Siriusly, Amelia
Harry had received almost immediate summons from the Lord Director. He had barely been home for an hour, when a Gringotts' Eagle (the herald of the Royal Summons) had perched down on the window-sill. The Director had been very pleased with both the suggestion regarding the expansion of business, as well as the news regarding the bits and pieces of Riddle. Harry had requested audience with him again so that he would be able to invoke the Goblins' Secrecy when he told Chief Bones about the things, which would ensure that the knowledge would be inaccessible to Chief Bones if she decided to tell anyone else about it without Harry's express permission. With the agreement for that in place, Harry had returned to Marauders' Place once more. He wrote letters to Neville, Luna and Hermione, as well as the Weasleys, for good measure. He couldn't let anyone become suspicious about him.
Right at 10 o' clock the next day, Chief Bones and Susan followed Marius Greengrass and Ted Tonks into Marauders' Place by Floo. Harry, with the four House crests on his robes stood to attention, waiting to welcome the guests. Ted and Marius came in first, and as they stood to a side brushing soot, the Floo flared again to reveal Chief Bones and Susan. Propriety dictated that those of rank would be greeted before the unranked.
"Good Morning, Lady Regent Bones, Heiress Bones. I welcome you to my humble abode as Head of Potter, Gryffindor, Slytherin and Peverell, and provide you the hospitality and protection of my Houses." He said it in the easy, elegant yet formal manner (which he had lately found easy to slip into) that Sirius had drilled into him with a bow, before kissing the two ladies on their right knuckles chastely. Chief Bones nodded approvingly, while Susan blushed lightly. He held their gaze each for a moment before turning to the two lawyers. "Solicitors Tonks and Greengrass, I am delighted to have you as guests at the Marauders' Place." He shook their hands firmly and swiftly. "Please allow me to present you to Professor McGonagall, who has requested your presence, Chief Bones." That he did not speak anything about the two lawyers, but knew them all the same and welcomed them, was something that Amelia did not miss.
They came into the sitting room, and Neville, who was waiting with Minerva, bowed to the Bones ladies and kissed their knuckles with a little stutter, a mistake for which- if he recognised the signs right- he was going to get a not so gentle ribbing from a deviously smirking Harry. Once they were all seated, Harry took their leave so that they could discuss the matters among themselves and asked to be called if he was wanted. He showed Susan around the House, and then excused himself stating that it was possible that he would be called in. As Neville had practically become a real brother of a sort for Harry, and had started to think of Marauders' Place to be just as much his home as Harry had asked him to, he allowed that. In hindsight he shouldn't have. He was giving Harry more ammunition against himself, and Harry was a Hell of a prankster, when he got in the mood.
Before she started, Amelia asked the question that had been bothering her. "Ted, Marius, may I know why you are here?"
"Ah yes. I anticipated that question. But before that happens, I am going to ask you to keep patience, young Amy, and let Minerva speak first."
"I've been telling you ever since I was in the first year and you in your sixth to stop calling me young Amy!"
Ted only snickered. Amelia shook her head fondly. He had taken all the youngest students in Hufflepuff under his wing, having understood the ravages of war that loomed over England. He had helped them all along over the course of the next two years, and had helped them get at ease in Hogwarts. He teased them and cajoled them to form several habits which still proved useful to the day. It had been a long-running quarrel between them about him calling her young Amy.
"Well, I suppose that we should press on with the matter," Minerva interrupted dryly. "Amelia, I believe this is particularly important for you, both as Miss Bones, and as the Head of DMLE."
"Oh?" Amelia's curiosity was perked up sufficiently enough.
"Yes. This is about Sirius Black."
"What about him?" Amelia had stiffened at his name.
"Well, I have to give you a little back story about Albus, before I tell you." She then told her everything that had transpired in the Headmaster's office and also the face-off between Fawkes and Harry. Somewhere during the narration, she summoned tea for them. Finally, when she was done, Amelia looked at her with tearing eyes.
"You are telling me, that all this time, Albus knew that there was a person put into Azkaban without trial; that said person was innocent, and did nothing? I WILL STRANGLE HIM BY HIS OWN BEARD AND KILL HIM!" she shrieked. Harry, who had taken up position on a chair that Sirius had conjured just outside the living room, winced. And so did Padfoot.
"Yes. But I still think that you should not judge him harshly..."
"I shouldn't judge him harshly? Minerva, are you out of your fucking mind? Harry was- is Sirius' godson. When and not if, Sirius and I had been married, he would have been our son. I lost them both. Sirius and Harry lost everything- everything, Minerva! And for your information, the curse you talk about is a standard criminal manipulation curse that I have used twice myself. While it is true that it came from the Black Library, because Phineas Nigellus invented it, its knowledge is not exclusive to the Black family Grimoire. I have cast it myself, twice. It is a standard procedure for bringing in the most quietest and surreptitious of criminals by near about forcing them to commit crimes. Listen, and listen well. It only brings out the worst side of the person and accentuates it. That is what Albus is. He destroyed my chance at having a family!"
Minerva sat aghast at the outburst. She couldn't say that Albus had lied, because he hadn't. He had only said that in a way that implied that Black alone could help him. Albs had manipulated her again. He had told her what he had only for his own selfish ends. Harry could see the way it was affecting Minerva.
Amelia could see that too. She turned to Ted and Marius. "How come you two are here?"
"We were employed to represent Sirius. As you know he is Andromeda's cousin and she was never convinced of his guilt. I believe she might have had a discussion about Sirius with Harry, and the two may have chosen to keep things secret. I was invited here."
Harry had to hand it to the man. Put together, it implied as if Andy had put him to the task, and Harry, upon hearing what was to be discussed, had invited him. It was easy in emotionally charged moments to take a few implications, let people make assumptions based on them and let them run away with those assumptions. Even the discussion between Andromeda and Harry was a fact- with the slight difference being that Harry had told her, but it was a discussion all the same. The man would've done well in Slytherin.
"But I don't get this. Harry remembered Alice being his godmother. He would have remembered Sirius being his godfather too, wouldn't he?" Minerva countered.
Amelia and Minerva looked thoughtful at that, while Ted fidgeted a bit- quite a bit. Harry looked at Sirius. "Do I go for misdirection or do you want to lay the cards on the table? It's your call, Padfoot. Amelia's certainly gone mad."
Sirius thought about it for a moment. "If you are called, go out. We will see how the things progress. If I feel that it is necessary to go all out and concede our position, I'll bark, and you divulge as much as you want to before I come out." Harry nodded. Internally, Sirius was veering too much towards telling everything to Amelia. That would mean Minerva would know everything, and apart from being able to meet Amy, he could instigate prank wars with the Pup, who had become far too serious. He wasn't well enough to do that before Minerva came over, and couldn't do so with her present.
"Harry!" Minerva called out. And Harry dutifully summoned himself into her presence.
"Yes Professor?"
"I believe Lady Regent Bones and I have some questions to ask you. I ask you to answer me truthfully."
"Yes Professor." She hadn't said anything about it being the exact truth. He could get away with giving her the same cock-and-bull story which was essentially a conglomeration of facts tied together to cause a clever misdirection.
"Did you, as you remembered Alice Longbottom being your godmother, also remember Sirius Black being your godfather?"
"Yes Professor."
"Could you describe actions you took thereafter?"
Harry smiled. She never said he had to tell her all the actions he had taken. "Yes. I remembered Sirius Black. I took cognisance of the fact that he had not been around- neither of my godparents had been. I checked through all the old editions of the Daily Prophet published in the week before and after the Halloween of 1981. I realised that there were several discrepancies in the whole case surrounding Mr. Black." (Sirius cringed out of sight at Harry addressing him that way.) "So I employed the Legal firm of Tonks, Greengrass, Doge and associates, the same firm that I had placed on a retainer, to look into the matter via Gringotts."
"You said something about discrepancies. What were those?"
"I apologise Chief Bones. As the client, I had to and did tell the advocates about my suspicion. I however, am not legally bound to discuss my views about the case with you- rather I am within my rights to decline any more information, under the advice of my lawyers." He glanced at them and they nodded. Chief Bones and Minerva frowned.
"I suppose there is nothing I can say against that. It is just that if you had been forthcoming with any suspicions, it would've been easier to ascertain the truth," Chief Bones replied very condescendingly.
"I am sure that would have been the case Chief Bones," Harry retorted smoothly. "However, in light of my suspicions and all that I have seen of the Ministry, I must record that the Houses of Potter, Gryffindor, Peverell and Slytherin have lost confidence in the current administration. Should we find the elusive Mr. Black, there are plans that are intended to be set into motion. To put it in the way of the non-magical people, I would suggest that you sit back and enjoy the show."
Ted nodded with a smile. The boy had veered the subject away from Sirius, and even Amelia, dedicated to her work as she was, couldn't help but want to salvage whatever passed for peace, and a stable Ministry was necessary for that. The boy was powerful, politically, and would use it for his benefits without compunction.
Harry didn't realise that Neville and Susan had returned when he said that. "How can you be the Head of House Slytherin?" Susan asked sharply. "I thought you weren't the Heir of Slytherin?"
"That is true, Ms. Bones. I wasn't the Heir of Slytherin then. I am now. You see, the person who was parading around as the Heir of Slytherin was a liar. He was actually the Heir of Peverell through Salazar Slytherin, and we are blood related. It so happens that for line continuation, Salazar took two wives. His line, as far as the Slytherin line goes, was extinguished, and Gringotts and I think that a member of his Peverell line did it, to try and claim the Slytherin Lordship for themselves. The Slytherin Ring is quasi-sentient, and did not choose a traitor to the ideals of the House of Slytherin. The claim for conquest though remained with the Peverell line, and I could claim it, as the last living descendent of the Peverells."
"But that means you are worthy of the ring! It means you believe what Slytherin did!" Susan countered.
"I would say I do, to an extent..."
"THAT MEANS YOU SET THE MONSTER IN THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS UPON YOUR FELLOW STUDENTS!" Susan thundered.
Harry simply raised an eyebrow at Susan. "Ms. Bones, I would reconsider those words, if I were you. Evidently, nobody would ever accuse you of being a Ravenclaw or a logical thinker..." he said with harshly and snidely, causing both the Bones ladies to bristle.
"That is not very nice Harry," Minerva scolded. "Apologise to Ms. Bones immediately!"
Harry glared and glowered at her, but nodded. "I apologise, Miss Bones. I should not have made uncharitable references, even indirectly, regarding your intellect." Amelia huffed. That was a backhanded apology if there was ever one. "I patently remember having told you that the person parading as the Heir of Slytherin was not chosen because he was treacherous to the ideals of Salazar, my noble ancestor. Salazar Slytherin was no blood-snob. His own mother and wife- presumably of the Slytherin line- were newbloods. Salazar, and his brother in all but blood, Godric, wanted nothing more than to protect all magical blood. You should realise that the period saw magic being viewed as a curse by the Devil on the mundane. They believed that the newbloods needed to be taken away from their families to protect them. The very idea that Godric and Salazar fought was and is a farce. The House Rings, which cannot lie, say that they fought all the time, but that was due to their rather ingenious proclivity towards pranking. You could imagine the two as Fred and George Weasley, pitted in a prank war against each other..." he told them with a smile. Everyone was listening wide-eyed, the subject of Sirius falling by the wayside.
"Merlin!" exclaimed Amelia.
"But, but..." Susan was bewildered and confused. Everything they had known about the founders was a lie. "But the books say that Salazar left because he had a fight with Gryffindor!" she complained.
"That is but a line that describes not an ounce of the truth. You see, the two had a last prank war, which Salazar lost, and Godric teased that Salazar was getting old. Given the fact that Salazar was one hundred and forty, it was true, and Salazar took it to heart and left- to find new teachers who would continue the legacy of the Founders."
"That was all?"
"That was all," Harry confirmed.
"But Slytherin is all about cunning and ambition..."
"Cunning and ambition are not negative traits, per se, Ms. Bones," Harry told her gently. "I was sorted into Slytherin, very nearly. Being a Slytherin is all about being a survivalist, self-preservation and ambition to succeed by any legal way. I need to have a conversation with Rudolph when we get back to Hogwarts."
"Who is Rudolph?" Neville asked.
"The Sorting Hat's name is Rudolph. He was supposed to sort students by their own traits- not by family beliefs. He has allowed my ancestor's name to be sullied." He glanced at the watch and sighed. "As interesting as this conversation has been, I believe we should adjourn it until a later time. I apologise once again unreservedly for insulting you, Ms. Bones. However, I must say this in my defence. A year of being derided for being a Parselmouth, of being vilified and shunned by almost the entire school with no action taken against this passive aggressive and often outright aggressive behaviour has made me very uncharitable and rather unforgiving towards those I do not know too well. It is not an excuse for such behaviour, but..." he let it hang in the air and bowed deeply to her.
Susan got the message and flushed. She evidently got the message- nobody was going to be forgiven. Coupled with what little Neville had obscurely and inadvertently hinted to her about Harry's life before Hogwarts, she could understand why he was standoffish. It was hurt, years of hurt that spoke. "Perhaps you should clarify Slytherin's position to the whole school," she suggested.
"The suggestion certainly has merit, Ms. Bones." Susan wore a pleased smile. Harry turned to Amelia and asked, "Chief Bones, do you have anything else to ask me?"
"No," she replied, wondering whether this was an indirect request to leave.
"But I do have something to tell you, though I would prefer that you would come to Gringotts for that. I have leave to divulge this information to you, but only in the presence of His Majesty, the Lord Director. It is about some bits and pieces." Amelia's eyes widened and she gave a slight nod. "I took the liberty of informing the Lord Director that I would be hosting you today, and he has ordered me to accompany you into his midst. If you are ready," he motioned to the portkey he held.
"Susie, I am going to return here, so you may wait, if Lord Potter allows." She looked over at Harry, who nodded.
Harry thanked Ted and Marius, apologised for wasting their time and saw them off through the Floo (Ted had simply said that he would be billed) before he and Amelia left for Gringotts.
The meeting at Gringotts itself was short. The crux of the matter was telling the Lord Director and Chief Bones about the two Horcruxes and Harry's theory that Riddle had made more than seven. It appalled the two and also made them feel visible relief to know that two were in hand. Amelia decided to close the Museum for a few days and check for any sort of monitoring charm, but conceded that it was strategically well placed to draw out the Death Nibbler who might have placed it.
"Griffinheart, there is one matter that we have not discussed. It is regarding your reward for your suggestion yesterday. Is there anything you would consider for that?"
"I thank you my lord for your kindness. My request is not material. I know for a fact that a vile sexual assault on and murder of a virgin girl or woman, presumably non-magical or a newblood given the beliefs of the perpetrators, with torture for good measure, is necessary to earn the Dark Mark. I would humbly request Your Majesty to grant me this one boon- please have some of the best curse-breakers examine the Dark Mark. I have a nagging feeling that it might be another dark object like the soul anchor."
"The Dark Lord has been known to kill his Death Eaters, My Lord," Amelia countered.
"He has a severe disregard for life, Chief Bones. If I can read his intentions correctly, he would do everything to keep himself anchored to the mortal plane. The Dark Mark would help him completely possess any Death Eater of his choice, making him alive again. And for every Death Eater killed, either by him or the enemies, he had recruited three more, so he wouldn't have cared."
Amelia had to concede that.
Ragnok looked at Harry intently for a few moments. "Very good, I shall grant you that boon Griffinheart."
"Thank you my Lord, your grace is boundless."
Ragnok's face softened. "Griffinheart, if I bind your human companion to secrecy, would you consider letting her meet the prisoner?"
"My Lord?" asked Harry as he reared back in shock. Ragnok was requesting him to do something. It was an order disguised as a request, but the tone was there nonetheless. It was then that he realised the flip side of becoming Griffinheart. Ragnok could order him around. This meant that he had to contribute something much greater than money.
"It is my advice that Chief Bones would be a useful ally to have. Not just by her position, but also as she is personally invested in the matter."
"It will be as you say, My Lord."
Ragnok gave orders for the prisoner to be brought to an antechamber. Harry meanwhile explained the situation to Amelia, who listened in rapt and stunned silence. "In the end, I asked Gringotts' leave to use their prison facilities. Pettigrew has been here since before Sirius escaped. We have agreed a fee of twenty-five galleons a day apart from the hundred galleons for help with the arrest." He signalled for Peter to be brought in. Amelia looked at the two with wide eyes.
"Peter," she hissed.
Pettigrew jauntily waved back at her. "Hello there, Amy. Has the old dog taken you yet?"
Harry wanted to punch the git's teeth through his head for several reasons. For one, he was being too cocky. For another he was disrespecting Amelia. And as if that wasn't enough, he was bringing up the scary subject of Sirius' sex life. That was terrible, and Harry wanted to drive out all the terrible images.
"He hasn't yet, Peter," Amelia answered fully tongue in cheek, "but I am sure he will soon. After all, as Harry brought down Lucius and we have tabs on every single Death Eater, I will have far fewer cretins like you to worry about. Did you know that Lucius is singing like a canary?"
Peter blanched at that. "The Dark Lord is not dead! He will come back and avenge us!" he screeched.
"We already know the truth Pete. We already found out how he is still alive, and we are already more than halfway through taking him out once and for all." Peter only imitated a goldfish before he was taken away.
"My Lord, would it be possible to modify his memories, please? It would otherwise put Chief Bones into a precarious position." That was quickly done. "My Lord has been most generous with his boons. May his banner be the herald of rising fortunes and dying enemies!" said Harry as they took his leave.
Amelia led Harry to a private parlour in the Leaky Cauldron when they were done. "I want your true answers to a few questions, and not as Chief Bones but as Amelia or Aunt Amy as you'd have probably called me."
"Of course, I'd be surprised if you took everything at face value. But before you ask, let me clarify this. I purposely did not answer any question while Granny Min was there. She is family, yes, but it is difficult for her when she has to juxtapose what she knows now to the Albus Dumbledore that she thought she knew. Loyalty cultivated cannot be easily lost. Oh, and I will just call you Lady Bones for now. I don't particularly like Aunts."
"Prudent," Amelia commended while failing to suppress the grimace at the Aunt jibe. He would have a legitimate complaint on that account, she knew. "First of all, tell me this. Where is he?"
Harry grinned and summoned his Patroni, and transformed into Pup. Padfoot immediately sauntered over to Harry and nuzzled his ears.
"Merlin!" exclaimed Amelia. "He was right in front of me all that time!"
"He was. He wanted to give himself away, but it wasn't the right time."
"Damn!" Amelia swore, as she got up and paced across the parlour, kicking out randomly at the things around her. Harry watched her patiently. She silenced the room and went on a long rant about senile old men, betraying friends and mad betrotheds, sprinkling it liberally with obscenities. When she was finally done, she asked Harry, "I take it that you have a plan."
"I do. The first two stages of operation Rule England are up and running successfully. Did Susan tell you about the Life Debt I claimed of the Malfoy spawn?"
"No, she has been rather quiet about things, and I haven't spoken to her much. You," she emphasised, pointing an accusatory finger at him, "have made this one of my busiest summers ever. Between basilisks, acromantula, capturing old death eaters, escaped prisoners, spontaneous animagus transformations in plural and Horcruxes, I have so much to do that I haven't had the time to speak to my niece."
"And you'll love me for that!" Harry replied cheekily.
"If I had any doubt that you have been in the company of that reprobate, Sirius Black, they have been washed off," Amelia retorted dryly. "The Life Debt," she prompted. Harry showed her his memory of the wording and acceptance of the Life Debt.
Amelia was positively gushing by the end of it. "How exactly did you convince Rudolph to not put you in Slytherin?"
"A true Slytherin is never in Slytherin, Lady Bones." His cheeky retort had them both in splits. "But do you see now? Lucius has had no contact with his son, has he? I suggest that you protect Narcissa, Draco and Lucius separately. You have no doubt heard of the Witness Protection Programmes or the Approver Protection that are used in mundane law enforcement. Use that. Right now, Lucius is the most important person. Have someone from the department of Mysteries do the same thing that I have asked as a boon from Gringotts. If we can have Lucius to state that Voldemort isn't dead and also come clean about the Dark Mark- how it is earned, whether a person can be marked unwillingly under the Imperius, and so on and so forth- we get ammunition to take out the Death Eater faction politically. Interrogate them, hold trials and for the most gruesome among them, capital punishment will be the way to go. That was phase one."
"And an excellent Phase one it is," Amelia agreed. "What is phase two?"
"Sirius is phase two. I may be alright at reactionary cunning, but I won't be able to sway the Wizengamot. Freeing Sirius, and having him assume the Lordship of the House Black, will mean him taking up his seat on the Wizengamot. It undermines the people currently in power. Sirius is uniquely placed. He has primacy as Lord Black over several Pureblood houses in his alliance. As my godfather- and adoptive father, he will be able to influence the other end of the political spectrum too. I have no intention of getting tied down by that even in the future, but I'll be doing enough to declare myself as a neutral for all four Houses. Phase two had a small addition. Sirius is going about securing a majority stake in the Daily Prophet. I would have asked you for help at that time, but now that you know, I think it will be prudent to be upfront about it. Would you and could you provide me a list of purebloods only killed in the last war on either side?"
"I may have to organise an inter-departmental search, but it is possible in principle."
"Good! So by the time the Death Eaters' trials are in process, we put in an article in the Prophet telling everyone how exactly the pureblood agenda killed off many pureblood families. It will be a nice kick up their arses, and also undermines any support from the next generation if Voldemort returns."
"Sneaky! I like it," Amelia agreed with a Cheshire grin. "I take it you have planned Phase three?"
"Yes. Phase three is operation Clean the Ministry. Sorry, I couldn't come up with another name. I have employed Rita Skeeter as a private investigative journalist. She will dig up the dirt on several political bigwigs. I put her under an Unbreakable Vow to not leak any information of any sort, and used the carrot and stick approach. Sirius Orion Black, Remus John Lupin, Amelia Susan Bones and family, the Auror department- barring for any exceptions that may be notified to you and her at a later date, Hadrian James Potter, Hermione Jean Granger and family, the Weasley family, Minerva Rowena McGonagall, Regulus Arcturus Black, are the people on her list that she can't leak information about. That in part was the reason that I did not come to you first when I remembered Sirius. You know Dolores- she has an unnatural affinity with the Dementors. She could have killed him, if things had started moving legally, especially after I brought down Lucy."
The-woman-who-loved-Sirius shuddered at that. "I take it that I will be a recipient of anything she digs up?"
"Yes. Though there is one thing. Can you make a confidential entry in the animagus registry? Neither of Sirius and Rita is registered. You've seen Padfoot. Rita is a water beetle." That caused the Head of the DMLE to sink her head into her hands and groan.
"More work! You keep on giving me more work! You are cruel!"
"Do you know how you sound remarkably like Filch?"
Amelia swatted Harry on the back of his head and grimaced again when he ducked away out of instinct. "That is Sirius speaking. A man-child if there was ever one," she said in fond reminiscence.
"So I have told you everything that I have done, or anything that is in progress."
"What about the Horcruxes?"
"We have found two, and I have destroyed two more. What we need first is a confirmation about whether he made thirteen or nine parts intentionally. Though, if I am right, he may have intended to use mine or mum's or dad's death to create one, and probably his last. There is an idea for tracing them, if we don't immediately destroy the ones at hand. The idea is subject to how fast Remus Lupin comes around."
"You are thinking about the Marauders' Map aren't you?"
"How would you know?"
"Robert and Edgar," replied she succinctly. "They and Frank knew much about that fearsome foursome."
"May I ask you a question?"
"You just did," replied Amelia with a grin. "But you may ask me more."
"What is your motivation for Sirius?"
The highly affronted woman looked at him frankly. "He is my betrothed."
"So you are the future Lady Black?"
"No. That was supposed to be Marlene. I had set it up for Line continuation after Robert died, and left behind Susan as his only child. I want her to marry for love."
"And you won't do that for yourself?"
"What do you mean?"
"You are contracted to Sirius for Line Continuation. But as just you, did you ever love him?"
"And you ask this with what authority?"
"Look, don't take this the wrong way. I have seen everything bad that Sirius has ever experienced by the same spell with which I showed you my memory of taking down Draco. I have experienced his twelve year stint in Chateau de Azkaban too. So, I speak as his son, godson, and due to- in his words - my apparent maturity (though debatable), his friend and brother also. I want to ensure that you won't hurt him; because above all, he is family for me. I will say this to outright- hurt him, and I will kill you. I don't bloody care what happens to me." He levelled a fierce glare at her, and allowed his power to flare, causing her to flinch.
"You expect me to be afraid of your threat?"
"I don't threaten. I promise."
Amelia sighed. "If it weren't the case as it is now, I wouldn't have deigned to reply, but I will, because I can see that you are trying to be both James and Harry for him, just as he might be trying to be both James and Sirius for you. If you look at it the way it was then, you will understand. I loved Sirius, and he loved me too. But Marlene McKinnon was contracted to him in blood to be Lady Black, because of some obscure debt between the families. When Robert died without a male Heir barely a month after Susan's mother died at childbirth, there was an obvious necessity for me as Lady Regent to step up to the task, since Edgar, his wife and children had already been killed. Line continuation options are usually taken up with the knowledge that the women will be second wives. I still feel guilt at my opportunism, but it got me Sirius. There were several dissenters as the Blacks were a dark family and the Bones' are rooted in the Light. We still wanted to go ahead with it... and then everything happened as it did. Would I have waited for him if I didn't love him?" That was the answer that Harry wanted. Amelia continued. "What was worse was this- people knew that Sirius and I were in love and no stone was left unturned by my predecessors to prevent me from checking up on Sirius' file. I so wanted to give up, but couldn't, and I now have authorisation- I became the DMLE chief just five months ago. And Sirius' escape has provided me the perfect avenue. Does it answer your question?"
"It does. I am sorry, I really am, but Sirius means a lot to me, as he is the one person who I know is actually related to me. Now that we are clear, I will tell you this. Granny is leaving on the 23rd of August. And I'll be gone on the 1st of September. I don't want him alone. Sirius and I will be visiting the Potter properties soon. Give me a convenient time and I will get you there. Just meet him. Keep him sane. He has relapses every now and then. Andromeda is doing her job as a Healer, but it will take quite some time before he will be fit again. Secondly, please don't meddle in the plans now, however rude it may seem."
"I can see why you want me to do that." She ruffled his hair. She was getting them both back. She knew full well how prisoners were treated in Azkaban. she would have to get the two accustomed to positive, loving physical contact, a very small part of her conscious mind recognised. It was funny how she was already thinking along those lines. "You are a good kid, you know? You are a lot different from many kids your age, but that makes you better. Now I have something to ask you. Do you feel angry, now that you know what Sirius means to me, that I never took you in?" It was a question that had been hurting her ever since she had seen what life he had with the Dursleys. He should have been raised as a son to her and Sirius, along with Susan, and any children they might have had.
"I would have been, had it not been for the fact that I look at Sirius and think I still got a better deal. You feel guilty that you abandoned us, but take my advice. Don't. I m not saying that you shouldn't, just that this is not the time for it." He frowned a bit. "That didn't come out right. What I'm trying to say is that whatever guilt and stuff you have needs to be consigned to a box called 'later'. It will inhibit you and us, if you choose to hep us. It is in the past, and there was never as much need to let bygones be bygones than there is now. If at all, help us be the family we could have been. You, Sirius, Susan, me, my godbrother and godsister, Moony- we were all meant to be family, we can still be."
Lady Bones smiled through her tears. Harry had verbalised what she was hoping. It made sense- every one of them could and would be a family, not a band of misfits whose families were torn asunder by circumstances.
"There is still one question that I have to ask you. Are you willing to take revenge, legally?"
"Sorry?"
"Are you willing to take revenge on the man who put Sirius in jail?"
"Crouch?"
"Crouch," answered Harry with a nod.
"What has he done?"
"I read the case, and also something very funny. A driven ambitious Death Eater hater meets his fall when he sentences his own son, a marked Death Eater to prison. A few months later, he takes his very ill wife, who is almost on her deathbed, to visit the son as her last wish. The two meet, and very amusingly, the son dies, almost immediately. The wife dies just a few days later. She is accorded a private burial, with no witnesses. Not very suspicious, is it?"
"It is suspicious," Amelia agreed slowly, still trying to connect the dots. "The wife was on her death bed and the son dies immediately in Azkaban. What you are saying means that..." Her eyes widened comically at that. "You mean that Barty Crouch senior assisted his son out of Azkaban?"
"Wondrous! Right in one!" praised Harry.
"I'll kill him!"
"No. You won't. You will arrest him at the same time as Sirius goes on trial, and that will be a few weeks after Lucius, Cornelius and Dolores. With any luck, I will claim my seats in the Wizengamot on the Equinox. That will flummox everyone, keep them guessing. A sudden change in the Wizengamot and the government will destabilise things, no doubt, but it will play into our hands- your hands and Sirius'. Once the Death Eater, Voldemort and Dumbledore problems are dealt with, I will be off doing what I really want to do in the first place- take the magical world kicking and screaming if need be into the current era."
"Is that why are you doing things that you are doing?" she asked exasperatedly, unable to put her finger on his motivations.
"Yes."
"Any more shenanigans of a violent nature?"
"It's quite simple, really. I want the Death Eaters taken out, yes, and I want Voldemort dead, but I also need Dumbledore out because he will only hamper everything. We are so far behind, that if the non-magical people get wind of us and decide to destroy us, magical Britain won't exist. And frankly, with the way magical Britain has alienated squibs and newbloods, they are more likely to help the non-magicals. My participation in this forced reform and cleanup will have to be limited to terminating Antonin Dolohov, Rudolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, Fenrir Greyback at the hands of Moony, Severus Snape and Peter Pettigrew, apart from Voldemort. I have my personal, er, bones to pick with them. So that's my overall plan. Are you in?"
"I am," Amelia answered immediately. "I think I have lot of work to do. Get Crouch, and convince Fudge to call off the dementors."
"No. Leave those demons. You, incidentally, have an Elder Dragon and Griffin animagus to stave them off. If you want to start somewhere, go after Alexander Yaxley. He is a marked Death Eater."
"WHAT?"
"You didn't know?"
"Of course I didn't! Merlin! That explains how they always knew our methods!"
"Indeed. Now that you have realised the problem, why don't you demand oaths of office from every office bearer in the Ministry? For example: I (insert name) swear, that I am not a marked Death Eater. I further swear on my life, magic and soul, that if the Dark Lord Voldemort- also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle rises again- I will not enter his service and will strive to fight against his forces by all possible means. I have not hidden and will not hide any- including kith and kin- who have the Mark. I will not pass any intelligence or information of this oath and the subject thereof to anyone. I have not participated and will not participate in any sort of corruption and/or underhanded dealings that by anyway benefit those who have tacitly, implicitly or explicitly supported the Dark Lord. I am not an unmarked Death Eater sympathiser. I do not subscribe to bigotry in any form against mundane, mundane-born, and any magical being or creature. I swear to remain loyal to my job, my country and the safety of its citizens, magical or mundane. I am sure that you can come up with something better."
"Thanks. Now please don't tell me anything more. We have been here for half an hour already. We should leave," Amelia replied hastily. She smiled at the opportunism though. Sirius had to have prepared the boy for this when they found out that she was coming. Such a wording, in spite of precedence, didn't come up on the spot all the time.
"I piled it on, didn't I?"
"Yes."
"Good! It will keep you busy. But Siriusly, Amelia," Harry started (the woman in question simply had to roll her eyes at that. That was one thing he never missed those Merlin damned Sirius-serious puns), "we need information control, and we need it now. We need loyal people in office – if not brave. We need them now."
She said nothing, instead opting to place a galleon for the room and side-alonged him to Marauders' Place.
They arrived at Marauders' Place, with Harry in a much, much better mood than he was before, while Amelia seemed pensive but was smiling all the same. Susan silently asked Harry what the matter was, but he simply shook his head and smiled. Amelia simply went up to Padfoot, patted him and caressed him, before exclaiming loudly, "What a star of a black dog you have!" Padfoot barked at Harry and Amelia, who both nodded.
"So, Susan, I take it that you've had a rather boring day?" Amelia asked her.
"No Auntie! It was fun actually, Neville showed me around, and told me what he and Harry had been doing this summer. It's brilliant how Neville has got to do the whole house's garden and lawn work! He even showed me around all the rooms, and Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger and Neville all have rooms here," she ended wistfully. Neville cast Harry a sheepish look at that.
"Miss Bones, if I may be so bold, you are welcome here at any time that you wish. This house is for all my friends and family, and I would consider myself very lucky to count myself among your friends. I only hope I can be half as good a friend as Neville here," he said with a bow and a wink at Neville, who glared back.
Amelia asserted, "I don't mind, Susan. Indeed, if things had been different, you two would have grown up as brother and sister. It would be nice for you to build a modicum of a relationship over the summer. The only thing is that you should stay safe, whatever it is that you decide to do," she added sternly.
"THANK YOU AUNTIE!" Susan squealed as she glomped Amelia into a massive hug that made Hermione's hugs appear sedate by comparison. Neville and Harry both had the wind knocked out of them when they were both treated to a similar hug. He checked his ribs on reflex at that. They were intact. The hug compared with one by Molly.
"You told her! You-", "-told-", "-her!" Sirius shouted jabbing Harry in the chest with each word with an accusing finger.
"I did." Harry's calmness was making Sirius lose his temper. "She accepted our plans without interference, met Pettigrew, all on the orders of the Lord Director. I have set her on the trail of the Crouch father and son."
Sirius calmed down at that. It wasn't exactly sanity to refuse the Lord Director's orders. "But she could have spoken to me!"
"And make it obviously suspicious that a lady guest was taking the dog away somewhere? Honestly, Padfoot, it would seem worse than Aberforth and his goats."
Sirius cringed and winced awkwardly at that. "I hate it when you come up with such gruesome analogies." Harry grinned. "When is she going to meet me?"
"She intends to meet you at a Potter property. We are going to check up on those, and then you are going to disguise yourself and go off to those places. That said however, I want you to base yourself here. I am going to serve old woman Figg an eviction notice. You know how this place actually works with a space expansion charm? Well, with #8, it can be properly spaced. That said though, I do want a few more guest rooms. I am thinking of a line from the triangle's top vertex to the bottom line, through the tower."
"You want the Peverell symbol?"
Harry blinked. "Damn, I never realised that! But it will work."
"I'll do that. You don't know how much fun I'll have, Prongslet."
"I am just hoping that you and Amelia just don't do anything that I wouldn't with Susan to have fun," Harry retorted dryly.
"But can we do something to have fun that you'd like to do with Hermione?" Sirius asked with a leer and waggled his eyebrows.
"Padfoot!"