Chapter 27: Aurors
I outside the castle gates. I ran up the path and the door was opened by McGonagall.
" Sirius, good to see you. They're meeting in the great hall." She pushed me toward the room. There were many people in it. I spotted James and Lily and ran to meet them. Remus joined us shortly.
umbledore came in and motioned for us all to take seats. I sat down and James and Lily sat across from me. Remus sat next to me and Peter sat next to me on the other side.
"For many of you, this is your first time here and you may not know why you are here." Duimbledore glanced at us. " I would like you to welcome James Potter, Sirius Black, Lily Young, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew to the League Against Voldemort." He said some other people too but I don't remember them all. The others around the table clapped. We sat stunned. The league against Voldemort was a top secret government organization. They fought Voldemort and his death eaters. They were mostly made up of aurors and healers and spies. Only the best got in. And no matter what it was dangerous.
"If any of you wish to leave you may do so and no one will say any thing more about it." I knew I wasn't getting up. No one else did either.
" You are the best in your year. You are here because we need you. All the help we can get to fight this evil that threatens to destroy all we have built. Many of you know the pain of losing someone you love to Voldemort." His eyes flicked toward James and me " When you are here you will never refer to Voldemort by any name other than his own. No he- who- must- not – be – named, or you know who. Just Voldemort. It is foolish to fear a name. You will go through a training process that will last until you are ready. There will be no exceptions or allowances. You are here to do a job and do it well. You are expected to do your part. Is that understood?" We nodded. "Very well, let's get down to business. I would like some one to volunteer to show our newest members the ropes. And get them through the training." Several people raised their hands.
"Very well, Frank you can take Sirius. Alastor you can take Peter. Miverva you can take James. Aurthr can take Remus and Lily." He called on some other people to take the other kids. I glanced at Frank Longbottom. He looked familiar. Then I remembered. He was the seventh year I had met during my first feast at Hogwarts. He was the one who told me not to spend my time worrying about what the hat said. I gave him a grin. He smiled back. Aurthr Weasly was Tom's older brother. He looked nice enough. Though a little bookish. Alastor Moody looked angry and to be perfectly frank, scared me. Peter looked terrified.
" Now the reason I called you all here. This afternoon Voldemort made another attack." There were frightened whispers around the table.
" The Bones are dead."
I sat back in my chair. Samantha Bone was two years ahead of me, but our parents had been friends. I hadn't seen her much since my dad had died, but still I knew her.
" Sir, may I ask why?" Frank asked.
" The same as always."
He gave us a few more memos and ended the meeting. Frank told me to meet him in the Leaky Cauldron tomorrow at nine so we could begin. We went home and didn't speak the whole way.
The next morning I was at the tavern on time. Frank smiled when he saw me.
" So Sirius, you're a member now. That's great. I've heard a lot about you. Did you really face Voldemort all by yourself?"
" Yeah, so?" I shrugged. I didn't like to talk about it. It hurt too much.
" Well, that's not something just anyone can say. Dumbledore told me about it and he also said not to be surprised if anything strange happened while I was training you."
"Strange?"
" I don't know. But let's get down to business." He took me to an old building and down a long hall till we came to a big empty room. That was were they trained new aurors. You needed to be fast, smart, quick with your spells, everything. I found it came very easy to me. I trained for the whole day. I can't tell you how they train aurors. But I can tell you it's hard. For the rest of the week I trained. The others were worked just as hard. McGonagall worked James hard on his spells. Aurthr worked Lily and Remus on their athletic ability. Moody worked with Peter on everything. Peter just wasn't getting it. He spent most of his time filing. Finally Friday came. Frank let me off early.
I ran up the steps and rang the doorbell. Why muggles need such things is beyond me. But Marianna answered.
" Sirius. It's great to see you. You haven't called all week. I got to thinking you forgot."
" No. I didn't forget. I've just been really busy."
" Oh, "
'You ready to go?"
She smiled. We spent the evening at the fair. It's this thing muggles have. It has rides and games and food and strange men with multicolored faces and odd shaped feet, and weird clothes who run up to you, hug you, and give you strange plastic, squeaky animals that blow up if you poke them.
" Honestly Sirius, you'd think you'd never seen a clown before."
" I don't like them. They scare me."
She shook her head and we went on. We watched the sun go down over the river and we had our first kiss there. After that we saw as much of each other as we could. It was hard to fit dating into my schedule. But Frank, being engaged himself, let me have Fridays and Saturdays off.
There was one flaw in our relationship. I couldn't tell her what I was. I had seen people get regretted because of the magic in their blood and I didn't want to lose her. Some strange things happen that made her wonder. She always wondered about the owls. I sent all my letters to her by owl. And the way things seemed to do what I wanted. Like I could fix her t.v. ( a muggle box with pictures in it) with out doing anything. I just whacked it with my wand. And the way my friends and I always seemed to be fighting about Quiddich, or some other wizard thing.
I had been training a month when at the next meeting, when Dumbledore asked if anyone had anything new to say Frank stood up. " I have been training Sirius for about a moth now and I have something to say tonight. There is nothing more I can teach him. He is ready. I am pleased to introduce you to our newest auror, Sirius Black." I sat in shock. James and Remus congratulated me. They would become aurors in the next week. Peter would have another three months before Moody gave up on him.
On my first time out, I went with Frank and a few others. We were planning a raid on a suspected death eater. James's group would be called in case of any trouble. We approached the house cautiously. No one made a sound. I heard a small crack behind me.
" Shhh." One of the older men turned and glared at me. Moody. Before we had left he had mad3e a big fuss. He said I was too young to be trusted with something like this. But Dumbledore and Frank insisted. The hair rose on the back on my neck. I heard more cracks and I smelled something. Something evil. Ever since I had become an animagus, my senses, ears taste smell, had been increased. I could smell things others couldn't and hear things others couldn't and I had a dogs six sense.
" Frank, someone's following us."
"Shut up kid." Moody growled " You're gonna get us caught."
" But,"
" shut up!"
Again I heard the rustling and now voices.
" Frank." I whispered desperately.
"Kid I told you to shut up." Moody said louder now.
" Alastor, relax. Sirius what wrong?"
" Voices. Back there. And people. I smell people." I pointed. They listened.
" I don't hear anything." Moody growled. But Frank looked at me. He knew I could sometimes do, hear, and smell things other people couldn't.
" get your wands up. Be ready." Frank warned. We stood in a circle. Frank whispered something to Moody and he nodded glaring at me. " Sirius, If something happens, I want you to run. Don't stay just get away while you can." I didn't answer, but I knew I wouldn't. We managed to get up to the front door. Moody and the others broke it down and pulled the guys outside.
" Found them in the middle of a meeting. Call Dumbledore. We're gonna need more backup to bring them all in." Moody told Frank. Just then a flash of movement caught my eye. A feeling of pain shot through my chest and down my back. I knew what it meant. Voldemort was going to strike again. It hurt so bad I fell to my knees.
"Sirius!" I heard Frank rush to my side. He held me up.
" Voldemort, Coming." I managed to get out. Then the pain vanished as I forced it away. I got up. "He's coming. Now. We have to go."
Frank nodded and motioned for the others to come out of hiding. James ran up to me and helped hold me up. I was very weak. Frank and the others tied up the death eaters and we prepared to go. The they attacked.
The death eaters fired curse after curse at us. We fired back but we were outnumbered.
"look out!" James yelled as the death eaters we had captured broke free. Forgetting my wand I jumped at the nearest one. I wrestled with him for a few minutes and managed to bind him. I went after the next one and the next one I raised my fist to punch this guy when someone grabbed my arm. They twisted it back until I heard a pop! A wave of pain ran down my arm. My shoulder burned. Some one grabbed me by the collar and held me by the neck. I felt a wand pointed at the side of my head.
" Stop!" the man holding me yelled.
"Sirius!" James yelled. He moved toward me, but Frank held him back.
" Well, aurors. It looks like you have a decision to make. Let my men go or see your little friend here die a very painful death."
"Let the boy go." Frank spoke in a low voice.
"Let me think for a moment. No. My master will reward me well if I bring him this boy. And you wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him He can't be more that what, seventeen?"
" Let him go." Frank repeated.
" So young. It's so sad when they go this young." The man laughed. Then He twisted my arm. I barley stifled my cry of pain.
The man laughed again. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw a wolf running toward us. I glanced up at the moon. It was full. Remus, I thought.
The man was knocked down. He let go of me and I ran for my friends. James grabbed me and pulled me out of the way.. Remus, the wolf stood over the man growling for a second then he looked at the aurors expectantly as if to say well, aren't you going to arrest him? The other death eaters had scattered.
And once the man had been arrested I was forgotten for a minute. Moony came up to James and me who were sitting in the back.
"Thanks Moony. You saved my life." I reached out to pet the wolf and to my surprise he let me. The he ran off. Later that night we went back to Hogwarts to report. Dumbldedore took one look at my arm in the sling and sent me up to Madam Pomfrey.
" Dislocated shoulder. Shouldn't be too hard. But I don't want you using this arm for at least three days. Come up at the next meeting and I'll check it. Honestly I thought I was done mending your injuries." She scolded me as she wrapped my arm and placed it in a sling again. " You watch him. Do not let him do anything strenuous or the arm wouldn't heal. Give him this for the pain." She handed James a small bottle. " I would have thought you would have learned some sense by now, but no. " She went no muttering as she mending the other patients. James smiled and we went home.
Lily was waiting for us. " Dumbledore sent a letter." She had fixed us a hot meal and sent me to bed. Addi came home later and yelled at me for not watching out for myself. The next morning I woke up feeling refreshed and went to stretch. Pain shot up my arm and I remembered last night. I winced and put my arm back in the sling and went out to see about breakfast.
This episode repeated itself many times over the next few months. I did mostly field work, bringing in death eaters. Unfortunately I got many more visits to Madam Pomfrey. Many death eaters did not want to come quietly.
One morning after a partially rough night I came into the living room to see Marianna sitting there.
" Mari" That was my nickname for her. " What are you doing here?"
" What am I doing here? Our date Sirius."
"Date?"
"Yes, last night."
" Oh, our, I am so sorry. Mari I completely forgot. Ya see, we had this emergency at work and everything was just so hectic. I just couldn't get away."
" Sirius, you're up." Addi came into the room. " Marianna, hi."
" It's good that you're up. I was about to sent Remus in there and he is in a grumpy mood."
" No wonder, running around the country all night the dog."
" Sirius! If you don't behave I'll have to give you some of Madam Pomfrey's pain killer.
" No! anything but That!"
" Threatened with pompfrey's pain killer huh Padfoot? " Remus asked. He came out of the kitchen and in the sunlight he looked extremely pale and tired and a nasty looking cut ran across his forehead.
"Souvenir of last night." He grinned. " James went to work early. He volunteered to do the paperwork but he says we owe him big."
" That we do, Moony my friend. Say where's Wormtail?"
" Not a clue haven't seen him since yesterday. He was here when I" he trailed off when he saw Marianna.
" What happened to you guys last night?" She asked eyeing my sling and Remus's cut.
No one said anything everyone just looked at me.
" What? Why do I always get the hard ones?"
Just then The flames in the fireplace exploded and turned green as James came home.
" Hey, people." He looked beet. Lily was right behind him. She looked tired but as beautiful as ever. Mari on the other hand looked terrified.
"Mari?"
" oh my god, Sirius. Did they just?"
" Yes."
"How?"
"Floo powder. " James said matter a factly. " We don't have much money right now and it's one of the easiest ways to get around."
" Floo what?"
" or you could just apperate."
" Prongs you're not helping."
" Sorry Padfoot. Any way I'm supposed to tell you that we managed to capture five death eaters last night. But at least seven got away. But we got the names of three of them."
" Great so all we need are the last four." Addi said
" Oh we need o a lot more that that. But it's a start." James smiled. " The leagues in chaos right now. Dumlbledore thinks some one set us up."
' What do you mean?" Remus asked
" Well, those death eaters knew exactly when and where we were coming. They knew how many and they knew we had new members out."
" So who?"
" No idea. The ministry wants it quiet though, They had to perform memory charms on several muggles who were nearby. "
" I hate it when they do that. Why couldn't Dumbledore be minister of magic." Addi said.
" M, magic?" Mari stammered.
No one said anything.
" I'm going to go now." She got up and ran out the door before anyone could say anything.
Remus and James dragged me into the hall
" Sirius, you told me you were going to tell her."
" I am."
" But you haven't yet."
" I know. I just can't. Every time I open my mouth to, the words just get stuck. And I can't get them out. I couldn't stand it if she hated me. I just couldn't"
" So go tell her. Lily needs a third bridesmaid."
" What?"
" We're getting married in two weeks."
" Really? It's about time."
" GO!"
I arrived at her house and hour later on my bike. I knocked on her door. She opened it cautiously.
" Sirius? I don't really want to talk to you right now."
" Mari. I need to tell you something. Please." She thought for a minute then opened the door. She walked out and we started walking
"Mari. I have been wanting to tell you this for a long time . I just didn't want you to hate me. My whole life people have been bugging me about it on both sides. And I just couldn't take it if you did too. "
We stopped at the docks.
"Sirius, just tell me."
I took a deep breath. " Mari. I'm a wizard." Her face didn't change
"What?"
" A wizard. You know, magic, wands broomsticks. It's all real."
"real?"
" Yes. All of it. James, Lily, Remus, Peter. We're all magic."
" What about Addi?"
" Oh she's a muggle. Like you."
" A muggle?"
" It just means you don't have any magic. It's nothing bad. I'm half muggle."
I ended up telling her everything. About my parents, school, Remus, becoming animagus. And to my delight , she excepted everything. She didn't even think twice about Remus. She thought us becoming animagus to be with him was very brave.
But I had one more thing to ask.
"Mari. There's one more thing I have to ask you. " I took a deep breath. " Will you marry me?"
She didn't say anything and I thought she hadn't heard me. The she looked up at me and her eyes were shining. She threw her arms around me laughing.
"Is that a yes?"
" Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!"
" So you're saying yes?"
" Ooooo you." She kissed me and we stood there for a long time and watched the sun go down. I hadn't felt this safe since before I started school. I never would again.
Hey the next part's out. Mari found out Sirius's little secret. Sirius and the guys have a new job and Hopefully Sirius will move out of my head soon.
Sirius: Don't count on it.
Me: Could we get through this one time without your two cents?
Sirius: Not a chance. And I helped you today. You should be grateful.
Me: You told me the story about the founding of Rome in Latin class. Big deal? How'd you know about that anyway?
Sirius: Hello? One of my best friends is named Remus? Duh.
( By the way, I have the seventeen year old version of Sirius in my head. Except he some how knows all the stuff anyway.)
Oh and to all those of you who mentioned it, yes I knew Sirius and the guys said some wizard stuff around the muggles. But they like to confuse the muggles by talking about stuff they have no clue about.