Lies
By Neurotica
Nine
Sirius led the Weasleys, Hermione, Harry, and Remus down a path to a Muggle man outside of a cabin.
"Mr. Roberts?" Sirius called to the man.
"Aye, and you would be?" Roberts questioned, eyeing the large party shrewdly.
"Sirius Black. One tent, booked a few nights ago. And Arthur Weasley, two tents," Sirius said.
"Right," Roberts said, looking at a list on his door. "Just the one night for all of you?"
"Yes," Sirius answered.
"And you'll be paying now?"
"Absolutely," Sirius said, taking his Muggle money from his pocket, and trying to hide Remus helping Arthur with his own money.
The Muggle began talking of strange people—weirdoes, he called them—trying to pay him with huge gold coins. Sirius laughed while he reached for his wand—the man would need to be obliviated. Before he had a chance, however, a wizard in plus-fours, whose name Sirius couldn't recall, Apparated onto the scene and sharply said, "Obliviate!"
Arthur and Sirius took their change from the dazed Muggle and followed the other wizard to the gate of the campsite. He was grumbling about Ludo Bagman not helping matters with the campsite manager.
They finally reached their campsite. "Perfect!" Arthur said, beaming at the signs that said "Weezly" and "Black."
"At least they got someone's name right," Remus muttered.
Sirius grinned. "Well, come on, kids! Let's get our tents setup!"
"No magic, now, we're doing this the Muggle way," Arthur said, still beaming.
"Do we have to?" Sirius whined, sticking his wand back in his belt.
"Oh, come on, Sirius. Afraid of a little manual labor?" Remus teased.
"Shut up, Moony."
Remus grinned and turned to the kids. "Why don't you lot grab us some water and explore a bit. We'll take care of the tents."
The kids nodded, grabbed a few buckets, and headed off.
The real reason Remus had sent them off was because there would probably be a lot of swearing from Sirius, and though Harry had heard the majority of it, Remus was sure Molly wouldn't be too happy with her children hearing such language. Sure enough, Remus turned around and found Sirius tangled up in the canvas and ropes.
"Is that how you're supposed to do it?" Arthur asked skeptically, watching Sirius struggle to free himself.
"No, it's not," Remus said, trying to contain his laughter.
"A little help, please?" Sirius called from the ground he had just fallen onto.
"Stay still." Remus chuckled, trying to free his hopeless friend from the confines of the evil tent.
Twenty minutes later, Remus had single-handedly setup both of Arthur's tents, and the tent for himself, Sirius, and Harry.
Arthur and Sirius had sat on a log, starting a fire, and were watching Remus with much interest. "Well, our work's done," Sirius said, clapping his hands together. "Breakfast!"
Remus raised an eyebrow as Sirius entered their tent. Arthur chuckled, thanked Remus for the help, and headed into his own tent.
Remus followed Sirius' path into the tent and nodded in satisfaction. It was as large as the cottage on the inside with two bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a good-sized sitting room. Sirius was lounging on the battered brown sofa eating an apple.
"Nice tent, Moony. Where'd you get it?" he asked thickly between bites.
"It belonged to my parents. We used to use it when I was a kid when we'd go on trips in the French mountains," Remus answered, smiling reminiscently.
Sirius let him think about his childhood for a few moments before sitting up. "We should take Harry camping sometime. Think he'd like that?"
Remus nodded. "Definitely. As much as he loves going out into the forest? He'd love it."
"We should do that next summer," Sirius said thoughtfully.
"We're back!" they heard Harry call minutes later.
"In here, Harry!" Remus called.
Harry entered the tent, not at all phased by its size and sat next to Sirius.
"See anything interesting?" Remus asked.
"Well, the Irish have covered their tents with shamrocks, and the Bulgarians have posters of Viktor Krum covering theirs. We saw an old wizard in a woman's dressing gown, and a few people from school. Oliver Wood's playing for Puddlemere now," Harry said.
"Really? Good for him," Remus said.
"Excited, Harry?" Sirius asked, grinning at his godson.
Harry grinned back. "Yeah! It's going to be great!"
"Well, come on, boys, let's go socialize," Remus said, leading the two of them outside.
Bill, Charlie, and Percy had arrived and were gathered around a fire with the other Weasleys and Hermione.
"Breakfast," Arthur said, holding out a plate of sausages.
Harry sat between Ron and Hermione and began to eat. Remus and Sirius sat next to Bill and Charlie, and immediately regretted it. Percy, who sat on the other side of Bill, was going on and on about Barty Crouch and how wonderful he was. Sirius wanted to correct young Percy's views on his boss, but Remus' sharp elbow in his ribs deterred him before he even got his mouth all the way open. Ludo Bagman joined them not long after for a cup of tea, and took bets on the match.
"Ten Galleons on the Irish, then, Sirius? Smashing!" Bagman smiled.
"Heard anything about Bertha Jorkins, Ludo?" Sirius asked, taking a slip of parchment from Ludo.
"Not a word. Woman's gone off without a trace, she has. Memory like a leaky cauldron," Bagman said with a frown.
Sirius and Remus exchanged a glance. The Bertha Jorkins they knew had an excellent memory, especially when it came to rumors. She knew everything that went on at Hogwarts, and had even caused some trouble for Sirius in his fifth year. He'd been on a date with a girl out behind the greenhouses, and Bertha had threatened to tell a girl he'd just broken up with the day before. Sirius had used a boil curse on her. She'd told the other girl, anyway, once she'd gotten out of the hospital wing, and continued to tell people for a month afterwards.
"Bloody hell," Sirius muttered, looking over Bagman's shoulder.
"What?" Bagman asked, following Sirius' line of sight. "Barty! How are you old, man?"
"Ludo. I've been looking all over for you. Hello, Arthur," Crouch said. He spotted Sirius and narrowed his eyes."Black," he growled.
"Crouch," Sirius growled back.
Crouch gave Sirius a dirty look and began discussing business with Bagman and Arthur while Sirius glared. Remus watched his fists clench and unclench as if he was just aching to hit the old man. He wondered how the two of them worked in the same building day in and day out.
Sirius' feelings towards the Head of International Magical Cooperation weren't for nothing; Crouch, after all, had been part of the reason Sirius had been imprisoned in Azkaban for five years. The former DMLE head had ordered Sirius be sent to Azkaban without a trial, and Sirius probably wouldn't ever forgive the other wizard for that.
Bagman's cheerful mood nearly cost him; he started speaking about something top secret going on at Hogwarts, and Crouch suddenly stood, stating they had to leave.
"See you all in a bit, then," Bagman said cheerily to everyone. "You're in the top box with me." He nodded to Crouch, and both Disapparated with a pop.
"What's happening at Hogwarts, Sirius?" Harry asked curiously.
"Nothing," Sirius replied airily, hiding his grin in his teacup.
Near dusk, the kids went off to buy souvenirs while the adults readied themselves for the match. Harry returned with a pair of Omnioculars and an Irish hat covered in shamrocks. He bought Sirius and Remus an Irish rosette and a program each.
A deep gong sounded in the distance signaling it was time to head out. Excitement filled the air as Sirius and Remus followed the group to the stadium. "When was the last time you went to a Quidditch World Cup?" Sirius asked Remus, already knowing the answer.
Remus smiled. "After graduation," he said.
Sirius smiled back and nodded. The year they had left Hogwarts, the Marauders traveled together by broomstick and train to Spain. England won that match, and the boys had had the time of their lives. They were drunk most of the time from the firewhiskey Sirius had brought along, and ended up with the worst hangovers ever when they returned home.
"This one will be just as good," Remus said. "Especially since it's Harry's first."
"Yeah," Sirius agreed, watching Harry laugh and joke loudly with his friends.
They entered the top box and sat in the front row. A house-elf was sitting behind them, its head buried in its hands. Bagman entered not long after accompanied by Minister Bones. The Minister spotted Sirius and Arthur, and made her way over to say hello. Sirius quickly introduced all the children to her. She was one of the few people who didn't get excited when she saw Harry. She had always treated Harry just as she would anyone else, something Harry appreciated very much.
"Ready when you are, Minister," Bagman said jovially.
"Go ahead, Ludo," Bones said, getting comfortable next to the Bulgarian Minister of Magic.
The team mascots entered the pitch and Remus was laughing harder than he had in a long time when Sirius, Harry, and Ron looked ready to dive from the box during the Veelas' performance.
"Not funny," muttered a very red in the face Sirius.
"Actually, Padfoot, it really is," Remus responded through his laughter.
The match turned out to be one of the best Sirius had ever seen. Ireland won, but Viktor Krum had caught the snitch. Sirius was quite pleased to see how much Harry had enjoyed it. They made their way back to the campsite recapping some of the better plays made during the game, and Harry expressed his enthusiasm to tryout the Wronski Feint. Inside the Weasley boys' tent, they enjoyed hot cocoa as they laughed and joked. Only when Ginny fell asleep at the table and spilled her cup to the floor did Arthur decide to call it a night.
Sirius and Remus led an exhausted but thrilled, Harry back to their tent. "You two take the bedrooms; I'll take the sofa," Sirius said tiredly. "Tomorrow we go to Grimmuald Place."
"You mean it's ready?" Harry asked after he had changed into his pajamas. Sirius noted his godson wasn't didn't exactly sound thrilled about the move.
"As ready as it'll ever be," Sirius muttered. "Night, boys."
"Night," Remus and Harry answered.
Two hours later, Sirius lay awake staring at the top of the tent. For some reason, he couldn't get comfortable. He tossed and turned without any results. He sighed and watched the leprechauns fly over head.
Just as he began to finally drift off, the noises of celebration turned to fearful screams and chaos. Sirius sat straight up and grabbed his wand from the floor next to him. The screams were growing louder. He got off the sofa and ran to Remus' room. His friend was already dressed, his wand in hand.
Without a word, Remus went to wake Harry while Sirius went outside. Arthur and the rest of the Weasley boys were up and dressed. Bill, Charlie, and Percy had their sleeves rolled up, ready for action.
Harry was ushered outside of the tent by Remus just as Ginny and Hermione joined the group. Looking around at the running crowds around them, Arthur instructed all of the younger kids to head into the forest until someone came to find them.
"What's going on?" Harry asked, still dressed in his pajamas with a jacket covering him.
"I don't know. Just stick with them, okay?" Sirius said, trying to remain calm. "You'll be fine."
Harry nodded and followed his friends.
"Come on," Sirius said to the others, still watching his godson run off through the crowds of panicked people.
With Sirius in the lead, the wizards headed for the commotion. The source was obvious as they grew nearer: High in the sky were four people, Muggles, being used as puppets by a crowd below. The large group of witches and wizards controlling them were in white masks.
"Death Eaters...?" Remus whispered in disbelief.
Sirius nodded. "Let's go."
Sirius pushed through the crowd of Ministry workers and found his way to the front. Kingsley and Tonks were waiting for him.
"We don't want to attack because we don't want the Muggles to fall," Kingsley called over the noise.
Sirius nodded. "Okay. Kingsley, you, Tonks, Remus, and Arthur get your wands on the Muggles. Get ready to float them over to safety. I'll find the rest of the Aurors and get this lot under control."
"Right," Kingsley said. He, Tonks, Remus, and Arthur held their wands at the ready.
Sirius pulled the other Weasley boys to the edge of the crowd. "You three stand here. If any of the Death Eaters come this way, stun and bind them. Got it?"
"Got it," Bill, Charlie, and Percy said.
Sirius ran off again and located a group of Aurors obviously waiting for instructions. He quietly directed them into position; the Death Eaters weren't paying him any attention. Once he was satisfied that everything was ready, he moved closer to the masked wizards.
"Oy!" he yelled. A few heads turned. "You're all under arrest by the power of the Minister of Magic!" Just as Sirius expected, a few of them laughed. "NOW!" he yelled. From every angle, spells and hexes flew into the crowd of Death Eaters. For a split second, the Muggles looked as if they would fall, but the next moment, they were floating to safety over the battle that had erupted.
Sirius was hit in the eye by a fist, and he automatically reached out. He gripped an arm tightly and twisted. A painful cry sounded as Sirius heard the crack of bones being broken.
Before he could bind the Death Eater who had struck him, an emerald green light began to glow in the distant sky. For a moment, the battle stopped. Everybody, Death Eaters and Ministry officials alike, stared at the green skull with the snake protruding from its mouth.
Noise and chaos erupted louder than ever. Apparition pops sounded all around Sirius. Terrified screams, running...
"Shit..." Sirius muttered. He glanced over and spotted Remus and Arthur just before they, too, Disapparated. He looked around him, all the Death Eaters were gone. "Shit!" he said louder.
"Sirius!" called a voice.
Sirius swung around and spotted Tonks running towards him.
"We got the Muggles down. The Obliviators are taking care of them now," Tonks panted. "Remus, Arthur, and Kingsley went to see where the Dark Mark came from."
"Right." Sirius sighed. "Come on, back to our tent. Let's get you cleaned up." He was looking at a long gash on Tonks' shoulder.
"I'm fine," she insisted without much force.
"Right, right, you're fine, I know," Sirius muttered distractedly as he looked around for the Weasley boys. "Bill! Charlie! Percy!" he called.
"Over here, Sirius!" called the oldest Weasley child. Sirius pulled Tonks by the elbow to the redheads.
"Let's get you all back to the tent," he said to the boys. "We can wait for Arthur, Remus, and the kids there." There were no arguments as the Weasleys and Tonks followed Sirius through the crowd of people.
All around them, tents had caught fire, and some were trampled. Luckily, their tents were left alone. As they approached, Sirius spotted three more redheads running towards them.
Ginny reached them first and hugged her older brothers. Sirius looked over Fred and George's shoulders for the other three.
"Are you lot all right?" Charlie asked, pulling back from Ginny for a good look.
"We're fine," Fred said. "But we lost the others in the woods."
"You lost them?" Sirius asked with wide eyes. "How did you lose them?" He had sudden visions of Harry, Ron, and Hermione being tortured by Death Eaters.
Stop it! he told himself firmly.
"We were running and we got separated," George said.
Sirius sighed. "All right, everyone inside. They'll be back soon..." he said, hoping what he was saying was true. He reminded himself that Remus was out there as well. Hopefully, he'd find Harry and his friends before anyone else did.
Sirius helped Tonks heal her cut and headed back out of the tent to wait for the others. In the distance, he spotted them. Though it was dark outside, the fires from the tents illuminated them. They all looked all right, though Arthur seemed very perturbed.
"Fred, George, and Ginny are inside," Sirius told Arthur. He nodded his thanks and headed inside to see his children.
"All right, Remus, Harry?" Sirius called as he approached his family.
"We're fine," Remus said quietly. "You?"
"Fine. Let's get inside," Sirius said, ushering his family into the Weasley tent. He could spot the reporters approaching in the distance.
Remus, Harry, and Sirius sat around the Weasleys, Hermione, and Tonks, and exchanged stories. Remus and Arthur—with the help of Harry, Ron, and Hermione—explained the occurrences in the woods.
"Wait. Let me get this straight," Sirius said over Percy's voice. "Barty Crouch's house-elf had Harry's wand?" The others nodded. "And she was the only one in the trees when Crouch went to look?" More nods. Sirius sat back in his chair in deep thought.
"What was going on with that skull thing?" Ron asked after a few minutes.
Sirius exchanged a look with Remus and Arthur. Before any of them could answer, Hermione spoke up, "I told you, it was You-Know-Who's sign."
"Hasn't been seen in eight years," Sirius muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.
Ron still didn't understand the big deal. "Ron," Remus said patiently. "All of you..." He looked around at the younger kids. "You don't know. The Dark Mark was only seen when Vold—er—You-Know-Who killed. The last time it was seen..." He trailed off looking at Sirius.
"The last time it was seen cause a lot of commotion," the Auror said briskly. "This will, too. Look, it's been a long night. I say we all get back to bed. Arthur, we can walk the girls to their tent. Tonks, you can stay with us for the night."
Arthur nodded. "Thank you. I'll see if I can get us an early Portkey out of here in the morning." He glanced at his watch. "I take that back; later this morning."
Sirius, Remus, Harry, and Tonks said good night to the Weasley boys, led Hermione and Ginny to their tent, and said good night to them.
Inside their own tent, no one slept. Remus gave Tonks his bedroom, and she headed in there after a few hours. Remus, Sirius, and Harry sat together on the sofa, deep in thought.
"When was the last time the Dark Mark was seen?" Harry asked quietly, looking directly at Sirius.
Sirius looked in his godson's eyes for a moment and nodded. Harry was old enough to understand. "Not long after you came to live with me and Remus. It was my second day back or something at the Ministry. Kingsley and I took a portkey to a Muggle neighborhood, your aunt and uncle's old neighborhood. The Dark Mark was above their house."
"Malfoy did it..." Harry said, connecting the information.
"Yeah."
"Who was it this time?"
"We don't know, Harry," Remus said, shaking his head. "But don't worry about it right now. Go get some sleep."
Harry said good night to his guardians and went into his bedroom.
"Did Harry have his wand when we left the top box?" Sirius asked quietly.
"Don't know. I asked him on the way back. He said he didn't check."
Sirius nodded. "No elf could have conjured that mark, Remus."
"I know."
"It's going to be a long week." Sirius sighed.
Remus snorted. "Longer than last week, you mean?"
"Definitely."
