Chapter 8: A Meeting
The next week was pretty typical and stress filled. The specter of the
OWLs moved ever closer and practicing rowing with Marvin provided some
welcome relief from the monotony of study, if not sress.
"Row harder," Marvin ordered Fred one evening.
"I can't!" Fred protested, sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Then you'll never get anywhere in life, will you?" Marvin offered up a fake
sigh. "That's the way it is these days. Everyone quits when things stop
going the way they want them to. Sometimes, I really don't see why I
bother anymore. All my encouragement is for nought. I should just go
throw myself in the heap pile."
Fred muttered something to the extent of "I wish," and started
rowing again with a vigor fueled by anger.
"Oh, come on, Fred, be nice to it," Ginny scolded, "He is just trying
to do his job. Imagine if every time you made a new Weasley's Wizzard
Wheezes everyone told you to go away and caused trouble."
Fred paused a moment to glare at her. "They do."
Ginny giggled. "Oh that's right, I forgot," and went back to her
runes translation.
Harry sighed. This certainly wasn't going the way he'd planned. Their
studies were taking up more time than they should and more than half of
Gryffindor wanted to throw Marvin out the window. It was Saturday and
they were still stuck in the common room, bent over homework. They had
been hunched over in the library, but Ron and Hermione couldn't stop
bickering, so Fred, Harry, and Ginny bravely retreated and let them fight it
out. George, on the other hand, was revelling in 7th year laziness and
took the day off to go to Hogsmeade. Harry really wanted to hate him for
it.
Suddenly, the door burst open and George rushed in. "Hey, guys!
Guess what! Guess who I ran into in Hogsmeade!"
Harry looked up from his essay, "Alright, who?"
"You have to guess."
Fred dropped the rowing machine, exhausted and stood up.
"George, friend, I would more than venture to say that no one here is
very keen for a guessing game right now." He fingered his wand,
suggestively. "Now who is it?"
His eyes on Fred's wand, George relented. "Alright, fine, if you guess
want to be that way: it was Sean. You know, smuggler, outlaw, the
coolest adult person I have ever met?"
"Oh, yes, I remember," Ginny said vaguely. "Your idol."
"Damn straight." George nodded. "He told me he'd like to meet with
us at Hagrid's place and that it was BYOB, whatever that means."
Harry thought this over. "He wants us to meet him?"
"Yes."
"Did he list us by name or did he just say 'you and your friends' and
you assumed to know what he meant?"
"He said, and I quote, 'I would really like to talk to you and the rest
of your canoe team. It's important. Blah, blah, blah." George revealed this
information in the best monotone he could manage.
"Oh. In that case, let's go." He slammed his book shut and turned to
Ginny, "Want to come with and get the quarrllers out of the library?"
"Sure," Ginny closed her book loudly and stood up.
"Ok, we'll meet you guys at Hagrid's in a few minutes then."
Fred and George nodded and they headed off.
When Ginny and Harry reached the library, it was empty save for a
group of 5th year Ravenclaws discussing advanced Defense against the
Dark Arts methods.
Ginny looked around, puzzled. "Where'd they go?"
"I don't know. They couldn't have gone back to the Common Room,
we would have run into them on the way." He decided to ask the
Ravenclaws. "Excuse me, have any of you seen Ron Weasley and
Hermione Granger? They were here studying earlier today."
A dark blond Ravenclaw giggled. "Oh, yes, they were here."
Harry smiled tightly. He was getting rather tired of people giggling
when they spoke to him. One would think after five years, they'd be used
to him by now. Even Ginny had gotten over her giggling and blushing fits
and was now good, if not young, company. "Good, would you happen to
know where they went?"
The Ravenclaw shook her head. "Sorry. I don't know for sure, but
they may have gone outside."
Ginny wrinkled her brow. "Outside? To study?"
The Ravenclaws broke out into laughter. "Who said they were
studying?" the blond one asked.
Harry refused to be brought into that conversation. He had early
learned not even to suggest the idea that the two might like each other in
either one of their presences. "So, you don't know?"
"Nope."
"Well, thanks anyway." Harry turned and dragged Ginny along with
him.
"Do you think they went outside?" Ginny asked as they headed out
the doors.
"Maybe, though it is hard for me to imagine that they would be
doing anything but studying."
"Oh, come on. You know they like each other. Only a blind and deaf
person could miss that."
"I know, but this close to OWLs? Hermione would rather drown than
stop studying for them."
Ginny shrugged. "Perhaps."
"Oh, what's that supposed to mean?"
She shrugged again. "I don't know. Make it mean whatever you
want it to."
Harry seethed silently. This was just going to be one of those days.
They headed into Hagrid's Hut and shut the door behind them. It
was dark with a fire going, which made it rather hot.
"Hiya, kid," a deep voice greated them with an American drawl.
"Long time, no see."
Harry grinned. "Hi, Sean. What brings you here this time?"
They had last met Sean, the American flying carpet smuggler during
their winter term at the Three Broomsticks. He and his vampire side-kick,
Satchel, had been instrumental in their attempt to destroy Voldemort with
the Green Torch. Naturally, it hadn't worked but that didn't ruin the
excitement of meeting Sean again.
"Eh, I was just bringing in another shipment when I ran into this
little deviant here," he pointed at George. "I meant to come talk to you
guys but later in the week. Then I just decided that there is no time like
the present and told George togather all of you here. This isn't it is it?" He
looked over their group.
"No, it's not," Harry answered. "We're still waiting on Ron and
Hermione."
"Hmm, to wait or not to wait," Sean considered, folding his arms
behind his head. "oh, I guess I'll wait. This information is for their ears
too." Sean grinned broadly.
Harry narrowed his eyes. "Information like what?" he asked
suspiciously.
"Geez, hold your horses. Wait until the rest of your friends get here.
I'm not much into repeating myself." He turned to Hagrid and pointedly
changed the topic. "So, Hagrid, you in the market for a flying carpet that
can get you where you need to go faster than a gleaming firebolt?"
Harry shook his head and turned to watch out the window for Ron
and Hermione. Ginny had boldly decided to go look for them. It was just
like Sean to use every opportunity he could to make a sale.
Satchel merely sat in a chair drinking out of a large canteen that
was more than likely filled with blood. He noticed Harry's gaze and smiled
at him, revealing a blood stained mouth. Harry supressed a shudder and
smiled back before returning his gaze to the window. George got up from
his seat and walked up to Sean. "Say, Sean, are you in the mood to
diversify your business?"
Sean looked at him appraisingly. "Diversify how? If it's not illegal, I
won't sell it. You know that."
"Yeah, yeah, I know that," George said eagerly as he pulled out a
canary cream. "If these aren't already illegal, they soon will be. I call them
canary creams. Anyone who eats them turns into a canary!" Sean laughed
. "Man, this is one of those times I fear for the future of the wizarding
world." He shook his head in mock sorrow. Harry grinned. Weasley's
Wizard Wheezes were the least of his worries. Where were they?
Aha! There they were, heading across the school's yard towards
Hagrid's Hut. "They're coming," Harry informed the twins, who were now
trying to get Sean to buy some of their canary creams and fake wands.
"Great, it's about time! Look here, Sean," George said eagerly,
trying to wrap up a sale. "I'll show you just how well these creams work
when Ron gets in here. Then perhaps you'll care for some."
"Boy, you just don't quit do you? Heck, if your parents wouldn't
have a fit over it, I'd take you in as a salesman." Ginny, Ron, and
Hermione entered the hut and broke Sean off.
"'Ere they are, the rest of the team; tell you what, George, we'll
discuss this later." Sean rubbed his hands together and a faint line of
distast formed on Hermione's forehead as she recognized who the visitor
Ginny had spoken of was. Ron was thrilled, of course. There was nothing
he liked better than things that annoyed Hermione and he was rapidly
becoming one himself. "Sean!" He exclaimed, "Satchel! How are you
guys?"
Sean stood up and shook Ron's hand with another grin. "We're
good. How are you doing, Ron? Enjoying the rowing machine?"
Harry stared at Sean in surprise. "How did you know about that?"
"I'm the one who found it for Sirius for such a low price." He paused
conspiratorially. "Um, by the way, I wouldn't make too much noise about
havin' one. It's not exactly--" he wrinkled his brow, then it smoothed out
when he remembered. "--kosher." Harry swallowed. Just what he needed-
- a semi-legal rowing machine. Meanwhile, George, on the other side of
the hut had a look on his face that suggested deep and penetrating
betrayal. "You! You!" He sputtered. "You contributed to the appearance of
that-- that thing??!"
"Yes," Sean answered calmly, taking a sip of his drink. "I did."
"Don't you know how annoying it is? Not a day passes where I don't
to chuck it out the window or something?"
Sean put his mug down. "George, let me give you a piece of advice.
Business advice, if you will: If life gives you lemons, find someone you
hate to throw them at." He smiled at himself proudly.
"Um, Sean," Hermione said timidly, "Isn't it 'when life gives you
lemons, make lemonade?'"
Sean leaned towards her. "What, do you think Satchel and I got
where we are in life by making lemonade? Hell no."
Ron's face broke into a devilish grin, while Hermione seemed to
have received a life defining revelation.
"Yeah, so Sirius told me about your mission and he wanted to help
out anyway he could. Thus the rowing machine. Only problem --and the
reason I called you here -- is that I haven't seen him since."
Harry's head popped up from his studious observation of his robes.
"What do you mean," he asked quietly.
Sean hesitated noticibly. "Well, he told me we'd meet same place
and same time in two weeks, to make sure the delivery got there and to
plan further action. He never showed up. I didn't mind at first--I could
spend years there, drinking, taking in the sights--" Satchel gave him a
warning look and Sean jumped out of his reverie. "Um, sorry about that. I
just mean, I'm a little concerned. Have any of you heard anything from
him?"
Harry shook his head. "Not so much as a letter. I wrote him back
after I received the machine. He usually writes sooner."
"Maybe he's just been busy...on the move, you know." Ginny
supplied hopefully
Sean shook his head. "No, he's been helping me out for a while. He
wouldn't go without leaving some sort of message." Harry felt his heart
sink to his stomach.
They all sat there in the hut in silence. Every once in a while,
someone (usually Hermione) would pop up with an explanation or a way
to get in contact with Sirius. But there was always some objection. But no
one dared mention the possibilty that was on everyone's mind. Then,
suddenly the door to Hagrid's cabin burst open and Dumbledore walked
quickly in..
"Harry? Harry? Oh, there you are Harry." Dumbledore seemed
strangely relieved and out of breath. "I thought you would be here. I have
some bad news. The Ministry of Magic has just contacted me: they've
captured Sirius and they're holding him in Azkaban. He's to be executed
within the next 48 hours!"
The next week was pretty typical and stress filled. The specter of the
OWLs moved ever closer and practicing rowing with Marvin provided some
welcome relief from the monotony of study, if not sress.
"Row harder," Marvin ordered Fred one evening.
"I can't!" Fred protested, sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Then you'll never get anywhere in life, will you?" Marvin offered up a fake
sigh. "That's the way it is these days. Everyone quits when things stop
going the way they want them to. Sometimes, I really don't see why I
bother anymore. All my encouragement is for nought. I should just go
throw myself in the heap pile."
Fred muttered something to the extent of "I wish," and started
rowing again with a vigor fueled by anger.
"Oh, come on, Fred, be nice to it," Ginny scolded, "He is just trying
to do his job. Imagine if every time you made a new Weasley's Wizzard
Wheezes everyone told you to go away and caused trouble."
Fred paused a moment to glare at her. "They do."
Ginny giggled. "Oh that's right, I forgot," and went back to her
runes translation.
Harry sighed. This certainly wasn't going the way he'd planned. Their
studies were taking up more time than they should and more than half of
Gryffindor wanted to throw Marvin out the window. It was Saturday and
they were still stuck in the common room, bent over homework. They had
been hunched over in the library, but Ron and Hermione couldn't stop
bickering, so Fred, Harry, and Ginny bravely retreated and let them fight it
out. George, on the other hand, was revelling in 7th year laziness and
took the day off to go to Hogsmeade. Harry really wanted to hate him for
it.
Suddenly, the door burst open and George rushed in. "Hey, guys!
Guess what! Guess who I ran into in Hogsmeade!"
Harry looked up from his essay, "Alright, who?"
"You have to guess."
Fred dropped the rowing machine, exhausted and stood up.
"George, friend, I would more than venture to say that no one here is
very keen for a guessing game right now." He fingered his wand,
suggestively. "Now who is it?"
His eyes on Fred's wand, George relented. "Alright, fine, if you guess
want to be that way: it was Sean. You know, smuggler, outlaw, the
coolest adult person I have ever met?"
"Oh, yes, I remember," Ginny said vaguely. "Your idol."
"Damn straight." George nodded. "He told me he'd like to meet with
us at Hagrid's place and that it was BYOB, whatever that means."
Harry thought this over. "He wants us to meet him?"
"Yes."
"Did he list us by name or did he just say 'you and your friends' and
you assumed to know what he meant?"
"He said, and I quote, 'I would really like to talk to you and the rest
of your canoe team. It's important. Blah, blah, blah." George revealed this
information in the best monotone he could manage.
"Oh. In that case, let's go." He slammed his book shut and turned to
Ginny, "Want to come with and get the quarrllers out of the library?"
"Sure," Ginny closed her book loudly and stood up.
"Ok, we'll meet you guys at Hagrid's in a few minutes then."
Fred and George nodded and they headed off.
When Ginny and Harry reached the library, it was empty save for a
group of 5th year Ravenclaws discussing advanced Defense against the
Dark Arts methods.
Ginny looked around, puzzled. "Where'd they go?"
"I don't know. They couldn't have gone back to the Common Room,
we would have run into them on the way." He decided to ask the
Ravenclaws. "Excuse me, have any of you seen Ron Weasley and
Hermione Granger? They were here studying earlier today."
A dark blond Ravenclaw giggled. "Oh, yes, they were here."
Harry smiled tightly. He was getting rather tired of people giggling
when they spoke to him. One would think after five years, they'd be used
to him by now. Even Ginny had gotten over her giggling and blushing fits
and was now good, if not young, company. "Good, would you happen to
know where they went?"
The Ravenclaw shook her head. "Sorry. I don't know for sure, but
they may have gone outside."
Ginny wrinkled her brow. "Outside? To study?"
The Ravenclaws broke out into laughter. "Who said they were
studying?" the blond one asked.
Harry refused to be brought into that conversation. He had early
learned not even to suggest the idea that the two might like each other in
either one of their presences. "So, you don't know?"
"Nope."
"Well, thanks anyway." Harry turned and dragged Ginny along with
him.
"Do you think they went outside?" Ginny asked as they headed out
the doors.
"Maybe, though it is hard for me to imagine that they would be
doing anything but studying."
"Oh, come on. You know they like each other. Only a blind and deaf
person could miss that."
"I know, but this close to OWLs? Hermione would rather drown than
stop studying for them."
Ginny shrugged. "Perhaps."
"Oh, what's that supposed to mean?"
She shrugged again. "I don't know. Make it mean whatever you
want it to."
Harry seethed silently. This was just going to be one of those days.
They headed into Hagrid's Hut and shut the door behind them. It
was dark with a fire going, which made it rather hot.
"Hiya, kid," a deep voice greated them with an American drawl.
"Long time, no see."
Harry grinned. "Hi, Sean. What brings you here this time?"
They had last met Sean, the American flying carpet smuggler during
their winter term at the Three Broomsticks. He and his vampire side-kick,
Satchel, had been instrumental in their attempt to destroy Voldemort with
the Green Torch. Naturally, it hadn't worked but that didn't ruin the
excitement of meeting Sean again.
"Eh, I was just bringing in another shipment when I ran into this
little deviant here," he pointed at George. "I meant to come talk to you
guys but later in the week. Then I just decided that there is no time like
the present and told George togather all of you here. This isn't it is it?" He
looked over their group.
"No, it's not," Harry answered. "We're still waiting on Ron and
Hermione."
"Hmm, to wait or not to wait," Sean considered, folding his arms
behind his head. "oh, I guess I'll wait. This information is for their ears
too." Sean grinned broadly.
Harry narrowed his eyes. "Information like what?" he asked
suspiciously.
"Geez, hold your horses. Wait until the rest of your friends get here.
I'm not much into repeating myself." He turned to Hagrid and pointedly
changed the topic. "So, Hagrid, you in the market for a flying carpet that
can get you where you need to go faster than a gleaming firebolt?"
Harry shook his head and turned to watch out the window for Ron
and Hermione. Ginny had boldly decided to go look for them. It was just
like Sean to use every opportunity he could to make a sale.
Satchel merely sat in a chair drinking out of a large canteen that
was more than likely filled with blood. He noticed Harry's gaze and smiled
at him, revealing a blood stained mouth. Harry supressed a shudder and
smiled back before returning his gaze to the window. George got up from
his seat and walked up to Sean. "Say, Sean, are you in the mood to
diversify your business?"
Sean looked at him appraisingly. "Diversify how? If it's not illegal, I
won't sell it. You know that."
"Yeah, yeah, I know that," George said eagerly as he pulled out a
canary cream. "If these aren't already illegal, they soon will be. I call them
canary creams. Anyone who eats them turns into a canary!" Sean laughed
. "Man, this is one of those times I fear for the future of the wizarding
world." He shook his head in mock sorrow. Harry grinned. Weasley's
Wizard Wheezes were the least of his worries. Where were they?
Aha! There they were, heading across the school's yard towards
Hagrid's Hut. "They're coming," Harry informed the twins, who were now
trying to get Sean to buy some of their canary creams and fake wands.
"Great, it's about time! Look here, Sean," George said eagerly,
trying to wrap up a sale. "I'll show you just how well these creams work
when Ron gets in here. Then perhaps you'll care for some."
"Boy, you just don't quit do you? Heck, if your parents wouldn't
have a fit over it, I'd take you in as a salesman." Ginny, Ron, and
Hermione entered the hut and broke Sean off.
"'Ere they are, the rest of the team; tell you what, George, we'll
discuss this later." Sean rubbed his hands together and a faint line of
distast formed on Hermione's forehead as she recognized who the visitor
Ginny had spoken of was. Ron was thrilled, of course. There was nothing
he liked better than things that annoyed Hermione and he was rapidly
becoming one himself. "Sean!" He exclaimed, "Satchel! How are you
guys?"
Sean stood up and shook Ron's hand with another grin. "We're
good. How are you doing, Ron? Enjoying the rowing machine?"
Harry stared at Sean in surprise. "How did you know about that?"
"I'm the one who found it for Sirius for such a low price." He paused
conspiratorially. "Um, by the way, I wouldn't make too much noise about
havin' one. It's not exactly--" he wrinkled his brow, then it smoothed out
when he remembered. "--kosher." Harry swallowed. Just what he needed-
- a semi-legal rowing machine. Meanwhile, George, on the other side of
the hut had a look on his face that suggested deep and penetrating
betrayal. "You! You!" He sputtered. "You contributed to the appearance of
that-- that thing??!"
"Yes," Sean answered calmly, taking a sip of his drink. "I did."
"Don't you know how annoying it is? Not a day passes where I don't
to chuck it out the window or something?"
Sean put his mug down. "George, let me give you a piece of advice.
Business advice, if you will: If life gives you lemons, find someone you
hate to throw them at." He smiled at himself proudly.
"Um, Sean," Hermione said timidly, "Isn't it 'when life gives you
lemons, make lemonade?'"
Sean leaned towards her. "What, do you think Satchel and I got
where we are in life by making lemonade? Hell no."
Ron's face broke into a devilish grin, while Hermione seemed to
have received a life defining revelation.
"Yeah, so Sirius told me about your mission and he wanted to help
out anyway he could. Thus the rowing machine. Only problem --and the
reason I called you here -- is that I haven't seen him since."
Harry's head popped up from his studious observation of his robes.
"What do you mean," he asked quietly.
Sean hesitated noticibly. "Well, he told me we'd meet same place
and same time in two weeks, to make sure the delivery got there and to
plan further action. He never showed up. I didn't mind at first--I could
spend years there, drinking, taking in the sights--" Satchel gave him a
warning look and Sean jumped out of his reverie. "Um, sorry about that. I
just mean, I'm a little concerned. Have any of you heard anything from
him?"
Harry shook his head. "Not so much as a letter. I wrote him back
after I received the machine. He usually writes sooner."
"Maybe he's just been busy...on the move, you know." Ginny
supplied hopefully
Sean shook his head. "No, he's been helping me out for a while. He
wouldn't go without leaving some sort of message." Harry felt his heart
sink to his stomach.
They all sat there in the hut in silence. Every once in a while,
someone (usually Hermione) would pop up with an explanation or a way
to get in contact with Sirius. But there was always some objection. But no
one dared mention the possibilty that was on everyone's mind. Then,
suddenly the door to Hagrid's cabin burst open and Dumbledore walked
quickly in..
"Harry? Harry? Oh, there you are Harry." Dumbledore seemed
strangely relieved and out of breath. "I thought you would be here. I have
some bad news. The Ministry of Magic has just contacted me: they've
captured Sirius and they're holding him in Azkaban. He's to be executed
within the next 48 hours!"