What killed the cat

Fourth part

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe (all characters, names, places, products etc.) are the property of JK Rowling and her publishers, I'm just borrowing them, please refrain from sueing.

In the next few days Remus ascertained fragments of knowledge using the reference sheet from Mr. Mud, the most useful being two spells that could be used to summon Dementors. Remus managed to rule out the first method early on; it contained a ritual sacrifice and Remus was not sure where he could find an abundance of virgins who were willing to be sacrificed, had he been prior-Azkaban-Sirius he probably would have known several, but that's a different story.

While he was eating breakfast Sirius asked him about his progress. Remus had to admit he found it to be an awkward question because he could not transfer the weeks of work into more than a few sentences but forced himself to sound casual as he mentioned he had found two spells to summon certain Dementors.

"But I can't use them because one contains virgin sacrifice and the other is a potion that, unless I'm to acquire brewing skills to match Snape's overnight, I'll never be able to make," said Remus, sighing in a resigned way.

"Hmmm," remarked Sirius, scratching the stubble that had begun to grow on his chin. Suddenly Sirius' expression became hopeful. "What about Hermione!" he said enthusiastically.

"What about Hermione?" Remus replied while spooning porridge into his mouth.

"I'm sure she would be happy to help." He said, grinning so much that Remus thought his face would never return to normal.

Remus sat there for a few seconds trying to work out what Sirius was hinting at. Then his eyes grew wide as the rest of his face worked with it to form an expression of horror. "For you even to suggest, I - I would never do that, you're proven innocence is important but, but, how could you even think such a thing? She's one of Harry's best friends, and even if she wasn't I would never do that!" he stated angrily, viewing Sirius with distaste.

Sirius was slightly taken aback by the outburst, "Why not? You might have forgotten while you were lost in the piles of books on your desk or visiting Egypt that there is a war going on but I haven't and neither, I'm sure, has Dumbledore! It isn't a matter of getting all the help we can get, but a matter of needing it, and she would be happy to offer assistance," Sirius replied.

For Remus, the words coming out of Sirius were brutal. He mouthed silently at Sirius expression which might have been set in stone and then in a slow pace that sounded strained said, "I don't think I could live with it."

Sirius wanted to roll his eyes, everyone held a certain amount of pride, but Remus refusing help from someone just because they were a child seemed stupid to him. "If this war continues every child out there will lose their youth. This potion is the kind of thing that could set us on the edge, put us on the winning side, its not just about me being innocent. And besides without it I can't protect Harry properly, it's the kind of thing she would understand!" Sirius said, in an equally even pace. He picked up his glass of pumpkin juice and took a swig, he swirled the liquid round his mouth.

Remus felt flustered, Sirius was formidable when he had set himself a goal, and this was one he was determined to reach. He closed his eyes, trying to think of something to say in response. "I can't believe this is you talking…" He gave a short bitter laugh, "I'm not even sure if she's a vir-" it was at this point that something clicked inside Remus' head.* Sirius had said 'this potion.'

Sirius choked on his pumpkin juice. He couldn't decide between looking offended at Remus thinking that he'd suggested the ceremonial killing of a young girl or amused at Remus' embarrassed expression. In the end he felt sad at Remus' lack of faith in him and was reminded fleetingly of a time when he had felt a similar distrust of Remus when they were choosing a secret keeper for Lily and James. He grimaced at the memory.

"So, you - er - think Hermione would be able to help me brew this potion?" Remus asked tentatively.

Sirius smiled at his plate. "Yeah, yeah I do. It's her or Snape, either way I reckon Dumbledore'll support your decision, he's always eager to increase his student's skill," Sirius spoke in a very quiet voice.

Remus nodded. He secretly thought to ask Hermione for help would destroy the teacher-student relationship. It hurt him, in a way, to have such thoughts because while part of him believed he would teach again at Hogwarts, the rest of him knew he would not.

-=-

He got in touch with Dumbledore by owl, explaining his new development and the problems faced with practising the two spells. The return owl surprised him greatly. He had expected, despite what Sirius said, for Dumbledore to refer him to Snape. Instead he found himself standing in an empty Hogwarts classroom, a few weeks into the Summer holidays with a cauldron of ingredients on a desk in front of him and Hermione donning Muggle clothes and a tone that reminded him of Transfiguration lessons on Tuesdays. He felt guilty because he was taking up her Summer holidays and stupid because he was learning Potions from someone half his age. In the corner of the dusty room Sirius and Harry were talking.

Dumbledore had made the arrangements. Remus wondered how and then he remembered that Dumbledore knew people - not just anyone - these were the kind of people that could get stuff done.

"So, it really isn't that difficult at all, as long as you get the timing right." Hermione commented, it was the end of a mammoth speech, one which Remus only caught snippets of.

"Yes," he replied with a light nod of the head, "absolutely." He felt like a child again, trying to force himself out of his reverie back into attentiveness; were all teachers such bad students?

Hermione wasn't told why they were making the potion, nor was anyone else for that matter although Remus suspected Dumbledore had contacted Snape for most of the ingredients which would have led to suspicions about what they were doing from the slimy-haired-git. Harry seemed happy in his state of ignorance, talking animatedly with Sirius. At that moment in time the Dursley's thought he was at Mrs. Figg's house undergoing slow torture in the form of stale cake, the idea to tell them this so he could meet with his godfather was a brain-child of Sirius' after he heard that Arabella only lived a few houses down from Harry.

Hermione said they would make the Dementor summoning potion the next day because it was more potent if prepared at around the same time as the last victim of the Dementor-to-be-summoned was Kissed. Remus nodded in feigned understanding.

He had a plan now; the potion would be made, he would drink it and then, when the Dementor arrived, it was just a matter of performing an exorcism-like spell that would banish Crouch's soul which would return to his body in St. Mungo's. Then the medi-wizards would crowd around with bemused expressions on their faces wondering how the victim of a Dementor's Kiss could regain their soul. Crouch would be handed over for a trial and it would emerge that Wormtail, the murder for whom Sirius served part of his sentence, was still alive.

Perfect, except it was not actually perfect. Their were so many wrinkles in his scheme that needed to be smoothed out; a way of making sure only Crouch's soul was expelled, a way of getting the summoning potion to wear off (lest he should be followed around by an extra shadow for the rest of his life), a way of making sure the medi-wizards handed Crouch over to the authorities instead of to the Dementors and a way of keeping the death-eaters away from the two linked spells (the Dementor summoning and then soul restoration) that Remus had created.

But other then all of that everything was fine, and the time to use the potion was ample. Although the potion had to be made at a certain time of day, it could be drunk on the whim of the maker, so Remus could use it when all the small problems had been worked out, and there was the tiny matter of getting his soul restoration incantation to work not to mention the questions that would be asked…

After mulling it over for a couple of minutes Remus felt a headache coming on and decided to abandon the subject. Instead (with subtle encouragement from Harry) he inquired of Hermione a few questions about Viktor Krum who he she's apparently met (and then some) the previous year. The answers to these were no doubt later recorded in an OWL to Ron. Remus couldn't help but think that in that way he had contributed to a cause as important as clearing Sirius' name.

-=-

A/N: Thankyou for the instant ego-boosters of reviews you give! Especially those from Aqua Child, Elektra and Admiral Albia. Thanks again, I've got the fic on a new and improved track, it shouldn't be too long till we reach the end. Anyway, if you've read then REVIEW!

* I don't think there's actually any doubt of Hermione's virginity, I just wanted to use the line so that both became aware that they were arguing for different things.