Embracing His True Self
Chapter 74
"Heir Black, you have demanded and consented to the use of Veritaserum…does this still stand?" Madam Bones firmly called out, allowing the wizengamot and the public digest this new information. She'd spoken to him, and gave him immunity to anything he might say, she just hoped that nothing particularly bad would come out of his mouth. The last thing she needed would be to lose her job for not doing her due diligence. She'd tried of course, but she hadn't had the time to go through everything in the short space of time.
"I consent," Sirius answered, tense and alert. Every single part of him was vehemently against it. Yet, he knew, he knew he had to do this, it would exonerate him in a way nothing else would. With this potion, they would know, they would realize.
"What the bloody hell is he playing at?" Harry whispered harshly, pursing his lips, bloody foolish behaviour.
"Don't worry, he's signed an immunity wavier with Madam Bones," Remus turned to reveal to Harry. Giving him a commiserating sort of grimace, he had tried to talk Sirius out of it as well, but it hadn't worked out all that well.
"Why would he need immunity?" Barty asked, leaning forward, eager to know more.
"Trust me, he does," Harry sighed, shaking his head, "Bloody idiot." He reckoned he knew what Sirius was attempting…but if asked the wrong question people were going to be more afraid of him than ever.
"But for what?" Barty pushed, barely glancing as the unspeakable approached the wizard.
"He nearly killed someone when he was what…sixteen-years-old, by sending them to Remus." Harry gave him a pointed look, realization dawned on Barty, he knew about it, he'd just completely forgotten in his bid to find out what Sirius could have done out of sheer curiosity.
"He didn't really want to kill him," Remus uncomfortably protested, "He just didn't think it through." It was the only way he could live with what happened, both now and at the time. He didn't like to think Sirius had intentionally wanted him to kill Severus…not at all.
"In that moment…I can guarantee he did," Harry whispered lowly enough that only Barty and Voldemort could hear him. Remus had not heard, as he turned back around hearing the first questions, which were just to let the public see that the potion did indeed work and asking Sirius' name and age.
"If that comes up, then it is a good thing, indeed, that he has immunity." Voldemort conceded, no matter how indifferent he was to Black, Harry seemed to care about him.
Harry snorted, nodding in complete agreement.
"Tell me of your feelings for Albus Dumbledore during the years you were at Hogwarts." having to be specific, the potion required it. Although, he only had one drop, it wasn't enough to render him utterly docile.
"I thought he was brilliant," Sirius intoned.
"Why?"
"He paid attention to me, saw me for myself and not the Black family name. He was more a family to me than my own, who were constantly deriding my choices." Sirius answered blankly.
"Would you say he paid special attention to you?"
"Yes, he didn't treat the rest of the students the same way," Sirius admitted, it made him feel special, smug, superior and just…completely made him feel invincible as a teenager. Made him feel like he could get away with anything and the Headmaster would be on his side.
"Who else did he favour above all others?" Bones demanded to know, throwing Dumbledore a look of utter disgust. In any other context…it would have been sickening that Dumbledore paid extra attention to children. Thankfully, nothing like that had shown up during their investigations.
"James, Remus, Lily, Frank, Alice and by association…Pettigrew," Sirius confessed, even under Veritaserum he could not use Pettigrew's first name, his disgust ran even that deep. "If there was anyone else…I don't remember." There was a lot that he didn't remember, didn't want to remember either.
"Did you ever associate with Dumbledore once you left Hogwarts?" Bones questioned, knowing what was coming. Quite naturally, Lord Black-Potter and his friends wouldn't know about Dumbledore's Order so it had never been brought up. If the other witnesses had been part of it, she was sure they would have brought it up.
"Yes, I joined the Order of the Phoenix along with James, Lily, Alice, Frank and Pettigrew when I was seventeen-years-old." Sirius revealed, "In a bid to take down Voldemort and his Death Eaters and protect the magical world."
Loud whispers started up, but the Minister said nothing since they weren't being overly loud.
"Why didn't you become an Auror and do that very thing instead of joining a vigilante group?" and that's exactly what the Order was…a vigilante group.
"I tried, I didn't pass the phycological evaluation," Sirius admitted.
Harry's eyes widened, shocked to hear that, Sirius had never told him that. Then again, Sirius wouldn't want to admit to something like that. It made sense though, Sirius wasn't…mentally sound, not like everyone else. Especially not at seventeen, his impulse control would have been considered too risky, even during a war, to allow Sirius to become an Auror.
"Had you already joined the Order before receiving that rejection?" Bones asked, unsurprised by the fact Sirius wasn't given acceptance to the Auror programme.
"Dumbledore wanted Aurors in the Order, spies in the Ministry…wanted to make sure he had his own people because Voldemort did as well. It didn't work out the way he wanted it, but he didn't care after hearing the prophecy. He did make sure to get a few already Aurors in the Order this time around." Sirius informed them.
The Minister inhaled sharply at the words, both shocked and disgusted. It was very difficult to become an Auror. When they passed all the evaluations and exams…it's the proudest moment of their lives, they would risk it by joining a vigilante group which would have forced their hands into firing them? It was awful to say, but it was perhaps a good thing they were dead. What he would have had to do…would have destroyed them. For most Aurors their work was their entire lives.
"Did he even want to be an Auror?" Harry asked Remus quietly, staring pensively at his godfather, seeing him in a whole new light.
"He wanted to piss of his family, and please Dumbledore…" Remus murmured quietly, the Lord of the Black Estate was not fit to have such a pathetic job, theirs was to run the estate. Which back then had been a full time job. "But I don't think it was actually something Sirius wanted in hearts of hearts."
"When was the first time you saw Dumbledore manipulating someone?" Bones queried.
"He convinced Lily and James to go into hiding in Godric's Hollow instead of the Potter ancestral manor. Then he suggested to me that everyone would know I'd be picked as the Secret Keeper…which made me think to suggest Pettigrew in my stead so I could play decoy. He also convinced Frank and Alice to move into one of their smaller less protected properties instead of the Longbottom estate with Augusta and her brother." Sirius confessed, he'd been absolutely worried at the time to see it for what it was.
Now that stirred the hornets' nest.
"That explains so much," Barty admitted, tone too low for anyone other than the Dark Lord and Lord Harry to hear. Why the Potters and Longbottoms had been in cottages and with barely defensible wards…if they had stayed in their Manors they would have been safe for decades…even the Dark Lord wouldn't have been able to get to them. Unfortunately, a lot of people chose not to live in their ancestral homes when they're single or just a few people…finding it too big and filled with unending problems. Hell, half the properties didn't even have plumbing he'd bet.
"He explicitly convinced them not to go to what would have been the safest place for them?" Bones crackled out, shocked.
"Yes, he implied it wouldn't be safe for toddlers who were just finding their feet, too many places they could hide and that Voldemort would expect them to go there and wouldn't be searching anywhere else." Sirius revealed. "Unfortunately, Pettigrew was there for it all." And probably parroted it back to Voldemort the second he got away.
"That would have been true if not for the fact there were spies," Voldemort huffed quietly, Dumbledore would have known that he had at least one spy in the Order for Merlin's sake. Which meant he knew he was putting them in danger…not that he was surprised to learn this.
"What happened the night of Wednesday October 31st 1981?" Bones softly asked, sincerely sorry for asking.
Remus inhaled sharply, choking on the events of that night even now.
"I'd allowed myself to be seen in a few places where word would get back to Voldemort. Spent half the night chasing a few Death Eaters around England until I grew bored. I would go see Peter every few days, just to make sure he was doing okay. It had been a week since I saw him, since the charm had been cast so I decided to go see him, make sure he was doing okay…Pettigrew didn't like being on his own…" Sirius revealed, "The second I got there…I knew something was wrong, the entire place was smashed up, and there was clear signs of a massive struggle. I was the only one the 'secret' was revealed to once the charm was up, so I immediately began making my way to Godric's Hollow to make sure James, Lily and Harry were alright."
"Why did you not simply Apparate to Godric's Hollow? Why did you use your bike?" Bones asked, and she knew he had appeared on a bike, a flying motorbike as some of the witnesses had said.
"I wish I had," Sirius said, "I had no idea anything had happened…I just worried, I expected that they'd be just fine. I'd rather die than betray my friends I thought the same of Pettigrew." If he had Apparated straight there…that night's outcome
"I see, then what happened?" Bones cajoled him into continuing.
"I found my best friend and his wife dead, and my godson in Hagrid's arms, with him telling me he was taking Harry to Dumbledore. I didn't protest, Harry would have been safest with him. Even Voldemort was afraid to go up against Dumbledore. I had every intention of hunting Pettigrew down and bringing him to the Ministry and taking custody of my godson as was my right." Sirius spoke, "Unfortunately, I was outwitted, Pettigrew was in a Muggle street, I never thought he had such a Slytherin streak in him. He used a blasting curse and killed dozens of Muggles, cut off his own finger and made his way down the sewer…just as the Aurors showed up. I was immediately arrested…then a few hours later I was transferred straight to Azkaban. I never received a trial, but everyone knew I was in there."
"You knew Dumbledore was chief warlock and could have gotten you a trial if he was so inclined?" Bones prodded.
"I guess, but he thought I was guilty, or I assumed so at the time. With Harry, Ron and Hermione telling him that they'd saw Pettigrew he had no choice but to accept the truth. He convinced me to go into hiding, that was another mistake on my part. I should have fought tooth and nail to get Pettigrew and regain my freedom. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait too long." He had regained his freedom but all too late…his godson was all grown up, he didn't need a father figure or to live with him.
"Which was what?" Bones inquired.
"Dumbledore removed the wards around Remus' childhood home, ones that kept everyone away during the full moon. Then had the audacity to infer that Remus shouldn't approach Harry because he was a werewolf and might hurt Harry." even under the Veritaserum his loyalty was so immense that he worded around it, so that Remus would not end up in danger.
"When did you finally accept Dumbledore for what he was?" Bones didn't think on the previous statement overly much, under the impression nothing happened.
"Harry revealed a lot to me, especially about his childhood and made me look at things in a different light. Made me question everything I thought I knew…and with the anti-dementor potion, my mind was cleared fully for the first time and with it my emotions settled, I did not feel terror all night and day." Sirius confessed. "Ever since then, I have avoided Dumbledore, the Order and everything else associated with Dumbledore…but there was one thing that I found out much later that clinched it for me."
Dumbledore's eyes widened at the information. That was why Sirius was suddenly so against him? So much so that he'd even forbidden him from using Grimmauld Place? Harry had been against him for that length of time? Merlin help him…how had the brat saw through something that nobody else had.
"I see, no more questions," Bones cried out, reclaiming her seat.
"How did you escape from Azkaban prison?" Diggle questioned, standing up and beginning his own questions.
"I saw Pettigrew with the Weasley family in the newspaper when I was visited by the Minister for Magic. He was a rat animagus, and I recognized him immediately. That's when I realized that traitorous son of a bitch was in Hogwarts near my godson…" Sirius bared his teeth, "I immediately made plans to get out…I snuck out in my own animagus form, emotions are muted while you're in your animal form. They were none the wiser, I don't know how I made it to land…but I did, I stayed primarily in my animagus form and made my way to Hogwarts to protect my godson from that bastard." The potion wearing off a little, due to the fact Sirius was answering more.
"Your first instincts were to go to Dumbledore for help?" Diggle prodded.
"No to save my godson, I never asked or needed Dumbledore's help," Sirius snorted derisively, but he'd offered his advice nonetheless, and he'd been the idiot to accept it. If anything Dumbledore took, took, took from him and gave nothing back. He'd been the idiot to endure it for so long, thinking it for the 'greater good' so to speak. The only help he'd received was from was two manipulated and vulnerable third years, the blasted insane old fool. He'd never put his own life over his godsons, it's what being a godfather was all about. It's what being a parent was all about. Every single mistake he'd made when it came to his godson was directly a result of Dumbledore's manipulations. Whether by directly manipulating him or worse, using others to do so.
"And you've never manipulated anyone?" Diggle asked doubtfully.
"I have," Sirius admitted, his mind flashing back to one particular incident, "I regret it deeply, and I wish I could apologise but it would not be accepted…and I don't blame them." he didn't deserve Severus' forgiveness, it was thinking of it happening to Harry that made him realize just how bad a person he'd been back then. It's why he donated to a lot of group supports for victims of bullying. Both Muggle and Magical. He got more than he needed to live off from Harry who naturally as the Lord of the Black estate ensured those under his care had enough money to see them living comfortably. Them, as in him, since he was the heir and assumed he was also the only one under the Black banner. It was the only way he knew how to make amends for the way he'd been as a teenager.
"What exactly…" Diggle didn't get a chance to finish.
"Objection, relevance? My Witness is here voluntarily and has signed a immunity contract..." Bones argued immediately, preventing Diggle from finishing his sentence.
"Agreed, Heir Black is not on trial, you will disregard that," the Minister stated, speaking to the Wizengamot. Not that there was much to disregard, but it was protocol after all.
"Withdrawn, nothing further," Diggle's brow furrowed, at least there was only one more witness…how much worse could it get? Plus, Remus Lupin owed Dumbledore a lot, and he was going to remind the wizard of that.
The Minister gave a nod and the anti-dote was immediately administered to Sirius Black. Who blinked blearily, stretching out a bit before standing up, finding his footing and walking away under his own power. He didn't even grace Dumbledore with a look, not even one of hated.
"I call Remus Lupin to the stand," came Bones next request.
Remus helped Sirius sit and made he was really alright. He'd read about the effects of Veritaserum, but Sirius seemed stable enough. Not wishing to cause any delays, he stalked up to the chair, and claimed his seat, he was not taking Veritaserum like Sirius had.
He had a lot more to lose, reflecting back on the hazy memories and the knowledge he had killed someone as Mooney. He was…beginning to realize that while they were the same being…they were entirely different, Mooney ran on instincts, while he was calm and rational, two sides of the same coin. Regardless, the weight and burden of the guilt was easing. Especially with Sirius helping, it was beginning to sink in that he wasn't to blame. The blame lied solely with Dumbledore. The situation wouldn't have happened if Dumbledore had not removed the wards in order to manipulate him into staying away from Harry.
Remus was quickly sworn in, it seemed he wasn't the only one in a hurry to get this over with. It seemed that the patience of the Ministry workers was wearing thin. Either that of they just wanted lunch. He couldn't blame them, he was rather hungry, but time was hooky right now, since they should have already had their meal.
"Can you tell us when and how you were bitten, Mr. Lupin?" Bones begun.
"I was bitten when I was four-years-old, by Fenrir Greyback…in my own bedroom." Remus confided, he believed it to be retaliation against his father.
Gasped and mutters rang out around the courtroom, they had known of course, that Remus Lupin was a werewolf. It had been highly published a few years ago. To think he'd suffered such an infliction for so long, horrified them. The poor child.
"And was Albus Dumbledore aware of your…status when you were given permission to attend Hogwarts?"
"Yes, he and my father spoke at length about the measures they would take to allow me a proper education. My father was…relieved, he had thought that I would be unable to attend." Remus answered, "When I was eleven, I was told not to tell anyone…but a few years later…Dumbledore began suggesting I tell my friends."
"You never thought to question why you?" Bones enquired, "Why did you get to attend when all other of your kind was shunned by Dumbledore? Never given the chance of an education?" she knew the magical world was…backwards and that a lot needed changed.
"All the time," Remus said, a deep seated guilt, "Now though…it makes more sense. Dumbledore almost immediately upon reconvening the Order requested I try to get the werewolves on the light side…failing that to see that they remain neutral. He made it sound as if he was worried about them. I was foolish enough to believe them. I barely got out there alive." Thankfully it was round about the same time Sirius began to see the light, and they both distanced themselves from the Order.
"What happened the day he approached you and asked you to leave Harry alone?" Bones cajoled, still baffled how the wizard/werewolf could just abandon his best friends child that way. Perhaps if she gleaned the situation…she'd understand it better.
Remus' eyes shuttered, despite knowing it was coming…he still felt as though he'd been hit with a freight train. Breathing out shakily, licking his dry lips, "It was the night of the Full moon that it all went down, I was unaware of my best friends demise and the believed culpability of my other…that night the wards surrounding my home were removed. I woke up miles from home, bloody and terrified I'd killed someone. Thankfully, it wasn't the case…then again Mooney always liked deer." Remus didn't need to turn around to know Dumbledore's reaction was probably startling. He did smile a little secretively, one particular deer indeed…James' Stag form more like.
Dumbledore's jaw hung unattractively, he knew good and well that's not what happened that night. He had made sure everything had gone according to his plans. Including choosing someone that would not be missed. Then systematically removed wards strategically, then and guided a werewolf to where he wanted him with difficulty…then gloriously, he'd done exactly what he'd wanted him to. He most certainly hadn't eaten deer that night…how dare he lie? And so effortlessly too! He couldn't say a damn thing without landing himself in it either.
"Dumbledore told me what happened, made me swear not to approach Harry directly afterwards. While I was not only grieving but worried I'd killed someone…" Remus sighed sadly, shifting a little, he hated crowds and hated talking about his…affliction. "I ceded to his commands…and very much regretted it…more so when Sirius found out that beyond a teacher student relationship…Harry did not know me all that well. He was…furious," and he'd managed to get out of telling him what really happened until it got too much for him to bear.
Harry wasn't sure why he was surprised to hear that.
"No further questions," Bones said softly, giving Remus a nod before she sat down, she had nothing against werewolves, or any other creature…especially ones that abided by the law.
"You resigned from Hogwarts after nearing attacking three students and a fellow faculty member isn't the right?" Diggle stood, ready to do what must be done.
"I didn't get near them, Sirius made sure of that," Remus commented, calm and collected. "For which I am eternally grateful…"
"You work with children yet you forgot to take your potion? rather convenient is it not?" Diggle said derisively, and he had no trouble with Remus or werewolves in general he just wanted someone to blame.
"I did forget yes, upon figuring out that Sirius was at Hogwarts, I feared for Harry's safety, I did not expect it to take so long. When I confronted Sirius, I realized that Peter was indeed alive and Sirius may well actually be innocent of the crimes he'd been wrongfully and illegally incarcerated for." Remus agreed fully, "Which was why I resigned immediately upon awakening after the full moon." He'd had no idea how close he'd come to losing Sirius that night, how close both Harry and Sirius had come to being kissed.
"Huh, definitely some Slytherin in both of them," Harry said in admiration, they were working around the truth without telling any or if any lies at all. Much like Severus had done on the stand the other day.
Barty snorted derisibly, "No way, Gryffindor as they come,"
"And I've said before, there's all four houses in everyone, for the most part," Harry corrected himself, thinking of Peter Pettigrew…he might be exception, not studious like a Ravenclaw, lot loyal like a 'Puff, not like a Gryffindor and embodied all the worst traits of a Slytherin. "I think if the sorting hat sorted you, it would put you in Hufflepuff."
"You take that back!" Barty said in mock outrage, it wasn't the first time Harry and he'd had this sort of conversation.
"Nope," Harry grinned, as Diggle finally gave up in his attempts at making Remus look bad or very unreliable. Poor guy, he'd really had no hope right from the beginning, they'd made sure of that. Nothing, not even Dumbledore's lawyer of choice would have made a damn bit of difference. Everything had been against him before he'd even accepted the case.
"Do you have anyone that might be able to get undetected into Nurmengard?" Harry asked after flicking a Muffliato around them, preventing anyone from overhearing them.
Surprise very briefly flashed over Voldemort's eyes, before they narrowed in silent contemplation, "You wish to know if he has been drugged," able to deduce what it is that Harry wanted. They might not have been together 'years' but they knew each other well enough, intimately through Occlumency and Legillimency, through the intense training, they even knew each other's footwork enough to guess 50/50 what the next spell would be.
"It would be nice to know with us being unable to tell the Ministry the truth about his plans…" 'for me' went unsaid but definitely understood. There were some things you didn't give voice to even while ensconced in a silenced bubble.
"Why not find out this evening? We can get both things done, find out who he's used it on and remove the process from his mind entirely." Voldemort explained, crossing his legs, observing his surroundings with ease. "He will know his mind has been tampered with of course, which is the part I'm most looking forward to."
"Okay, after we're done for the day…we can use my cloak, with Moody gone…nobody can see through the cloak except for Dumbledore…" Harry nodded, they could be in and out without anyone the wiser.
"I doubt very much Moody could see through the cloak, or Dumbledore for that matter." Voldemort snorted, "There were tracking charms imbued in your precious items, remember? He knew where you were at all times with the dratted thing. Moody's eye would have sensed something and rumour and inuendo did the rest."
"I know someone we can ask," Harry said grinning widely, flicking his wand, the wards were removed hastily. "The eye, can it see through the cloak?"
Crouch frowned for a few seconds, utterly baffled by the question before it clicked. "No, I knew something was there, the eyes senses were…off, everyone knows you have the cloak so…" shrugging, it had been easy to put the pieces together. He hadn't corrected the belief that he could see under the cloak. Until now that was.
"Huh," Harry made a small noise before shaking off his lingering thoughts as Remus stepped down.
To nobody's surprise, the call for recess was shouted out, and everyone all clambered to get out and out of the courtroom, eager to discuss everything and gossip. The wizengamot were naturally more graceful when exiting, their lunches would be brought to them in the hall next door, they didn't have to go far at all.
"Shall we?" Sirius asked with a shit-eating grin on his face.
"I'd rather head…" Barty didn't get a chance to finish.
"Oh, no, you have to come, you're my pups best friend after all…and I want to get to you know." Sirius said with a devilishly handsome grin which caused Barty to falter. Swallowing thickly, vividly reminded of another Black doing the exact same thing. Regulus. They were brothers he supposed, but until now he'd never seen anything remotely similar in them.
"Sirius," Harry warned, giving him a frustrated yet resigned look. Underneath it all though…he felt greatly entertained. Whether it was because Sirius was unknowingly bating Barty Crouch and Voldemort of all people…or if it was general amusement.
"What?" Sirius asked innocently.
Remus laughed, "Come on, we only have half an hour," and the courtroom was now empty. Even Dumbledore was gone for a spot of lunch, although it would be significantly disappointing compared to his usual fare at Hogwarts.
"The last of it will be showing the wizengamot the evidence before tomorrow where Dumbledore will be questioned." Voldemort informed them imperiously, "Technically, we don't need to return…unless, of course, you wish to hear the evidence yourself."
"It does sound boring," Harry admitted, considering they knew every single bit of evidence they would go through. He and Voldemort had been the ones to painstakingly collect it all.
"Where are we having lunch, then?" Barty asked thoughtfully, waiting until the Dark Lord or Harry moved. He was at the end of the day their bodyguard, as if they needed him to defend them.
"Emerald Dragons-way?" Sirius suggested.
"Oh, no way!" Harry complained as everyone agreed.
"Oh, yes," Voldemort replied, a wry smirk adorned his features, leaning closer to Harry he muttered, "If I am to endure their offensive presence and bear it…you will have to as well,"
Harry threw Tom an incredulous look, "Technically, I don't have to!" he grumbled, before sighing dramatically, "Fine, let's go to the stupid overpriced pureblood steeped Emerald Dragons-way…pretentious much?"
Harry rolled his eyes but couldn't help but grin a bit as they all chuckled.
Within three minutes of 'Tom' revealing his name, they were escorted to the best table of the house and served immediately. Of course, Harry and the Death Eaters all knew his pseudo names.
It took them longer to decide what they wanted, before the server was off. All of them kept their hands off the table, their meals would be appearing at their table. First came the alcohol.
Barty lobbed in a shot of firewhisky into Harry's butterbeer, "You're going to need it." he said gleefully.
Harry gave Barty a droll look. This was going to end back, he just had a feeling.
"So, what age are you?" Sirius didn't wait any longer to start the interrogation.
"Older than I look," Voldemort informed him coolly, he was not going to sit there and pretend to be afraid of Sirius Black. He knew at the end of the day, Harry would always choose him.
Harry snorted, so that's how it was going to be, he couldn't help but grin at that.
"You do realize Harry's underage?" Sirius' eyes narrowed, unimpressed.
Harry sighed, giving Sirius a look for him to shut the hell up.
"Technically he is not," Voldemort said wryly, "The age of consent is sixteen, in both worlds, the magical world mirrors that of the Muggle one."
"He's got you there, Sirius," Remus said, sharing a commiserating look with Harry. Silently apologising for what he was going to do during the course of their meal.
Speaking of meal, their soup, appeared in front of them, with perhaps enough in the bowl to take five spoonful's, see overpriced pretentious', give him a proper cheap meal any day.
"You realize of course, that if you hurt my godson…I will slowly and painfully torture you…I know plenty of Muggle torture instruments…" Sirius pointed his spoon at Voldemort.
Barty was hiding in his soup, his shoulders shaking as he tried desperately to stop himself laughing out loud and gaining the Dark Lord's ire.
Harry himself looked as though he wished to disappear.
"I prefer using spells," Voldemort said amused, watching the wizard pouting over the fact he wasn't quivering in his boots at the pathetic threats he had delivered so far. He wasn't very…inventive was he? Finishing the rest of his soup, quite frankly amused by the wizard in front of him. How on earth had he thought this wizard was a threat to him back in the day.
Harry followed his lead while all was quiet, he frankly didn't want to spill it everywhere. Remus, it seemed didn't have the same courage, as it remained wholly untouched.
"Like a pair of pliers," Sirius commented, grey eyes gleaming, as he stared the wizard down. "Not sure what they're used for…but if you hurt Harry…I'll remove your nails one by one…from the little toe to your last thumb nail."
"Well done that was a little bit more creative," Voldemort nodded sagely, "That was a much more inventive threat…keep trying you'll get there."
Harry bit his tongue, barely able to stop himself from painfully yelping at the grip Barty had on his leg as his entire body shook.
Sirius' jaw dropped, his brow furrowed, "I'm serious!" he whined.
"I know," Voldemort replied.
"You didn't!" Harry groaned, pressing his palm of his hand into his forehead in silent exasperation.
Remus lost it, and it started a chain reaction of Sirius pouting and Barty joining in that laughter.
Harry and Voldemort shared a grin, it wasn't too bad. At least Tom wouldn't be chased away by a few silly threats from Sirius. However, he could imagine the same thing happening with lesser wizards or witches.
"Why are you with Harry then?" Sirius asked, sobering, getting back down to business, it was his job to protect Harry from everyone who would wish him harm. He would have been right here with James if life had been different…grilling his first partner. "You've got your own fortune?"
"I am significantly independently wealthy," Voldemort agreed, lip curling, refusing to have anyone thinking he'd be with someone for something as mundane as money. He'd never done it in the past and he certainly didn't need to now.
"Our fortunes are about the same I think," Harry admitted, disliking the thought that Sirius had in mind more than Tom. If anyone was like that it was Ginny Weasley.
Voldemort hummed, "No, I think you're combined fortune is more than mine, I only have the single property and a good slice of the funds went into building it. I believe you have properties strewn all over the world. Which increases your value estate wise." Not all 'fortune' was actually money. A great deal of it is properties, stocks, bonds and such. All of which Harry had but didn't really invest a lot of time in yet.
"You have a lot of land though," Harry pointed out, and that wasn't an exaggeration. The entirety of Little Hangleton belongs to Tom, and not to forget the houses, shops and stuff, even if it was practically all abandoned and he didn't see it as his. He didn't want anything belonging to his 'father' but the reality was, it was his at the end of the day.
Voldemort grimaced, before conceding it, perhaps it was more equal after all.
Sirius watched the two of them, they were both reserved, but that wasn't a surprise, most pureblood's were, and he was assuming this guy was not only pureblood but someone with great pull. The way he'd gotten in with just his name spoke of great clout. It eased him to know that it wasn't Harry's fame he was using him for. Evidently, it wasn't his fortune either…perhaps he did just care for Harry and Harry alone.
It's all he could ever want.
Still…it was a godfathers prerogative to make sure they were appropriate right?
"You have a job?"
"I run my estate, take care of my people, it's a full time job," Voldemort said with a straight face.
Harry and Barty glanced at each other in utter amusement.
"Is there anything in particular you wish to do? If you aren't running your estate?" Remus asked, making an effort to be kind.
"I contemplated being a teacher once upon a time, but I've since taken on apprentices, and realized I wouldn't have the patience to teach younger children." Voldemort said straight faced.
"You don't want children?" Sirius quickly jumped in, silently contemplating the wizard.
"It's never been one of my ambitions," Voldemort replied, eyes gleaming with devious amusement, so it had turned from threats to genuine desire to know more. "If it did occur it would require a surrogate,"
Harry glanced at Tom in surprise, considering how goddamned possessive he was…he was genuinely surprised to hear that.
"Why's that?" Remus asked, sensing a story behind it.
"My mother died giving birth to me, I refuse to lose anyone I care about." Voldemort said with a steely undertone. He would, even against Harry's wishes, remove any foetus that would risk Harry's life. The mere thought of it left him cold.
Sirius, Remus and Barty all gasped in shock becoming sombre. Harry just carded their hands together, and squeezed it in reassurance. "We're not in any rush to decide, but I would like to give the Black Lordship to someone with Black blood…" giving them a pointed look, causing them both to flush bright red, Remus immediately shook his head.
"I'm not having a child, I can't risk…" Remus cut off, still shaking his head. Grateful when the food came, which allowed for the change of subject…or so he hoped.
The hope was dashed.
"The ability would mutate with your child, if the child gained the lycanthrope gene." Voldemort pointed out. As he lifted his fork and knife ready to dig into the food. "They would be little more than an wolf animagus, with a few werewolf traits, They'd never suffer during the full moon, not like a bitten wolf." he had to get Lupin in touch with Greyback somehow, make him see that it wasn't a horrid disease…although if Fenrir heard him talk like that…he'd probably find himself getting a through thrashing.
Barty listened to them talking, his mind still reeling over what he had just learned. The Dark Lord's mother had died giving birth to him…not much was known about the Dark Lord, and that's presumably the way the Dark Lord liked it. He'd learned a piece of precious background from him and he would hoard it away.
"That's true," Harry said, Umbridge had been inseminated, nobody wanted to touch her unless it was to torture her. She was pregnant, with a child of the moon. Fenrir's child actually. The child was due any day, and he had been regaled with tales on what born werewolves were like. "Plus you'd know quite quickly, they're active on the full moon." Its how one could tell. Greyback had been as proud as Harry had ever seen him. not that he saw him all that often. He had a feeling he wouldn't be getting told that she was 'dying' any time soon so he could get his own revenge. "Plus, they aren't as long as a pure human's pregnancy."
Judging by the look on Remus' face he hadn't known that. He stared,
"Oh, Remus, for someone who has been a werewolf their whole life nearly…you're ignorant of your world. Of your people. of your abilities, it's time you joined them and learnt everything about who and what you are." Harry said softly, a bittersweet smile on his face. "At least you'll live to see your fortieth birthday though, that's something at least."
"I know a werewolf who could help you," Voldemort informed him, "He has spent his life gaining knowledge on Werewolves' if he wasn't 'alpha' of his pack, he'd be the pack Elder," which held a hell of a lot more power and status than even alpha did.
Remus just stared blankly back.
"A pack Elder is revered, respected, they knows everything, sees everything, and would protect the pack from all threats. They go to them for information, penance, punishment, how can you not know this?" Harry asked, utterly bewildered, "Of course, you've spent your entire life denying what you were as if it were a curse instead of accepting it and welcoming the wolf…why would you look up information on them?"
"Ignorance is bliss as they like to say," Barty muttered around a mouthful of food.
"Can we talk about something else?" Remus asked, distressed. Oh, he wanted a child, had always wanted one. It had become even stronger upon his first glimpse of Harry. Who he hadn't seen nearly well enough as often as he wished.
"What do you like most about my godson?" Sirius asked, getting the interrogation back on track.
"His lack of fear," Voldemort revealed in amusement, "He faces everything put towards him without backing down." once again entirely honest.
Sirius had to grudgingly admit the guy was good, smooth, a bit too smooth for this to be his first boyfriend. "How many partners have you had?"
Voldemort leaned back, silently contemplating just how many more questions Black could have for him. As amusing as it was…it was almost extremely annoying. Why oh why did Harry have to like this wizard? "That I believe is between, Harry and I, but it's safe to say, Harry's the only partner I've had that's serious."
"Enough, Sirius, please," Harry begged him, he could tell Tom was beginning to get severely annoyed, had been since he revealed about his mother actually. "There's only five more minutes before we have to return…" he'd rather it not end on a sour note. Plus, they'd been drinking a bit too much for his liking.
"Alright," Sirius agreed, finishing off his third glass of wine. He needed it after the day he'd had.
The rest of their meal was finished off with quiet inquisitive conversation, with Remus asking the questions, giving a few to Barty, who had mostly been left out of the conversation until now. It didn't take long for Barty and Remus to get into it about science and genealogy.
Harry joined in quite eagerly.
"If you hurt him…I'll take a rusting chainsaw and cut off your balls and feed them to you then kill you." Sirius said in utter seriousness. "He's been through enough for one lifetime." He loved his godson, and even if that act landed him in Azkaban…he would do it.
Respect bloomed within Voldemort for Sirius Black. Sensing the genuine threat for what it was. The fact he'd willingly return to Azkaban just to ensure Harry's happiness. "I too would gladly kill to keep Harry safe," was all Voldemort had to say.
Sirius sighed, "Couldn't you at least pretend to be intimidated?" he grumbled in complaint, "I've got it," refusing to let the others pay for it.
"How can you afford it?" Barty asked indelicately. He wasn't the Head of the Black family, everyone knew it was Harry.
"I get more than enough to live off," Sirius waved away his concern.
Voldemort made a thoughtful noise, wondering exactly how much a month Harry was giving to Black.
So will the Longbottom's be brought up during Dumbledore's questioning or will we start the next chapter with a conversation between Dowager Longbottom and of course...Bones? Or will it begin with Harry and Voldemort questioning Dumbledore or will we just know it's been done? Will everything be revealed or will the magical world remain largely unaware of what Dumbledore's really done? the trial will soon come to an end! I've thoroughly enjoyed writing it! then of course there's a good few lose ends to tie up will Remus and Sirius have a kid and that child become the Black Lord? Or will it go to someone of Harry's choosing? R&R please!