Baron Charlus Henry Potter
Loving Husband, Father, Grandfather, Warrior
Protector of our lands and people
Born 23/7/1924
Died 15/2/1981
Honour Thy Blood
Harry placed his hand on the granite as he had with his grandmother
but remained on his feet. He became lost in his thoughts of how
much the man had become an influence on him over the past
months. He swallowed deeply before speaking knowing he had to be
strong.
"You've made me proud of who I am and where I come from" he
began. "I will carry the Potter name with pride and do everything in
my power to be worthy of it" he added sincerely. "Even in death you
have taught me more than I can ever thank you for and I cannot put
into words how grateful I am. You have given me the chance to
avenge my parents and make that bastard pay for what he did to you
all, and he will pay. If it takes my dying breath to finish him I promise
you that I will" he said firmly. "Look after them all where you are now
as you did in life and there will be a day when I will join you,
hopefully a long time from now" he finished.
He again removed his wand but this time conjured a marble figurine
of a Thestral and placed it on top of the tombstone securing it with a
permanent sticking charm.
"I doubt very much that you would like flowers" he laughed. "But I
know how much you loved her" he said gesturing to the grave of his
grandmother. "I think this is much more fitting" he concluded before
moving on.
He came to the grave of his father and stared at it feeling very
confused, a confusion which quickly turned to anger.
The tombstone was a plain white stone with black writing. The Potter
crest had been included but the grave certainly did not represent
James Potter.
James Charlus Potter
Father To Our Saviour
Harry James Potter
Born 11/4/1960
Died 31/10/1981
We thank you for your sacrifice
Harry shook his head in frustration and looked towards his mother's
plot that was next to his fathers'. It was fashioned in the same stone
and writing as his fathers' but there was no Potter crest.
Lily Potter
Mother To Our Saviour
Harry James Potter
Born 12/2/1960
Died 31/10/1981
We thank you for your sacrifice
Harry began to shake in rage at the disrespect shown to the
memories of his parents. There was much more to them than being
just his parents but that was in no way reflected where they rested.
Arcturus feeling the fury emanating from the boy walked to his side
and upon seeing the graves he understood the anger Harry was
feeling.
"Clearly the ministry took the liberty of burying your parents" he
deduced disgustedly.
Harry took a deep breath to calm himself before aiming his wand at
his father's tombstone a deep look of concentration coming over him
and the stone started to transform.
When he was finished Arcturus looked impressed at what he had
achieved.
"You've been studying" he noticed with a little pride in his voice.
"Yes sir" Harry affirmed, not taking his eyes off his work.
He even had to admit himself that he was proud of the complex
transfiguration he had just demonstrated.
The stone had been transfigured into granite and the writing had
changed and was gold, reflecting the style of his grandparents. The
reference to himself had been removed and it now stood a true and
proud representation of what he knew of his father;
James Charlus Potter
Husband, Father, Marauder
May Prongs Run Free
Born 11/4/1960
Died 31/10/1981
Honour Thy Blood
Mischief Managed
"I won't even ask" Arcturus said shaking his head stepping away
once again.
"It's strange" Harry began. "I know more about my grandparents than
I do about you and you're my father" he continued sadly. "I know we
would have had a lot of fun from what Sirius has told me and
probably driven mum insane" he said shaking his head. "You were
taken too soon" he stated.
He took a moment to compose himself before he continued talking.
"Thank you for protecting mum and me as best as you could" he
intoned sincerely. "I will get the rat for what he did to us" he added
confidently. "I will make sure that bastard suffers for everything" he
growled. "I love you Dad and I will see you all again" he finished.
He concluded his time with his father by conjuring 2 marble figurines;
one of a large shaggy dog and one of a werewolf which he secured
atop the tombstone. To add to that he conjured a single white lily and
placed it between the two before turning his attention to the grave of
his mother.
He looked at it distastefully and quickly went to work transfiguring it
in a more suitable monument to his mother. When he was finished it
reflected the other 3 and the Potter crest adorned it proudly.
Lily Potter
Loving Mother and Wife
Undoubtedly The Brightest Witch of Her Age
Born 12/2/1960
Died 31/10/1981
Honour Thy Blood
"I've spent my whole life wishing you were here and being tormented
by your final moments" he said sadly. "Hearing your voice after what
happened in June has taken most of that away. I'm not going to
apologise for all the things I will have to do because I know you
understand and will forgive me" he spoke quietly.
Before he could stop it a tear broke free from his eye and he made
no attempt to wipe it away.
"There's still not a day that goes by where I wouldn't give everything I
own just to have you back for a minute" he said shakily. "I love you
mum, and thank you for what you did for me, I promise I won't let it
be in vain" he ended, wiping away the errant tear.
He conjured a marble figure of a stag and one of a lily and fixed
them to the stone. He took one last look at the area in which he
family had been laid to rest and made his way to Arcturus who
nodded before making his own way to the graves.
When he had finished having his private moments he conjured 4
black roses and placed one on each tombstone. Harry was touched
by the sentiment of the older man but knew he wouldn't appreciate
him vocalising it. Instead he gave him a grateful nod as he returned.
The older man returned the nod before disapparating with a soft pop.
Harry took one last look around him and one final glance at the
graves of his family.
"I'll be back soon" he whispered quietly. With that he himself
disappeared with a near inaudible crack.
Harry appeared in the drawing in room but did not take a seat, he felt
the need to be alone and reflect back on the past hour of his life. To
him it was one of those defining moments in a lifetime and he knew
now that he would never be the same. His determination had
become even more firm despite the fact he felt that that had not
been possible.
"Thank you sir" He said monotonously.
He exited and made his way to his room knowing he wouldn't sleep
any time soon. But instead of working he laid awake for hours just
thinking of his family and truly taking in the experience of the night. It
had been bittersweet but he knew it could not have been any other
way.
He eventually fell into an easy sleep that night, the best sleep he had
ever had in his short 15 years of life.
(BREAK)
Andromeda Tonks was not looking forward to the meeting she had
been requested to attend with her husband and daughter. The Tonks
family had spent the entirety of the previous day discussing all
possibilities and outcomes and had put in place a contingency plan
for if they needed to flee. They were all hoping that whatever the
issue was that it could be dealt with in a way that their lives wouldn't
have to change.
Ted Tonks was the most nervous of the trio. He had never had
anything to do with the Black's, being a muggleborn, he simply would
not have been worthy of their time. He was aware of their reputation
of course and always wondered if his wife had truly come from the
family.
There was no doubt of course that she had.
It wasn't only the uncanny resemblance to her sister that confirmed it
but he had seen and been on the receiving end of her temper. If truth
be told he was terrified of his wife when she was angry. She was
very powerful and the fact that she was a Black could not be ignored
in her moments of fury.
These moments were very rare however. She was a very loving and
caring woman but would defend himself and their daughter to the
very end if necessary. This thought made the impending meeting rest
a little easier with the man. It wasn't that he feared the Blacks, he
was a very capable wizard in his own right, but he feared what this
meeting would mean for his family. All he could do was wait and see
and just hope that whatever happened, they could handle between
them.
Nymphadora Tonks was feeling confused more than any other
emotion. She had never been exposed to her mother's family so
didn't truly understand the severity of the situation. The Black family
had essentially been non-existent throughout her life and she only
remembered Sirius from when she was a child and he was always
nice.
Whatever would happen she would not allow anyone to take control
of her life in any way. She would do as her mother did and flee if
necessary before that would happen. Although she was confident
that whatever it was could be fixed, she couldn't help the twinge of
nervousness that would appear every so often at the thought of the
meeting.
(BREAK)
Sirius Black woke the next morning nothing less than a bag of
nerves, wondering what the day to come would entail. He knew that
things were going to be different after today one way or the other but
he couldn't decide if that would be a good thing or not. On the one
hand he was safe where he was and how things were. He was out of
the direct line of fire and he knew there was no one who could get in
to his house without his say so, his family had at least done a good
job warding Grimmauld Place and for that he could be grateful.
On the other hand, he felt that he was merely sat on the side lines
just waiting and watching as things progressed around him. Sirius
was a man of action and would much rather be in the thick of it than
sat doing what he deemed as nothing.
Yes, he knew that things would be changing for better or worse and
all he could do was wait and see what the outcome of the day would
be and hope that the changes would be positive for him.
He spent his day pacing and watching the clock, urging the time to
either pass quickly in his braver moments or begging it to slow when
the nerves got the better of him. Before he could decide completely
on how he wanted the time to pass it was time to activate the portkey
to the bank. It would be left to whatever deity was watching over him
to decide his fate, a notion that did not sit well with the man.
(BREAK)
Harry and Arcturus were in the meeting room at Gringotts waiting for
their guests to arrive. Harry, as promised, was sat in the corner of
the room concealed by his invisibility cloak and despite the fact he
knew he would not be able to talk to Sirius unless the older man said
it was okthough he was excited at the prospect of seeing his
godfather.
Arcturus was sat at the head of the large oak table that had been
provided for the gathering and Barchoke was stood at the door
waiting to greet the Black family members as they arrived. The two
had had a conversation in which the goblin was told to not involve
himself and allow what was to happen happen as Harry had been
instructed. The goblin readily agreed, not wanting to be included in
the meeting knowing the reputation of the family.
Not long had passed when they heard the arrival of a portkey outside
the door and all the occupants of the room knew who it was. At the
tentative knock of the door the goblin opened it to greet Sirius.
"Mr Black, please come in and take a seat" the goblin requested in
his business tone.
"Thank you Ba…" Sirius froze at the sight of his long thought to be
dead grandfather and paled considerably.
He seemed to find himself quickly though and yelped in shock before
turning to sprint out of the still open door he had just come through.
"Get your worthless hide back here you mangy cur" Arcturus roared
hurling a stinging hex at his retreating grandsons' rear end.
Harry heard his godfather yelp as the spell hit its mark followed by a
thud as the man hit the floor. He couldn't help himself and had to
stifle a snigger as the man reappeared rubbing his behind and
gaping like a fish out of water.
"Will you stop stuttering, you look even more of a moron" the older
man demanded exasperatedly.
"But you're dead" Sirius said dumbly pointing at his grandfather with
a disbelieving finger.
"The fuck I am" Arcturus replied clearly irritated. "I'm sat right here
and even a buffoon like you can see that, now sit down for fuck sake
before I flay you alive you simpleton" he commanded pointing at a
chair to his left.
The younger man complied knowing that it was not an empty threat.
He sat staring at his grandfather dumbly and realised that this was
going to be much worse than he anticipated, now the shit really was
going to hit the fan.
"Are you going to hand me over to him" Sirius finally managed to ask
discreetly withdrawing his wand from his sleeve under the table.
"If I wanted you dead I'd do it myself I don't need the help of a halfblooded
bastard to help md with that" Arcturus spat. "And I'd put that
wand back where you took it from before you find it rammed up your
arse" he added glaring at the younger man.
Sirius just swallowed deeply, partly out of relief and partly from the
nervousness that had settled in. It was then he that he realised what
the older man had said and found himself confused.
"What do you mean half-blooded bastard?" he asked in his
confusion.
"Ahh so Dumbledore is still his secretive self I see and hasn't seen fit
to tell you what you're up against, that's another moron I'll be having
a conversation with" he said quietly to himself.
"What are you talking about?" Sirius asked getting annoyed.
"We will get to the how's and why's later, we have things to discuss
before everyone else arrives, and use that tone with me again you
filthy mutt and I'll make sure you're neutered in both forms,
understand? Arcturus questioned severely.
Sirius looked shocked and began jabbering again. He finally
managed to speak but his voice had definitely climbed an octave or
two higher.
"You know" he questioned flatly.
"Of course I know, you always smelt like dog. Either that or you have
disgusting inclinations towards them. Is that what it is? You like to lay
with animals?" he questioned. "Then again going by some of the
witches you've been known to cavort with it wouldn't surprise me" the
old man grimaced.
Sirius yelped in indignation and began sputtering incoherently.
Before he could formulate words again Arcturus cut him off.
"We will get to your love life a little later" he said seriously. "But now
we have other things to discuss".
With a speed the younger man wasn't expecting, Arcturus had him
by the throat and had slammed his head on the table.
Upon seeing this Harry had to fight the urge to intervene. What had
seemed initially amusing to him was now becoming clear that this
situation was anything but.
Arcturus looked into the fear filled eyes of his grandson before he
began to question him. He just hope that he was not about to be lied
to, the younger man would do well to be honest, the consequences
would not be pleasant.
"Did you do it" he hissed at his grandson. "Did you sell out the
Potter's to that bastard?" he questioned.
It wasn't the fact that he believed Sirius to be guilty but he wanted to
hear it from the man himself. He wanted to look him in the eyes and
see the truth there. Arcturus was not a man who would listen to
rumours or the testimony of others, he had to be sure for himself.
Sirius was furious at the question. His grandfather knew how close
he was to James and Lily and knew that he would not have done it.
"I would have died first" Sirius spat, with venom in his voice.
Arcturus knew the boy was telling the truth and simply nodded.
Seeing the anger in his eyes gave him hope that he had found a true
ally for the Potter boy, hell, he couldn't fight this war alone.
"Good" the older man said releasing his grandson and returning to
his seat. He watched Sirius rubbing his neck and gave him a
moment to compose himself before he continued.
"Apart from myself you are the last remaining Black male, and when
I die you will take over the family" he stated to the surprised younger
man. "What do you plan on doing to continue the family line?" he
asked.
Sirius looked more than a little embarrassed and rubbed the back of
his neck nervously clearly unwilling to answer. Eventually he blew
out a long breath and hung his head in what seemed to be shame.
"12 years in Azkaban takes away certain capabilities" he explained
quietly. "The wand can fire spells but there's no magic in them" he
finished in a whisper.
Arcturus had suspected as much but did not want to discuss the
potency of his grandsons' seed with him.
"You have a contingency plan I assume" he stated neutrally.
"I made a will 15 years ago that leaves everything I own to my
godson" he answered, expecting to be reprimanded again. "And I'd
sooner see our family end and out fortune become nothing than
hand it over to the Malfoys'" he spat distastefully.
Harry was surprised by the fact Sirius had left him everything and
actually felt like he mattered to someone for the first time in his life. It
wasn't the possessions that made him grateful but the sentiment the
man had shown. He couldn't believe that he would mean so much to
the man.
Arcturus just nodded at the answer his grandson had given him. He
couldn't agree more with the man but was certainly not going to let
him know that.
Before he could question him further he was interrupted by the man
himself.
"Why are you back now, why would you want everyone to think you
were dead?" Sirius asked sincerely.
"A few months before the Dark Lord fell your brother came to see
me" he stated.
At the mention of his brother Sirius shot to his feet shaking instantly
in rage.
"That bastard was a Death Eater" he growled in fury.
"Your brother has done more to end this fucking war than any one. If
it wasn't for him the wizarding world would be fucked" the older man
said dangerously. "Barchoke, can I use your pensieve?" he asked
the goblin knowing his grandson would not believe him until he saw
for the memory for himself.
"Of course Baron Black" the goblin agreed and summoned the stone
bowl to place on the table.
Arcturus carefully withdrew the memory he wanted and placed it in
the bowl and gestured for his grandson to enter.
It was a few minutes later that Sirius emerged looking both pale and
emotional and fell into his seat in a stupor.
"He turned against him" he stated lamely.
"He did" the older man agreed.
Sirius frowned and looked towards his grandfather. He could not
understand why he was being like this and why any of this mattered
to the man.
"Why do you care?" he asked not taking his eyes off of him.
Arcturus was not surprised by the question and had expected it. He
thought before he answered but would not hide the truth from the
boy, he was family after all, something the older man had little left of.
"The first and second war tore my family, our family, to pieces" he
began. "Our family will not survive another war unless we come
together. I've spent my whole life trying to rebuild the Black family
and before this bastard came along the first time we were doing
well".
He paused before he continued.
"Not only that he killed my best friend" he said sadly. "No not my
friend" he added shaking his head, "My brother" he finished.
"Uncle Charlus" Sirius said quietly. "But why come back now?" he
asked again.
"I haven't been sat on my thumb these last 14 years" he grumbled
irritably. "You saw the memory and what he mentioned" he said.
"Horcruxes? What the hell are they?" Sirius asked.
"It doesn't matter, I am dealing with them" the older man explained
cutting Sirius off. "Just leave it to me" he added sternly.
"So you're on Dumbledore's side" Sirius choked in realisation,
pointing at the older man in amusement.
"I am on my side" the older man corrected. "Dumbledore is too soft
to lead anyone in a war. How can you follow someone who would
have you stun your enemies and lock them up only for them to be
released again?" he asked. "Dumbledore will get us all killed and
condemn me for fighting the way a war is supposed to be fought" he
finished.
"But Dumbledore killed Grindelwald" Sirius pointed out.
"No" Arcturus interrupted. "Grindelwald killed himself, he was hit by
his own spell and even I'm sure that Dumbledore did that by
accident" he hazarded.
Sirius just sat listening to what his grandfather had said and knew it
was true. Dumbledore would insist on non-lethal spells that the
Death Eaters certainly would not be using.
Before the conversation could go any further there was another
knock on the door and the two men took their seats and waited for
their guests to be admitted.
Sirius was confused but figured that the people who would be
attending could only be members of the Black family. He was
surprised however to see the Tonks family enter the room having
expected it to be one of his distant aunts.
"Oh, shit" Andromeda cried when she caught sight of her
grandfather. She then looked questioningly at Sirius who shook his
head and shrugged.
The youngest member of the Tonks family was simply confused at
the fear she could see in her mothers' eyes and even more confused
at the presence of her cousin.
"Sirius, Dumbledore is going to go spare when he finds out you left
the house" she hissed urgently.
"Dumbledore can get fucked" Arcturus cut in. "Now take a seat" he
commanded to the trio who were still stood.
All three complied, Andromeda knowing that her grandfather was not
to be disobeyed and the other two simply following her lead.
"Andromeda" the older man began. "It has been a while" he finished
frowning.
"25 years" the woman replied with anger evident in her voice. "25
years ago I was cast out because I refused to marry Evan Rosier"
She spat disdainfully.
"Cast out?" Arcturus asked sarcastically. "You left of your own
accord" he stated.
Andromeda just stared at her grandfather in confusion but couldn't
find a point to argue. She had left of her own free will but knew she
would no longer be welcome or even considered a Black because of
her choice of Husband. Before she could make her point the older
man cut in again.
"You were never cast out Andromeda, your father never had the
authority and when he came to me to have you removed I refused
him" he explained. "The same with your hag of a mother" he added
looking at Sirius.
The two could only stare at the older man in shock. They had never
officially been cast out of the family? Neither could find the words to
express what they felt; confusion, anger and annoyance mostly.
They were saved the effort by Arcturus addressing Ted.
"You must be Theodore" he acknowledged the man distastefully.
"Yes sir" Ted answered nervously.
"To you it is either Lord Black, or Baron Black, understood?" he
asked, glaring at the man.
Ted swallowed deeply but nodded.
"Yes Lord Black" he managed to stammer.
Nymphadora Tonks was confused as to why her mother would allow
this man to talk to her father this way. She was angry and was about
to give the man a piece of her mind when she was cut off by her
mother.
"Be quiet, Nymphadora" she advised quietly, shaking her head
vigorously.
"Ahh and you must be the daughter" Arcturus intoned, turning his
attention to the young woman and looking at her appearance
distastefully. "An auror and metamorph, a talent inherited from the
Black line" he added.
The auror just nodded at the older man's observation.
"Why is it that you use the gift so liberally?" he asked. "It would be
much smarter for you to choose one form for day to day use and
only use the gift when you need it and not in such a fashion" he
suggested, gesturing to her blue her and ample bosom.
"I like to be different and change things" she answered shrugging.
"No" the older man said shaking his head. "You like to stand out the
way you do because you think it gives you your own identity" he
said, his grey steely eyes boring in to her bright blue ones. "You think
that someone would only want you for your ability to change your
body and you've accepted that" he added. "Have some self-respect
for fuck sake and stop trying to please people who don't matter,
because I know you look nothing like this in your natural state" he
finished gesturing to the woman who was looking shocked and upset
at how accurate this stranger was.
"Why are we here?" Andromeda cut in noting how upset her
daughter was becoming.
"We are here because we are the last of the Blacks and we have to
discuss how we plan on surviving the coming war" Arcturus began
taking his seat once again. "In the past I have allowed the family to
have too much freedom and free reign on what they do but that
stops now" he informed them firmly.
"I will not become one of that mad bastards followers" the youngest
Tonks growled.
"Good" the older man said surprising the trio. "Let me explain why I
am here and what I have been doing these last 14 years" he sadded
to the confused threesome.
He then went on to explain the decimation of the Black family
because of the rises of Voldemort and Grindelwald. He explained
that Regulus had come to him and gave him certain information and
that he had turned on his master. He did not mention the horcruxes
as he had to Sirius not wanting anymore people to know. He
explained how much he knew the wizarding world would change and
how being a Black would become meaningless if the remaining
family members survived, something he did not want to see happen
after all of his hard work to re-establish the name as something
significant.
When he was finished the trio were both shocked and flabbergasted.
But they were not able to question the man further as there was
another knock on the door that had the four guests looking confused
and tense.
When the door opened and Narcissa Malfoy entered the atmosphere
became very tense. Even Harry felt himself stiffen at her presence
not being aware that she would be here.
The first thing Narcissa saw was 4 wands pointed at her but before
she could reach for her own she caught sight of her Grandfather and
paled from shock but mostly fear. This was not good for her at all.
"Sit down, Narcissa" the older man commanded in a sour tone.
Narcissa flattened her robes and took a seat next to the man alone
on one side of the table who she then realised was her cousin Sirius.
She quickly hid her surprise behind an impassive mask before
addressing him.
"Cousin Sirius" she greeted him formally. "You are looking well for a
man on the run" she observed with a raised eyebrow.
"Narcissa" Sirius intoned sounding bored. "You look thin and quite
unwell" he said lazily and uninterested.
Narcissa chose not to dignify her cousin with a response but instead
turned her attention to the other three people sat on the opposite
side of the table. This time she could not conceal her surprise so
well.
"Andi" she greeted inclining her head towards he older sister. "It's
been a while" she finished.
"Cissy" Andromeda replied using her childhood nickname for her
sister.
Narcissa chose to ignore the other two members of the Tonks family
and instead addressed her Grandfather.
"Why were Lucius and Draco not invited?" she asked. "Surely if they"
she said distastefully indicating the Tonks family, "are here then my
son and husband should be also" She concluded.
"Your son and husband could not be any less of a Black if they tried"
Arcturus replied sourly.
"My husband is a good man" she retorted "And Draco will one day
be the head of this family" She pointed out.
"Your husband is a moron and your son is exactly the same"
Arcturus answered angrily. "And I will be damned if I let the head of
this family be a Malfoy" he spat.
Before Narcissa could reply she was cut off by her Grandfather.
"Lucius is nothing but a brown-nosing piss stain who should never
have been allowed to marry into our family, he is not worthy and the
offspring you have brought in to this world is not worthy of such a
title, I would sooner see everything we own burnt to the ground
before it goes to those fucking imbeciles" he concluded firmly.
Narcissa was shocked in to silence. She had not expected this nor
had she expected to hear her family spoken of in such a way. She
knew things were not going to end well for her here but remained
quiet and waited to see how this would play out.
"Before we continue" Arcturus interrupted her thoughts. "You will all
give a magical oath on both your life and magic that nothing you
have seen or heard or will see and hear will be spoken of to anyone
not in this room" he instructed.
"And if we refuse?" Narcissa asked panicked and angry.
"Then I will obliviate you until you are nothing more than a dribbling
mess" he answered sincerely. "That includes revealing in any way
that I am alive" he added seeing Narcissa thinking quickly.
All of the occupants of the table shared a look and Sirius was the
first to give his oath followed by the two older Tonks. Nymphadora
hesitated and before she could give her oath Arcturus interrupted.
"That also means you can't tell Dumbledore" he explained gravely.
Tonks just nodded before giving her oath and the group turned their
attention to Narcissa who was clearly hesitant.
"Why am I here" she asked. "All you've done is insult my family and
essentially cast them out" she finished nervously.
"You are here because you are family" Arcturus pointed out simply. "I
know you are loyal to that idiot husband of yours but I am giving you
the chance to put a contingency plan in place and if you decide you
want out, then you will have the opportunity" he explained further.
"What about Draco?" she asked in reply.
"Your son is a Malfoy and will follow his moronic father, I give it less
than a year before he takes that ridiculous mark" the older man
estimated confidently.
Narcissa looked upset but knew it was likely. She would not turn her
back on her husband though. Despite his flaws she loved him and
her son more than anything.
Reluctantly she gave the same vow tht the rest of the family had
given and sighed in frustration.
"I can't go against them" she proclaimed stubbornly.
"I didn't expect anything less" Arcturus replied shrugging. "But now I
can rest easy knowing I gave you fair warning, the rest is in your
hands" he finished.
"You mean to stand against the Dark Lord" Narcissa whispered in
shock and realisation.
"I do" Arcturus said simply.
"But he will kill you all, none of you can defeat him" she pointed out.
"Then we will die trying" the younger Tonks interjected firmly.
"Then you are all fools" Narcissa deadpanned.
She sat for a moment and pondered the situation. There was no one
alive who could stand against the Dark Lord and win. It was then she
thought she realised what was happening and she couldn't hold back
her laughter.
"You are siding with Dumbledore" she stated. "You think Dumbledore
can finish the Dark Lord" she gasped disbelievingly.
Arcturus shook his head and smirked at his Granddaughter.
"Dumbledore can probably barely finish his dinner these days" he
stated. "And no I am not siding with him" he added coyly.
"Then who?" Narcissa asked. "There is no one else who can stand
against him and win, the only other person who people foolishly
believed in was the Potter boy and he's dead, Lucius saw it himself"
She pointed out.
Arcturus just laughed at her confusion. He had been waiting for this
moment for days now knowing it would come to this. He edged his
face closer to his granddaughter and smirked again.
"Dead is he?" he asked. "Why don't you see for yourself how very
much alive he is" he finished smugly.
All at the table turned to see Harry Potter appear at the other side of
the room, but this was not a Harry that Sirius nor Narcissa
remembered. He no longer looked like a meek and vulnerable young
boy, the person that stood in front of them now was nothing short of
being a man. He was 6ft tall, athletically built with much shorter hair
and stubble. He was minus his trademark glasses and scar and he
was wearing a plain black t-shirt that fit him like a second skin, a pair
of dark blue jeans and honey coloured boots.
Sirius stood slowly, hardly believing his eyes. He had been waiting
for this moment for months and the confusion he should have been
feeling was not registering. All he knew was that Harry was stood in
front of him and he could now protect his godson.
Before Harry could say anything his godfather had cleared the room
in the blink of an eye and was now clinging to him and sobbing
uncontrollably in to his shoulder. Wanting the awkward moment to
end Harry pushed the man away gently before addressing.
"For fuck sake , not here Sirius, pull yourself together" he hissed.
The other man, not having heard what his godson had said, started
to ramble which turned in to quick talking as he vocalised a plan.
"We can get you away from here pup and I will keep you safe I
promise, we can find somewhere to sit this war out" he finished
sincerely.
Harry looked at his godfather and found he appreciated what the
man was trying to do but shook his head all the same.
"I'm not going anywhere Sirius, I'm not running from him" he stated
firmly in a no-nonsense tone.
"But you're too young to have to do this Harry, he will kill you" Sirius
pleaded.
"He might" Harry agreed. "But I'll be taking that bastard with me" he
finished vehemently.
Sirius turned to his Grandfather, his face a mask of fury.
"What the fuck have you done to him" he asked furiously.
"I healed him and gave him the tools, the rest is his own work" the
older man shrugged with a glare.
"But he is just a boy, surely you're not serious" Andromeda cut in.
Arcturus looked annoyed but he knew he needed to make them
understand why he was doing this. He looked at each person
assembled and came up with an idea.
"How many of you have faced him?" he asked.
None of them apart from Harry raised their hands.
"How many times have you faced him Potter?" he questioned.
"Four times so far" he answered.
"Four?" Sirius asked as the rest of the room looked confused.
"When I was a baby, first year, second year and in the graveyard" he
replied casually.
Everyone in the room looked even more confused. Arcturus just
nodded and turned to address the rest of the group.
"Say his name" he commanded to them all. None of them replied
and they looked nervous.
"Potter" he commanded.
"Voldemort" Harry said without hesitation, causing the rest of the
group to flinch or shudder.
"None of you have faced him or dare even speak his name and yet
you think Potter shouldn't?" he said glaring at his family.
"But he is just a boy" Andromeda reiterated.
Arcturus continued glaring at the assembled group before he nodded
and proceeded with his plan. He knew it would be the only way.
"Fine" he began. "If all you see is a boy then prove it. One of you
duel him, I don't care who, and if you win I will agree with Sirius that
Potter should sit the war out and you can take him wherever you
want to go" he bargained.
Before the group could even discuss the matter the youngest Tonks
stepped forward.
"I'll do it" she declared. "I owe him one from July" she said with a
little embarrassment.
"So you were Dumbledores' lackey who attacked me Miss Tonks?"
Harry asked a little surprised. "You look better with pink hair" he
added to the amusement of Sirius and the embarrassment of the
auror.
"You won't be making jokes soon Potter" she retorted angrily through
gritted teeth, making her way to the other side of the room.
Arcturus looked towards the goblin who just shrugged and waved his
hand, causing the table to disappear.
"All of those not taking part stand behind this line" he said as he
waved his hand again and a blue line appeared.
Arcturus grabbed Harry by the arm and spoke to him quietly so no
other could hear.
"I meant what I said Potter" he growled. "If you lose then you go with
him" he added nodding towards Sirius. "Don't fuck around and don't
hold back, show them why you're here" he instructed firmly.
Harry just nodded at the older man. He did not want to hurt the
young woman but he would be damned if he would be sitting this war
out. This was his proving ground and he realised he had a lot to
prove to the people assembled and to himself. He steeled himself
and took his place opposite the blue haired auror.
"Begin when you're ready" Arcturus said casually with a shrug.
Tonks wasted no time and began to fire all kinds of spells at Potter
stunners, disarming charms and even a few bludgeoning hexes.
Harry, to the annoyance of his opponent, simply batted them away
lazily as if they were nothing.
The auror growled in frustration and began firing spells that had
much less friendly intentions. She fired bonebreakers and
concussion spells with vigour and a speed that most would struggle
with.
Harry avoided the spells with a greater speed and grace that none in
the room thought possible and he made it look easy. They were in
awe at the 15 year olds ability and he had yet to even fire a spell.
Harry was becoming very annoyed. The auror was not duelling to
just incapacitate, she was duelling to cause him injury. He saw a
bone breaker coming towards him but did not move or shield, he
waited.
The spectators cringed at the impending impact knowing it was
going to be very unpleasant. They were again surprised as the
Potter simply raised his wand and the spell stopped just in front of it
and formed in to a ball. He then hissed at it and the spell turned from
a dark blue to a bright pink which he launched back at the woman
with incredible speed and power, sending her flying through the air
and in to the wall, knocking her unconscious.
The people watching were all stunned at what they had just seen
apart from Andromeda who ran to the unconscious form of her
daughter to try and rouse her.
"What the hell was that Potter" Arcturus asked with a little awe in his
voice, "That should not be possible" he stated.
"Something I've been working on" Harry shrugged casually. "Though
I haven't tried it with anything stronger than a stunner" he added
rubbing the back of his neck.
"How?" Sirius asked quietly.
"It's the same as batting the spell away but you block and manipulate
the magic to capture the spell" he explained. "The second part is a
parseltongue modification spell that's usually used for healing
charms" he continued. "It usually modifies a bone knitting charm in to
a skin sealing charm without having to end the spell" he explained
further. "I found it works with combat magic and can turn a stunner
into pretty much what I want, but it doesn't work unless it is done in
parseltongue" he finished.
"That is quite something" Arcturus intoned.
"You're a parselmouth?" Ted asked nervously.
"Yes, it's something I inherited from my Black heritage" Harry
answered the apprehensive man.
Narcissa just looked on in shock at the younger man but said
nothing. She was admittedly impressed but this was just a friendly
duel, she was not convinced by the boy.
"She won't wake" Andromeda called worriedly from across the room.
"It's ok Mrs Tonks" Harry said walking towards the duo. "I only turned
it into a stunning spell you might not be strong enough to counter it"
he explained leaning over the auror. "Enervate" he mumbled pointing
his wand at the woman.
Nymphadora Tonks woke to the brightest green eyes she had ever
seen. They were alight with power and there seemed to be gently
flickering emerald flames within them that shone in the dim light.
There was something else there that didn't seem to fit the power she
saw; concern, there was concern in them.
She flushed a gentle pink and her hair turned involuntarily red at the
beauty she saw in those orbs. Before she could compose herself or
speak she heard the voice belonging to those eyes and she
remembered where she was.
"My apologies Miss Tonks" Harry said sincerely. "I didn't expect it to
be so powerful" he finished offering his hand to help her to her feet.
Tonks took the offered hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her
feet by the surprisingly gentle grip of the young man.
"Ouch" she gasped suddenly rubbing her chest. "Why is it always the
chest with you Potter" she said frowning.
Harry just raised an eyebrow at her and pointed his wand at her
chest hissing a spell that made the pain dissipate immediately.
"You do make them quite the target" Harry retorted eliciting another
flush from the auror who tried to control it but failed miserably. She
was not used to being made to feel this way it was her who usually
embarrassed other people and made them flush. She crossed her
arms and huffed, scowling at Harry who just let a snort of laughter
pass and shook his head at her antics.
Andromeda turned to her grandfather and addressed the man, still
surprised by all she had seen.
"Why couldn't I wake her?" she asked confused.
"The boy is a lot more powerful than you" Arcturus answered matterof-
factly.
"But he is fifteen" she said exasperatedly.
"And he has already been through his magical maturity" the older
man explained.
"Already" Sirius cut in sounding concerned, "But that shouldn't
happen for at least a few more years" he pointed out.
"He is hardly the average wizard is he?" Arcturus asked rhetorically.
"How long did it last?" Andromeda asked.
"Potter" Arcturus called, garnering the boys' attention. "How long did
your maturity last?" he asked.
"11 days" Harry answered shrugging.
"11" Sirius yelped, "mine was only 5 and James's was 6" he said
despondently.
"Mine was 5" Andromeda added in awe.
"5 for me too" Ted chimed in.
"Nymphadora's was 6 I think" Andromeda said quietly. "How powerful
is he?".
"Powerful enough to drive away 100 dementors" Sirius said in
realisation. "When he was 13" he added.
Andromeda scoffed.
"A 13 year old producing a corporeal patronus is one thing but
driving off that many dementors too?" she asked.
"He saved my life doing it" Sirius said quietly.
"I don't believe it" Andromeda said shaking her head. "It's just not
possible" she finished.
"Harry" Sirius called, still quietly. "Can you show us prongs?" he
asked.
Harry looked a little nervous and sheepish before he answered his
godfather. He didn't want to disappoint the man but he couldn't give
him what he wanted.
"It's not prongs anymore" Harry whispered.
"What do you mean" Sirius questioned worriedly.
"It's changed now and it's a she" he said looking at Arcturus who
nodded in recognition.
"Can I see?" Sirius asked.
Harry swallowed but nodded and thought of the picture currently sat
on his bedside table.
" Expecto Patronum" he whispered and his now familiar Thestral
appeared in a burst of the brightest white light and a heat that
warmed the entire room.
"Incredible" Andromeda said in awe reaching out to touch the
creature. "You can actually touch her" she added just above a
whisper.
"A Thestral" Sirius said in surprise with a frown which quickly
changed to raised eyebrows that almost disappeared in to his
hairline. "Aunt Dorea?" he asked Arcturus who nodded solemnly.
"The boy knew nothing of his family at all" he spat bitterly. "But I told
him all about his Grandparents, it's up to you to tell him about his
parents" he informed Sirius.
Sirius nodded knowing it is something he owed Harry and himself.
He had barely spoken about James and Lily for fifteen years and
there was no one he would rather discuss them with than his
godson.
"Your wand" Sirius suddenly said loudly to Harry. "It was broken and
Dumbledore has the pieces" he added. "What is that?" he asked
looking at the wand still in Harrys' hand.
The rest of the room turned their attention to the mentioned wand
and looked at it in confusion.
"What is it made of?" Andromeda asked eying the implement
curiously.
Harry looked at Arcturus who glared at everyone in the room staring
at the boy's wand. A wand was a personal thing and not something
that should be asked about regardless of how curious it appears.
"You don't have to answer" Arcturus told him firmly still glaring at the
gathered people.
"It's ok" Harry said. "They can't use it anyway" he added in
amusement. "The outter is made of white ash infused with obsidian"
he began.
"That's a Black trait" Sirius interrupted "But it should be a focus stone
and combining those two like that must be very difficult" he surmised,
looking confused.
"The guy couldn't do it that way " Harry said. "The cores are
contradictory so one of them had to be put inside the obsidian like
that so it could bond with the rest of the cores and wood" he
explained what he had been told by the wandmaker.
"What are your cores?" Andromeda asked curiously knowing it was
going to be far from a normal combination.
"Hungarian horntail heartstring and Golden griffin claw" Harry said
and was interrupted again, this time Ted Tonks who whistled.
"That's quite a combination" he said impressed but was cut off by the
teen again.
"Phoenix tears and basilisk venom" he finished quietly.
"Basilisk venom and phoenix tears?" Andromeda asked clearly
surprised. "Having an affinity for one is completely unheard even but
both" she finished shaking her head.
"I have them both in my blood" Harry explained.
"You'd be dead if you had basilisk venom in your blood" Narcissa cut
in sceptically.
"Second year" Harry said darkly. "I got bitten by the snake, Fawkes
healed it and I killed the basilisk with a sword" he added staring at
the woman. "All courtesy of your husband who decided to plant an
artefact belonging to Voldemort on an 11 year old girl" he spat
through gritted teeth at the woman.
Andromeda and Ted looked from Narcissa to Arcturus who nodded.
"I've seen the memory" he confirmed. "However we are here to
discuss what we are going to do next" he said, steering the
conversation back to the business at hand.
"There's not much I can do" Sirius said frustrated. "I'm a wanted
man" he finished.
"Then we need to find the rat" Harry cut in with disgust.
"That is your next project Potter" Arcturus decided. "Bring in the rat"
he added.
Harry couldn't help but feel excited by the prospect of getting hold of
Pettigrew, the rat would not get away this time if he had any say in
the matter. Harry nodded at the older man and smirked at the
opportunity.
"Do not kill him for fuck sake Potter" Arcturus commanded upon
seeing the look. "If not this idiot will spend the rest of his life on the
run" he concluded sternly gesturing towards Sirius.
"Kill?" the youngest Tonks piped up. "You don't expect him to kill
really, do you?" she asked getting a nod of agreement from Sirius
and Ted.
"This is war" Arcturus spat. "You kill or be killed, what, you plan on
stunning everyone?" he asked sarcastically. "Because these
bastards won't be firing stunners I can promise you that" he ground
out.
"Dumbledore won't like that" Tonks pointed out nervously.
"Tough shit" Arcturus spat. "I am not Dumbledore and Dumbledore is
not fucking in charge of anyone who opposes these bastards, if you
listen to him you will die" he finished exasperatedly.
"You're all insane" Narcissa whispered quietly. "He is going to kill you
all, you don't stand a chance" she added shaking her head.
Before anyone could say a word Harry stormed over to the woman,
finally having enough of her presence and her attitude. Everyone felt
the temperature of the room drop considerably as the teen made his
way to her and shuddered at the power they could feel radiating from
him.
Harry looked at her in the eyes with a penetrating stare and saw her
pale at his towering figure.
"I am going to kill the bastard and any of the fucking morons who
bear his mark" he spoke dangerously with conviction. "That includes
your prick of a husband and your idiot son if he joins him" he added.
"Do you want to know the type of man your husband is?" he asked
rhetorically.
Narcissa simply could not answer and she was frozen with fear. She
could feel her body shaking and lip trembling at how intimidated she
was. She had only ever felt this kind of fear in the presence of the
Dark Lord and she did not like it. She believed every word the boy
was saying, she could see the sincerity in the emerald fire-filled eyes
of him.
She swallowed deeply and waited for him to continue hoping he
would let her leave. He knew she could not breathe a word to
anyone and she just hoped he would remember that.
"Your husband and his friends watched and taunted a 14 year old as
he was tortured over and over again by that cunt" he spat. "They
laughed and spurred him on seeing it as entertainment" he added
quietly. "And believe me I will tear them all limb from limb and piss on
whatever is left" he finished through gritted teeth.
Narcissa was horrified at how feral the young man looked and knew
he meant every word he was saying. Before she could even fathom
replying the cold look left the boys' face and he looked his normal
self.
"But don't worry Mrs Malfoy" Harry added casually. "I will make sure
you get whatever remains of your husband" he warned in what
seemed a joyful and condescending tone that only the woman in
front of him detected the promise within. "Now get out" he
commanded once again reverting back to his cold tone.
Narcissa spared only a small glance at her family before exiting the
room as quickly as possible, watched the entire time by the Potter
boy. Harry just curled his lip in distaste at the woman before turning
to look at the other occupants of the room who all had fearful looks
on their faces.
"Damn Harry" Sirius finally managed to utter. "You're terrifying" he
added getting nods of agreement from the Tonks family.
"I meant every word" Harry replied quietly.
Arcturus looked at the young man appraisingly and had no doubt
about the boys' ability and intentions. He was silently impressed and
couldn't be prouder of him.
'Just like Charlus' he thought to himself nodding slightly.
"Where do we go from here?" Andromeda asked everyone in the
room.
"Potter will get the rat" Arcturus reaffirmed indicating Harry who just
nodded. "You and your husband keep your eyes and ears open and
start preparing a case for this moron" he added gesturing to Sirius.
"And you two" he said pointing at Tonks and his grandson. "I want to
know what Dumbledore knows, he may be an old fool but he knows
more than he lets on" he concluded.
"He doesn't tell us much" Sirius answered. "But he has members of
the order guarding something in the department of mysteries" he
explained.
"Does he?" Arcturus questioned scratching his chin. "Something he's
after?" he asked.
Sirius and Tonks could only nod not being sure what exactly was
being guarded.
"Find out what it is, it is obviously important" he commanded.
"Anything else?" he asked.
"How was the funeral?" Harry asked quietly to Tonks and Sirius who
looked confused.
"What funeral?" Sirius asked looking at Tonks who shrugged.
"Hagrid's'" Harry answered frustrated. "Don't tell me no one knows"
he finished agitatedly.
"Know what" Sirius asked equally frustrated.
"About the giants" Harry sighed exasperatedly. "We saw them, about
twenty of them and they had killed Hagrid and Maxime" he explained
to the duo.
"Hagrid's dead?" Sirius asked dumbly. "But Dumbledore would have
told us that" he mumbled quietly looking sad.
"He obviously doesn't know" Harry huffed in realisation. "You have to
tell him, He and Hagrid were good friends" he finished sadly thinking
of the half giant.
"I will pup" Sirius said, swallowing. "I'm sorry, I knew you were close
to him" he added sincerely.
"It happens" Harry replied shrugging. "It will happen a lot more
before this is done with" he concluded.
"What should we tell Dumbledore?" Tonks asked.
"Tell him you were seeing me" Harry said firmly.
"That will work" Arcturus agreed. "Say Potter told you to come alone
or he wouldn't show" he instructed.
The other two nodded and prepared to leave. "How will we contact
you?" Sirius asked.
"You won't" Arcturus commanded. "Unless it is an emergency then
you call for his elf Dobby, but only if it is urgent, understood?" he
asked.
They nodded, Sirius a lot more reluctantly but he did agree, it was
much easier this way and they would less likely be found out. With
that they both took hold of Sirius' return portkey and left.
Andromeda and Ted both bid their farewells and left also, leaving
Harry and Arcturus alone with the goblin.
"That went as well as can be expected" Arcturus said. "You handled
yourself well Potter, you should be proud of your performance" he
praised the teen.
Harry just looked at the man impassively before replying.
"That wasn't a performance" he intoned sincerely and with that he
disappeared with a gentle pop.
Arcturus looked at the goblin with raised eyebrows and got a shrug
in return.
"Young Potter is quite something isn't he?" the goblin asked.
"He is indeed" Arcturus replied shaking his head and following Harry
home in the same fashion.
(BREAK)
Sirius and Tonks arrived in the hallway at Grimmauld Place and
silently made their way to the kitchen. They walked in on what was
clearly an unscheduled meeting of the order and the room fell silent
at their entrance.
"It's nice of you to join us" Dumbledore broke the silence sounding
amused with a twinkle in his eyes.
Before Sirius or Tonks could reply the shrill tone of Molly Weasley cut
through the room.
"Sirius Black!" she screeched. "Where on earth have you been" she
asked with her hands on her hips.
Sirius felt immediately irritated by the overbearing woman and
interrupted before she could begin her lecture.
"Not that it is any of your concern but I went to see my godson" he
replied coldly.
"You saw Harry" Molly asked, forgetting the scolding she wanted to
give the man. "Well where is he?" she added looking between the
two new arrivals.
"Clearly he's not here" Sirius responded gesturing around the room.
"Well why didn't you bring him back?" she questioned angrily. "You
should have made him come back with you, he's just a boy and he
needs looking after" she finished in a scolding tone.
"pfft, yeah right" Tonks added quietly.
Before she could be questioned Sirius intervened on her behalf.
"Harry does not want to be here, he is safe" he said attempting to
placate the distraught woman. "And believe me we couldn't make
him come back if we wanted to" he grumbled shaking his head.
"What's that supposed to mean" Molly asked the duo who shared a
knowing look.
"It means that Potter would wipe the floor with any of us who tried"
Tonks explained. "Believe me, I know" she concluded remembering
her duel with the teen.
"Surely you're exaggerating" Bill Weasley interjected.
"I wish I was" Tonks mumbled in reply. "I doubt even Moody would
stand a chance" She added indicating the auror.
Moody looked excited by the prospect of that kind of challenge. "Aye,
you think that?" he growled.
"I know that" Tonks replied. "He does things that I've never seen and
you can't hit him" she said clearly frustrated. "And his power is just
something else, he's already had his maturity" she added to those
with confused looks. "Eleven days it lasted" she finished shaking her
head.
"Eleven days" Dumbledore mused thoughtfully. "Mine was only nine
and didn't start until I was 17" he added looking amused.
All the occupants in the room looked surprised by the information
and shocked by the addition of what Dumbledore had said.
"He's really that powerful?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked in awe.
"And faster than a hiccup" Sirius added seriously.
"How is he?" Dumbledore asked sincerely. "What has he been
doing?".
"Training, obviously" Sirius began. "He's bigger than me and he's not
a boy anymore" Sirius said sadly. "Whatever happened to him in that
graveyard turned him into a man and a hell of a man at that" he
added. "But he is ok, he has never looked better and healthier" he
finished addressing Dumbledore.
Dumbledore was relieved to say the least. It was not often he
allowed himself to form a close attachment with a student but Harry
was different and had proven it time and time again. Dumbledore
truly cared for the boy and wanted nothing more than for Harry to
find some happiness in life, happiness he had always been denied.
"I'm pleased" he said simply.
"You're not going to try and bring him back?" Molly asked
incredulously.
"You heard yourself that it wouldn't be possible" Dumbledore replied.
"And I wouldn't force him if I could" he said sternly. "All we can do is
support him when he needs it and he will need it" he added
confidently. "The outcome of this war hinges on Harry and it is up to
him to end it" he concluded.
"You can't be serious Albus" Molly interjected. "I thought you were
joking before but you really mean it don't you? You mean for Harry to
kill him?" she asked disbelievingly.
"I do" the older man replied firmly. "It is the only way" he added
sadly.
"Really, Headmaster?" Snape cut in. "You still think that Potter will
win this war?" he asked in frustration.
Before Dumbledore could answer Sirius interrupted his childhood
nemesis.
"Not only has Harry vowed to kill that bastard, Snivellus, he has his
sights set on anyone who has the mark" he said with no small
amount of glee in his voice. "He says he wants revenge for what has
been done to his family and himself" he finished putting emphasis on
the word family.
"Well I don't believe a word of it" Snape spat. "He's just an arrogant
and insolent whelp just like his father" he concluded.
"He's nothing like James" Sirius said a little sadly. "He's nothing like
Lily for that matter" he added. "He is much more like Charlus" he
said frowning.
"Then god help anyone who stands in front of him" Minerva
whispered with a shudder.
Those who were not aware of the older Potter's reputation just
shrugged and those who were felt a little easier knowing Harry was
fighting the good fight. Moody and Dumbledore shared a knowing
nod.
"Let's hope you don't run into him on one of your raids Snape"
Moody growled in amusement. "If he is anything like his grandfather
then he will not hesitate to kill you and believe me it won't be
pleasant" he advised, smirking
"What was so great about Harrys' grandfather?" Bill Weasley asked.
"Charlus Potter was probably the toughest bastard in centuries to be
born to the wizarding world" Moody explained. "He fought against
Grindelwald personally and had a reputation of taking no prisoners.
He came and taught us for a while when I was a cadet" he mused.
He shook his head at the painful memories of the training.
"Even Albus himself wouldn't want to fight him, isn't that right?" he
asked the older man in amusement.
Dumbledore just shook his head.
"I had very little to do with Charlus but no I would not have wanted to
cross wands with him" he admitted.
"Would have been a hell of a fight" Moody said sounding
disappointed.
"Harry has a new wand then" Dumbledore stated to Sirius and
Tonks, changing the subject.
"He does" Sirius replied. "It is very unique but I won't discuss it
without his permission" he said firmly.
"Of course" Dumbledore agreed inclining his head. "Before we wrap
up is there any other business?" he asked.
"Yes" Sirius sighed in a subdued manner. "Hagrid and Maxime's
mission was a failure, Harry came across the giants here and they
had killed them both Albus" he finished sombrely.
"Very well" Dumbledore said swallowing sadly, his eyes immediately
shining with tears at the loss of his friend. "Meeting adjourned" he
added, leaving instantly.
"Shouldn't we go after him?" Molly asked worriedly.
"No lass" Moody said shaking his head. "He will want to be alone a
while" he added patting the woman on the shoulder.
With that the meeting broke up and only the Weasleys' remained.
"What is Harry up to?" Molly asked gently, not wanting to annoy
Sirius.
"Well as of now he is hunting for a rat" Sirius answered happily.
"A rat?" Molly asked.
"All will become clear soon enough Molly" Sirius replied. "Goodnight"
he added to the confused trio and he left the kitchen to head to his
room for a much needed good night sleep