A/N: Muchas thankies to all my sweet, lovely reviewer-people! I'll do credits and shout-outs for everyone who's reviewed when I get up to twenty reviews, hint hint. Apologies for the lateness, I got banned again, and in the Easter holidays too... blasted parents. The next few chapter should turn up pretty quick, I've written as far as chapter five and I'm now halfway through chapter 6. Beta readers are always welcome, if you want to give me a nice Easter surprise, though Merry, Pippin, (from the LotR film) Sirius and Remus on a leash will do just as well. Sick, aren't I?
If you only read one other fanfiction this holidays, read Feeling Sorry For Hermione by jaffacake and join the lobby for the darn girl to update (apologies if she's done so since I checked five minutes ago) or, if you've a hankering for Legolas (in other words, if you're female with a pulse), read A Mirkwood Elf in Dumbledore's Court by Sun Queen. Shirtless Legolas, girls, it's all good.
The Marauders' Return 3: A Meeting With The Minister
The Hogsmeade street was in chaos as roughly a dozen Death Eaters and two Dementors closed in on a cheese-white Minister for Magic.
"Padfoot, get out of here, help the twins!" Monique snapped to the dog at her side. He stuck his tongue out at her for a second then raced over to the other end of the street, where two Death Eaters were attacking Fred and George, who were standing protectively in front of a young woman and her small baby. Sirius took the first from behind, sinking his teeth into his shoulder and dragging him away as Fred used his Quidditch bat to whack the other round the head with an almighty thump. He fell to the ground, knocked out, and George ushered the woman and baby inside their shop with a snap of "Touch nothing in there!"
Milo raised one arm into the air, his stutter vanished as he yelled, "Hufflepuff, aid your heir!" At once in his hands appeared a large staff made of some shiny jet-black wood, the top being composed of a large lump of amber. This he wielded with breathtaking skill in place of a wand, at an eye blurring speed, for Milo was a distant relative of Helga Hufflepuff, and as such was granted the ability to wield Hufflepuff's own weapon, a staff with fierce magical powers of its own. Mundungus' fists were flailing dangerously as he thumped the nearest Death Eater with all the fervour of a Slytherin-Gryffindor punch-up. Monique's small form slipped through the screaming crowds like quicksilver, kicking the legs out from underneath a Death Eater before he even realised she was there, leaving him for Erin to finish off. Another prepared to perform the Cruciatus curse on a young girl but Minerva got there first, pulling the girl out of the way with her left hand as her right held her wand.
"Stupefy!"
Apollo and Artemis fought side by side, their black belt karate skills just as dangerous as their wands as they defended a group of teenagers from three Death Eaters. Suddenly a Dementor loomed behind them. They spun round to face it as a silver beam blazed from each of their foreheads, connecting and shimmering upwards to form a tiny woman even smaller than Monique- their triplet sister, Artemina. 'Mina, as she was known, had been murdered by Death Eaters on her ninth birthday, but her soul had continued to grow inside her twin brother and sister, emerging at times of extreme danger to form a very special Patronus, one with a voice- and a fiery personality.
"I'll handle it!" Artemina told her siblings. "Watch your back!" The twins wheeled around just in time to avoid an Avada Kedavra curse from the lead Death Eater. Artemis kneed him just below the belt and he fell to the ground, where Apollo knocked him out before the two leaped over him to do the same to the other two. Artemina, meanwhile, launched a high-kick at the Dementor that cracked its neck, then drove it away with a blaze of blue flame.
Arabella darted in front of two of the remaining Death Eaters, who were currently attacking a fatly quivering Cornelius Fudge. His wand was spluttering hopefully but having no effect on his attackers.
"I don't know why the hell I'm doing this, but here goes," she muttered from between clenched teeth. "Impedimenta!"
The two Death Eaters were driven backwards, one falling over and striking his head on the hard pavement. He didn't move. Arabella's foot swung outwards in a dangerous arc, crashing into the other's knee and bringing him down.
"Stupe- what the hell?" her concentration was broken by the sound of frantic yelping from behind her. She swung round, but could see nothing but milling crowds. Monique and the others had plainly heard it too, judging by their expressions. Everyone backed off as Monique raced in the direction of the sound, her face pale and her blue eyes dangerous. It was probably just as well that they moved away from her, for as well as being more powerful than the ordinary witch, Monique was also a brilliant street fighter, Lily (who had won a number of kickboxing prizes, including Best of Britain three years running) having taught her as much as she could. Arabella felt something burning rush past her face. She whipped round; the Death Eater she had been about to knock out had recovered and was advancing on her fast. She tried to think of the right spell, but her brain had jammed.
Swoosh!
A blue-flighted arrow went darting past her face, embedding itself in the Death Eater's skull. Arabella couldn't see who had fired it, but she didn't care too much as she headed in the direction of the yelping sound as fast as she could.
At the far end of the street Sirius (as Padfoot) was having the time of his life as he bit a Death Eater in the knee as hard as he could, watching the others at the same time. He noticed Arabella's difficulties with the Death Eaters and watched for a little too long- he yelped as he was gripped in an iron hold by a Dementor that Fudge had brought with him and the shock of its icy, clammy grip made him transform back into a man. Trying desperately to force his limbs into action, he struggled frantically and finally kicked out, forcing the Dementor to drop him but striking his head against the nearby wall as he fell. And Sirius blacked out…
The people around her backed hastily away as Monique slammed her way through the crowds, using sharp elbows and hard feet unmercifully as she fought her way through the people, uneasily familiar with the yelp she had heard but too short to see what was going on. Finally she made it to the front, and the sight made her heart stop: Sirius lay crumpled on the ground like a rag doll as a Dementor advanced on him with Fudge watching, a triumphant smirk on his round face and the last Death Eater hovering nearby. A strangled scream burst from her as she flung herself forwards in front of Sirius, pushing the Dementor away and trying desperately to shield the man on the ground.
"No!" she sobbed, her voice catching, her blue eyes terrified but resolute. "Leave him alone! You can't, you can't, he's innocent…"
The Dementor gripped her by the shoulders, lifting her and forcing her face upwards as she struggled desperately, dropping her wand. She could see the house in Godric's Hollow in rubble; Lily's cold, tanned brown arm stretching out of the ruins, and her frozen, dead green eyes as she pulled her out; hear Harry crying for his mother, see Sirius being dragged away by Aurors, see her tiny dead baby lying grey and cold in a coffin as she ceased to fight against the Dementor's iron hold…
But then a ghostly-looking silver fist slammed into the Dementor from behind and it dropped her as Artemina swung it round, her silvery form fading now but still powerful. Monique slipped to the floor, crawling over to Sirius and cradling his head with one hand as the other searched for a pulse point, the nightmarish memories receding along with the Dementor. Her shoulders sagged with relief as she felt the steady but weak drumming at his temples that proved he was still alive.
"Move, girl!" snapped Fudge. "And call that- that thing off!"
"Artemina won't come," said Apollo quietly, forcing his way out of the crowd with Artemis behind him. "She follows only us."
The rest of the Marauders struggled out of the crowd, standing between Sirius and Fudge as a human shield with Artemina in front of all of them, still struggling with the Dementor. Apollo took the last Death Eater from behind, punching him so hard to the neck he was knocked out instantly, then muttering the Binding spell to stop him escaping.
"You'll have to take out all ten of us to get to him!" Remus told the (rapidly turning puce with barely-suppressed fury) Minister for Magic.
"Make that twelve!" came two voices behind him, as Fred and George Weasley made their way to stand with the others. Artemis gave the two of them the thumbs-up and Erin winked.
"Thirteen!" snapped another voice, as a teenage Asian girl carrying a sapphire-encrusted bow and quiver of blue-flighted arrows (clearly denoting her as Arabella's rescuer of earlier) joined them. Fudge's eyes flashed dangerously.
"And who might you be?" he enquired irritably.
"My name is Cho Chang," she told him calmly. "I'm a relative of Rowena Ravenclaw, and if the wisest House can give him a chance to prove his innocence, why can't you?"
"I won't move, Fudge," Monique told him ominously from her position on the ground, kneeling next to Sirius. "You'll have to take me out to get to him, and I'm by no means unconscious."
Fudge turned to her. "My dear," he said, surprisingly gently, "Is he really worth it?"
"My friends and I just risked our butts saving your life, Fudge!" she said scornfully. "Did we ask if you were worth it? But yes, he is worth it. He's worth everything…"
Sirius came back to consciousness with a groan and she turned back to him, one hand reaching out to scrabble for her wand and picking it up again.
"Hey babe," she smiled softly. "You OK?" Sirius grinned weakly.
"Yeah," he murmured. "My head kinda aches, though." Monique muttered the pain-relieving charm and he relaxed with a smile, then found her hand and held it tight.
Artemina wasn't having much luck with the Dementor, however: she had been in her Patronus state for too long to have very much power left and eventually she disappeared with a soft poof, silver light rushing back to Artemis and Apollo. The others drew their wands once more, pointing them straight at the Dementor.
"Expecto Patronum!" they roared as if with one voice, and the Dementor exploded, shattering into tiny ash-like pieces that flew in all directions. Fudge squeaked in fright, a high, involuntary sound.
Minerva dropped back from the semi-circular shield they had formed, dropping to her knees beside Monique. "How are we going to get him out of here?" she muttered to her friend. "I don't think he can
Apparate, not in his state, and it's dangerous to Transfigure living human beings- anything could go
wrong, and knowing Sirius, it probably will."
Sirius raised his head. "Get me my wand. I can Apparate, I'll be fine." Minerva silenced him with a single Look, much like the one she was wont to use on offending students at Hogwarts.
"Not a snowball's chance on a sunny day, mate," she told him firmly. "Fudge can still perform Avada Kedavra on a splinched guy, you know, and that's what you'll do to yourself, laddie."
Monique outlined her plan to Minerva. "I'll never be able to carry him, I'm not that sure if I can even run- twisted my ankle when that Dementor dropped me. So it looks like we're going have to try the old diversion tactics. Remus is the strongest, him and Mundungus, anyway, so they can get Sirius out of here- use the Floo powder in the twins' shop, while us and the rest of the guys distract Fudge and the Aurors."
A thought struck Minerva. "Hang on a sec, is there anything we can use as a Portkey?" Sirius grinned.
"Now that's a plan!" he chuckled. "Try someone's boot- not mine, anyone who touches it will probably catch Bubonic Plague or something." Monique rolled her eyes.
"You've been staying at Remus' again, haven't you?" she sighed, wrinkling her nose. "I swear, you seem to forget how to wash every time you hang around with the guys." Sirius winked.
"Aw, you know you love me really."
"Whatever."