Chapter 42: The Dark Lord Rises, Again

Sirius sat down in Dumbledore's office, then stood and paced, then sat down again. Merlin, he wished Dumbledore would hurry up. He knew he was to wait here in the office, as Dumbledore had instructed, until the end of the 3rd task, or until eh was needed. But he also knew that if Dumbledore would risk his being here in the castle with aurors all about that there was something to worry about. He'd known it when he was talking to Calamity. He cursed himself for not finding her wand. Where'd she left it anyway? The room wasn't that big! He'd tidied the whole place! He ran his hand through his hair and spotted his ancestor Phineas Nigellus watching him carefully.

"What," Sirius snapped.

"No need to shout, boy" drawled Phineas. "You look a mess. Dumbledore knows what's best so sit down and clam yourself. Won't do any good to smear the Black name by givign yourself a heart attack."

"Bugger off," snapped Sirius, though he slumped back down in his seat. He was to stay safe and out of sight, but doing so made him antsy. He hated all this hiding. At least when he stayed with Calamity he could read and laugh and talk to her about his concerns. Every time a lette rform harry came he could brain storm the meaning with her. It was as if he were back in school, plotting and deciphering with all of his friends. Sirius couldn't help it- his mind drifted to Harry and the maze.

"Calamity will keep him safe," he repeated to himself, but even Calamity had looked unsure as they had parted that morning. Dumbledore felt as if something were off. Sirius had hoped Calamity would be skeptical, as she often was with Dumbledore, but she hadn't said anything. Just listened and nodded. If something were to happen it'd be tonight. But what? Who was after Harry? Was Voldemort really getting stronger?

"I'm trying my best, Prongs," Sirius muttered. "Honest, I am. But blimey..."

He jumped up again as the door opened to reveal Dumbledore and a messy beaten up Harry. Sirius felt his face go white at the sight of his godson. In one swift moment, he crossed the room.

"Harry, are you all right? I knew it - I knew something like this - what happened?" Sirius noticed his hands were shaking as he helped Harry into a chair in front of the desk.

Dumbledore began to tell Sirius everything- Barty Crouch Jr. using the polyjuice potion to pretend to be Moody, his stealing Harry's wand, Crouch Jr and Wormtail's plan to keep Mr Crouch under the imperius curse. Sirius clenched his teeth at the sound of Wormtail's name, remembering that he had almost killed the man. If he had sent him to Azkaban then all of this would have been avoided.

"Calamity heard the portkey, but it was too late. They'd already touched it," Dumbledore explained softly. Sirius glanced at Harry. He was staring at the floor in a daze. He looked tired, like he could sleep for the next month. Sirius felt the pang of guilt. He'd failed his godson, again.

Fawkes landed on Harry's knee just as Dumbledore finished explaining. He sat down across from Harry and gave him a serious look over his glasses. Sirius put his hand protectively on Harry's shoulder.

"I need to know what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze. Harry," said Dumbledore.
"We can leave that till morning, can't we, Dumbledore? Let him have a sleep. Let him rest."

"If I thought I could help you," Dumbledore said gently, "by putting you into an enchanted sleep and allowing you to postpone the moment when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you to demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened."

The phoenix let out one soft, quavering note. It was right creepy, if you asked Sirius. He glanced back at Harry, but Harry seemed to have a bit more energy after the song. He took a deep breath and told them about the potion that revived Voldemort and the Death Eaters apparating between the graves when called and about Cedric's body, lying on the ground beside the cup.

Sirius wanted to interrupt, but every time he made a noise to do so, Dumbledore raised his hand to stop him and Sirius fell silent. When Harry described Cedric's death Sirius gulped. He couldn't help it, even with Dumbledore's quick warning look. It was like so many Order missions. How many times had he arrived to see those cold surprised expressions on faces scattered about on the floor? Even that Halloween night he had seen it on James Potter's face- a sort of resigned surprise. A knowing that his friend had betrayed them. Sirius couldn't contain himself when Harry told them how Wormtail had pierced his arm with the dagger. He let out a string of curse words that made Phineas (who was pretending to sleep with the rest of the portraits) make a jarring movement as if he almost fell off his chair.

Harry showed them both the place where his robes were torn and the cut beneath them. Harry explained to Dumbledore, "He said my blood would make him stronger than if he'd used someone else's. He said the protection my - my mother left in me - he'd have it too. And he was right - he could touch me without hurting himself, he touched my face."

Harry went on; he explained how Voldemort had emerged from the cauldron and the speech Voldemort had given the Death Eaters, how Voldemort had untied him, returned his wand to him, and prepared to duel. He explained how their wands had connected and paused, as if unable to continue.

Sirius broke the silence. "The wands connected?" he said, looking from Harry to Dumbledore. "Why?"

"Priori Incantatem," he muttered.

"The Reverse Spell effect?"

"Exactly. Harry's wand and Voldemort's wand share cores. Each of them contains a feather from the tail of the same phoenix. This phoenix, in fact," he added, and he pointed at the scarlet-and-gold bird, perching peacefully on Harry's knee.

"My wand's feather came from Fawkes?" Harry said, amazed.

"Yes," said Dumbledore. "Mr. Ollivander wrote to tell me you had bought the second wand, the moment you left his shop four years ago."

"So what happens when a wand meets its brother?" said Sirius impatiently.

"They will not work properly against each other," said Dumbledore. "If, however, the owners of the wands force the wands to do battle...a very rare effect will take place. One of the wands will force the other to regurgitate spells it has performed - in reverse. The most recent first...and then those which preceded it..."

Harry nodded.

"Which means," said Dumbledore slowly, his eyes upon Harry's face, "that some form of Cedric must have reappeared."

Harry nodded again.

"Diggory came back to life?" said Sirius sharply.

"No spell can reawaken the dead," said Dumbledore heavily. "All that would have happened is a kind of reverse echo. A shadow of the living Cedric would have emerged from the wand...am I correct, Harry?"

"He spoke to me," Harry said shaking. "The...the ghost Cedric, or whatever he was, spoke."

"An echo," said Dumbledore, "which retained Cedric's appearance and character. I am guessing other such forms appeared...less recent victims of Voldemort's wand..."
"An old man," Harry said, his throat still constricted. "Bertha Jorkins. And..."
"Your parents?" said Dumbledore quietly.

Sirius felt the bottom of his stomach drop out.
"Yes," said Harry.

Sirius was suddenly using his grip on Harry's shoulder to keep himself upright. He felt water spring to his eyes without warning, but he refocused on Harry's story as he described how the figures that had emerged from the wand had prowled the edges of the golden web, how Voldemort had seemed to fear them, how the shadow of Lily told him what to do.

Sirius had to sit down, the world felt heavy on his shoulders. He wished Calamity was here in the room. Calamity with a book to put i tall in perspective, or a poem? Sirius put his face in his hands, basking in the darkness of his palms. He had studied that stupid poetry book for twelve years and couldn't recall a simple poem of use. Dumbledore was speaking again, but Sirius had to struggle to listen. He tuned in as he was addressed.

"Sirius, would you like to stay with him?"

Sirius gathered his strength and nodded, standing back up. He transformed back into the great black dog and walked with Harry and Dumbledore out of the office, accompanying them down a flight of stairs to the hospital wing.

When Dumbledore pushed open the door there was a group waiting, including Ron and Hermione, though Calamity was not included. Merlin, how he wanted to talk to Calamity- she'd understand. The group whipped around as Harry, Dumbledore, and Sirius entered.

Dumbledore told the group not to bother Harry and to allow Sirius to sit with him tonight. Sirius glanced at Harry, who looked relieved.

Sirius felt another stab of guilt.

"I will be back to see you as soon as I have met with Fudge, Harry," said Dumbledore. "I would like you to remain here tomorrow until I have spoken to the school."

Dumbledore left and Sirius sat next to Harry's bed as a guard dog might, stiff and ready for any danger. The others took the chairs. Finally, the boy could be away from the madness. All was peaceful as Sirius watched Harry drift off into sleep. He let his eyes trace Harry's face which was so much like James' especially with those emerald eyes hidden behind his closed lids. Harry had seen Lily and James- seen their shadows and they had helped him. How was that even possible? Sirius clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes. He'd make sure to protect Harry for the rest of the night.

Not an hour passed before the Hospital Wing door banged open to Professor McGonagall and Fudge arguing. The smell of Fudge's cologne was overpowering in Sirius' dog form. Dumbledore arrived soon after. Sirius had rarely seen Minerva McGonagall in such a state. There had been the time in 4th year when she had thought that Remus was dead because of one of their pranks. She looked then as she did now: angry blotches of color in her cheeks, and a hands were balled into fists; she was trembling with fury. Then she had nearly burst into tears of relief when Moony had groaned and called Sirius a foul name, but now she did not seem like there were enough foul names to release her anger. Sirius glanced back at Harry. He was sitting up, glasses on.

"What has happened?" said Dumbledore sharply, looking from Fudge to Professor McGonagall. "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you - I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch -"

"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" she shrieked. "The Minister has seen to that!"

Sirius hadn't even noticed Snape enter until he spoke in a low voice, "When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events, he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch -"

"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" McGonagall fumed. "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but -"

"My dear woman!" roared Fudge, who looked angry, but still tiny compared to the sheer wrath escaping Professor Minerva McGonagall. She cut off his explanation with an almost scream.

"The moment that - that thing entered the room, it swooped down on Crouch and - and -"

She was trembling all over, unable to find the words for what she had seen. But Sirius knew that everyone in the room understood exactly what had happened to Barty Crouch. He was still sitting where he had been when Fudge entered, but now he sat soulless- just a husk of a man.

"By all accounts, he is no loss!" blustered Fudge. "It seems he has been responsible for several deaths."

"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius," said Dumbledore. He was staring hard at Fudge, as though seeing him plainly for the first time. "He cannot give evidence about why he killed those people."

"Why he killed them? Well, that's no mystery, is it?" blustered Fudge. "He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!"

"Lord Voldemort was giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. "Those peoples deaths were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again. The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body. As Minerva and Severus have doubtless told you," said Dumbledore, "we heard Barty Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort - learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins - went to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return. When Harry touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, he was transported straight to Voldemort. He witnessed Lord Voldemort's rebirth. I will explain it all to you if you will step up to my office."

It wasn't pretty: seeing a man being told the truth he had feared most. Fudge had the smile of a man on the verge of crisis. He glanced at Harry, then looked back at Dumbledore, and said, "You are - er - prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?"

Sirius was in attack stance before he realized it, a growl escaping his mouth as he bared his teeth at the minister.

"Certainly, I believe Harry," said Dumbledore. "I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard Harry's account of what happened after he touched the Triwizard Cup; the two stories make sense, they explain everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer."

"You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a boy who...well..." Fudge shot Harry another look and Sirius growled again, this time moving slightly forward, though Hermione gave him a sharp look.

"You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge," Harry said. The rest of the group, including Hermione, jumped at the sound of Harry's voice. Sirius sat back down, looking back at his godson as Fudge continued defiantly. Harry's face was serious and solemn, listening.

"And if I have?" Fudge said. "If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place..."
"I assume that you are referring to the pains Harry has been experiencing in his scar?" said Dumbledore coolly.
"You admit that he has been having these pains, then?" said Fudge quickly. "Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly - hallucinations? You'll forgive me, Dumbledore, but I've never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before..."

"Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry shouted. He tried to get out of bed again, but the red headed woman forced him back. "I saw the Death Eaters! I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy -"

"Malfoy was cleared!" said Fudge, visibly affronted. "A very old family - donations to excellent causes -"
"Macnair!" Harry continued.
"Also cleared! Now working for the Ministry!"
"Avery - Nott - Crabbe - Goyle -"
"You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!" said Fudge angrily. "You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! For heavens sake, Dumbledore - the boy was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year too - his tales are getting taller, and you're still swallowing them - the boy can talk to snakes. Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy?"

"You fool!" Professor McGonagall cried. "Cedric Diggory! Mr. Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!"
"I see no evidence to the contrary!" shouted Fudge, now matching her anger, his face purpling. "It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for these last thirteen years!"

This was the Fudge Sirius had imagined all those years ago in Azkaban. This was the small man he had been determined to make nervous in Azkaban. This man, who would trust the old bloodlines who favored him above the honesty of Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter who said what he feared. He was barely better than the deatheaters themselves. He would let the deatheaters take over the world if it meant he could keep living a quiet life.

"Voldemort has returned," Dumbledore repeated. "If you accept that fact straightaway. Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors -"

"Preposterous!" shouted Fudge again. "Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!"

"The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them!" said Dumbledore. "They will not remain loyal to you, Fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behind him, and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago! The second step you must take - and at once is to send envoys to the giants."

"Envoys to the giants?" Fudge shrieked, finding his tongue again. "What madness is this?"

"Extend them the hand of friendship, now, before it is too late," said Dumbledore, "or Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!"

"You - you cannot be serious!" Fudge gasped, shaking his head and retreating further from Dumbledore. "If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants - people hate them, Dumbledore - end of my career -"

"You are blinded by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius! You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be! Your dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pure-blood family as old as any - and see what that man chose to make of his life! I tell you now- take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Fail to act - and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild! If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius. We have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I - I shall act as I see fit."

Dumbledore's voice carried no hint of a threat; it sounded like a mere statement. but Sirius felt a leap of excitement at the implications. He knew, as any soldier might, what this meant. Sirius could not help but be impressed by Dumbledore, a she often had been at the Order meetings all those years ago. Behind his half moon spectacles his eyes burned with a contagious fire and Sirius felt it leap into his soul. He was ready to do anything and everything necessary to stop Voldemort once again. He was ready.

"Now, see here, Dumbledore," he said, waving a threatening finger. "I've given you free rein, always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves, or keep Hagrid, or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. But if you're going to work against me -"

"The only one against whom I intend to work," said Dumbledore, "is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."

Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled.

"There," said Snape harshly. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."

Fudge stepped back from Snape too. He was shaking his head. He did not seem to have taken in a word Snape had said. He stared, apparently repelled by the ugly mark on Snape's arm. The minister said nothing except when he dropped a bag of money on Harry's bed, muttered about winnings before cramming his bowler hat onto his head and walking out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

As soon as he left, Dumbledore turned to them and began addressing them one by one: Molly to contact Arthur, Professor McGonagall to get Hagrid and Madame Maxime, Madam Pomfrey to go to Moody's office to get Dobby and Winky. Then he turned to Sirius.

"And now," he said, "it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius...if you could resume your usual form."

Sirius did as he was told, earning a loud shriek from Molly. Sirius paid her no mind. He was eyeing Snape, whose face was mingled with fury and horror.

"Him!" he snarled, staring at Sirius, whose face showed equal dislike. "What is he doing here?"

"He is here at my invitation,as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other. I will settle, in the short term for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth do not stand united, there is no hope for any us."

Sirius grudgingly shook Snape's hand, glaring hard at the slimey git who had turned out to be the deatheater Sirius had always known he was. Filthy and disgusting slime bag who must have attacked him and James and Calamity a multitude of times. He was barely better than Wormtail.

"That will do," said Dumbledore, stepping between them once more. "Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher - the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while; I will contact you there."

Sirius felt a thrill of excitement- it was old and familiar. It pumped through his veins and sped up his breath.

"But -" said Harry.
"You'll see me very soon. Harry," said Sirius, turning to him. "I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don't you?"
"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah...of course I do."
Sirius grasped his hand briefly, nodded to Dumbledore, transformed again into the black dog, and ran the length of the room to the door, whose handle he turned with a paw.

He rushed down the halls to the humped back witch, but skidded behind a suit of armor when he heard Calamity's voice. he could smell Fudge's cologne again.

"Is that a threat, Minister," Calamity asked coolly.

Sirius peaked out to see she was standing with Nymphadora Tonks listening to Fudge, who was wagging his finger threateningly at them. Calamity had one arm out as if she had pushed Nymphadora behind herself. The other was placed on her hip, her face scrunched into a critical look.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Fudge shot back. "Merely a warning for you and Auror Tonks. It is best to stay away from anything to do with Albus Dumbledore for now if you hope to remain in the Ministry's good favor. I have the utmost respect for your family, Ms. Erza-Mahoney, and your career thus far, but I cannot have unfriendly foreigners here trying t undermine the Ministry."

"I see," Calamity replied. "And you're concerned I am one of these unfriendly foreigners?"

"I should hope not," Fudge snapped. He bustled passed without another word.

"What's that all about," Nymphadora asked, cheeks red and eyes angry.

"It means you better be ready," Calamity said. "You'll be choosing a side soon."

"I'm with you," Nymphadora said firmly. Calamity smiled, though she looked tired. Sirius trotted forward and sat down, looking at her expectantly.

"I figured you'd come this way," she said. Nymphadora looked confused, but Calamity continued without explanation to her. "I just didn't think I'd run into the Minister as well. I expect you'll give me an update when you can?"

Sirius nodded. He gave the softest howl he could and Calamity smirked.

"Moony's, hm?" She tapped the statue of the hunchedback witch and muttered the password.

Sirius moved back to give himself a running start. He eyed Calamity, who looked tired, but resigned to what she knew was coming.

"Just don't do anything stupid, eh," she said.

Sirius let out a bark laugh and rushed forward, leaping up and into the open statue. He skidded down the dirt slope, looking back at the light above. Before it closed completely he heard Calamity's voice say, "I'll try to explain while we hurry to Dumbledore's."

Then the tunnel was thrown into darkness and Sirius was rushing on his way to find the remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix.

A/N: Don't Forget to Review!