Ever since his conversation with David about his boggart Remus had been turning over in his mind the implications of his realisation about Albus. He found it very difficult to believe Albus was capable of raping anyone, let alone one of his students, yet it seemed that that was what David believed had happened. David had said that Severus had witness all his memories of the events that summer through the mind ritual. So Remus was on his way to talk to Severus about his own conclusions.
"You realise that I can neither confirm nor deny what you have deduced?" pointed out Severus after Remus had explained. There was a slight emphasis on the word 'confirm.'
"I understand," Remus assured him. "What I want to talk to you about is whether you believe such events were possible. I can only conclude that it must have been polyjuice. It seems to me that assuming it was not Albus who framed Harry, then whoever did was able to fool him be perfectly capable of also convincing Harry that it was Albus. What better way to torture Harry?"
"What you say makes a lot of sense. I have been unable to decide myself. David has good reasons for his beliefs."
"He told us that had Albus worked out who Harry really was he would have killed Harry rather than risk him going dark before he reached his majority."
"Roger believed that. Or more specifically that his father would find out from Albus and do so. Roger had reason to worry. Albus had tried to stop him from procreating, at least until after the war was over. He drugged both of us to dampen down the soul-mate bond we had in order to prevent us getting together."
"Whilst I disagree with doing that to someone, it's a world away from rape."
"I'm just saying that Roger had reason to hate Albus and so all the years David spent with him Roger would have supported David in his own hate. David has other reasons though, the first time he saw Albus after the events we can't speak about, Albus attacked him, then Albus fixed his trial and then when David ended up in Azkaban he claims that Albus visited him several times and alluded to what had happened. Not to mention that the concept would be enforced if the rumours are true about what happens to 'unofficial' Azkaban inmates."
"He was a dark prisoner?"
Severus nodded slowly, "But he refuses to tell me about it. I don't think he realises that he was treated differently to the other inmates. From his reactions I would guess the rumours have some truth in them."
Remus shuddered and changed the subject. "Getting back to Albus, it could still be polyjuice."
"Yes, but the more times Albus was impersonated the more unlikely it becomes. The 'personal ingredient' added to the potion must have been harvested within a month of being added so whoever used it would have needed a constant supply over several months. Albus is wary of being impersonated and is very careful."
"It seems rather unfair to Albus not to hear his side of the story," said Remus. "I owe him a lot. He might only be guilty of failing to give Harry a fair trial. While in itself that is bad enough it is of a whole different magnitude to paedophilia." He thought for a few moments. "How does a secrecy vow passed through the mind ritual work - who can remove it?"
"I have been researching that. It can be removed in the normal way, by the person it was vowed to."
"When you use polyjuice potion does your magical signature change as well as your appearance? Because if it does, would not Albus be able to remove your vow even if he wasn't the person who it was actually given to?"
"Possibly, I would need to do some research. In case Albus is capable of the unthinkable I won't risk approaching him if I am not certain it would help. I'd best get started on some polyjuice potion. Don't mention this to David. It is possible that a person needs to believe that the person releasing them is the person who took the vow in the first place."
"Since you know what happened, you would be able to convince David that you were Albus and then release him from the vow."
"That is an idea which deserves considerable consideration. For now though don't try to talk David out of his beliefs. He needs your support and he will worry that you are going to betray him if he thinks that you don't believe him."
"Severus, how have you managed not to tell Albus anything about David for all this time? When I'm in his presence I get an almost overwhelming desire to trust him and it is difficult to hang on to the idea that I mustn't."
"Try holding in your mind the idea that if this were to come out in the wrong way it would be damaging for Albus himself, that way you're not telling him because you trust him." Remus looked doubtful so Severus continued, "I know the logic is twisted, but it does help. I have yet to track down how Albus generates his 'trust me' aura or even if he consciously does so. It's a problem I muse over from time to time. As a Slytherin I admire the ability."
By Halloween David almost had a full teaching schedule with all the one-to-one sessions he was running for magical repression. In a way it did not matter since with the Hermione situation he was keen to be in the castle as much as he could, but he did have some of his own projects he wanted to work on. Perhaps once Hermione's attacker(s) were found he would be able to do something about it.
David was decidedly uncomfortable as he sat between Severus and Remus at the Halloween feast. Halloween had never been a good day for him, well perhaps his first Halloween aged three months had been, he would have to ask Remus about that. On his second Halloween Voldemort had killed his adoptive parents and tried to kill him. The Dursleys had always been in foul tempers on that day each year. Dudley would throw tantrums because they did not allow him to go trick-or-treating with his friends. Dudley had no real wish to dress up, but he had a huge interest in all the sweets he could gain by doing so.
David wondered whether perhaps Petunia was upset by the anniversary of her sister's death; he hoped she had enough humanity to grieve for her. Petunia and Vernon were in foul moods due to the 'unnaturalness' of the holiday and the number of people about dressed like witches. Then once Hogwarts had started Halloween had been seen as a celebration, but a battle with a troll, being blamed for a petrified cat, a mass murderer knifing the Fat Lady and the name 'Harry Potter' coming out of the goblet of fire had all banished his enjoyment of the event. Halloween in Azkaban could not have been good either, not that he could remember what he did on that day but he knew it would not have been pleasant. The time he spent in the realm of the dead did not have days or years to count by so he had not had an enjoyable Halloween feast there either. David did not think this year would be any different; it was just a question of what was going to happen.
As it was the feast went without a hitch, unless you count a couple of small explosions in the region of the current top trouble makers, a quartet of third year Gryffindors. The headmaster simply smiled benignly at them and commenting to the rest of the school that that was what happened when you tried to let Peeves through the wards into the great hall. David's eyes had automatically flicked to Hermione to check that she was not in danger when the noise occurred. It had increased his anxiety and his stress levels were such that the food he was eating seemed tasteless.
Once the meal was over David and Remus left Hogwarts for London. They were spending the rest of the evening with Sirius to mark the anniversary of James and Lily's murders. It would be the first opportunity for the three of them to mark it together. Remus had persuaded Sirius into a routine of remembrance after watching him grow extremely melancholic and self destructive around the date a couple of years after he escaped from Azkaban when they had been living in the Order's headquarters.
The three wizards apparated to the cemetery where the Potters were buried. For David and Sirius it was the first time they had seen the graves so Remus led the way. Sirius clenched his fists and gave a wordless howl of anger as his eyes ran over the double headstone. David followed his gaze and saw a depiction of a wolf, stag and rat carved at the base of the stone.
"It was my doing," said Remus softly. "I didn't know any better at the time."
"I could fix it if you want," offered David hesitantly.
"You can't," said Remus. "I used to work for an undertaker. Headstones are charmed to resist vandalism. The carving can't be changed after it has been set."
David frowned. "I managed with Dad's alright. It can't hurt to try. Would you like me to Remus, Sirius?"
"Get rid of the rat," said Sirius.
"And add a dog and a cat," suggested Remus.
David stepped forward and knelt on the ground in front of the headstone. He pressed his hands over the image and forced it to change. The two other wizards waited patiently until he had finished and stepped back to join them to admire his handiwork. The rat had gone and instead there was a carving of a dog, a stag and a wolf running in unison with a small kitten looking on.
"Much better," said Remus. The three wizards stood still for a while having their own silent conversations with their dead friends. After a quarter of an hour Remus decided he needed to call an end to his friends' reminiscences before they started to wallow in grief. They apparated back to Grimmauld Place and ended up in the sitting room with a bottle of firewhiskey.
The sombre mood was broken when David choked on his firewhiskey and Sirius laughed. "Anyone would think that you hadn't had alcohol before," he commented.
"I've had wine," said David defensively, "how was I supposed to know this was entirely different?"
"Just sip it," Remus advised smiling. David recovered and tried again. This time he did not choke as the liquid burned his throat, but he was not sure he enjoyed it either. Perhaps firewhiskey was like wine; an acquired taste. Deciding the time was right; he stretched out his hand and conjured a mist in the space between himself and the other two who were sharing a sofa. The mist coalesced into the figures of James and Lily.
"They gave me a message for the two of you," explained David to Sirius who had not seen him do this before. He leaned back in his armchair and allowed the voices to wash over him as he sipped his drink. As the mist faded there came a crash in the hallway followed by muffled screams. Neither Sirius nor Remus seemed concerned. "Don't you hear that?" asked David tentatively as he got up and approached the door.
"Don't worry yourself," said Sirius dismissively, "that's just Tonks tripping over in the hall. She does it all the time, she'll be fine."
"What about the screaming?"
"That's the portrait of my darling mother. She's a tad annoyed that I own the house now. She did something to the portrait and it won't come off the wall. Tonks knows how to shut her up though. It'll be quiet soon."
"I could take a look at the portrait if you want," said David. "Even if I couldn't get it off the wall I think I know enough about how the paints are animated to be able to reverse the process and turn it into a static picture. The image would no longer be able to speak." At their stunned looks he explained further, "Lily made me do an artist's apprenticeship."
"You could do that?" asked Sirius all thoughts off the Potters momentarily forgotten.
"I could try."
"What are we waiting for?" asked Sirius bursting out of his chair and out of the room. David and Remus followed at a more sedate pace. They found Tonks in the hallway struggling with a pair of black curtains trying to cover up Mrs Black's portrait and get her to stop screeching.
"Let me try Tonks," said David as he took the curtains from her and reopened them. "Mrs Black, I apprenticed under Victor Graftner so I am more than capable of removing your animation and returning you to your original static form. Whether I do so or not is up to your son."
Sirius stepped forward smirking, "So Mother what will it be - will you be polite to my friends and me or shall we be saying goodbye. Oh there is a third option, tell us how to remove you from the wall and I might consider sending you to dear cousin Cissy."
"You filthy blood-traitor and your half-breed friends, you forget who you're talking to. I have no intention of leaving my own home."
"Very well Mother Dearest," said Sirius sarcastically, "as you insist on being rude." He nodded to David who raised his hands and skimmed them over the portrait mumbling to himself with his eyes closed as he concentrated on feeling and manipulating it's magic. As his three companions looked on in amazement Mrs Black's shrieks stopped abruptly as she froze.
"The data used is still in the paint, all I've removed are the final spells that animate the image. If you ever want to bring her back it can be done by any experienced artist. It would be an insult to the painter to otherwise vandalise the composition," said David turning round.
"So Tonks, fancy joining us for a drink to celebrate the old bat's final demise?" asked Sirius. "I'll go and get the twins down too."
Not long after the inhabitants of the house were gathered in the sitting room glasses in hand watching a couple of fireworks that the twins had 'been saving for the right occasion.' David was sprawled in his armchair the alcohol making him happily fuzzy as he yawned widely every so often.
"So David, you apprenticed under Graftner?" asked Remus. "You never mentioned you painted."
"Lily thought I needed a creative outlet, she did not agree with Roger and James that quidditch was enough. Do you paint?"
"A little, I sketch mostly but I took up painting again this year. I've had to teach myself though from books."
"I'm no expert but I'd be happy to pass on some techniques if you want. Perhaps when we both have a bit more time, like over the holidays?"
"I'll look forward to it."
"So David," said Fred.
"You can heal…" continued George.
"You can paint and get rid of annoying portraits…"
"You're an expert on the dark arts…"
"And you can tame dragons."
"Is there anything you can't do?"
David yawned contentedly. "Yes," he mumbled, "I can't dance for toffee. I'm - aw - going to have to learn, I just haven't got around to it yet."
"You know Remus is an excellent dancer," said Tonks suggestively. "I'm sure he'd be happy to teach you."
David blinked at her, "Good, glad to hear it." He yawned again. "I think I'd better go to bed, I can hardly keep my eyes open."
"I'll show you the way," said Sirius hospitably before the twins could get David at their mercy. He guided the younger man up the stairs and along a corridor to a bedroom, pointing out the location of the nearest bathroom on his way. David managed to retrieve his shrunken bag from his pocket and return it to its normal size, retrieve his pyjamas and make it into bed before he succumbed to slumber.
Sirius made his way back downstairs shaking his head. It was only a little after ten. He had thought at first that David had been embarrassed by Tonks's comment about Remus but the boy did seem genuinely tired. Perhaps it was the alcohol; he was obviously a bit of a lightweight. Sirius rejoined his friends and cast a silencing charm around the room so that they would not disturb David. The twins were setting up another round of indoor fireworks and Tonks was interrogating Remus on the progress so far of 'Operation - Get David.' Sirius refilled his glass and joined in the good humoured teasing of his school friend.
They chattered good naturedly as they drank their firewhiskey and Tonks was in the middle of relaying a rumour about Fudge being caught in a compromising position with one of his undersecretaries when Remus froze with his glass half way to his lips. He had been growing more and more uneasy over the last quarter of an hour. He put his glass down and stood up. "I'll be back in a minute," he said as he walked out the room. He had a gut feeling something was very wrong with his soul-mate. Once he got into the hall the screams hit him. He could not make out the words but the person making them was obviously terrified. His first thought was that David was being attacked, but he dismissed that; firstly nobody else could have got into the house, and secondly if someone had they would be silencing David or have put a silencing charm up. No, David was probably having a nightmare. Remus ran up the stairs and towards the young man's room.