23.

Sirius Black slammed the door to his office, cutting off the cacophony of voices shouting questions at him. He sat down heavily at his desk and pounded his fist onto the hard mahogany.

"If I can ever get my hands on his fat fucking throat, I'll squeeze the life right out of him!" Sirius muttered as he reached for the copy of the day's Daily Prophet lying on his desk. He glowered at the photo of himself which was smiling back up at him bearing the headline:

THE BOY WHO LIVED!

Almost every witch or wizard knows the story of how the Dark Wizard known to all as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was stopped on that fateful Halloween night in 1981. You-Know-Who went to Godric's Hollow seeking to end the lives of James and Lily Potter who had defied his terrorist-like activity in wizarding Britain. There are few who could tell us exactly what happened that night, one of which is You-Know-Who himself. The rest have since passed from this world. Or so we were led to believe.

For years the wizarding world swallowed the story told by Albus Dumbledore that Harry James Potter, son of James and Lily had perished along with his parents, however it can now be revealed that Harry Potter is not only alive, but a sadistic murderer. The Daily Prophet has learned that the so called vigilante who has been terrorizing and butchering citizens is also the same wizard who has claimed six young women's lives, and that wizard is in fact Harry Potter.

A witness, who wished not to be identified, claims that young Harry was taken by his godfather, Sirius Black, who now sits on the Wizengamot, and hidden from our world. However, when Black returned to our shores only a few short months ago, his young charge began hunting and murdering young witches in ritualistic fashion.

Sirius couldn't read any further. He knew exactly who this so-called witness was and he wanted nothing more than to find Peter Pettigrew and stuff this paper right up his cowardly backside before ripping his tongue out of his filthy mouth.

From the moment he'd arrived at the ministry that morning he'd been pursued and accosted by reporters looking for quotes for the evening 'd wisely chosen not to comment but knew he'd have to say something. He also knew that no matter what he said, the editor of the Prophet, his old friend and the man who'd betrayed James and Lily, Peter Pettigrew was already preparing to counter it. Sirius also knew that this wasn't Peter's idea. The rat had never been that smart. Voldemort was the one outing Harry, likely as a way to call him out for a second go round as there was now no denying his own return.

Sirius heaved another sigh and picked up the paper. He went to the floo and grabbed some of the silvery ash and tossed it into the flames.

"12 Grimmauld Place." he said as he stepped into the roaring fire. A moment later he stepped out into the kitchen of his childhood home to find it empty, though he could hear cheering coming from somewhere and knew the girls under Harry's protection were together. He made his way through the house up to the attic where Harry was likely to be and found his godson sitting at a central table with a pile of dragonhide that he was examining meticulously.

"We have a problem." Sirius said, announcing himself. Harry looked up curiously and Sirius had to fight a smile. Harry looked much better and it was clear that he was ready to get back into the fight.

"We have quite a few problems at the moment, would you mind narrowing it down for me?" Harry asked with a smirk.

"Pettigrew outed you in the paper." Sirius said setting the morning edition on the table for Harry to look over. "I think it's about time he pays for his crimes, don't you?"

Harry quickly glanced over the article, and gave a soft, thoughtful sigh.

"If I did, it would only confirm the story. I take it you haven't made a statement yet." Harry inquired. Sirius nodded.

"I thought I should talk to you first." Sirius ran his hand through his long dark locks.

"I think we need to play this as sensationalistic. A fabric of lies woven by a desperate man who may or may not have ties to Voldemort and is only trying to take attention off the fact that he's back." Harry suggested.

"That's good." Sirius nodded thoughtfully his anger beginning to subside. "I could play up the heartbreak at having my best friend's legacies dragged through the mud for nothing more than increased readership. Maybe even give the suggestion that the editor knows more about what happened on Halloween 1981 than he's let on. But he's probably prepared for that."

"I'd be surprised if he wasn't given how he approached you a while back. He thinks Voldemort is going to win, and he thinks he's safe. That overconfidence is good for us, so long as you remain firm in your denial."

"I can do that, but you know as well as I do how easily the populace can be manipulated." Sirius sighed as he leaned against a counter watching harry work. After a moment, a small smile began to appear on Sirius's face. "Harry, what if we used this instead of denying it."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, unsure if he was going to like the idea.

"Voldemort's already revealed himself, and now he's trying to out you. So… what if you do that? What if you reveal yourself? Hold a press conference and come out of hiding. Tell everyone why you were hidden, and why you've come back. Get Amelia Bones to back you up! She's already in your corner, and she can say that the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has contracted you as a hit wizard to take out high profile Death Eaters! Hell… actually get her to do that and you can make some gold on the side." Sirius clapped his hands together.

"But I don't want to…" Harry began but Sirius cut him off.

"Reveal your secret identity, I know, I know." The older man said. "But think about it for a minute. Voldemort's already out in the open, and people are going to be scared. Dumbledore wanted you to come back and finish what he couldn't, and part of that was to rally people to the light. You have to give them hope kid. And you'll still get to wear your super cool leather outfit and hunt Death Eaters just like you planned while keeping those young ladies down there safe. The only downside here is that everyone's going to know that you're alive… but then, you can go pay back dear Peter for everything he's done to you and your family."

Harry had to pause for a moment and consider everything his godfather had said, and he hated to admit it, but it all made perfect sense. There were more pros than cons in this scenario. And Harry couldn't deny that it would definitely mess up whatever Voldemort was trying to accomplish. And on top of all that, Harry's original plan was to reveal that he was alive when Voldemort was finished for good. He didn't want to do this forever. He wanted to have his own family one day.

All at once an image of Lisa smiling at him manifested in his mind.

Harry sighed heavily as he shut his eyes, and pushed that image from his mind. No distractions he kept repeating.

Another image took the place of Lisa. That of a cowering worm by the name of Peter Pettigrew. Peter was just one name on a very short list of people he had intended to visit to get justice for his mother and father. The first had been Severus Snape. Harry had wanted so badly to make him pay for everything he'd done. But he had stayed his hand for several reasons. The first being that Snape had at least tried to make amends for his poor life choices. He'd turned spy against his former master and had helped destroy the Horcruxes, at least according to Dumbledore. The second reason had been because at one time, long ago, Severus had been friends with his mother. And finally, after he'd met the man, Harry had decided that Death would be a release for the pathetic shell of a man. And so, Harry had left him to rot in his own prison.

But Pettigrew was another matter entirely. Harry wasn't yet sure if Death was on the table for Pettigrew, though there would be a great deal of torture. And perhaps it was now time for that torture to begin.

"Call for a press conference for tomorrow evening." Harry said quickly, turning to Sirius. "I need to go find Susan. She and I need to see her Aunt this evening."

"YES!" Sirius barked out a laugh as he high fived his godson.


Lisa sat on her bed in the dark, her legs crossed, her hands resting on her knees. Her eyes were closed as she sat focusing solely on her breathing. This was it. Tonight she was determined to finally feel her magic no matter what it took.

She was struggling as she always did, her mind refusing to quiet. She could already feel her frustration building in her chest when she once again took a deep breath, and with great effort pushed all thought from her mind, and this time, focused on a memory. A specific, very recent memory. A moment shared upstairs with Harry.

Almost at once she felt her heartbeat quicken, but her body began to relax. She focused on how he had tasted, the way he'd held her as his lips massaged her own. A shiver shot up her spine as she reveled in the memory of his scent and the way he had so gently caressed the back of her neck as their kiss had deepened. It had been a purely perfect moment, and her heart had been dancing in her chest. The way his eyes had smoldered when she had drawn back had made her legs feel like jelly.

And then she had felt a new sensation. A warmth exploding from within her like nothing she'd ever felt before. A feeling of intense serenity engulfed her and at the same time sent a surge of electricity through her veins.

Lisa opened her eyes and found she was grinning like a fool. She'd done it. At long last she'd managed to connect to her magic. It felt as if a hole that she didn't even know she'd had in her life had suddenly been filled to overflowing. She now understood why the others had seemed so silly after they'd first managed it. It was intoxicating.

Lisa leapt off her bed and raced down stairs where she found the other girls, minus Susan who'd gone with Harry to visit her Aunt, in the library.

"I did it!" She shouted. The others looked up curiously. "I connected to my magic!"

"Finally!" Mandy shouted as she ran and hugged her best friend.

"Well done." Hermione smiled getting up from her seat.

"I think we should try to connect now. All of us. I know what it's supposed to feel like now, and i know I can call it up. If we can finally manage for all of us to connect, then I think we can find our lost sister." Lisa said excitedly.

"Why not." Tracey shrugged, we've got nothing else going on right now."

They all sat on the floor in a circle and joined hands. Lisa couldn't stop smiling as she closed her eyes and almost immediately felt the warmth of her magic envelop her. She allowed herself to become lost in the sensation and waited to see what would happen next.

After a few moments of peaceful bliss, she began to feel different… colder. Fearing that she was losing the connection to her magic, she started to panic until she started to hear a voice. A callous, judgemental voice shouting.

"You have a duty to me! You will do as you are told like a proper Pureblood Witch or so help me Merlin I will see to it that no man will ever look upon you favorably!"

Lisa reeled as she swore she could feel a her cheek sting. But before she could react, something else happened. A new voice, locking her… but not her. She knew this voice, though she also knew that Draco malfoy wasn't here.

"You'll never be anything but a filthy mudblood!" he said coldly.

A new voice now. Pleading with her to come with him. Another voice again, this one sad, heartbroken, unable to understand why she was breaking up with him.

"NO!" Hannah shrieked, and all at once the cold despair that had been filling Lisa's chest vanish and she could feel the warmth of her own magic soothing her.

"OK what the hell was that?" Pansy asked, tears falling from her eyes. "Which one of you were doing that? It wasn't funny!"

"No it wasn't.'' Hermione agreed, though while she also looked ready to start sobbing, she also looked like she was trying to work out a complex riddle. "I think we had to see that. I think it's like somehow we need to understand each other and our magic is showing us the worst moments in our memories…"

"But why?" Hannah asked. Lisa noted that the normally vivacious girl was avoiding everyone's eyes as if she felt guilty about what they had seen.

"To show each of us that we're equals." Tracey said, standing up and taking a few paces away from the others as she tried to wipe her tears. "It's like we need to see each other at our weakest, so we can sort of… I don't know, build each other up?"

"That would make sense." Mandy agreed, looking shaken. "It puts us all on even footing, you know? Like so we all know that no one here is any better than the others. Maybe? I don't know."

"My father hated me." Pansy said in a near whisper, tears stinging her eyes. "He wanted a son, and he got me. But he decided that I could still be useful. He got me the best tutors, but not for my education… for being a proper wife. He was planning to sell me off."

"Is that why you acted like such a bitch at school?" tracey asked, though there was no malice in her tone. Pansy nodded.

"It's also why I stayed with Draco and why I hated looking in the mirror." Pansy sighed. She then looked up at Hermione and gave an apologetic smile. "I never hated you. I envied you. I only said those things to you because it was what I was supposed to do. But every word felt like acid in my mouth. I even actually wrote you an apology letter once… but I burned it so my father wouldn't find it."

"Theo was a Death Eater." Tracey sighed as she turned away from the others. "I loved him so much. I'd had the biggest crush on him through school, and when we got together in our last year, I was over the moon. He kept telling me he didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps. He wanted to be free to choose his life. That night when he came to try and take me… when I found out the truth… I still don't know if he ever really cared about me."

"I never had friends growing up." Hermione admitted. "It took a really long time when I was at Hogwarts to make any friends. I went through both first and second year without any one to talk to, so I just did what I always did, and immersed myself in books. Neville was the first person to really start hanging around with me, and then Ginny Weasley a bit later, though both of them came to me for tutoring first. Every time that Draco teased me, it felt like he was exposing all of my insecurities to the world. I put on a brave face and tried to pretend like it didn't bother me…"

"I… I lost my brother when I was eight years old. My father left my mother and I after that because he couldn't look at me. He never wanted a daughter either Pansy. After that… Mum was only barely there. I hated going home for Holidays because the house always felt so empty." Mandy sighed, looking at Lisa. "It's why I preferred being at your house all the time."

"I wish my Mum was a little more like yours." Lisa sighed. "Constantly criticizing and judging me like nothing is ever good enough. She practically threw me out of the house when school was over. When she found out I didn't make it into Healer school, she just rolled her eyes like it was no big surprise to her."

"I never should have broken up with Neville." Hannah began to sob. "We're never going to get back together either. I just said that to myself to make myself feel better about my idiot choice. I wanted to party and have guys falling over themselves to get with me, but Neville was so good. He was perfect! When I broke up with him, I tried to make him feel bad about himself, just so I could feel better about what I was doing. I tried to make him feel like he'd never get a girl as good as me when he deserved so much better than me."

"So we all have terrible memories, and we all are flawed in some form." Tracey said coming back to the circle. She sat next to Hermione and threw an arm around her friend's shoulder. "But that doesn't mean we're weak. It means we're human."

"And we have each other now." Lisa smiled softly looking to each girl in turn. She reached out and took Pansy's hand and squeezed it. "I think that's what we were supposed to learn here."

"Maybe." Hermione said thoughtfully. "There's really only one way to find out."

Hermione offered her hand to Tracey who grinned and took it as she reached over to Hannah. Again the girls joined hands and each closed their eyes again. Just as before they each felt their magic flowing inside them and once again, they felt the connection begin, but this time it wasn't cold or dark. It felt comforting. This time, they each began to hear and see good memories and emotions. Things that made them all smile and even giggle.

And then, quite suddenly, they all saw a bright light in their minds, and then they found themselves in a large open room bathed in brilliant white light. They were standing now, draped in linen. They could each feel cold marble under their bare feet.

"What is going on?" Tracey asked, looking around, though there was no fear in her voice, only wonder.

"Where are we?" Hannah asked, unable to stop smiling.

"What does it look like to you?" Hermione asked cautiously. "Because I'm seeing a giant library."

"You've got to get out more." Tracey grinned. "It looks to me like an observatory maybe? Or an atrium. Does anyone else hear a fountain?"

"Or smell flowers?" Pansy asked. "I just see windows and a brilliant blue sky above."

"Kings Cross." Mandy muttered. "But like way cleaner, and much brighter."

"It's the place we feel most comfortable, or happy… or something." Lisa reasoned. "Or some rendition of it. We each see the place as we want to see it."

"Oh god, did we all just die?" Hannah asked, though she was still smiling.

"No." Hermione shook her head. "I think we've connected. I read about this in one of the books Pansy brought. They called it a Mindscape… a place they could all come to no matter where they were in the world and work on things together. We couldn't get in here until our magic bonded."

"This is bloody brilliant." Pansy laughed. "So… even if we are miles apart we could all come here and be together?"

"Yes." Hermione smiled. "But only after we managed to make our connection."

"Which we clearly have done." Tracey pointed out, laughing. "Does anyone else feel like super powerful?"

"I know." Hannah agreed. "It's hard to describe. But I feel all hyper or energized. Like i had thiry cups of espresso."

"Espressi-what?" Pansy looked confused.

"Oh honey you've got to get out more." Hannah giggled.

"So what do we do now?" Tracey asked. "How do we gain whatever power or knowledge that will help us stop You-Know-Who from coming after us?"

"We may still need the last girl for that part." Lisa shrugged. "But once we find her, then this we should be able to get her here easily."

"Maybe that's what we should do then." Hermione said. "Maybe this is how we find her."

"GUYS!" Mandy called out. Before her, a small round pool of water had opened up on the floor. "This just appeared."

"It's a scrying pool." Pansy said as she approached. "Hermione, you're right. I think if we concentrate on our connection, this will show us who the last priestess is."

"What are we waiting for?" Hannah said as she took Pansy and Mandy's hands. The other girls also joined hands, and Hannah cleared her throat. Show us our sister. Reveal our lost Oigh Ban-dia."

The water in the basin shuddered and rippled and then shimmered. They all looked in to see they were looking down on the earth itself. The blue orb spun until it stopped above England, and they felt as if they were all floating down through the sky over their home country. They soared over the countryside, passing mountains and lakes and small villages.

"Does anyone recognize anything?" Mandy asked.

"Keep concentrating." Pansy scolded.

The scene began to slow as they approached a small city though they didn't go into the city itself, but just outside to a large arena.

"That's a quidditch pitch." Tracey remarked.

"But where is it?" Hermione wondered.

"Focus!" Hannah urged.

There was a team practicing, fourteen players on brooms zipping about in the air. The girls found themselves chasing one particular girl, a chaser as it happened, and Hermione began to smile as the chaser caught the Quaffle and soared low to the ground as she dodged two bludgers coming from two different directions. She shot up ward and flipped herself over before throwing the Quaffle through the left hoop. She turned and they all saw the grinning face of Katie Bell.

Lisa opened her eyes, stunned to find herself lying on her back in the library. She turned and saw Mandy slowly rising to a sitting position.

"What just happened?" Hannah asked. "Who broke the connection?"

"Does anyone else feel like they need to sleep for three days?" Mandy asked looking around with sleepy eyes.

"That's really draining." Lisa agreed.

"It's Katie!" Hermione proclaimed.

"Where was that place?" Tracey asked.

"It has to be Holyhead." Hermione said, slumping into a chair, holding her head heavily. "She was signed to the Holyhead Harpies development team after she graduated the year before us. She's nineteen."

"And apparently she's the last of us." Hannah yawned.

"We've got to tell Neville so he can go and get her." Hermione said, trying to get to her feet, and nearly falling on her face.

"Ok, why are we all so tired?" Lisa demanaded. "We were only sitting here."

"It's the connection." Tracey said. "We're not used to it and it's obviously pretty draining."

"Or we didn't do it right." Hermione suggested. "We'll have to read more about it to be sure."

"Later." Hannah sighed, curling up into a little ball and closing her eyes.

"We've got to tell Neville." Pansy yawned, her eyes closing on their own as she curled up on the nearby sofa.

"We will." Tracey replied as she too fell asleep. Two minutes later all six girls were fast asleep, none of them had noticed the silvery tendrils of light that touched and connected each one of them.


Sirius smiled to Remus and Annalise as they all exited his office and made for the main atrium where reportes were waiting impatiently for the press conference to begin. Amelia Bones was waiting just outside his office along with Rufus Scrimgeour who looked rather annoyed at having to be there.

"Lord Black." Amelia said with a curt nod. Sirius gave a small bow, and motioned that she should join him.

"Our mutual friend had quite a bit to tell me last night." Madam Bones said softly to Sirius who gave a knowing smile.

"I imagine he did." Sirius replied. "Did you find it useful?"

"Intriguing." Madam Bones fought to hide her grin. "I thought he would be joining us for this."

Sirius could only smirk. "He's likely already here."

They rounded a corner that opened into the atrium, and immediately the reporters were on their feet shouting questions. Sirius stepped up to the podium and waited patiently for them all to stop talking so he could begin. He was quite pleased to see his old friend had chosen to appear. No doubt the snivelling little snake was there prepared to counter whatever statement Sirius was about to make.

"Oh, old friend, I do not envy you at all." Sirius thought gleefully.

"Good evening. Yesterday there was an article claiming that the son of Lily and James Potter, who were brutally murdered in their home by the dark wizard Voldemort…" There was a collective intake of breath at the name which Sirius powered through. "... was alive, well… and a sadistic murderer. I am here to tell you categorically that most of these statements… are true."

There was a cacophonous roar as the reporters all began to shout questions, but Sirius remained quiet until they stopped.

"I took Harry away from Britain for his safety on Halloween 1981 and only returned at the request of Albus Dumbledore. It was our hope to keep Harry safe from Voldemort and his Death Eaters but that was sadly not to be. On the eve before his duel with the Dark Lord, Dumbledore requested that should he fail, Harry and I would need to return to England and finish what was started in 1981, the end of Voldemort once and for all. And we have come to do just that."

There were looks of confusion and it was clear the press wanted to ask their questions, but they managed to refrain for the time being.

"I now yield to Madam Amelia Bones." Sirius smiled and gave a nod to Madam Bones who stepped up to face the rabid reporters.

"Thank you Lord Black. As many of you know, there were stories circulating regarding someone working outside the law. This is false. This so-called Vigilante came to me with information regarding an on-going serial murder investigation. Upon reviewing those facts, The Department of Magical Law Enforcement contracted this individual to track down and bring to justice known followers of the terrorist referred to as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. These are individuals known to have escaped justice before. I am quite pleased to say that he has been exceptional up to now, and it is my hope he will continue to so until such time as all known Death Eaters are brought to justice or dead. This particular wizard has been operating under the code name Phoenix for his own safety. However recently, certain members of the press have irresponsibly leaked his identity, and placed not only this wizard in potential harm, but his family and friends as well. An investigation is underway to discover how that information got out, and to find out who was responsible for leaking sensitive information to the press."

Amelia took a breath before continuing. The press were on the edge of their seats waiting for their chance to get answers.

"I have personally spoken to Phoenix, and he has agreed to come before you today with a statement of his own, and so I yield the rest of this conference to Harry James Potter."

One could have heard a pin drop in the massive atrium as everyone stood to get their first look at the last living Potter… who wasn't there. Heads turned every which way looking for the young man and the longer they waited, the more agitated the reporters were becoming.

"Madam Bones," Peter Pettigrew said irritably, "Are you having a laugh?"

"I assure you there's nothing funny about this Peter."

The voice had sounded all around them and everyone began searching for the source, though they didn't have to look long. A figure in black dragon leather manifested directly behind Peter pettigrew, shoving him quite forcefully, and sending him sprawling on the floor.

The Editor of the Daily Prophet rolled onto his back and his eyes opened wide in terror as the vigilante strode forward, stalking him like a hunter after his prey. All the reporters backed away, each watching the scene unfold and looking to Madam Bones and the several Aurors that had accompanied her to see if they would intervene. Yet none of the magical law enforcement officers moved a muscle.

"You've lived under your lies for too long Peter. It's time to tell the truth you worm!" Phoenix said loudly, the chorus of voices echoing about the atrium.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Peter snapped, looking to Madam Bones and Rufus Scrimgeour for assistance. "Call him off!"

"You were their Secret Keeper, weren't you?" Phoenix asked.

"YES!" Peter shouted, and then his eyes grew as big as saucers and he stared in disbelief at the leather clad figure before him.

"You were a Death Eater, weren't you. A spy." Phoenix asked, and Peter clapped his hands to his mouth, tears beginning to form in his eyes. His face began turning purple as he fought the sudden growing urge to spill his guts. He turned his terrified eyes to the leather apparition and started to scramble back again.

"You told your master where he could find your friends. The people who cared about you and treated you like family. You told your master and then, after they died, you blamed Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. You took gold for interviews and then you wormed your way into the media and controlled the narrative, didn't you?" Phoenix said, advancing on Pettigrew who was sweating profusely, still covering his mouth. He was sobbing now as he tried to get away, fighting with himself to keep his mouth shut.

"You are the reason Lily and James are dead. You're the reason that I grew up without knowing the love of my mother and father."

At this, the vigilante reached up and slowly pulled back his hood revealing his young face and bitter, angry green eyes. Eyes that Peter knew too well. It was too much.

"YES!" he shouted. "It's true! All of it! I was their secret keeper, and I sold them out to the Dark Lord! I was a spy then and now I use the paper and my influence to keep my master hidden! I betrayed my friends because I knew that it was only a matter of time until the Dark Lord won the war, and I didn't want to die!

"Aurors! Arrest that man!" Madam Bones ordered, and Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped forward, pulling Pettigrew to his feet and relinquishing him of his wand. However Pettigrew twisted himself free of their grasp and made a run for it. Sirius shouted a warning, and Harry, moving with lightning reflexes snatch and arrow from his quiver, nocked it and drew his bow. Pettigrew was hit directly in the back and froze, his limbs snapping into rigid positions, and falling flat on his face with a thick fleshy sound reverberating off the walls. Tonks and Kingsley grabbed the man, and Sirius warned them that Pettigrew was an animagus.

"Ladies and Gentlemen.' Harry called out looking to the reporters surrounding him. "I am Harry James Potter, and I have come home to fulfill a destiny that robbed me of family, and what you might consider a normal life. I am here because I am the only person who can face Lord Voldemort and end him. It is my mission to find each and every one of his followers and bring them to justice, or to end their lives."

A hundred voices called out questions to Harry but he remained quiet for a long moment until one question caught his attention. He raised his hands to silence them all and turned to the reporter who had issued the query, and motioned for him to repeat it.

"Did you kill those six girls?"

"No!" Harry said emphatically.. "Those girls were part of a ritual that lord Voldemort is using in order to gain more power. These girls are special, though I will not say how. But I will say that I have placed several girls under my protection and Voldemort is now unable to complete his rituals."

"Where have you been all this time?"

"Here and there." Harry smirked, and Sirius and Annalise had to hide their own smirks.

"How did you get Mister Pettigrew to reveal what he'd done to all of us?"

Harry gave the faintest of smiles at this and shook his head. He looked up at Sirius, Annalise and Remus who were all thoroughly enjoying the show and he gave them all a slight nod.

"I wish to thank all of you for coming, but I'm afraid that my time is limited this evening. But I promise that when my mission has been finished, I will consider granting interviews. I bid you all a pleasant evening."

With that, Harry stepped back, turned, and disappeared without a sound.

"He sure does love to put on a show." Sirius grinned to his wife. Remus chuckled loudly.

"I wonder where he learned that." Annalise laughed as she took her husband's hand and squeezed it. Remus simply laughed and shook his head.