Disclaimer: Not mine, I only own some of the plot of this fanfic and Carya, some parts might be copied from the book (hopefully not very much. I tried to keep it to a minimum), you might notice that some people got into different houses than in the books by JKR; this has only minor reasons, but I need them to be where they are now

Author's Notes: Finally. The next chapter is ready. I hope it hasn't gone too bad but I have a bit of writers block when trying to type out what I already summarised for my chapter contents.

Anyway, I really hope you enjoy this and that there aren't too many mistakes in grammar. English is not my native language so please bear with me if something sounds funny or completely wrong. I try my best to get this right but I dare say you'd probably have the same problems if you tried to write in German.

Chapter 04 - The Minister and Exposures or Carya really has a temper

(A/N: I hate Fudge so don't be surprised by this chapter!)

The next morning the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, and the headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore arrived at the 'Leaky Cauldron'. When they asked Tom to keep an eye open for the twins, he told them that they'd already arrived and were currently staying at the inn. Two aurors asked for the room numbers and climbed up the stairs.

"Good morning, Tom," the minister said.

"Good mornin', minister. What can I do for you?" Tom asked.

"This is a mess. Tom, could you please inform us if the Potter twins turn up here? That would be very helpful. We still haven't found them. They've just disappeared," the distressed Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge said with a sigh.

He was really nervous because they still hadn't caught Black and if something had happened to the twins ... well he wouldn't even dare to think about that.

"Well, then I've good news for ye, minister. They arrived here yesterday afternoon with two friends and stayed the night. I dare say they'll stay 'til school starts again ..." Tom explained when Fudge interrupted him.

"Where are they, which rooms, Tom?" he inquired.

"Eh, rooms twelve and thirteen but I don't know if they are awake ..." the old innkeeper said as Fudge sent his two junior aurors upstairs.

"I don't believe that this was a good idea Cornelius. They might scare the children," Dumbledore remarked concerned.

And he would be right. It was indeed a bad idea. But not the way he'd originally imagined ...

Carya, Hermione and Ginny were just changing from their night-clothes when the door burst open and two male junior aurors stood in the doorway. Ginny and Hermione were so much surprised and embarrassed by being caught half-naked that they started screaming but Carya was fuming.

She hadn't had a good nights sleep because of her old nightmares and she already had been in a bad mood. But this was just the final straw for her temper to snap. The young witch, only clad in shorts and a very tight top, walked glaring towards the startled and unmoving aurors and slapped both of them hard across the face, then threw them out and locked the door with a charm, not caring about being forbidden to do magic over summer.

Had they been fully trained they most likely would've reacted to Carya's assault but they were still in training and beginner's. So just looked dumbfounded at the door that had been slammed into their faces. Once they'd dressed the girls went downstairs.

Unluckily Carya was still fuming and even Ginny and Hermione were pretty angry now once they'd gotten over the initial shock. Carya started snapping at Tom. "Did you allow THEM to do that? What kind of behaviour is that. Bursting into a GIRLS room without knocking before, watching them change clothes like a bloody VOYEUR and then don't even care to APOLOGIZE!?! I won't tolerate that ..." she yelled.

At this point of time Dumbledore and Fudge stepped into the conversation. Dumbledore started to explain in a soft and calm voice but was immediately interrupted by Fudge who himself began yelling too. He reprimanded her for insulting HIS aurors and called her behaviour childish. Of course that didn't exactly calm the irate young Slytherin.

When he got to the point of their sudden disappearance she had enough. Her face had a strange pale colour now that didn't suit someone that agitated. And she was deathly quiet now. Even Fudge noticed that something was really wrong here.

Carya's next comment was far too calm although it was dripping with sarcasm. "Well, I see that the Ministry of Magic is as competent as ever," she said sneering. "But since when do I, my brother and my friends need YOUR express permission to even leave our house or to travel to 'Diagon Alley', eh? You people have never bothered whether we were at home, or in a holiday camp or even in Britain before. Why now?" she asked smirking.

"Might that be because you seem unable to capture Sirius Black?" she asked sarcastic and instantly knew she'd struck a chord because Fudge's face went redder as any Weasleys hair. He was about to explode again and Carya's obviously enjoyed this very much.

In the meantime Harry had come down too and was watching the exchange. He of course had not dared to interrupt his sister. He knew how she could get when she was furious and he had seen the two aurors who were still carrying Carya's handprint on their faces.

At this point Dumbledore stepped in and asked them calm and polite not to leave 'Diagon Alley' for the Muggle World and not to be out after sundown. "Carya, would you please listen to me for a moment?" he asked and Carya merely raised an eyebrow but kept her gaze locked at Fudge.

Dumbledore took this as a hint to continue. "I ask you four to stay in 'Diagon Alley' for the rest of the holiday. Don't wander around Muggle London. It's for your own good. And be back at the 'Leaky Cauldron before sundown. Can you give me your promise on this? All of you?" he said and looked at the four children who now looked at him curiously.

Carya again raised an eyebrow at Dumbledore's request but they promised to obey his wishes (he didn't know that they'd already been in Muggle London earlier in the holidays and therefore had not really any desire left to do so grin).

"Okay, headmaster. We won't go to Muggle London even if we don't know why not but you surely have a reason to ask, haven't you?" Carya said and the others nodded in approval. Dumbledore felt slightly uneasy. He couldn't really explain the situation to them but fortunately neither of the children asked further.

What he didn't know was that the kids already had found out about the recent events and knew exactly why they were supposed to stay around wizards and in bright daylight. And Carya certainly wasn't going to let THEM know that. They'd just get cryptic answers from the headmaster anyway.

After this promise Dumbledore left the pub visibly relieved that the twins were safe followed by two disgruntled looking aurors and an angry Minister of Magic who was staring daggers at Carya - she just stood there, smirking evilly at him. She didn't like him, not in the least.

Ginny and Hermione had been shocked at Carya's outburst but they were satisfied when they'd seen the handprints on the aurors faces. After they were gone Carya turned towards Tom and apologised.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have made you responsible for that incident. It wasn't your fault. Please accept my apology..." she said.

Tom had always been a good natured person, so he just nodded and smiled at the young girl. She looked relieved and asked him if they could've something for breakfast. As if he'd heard that Snuffles came trodding down the stairs and lay down at Carya's feet. He'd seen what she did to the aurors and heard her fight with Fudge.

Sirius POV

'Wow, she really has Lily's temper. It's good to see that they're alright. They are great kids and the Dursley's treat them right too. Well I should be happy for them. I don't know what they'll do if they find out who I am. I can't let them find out. They'd never believe me, I'm pretty sure about that.

The press has written so many horror stories about me that they surely would never believe me, or would they? sigh It really seems as if they are very happy and Harry seems to be quite taken with that girl - Hermione Granger was her name, I think.

Well I think I can disappear once they go back to Hogwarts. I need to find that rat. It must belong to that girls brother - her name was Ginny Weasley I think. When they found me in Surrey I thought I'd die. Who would've thought that Lily and James children would be any good in potions? Not that I complain. It certainly saved my life. smile

I'd always imagined them to be mini-versions of their parents but they aren't they have traits from both of them. I wonder which house they're in. I haven't seen any house badges or school robes around them, yet. Well, we'll see. I bet they're in Gryffindor, just like James.

End Sirius POV

/He looks like he's thinking about something. He really shouldn't do that. It's unnatural for dogs. Lucky for him that only WE know who he is AND that he's innocent. I just wish we could tell him .../ thought Carya.

/Well, why don't we do it? We could lock ourselves in a room after shopping today and then talk about him and Pettigrew and everything we've found out. Then we could directly address him, what do you think about that, my dear sister?/ Harry answered her question.

/That's a great idea, dear brother mine. Love you. Come on, lets get the other two away from breakfast and then we'll shop!/ his sister shot back with an evil looking grin spreading across her face.

They went upstairs and got their shopping lists. Snuffles was left at the 'Leaky Cauldron' much to his chagrin. But then again, someone might recognise him and there was too much at risk. So he stayed in their room and took a nap.

They spent the whole morning for shopping. Starting at Gringotts they got their money to pay for their school supplies. After Gringotts they went to Madam Malkins because Carya and Harry needed new robes.

They'd outgrown some of their old ones yet again and two had been soiled when they tended Snuffles wounds. The next stop was the apothecary where they got their new potions ingredients and restocked their old ones.

Carya of course bought more than necessary because she wanted to experiment a bit this year. Then they walked to 'Flourish and Blotts' to buy their required course books. This year they'd fewer books on the list than last year.

The list read:

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

'The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 2) ' by Miranda Goshawk

'Magical Drafts and Potions - Second Edition' by Arsenius Jigger

'The Dark Forces: How to Protect yourself' by Quentin Trimble

'A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration (Additional Book)' by Emeric Switch

'The Dark Forces: Dark Creatures' by Quentin Trimble

The four friends were already back at the inn at lunchtime. Tom brought their lunch up to their rooms wondering why they'd ordered five helpings but his confusion cleared when he saw Snuffles.

(A/N: The 'No-Magic-Rule' for summer applies only to your immediate living area and they can't really detect you in wizarding areas like 'Diagon Alley' so it's safe to use magic there.)

Carya locked the door with a spell while they were eating in silence. Sirius noticed this but didn't think any of it. Soon after finishing their meal the kids started talking about anything and everything. Carya and Harry deliberately brought up the issue of Black, Pettigrew and Azkaban.

"So, what do you think about the ministry and their attempts to capture Sirius Black," Harry asked no one in particular.

"Well I think that the ministry is absolutely unable to ever catch him. And I don't really believe that he's insane. No lunatic could've escaped from that prison. I've heard Dad talk about it earlier this summer," Ginny answered.

"Probably, and that too would explain why they can't catch him. He's far too clever. Have you heard? They believe he's after us. That's why Fudge made an idiot of himself this morning. It's actually funny, don't you think? I mean. He's free now for over six weeks, no? And we were quite easy targets till now. Especially that day we spent in London," Carya added.

"You're right. I've heard that the whole street was blasted apart when they caught him the first time but I don't know which curse he might have used. I haven't found something like that in any book," Hermione remarked.

"I bet we would know if he had a trial but they just carted him off to Azkaban. That's curious, you know? Normally the supposed Death Eaters would've been questioned under Veritaserum to spill information on their comrades but not with Black. I wonder why..." Carya explained.

Sirius' POV

The dog stiffened. 'This isn't good. They aren't supposed to stick their twelve year old noses into things like that. But then again, they are the children of James Potter, one of the biggest troublemakers ever.' Sirius thought. The children talked about that newspaper article he had seen at Privet Drive.

What caught his interest was the fact that the children knew he hadn't had a trial back then. Very few people knew that. 'I wonder what this is about. How do they even know?' he wondered. It was Ginny's answer that threw him completely off balance.

End Sirius' POV

"Well, I think that someone should just capture that supposed-to-be-dead-but-still-alive-rat and hand him over to Black, wherever he is right now. Perhaps we really should try. Ron would never know." she said.

Sirius was stunned. 'A rat? Supposed to be dead? One that is alive? No, this can't be true. They cannot possibly know everything...' he mused.

Apparently his shock and confusion must have shown because by now all four teenagers were staring intensely at him. He suddenly was scared. What was going on here? Sirius or Snuffles tried to escape the room but of course, the door was locked. And he had no wand; not that a dog could use one anyway. Carya drew her wand and muttered something under her breath.

"You can change back to your true self, dear godfather. We know who you are. And we think that we know most of the truth. Not that rubbish which is written in the papers," Carya said calmly and looked directly at him.

Sirius felt trapped and began to panic. How did they know who he was? Would they turn him in? He had no wand ... he was a grown man but they were four and they all had wands. He didn't realise that he wasn't in any danger of being caught. Harry tried to soothe him.

"Sirius, we know that you didn't kill Pettigrew because that rat is alive and currently living with Ginny's brother. And you certainly did not betray our parents. Please listen to us," he pleaded.

It was Harry's second last sentence that broke through Sirius panic. The twins parents. The twins believed that he didn't betray them. He calmed down a bit. Although he was still wary about the whole situation he changed back into his human form. Ginny and Hermione just looked and didn't dare to say a thing. Harry smiled shyly and Carya smiled too. She looked at him and raised one eyebrow which got her a confused look from Sirius.

"I think that you really need a good hot bath and a proper good nights sleep before we talk but I doubt you would want to wait that long, eh?" she asked smirking slightly.

The black haired wizard just looked and didn't say anything. He was so confused. Everyone thought he was a murderer. And here stood the only reasons why he had survived Azkaban in the first place and they believed him. Harry led him to the bathroom and told him that he'd be back with some clothes in a few minutes.

When Harry got back to the main room Carya was already transfiguring some clothes from Harry so that they'd fit Sirius. He helped her because he was better at transfiguration than his sister. Ginny and Hermione brought the plates back down to Tom and got some tea and cookies for them all.

Please Read AND Review.

Thx ,

Carya

Review responses in Author's Note in moving Chapter!