It was a dark and cold night for the end of July. The north-east wind cut straight into his face as he pulled his coat closer around himself. The brick houses were dimly lit by streetlights that didn't seem that trustworthy as they flickered in the cold night air. The smell of the dirty river made him scrunch his nose as he spotted the door he needed. He knocked and waited until the door opened.
"Severus." Amalyricus greeted the other man. "Thanks for having me here on such short notice."
"Come on in, Amalyricus. Tea is served." Severus Snape opened the door further to let him in and Amalyricus joined him in the house. He was lead into his living-room and took the tea that the Potion Master offered him. "How is Theodore?" The question was accompanied with an intense gaze.
"He's dealing with it rather well." Amalyricus said. "Although he hasn't seen his friends this whole summer… Which might mean he isn't actually dealing with it that good." He muttered in an afterthought.
"You want me to look after him at school? Is that why you're here?" Snape asked, looking at his eldest friend. "You know I have to tell…"
"No Dumbledore." Amalyricus said, standing up and pacing through the living room.
"He is the headmaster Amalyricus." Severus sighed. "What do you expect from me? To keep it a secret from the headmaster? And from all the teachers?"
"As long as you try to withhold this information as long as possible from the manipulative bastard, I'm up for everything." He hesitated for a moment. "So, if you want to get Minerva involved, I suppose we can do that. But only because she's your soulmate and would never betray you."
Snape looked at the other man, cocking his head in thoughts. Soulmates weren't always romantic in the wizarding world. Soulmates were people whose magic balanced out your own and made it stronger if you worked together. In the old ages, they often were accompanied by marriage, which might be the reason people started to think of it as some romantic crap.
"I'm glad you think of it like this, because she's waiting upstairs." The other man spoke, standing up.
"She has been waiting upstairs?" He asked surprised.
"Well, it's Sunday. She always comes over on Sunday and she was already here when you made that floo-call."
"I see." Amalyricus said, being secretly amused with the thought of Minerva and Severus having dinner together.
Snape left the room to go and get her and Amalyricus sat back down, sipping from the tea Severus had given him. That's when he heard talking coming from upstairs and Minerva's shock when she heard what had happened to his son. He was glad he didn't have to tell the story again.
"Amalyricus." Minerva entered the living-room and gave him a small smile. He was actually surprised to see her wearing casual clothes.
"Hello there, Miauwnerva." He greeted, grabbing back to his old nickname for her.
"Always such a joy." Minerva muttered, but she had trouble keeping the smile away from her face. The smile faltered though when she came to business. "Severus just explained to me why you need our help."
"Yes, I do need your help. Theo still wants to go to school, even with his… condition."
"Well, I'm sure we can help you if we tell…"
"No Dumbledore." Amalyricus said for the second time that night.
"I know. Severus told me. I was gonna say we need to inform Pomona and Fillius and have to make up some kind of excuse for the other teachers… A Bloodcurse has been proven to work?"
"You're gonna use the Bloodcurse?" Severus asked through gritted teeth. "Does that mean you're gonna ask 'him' for help too?"
"No need to be bitter, Severus." Minerva muttered. "He might be exactly what we need." She got a thoughtful look on her face. "Let me get back to you, Amalyricus. I need to make a floo-call and motivate why we should hire him without making Dumbledore suspicious."
"Hire him? Minerva, you can't be serious?!" But she was already out of the room towards the bedroom upstairs so she could lit the fire. "Amalyricus, I'm gonna be back in a minute… I need to talk to Minerva."
And that's how Amalyricus waited for fifteen minutes, to see a sour looking Severus return and inform him they got the 'perfect' person to help his son.
. . . . . . .
It wasn't a normal day in Little Whinging, the fat lady who came floating out of the garden of Privet drive number four was the living proof of that. The reason of this living balloon came storming out of the house, being followed by his uncle who was raging.
"COME BACK IN HERE!" He bellowed in anger. "COME BACK AND PUT HER RIGHT!"
Harry didn't want to hear it though, a burning rage blinding him. The woman was veil and just and so were the Dursleys.
"She deserved it!" He growled at his uncle, his wand pointed in his direction. "She had it coming for ages and you're lucky I am not hexing you too!"
"IF YOU LEAVE NOW YOU'RE NOT WELCOME HERE ANYMORE!" Uncle Vernon screamed angrily at the boy who was standing on the street, his trunk at his feet.
"I DON'T CARE! I SHOULD'VE LEFT AGES AGO!" Harry roared as he stormed off out in the dark, quiet street, heaving his heavy trunk behind him, Hedwig's cage under his arm. He was several streets away before he collapsed onto a low wall in Magnolia Crescent, panting from dragging his heavy trunk so far. He sat quiet on the edge of the wall, his anger still raging through him as he kicked a stone away. The only sound he heard was the loud thumping of his heart and the blood he heard thumping in his ears. This was the first time he had lost his temper and actually did some accidental magic ever since the snake incident in the summer before his first year. Slowly the consequences of his actions started to dawn on him. He had performed magic outside Hogwarts, he had broken the statue of secrecy and the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry! They were probably gonna expel him, and that would be them going easy on him.
The panic started racing through his veins now. Whichever way he looked at it, he had never been in anything this bad. He was stranded, all alone in the dark in the muggle world and had nowhere to go. The only place he could think of was the Zabini mansion, but that was on the other side of England. He had no way of getting there. Maybe he could send Hedwig that way and ask Blaise if they might be able to pick him up, he could pay for that. He had money enough. He quickly opened his trunk and looked for some parchment and a quill. If someone knew what to do, it was Fina. She was a lawyer after all. He really hoped he wasn't gonna get arrested. His thoughts went to his friends as he stumbled upon their birthday gifts in his trunk. He missed them, he had missed them this whole summer. He had barely heard anything from Theo, Hermione was in France till the last week of summer and Blaise had been begging him to come over but for some reason his uncle and aunt didn't let him. They didn't make much sense most of the time he thought. He finally found the parchment and his quill and quickly scrabbled a letter to Blaise. He turned over to Hedwig's cage and cursed loudly. Now he probably should have thought of the fact that he had send Hedwig to Blaise already since he had planned to be on his best muggle behaviour, because he had no way to actually send the letter. He groaned in frustration. Salazar what was he gonna do?! He threw his inkbottle back in his trunk and the parchment followed. He picked up his wand again and looked at it. Maybe he could fly to London… He had his broom with him already and with his invisibility cloak and a simple spell he might be able to take his trunk with him. He broke the law once already… why not do it again? He didn't have any muggle money to do it the legal way, and the small amount of wizarding money he had left had no use here. So, the only thing left for him to do was flying to London, getting all his money out of the vault and find a way to contact Blaise and Fina so they could help him find a way not to be cast out of the wizarding society and get his wand snapped.
He opened his trunk again, looking for his invisibility cloak, when a sudden funny prickling on the back of his neck made him feel as if he was being watched. He straightened himself up and looked around himself. The street seemed to be deserted and no light shone out of any of the big square houses. He bent over his trunk again but straightened up immediately. He had sensed, rather than heard something or someone was watching him.
"Lumos" He whispered, and a light appeared at the end of his wand, almost blinding him. He held it high over his head and the pebbled-dashed wall of number two suddenly sparkled; the garage door gleamed and between them Harry saw, quite distinctly, the hulking outline of something very big, with wide, gleaming eyes. Harry took a step backwards as the huge thing took a step forwards following him and stepping in the light. To his surprise, it was a big, no a giant, black dog that greeted him with a shy tapping of his tail and a slight cocking of its head. Harry hesitated a moment before taking a step closer and crouching down in front of the black dog.
"Hi there." He greeted, reaching out towards the dog to let him sniff his hand. When it did and came closer to lick him in the face, Harry couldn't keep himself from chuckling. "You know, normally I'm not fond of dogs, Aunt Marge always set them free on me and once even made me climb in a tree to hide from one of them, falling out of it and breaking something. But well, today I kinda got back to her by turning her into a giant balloon."
He could swear the dog started laughing when he told him that. The barking sounded loud in the silent night and Harry petted him on the head to quiet him down a bit.
"Ssssht, the last thing we want is me having to explain to the muggle cops why I have a big ass giant dog and a trunk filled with spell-books." The dog quiet down a bit and looked up at him with sparkling eyes. "So, I still don't know you're name." He muttered, scratching the dog under his chin, getting himself a happy tapping of his tail. "Is it… Blackie?" He asked, keeping a close look at the dog to see any form of recognition. The dog didn't seem to like that name as it shook his head and scrunched his nose. "Okay, so no Blackie." The boy said. "What about Max?" The dog shook his head again and Harry couldn't keep himself from being amused with the faces the dog pulled. After some more failed name-guessing, the boy sighed. "Can't you help me out here?"
The dog barked and padded the ground with his paw.
"Is that a hint?" Harry asked, watching it closely. "Or do you just enjoy padding the ground with your paw?"
The dog barked once and looked at the boy intensely.
"Please tell me your name isn't Padpaw." Harry said, scrunching his nose. "Padfoot would've sounded much better than that."
The dog barked enthusiastically and Harry had to shush him down before any of the neighbours would hear them and send the police to arrest them.
"Your name is Padpaw?" Both him and the dog scrunched their nose at that so he guessed it wasn't that name. "Padfoot then?" The dog barked twice, not too loud this time and Harry smiled. "Padfoot it is then." He looked at his luggage and sighed. Sure, he knew the name of the dog now, but he still didn't know how to get to Blaise. Oh, why had he tried to impress his uncle, it never worked! Padfoot nudged Harry with his head and whined a bit. He didn't seem to like that the boy was so sad. "Oh Padfoot, what am I gonna do? I have no way of getting us both to Blaise with my broom. That is, if you want to come of course. I would totally understand if you have a loving house to get back too." The black dog just nudged his arm again and Harry smiled. "How I wish dogs could talk." When Padfoot nudged his hand this time, the one he was holding his wand in, it was pointed at the street and a loud BANG made him jump in the air. He covered his eyes against the bright light that had accompanied the loud noise. A second later, a gigantic pair of wheels and headlights screeched to a halt, right in front of Harry and the dog. They belonged to a triple-decker, violently purple bus, that had appeared out of nowhere. Gold lettering over the windshield spelled The Knight Bus.
Harry's mouth fell open and he looked down at the dog.
"Did you… did you know this was gonna happen?" He asked.
The dog didn't get a chance to answer though, seeing that a conductor dressed in a purple uniform leapt out of the bus and started speaking to the night air.
"Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening." The conductor stopped talking and looked at the teen in front of him, noticing the scar on his head and the big, black dog at his side. ""Woss that on your 'ead?" said Stan abruptly.
"Nothing," said Harry quickly, flattening his hair over his scar. If the Ministry of Magic was looking for him, he didn't want to make it too easy for them. He first needed to talk to Fina and figure out a strategy.
"Woss your name?" Stan persisted.
"Draco Malfoy." Harry said the first name coming to mind. He could slap himself for the head. Malfoy?! He couldn't pick anyone who looked less like him. And apparently Stan was thinking the same thing.
"Draco Malfoy?" He asked, pulling up his brow. "Don't the Malfoys have blond hair?"
Harry hesitated a moment before he decided to get his inner pureblood out. He knew Malfoy long enough to act just like him. He straightened his back, lifted his chin and frowned.
"Are you questioning me?" He hissed. He felt guilty the moment he saw Stan's face fell and the teen straightening his back, but necessity is the mother of invention.
"No, of course not Mr. Malfoy." He spoke professionally.
"You said this bus goes anywhere?" The boy said, still keeping up his appearance of pureblood but deciding on playing as nice as possible.
"Yep," said Stan proudly, "anywhere you like, long's it's on land. Can't do nuffink underwater. 'Ere," he said, looking suspicious again, "you did flag us down, dincha? Stuck out your wand 'and, dincha?"
"Obviously." Harry said coldly. "Otherwise you wouldn't be here now, dincha?"
"I suppose not." Stan said. "Where d'you wanna go?"
"Zabini Mansion, Wessex. You know where that is?" The boy looked up at the conductor.
"Ernie know where that is." Stan answered. "That's 20 sickles. but for 25 you get 'ot chocolate, and for 30 you get an 'ot water bottle an' a toothbrush in the colour of your choice."
Harry took out his money and counted the gold out in his hand before taking his luggage and handing it to Stan who stacked them away under the bed just behind the driver. "Might wanna put ya dog on a leach." He said, looking at the giant animal next to Harry.
"He'll be fine." Was all Harry said before entering the bus. Padfoot jumped on the bed and Harry decided to follow him and sit down next to the giant, black dog.
"This is our driver, Ernie Prang. This is Draco Malfoy, Ern."
Ernie Prang, an elderly wizard wearing very thick glasses, nodded to Harry. He was seated in an armchair in front of the steering wheel.
"Take 'er away, Ern," said Stan, sitting down in the armchair next to Ernie's.
There was another tremendous BANG, and the next moment Harry found himself flat on his bed, thrown backward by the speed of the Knight Bus. Padfoot seemed to have been prepared for it and barked once, Harry being sure he was amused with his bumbling around. Pulling himself up, Harry stared out of the dark window and saw that they were now bowling along a completely different street. Stan was watching Harry's stunned face with great enjoyment.
"Never took the bus, I'm sure, Mr. Malfoy." It was clear Stan thought he was too much of a Pureblood supremacy to ever be amongst the normal peasants. Probably came with Malfoy name… "This is where we were before you flagged us down," he said. "Where are we, Ern? Somewhere in Wales?"
"Ar," said Ernie.
"How come the Muggles don't hear the bus?" asked Harry, still taking in the quick changing
"Them!" said Stan contemptuously. "Don' listen properly, do they? Don' look properly either. Never notice nuffink, they don'."
"Best go wake up Madam Marsh, Stan," said Ern. "We'll be in Abergavenny in a minute."
Stan passed Harry's bed and disappeared up a narrow wooden staircase. A nervous feeling had come over Harry, Ernie didn't seem to have mastered the use of a steering wheel. The Knight Bus kept mounting the pavement, but it didn't hit anything; lines of lampposts, mailboxes, and trash cans jumped out of its way as it approached and back into position once it had passed.
Stan came back downstairs, followed by a faintly green witch wrapped in a traveling cloak.
"'Ere you go, Madam Marsh," said Stan happily as Ern stamped on the brake and the beds slid a foot or so toward the front of the bus. Madam Marsh clamped a handkerchief to her mouth and tottered down the steps. Stan threw her bag out after her and rammed the doors shut; there was another loud BANG, and they were thundering down a narrow country lane, trees leaping out of the way.
Harry wouldn't have been able to sleep even if he had been traveling on a bus that didn't keep banging loudly and jumping a hundred miles at a time. His stomach churned as he fell back to wondering what was going to happen to him, and whether the Dursleys had managed to get Aunt Marge off the ceiling yet. He really should work on his temper. He could already imagine Blaise's scoffing and Daphne telling him that that wasn't how a Slytherin was supposed to behave. Hermione and Theo would probably be very worried. He just hoped Malfoy wouldn't find out he had used his name on the bus, he wouldn't hear the end of it then.
Stan had unfurled a copy of the Daily Prophet and was now reading with his tongue between his teeth. A large photograph of a sunken-faced man with long, matted hair blinked slowly at Harry from the front page. He looked strangely familiar.
"That man!" Harry said, forgetting his troubles for a moment. "He was on the Muggle news!"
Stanley turned to the front page and chuckled.
"Sirius Black," He said, nodding. "'Course 'e was on the Muggle news, Mr. Malfoy, where you been?" He gave a superior sort of chuckle at the blank look on Harry's face, removed the front page, and handed it to Harry. "You oughta read the papers more."
Harry held the paper up to the candlelight and read:
BLACK STILL AT LARGE
Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today.
"We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."
Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.
"Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it — who'd believe him if he did?"
While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.
Harry looked into the shadowed eyes of Sirius Black, the only part of the sunken face that seemed alive. Harry had never met a vampire, but he had seen pictures of them in his Defence Against the Dark Arts classes, and Black, with his waxy white skin, looked just like one.
"Scary-lookin' fing, inee?" said Stan, who had been watching Harry read.
"He murdered thirteen people?" said Harry, handing the page back to Stan, "with one curse?"
"Yep," said Stan, "in front of witnesses an' all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, dinnit, Ern?"
"Ar," said Ern darkly.
Padfoot wined a bit and Harry looked at the black dog.
"It's alright boy, we're gonna be alright."
Stan told him the story about how Black was a big supporter of You Know Who and how he supposingly was the second in command. That he had gone crazy when You Know Who had been defeated by little Harry Potter and how he had killed all those muggles. How he had only laughed when the Ministry had captured him and send to Azkaban. Throughout the whole story, Padfoot had turned more and more miserable and quiet. Harry noticed it and padded his head quietly.
"An' now 'e's out," said Stan, examining the newspaper picture of Black's gaunt face again. "Never been a breakout from Azkaban before, 'as there, Ern? Beats me 'ow 'e did it. Frightenin', eh? Mind, I don't fancy 'is chances against them Azkaban guards, eh, Ern?"
Ernie suddenly shivered.
"Talk about summat else, Stan, there's a good lad. Them Azkaban guards give me the collywobbles."
Stan put the paper away reluctantly, and Harry leaned against the window of the Knight Bus, feeling worse than ever. He couldn't help imagining what Stan might be telling his passengers in a few nights' time.
"'Ear about that 'Arry Potter? Blew up 'is aunt! We 'ad 'im 'ere on the Knight Bus, di'n't we, Ern? 'E was tryin' to run for it…"
He had broken the wizard law just like Sirius Black. Was inflating your aunt bad enough to land him in Azkaban? Fina wouldn't let him end up, there right? And neither would his friends. Harry didn't know anything about Azkaban, but he remembered Hagrid who had spent two months there only last year. He hadn't forgotten the look of terror on the gamekeeper's face when he had been told where he was going, and Hagrid was one of the bravest people Harry knew.
The Knight bus rolled through the streets of England and warlock after warlock left the bus, all seeming very happy about it. Harry could imagine why. It was that he already felt so miserable, otherwise he probably would've payed more attention to his stomach pain. Now he was just trying to cheer up his new-found dog. But for some reason that didn't work entirely. He tapped his tail slowly when Harry scratched him behind his ear, but that was all Harry got. After a while, Harry was the last one in the bus and he saw the sight outside change from city to more nature. The sea-sight he had seen a few minutes ago had now changed into a forest and Harry knew they were almost there. Ern slammed on the brakes and the Knight Bus skidded to a halt in front of Ill Palazzo Zabini.
"Thanks," Harry said to Ern.
He jumped down the steps and helped Stan lower his trunk and Hedwig's cage onto the pavement. Padfoot followed him down as well and looked around himself as if he was taking in the view.
"Well," said Harry. "'Bye then!"
But Stan wasn't paying attention. Still standing in the doorway to the bus, he was goggling the stairs that went up to the front door of Blaise's home. Harry wasn't surprised. He had been ogling the house, well… mansion, the same way the first time he had seen it.
"There you are, Harry," This voice did surprise him. Before Harry could turn, he felt a hand on his shoulder. At the same time, Stan shouted:
"Blimey! Ern, come 'ere! Come 'ere!"
Harry looked up at the owner of the hand on his shoulder and felt a bucketful of ice cascade into his stomach — he had walked right into Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself. Padfoot gave Harry's hand a reassuring lick.
Stan leapt onto the pavement beside them.
"What didja call Mr. Malfoy, Minister?" he said excitedly.
Fudge, a portly little man in a long, pinstriped cloak, looked cold and exhausted.
"Malfoy?" he repeated, frowning. "This is Harry Potter."
"I don't see how this is any of their business, Minister." Fina stepped forwards and looked at Stan and Ern. "You are dismissed."
Ern didn't seem to mind Fina's behaviour, as if he had expected it, but Stan seemed to be stepped on his toes, muttering something about pureblood supremacists. Harry didn't hear anything else Stan was muttering because Fudge increased the pressure on his shoulder and lead him into the mansion towards the drawing room.
"Thank you Mrs. Zabini, I can manage from here." Fudge said, trying to dismiss Fina.
"It's Miss Zabini." Fina said coldly. "And I'm staying with you to make sure all Harry's rights are respected."
The cold bucket of water that had seemed to have fallen on Harry the moment he had noticed Fudge was here and all the fear he had felt about going to Azkaban and losing his friends seemed to lessen the moment Fina placed her hand on Harry's shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile.
The house-elves brought in Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage, but they were the only familiar faces he saw. There was no trace of Blaise or Ella. Padfoot had followed them into the house and Fina pulled up a single perfectly manicured eyebrow at the giant, black dog but didn't comment on it yet. That was a matter for later.
Fina closed the door of the drawing room after Padfoot had come in, nervously following Harry everywhere he went, and gestured for everyone to sit down at the table.
"Bella, get us some tea." She said before looking at Fudge with a cold stare. "Ask him whatever you want to ask, tell him whatever you want to tell him, but remember he's an underage child and those charges about him blowing up his aunt aren't gonna stand a chance in court."
"We have worse things to worry about than some accidental magic." Fudge said, looking at the raven-haired boy who was sitting next to the raven-haired woman who send out an overprotective aura. "I'm sure we can just erase those complaints against him."
"I'd like to have that on paper." Fina said.
"Of course." Fudge said. "Now, let's get down to business." His attention shot towards Harry. "I'm Cornelius Fudge, Harry. The minister of Magic."
Harry knew this already, of course. He had seen Fudge in the Daily Prophet more than once – being a Slytherin meant you had to stay up to date with the news according to his friends – and he wondered who Fudge thought that he was… Bella reappeared with the tea and put it in front of the guests on the table.
"Can Bella do anything else?" The little elf asked.
"That's all for now, Bella." Fina said, dismissing the elf and bringing her attention back to the Minister.
"Well, Harry," said Fudge, pouring out tea for everyone, "You've had us all in a right flap, I don't mind telling you. Running away from your aunt and uncle's house like that! We'd started to think . . . but you're safe, and that's what matters."
Harry looked at the minister more than a bit perplexed. He still couldn't believe Fina had gotten the charges dismissed this easily, especially not after the warning he had gotten after Dobby's little trick last year.
"What happened to Aunt Marge?" Harry asked, thinking that him showing he cared wouldn't hurt his case either.
"You will be pleased to hear that we have dealt with the unfortunate blowing-up of your aunt. Two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad were dispatched to Privet Drive a few hours ago. Miss Dursley has been punctured and her memory has been modified. She has no recollection of the incident at all. So that's that, and no harm done."
Fudge didn't stop smiling at Harry over his teacup, rather like an uncle surveying a favourite nephew. Harry knew he should feel happy that Aunt Marge was fine, but if he was really honest he wouldn't have mind her blowing so far away that no one would have found her again.
"What about the aunt and uncle he lives with?" Fina asked, obviously worried about what would happen to Harry once the school year was over.
"Well, I won't deny that they are extremely angry with Harry, but they are prepared to take him back in next summer as long as he stays at Hogwarts for Christmas and Easter." Harry finally found his voice again.
"I always stay at Hogwarts for the Christmas and Easter holidays," he said, "and I don't ever want to go back to Privet Drive."
"Now, now, I'm sure you'll feel differently once you've calmed down," said Fudge in a worried tone. "They are your family, after all, and I'm sure you are fond of each other — er — very deep down."
Fina didn't seem as sure of that as Fudge was, and gave Harry a look that meant they were gonna talk about this later. Without her saying a word, he knew they were gonna figure it out.
"Well, I guess that was everything, Minister." Fina said, looking at Harry. "Just sign those papers that you're gonna erase these complaints against Harry so the boy can go to bed. He looks as if he can use it."
"Of course, of course." Fudge said, quickly grabbing a quill to sign the papers without reading them properly. He seemed to wanna get away from them as soon as possible. "I understand Harry will be staying here the last three weeks of Summer?" He looked at Fina who gave him a short nod in response. Fudge left soon after and Fina looked at Harry, her eyes softening a little bit.
"What you did was very dangerous, Harry. Taking off from your family like that. Especially under these circumstances." Fina said, looking the boy straight in the eye.
"You mean with Black on the loose?" Harry asked, thinking back at the information Stan had given him in the bus just moments earlier. "I didn't know he was a danger to wizards before I saw his face in the Daily Prophet."
"I thought you wouldn't know everything, Dumbledore has lacked in giving you information about what happened to your parents it seems. Which could have led to tonight being very disastrous."
Padfoot whined a bit and licked Harry's hand once more. He must have known how angry and lost the boy felt that moment.
"What has Black to do with my parents?" Harry asked surprised. "It was Voldemort who killed them, Dumbledore told me so much."
"Yes, the Dark Lord was indeed the one to speak the dead curse, but he couldn't do that without the betrayal of Black."
"Betrayal?" Harry asked, looking up at the woman.
Fina seemed to think about what she would do next. Harry was only a thirteen-year-old boy, but he deserved to know what every other wizard knew. He deserved to know why Black was chasing him.
"Harry, what I'm going to tell you now is something a lot of adults wouldn't approve off. Both the Minister of Magic and Dumbledore would want to keep this knowledge as far away from you as possible. But I think you have the right to know the full story, on one condition."
"What condition?" Harry asked curiously. He was glad finally one adult in his life wanted to give him knowledge even though it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows.
"You have to promise to not go after Black after I told you everything. Leave that to the adults for once."
Harry who didn't know why he would seek out danger, and who wanted to know more about the thing Dumbledore was trying to keep from him promised without thinking, something he would regret moments later.
"Sirius Black was a close friend of your parents, Harry. He was the best friend and confidant of your father, which led to him being the secret keeper of your parents' home." Fina started.
"Secret keeper?" Harry asked, not knowing what she meant.
"A secret keeper is the only person who can allow other people in the house of people who are absconding." She explained. "Something your parents did when they found out of the threat the Dark Lord meant for them."
"And Black betrayed them?" Harry asked in disbelieve. How could you betray your best friends?! He would never do anything like that. Hell, he probably wouldn't even betray Malfoy.
"So is believed." Fina said a tad hesitant. "They threw Black in Azkaban without any kind of trial and without giving him any chance of explaining himself. You only saw last year what that can do to people." Harry knew she was talking about Hagrid and Tom Riddle's accusations that had caused the snapping of his wand while he hadn't done a thing. "You see, not only his friends were surprised he had betrayed them, the Deatheaters were surprised too. Which is kinda hard to believe seeing that some people voiced that he would be the Dark Lord's second in command."
"You don't seem to believe this version…" Harry noted, looking at Fina. Just the thought of his parents being betrayed by their friend made him feel sick but just the little tad of hope that Fina didn't believe it made him stay calm.
"I don't believe in no trial." She answered. "But… I think that Blaise probably wants to see you. He has been listening to our conversation this whole time for some reason." With a small flick of her wrist the door flew open and Blaise tumbled in the drawing room, barely managing to stay on his feet. "And about your dog," She looked down at Padfoot who was biting himself just above his tail. "We'll talk about what to do with him tomorrow after Bella gave him something against the flees."
Padfoot barked, seemingly being very insulted with the insinuation of him having flees. But the fact he went back to biting himself where it itched didn't gave him any bit of credibility.
"Can I keep him with me, please Fina." Harry begged. For some reason feeling very connected to the dog.
"Alright kid." She muttered. "I see you boys in the morning." That being said she turned around, grabbed the signed papers and left the room.
Blaise and Harry looked at each other for a moment before Padfoot barked and greeted the Italian, ending the silence that had filled the room.
"You alright mate? That was a lot to take in." Blaise said, looking at his friend, the worry visible in his eyes.
"I don't really know how to feel right now." Harry answered, looking how Padfoot licked Blaise' hand before darting back to Harry. "Did Hedwig arrive well?"
"Yes, she's in your room. I'm curious what she will think of your new companion."
"You're not alone." Harry muttered, before following Blaise up the stairs towards his room.