Chapter 79
They worked on their different assignments in an uncomfortable silence for a while as the portrait hole opened and their Head of House entered.
"Harry would you and your cousin come with me to my office please?"
Kelsey was already on his feet to call Dudley down as Harry rose from his armchair.
"What's wrong, Professor?" Harry asked.
"Don't worry, Harry. There's just something I would like to clear, which concerns the two of you" Lupin said calmly and waited for Dudley to come down.
He recognized the upset expression on the boy's face when he came down the stairs and wondered if it was still the aftermath of the boggart.
As the two boys followed Lupin out of the common room, Ron turned towards Hermione and said "Do you think Harry is in trouble?"
"I don't know. The expression on Professor Lupin's face was quite hard to read"
Remus led them through the different corridors and nobody said a word until the reached his office.
Inside, he indicated them to take a seat and he sat down behind his desk.
"First of all, I would like you to recall what happened with the boggart today, Dudley"
Harry looked at his cousin in surprise. He wondered why Snape had confronted him with a boggart in the first lesson. It wasn't supposed to be taught until 3rd year.
Dudley cleared his throat and said nervously "The professor opened that box and told me to think about something to make the boogy man look funny, but I just couldn't manage it. When I saw this dark figure again, all I could feel was terror and pain and I wanted to get away from it as fast as possible."
Lupin put his fingertips together and said "Hmmm can you remember since when you're afraid of this figure?"
Dudley tilted his head slightly and looked out of the window. Somehow the greenhouses seemed very interesting right now.
"Aunt Petunia used to scare us with the boogy man when we were little" Harry said thoughtfully. "She said that he would come and get us every time we did something wrong. I had no idea that he was afraid of the boogy man. She threatened me with it almost every day, but I stopped to worry about it when I was about 8"
Dudley then looked at his cousin and stated "I never really believed in it either until last summer. Then I saw it and I knew that my mom wasn't making empty threats."
Lupin looked at the boy with incredible interest now.
"What exactly did you see and what happened"
"I can't... I just can't ... he will come and get me" Dudley stuttered and shook hid head frantically.
Harry stifled a giggled; his cousin's behaviour amused him immensely. However he wondered why Lupin was so interested in Dudley's horror stories.
"It is of utmost importance that you tell me exactly what happened, Dudley. Besides that I think Professor Snape should join us" Professor Lupin said firmly.
Dudley slid down in his chair and pinched his little eyes together while the teacher called Snape in the fireplace.
"What is it Lupin?" the potion master said with an obviously annoyed voice.
"I think we need your presence here" Lupin said friendly and smiled.
"I just hope for you that it's important"
A moment later, Snape stepped out of the fireplace and his onyx eyes rested on the two boys.
"Oh, my two favourite Gryffindors" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Well, Professor Snape, you know about the incident with the boggart. Now we were about to bring some light into this whole situation" Lupin said and looked at Dudley.
"Now, would you please tell us what happened last summer?"
Dudley shook his head and remained silent.
"Did you call me here to watch him being stubborn? Boy, you better tell us what happened, or I will make you. I don't have time for this foolishness" Snape snarled and glared at Dudley.
The Gryffindor however didn't react in anyway and Harry just groaned in annoyance.
"I think I don't see any other way then to use a pensieve. This might be the best way to find out the truth anyway" Lupin said airily and walked over to one of his cupboards.
Dudley peeked at the teacher, as he seized a shallow stone basin with symbols carved around the edge.
Lupin returned to the desk and placed the pensieve in front of him.
Harry already knew how the pensieve worked so he concentrated on his cousin's reaction while Professor Lupin explained Dudley what they were going to do now.
"We are going to visit your memory now. You do not have to be afraid of anything; nobody will be able to see or hear you but us."
"So the boogy man can't do anything mean to me?" Dudley mumbled meekly and Lupin gave him a pitiful look while Snape snorted in disgust.
"What do you need me here for anyway, Lupin?" the potion master said impatiently while he glared at Dudley.
Remus remained calm and understanding when he answered "You might be the only one who can identify the person"
Snape arched his eyebrows and heaved a sigh "Well then, let's get it over with"
Lupin rose from his chair and walked over to Dudley.
"Now concentrate on the incident and I will extract the memory."
When he recognized the scared expression on Dudley's face, he added "Don't worry it is not going to hurt"
The boy nodded, his eyes full of fear, and contorted his face in concentration.
Lupin placed his wand on Dudley's temple, withdrew the silvery thread and placed it in the pensieve.
Dudley opened his eyes and stared into the stone basin.
"What are we going to do now?" he said anxiously and Lupin beckoned him to take out his wand.
"You touch the surface with your wand and then you will be taken incorporeally into your own memory. We all will come with you so there is no need for you to worry"
Dudley nodded and swallowed hard before he placed the tip of his wand on the surface of the cloud-like content, which moved ceaselessly, just at the same time, the others did.
It felt like he was falling into the stone basin and when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the alley between Wisteria Walk and Magnolia Crescent.
Lupin, Harry and Snape gathered around him and watched another Dudley walking down the alley together with his friend Piers Polkiss.
They followed them along until Piers checked his watched and stated that he had to return home immediately, because it was getting late. The two boys said good bye and Dudley continued to walk. It was almost dark already when he passed a garden rank with weeds, which belonged to a house that was long deserted.
Harry and the others then saw a dark figure emerged from the garden and follow Dudley down the alley.
Snape picked up the pace and caught up with the stranger while Lupin and Harry ran to keep up with him.
"That's a deatheater, no doubt. I just wish he would talk so that I could identify him." Snape said and stopped short.
The deatheater had stepped on a twig and Dudley spun around.
"Hey you freak! It's still 3 months until Halloween" they heard the stout boy call out and the deatheater stepped closer.
The Dudley who was watching the whole scene whimpered and hid behind Remus and Severus when the deatheater drew his wand and pointed it at the boy.
"Shut up" they heard the deatheater call out. "If you know what's good for you, you do as I say"
Snape nodded thoughtfully and turned to Lupin. "I know who it is"
Harry gasped when he recognized the voice as well. The last time he had heard it was about 2 years ago.
Then they returned their attention back to the two people in front of them.
Obviously, Dudley had not been cooperating, because the deatheater suddenly hissed "Crucio"
The boy collapsed on the floor and screamed in pain, while the Dudley who was hiding behind the two teachers emptied the content of his stomach on the floor.
Lupin had a concerned look on his face as he cast a cleaning spell on the boy.
Snape however moved forward and stood next to the deatheater so he could hear what was said.
"Where do you live?" he said when he lifted the curse.
Dudley just whimpered "There...there" and squirmed on the floor.
The deatheater then pulled the boy up and pushed him forward
"Take me there"
They followed Dudley and the deatheater down the road when suddenly a group of boys called out for the boy.
The deatheater withdrew to a corner and let out a string of profanities when he watched the boys disappear in the distance.
A minute later, they returned to Lupin's office and settled down around the desk.
"Well, that was interesting. Dudley, was that the first time you've seen this man?" Professor Lupin asked.
Dudley just nodded. He still looked frightened and his face had turned a noticeable shade of green.
"Who were those boys that came around the corner and cut you off from the stranger?"
Before Dudley could say something Harry had already answered the question.
"Those were the members of Dudley's gang. They hang out together and bully younger kids; at least when they're not vandalize the neighbourhood."
Lupin nodded thoughtfully and looked at the boys. "You can return to your common room now."
Harry and Dudley rushed out of the room and shut the door, Snape however addressed Lupin.
"This should prove that there is a spy in the minister's cabinet. Nobody except of the Order members and the minister knew how those muggles look like. I can't believe they followed the boy to find out where he lives."
"Very true. After all what happened in the last few months, I will ask the headmistress to require further assistance here. We need at least one auror inside the castle" Lupin stated.
"I trust that you can manage that alone" Snape said coolly before he disappeared in the fire.
The two boys proceeded to the common room in silence and then Dudley rushed upstairs immediately.
Hermione, Ron and the Warren twins were already waiting eagerly for an explanation.
Harry just sat down next to them and sighed.
"What was that all about" Ron asked and looked at his friend.
Harry quickly recalled the boggart incident and told them what he had seen in the pensieve.
"I however have no idea why Walden Macnair was dogging Dudley"
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Sirius had just returned from a meeting with Moody when all of a sudden he saw the mutilated face of the old wizard pop up in the fireplace.
"Sirius" he called. "There has been a change of plans. You presence is required at Hogwarts. Albus has just stopped by and told me that he needs a trustworthy auror in the school, without the ministry's notice."
"Oh my... what happened?" Sirius burst out and pulled a chair in front of the fireplace.
"Nothing yet, as far as I know, but there has been an incident with that Dursley boy that got Minerva and Remus all wound up. I guess they will tell you everything when you get there. Get your stuff together and leave as soon as possible"
Before Sirius could say anything, the old wizard's head was gone.
Slightly nervous, the black-haired wizard rushed up the steps and entered his bedroom. The door slammed shut behind him and the noise startled Lady Tanya, who had been dozing in her painting.
Sirius seized a large bag out of a cupboard and started throwing different robes, papers and personal items in it.
Lady Tanya watched him curiously for a little while.
"Sirius, where are you going?"
"I have to leave for Hogwarts immediately. There's something going on at the school and they requested an auror. I will travel with portkey and take Buckbeak with me"
Lady Tanya leaned forward in her painting and said with indignation "And what about me?"
"What about you?"
"Do you expect that I will stay here alone?" she flared up.
"Tanya, this is not a vacation but a business trip –"
"Nonsense" she shouted. "You leave me here, but you take that wretched horse-bird with you!"
Sirius continued to pack while she left her picture and materialized next to him.
"When you think" she poked him in the chest "that I will stay here alone" she poked him again "then you are so wrong"
"Stop poking me"
"You owe me Sirius! First your damn house-elf tried to destroy my portrait, then your hippogriff almost broke my bloody neck and now you want to leave me here alone" she ranted.
Sirius chuckled and shook his head.
"Tanya, what do you want to do at Hogwarts?"
"No... the question is what am I going to do here?"
She stepped closer and grabbed the front of his robes desperately.
"Sirius, I'm going to die in here... I will die of boredom! Surely Minerva will find something for me to do. Please! Please don't leave me here" she pleaded and batted her eyelashes in a last attempt to retune him."
"Well, I would take you with me, but your painting doesn't fit in my bag, so –"
Lady Tanya interrupted him immediately.
"Oh Sirius, don't give me that rubbish. You can't tell me that you can't transfigure my picture into pocketsize."
The wizard threw his hands up in despair, but finally he gave up.
"Ok you can come with me, but Minerva will make the final decision"
Tanya smiled at him triumphantly while he resized her painting and placed it in his bag.
Then another thought crossed her mind. It would be very hard to persuade the strict witch, so she needed a good strategy.
While Sirius finished his packing and got Buckbeak ready for the trip, Lady Tanya tried to come up with a solution for her dilemma.
"Are you ready?" Sirius then asked her and she jumped up from her chair.
She felt the familiar jerk in the navel area when they touched the portkey.
Just a moment later, they landed right in front of Hagrid's hut.
The gamekeeper was not in sight, so Sirius pressed the rope that held the hippogriff into Lady Tanya's hand and knocked on the door.
They heard the sound of heavy boots and then the door opened.
"Beaky... what a nice surprise!" the half-giant boomed and beckoned his visitors inside. Lady Tanya pulled the rope but the hippogriff already rushed past her and nudged Hagrid happily in the chest.
Lady Tanya however had missed the chance to let go of the rope in time, so she was flung forward.
Oh no, not that wretched barrel again, she thought, but Sirius caught her around the waist right before she collided with the water barrel once again.
"What brings ye 'ere, Sirius?" the gamekeeper asked and placed a bucket of dead stoats in front of the hippogriff, who had made himself comfortable on a blanket next to the fireplace.
"Remus and Minerva have requested an auror in the castle, for security reasons" Sirius explained.
"Oh I see... in these days, ye can never be ter careful. But what is she doin 'ere?" Hagrid said with a low voice and pointed at the witch who was standing close to the door.
"Oh she just tagged along, because she didn't want to stay in the house all alone" Sirius said and grinned. "I'm sorry Hagrid, but we have to get going. Minerva is waiting for me and I would like to know what exactly the problem is"
Hagrid nodded in understanding while Sirius grabbed his bag and beckoned Lady Tanya to follow her.
When the black haired wizard opened the door and stepped outside, Lady Tanya crossed her arms in front of her chest and said "Where are you going? Are we not going to use the fireplace to the castle?"
"Well, I don't see a reason in wasting floo powder for such a short trip" Sirius said curtly and walked off towards the castle.
"But I'm going to get sick ... If you haven't noticed already, it's still winter!" she pouted, but Sirius didn't react. He kept walking stoically, so the witch had no choice but to follow.
"You're going to regret this, Sirius Black" she hissed while she galumphed through the snow.
They entered the entrance hall and Sirius proceeded straight to the headmistress' office.
Professor McGonagall was already waiting, although quite surprised when she recognized that Sirius had brought company along.
"I'm very pleased that Alastor has decided to send you and not another member of the Order" she said. "I think Remus is the better person to give you an insight into the matters, so I dare say you go to his office and talk to him"
Sirius nodded curtly and was about to exit, when Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and turned towards Lady Tanya.
"Well, my dear, what circumstances do we owe your presence?"
Tanya swallowed hard and looked at Sirius for help, but he just winked at her and opened the door.
"I will see you later, Minerva" he chuckled and left.
"Thanks for the help" Lady Tanya hissed and glared daggers at the wizard.
"So, Lady Tanya, what can I do for you?"
The witch looked at the headmistress and plucked up her courage. "I'm sorry Professor for engrossing your precious time, but I have a humble request"
McGonagall looked curiously over the brim of her glasses.
"What request would that be?"
"I wanted to ask if you would allow me to stay in the castle. I don't want to stay at headquarters all alone. Nobody will be there for the next two months and I'm afraid of being alone. If you do me that favour, I promise that I make myself useful" Tanya said in a very respectful voice. "I could help teaching or give Hagrid a hand, whatever is necessary"
Professor McGonagall massaged the bridge of her nose and said calmly "I don't know if this is a good idea. Do you think you have the requisite maturity and qualification?"
Lady Tanya saw her hopes dashed and started one last desperate try.
"I heard that you have a new student who needs tutoring. I would volunteer" she said and gave the headmistress a pleading look.
"We already have tutors for the most important subjects" McGonagall said curtly, but inside she was very amused about how much the other witch desired to stay.
"Oh please, pretty please" Lady Tanya then begged and grabbed the headmistress' hand on the desk. "Pretty, pretty please with a cherry on top"
Now it was getting really hard for Minerva to keep up her stern façade. It was unbelievable how the witch, who was sitting opposite of her, could be almost ancient and still act worse than a first year at times
In contrast to her strict appearance, Minerva McGonagall had a very soft heart and the pleading of Lady Tanya did not leave her cold.
"Well then, you are most definitely the person who is best qualified for history lessons. Therefore you are going to tutor Dudley Dursley in history of magic. Besides, you can help out with anything that might accrue."
Lady Tanya's eyes lit up and she thanked the headmistress wholeheartedly.
"There's something I always wanted to know" she then said courteously. "As you know, I wasn't allowed to attend Hogwarts, but I always wanted to know what house I would have belonged to"
McGonagall nodded in understanding and walked over to the cupboard.
"Put the Sorting Hat on your head and it will tell you"
The witched took the head from the headmistress with trembling fingers.
When it touched her head, she heard a little whispering voice in her head.
How interesting... a great mind, lots of talent.. not serious enough for Ravenclaw... so I'd say
"Gryffindor"