Chapter Three
The Sirius Matter
Harry jumped, his wand extended down the steps at the man standing over Aunt Petunia's limp body. "NOOOO!" he screamed.
"Ah! There you are Harry; I was wondering when I would see you again. You were so small last time I saw you." The man gave a crude smile.
"Put her right and leave!" Harry ordered.
"I don't think so; no I don't believe I will." The man smiled.
"Expell." Harry started to shout. But two arms enclosed behind him and grabbed his wand.
"Miss me Harry?" The voice hissed in his ear. The blood began rushing to Harry's toes and he was numb. "I thought you might like me to visit. and thank your owl for giving me a lift, it was much easier to find you."
"Wormtail." Harry said shortly; angry and disgust riding in his voice.
"Famous Harry Potter remembers me. how nice of you." He said.
"Come on Wormtail. let's go!" The man at the front door said. He kicked Aunt Petunia's body away from him and signaled the men holding Dudley and Uncle Vernon to follow.
"Look what you've done now boy!" Uncle Vernon bellowed.
"Shut up!" The man behind Vernon said as he kicked him. Uncle Vernon grunted painfully and let himself be led away.
"Not so fast!" Ordered a firm voice. It rang in your ears long after it died. A slender figure with long jet black hair blazing out from under a hood and hazel eyes shining from the face covered with shadows. The girl stood in the darkness just outside the front door. Her hand was raised and her wand pointed at the group.
"Malfoy?" The first man exclaimed. "You're father will be furious!"
"I am not a Malfoy. And I believe my father would be proud!" The voice said again. "Stuptify!" And the first man was down.
"Get out of the way you bitch. this is the Dark Lord's work." The man behind Dudley yelled.
"Tupp-tuss-tie!" She screamed again and that man doubled up in pain as ropes rapped around his body.
"Bloody wicked!" Dudley cheered.
"And what of you, Yon? Are you going to have to make me hurt you too?" The girl said sweetly.
The man's eyes went blood shot and black with loath, but his arm loosened around Uncle Vernon. At his release, Vernon turned around and punched the man square in the nose than put him in a choker hold.
"Hold him Mr. Dursey." The girl ordered. She turned to Harry and Peter. "Now Peter, let him go." She said harshly.
"Why should I? You are a filthy blood traitor, just like your father!" Peter squealed through delight and half scared of what she would do as he said it.
"If betraying the Malfoys is bad, than I'll be damned!" The girl hissed. "Now, let him go Peter, or you'll find yourself with the damned!"
He sneered at her, nostrils flared and eyes evil, but Peter let go at once. "Realvelto!" The girl said more softly. And Peter turned into Scabbers the rat with a flash of blue light. "Prisitotarea!" and a jar enclosed around the rat. "Animnube!" and a purple flame engulfed the jar and then dissolved into the glass. The lady went to pick up the jar.
"Bloody Wicked!" a tiny voice behind the girl cried. "Can you do it again Sirius?" It was red headed Mark Evans stepping into the light. "You did them a job you did."
"Sirius?" Harry croaked at the name. "Mark? What's going on?"
"It's okay Harry." The girl said softly now, her anger softly dying. "Hold this for me, will you Mark, I need to clean this place up before the Ministry gets here." Mark took the rat from her and stepped away so she could work. She put the three death eaters into full body binds, fixed Dudley and Uncle Vernon up and laid Aunt Petunia on the couch. "Dursely, you need to keep an eye on her, she'll be fine, but when she wakes up, don't bother her too much, she'll be edgy."
"Who the blazes do you think you are? Coming in my home and telling me how to take care of my wife, filthy freak, that's what you are, a stupid git that waves a wand around." The girl shook her head and went upstairs with Mark and Harry following close behind her. "And where do you think you're going, get out of my house. get out I say..." They entered Harry's room. "Get your dark magic ass down here and out of my."
She shut the door with a snap. "Gather your things Potter, we don't have much time. If the Ministry gets here before we leave." She trailed off. "Evans, I want you to run, as fast as you can back to your house and pack. Potter and I will be along shortly to collect you." Mark rushed to the door at her orders. "Evans, wait," Mark turned around, scared he did something wrong. "The rat please." Mark smiled shyly, nodded and gave her the rat.
Harry was in awe of what was happening. to think of it, what was happening. "Err. Sirius was it? What are you going to do with Wormtail?"
"Clean my father's name, now hurry up." She barked. "And call me Angel." she added more sweetly. He smiled at this; calling someone else Sirius was painful even if it wasn't his godfather. But how odd was it that the one person who happens to save his life bares the name of the last person to do so? Harry picked up speed and within moments they were carrying Hedwig in her cage, Harry's trunk and broom downstairs.
"Yeah, get out of my house and take that boy with you. And never come back Potter, you are never welcome here again." Uncle Vernon shouted as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "You have plagued my house and I'll have no more of it. out. OUT!" and with that Angel and Harry were outside in the crisp night air.
"Come along, hurry up!" Angel hissed. She was carrying Harry's trunk with ease with the jar containing Wormtail on top of that. Harry only had to manage his firebolt and Hedwig.
Within minute, they were standing outside the Evan's house at number 7 Magnolia Drive. Harry followed Angel up the steps and put Hedwig down as Angel did his trunk. She pulled down her hood for the first time. Her long black hair rustled in the night wind and she pressed over her robes, clearly trying to prepare herself for the Muggles. She knocked crisply on the door and before she finished, little red hair Mark threw open the door and wide smile planted on his face. "Hello Sirius! Hey Harry!" Mark squealed as he tried to drag his trunk out side, but he failed.
"Mark, its Angel. Don't call me Sirius." she said, eying Harry. "I haven't been called that since I was three."
"But it's your first name." Mark argued still attempting to drag his trunk. "I get to come with you Harry! Isn't that great! Angel said so!"
"Great!" Harry muttered under his breath. This was very strange. "Where are we going anyway? And I'm supposed to be picked up tomorrow." Harry said, finally remembering the note he got early that day.
"Calm down Harry. I was the one going to pick you up and if you whether be put in a wizarding home by the Ministry, you can go back to number four and see if I come back." The girl snapped. "You're going the same place, just earlier."
Harry nodded finding the hint of stress and inpatients in her voice. "What have you pack here Evans?" Angel said, now a little more up beat.
"Nothing.. My trunk is just heavy." Mark panted moving closer to Harry.
Angel shook her head and waved her wand. pink light blinded them and the trunk disappeared. "What did you do to me stuff!" Mark cried.
"Nothing, just shrunk it. look." Angel bent down and picked up a teeny tiny trunk. She placed it in Marks hand. "Should be easier to carry now." She said with a mocking smile. Mark blushed slightly but you could see was amazed by the magic.
Angel then picked up Wormtail and did the same the Harry's trunk, let Hedwig out and told her to find Molly and shrunk her cage. She scooped up the small cage and trunk and put them in her pocket. Harry grabbed his Firebolt, not wanting that to be shrunk, and hugged it to him.
Angel's eyes twitched with laughter at the sight of a sixteen year old hugging a broom, but didn't speak. She knocked on the inside of the door and stepped inside. "Mr. and Mrs. Evans?" She called into the house.
"Bye mum, bye dad! Leaving with Harry and Angel now. see you next summer." Mark called from behind Angel. A loud grunt came from the living room and his father just waved them off. Mark smiled. "They're mad because I said I might not come home for Christmas." Angel shrugged, closed the door and walked off the porch.
"Where are we going and how are we getting there?" Harry asked.
"The house of Black." Angel answered shortly testing the wind. "And we will be breaking a bit of a law to get there. the Ministry won't be paying attention though, probably all out looking for you I dear say." Angel said, with delight in her tone.
Mark grinned even wider, it was no doubt he loved all this. "Okay, Mark, hold Pettigrew would you and Harry just don't loose that broom, dad.err. Sirius will disappoint if you do." Harry caught her mishaps but didn't question it. she was obviously thinking really hard and to interrupt that might be a bad choice.
With this she threw one arm around Harry shoulders and one around Mark. "Might want to hold tight to me. it won't be as fast and as easy as it should be." With this Mark threw himself around her waist gripping the jar under his arm. Harry draped his left arm around her shoulders and closed his eyes. Angel did the same.
And a snap over took the night. A rush of midnight blue and dark trees flew past them. Harry opened his eyes. It was just like floo powder or the Night Bus, but faster. The world below them passed in a flash of light and then started moving fast. Mark was turning pink and his grip on the jar and Angel was tightening. Harry almost wanted to let go, to be taken away by what was happening.
It wasn't a minute later the all three of them hit the ground. Mark rolled off onto the street and Harry landing on top of Angel. There was a moment of silence then Angel started to softly laugh which brought laughter to Mark's and Harry's breathe. Harry stood up and Angel leaned back on her hand still laughing.
"Harry, you stay out here with Mark, I have to go get Dumbledore. you know the whole Secret Keeper thing." Angel picked up Mark and dusted him off, handing the shaking rat that had rolled onto the grassy lawn, to him. "Here." She took off her cape and draped it over both Harry's and Mark's shoulder. "This should make it pretty impossible for anyone to see you or hear you. but still try to be quiet. If anything at all happens, Harry, don't be afraid to use magic."
Harry nodded, throwing an arm around Mark and leading him half way to the door. He could see number 12 Grimmauld Place, but it didn't look the same. The out side was a coal Black and the shudders where hunter green. The door was sanded and smoother, the windows clean and the path leading to it dirt free.
"Harry," Mark whispered. "There is an 11, 13 and 14. but where is 12?"
Harry smiled but did not answer, his eyes followed Angel up the walk as she opened the door. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? THE MEETING STARTED 15 MINUTES AGO AND YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO CHECK UP ON SOME EVANS BOY AND BE RIGHT BACK! DUMBLEDORE IS FURIOUS AND EVERYONE THINKS THAT YOU LEFT THE ORDER!" Molly Weasley's voice came booming out of the house.
"I need to see Dumbledore." Angel said coolly as though not hearing Molly.
"I TOLD HIM YOU WERE TOO YOUNG TO BE IN THE ORDER! CAN'T EVEN MAKE MEETING TIMES." Molly's voice was cut off when Angel shut the door.
"WOW! Was the screaming lady a witch?" Mark breathed.
"Yeah, that's Molly Weasley." Harry told him.
"I thought you said she was nice."
"She is. just a little loud." Harry smiled, she always did yell at people.
Moments later Albus Dumbledore and Angel came striding across the grounds. Angel took the cape off their shoulders and Harry retrieved his arm from around Mark. "You're Dumbledore aren't you!" Mark squealed in delight.
Dumbledore smile. "The Order of the Phoenix is at Number 12 Grimmauld Place."
"But there isn't a 12." Mark argued.
"Listen to what I'm saying Mark, Number 12. now where is the Order at?" Dumbledore said calmly.
"Number 12?" Mark asked rather than answer.
"Right, so come along." Angel ordered. Harry gripped his broom and Angel took Peter from Mark.
The three of them followed Dumbledore into the house. Mark was smiling more than ever. "That was magic, huh Professor. I've seen so much magic today, you should have seen Angel take out those black caped people!"
Harry jumped, his wand extended down the steps at the man standing over Aunt Petunia's limp body. "NOOOO!" he screamed.
"Ah! There you are Harry; I was wondering when I would see you again. You were so small last time I saw you." The man gave a crude smile.
"Put her right and leave!" Harry ordered.
"I don't think so; no I don't believe I will." The man smiled.
"Expell." Harry started to shout. But two arms enclosed behind him and grabbed his wand.
"Miss me Harry?" The voice hissed in his ear. The blood began rushing to Harry's toes and he was numb. "I thought you might like me to visit. and thank your owl for giving me a lift, it was much easier to find you."
"Wormtail." Harry said shortly; angry and disgust riding in his voice.
"Famous Harry Potter remembers me. how nice of you." He said.
"Come on Wormtail. let's go!" The man at the front door said. He kicked Aunt Petunia's body away from him and signaled the men holding Dudley and Uncle Vernon to follow.
"Look what you've done now boy!" Uncle Vernon bellowed.
"Shut up!" The man behind Vernon said as he kicked him. Uncle Vernon grunted painfully and let himself be led away.
"Not so fast!" Ordered a firm voice. It rang in your ears long after it died. A slender figure with long jet black hair blazing out from under a hood and hazel eyes shining from the face covered with shadows. The girl stood in the darkness just outside the front door. Her hand was raised and her wand pointed at the group.
"Malfoy?" The first man exclaimed. "You're father will be furious!"
"I am not a Malfoy. And I believe my father would be proud!" The voice said again. "Stuptify!" And the first man was down.
"Get out of the way you bitch. this is the Dark Lord's work." The man behind Dudley yelled.
"Tupp-tuss-tie!" She screamed again and that man doubled up in pain as ropes rapped around his body.
"Bloody wicked!" Dudley cheered.
"And what of you, Yon? Are you going to have to make me hurt you too?" The girl said sweetly.
The man's eyes went blood shot and black with loath, but his arm loosened around Uncle Vernon. At his release, Vernon turned around and punched the man square in the nose than put him in a choker hold.
"Hold him Mr. Dursey." The girl ordered. She turned to Harry and Peter. "Now Peter, let him go." She said harshly.
"Why should I? You are a filthy blood traitor, just like your father!" Peter squealed through delight and half scared of what she would do as he said it.
"If betraying the Malfoys is bad, than I'll be damned!" The girl hissed. "Now, let him go Peter, or you'll find yourself with the damned!"
He sneered at her, nostrils flared and eyes evil, but Peter let go at once. "Realvelto!" The girl said more softly. And Peter turned into Scabbers the rat with a flash of blue light. "Prisitotarea!" and a jar enclosed around the rat. "Animnube!" and a purple flame engulfed the jar and then dissolved into the glass. The lady went to pick up the jar.
"Bloody Wicked!" a tiny voice behind the girl cried. "Can you do it again Sirius?" It was red headed Mark Evans stepping into the light. "You did them a job you did."
"Sirius?" Harry croaked at the name. "Mark? What's going on?"
"It's okay Harry." The girl said softly now, her anger softly dying. "Hold this for me, will you Mark, I need to clean this place up before the Ministry gets here." Mark took the rat from her and stepped away so she could work. She put the three death eaters into full body binds, fixed Dudley and Uncle Vernon up and laid Aunt Petunia on the couch. "Dursely, you need to keep an eye on her, she'll be fine, but when she wakes up, don't bother her too much, she'll be edgy."
"Who the blazes do you think you are? Coming in my home and telling me how to take care of my wife, filthy freak, that's what you are, a stupid git that waves a wand around." The girl shook her head and went upstairs with Mark and Harry following close behind her. "And where do you think you're going, get out of my house. get out I say..." They entered Harry's room. "Get your dark magic ass down here and out of my."
She shut the door with a snap. "Gather your things Potter, we don't have much time. If the Ministry gets here before we leave." She trailed off. "Evans, I want you to run, as fast as you can back to your house and pack. Potter and I will be along shortly to collect you." Mark rushed to the door at her orders. "Evans, wait," Mark turned around, scared he did something wrong. "The rat please." Mark smiled shyly, nodded and gave her the rat.
Harry was in awe of what was happening. to think of it, what was happening. "Err. Sirius was it? What are you going to do with Wormtail?"
"Clean my father's name, now hurry up." She barked. "And call me Angel." she added more sweetly. He smiled at this; calling someone else Sirius was painful even if it wasn't his godfather. But how odd was it that the one person who happens to save his life bares the name of the last person to do so? Harry picked up speed and within moments they were carrying Hedwig in her cage, Harry's trunk and broom downstairs.
"Yeah, get out of my house and take that boy with you. And never come back Potter, you are never welcome here again." Uncle Vernon shouted as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "You have plagued my house and I'll have no more of it. out. OUT!" and with that Angel and Harry were outside in the crisp night air.
"Come along, hurry up!" Angel hissed. She was carrying Harry's trunk with ease with the jar containing Wormtail on top of that. Harry only had to manage his firebolt and Hedwig.
Within minute, they were standing outside the Evan's house at number 7 Magnolia Drive. Harry followed Angel up the steps and put Hedwig down as Angel did his trunk. She pulled down her hood for the first time. Her long black hair rustled in the night wind and she pressed over her robes, clearly trying to prepare herself for the Muggles. She knocked crisply on the door and before she finished, little red hair Mark threw open the door and wide smile planted on his face. "Hello Sirius! Hey Harry!" Mark squealed as he tried to drag his trunk out side, but he failed.
"Mark, its Angel. Don't call me Sirius." she said, eying Harry. "I haven't been called that since I was three."
"But it's your first name." Mark argued still attempting to drag his trunk. "I get to come with you Harry! Isn't that great! Angel said so!"
"Great!" Harry muttered under his breath. This was very strange. "Where are we going anyway? And I'm supposed to be picked up tomorrow." Harry said, finally remembering the note he got early that day.
"Calm down Harry. I was the one going to pick you up and if you whether be put in a wizarding home by the Ministry, you can go back to number four and see if I come back." The girl snapped. "You're going the same place, just earlier."
Harry nodded finding the hint of stress and inpatients in her voice. "What have you pack here Evans?" Angel said, now a little more up beat.
"Nothing.. My trunk is just heavy." Mark panted moving closer to Harry.
Angel shook her head and waved her wand. pink light blinded them and the trunk disappeared. "What did you do to me stuff!" Mark cried.
"Nothing, just shrunk it. look." Angel bent down and picked up a teeny tiny trunk. She placed it in Marks hand. "Should be easier to carry now." She said with a mocking smile. Mark blushed slightly but you could see was amazed by the magic.
Angel then picked up Wormtail and did the same the Harry's trunk, let Hedwig out and told her to find Molly and shrunk her cage. She scooped up the small cage and trunk and put them in her pocket. Harry grabbed his Firebolt, not wanting that to be shrunk, and hugged it to him.
Angel's eyes twitched with laughter at the sight of a sixteen year old hugging a broom, but didn't speak. She knocked on the inside of the door and stepped inside. "Mr. and Mrs. Evans?" She called into the house.
"Bye mum, bye dad! Leaving with Harry and Angel now. see you next summer." Mark called from behind Angel. A loud grunt came from the living room and his father just waved them off. Mark smiled. "They're mad because I said I might not come home for Christmas." Angel shrugged, closed the door and walked off the porch.
"Where are we going and how are we getting there?" Harry asked.
"The house of Black." Angel answered shortly testing the wind. "And we will be breaking a bit of a law to get there. the Ministry won't be paying attention though, probably all out looking for you I dear say." Angel said, with delight in her tone.
Mark grinned even wider, it was no doubt he loved all this. "Okay, Mark, hold Pettigrew would you and Harry just don't loose that broom, dad.err. Sirius will disappoint if you do." Harry caught her mishaps but didn't question it. she was obviously thinking really hard and to interrupt that might be a bad choice.
With this she threw one arm around Harry shoulders and one around Mark. "Might want to hold tight to me. it won't be as fast and as easy as it should be." With this Mark threw himself around her waist gripping the jar under his arm. Harry draped his left arm around her shoulders and closed his eyes. Angel did the same.
And a snap over took the night. A rush of midnight blue and dark trees flew past them. Harry opened his eyes. It was just like floo powder or the Night Bus, but faster. The world below them passed in a flash of light and then started moving fast. Mark was turning pink and his grip on the jar and Angel was tightening. Harry almost wanted to let go, to be taken away by what was happening.
It wasn't a minute later the all three of them hit the ground. Mark rolled off onto the street and Harry landing on top of Angel. There was a moment of silence then Angel started to softly laugh which brought laughter to Mark's and Harry's breathe. Harry stood up and Angel leaned back on her hand still laughing.
"Harry, you stay out here with Mark, I have to go get Dumbledore. you know the whole Secret Keeper thing." Angel picked up Mark and dusted him off, handing the shaking rat that had rolled onto the grassy lawn, to him. "Here." She took off her cape and draped it over both Harry's and Mark's shoulder. "This should make it pretty impossible for anyone to see you or hear you. but still try to be quiet. If anything at all happens, Harry, don't be afraid to use magic."
Harry nodded, throwing an arm around Mark and leading him half way to the door. He could see number 12 Grimmauld Place, but it didn't look the same. The out side was a coal Black and the shudders where hunter green. The door was sanded and smoother, the windows clean and the path leading to it dirt free.
"Harry," Mark whispered. "There is an 11, 13 and 14. but where is 12?"
Harry smiled but did not answer, his eyes followed Angel up the walk as she opened the door. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? THE MEETING STARTED 15 MINUTES AGO AND YOU SAID YOU WERE GOING TO CHECK UP ON SOME EVANS BOY AND BE RIGHT BACK! DUMBLEDORE IS FURIOUS AND EVERYONE THINKS THAT YOU LEFT THE ORDER!" Molly Weasley's voice came booming out of the house.
"I need to see Dumbledore." Angel said coolly as though not hearing Molly.
"I TOLD HIM YOU WERE TOO YOUNG TO BE IN THE ORDER! CAN'T EVEN MAKE MEETING TIMES." Molly's voice was cut off when Angel shut the door.
"WOW! Was the screaming lady a witch?" Mark breathed.
"Yeah, that's Molly Weasley." Harry told him.
"I thought you said she was nice."
"She is. just a little loud." Harry smiled, she always did yell at people.
Moments later Albus Dumbledore and Angel came striding across the grounds. Angel took the cape off their shoulders and Harry retrieved his arm from around Mark. "You're Dumbledore aren't you!" Mark squealed in delight.
Dumbledore smile. "The Order of the Phoenix is at Number 12 Grimmauld Place."
"But there isn't a 12." Mark argued.
"Listen to what I'm saying Mark, Number 12. now where is the Order at?" Dumbledore said calmly.
"Number 12?" Mark asked rather than answer.
"Right, so come along." Angel ordered. Harry gripped his broom and Angel took Peter from Mark.
The three of them followed Dumbledore into the house. Mark was smiling more than ever. "That was magic, huh Professor. I've seen so much magic today, you should have seen Angel take out those black caped people!"