Chapter 7
It was the first time Mundungus was allowed to visit his godson. While he had been fighting for this chance for several years he was still hit with a bout of irrational fear and trepidation as he finally lay foot on the most feared island of the wizarding world. Azkaban. Whether the fortress was named after the island or the island after fortress Mundungus did not know, and frankly he did not care, either. Azkaban, place of the damned. His eyes wandered over the barren land in front of him. There was no flower, there was no tree, Heck!, there wasn't even any grass or other weed. Just stones and rocks and the grey prison walls.
He took a look back over his shoulder. The boat with which he had come was way out on the water. The wizard couldn't blame the boatsman. Nobody wanted to stay here any moment longer than necessary. //Then why am I here? I have no business here!// Oh, but he did. He had to see his godson even though he probably was insane by now. //I owe him that much. I couldn't save him but I'll at least try to make his stay more bearable//. That was one of the reasons why he had come here. The other one was to question Sirius. He couldn't believe that his little prankster had committed all these crimes he was imprisoned for. He had to know what had //really// happened! And maybe he could help him.
Swallowing back his fear - it was, after all, incited by the Dementors and not by the thought of visiting his godson - he made his way up towards the fortress. With each step he took along the rocky and winding pathway the chill he had only absently registered at the beginning intensified. As he finally knocked on the great doors of the castle he was positively freezing. //How could Sirius stand it? How could //anyone//?//
~~**~~
The headmistress of Stoke Primary School was the very incarnation of a dragon. Ferocious and humongous, she loomed behind her broad desk, glaring at the werewolf as he entered her territory. "Good day, Ma'am," Remus said pleasantly, plastering a polite smile on his face.
"My name is Remus Lupin. Your letter to me stated you wanted to talk to me about my charge, Harry Potter?"
Ms. Bittergreen's face contorted into something that could vaguely be described as a smile and she indicated for her guest to sit down on a distinctly uncomfortable looking chair which was positioned before her desk. He obeyed without thinking. The headmistress had that effect upon people and she knew just how to use it.
"Harry Potter, indeed," she murmured, staring hard at the man in front of her. "Well, I shall be honest with you. In my opinion it is better to be straightforward if problems arise."
"Yes, this is definitely the best way to deal with problems. I appreciate it." Remus answered a bit stiffly. There was something wrong here.
"I'm glad you agree. - Your charge tends to show quite a - say - unsociable behaviour, at times. I don't mean his pranks and general lack of respect towards authorities. Though, something does have to be done about this, as well..."
She raised her nose and looked pointedly at Remus. He felt the sudden urge to cower and beg for mercy. It was quickly overshadowed by a bout of rage. How dare she imply that he hadn't properly raised Harry? And anyhow, //he// had been just as bad in his younger days and James certainly had been worse! He didn't think Harry lived up to Marauder standards (yet).
He smiled politely at Ms. Bittergreen.
"I talked to him about it only yesterday, Ma'am, but I will do so again if it doesn't change."
She nodded as if not expecting him to contradict her, anyway.
"Though, I think he took it to heart," he added.
"I hope so. Mr. Stratford had been terribly fond of this particular tie."
Considering that Harry wasn't even close enough to reach the piece of cloth - it had rather been his magic acting up after the teacher had made an unfavourable remark about Harry's guardian (It still filled Remus's heart with joy every time he thought about the boy feeling compelled to avenge him like that.) - the werewolf wondered how the Muggles could rectify blaming him for it. Not wanting to anger the headmistress, however, he refrained from commenting - or splitting into a grin. His lips twitched suspiciously, though.
"Anyway, Mr. Potter shows an alarming attitude towards his class mates."
//Harry?//
"He refuses to play with them, keeps to himself at breaks, usually sits alone in class as well, even insults the other pupils when they come too close and yesterday he smacked one, just like that!"
Remus was taken aback. While Harry had had some run-ins with children from his class before - like Anthony Robinson, son of the famous Robinsons and Jacks (a firm that produced vacuum cleaners for international market), who could give even Lucius Malfoy a run for his money when it came to snobbishness - he got along pretty well with most kids. What had changed? He didn't get any more time to ponder this question, however, as the headmistress continued.
"I will not expel him from school this time, of course, but I would like you to consider sending the boy to an institution which has better methods to handle children of his calibre - or at least, to an expert."
She handed him a piece of paper and firmly ushered him out of her office.
"Please, think about it. Goodbye, Mr. Lupin."
The door was shut just as Remus finally grasped at what she had meant.
~~**~~
The walk towards Sirius' cell was unbearable long. Azkaban was a maze of dark and dank corridors. If not for the guard who accompanied him towards his destination Mundungus would have got lost ages ago. He shivered as they rounded yet another corner and passed his 13th dementor. They had encountered five of these fiendish creatures in the last two minutes. Their number seemed to be increasing as they drew nearer to his godson. //He// is //a high-security prisoner, Mundi.// A voice in his head reminded him. Finally the warden stopped in just outside a cell with two dementors standing guard and he motioned for them to leave. They did, though reluctantly. Not a word was spoken as Mundungus took a step towards the door with its barred window.
His breath hitched as he got his first look of his favourite godson. The boy, no man, sat slumped in the corner farthest away from the door. At first, he couldn't believe that this was really Sirius. His once boyish round face was hagard and deep black circles were under his eyes. The grey prison robes were dirty and full of wholes, his hair was matted and greasy, hanging down far past his shoulders. He even had a beard, which as well looked like it hadn't seen water in ages.
"Hi Siri."
The man didn't react. He kept staring at something only he could see. Mundungus was quite at a loss what to do. A quick glance at the warden told him he wouldn't receive any help from that quarter. //Maybe, if I just keep talking... but what to tell him? - Ah!//
"You know, the day before yesterday I played a prank you couldn't possibly top. It all began when..."
Ever since Sirius had begun attending Hogwarts he and his godfather had had something like a competition going on to see who could play the greatest of pranks. Reminding him of it might spark some interest.
"Arthur was having a hard time controlling himself. I think he would have laughed outright if he hadn't been for his son. Took the boy to the office with him that day. Percy's his name, I think. The lad's always carrying around that fat grey rat."
Sirius raised his head slightly and for the first time since Mundungus arrived he looked into his eyes. They looked hollow. //Well, if he wants to know about a rat... At least he acknowledges me.// He was happy that the boy showed interest in anything.
"Pretty battered it is," he continued.
"How so?"
The voice was raw but he had spoken. Mundungus's heart leapt.
"Got a toe missing on its left paw, I think," he explained quickly.
Suddenly Sirius stood up and cross the cell to the door.
"Where the index finger would be?" he rasped.
The other wizard creased his eyebrows.
"Yes," he said slowly, trying to remember.
"Think so."
Sirius' eyes widened, but before he could say something they were interrupted.
"Excuse me," a guard had approached. "You'll have to leave now, sir."
Sirius choked.
"No! Wait!"
He made a grab for his godfather's arm but the guard pulled the older wizard away.
"Be careful there, sir. He's dangerous."
Anger welled up in Mundungus. He all but lunged for the guard.
"You won't tell me what my godson is and what he isn't! You barely know him!"
The guard relented grudgingly and apologised. He had to take Fletcher away from here as it seemed that Black had tried to bewitch him. Possibly with a Confundus Charm. How, he didn't know, but then he wasn't a dark wizard either.
"You will still have to leave //right away//, sir."
Stressing these two words as much as humanly possible.
Black had watched this exchange with fascination but now he came to live.
"Wait! I didn't do it!" he yelled, as the guard tried to drag Mundungus away from his cell.
"You have to believe me, please. Uncle Mundi!"
The wizard jerked away from the prison employee and started towards the cell door again.
"Sir, he's only trying to win your pity. Don't believe him!"
Mundungus didn't listen. He grabbed Sirius' hand through the barred window.
"Who was it, Siri?"
He stared into his godson's eerie blue eyes. They shone with hope.
"Pettigrew," he rasped, his voice cracking.
"He's a -"
But what Pettigrew was, Mundungus wouldn't learn. The guard had decided that enough was enough and had stunned first Sirius than his godfather. The former had really gone of his rocker now, Pettigrew - honestly! And Fletcher apparently believed this nonsense! It was for the latter's own safety. Black was a dangerous criminal and You-Know-Who's second in command. You couldn't trust him!
Chapter added on 09/29/2003. Reviews will be answered in Chapter One entitled "Author Notes, Disclaimer, Answers to Reviews, etc." Constructive criticism welcome! Please, review!
It was the first time Mundungus was allowed to visit his godson. While he had been fighting for this chance for several years he was still hit with a bout of irrational fear and trepidation as he finally lay foot on the most feared island of the wizarding world. Azkaban. Whether the fortress was named after the island or the island after fortress Mundungus did not know, and frankly he did not care, either. Azkaban, place of the damned. His eyes wandered over the barren land in front of him. There was no flower, there was no tree, Heck!, there wasn't even any grass or other weed. Just stones and rocks and the grey prison walls.
He took a look back over his shoulder. The boat with which he had come was way out on the water. The wizard couldn't blame the boatsman. Nobody wanted to stay here any moment longer than necessary. //Then why am I here? I have no business here!// Oh, but he did. He had to see his godson even though he probably was insane by now. //I owe him that much. I couldn't save him but I'll at least try to make his stay more bearable//. That was one of the reasons why he had come here. The other one was to question Sirius. He couldn't believe that his little prankster had committed all these crimes he was imprisoned for. He had to know what had //really// happened! And maybe he could help him.
Swallowing back his fear - it was, after all, incited by the Dementors and not by the thought of visiting his godson - he made his way up towards the fortress. With each step he took along the rocky and winding pathway the chill he had only absently registered at the beginning intensified. As he finally knocked on the great doors of the castle he was positively freezing. //How could Sirius stand it? How could //anyone//?//
~~**~~
The headmistress of Stoke Primary School was the very incarnation of a dragon. Ferocious and humongous, she loomed behind her broad desk, glaring at the werewolf as he entered her territory. "Good day, Ma'am," Remus said pleasantly, plastering a polite smile on his face.
"My name is Remus Lupin. Your letter to me stated you wanted to talk to me about my charge, Harry Potter?"
Ms. Bittergreen's face contorted into something that could vaguely be described as a smile and she indicated for her guest to sit down on a distinctly uncomfortable looking chair which was positioned before her desk. He obeyed without thinking. The headmistress had that effect upon people and she knew just how to use it.
"Harry Potter, indeed," she murmured, staring hard at the man in front of her. "Well, I shall be honest with you. In my opinion it is better to be straightforward if problems arise."
"Yes, this is definitely the best way to deal with problems. I appreciate it." Remus answered a bit stiffly. There was something wrong here.
"I'm glad you agree. - Your charge tends to show quite a - say - unsociable behaviour, at times. I don't mean his pranks and general lack of respect towards authorities. Though, something does have to be done about this, as well..."
She raised her nose and looked pointedly at Remus. He felt the sudden urge to cower and beg for mercy. It was quickly overshadowed by a bout of rage. How dare she imply that he hadn't properly raised Harry? And anyhow, //he// had been just as bad in his younger days and James certainly had been worse! He didn't think Harry lived up to Marauder standards (yet).
He smiled politely at Ms. Bittergreen.
"I talked to him about it only yesterday, Ma'am, but I will do so again if it doesn't change."
She nodded as if not expecting him to contradict her, anyway.
"Though, I think he took it to heart," he added.
"I hope so. Mr. Stratford had been terribly fond of this particular tie."
Considering that Harry wasn't even close enough to reach the piece of cloth - it had rather been his magic acting up after the teacher had made an unfavourable remark about Harry's guardian (It still filled Remus's heart with joy every time he thought about the boy feeling compelled to avenge him like that.) - the werewolf wondered how the Muggles could rectify blaming him for it. Not wanting to anger the headmistress, however, he refrained from commenting - or splitting into a grin. His lips twitched suspiciously, though.
"Anyway, Mr. Potter shows an alarming attitude towards his class mates."
//Harry?//
"He refuses to play with them, keeps to himself at breaks, usually sits alone in class as well, even insults the other pupils when they come too close and yesterday he smacked one, just like that!"
Remus was taken aback. While Harry had had some run-ins with children from his class before - like Anthony Robinson, son of the famous Robinsons and Jacks (a firm that produced vacuum cleaners for international market), who could give even Lucius Malfoy a run for his money when it came to snobbishness - he got along pretty well with most kids. What had changed? He didn't get any more time to ponder this question, however, as the headmistress continued.
"I will not expel him from school this time, of course, but I would like you to consider sending the boy to an institution which has better methods to handle children of his calibre - or at least, to an expert."
She handed him a piece of paper and firmly ushered him out of her office.
"Please, think about it. Goodbye, Mr. Lupin."
The door was shut just as Remus finally grasped at what she had meant.
~~**~~
The walk towards Sirius' cell was unbearable long. Azkaban was a maze of dark and dank corridors. If not for the guard who accompanied him towards his destination Mundungus would have got lost ages ago. He shivered as they rounded yet another corner and passed his 13th dementor. They had encountered five of these fiendish creatures in the last two minutes. Their number seemed to be increasing as they drew nearer to his godson. //He// is //a high-security prisoner, Mundi.// A voice in his head reminded him. Finally the warden stopped in just outside a cell with two dementors standing guard and he motioned for them to leave. They did, though reluctantly. Not a word was spoken as Mundungus took a step towards the door with its barred window.
His breath hitched as he got his first look of his favourite godson. The boy, no man, sat slumped in the corner farthest away from the door. At first, he couldn't believe that this was really Sirius. His once boyish round face was hagard and deep black circles were under his eyes. The grey prison robes were dirty and full of wholes, his hair was matted and greasy, hanging down far past his shoulders. He even had a beard, which as well looked like it hadn't seen water in ages.
"Hi Siri."
The man didn't react. He kept staring at something only he could see. Mundungus was quite at a loss what to do. A quick glance at the warden told him he wouldn't receive any help from that quarter. //Maybe, if I just keep talking... but what to tell him? - Ah!//
"You know, the day before yesterday I played a prank you couldn't possibly top. It all began when..."
Ever since Sirius had begun attending Hogwarts he and his godfather had had something like a competition going on to see who could play the greatest of pranks. Reminding him of it might spark some interest.
"Arthur was having a hard time controlling himself. I think he would have laughed outright if he hadn't been for his son. Took the boy to the office with him that day. Percy's his name, I think. The lad's always carrying around that fat grey rat."
Sirius raised his head slightly and for the first time since Mundungus arrived he looked into his eyes. They looked hollow. //Well, if he wants to know about a rat... At least he acknowledges me.// He was happy that the boy showed interest in anything.
"Pretty battered it is," he continued.
"How so?"
The voice was raw but he had spoken. Mundungus's heart leapt.
"Got a toe missing on its left paw, I think," he explained quickly.
Suddenly Sirius stood up and cross the cell to the door.
"Where the index finger would be?" he rasped.
The other wizard creased his eyebrows.
"Yes," he said slowly, trying to remember.
"Think so."
Sirius' eyes widened, but before he could say something they were interrupted.
"Excuse me," a guard had approached. "You'll have to leave now, sir."
Sirius choked.
"No! Wait!"
He made a grab for his godfather's arm but the guard pulled the older wizard away.
"Be careful there, sir. He's dangerous."
Anger welled up in Mundungus. He all but lunged for the guard.
"You won't tell me what my godson is and what he isn't! You barely know him!"
The guard relented grudgingly and apologised. He had to take Fletcher away from here as it seemed that Black had tried to bewitch him. Possibly with a Confundus Charm. How, he didn't know, but then he wasn't a dark wizard either.
"You will still have to leave //right away//, sir."
Stressing these two words as much as humanly possible.
Black had watched this exchange with fascination but now he came to live.
"Wait! I didn't do it!" he yelled, as the guard tried to drag Mundungus away from his cell.
"You have to believe me, please. Uncle Mundi!"
The wizard jerked away from the prison employee and started towards the cell door again.
"Sir, he's only trying to win your pity. Don't believe him!"
Mundungus didn't listen. He grabbed Sirius' hand through the barred window.
"Who was it, Siri?"
He stared into his godson's eerie blue eyes. They shone with hope.
"Pettigrew," he rasped, his voice cracking.
"He's a -"
But what Pettigrew was, Mundungus wouldn't learn. The guard had decided that enough was enough and had stunned first Sirius than his godfather. The former had really gone of his rocker now, Pettigrew - honestly! And Fletcher apparently believed this nonsense! It was for the latter's own safety. Black was a dangerous criminal and You-Know-Who's second in command. You couldn't trust him!
Chapter added on 09/29/2003. Reviews will be answered in Chapter One entitled "Author Notes, Disclaimer, Answers to Reviews, etc." Constructive criticism welcome! Please, review!