CHAPTER 2:

A SIRIUS DISCUSSION

Silence reigned once more, only to be broken by Hercule. "Perhaps it is best that I start at the beginning, no? Context is important in my line of work. The case of Sirius Black has been one of considerable curiosity to me for some time. It is one of the reasons why Madame Bones invited me over."

"Who?"

Hercule clicked his tongue in annoyance. "You know so little about such important parts of your world, n'est ce pas? Dumbledore did say that you lived with Muggles, but I thought he may have taught you about important figures. It may have not occurred to him to do so. Amelia Bones is the head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement in Britain. A Muggle equivalent would be a head of a police force. Her niece goes to Hogwarts, I am told."

Enlightenment dawned. "I think I know of her. Susan Bones, she's in Hufflepuff."

"Oui, that is her. Madame Bones has hired me for a number of cases previously. A most stern woman, but one of the most just, not like her predecessor. But where was I? Yes, Sirius Black. To begin, let us look at the Black family. Many consider their reputation to be as black as their name. I can name at least two confirmed Death Eaters who came from the Black family: Bellatrix Lestrange, née Black, a most vile woman, and Regulus Black, who is, or was, Sirius' brother, and disappeared during the last period of the Dark Lord's reign of terror. By the way, please take note: many of those who call…Voldemort the Dark Lord are Death Eaters or sympathisers. I only use the term because the other terms are so cumbersome, no?"

Harry nodded. "Hercule…did you know that Voldemort was an assumed name?"

Hercule blinked at Harry, in surprise. "In fact, Harry, I did know. I found it so strange that such a wizard would appear seemingly from nowhere. Finding out his true identity was hard, given how many records he destroyed. In the end, it was a coincidence, but one I confirmed. Acting on what was admittedly a hunch, I looked at students attending the school during the Chamber of Secrets fiasco in the Forties. Having learned about Hagrid and the young man who blamed him, I found myself struck by something in the young man's name. I enjoy crosswords in both English and French, they sharpen the mind, and cryptic crosswords sometimes use acronyms of the words hidden in the clues. It occurred to me that, if you arranged certain letters in this student's name, you got 'Lord Voldemort'."

"Tom Marvolo Riddle. 'I am Lord Voldemort'."

"Exactly. How do you know?"

"It's a long story, and I'm not sure I'm allowed to talk about it. But I thought we could call him Tom, if you're still afraid of the name."

"Merci. It is a good idea, though it would not do well to advertise this name. Let us call him Riddle, actually, in order to not confuse Tom, our host here at the Leaky Cauldron. Dumbledore has told me of some of what happened in the last school year, when the Chamber of Secrets was opened again. To kill a Basilisk and survive is a feat few have replicated. But back to Black. His family often espoused the blood purity doctrine Riddle used, despite being, from what I know, a half-blood. An ironic thing, no? The Black family motto is French: Toujours pur, or 'Always pure'. Not all of them are bad, you must understand. Indeed, your own grandmother(1) was a Black, Dorea Black, who married Charlus Potter. And Andromeda Black, a cousin of Sirius, was disowned because, despite being in Slytherin, she married a Muggleborn wizard by the name of Theodore Tonks. Of course, all Blacks have been Sorted into Slytherin, save for one: Sirius. For some reason, he was Sorted into Gryffindor."

"And there, he met my father."

"Oui. Your father and Sirius formed a quartet of students who played pranks, and they were, by all accounts, inseparable friends. Besides your father and Sirius, there was one Remus Lupin, and then there was one Peter Pettigrew. Your father also pursued your mother, and she was not appreciative of his efforts, at least until he stopped trying to impress her, and actually changed into the man he became. All four of those students, as well as your mother, became involved in the fight against Riddle. But rumours spread of a spy within the group Dumbledore founded to fight against Riddle, the Order of the Phoenix. In addition, Riddle began to target your family in particular even more. Eventually, Dumbledore decided to use the Fidelius Charm, whereupon a place can be hidden from everyone, and I do mean everyone, save for those who have been made privy to the secret by the Secret Keeper, someone chosen to keep the location secret. Sirius Black let it be known very conspicuously that he was the Secret Keeper. And then, on October 31st, 1981, well, you know what happened. The Secret Keeper betrayed the Potters. Riddle attacked, and you were the only survivor. And it is here that the story begins to become most strange."

"What's so strange? He betrayed my parents, didn't he?" Harry demanded. He felt angry at Sirius Black. And yet, there was something in Hercule Delacour's eyes that told him otherwise.

"Oui, that is what the Wizarding World believed. And yet, there are inconsistencies. Black was the first to arrive on the scene, and had found you. He was then found by none other than Monsieur Hagrid, whom you may know. Black was told by Hagrid to hand the child over, which, by all accounts, he did so. Not without protest, but if he was truly Riddle's spy, why would he hand you over? Why not attempt to kill Hagrid and you? He even lent Hagrid his motorcycle, an enchanted device that could fly, to allow him to get away easily. Unless Sirius was completely unhinged, and this is still a possibility I cannot rule out, his actions do seem to contradict his reputation."

Harry frowned. When Hercule put it like that, it didn't quite make sense. "And…if he was a Secret Keeper, why go out of his way to brag about it?"

"Bien. You ask the right questions, questions that I do not have answers to yet. Keep in mind that I am not ruling out the possibility that Black betrayed your parents, but I am questioning the circumstances and the evidence. I was told these things by Dumbledore, who heard them from Hagrid. What happened next, however, is perhaps most damning, and yet confusing. Sometime after, there was a confrontation between Sirius and Peter Pettigrew. The witnesses, those that survived, were Muggles who heard Pettigrew loudly accusing Sirius of betraying your parents. Then, there was an explosion, apparently caused by a single curse. When the dust settled, twelve Muggles were dead. All that was left of Pettigrew was but a single finger. Sirius survived, physically unharmed. But mentally? He was laughing, apparently crazed, when the Aurors arrested him. He was soon sent off to Azkaban. And this, Harry, is where the story truly gets strange."

"How?"

"Many things, though some I need to confirm. However, from what I have been able to gather, nothing more of Pettigrew was found, save for his finger. And yet, surely there would be more? They were apparently able to identify parts from the Muggles who had been caught in the blast, and they were certainly more intact. I have wracked my brains to consider what spell, or a combination of spells and circumstances, that may have caused this. It does not mean that the events are impossible, but there are inconsistencies most strange. You noted one yourself: a Secret Keeper would not declare themselves to be such, not so conspicuously. And the actions of Sirius at Godric's Hollow do not quite fit the story." Hercule steepled his fingers, his eyes boring into Harry's own. "Monsieur Holmes says that it is a mistake to theorise before one has all the facts. I disagree. It is better to have multiple theories that fit the evidence, and modify them as new evidence comes in. Theories provide pathways for further investigation. What Holmes should have said is that one should not become tied down to one theory, that one should be flexible with theories, and not facts. And even a fact can prove to have a different meaning beyond the one you think."

"So what do you think happened?"

Hercule shook his head. "Do not ask me, for I have a number of theories. None of them may be correct, or one may be entirely correct, or one may be partially correct, but needs modification. I am seeing Madame Bones tomorrow. I need to see for myself if some of my suspicions are correct." He got to his feet. "I think I will be seeing more of you before long, no? Take care, Harry Potter. And remember your promise. From what I am told, you are a Gryffindor, and yet, you asked a question many a Ravenclaw has not, no? Au revoir, Harry."

"Thank you, Mr Delacour," Harry said. "And goodbye." He offered his hand, which the man took and shook.

Hercule nodded, and then took his leave. Harry then went to Tom to confirm his room, the one that Fudge had reserved for him. Things were interesting again, this year, albeit in a rather dark way…

The hotel was a luxurious Muggle one. Though very much people of the Magical World, the Delacour family were not strangers at all to Muggle technology. This was part of the reason Hercule Delacour had been considered a maverick within the French Aurors: he advocated using Muggle techniques alongside magical ones. Sometimes, he swore that his former colleagues would believe phrenology was still a good idea(2).

When Hercule arrived at the hotel, his family was already in their luxurious suite, in the sitting area. Gabrielle was reading Le Schtroumpf Financier(3), while Apolline was reading the latest issue of The Daily Prophet, and snorting with derision every now and then. Fleur was doing sketches in a sketchbook she often took with her on holiday. Hercule noted, to his surprise, that Fleur was doing a sketch, from memory, of Harry.

"Can you believe this rubbish?" Apolline sneered, waving her copy of The Daily Prophet at Hercule. "It is sensationalist garbage, as bad as some of the papers back home! And it's the so-called premiere magical newspaper of this country!"

"How is it as an information source, darling?" Hercule asked.

"Biased at best. In fact, the article about Black is the most objective piece in it, and it's so damned brief anyway!" Apolline bit back expletives, as Gabrielle was present, and it wouldn't do to swear in front of the young girl. Calming herself, she asked, "How was your talk with Harry?"

"Good. I had him promise not to seek out Black, but he also understands that there may be doubts. He did point out that Black acted rather conspicuously for a Secret Keeper. He is more perceptive than he seems. Maybe he may become an Auror himself one day." He turned his attention back to Fleur's sketch. "That is an excellent sketch, Fleur. He left an impression on you."

"He has a nice manner, for a little English boy," Fleur replied. "The allure still affected him, but he also tried to be polite. He made a decent effort, I suppose. But…Papa, there is something wrong with him. I'm not saying he is bad or anything. If anything, he at least has some chivalrous qualities, for what he said about that idiot who badmouthed you and Maman. But…did you see his eyes?"

"Yes, Fleur. We didn't fail to," Hercule said quietly.

"What is wrong with Harry Potter's eyes?" Gabrielle asked, looking up from her book.

"Did you understand what he was talking about when we were on the bus, Gabrielle?" Apolline asked.

"No. My English is not good yet. I heard something about an aunt and a balloon."

"Well, my little angel, Harry's guardians are not nice to him. Not all relatives are loving to each other."

Gabrielle looked at Fleur. "Like Juliette?" she asked.

"Maybe," Fleur said.

For a moment, Gabrielle was silent. Then, she said, with considerable understatement, "That's bad."

Trying to change the subject slightly, Apolline said, "Maybe you should send that to him. We can borrow an owl. He might even appreciate the correspondence. And it would give you an opportunity to improve your written English."

"It does not need improving," Fleur declared haughtily.

"That's not what your teachers told me," Hercule said with a smile. "In any case, you are curious about the Boy Who Lived, are you not?"

"Yes. But he could not have defeated You Know Who himself, could he? As an infant?"

"I suspect his parents had a hand in that," Hercule said. "I believe he is uncomfortable with his fame, and understandably so."

"I could see that," Fleur said. "He hates attention. I understand how that feels." The teenaged part-Veela seemed rather solemn. "Oh, very well. I will write to him. It might be interesting to see what he says when the allure is not affecting him."

Hercule smiled at his daughter, but inwardly, he was still troubled. Dumbledore was no fool, so why was he leaving Harry in what had to be a troubled home at the very least?

He would have to consider that matter later. Right now, his concerns were with Sirius Black, which was why he was going to see Amelia Bones tomorrow, and find out the details of Black's trial. Always assuming, of course, that he had had one…

CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:

A dialogue and exposition-heavy chapter. Apologies for that. But I wanted Hercule to point out the inconsistencies in Sirius' case. He doesn't truly believe Black is innocent, but he has his doubts. What Hercule's theories are will be examined in the next chapter, as he discusses matters with Amelia Bones. I also wanted to develop the other Delacours' characters. Fleur I viewed as being a bit like a French, female Darcy (yes, I have actually read Pride and Prejudice, and I have to say, Mrs Bennett pisses me off something fierce): cold and aloof, but a decent person beneath that façade. Fleur isn't sure whether Harry's defence of her parents was sincere (it is), but she also sees a little of herself in Harry: hating being the centre of attention, and believing that others can't see the true person behind the façade. This, then, is the seed of their relationship.

Gabrielle's allusion to a friend is by no means canonical, and I made it up on the fly. However, for anyone curious, Juliette was a friend of Gabrielle's from Beauxbatons (I presume, given that Gabrielle may be in the school during The Goblet of Fire, that they start teaching children far earlier than at Hogwarts) who suffered from emotional and psychological abuse from her parents, who are the extreme version of the sort who want their children to overachieve. Gabrielle was her first friend, and managed to get the truth out of her. Hercule, upon prompting from Gabrielle, investigated. Unfortunately, there was no happy ending, something Gabrielle, understandably, had a hard time comprehending: Juliette's parents removed her from Beauxbatons, and have her privately tutored.

If, through this fanfic, I display my complete and utter ignorance of French culture and mindset to any actual French natives, I only ask that I be forgiven for it. And please keep in mind that this may be the last update for a while: I've managed to get back into the writing groove for my Borderlands 2 fanfic, Hooked on a Feeling.

Review-answering time! diagonalpumpkin: I haven't actually watched an entire episode of Poirot from beginning to end, though I have to say that, thanks to a family member enjoying the series, I have probably watched the equivalent of three or four episodes. That being said, I have read at least two books featuring Poirot: Murder on the Orient Express, and Curtain. The latter fascinated me because of the central conceit of the murderer. I wanted to try and tone down the arrogance of Poirot in giving his qualities to Delacour. I couldn't get rid of it from Fleur: her aloofness and arrogance is a key part of her character in The Goblet of Fire, at least until Harry saves Gabrielle in the Second Task.

Mangahero18: Thanks for your praise, and I hope you enjoy this story. Just to be a pedant, though, my name has no 'quarter' in it. Look up 'Bernard Quatermass' on Wikipedia. That's where I got the name from.

Cartman1701: There was some coincidence: that of the Delacours being on the Knight Bus on the very night Harry uses it. As for your opinion on bashing, I agree wholeheartedly. One thing I detest about bashing is the very phenomenon you yourself describe: turning these characters into evil caricatures of themselves. I don't mind flaws being pointed out, but there is far too often taking flawed characters apart without putting them back together. I even discuss this on my profile as one of my pet peeves. I hope how this fanfic develops is to your liking. It's still going to be a fairly dark work, dealing with injustice and the lack of happy endings real life has, but it will still have a happy ending. Assuming I get that far, anyway.

Stormbow: Thank you. And yes, I should have really thought about it. When I said racism, I meant more based on ethnicity (skin colour and religion) than nationality, being an idiot like I am. And you were right, Ginny and Molly were frankly being bitches towards Fleur. Fleur didn't help matters at times, though. She doesn't lose her haughtiness completely, she just gets better.

Friaku: Wow, I'm surprised to have a story called 'a breath of fresh air'. Especially a fanfic, which is recycled from other people's concepts. Don't get me wrong, I'm pleasantly surprised. Thanks again. :)

EDIT: I edited this chapter in response to a couple of reviews. Asherit pointed out that a more appropriate term instead of 'bon' for a French person to say was 'bien', so I edited the particular piece of dialogue accordingly. In addition, a Guest reviewer pointed out a very stupid mistake of mine: I called Susan Bones the daughter of Amelia, not the niece as she is in canon. D'oh! I've made the appropriate changes, but have noted them here. Thanks for pointing out the errors, guys. Asherit, I'm sorry, but I thought 'bon' was the right thing, as I have heard Poirot use it in what I thought was a similar context. And Guest, whoever you are, thanks for a badly-needed correction. I done goofed. :(

1. What relation Dorea Black is to Harry is pretty murky in canon. I decided to plump, rather uncreatively, for making her his grandmother, and thus James' mother.

2. Phrenology is the discredited so-called 'science' of determining personality traits from the shape of the skull. It's BS, and thus, would probably still be popular in the Wizarding World.

3. French for Finance Smurf, the latest volume (at the time this is set, in 1993) of The Smurfs, which is, believe it or not, a Belgian comic. I nearly had her reading Asterix, but I thought The Smurfs might be a bit more suitable to someone of Gabrielle's age. Of course, I haven't actually read one of the comics, so it might be that I have her reading a book that is more advanced than she should be reading, in which case, I apologise for my ignorance.