July 5th 1997
"Hermione … Hermione … Hermione …"
Hermione grumbled and rolled over, but it was hard to ignore the soft prodding to her side. "Harry, what is it?"
"Come on, get up," Harry said. "We're going for a run."
"Good for you," Hermione mumbled. "I'll just stay here."
"No, we're going for a run," Harry said, pulling the blanket off her. "All of us. Builds up your stamina."
"I hated PE at school," Hermione groaned, finally opening her eyes. "Do I have to?"
"I bet most Death Eaters don't go running," Harry said.
"Good point," Hermione said, closing her eyes again. "Is it too late to switch sides?"
Cold hands slipped under her shirt on to her stomach, and she squealed, jerking fully awake. "Harry!"
Harry grinned at her and sprinted out of the room. "Catch me!"
Grumbling to herself, Hermione pulled on a tracksuit over her pyjamas, and dashed after him.
Thankfully, not only was Hermione not the only person grumbling, she was also not the most unfit person running.
As the only Muggle-raised, Harry and Hermione were used to physical exercise as part of school. Ron and Ginny both had a certain level of physical fitness due to Quidditch training – which, for Gryffindor, included physical exercise.
But to Hermione's surprise, she could outrun the others, even Draco, who she would have assumed was in fairly good shape.
Maybe Harry had a point.
After breakfast, Addie began teaching them wandless magic, until they began to visibly tire, at which point she convinced them to start their summer homework, starting with History of Magic.
Just like the previous summer, Sirius turned out to be a huge help.
He had just finished talking Ron through one of the points on his essay, when he glanced up to see Addie smiling at him. "What?"
"Have you thought of teaching?" She asked. "When we clear your name, I mean. You'd be much better than Binns."
Sirius laughed. "Come on, Addie; I'm a Marauder! Can you really see me teaching?"
"I'm seeing it right now," Addie said, still grinning.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "Tell you what, Shadow; I will become a teacher, when you are headmistress of Hogwarts."
"That's never gonna happen," Addie laughed.
Sirius smirked. "Exactly."
Addie shook her head, checking her watch. "Right, lunchtime. Through to the dining room, please."
As they filed in, to be met with a plateful of sandwiches courtesy of the house elves, Addie put a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "You alright, sweetheart? You've been very quiet today."
Hermione shrugged quietly. "It's nothing."
"It doesn't sound like nothing," Harry said with a frown.
Hermione sighed. "It's my cousin's birthday today. Her mum is my father's sister. They never got along, but Mirabelle and I were really close before Hogwarts. It didn't bother me too much last summer, but she's eighteen this year, so she comes of age in the Muggle world."
"I could take you," Addie offered. "Where do they live?"
Hermione smiled wryly. "South of France."
"Ah," Addie said. "Nothing we can do without an international Portkey. I can't make another trip like that any time soon."
"I'd rather you didn't make another trip like that ever," Sirius said. "It nearly killed you the first time. You could always try phoning her, Kitten. Lily had a phone put in so she could talk to her parents and sister. Not that Petunia ever picked up. I don't know if it will still work, but you're welcome to give it a go."
Hermione's face lit up and she hurried out of the room.
"Go on," Addie said to the others, most of whom looked bewildered. "Go and see. You know," she added to Sirius, as they all followed Hermione out of the room, "it might be a good idea to make some trips to the Muggle world this summer. Help the purebloods survive out there."
"Like Lily did for us," Sirius agreed. "Good idea. We'll talk to Jen after the honeymoon."
Thankfully, the telephone did work, and Hermione was able to speak to Mirabelle, who was thrilled to hear from her.
Lunch, therefore, was filled with a discussion about what a telephone was and how exactly it worked.
By the time Amelia turned up, the students were debating whether or not a similar device could be created in the wizarding world.
"Should I be worried?" She asked Sirius.
"I don't think they're quite at law-breaking levels yet," Sirius said. "No work today?"
"I'm delegating," Amelia said. "And volunteered to come and give you some news." She raised her voice to cut through the debate. "How about some duelling practice?"
Harry's face lit up. "Brilliant! Do we need to do that outside?"
"Actually no," Sirius said. "The Potters had a duelling chamber."
While the students paired off and practiced, Amelia, Sirius and Addie sat against one of the walls to watch and offer advice.
"Out of interest," Harry said, after a few rounds. "Can the Killing Curse be blocked?"
Sirius smiled. "You know it can't, Harry."
"Jen did it," Harry said with a shrug.
"When was this?" Amelia asked sharply.
"At the Ministry," Harry answered. "In the atrium, Voldemort threw a Killing Curse at me and Jen stepped in front of it and it …"
"Ricocheted," Ginny finished. "There was a flash of white light and the spell deflected. I've never seen anything like it."
"Sirius?" Amelia asked quietly. "What does Jen know that we don't?"
Sirius sighed. "Probably nothing. Honestly, I've never seen Jen do that before. But I will say this: if Jen knew a spell that could block the Killing Curse, she would have told us. I think it's probably a matter of power."
"So if you're powerful enough, you might be able to deflect the Killing Curse?" Amelia asked.
"That's my theory," Sirius said. "I would recommend no one tests it."
"Good advice," Addie said, watching them start up again. "So what's the news, Amelia?"
"We had the trials for the Death Eaters captured at the Ministry yesterday," Amelia said.
"All of them?" Sirius asked.
"No, the ones who had escaped were just put back into Azkaban," Amelia said. "The new ones were all found guilty and sentenced."
"Good," Addie muttered.
"Was Jen there?" Sirius asked.
"Yes, she was," Amelia answered. "She said that she wanted one of you to be there, but she didn't want Addie to feel like she had to take her seat yet."
Addie grimaced. "I would have done it. She's supposed to be on her honeymoon."
"But would you have been ready?" Amelia asked knowingly.
"No," Addie admitted.
"What about Isabelle Edwards?" Sirius asked. "Jen said they found her with the silver hand Voldemort gave Pettigrew for resurrecting him."
"Well, she admitted under Veritaserum to the ritual that restored Voldemort," Amelia said with a sigh. "We nearly had a diplomatic incident on our hands, but she has dual citizenship, and the French Ministry sent a representative to witness the trial. They've washed their hands of her."
"Hang on," Addie said. "If Harry saw Peter, how was it Isabelle? Did she fight the Veritaserum?"
"Why would she do that though?" Sirius asked. "I mean, who lies that they did do something like that?"
"Maybe so Voldemort could keep Peter as a spy?" Addie suggested.
Sirius shook his head. "Maybe, but that still doesn't really make sense. I mean, even if everyone knows Peter's alive, he's still got Wormtail. One rat looks as much like any other."
"True," Addie said frowning. "So if Isabelle was telling the truth, that means she was using Polyjuice, so … what's happened with Peter?"
"I have no idea," Amelia admitted. "You two probably don't know this, because I don't think you ever witnessed a trial, but the questions are either given by the Chief Wizard, or the head of DMLE, so in this case, me or Dumbledore. The thing is, the spells on the chair that the defendants sit in mean that they can only hear one of us at any one time."
"That makes sense," Addie said. "Otherwise everyone would be shouting at them."
"Right," Amelia agreed. "But only Dumbledore has the ability to switch the spell. So Isabelle couldn't hear me. And Dumbledore never asked."
"Excuse me?" Addie asked. "Why not?"
"Apparently, it 'wasn't important'," Amelia said, rolling her eyes.
"I beg to differ," Sirius muttered.
Addie took a calming breath. "At least tell me the Ministry are taking other measures?"
Amelia laughed humourlessly. "Oh, I wish. Jen tried to get Albert Runcorn questioned, since he had control of the Hogwarts wards when Death Eaters managed to get Harry portkeyed out, but no one really knows enough about the Hogwarts wards to confirm that."
"Dumbledore would," Addie said. "Let me guess – it wasn't important."
Amelia shook her head. "The Ministry are dragging their feet over any dramatic changes and we can't get a majority in the Wizengamot. Jen tried to get a proposal through that Ministry personnel have to take an oath of loyalty, but it just got batted back and forth today."
"How on earth do you argue against that?" Sirius asked in bewilderment.
"They said that it's an insult against the Ministry workers," Amelia said. "So it's had to be tabled for now."
"No one should be insulted by that," Addie said. "Please tell me you're doing something."
"Of course," Amelia said. "I'm working my way through the departments and checking people that way. Unfortunately, it's not admissible in court, so I can't arrest them, but I can get them fired so at least we won't get another Rookwood."
Addie's entire body stiffened. "Another what?"
Sirius cursed under his breath. "Amelia, can you keep an eye on them for us?"
"Sirius?" Addie asked, as he pulled her to her feet.
"Come on," Sirius said, tugging her out of the room.
As soon as they had some semblance of privacy, Addie tugged her hand out of his. "Sirius, was she talking about Augustus Rookwood? He was a Death Eater?!"
"Ads, I'm so sorry," Sirius said quietly. "I know I should have said something before now."
"I'm not … I'm not upset about that," Addie said. "But … He was a Death Eater?"
Sirius sighed. "Yes, he was a Death Eater. His was the name that bought Karkaroff's freedom. And he got a trial, so he was definitely guilty."
"I've known him my entire life," Addie whispered. "He was one of Mum's best friends. She'd … She'd invited him round for dinner the night they died." She sucked in a shaky breath, tears beginning to track their way down her cheeks. "Is that how he knew? Is that how …?"
A sob choked her, swallowing the rest of her words before she could finish. She slumped into his arms, her body shaking as she cried.
Sirius could only hold her. Ever since he had learned of Rookwood's betrayal, he had wondered if he had something to do with Voldemort learning about the McKinnons joining the Order, just because Marlene McKinnon had been an Unspeakable as well.
Now it seemed that he had not only had something to do with, but actively participated in the attack.
"It's okay," he whispered into her hair. "It'll be okay."
But they both knew it wouldn't be.
