I apologize that not much happens plot-wise in this chapter, but I thought Sirius needed a little flare for dealing with his new existence. Plus, there are a couple of important characters introduced in here.

Sirius didn't feel any different. Was he supposed to? If he really were a spirit, then wouldn't the pressure of a physical body create some weight? Especially Fudge's body. The man wasn't digustingly huge, but it wouldn't have hurt him to lose a pound or two while he was alive. Of course, Sirius hadn't been a spirit for very long. So maybe he was more used to how having a body felt.

Taking a deep breath--had he been breathing as a spirit?--he climbed to his feet. Fudge's body moved easily; for some reason, that was surprising.

James gave a low whistle. "Lookin' good, Mr. Black."

So he looked good. Sirius snorted derisively. "You have no taste."

"James has great taste; he married me," Lily said. "Really, Sirius, you look good."

What did Fudge's body look from his own eyes? Curious, Sirius looked down. It wasn't Fudge's body. It was his own, the one that James and Lily said had been sucked into some black hole of death or whatnot. It looked just like his spirit had. For a moment he wondered if he had simply failed to take over the Minister's body, but now he was dressed in the same steel grey robes Fudge had been wearing. Only, only they fit. Perfectly. His hands flew to his face. Yes, he could feel it all. His nose, his cheekbones, the stubble from not shaving that morning. "I thought you were going to give me Cornelius Fudge's body!"

Lily laughed, nodding. "You do have his body. See? It's no longer on the ground."

Sirius looked back. The grass was simply grass.

"In fact, if anyone came over right now," James said. "They'd think you mad for talking to yourself."

"They can see me?" But if everyone thought him dead...

"Yes, they can see you. Hence the purpose of having a body." Lily strode to his side and plucked a blade of grass from his shoulders. Shoulders covered in Fudge's grey robes. "But they won't see you, Sirius Black. They'd see Cornelius Fudge."

The Polyjuice Potion didn't work that way. Sirius fingered the robes' edges disdainfully. "But I look like me."

"And to us you look like you," James said. "Which is why you look so good. Come on, we're not so cruel that every time you look in a mirror you have to see Fudge's ugly mug. We know how vain you are."

Sirius smiled. Yes, he was vain. One of his few flaws. "Thank goodness." Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. "So when do I get to see Harry?"

"Harry." Lily smiled, gazing off to the Quidditch field. "Oh, this will be wonderful. You were a great guardian for him, those times you were around. You can see him anytime you like, I suppose."

"If he survived the Ministry incident." How had that ended? "Your list... he didn't die, did he?"

"Nope, he's a tough young man," said James. "He's going to live awhile, if all goes well."

"And you don't do anything stupid," Lily said.

James blushed.

Harry. Remus, everyone else. Excitement flooded Sirius' body. Fudge's body. Whatever. But if they thought he was dead. "Do you think they'll believe who I am?"

Silence.

"You're still on about that?" James asked.

"It's the entire point of me coming back, isn't it?" He paused, questions filling his mind. "What about whomever killed Fudge?"

Lily opened her mouth to speak, but another voice sounded through the air.

"Minister!" It was a man, different from the late Henders, rushing at him with a face red and dripping with sweat. Bigger than Henders, as well. "Minister!"

Instinctively Sirius prepared himself for the man's scream at the sight of Fudge's body. Then he remembered that he was the one with the body. Only the body didn't look like Fudge. He tried to concentrate on what James had said. It wasn't true, was it?

The man stopped just before him, panting for breath. "Mr. Fudge," he managed between gasps. "There's been..." Another painful gasp.

Sirius stared. The man was addressing him. He looked around. James and Lily had vanished.

"There's... been... an..." Gasp. "Accident."

There had been two accidents. But it didn't look that way.

Oh, this was going to be fun.

"An accident?" Sirius practically shouted the words. It sounded like his voice, but if this guy couldn't tell the difference on appearance, why would voice matter? "You've come to interrupt my short walk, my one moment of peace, for a silly Quidditch accident? Why can't you just contact the medics?"

The man stared back at him, flabbergasted. But he seemed too out of breath to care much. "I'm so sorry, Minister. But...but it's not that kind of accident."

"Okay, so some moron got his nose broken by another bludger. It happens all the time and no one else comes running to me." Sirius wondered if he were being too cruel. But somehow the fact that he himself had just died somehow desensitized him to death. Lily had said heaven was nice, anyway. Henders would be fine.

"I... Mr. Fudge, please. It's Bandlin Henders."

"Who?" Sirius couldn't resist.

"The... the head of the Department of Magical Horticulture, sir. He's..." The man finally had the breath to speak properly. "He took a bludger to the head. Killed instantly." He looked to the grass, some semblence of grief welling up.

That was kind of sad. "Oh. That's terrible. Forgive me for my shortness. Are you positive he's dead?"

"Sir, trust me. They may never get the stains out of Brinkerhoff's uniform. Or get him out of counseling. He was playing Seeker for the other team and was the closest one to Henders."

"Oh, dear." What a way to go, poor fellow. "I'll be there immediately. His family... is anyone seeing to them?"

The man wiped at the sweat on his brow. "Henders was single, Mr. Fudge."

"That's fortunate." Sirius pushed past the man and headed back to the Quidditch field, the man tagging along behind him.

"You don't think one of You-Know-Who's followers had cursed the ball?" the man asked.

Why did everyone know Voldemort was back? "Of course I don't. Our sports equipment is well-guarded."

The field was in chaos. People were crying, fainting, or on the field bugging the Healers for a closer look at Henders' body. No one even noticed Sirius, except for an occasional glare seeming to ask "Why didn't you do something?"

Not like it was his fault that brains were now splattered over the field.

A tall, pristine-looking older woman finally paid him attention, and instantly marched over the field toward him. Her curly, greying hair was cut short around her scalp, and a tight smile cut through her thin face. She looked almost--Sirius couldn't be sure--surprised to see him. "Well, Cornelius, the seventh annual family Quidditch match is off to a wonderful start."

Someone addressing him by his first name. Sirius panicked. How was he supposed to know all these people?

"Aspen DeChant," she said, extending a hand, which Sirius shook. "I didn't think you'd remember me, considering how drunk you were New Year's. I work in the Department of Magical Transportation." She sighed and wiped away a tear. "It's a sad time for reintroductions, don't you think? Ah, and you are..." She nodded at the man that had been following Sirius around. "Eldon Pratt. Is that right? I think my husband knows you or something."

The man now known as Eldon Pratt gave a quick nod, his attention back on the Healers who were in the process of retrieving Henders' body.

"And to think, Minister, that you had just been speaking to poor Bandlin. We were all wondering where you were." DeChant sighed and examined her fingernails. "I'm so heartbroken about this."

She didn't seem to be, Sirius thought. Of course, everyone grieved in different ways.

He felt a tap at his shoulder. It was some young man he didn't recognized. "Minister, we need your signiture for the accident report." He shoved a slip of parchment and a quill dripping with ink into Sirius' face.

"Oh, of course." Sirius stared blankly at the parchment and the quill. There was a line where his name needed to be. Well, sign away.

He was almost finished when he realized he had signed "Sirius Black."

With a grumble he scribbled it out and shoved it back to the man. "This thing doesn't required my signiture."

The young man blinked, mumbled an apology, and ran off.

"Some people," DeChant said.

The novelty of the bludger accident was wearing off. How many other people were going to come bother him? Where the heck had James run off to? Maybe it was time to make an announcement.

Clearing his throat, he climbed on top of a bleacher. "Hey!" he shouted.

The chaos paused and all turned to stare at him.

Perhaps "Hey" wasn't the most Cornelius thing to say. At least he had their attention. He continued. "This accident has been most regrettable, I admit, but panicking is only going to make it worse. We will all mourn the loss of..." What was the man's name again? "Bandlin Henders and his contribution to the Ministry. But let's get his body taken care of." Yeah, the body that wasn't beyond the veil. "So please let the medi-wizards to their jobs. In fact, I believe that the rest of our wonderful players no longer wish to continue the game, so as of now the match is over."

Everyone continued to stare.

"I think we should all go home." He waved his hands at them. "Shoo. Counseling, for those of you who need it, will be made available through the Ministry. By contacting Mr. Pratt here."

Pratt gave a jump. "But sir--"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "I trust you to handle it. If you can, there might even be a promotion in store."

Pratt smiled. "Yes, sir!"

DeChant gave a short laugh. She seemed very confused.

The command had worked, any way. The various people were packing all their things together and heading out. Good riddance.

"Good job, Sirius."

Sirius jumped as James appeared at his side. "Where have you been?"

James shrugged. "I wanted to see if you could handle it. Oh, I envy you right now. I really do."

"There's a lot to envy. This is fun, but I don't a soul here."

"Hey, you asked for it. And it's only temporary."

That was true. "Yeah, just a romp and then I get another body. Right?"

James smiled, sidestepping some teenagers as they passed. "Right. Just don't destroy the government."

"Oh, that's the best part."

"Mr. Fudge?" Pratt seemed very worried.

James laughed as Sirius considered smacking himself.

"It looked like you were talking to no one," Pratt continued.

Sirius forced a smile. "I'm sorry. Just a little stressed from all of this."

James had once again vanished.

"We all are, sir. Perhaps you should go home as well and allow the medi-wizards to finish up here."

Home. Where did Fudge live, anyway? "This is going to sound silly, but I'm so horrified by this that I don't really--"

Pratt wasn't paying attention. "Your secretary just handed me your portkey. He worried you might not feel up to Apparating, what with You-Know-Who and now this."

Portkey. Whatever genius had thought those up... lucky the Minister was allowed to have his own. He took the small box that Pratt offered him and opened it. Inside lay, of all things, one of those tacky commemorative galleons. That was the Minister's personal portkey?

Oh, well. He prepared to pick it up.

Unless... he remembered what had happend to Harry the other year during the Triwizard Tournament. Whomever had killed Fudge might have created the portkey.

But when would they have the time to do that, if they had killed Fudge five minutes ago?

Holding his breath, he grabbed the Galleon.

He wound up in a huge sitting room, all white and gold and as big as a house. Gold-framed portraits hung on the wall. Sirius gave a low whistle. Fudge was apparently wealthy. He jumped onto a couch. It bounced splendidly beneath him.

"Master Cornelius?"

Sirius tumbled off the couch.

"Ee! Is Master Cornelius hurt?" The pointed face of a house elf stared down into his, her large green eyes gleaming with fright. "Do you need Deena to fetch the Healer? Though Mibby is qualified in many healer skills. Should I fetch him instead?"

For crying out loud, how many house elfs did Fudge have? "No... Deena." He sat up, rubbing his head. "I'm all right."

Deena stepped back, still studying him worridly. "Is you sure, Master Cornelius?"

"I'm sure." She was a heck of a lot nicer than Kreacher had ever been. "Thank-you."

Deena didn't look satisfied, but she sighed in defeat. "You is welcome." Then her ears perked up. "Me thinks Mistress Tawnya is coming."

Barely had Deena finished speaking when two white doors that practically blended in with the walls were thrown open and a girl rushed through.

"On, Corny!" she squealed in a high-pitched voice. "I just got an owl about what happened at the match and I was so worried you'd be hurt." She flung her arms around Sirius' neck. "I'm so glad to see you safe and sound."

Sirius couldn't move. Had he just been hugged by some strange girl?

Then, to his further horror, she planted a kiss right on his lips. "This makes me so happy!" Finally, she backed away, giving Sirius a chance to get a good look at her

She could hardly be any older than nineteen or twenty, by the look of her. Pretty, he supposed, in a rather trashy way. She had auburn curls, and lots of them, teased and sprayed until they were triple what they should have been. She wore clingy violet robes over... good grief, she was about to spill out. Blushing, Sirius turned away.

The girl he supposed to be Tawnya grinned flirtatiously. "I bet none of your first three wives fawned over you this way. Or got so worried over their hunny-bunny." She pinched his cheek, forcing him to look at her.

This was Fudge's wife? Gingerly he pushed her hand away. "Of course not. Dear."

She giggled. "You're so funny. But I can imagine you are so tired. Should I have one of the house elves run a bath for you?"

That actually sounded nice. Minus making the house elf do it.

"Deena, go tell Mibby or Lono to run my husband a bath."

The house elf ran to the door.

"No, Deena, I can do it myself."

Deena stopped.

Tawnya giggled again. "You're so silly. Well," she cuffed her hand under his chin. "I'll be in my bedroom, if you need me."

They didn't sleep in the same room? Wonderful.

"Master Cornelius seems a little lost," Deena said. "Deena has chores to do, but I shall get someone to take to your own room. So you doesn't get lost in the basement. Again." She went to the wall and rapped twice.

"You called?" Another house elf, slightly bigger than Deena.

"Ardy," Deena said. "Master Cornelius isn't well, not at all."

Ardy the house elf smiled happily. "Not again, Master Cornelius. Well, that is why you has us, sir. Come, follow Ardy."

The house elf led Sirius through an utter labyrinth of halls. It was worse than Hogwarts. And each one was disgustingly and lavishly decorated. Perhaps Fudge didn't have so much taste. Finally, they stopped before a door. "Here you is, sir. Call Ardy if you need anything." With that, Ardy vanished.

Sirius opened the door to a bedroom even bigger than the sitting room. And it was all green and white and brown. Oh, well. Perhaps it was high time for the Minister's home to have some redocoration. And at least Tawnya wasn't in it.

He still couldn't believe this was working. He wanted to scream with joy. But that would probably just summon a house elf. So he just fell back on the giant bed. Now all he had to do was contact Harry.

But what about the person who had killed Fudge?

SHOUT OUTS!

Aerinha: Thanks!

Arwench: Well, wait until you see which particular lady Sirius will be having fun with!

Avalon Estel: You know, I completely forgot about what Luna and Harry heard! Very good point.

Dr. Huff-Puff: Hey, Sirius had the idea to use Fudge as well, so you can't fully blame James. And yes, Harry doesn't trust Fudge at all. So there will be problems there.

hydraspit: Well, I do have a few things in mind for Sirius to do...

Jamie McFly: Gah! Don't you dare reveal future story bits! You are priveledged to know!

Krenya: I hope it will be fun...

Lady Kazaana: Inuyasha is sexy!

Lady Meriadoc: Well, that's what he did! He's a Marauder, Marauders do evil like taking over the government. )

Libby Bird: Thanks!

meenyrocks: Oh, boy. I don't think Sirius would have ever taken a woman's body (though I suppose he would feel very pretty.) But that is a great idea! v-babe24 actually suggested Fudge.

milky way bar: Yup, body hunting is fun! Thanks!

Phillipa of the Phoenix: I suppose I could find a way to make Sirius taking over Fudge's body angsty and dramatic... but that wouldn't be any fun!

rosepetal13: I actually haven't read any stories on Sirius' afterlife, either.

Satine-cm: I'm thinking about doing a sequel! We'll have to see. Yes, Sirius in charge of all that is magical. Oh dear.

Tabitha78: Thanks!

TeenTypist: Thanks! My cousin actually came up with using Fudge's body. I thought it would lead to horror and chaos, so... yeah.

Tru Lys: Actually, I am one of those people in denail of Sirius' death, but I'm fine with writing this. I don't know, I'll have to wait for someone to say.

v-babe24: You remember who the problem child is! The person whom you called me up to notify of the problem. The problem I'm not getting rid of.