Chapter 12 - Crumbling

There was not the slightest twinkle in the icy blue of the Headmaster's eyes. He sat at his desk staring at Sirius, who was seated before him, gaze downcast.

"Look at me when I address you!" Dumbledore reprimanded him sharply.

Sirius raised his head to face the cold regard of the one person on whom he had pinned his hopes. The strange emotional lassitude that had come over him after he sent Snape into the tunnel had dissipated quickly once he got inside, once James had come pelting past, yelling at him as he ran, "You stupid, fucking asshole!"

Now all he tasted was bitter hopelessness at the tangled morass in which he found himself. He had only made everything worse. He would be expelled. Not that his parents would care. They'd only be annoyed at the shame of expulsion and the fact that Sirius would be hanging around the house until the tutor arrived in March. Maybe he'd be forced to live in the cellar until then. A sickened laugh escaped him.

"I'm most interested to know exactly what part of your activities this evening you find so amusing, Mr. Black," Dumbledore said darkly. Professor McGonagall stood rigidly behind the Headmaster, her face pinched with disapproval and disappointment. Professor Faustus, head of Slytherin House, stood with her, his expression hidden behind his heavily lidded eyes.

Sirius finally realized that Dumbledore was waiting for an answer. "I wasn't laughing because I think it's funny. I was laughing because…I don't know what else to do. It's all such a mess."

"A mess?" The anger in Dumbledore's voice was unmistakable. "That hardly does the situation justice. You endangered not only the well-being, but the lives of two of your schoolmates, one of whom is supposedly your best friend. You revealed Remus Lupin's secret, a secret that everyone in a position of authority at this school has protected for almost six years in order to give him the education he deserves. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but Mr. Lupin recently became more than a friend to you, did he not? Is this the result of a lovers' spat?"

"No, sir." Sirius said, barely above a whisper.

"Then why did you do this?"

Sirius honestly had no idea how to answer the question. Where should he start? With Snape's taunting? With Remus' unwillingness to listen? With his horrific Christmas holidays? With his blind, helpless fury at how he'd been used? With his hurt and confusion as to why his parents had treated him like chattel? His tortured thoughts reflected in the series of expressions that flitted across his face.

"I don't…I can't…" Sirius' eyes dropped to the floor once more as one shoulder lifted in a shrug.

"Nothing to say? According to Mr. Snape, you were quite persuasive in getting him to enter the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. He said you told him that one of his friends was in trouble, and that, if he had any kind of courage at all, he'd go down that tunnel to help his friend get out."

Sirius' head shot up, his anger refreshed, and snarled, "He's a liar!"

Dumbledore glared right back at the black-haired bundle of emotions that threatened to explode in front of him. The freezing fire in his eyes held a force known to have stopped many powerful wizards in their tracks. It had no discernable effect on the troubled young man facing him, a fact Dumbledore noted.

"I hardly think you are in a position to be hurling accusations at anyone, Mr. Black, especially as you refuse to answer my questions."

Sirius shot to his feet, and for a crazy moment Dumbledore thought the boy was about to launch himself straight over the desk to attack him. "I told you what you what you wanted to know! I admitted it! I sent Snape into the tunnel! What more do you want? Just expel me and be done with it!"

Sirius collapsed back into his chair, his rage gone as quickly as it had come. He wasn't remotely threatening now, his pallor emphasized by the darkness of his hair, and the blue smudges under his eyes. Dumbledore couldn't remember ever seeing Sirius so high-strung. He finally put his finger on what bothered him about Black's attitude. It wasn't the chaotic fury that kept slipping from the boy's control or his surly refusal to answer questions. Instead, Dumbledore sensed an underlying fragility that threatened to shatter under the weight of whatever Black was keeping locked up inside.

"Albus, if I may," McGonagall interrupted. "Mr. Black, you were very anxious to see Headmaster Dumbledore this morning. Why was that?"

His lips twisted in a sick parody of a smile. "Because my father intends to take me out of school in March. I wanted to ask if there was some way he could be prevented from doing that." Sirius laughed weakly again at the irony of it. "I guess it's a little late for that discussion, isn't it?"

"Is it?" Dumbledore asked.

Sirius frowned in confusion. "Well, I'll be expelled for this, won't I?"

Dumbledore drew in a deep breath. "I try not to make hasty judgments, especially about something as important as expulsion. The longer I watch and listen to you, Mr. Black, the more convinced I am that this was a spur of the moment decision on your part. I don't think you returned from your holidays with some elaborate plan to serve up Severus Snape to a werewolf. Especially as that werewolf is someone you care deeply about."

Sirius said nothing.

"Something led up to this incident, something that you are deeply reluctant to share with us. I need to try to ascertain the facts. I need to try to find the truth among the different impressions and different motivations of the people involved. I have heard from Mr. Potter, Mr. Pettigrew and Mr. Snape. I'm waiting to hear your explanation."

Sirius held Dumbledore's regard, but still made no reply. Something had crumbled inside him and he hardly recognized himself. Had the situation not been as dire as it was, all three adults would have found this sudden collapse of Sirius's customary smooth, cool reserve into roiling emotion quite fascinating. Instead, they found it highly disturbing. They had enough experience with teenagers to realize that something had gone horribly wrong in this young man's life.

Again McGonagall broke in. "Did something happen over the Christmas holidays?"

Sirius' eyes flicked to her face and then darted away to focus on the fire. The sound of the logs crackling merrily was the only sound in the room as the adults watched Sirius struggle with the decision to speak or to keep his secrets hidden. Making an obvious effort to force himself to come out in the open, he whispered, "Yes."

Then he dug quickly through his pockets, as if not wanting to give himself time to change his mind. He handed over the note and the small bag of diamonds. The other three huddled together. They read the wrinkled parchment and looked at the diamonds. Sirius watched them, feeling the strength and fight seep out of him. Nothing mattered anymore. He had never felt so alone. He braced himself for their disbelief.

Professor Faustus asked, "Do you have any other proof of this…ah…event, Mr. Black?"

The evenness of his tone surprised Sirius. He didn't respond for a second, and then loosened his robe and undid the top buttons on his shirt. Pulling them aside, he exposed the bite marks. They must have started to fade, he realized, as he saw the teachers lean forward and squint at him. "I have pictures. I took them the next morning. His teeth…Groot's teeth, are crooked. You can see the patterns they made." His voice drifted away because he really didn't want to encourage them to peer too closely at him. The thought of more adults poring over his flesh made him cringe.

Dumbledore asked quietly, "Did you agree to participate in this arrangement?"

"NO!" His anger roaring back, Sirius again leaped to his feet. "They slipped me a potion! A love potion! So they could sell me!" He flung himself back in his chair, trying to regain his control. God, what did it matter anymore? Everyone thought he was a happy, little whore, eagerly leaping into bed with anyone to whom his parents wished to sell him. He stared at the floor, feeling sick. The pattern of the carpet blurred. He blinked rapidly. He would not cry. He refused to cry in front of them. He didn't see the looks of shock that had registered on their faces.

Dumbledore went to his fireplace and called Madame Pomfrey. They conversed quietly for a few moments through the fire and then she disappeared. Dumbledore turned back to Sirius.

"I doubt your body has had time to completely purge itself of all traces of the potion, Mr. Black. Madame Pomfrey can do some tests to see just what you were given. While we wait for her to get here-"

Sirius' head tilted up, his eyes wary. "You believe me?" He interrupted.

"I am inclined to believe you," Dumbledore replied, and it seemed to Sirius that some of the iciness had gone from the Headmaster's manner. "Madame Pomfrey will find the proof."

At that moment the Hospital matron emerged from the fireplace. She drew some blood from Sirius' arm into a vial. Then she said, "Headmaster, Mr. Black must also give me a urine sample. May he use the bathroom?"

"Of course." Beaker in hand, a mortified Sirius followed Dumbledore down a short hallway to a simply decorated bathroom. When he was done, he returned to the office. Madame Pomfrey took the sample from him saying, "This should tell us exactly was in that potion. But, if, for some reason there are any questions, I may need to do another test. That would require a sample of your sperm, Mr. Black. I'll let you know." In her precise, competent way, she gathered her materials and Floo'd back to the Hospital.

Sirius returned to his seat, cheeks reddened with embarrassment. His eyes jumped around the room, as he wasn't quite ready to look directly at his professors. He noticed that several of the portraits of past Headmasters were empty.

Seated once more, Dumbledore said, "Sirius, will you tell us what happened?"

Sirius quietly told his tale, starting from when his father had stunned him and locked him into the cellar. They occasionally interrupted with questions. None of the three adults gave a hint to their thoughts. Sirius would have been surprised to learn that they were all deeply worried about him. About halfway through, one of the missing Headmasters flurried into his frame. Dumbledore calmly raised his hand for silence and allowed Sirius to finish speaking.

Then the Headmaster turned to the picture of Elias Hepplewaite, who by now was bobbing up and down with his efforts to remain silent. "Elias, have you discovered something?" Dumbledore asked, hating to state the obvious.

"Yes! Two portraits told me essentially the same story. Sir Henry Blount on the fifth floor, and Violet Beauchamps near the entrance to the Slytherin common room both said they heard Mr. Snape telling a friend he'd found a note written to Mr. Black. He stated that he thought he could use it for blackmail. That's the word he used, they tell me."

A second Headmaster had returned during this recitation and vigorously nodded his head. "Yes, that's what I heard, too from the shepherd girls on the staircase near the Transfiguration classroom."

The professors exchanged glances. And then their eyes fixed on Sirius. Dumbledore said quietly.

"Mr. Black, would you please go into my study…no, wait, Mr. Snape is waiting there. Go through that door. We'll be with you shortly."

With a nod, Sirius left and found himself in a small dining room. He slumped at the table, head in hands, and waited for his sentence.

There was a collective sigh around the Headmaster's office as everyone, humans and portraits alike, seemed to feel the need to flush out their lungs. Dumbledore steepled his fingers together and rested the point of his chin on them. He stared into space. The other two seated themselves and mulled over all they had heard.

Finally, Dumbledore dropped his hands and glanced back and forth between his two professors. "Well, I must say, these boys continue to surprise me."

"Surprise?" McGonagal sputtered at the Headmaster. "That hardly does justice to any part of this situation. I've never heard a story like this before!"

Faustus nodded his agreement. "These two, Snape and Black. Neither of them will forget what happened tonight. Nor will Lupin, once he knows what Black did."

McGonagall glared at him. "I'd say Sirius had a certain level of provocation, Ernst!"

"We only have Mr. Black's word about whatever happened behind the greenhouses." Faustus' voice sounded half-hearted.

McGonagall huffed. "You don't really believe Mr. Snape's story that he just happened to be out for a stroll in the middle of a cold, January night, and accidentally ran into Mr. Black, who had nothing better to do than lurk behind the greenhouses, on the off chance his least favorite Slytherin might walk by and be tricked into visiting a werewolf?"

"I know there is a history of bad blood between these two and-"

"If I may," Dumbledore broke in. "I think we need to look at this from several different perspectives. We have evidence of very disturbing incidents that are all interrelated. First, Mr. Snape now knows Mr. Lupin's secret. Second, we have evidence that Mr. Snape used Mr. Black's private correspondence in an effort to blackmail him, a detail that Mr. Snape chose not to tell us. Third, we have Mr. Black freely admitting to sending Mr. Snape into danger. And, at the same time, he is quite probably the victim of the grossest sort of abuse by his own parents."

"That boy is in deep trouble," Professor Faustus said quietly.

McGonagal's brows jutted into a sharp promontory. "We've just begun discussing this! I think it's too early to start assigning punishments!"

Faustus looked at her in surprise. "Oh, no, Minerva! I meant that Mr. Black is in desperate need of help to deal with this situation." He turned to Dumbledore. "Surely, Albus, we can't allow his parents to remove him from school. He deserves punishment for his actions tonight, but, should his story about his parents be true, then I think we are duty-bound to try to protect him."

"That goes without saying. I will set some discrete investigations in motion to follow up on the Groot angle. I wonder if he knew that Sirius is not yet seventeen. That in itself could mean trouble for him. Madame Pomfrey will find out about the potion, which, combined with what Mr. Black has given us, should be enough to prevent his parents from removing him from school. That is, unless they want this story to become public."

"Albus, are you threatening blackmail?"

"Blackmail is an ugly word, Minerva. I don't think it applies here. I seek no gain from the Blacks. I wish only to protect their son. If Sirius wants to pursue legal action, I will support him. If all he wants is leverage to allow his schooling to continue at Hogwarts, then I will support that. And, Sirius, I think, has to be the one to decide how this information is handled. The final decision on what to do must remain in his hands."

"And, if Sirius doesn't want to pursue it? You'd let his parents get away with that?" McGonagall quivered with suppressed outrage.

"Minerva, if he wants to file a complaint with the Ministry, he risks making all of this public. If he chooses not to do that, I won't force him. I think it more important, and more beneficial in the long run, for Sirius to think carefully about his options and realize that he has the power to decide what course to take."

The others considered this and finally nodded agreement. Dumbledore continued.

"This is what I propose. I wish to protect Mr. Lupin, as he is an innocent victim in all of this. We'll bring Mr. Snape back here and confront him with the new evidence we have and see if he will admit to his less than honorable actions. If he does, I will assign no punishment." Dumbledore held up his hand to quiet Professor McGonagall, who was starting to fume.

"I will, however, expel him should Mr. Lupin's secret be revealed. As I know Mr. Lupin's friends won't say anything, any hint of this would have to come from Mr. Snape. I will also expel him should he spread any rumors or information about his knowledge of Mr. Black's abuse. So, all Severus has to do to avoid punishment is to keep his mouth shut about other students' secrets. As for Mr. Black, it's quite apparent that he's under considerable emotional upheaval right now. I believe he did not plan tonight's events, but rather, made an impulsive decision in sending Mr. Snape into the tunnel. Because of his state of mind, and because neither Mr. Potter nor Mr. Snape were injured, I will not expel him. However, I will deduct 200 house points. Minerva, I'd like you to find suitable tasks for a month of detentions, and-"

"Tutoring," said Faustus emphatically.

At the others' questioning looks, his face rumpled into a wrinkled smile. "I have several first and second years in my house who are fairly dismal at Transfiguration. As this is one of Mr. Black's strengths, I'd like to require that he tutor them, in addition to his detentions."

"A Gryffindor tutoring Slytherins," Dumbledore mused. "Useful for the Slytherins and annoying for the Gryffindor. It's perfect. Finally, I will insist that Mr. Black be the one to tell Mr. Lupin about what happened tonight."

"Remus will feel horribly betrayed, Albus," McGonagall stated.

"He was betrayed, Minerva. It is up to Mr. Black to ask for forgiveness, and it is Mr. Lupin's right to decide whether or not to grant it."

A/N: I could have changed the Head of Slytherin House from my own character, Professor Faustus, to canon-compliant Slughorn. But, Faustus has a genuine concern for all students when they are facing problems that go beyond school and House rivalries. I don't get that sense from Slughorn, so decided not to deal with him.