Squib Puppet
a Harry Potter fan-fic
by Ozma
a sequel to "A Squib's Proper Place"
Chapter Five: Puppet On A String
Traveling through a Door had never been painful for me before.
But, when Sirius Black and I hurtled downwards into red-and-gold, the
usual resistance that I met with, whenever a passenger traveled with me,
hit both of us like a slap from a giant hand.
Having the Animagus dog's large teeth clamped, tight as a vise,
onto my left forearm was painful as well. It was a pain I welcomed; it
meant that the Animagus was still with me. I still do not know how Black
managed to keep his hold on me, but I was grateful. A passenger lost
within the confines of a Door would suffer a terrible fate.
The resistance within the Door absorbed a great deal of the
momentum from our fall. Painful though this was, it saved our lives.
The Door released us about six feet above the grass near the
bottom of the West Tower. Black emerged from the tapestry pale and
unconscious. He'd reverted to his human form the instant we fell from
red-and-gold. My left arm, freed as he Transfigured, was a bloody mess.
The thin, dark haired wizard had blood on his mouth, hopefully
mine. A journey through one of my Doors tends to have dreadful effects
on adult passengers. Severus Snape had emerged vomiting blood. He had
stopped breathing too. Immediate help from Poppy had saved his life, but
Snape had been bedridden for many days afterwards.
Alastor Moody had theorized that this was due to the Dark Mark
that Severus still bore, as a former Death Eater. Moody had suffered
lesser effects after his own journey through a Door but he'd still
emerged terribly sick. He'd spent most of the next two days in bed.
Moody had guessed that an Animagus might have more resistance to
the Doors' protective magic. Black did seem less affected than Moody had
been. Though he was unconscious, he wasn't vomiting. Black was fortunate
to be out cold, he did not have to feel our painful landing.
*******
Unconsciousness was a blessing. It did not last long.
("Come to the Forest! NOW.")
The smooth voice cut into me like a whip, but I couldn't obey. I
hurt too much to move. Even opening my eyes would have been too much
effort.
Anxious young voices spoke all around me. They sounded frightened,
and out of breath.
"Sirius!!" That was Harry Potter, sounding hoarse and anguished.
"He's all right, Harry! See, he's breathing," Hermione Granger
assured him, clearly badly shaken herself.
Ron Weasley sounded as if he felt sick. "Filch is breathing too.
But, look. His arm's a mess! Do you suppose that Snuffles chewed it up?"
("COME TO THE FOREST! NOW!")
I moaned.
A gentle hand touched my face.
"Poor Mr. Filch..." Ginny Weasley said, her voice shaking.
I could hear Mrs. Norris too. She was very close to me, making a
low crooning noise, almost in my ear.
There was a gasp from Ginny.
She must have finally looked over at the Animagus.
"Er... Ginny?" Ron said. "There's something important that we
haven't told you about Snuffles."
"I-I'd already guessed that he wasn't just an ordinary dog! But I
thought he was some sort of bodyguard..." Ginny faltered.
Her hand, still resting against my forehead, trembled.
"Harry, you called him `Sirius.'" Is he really who I think he is?"
Ginny asked in a tiny voice.
"Yes, but it's all right, Ginny, he's innocent. He never hurt my
parents. He was my Dad's best friend!" Harry said. "He's my godfather."
"Mum knows," Ron told his sister, reassuringly.
"Please, Sirius... wake up...!" Harry sounded very young and
frightened.
I was relieved to hear an answering groan from the Animagus. Poor,
brave Gryffindor. I hadn't been trying to kill him, only myself.
Being alive was something of a problem for me at the moment. The
voice in my head was beginning to overpower my pain.
("THE FOREST!!! NOW!!!")
Crying out in misery, I opened my eyes.
Red-and-gold was back, hovering before me in mid air! I could
reach it, if I crawled...
Ron and Hermione were both staring at the floating tapestry, their
eyes wide. Harry was still leaning over his injured godfather.
"No, Mr. Filch!" Ginny cried, trying to stop me from sitting up.
"Lie still! You're hurt..."
Mrs. Norris helped Ginny, by jumping on top of me.
I was still too weak to push them off.
"So, that's a Door..." Hermione murmured. "We didn't really get a
proper look at it from the Owlery."
Ginny sighed, still holding me while I shivered. "The Doors are
supposed to be a secret. Shall I bother asking how you know about
them?".
"Er..." Ron said, uncomfortably.
"Um..." Hermione murmured.
"Don't worry. If anyone asks, we didn't hear about them from you
or Neville," Ron said, brightly.
"How do you know that Neville knows?" Ginny asked, holding onto me
tighter. I'd begun to struggle.
"Never mind that now," she said. "Please help me with him! He's
trying to get up!"
My left arm was torn and bloody from the Animagus's teeth, but it
was usable. I twisted away from Ginny and managed to fling Mrs. Norris
off me completely.
But now Ron and Hermione were holding onto me as well. Harry came
over to help too. I could not fight my way clear of all of them.
It must be after midnight now. The voice in the Forest was pulling
me, harder than ever. I felt like a puppet dragged helplessly by its
strings!
It was then that I realized that my right hand was clutching at
nothing and my pocket was empty! I could not obey...
A small part of me rejoiced. But my heart still turned to ice.
The hoarse wail that tore from me startled the children.
"No, Mr. Filch, it's all right. Please!" Ginny tried to soothe me
as I stopped struggling, put my head in my hands and sobbed.
"He can't help it, Ginny. I think he's been Cursed," Harry said,
quietly. "I think that someone's used the Imperius on him. That must be
what Callandra's been feeling. Only, she's probably never felt an
Unforgivable Curse before. She wasn't sure what it was."
"He's been trying to fight it. That must be why he jumped out of
the Owlery window. He's trying not to do whatever it was that he's been
told to do."
Harry shuddered. He looked older than his years, as he often did.
"Filch isn't nearly as bad off as Mr. Crouch was. But the way he's been
acting this past week... he reminded me of Crouch. I wish I'd figured
this out sooner!"
"What were you ordered to do, Mr. Filch?" Ginny asked me, her
voice full of sympathy.
Still sobbing, I just shook my head.
"He probably can't say anything," Ron told her.
Almost at the same moment, Hermione murmured, "Mrs. Norris? What
do you have there?"
Then Hermione gasped.
"I can guess what he was asked to do," the girl said, quietly.
Harry, Ron, Ginny and I all looked at her.
Hermione was stroking Mrs. Norris with one hand. In the other
hand, she clutched the glass potion vial, miraculously unbroken.
Moonlight shone on the long, silvery hairs within. Only one person
at Hogwarts has hair like that.
Albus Dumbledore.
"You give that to me!" I growled, suddenly in a rage that did not
feel like my own, even while my tears continued to fall. "NOW!"
I was helpless. Nothing but a puppet. I had to bring the vial and
its contents to the Forest. No one must be allowed to stop me.
Black was still out cold. Only four children stood between me and
the Door.
Weeping bitterly, I grabbed Ginny, who was closest. I held her in
front of me like a shield.
Any spells cast at me, would strike her first.
Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at me, horrified and furious.
Ginny was calm, and unresisting.
"It's not your fault, Mr. Filch," she said, sadly. "I know you
don't want to do this."
"Give me the vial. Give it to me, and I'll let her go..." I
snarled.
All three of the older children had their wands out. I could feel
their magic building. They might only be half-grown, but they were
mighty, especially together.
"NO!" I cried at them. "Don't make me hurt Ginny... please!"
The three broke off their spell and stepped back from each other.
Their faces were carefully blank. But then, I felt the warning
surge of another spell from behind me. There was only one wizard that
spell could be coming from. Black.
Clearly, his unconsciousness had been a ruse, at least for the
past few moments. The wily Animagus had gotten behind me.
Sirius Black was still clearly shaken by his trip through the
Door, but so was I. Spinning to face him, I barely dodged his powerful
Stunning spell.
I did not manage to dodge the powerful blow from his fist.
*******
Dazed, I lay on the ground. Even the ringing in my head could not
drown out that terrible smooth voice that was driving me back onto my
feet. My right eye seemed to have funny lights in it and my left one
wasn't focusing particularly well.
Nevertheless, I dragged myself up and lunged at Hermione, who
still held the vial.
I could feel magic building as both Ron and Harry prepared a
defensive spell. The spell would undoubtably have knocked me down again,
but Mrs. Norris was suddenly under my feet.
I fell over her, sprawling on the grass, but I was up again in
seconds.
Then Sirius Black grabbed me.
"Stay *down* this time, and let us help you!" The Animagus
growled, and pulled back his fist once more.
"No!!" Ginny cried, catching Black's arm. "He's going to keep on
trying to get that vial no matter what we do, unless we really hurt him.
There's got to be a better way..."
"I think there is," Ron said. "Hang on to him for just a moment
longer, Sirius. I've got an idea."
Black was far younger than me, and stronger too. I struggled
desperately with the Animagus, while the children put their heads
together.
Even preoccupied as I was, I caught snatches of what the children
were saying. But their words didn't make much sense to me.
"...Remember Millicent's cat...?"
"Ron, you're brilliant!"
"...Just need to transfigure..."
"Hermione's the best one to do that."
"I'd better get the..."
"No, Ginny, best let me do it. I'll need you to save me, after!"
Black had me pinned to the ground, so I couldn't see what was
happening. But I heard Mrs. Norris let out a highly indignant yowl and
then Ron yelled in pain.
"Got some! OW! Grab Mrs. Norris, Ginny! Quick, explain things to
her before she claws me to bloody ribbons! Harry, here, give these to
Hermione..."
A whisper of magic danced right on the edge of my senses.
"...looks perfect!"
"But he'll be able to tell... remember Callandra's tests?"
"Give me that vial. Inside the glass he won't..."
"It's all right, Sirius... you can let go of him now." Harry said.
"Are you sure?" The Animagus asked, dubiously.
"Yes," Ron assured him, dabbing gingerly at a long scratch across
his face. "We are."
Harry, Ron and Hermione leaned close to Sirius, whispering, as
Ginny knelt in front of me, holding the vial. The moonlight shone on the
long, silvery hairs within it.
"Here," she said, putting it in my hand. "You have what you
wanted. Please do be careful, Mr. Filch."
That quickly, the urge to fight left me. Aching all over, I stood
up and moved like a sleepwalker towards red-and-gold.
All that mattered to me now was obeying the voice.
"Someone very Dark must have put the Curse on him! What if they
have no further use for him after they get what they want?" Ginny cried,
worried.
Sirius Black sounded as grim as the giant dog he resembled in his
other form.
"He'll have proven himself to be a useful tool, Ginny. They'll be
wanting other things from him, I'm sure. Don't worry. He's not going to
be facing any Dark wizards all alone tonight."
I did not stay to hear any more. I stumbled through red-and-gold,
and was gone.
END OF CHAPTER FIVE
Author's Notes:
Blue Moon: Thank you!!
Quoth the Raven: Thank you!! Yes, I agree that Imperius is the worst of
the three Unforgivables. Pain and Death are straightforward compared to
Imperius, which, as you said, violates the mind and the soul.
Ron's talent for strategy came in handy again, in this chapter.
Ryven: Thank you!! Sirius didn't get sick at all, only knocked out and
forcibly reverted to his human form after he left the Door. Moody was
right about the Doors affecting an Animagus differently.
RownRhys: Thank you!! There's more to most people than can be seen on
the surface and it's fun exploring the old grouch's hidden strengths. I
figured that any Squib in a Wizard's world has to be tough, even if he
thinks he isn't.
Knock on wood, real life hasn't been too bad, lately... ^_^
Elspeth: Thank you!!! I think Caius is cute!!!
Yes, Filch is only supposed to deliver Dumbledore's hair. Lucius intends
to make the potion himself. He doesn't intend to let Severus steal his
glory.
Yes, all Four Doors were made by Helga Hufflepuff. She made her own, and
the others were gifts for her fellow Founders. I confess to being a
major fan of Hufflepuff too. The ones who work hard are the ones who get
really get things done.
I would guess that Rowena has a Secret Library tucked away somewhere.
I'm not sure what sort of retreat might have appealed to Godric... maybe
a small room with a fireplace where he could go to rest and think. But,
for some reason, I think of him as wanting to be somewhere outdoors when
he wanted to be alone.
Yes, seeing Sirius fall was extremely traumatic for poor Harry. I agree
that the poor kid must worry desperately about losing his godfather, the
way he lost his parents.
Excellent call! Yes, going through red-and-gold made Sirius emerge,
unconscious, in his human form. Though he did remain in his animal form
while inside the Door, and it did protect him, to a degree. There was
resistance to his passage, but no nauseous reaction at all. And his
recovery time was measured in minutes, like a child's would be.
I enjoyed writing Ron's solution to the problem of Peeves and the
kittens. From Peeves' point of view, it's a win-win situation. He gets
to be the kittens' godfather and he gets to annoy Filch too!
Saphron: Thank you!! Moody will be so pleased to learn that he was
right. Of course, he's not going to rest until he sees a demonstration.
Filch wasn't really thinking of a destination when he summoned the Door;
he just wanted a non-fatal landing. The image in his mind was of the
spot where Mrs. Norris had found the kitten's body, because he'd been
thinking about it. So that's where he and Sirius landed.
Jelsemium: Thank you!! Yes, chess master Ron does excel at seeing
problems from different angles.
I did toy with the idea of having Sirius and Filch land in the lake.
But, then I remembered that Sirius would emerge unconscious, and revert
to his human form immediately after coming out of the Door, so it didn't
seem like a good idea. Filch does know how to swim, but he's not a
strong swimmer.
Demeter: Thank you!! Filch couldn't go to the professors because Lucius
specifically said he couldn't speak to anyone about what had happened.
Filch did feel all dreamy and fuzzy when Lucius first cast the Imperius
Curse. Then Filch started fighting, hard.
Lucius knows, first hand, how strong-willed Filch is. So he responded by
combining the Cruciatus and the Imperius. (I don't know if this is
actually possible in Rowling's world, but if it is, Lucius seems like
just the type who could pull it off.)
Rabbit: Thank you!! See note to Demeter, above, for why the Curse isn't
making Filch feel pleasantly fuzzy. You were close, his reaction is due
to a combination of different Curses. Filch probably would feel
pleasantly fuzzy, if he would just stop fighting.
Peeves knows enough not to mess with Minerva or Mrs. Norris. But he
wasn't afraid of the kittens and might have tormented them if he could
coax them away from their mother.
One of the most clever things about Ron's plan is that Peeves thinks
doting on the kittens is really his own idea.
Lucius's "Forgive me" wasn't meant for Filch. Filch was retrieving
another memory from the abyss of the Memory Charm. He was remembering
Lucius's regret when he cast an Obliviate spell on poor, trusting Draco.
Filch's own pain and regret for what he was about to do triggered the
memory.
Luckily for Filch and Sirius, Lucius is waiting for Filch in the
Forbidden Forest. The Forest is off Hogwart's grounds and outside the no
Apparating/Disapparating protective spells. So the Doors don't go that
far.
Also fortunately, Lucius can't see directly into Filch's mind. But he
can pick up on Filch's emotions, and the fact that Filch is fighting his
Curse as hard as he can.
Thank you for reassuring me about Callandra. She does have some faults,
but she's basically a nice kid and her faults aren't too terrible. Like
Neville, she's shy and not very self-confident. Being with Neville makes
Callandra feel strong and capable, the way that being with her makes
Neville feel, so they were able to stand up to Draco and Pansy together.
Filch is actually quite scared for Callandra. She's venturing into
uncharted territory... being a Squib who Doesn't Know Her "Proper Place"
as many in the Wizarding World will feel.
Gramarye: Thank you!! Yes, Filch would definitely agree that Sirius is
brave, noble and misguided. However, Filch would completely fail to see
how those terms would ever apply to him. ^_^
Pendragon: Thank you!! Well, two days or sooner... depending on how much
writing time I get. An evening which I'd planned to spend happily
writing can always be derailed without warning when one of my kids needs
help with their homework.
Alchemine: Thank you!! Ron's a treasure. He's shrewd, creative and
funny. He may be a "sidekick" but he's definitely not Dim. (Except for
when it comes to noticing that his soulmate is right next to him,
probably with her nose stuck in a book.)
Lyansidde: Thank you!! Moody is going to be so delighted when he finds
out about how Sirius went through a Door. He'll want to see it for
himself. Filch will not cooperate.
ThePet: Thank you!!!
a Harry Potter fan-fic
by Ozma
a sequel to "A Squib's Proper Place"
Chapter Five: Puppet On A String
Traveling through a Door had never been painful for me before.
But, when Sirius Black and I hurtled downwards into red-and-gold, the
usual resistance that I met with, whenever a passenger traveled with me,
hit both of us like a slap from a giant hand.
Having the Animagus dog's large teeth clamped, tight as a vise,
onto my left forearm was painful as well. It was a pain I welcomed; it
meant that the Animagus was still with me. I still do not know how Black
managed to keep his hold on me, but I was grateful. A passenger lost
within the confines of a Door would suffer a terrible fate.
The resistance within the Door absorbed a great deal of the
momentum from our fall. Painful though this was, it saved our lives.
The Door released us about six feet above the grass near the
bottom of the West Tower. Black emerged from the tapestry pale and
unconscious. He'd reverted to his human form the instant we fell from
red-and-gold. My left arm, freed as he Transfigured, was a bloody mess.
The thin, dark haired wizard had blood on his mouth, hopefully
mine. A journey through one of my Doors tends to have dreadful effects
on adult passengers. Severus Snape had emerged vomiting blood. He had
stopped breathing too. Immediate help from Poppy had saved his life, but
Snape had been bedridden for many days afterwards.
Alastor Moody had theorized that this was due to the Dark Mark
that Severus still bore, as a former Death Eater. Moody had suffered
lesser effects after his own journey through a Door but he'd still
emerged terribly sick. He'd spent most of the next two days in bed.
Moody had guessed that an Animagus might have more resistance to
the Doors' protective magic. Black did seem less affected than Moody had
been. Though he was unconscious, he wasn't vomiting. Black was fortunate
to be out cold, he did not have to feel our painful landing.
*******
Unconsciousness was a blessing. It did not last long.
("Come to the Forest! NOW.")
The smooth voice cut into me like a whip, but I couldn't obey. I
hurt too much to move. Even opening my eyes would have been too much
effort.
Anxious young voices spoke all around me. They sounded frightened,
and out of breath.
"Sirius!!" That was Harry Potter, sounding hoarse and anguished.
"He's all right, Harry! See, he's breathing," Hermione Granger
assured him, clearly badly shaken herself.
Ron Weasley sounded as if he felt sick. "Filch is breathing too.
But, look. His arm's a mess! Do you suppose that Snuffles chewed it up?"
("COME TO THE FOREST! NOW!")
I moaned.
A gentle hand touched my face.
"Poor Mr. Filch..." Ginny Weasley said, her voice shaking.
I could hear Mrs. Norris too. She was very close to me, making a
low crooning noise, almost in my ear.
There was a gasp from Ginny.
She must have finally looked over at the Animagus.
"Er... Ginny?" Ron said. "There's something important that we
haven't told you about Snuffles."
"I-I'd already guessed that he wasn't just an ordinary dog! But I
thought he was some sort of bodyguard..." Ginny faltered.
Her hand, still resting against my forehead, trembled.
"Harry, you called him `Sirius.'" Is he really who I think he is?"
Ginny asked in a tiny voice.
"Yes, but it's all right, Ginny, he's innocent. He never hurt my
parents. He was my Dad's best friend!" Harry said. "He's my godfather."
"Mum knows," Ron told his sister, reassuringly.
"Please, Sirius... wake up...!" Harry sounded very young and
frightened.
I was relieved to hear an answering groan from the Animagus. Poor,
brave Gryffindor. I hadn't been trying to kill him, only myself.
Being alive was something of a problem for me at the moment. The
voice in my head was beginning to overpower my pain.
("THE FOREST!!! NOW!!!")
Crying out in misery, I opened my eyes.
Red-and-gold was back, hovering before me in mid air! I could
reach it, if I crawled...
Ron and Hermione were both staring at the floating tapestry, their
eyes wide. Harry was still leaning over his injured godfather.
"No, Mr. Filch!" Ginny cried, trying to stop me from sitting up.
"Lie still! You're hurt..."
Mrs. Norris helped Ginny, by jumping on top of me.
I was still too weak to push them off.
"So, that's a Door..." Hermione murmured. "We didn't really get a
proper look at it from the Owlery."
Ginny sighed, still holding me while I shivered. "The Doors are
supposed to be a secret. Shall I bother asking how you know about
them?".
"Er..." Ron said, uncomfortably.
"Um..." Hermione murmured.
"Don't worry. If anyone asks, we didn't hear about them from you
or Neville," Ron said, brightly.
"How do you know that Neville knows?" Ginny asked, holding onto me
tighter. I'd begun to struggle.
"Never mind that now," she said. "Please help me with him! He's
trying to get up!"
My left arm was torn and bloody from the Animagus's teeth, but it
was usable. I twisted away from Ginny and managed to fling Mrs. Norris
off me completely.
But now Ron and Hermione were holding onto me as well. Harry came
over to help too. I could not fight my way clear of all of them.
It must be after midnight now. The voice in the Forest was pulling
me, harder than ever. I felt like a puppet dragged helplessly by its
strings!
It was then that I realized that my right hand was clutching at
nothing and my pocket was empty! I could not obey...
A small part of me rejoiced. But my heart still turned to ice.
The hoarse wail that tore from me startled the children.
"No, Mr. Filch, it's all right. Please!" Ginny tried to soothe me
as I stopped struggling, put my head in my hands and sobbed.
"He can't help it, Ginny. I think he's been Cursed," Harry said,
quietly. "I think that someone's used the Imperius on him. That must be
what Callandra's been feeling. Only, she's probably never felt an
Unforgivable Curse before. She wasn't sure what it was."
"He's been trying to fight it. That must be why he jumped out of
the Owlery window. He's trying not to do whatever it was that he's been
told to do."
Harry shuddered. He looked older than his years, as he often did.
"Filch isn't nearly as bad off as Mr. Crouch was. But the way he's been
acting this past week... he reminded me of Crouch. I wish I'd figured
this out sooner!"
"What were you ordered to do, Mr. Filch?" Ginny asked me, her
voice full of sympathy.
Still sobbing, I just shook my head.
"He probably can't say anything," Ron told her.
Almost at the same moment, Hermione murmured, "Mrs. Norris? What
do you have there?"
Then Hermione gasped.
"I can guess what he was asked to do," the girl said, quietly.
Harry, Ron, Ginny and I all looked at her.
Hermione was stroking Mrs. Norris with one hand. In the other
hand, she clutched the glass potion vial, miraculously unbroken.
Moonlight shone on the long, silvery hairs within. Only one person
at Hogwarts has hair like that.
Albus Dumbledore.
"You give that to me!" I growled, suddenly in a rage that did not
feel like my own, even while my tears continued to fall. "NOW!"
I was helpless. Nothing but a puppet. I had to bring the vial and
its contents to the Forest. No one must be allowed to stop me.
Black was still out cold. Only four children stood between me and
the Door.
Weeping bitterly, I grabbed Ginny, who was closest. I held her in
front of me like a shield.
Any spells cast at me, would strike her first.
Harry, Ron and Hermione stared at me, horrified and furious.
Ginny was calm, and unresisting.
"It's not your fault, Mr. Filch," she said, sadly. "I know you
don't want to do this."
"Give me the vial. Give it to me, and I'll let her go..." I
snarled.
All three of the older children had their wands out. I could feel
their magic building. They might only be half-grown, but they were
mighty, especially together.
"NO!" I cried at them. "Don't make me hurt Ginny... please!"
The three broke off their spell and stepped back from each other.
Their faces were carefully blank. But then, I felt the warning
surge of another spell from behind me. There was only one wizard that
spell could be coming from. Black.
Clearly, his unconsciousness had been a ruse, at least for the
past few moments. The wily Animagus had gotten behind me.
Sirius Black was still clearly shaken by his trip through the
Door, but so was I. Spinning to face him, I barely dodged his powerful
Stunning spell.
I did not manage to dodge the powerful blow from his fist.
*******
Dazed, I lay on the ground. Even the ringing in my head could not
drown out that terrible smooth voice that was driving me back onto my
feet. My right eye seemed to have funny lights in it and my left one
wasn't focusing particularly well.
Nevertheless, I dragged myself up and lunged at Hermione, who
still held the vial.
I could feel magic building as both Ron and Harry prepared a
defensive spell. The spell would undoubtably have knocked me down again,
but Mrs. Norris was suddenly under my feet.
I fell over her, sprawling on the grass, but I was up again in
seconds.
Then Sirius Black grabbed me.
"Stay *down* this time, and let us help you!" The Animagus
growled, and pulled back his fist once more.
"No!!" Ginny cried, catching Black's arm. "He's going to keep on
trying to get that vial no matter what we do, unless we really hurt him.
There's got to be a better way..."
"I think there is," Ron said. "Hang on to him for just a moment
longer, Sirius. I've got an idea."
Black was far younger than me, and stronger too. I struggled
desperately with the Animagus, while the children put their heads
together.
Even preoccupied as I was, I caught snatches of what the children
were saying. But their words didn't make much sense to me.
"...Remember Millicent's cat...?"
"Ron, you're brilliant!"
"...Just need to transfigure..."
"Hermione's the best one to do that."
"I'd better get the..."
"No, Ginny, best let me do it. I'll need you to save me, after!"
Black had me pinned to the ground, so I couldn't see what was
happening. But I heard Mrs. Norris let out a highly indignant yowl and
then Ron yelled in pain.
"Got some! OW! Grab Mrs. Norris, Ginny! Quick, explain things to
her before she claws me to bloody ribbons! Harry, here, give these to
Hermione..."
A whisper of magic danced right on the edge of my senses.
"...looks perfect!"
"But he'll be able to tell... remember Callandra's tests?"
"Give me that vial. Inside the glass he won't..."
"It's all right, Sirius... you can let go of him now." Harry said.
"Are you sure?" The Animagus asked, dubiously.
"Yes," Ron assured him, dabbing gingerly at a long scratch across
his face. "We are."
Harry, Ron and Hermione leaned close to Sirius, whispering, as
Ginny knelt in front of me, holding the vial. The moonlight shone on the
long, silvery hairs within it.
"Here," she said, putting it in my hand. "You have what you
wanted. Please do be careful, Mr. Filch."
That quickly, the urge to fight left me. Aching all over, I stood
up and moved like a sleepwalker towards red-and-gold.
All that mattered to me now was obeying the voice.
"Someone very Dark must have put the Curse on him! What if they
have no further use for him after they get what they want?" Ginny cried,
worried.
Sirius Black sounded as grim as the giant dog he resembled in his
other form.
"He'll have proven himself to be a useful tool, Ginny. They'll be
wanting other things from him, I'm sure. Don't worry. He's not going to
be facing any Dark wizards all alone tonight."
I did not stay to hear any more. I stumbled through red-and-gold,
and was gone.
END OF CHAPTER FIVE
Author's Notes:
Blue Moon: Thank you!!
Quoth the Raven: Thank you!! Yes, I agree that Imperius is the worst of
the three Unforgivables. Pain and Death are straightforward compared to
Imperius, which, as you said, violates the mind and the soul.
Ron's talent for strategy came in handy again, in this chapter.
Ryven: Thank you!! Sirius didn't get sick at all, only knocked out and
forcibly reverted to his human form after he left the Door. Moody was
right about the Doors affecting an Animagus differently.
RownRhys: Thank you!! There's more to most people than can be seen on
the surface and it's fun exploring the old grouch's hidden strengths. I
figured that any Squib in a Wizard's world has to be tough, even if he
thinks he isn't.
Knock on wood, real life hasn't been too bad, lately... ^_^
Elspeth: Thank you!!! I think Caius is cute!!!
Yes, Filch is only supposed to deliver Dumbledore's hair. Lucius intends
to make the potion himself. He doesn't intend to let Severus steal his
glory.
Yes, all Four Doors were made by Helga Hufflepuff. She made her own, and
the others were gifts for her fellow Founders. I confess to being a
major fan of Hufflepuff too. The ones who work hard are the ones who get
really get things done.
I would guess that Rowena has a Secret Library tucked away somewhere.
I'm not sure what sort of retreat might have appealed to Godric... maybe
a small room with a fireplace where he could go to rest and think. But,
for some reason, I think of him as wanting to be somewhere outdoors when
he wanted to be alone.
Yes, seeing Sirius fall was extremely traumatic for poor Harry. I agree
that the poor kid must worry desperately about losing his godfather, the
way he lost his parents.
Excellent call! Yes, going through red-and-gold made Sirius emerge,
unconscious, in his human form. Though he did remain in his animal form
while inside the Door, and it did protect him, to a degree. There was
resistance to his passage, but no nauseous reaction at all. And his
recovery time was measured in minutes, like a child's would be.
I enjoyed writing Ron's solution to the problem of Peeves and the
kittens. From Peeves' point of view, it's a win-win situation. He gets
to be the kittens' godfather and he gets to annoy Filch too!
Saphron: Thank you!! Moody will be so pleased to learn that he was
right. Of course, he's not going to rest until he sees a demonstration.
Filch wasn't really thinking of a destination when he summoned the Door;
he just wanted a non-fatal landing. The image in his mind was of the
spot where Mrs. Norris had found the kitten's body, because he'd been
thinking about it. So that's where he and Sirius landed.
Jelsemium: Thank you!! Yes, chess master Ron does excel at seeing
problems from different angles.
I did toy with the idea of having Sirius and Filch land in the lake.
But, then I remembered that Sirius would emerge unconscious, and revert
to his human form immediately after coming out of the Door, so it didn't
seem like a good idea. Filch does know how to swim, but he's not a
strong swimmer.
Demeter: Thank you!! Filch couldn't go to the professors because Lucius
specifically said he couldn't speak to anyone about what had happened.
Filch did feel all dreamy and fuzzy when Lucius first cast the Imperius
Curse. Then Filch started fighting, hard.
Lucius knows, first hand, how strong-willed Filch is. So he responded by
combining the Cruciatus and the Imperius. (I don't know if this is
actually possible in Rowling's world, but if it is, Lucius seems like
just the type who could pull it off.)
Rabbit: Thank you!! See note to Demeter, above, for why the Curse isn't
making Filch feel pleasantly fuzzy. You were close, his reaction is due
to a combination of different Curses. Filch probably would feel
pleasantly fuzzy, if he would just stop fighting.
Peeves knows enough not to mess with Minerva or Mrs. Norris. But he
wasn't afraid of the kittens and might have tormented them if he could
coax them away from their mother.
One of the most clever things about Ron's plan is that Peeves thinks
doting on the kittens is really his own idea.
Lucius's "Forgive me" wasn't meant for Filch. Filch was retrieving
another memory from the abyss of the Memory Charm. He was remembering
Lucius's regret when he cast an Obliviate spell on poor, trusting Draco.
Filch's own pain and regret for what he was about to do triggered the
memory.
Luckily for Filch and Sirius, Lucius is waiting for Filch in the
Forbidden Forest. The Forest is off Hogwart's grounds and outside the no
Apparating/Disapparating protective spells. So the Doors don't go that
far.
Also fortunately, Lucius can't see directly into Filch's mind. But he
can pick up on Filch's emotions, and the fact that Filch is fighting his
Curse as hard as he can.
Thank you for reassuring me about Callandra. She does have some faults,
but she's basically a nice kid and her faults aren't too terrible. Like
Neville, she's shy and not very self-confident. Being with Neville makes
Callandra feel strong and capable, the way that being with her makes
Neville feel, so they were able to stand up to Draco and Pansy together.
Filch is actually quite scared for Callandra. She's venturing into
uncharted territory... being a Squib who Doesn't Know Her "Proper Place"
as many in the Wizarding World will feel.
Gramarye: Thank you!! Yes, Filch would definitely agree that Sirius is
brave, noble and misguided. However, Filch would completely fail to see
how those terms would ever apply to him. ^_^
Pendragon: Thank you!! Well, two days or sooner... depending on how much
writing time I get. An evening which I'd planned to spend happily
writing can always be derailed without warning when one of my kids needs
help with their homework.
Alchemine: Thank you!! Ron's a treasure. He's shrewd, creative and
funny. He may be a "sidekick" but he's definitely not Dim. (Except for
when it comes to noticing that his soulmate is right next to him,
probably with her nose stuck in a book.)
Lyansidde: Thank you!! Moody is going to be so delighted when he finds
out about how Sirius went through a Door. He'll want to see it for
himself. Filch will not cooperate.
ThePet: Thank you!!!
