Chapter 5: Meetings of the Friendly Kind
I'm still doing this on the fly. Though I write most of my stories that way, I usually have an end goal. With this one, I do not.
This is not a popular story, so your reviews are welcome more than ever.
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"Sirius!" Harry yelled, dropping his trunk, and running for the man who was standing there. There was a huge space around him, like no one wanted to stand near the ex-con, but Harry didn't care. He threw himself into his godfather's arms. "You're here."
Neither of them noticed the two hooded men in the corner that were watching the reunion with blank eyes. Both were happyish that the two were together but for different reasons. Tom because that meant that Harry was not with his relatives, and Snape because it meant that his vow was fulfilled.
Though they were both ambivalent as well, because Black was just out of Azkaban, and he was never what either would have picked as a father figure. That and both knew that the Order of the Phoenix was meeting at Black's residence. That put the boy near Dumbledore, which neither of them liked.
"Of course, I'm here," Sirius said, giving his godson a hug, relishing in the feeling of holding the boy in his arms. "I told that uncle of yours to shove off, that I was taking you home," he said, squeezing for all he was worth. He missed the boy, even though he had just seen him a few days ago. He had never seen him as a free man. "If that is okay with you," he added, wanting to make sure it was a happy solution for Harry.
"Of course, it is. I hate the Dursleys, and I love you. Why would I want anything different?" Harry asked, in disbelief. His hold got a little tighter. He didn't care that everyone was watching and listening to them.
"That's good, because you're coming back with me regardless," Sirius said, his tone was firm.
"You're free," Harry said, pulling back and looking at the happy man's face. "I can't believe Snape of all people found him," he added, looking around as if the dour man was there, which he was, but no one but Voldy knew that. They were just too well hidden with a notice-me-not charm. "You're going to have to thank him for that," he pointed out, turning back to his godfather. His tone was serious.
"I know, and I will," Sirius said, knowing that it would not be a comfortable conversation for any of them. He and Snape had a bad history, and he knew Severus didn't turn Wormtail over to get him off, but for Harry. And for Harry, he'd play nice with the potions master. Hell, he'd play nice with the Dark Lord for Harry.
"Am I really coming home with you?" Harry asked a wary note in his tone. Nothing good ever happened to him. Not without a price. Even his playing Quidditch had a price. He had to keep his grades up and not get into too much trouble. Not that that seemed to keep him out of trouble, or keep him off the team, but he had been warned again and again, that it was damaging his place on said team. He wondered what the price for this happiness would be.
"Yup," the dogman said. "I've been cleaning the joint up for days just so it won't creep you out too much. Some crazy house elf showed up a few days ago. It said it knew you and wanted to be part of the family. Do you know a house elf named Dobby?" he asked, hoping the kid did. That elf was just plain weird. He didn't want to bond with anyone but Harry, but he was willing to clean for a wage. Sirius had never heard of such a thing from a house elf.
"Yes, he's a friend of mine," Harry said, grabbing his trunk and following his godfather through the train station.
They were walking at a fast pace. Like Sirius was anxious to get home. Maybe he was tired of everyone looking at him like he was about to explode. Harry was quite used to being looked at like that, but his godfather might not be.
"Good, I'd hate to think I was duped by a house elf," Sirius said with a chuckle. "He's been invaluable though. He's been cleaning like crazy. My house elf, Kreacher, is a nightmare," he added with a sad shake of his head. "Anyway, the house is cleaner than it's been in years. So, you have a place to lay your head. I need to warn you, the Order of the Phoenix is using it as a safehouse. That's a vigilante group of Dumbledore's. And the Weasleys are supposed to stay there, but I told Dumbledore that I needed to think about it. I wanted to ask you first," he added, looking to see the expression on Harry's face.
"I think the younger two are potioning me, but I don't think we should punish the rest of the family for that," Harry said, a deluge of emotions running over his face. There was the price he had been worried about. Oh well, he liked the twins and knew they were happy with his donation to their joke shop. He even liked the older boys, for all he knew them a short time. Arthur was a nice man. However, he wasn't overly fond of Molly. She was overbearing. And now that he knew about the two youngest, well… "I think as long as you lay down some ground rules, it should be okay," he said, looking at his godfather.
"I have a ring that you can wear that will tell you if your being potioned," Sirius said, though he was thinking it was more than the brats that were slipping his godson potions. He would get the kid the ring and then the manipulative old man would not be able to get him again. He had no way to prove his thoughts though, so he would just have to watch and see what happens.
"Okay," Harry said, getting a bounce in his step. Anything that would keep him safe was good in his book. "Where's your house?" he asked since they had been walking a while now.
"Right around the corner. You have to read this first," Sirius said as they rounded the corner. They stopped between numbers ten and fourteen. The parchment that Sirius handed him read:
The Order of the Phoenix can be found at #12 Grimmuald Place.
After Harry read it, the houses moved apart, and a new house shoved its way into the space. It was one of the most magical things that Harry had ever seen, and he wondered if the muggles in the adjoining houses felt anything. He decided they must not, or they would call someone to investigate.
"This is my mum's old house. I am the last of the male Blacks, so everything comes to me. Even the title," Sirius said, a bit of self-deprecation in there.
"You're a lord?" Harry asked, flabbergasted. He had no idea his godfather was titled. He wasn't sure if this changed anything in the wizarding world, but it made a difference in the non-magical world.
"As much as it pains me, yes," Black said, taking the teens shoulder and crossing the street.
Harry wondered why his godfather seemed to hate that, but shook it off and let himself be guided, dragging his trunk behind him. They went into the house that had appeared and Sirius snapped his fingers to light the gaslights. They were met by an exuberant house elf.
"Harry Potter is here," Dobby said, hugging the boy's knees. "Dobby is so happy you is here," he said, bouncing on his toes in joy, making his ears flop with each bounce. He was dressed in a child's overalls with socks on his spindly feet and over his ears. There was a tea cozy on his head like a hat. He was quite a sight.
"Dobby, it is good to see you too," Harry said, getting down on his knees to be at the same level as his bizarre friend. "How are you doing?" he asked the little guy, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Dobby is doing great, Harry Potter, sir," the elf said, still bouncing as if he was wired on caffeine.
Harry had to wonder what coffee would do to an elf, but he shook those thoughts away for a moment. "Are you enjoying working for Sirius?" he asked instead.
"Sirius Black is a good man," Dobby said, nodding his head to the older man, who nodded back. "However, Dobby was hoping that Harry Potter would be taking over being Dobby's master," the elf said, stopping bouncing, like he was afraid of rejection.
"Of course," Harry said ready to ask what kind of pay the elf wanted, but he never got the chance as Dobby grabbed his hand and yelled.
"I accept!"
There was a flash of a blinding light and Harry felt the bond between them. "What was that?" he asked, looking at both Sirius and Dobby.
"It was a bonding," Sirius answered as if nothing important occurred.
"You wanted to be bonded?" Harry asked the elf, who was blushing, making his cheek turn a purplish color.
"More than anything in the world," Dobby said as he started bouncing again.
"Okay, but there will be rules," Harry said with a sigh. "You can wear whatever you want. No punishments. No calling me master. Other than that, go wild," he finished, getting up off the floor.
"Yes, sir," Dobby said, then he popped away with Harry's trunk.
"He's different," Sirius said, leading Harry to the kitchen. "At least he got my mum's picture off the wall," he added, going to the stove where the kettle was heating.
It was a large, but cozy room. That was clean and worn. There was a long table in the middle with counters on either side. A large woodburning stove took up quite a bit of space in the middle of one of the counters. That was where the kettle was. There were cupboards above all the counters. So, there was no lack of storage in this kitchen. There were windows letting in a lot of natural light, with one owl window high above them all. There was a floo fireplace that dominated the opposite wall from the entrance.
"You don't like your mum, do you?" Harry asked in a disbelieving voice as he took as seat at the bench that lined the long table. He could imagine not liking one's relatives. He hated his, but to not like your own mum, that was unfathomable.
"She was a right bitch," Sirius said, bringing a teapot to the table with some biscuits and cups. He took a seat opposite Harry, so they could talk.
"Oh," was all Harry could say to that.
"A story for another time," the dogman said, pouring them some tea. He pointed out the sugar and milk. "How are you feeling? You had a rough year," he clarified at Harry's confused expression.
"I have a bad year every year, but, yeah, this one took the cake," Harry said, dropping three sugar cubes in his tea. He stirred them in and contemplated the question. "I'll tell you something if you throw up a silence ward," he said, not wanting the elves to hear what he had to say. He didn't know the one that he had not met.
Sirius gave him a queer look, but he did as asked.
So, Harry told him all about the fourth task and his thoughts afterwards. He let him know what he had observed about Snape as well, and how he tried to help him capture Pettigrew, and how he let him keep the map. He even told him about the Room. He didn't leave anything out.
"Damn, pup, that some shite you've been through. Why haven't you told Dumbledore? He is leading the vigilante group against the Dark Lord. He has been telling us that You-Know-Who was back, but he couldn't give us any proof. Instead, he has us guarding some prophecy," Sirius said, wiping his hand down his face in frustration.
"I don't trust Dumbledore. At least not completely. He is the one who put me with my relatives. He always shows up after the fact when I get into those 'adventures' at school. It's like he knows what is going on, but he wants to see how I'll do on my own. I don't trust that," Harry said, looking around the room like someone might come in at any moment and catch them talking.
"That does sound like something Dumbles would do," Sirius said, remembering all the times the old man would show up after they tormented Snape. And how he would take their side over Severus's even when he knew they were in the wrong. It was like he was trying to get them to see him as some savior.
It worked too. With James and Remus. Peter was too cowardly to trust the old man completely. He, Sirius, never liked the sliminess of it. It reminded him of all the politicians that he had to deal with at the parties his parents took him to. "We'll just have to keep our wits about us," Sirius said, it being too late to back out of letting the Order use his house.
"I'll try to keep out of the way," Harry said, thinking along the same lines.
"You will never be in my way," Sirius said, reaching over and ruffling his hair.
"Leave off, will ya," Harry said, swatting the hand.
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It was the day after they had watched Harry be picked up by his godfather, and now Voldemort was mulling over what to do. He had handed Peter over to the Aurors and now he was without a servant. He needed someone to wait on him. He was not in a position to wait on himself. Not if he wanted his minions to still respect him. He decided to move from his father's house to Malfoy Manor. It was without its lord now.
He left the wards and disapparated to the manor and went to the door. He didn't bother knocking, he was a Dark Lord after all. He waited in the foyer for someone to realize he was there. The wards should have warned the Lady of the House that he was waiting.
She came hurrying down the stairs, looking disarrayed. Like she had just woken from a nap. Her hair was mussed and her make up needed touching up.
"My lord, what brings you to my home?" she asked, wariness in her tone. She looked around as if to make sure there was no one else about. She appeared to be worried that he had brought his Death Eaters to her home.
"I require a new place to stay. Your home will have to do," he said, imperiously, waving his hand about as if it was just barely livable instead of the grand manor that it was.
"Of course, my lord," she said with a small curtsy. She didn't know what happened to her husband, but she knew this man was the last one to see him alive. She would have her answers one day. "If you would follow me, I will lead you to where you will sleep. Do you require a house elf to get your things?" she asked, seeing he had nothing with him.
"Yes, I will return to my last residence with an elf and get my items," Tom said, following her up the well-appointed stairs. She led him to a large room that was decorated with white and gold. Everything was white but lined with gold. He had no idea why they had such an extravagant room, but it would do for him.
"Yes, my lord," she said, curtsying again as she called an elf to attend him. "Topsy." She waited the second it took for the bedraggled elf to show. "You will attend the Dark Lord," she said, waving her had in Voldemort's direction. She then nodded her head and left her lord to his business.
"Yes, mistress," the elf squeaked. Seeing an elf in rags never sat well with Tom. Not that he cared for elves. However, it showed that you couldn't afford to tend to your servants. He would never appear to have such unsightly things around him. If he were to have elves, they would be appointed uniforms. Now that he was feeling a bit emotional, he felt sorry for the little beings. He worried that it might bleed over to other creatures. He didn't want to get soft.
"Topsy, wait for my call," Voldy said as he strolled out of the room and down to where he knew was a place to apparate. Malfoy had told him about it many times. He had also been here a time or two in the good old days. He disapparated to his father's house and called the elf. She appeared with a pop. The two of them when into the house and gathered up all of Tom's items, including Nagini and all the horcruxes.
He almost had the spell he needed, but he was missing the necklace still and was not close in getting it. He was going to have to talk to Severus again. He was in the Order of the Phoenix, and he could talk to Black and Potter. There had to be a way to get them to turn it over. He was done packing up his things, magically, and was ready to leave. So, he and Topsy went back to Malfoy Manor.
Draco Malfoy was in the foyer waiting for him. He looked eager to meet the Dark Lord. Though Tom would have thought the boy would be mad at him for losing him his father.
"Yes, child," Voldy sneered as he stepped passed him onto the stairs. "You have something to say?" he asked, adjusting Nagini on his neck better. It was hard to climb stairs with such a large snake.
"You know what happened to my father?" Draco asked, kicking Topsy out of his way.
She squeaked and popped everything to the Dark Lord's room.
"Yes, he met with an accident while helping me with a project," Tom said, not stopping for a single second. He held no remorse over the death of Malfoy the senior. "He died a brave man," he added for good measure.
"Then he died in your service?" the teen asked, still trailing after the Dark Lord, his tone was respectful, so Voldemort let it slide.
"Yes," was all the answer he got.
"Good," Draco said, breaking away and going to do his own thing. His thoughts were smug.
"Strange child," Tom whispered to himself as he continued to his room. He pondered on what to do next. His thirst for killing mudbloods was gone, but his need to hurt people was not. He didn't want to kill off all his minions, he had need of them. Political need. Most of them held an office of some sort in the Ministry, and he needed them there. So, what to do?
There were a few that he could kill off, like Greyback. That was a monster that used to amuse him with his bloodthirst. Now he was a liability. He would expose them to the muggle world soon because he was reckless and took no care in who he effected. Only that they were children. Greyback was not one of his followers, per se, but he liked to do the Dark Lord's bidding.
Now, all he had to do was get a plan to trap the man and his pack. That would not be an easy task. Another thing to discuss with Severus. Two heads were better than one, after all. that and Severus was a devious man, without the bloodthirst. He didn't like to kill, but he did like to create chaos.
"My lord," Narcissa said, interrupting his musings, "dinner will be at seven. Will you be dining with us?" she asked, it only being three in the afternoon.
"No, have the elves bring my dinner to my room," the Dark Lord said, not wanting to dine with the two that would try to make small talk. "Invite Severus to join me. I have need of him," he ordered in a manner that could not be refused.
"Of course, my lord," she said, bowing her head a bit and left the doorway she had been standing in.
Tom got up and shut the door. He wondered why he had left it opened in the first place. Was he so unused to being in other's company? That must be it.
He spent the rest of the day reading more arithmancy to further work on his spell. However, his progress was stumped by the lack of the necklace. He admired Regulus for getting one over on him. The man was a true Slytherin to the end. A Black through and through.