AN: I do not own Harry Potter, that honor goes to J. K. Rowling.
Chapter 5 - An Important Day
Sirius Black rolled out of his large, four-poster bed, throwing off the coarse woven sheets, and groped for his wand under his pillow. His hands shook as the penetrating cold in his bones made his muscles convulse. The screams of the insane faded from his mind as he realized where he was. Dripping with sweat, he clutched his ebony, seven-inch wand in his hand, his thumb resting on the raised rune in the middle of the handle as if ready for a duel. He looked around, slow to process information after a night terror, and realized he was alone in his room. There were no Dementors here to take him back to Azkaban or worse.
"Bloody hell," he whispered to himself as he stared at his shaking hands. The chill he felt in his bones receded into a distant memory. "Got to get up," he muttered. It was Sunday, the day he'd promised to take Harry to the museum. Sweeping back the rest of the sheets, he strode naked to the shower, still gripping his wand in a clenched fist.
After a scalding shower and a light breakfast, he picked up the pamphlet for the Master Charms Hall. He wanted to get an idea of what might be interesting to show Harry. This would be their first outing, and he wanted to make sure it was memorable.
He went over everything he knew about his friend's son. A remarkable young wizard, all things considered. The faint but distinct burn scarring on Harry's face, neck, and hands made him look older than he was. There was a sense of deep, haunted knowledge in his emerald eyes that took Sirius by surprise the first time they'd met face to face. He had Lily's eyes but James' face and hair. He grimaced and barked a laugh when he thought about Harry's personality. It was closer to Lily than James. He paused and reconsidered his assessment. Harry acted nearer to how James behaved after he'd married Lily. The boy was too serious for his age.
"I'll need to fix that," Sirius muttered and waved his wand over his body, imaging the clothes he wished to conjure. He looked in the long mirror in his classic, dark bedroom. "I'll need to work on my hair to match these robes," he said aloud and pointed his wand tip at his face.
An hour later, he was ready to meet his godson. He'd changed his hairstyle multiple times, trying to find something that would be welcoming and friendly for Harry while at the same time attract any potential witches. Amelia Bones made it clear she was married to her job when he tried to see if he could rekindle the flame between them. He still held out a little hope she still had feelings for him because she hadn't completely turned him down.
"Right, what to do," he said aloud, looking around his spartan, small kitchen. He had two hours before he picked Harry up. The brochure on the counter drew his eye.
Two hours later, he Apparated onto the lane in front of the Burrow. The overcast day made him grumble about the weather as he checked the sky to see if it would rain soon. The five-story, magically reinforced house framed dark black clouds approaching from the east. He wanted to compliment the witch or wizard who cast the reinforcement spells on the timber beams supporting the third, fourth, and fifth stories. They knew their spellwork.
"Mr. Black," a stern voice called as a large figure appeared in the open doorway. Molly Weasley was an imposing witch that reminded him of one of his aunts. He knew, behind her motherly smile, that she was a hard witch who would do anything to protect her children. The air between them crackled a little as the witch looked him over.
"Mrs. Weasely," he greeted, trying to give her his best smile. "Is Harry and Ron ready?"
Molly pursed her lips and eyed him before giving the barest of nods. "They're in the kitchen. Ron and Harry are finishing their schoolwork," she answered in a clipped tone. "Come in."
Sirius followed her inside and looked around. He hadn't gone inside the house when he'd visited the Weasley's grounds the previous year. The memory of Harry trapping and kidnapping him brought a chuckle to his lips that he squashed when he saw Molly's pointed look. When he'd visited with Dumbledore, he'd been too worried about how Harry would react to seeing him to take a good look around.
The Weasley Family was not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination. He thought the couch and kitchen table might have been in use for over twenty or more years. It was obvious a house-elf maintained the grounds and house. While a witch or wizard could do it, many didn't have the inclination or desire to do so. Small, tell-tale signs of house-elf magic lingered on all the surfaces of the kitchen.
Harry looked up from a stack of parchments scattered across his half of the long table. Ginny, her bright red hair fanning out behind her, turned to look at him as he stood by the door. Ronald nibbled on the end of his quill, too engrossed in his essay to notice his entry.
"Good afternoon," he greeted, hoping his voice didn't betray the nervousness in his stomach. Harry's eyes seemed to penetrate his mind and see the things he didn't want the young wizard to know. He flashed his godson his best 'winning' smile and sauntered into the room.
"Sirius," Harry greeted with a nod. He collected the parchments in front of him, careful to keep them in order.
Sirius saw the scrawled number runes on the top right corners of each page. "Which subject today?" he asked, stopping by the edge of the table. He felt uncomfortable by the intense gaze of Ginny and her mother. Ron looked up from his essay, his eyes focusing.
"Blimey, hello," the redheaded boy greeted with a start. "Harry, why does the Reductor Curse blast things into a fine mist? I mean, isn't that a little much?" he questioned as he turned to look at Harry.
"Reducto," Harry mused as a frown crossed his face. "The wizard accredited with creating the spell, Basten Ulsen, wanted a charm to assist him and his cabal in destroying dangerous enchanted objects. It is one of those gray-area spells that could be considered a Dark Arts spell. You see, in the latter part of the seventeen hundreds, the spell was used against other wizards and not for its intended purpose. The spell we use now, in the Standard Book of Spells, is a modified version of the original spell. I believe Emilie Barr, a Scottish witch, is the one accredited with its discovery sometime in the late eighteen hundreds or early nineteen hundreds."
"You could have stopped when you said the spell was created to destroy dangerous objects," Ron muttered but nodded. "Thanks," he said and went back to writing his essay. Harry smirked, and Ginny rolled her eyes.
"1907," Harry said after a moment with a smile spreading across his face. "How are you Sirius?" he asked once he put away his parchments.
"Marvelous! Are you ready? I promise you'll love all the charms on display."
Ron scribbled as fast as he could while Harry eyed Sirius with pursed lips. Harry didn't say anything but Sirius got the impression the young wizard was disappointed or disapproved of his words. Everyone waited in silence as Ron wrote out the last few sentences on his parchment and put up his quill.
"Blimey, I wish I could just buy one of those new Quick-Quotes Quills," Ron muttered and stood up. "I'm ready, let's go!"
"Not until you put away your homework," Mrs. Weasley chided. Ron groaned but snatched up his parchments, the fresh ink smearing across his hand, and dashed for the narrow passage off the kitchen.
"What time will you be back?" Molly questioned as she turned to Sirius.
"Late afternoon. I think several of the charms will captivate the boys."
"Humm," the stern witch muttered and nodded.
"Oh, can I go?" Ginny asked after a moment, her eyes wide and staring at Sirius.
Before he could answer, Molly cut in. "No dear, this is for the boys," she said in a gentle voice. "You said you wanted to learn a few more things."
Ginny looked like she was torn between her desire to see cool charms and whatever she and her mother were working on. If he remembered correctly, Ginny was about the right age to start learning simple housework spells as all the young Pure-blood witches did from their mothers.
Ron's thundering footfalls echoed around the kitchen long before the young wizard appeared. "Ready," he panted, his eyes wide.
"Right, Mrs. Weasley, may we use your wonderful fireplace? I could Side-Along Apparate with the boys, but this might be safer."
"Yes, please," Molly answered and gestured toward the fireplace in the sitting room.
Sirius thanked her and conjured a rough pouch from his robes with a flick of his hand. He noticed Harry's narrowed eyes and tried not to grin. "Simple enough, just say, Master Charms Hall when you step into the fire," he instructed as he tossed a pinch of green power into the low flames in the fireplace. Watching Harry from the corner of his eye, he Vanished the bag in his left hand by waving his right hand over the bag and walked into the flames. "Master Charms Hall."
The trip through the Floo Network was blessedly short, as the consuming blackness around him reminded him of his worst memories of Azkaban. He stepped out of the marble fireplace in a large, opulent atrium. Seconds later, Ron appeared in the same fireplace, followed by Harry a minute later. The boys looked around with wide eyes.
While the Master Charms Hall wasn't the largest or most famous galley of Master-level Charms, it was the best Great Britain had to offer. Seven carved lapis pillars of dragons, wider than the height of a wizard laying down, stood against the darkstone walls of the rounded room. Between each pillar were two sets of golden doors. Above each gateway had a plaque that read whatever field of Charms were inside. Numerous luminescent runes shone from the walls and white flagstone floor. The flagstones fanned out in a circle from a central, massive rune carved in the center.
"Knowledge... truth... strength," Harry read aloud as he looked at the glowing glyphs on the darkstone walls. "There are runes missing to make a sentence," he commented with a frown.
Sirius looked at his godson and smirked. "Still so much to learn," he teased. "Look at the entire room," he instructed, feeling a little smug that he'd read the brochure.
It took Harry several minutes of walking around the large room, looking at all the Ancient Runes and muttering to himself. Ron sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "You know he'll be at it until he figures it out," he muttered to Sirius.
"It will be worth it," Sirius whispered back and waited for his charge to put the pieces together.
"Bloody hell, how did I miss it?" Harry complained as he pointed to the large rune in the middle of the floor. "The rune, Ansuz, rotates if you stand in a different spot, aligning itself with the runes on the wall. If I stand here the script reads, 'Insight, knowledge or creativity, joy or success, and wealth.' Using the dragons on the pillars, you can see the markers used to read the runic chain. Insight is the knowledge that brings success and wealth. That's the closest English translation anyway," he said with a grin.
Sirius watched on, shocked at how fast Harry deciphered the clues around the room. Harry walked in a circle, reading off the inscriptions on the walls with a grin. Ron goggled and followed along behind Harry, asking questions about the different runes and how to read them. Sirius let them enjoy the atrium until the boys were tired of reading the runes.
"Which door would you like to go through?" he questioned, gesturing with his chin toward the many golden doors.
"Water Charms," Harry declared after thinking about it for a heartbeat.
Sirius nodded and strode toward the pillar of a dragon with no wings. The door for Mind Charms was on the left while the door to the room they wanted was on the right. Ron peered at the dragon and pursed his lips. "Isn't this the Chinese Water-dragon?" he questioned. "Charlie would know."
"I'm not sure," Harry answered and looked to Sirius.
Trying to think back to the pamphlet, Sirius bit his lip. "That might be right, Ron, but I think they used a different name for it. I honestly can't remember, and I left the leaflet on the kitchen table," he admitted after a moment.
"I was just wondering," Ron said with a shrug. "Let's see these water spells!"
Sirius nodded and led the way through the golden doors with waves carved into the metal. A faint mist clung to his body as he entered ahead of the boys. He couldn't see anything past two feet in front of him. An eerie voice echoed around the mist, seemingly coming out of the mist itself.
"Charms of water make up the foundation of all strong wizards," the voice called, sounding as if it were underwater. "Air might be the easiest of the elements to control, but water is eternal."
The mist receded to reveal a cavernous room. Waves of crystal clear water rolled across the walls without a single droplet touching the seethrough floor. It took a moment for him to realize the floor was made of ice and another to realize he didn't slip and slide across the frosty surface. Water flowed in a torrent below the ice, breaking against large, weathered rocks and send white spray into the bottom of the ice.
"Bloody hell," he heard Harry mutter and looked up to see a dragon of water, similar to the one they'd seen outside, erupt from the wall, arc over a small knot of people ahead of them, and disappear back into the wall without a splash.
"Bloody hell," Ron agreed and pointed to two young wizards playing with spinning balls of water the size of their hands. They threw the water balls back and forth with expressions of glee. When one ball hit skin or clothing, it popped in a shower of bubbles, producing high-pitched giggles.
"This is amazing," Harry exclaimed and moved to the center of the room.
Sirius followed along behind the two boys, answering what questions he knew from his experience at Hogwarts, the pamphlet, and educated guesses. While Harry led the group for much of the time, Ron still saw everything he wanted to. They had to physically drag Ron out of the Air Charms room. The redheaded boy almost knocked over a family while doing complex maneuvers on an enchanted broom. Whenever the rider made a sharp turn, a colored gust of wind erupted from the tail.
Harry got a serious look on his face as they entered the Fire Charms section so Sirius decided to try and prank his godson. Focusing his intent, he pointed at Harry's trainers while they watched two golems made of fire duel in a ring of molten rock. When Harry moved to look at the next display of magic he fell, face first. With surprising speed, the young wizard tucked in his shoulder and rolled into a sitting position instead of falling on his face.
"Very funny," Harry growled as he retied his trainers. He shot a glower at Sirius who maintained his grin.
While Harry and Ron stood in front of the display of exploding rocks, Sirius caught the eye of an attractive witch with long, raven hair. She winked at him when she caught him staring at the low neckline of her robes. "Lovely afternoon," he greeted her, keeping his eyes locked on her narrow face and vibrant blue eyes.
"It is," the witch answered with a warm smile. "Are you a teacher? Both of those boys can't be yours. You aren't old enough," she commented with a smile toward Harry and Ron.
"My godson and his friend. Your companion can't be your daughter," he remarked, knowing full well it was her daughter. The young witch had raven hair, the same narrow face, and bright blue eyes. They looked too similar, and he'd noticed the age lines on the witch's hands. It was harder for a witch to magically erase the passing of time in her hands.
She gave him a warmer smile that crinkled her eyes. "Liv is my daughter," she answered with a musical laugh. "You look familiar."
"Sirius Black," Harry interrupted with a boyish smile Sirius had never seen before. The dark glint in his emerald eyes gave Sirius a feeling of dread. "We don't let him out much. We've just trained him not to wet the bed and to not bother pretty young women."
Sirius couldn't help it, he barked a laugh when the witch's face paled at his name. Her face flushed as she took a step back. "Ah... um," the witch said and gave them a strained smile. "Liv," she called before moving over to her daughter and shepherding her away.
"For the trainers," Harry remarked before going back over to Ron, who was watching on with a grin.
Sirius barked another laugh and shook his head. The boy might look like James when he was younger, but he had Lily's eyes and temperament. Lily never forgot anything and always paid back whoever had wronged her. With a smile he couldn't wipe off his face, he went back to escorting Harry and Ron.
Something that stood out to him was the fact that Harry tried to figure out how the spells were enchanted or anchored to each exhibit while Ron simply enjoyed the wide range of spells for what they were. The different approaches between the friends became more evident as one of the few attendants in the museum came over to ask if she could help them with anything.
Harry asked detailed questions, many of which the attendant couldn't answer, while Ron asked how he could cast the spells. Sirius thought Ron was someone who didn't like to think too hard until the redheaded boy started requesting precise instructions on how to cast the spells and asking intelligent questions. With a grin, he stood back and let the attendant struggle to answer the barrage of questions until she looked at him with wild eyes.
"Boys, I think you've questioned the beautiful young witch enough," he said, stepping in and putting a hand on Harry and Ron's shoulders. The witch's shoulders dropped as she shot him a shy smile.
Harry grunted and said, "thank you for your time, ma'am." Ron thanked her too but it sounded half-hearted as he turned away to stare at the stone golem lifting dumbells of five hundred pounds each.
"I think most witches and wizards would have been confused by your questions," Sirius said once the attendant escaped through the entrance.
"I just wanted to ask a few questions," Harry complained in a sullen voice. "You're probably right though. I noticed she didn't know much more than I did."
Sirius grunted and patted Harry on the shoulder. "I need to see if an idea of mine can work out. Maybe then you can ask all the questions you want to someone know knows much more than he lets on," he said with a grin. Harry blinked at him before nodding slowly.
"I'd like that."
Sirius steered Harry and Ron away from the Dark Charms room. When asked, he lied and told them the tickets he bought hadn't covered the extra fee involved. Taking out his ticket, the one he'd used the previous day to check the Dark Charms room for himself, he pointed to a charred box with a skull next to it. "When we enter the room, the enchanted box burns away when we enter through the golden doors," he explained.
"I thought the Ministry didn't want the Dark Arts taught," Ron commented as he peered at two families entering the Dark Charms room.
"This is privately owned," Sirius answered and glanced at Harry. "You might know the heirs to the family that owns this too," he said with a smile.
"Greengrass," Harry said after a moment. "Daphne said her family collects magical knowledge. Unless you mean the Malfoys? No, you said heirs."
Sirius smiled. "The Greengrass family has always been neutral, even during the war. While Voldemort was gaining power, they stayed out of the power struggle. Some hated them for it, but others understood. Your father didn't like them because of it," he said in a soft voice. "I disagreed and understood why they wanted to remain neutral."
"Why?" Harry and Ron asked at the same time.
"It isn't my place to tell you. It is their story to tell, if they desire. Daphne or Astoria, I think you said her name was, might tell you, but it is a deep secret of their family. So, don't get your hopes up."
"Now, the last room, the Mind Charms room, is the last one to visit. It's up to you if you want to enter it. I've never liked the room, but James said he always loved to visit it when he came here with his parents."
"What... happens in the room?"
"Illusions and spells based on your magical aura. A dangerous and hard branch of magic. It isn't a precise form of magic, but the basis of Mind Charms makes up the core spells in a Pensieve."
Harry clenched his fists and stared at the golden door with a brain engraved into the metal. He looked between Sirius and the door. "I'll try it out first," Ron said and strode forward. As soon as his hand touched the door, he vanished.
"What did you see? When you were in there."
Sirius blew out a breath and continued to stare where Ron vanished from. "My home life wasn't great before I got to Hogwarts. The Black Family, as I've told you, was Pure-blood elitist to the core. I suppose it's just Dromeda, Narcissa, Bella, and I left of the family. Two out of four who aren't Blood Purists," he mused aloud. "My mother wasn't a good person nor was she a good mother. Euphemia showed me what a good mother should be. Lily did too, for that matter."
"I won't go in there then."
"I also saw what could be my future," he continued as he looked at Harry. His godson had a hard look on his face, one he'd never seen before. Harry had the look of an angry wizard facing down his mortal enemy. He looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, his dark expression fading. "I saw the 'could be' that goes wand-in-hand with Divination and Arithmancy. In one life, I went back to my parents. They broke my spirit, and I became like my father," he admitted in a soft voice. He couldn't suppress the shiver that ran down his spine.
"And the others?"
"I stayed with James, treated him like a brother, and found happiness," he answered. Recalling the hope that potential future gave him hurt.
"That didn't happen," Harry muttered as he turned back to watching the door.
"No... it didn't."
They waited in silence for Ron to return. Harry rocked forward on the balls of his feet, worry etched on his face. "What will he see?" he questioned a moment later.
Sirius put his hands in his pockets and breathed out. "I have no idea," he admitted after a moment. He clenched his fists and stared at the door. "He could see nothing. James said he saw himself as a professor at Hogwarts, but I noticed he begged his parents to get portraits made shortly after."
"I read Fleamont and Euphemia Potter died within days of each other. It was in Harry Potter: A History."
He thought his godson snorted at the end of the statement but wasn't sure. "Your grandmother contracted Dragon Pox, shortly before James and Lily got married. Fleamont refused to endanger anyone else when he found out she was sick. They both died in their beds. The house was magically cleansed. James decided to raize his ancestral home from grief more than anything else," he said with a sigh. "He claimed very little of value was kept in the Potter Manor except for memories."
Ron appeared in front of the door a few minutes later, looking around with wide eyes. He stumbled forward before regaining his balance. "Blimey, that was weird," he complained and looked over his shoulder.
"What did you see?" Harry asked in a rush as he went over to his friend.
Before Ron could answer, the door to the Dark Arts room banged open and two young wizards ran out, yelling at the top of their lungs. A moment later, Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle appeared in the doorway, laughing. They didn't pay attention to anyone else as they followed after the two screaming children.
"Some things never change," Harry said with a sigh.
"That one will never grow up," Ron commented with a scowl.
Sirius looked at the redheaded boy. Just two hours ago, he would have said the same thing about him. Ron saw something in there and he was curious about what it might have been.
"So, what did you see?" Harry asked again, echoing his thoughts.
Ron sucked in a deep breath and stood straighter. "I saw... well, I saw some weird stuff. I saw the twins pranking me and turning my stuffed animal into a spider," he admitted with a massive shudder. "Not one of my happier memories."
Harry grimaced and nodded. "You mentioned that before. Sorry you had to see it again," he said and clapped his friend on his shoulder.
"I hate that memory... but, I have to admit. My reaction was funny," Ron said after a moment, a snort escaping his nose as he peered behind him at the door. "I... I also saw myself, older than I am now. I wore a Chudly Cannons jersey. I was a Keeper, playing in the World Cup. There is no way that will ever happen though. However... however, the next time I saw myself, I was older still. I looked around dad's age I think. I'd lost my place on the team and was trying to find a job. I... I was like Ludo Bagman. Once a great Quiddich player, now a whispered laughing stock of the Ministry."
Harry pursed his lips and eyed Ron. "What do you mean?" he asked in a gentle voice.
"I'd failed too many O.W.L.s to get a good position within the Ministry, and no one else would take a washed-up Quidditch player. I couldn't pay for remedial courses because I'd wasted all the Galleons I'd made," Ron answered in a hard, angry voice. "I didn't know how to get a job. It was... sad. You helped me. Brought me in as an apprentice to your Apothecary," he finished with a strangled laugh. "Thanks for that mate, I would have been begging for Knuts if I'd continued on much longer."
"A good lesson in planning ahead," Sirius said into the uncomfortable silence. "Ludovic Bagman is probably the best example of just that. I know he passed information to Voldemort's followers so he could pay his gambling debts. Rookwood boasted of using the idiot during one of his insane ravings. If what he revealed is anything to go by, Bagman should be in Azkaban."
"I'm glad I didn't go in there."
"It was so real. Like it happened to me, and at the same time, it didn't. I was Ronald Weasley, twenty years in the future, with an angry wife and a daughter who looked up to a has been. I won't be like that!"
"Did you see anything else? The visions, or whatever the magic does, always comes in threes."
"Blimey, I almost forgot the last one. Harry, you were like the next Dumbledore. We stormed the Ministry and took over from the corrupt Fudge and his cronies. Bloody hell, I was cool. I waved my wand and stunned the evil minister."
Harry burst out laughing. Sirius tried not to laugh and looked around them to make sure no one heard Ron's story. "Mate, I wouldn't do that if you paid me. Taking over the Ministry would mean I had to run the place or near enough. Anyway, it never works out well for the people who bring down governments," Harry said, still laughing.
"I know, I know. I just looked cool. I wonder how I lost hand though," Ron muttered and wiggled the fingers on his left hand.
"Are we ready to go?" Sirius asked with a pointed look at Harry.
"Yes, I don't want to go in there. Especially after hearing about what Ron said."
"You should have seen yourself, though. You took out five Aurors without even trying!"
"I'm not the next Dumbledore!"
Mrs. Weasley greeted him as soon as he walked out of the fire. Ron and Harry babbled excitedly to Ginny, Fred, and George about everything they'd seen. Molly gave him a wan smile as Mr. Weasley looked over the paper at him. "I'm glad they enjoyed themselves."
"I am too," Sirius said as he watched Harry's excited face. "I think they benefited from going," he continued, thinking of Ron's revelation.
"Will you still be staying for supper?" Molly asked in a light tone.
He wasn't sure if she wanted him to stay or not but nodded a moment later. "If you'll have me," he said with his best smile. The smile that made many a witch weak in the knees seemed to bounce off Molly.
Fred and George questioned Harry about several of the enchantments, trying to get as much detail out of him as they could. Sirius watched on as he sat at the kitchen table and tried not to smile. It was clear the three of them knew something the others didn't. Ginny shot him odd looks every once in a while to which he ignored. Arthur and Percy sat at the other end of the table, in deep discussion about something serious.
"Will you three shut up!" Percy snapped, a red tinge to his cheeks and ears.
The table went silent as everyone looked at the angry wizard. "I've had enough of your prattling on about the Master Charms Hall!" he continued, his voice growing louder.
"Percy, calm down," Arthur said in a firm voice.
"I will not calm down! We're trying to have a conversation, but they keep going on about useless spells and enchantments!"
"You're just jealous you couldn't go."
Percy went silent and looked at his youngest brother. His flushed face deepened to match his flaming hair. "I've had enough of this!" he bellowed and stood up, knocking over his chair. He drew his wand and a moment later Disapparated away with a loud crack. The force of Percy's magic pushed the table away from where he'd been with a loud screech.
"What... Arthur, what was that about?" Molly asked in a quiet voice, her eyes wide.
"Unfortunately... exactly what Ron guessed," Arthur answered in a somber tone. "He wanted to know why we didn't take them to museums and such." Fred and George exchanged looks but didn't say anything.
"Feel free to contact me any time you want," Sirius said to Harry out in the yard. With supper ruined by Percy's attitude, he decided to leave earlier than he'd intended to.
"Thank you for taking Ron and me to the Master Charms Hall. I had a brilliant time."
"Any time you want to do something like that, let me know. Life isn't about just studying all day. You need to learn to enjoy the world around you too. Remus never understood that while we were in school. Thank you for coming with me."
"Good night, Sirius."
"Good night, Harry."
The next morning, Sirius sat at his kitchen table, staring at the off-white wall as he mechanically ate his breakfast. He tried to ignore the several thumps at the large bay window. The Daily Prophet hounded him for an interview almost every day. Rita Skeeter, one of their popular journalists, tried to confront him in the middle of Diagon Alley. The buxom blonde witch with too-large eyes, strong, masculine jaw, and pale white skin gave off an aura of a caged shark. Her elaborate curls bounced as she tried to keep up with his long strides. The subtle Cheering Charm enchanted in her garish robes tipped him off to her true purpose.
"Will you knock it off," he shouted into the room and aimed his wand at the window. A burst of magic extended from his wand, causing the wards around his flat to flare. The banging stopped for a moment before it started again, this time with more force.
Sirius stared at his window, confused. Owls always returned to the sender when the Confundus Ward activated. Getting up, he walked across the soft carpet and peered out his window. A rock, the size of his fist, hovered near the baseboard to the window. Every few seconds it knocked against the hardwood.
"Finite," he growled and watched the rock drop out of sight. He threw open the window and looked down at the small alley.
"Hello, Sirius," Remus Lupin called in a patient voice.
"Why didn't you use the door?" he growled, looking down at his old friend.
"Someone charmed it closed and placed a rather nasty Stinging Hex on the stairs. Then they went and put a Compulsion Charm near the door for visitors to go away. Imagine my surprise when I went to ring the doorbell, I realized someone enchanted their door to attack the visitor," Lupin called with a chuckle.
"I got annoyed with the visitors," Sirius called back and frowned. "Just Apparate in here. You're always welcome," he said.
"The last time... well... I wasn't sure you wanted to see me again."
"Because you called me a meddling fool, a mad wizard who didn't have the right to tell you what you needed? You know me better than that. I won't stay angry for long."
"All the same. I'll be up in a moment."
Remus appeared by the front door as he closed the window and locked it again. His old friend looked shabbier, paler than he had a few days ago when they'd argued. "Sit, sit," he said and waved his arm to the kitchen table.
Sirius looked at Remus and frowned as he took his chair. "You need to eat," he said without realizing it and clamped his mouth shut. "Sorry," he apologized a moment later.
"I do. Another job fell through and the wizard refused to pay me," Remus answered and shifted on his chair. "It's coming up on that time of the month. I... can we talk about your offer again?"
Sirius leaned back in his chair and pursed his lips. "It wasn't really an offer, old friend. I know James was the one that kept us together and you and I never really saw eye-to-eye on some things, but you're still my friend. I have a ton more Galleons than I could ever use in my life. I want to give it to you, but I understand you don't want to take it. So, how about I pay you to teach Harry. That Ogata wizard that trained Harry, I'm not sure I like him. Dumbledore wasn't so sure about him either but allowed Harry to make his own decisions. Teach him like you would have if this damnable country hadn't ostracized you for something you had no control over," he said and clenched his fist.
Remus pursed his lips and seemed to struggle with himself. His head dropped as he stared at the table. "I... yes... I'd help Harry anyway. You... he." he said and sucked in a deep breath. "How much do you know about Harry's life before you escaped?"
It was his turn to stare at the table as he sighed. "I got the impression it wasn't good. Dumbledore... well, he said a few things that didn't completely match Harry's version of events in his life. I don't think Harry lied to me. Remus, could you have handled all that? My parents didn't mind using magic to enforce their will, but to systematically beat children to make them more compliant? That's monstrous," he said into the silence.
"Harry probably hasn't told you everything. I don't know Dumbledore's story about Harry's life, but he knows what he's about."
Sirius hummed but didn't say anything. Remus believed in the old wizard far too much. Dumbledore had, in fact, given Lupin a chance to live his life as a wizard and accepted him into Hogwarts. Sirius couldn't really blame his friend for being devoted. However, he'd had a long time to think in Azkaban, and in those dark hours of the night, he questioned.
"You won't want for food, clothes, or anything else, my friend. Harry has made it clear in everything he's done that his magical education is more important than any amount of Galleons. I wouldn't be surprised if Harry managed to make a significant dent in his family's vault before he even graduates Hogwarts. I want to pay you what you're worth, which is a lot. You're almost a master-level professor of Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration."
"You joke about Harry's spending, but I think you might be right. Any word on the other issue?"
"Amelia was worried when I talked to her last. She's worried about Harry's mental health and worried about his sudden revelation that Voldemort will return. After our last meeting, she came here to talk to me, off the record from the Ministry. She's impressed by him and... admitted she was more than a little scared. He bloody let himself get burned in front of the entire Wizengamot to get at Fudge. Remus, I'm worried about him too. He's going to need real protection, soon."
"I learned about that from Minerva shortly before I... left Hogwarts. He's got a good head on his shoulders. Has the Ministry given you custody of Harry?"
"Amelia confirmed it a few days ago. Fudge was almost giddy to remove Dumbledore's control over Harry's life. He must think I'll be easier to work with," he growled and shook his head. "The pompous fool."
