Disclaimer: Everything belongs
to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.
The Secret Keeper VII
Harry kept his head low as he marched up the dusty path to the Burrow, trying to ignore the sympathetic glances from onlookers going about their daily business. Overhead the sun loomed bright and strong, but the air was oppressive and clammy. A great mass of black ahead of him represented the other mourners making up the enormous funeral procession, but Harry instinctively stayed at the rear, knowing that Ron would want to be alone with his family. As the procession turned up the winding path Harry caught a glimpse of the Weasleys, a sea of red heads, many of whom he had never seen before. He was amazed that anyone could have such a huge family. Charlie had introduced some of them to Harry that morning, but the names were jumbled up confusingly in his head and he certainly couldn't distinguish them by appearance alone. However, he could see Ron at the front with Fred and George, their too long robes trailing pathetically in the dirt. Ginny was walking a short distance behind them, holding Hermione's hand. There were dozens of other people Harry didn't know, mainly ministry officials and friends of Mr. Weasley. Arabella was there too, though Harry couldn't see her. He could see Sirius turning the bend in the path, walking slowly alongside a very bereaved-looking Remus Lupin. Dumbledore, of course, was instantly recognizable by his silver hair. He was walking with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley near the front of the procession. A good turnout…I wonder if my parents funeral was like this…
This had been Harry's first wizard funeral, but it hadn't been very different to some of the muggle funerals he had attended as a child. There had been a short service at the graveside, where Cornelius Fudge's aide had said a few fairly impassionate words of condolence, followed by a much more moving speech by Dumbledore. He placed the blame for Percy's death solely on Lord Voldemort and again called on everyone present to remember that their strength lay in their unity. It had been a quiet ceremony, except for the inevitable arrival of Daily Prophet reporters who had been swiftly removed by a furious Minerva McGonagall. It had been terrible, however, to see the Weasleys so torn with grief. Harry, who was so used to seeing a happy, cheerful Arthur Weasley, found himself completely unnerved by the uncharacteristic expression of anger and despair on his face. Harry had been shocked and almost frightened to see the same expression mirrored on Ron's visage. There had been no tears, just silent unspoken fury. Ginny, however, seemed the worst affected. Harry hadn't seen her stop crying once since she had first received the terrible news of her brother's death. Her sorrow moved him more than any sentimental speech, and he felt a deep wave of refusal and horror everytime he met her eyes. Harry was impressed with the stoic way that Ginny carried herself. She held her head up, determined not to present a figure of pity, while the tears ran silently down her raw pink skin.
Harry was still vaguely uneasy about Sirius walking in public, despite Dumbledore's assurances that nobody would see him save himself and Lupin. He was terrified that the headmaster would have to leave suddenly, forgetting about Sirius and breaking the spell that maintained his invisibility. Harry wondered if he would ever learn to make himself invisible without the use of his father's cloak. It would certainly be very useful. Perhaps Dumbledore will teach me some day…It seemed an unnecessary risk for Sirius to attend the funeral, but he had been adamant, claiming that it was the least he could do after all the kindness the Weasleys had shown his godson. Harry, however, suspected that he was just too nervous to let him leave the protections of the Burrow alone.
The ramshackle form of the Burrow suddenly appeared before Harry's eyes as the invisibility charms surrounding it were lifted momentarily to admit the mourners. Harry was one of the last to pass through the gates before a quiet hum behind him restored the charms. He trudged slowly into the crowded house, not noticing the small grey creature scampering into the overgrown weed-filled border under the living room window.
***
Harry found Sirius sitting on the kitchen porch, staring silently out at the setting sun. The sky was ablaze in a fire of magnificent oranges and reds, creating a stark contrast to Sirius's dark silhouette-like form. He turned at Harry's approach, inviting him to sit.
"Look at that, Harry! I can't tell you how I missed that in Azkaban-"
"The sun?"
Sirius nodded, "It's the sort of the thing you don't notice till its been taken from you. 'Really beautiful… Anyway, how's Ron?"
"I don't know, I haven't seen him. I think he wants to be alone."
"Poor kid. I don't think they ever expected it to happen…"
"No, at least not to Percy, Ron maybe, since he's with me a lot of the time, or Charlie, with his dragons, but not Percy. And we still don't know how it happened. All Mr. Weasley said was that he was killed after he left here. Do you know what happened exactly?"
A look of anger crossed the elder wizard's face, and his voice shook with emotion as he explained:
"After Dumbledore asked to speak to you alone, Remus asked Percy to apparate back to his place. You see, Percy had offered to provide us with important evidence incriminating the Minister of Magic in some way. Unfortunately, Percy didn't have time to tell us what his evidence was or where it would be before he died, but that's another story… They went back to Lupin's place. As they were walking toward the house, Remus thought he sensed something. To be honest, he thought he could catch Wormtail's scent, so he started to walk away from the house to try and find him. Percy walked ahead, unfortunately. The instant his hand touched the door handle, he died. Remus reckons it was the mortis curse and that it was intended for him…"
At these words Sirius shuddered.
"You think Wormtail was trying to kill Professor Lupin?"
"Perhaps not Remus, specifically. Lupin's place has been pretty open to anyone opposed to Voldemort since his return. It's practically the Order's headquarters…It's hard to say who was the target. It might have been me, or Dumbledore, or any number of people. However, I know enough to trust Moony's instincts. If he says he smelt Wormtail, then I'm sure he did. We'll have to be on our guard. I'd love to get my paws on him. It'd be my pardon, Harry."
Harry nodded enthusiastically and Sirius continued:
"I feel sorry for Moony, though, having his home targeted like that. They're getting stronger, Harry. To find Moony's place was an achievement in itself, but to curse it would have required a great deal of skill. Wormtail must have had help. Of course, Remus can't go back there now; it won't be safe. I think he's staying with Arabella for the time being, lucky dog…"
"Are you, um, you know, in love with her or something?"
"It's complicated, Harry. We were lovers before I went to Azkaban, but I don't know if we still are. We've both changed a lot…I don't know; we'll see what happens. What do you think of her?"
"I don't know. I don't feel like I really know her at all. All those years I thought she was just a batty old lady and now I hear she's a witch and a friend of my mum…I don't know what to think. She definitely seems to like you. "
"You think so?"
"Yup. She even punched the great Harry Potter for you".
Sirius laughed, "I guess you're right. She does like me. Perhaps when you get to know her better you'll see that she's not just a violent, batty old witch. She's actually quite a nice person, once you get to know her. Well, we'll see…"
"Where is she, anyway? I haven't seen her since this morning-"
They were interrupted by a shrill female voice, "Uh, Harry? Who are you talking to?"
It was Hermione. Harry laughed as he realized that she couldn't see Sirius. Sirius winked secretly at him and got up to approach her.
"Well? Have you finally gone MAD?! "
She yelled in fright as Sirius grabbed her under the arms, while Harry burst into laughter.
"It's just Snuffles. Come here, boy!"
Sirius dutifully walked back to Harry, smiling, "It's just me, Hermione. I'm invisible."
"Oh. It's nice to, em, hear you again, Snuffles, but you can keep your hands to yourself. Listen, Harry. I was thinking we should go talk to Ron. He seems really angry and I'm worried he might do something…"
"What, kill himself?!"
"No, of course not. I just mean that he might try to go after whoever killed Percy. I've never seen him so angry. Professor Dumbledore told him that he thinks it was Wormtail, and that he was trying to kill Professor Lupin."
Sirius turned to Harry and said, "You'd better talk to him, Harry. Tell him that Moony and I will catch Wormtail, and that if he interferes it will only make matters worse. Whatever happens, don't let him go after Pettigrew! If you suspect he's going to try something, tell me."
Harry nodded and left with Hermione. Alone on the kitchen porch, Sirius turned around to admire the final descent of the setting sun. A cool breeze played softly on his face and he relaxed into the warm oak of the doorframe. He felt excited, and a little anxious. It was as if he could sense that something was going to happen. He felt guilty that the news that Wormtail was pursuing Moony pleased him. In truth, he was just glad to have word of Wormtail, as his proximity increased the possibility of his capture. He didn't want to admit to himself that he suspected the rat would be caught soon, and that he would be free, for fear of jinxing it. Nevertheless, he couldn't still the excitement that rattled in his bones, and made him restless. It was only a matter of time…Sirius jumped at the thumping approach of two men, speaking in loud voices. Sirius swiftly retreated onto the patio and listened carefully to the bitter exchange as Mr. Weasley entered the kitchen with Charlie.
"Pettigrew! I can't believe it! I'll avenge Percy's death if it's the last thing I ever do."
"Dad, calm down…We don't have any proof, and you know Fudge will never take the word of a werewolf seriously-"
"Fudge! Damn him to hell. As soon as I found out what Percy had on him, I'll be sure to use it. I don't care what the Ministry believes, it was Pettigrew, and when I catch him, I'll kill him."
"Dad, keep your voice down, his aide is here, remember?"
Suddenly the porch door was shut, and Sirius heard no more.
He sat down on the grass and sighed. This was bad. What if Arthur Weasley got
to Wormtail before him? He'd kill him at the first opportunity, and with it,
my pardon…I have to do something. I have to find Wormtail, and soon.
***
When Harry and Hermione eventually found Ron, he was sitting on the window sill in his orange bedroom, twiddling something small and silver in his hands. He didn't look up as they entered, but continued to stare down at his hands. Harry and Hermione sat down on the two beds that were arranged on either side of the window. With a rush of pity, Harry realised that Ron was fingering Percy's prefect badge, his pride and joy. For a moment the three sat in silence until Ron suddenly spoke.
"He left it to me in his will. I think I should give it to Ginny. She misses him most."
Harry sighed inwardly. It seemed strange for a young man to have made a will, but with Percy it made perfect sense. He had a love of all things official, anything that called for paper work of some description. Harry appreciated the kind gesture, however, of leaving his prefect badge to Ron. Percy had been so proud to be a prefect, and Harry knew from his experiences of the Mirror of Erised that Ron yearned for a similar mark of achievement, something that would label him at least the equal of his talented brothers.
"I think he would have wanted you to have it, Ron. It meant the world to him. It was probably his way of telling you that you deserved it too."
A small sob escaped Ron's lips and Harry could tell that he was trying desperately not to cry, holding his breath and looking downward.
"I always teased him about it. I wish I'd been a bit more-"
It was no use. Ron started to cry uncontrollably, and Hermione ran over to the window and put her arms around him. Harry just sat still, feeling awkward and in the way. He felt embarrassed at seeing Ron in such a state, and was unsure how to act. He could hear Hermione saying comforting words to him, and remembered how he had felt when Mrs. Weasley had hugged him while he cried after Cedric's death. He had wanted Ron to look away. In that instant Harry made up his mind and quietly left the room. He made his way downstairs and into the living room, only to find another room full of people crying. He met a similar sight in the kitchen. Harry desperately wanted to get away from the grief, but having nowhere to go, opened the porch and stepped quietly into the garden. It was now quite dark, but he could just about make out the figure of his godfather standing in some hedges over to the far right.
"Snuffles?" he whispered.
"Shhhh!"
Sirius didn't turn around but motioned with his hand for Harry to go over to him. Harry crept quietly toward him and squinted in the faint light to try and see what Sirius was so interested in.
"What is it?"
"Footprints. Two sets…"
"Are you sure? I can only see one set, but then my sight isn't that great. Who do you think made them?"
"The man's I'm not too sure about, but I think I might have some idea about the rat's."
Harry snarled, "Wormtail! 'But how did he get in? "
"I don't know, but you can be damn sure he won't get out. Come on, lets go inside. We'd better alert Dumbledore and Moony. Its probably best if we don't say anything to the Weasley's yet. And don't you go wandering off! I want you to stay near me until its safe."
Harry nodded and walked quickly up to the house, his eyes scanning the garden as he went but he saw nothing. He had to walk quickly to keep up with Sirius's swift pace. Harry noticed that his godfather seemed more excited than frightened and that he seemed to have dismissed the fact that there were two sets of footprints, only one of which belonged to Pettigrew. On their way into the house they met Dumbledore who didn't seem very surprised at what Sirius told him. He led them promptly into the living room, where Remus was sitting with Arabella and Mundungus. The house was a lot emptier now, with most of the guests having left after offering their condolences to the Weasleys a final time. The three looked up questioningly as Dumbledore entered with Harry and gasped as the headmaster waved his wand to reveal Sirius sitting next to them on the sofa. They had difficulty understanding Sirius's hasty explanation:
"We found some rat footprints outside so it looks like Wormtail's gotten into the Burrow. Try to catch him alive, if possible."
"He may not be alone", Dumbledore continued, "as a set of human footprints were also found. Whoever they belong to, it's unlikely that person was an animagus, as they were not transformed when they left the prints. That makes them easier to find, however, I don't want you all to go out searching. Sirius, I want you and Remus to stay here with Harry," Dumbledore ignored the unspoken protest on Sirius's face, "Arabella, go outside with Mundungus and take a look around, but don't get separated. If you encounter any trouble send up red sparks. I'll be upstairs with the others if you need me."
After Dumbledore had retreated with Arabella and Mundungus, Harry sat down beside Sirius, suddenly feeling very tired. A glance at the clock showed it was only a little after ten. He stared dully into the flickering firelight, wondering how it would all end.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed that part, and please, please, please don't forget to review. It makes my day. Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter VI, namely (at the time I wrote this, so don't be offended if I leave you out by accident J):
Trinity Day: Wow, three reviews, thanks, Rede, someone2: Sorry, I'll try not to use too many cliffies, PEZ: Yup, you were right, congratulations! It's funny really, I'd forgotten about what you said about Percy when I wrote chapter 6 and for some reason I felt an overwhelming urge to kill him. There must have been some kind of subliminal message in that review of yours! Anyway, well done! Sorry if it was a bit too predictable. OrcaPotter: Thanks for saying you like my fic, I hope the next chapters live up to your expectations, Sailorcelestial: Imperio! You will keep reading my fics and reviewing…Kim: You have to calm down those muses of yours. Sorry if you don't like Ginny and Harry, but I never said that they were destined to be together, so relax. Maybe something awful will happen to make them hate each other by the end. Maybe Harry will notice that zit you mentioned, for example. Adelina: Ah, one of my most loyal reviewers. Thank you, thank you, thank you etc.
The next part will be up over the weekend, so keep an eye out!
Pleiades
