Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. JK Rowling does. I'm just an avid fan.
Word Count: 4125
Hey, thanks to all who voted for their favorite chapter from 1-19. As of yesterday, seven people have submitted their votes, with chapter 16: the delegations arrive coming out on top. The votes are all very close, so your vote may change the whole leaderboard. This is not some sort of race. I repeat this is not a race. I just want to know which chapter is the most well-received so I can improve my writing. If you still haven't voted yet, please vote. You have until September 1st, 2020 to do so. Thank you for reading this notice, enjoy chapter 34.
Edit 9/1/2020: Reread the chapter, felt like the chapter was missing something. The reunion between Sirius and Cadmus didn't feel very impactful so I added a little more dialogue, which develops Cadmus' character a little more.
Chapter 34: Sirius Meets Cadmus
One of the worst things about the aftermath of the second task was that everyone was so keen to get their signed autographs from Cadmus. The second he is spotted along the corridors, a large group of girls and sometimes boys rush over and fight over who gets their autographs signed first. It was all quite amusing to Cadmus because celebrities receive this type of attention, not him. Cadmus found that the best thing that came out of the tournament was his relationship with Daphne. She had grown much closer to him ever since he rescued her in the second task.
Daphne had told him all about what happened when she arrived at McGonagall's office. She was informed that Dumbledore was going to put them under a bewitched sleep and that no harm would come to them. As soon as their champion returns to the surface of the water with them, the spell will break, and they will be back to normal. Daphne talked about how she was amenable about being placed under the spell. Cadmus was touched that Daphne trusted him so much.
There was another Hogsmeade visit after the second task, which Cadmus gladly took Daphne to again. This time they brought Jacob and Casper along to make up for the lost time they used to have together. Neville couldn't join them this time because he was doing some extra credit herbology project with Professor Sprout. They stopped by the Three Broomsticks to have a hot butterbeer when Cadmus accidentally bumped into his parents talking with Remus. His mother looked up surprised, "Cadmus, what a nice surprise. What are you doing here?"
"Oh, just hanging out with Jacob, Casper, and Daphne. Hey there, Professor Lupin" Cadmus greeted with a grin, paying for the four butterbeers. Remus softened a small smile and waved.
"So, did you three just meet up or something?" Cadmus asked casually. It was nice that his parents got to meet Remus, he was just a sweet kind fellow.
His father shared a look with his mother before he smiled, "Yeah. Remus accidentally took our order, so we just invited him to sit over at our table. Don't be late back to the castle today." In a whisper, Nicholas added, "Come to my office at 5." Cadmus' eyes darted back and forth between Remus, his mother, and his father. He had no idea why his parents wanted to talk with him, but he agreed. After a couple of hours exploring the less visited areas of Hogsmeade Village, they all made their way back to the castle, talking excitedly about wanting to come back next time. When they made it to the seventh floor, Cadmus didn't enter the common room with the others, instead, he decided to head directly to his father's office. Jacob noticed that Cadmus wasn't following them into the tower and was curious where he was heading.
"Where are you going?" Jacob asked, too busy eating pumpkin pasties.
"My father's office" Cadmus responded.
Jacob made a face. "If he asks you why I didn't hand in that last assignment, tell him my owl ate it."
Cadmus laughed, "I don't think he's going to buy that excuse, Jacob. You have used it too much."
"Well, I can't help it that his assignments are tough" Jacob complained, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration.
Cadmus chuckled. "Alright. Don't eat all the chocolate frogs, leave some for me." Cadmus walked out of the common room and made his way to his father's office. Cadmus knocked on the door of his father's office politely and waited for an answer.
"Come in," his father said. Cadmus pushed the door open and saw his mom, Remus, and his dad sitting around a circular table.
"You wanted to see me?" Cadmus asked, closing the door behind him and walking to the table.
Nicholas smiled and nodded, "Yes, we just need to have a little family talk. Is it alright with you?"
Cadmus sat down carefully, "Sure. I'm not in trouble, am I?"
Nicholas laughed, "No, you're not in trouble. There are just a couple of things we need to discuss."
"Alright then," Cadmus said, sitting back in his chair relieved that he wasn't in trouble. Cadmus observed that they were all very calm, but his mom was exchanging glances with Remus several times.
"Cadmus, do you remember someone called Sirius Black?" Nicholas asked. Cadmus nodded. Sirius used to be his favorite person to be around when he was younger, even though Sirius was Jamie's godfather. When he was older, Cadmus had accidentally come across an old printed newspaper about Halloween Night of 1981 and asked Nicholas about it. Nicholas and Perenelle had sat him down and patiently explained the details of that night, explaining that Sirius Black was thrown into jail for betraying the Potters. But just a couple of years ago, he finally got a trial and was found innocent of the crimes. Cadmus never heard anything about Sirius Black after that.
"Well, when Sirius heard about your disappearance, he was very mad. He and Remus searched for you for a very long time. And now that Remus has found you, Sirius is eager to meet you. As of now, he doesn't know anything except for the fact that you are alive and well" his dad said calmly.
Cadmus' eyes flickered from his dad to look at Remus, silently asking if all this was true. Remus smiled a little and nodded his head to confirm his father's statement. Cadmus stared at his hands to think it over. He was a little conflicted. Part of him longed to see Sirius again after so many years, but part of him knew that Sirius would never see him like before. He was worried about how Sirius would react to his new name and different look. Would he accept that he was a changed person and no longer the little Potter kid he chased around?
Cadmus slowly raised his head to look at Remus. He found himself saying, "It's worth a shot." Remus' smile widened and his eyes shone.
"Are you sure cub? You don't have to, it's all your decision" Remus hastily added. He didn't want to pressure Cadmus into meeting Sirius and cause any bad feelings to arise. Cadmus looked at him with pure confidence.
"Yes, I'm sure. So, do you have a date in mind?" Cadmus firmly said.
"I was thinking about the next Hogsmeade visit. I'll get a private room with silencing wards around it, shouldn't be that hard" Remus replied. He had a smile on his face, "Sirius is going to be so happy to hear this."
Perenelle wrapped an arm around Cadmus like she used to do when they cuddled in front of the television, "Do you want us to tell him about your story before he meets you? You don't have to tell him, we will."
"No, no. I feel like I should tell him, it will be better to hear it from me first" Cadmus responded, melting into his mother's hug.
"We'll be there to support you," Perenelle said. Nicholas nodded his head in agreement. Cadmus hugged his parents back.
"Thanks, mom. Thanks, dad" Cadmus said. Perenelle smiled warmly as she stroked his hair. Cadmus thought that he would be fine meeting Sirius, but now with his parent's support, he felt more confident. He only hoped that Sirius' reaction wouldn't be bad because from what his dad had told him, Sirius tended to make rash decisions.
Cadmus felt his stomach in knots as he made his way towards the Three Broomsticks during the next Hogsmeade visit. His friends had been very supportive and had plenty of reassuring words to tell him before he would meet Sirius. Daphne offered to come with him, but Cadmus politely declined, stating that he would be better off doing it himself. But the closer he approached the Three Broomsticks, the more Cadmus regretted turning down Daphne's help. He walked right up to the door of the Three Broomsticks and looked behind him. Daphne, Jacob, and Casper all gave him a thumbs up before they entered Honeydukes, undoubtedly looking to stockpile on more delectable sweets. Cadmus took a deep breath and entered inside the Three Broomsticks, the bell on the door rang as he did. He stepped inside the warm atmosphere and walked over to the bartender.
"Hello, someone booked a private room, I'm supposed to meet them inside there," Cadmus nervously said.
"What is the last name of the booker?" the bartender asked nonchalantly, opening a book full of private room bookings.
"Um, Lupin. Remus Lupin," Cadmus replied. The bartender skimmed his calloused fingers through the most recent bookings until he stopped midpage.
"Ah yes, he just arrived in fact. Seventh room to the left," the bartender said, pointing to the left of the little private hallway next to the bar. Cadmus thanked the man and walked down the hallway, silently counting the number of rooms he passed by. At last, he stopped in front of a door with a silver seven on the wall next to it. The door was ajar, Cadmus could see a figure pacing inside agitatedly. Cadmus pushed the door open and closed it behind him. Remus was inside, his hand covering his mouth deep in thought.
Remus saw him and smiled, "Cadmus, you're here. Excellent." Cadmus looked around the room and did not see his parents around.
"Remus, where are my parents?" Cadmus asked.
"They're picking Sirius up and bringing him here" Remus replied.
"But I thought they weren't going to say anything," Cadmus said worriedly.
Remus shook his head, "They aren't going to say anything. As far as Sirius knows, Perenelle and Nicholas know Harry Potter too, nothing more." Cadmus gulped and nodded, trying to look brave.
"Listen, cub. I know you are nervous about how Sirius is going to act, but remember he loves you. It will be hard for him to accept everything, so give him some time to think over. I'll be here to help you if you want," Remus said, with the kind smile he always had.
"Thanks, Remus," Cadmus said, thankful that Remus was so caring to him. As Cadmus paced around to think about what to say, Remus went to boil some water to make tea. It felt like an eternity for them to arrive, but when they did, Cadmus did not feel ready. They could hear a peal of joyous laughter walking down the hallway towards their room. The door opened, and in came a familiar face of Sirius Black. His matted black hair was now much longer and waverer. He had a warm smug smile on his face and that same childish glee.
The moment Sirius saw Cadmus standing in the middle of the room, he lit up with happiness and ran over to him. Sirius hugged him tightly as if he never wanted to let him go. Never wanted to let that same kid he called Prongslet go. All the emotions pent up leading to this moment exploded as tears fell.
"Harry! Oh, I missed you so much buddy," Sirius sobbed, holding onto Cadmus and patting the back of his head softly. At the moment, Cadmus felt very awkward, unsure of how he should feel. It felt so nice reuniting with Sirius after all these years, but Cadmus had no idea how he was going to break the news to him. Sirius withdrew from the hug but held onto Cadmus' hands. His grey eyes were full of happy tears as he took in Cadmus' appearance.
Sirius gave a hearty laugh, "Oh, it's been too long! Look at you Harry, all grown up and handsome! You're sixteen now, damn you make me feel so old. I swear you were a little toddler just yesterday!" Sirius let out a laugh of incredulity, he was in disbelief that Harry had grown and changed so much since he last saw Harry as a toddler.
Cadmus swallowed all his worries and smiled nervously. He was unsure of how to word everything as an explanation to Sirius, but when he saw his parents appear at the doorway behind Sirius, he felt a little more confident.
"Sirius. I don't know how to say this, but I-I'm not Harry" Cadmus said, feeling a pang of guilt when he saw the happiness fade from Sirius' eyes.
Sirius' face fell and then laughed as if it was a joke, "What do you mean? Of course, you're Harry! I've got pictures to prove it's you."
"No," Cadmus said firmly, thankful that Remus had placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I was Harry Potter. My name is Cadmus Nicholas Flamel now. Harry Potter was my past."
Sirius stumbled back in shock as he looked from Perenelle and Nicholas to Cadmus back and forth. "You're Flamel's kid now?" Cadmus nodded slowly. Sirius looked pleadingly towards Remus, his friend for answers. After all, Remus had a truthful soul.
Remus bowed his head, "It's true, Sirius." Sirius looked betrayed.
"You knew all along, did you? You knew from the moment you met Flamel, that he was Harry, and you never told me!" Sirius accused. Remus remained silent and held his hands out in front of him to show peace.
"Sirius please, control your temper," Remus softly pleaded. Sirius breathed in and out heavily, his mind spinning like those washing machines he stumbled upon in the muggle world. He started to calm down after a while but was silent most of the time. Sirius looked at Cadmus' scared expression and felt his stomach drop to the floor in guilt.
"Cadmus, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to react like this. I-It's just that I've searched years with Remus for you with no avail, and suddenly you're a changed person. I didn't know how to respond to this news.. I...I am justgladyouareok."
Sirius tentatively walked over and wrapped Cadmus into a warm embrace. "I don't care about the past. You are safe, that's all I need to know." There wasn't a single dry eye in the room. Perenelle sobbed quietly into Nicholas' shoulders as they saw two people reunite like old friends.
"I missed you, pup," Sirius whispered. Hearing Sirius call him pup filled Cadmus' heart with love. It brought back all the happy memories he had as a toddler, having fun with Sirius on his toy broomstick.
"I missed you too Sirius," Cadmus muttered back, a drop of a tear rolling down his cheek and splattering on Sirius' shirt. Cadmus quickly wiped his tears away, hoping that no one noticed. When they withdrew from the hug, Sirius turned to face Nicholas and Perenelle.
"Mr. and Mrs. Flamel, I can't thank you enough for taking such good care of him," Sirius thanked profusely.
Perenelle smiled softly, "You don't have to thank us. We are blessed to have Cadmus as our son. Blessed to have him in our life." Cadmus looked at his parents with love, they were the best guardians he could ever ask for. Sirius smiled and nodded, he was thankful that Perenelle and Nicholas were the ones who raised Harry because there was no telling who Harry could have stumbled upon. He had almost given up all hopes of finding Harry until Remus had come banging on his doors to tell him that Harry was found. He had missed out on a lot of Harry's childhood and never got the chance to talk to him. The last time Sirius had seen Harry was Halloween in 1981, the only words they could exchange were simple.
"Aw man, I can't believe I missed out on so much of your life!" Sirius lamented. "Tell me something about yourself. I want to know."
"What can I say?" Cadmus asked.
"Anything" Sirius responded.
"Well, I'm a dueling champion," Cadmus said. "My professor thought that my talents were being wasted in class, so he signed me up for a dueling tournament and trained me. At first, the odds were against me because I was the youngest contestant, but I fought my way through to the top."
Sirius was amazed. "Wow, how old was the oldest competitor?"
"18. It was the U-18 American Dueling Tournament" Cadmus answered.
"Oh wow, that's amazing harr-Cadmus!" Sirius exclaimed, correcting himself at the end of the sentence. Cadmus noticed but didn't say anything about his mistake.
"It's really nothing-" Cadmus tried to downgrade, but his father interjected.
"Nothing?! Cadmus, you are the youngest dueling champion in the world! That's a huge accomplishment!" Nicholas shouted.
"Well, I didn't think it was a big deal. It was nice though, I felt important instead of being someone pushed aside because I was just another impediment in the way. Mom, Dad, and Daphne constantly inculcated in me the belief that I was important, that I was worth it. That's how I got over my fears and my past" Cadmus said.
Sirius' face fell. He knew what it felt like having a sibling be favored over him, how he was being treated differently over his siblings because of his personality. His mother liked his siblings more because they were suited as a Black family member. He was a Gryffindor, which meant he was less worthy to be called a member of the Blacks.
"I'm sorry, Cadmus. I should've never went after Pettigrew and land myself in Azkaban. If I didn't, I could have raised you myself and you wouldn't have to go through everything" Sirius apologized.
"No, Sirius. It's not your fault, you would have never known what happened. If it's anyone's fault, it's the Potters. They may have thrown me aside because they thought I was weak, but I'll come back stronger. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon cared for me until I was 9 so that I could make my decisions and be my own person" Cadmus insisted firmly.
After a minute, Sirius beamed at him. "I'm so proud of you, pup. Hearing all this, it makes so much sense that you have grown into a mature person I can hardly recognize. When I was your age, I was drinking butterbeer by the barrels and getting into loads of trouble. I wish I could show you this map I made, came in real handy when I pranked people."
"A map? Does it happen to show all the secret passageways of Hogwarts?" Cadmus asked.
"Indeed! It was a marvelous piece of work- wait how do you know about it?" Sirius exclaimed.
"A certain adult wanted to lend me a hand when I arrived at Hogwarts. He gave me a similar map, hang on I think I have it on me" Cadmus replied. He felt around in his coat until he found the map Remus had given him. "Here."
Sirius examined the map before he tapped the map smartly with his wand, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." Immediately the ink spread out and form several sections of words.
Mr. Moony would like to welcome Padfoot back and insist that he finds someone else to annoy.
Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony and begs Padfoot to get his mangy old dog butt back to Potter Manor.
Mr. Wormtail bids Padfoot a good day and advises him to stop making Sirius jokes a habit.
Sirius laughed loudly and waves the map at Remus, "Remy, this is the updated version we created in September, why does Cadmus have it?"
"I gave it to him. Thought it would be a nice little gift from his godfather" Remus answered simply, flashing Cadmus a smile. Cadmus laughed, he remembered the day he met Remus quite clearly. It was a bit of a nasty shock to know someone knew his real identity but after a while, he got to know his godfather a lot more.
"Good thinking, Remus" Sirius complimented. Sirius handed the map back to Cadmus and advised him to keep it safe. He gave a short comical tale about the ingenuity of the Marauder's Map, the origin, and history of its usage. Cadmus was entertained by all the fun stories of Sirius' pranks and adventures so much so that he lost track of the time. Sirius was in the middle of recounting about the day he turned his professor into a goblet once when Perenelle interrupted. She looked sad to disrupt their lovely conversation.
"Alright Cadmus, I believe you have a date to go to. You can always communicate with Sirius over letters," his mother said amusedly.
"Date? As in, a date with a girl?" Sirius exclaimed, a large goofy grin of his face. "Oh boy, Cadmus is becoming a big man now. Who's the lucky girl?"
Cadmus glared at his mom for bringing the subject up, "Mom, it's just a Hogsmeade visit, not a date. And for your information Sirius, her name is Daphne Greengrass. And no, you cannot steal her away from me." Sirius pouted but was extremely happy to know that his pup has a girlfriend who cares and loves him very much.
"Fine, but you gotta let me meet her sometime," Sirius declared happily. Cadmus agreed. Before Cadmus left the Three Broomsticks, Sirius told something out of his pocket. It was a small box that Cadmus took off the lid to see a broken mirror piece.
"It's a two-way mirror, I've got the other pair. If you need to speak with me, just say my name, and I'll appear in your mirror," Sirius explained, pulling out a matching jagged mirror piece from his coat. Cadmus smiled, the mirror piece looked impressive.
"Thanks, Sirius, I'll call you when I am free. Just don't call me in the middle of class or something," Cadmus said, imagining the look on his instructor's face if they heard buzzing in the middle of class. Sirius laughed but agreed nonetheless.
As Perenelle and Nicholas escorted him out of the private room, Sirius called out after him. He hesitated a bit before he said. "Stay safe. I don't want to start another manhunt for you." Cadmus smirked and nodded before he followed his parents out of the Three Broomsticks.
"They're in Zonkos right now," Nicholas said, referring to Daphne and the others. Cadmus grinned and thanked his dad before he rushed towards Zonkos. The store was crowded, but over the shelves, he could spot Jacob and Casper putting their heads together as though they were planning something. Cadmus smirked and sneaked behind them, snooping in on their conversation.
"..and I'll sneak this in his tea during dinner. He won't suspect a thing" Jacob hissed to Casper quietly, sniggering as he showed a can of glitter-like sugar dust.
"Won't suspect what?" Cadmus said in a loud voice, causing both of them to spin around quickly.
"Cadmus!" Jacob surreptitiously hid the can behind his back, "What a pleasant surprise to see you here!" Casper guffawed at Jacob's attempt to cover up his prank plan. Cadmus raised an eyebrow at Jacob's suspicious behavior.
"Jacob," Cadmus said in a warning tone, "What are you planning against me?" Jacob's comical attempt to act innocent failed.
"Against you? I would never, Cadmus!" Jacob said. Cadmus laughed and wrestled the can from Jacob's hands and turned it over.
"Pixie Dust? Why, Jacob, you could do better than that!" Cadmus joked as he reshelved the can back to its original spot.
"You're no fun, Cadmus!" Jacob whined as he prodded one of the products on the shelves curiously. Without warning, it sprayed black stuff at Jacob's face, who couldn't get out of the way in time. Casper and Cadmus both burst out in laughter at Jacob's expense.
"Where's Daphne?" Cadmus asked.
"In the back aisle looking at Hair-Dye Dryers. Now hurry up and help me get this filth off me!" Jacob grumbled angrily. Cadmus laughed and pulled out his wand, pointing it at Jacob's black soot-covered face.
"Evanesco," Cadmus enunciated. The black soot cleaned itself off Jacob's face until his face was clear of any remains. Daphne returned from the back of the store, holding a box advertising a Hair-Dye Dryer that dyed your hair the color you want.
"Ok, I just purchased it," Daphne announced, not aware that Cadmus was present. When she did realize, she smiled, "How was the meeting?"
"It went great, thanks for asking," Cadmus responded, offering to help her carry the package. Daphne kindly let him hold the dryer for her as Jacob went to pay money for the Frog Spawn Soap he wanted. After that, the four of them headed back towards the castle after having a pleasant day in Hogsmeade.
A/N: Sirius and Cadmus' reunion is so heart-touching. I'm gonna cry. What did you guys think of their reunion? You know what to do, leave your thoughts on this chapter in the review section. Also, I need a much better title for this chapter. Please give some suggestions. Let me know what you'd like to read next. I have the next chapter drafted already. What do you say, do you want to Cadmus to attend one of Moody's DADA lessons? Do you want Cadmus to strike up another friendly relationship with someone at Hogwarts? As always, please favorite, follow, review, and share this story because it means so much to me. Thank you for all your support and I hope to catch you all in the next chapter!
Stay safe and happy,
mintloveme523