Chapter Thirty-Five
Going Home
Harry arrived back at Great Black Manor the next morning. He had spent a gruelling night with Scalby and Madam Bones making his testimony. Amelia Bones had been furious at the idea that a teacher and Ministry official had been allowed to torture a child under her care especially given that her ward was present in that school.
Bones was going to get a warrant to search Hogwarts even if it was supposedly for evidence against Dumbledore which had already been done about a month ago. She hoped that the physical evidence of the blood quills and Harry's testimony would be enough to get Fudge to disavow the horrible woman. However, they were aware that the woman had friends in high places.
Harry, for his part, was just glad to be home after the hellish first few days Harry had had back at Hogwarts. Harry shook his head remembering a time in first and second year when Hogwarts had been his home. Now it had become almost as hellish as the Dursleys had been. That place had never been his home. Not with Dumbledore controlling everything.
Harry made his way up to the Lord's wing he shared with Sirius on the third floor. Harry then pretty much collapsed into bed beside his lover despite it being only a few hours until morning. Sirius who had been fast asleep unaware that Harry was coming home. Harry didn't care and just snuggled into his lover who could sleep through an explosion.
Seven hours later and Harry woke up to a pair of warm lips on his. Harry quickly melted into the older man's kisses. Harry closed his eyes as his hands grasped Sirius' face and pulled Sirius down to him.
Harry began rubbing himself against Sirius' still clothed dick which would not be that way for much longer if Harry had anything to say about it. Sirius groaned into Harry's mouth and rubbed back. Harry gasped desperate for more.
Harry pulled Sirius down onto him and ran his hands through the older man's curly, dark hair. Harry couldn't help but think how gorgeous his lover was. And how right it was that they were back together again. It had only been a couple of days since Harry had returned to Hogwarts. Yet it felt like it had been years since he had last seen his Sirius.
Sirius gripped Harry's hips hard so that Harry's white t-shirt was rid up his back. Sirius pulled Harry's top over his head and followed by his shirt. Soon the two ex-Gryffindors were naked against one another.
Sirius ran his hands and tongue all over Harry's body making sure to pay special attention to Harry's most sensitive areas. Harry groaned and bucked up against Sirius who gently nibbled on his neck. Harry gasped all the more at that. Sirius quickly returned to Harry's mouth.
Sirius lubed up his fingers and began to gently prepare Harry's body. His fingers slid into the teenager with minimal resistance as the couple continued to kiss. Harry gasped as he gripped Sirius' hair tighter. Sirius carefully stretched Harry out.
Before long Sirius was pulling his fingers out and replacing them with the tip of his cock. He lubed himself up and pushed in. Harry moaned becoming boneless with the pleasure only Sirius had ever brought him.
'I love you, Sirius,' Harry groaned.
'I love you too, Harry,' murmured Sirius.
Sirius pulled out and then slowly pushed himself back in. Sirius' thrusts stayed slow and deliberate but every thrust hit Harry's sweet spot. Making Harry's toes curled and groans were ripped from his throat.
Harry needed more than Sirius was giving him so he pushed himself up onto Sirius who groaned at the action. Sirius' movements almost instantly became rougher. And as he approached orgasm Sirius's actions became more and more frenzied. Harry made a deep, animalistic noise as his body reached orgasm.
'SIRIUS!' Harry screeched as he clenched around Sirius.
Harry and Sirius lay panting together on the bed. Finally, Harry got his breath back and smiled at his lover. Sirius smiled back at him and gently pulled Harry into his arms. Harry closed his eyes and let himself feel the comfort that Sirius' embrace had always filled him with.
'Hey,' smiled Harry. 'Good morning to you too.'
Sirius laughed a deep and sexy laugh, 'now what are you doing here?'
'Aren't you happy to see me?' Harry asked sarcastically.
Sirius gave Harry a flat look, 'I think it was clearly evident that I am.'
Harry grinned cheekily, 'can't I just have missed you.'
'Harry,' Sirius said flatly.
Harry sighed, 'Umbridge used blood magic against me.'
Harry said it as hesitantly knowing that Sirius was going to completely flip out at this news. Scalby, Snape and his mother had all been horrified. Sirius as his lover and much less controlled than the other three was completely furious.
'WHAT?' demanded Sirius fury in his face. 'I'LL KILL HER!'
'Sirius, calm down,' Harry said quickly before Sirius could do something he could regret. 'I'm fine.
'What did she do?' Sirius growled out.
Harry sighed, 'she made me write "I must not tell lies" with a quill that cut into my own skin.'
'Let me see,' growled out Sirius.
Harry sighed but allowed Sirius to inspect his unmarked hand. It was only after Sirius saw for himself the skin that was as smooth as it was yesterday did the man calm at least somewhat. Harry was just glad he hadn't seen it as inflamed as it was last night.
'I've been completely cleared by a Healer,' Harry assured the older man.
'Not Pomfrey?' asked Sirius.
Harry gave Sirius a flat look, 'do you really think I would trust her to correctly diagnose me and act appropriately? No, it was not Poppy Pomfrey.'
'Good,' Sirius declared. 'Are you alright?'
Harry smiled at the man he loved more than anything or anyone else. Nobody else had asked this last night. They had made sure that he was okay physically, of course, and set things in play to make sure Umbridge went down for this abuse of power. But it was Sirius who made sure that he was alright.
'I'm fine,' Harry said softly. 'I've been through worse.'
Sirius' eyes darkened at the reminder of the hell his lover at been in his short life. First watching his parents violently murdered before his eyes when he was just fifteen months old. Then being sentenced to ten years in hell. Then fighting Voldemort three times; twice before he had even become a teenager. Then there was what Vernon had done to him when he was but twelve-years-old.
'We both have,' Harry said softly. 'Bones is searching Umbridge's office as we speak. Scalby will make sure she goes down for this.'
'He better,' snarled Sirius.
'Scalby is the best lawyer out there,' Harry said. 'Well the best who refuses to take Death Eaters as clientele. He's rarely been beaten on the stand. You know this; it was why you advised me to go to him. Don't do anything rash that could place us both in danger.'
Sirius sighed, 'you're right.'
'Aren't I always,' grinned Harry.
'So, what are you going to do now?' asked Sirius.
'I don't know,' admitted Harry. 'Maybe I could stay here to be tutored with you and Remus for company.'
'I would love that a lot,' Sirius admitted. 'But you deserve a life outside of these four walls. To have a chance to make friends and excel at school.'
'I have friends,' Harry argued.
'I'm not going to force you to do anything you're not comfortable with,' Sirius assured Harry quickly. 'But I don't want you to hold yourself back out of loyalty to me – and Remus,' he added as an afterthought. 'Or distrust of people after everything.'
Harry sighed, 'I'll have a look at the schools but I'm making no promises. So, do you have brochures?'
Sirius looked awkwardly, 'I had Remus pick a few copies up after you went back to Hogwarts. I honestly thought Dumbledore would make things unbearable for you. Plus, it made me feel like I was doing something to help you when I couldn't actually be there for you.'
'Thank you,' Harry said softly. 'And I suspected I would have left even without Umbridge.'
Sirius sighed, 'Dumbledore?'
Harry shook his head, 'Dumbledore tried to shame me into backing out of the trials and tried to lecture me for running off. McGonagall made it quite clear she was unimpressed with my choices, but she didn't have a chance to say anything else. Then my classmates had spent a summer listening to the Ministry's slander against me,' Harry sighed. 'They made it quite clear that they had bought into the Ministry's lies.'
Sirius scowled, 'don't they know you at all.'
'Hermione thinks they would prefer to believe I was an attention seeking prat to the horrific truth,' Harry admitted.
Sirius sighed, 'that Hermione has a good head on her shoulders. She's probably correct but that doesn't make it fair.'
Harry smiled sadly, 'no it does not.'
'How did Ron and Hermione take the truth about Dumbledore?' asked Sirius softly.
Harry smiled, 'after Hermione stopped shouting so I could talk they were very supportive. Hurt and angry at all Dumbledore had done. They didn't want me to leave but understood why I did. I left a note with Snape to pass on.'
'And you think he will?' asked Sirius.
Harry just gave Sirius a flat look not wanting to deal with Sirius' irrational hatred of Snape now. Then Harry got up and began to get dressed glad he had left most of his clothes here. Sirius followed suit and soon they were both dressed. They made their way down to the library running into Remus on the stairs who was already dressed.
'Harry,' Remus said sounding surprised. 'Its been less than three days.'
'Umbridge used blood magic against Harry,' Sirius said sharply.
Remus' eyes darkened, and his lips stretched across his sharp teeth into a snarl. Harry could almost see the wolf beneath the man roaring in defence of his cub. But Remus forced that part of him down.
'I'm fine,' Harry said quickly. 'Healer cleared me. Scalby and Bones know and are going to bring this to trial.'
'What are you going to do now?' asked Remus.
'We're going to have a look at the brochures,' Sirius said. 'Told you they'd come in handy.'
Remus nodded, 'alright.'
Remus joined the two lovers on their journey to the library. The library was massive spanning two floors. The upper floor was reached by a twisting mahogany staircase and consisted of balconies overhanging the main floor. The bookshelves, balconies, ceilings, floor and tables in the middle were all made out of beautiful mahogany.
In the middle of the room was a lush rug of the brightest green with the familiar motto Toujors Pur embroiled in grey. On top of it were two tables; one large able to seat at least four people and the other a small coffee table. Surrounding them were lush sofas in various shades of silver and grey.
Sirius grimaced, 'Slytherins.'
Harry rolled his eyes, 'I think it's wonderful.'
They sat down at the large table where a huge pile of multi-hued pamphlets sat. Harry picked up the first pamphlet on the top of the pile which was Zhinitsin School of Life Magic. There was an image of a large white mansion complex with a pool outside.
'Zhinitsin is the best English-speaking school in the world currently,' Remus said. 'Unfortunately, they start teaching magic a lot younger than we do in Britain, so do their OWLs at the age of thirteen, NEWTs at 16, and then either do additional OWLs and NEWTs or begin their Masteries at that age. It would mean you would be in the same year as thirteen-year-olds.'
Harry grimaced a little but pointedly did not say anything about how he felt about being the same year as a thirteen-year-old kid. Not when he had begun sleeping with Sirius at that time. Sirius felt guilty enough about their age gap without bringing it up. Harry pulled the next pamphlet towards him.
North Island School of Nature Magic, New Zealand
'North Island currently ranks twelfth in the world,' Remus said. 'It is a fairy small school about half the size of Hogwarts. It is run by the Taupo people, so it doesn't teach any European wanded spellcasting, so you will likely have to start from scratch.'
'Next there is Ilvermorny, in America, which being set up by American immigrants is fairly similar to Hogwarts,' Remus said. 'So, the intake age is eleven to eighteen like here. Like Hogwarts its core subjects are charms, defence, history, and transfiguration but also has English, Healing and Maths. Then has optional subjects Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures, Herbology, Latin, Mind Magic, Muggle Sciences, Ritual Magic, and Runic Magic. It seems to have a good all-round curriculum and doesn't score much below sixty percent pass rate on any of its subjects.'
'So, in other words you would recommend it,' Harry said.
'I would,' agreed Remus.
'America is a little stricter on mingling between Muggle and Magical worlds,' Sirius muttered.
'Witch burnings continued longer than it did here,' pointed out Remus. 'And they were nearly exposed in the early twentieth century. And after a few campaigned, they have relaxed some of the laws in the past century, so a magical is allowed to marry a witch as long as the Muggle agrees to leave the Muggle world behind them.'
'What about Muggleborns?' asked Harry.
'They are taken from their parents as soon as they show signs of magic,' admitted Remus.
Sirius scowled, 'state sponsored kidnapping.'
'Sirius, I wish there were laws preventing Muggles from taking magical children,' Harry said quietly.
'Not all Muggles are like the Dursleys are,' Remus said softly.
Harry shrugged, 'I know, but humans are scared of what they don't understand.'
'What would you think about Hermione being taken from her parents?' asked Remus.
Harry looked away, 'no, I wouldn't like that, but I do think there should be more check ups on Muggle raised children.'
'It's not only Muggles who abuse their children,' Sirius added softly. 'Not as bad you … but no child should made to feel scared of their family, and ashamed of them. I do agree that parents should have more oversight than they currently do.'
'So, the application deadline isn't until October the 11th, so you have a couple weeks to submit your application,' Sirius said.
'What about you?' asked Harry softly.
Harry was excited about going to another school where he could be away from Dumbledore and Voldemort. However, Sirius Black was the best thing he had in his life, he loved him. Harry had been parted from Sirius for too long. Now he was free of Hogwarts Harry was not going to be parted from Sirius again!
Sirius smiled, 'you are the only thing keeping me in Britain. If you go, I go too. I'll get a place near Ilvernmorny and you can visit me on weekends.'
Harry flung his arms around Sirius and snogged him. Harry wasn't sure how long they remained like that but when they did finally break the kiss it would to see Remus' look of disgust as he pointedly did not look at them. Harry wasn't that bothered, just smiling at Sirius.
'I love you,' Harry said.
'Love you too,' Sirius murmured.
/
'Undersecretary Umbridge,'
Dolores was in the middle of teaching her first class of the day – four-year Ravenclaw and Slytherins. None seemed to be in cahoots with Dumbledore, although the Ravenclaws were trying her patience theoretical study of Defence was all that she would allow. But then Amelia Bones and Minerva McGonagall came into her classroom looking furious.
'Surely, you don't need to search my classroom,' Dolores said.
Dolores had been very impressed when her Madam Bones had made to make a search of Hogwarts for evidence of plots against the Ministry. Amelia was sure to find something incriminating against Dumbledore and his co-conspirators; and if not, Dolores could help find some evidence. But there was no need to search her classroom.
'Students,' McGonagall said quickly. 'I will be taking over your class for the duration of this lesson. If you back up your books and follow me to my classroom.'
'Minerva,' Dolores said sweetly. 'It is not your place to take over my class.'
'Now,' McGonagall said ignoring her completely.
The students looked between each other confused but did as their Deputy Headmistress had instructed them to. Some of the children of Ministry workers and respectable families hesitated but ultimately did as instructed. Bones was clearly waiting for the children to be out of the classroom before she said anything further.
'Do you recognise these?' demanded Bones.
She was holding a sealed evidence bag revealing Dolores' blood quills that she had been used on Potter just last night. Dolores was shocked – she had already searched her office, and thoroughly at that because those quills were locked in a warded box. But she couldn't surely think that she could arrest her – she was undersecretary to the Minister himself!
'Yes, they're my blood quills,' Dolores said quickly. 'I use them for signing official documents.'
'Then may I ask why they have the magical signature of Duke Harry Ambrose-Gryffindor-Potter,' Bones said coolly.
'I can assure you I have no idea what you are talking about,' Dolores said quickly.
'And this?' demanded Bones.
Bones was holding another evidence bag this time covered with Potter's lines "I Will Not Tell Lies" written in his own blood with the blood quill. Dolores went white with fury as she realised Bones was attempting to arrest her. She was here quelling an uprising and a mere department head dared to try and stop her.
'How I conduct my classroom is none of your business,' Dolores said softly.
'It is when it is against the law,' Bones said sharply. 'I hereby arrest Dolores Jane Umbridge, for abuse of a titled peer, and use of restricted blood magic against accordance with our laws. You have the right to seek legal council and a lawyer will be provided if you do not already have one.'
Bones took her wand out before she could say anything, and Dolores felt magical bindings wrap around her wrists. Dolores hissed in pain and fury at this filthy upstart. Cornelius wouldn't let this happen to her! He couldn't, she knew too much about his less than legal dealings. If she went down she would bring him down with her.
XXX
'Bones, what is the meaning of this?' demanded Cornelius.
Bones sighed, 'Duke Ambrose-Gryffindor-Potter has submitted an official report of abuse by Madam Undersecretary Dolores Jane Umbridge.'
Cornelius sneered, 'and you believed him? The same boy who has claimed that He Who Must Not Be Named has returned!?'
'We have a duty to investigate all complaints, no matter who may have submitted them,' Bones said crisply. 'I already had a search warrant for Hogwarts owing to the charges of child abuse levelled against Headmaster Dumbledore, so I did a search of Madam Umbridge's office. There was physical evidence of the crime and when I questioned her about it, informally, she admitted it. I had to arrest her!
'Minister, I would advise you to cut ties with her, to publicly disown her. She is going down for this, if you don't put distance between yourself and her the people will see it as a sign that you accepted the abuse of fifteen-year-old!' Bones said.
Cornelius gritted his teeth – if it was almost anyone else Cornelius would have wasted no time in throwing her to the wolves. But Dolores Umbridge had copies of the bribes and backroom deals he had made both to get him into office, to make sure what the bills he wanted passed were passed and the movement of ministry money some of which had made its way to his own bank accounts. Never mind his personal relations – if the people knew he had an affair with a half-goblin he would be laughed out of office and his wife might divorce him and given their pre-nuptial agreement due to it being his affair she would be able to take almost everything!
But if he was to support Dolores and then she got found guilty then he would be guilty by association. It would be all that his naysayers needed to remove him from office. Then the only option left would be to get rid of the evidence of Dolores' crimes. Then all the evidence would be Potter's word against Dolores which would not be enough to charge her. Oh, he couldn't afford to do it himself. However, he was sure somebody in the office would be willing to do so for a price.
Kendra Patworthy couldn't believe she was really doing this, betraying her vows for the money needed to keep her husband's failing barbers shop afloat. They had been struggling for a while but ever since the Azkaban breakout in January people had been avoiding Diagon Alley more and more. And when it was revealed that the Dark Lord was back it had become so much worse.
Now, if they didn't come up with the money quickly, they would Podric would loose his shop and their flat above it. Then what would happen to them and their two children – Pat and Hera were only three years old. Podric's family died in the last war, so they would have to see if Kendra's Muggle father would let the four of them stay with them.
She had been eating lunch at the canteen when an interdepartmental memo landed on her plate. Kendra had opened it expecting it to be about the Umbridge case which she was working on. It was, but not how she thought.
Auror
1000 Galleons have been added to your Gringotts account. If you get rid of the evidence on Dolores Umbridge a further 20, 000 galleons to your account.
Kendra had checked her account and found that the payment in her account. Of course, Kendra knew that she had no way to make them keep their promises … but she would keep the evidence. If the money didn't appear, she could always "find" the evidence which had been incorrectly filed.
It was still lunch, so few people were in evidence locker. It didn't take much for Kendra to quietly pick up the blood quills and the blood-soaked parchment. But that made Kendra hesitate; this had come from a fifteen-year-old boy, a child! And she was going to help his abuser get off. What would she do if it was her own twins? And what if Umbridge got off and then did it to other children? Kendra closed her eyes and replaced the evidence bags.
She needed to see Madam Bones.
