The Plague Ship

Synopsis: What might have happened if Sirius had been a bit more proactive after the dementor attack on Harry and Dudley? AU, and Hermione had not gone to Grimmauld Place, deciding to spend time with her family. No super-powered Harry.

Timeframe: Starting early August 8, 1995, then continuing afterwards

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Potterverse, so quit asking for loans or donations.

Chapter 2: Landing

A/N: Rather than inflict you with my long-forgotten high-school French, please assume everything in this chapter in italics is in the French language, and is grammatically correct. The French phrase 'Mon vieux' is equivalent to the English 'Old Boy'.

It was about three in the morning at the offices of the National Police (Le Gendarmerie) in Calais. In a small office located off one side of the atrium, which was used as a car-park and broom storage, was a window looking out onto the two cars sitting on the tarmac.

Lieutenant Henri Defense and Sergeant Michel Thibeault were sitting drinking coffee, chatting and waiting for the night shift to end. Most of their officers, both wizards and witches, were over near the docks at the customs building, checking for contraband coming to or going from the busy port. Thibeault was reading a copy of 'Le Quidditch, Aujourd'hui et Demain', when his superior whispered "Mon Dieu! Sacre Merde!"

The Sergeant looked up to see a fully grown hippogriff landing in the car-park. Two men slid down off the back of the magnificent beast and walked directly through the office door. Defense realized immediately that this meant that at least one of the two was very familiar with the office's location, which was purposefully not widely publicized even among the wizarding community.

The elder of the two newcomers bowed to the officers and said "Good evening gentlemen. My godson and I request political asylum. May I enquire if Captain Lelapin is still working out of this office?"

Defense responded, "Good evening, Monsieur. How is it that you know the Captain?"

Sirius said, "I used to be an auror, before I was falsely accused and thrown into prison without a trial. My instructor and I worked several cases with Captain Lelapin, and I hoped 'Bunny' was still around to corroborate my identity. My name is Sirius Black. I understand that you have an outstanding extradition request from the British Ministry of Magic, with an order to administer a 'Kiss on Capture'. My godson and I are fleeing Britain and request political asylum, as we are under threat of death from those people."

Lieutenant Defense smiled as the man before him had used his previous superior's childhood nickname, which was only known to his closest associates. This was strong evidence that this man was who he said he was.

Then Black said, "Messieurs, I ask that you question me and my companion with Veritaserum and record the finding with a witness pensieve. Our lives are at risk and I wish you to have no doubts as to our veracity."

Harry started to say in English "I am …" when Thibeault exclaimed "You are Harry Potter, the Hogwarts seeker and Tri-Wizard champion!" He held up his quidditch periodical. "I have recognise you from the photos. There was great hope for your career in quidditch among we who follow the greatest sport in the world!"

Harry blushed. "I did not know I was known outside Britain. I have never sought fame, but it always seems to be dumped on me. Thank you for your kind words."

Defense looked at the two. "Is there anyone in France that you wish me to contact while we wait for the official channels to decide how to proceed. You must realize that this office cannot by itself grant your request."

Sirius looked unhappy. "I had hoped that Bunny would be available to help. May I ask, is he in good health?"

Defense smiled. "The good Captain was seriously injured in an operation breaking up a cauldron smuggling ring. To recognise his valour in the operation and to aid his recovery, he was promoted and is now the prefect of police on Martinique. Patrolling a tropical paradise. Ha! Nice work if it is available."

Black turned to Harry. "I don't know how much of this you just caught, but the guy that Moody suggested I contact, a senior gendarme I worked with many years ago, is no longer here. Crap! Do you know anyone in France we might contact?"

Harry thought for a minute, and said "The only French people I know are the students from Beauxbatons school who were at Hogwarts last year. I guess the only ones I really know at all would be Fleur Delacour and her sister Gabrielle. Fleur was the Beauxbatons champion in the Tri-Wizards tournament."

Thibeault blanched a bit as he caught the names Harry mentioned. Defense looked at him and nodded. "This certainly changes things a bit."

Turning to Sirius and Harry, he said "I must contact my superiors in Paris in order to initiate your request for political asylum. The names you have mentioned may promote the chances that this will be granted quickly. I do not know if you realise it, or the ladies you mentioned spoke of it, but their father, General Delacour, is a man of some influence. Please gentlemen, sit and I will make the floo call. May I offer you some coffee, tea, butterbeer?"

With this, Sirius' eyes sparkled. "I have not had a cold French butterbeer in fifteen years. I accept your offer with great thanks." Harry nodded as well.

Defense turned to his subordinate, and said "Michel, my old, perhaps you would like to discuss quidditch with Monsieur Potter while I go be 'official'?"

With this, he went over to the office's floo, and initiated his call. "Allo' Bertrand, here it's Henri Defense at the Calais office. Yes, the weather is good. Are you and Giselle coming down for the fishing this year? Splendid."

"Bertrand, we have a situation here, and I need to get in touch with Commander Richard in Diplomatic Affairs. No, nobody killed. No Russians smuggling caviar into England, unfortunately – yes it was rather nice that some of the contraband had to be confiscated for testing of the quality. We have a couple of British refugees. Yes, I agree it is strange, but it is true. One is an escaped convict named Sirius Black, yes that's the one, and the other is Harry Potter. Yes, Harry Potter, the Tri-Wizard Champion. Yes, it is him, Michel recognised him from his magazines. You know what a quidditch nut he is. Of accord, of accord."

"Black says he was an auror, and he knew Capitan Lelapin's nickname –I think he is what he says and apparently he has been here before, because they landed just outside our door. Just outside, right in front of the door, in spite of it being disillusioned. Exactly! No, not brooms, they arrived on a hippogriff. Yes, a hippogriff, a truly magnificent creature, about two metres high at the shoulder. Just a minute, I'll look. Oh. It's prowling around the carpark, and looks like it's hunting - ah, it looks like he caught a rat, or a cat. Something furry and small, anyway. I wouldn't want to be Jacques tonight if we hadn't moved him inside – oh, he's that old drunk that sleeps it off outside in good weather, but they predicted rain so we moved him into one of the cells. He's an old veteran of Algeria who sought refuge in a cognac bottle too many years ago."

"Anyway, Potter says the only French people he knows are Fleur Delacour and her younger sister. Yes. The daughters of the Commissioner. Yes. They are requesting political asylum. You see my problem. Also, the older man, Black, requested that they be questioned with Veritaserum and his words recorded with a witness pensieve. Yes, I feel the same. There is something very serious and kind of strange going on here. This one is way above my paygrade to handle."

"Bertrand, can you please start the ball rolling on the asylum paperwork, and let the appropriate departments know it's coming? Wonderful. Yes, we will hold them here until you get something going there. Thanks, Bertrand, and we'll see you next month."