A/N: This Chapter is a Sirius, Marlene, and Remus POV. No Harry and Ginny in this. Sorry.
Anyways, here's the new Chapter. Hope you enjoy it!
A Song of Lightning and Fire
Arc I: Hogwarts
Part IV: The Rune of Ekrizdis
September 1st, 1993
Sirius Black smiled fondly as he watched the Hogwarts Express turn the corner and disappear. He missed it, going to Hogwarts every year, his home away from home.
Of course, it wouldn't be a happy place for him now, but still. Perhaps in another world, he would get to experience the joys of life without being imprisoned in Azkaban.
He pulled himself back to reality, this was no time to reminisce about the past. He had a job to do, and a few mysteries that he needed to get to the bottom of.
He turned on the spot and disapparated, apparating in an Alleyway between two buildings in Diagon Alley. The Alleyway was not far from another building that he needed to get into, a building where an old friend of his worked.
Marlene McKinnon.
He needed her skills, both as an ex-Auror and as a reporter, to find out more about his time with the Talons. Remus had already agreed to help, he couldn't possibly have said no after Harry had told them about Voldemort still being alive.
Sirius just hoped he could convince Marlene. He smiled at the thought of her, remembering the first night they'd met in that Order of The Phoenix meeting.
She was a homeschooled Witch, three months younger than him, from a Pureblood Family, and he had immediately asked her out. It had taken her all of one second to firmly decline his offer.
Two weeks after that, Dumbledore had partnered them together for a mission, and Sirius found that he enjoyed her company enough to not drive her away, and despite his heart telling him to just snog her senseless, he restrained himself.
Sometime over the next three years, she had become his main source of comfort. More so even than James- who was enjoying himself with Lily- and Remus, who was more in than out of a Werewolf Camp.
That only lasted till Sirius had been kidnapped and sent to Azkaban, though. There was no comfort after that, but thoughts of the Witch were enough to keep him from going mad.
The Dementors couldn't taint her memories either, they were never happy thoughts. No, his thoughts about her were filled with regret, longing, and a sense of dread due to his brain picturing her with someone else, even though she and Sirius had never been a 'thing'.
But that was all in the past, and there was no point in thinking about all of that now.
She was right here- yes he'd checked her schedule- but even then, he couldn't help but feel nervous about it all. What would she do when she saw him? Hug him? Hit him? Both? No, it would only probably be the former, she hated people that hit someone else.
Or at least she did thirteen years ago…
Oh, he wished he had Remus here, his bitchy attitude might have just been the push he needed. Shaking his head to fend off the previous thoughts, he walked out of the Alleyway, smiling at the sight of Diagon Alley looking so… peaceful. It never failed to bring a smile to his face, not after all the bullshit he'd dealt with in the Last War.
He looked to his right, spotting the building he was looking for. It was a tall, four story building made of bricks, with white columns and rows going through the building at equal intervals, probably denoting the floors from the outside, the words The Daily Prophet shining in Golden Letters above the doorway.
He walked toward the building, a hand on his Wand Holster, ready to cast a subtle Confundus Charm, should he need one.
Thankfully, he didn't. He was able to make his way through the entrance and to the reception area.
"Where will I be able to find Marlene McKinnon?" Sirius asked.
"What's your business with her?" The woman behind the counter asked.
"I'm… an old friend," Sirius said.
"She doesn't have any friends," The woman said, turning back to her papers. Sirius was sure she was playing a game of Tic Tac Toe on it, and he had the sudden urge to set fire to the damn paper.
But that would be counterproductive. So he simply cast a Notice-Me-Not Charm on himself, and went out of the building. He cast a Carpe Retractum on the roof of the building, causing a golden chain-like substance to extend out of his Wand and hit the edge.
He used his Magic to pull himself up to the First Floor window, and searched for her Magical Signature. He couldn't find it here, though, nor could he find it on the Second Floor, so he climbed up to the Third, which was when he felt it.
He hung onto the edge with his fingers, and cancelled the Carpe Retractum, choosing to cast a Phasing Charm on the Wall in front of him, and bracing himself for an uncomfortable impact.
He climbed up, and walked through the wall, grimacing at the Side-Along Apparition like sensation. He was able to make it through in one piece, cancelling the Notice Me Not Charm once he was in a secure area. He then looked around, trying to spot her blonde hair.
"Can I help you?" He heard a female voice ask, and he almost bolted out of the room right then.
It was her.
Without even turning back, without even seeing her, he knew it was her. And it still was the most terrifying thing he'd faced in his life.
He swallowed and slowly turned around, trying not to wrap his arms around her in a hug. She looked like she hadn't aged a day, and her hair was still the same, but she still seemed more… mature. Her eyes, which he remembered being bright and carefree, were now dull. As though there was a part of her that was missing…
"You," Sirius blurted out, instantly wanting to smack himself upside the head.
Marlene blinked. "Sorry?" She asked.
"I'm looking for you," Sirius said. "I mean, I was looking for you, since I've found you already, you know…" he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. This was not how he imagined their meeting would go.
"Okaayy," she replied slowly, dragging out the word. "What can I help you with?"
"I need a word in private," he said, feeling proud that he had managed to put together a sentence in her presence.
"Very well," she replied slightly hesitantly. "We can meet in my Office."
He followed her as she led him to her office. She opened the door and led him in, gesturing for him to take a seat.
Her office was quite nice, complete with large windows, a fireplace in the back, shelves on which she kept a few trophies, and pictures. He religiously ignored the pang in his heart when he saw the picture of him and her on his desk. His arm was around her shoulders and hers around his waist as he took her to Hogsmeade for the first time on Christmas. James had clicked that one.
She cleared her throat, drawing his attention. "What did you wish to speak about?" She asked politely.
Sirius gulped and stood up, flicking his Wand and closing the curtains and the doors in the room, causing her to stand up and draw her Wand and point it at him. "Careful there," she warned. "I used to be an Auror."
"I know," he replied, tossing his Wand to her and raising his hands above his head. "Cast the Basic Untransfiguration Spell on me."
Marlene raised an eyebrow. "Fuck off," she said. "I'm calling the Hit Wizards, they can deal with this."
"Marlene, please," Sirius said. "Just listen to me."
But she continued ignoring him, waving her Wand and casting a Patronus Charm. Not wanting to get captured and shipped off to Azkaban again, he summoned his Wand from her hand and cast the Untransfiguration Spell on himself, dropping the Wand to his side as he dropped to his knees.
He knew the Spell had worked when he heard her gasp. "Impossible," he heard her whisper in a trembling voice.
"As you can see," Sirius said, spreading his arms wide. "I am very much alive."
Marlene shook her head. "No," she said. "It's not true," she muttered.
"It is," Sirius said. "4th of July, the first time I met you, I asked you out. You denied, and we became friends. Everyone on your mother's side of the family were abusive bastards, you'd never been to Hogsmeade before, and you'd never had been to Honeydukes before. Not until James, Lily, Remus, and I decided to take you. You were drunk out of your mind when James clicked-" he was cut off by her dropping to her knees and grabbing him in a suffocation hug.
"How?" She whispered in his ear, trembling like a leaf against him.
"I was never dead," he said, pulling back enough to look her in her blue eyes. "I was never dead," he repeated. "I was held Prisoner in Azkaban. It's a long story, and I don't have the time to explain it now…" he trailed off when he saw her tearing up.
He pulled her in a hug and she let go of the dam of tears she'd been holding back. Her sobs were gut-wrenching to hear, and even though he could feel his robes getting wet, he couldn't bring himself to care about that right now.
"I looked for you," she said through her sobs. "I looked everywhere. For years I searched for you. I didn't want to believe you were gone. I couldn't bring myself to believe that. But… I couldn't find you."
"I'm so sorry," he whispered. "For everything," he added, even though she shook her head against his shoulder.
They stayed there, holding each other, for another half an hour before they'd both calmed down enough to talk without sobbing.
"Why are you here now?" She asked, wiping her face.
Sirius shook his head. "That's not important for now," he said. He didn't want to make her feel like he was taking advantage of her emotions. "We can talk about that later."
"Sirius," Marlene said. "I know you. You wouldn't have come to my workplace if it wasn't urgent."
Sirius blinked in surprise. Sometimes he hated that she knew him so well. "Okay," he conceded. "I need your help."
"With what?" Marlene asked, leaning forward.
"With dealing with the Talons," Sirius said, watching her eyes go wide. "Yeah, they're the ones that captured me."
"So… what? You're after Revenge?" Marlene asked, frowning. "That doesn't sound like you, despite Azkaban."
"I know," Sirius said. "Because it's not. The Dementors didn't affect me much, I don't think. Or at least I don't remember if they did."
"You have… memory loss?" Marlene asked hesitantly.
"Not memory loss in the strictest sense," Sirius said. "I remember everything before and after Azkaban. I just don't remember the in-between. I don't fully remember what happened there."
"And you want to find out?" Marlene asked.
"Yes," Sirius said. "This isn't about revenge. I have a Godson to take care of now."
Marlene's eyes went wide in recognition. "Harry Potter," she said.
"Yeah," Sirius said. "Met him last year. Thrice."
"How'd that go?" She asked.
"Let's see, his best friend got me with a Body Bind Hex the first time, and I may have tried giving him advice as the Prisoner of Azkaban while Duelling him," Sirius explained.
Marlene winced at the last one. "Why would you do that?" She asked. "Please tell me that you didn't know they were famous for dealing with things regarding the Dark Arts at Hogwarts."
"I did," Sirius said with a small smile. "I just couldn't help it. His form was damn near perfect. Just a few adjustments and he'd be good to go. Kinda forgot about the whole Prisoner thing."
Marlene let out a laugh, a sound that caused him to smile. It was a stark contrast to how the two of them had been just half an hour ago.
"Of course you forgot," she said, grinning and drawing him out of his thoughts. "Poor kid," she added, shaking her head.
He couldn't help but think that she would have taken Harry in with him if he was able to get out of Peter's trap. She wasn't close enough to James and Lily to be named a guardian to Harry, and she didn't want babies at the time. But maybe, she could have helped him. If only… he trailed off, wondering about the what-ifs.
"You alright there?" Marlene asked.
"Yeah," Sirius said. "Just thinking."
"What are you going to do about the Talons?" Marlene asked.
"Find out clues, and go from there," Sirius answered. "So far, I've got nothing. Which was why I came to you. I'm hoping that you've got something… a contact maybe?"
"Not a contact," Marlene said. "But I do have a location."
"Great," Sirius replied enthusiastically. "Where?"
"Nuh uh," she said, shaking her head. "I have a condition."
"Show it to a Healer," he quipped.
Marlene rolled her eyes like he knew she would. "I'll only tell you, if you let me go with you."
"Agreed," Sirius said immediately. "Although, I should probably ask Remus about it first."
"You do that," she said.
"Give me a week," he said. "I'll send you a note with a Yes or a No. Though, I think you should expect a Yes."
"Good," she replied, smiling at him.
"I'll see myself out, then," Sirius said, smiling back.
"Yeah," she replied, walking toward the door.
Sirius walked to the window and pulled it open as Marlene turned the doorknob. "What are you doing?" They asked each other.
"Opening the window," Sirius replied.
"I can see that," she said dryly.
"I didn't come in through the front entrance," Sirius said.
"Of course you didn't," she replied, walking over to him. "Take care, yeah?"
Sirius nodded as he climbed onto the windowsill. "When do I not take care of myself?" Sirius asked.
Marlene rolled her eyes. "I'll be here all day if I answer that."
Sirius chuckled and cast a Notice-Me-Not Charm on himself. He checked if there was anyone and jumped down when he saw it was clear. He cast a Cushioning Charm to break his fall.
He looked up to see Marlene waving at him, and he waved back before disapparating back to the Black Manor.
Marlene had to wait a long time for Sirius' letter to arrive.
It was the next week now, and she was once again in her office, thinking about everything that had taken place in the very same space just a few days ago.
Sirius was alive.
Of course he was.
She'd spent eight years looking for him all around the world, chasing even the smallest leads. It was because of this work that she had been hired as a reporter five years ago.
And he was in Azkaban. She hadn't even thought to look there.
So, of course, when the strange man's face changed into Sirius', she was in a state of mind that was at least two levels beyond 'shocked'.
She cringed at the memory, because of course it was Sirius. Who else would have those brilliant gray eyes of his? It didn't matter that there was a guarded look about them. It was normal, he had been held in Azkaban, though how that was possible without anyone knowing, she didn't know.
What she did know was that ever since she'd met Sirius again, she had that McKinnon Fire in her again. The one that had pretty much been snuffed out of her when Sirius had vanished.
The McKinnon Fire was something her grandmother used to tell her about. Supposedly, every McKinnon, male or female, had it inside of them. The brighter the fire, the stronger your purpose.
It was all fantastical bullshit, of course, but Marlene had always loved the phrase because it reminded her of her grandmother. She'd just always assumed 'The Fire' was a metaphor for something else, something she hadn't been able to put a finger on…
Of course, the McKinnons did have a close history with the Mystics Magics so maybe there was something more to it than just superstition.
Anyway, Marlene had always known that Reporting wasn't her passion. Oh sure, she found it easy, and writing was a hobby of hers so she was good at it, too… but it didn't get her excited. Not like being out in the field did…
So, she had quit her job a few days ago.
It was a rash decision, but one she did not regret. She had been suffocating here, but she literally had nothing better to do, so she kept continuing. Meeting Sirius again had just given her an excuse to do it quicker.
The two of them had kept meeting up throughout the week, chatting about everything and nothing, and just enjoying each other's company like old times. They hadn't talked about what had happened to both of them, though, nor had they talked about what they were going to do, but she knew that Sirius had a plan.
Suddenly, a burst of Fire appeared in her room, cutting off her thoughts, and shooting toward her desk.
The Fire Transfigured itself in mid air before she could even react. The Fire turned into a Piece of Parchment, and Marlene had to flick her Wand to freeze it in mid air. She got up and unfolded it with her Wand, reading the contents within.
Dear Marlene,
It's Sirius. Remus agreed. This letter is a Portkey. Say, "Black Manor," and it will take you there.
S.O.B
She snorted at his signature and repeated the phrase since she knew it was his handwriting. She instantly felt herself being sucked into the Vortex of the Portkey, and when she was thrown out, she was standing in an elegant entrance Hall with a Fireplace behind her and the entrance doors in front of her.
"I see you made it," She heard Sirius say from above her.
Turning behind, she saw Sirius smiling down at her, standing on top of the landing at the top of the stairs that led up to the Second Floor.
"Yeah," Marlene responded, ignoring the way her heart still yearned for him, even after all these years.
Sirius walked down and gestured her into the expansive living room and sat down beside her on the sofa. "Remus isn't here," he said. "He's still… resting."
Marlene nodded. She knew about Remus' condition, and frankly, she didn't see why people always tended to make such a huge fuss out of it. "Rough night?" She asked, knowing it was the full moon last night.
"Quite," Sirius said, grimacing. "He had a bad reaction to seeing Padfoot."
"I'm sorry," she said. Remus' alter ego must have either been sad or angry when it saw Padfoot after all these years
"It's alright," Sirius replied, waving her off. "No one was hurt too much, Remus is just too stressed."
"So… what's your plan?" Marlene asked after a few moments had passed, a hesitant tone to her voice.
"Find out who's in charge of the Criminal Activity in Britain now," Sirius answered promptly.
"Theodore Nott," she replied quickly. "He's in charge. We can't find any evidence, but I just know he is. Something about him having contact with the Heir of Slytherin."
"The Heir of Slytherin?" Sirius asked, leaning forward, a wide eyed expression on his face. "What does Theo Nott have to do with it?"
"I have no idea," Marlene said. "I just know from my source that Nott Sr. has been garnering a lot of attention lately. Especially from the Purebloods."
"Because he knows the Heir of Slytherin?" Sirius asked.
"Maybe," she said. "I don't know the real reason. This is just what my source suspects."
Sirius pursed his lips. "Where do we look if we want to find where he is now? The Crossed Wands?"
Marlene nodded. The Crossed Wands was a pub in Knockturn Alley that was well known for being an illegal trading and gambling haunt. It was popular during the last War, and it was still popular now. The Aurors could never find a shred of evidence on them, though.
"When are you free?" Sirius asked.
"Whenever you need me," she replied.
Sirius blinked. "Pardon?" He asked.
Marlene grimaced. "I might have… quit my job."
"What?" Sirius yelped. "Marle-"
"I was getting bored," Marlene said. "Being a reporter isn't my calling. I thought I wanted to be an Auror, but you know how badly that went."
"Yeah," Sirius said. The Ministry had been infiltrated and Marlene had almost been placed under the Imperius Curse on two occasions. She didn't go near that building after that since possession and having her mind be controlled by someone else was one of her worst fears. Money wasn't an issue for her either, the McKinnon fortune was big enough for her to live a decent life if she got an average salary somewhere.
"So, I'm free any time," she said.
"Alright," Sirius said. "Good. That's good."
He was getting kind of distant now, though. Like he did when he was worried about something, he would pull into himself, and distance himself from everyone. James had said that this behavior had been worse when he was younger, the Potters that had gotten through to him somewhat.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
Sirius seemed to hesitate, but sighed anyway and spoke. "We need to talk about… well, everything."
"Everything?"
"Yes," Sirius said. "Along with what happened. To me."
Marlene's eyes grew wide. She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about it often over the past day, but she hadn't expected him to actually offer her an explanation. "Sirius, you don't have to-"
"It's for both of us," he said. "You said you spent years looking for me… it meant a lot, Marlene, hearing that, especially considering what an arse I was-"
"You weren't-" she started, knowing it wasn't entirely true.
"I was," he cut her off firmly. "So… thank you."
"Of course, Sirius," she whispered, knowing it would be useless to argue against him.
He bowed his head in acknowledgement, but stayed silent for a while. Just when Marlene thought that he had changed his mind, he spoke again.
"Peter was the Spy in the last War," Sirius said, causing her to gasp.
"Peter?" She asked in shock. "Peter Pettigrew?" Surely not him. He used to look so cute, and innocent, and harmless… Marlene couldn't imagine it being Peter. Anyone but him.
"It's true," Sirius said. "Confronted him about it this previous June. He had the audacity to ask me what I would do if I were in his place."
She closed her eyes. She knew Sirius was telling the truth. Keeping aside her feelings for the man, her instincts could tell that he wasn't lying.
"How do you know?" She asked.
"We were on a mission together," Sirius answered, staring at a random spot on the sofa. "Peter and I. I had no idea he was the Spy back then, if I did…" he trailed off, shaking his head.
Marlene still understood the implication, though. He would have turned him inside out.
"We were supposed to raid Malfoy Manor," Sirius continued. "But… well, I told him I'd go first, and the bastard stunned me."
Sirius stopped taking a deep breath, and Marlene placed a hand on his knee and gently rubbed her thumb on it, trying to give him some comfort. "I was taken to Azkaban. As I said, I don't remember much. Just that I was kept under the Draught of Living Death in the Lower Levels of Azkaban for 12 years."
Marlene gasped. "No," she breathed.
Sirius grimaced. "Yeah," he said. "I've got a massive hole in my memory, and I don't like it. I want to fix it. That's why I'm doing all of this."
"I'll help," she said immediately, causing him to give her a smile.
"Thank you," he replied, swallowing. "There's something else," he added.
"What?" She asked, furrowing her brow in concern.
"The Dark Lord is alive," Sirius said.
Marlene froze in her seat. No, no, NO! This could not be happening right now. Yet, looking at Sirius' face, she was certain that he wasn't messing around. This was the most serious she had seen him.
He spent the next ten minutes explaining to her everything his Godson had told him about Voldemort. Facing him in his First Year, and then in his Second Year, watching his body crumble to dust, and learning his real name in the Chamber of Secrets!!
By the end of it, Marlene was shaking her head from side to side in amazement. She had heard about their adventures of course, but not in this much detail… she couldn't help but think that they'd make a Fantastic series of Books to read.
"It'll probably take Remus today to heal fully," Sirius said. "Can you come tomorrow? At the same time?"
Marlene nodded. "I'll be there," she said. "If you show me where 'here' is, of course," she added with a grin.
He chuckled and got up, holding a hand out for her. "My lady," he said by way of invitation.
She placed her hand in his, allowing him to gently pull her up. Their eyes connected and Marlene felt that familiar desire to press her lips against his. You know, just to see what it would be like… no feelings involved, right? Oh, who was she kidding…
Remus walked down the Main road of Diagon Alley- the one that led to Gringotts. Marlene was ahead of him and Sirius, leading the two men to the criminal pub in Knockturn Alley.
Remus was sceptical of their plan to just walk in and interrogate the barkeep or the customers, but he figured Marlene would have more experience about it than he.
He winced in pain as he took another step. He had trouble walking after full moons, but this was just ridiculous.
Moony- or rather, Remus' Werewolf side- hadn't been happy to see Padfoot. It reminded him of the years past. Prongs not being here saddened the creature even more. All of this eventually enraged Moony, who was already a powerful Werewolf. Needless to say, the Transformation back had not been smooth.
The fact that Sirius had used the Homorphus Charm on Remus back in June did nothing to help matters.
"You okay?" Sirius asked, stopping.
"Yeah," Remus said. "Yeah. Let's go."
"Maybe we should go about this tomorrow?" Marlene asked, stopping next to Sirius. "Give you time to rest?" She added to him.
"I'm fine," Remus said, getting up to his feet. "Let's just get into that pub," he continued as he walked toward Knockturn Alley.
He was aware of Marlene and Sirius sharing a concerned glance behind his back, and their emotions smelled… mixed. Concerned with a hint of worry, and some fear.
He ignored the suffocating feeling inside his stomach. He never did like it when anyone thought of him as weak, or unable to control himself.
Sirius and Marlene followed him and he saw Sirius cast a Powerful Notice-Me-Not Charm. It was so Powerful, Remus felt the hair on the back of his neck rise.
They walked the path to Knockturn Alley undisturbed, looking around at the Dark and gloomy place. Just a few steps in, and Remus thought it looked like a Muggle Balck and White Movie.
Where Diagon Alley was bright, colorful, a favorite place for many children to go to, Knockturn Alley seemed the exact opposite. He always advocated against judging a book by its cover, but he couldn't help but think that this whole place was filled with crooks and criminals, not with the way they were all staring at the passers by.
Sirius and Marlene, he saw, were also having a reaction to the place. But he reckoned theirs was more… personal.
They'd seen many people die on these very streets back in the last War. Remus slowed his pace to allow them to catch up. "Alright?" He asked them, receiving two nods in return.
"Yeah," Marlene said, pursing her lips. "It just… brought back memories is all," she continued, Sirius nodding beside her.
She didn't give him a chance to say anything more, but they knew what was bothering her. Her other best friend had died here, Dorcas Meadowes.
Dorcas had been pregnant at the time. Though none of them had known that. Not even her.
Remus and Sirius walked forward to catch up with Marlene and she had them take a left into another alleyway, where Remus spotted a set of stairs leading down to a wall with a painting of two Crossed Wands on it.
"Crossed Wand?" Remus asked. "How creative."
"It wasn't named by the Criminals, Remus," Sirius said, he and Marlene sharing a glance and a smile like there was some big secret they were keeping. "It was the Order members."
Remus' eyebrows raised at that piece of information, but he didn't say anything else. Sirius took the Notice-Me-Not Charm off of them as Marlene told them to change into disguises.
Remus flicked his Wand and Transfigured his tie into a bow tie. His Robes were borrowed from Sirius so they were in as good a condition as they could be in.
Sirius took it a step further by turning into Adam Parker right in front of their eyes. Remus reckoned that he too, should change into someone else and he flicked his Wand to give himself a beard and black hair.
"Looking good," Marlene commented, though he was certain that comment was more for Sirius than him. Trying not to smirk at Sirius in a way that would scream 'I told you so', he followed Marlene down the stairs and to the Wall.
She tapped her Wand on the tips of the Wands in the drawing and then tapped her Wand at the point where the ones in the drawing intersected. She jabbed the intersection with her Wand, and muttered something under her breath, a password or a Spell, perhaps.
Immediately, the bricks started moving, rearranging themselves so as to form a doorway, much like the Portal at the Leaky.
The inside of the pub was vast. A large area to his right had tables for people to sit, with a VIP section that was covered. The bar was to the left hand side of the room, along with a large Banner hanging on the wall across from them that was playing a replay of a Dragon Fighting Club.
Remus had only heard Rumors of this Club, but seeing that it was real did not make him feel better since it meant that there was a club for Werewolves somewhere out there too.
He was about to suggest they use this as blackmail material before remembering that showing this fight wasn't exactly illegal… bloody Ministry laws!
"Come on," Sirius said, probably knowing how he was feeling.
"Yeah," Remus said, following him and Marlene to the bar.
"What can I get for ya, darling?" The barkeep asked.
The barkeep here was a Dwarf, and Remus had to do everything in his Power not to gasp. He had a beard and long auburn hair a shade darker than Lily's, he was wearing a helmet with horns sticking out of the left and right sides, along with a chestplate, both of which were considered very religious by the Dwarves.
Dwarves were incredibly secluded creatures, not known for their social skills. They were said to be the Most Skilled Magi-Smiths, and were rumored to have made Godric Gryffindor's sword with Goblin Steel. The Goblins then Enchanted the Sword to absorb anything that made it stronger.
"Information," Marlene said, sitting down on the stool in front of the table and resting her hands on the table.
"What kind?" The Dwarf asked in a Scottish accent. "And why? Last I heard, you'd quit your job."
"News certainly travels fast," she commented.
"You're a reporter, lass," the Dwarf said with a chuckle. "You should know that better than most."
Marlene smiled and bowed her head in acknowledgement. "We want to know where to find Theodore Nott."
The Dwarf raised his eyebrows. "And why would I ever tell ya that?" He asked.
"Well, because I know you're fed up with the way Purebloods keep treating you," Marlene said, leaning forward. "Are you not?"
"I am," The Dwarf said. "That doesn't mean I want the wrath of the Sacred 28 on my race again. Me and my kin got out just fine in the War of the Races almost 500 years ago."
"You were there?" Remus asked before he could stop himself.
The Dwarf looked him up and down and smirked, as though he knew something about him… Oh, fuck. "Aye," the Dwarf said. "I was a teen then. My Ma and Pa were killed by Wizards who were drunk on their own Power. I only take great pleasure in the fact that we weren't condemned into Eternal Servitude like the High Elves."
"That was ages ago," Marlene said. "People are different now, more open minded."
"Open minded?" The Dwarf asked. "Tell me, what would happen if I let slip that your friend here is a Werewolf?"
Remus and Sirius swore and Marlene closed her eyes. Remus knew what would happen, though. This was a criminal pub, he would either be hailed a hero for being what he was, or he would be killed with the most vicious curses imaginable.
"Well… there must be something we can do to change your mind," Marlene insisted. "Look, we'll get some gold out, and personally hand it to you as payment."
The Dwarf barked an incredulous laugh. "Oh, lass. I don't need no money,' he said, suddenly turning serious. "But… I've known you for a long time Marlene. And I've always thought you were very… resourceful. Perhaps you and I can… come to an arrangement."
"What arrangement?" Marlene asked.
"Well," The Dwarf said in a whisper, leaning forward. "I've known that there was a Dwarven Smithing Hammer at the Nott Manor. Us Dwarves are going to go get it on the next New Moon. But if you get for us…" he trailed off, looking at them intently.
Sirius and Marlene shared a glance and looked at Remus, who nodded affirmatively. He didn't think that the Dwarves were actually going to do it, but hey, if it helped Sirius know more about what happened…
"We'll do it," Sirius said.
"Excellent!" The Dwarf said. "My Spy will be here with the information on where to find him in about three days. Till then, it's been a pleasure doing business with ya."
"You as well, Cerebor," she said, bowing her head to the Dwarf- Cerebor- and getting up. "Let's go," she said to them.
Remus and Sirius didn't hesitate to get up and go follow her out of the Pub. Neither of them wanted to spend more time here than necessary, thank you very much.
Two weeks later, Sirius found himself sitting in a coffee shop near Nott Manor at 4 p.m, trying to sense the Enchantments over the House. The area he was in didn't have much Magic except for the one in the Manor, making it easier for him to identify the various signatures.
The Manor was truly beautiful, despite the nature of the family that lived in it. It had an ancient castle-like feeling to it, and the grounds in front of the Manor were just magnificent.
Sirius would have liked to have lived here as a child, Grimmauld Place was truly horrid. Then again, so was his family, so he reckoned there wouldn't have been too much of a difference anyway.
It had taken longer for Cerebor's Spy to deliver them the location, mostly because he hadn't suspected that Nott would live in a Muggle Area. Sirius had to admit that the little game of deception had worked wonders since even Sirius had been shocked when he found that out.
Sirius and Marlene had a mind to storm in immediately after they found out about the location, but Remus, thankfully, had a cooler head.
He had suggested they prepare properly, brew Potions, check out the Enchantments, and scope out the area for guards. After that they would make a plan and sneak in, hopefully during the night.
So far, Sirius could detect an Anti-Apparition Charm over the grounds, along with a few Enchantments on the Bushes that gave them the ability to move, and probably attack the intruders.
The Manor itself was also heavily Enchanted, but with what, Sirius couldn't identify from here, so he got out of the coffee shop and walked toward the edge of the Manor.
Throwing an old Invisibility Cloak over himself, he walked over to the side and cast a Phasing Charm on the Fence. The Wards fought his Spell, but he persisted, adding more and more power. He knew he succeeded when the wall rippled.
He was able to walk through the Fence just a second before the Wards snapped back into place, getting rid of his Charm.
He didn't stay in that spot for long, though. He ran over to a thicket of Non-Enchanted bushes and took off his Cloak, putting it in his pocket before turning into Padfoot.
He sprinted over to a spot close to the Manor and let his Magic flow, letting it interact with the Wards by just brushing past them.
He quickly realized that this method wouldn't help him much here- the Wards were far too complex- so he turned into a Human while still keeping his Magic on high alert to be ready if anything happened or if any Magical trap was about to be sprung on him.
He was just about to cast a Runic Revealer Spell when he heard a rustle behind him. He wasn't able to do more than turn around, for at that moment, something stingy struck him in the side of his neck, and he started to feel dizzy.
He noticed that it was shot out of a flower, before he was driven to his knees. He reached up to pull that stingy thing out of his neck, only to find out- much to his horror- that it was a Potion Dart.
A Potion Dart was a weapon developed by the Unspeakables in the early 1800s when the Ministry had to catch a particularly Powerful Dark Witch.
No one was able to beat the Witch in a Duel, so they'd developed this to capture her. It turned out to be a really popular device for capturing not just Dark Wizards, but Warlocks too, since they couldn't really resist the effects unless they had Immunity to such Potions.
He fell down on the ground, and found himself unable to move. This wasn't something he could fight either since it was injected directly into his bloodstream, and he didn't have immunity to the Potions.
Immediately, he heard the pop of an Apparition, but try as he might, he wasn't able to do much more than wiggle around before he was hit with a Powerful Paralyzing Curse.
When Theodore Nott's face came into his line of sight, he didn't want to do anything but scratch the skin off his face. "What have we here?" Nott rhetorically asked. "An intruder?"
Fear burned in his stomach as Nott drew out his Wand and cast the Revelio spell on him, slowly forcing Sirius' body to transform from Adam Parker, back into Sirius Balck against his will.
Nott blinked as his eyebrows reached his hairline. "So the Talons were not lying," he commented to himself. "Interesting," was the last word he heard before his World went black.
An hour and a half later, Marlene was starting to get really worried. Sirius was supposed to have been back half an hour ago, but there had been no trace of him. The Patronuses that she and Remus had tried to send hadn't been able to find him either, but that hadn't stopped her from trying.
Just then, her Hawk Patronus- Maya, she had named it- returned and gave her a sad shake of its head, signifying that it was, yet again, unable to locate Sirius.
"I've had enough of this," Remus said, getting up off his Chair.
"Me too," she replied truthfully.
Sirius had told them that it would take him an hour, but he was gone for over two hours now. He'd also said that he would need an extra hour if things went South, and they'd given him that, but his time was up now.
She got out of her seat on the sofa as well, heading down to the basement, and placing a Stasis Charm on the Potions that they currently had brewing.
She took three bottles of Dittany from the shelves, along with three Vials of the Invigoration Draught, four vials of the Strengthening Solution, and six vials of the Wiggenweld Potion.
She pulled out a Strap-on Protons Belt from a nearby shelf and strapped it on her left thigh, a little below her Wand Holster.
Her Wand Holster was the kind that a duelist would use for better drawing speed since it was slanted, allowing her to quickly draw the Wand out with her right hand.
The Potions Belt let her keep four Vials in the little slots on it, so she placed a Vial of each Potion in one of the slots, while giving the rest to Remus, who had also taken a Potions Belt.
Together, they stored the rest of the vials into another Bag that had slots for vials, and they made their way out of the basement and ran up to the entrance and out of the Wards, disapparating to the location Celebor's Spy had given them.
They apparated next to a coffee shop in a Muggle area, and immediately ran for the Manor that was visible to them, even from here.
Reaching the Fence, she ran her Wand over it to see where the Ward Boundary ended. She found that it was a Dome shaped Ward, stretching all over the grounds of the Manor, and not just the Fence.
Oh well, there was nothing for it. Bombarda Maxima, she cast when she and Remus were a safe distance away.
There was no Spell Trail to the spell, but that didn't make it any less effective. The Fence blasted inward, and Marlene and Remus jumped through the hole.
They heard the blaring of the alarms, and she was beyond shocked when she saw a vine heading toward them from the left. She cast a Shield Charm, but Remus had already shot a Lance of Fire toward the vine, incinerating the whole thing instantly.
She heard something collide with her Shield, and saw that a Potion Dart was lying on the ground. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she realized what must have happened here.
She wasn't able to tell Remus, though, for more and more vines started attacking them until it reached a point where Remus couldn't keep incinerating them all. Her shield held up for a good three minutes before it too fell.
Remus and Marlene immediately rolled to opposite sides and Marlene cast a Severing Charm at the vines, followed by a Cutting Curse to take down the remaining ones, and an Explosion Charm before quickly casting a Shield over herself that barely held up from the force of the explosion.
She heard Remus make a frustrated snarl-like sound, and drink the Strengthening Solution before drawing out another Wand from his robe pocket causing her jaw to drop open.
Diwand Duelling was very uncommon, not to mention difficult. No one could claim to do it, not even Dumbledore or Voldemort, though she suspected that was because they would rather have a hand free for Wandless Magic.
Remus was furiously slashing his Wands now, and he gave them a final sweep through the air before flicking his Wands and freezing all the plants in the Garden.
She looked up to see that in her distraction, one of the plants had managed to almost hit her again, if it hadn't been for Remus, it could have succeeded.
Remus spun around, seemingly checking his spellwork before giving her a hand. She took it and he pulled her up to her feet. "Alright?" He asked her.
She nodded, rubbing her arms to fend off the cold. "We should go in," she said.
Remus nodded and walked toward the door. His face was much more serious than she was used to it being, like he was trying not to let something distract him.
"You can use two Wands?" She asked after catching up with him.
"Yes," he said.
"Why not tell us?" She asked.
He smiled sadly. "Because it's not natural," he said before he opened the door and walked in.
Sirius woke up after… well, he didn't know how long it was since the time he was stunned. But he did know that he was in a chair, and that Theodore Nott was sitting in front of him.
"Sirius Black," Nott greeted him coolly. "Son of Walburga and Orion Black. How far down you have fallen," he commented, tutting and shaking his head.
"Theodore Nott," Sirius said. "Son of… a bitch, you're still the same," he added.
Nott got up from his chair and punched Sirius in the jaw. The punch hurt more than it should have, but Sirius wasn't able to touch his hands to his face to heal it since his hands were bound to his side by chains extending from the ground.
"Never did know when to keep your mouth shut, did you?" Nott asked.
"Well, no," Sirius said, smirking. "Your Wife seemed to like it when it was open over her-"
Another punch, and this time, Sirius felt blood in his mouth as one of his teeth broke and fell down. He punched him twice more, and asked, "You have no idea what you're dealing with, do you?"
"All I know," Sirius said. "Is that you're gonna be dead by the end of this day, Nott."
Nott laughed. "Try it," he said.
Sirius focused on the feel of his Magic, but he wasn't able to let it out of his body. He tried again with a grunt, calling the Magic over and over, until it reached a point where the chains started to grow hotter and hotter, causing him to stop and face the reality of the situation.
His Magic had been blocked.
He took a deep breath and kept panting as Nott laughed. "Go on, try and kill me," he taunted.
Sirius just spat blood on him, earning him another punch.
It was then that he noticed that Nott was wearing a pair of knuckles. Not just any pair of knuckles, though. No, Nott was wearing knuckles with Runes on them. Specifically, a Strengthening Rune, a Rune of Fire, a Rune of Force, and lastly, a Shock Rune. Well, he was fucked.
"Ah, I see you've noticed these," Nott said. "Let's see how you fare up against them."
Nott pressed the knuckles on Sirius' right hand and he screamed as a burning, searing pain enveloped not only his hand, but his entire body at once.
Nott's cackles of glee didn't help matters one bit. Finally, after a few seconds, or a few minutes, or hours, he pulled the knuckles back, causing Sirius to gasp in relief.
"Why are you here?" Nott asked.
"To Fuck your Filthy Mother, of course," Sirius answered, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, earning him a few more punches. His face was really starting to hurt here.
"ANSWER MY QUESTIONS, YOU FILTHY BLOOD TRAITOR!" Nott roared. Okay, seeing this reaction almost made it worth the pain.
Almost.
"Why are you here?" Nott repeated, barely controlling his anger.
"Why are any of us here?" Sirius asked, slurring his words. "I mean, I'm not exactly religious, but-" he was cut off when Nott screamed something incomprehensible again.
"Do you never learn!?" Nott asked.
"As it so happens," Sirius began. "I learned many things from your Wife. Did you know-" he was cut off by Nott screaming again.
"Never mind," Nott growled. "I'll just leave you to my… friend."
Nott left the room and Sirius furrowed his brows after him in confusion. He returned a few minutes later with an ugly looking creature trailing behind him.
The creature was about 6 feet tall, dressed in black armor of some sort. It had an axe on its back and a sword sheath hanging on its left leg. It had long pointy ears, much like that of a House Elf; its skin was black, and its eyes were fully white. It had hair so long, it reached its waist. It snarled when it saw Sirius, revealing a set of sharp, pointy fangs.
"What on Earth is that?" Sirius asked, mouth hanging open.
"What?" Nott asked, furrowing his brow. "You don't know?"
Sirius shook his head slowly. He had never heard of such a creature, and he certainly had never seen one. He would remember something as hideous as this
Nott snorted, and laughed an insane laugh. His cackles echoed across the rooms as he struggled to control his laughter and rein it in. "Oh, the Talons do have a wicked sense of Humor," he gasped through his laughter.
"What do you mean?" Sirius asked, not liking how funny Nott found all of this. If that man found it funny, there was no telling what it could be.
"It's an Orc," Nott said, smiling gleefully, as though the creature's very existence was a secret.
"What's that?" Sirius asked, frowning. He'd never heard of that creature before.
Nott opened his mouth, but they heard the sound of an alarm going off. "Looks like your friends are here," Nott commented, causing a sinking feeling to rise up in his stomach. His extra time was up, it would seem.
"I shall go greet them," Nott said. "Us Notts are known for our Hospitality, after all."
He walked out of the room, leaving Sirius alone with the orc and wondering what he could do. The Chains probably wouldn't let him go, so overpowering them was out of the question. Besides, even if he managed to get out of the chains, he would still have to fight that Orc.
The Orc…
An idea formed in his mind, and he whistled to get the Orc's attention. The Orc snarled and looked at him, and that was all the invitation Sirous needed to delve into the creature's mind.
It was probably the most reckless thing he'd ever done. Jumping into someone else's mind wasn't advised since you didn't know what Defences laid in there, but this was a special circumstance.
Slowly but surely, he took control of the Orc's mind, not suggesting little tidbits of behavior like the Imperius Curse did, but actually Possessing the mind of the creature.
Sirius knew it had worked when he saw the creature's eyes glaze over slightly. He commanded the creature to release him from his chains, and the creature hesitantly complied, drawing the axe from its back and swinging it at the chain on his right hand, which broke open with a clang.
Sirius felt the Magic he'd been denied for this long come alive within him, and he held his right hand toward the left chain, shattering it open as well.
Unfortunately, the distraction proved enough for the Orc to break free. He snarled and swung his axe at Sirius, who rolled forward and pulled out the Sword from the Orc's sheath.
The Orc wasn't deterred, though. He swung the axe at Sirius again, but Sirius parried the blow with the Sword, sending the axe into the wall with a crash.
Sirius ran out of the room, and thrust his arm toward the Wall, causing it to cable and go flying inward towards the Orc.
Sirius ran toward the stairs and he was almost there when he heard a roar and a crash. He turned around, and saw the Orc running to him at an inhuman speed.
It leapt at him when it was about 10 feet away, raising its axe at him in mid-air, and bringing it down when it was close enough to strike.
Sirius flattened himself on the wall as well as he could with the railing pressing into his back. This turned out to be a huge mistake, for as soon as the Orc landed on its feet, it slammed a shoulder into him.
Sirius' back hurt from the impact, and he dropped his sword, watching it fall to the ground with a clang. He could barely feel his legs now, and had to use his hands to support himself. But he knew he had to move when the Orc raised its axe again.
He tried to haul himself away from where the axe struck, but either he was too slow, or the Orc was too accurate. He didn't know which, but he could only watch in horrified fascination as the Axe fell onto his right hand- which was just about to leave the railing- severing it off clean at the wrist.
Sirius screamed when he felt the burning pain as blood sprayed out of the stump that was previously his hand. It was a pain beyond many others he'd suffered, but it was the only one that would permanently handicap him.
The Orc pushed Sirius toward the ground, and he hit his head on the stairs as he clutched the stump with his remaining hand. The Orc raised its axe again, but a Lance of Fire hitting it interrupted its progress.
The Orc went stumbling back, and it shrieked in pain. Fire must be its weakness, Sirius realized.
He looked up to see Marlene and Remus waving their Wands and casting various fire Spells at the Orc. Sirius couldn't do more than gape at the two of them as they came running down the stairs.
"What the Fuck is that thing!?" Remus yelled over the sounds of the creature's snarls and the sound of Spellfire.
"I don't know!" Marlene yelled back. "Help Sirius, I'll keep casting!"
Remus nodded and Marlene rushed forward, gasping when she caught sight of his arm. She didn't let it deter her, though. She kept casting, now with even more vigour.
"Fuck!" Remus swore when he saw the stump. Sirius saw him quickly pull out a Potion from his Potions Belt, and pour it onto the stump.
Sirius screamed again as the flesh over his stump slowly started closing. Remus pulled out another green colored liquid and shoved it down his throat. Sirius did feel better after he drank it, though.
He was aware of Remus saying something to him, but the shock of losing his hand, coupled with the downright horrid day he'd had made him feel exhausted, and the call of sleep was too strong for him to resist now.
A/N 2: Well, that's done. It was a different experience, writing this chapter. And I hope you enjoyed it.
PLEASE Leave a review on this one. I know it takes time, and that this is a purely selfish request, but still. It lets me know how you're all feeling about the story, and how I can make it better.
Sirius, Marlene, and Remus' story will continue in the next Chapter as well. Though it will be a bit shorter since I also have to fit Harry and Ginny in the Chapter.
I'll see you in the Next Chapter.
Byee!!