Gaaaah! I know it has been AGES and I am greatly ashamed but I insist I have NOT given up on my stories no matter how long it takes.
p.s. For some strange reason this chap is in bold. I don't know why, maybe fanfiction is punishing me for taking so long to upload a chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not possess the rights of Harry Potter, even though he does possess my mind...yeah...
Hermione guessed what the ring was the moment she found it on the ground where Mia laid in Knockturn Alley. She planned either to give it to Dumbledore or keep it until the next time she sees Mia; giving the ring to Sirius wasn't a thought that crossed her mind. But the second her grip loosened, fully displaying the ring, his hand went out for it. She couldn't deny his silent request. He appeared so stunned; so perplexed; so marvelled by the ring. It was a moving and upsetting sight.
Not long after Hermione handed the ring over, Madam Pomfrey strode purposefully into her hospital domain, most affronted from the rude manners she received from Cornelius Fudge. On the Headmasters orders, she, Minerva, Professor Snape, Hagrid and Bill Weasley were to prevent the Minister from bringing Dementors into the school; from last year's fiasco with those horrible creatures she agreed to the task wholeheartedly. After giving a check-over to Harry, Ron and Hermione (oblivious to Sirius ogling in awe at the ring), she then strode to her office before letting everyone know that the trio are to stay the night at Dumbledore's request.
Little conversation was made between all, none yet questioning (not even Tonks) Sirius's awed reaction to the ring.
The ring burns Sirius's palm like a hot poker branding its mark. Engrossed by the white gold he finds the coating is immaculate. No scratches or dents are inflicted, the diamond clean cut and sparkly; it is like the day he bought it, every inch of the wedding band perfectly cared for.
The broken neck chain, which he also recognises, isn't anything spectacular; purposely chosen incase an incident like this would occur. Mia always wore her ring as a necklace. It was to not let anyone know she was married. Sirius didn't agree with it of course, but David, Mia's Uncle, was insistent. He didn't want Voldemort to find out about them; he even encouraged Mia multiple times to end the relationship and to not have relationships in general. On occasions Mia considered her Uncles views.
When Sirius began asking her out Mia would refuse, she even refused his proposal at first. But she couldn't refuse him for long; she loved him, and Sirius knew that.
Now though?
Is it out of respect for Sirius that she's kept the ring and wears it? Or could she possibly still hold feelings for him?
Virgo basically said the reason she left was because she loved him. She almost died from the seperation, her powerful magic disappeared; that must mean something!
But should he even believe him? Is what all he said even true?
Dumbledore believes it, but Dumbledore also trusts Snivellus...yet Dumbledore also trusts Remus. But Remus doesn't have a bad bone in his body, he hasn't given any reason not to be trusted unlike Snape and Virgo...and Mia...Yet Dumbledore trusts them.
With Snape, Sirius doesn't give a damn, but Virgo and Mia why does Dumbledore believe them? Why have they gained his trust?
Could the old man have missed Mia so much that he would accept her and Virgo's lies? Or could it be he has a valid reason why he believes their tale?
As he encloses the ring securely into his fist, Sirius bravely hopes for the latter.
Every Auror stands wands drawn in a semi-circle around an undeterred Mia. Kingsley, with Fudges intent, is at the Minister's side; his own calm self at the ready. Even though Cornelius Fudge has protection from some of the most skilful wizards in the Ministry, including the presence of Albus Dumbledore, he cannot help but feel intimated being in Mia's company. She looks at him as if he is a common, unimportant man; not, to which he is, the Minister of Magic. Not like most when they see him she shows no respect.
Casting a hesitant yet dubious glare over her, he turns to Dumbledore.
"I respect there's a shared history between the two of you Dumbledore, but you and your staff have gone against orders and I have every right to charge the lot of you."
"I am sorry you feel I and my staff have offended you Cornelius, but you've left me no choice." Dumbledore plainly replied.
The Ministers eyebrows rose; disappearing under the rim of his fade-green bowl hat.
"'No choice?'" he repeated with shock. "You instructed your staff to stop the Dementors- who I requested to join for your own protection I may add!-for getting into the premises, and for not allowing any Auror's near the children and Lupin so they can be questioned!"
"From the way your Auror's have been acting they have unsettled my students greatly." Dumbledore responded, his annoyance on the subject apparent. "And because they were upset I thought it wise not to allow them and Remus to be questioned just yet. They will of course, but accompanied by me so that kind of behaviour from your men won't happen again within my school."
"Now see here Dumbledore!" Fudge angrily spluttered; waving an accusing pudgy finger at the Headmaster. "Unlike what I can say about Dashwood, I can rightfully declare my men have not harmed any of your students!"
"It was in the manner of how they were treating Ms Dashwood infront of them." Dumbledore coolly replied, unthreatened by the hot and bothered Minister. "From what I heard from the students, as well as others, the treatment Amelia has been receiving is nothing short but atrocious, and to allow that kind of conduct from Ministry Personnel to show such lack of tac-"
"She is a dangerous criminal!" Fudge blustered; eyes bulging with alarm. "The treatment she's been receiving is exactly the way criminals should be treated!"
"Excuse me, but wouldn't you have to commit a 'crime' to be classified as a criminal?" Mia lightly questioned, her feminine voice causing even more tension to ensue inside the classroom. Idly, she set herself ontop of a desk, carelessly swinging her legs. "I've committed no offense," she added, "besides breaking a window in Knockturn Alley, and that building was abandoned. I believe you've been issuing some false advertising about me, Minister!"
Fudges round face turned a light shade of beetroot, but he only looked at Dumbledore.
"With Dashwood being as dangerous as she is certain handlings must be acted to make her imprisonment run as smoothly as possible, even if that means the handling is upsetting. And as for you meeting her alone and unaided, I cannot condone that Dumbledore! No one except the Auror's and the Dementors are to be near her and even then there are limits!"
"Then that excludes you being here..." Mia muttered loudly; casually eyeing her finger nails. Fudge's light beetroot face turned a shade darker.
"Again I apologise," said Dumbledore unapologetically, "but this being my school I have every right to go into whatever room I wish and to bar whoever I want in its premises. Dementors included."
"In this situation Dementors are the only way to bring control." Fudge stated.
"Why not ask me to leave nicely?" Mia quipped.
Face pure red and flustered but still a bit wary of her, Fudge snapped; finally facing Mia, "You are in no position to be imprudent, Dashwood! With the charges brought against you, your sentence will undoubtedly be a bad one!"
"And what are these charges brought against me? I found it difficult reading the print on my wanted posters; they aren't exactly readable." said Mia evenly. "You should get that seen too, my dear Fudge!"
Teeth tightly clenched, Fudge seethed, "You are charged with the disappearance of a Ministry Official Bertha Jorkins, along with being a danger to the public!"
Mia gave a heartless laughed; shaking her head in disbelief. "And what is your evidence that I have something to do with Bertha's disappearance?"
"She vanished not long after you returned!"
"And that's your evidence?" Mia questioned. "Is it not possible, Minister, that around the time I returned you finally realised the woman was missing?"
Fudge's face near resembled an erupted volcano yet he seemed nerved by Mia's remark. Even some of the Auror's showed subtle signs of discomfort.
"I heard through the grapevine she disappeared during her holidays." Mia lightly continued, no longer smiling. "Where did she go again? Albania was it? The place of Voldemort's last known sighting..."
The Auror's and Fudge stiffened; Kinglsey's prepared stance became more alert; and Dumbledore watched Mia intently, a look of warning burning in his eyes but Mia paid no heed to it.
Fudge gaped at Mia like a fish; opening and closing his mouth as though no words could express his outrage while tremors rippled from his cheeks to his neck the second Voldemort's name was spoken.
"You can't deny it's a suggestion, Fudge." Mia coolly stated.
Removing his gaze from Mia, Dumbledore calmly reminded Fudge, "I too have mentioned that Lord Voldemort could be linked to Bertha's disappearance, Cornelius."
Blinking stupidly, Fudged looked to Dumbledore, goggling at him as if the Professor has gone mad.
"He was last heard to be there." Dumbledore added with a small shrug. "Bertha could've easily came across him."
"You-Know-Who...and Bertha?...Preposterous!..." Fudge spluttered dumbly. "I don't believe this...You-You assured me you wouldn't let your history with Dashwood cloud your senses, Dumbledore!"
"And I have not Cornelius, I am merely given you another possible suggestion. So far you have no hard evidence proving that Amelia is linked to this." Dumbledore countered.
"Her powers are enough evidence!" Fudge hotly rebuked.
"If you're going to send people to Azkaban because of their magic ability, then Azkaban is going to need more cells..." Mia smoothly commented with a roll of her eyes.
"She is a danger to the public - to society!" said Fudge loudly to Dumbledore; his pudgy finger now waving condemningly at Mia. "I have to do what is right for the people in the Wizarding World and the Muggle World and allowing her to run amuck, casting Dark marks everywhere and claiming You-Know-Who has returned is not safe!"
"I didn't cause that mess in Knockturn Alley by myself you know. A Death Eater attacked me; the same Death Eater who casted that Dark Mark at the World Cup." Mia informed.
"And do you have a name for this suppose Death Eater?" Fudge questioned somewhat mockingly.
A scowl creased her attractive features. "Like you would believe me..."
A slight smile starkly grazed Fudge's face. "There is no evidence to suggest that you were attacked."
"You think I inflicted this blood on myself?" said Mia, pointing to the dried blood on the side of her face.
"It's more likely than one of your Death Eater friends attacking you. I suppose Dumbledore she told you this cock-and-bull story?" said Fudge looking irritatingly to Dumbledore. "Do you believe this?"
"If the witnesses stories match, then we have no choice but to believe it." Dumbledore rationally answered.
"And they will back my story." Mia affirmed.
"A werewolf's word isn't exactly trustworthy, especially one that was once friends with Dashwood." Fudge said slyly to Dumbledore.
"Remus is reliable." said Mia bitingly; her hands clenching on the tables edge. "And those kids have more sense than you."
Fudge turned angrily to Mia once more; the force almost knocking his bowl hat off. "You could've very easily altered those children's and Lupin's mind!"
"Gave them Veritaserum then!" Mia snapped. "I'm sure Severus has some lying about!"
"That will not prove-!"
"It will prove I haven't touched them!" Mia shouted, jumping off the desk and onto her feet. Kinglsey took a step forward towards Mia while Fudge took a step back. The Auror's too took a step forward, although not as close as Kingsley and not as determined. Dumbledore remained where he was, once again watching Mia intently.
Fudge laughed harshly behind Kingsley. "Ms Dashwood, I know very well you can use your mind to cast spells."
"Then give me the Veritaserum!" Mia barked impatiently. "I do not have the power to repel its potion."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"There's only one way to find out." Mia challenged through gritted teeth.
Staring hardly at each other for a few minutes Fudge finally broke the tense silence.
"Outrageous..." he furiously whispered. "I am not wasting time and valuable potion just to make you happy! You will be sent to Azkaban where you belong. No longer will you be a danger to anybody, especially to Harry who has gone through quite alot during his young life."
"All I care about is Harry!" Mia loudly proclaimed stepping forward. Kinglsey held his hands up in warning but Mia continued to shout at the Minister over his shoulder, who took another fearful step back.
"If you do not open your eyes to see the truth Fudge, Harry and everyone else in the world will be in more danger than we all were thirteen years ago!"
"You are the danger!" Fudge retaliated just as loud, slamming a fist on an unused desk. "People are uneasy with your return including myself! Your presence is stirring up feelings that have taken those thirteen years to settle, and I'm not having it! The Wizarding world needs protection, and you running a-mock will not allow anyone to sleep restfully at night!"
"But it's not me causing the trouble! Its signs of Voldemort on the rise! And the Death Eater that I duelled is his ticket to coming back!"
Fudge stubbornly shook his head. "I'm hearing no more of this." he bristly dismissed. Turning too one of the Auror's he ordered, "Send in the Dementors; they will make her leave quietly."
Mia again laughed cruelly, shaking her head disbelievingly as the Auror left the room.
"I told you I do not want any Dementors in my school." said Dumbledore steadily, his controlled temper mounting. "If we listen why she feels Voldemort is returning-"
"Albus, she is not the little girl you once knew! She is a full-grown witch, and like her mother she wants nothing more than to cause trouble! I think its best you stay away from this; go to the hospital wing and make sure no one else causes anymore trouble..." Fudge held a meaningful glint in his vexed little eyes, and the meaning behind that knowing look angered Dumbledore more. Mia too didn't need to read Fudges mind to know who the Minister was implying.
"Sirius is under no suspicion, Cornelius." Dumbledore strongly stated; staring hardly at the Minister while Mia paled by the mention of her estranged husband. "He was with me and Severus when the incident in Knockturn Alley occurred."
"I still want him questioned and watched. One false move made by him, Dumbledore," Fudge gave a quick glance at Mia, "and Harry will be taken from his care."
"Do not punish them for my doings!" said Mia heatedly, taking another step forward. "Sirius has nothing to do with me!"
"On the contrary Dashwood, Black has everything to do with you; with him being your husband he will be viewed just as untrustworthy!"
"He proved his trust when his innocence was made known a few months ago." said Mia; her temper rising. "You already locked him up for a crime he didn't commit; do you want to make that same mistake twice?"
"If it meant the world will be safe without you, then yes." said Fudge impenitently. "I am not risking disruption to this comfortable and ordered world that has taken years to rebuild from the last time you helped disrupt it."
Mia shook her head; furious at the short, plumped wizarding Minister before her.
"After all these years you Ministry lot are still the same. You blame those that should not be blamed all because they share some link with the one that is at fault. It's always guilty by association. When are you lot going to learn that when the time comes to show your true allegiance not every family or group of friends may share the same values?"
Dumbledore took a step forward, aware that Mia's patience is desperately wavering.
"You treated my Uncle the same." Mia irately continued. "He worked tirelessly for the Ministry, he was a great man, and after my mother showed her true colours you all believed he was exactly the same as her and casted him off without question. You cannot continue treating people like that!"
For a few seconds Fudge remained silent; his bottom lip quivered, and for a moment he seemed stunned. But soon Fudge straightened up, and refused to acknowledge the truth to Mia's words.
"If Black shows even the slightest sign on helping you, even attempting contact, then he will return to Azkaban. Perhaps the same sentence you'll be receiving will be granted to him." Fudge threatened.
"You really are something foul, Fudge..." said Mia coldly; her eyes heavily loaded with disgust. "Least when my Uncle worked for the Ministry he treated people fairly, even his enemies."
With a harsh smile Fudge countered, "And look where that got him...-"
"AMELIA!" Dumbledore shouted; he and Kinglsey grabbed Mia as she made a sharp lunge for Fudge who hurled himself to the end of the room; his fallen bowl green hat rolling on the ground.
Dumbledore and Kinglsey each seized an arm, forcing her to the other end of the room as two Auror's stood infront of Fudge to protect him and the rest poised to attack around Mia at any given moment.
Rage roared through Mia, breathing heavily and staring with the utmost intention on Fudge; like a mighty lion desperately wanting to hunt its prey. That's what she wants to do; she wants to kill the Minister. Cause him great harm for slandering her Uncle, for treating Sirius badly, and for threatening Harry's happiness.
At the thought of Harry Mia made another lunge for the Minister. Dumbledore and Kinglsey quickly pushed her against the wall.
"You see!-You see!-She's dangerous!-A LUNATIC!" Fudge fretfully shouted over the shoulders of the Auror's shielding him. "She has no control what-so-ever!-I want her held! Seized! I want her tied and silenced right now and sent to the Dementors! No more of this!"
"IMMOBILISE THEM..." Dumbledore's telepathic command rang loudly inside Mia's mind, bringing an ounce of clarity through her livid warning a streak of silver light flashed inside the classroom blinding the eyes of everyone minus Dumbledore and Mia whose eyes are already closed. The men moved their arms to shield their eyes but they were too late. They all became frozen; their wincing expression carved into each of their faces. Each now resemble startled statures; all immobilised, including Kingsley.
"That bastard, when I get my hands on him-!"
"Which you will not!" Dumbledore commanded, stopping Mia's aggressive movements to get too an immobile, oblivious and defenceless Fudge. "You are to go straight into hiding and wait at the Muggle house for me to contact you."
"And allow Fudge to jeopardise Sirius's and Harry's name?" said Mia hotly. "I have to go looking for Crouch Junior!"
"You are in no such state for another duel Amelia! Return to the house, clean yourself up, and stay there until further instruction!"
Aggravated, Mia barked, "Getting Crouch will be the only way to prove my innocence!"
"After the way you've been acting you must lie low; no doubt you will now be charged for attempting to murder the Prime Minister." said Dumbledore with worry tingeing his blazing eyes.
"But Albus-!"
"If those Dementors get you, you'll be entirely useless! Harry cannot afford to lose you when he has just found you, and as for Sirius, he deserves more than anybody to see you before you risk your life once more."
Instinctively Mia's hand latched onto her collar; her glistening eyes no longer looking at Dumbledore.
"Return to the house." Dumbledore insisted, giving her arms a small squeeze. "For your own safety stay there until I contact you, please Amelia!"
The mention of Harry and Sirius tugs Mia's heart. She cares for them both, more than she should given the circumstances, but she was always one to allow her emotions get the better of her especially when it concerns her heart.
The amount of emotion she feels for them is overwhelming, and after the days events Mia wants nothing more than to block everything out; distressing images of a near collapsed Harry, a dead David, and a beloved ring being offered to her from a certain man swirl and blend within her mind. The image of the man with the ring affected her the most...
Shaking her head to rid the reflections Mia formed a plan and hurriedly agreed to Dumbledore's orders. Unbeknownst to Dumbledore, that before she returns to the assigned destination, Mia is going to make a quick stop at Knockturn Alley to search for something that she so desperately wants to find which may help ease the ache.
Poor Mia. Poor Sirius. Will they ever gain peace?
...
I haven't decided.
What do you guys think? Yay or Nay for Sirius and Mia?