All 5 arrived in front of a large house that had been decked out for the
holidays. Thousands of lights twinkled from the outside of the house. It
was visible from the windows of the house that the elite of the wizarding
community had all been invited to Minister Fudge's house for Christmas
dinner.
"How are we going to enter?" Lara asked. "I mean, you know how people would react if we all apparated in there with Sirius."
"I know. Should I go in first, find Fudge, then call all of you in?" Reena asked.
"That's not going to work. You know what an idiot Fudge is. It just struck me that we would be better off if we went to Dumbledore first," Sirius said.
"We can go to Hogsmeade then walk up to Hogwarts," Remus suggested.
"If you'd apperate in the tunnel from Honeydukes, we can get into the school without anyone else knowing," Harry said.
"It would work," Reena agreed.
Once again, Remus held Lara's hand and the 2 disapperated. As Reena and Harry were about to follow, Sirius took Reena's free hand and all 3 of them disappeared from the shadows of the house.
The tunnel was dark and very cool. Lara, Remus, and Reena lit their wands at the same time. Harry led the was back to the school.
"Where are we?" Lara asked, looking around the tunnel.
"An underground tunnel that leads to Hogwarts," answered Remus.
"How long will it take back to get to the school?"
"About 20 more minutes."
When they reached the entrance to the school, Remus moved the one- eyed witch from inside the tunnel. One by one, each member of the party climbed out. Sirius transformed into the large black dog in case he ran into a wondering staff member of student who had decided to stay at school for the holidays. The 4 people plus one dog cautiously made their way to the gargoyle.
"Do you know the password?" Remus asked Harry and Reena.
"No, but if we stand out here long enough, I'm sure we'll come up with the password," Harry suggested.
"I don't think we should stand out here for too long," Reena said, but Harry was already rambling words off.
"Cockroach Cluster?"
The gargoyle didn't move.
"Lemon drop? Chocolate? Jelly beans? Sugar Quills?"
The gargoyle sat very still.
"Blood flavor lollipops? Cauldron Cakes? Canary Creams?"
The gargoyle moved aside to reveal and entrance way. Sirius in his Snuffles form led the way into the entrance. The corridor led to Dumbledore's office. Professor Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, looking at a book.
"Hello Sirius," Professor Dumbledore said as he saw the large black dog coming into his office.
Sirius was followed by Reena, Lara, Remus, and Harry. Reena placed the shoe box in front of Dumbledore.
"Merry Christmas, Professor," Reena said with a devilish smile on her face.
"Need I ask what is in here?" Dumbledore asked, hearing the desperate squeaks from the box.
"Do you know what to do with him?" Sirius asked seriously.
"I think it would be wise to turn him into the Ministry as soon as possible," Dumbledore instructed.
"Technically, the Ministry is on vacation until January 4th," Reena reminded him.
"There is always a cluster of Aurors at the Ministry, regardless of holidays," Dumbledore said calmly.
"Thank you Professor," Sirius thanked Dumbledore.
Dumbledore led them to the front entrance of the school. Outside of the great doors was a horse-less carriage waiting for the group.
"The carriage will take you to the edge of the grounds. You can disapperate from there," Dumbledore advised.
Lara, Reena, Harry, Remus, and Sirius with the shoe box filed into the carriage. The carriage ride seemed to last for a long time, but it soon ended when the carriage stopped automatically, as thought it had hit an invisible fence. The group exited the carriage and walked a few feet further. Remus and Lara were able to disapperate. Sirius and Reena (with Harry) followed suit.
They arrived in a deserted office. All the lights had been shut off except for one, which was casting a pool of light in the corridor through the frosted glass in the door.
Reena knocked sharply on the door.
"Come in," a deep, gravel-ly, voice answered.
Reena slowly opened the door and walked in, followed by Sirius and Remus. Lara and Harry hung around the door frame. There were 3 Aurors in the office. All 3 stood up with their wands pointed at Sirius.
"Stop," Reena ordered in her authoritative voice.
The Aurors kept their wands pointed at Sirius, but didn't act.
"Listen to me, we have brought you the real murderer," Reena explained.
"Who is it?" the deep voiced Auror asked.
Reena didn't answer. She placed the shoe box on the floor and removed the lid. She and Remus pointed their wands at the box. Blue light enveloped the box. The Auror watched with professional expressions as the rat transformed into a short bald man. Only when they realized who the man was did they show any expression.
"What the hell?" the second Auror asked in disbelief.
"Please help me," Peter pleaded, "they want to kill me!"
"How did you . . ." the third Auror asked, not sure what he should say or ask.
Reena pointed her wand at Peter and cords shot out around his wrists and ankles.
"Do you have any Verteserum?" Reena asked in an urgent tone.
"Yes, but we need to have an explanation first on why you need it now," the deep voiced Auror told her.
"It's the easiest way to explain why Pettigrew is still alive," Remus said, trying to keep Sirius and Reena from losing their temper.
The third Auror unlocked a cabinet and took out a bottle filled with a clear liquid. The 2 other Aurors walked around Peter. Both of them lunged toward Peter and forced his jaws open. The third Auror opened the small bottle and poured it down Peter's throat. The 2 other Aurors clamped Peter's jaws shut. This forced Peter to swallow the truth serum. Almost immediately, Peter's face went slack.
"How are you still alive?" the deep voiced Auror asked.
"I transformed into a rat and escaped," Peter said without expression.
"Did Black betray the Potters?"
"No. I did."
"Do you support Voldemort?"
"Yes"
There was a pause. The deep voiced Auror didn't know what else to ask. He turned towards Sirius, Reena and Remus.
"Where did you find him?"
"We summoned him," Lara answered very quietly.
"How?"
"With a potion/incantation," Lara answered quietly again.
"We have to find Fudge and the other Ministers. This case is beyond our power," the deep voiced Auror said.
Reena and the 2 other Aurors apparated to the owlery on the roof of the building. The 2nd Auror pulled out slips of parchment from his cloak pocket. He threw the slips into the air and cracked out his wand. The slips of paper attched themselves to the legs of owls. The owls spread their wings and flew into the night sky.
"We'll have to wait," the 3rd Auror said redundantly.
The 3 apparated back to the Auror's office.
"How are we going to enter?" Lara asked. "I mean, you know how people would react if we all apparated in there with Sirius."
"I know. Should I go in first, find Fudge, then call all of you in?" Reena asked.
"That's not going to work. You know what an idiot Fudge is. It just struck me that we would be better off if we went to Dumbledore first," Sirius said.
"We can go to Hogsmeade then walk up to Hogwarts," Remus suggested.
"If you'd apperate in the tunnel from Honeydukes, we can get into the school without anyone else knowing," Harry said.
"It would work," Reena agreed.
Once again, Remus held Lara's hand and the 2 disapperated. As Reena and Harry were about to follow, Sirius took Reena's free hand and all 3 of them disappeared from the shadows of the house.
The tunnel was dark and very cool. Lara, Remus, and Reena lit their wands at the same time. Harry led the was back to the school.
"Where are we?" Lara asked, looking around the tunnel.
"An underground tunnel that leads to Hogwarts," answered Remus.
"How long will it take back to get to the school?"
"About 20 more minutes."
When they reached the entrance to the school, Remus moved the one- eyed witch from inside the tunnel. One by one, each member of the party climbed out. Sirius transformed into the large black dog in case he ran into a wondering staff member of student who had decided to stay at school for the holidays. The 4 people plus one dog cautiously made their way to the gargoyle.
"Do you know the password?" Remus asked Harry and Reena.
"No, but if we stand out here long enough, I'm sure we'll come up with the password," Harry suggested.
"I don't think we should stand out here for too long," Reena said, but Harry was already rambling words off.
"Cockroach Cluster?"
The gargoyle didn't move.
"Lemon drop? Chocolate? Jelly beans? Sugar Quills?"
The gargoyle sat very still.
"Blood flavor lollipops? Cauldron Cakes? Canary Creams?"
The gargoyle moved aside to reveal and entrance way. Sirius in his Snuffles form led the way into the entrance. The corridor led to Dumbledore's office. Professor Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, looking at a book.
"Hello Sirius," Professor Dumbledore said as he saw the large black dog coming into his office.
Sirius was followed by Reena, Lara, Remus, and Harry. Reena placed the shoe box in front of Dumbledore.
"Merry Christmas, Professor," Reena said with a devilish smile on her face.
"Need I ask what is in here?" Dumbledore asked, hearing the desperate squeaks from the box.
"Do you know what to do with him?" Sirius asked seriously.
"I think it would be wise to turn him into the Ministry as soon as possible," Dumbledore instructed.
"Technically, the Ministry is on vacation until January 4th," Reena reminded him.
"There is always a cluster of Aurors at the Ministry, regardless of holidays," Dumbledore said calmly.
"Thank you Professor," Sirius thanked Dumbledore.
Dumbledore led them to the front entrance of the school. Outside of the great doors was a horse-less carriage waiting for the group.
"The carriage will take you to the edge of the grounds. You can disapperate from there," Dumbledore advised.
Lara, Reena, Harry, Remus, and Sirius with the shoe box filed into the carriage. The carriage ride seemed to last for a long time, but it soon ended when the carriage stopped automatically, as thought it had hit an invisible fence. The group exited the carriage and walked a few feet further. Remus and Lara were able to disapperate. Sirius and Reena (with Harry) followed suit.
They arrived in a deserted office. All the lights had been shut off except for one, which was casting a pool of light in the corridor through the frosted glass in the door.
Reena knocked sharply on the door.
"Come in," a deep, gravel-ly, voice answered.
Reena slowly opened the door and walked in, followed by Sirius and Remus. Lara and Harry hung around the door frame. There were 3 Aurors in the office. All 3 stood up with their wands pointed at Sirius.
"Stop," Reena ordered in her authoritative voice.
The Aurors kept their wands pointed at Sirius, but didn't act.
"Listen to me, we have brought you the real murderer," Reena explained.
"Who is it?" the deep voiced Auror asked.
Reena didn't answer. She placed the shoe box on the floor and removed the lid. She and Remus pointed their wands at the box. Blue light enveloped the box. The Auror watched with professional expressions as the rat transformed into a short bald man. Only when they realized who the man was did they show any expression.
"What the hell?" the second Auror asked in disbelief.
"Please help me," Peter pleaded, "they want to kill me!"
"How did you . . ." the third Auror asked, not sure what he should say or ask.
Reena pointed her wand at Peter and cords shot out around his wrists and ankles.
"Do you have any Verteserum?" Reena asked in an urgent tone.
"Yes, but we need to have an explanation first on why you need it now," the deep voiced Auror told her.
"It's the easiest way to explain why Pettigrew is still alive," Remus said, trying to keep Sirius and Reena from losing their temper.
The third Auror unlocked a cabinet and took out a bottle filled with a clear liquid. The 2 other Aurors walked around Peter. Both of them lunged toward Peter and forced his jaws open. The third Auror opened the small bottle and poured it down Peter's throat. The 2 other Aurors clamped Peter's jaws shut. This forced Peter to swallow the truth serum. Almost immediately, Peter's face went slack.
"How are you still alive?" the deep voiced Auror asked.
"I transformed into a rat and escaped," Peter said without expression.
"Did Black betray the Potters?"
"No. I did."
"Do you support Voldemort?"
"Yes"
There was a pause. The deep voiced Auror didn't know what else to ask. He turned towards Sirius, Reena and Remus.
"Where did you find him?"
"We summoned him," Lara answered very quietly.
"How?"
"With a potion/incantation," Lara answered quietly again.
"We have to find Fudge and the other Ministers. This case is beyond our power," the deep voiced Auror said.
Reena and the 2 other Aurors apparated to the owlery on the roof of the building. The 2nd Auror pulled out slips of parchment from his cloak pocket. He threw the slips into the air and cracked out his wand. The slips of paper attched themselves to the legs of owls. The owls spread their wings and flew into the night sky.
"We'll have to wait," the 3rd Auror said redundantly.
The 3 apparated back to the Auror's office.