Chapter 29: Interlude- Sirius
Sirius ended his call with Harry and Hermione and then, with careful deliberation set his mirror down, sat back and took several deep breaths. He couldn't afford to go storming into Hogwarts and blast that fucking Goblet into smithereens, as much as that sounded like a satisfying solution to the problem at the moment. They'd take Harry away from him for displaying such insane behavior, he might even find himself in Azkaban again.
It had already been a hellish day. The previous Halloween was the first time he'd even been aware of the date, they don't exactly keep calendars in Azkaban, but last year he'd been too determined on his mission to get the rat to dwell in his own misery. Today, alone in Potter House, had been a special kind of torture. It had taken all of his self control not to go on a bender or to start destroying things, he'd done enough damage to House Potter without literally damaging their ancestral home. It probably would have been healthier for him to go somewhere that wasn't so full of memories of happier times with people who were long dead, but he didn't think he deserved to escape.
And then Harry had called, all pale and terrified, his equally terrified looking best friend at his side. Sirius didn't know where their third, red-headed counterpart was and he'd been afraid to ask. He really couldn't decide what to think about that boy.
He felt like he'd failed Harry all over again, and ironically once again on Halloween. That first Halloween Harry had also been terrified. He'd never forget the sound of his godson's mournful wails, but what would haunt him for the rest of his life was that as frightened as Harry had clearly been, when he'd set eyes on his godfather his expression had immediately turned to one of complete trust . Trust that Sirius had betrayed.
And because of that, Harry didn't look at anybody like he trusted them completely anymore. He held something back from everybody, even his best friend whom he obviously loved a great deal. And he'd looked downright dubious that Sirius would be able to do anything to help him when they'd spoken to isn't. He had done his best to reassure his godson, who had looked so much younger than even his fourteen years as he sat there huddled with Hermione, but he hadn't been able to promise him anything other than that he would do his best.
But he wasn't at all certain that would be enough. He planned to throw the full weight of his political power and his Gringotts vaults around. He'd beg and bribe without any shame if that's what it took. But given that there was an ancient magical artifact in play here, he was afraid that this was beyond the realm of lining the pockets of some unscrupulous politicians, or even using his family's dark reputation to scare the pants off of them.
He needed some help, at the very least some more information. He shook his head at his own stupidity and picked up his mirror again.
"Draco Malfoy," he intoned. Draco may have only been a fourth year just like Harry and Hermione, but as a Slytherin and a pureblood he would see and take note of different things than they would, and frankly, if there was something sinister going on at Hogwarts he was more likely to know something about it than they were. It took only a few moments for the blond's face to appear. "Hey kid," he said.
"You look terrible," Draco responded with a smirk.
"Yeah well, it's been a hell of a day." He wiped a hand down his face.
The younger wizard immediately sobered. "I'm sorry, I forgot for a minute. Hermione's beside herself, I just got done talking to her."
"Kitten's a good friend. I think she would have prefered if her name had come out of that goblet."
He snorted. "Probably, the bleeding heart," he said affectionately. "And while I definitely don't wish it was Hermione, I'm sorry this is happening to Potter."
Sirius just tilted his head in response.
"Your godson really does have the worst luck."
"I don't think having a bunch of homicidal maniacs with matching evil tattoos and their dark lord of a leader after you counts as just bad luck," Sirius answered with a sneer.
Draco blanched and Sirius immediately felt guilty. Whatever his opinion of Lucius Malfoy, it was unfair to vent his spleen on the man's son, especially because Draco was a good kid whom he owed a lot.
"I apologize."
Draco shrugged. "You're not wrong. So, you think it's Death Eaters?"
"I think it has something to do with You-Know-Who, it all goes back to him. And it feels like far too much of a coincidence that this happened on Halloween."
"Hermione and I thought it was too much of a coincidence considering what happened at the World Cup. I didn't even consider the Halloween angle." He paused, obviously thinking. "You should talk to my father, I mean if it's Death Eaters... and that was the plan wasn't it? For him to spy when the time came, and I know he's kept up his connections."
Sirius huffed bitterly. "Some plan, it seems to have failed at the first stage. Though, to give Lucius credit the Death Eaters aren't very organized at the moment, not enough to plan anything more complicated than that nonsense at the World Cup, anyway. This is probably somebody working on their own, I'm certain whomever it is wishes Harry harm, but this is such a convoluted way to go about it."
"Well, I've written to Mother and Father and I'm sure they'll let you know if they hear anything."
Sirius rubbed his eyes wearily. "That's actually why I called. I wanted to ask if you'd noticed anything odd, or suspicious at Hogwarts. Maybe something you dismissed as inconsequential at the time?"
Draco sat back against his pillows and seemed to give that some serious consideration. "Not that I can think of. But to be honest, Sirius, so many things are different this year because of the tournament. Ministry officials are coming and going a lot, and now we have all these extra students here, it would be hard to say what's odd and what's just different."
His words hit Sirius like a bludger and he could have jumped through his mirror and kissed the his cousin. "Draco, you have no idea how helpful you've been. I have to go visit your parents now. I'll see you at Hogwarts tomorrow, I'm sure!" And then he disconnected his mirror before the very confused looking blond could respond.
Lucius popped into the room just moments after Sirius stepped out of the floo at Malfoy Manor. Looking as dissheveled as Sirius had ever seen him, he also seemed furious. "Gods, man, haven't you heard of calling, it's late!"
Sirius didn't even flinch at the wand pointed at him. "I need the map."
"The what?"
"The map! The map of Hogwarts that Hermione and Draco stole from Harry that proved that Peter was hiding in the castle!"
"You came over here in the middle of the night to ask for a toy?"
"That toy is a powerful tool in the right hands and you know it, which is why you kept it for yourself! It's proven there was an imposter in the castle once and I need it to do it again."
That got his attention. "You think there is somebody at Hogwarts who shouldn't be? Somebody dangerous?" He asked sharply, lowering his wand.
Sirius could say many things about Lucius, but the man loved his son and wouldn't willingly allow him to be put in danger, Hermione either, for that matter. "Draco wrote you, but I know his owl wouldn't have had time to get here yet. So suffice it to say for now, Harry's name came out of the Goblet of Fire tonight as a fourth competitor for a fictitious school. So, yes I think there is somebody who has access to Hogwarts, who means my godson harm, and the map might help identify this person."
Lucius took only a moment to process this before giving a sharp nod and motioning Sirius forward. "Come, it's in my study, with any luck we can solve this tonight."
It would end up being a very long night.
Author's note: Sorry, it's a cliffhanger but I want y'all to discover what they find- if anything- at the same time Hermione and Draco do. I didn't intend to write this but occasionally Sirius stands up and demands my attention and it felt wrong to write Halloween without delving into his POV at all. Next up will be a normal length chapter and he will head to Hogwarts.
A year ago today I posted my first ever fanfiction. It was the prologue to this story and you guys have made it such a joy, your response has been amazing and I'm so, so grateful. Thank you so much for taking this journey with me!