Hey everyone,
So because the last chapter ended on such a downer, I decided to make this the final chapter for this story – at least for now when it comes to the updates. But don't worry, I don't plan to end my daily updates any time soon. I have two more stories that have 14 and 10 chapters respectively, so the daily updates won't end until the end of August at the latest. And who knows, maybe I'll just start posting other chapters of my other unfinished stories after that.
We'll see,

Venquine1990
PS. I wanted this to be the final chapter for now, but my muse thought otherwise. Typical.

Chapter 24
Conversations and Meetings

21st of September 1995
Radiant Garden
Sirius' POV

No one wants to see their son in the depressed state Harry had been in a few minutes ago. It had filled me with very mixed feelings while I held him in my arms. On one hand I loved holding the boy I care so much about, the boy I was exceedingly happy to adopt with Yen Sid's help. On the other hand it felt horrible to witness such clear evidence of how hurt and troubled the boy really was, how much darkness is in his heart as the people in the Garden would say.
And it's really thanks to the Garden that I don't feel like despairing myself and why I was able to remain strong as he yelled and screamed. I have no doubt that the world's magic made Harry want to let go of some of the darkness in his heart and I feel sure that the magic will now help the light in his heart to grow stronger. And I definitely intend to help the world in that effort, yet at the same time I am feeling my own little dilemma.

Harry and I have gone back to just walking around, yet the boy seems to walk a little closer against my side than he did before. Not yet close enough I can wrap my arm around him, but close enough that I rub my shoulder against him from time to time in a silent way of conveying him some of my support and care for him. And the boy seems focused on just walking, but I do notice his smile stretching upward a little for a short second each time this happens. I won't deny, though, that I am doing this as a way to make explaining my dilemma easier.
We have reached the fountain court and have gone to sit on one of the benches in front of the fountains. Harry is just calmly staring at the fountains with a peaceful smile on his face and I decide to take my chance. "Harry, could I ask you about something?" The boy turns to face me and I try not to let my growing concern become obvious as I say: "Imagine for me, if you will. A man comes to live in a new town where he finds someone he slowly grows to like very, very much.
Yet this man moved here because he is ill and the new town can help him heal. And then, just as he realizes that he has grown a crush on this woman, he gets a chance that had been denied to him for years. This chance concerns a child that he loves very, very much and allows him to adopt said child. And while the man, obviously, jumps at the chance, he is scared. He's scared that the child will feel like he is being left behind or as if he won't like the idea of having to share his new guardian with another person.

What would you do? You know, if you were in the kid's shoes?" I can't help but add and by this time I have given up on hiding my increased fear. Harry's eyes are wide and he snaps: "Sirius, are you nuts? I got two guardians and you're scared that I would be against having a third? What the hell did I do to ever give you that idea?" At this I can't help but rub the back of my head and say: "Nothing, it was just my own stupid fear running away with me."
The boy laughs and he says: "You can say that again. So, who is it?" I feel my face heating up, something that has been happening quite a few times since I started realizing that I was falling for her and I mutter: "Rachel, it's Rachel." The boy stares at me for a few moments and then suddenly he jumps me. This startles me enough that I lose my balance and the two of us fall of the seat. Luckily enough I don't hit my head on the pavement.
"Are you serious? Isa's mother? Are you for real? Does this mean that, if things develop, I might have Isa for a brother? Seriously?" I stare at the boy as I had really not expected him to even care for the idea in such a way and sigh as I say: "Harry, listen to me." The boy looks at me, a look of confusion on his face. I push up and the two of us retake our seats. I keep my stare on the fountains and try to use the flowing water and the beauty of the springs to keep my voice even as I talk.

"Rachel is aware that I have a crush on her. We discussed this just earlier this morning before I decided to go hang with Leon and the others. She is also aware that I still have a long ways to go before the light of this world can completely cleanse my soul from the darkness of Azkaban and the war, not to mention the loss of your parents. I know I won't ever be able to get rid of it all and I have come to accept that and so has she.
However, because it might take months, maybe even years, we came to an agreement. We're not going to try anything too seriously for the moment and she will simply add some subtle signs of her own crush on me in the ways she's helping me and me doing the same in the ways that I thank her for this. However, if we were to get lucky and still feel the way we do now by the time I am declared healthy or, as we're hoping, our feelings have increased, we will make it official.
Yes, I have promised that I would court her if all goes according to plan, but we also agreed that, if we grow to love each other as siblings or if we realize that just remaining friends is better, we will discuss this and help each other accept it." The boy stares at me for a moment and then he starts to nod. But then he asks: "What do you think? Do you think you'll grow to love her or that you'll remain friends?" And this question makes a smile grow on my face as I say:

"I'll be honest with you, kiddo. I do think that she's the future Lady Black. I mean, there are parts of her character that are very, very different from what your mother was like, but at the same time I can't help but feel like she can be the Lily to my James. Lily was, to your father, a wife that both deeply loved him for who he was, but who also did all she could to motivate him into becoming a better version of who he was. And I really feel like Rachel is doing the same for me."
I turn to him and again I pull him close against my form as I say: "I won't lie to you, Harry. It was Rachel that convinced me to sign the contract. To be honest, I did want it, but I wanted to wait. I didn't think I was good enough yet. But Rachel proved me I was wrong and convinced me that I needed to do this now. She made me realize I was just letting my own fears make me procrastinate and that it would probably continue to do so on and on and on and on."

Harry beams at me and laughs as he says: "Yeah, Isa is exactly the same. Though he's sometimes a little more harsh and indifferent when he tells someone a truth they might not want to hear." I laugh at this myself and say: "The more I hear about this son of hers, the more I want to meet her." And this seems to give Harry an idea. He grabs my hand and starts to pull me along as he runs back the way we came. And halfway down the road we seem to run into the man he wanted to get to.
Master Ansem walks in the opposite direction of us and Harry waves at him and stops in front of him. Both of us are panting softly and the man asks: "My goodness, what's wrong? Is everything okay?" I pant lightly and shrug as I don't really know. "Master, could you call Master Yen Sid? I want to ask him something about Monday." Harry requests. The man nods and while I'm still lightly confused about the tech, the man does as asked.

He hands Harry the phone after making the call and Harry greatly startles me as he asks: "Master, would it be okay if Sirius comes back with me on Monday? Just for a day, so he could meet Isa and the others?" I quickly walk over to gaze at the man's face over the boy's shoulder and see him beam at the boy as he says: "That is a wonderful idea, Harry. Yes, you do that, my boy. I was planning to share my backstory with everyone on Monday and would love for him to be part of that."
This really interests the both of us and Harry says: "Thanks Master, I can't wait. Would it be wrong if I bring others too?""As long as you don't take the whole town, Harry. I don't think Hogwarts will be able to accommodate to that." Both of us laugh and Harry says: "Don't worry, I'll keep it to just five people, I promise." The man nods and says: "Good. Now you have fun and I'll go discuss a few things with the Headmaster. I'll see you Monday, dear child."

Harry nods and presses the red button that is on the screen below the man's picture. The screen turns black and Harry hands the device back to Ansem as he says: "Thank you, Master." The man nods and says: "You're welcome, Harry. Now, shouldn't you and Sirius head for Rachel's before your ice cream melts?" But to this I grin and say: "Don't worry, I cast a cooling charm on Harry's bag as we headed out." The man nods, yet I still wrap my arm around my boy, greet him and leave.
And to be honest, the sight of the man reminded me of another topic I needed to discuss with Harry. And yet again I feel my feet guiding us back to the fountain court. "You really love this place, don't you?" Harry asks with humor lacing his voice. I smirk as he just gave me the perfect opening and say: "I do. And so does Snuffles." The boy looks at me and I say: "Dogs might be domesticated, but they're not able to be trained to be indoors all the time like some cat species are.

And I had to force Snuffles to remain inside for twelve years as I used his form and simpler mind to keep my own while in Azkaban. Combine that with the two months I stayed at London and Snuffles became a solid part of my growing agitation; his agitation became like the center of my own. So every other time that I have a walk with Ansem, we head here and I transform. The running water and the springs give Snuffles so much enjoyment, it's like a balm to both our souls."
Harry nods and his eyes convey his understanding. Yet he still asks: "Sirius, can I ask you a question?" I nod at him and he asks: "Why do you still call your Animagus form Snuffles? I thought you used that because you were a wanted man and a lot of people knew about Padfoot. Why haven't you gone back to that?" I sigh even though I feel like I should have seen this coming. I sit down and stare at the highest point of the fountains as I say:

"To be honest, it took me a few days before I realized this myself. At first I thought it was just because I had gotten used to calling my Animagus form by that name, but Master Ansem helped me realize I had a much deeper reason. I don't call my form Padfoot anymore, because Padfoot is dead; he died on the night your parents did." I know Harry is staring at me, but I also know I need to keep my gaze averted if I want to finish explaining this.
I feel my throat constricting a little as talking about this is still a little hard to do and I continue: "Padfoot was carefree, Harry. He was arrogant, he was wild, he often did things without thinking them through or trying to think of potential consequences. He had been abused by his parents, yes, but he took that abuse the wrong way. It made him think that he was incredible for having survived it and as if the world owed him for the pain they had caused him. Padfoot was a jerk, who believed that he and his friends were right in everything and would save the world; that they were untouchable.

Then your parents died and – well, Padfoot died with them. And during my time in Azkaban, Snuffles was born. And I'd like to think that, as long as I keep myself to who Snuffles is, I can be someone with value, someone who deserves to live, someone who is not who Padfoot was. I'd like to think that James and Lily and Rachel and Ansem and Yen Sid and you – that you want me to be the Sirius Black that has Snuffles for an Animagus form, not Padfoot." Harry stares at me for a few moments and then says something that startles me:
"You know, you're right – and wrong." I stare at him and he says: "I mean, I don't really know who you were before you re-entered my life, but I do have my pictures. And Padfoot wasn't just everything you just told me. He was also a prankster who became one of the idols of the Weasley twins. He was also my dad's best man at his wedding. He was also the man my parents entrusted my life with in case something happened to them. I get what you mean, but – I don't think you should ignore those sides of Padfoot. That'd be a disservice to both of you."
I stare at the boy with my eyes wide and my mouth slightly agape and then hug him tightly against my form as I say: "You are bloody incredible, you know that. And absolutely right." The boy laughs and I move so that we can lock eye-contact as I say: "Never change, okay Harry? Heal, but never change who you really are." The boy's eyes tear up a little at this and he says: "I'll promise to this if you do too." I happily nod and pull him back into another hug.

A few hours later
At the Minister's Office
Jenna Lewis' POV

"Greetings Minister, thank you for meeting with us." I say as the man motions for us to take the seats in front of his desk. And while the man has often given me the impression that he thinks higher of himself and his position than either really deserve, his interior is actually a lot more modest than I had expected. There is definitely a lot of quality in his furniture, but their design is very simple instead of lavish and there aren't really any noticeable details carved into his desk.
"Naturally. I take it you're here to discuss Dol – Umbridge?" I slightly feel for the man as I know that Dolores had gotten the Secretary position one year before he took to the office and silently commend him for correcting himself like that. "Not just that, Minister. With the Headmaster's permission as well as that of the ICW and the Board of Governors, we decided to question the students who decided to pick Umbridge as their teacher.
Though we also questioned at least one student of each year and House who chose the Master. We wanted to know with all of them why they made their decisions and whether or not those reasons were beneficial to their academic future. And, as much as I dislike having to inform you of this, when it comes to those who chose the former, Umbridge, the reasons were slightly varied, but none of them could be called beneficial."

The man grimaces at this and he sighs as he says: "Just – just give it to me straight. What happened? What were their reasons?" I notice that Weasley appears highly annoyed and the boy even gives me the impression that he wants to speak up. I want to commend him for his self-control, but I feel like it will only be a matter of time before that self-control snaps. Instead of this I just ignore the boy and start my explanation.
"The students who picked Umbridge had four reasons. I'll cover them from lowest to highest. As in the reason that the least amount of students had to the reason the majority of students had. The first was fear. The students, about four of them, were afraid that they might not be able to complete one half of Master Yen Sid's lesson plan and felt more comfortable with the easy going lesson plan of Umbridge. They did realize that there would be no spell-casting, but they felt like they could learn the required spells elsewhere, like from older students.

These four students were all Second Years, so we're of the belief that Fake Moody really did a bit too much of a number on them with the impression he left behind and they now want something a little more peaceful. We personally consider this the most valid and understandable reason. Unfortunately, another kind of fear was the reason another dozen students had picked her class." I share a look with Marcus and he takes over, just like before.
"Minister, these 12 students picked Umbridge, because they were afraid that she would go after their parents and make their jobs difficult if they didn't. They knew that Umbridge had been the main source behind all the slander the Daily Prophet piled onto Dumbledore and Potter and while they don't support the latter two, they were afraid that Umbridge would believe otherwise and would take revenge on their parents for their decision.

They wanted to take Yen Sid's classes, but they didn't want to cause their parents any issues or hardships." The man has his face in his hand with his elbow leaning on the arm rest. Marcus and I decide to just give the man a few minutes to regain himself. In the meantime, I tilt my head a little and notice that Weasley is having more trouble keeping his mouth shut. "Alright, be honest with me. Were the reasons of the other students anymore valid?"
My partner and I share another look and Marcus says: "Only with one of the students and even then I would not call it educationally valid. I would only call it that because he apparently shares a dorm with Potter." This seems to startle Weasley and then he suddenly starts to beam as he says: "Ah wonderful. I was planning to send Ron a letter to advise him to start distancing himself from Potter, but it seems he was already doing so. Excellent."

I stare at the kid and feel unable to believe that he is trying to tell himself this. I turn back to Fudge and ask: "Forgive me if I'm wrong, Minister, but I could have sworn that about three hours ago, one Ronald Weasley basically denounced your assistant as his brother. Also, when exactly did Marcus say that it was young Weasley that picked Umbridge? It could be me, but I don't recall my partner giving a name when he talked about the dorm mate."
Fudge is glaring at Weasley and he says: "You're right, Miss Jennings. Your partner indeed did not give a name, he just mentioned the student's situation. And yes, young Ronald did indeed do that. And what saddens me even more than a brother denouncing another brother like that is my Assistant'sapparent lack of short term memory." Weasley is staring at the Minister as if he's unable to believe that the man is talking down on him like that.

The Minister then turns back to me and asks: "So ehm, who is this student in question anyway?" I wonder if this is the man's need to just change the subject or if he is really curious and decide that it really doesn't matter. "A lad named Seamus Finnegan. Apparently his mother reads the Prophet and both of them believe what it writes. I can't entirely fault the lad, but I do think that it's strange and wrong that he believes a couple of words over a dorm mate of four years.
Apparently he wouldn't even give the boy a chance to defend himself on the first of September and just got into a confrontation with him as they prepared for the night and since then things have been quite tense between them. He even expressed a strange kind of relief over something that Potter has, apparently, been doing since that night, though he wouldn't tell us what. Just that it concerned him, the Weasley twins and the Guardian Angels."

Fudge hums at this and he mutters: "I got invited to visit Hogwarts next Monday to hear Master Yen Sid's backstory. Perhaps I can find out what this is then." The two of us smile and say: "We got a similar invitation, Minister. We'd be happy to accompany you." The man smiles and he asks: "So one of the reasons the students picked Umbridge was to spite Potter? Is that what you were trying to tell me earlier?" We nod and I say: "Indeed. And like we said, only Finnegan, in our eyes, had a valid reason for this."
"So did the other students! Potter is a menace and –.""And unlike you, young man, none of them ever shared more than two words with him. None of them ever knew him, met him, spoke with him or even knew basic things about him like his favorite color or favorite food. Even you, who seems to have a really wrong bone to pick with the kid for, in my opinion, no valid reason, would know the answers to those questions."

"No valid reason? No – no – NO VALID REASON?"The boy has started to yell and has jumped out of his seat. "POTTER BY HIMSELF IS A VALID REASON! HE IS UNRULY, A TROUBLE MAKER, HE BRINGS EVERYONE WHO ASSOCIATES WITH HIM DOWN WITH HIM! HE HAS NO FUTURE WHATSOEVER! HE BLOODY WELL KILLED DIGGORY! AND I AM JUST TRYING TO KEEP MY FAMILY SAFE, BUT THEY ARE BEING TOO BLOODY STUPID TO SEE REASON LIKE I AM!"
All three of us are gaping at the panting boy. I have felt rage and disbelief growing within me the more he spoke and now I want to follow his example and, if I can, put him in his place. But then Fudge snarls: "Weasley, get out! Consider yourself relieved of duty for the day. I expect you back in office no sooner than tomorrow and you better have changed your mind on that horrible incident of back in June by that time or I might just send you away again. Am I clear?"
"Mi-mi-minister – w-w-w-w-w-what?" Weasley splutters and I can't help but think: "That Ronald kid sure made the right decision to denounce this self-centered prat." I turn to Fudge instead and calmly say: "You know, Fudge. I have a niece who lives here in England with her mother, my sister. She's magical and she started her First year two years ago. My sister is quite close with Madam Pince and we were both invited to attend the Third Task."
The man smiles at first, but sighs at the end and says: "Then you saw the same thing I did, I assume." I nod and say: "Indeed, Minister. We both saw a boy who was much too distraught to have been a killer. Besides, I know that Dumbledore checked his wand after the boy had been admitted to the Hospital Wing and he even used an advanced version of Priori Incantatem. A lot of self-defense spells had definitely been recorded, but nothing that can even remotely be considered grey, let alone dark. I'm pretty sure we still have the records somewhere."

But the man shakes his head and says: "There is no need for that. I might not – wait –." And suddenly the man whitens and he turns to his assistant. "Weasley, you have one chance to redeem yourself and prove yourself more than just a selfish delusional teenager. Tell me everything you know about this diary Potter and Yen Sid spoke of, now. What is it and what does your sister have to do with it? What did your parents tell you?"
I feel quite curious about the man's inquiry, but then a memory hits me instead. "Ehm Minister, I don't mean to interrupt you or keep you from giving your assistant the interrogation he deserves, but – I just remembered something myself." The man turns to me and I say: "As I said, my niece started her First in Potter's third, your Assistant's Seventh. My sister took the empty nest pretty bad, so we decided to visit various taverns and café's once a month. And back in December of that year, we picked the Three Broomsticks."
The man looks curious and I tell him: "Minister, we somehow, and to this day I don't know if it was fate or just coincidence, but we chose the exact date of the last Hogsmeade Weekend of the year and were in the tavern when you met with Madam Rosemerta and Professors McGonagall, Hagrid and Flitwick. We were about three tables away and I remember the conversation you shared with them. How you told them about Black and his supposed backstory."

The man rubs the back of his head while he has his bowler hat in his other hand and he asks: "Yes, I remember that. I must say, I feel pretty embarrassed, looking back. Like I said, I had been part of the crew who had been sent out to that site that, I guess, Pettigrew left behind that day. I now feel stupid that I just took the whole thing at a moment's notice and didn't issue for any deeper investigation or anything. And to be honest, I don't think I ever questioned why Black was just send to Azkaban. It was wrong, but I just ignored it."
I wince as this really wasn't the reason I brought this up and I say: "I understand, Minister, but that's not the reason I'm bringing this up. Near the end of your conversation, you mentioned Him. You claimed that He had been defeated and heavily weakened. Not just that, you also voiced your fear of how fast He could come back to the power if He had been given back His most loyal. And while I wouldn't claim Pettigrew to be His most loyal, the lad is probably terrified of Him enough that he would do anything he could to please Him."

The man's entire face whitens and then his gaze moves from us to where Weasley is seated. I already feel sure that the lad wants to go for round two and just continue denying everything we're discussing here, but Fudge seems to have none of them. "WEASLEY! I gave you an order. So you either realize that your break is over and follow through or you can pack your bags and leave for the day. Decide!" The lad splutters behind me for a moment and then he says:
"Minister, there is nothing to tell you. My parents told me a story that I had trouble believing back when they told me and now I just –.""I DON'T CARE IF YOU BELIEVE IT OR NOT! JUST TELL ME WHAT THEY TOLD YOU, BOY!" My own eyes widen as I didn't know that Fudge had such lung capacity. Weasley also seems to be shocked silent for a moment and then suddenly the door bursts open and two Aurors run in.

"Minister Fudge, what's wrong? What happened?" The one on the left asks while the one on the right roams across the room with his warded gaze and his wand in hand. Fudge turns a little red and he says: "Nothing, Dawlish. I just lost my temper with my unruly Assistant. My apologies if I startled you or Proudfoot. Please, take one of my wife's homemade chocolate chip cookies for your troubles." The two nod and happily take a cookie from the canister on Fudge's desk before they leave.
And once the door closes behind them, Fudge's entire demeanor changes from kind and embarrassed to annoyed and impatient as he turns to his Assistant and snaps: "Start talking!" Weasley whitens slightly and he says: "According to my parents, Lucius Malfoy tricked my sister into accepting some kind of diary that, apparently belonged to one Tom Marvolo Riddle. She wrote in it and it wrote back. Apparently she felt underappreciated by her brothers and me and confided this in him.
But he turned out to be bad news and started influencing her. Father even told me that he used the magic of the diary to cast something similar to a Confundus and an Oblviation spell on her and use the former to make her release the monster of the Chamber of Secrets and set it on all the students that got attacked back then and then the latter to make her forget about it. And in the end, he used the same magic to lure her into the Chamber.

I just – I can't imagine how any of this is even possible. Why would Malfoy have a diary that belonged to someone else? Why would he give it to Ginny? Everyone knows Malfoys and Weasleys don't work, so why do something like that? And Ginny's not a Parsletongue, so how could she have opened the Chamber or set the monster on the students? None of it even makes a lick of sense, so I knew they must have been told some cock-and-bull story by Potter or even Dumbledore." Yet Fudge just turns to me and Marcus.
I roll my eyes and say: "Master Yen Sid already explained the first question. Riddle is obviously Voldemort and whether or not Lucius was under the Imperius, it is always possible that he was ordered to keep the diary while under the Imperius. Then why would he not ditch the diary sooner? I'm going to assume it's the same reason Pettigrew returned to his master; fear. And why with Ginerva? Obviously the diary had dark, harmful magic and like Percival says, Weasleys and Malfoys hate each other and would want to hurt one another, so there.

And it really isn't uncommon for dark magic belonging to wizards with special abilities or magic to be able to transfer said magic to others, especially if it happens through possession. And personally, I think that Arthur called the whole thing Confundus and Obliviation as he must have not wanted to consider the knowledge that his daughter might have been possessed multiple times that year. And again, seeing who Riddle became, I can see him do so.
The question now, Minister, is where is that diary and – and I won't deny the fact that the possibility makes me fear for all of England if not the Magical world at large – did he make more objects of similar nature? Is that what allowed him to survive that horrid night so long ago and what allowed him to return to a body last June? And if so where are they?" And this time all the faces of those around me are white as snow. Even Weasley seems unable to argue against my theory.

And the first step is made.
Yeah, now Fudge is aware of what Voldemort might have done to help him survive that night. And naturally he is going to ask the help of anyone who he thinks would want Voldemort dead as much as he does to find out of Jenna is right or not. However, while Jenna will offer her services, it will only be for the sake of her sister and niece. Marcus on the other hand won't as he will keep to the ICW's decision to just leave Magical England to themselves and to only concern themselves with the future of the Hogwarts students.
Also, I know that Bowser3000000 doesn't want a Horcrux Harry, but Jostanos voiced an idea of mine. I don't plan to have Harry be an actual Horcrux and the whole Sacrifice yourself thing is DEFINITELY off the table. However, there will be dark Riddle magic stuck to his scar and this will affect the Heartless he could become if he gives into the darkness of his heart. Think Ansem Seeker of Darkness. Though this won't be covered until Halloween or later.
Now onto what you can expect for when we get back to this story. The next chapter is going to have us remain in England for a little while longer. I actually wasn't planning on this, but then I remembered that Dumbledore had invited the Order to attend the Demonstration as well and I felt like I couldn't let another meeting just pass by without mentioning or covering it. And trust me, it's going to be mostly positive with hints of negativity here and there.
Till next time,

Venquine1990
PS. Percy won't hold onto his beliefs about Harry for too long. I don't plan on copying A Soul's Future Percy in this story or even To Read and To View Percy. Just give it a little bit of time.