tell us what happened?"
"Potter mentioned nothing of your return, My Lord," Lucius said. "He told a tall tale of how he encountered Peter Pettigrew and dueled him and cut off his hand. Cornelius Fudge blabbed on about how Pettigrew was dead for a dozen years, when the evidence of his survival was right in front of him!"
"Interesting," Voldemort said. "Very interesting. And you do not know why he told this tale?"
"I do not," Lucius said.
"It is fortunate that I do," Voldemort said.
"M-My Lord?" Lucius asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Voldemort asked. "He knows Fudge would never believe him. Fudge is a coward. Fudge would have muddied Potter's name, so nobody would believe his story. He would have smeared Potter's name through the Prophet, until the sheep who call themselves British wizards and witches believed Potter was a liar. All because Fudge fears me. He fears what would happen if I returned. Potter knew this... and so he waited to tell his tale... until he had an audience who would believe him. I am sure, Lucius, you can guess who I speak of."
"Dumbledore," Lucius assumed.
"Dumbledore," Voldemort agreed. "So now Dumbledore and Potter plot behind the scenes. Dumbledore will bring forth the Order of the Phoenix. They will scheme and plot about how to counter me and my future actions. But they will keep the truth of my return a secret. Because they are waiting for me to return. To show my face. So that the public believes them when they say I am back. So, my followers... I ask you... what do we do now?"
"We go after Potter, of course!" Alecto Carrow said. "When he is away from Hogwarts, away from Dumbledore! We make him pay for defying you last night."
"It is a fine idea," Voldemort said, and Alecto beamed, "Except for one fatal flaw... Potter seems to have a superhuman power."
"He is nothing, my Lord!" Alecto's twin, Amycus said. "He is a boy!"
"A boy who has escaped me not once, not twice, but four times!" Voldemort snarled. "Four times, he has escaped me. Four times he has lived! Twice, he interrupted my plans, and the first time he escaped me, it nearly destroyed me! But, no, I am immortal. I will live forever. But he will not. We have time. We have time to find out what makes him so fortunate, so lucky. And that is why, my followers, we will do nothing for now."
"Nothing, my Lord?" MacNair asked.
"Absolutely nothing," Voldemort said. "All of you will act just as you have been. Because the moment the public realizes I am back is the moment we lose our advantage of surprise. We wait..."
"For what, My Lord?" Thorfinn Rowle asked.
"I will tell you when it happens," Voldemort said. "Until then, act normal. You have lived lives of luxury for thirteen years without me. Continue your lives. Embrace them. Because when it is time for you to come back to me... you will show me the loyalty that I expect and you will help me beat Dumbledore and anyone else who stands in our way."
"And Potter, my Lord?" Lucius asked.
"None of you will touch Potter!" Voldemort snarled. "For he is mine!"
Friday, June 25th, 1995 – Hogwarts – Mid-Morning
Albus Dumbledore was just finishing up breakfast, when two post owls arrived in front of him at the Head Table, holding out scrolls of parchment. Albus took the post, thanked the owls, and the owls took back off into the air.
Albus unrollled the first scroll and found a short letter from one of his sources in Ministry of Magic, this one located in the DMLE. The source reported that Poppy Pomfrey was seen making her way directly to Director Amelia Bones' office. According to the source, they tried to head off Poppy, with the excuse that Madam Bones was busy. But they had been too late. Director Bones' secretary had escorted Poppy into Amelia Bones' office before the source could stop her.
As he had done many times, Albus had to use his Occlumency abilities to stop him from reacting too badly to the letter. He had not expected Poppy Pomfrey to go to Director Bones immediately. Now there was nothing he could do. What would Amelia do? Would she come to Hogwarts this morning and confront him? Would she wait until that evening when she'd be there for the Victor's Ceremony that marked the finish of the Triwizard Tournament? Would she confront him in front of everyone? It was in his plans to announce Andromeda Tonks as the new Healer. That would, in his mind, seem like the proper time for her to confront him about why Poppy resigned.
Or would she wait, and get more proof? Director Bones was a wise woman after all. She would likely realize she wouldn't be able to send him to Azkaban for this. Would she wait until she had something more. Now Albus was deeply regretting inviting her to the Order. But he couldn't rescind her invitation. That would make the rest of the Order suspicious once they heard about it. She would be a powerful addition to the Order, after all.
This would take some considerable thought.
Albus moved onto the second scroll and nearly panicked when he saw it was from Director Bones. However, the letter had nothing about Poppy Pomfrey. Sirius Black would be getting a trial the following afternoon. He didn't expect it to happen so quickly! Albus wondered if Director Bones had gone directly to Cornelius about this. That seemed obvious by the time he finished the letter. In addition to Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Bartemius Crouch, Junior and Dolores Umbridge would also be having trials the following afternoon.
"Did you speak to Sirius Black yet as I asked you, Minerva?" Albus asked.
"Yes, Albus," Minerva said, "He is currently in the Gryffindor Head Boy's Dormitory as we speak, settling in."
"Yes, well, he won't have to 'settle in' for very long," Albus said. "I just received correspondence from Director Bones that Mr. Black will be receiving a trial tomorrow afternoon."
"You mean the trial he should have had thirteen years ago?" Minerva asked.
"Minerva," Albus warned.
"He told me what you told him, Albus," Minerva said.
"It was out of my control," Albus said.
"You expect me to believe that?" Minerva asked. "Millicent Bagnold has been out of office for several years, and Bartemius Crouch, Senior hasn't been the Director of the DMLE for much longer than that. If you had told Amelia Bones years ago about the fact that Black never had a trial..."
"It is in the past, Minerva," Albus said, firmly, "We can't do anything about it now. Sirius is getting a trial now, so the mistakes of the past have been remedied."
Minerva narrowed her eyes, then sobered. "Have you spoken to Alastor yet?"
"No," Albus said. "He was asleep when I went to the Hospital Wing. I'll visit him later. Did anything interesting happen before Garrick and I arrived."
"Oh, yes," Minerva said, smiling. "I won a bet."
"A bet?" Albus asked. "The only thing you bet on is... which students became a couple this time?"
"Mr. Potter and Miss Granger," Minerva said, smiling.
Albus' eyes widened. "And when did this happen?"
"Earlier this morning, actually," Minerva said. "It is nice that such a wonderful thing could happen for Mr. Potter, after the terrible events he went through last night. They're a wonderful couple. They remind me of James and Lily in a few ways. Isn't it wonderful, Albus?"
"Yes," Albus said, "It is."
Albus looked down at his mostly-eaten meal and pushed his plate way. Wonderful? No... no it was not. In a month, Harry Potter would reach the age where he could legally begin Bonding with a witch. What if a month was all it needed to take for Harry and Miss Granger to decide whether or not they wanted to Bond? And if they did...
No... not that wouldn't be wonderful at all.
"And what was the general reaction to this news around the student body?" Albus asked.
"Oh, most of the students were in general approval," Minerva said. "There were a few girls who reacted negatively. Obviously upset that Mr. Potter is no longer single. One girl in particular ran out of the Great Hall in tears.
"And who was that girl?" Albus asked, though he had a fine idea as to the girl's identity.
"Ginny Weasley," Minerva said, "Her youngest brother, Ronald, wasn't all that pleased about the upgrade in relationship between his two friends either. But Messrs. Fred and George pulled Ronald out of the Hall before young Mr. Weasley could do anything... stupid. I suspect Ginny's brothers are comforting her now. At least her twin brothers are, I assume. Ronald is likely still fuming."
Albus grimaced. He knew he was likely going to hear from Molly Weasley soon. Whether it be to him directly via Floo or letter... or a Howler to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger... was the question.
"I assume you will tell Sirius Black about his upcoming trial, Albus?" Minerva asked.
"Hmm?" Albus asked. "Oh, yes. Of course."
"I am sure he will be most pleased to hear it," Minerva said. "I assume, as Chief Warlock, you will be overseeing his trial?"
"Of course," Albus said again.
"Make sure the right criminal goes to Azkaban this time, Albus," Minerva said. "That is, unless you want to upset Mr. Potter. I don't think the boy could bear losing another father figure."
Albus grimaced. He needed Harry Potter to trust him, so that he could guide him to the boy's proper destiny. But how to do that... when the boy's every action since he stepped into the maze was going against Albus' plans for his destiny?
Yes, he had a lot to think about right now.
Friday, June 25th, 1995 – Hogwarts – Late Morning
Harry and Hermione were making their way toward the Gryffindor Head Student private quarters. They had found a private spot on the grounds, near a copse of trees that wasn't connected to the Forbidden Forest. They had kissed a bit, but had also merely spent time together. Hermione had asked him a few things about the future... mostly simple questions about the wizarding world. Nothing personal or anything.
"It wasn't mine and Ginny's spot," Harry said. "The spot we picked. I know you wanted to ask while we were out on the Grounds. I knew you were avoiding asking the question, but that you were probably thinking about it."
"'Probably' thinking about it?" Hermione asked. "Or do you know I was thinking about it? You told me you were a Master Legilimens, as well as Occlumens."
Harry rubbed a finger over the ring on Hermione's hand. He'd been holding her hand for some time now.
"Your ring, and bracelet," Harry said, "It keeps me out of your mind too, you know."
"Oh," Hermione said, blushing, "Right. I knew that."
"You don't need to stop yourself from asking me questions about Ginny, Hermione," Harry said. "She was a very big part of my life, no matter how it ended up that way. Ginny, and Ron, will come up in a lot of stories if you ever wish to talk to me about mine and your – counter-part's other lives. You understand that, right?"
"Yeah, I know," Hermione said. "So... how do you know exactly where the Head Student Quarters are? You said you never came back for your seventh year of education here."
"I did not," Harry said. "But you did. You were Head Girl. And... I visited you here a few times."
"When you visited Ginny," Hermione assumed.
"Not always," Harry said. "Most of the time, yes. But... Ginny stopped using Revulsion Potions on me when it came to you, after our Bond got deeper. So she didn't really mind you and I having a friendship. After all... we were still best friends. If we avoided each other..."
"Someone would have noticed," Hermione said.
"Exactly," Harry said. "Ginny, Ron and Molly were all very careful when it came to the Potions, which was why it was able to go on for so long. They wanted you and I to act as normal as possible. Anyway, the first time I visited you – or should I say her?"
"Doesn't matter to me," Hermione said, shrugging.
"The first time I visited during your seventh year here," Harry said, "was for your birthday. I walked you back to your private quarters."
"So that is how you know where to go," Hermione said, nodding. "And where exactly is that?"
"A lot closer to Gryffindor Tower than you would probably assume," Harry said.
Soon enough, they stopped at a tapestry down the corridor from the portrait of the Fat Lady. Hermione turned to Harry with a confused expression. Harry smirked, then waved his hand, and the tapestry folded upwards into itself. With another wave of his hand, a door appeared in the wall.
"That was amazing!" Hermione gushed.
"It's just a Notice-Me-Not Charm," Harry said, "directed at most of the student body. If you know where it is, you can modify the charm so it doesn't affect certain people."
Hermione merely nodded. Harry smiled as he recognized the look in Hermione's eyes. She was obviously thinking about the benefits of the Charm and its uses. He opened the door and led her through it. They arrived in a corridor, much narrower than the one they had just left. There were four doors along the walls of the corridor.
"The nearest door on the right is the Head of Gryffindor House's Office," Harry said. "Been vacant since Professor McGonagall took the position of Deputy Headmistress. On the left is the Gryffindor Head Girl's private quarters. At the far end, on the right is a Common Room of sorts for the Head Students and their friends. And to the left is the Gryffindor Head Boy's private quarters..."
"Where Sirius is staying," Hermione said.
"Yes," Harry said.
Harry led Hermione down the corridor, and over to a portrait which guarded the Head Boy's quarters. It was a portrait of a knight riding a lion.
"What are you doing here?" the knight demanded, "No students are permitted here at this moment."
"The man currently using the rooms you're guarding," Harry said. "He is my godfather. He is expecting us."
The knight raised an eyebrow. Then the portrait went still.
"Hey!" Hermione exclaimed. "We're talking to you! Hmmph! How rude!"
"He's in his other portrait inside the room," Harry said, "Portraits go still when their occupants move to their other portrait, if they have one."
"Oh," Hermione said, blushing. "I knew that."
Harry rolled his eyes. The knight cleared its throat and and its portrait opened up. Sirius Black stood there, a wide grin on his face.
"Godson!" Sirius exclaimed, "And... Godson's... girlfriend?"
"Yes, Sirius," Harry said, rolling his eyes again. "We're dating now."
"Godson's girlfriend!" Sirius said, "Come on in! I am entertaining another guest. But she won't mind you coming in. You're practically family anyway!"
"Family?" Harry asked, blinking, as he followed Hermione through the portrait-hole.
They were now in a sitting room. Harry raised his eyebrows when he saw Sirius' cousin, Andromeda Tonks, sitting in one of the chairs.
"Andromeda Tonks," Sirius said, "Meet my godson, Harry Potter, and his girlfriend, Hermione Granger. Harry, Hermione, this is my cousin, and Hogwarts' new Healer, Andromeda Tonks."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Granger," Andromeda said. "Mr. Potter, I haven't seen you since your very first Christmas Party. You were such an adorable little tyke then."
"Nice to meet you, ma'am." Hermione said.
"Yes, nice to meet you, Madam Tonks," Harry said, as he and Hermione walked over to one of the sofas. "Hogwarts' new Healer? What happened to Madam Pomfrey?"
"She resigned this morning," Andromeda said. "Asked me if I could replace her. I used to be a Healer at St. Mungo's, you see. But that was a long time ago."
Harry collapsed onto the sofa, as he stared at Andromeda. Madam Pomfrey had resigned? This certainly hadn't happened last time. He knew it must have happened because of what he said to her. Hermione sat down and held her boyfriend's hand and squeezed it. Harry looked at her. He could tell, from the expression on her face, that she knew what he was thinking.
Before Harry could say anything, a house-elf appeared in the middle of the sitting room.
"Mr. Black," the house-elf said, "Hazel has a letter for you from Master Head Dumbledore."
The house-elf offered the scroll of parchment in her hand. Sirius took it.
"Thank you, Hazel," Sirius said, "You're excused."
Hazel bowed and vanished. Sirius unrolled the scroll and read through the parchment. When he finished, he plopped down into the chair in shock.
"Sirius?" Andromeda asked. "Are you alright? Is it bad news?"
"I'm getting a trial tomorrow afternoon," Sirius said. "After thirteen years I'm finally getting a trial."
"That's wonderful!" Hermione gushed.
"Wonderful, indeed!" Andromeda said.
"Already?" Harry asked. "Wow... Madam Bones must have really come through."
"Well, it is about time, I say!" Andromeda said.
"Andy," Sirius murmured.
"What, Sirius?" Andromeda asked. "What? She couldn't have done this years ago for you?"
"She didn't know I didn't have a trial in '81," Sirius said.
"Well, she could have tried harder to find out!" Andromeda said. "Especially given what you meant to her back then! Really tells you what she thinks of you now, doesn't she?!"
"Andy," Sirius muttered.
"What do you mean, ma'am?" Harry asked. "Are you saying there was something between Sirius and Director Bones?"
"You didn't know?" Andromeda asked. "Sirius and Amelia were very much in love at one point in time. But then... Amelia broke my cousin's heart."
"Andy, stop," Sirius said.
"He asked her to marry him at your parents' wedding reception," Andromeda said. "And she denied him."
"She had her reasons," Sirius said. "However..."
"Yes, her reasons," Andromeda said, before Sirius could continued, "She picked her lowly apprentice job over a life with you. But you tell me this, Sirius Black. You tell me this! If you and Amelia had been married by the time that Halloween night came around. Would you have gone after Pettigrew? Or would you have gone back to her?"
Sirius mumbled something Harry couldn't hear.
"You would have gone back to her!" Andromeda said. "You could have then gotten custody of your godson, and raised him with however many other children you and Amelia had! But it didn't happen. Because she didn't really care about you that much. Didn't care enough to marry you. Didn't care enough to be there when you were arrested. Didn't care enough to find out you never had a trial! You were in Azkaban for twelve years, Sirius! Twelve!"
"I do not blame her for that, Andy!" Sirius growled. "I blame a few people for that, sure! Nobody more than myself! But not her!"
"Why?" Andromeda asked.
"Because she's the reason I'm getting a trial tomorrow!" Sirius growled. "She is the reason. Nobody else! Not Dumbledore. Not Fudge... nobody but her! And before you start arguing more about her not discovering I never had a trial, I must remind you you're forgetting one thing."
"What, Sirius?" Andromeda asked.
"You never tried to find out whether I had a trial or not either," Sirius said. "Your husband is a lawyer, Andy! I am sure you, or he, had your own ways to find out."
Andromeda's eyes misted over. She stood up and walked toward the portrait. Then she stopped and looked back at him.
"I will ask my husband to represent you tomorrow at your trial, Sirius," Andromeda said. "Because you are my cousin, and I love you. I may not like you right now. But I do love you."
Sirius grunted, and Andromeda frowned. She turned to Harry.
"Come visit me after lunch, Mr. Potter," she said, "and I'll see about removing the bandages around that arm of yours."
"Sure, ma'am," Harry said.
Andromeda smiled then frowned as she looked back at Sirius. She sighed then turned and left the room. Sirius' expression softened and he covered his face in his hands. Harry and Hermione remained quiet and simply waited for him to stop sulking.
"I shouldn't have yelled at her, I know," Sirius said, as he looked up at Harry and Hermione. "But she shouldn't have said that about Amy."
"I never knew about you and Madam Bones, Sirius," Harry said. "Nobody ever told me. Ever. However..."
"Yes?" Sirius asked.
"The other you... in the future," Harry said, "I distinctly recall you talking about Madam Bones – saying she was 'the good sort' and that she was fair. It was the day of my Hearing before fifth year. It seemed random at the time, your comment about Madam Bones. That was the only time you – your other self – mentioned her. Now it all makes sense."
"Amelia did not dump me because she didn't love me anymore," Sirius said. "Actually, she didn't dump me at all. Andromeda didn't know that, because she doesn't know the whole story. Amy came to me a couple days after your parents' wedding. She said she still loved me. She thought I asked her to marry me, because that was the trend back then. A war was going on. People were dying everyday. People got married because they wanted to have that time together in case something bad happened to them. Amelia didn't want to be one of those people. She told me to ask her to marry her after the war was over. Then she would say 'yes'. Andromeda made it sound like Amy just dumped me. That did not happen. We were still together when I was arrested!
"I shouldn't have said that to her. I've had a lot of time to think about this, you know. While in Azkaban, while on the run. Why did nobody – none of my friends, none of my close acquaintances – ever complain about me not having a trial? Hell, I am apparently going to be Lord Black. Why didn't the other Pureblood Lords – Light, Grey or Dark – complain about the fact I didn't have a trial? Couldn't it set some kind of precedence! I'm not... I'm not going to put the blame on any one person."
"Yeah, well, you should," Harry said. "There is one person to blame for it... more than anyone else. Albus Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore didn't grant you a trial, because he didn't want you to raise me. He wanted the Dursleys to raise me. He know how they would treat me. He admitted that he knew he would leave me to suffer for 'ten dark years'. He wanted me to be a malleable puppet who would be looking for someone to look up to. Someone to rescue me. I fell for it too. I looked up to him as the grandfatherly mentor. I called Hogwarts my home. I did everything he wanted me to. I even walked into the forest, voluntarily, to sacrifice myself, just like he wanted me to.
"You have someone to blame, Sirius. Someone who isn't yourself. Blame Albus Dumbledore. I know I do."
"Then why did he grant me Sanctuary?" Sirius asked.
"Because I asked him to," Harry said. "He wants me to look up to him as someone I can trust. So he can continue to bring me down the very path he wants me to travel. Which is why I know he won't be doing anything to try to break me and Hermione up. Oh, he might let the Weasleys do what they want. Might even give them a few pointers. But he won't actively try to break us up himself. Not obviously, anyway. Not to a point where I know it is him responsible for attempting it. Not if he wants me to walk the path he has set forth for me."
"But you won't be walking down that path," Sirius said.
"Of course not," Harry said. "He doesn't know that... does he?"
Sirius shook his head, then he sighed. "It all makes sense now, you know? Last night, he tried to convince me not to inform you about House Potter, your responsibilities and future duties, nor about the Great Alliance. Of course, now I realize, I don't need to teach you any of those lessons. But at the time, I thought it was going to be my job to do so. I told him it was my duty as your godfather – in the stead of your late father – to teach you such things, and I wasn't going to let him stop me!"
"I'm not surprised," Harry said, shrugging. "He doesn't want me to know that I was Emancipated the moment he, and the other Tournament representatives decided I had to take part in the Tournament. The tournament was meant for competitors who had reached..."
"Their majority," Sirius finished, "That bastard."
"What?" Harry asked.
"Albus said those words to me exactly," Sirius said. He said 'I hope you make him understand he can't take complete control of his House until he reaches his majority'. Not seventeen, not 'of age'... 'his majority'. He knew..."
"Well, of course he did!" Harry exclaimed. "He doesn't want me to become Lord Potter. He doesn't want me to know I'm Emancipated! Hell, he'll likely go in front of the Wizengamot in an attempt to override my Emancipation! Because if I am Emancipated, if I become Lord Potter, he loses any control he has over me. Or any control he thinks he has over me! Something he does not want. As for the Great Alliance, he fears the Great Alliance. Because the Great Alliance will be his biggest opposition when it comes to the dreams and plans he wants for the future. The Great Alliance isn't really a threat right now. Not since my father died. My father, and his father, were the leaders of the Great Alliance. Without their leader, the Alliance becomes confused. But if I bring it back... it will return to power. Which is exactly what Albus doesn't want."
"Which is why he was so opposed when it came to me telling you about all of it," Sirius realized.
"Yes," Harry said. "Exactly."
"Then why did he give in so easily?" Sirius asked.
"Because he doesn't want you to see him as anything but the Leader of the Light," Harry said. "It is how he has kept in power for so long. Everyone thinks he is this infallible, perfect, Leader of the Light, who can't do anything wrong. Who everyone should respect. He hides behind a mask. Because the moment everyone realizes who he really is... is the moment his plans go to hell."
"Which is your endgame when it comes to him," Hermione said. "Right? You're going to remove his mask."
"Yes," Harry said. "Would I be happy if he was dead? Sure... it means he can't interfere in my life anymore. But I don't want him to die until he is completely and utterly ruined. And until he knows exactly who ruined him."
Sirius grinned. "I volunteer to help you, pup! Dumbledore needs to be taken down a few notches. What do you need me to do?"
Harry smirked. "Well, I have a few ideas... and it begins with the Order of the Phoenix, and Number 12 Grimmauld Place."