The Disclaimer is in the first chapter.
A huge thank you to The Higher Power. A hug to my mom and my son.
A shout out to Marc the Unruly, Noppoh and SlytherinSal.
This story is rated M+ 18. Adult themes and language.
Please leave Trolls at the door.
Reviews are welcome.
Enjoy!
Chapter 7. Mrs. Simmons and the rat.
Mrs. Simmons was busy preparing for the next day, after delivering Andy to the Hogwarts Express, when a figure materialized behind her and said, "So, you finally caught up to that elusive creature?"
"Yes, Siri, she was hard to track, mind you. I know she is dangerous but so am I, and that creature deserves a glorious ending," said Mary.
"How are we doing with the side treasure hunt?" asked Sirius.
"Oh, very good. Ever since you made peace with Kreacher and he saw you destroying the locket, and you introduced him to the children, the search has been prolific. Did you destroy the sea cave?" asked Mary.
Flashback
27 July 1988. 9 AM
12 Grimmauld Place
London UK.
The motorhome came to a stop in front of a decaying home that seemed to oppose time, just barely. The townhome had seen better days, but those days were buried too along with Queen Victoria.
Paddy trotted out and lifted his paw to relieve himself on the decaying door that read the number 12th. Following him with her eyes, Mary noticed the quick movement on the curtains. There was a flash of magic meant for the dog, however, it disintegrated near the mutt. Only then did the decrepit magical aide behind the curtains realize that there was someone else there.
Kreacher could hardly believe another powerful female could exist, besides his long-lost mistress Walpurga Black or her niece Bellatrix Black, later LeStrange. Still, this other woman had a vein of magic that shook the foundations of Grimmauld as a shield was put in place before Kreacher could finish casting his magic.
The dog yelped and then he growled menacingly, then sneezed. The woman dressed in dark muggle clothes turned to the dog and said, "Sirius, are you sure that this is the place that is holding the vessel?"
Kreacher could only gap at the man that was now standing where the mutt had stood mere seconds before. His most hated, long-lost master was now standing at the door. The woman was his mate, there was no doubt. Then his master took the knocker and said, "Grimmauld place, open your doors to your Lord and master Sirius Orion Black and his wife Mary Lily Black and his children, Harry James Potter, Regulus Osiris Black, and Ignotus Antares Black."
The magic gave away, and the house opened. The Blacks entered and while a screech was in process from the late Walpurga's portrait. The magic of the house rang, and the screech muted. Only then Sirius added as he picked Mary in his arms bridal style and walked through the threshold, "Welcome dear, to our wicked and decaying abode, I mean home."
"Listen, you old dog, I married you for your charms, not your money. Now put me down and tell me if there is a house-elf housekeeper alive or dead and if so, is that the reason behind the townhome being in such a state of disrepair?"
"Let's find out, dear. Kreacher?"
Kreacher could not fight the summon. As he appeared next to his master, a couple of boys, no older than 5 years, stood next to their mother, and an 8-year-old next to his father.
"Master called?"
"There you go, the elf is still alive. Which leaves us with the question, what the hell happened to this wretched place, Kreacher?"
The elf in question trembled and stood still, awaiting orders to punish himself. The new Lady Black stood still and then said, "Regulus, what is it, son?"
The boy replied. "He seems sick mom, and his bones are sticking." Ignotus got close and added, "Kreacher, were you alone, all this time?" Kreacher answered in a whisper. "They left me alone after my mistress died, and now, Kreacher knows he failed his new master and his children."
Regulus insisted, "No, Kreacher, you haven't failed us. We didn't know you were keeping this house. If we had, we would have called you before. We are sorry we were bad masters to you."
Only then did Kreacher lose control of his grief and he began wailing in despair. "Little masters are so kind to old Kreacher, so much like my old master Regulus. Kreacher is a bad elf and a failure. Kreacher cannot complete old master Regulus' wish. Please, master Sirius, let Kreacher go, so he can die and repair the stain of living a half-life, please?"
Sirius sighed and added, "Kreacher, I need to understand why you are so miserable. Then I will repair my mistakes. After, I promise, if you want to, I will release you, understood?" The old house-elf nodded, and then he looked up to see that the oldest boy had a handkerchief and was giving it to the old magical aide, which again brought more tears to the old elf.
Mary said, "Harry, take your brothers back to the motorhome and ask Luz to fix you a snack and put a movie on, anything by Disney. No adult theme movies until you turn 9." "But Mom!" whined Harry. Mary turned and said, "Whine some more and I'll take away your Bruce Lee movies?"
"Ah, yeah, Bruce Lee, come on guys, it's Wednesday Whooping with Bruce Lee, woohoo!"
"Yeah!" chorused the twins.
"Padfoot, get your wagging tail back in here; we have unfinished business," said Mary sternly. The dog in question whined and turned back to Lord Sirius Orion Black and pouted, while adding, "But Honey it's Wednesday Whooping marathon., Oh, fine!"
Kreacher stood still in wonder. His master had agreed after pouting and once Lady Black started tapping her foot. When Sirius cringed, Kreacher understood that Mary Black was indeed the one that held all the males in place. What a refreshing change. No yelling, no cursing, just undying acceptance and kindness. And she produced three kind-hearted wizards, that, and a domesticated healthy version of Sirius Black. She was worthy of respect and the surname Black.
"Kreacher, where can we get a cup of tea in this place?" inquired Mary.
"Right this way, Mistress," answered Kreacher.
Sirius gaped at Kreacher. His missus had captivated the old magical coot. The elders sat down and listened to the old house-elf tell his story. Afterward, Mary was busy drying her tears as Sirius wept in her chest and mumbled that his brother had died a hero. He swore he would destroy the watery grave of his brother, not only Voldemort's Horcrux.
"I'll help you, master. We will avenge your brother and I will fulfill his death wish."
"Very well. One thing at a time though. First the vessel. Kreacher, please bring the Horcrux and we will destroy it now," said Mary. Kreacher did and Mary instructed, "Hold the piece in place. Sirius, bring the fang out," Sirius put on his dragon skin gloves and summoned a basilisk fang. Kreacher noticed Mary's eyes changed to emerald and her power increased tenfold. Her demeanor reflected triumph as she whispered in parsel to the locket and the item trembled. A reptilian eye blinked from inside as it opened. It looked to the three beings in place and, before an image could form to distract them, Sirius stabbed the eye with the fang. A screech rang through everyone's ears, before lowering to nothing. Kreacher looked in awe at Lady Black as she blinked again and her eyes became golden. She smiled in satisfaction at the broken vessel, and then to her husband and then to Kreacher.
"Master and Mistress fulfilled their promise, thank you."
It would be years before Kreacher would return to the cursed sea cave and place the ward stones and the magical heat bomb so the Inferi would be liquified. He vanished before Sirius detonated another bomb on the outside that opened a hole in the site and had the entire structure fall to the ocean's depth without another sound other than a toilet flushing waste.
End of Flashback.
"Yes, the implosion was just amazing. It looked like Mother Nature's wrath all wrapped up in one beautiful and destructive vortex of doom," said Sirius with glee.
"No toxic leakage?" asked Mary.
"No, Mary dear, and also, I retrieved the ring from the shack in Little Hangleton. Now ashes are the only thing standing," added Sirius.
Flashback.
A stray dog walked up to Little Hagleton. It seemed to come out of the brush. To anyone looking, the mutt must have belonged to someone, but just as the dog appeared, it disappeared back into the brush. To a magical, the animal seemed like Death's envoy, to the mundane though, it just seemed like a lost pet. He kept smelling his way and, at last when there was no one looking, the figure transformed to man. The man then said, "Kreacher?"
"Master called?" replied a healthy elder house-elf, wearing a tracksuit and trainers, and a partially destroyed locket on his chest.
"Yes, could you please secure the area around the shack? I'll place the Notice-me-not charms and silence barriers, and make sure that there are no unwanted guests."
"Very well master."
Minutes later, Sirius Black added, "Fiendfyre!" The entire decrepit building collapsed not without emitting a deafening scream.
"Well, that was anticlimactic," said Sirius.
"Yes, it feels just right though master," added Kreacher.
"Yes Kreacher, it feels just right. Let's kill the oxygen," said, Sirius.
Kreacher nodded, and a bubble appeared to enclose the space. The fire ceased. Kreacher nodded again and a small rock came floating out of the debris. Sirius summoned a box and placed the recuperated item in the box. Sirius scratched his head and said, "Kreacher, did you destroy the bones of Tom Riddle Sr., or do we still have that errand left?"
"Kreacher already vanished the bones from the entire Riddle family, master Sirius," answered Kreacher.
"You sure about that? I don't want that arsehole around a second time," insisted Sirius.
"Master, if you feel like turning into a dog and doing grave desecration in order for you to fulfill your sadistic instincts? Kreacher will not stop you," said the old Black Elf.
"It's so good to not be misunderstood, thanks Kreacher. Now, let's do some heavy wrecking. The ancestors and the descendant deserve every minute of it."
Both figures disappeared with a wicked gleam and a frightening smile on their face, secure in the knowledge of happy times and new memories ahead.
End of Flashback.
"Right, so that's Andy's scar taken care of, the locket by Kreacher, the ring, and the cup since you killed the LeStranges and claimed their vaults and took care of Barty Crouch Jr. back in 1981. We still need to get rid of several toxic characters and locate a series of interesting creatures and more vessels. And, let's not forget, I have an annoying amphibian in pink, which is a priority on my list to take care of," said Mary Black.
Then, Luz the house-elf appeared. She was jumping and said, "Master, Mistress, Little Andy has the rat. He located the rat and we could trap it. He's going to call later tonight; I have to return."
Just like that, she disappeared, and then the mirror in the living room marked an incoming call. Andy, Neville, a set of ginger twins, and a couple of petrified figures became visible. A third, younger ginger sibling and a brown rat were also there.
Andy said, "Padfoot, Mom, meet the Weasley twins Fred and George, big fans of the Marauders, and Ron and his rat, 'Scabbers'. Dad, the Marauder's Map actually is still in existence and the twins liberated the old parchment from Filch's clutches and made it work. Um, Luz petrified the young Weasley and his rat, and she borrowed them from the Hufflepuff quarters. The twins here are dying to render the rat into potions ingredients, and so I kind of had to reach an agreement with them. Do, could you help us here?"
"Andy, Neville, and friends, please stay put, we are about to meet you in person," said Mary. She then added, "Jules, take us to Andy's trunk please?"
A moment later, the elder Simmons couple was standing next to the petrified rat. It was then that they turned around and the ginger twins said, "Blimey, the map doesn't cheat, it says here Padfoot aka Sirius O. Black. Wait, what? I thought Sirius Black betrayed the Potters, and over here it says…" The sentence didn't get finished since Mary did a silent "Accio" in combination with a mute and "Petrificus," by Sirius. A moment later, the twins got petrified and mute.
"Okay, settle down boys, we have to organize a couple of things here. First, we need to, um, neutralize a death eater," said Mary.
Fred and George's eyes seemed to want to pop out of their sockets since they couldn't believe the woman's words. Still, she turned around and took hold of the rat. She then transfigured the rodent into a footrest with a very frilly cover and then cleaned the soles of her shoes on it. "There, I don't think he will go anywhere, and if you were wondering if this animal is a death eater or not? Well, I'll prove it." She reversed the transfiguration on the footrest, and the ugly rat became an ugly balding fat man with a protruding set of front teeth and a hideous flower printed dress that fitted him like a sack of potatoes. On his raised left forearm, the death mark stood in stark contrast to the pale skin of his arm.
The twins could not believe their eyes. In front of them was the proof that the slimy rodent was Peter Pettigrew, an unknown death eater. Sirius Black, Andy Simmons, and Neville Longbottom were staring daggers at the despicable man in drag. Still, the males kept their counsel. The rat-man in a dress got turned back into an ugly piece of furniture. After he returned to his inanimate phase, Mrs. Simmons said, "Luz, take the stump away and place it in the study. Play the classic list of goblin yodeling hits in a continuous loop for our lovely guest."
The stump disappeared. Mary turned and noticed the twins being pale. Her demeanor changed and the scary lady turned into a warm hostess and added, "Fred, George, I'm so glad to meet you, but I still need to talk to your brother. Please excuse me a moment." The woman turned to the petrified gaze of the youngest Weasley brother.
Mental conversation between Mary Black and Ron Weasley.
"Hi, Mr. Weasley, I'm Mary Simmons, Andy's mom. The man behind Andy and Neville is my husband, Sirius Black. How are you?"
"Um, hello Mrs. Simmons. Was that man really 'Scabbers'?"
"Yes, Mr. Weasley, Ron, can I call you Ron, though?" asked Mary.
"Um, yeah, that's okay, as long as you don't call me Ronnie, I hate that. Mrs. Simmons, Scabbers was really that mean-looking man with big teeth?"
"Oh yes, Ron. That man was responsible for the death of Harry Potter's biological parents."
"You mean, you know Harry Potter, the boy who lived?" asked Ron with awe.
"I do know Harry Potter. Andy's birth name is Harry James Potter. However, since there are still death eaters just like 'Scabbers,' out there, Harry was raised as Andrew James Simmons. Do you think you can keep this knowledge to yourself?"
"It must be really important, but what if Dad or Mom ask? I know my baby sister Ginny is nuts over the Harry Potter books they sell in Diagon Alley."
"You're right, Ron, this information is important, and it's best to be quiet about it. The fewer people know, the better. If you feel comfortable, I can lock it inside you, something like a dream. You'll know the secret but they cannot make you tell, plus, if someone tries to yank the memory, they will get a Tyrannosaurus bite image. If you want to, I can send a letter to your parents explaining that 'Scabbers' passed away because of Hedwig, Andy's Owl, eating him, and we, Sirius and I, would gladly replace your lost pet. About Ginny, well, if she is a witch, she will meet Andy when she starts Hogwarts, won't she?"
"Um, okay on everything, but what is a Tyrannosaurus, Mrs. Simmons?"
"A giant reptile lizard-like being with sharp teeth and a mean disposition that lived a long time ago."
"Really? That sounds fun! Um, so I won't remember that a man in a rat shape slept next to me unless you make me remember?" asked Ron in a whisper.
"No, indeed. And Ron, you did nothing wrong dear. Believe us, we'll make that rat pay for not only you, but for Harry's parents. You can count on that, alright?"
"Yes, um, would it be okay if I want to learn to talk like you in our minds?" asked Ron.
"Oh, well, if you want to learn, you're going to study hard, have good scores, and be part of the Quidditch team, before I can commit to teaching you. Plus, play nice to everyone. Otherwise, this would be our last conversation, and that would be a shame; I enjoy talking to you," said Mary.
"Yeah, okay, I can do that. I really wanted to be in Gryffindor, but the Hat sorted me to Hufflepuff," said a dejected Ron.
"Well, being Hufflepuff is not so bad. You get good friends for a lifetime and the best recipes for becoming a chef. The kitchens are next to you, did you know that?"
"Really? Wow, then I guess that's okay. Thanks, Mrs. Simmons. Um is it going to hurt?" asked Ron.
"No, Ron, just a slight tingly feeling, and then you realize everything is okay; that the menfolk behind me played a prank. But you know that after, the men have a debt with you and that you need to go back to bed. And after you'll remember that Andy's house-elf brought you here, and she was nice. Ready?"
"Okay."
End of mental conversation between Ron Weasley and Mary Simmons.
If the twins could nod, they would, however, they stood still and breathed with more ease. Mrs. Simmons stood still and stared at Ron's eyes for a period. Afterwards, Ron blinked, and he seemed happier. He turned to Andy and his brothers and said, "You guys owe me big time. It's a good thing Mrs. Simmons explained everything to me. I'll see you, morons, later. Mrs. Simmons, Mr. Simmons, good night, um, Miss elf, I'm ready for bed."
Ron disappeared seconds later.
The twins stood still as Mrs. Simmons turned around and said, "I'm going to release you and then, we are going to sit and have a cup of tea. Afterward, we are going to discuss the agreement Andy made with you two, and then finally everybody retires. Remember, tomorrow is a school day."
Everyone nodded while the twins realized and said out loud. "The lady is scary."
Sirius Black turned to the twins and added, "Oh, and that is just half the reason I married the girl."
"What's the other half?" asked Neville.
"I'll tell you when you grow up, Nev," said Sirius Black.
"Ah hell, how am I supposed to get a girl, then?" asked Neville.
"Can we get back to the topic at hand and stop talking about romance?" asked Andy.
"You're no fun," said Sirius.
"Stop, just stop all of you. Sirius, behave. Andy dear, relax. Neville, there is already a girl or several interested in you, including your gran, who will delight in talking to you. Fred and George, what did you ask from Andy? And somebody please tell me, where is the dining table and chairs I got with this ensemble?" said Mary Black.
At that moment, all the male folk realized they could play and hide, still, the one with the power was dear old Mary and her curving eyebrow and hawk eyes, waiting for a reply.
Harry(Andy) said, "I, uh, well, yeah."
Mary began tapping her foot, and Sirius said, "Remember dear, tomorrow is a school day, and we have to work out the terms of the agreement between Andy and the Weasley twins?"
"Oh, you know what happened, don't you, Sirius? I knew it. Sit down gentlemen, we have an overdue conversation. Luz, bring the tea would you?" ordered Mary.
"Yes, Mistress," answered a voice in the background.
"Crap," said Sirius.
"I agree," said Andy, while the rest of the guests shuddered. "Oh, knock it off, you're scaring our guests and it's only tea. Now boys, (referring to the Weasley twins) what did you ask of Andy?"
"Oh, nothing much. Just another trunk like this, and meeting the original Marauders, that's it," said Fred.
"And the secret of his love juju; he was making Professor McGonagall smile," said George.
"That's my boy," said a proud Sirius.
"Seriously dear, I'm going to take you into a poodle beauty Salon in Paris and ask them to paint you, Lavender. As for you Andy, get the furniture back in here or I promise, I'll take away your flying privileges." She turned to the twins, and said, "Sirius Black is Padfoot. Moony is traveling around the world, but he'll meet us at King's Cross station in December. He visits for the holidays. Sadly, James Potter, Prongs, passed away back in 1981. And about getting another trunk, I'm sorry, this was a family heirloom, but I can search for the steps on how to create one and we can go over the features afterward. Consider it a long-term project for you two. And, as for Andy's juju? is just Andy, doing the patented doggy eyes and that cracks Minerva McGonagall. I don't recommend it in your case; I think she will be annoyed with you two, wouldn't she?"
"Yes, Mrs. Simmons," replied the twins in stereo.
"Now, enough talk, I'll see you both in December so you can meet Moony and I'll have Andy deliver the instructions on how to build your own magical home trunk, alright?"
"Yes, Mrs. Simmons."
"Oh, and one more thing, treat your brother, Ron, with a little more kindness. He is quite smart too. And do I need to ask you to keep the information about Andy, the rat, and Sirius to yourselves or not?"
"We'll keep it to ourselves. I mean, who would believe us that Ron is smart and that the Rat was a grubby disgusting man in drag?" said George.
"Or that Andy's mom is hot?" said Fred.
"Or that Andy beat you to a pulp for hitting on his mom?" added Andy to Fred.
"Enough said, good night boys," said Mary Simmons.
"Good night," said the twins in stereo, as they disappeared back to their dorm in the Gryffindor tower, via elf express.
Once the twins were gone, the furniture appeared back and Neville just fell on the floor laughing. "The hell, what are those figures about?" signaling at the pattern in the furniture.
"The Care Bears, okay?" said Andy,
Neville laughed himself silly and realized Andy was just a kid, and his mom, just like his own mother, loved to cramp his style.
-oo0oo-
