What Could Have Been

by eQuasarus

[AU] Sirius made a mistake. We all do. But what would it have been like if had stolen Harry away before he went to Azkaban?[Long hiatus, probably abandoned]

15. Settling the Score

Chapter 15

• Settling the Score •

"You want to get him back for trying to get us into trouble?" Harry asked as they walked down the halls. They had been excused from the class early and the next class they didn't have to attend so they had time.

Virginia nodded. "He would have tried to get me into trouble too if he had seen me. So, what do we do?"

"I've got a potion I can make real quick that might just do the trick. It should keep him away for us, at least for a while." Harry explained the potion and its effects into a little further detail. "So what do you think?"

"For how long?"

"Several hours, not longer than a day." Said Harry, his mouth slowly turning to a smile.

Virginia grinned. "Then let's do it, how long will it take to make the potion?"

"10 minutes, once I get to the room but Malfoy has to drink it. How are we going to do that?" Harry asked her, he didn't want to make the potion if it wasn't going to get used, it was only potent for a few hours.

"Never mind that, I'll figure it out while you're making it. I have some ideas anyway. Go and get the potion done. I'll wait across the hallways and make sure that no one sees you go in and out, just hurry it up."

They went out of the common room and down the halls, taking a secret passage so that no one would see them. Harry entered into the secret room while Virginia waited outside, thinking. It only took him a few minutes to complete the potion. Some erlos switches, a dash of pixie hair, langonass extract (liquefied of course) all mixed just right and a little bit of heat added, within a few minutes he had a potion with an alluring smell.

Harry waited at the mirror until Virginia sat down, the signal that no one was coming and exited. Virginia smiled as he walked out. "I think I figured something out, he took something from me last week and I think that if the circumstances were right then he'd do it again. Can we get a goblet for the potion?"

Harry produced a small goblet from his pocket; he figured they might need it. He poured the vial into the goblet and handed it to Virginia. "Good. Now… do you know a restraining spell, something to make sure none of it comes out? Just not something that's too hard to take off."

"I think I know a good one." Harry thought for a minute, remembering the pronunciation, the spell could call a barrier around themselves that stopped everything if he wasn't careful. "Uh… clauses. There, that should do it, it keeps everything locked in, but it shouldn't be difficult to remove the spell.

"Good… ok, come on now, let's get going." Virginia pulled Harry behind her and they headed for the Gryffindor tower. "We have to get everyone else first, they are going to have to help lure him in."

"Alright Virginia," Harry gave her an ear to ear smile, he was feeling brilliant. "You're the one that is in charge." She grinned and they continued to the common room.

Ron and Neville were playing chess again. Ron seemed to be angry that Neville could beat him without thinking excessively hard and so, any and every chance he got, he would challenge Neville. Of course, he did win about half the time, but if he didn't win all of the time it wasn't enough for him. When Harry explained that they were going to pull a prank on Malfoy Neville jumped at the chance. Ron, however didn't want to, he wanted to finish the game and beat Neville. Neville shook his head and just laid down his king, signifying that he had given Ron the game. The move didn't seem to make Ron any happier, but he did get up and agree to help out.

Neville sent Virginia up to get Blaise, who was in the girls' room. She also happily agreed to join their little jaunt. No one seemed to know where Hermione was. Harry had an idea but he left it alone, he knew Hermione needed some time alone, to get some things off her mind. Hermione was having a hard time dealing with Virginia; no matter how hard she tried she couldn't seem to work out a friendship with her. She had helped with homework, helped them get away with pranks and even helped them the night he and Virginia. But still somehow she wasn't accepting Virginia. She tried and failed, it was probably the first thing she had failed at in her whole life, so she skived off the first two classes, which meant it was serious for her.

They searched the castle quickly to find her but couldn't. Harry knew how to find her if it was necessary, but he didn't think it was. "We can do it without, her right Virginia?"

Virginia took a moment and thought over the plan again. "Yeah, we can do it without her, I'll just have to do it a bit different. It'll still work as long as he takes the bait. He's headed into the castle now from the lake; he was out that way when I saw him a few minutes ago. So we need to get the entrance before him that way we make sure he sees us without looking too suspicious. You can get us there right Harry?"

Harry smiled and thought, locating the nearest passage in his head. They could of course make it, if they hurried. As they traveled, Virginia explained the plan. Harry agreed it was a good plan; it would keep them out of any problems as long as he took the bait. It did, however, rely extensively on Malfoy's rapacity and gullibility. It also assumed he was smart enough to open the clauses charm.

"It's mine Neville, I told you that you can't have it." Blaise stood in the hallway, arguing with Neville and Ron, to a side hall just past the entrance of the castle where Malfoy appeared. "You can't have it either so don't you even think about trying to grab it while I'm not looking." She pointed to Ron who was edging towards her, looking at the goblet lustfully.

Harry and Virginia stood behind a doorway to a closet, where the secret passage had ended. Together they watched as Malfoy rerouted himself towards the hallway and then slowed, taking in the conversation. He stepped slowly forward, trying his best not to make a noise and interrupt the fight that was taking place.

"But Blaise, come on, I want some. I told you about it, that's the only reason you have it anyway."

Harry remembered why he had decided to try this particular prank, Crabbe and Goyle were serving a detention in McGonagall's class for doing something stupid and Malfoy had gotten out of it so he was alone now. No one was around to stop or to spoil the prank.

"Blaise, you know I won't beg but at least give me a sip."

"No." and Blaise pulled her hand away from Neville. Ron, seeing a chance, reached out and tried to grab it from her hands. Blaise, seeing him reach for it pulled it back quickly, but not quick enough. The goblet slipped from her hands and continued on it's path, flying through the air, then bouncing on the floor, and finally rolling to Malfoy's feet.

All three of the group looked up, stunned to see Malfoy there. Ron reacted fastest and stepped towards Malfoy, as if he could grab it before Malfoy could. Malfoy noticed and leaned over, plucked it up, examined it for a moment and then looking up at them.

"What's this?" he asked, trying to smell the contents, but of course the charm kept him from smelling it. "A sealed goblet, and three friends fighting over it? What sort of drink could it be?"

"It's not a dr…" started Ron but Blaise knocked him in the back of the head and he stopped.

Blaise then looked to Malfoy angrily. "Give it back, it's mine."

"Is not." Said Ron, rubbing his head.

"Be quiet." Blaise threatened him with her hand. Ron flinched and quieted.

They had played it perfectly for the little information they had been given, it was just as Virginia had thought it would turn out. Virginia looked at Harry and they both nodded, now was there part.

Both moved quietly into the open and then dashed down the hallways right past Malfoy, to Blaise. "Where did you put that, I knew I shouldn't have told you about it. If anyone finds out I snuck out to Hogs…" Harry covered her mouth and whispered something inaudible to her. Virginia turned to see Malfoy seeming surprised, as though completely unaware of his obvious presence.

"Leave Malfoy, you're not welcome around here. I would have thought you would keep to your own business after what happened before."

That did it for Malfoy, he reached up and touched his face very gently and then glared at Virginia. "I am as much a part of this argument as you are, I didn't mean to intrude. I just came across these three friends squabbling over something. I thought perhaps I might intercede maybe help with the situation. Now things have taken turn, I seem to have found something that they want, something that could get you into trouble."

"It won't get anyone into…" once again Blaise knocked Ron upside the head and he shut up.

"Not get anyone into trouble? What is it anyway? A potion, it doesn't seem to be a normal drink or it wouldn't be sealed up like this and they," Malfoy pointed at Blaise Ron and Neville, "wouldn't be fighting over it."

"Just give it to me and be on your way Malfoy." Harry asked, as nicely as he could.

Malfoy smirked. "Harry Potter… are you demanding something of me?"

"I'm demanding, I spent good money on that and the lady guaranteed me that it would help me out." Virginia stepped towards Malfoy. "Just give it back and I'll forget all about you being here."

Malfoy smirked again. "And what shall it help you do… everyone here seems to think they would benefit from it, perhaps I would as well."

Harry laughed. "You couldn't even take off the charm that keeps it in." Malfoy smirked; at that moment Harry knew he probably could open it. He growled. "Don't even think about it, just give it to Virginia, and let it be."

Of course the insult only compiled Malfoy's interest and anger. "Eximo!"

Harry narrowed his eyes, trying to be as angry as possible. He hoped it would be just enough to convince Malfoy. "Fine drink it Malfoy." Neville spoke out again, Virginia had not mentioned to do it and everyone turned to him, shocked at the outburst.

"Longbottom, I think I will, that you for the advice." He swished the potion around and smelled it. Harry knew it would be appealing. "It does smell good, let's see how it works."

"Don't." all five voices said almost simultaneously.

With a flick upward, the cup twisted up and he drained the small amount of potion in the goblet.

"You'll be happy to know it tastes good. Perhaps now one of you would be so kind as to inform me as to what this potion was supposed to do, if it works I'll let you know. I wouldn't want the poor little Weasley girl to be without the few Knuts she can spare to purchase a potion for herself.

Ron jumped at Malfoy, extremely angry, not just as part of the act. Harry grabbed a hold of him but was unable to stop him, he did however drag his cloak off of his back causing him to fall to the ground and slide forward.

Malfoy, having no other defense, stepped back and hurried away before Ron could get back to his feet. Neville helped Harry haul Ron upright. Ron glared at Neville. "You almost blew it."

Neville shook his head. "No, he wasn't enticed enough; he thought we might be lying. I've seen enough deception to understand how it works and when it won't. It wasn't going to work if I didn't do something so I did."

Harry motioned towards the closet and they all entered, closing the door behind them. Harry pulled the two poles at the back of the closet and the whole back disappeared altogether. Neville scratched his head. "They never have the same method to enter do they?"

"No, there is not a single one. Some have passwords to open them, but none have the same password."

Everyone climbed the steps to get back up to the Great Hall, lunch started soon and afterwards they had normal classes again.

"Well, Malfoy certainly won't make that same mistake again will he? You know, he believed that we were far too stupid to fool him; it was his own cockiness that got him into this anyway. It's amazing, the ease to which people can be manipulated, isn't it?"

Harry nodded; Neville seemed to have seen a lot of this before, perhaps from his father. "I know a lot of people that have been manipulated and they never even knew."

Virginia nodded and looked between everyone. "Well, what do you think happened to Hermione?"

Harry was starting to wonder that as well, he was even thinking of trying to find her. "Blaise did she say anything before she disappeared his morning?"

Blaise thought back. "No… I don't think so. When we were getting ready to go to classes and she came down she said something about you not being there. She told us she forgot something in the library and she would catch up to us in class."

Harry sighed; she must have been having a problem with Virginia. But what triggered her disappearing like this? "I'll find her while we're at lunch, don't worry." Virginia started to ask something. "No, it's alright, I'll find her alone. I need to talk to her anyway, I think I may know why she left."

Neville stared at Harry for a second and then changed the mood dramatically, back to the thoughts of Malfoy. "So, that potion... what did it do anyway? I smelled it were I was standing and it did smell quite delightful."

Harry laughed lightly, his thoughts still on Hermione. He hadn't told anyone but Virginia about exactly what the potion did.

"Well it's hard to explain. It is made of a complex formula that affects the glands in his body. They'll produce a certain enzyme that causes severe…"

"It makes him stink so bad that you could smell it even if you didn't have a nose." Virginia summed it up, making it quite clear. "He won't be able to smell it himself, the potions cuts out his sense of smell temporarily. Of course everyone else will smell him from the other side of the room."

"Yes, that's a basically it."

Neville stopped and blinked. "You're kidding right?" He stared at Harry before bursting out laughing. "You're not serious, he'll be furious."

"No he's not kidding. I heard my brothers talking about something like that a week ago, they couldn't get it to work." Ron said, grinning broadly.

"Yeah, Malfoy'll be angry at us of course but you know that's all part of playing a prank. He shouldn't have tried to get me into trouble when he saw me in the halls. I've seen him enough times and not reported it."

Virginia poked him. "Yeah, but you cheated, you had a map that showed were he was."

"But I still could have told someone and gotten him into trouble." Harry pointed out.

"You know Harry, Fred and George, they'll certainly want to know that Harry knows how to make it. I think they wanted to get Snape back for something he did to them." Said Ron. "It'd help pay them back for saving you the other day from getting into trouble."

"Snape'd just make an antidote to it anyway." Offered Blaise.

"He couldn't." said Harry. "The potion doesn't have an antidote and anything that he tries to make it go away will make it work, that's the best part of the potion."

They reached the entrance back into the main hallways. This one was just near the great hall, behind the banner that hung on the wall across from the doorway. It provided perfect cover to slip into the hall without revealing the passage. They stood there and waited until the hallways were clear and then together they walked into the open, heading for lunch.

Fred and George were sitting down talking to Lee. Harry didn't sit down with the rest of the group, he patiently waited until the twins were finished with their discussion and they looked up at him.

"The map, do you have it?"

Fred whispered something in George's ear. George nodded and looked up at Harry. "You've still not filled your end of the bargain for borrowing it the first time."

Harry thought for a moment. "I can help you with a potion you've been trying to figure out, the one that produces a special odor."

They whispered again between themselves. "No, not good enough."

"Alright, if I tell you who one of them was will you let me look at it, I don't need to take it, just look for a second."

More whispering, this time their answer took much longer. "All right, but we want to know id Sirius was one of them."

"Yes, he was Padfoot."

Fred looked at George and smiled. "Good enough for me." And from his pocket he produced a folded parchment.

Harry quickly checked it, finding Hermione quite quickly. He folded it again and handed it back to Fred. "I'll give you the proper direction for that potion later. Class starts soon and I need to get something to eat.

Flitwick was not his usual self; he actually had them read information instead of trying it out first. Then he excused the class early. Harry wasn't sure if there was a reason for that other than the horrible smell that permeated everything. Malfoy of course acted as if nothing was wrong and the rest of the Slytherins just tolerated it without saying anything. They seemed to have a conflict of interest, most positioning themselves directly between Malfoy and the Gryffindors.

Harry waited for Hermione to show up but by the end of the day she hadn't. When everyone went down to dinner Harry separated himself again. Virginia called to him but Harry told her to go on, that he would catch up.

Harry climbed the stairs to the astronomy tower and then found the staircase that led back down to a storage room. He quietly opened the door and then closed it behind him. Hermione was sitting at a corner window staring out at the lake. Harry, not wanting to disturb her, sat down next to her and stared out the window as well. It was beautiful, the sunset, Harry couldn't recall really watching one before.

"I was wondering if you'd show up."

Harry grinned. "You know there is nowhere in this castle you can hide from me." Then he thought about what she had said. "You wondered if I'd come? You thought I might not?"

"You did take your time didn't you?" Still she stared out the window.

"I was giving you some time to think, that's what you need wasn't it?" he paused but Hermione didn't answer right away. "Besides, I had to take care of some personal business with Malfoy. I think he'll think twice before trying to get me into trouble."

"Yes, I'd thought you'd get around to that. Virginia helped…?"

Harry couldn't tell if she was trying to ask him a question or state a fact. "Yes, she was, actually everyone was but you, we couldn't find you."

"Oh." Harry could see Hermione blink and look away from the window and away from him.

"Are you alright Hermione? I know you and Virginia don't get along all that well together."

"Did you know that the sunsets here don't reflect off the lake? It's a charm that keeps the giant squid as calm as possible."

Naturally she was in some sort of denial, she was trying to avoid the subject altogether. "Well why Hermione, what is it that you can't accept about her?"

The look Harry got from her when she finally turned and looked at him was mixed. "Harry, it's not that I can't get along with her… I could really it's just… well I don't know, things haven't been the same since she came. Everything just changed, I thought we were friends."

"You thought…" Harry didn't understand, it wasn't Virginia that was causing the conflict? "Hermione we are friends."

"Then why do you always go away with her, and show her all your secrets?"

Jealousy that was why Hermione was here, Harry thought back for a moment. Yes, he had been doing things with just Virginia since she came to Hogwarts; they had been friends far before Hogwarts. "Hermione do you have any friends, from before?"

"Before Hogwarts? No, I never had many friends."

It was just as Harry expected. "Hermione, it's not that I don't like you. Virginia was my only friend from before Hogwarts. We did everything we could together. I'm sorry if I ignored you. You, Neville, Ron and Blaise are all my friends, I just wanted to do some things with Virginia."

"So you still like me then?"

Harry laughed. "Hermione, you're one of my best friends, of course I like you."

Hermione smiled and stood up. "Alright, I suppose I'd better get back. Tell me, what classes did I miss today?"

Harry smiled, yes; she was worried about her classes she had missed now that everything had been worked out. "They called a meeting just after second class started and so we only had three today. Something happened that was very important, but I don't know…"

"He made a public appearance."

Harry stopped speaking. "Who?"

"Him… that's what they said, they never said his name… just He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

Voldemort had made an appearance? But, he wouldn't do something like that unless he was strong enough. "But how do you know Hermione?"

Hermione pointed to an air vent that was on the wall just near where she had been sitting. "No one checked to see if they had a silence charm around the office at first so I heard some of it and then I couldn't hear anything. They sounded like something really bad had happened besides what I said, but I didn't hear what it was."

"Who?"

"The ministry officials, someone named Crouch."

As they came into the great hall to get something to eat Harry could see Birdie hiding in the corner again, just to where Harry could see her. "Hermione, go to the table, get something to eat, I'll be right there." Hermione nodded and went to the table.

Birdie slipped out the doors with Harry close behind. She found another corner to stand in and looked at Harry sullenly. "I suppose you know about the encounter."

"Yes… he's returned."

Birdie sighed. "I think you know things even before I do sometimes. You'd be perfect for our investigation department."

"So, I know he's returned, but I don't know the specifics of what happened."

Birdie was about to say something but she looked up at the hallway, just out of her sight. Harry looked up as well. He was standing out in the hallway and not in the corner as Birdie tended to do. Malfoy was walking down the hallway, he seemed angry. When he saw Harry he growled. "Potter!"

Birdie faded even further into the shadows as Malfoy approached. "Potter I know what you did to me. You're going to get into trouble for it."

Harry smirked. "Into trouble, you were the one that took it from us. Just because it falls to the floor doesn't give you the right to take someone's stuff. Besides, we told you not to drink it and you still did."

"You didn't."

"We all told you not to drink it, that what was in it wasn't your business."

"You knew I would still drink it." Malfoy snarled.

Harry stepped back, Malfoy was very angry. "It was purely your choice Malfoy. Did I disgrace you in front of the other Slytherins?"

As Harry said the words, Malfoy yanked out his wand, brandishing it. "I'll make you pay for that stunt."

From the shadows Birdie appeared. "I see that there seems to be a problem, is it anything that I could assist in?" She scared Malfoy enough to drop his wand.

"No…" he stammered, "we were just having a personal discussion about something that happened earlier today."

"Well you interrupted a conversation that was already taking place, please finish up and be on your way." Birdie said stiffly.

Malfoy faltered for a second. "We'll speak about this later Potter." Then he walked into the great hall.

"Misbehaving again Harry?" Birdie smiled.

Harry turned back at her, insuring that Malfoy had gone first. "He deserved it, besides, we told him not to drink the potion. Well, at least the stench is gone, it only last a few hours."

Birdie stifled a laugh. "Well, in any case…" her tone became serious again. "I shouldn't be telling you this it has been deemed privileged information at the moment and only a few besides those who witnessed it know. It's off the record, understand?"

"Yes, then why do the teachers here know?"

"You'll find out soon." Birdie sighed. "The ministry has suspected he was coming to power again and so they setup an attack based on the intelligence we had. Everything seemed to go right; we captured several suspected Death Eaters and found a vast amount of information. Before we could leave we were ambushed. A large force of Death Eaters led by Voldemort himself, apparated into the building and attacked. Nine of us got away with our lives."

"I thought it was a public appearance."

Birdie nodded. "We were in a manor just inside of Hogsmeade, the fight ended up on the streets."

"Then how did you keep it from getting out? By now every witch and wizard in England should know."

"Those who didn't die were immediately interviewed and obliviated. If the public knew what happened then… well, it would not be good. Word will get out, we cannot find two who were present, but the ministry will strangle any mention of it for as long as they can."

Harry wondered if Wormtail was within those who were there, he of course would have escaped. "Birdie."

"Harry I have to leave again, I can't tell you anymore."

The whole hall was silent when Harry entered, Dumbledore stood in front of them looking unusually gloomy. Harry quietly slipped in and disappeared into the shadows so he didn't interrupt anything. "I'm afraid, students, I have something troubling to talk to you about. Early today a great tragedy occurred. I am afraid to say that Professor Vector and Mr. Filch are no longer with us. There was an accident and nothing could be done for them."

The whole hall burst into conversation. Dumbledore shook his head and sat back down. Harry knew why the teachers had been alerted earlier about Voldemort. Naturally a Hogwarts teacher would try to stop Death Eaters and even though Filch had been a squib he had still probably tried. Hermione would understand what had happened as well. So two people knew, Harry wondered how many others would know by tomorrow.

While there was a commotion Harry hurried over to the Gryffindor table and seated himself between Hermione and Virginia. Virginia was eyeing him. "Was it him?" she whispered quietly.

Harry nodded. "Not now." He told her.

So they quietly ate, Harry thinking about why Voldemort would decide now was his time to come again. McGonagall touched Harry's shoulder. "Dumbledore would like to speak to you, please meet him at his office. Now, get moving."

As the rest of the students hurried off to their own common rooms Harry waited with Hermione and Virginia. "Dumbledore wants to speak to me. You go on ahead, I'll tell you what happened later."

The gargoyles that protected the entrance to Dumbledore's leered at Harry as he waited,

"I trust you didn't wait long Harry?"

"No, only a few minutes."

Dumbledore smiled, awkwardly and let them into his office. "I've got something to tell you." He said.

"About the Death Eaters in Hogsmeade?" Harry asked.

"Well…" Dumbledore stepped off of the moving stairs, "not exactly. Sirius was spotted in Hogsmeade just after the attack. He disappeared again but I just wanted to let you know."

"Sirius?" Harry asked again surprised, Sirius hadn't made contact with him in a while no matter how many times he sent Paka out.

Dumbledore nodded. Harry almost turned to leave right then. If Sirius was still in Hogsmeade, Harry might still be able to find him. "That's all, you can go now Harry."

Outside the door were Virginia and Hermione, waiting anxiously. "Harry, come on, you need to come with us. Something terrible happened."

Harry followed behind them as the rushed through the hallways. They stopped and opened a secret room, Harry following close behind. Inside were the twins and Neville, bent over a bed. Harry glimpsed feet and he moved around the girls to get a better look. "Sirius!" he cried out the moment he could see the person.

Sirius lay stretched out, badly injured, on a makeshift bed. "What happened?" Harry demanded of the twins.

Fred shrugged his shoulders. "We were turning off the map, because you left it on, and we noticed him coming in through one of the passages. He was like this when we found him. Should we get a teacher or Madam Pomfrey?"

"No!" Harry responded immediately. "I can take care of it."

For the next several minutes Harry did his best to heal the unconscious Sirius and did a fair job, but not as well as a medi-wizard would have. He could tell Sirius had lost a lot of blood; his whole cloak was soaked in it. On his exposed body were several wounds from spells, some of them Harry could not heal at all.

"Sirius." Harry shook him gently after trying to bring him to consciousness with a spell. "Wake up, tell me what happened."

Sirius groaned and rolled onto his side. "Take off his cloak and his shirt." Harry could see blood was still flowing freely, the bottom of the bed was now soaked as well. The twins stood there, awkwardly. So Neville pulled off his cloak and ripped his shirt from the side. Harry could see a long gash down the side of his torso, almost extending from his arm to his waist. Harry looked at it carefully and thought out loud, "I can't fix that one."

• Edited 2004.09.18 •