A/N: So, it's been... two years since I last updated this story? And for that, I'm truly sorry. However, in order to make up for that, I've decided to finish it, because I can't just leave you guys hanging like that. That'd be cruel. Anyways, this story is done. I don't know if I'll add to it, but I might. I rather like this 'verse, to be honest. Please keep in mind that this is a total AU, so things will decidedly not go as they did in the books. Thanks for being so patient with me.
Yours,
Late For The Sky
It took until that Monday for everything to come together. By then, Sirius was starting to itch for action, and chafed at being kept in the confines of the Den. The Flock concentrated on their work and patrols, with Kit acting as a central hub for advice and directions. It allowed her to keep an eye on Sirius as well, which helped matters greatly. They had just finished lunch when the portrait of Grand Master Arcturus called out to them.
"Training Mistress Columbia? The Caretaker and Professor Lupin are ready for you and your Flock in the meeting chamber," he said. "Whenever you're ready."
Kit looked up from where she was doing the handwashing and then nodded. "Thank you, Grand Master," she said, finishing up the plate she'd been washing and then setting it aside in the drying rack. She dried off her hands before turning to her Flock. "Alright, everyone, let's go. Sirius, you're going to stay with Remus. No offense, but I don't want you messing this up. You're going to stay with him in his office until this is over and done with, understood?"
"But-!"
"No buts," Kit said firmly as she drew her hood up to cover her head, donning the role of Mistress Columbia as she did so. "I'm not letting revenge get in the way of proper justice." She looked at the others. "Black out your robes and hoods up, please."
She led the way in example, activating a rune on the inside of her left sleeve with a simple murmured activation word, turning them a dark black that would pass casual inspection. The others followed suit, and once they were all ready, Columbia went down the tunnel and then through the portrait hole. Just as Grand Master Arcturus had said, both Flitwick and Lupin were waiting for them in the meeting chamber.
"Professore Lupin," Columbia said with a small nod of greeting. "Keeper Flitwick. This is the rest of Star Flock."
"Training Mistress Columbia," Flitwick replied. "Star Flock."
"Sir." Aquila bowed shortly. "Where are they holding the demonstration?"
"In one of the outer main courtyards. Follow me; I'll take you there." Flitwick looked at Sirius. "You'll need to be Disillusioned on the way to Remus' office."
Sirius wrinkled his nose at that. "Ugh. Fine." He held still while Remus activated the charm, and then followed his old friend out of the meeting chamber. Flitwick led the way to the courtyard where the large- and currently empty -courtyard where the demonstration was going to take place. It had been cleared of any benches or plants, which Columbia approved of. She turned to the Flock once they reached the center of the courtyard.
"Alright," she said, "Aquila, Gemini, Orion, we'll be going up on the roofs of the passageways and keeping an aerial watch with our Notice-Me-Not runes active. The rest of you, blend with the students. Keep at the edges of the crowd. Stay quiet and only watch unless necessary. Understood?"
There was a chorus of agreement before everyone dispersed, heading to their posts. Flitwick took care of the binding circle while Columbia climbed up to the roof of the nearest walkway, activating the correct rune activated. She settled into a crouch, making sure her bracers were free. Karish landed on her shoulder. As long as he was in contact with her, he was covered by the Notice-Me-Not spell. Once Flitwick was done setting everything up, he sent a message to McGonagall and Dumbledore letting them know before going to fetch his class.
The students started filtering in, with Cassiopeia, Lupa, and Deneb blending in at the edges as ordered. Columbia watched Professor McGonagall's raven dæmon swoop over the heads of the gathering students before returning back to his usual perch on her shoulder. Dumbledore was there as well, staying by McGonagall's side. Flitwick came back, chatting amiably with Ron Weasley and a brown-haired girl that Columbia didn't recognize. The girl's dæmon was currently in the shape of an African Gray parrot perched comfortably on her shoulder. Columbia paid the girl no mind, instead focusing on the rat poking out of Ron's pocket. She blinked, letting her magic flow through her as her Eagle Vision activated.
The rat glowed a deep red, while Ron was a neutral blue. Flitwick glowed a deep gold; his fellow professors were blue, though, as they were neutral to the Assassins' cause. Columbia smiled grimly before letting her Eagle Vision fade away. Good. Pettigrew didn't seem to have any idea as to what was going on. Flitwick stepped into the middle of the binding circle, which for the moment was inactive. He waited until everyone was watching before he spoke.
"I'm sure all of you are curious as to what we're doing here," he began, "particularly those of you in the lower years." He smiled. "I figured we might as well take advantage of one of the last nice days of the season and have a practical demonstration today. In some of our most recent classes, both higher and lower years, we've been talking about how Transfiguration and Charms often coincide. This is especially true when using form-changing spells such as the Animagus spell."
Flitwick inclined his head at McGonagall, who smiled slightly. "As Professor McGonagall is an accomplished Animagus herself, she has very kindly agreed to help me in this demonstration today. I know some of you want to become Aurors one day, you'll need to know how to do this. Now, I've laid down what's known as a binding circle. At the moment, it's inactive, but..." He took out his wand and flicked it, activating the runes. "While it's active, Animagi cannot leave its boundaries. Of course, not all binding circles are for Animagi. You have to specify what it is you're binding when you lay the circle down. Much like any other spell, it's all about intent. Wingardium Leviosa is all about the intent of lifting an object. Intent is just as important as pronunciation when casting spells. Professor McGonagall, if you would?"
McGonagall nodded and then changed shapes, shifting smoothly into her feline form. She crossed the circle's boundary, and then, after a few paces, did an about-face and tried to get out. The circle flared into life, keeping her inside. Flitwick nodded before speaking again.
"Of course, with almost every spell, there's a way to reverse it," he said. "To make this demonstration a little less boring, I'll need a few volunteers." He looked at Ron. "Mr. Weasley, Mr. Longbottom, and..." He hummed. "Ah, of course. Mr. Jordan. Do all of you have your pets with you?"
"I do," Ron said, patting his pocket. A round-faced boy in the crowd near Ron produced a toad from his pocket.
"I've got Trevor," Neville said. Flitwick looked at Lee Jordan.
"Mr. Jordan?"
Lee shrugged. "I've got a spider," he said, "but you're going to have to make it so it doesn't escape the circle."
"Don't worry, I will." Flitwick waved his wand, adding the exception just for the spider and nothing else. "Please put your pets in the center of the circle. The reversal spell won't harm them, don't worry," he said when he saw Neville's worried expression. "It's just to add a little spice to the demonstration."
Neville nodded and then carefully placed Trevor in the circle. The toad looked around and then croaked before settling in on the sun-warmed flagstones with every sign of enjoyment. Lee and Ron put their pets in, and Columbia noticed with great satisfaction that the rat seemed worried, turning his head this way and that.
"We'll start with Professor McGonagall, and then I'll show you what happens when the spell is used on a non-Animagus. The spell for the reversal is Corpus Veritas, but if you're talented enough, you can cast it non-verbally. Observe." Flitwick turned and moved his wand in a sharp slashing motion, sending a jet of blue-white light at McGonagall. The light enveloped her, flared, and then faded, leaving her standing in human form where the cat had been.
"Thank you, Minerva." Flitwick bowed to her amidst the smattering of applause from the students. "If you would step to the side?"
McGonagall did so, leaving the path to the three animals free. Flitwick didn't waste any time in casting the spell, leaving Pettigrew for last. Nothing happened to Trevor or Lee's spider, with the light fizzing out harmlessly, but the one that hit Pettigrew flared brightly and then faded, leaving a disheveled man in the place of the rat. He turned to run, but the binding spell kept him from going anywhere. Flitwick immediately cast a restraining spell on him, magically conjured ropes springing to life around his ankles and wrists, sending him and his shrew dæmon to the ground.
The ropes would feed on any magic being used on them, making them stronger and less likely to break. It was an old Assassins' trick, but one used by Aurors as well. Chaos broke out at the sight of Pettigrew, with Ron giving the loudest shout of surprise. Dumbledore had to cast several loud spells over the heads of the crowd before the students quieted. He stepped forward, his wand pointed at Pettigrew.
"Peter Pettigrew," he said, his brow furrowed. "What in Merlin's name were you doing hiding as a rat? How are you alive?"
"I was... I was hiding from Sirius Black!" Pettigrew squeaked, turning over on his back with difficulty thanks to the ropes. "He was going to kill me! Just like he killed James and Lily!"
Columbia snorted softly. Idiot. Like Dumbledore would believe that. The Headmaster was far smarter than that. Dumbledore merely raised an eyebrow.
"If you were hiding from Black, why didn't you come out of hiding once Black was in Azkaban? Why hide for twelve years?" he asked.
"A good question," Flitwick said, stepping forward. "Headmaster, may I say something?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Go ahead, Filius."
"Perhaps it would be better to let the Ministry of Magic ask him that question? After all, if Pettigrew here wasn't killed by Sirius Black, then perhaps those Muggles weren't as well. And since Black is on the run, the only source of information we have is..."
He trailed off, shivering as the already moderately cool day became even colder. Columbia frowned, looking around. It was Orion who spotted what was causing the sudden change in temperature; his low swearing across the Flock's private communication charms was followed by one word: dementors. Columbia immediately took charge, retrieving her wand and readying it, while simultaneously disarming the Notice-Me-Not charm on her robes. It would be useless in a matter of seconds anyways.
"Patronus spells at the ready!" she ordered, summoning up the happiest thought she could on a moment's notice- that of Aquila saying his first actual words to her –and let that feeling well up inside her until she couldn't bear to hold it back any more. Her patronus burst forth from her wand, the silvery and slightly larger-than-life dove soon joined by Orion's bear, Gemini's horse, and Aquila's eagle. The others cast their patronuses as well, herding the smaller children in towards the center of the crowd. Columbia leapt to the ground, landing lightly on her feet; behind her, the others did the same, keeping their wands up.
Their patronuses (which, by that point, had been joined by the teachers') circled around the students, teachers, and Assassins, keeping them safe from the encroaching dementors. Aquila and Orion were on either side of Columbia, watching the dementors warily.
"They must've been drawn by the emotional spike from the students," Orion muttered, his face pale. A few of the students had fainted already, even with the veritable zoo of patronuses encircling them. Columbia nodded.
"Probably," she agreed. "Alright, let's try to drive them away. Deneb, take Lupa and Gemini with you. The rest of you, with me. Start driving them back to the Forest." She looked over at the teachers, switching to her mild Italian accent before speaking again. "Professori, if you would try to get the students back into the castle, please, as well as securing Pettigrew? We will explain everything once the danger has passed."
Flitwick nodded, dispelled the binding circle, cast Petrificus Totalus on Pettigrew, and then levitated the Animagus' immobile body and dæmon. Dumbledore and McGonagall shepherded the students away as Star Flock began to push the dementors back, their patronuses leaping, charging, and diving at the foul beings. It took almost a half hour to drive the dementors away, but once the wraith-like beings had disappeared into the Forest, the Flock returned to the castle.
Columbia sent all but Lupa, Deneb, and Orion back to the meeting room; she didn't like the idea of Dumbledore being anywhere near Aquila. She sent Orion to Remus' office, telling him to stand by until they needed to move Sirius. She kept Deneb and Lupa with her, the two Novices walking a half-pace behind her as they moved upwards to the Headmaster's office. Flitwick was waiting for them in front of the lone gargoyle.
"They're going to call the Ministry over the Floo," he said before turning to the gargoyle. "Walnut fudge." The gargoyle leapt aside, revealing a moving staircase behind it. He led the way up, scooping up his dæmon so she could keep up with him. Dumbledore, McGonagall and Pettigrew were waiting for them there, with Pettigrew freed from the Petrificus spell but otherwise still bound. He'd been put in one of the overstuffed armchairs scattered around Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore himself was at the fireplace, speaking with Kingsley Shacklebolt, or at least, the head and shoulders of the Auror.
Columbia smiled in the shadows of her hood. Kingsley was an ally of the Assassins, though he wasn't one himself. Personally, Columbia thought he would've made a good one, but she wasn't going to fault him for not joining the Brotherhood. Kingsley looked over at her with a wry smile.
"I should have known you'd be involved in this," he said. "Give me a moment. I'm coming through."
He moved back, his head disappearing from the fire. The green flames flickered and then flared high up as Kingsley stepped through them and into the office, his leopard dæmon at his heels. He nodded at Columbia before turning his attention to Pettigrew.
"So," he said, "Peter Pettigrew. Interesting."
Pettigrew stared at Kingsley, unsure of how to react to him. Kingsley withdrew a glass vial from an inner pocket of his robes that was half-full of a clear liquid. Columbia arched an eyebrow.
"Veritaserum? That's hardly reliable," she said. Kingsley nodded.
"I know," he said, "but it's a useful tool nonetheless."
"I won't take it!" Pettigrew insisted, struggling against his bonds. As he did so, his sleeves rode up slightly. "You can't use it on me! That's illegal!"
Orion stepped forward, placing a hand on Columbia's shoulder. "Beg pardon, ma'am, but there's something on his left forearm," he murmured. "You can see it just under the edge of his sleeve."
Columbia hummed and then, before Pettigrew could react more than a sharp "No!" moved forward and shoved his left sleeve up. There, on his forearm, was the Dark Mark, curving dull and red against his skin. Columbia snatched her hand back, Karish flaring his wings and hissing lowly.
"Death Eater!" Columbia snarled, moving back. "I should've known. You betrayed the Potters. You're the reason Lily and James are dead!"
"I had no choice," Pettigrew whined nervously, not liking the sudden dip in mood that the revelation had caused. "The Dark Lord... He's very persuasive. He would've killed me if I hadn't joined him!"
"Then perhaps you should have taken the honorable way out," Columbia said shortly. She turned to Kingsley. "You heard what he said. You've seen the Mark. Is that enough to clear Sirius Black's name?"
"More than enough, given that he admitted it of his own free will and in front of reputable witnesses," Kingsley replied gravely. "He'll be tried before a full court of the Wizengamot, which is more than Sirius Black ever got, and for that, the Ministry owes him the deepest of apologies."
Columbia smiled humorlessly. "I'm sure you can imagine what he'd say to that."
"I can," Kingsley said wryly. He produced his wand and waved it, making shackles appear around Pettigrew's wrists and ankles, with chain connecting them all together. Flitwick ended his own spell, knowing that Pettigrew wouldn't be able to escape from Kingsley, who hauled the Animagus up to his feet. "Come on. You've got a lot of explaining to do." He turned his attention to Dumbledore and McGonagall. "Expect a summons for your testimonies. It would be wise not to mention the involvement of our mutual acquaintance here. Their work is best done in secret."
"We know," Dumbledore replied. "We've encountered one another before. It won't be a problem."
Kingsley threw a handful of Floo powder into the fire, and, once it turned green, announced his destination before taking Pettigrew with him. Columbia took the opportunity to leave, Orion and Deneb following quickly after her. They made their way back to the Den through the meeting chamber, ignoring the curious looks they were getting from the students they passed. Columbia only relaxed when they made it to the Den, some of the tension bleeding from her posture when she saw Sirius was there with Remus.
"It's taken care of," Kit said simply, lowering her hood and shedding the persona of Columbia as she did so. "We did get a nasty shock, though: in addition to being a traitor, Pettigrew is a Death Eater. Kingsley Shacklebolt took him back to the Ministry in chains that will keep him from using his Animagus abilities."
Remus ran a hand over his face as he slumped back in his chair. "Merlin. Peter, a Death Eater? That explains a lot."
"That's what I said," Kit said, sinking down into a nearby chair, Karish taking a perch on the back of it. "All we have to do is wait. For now, the Flock and I will be returning home. Sirius, I'd suggest you stay here until it's safe for you to leave."
"Can't I come with you?" Sirius asked. "Wouldn't it be safe with you?"
"It'll be safer here," Kit told him. "You'll have shelter and food."
"He'd have the same with us." Kit looked up to see Aquila standing nearby. "We have the room back home. We can take him."
"Yes, we could, but he's not part of the Brotherhood," Kit said. She held up a hand to forestall any further arguments. "It'll be better for him to go it on his own for at least a short time."
"I disagree," Aquila said, crossing his arms over his chest stubbornly. "If he comes with us, he'll have access to good food, shelter, and medical care. That would be way better than roughing it on his own. And there are people back home who aren't part of the Brotherhood. Sure, they're in the know, but they don't fight. He doesn't have to fight either. Why not give him somewhere safe to rest and get healthy again where he doesn't have to worry about looking over his shoulder every second of the day? He's not a threat to us. If he was, he would've done something by now. Please, just think about it."
Kit sighed. "You're not going to let this one go, are you?"
Aquila grinned. "Sorry, Mum, not a chance. Besides, I'd like to get to know him better. I have that right."
"Mum?" Remus asked, breaking into the conversation. "He's your son? He looks a bit old for that."
"He's adopted," Kit replied with an idle wave of her hand. "That's not important right now. Look, I'll think it over. We're going to be staying here for one more night. The dementors are too active right now for us to attempt to get into Hogsmeade over land, and we don't have a reliable tunnel into the village. The one under the Willow doesn't count."
"You know about that?" Remus looked surprised.
"Of course. Sirius and James used to tell me stories about what they got up to at Hogwarts when I would visit," Kit said simply. "Like I said, I don't trust that one." She checked her watch. "Lunch time. Huh. I thought it would be later. No matter. We'll take the time to rest and relax. Remus, I'd suggest you return to the castle for now; after all, you have classes to teach."
Remus pushed himself to his feet. "I suppose I do. Alright. I'll keep an eye on the Daily Prophet. Send me an owl if you can."
Sirius got up and drew Remus into a tight hug. "Take care of yourself, Moony."
"You do the same, Padfoot." Remus returned the hug before making his way out of the Den and back to the castle. Sirius watched him go and then returned to his seat, running a weary hand over his face. Kit got to her feet.
"I'm going to make lunch. Want anything?"
Sirius shook his head, his fingers tangling in Avantia's fur. "No thanks. Not right now, anyways."
"Alright." Kit went into the kitchen and began to make lunch, Aquila eventually coming over to help. He gave her a small smile.
"Hey, Mum."
"Ah. Back to being Harry now?"
Harry shrugged. "Might as well. We're going home soon, after all. Lupin didn't seem to be bothered by me. Either that, or he was too distracted by Sirius."
"Likely a mixture of both. Still, as far as we know, everything's been resolved that can be at the moment," Kit said as she chopped up some vegetables. "Pettigrew's in custody and will soon be standing trial, which is more than he deserves."
"It's the right thing to do," Harry replied quietly. "At least that way no one can-"
"If you end that with 'complain', you and I both know that you'll be wrong," Kit interrupted. "People will always find something to complain about, no matter what. Just be thankful we have allies where we do and leave it at that."
Harry nodded, glancing over at Sirius as he did so. "I still think we should bring him with us," he said. "He needs to be with people. He's been alone for twelve years in one of the worst places imaginable. Don't you think it's time that changed?"
Kit worried at her bottom lip as she thought. "Maybe you're right," she murmured, setting down her knife. "Maybe it is time for a change."
"One for the better, hopefully," Harry said.
"Hopefully," Kit agreed before turning back to the vegetables. "Hopefully."
