HPWS
Director Bones was just ready to call it a night, when her Office door banded open, and Old Man Moody leaned on the Door Jam.
"Ah, Lassy. I need a favor. I need you to join me tonight, and not ask any questions until we get there."
Ami Frowned at her old training partner. Almost every Auror had Moody as their training partner. He had a touch to him that allowed him to weed out the few that just did not belong. Most ended up as Hit-wizards, but a few landed jobs with Law-wizard firms instead.
Pointing her wand at him, "What was our first pass phrase?"
Mood frowned, "Something about a new pony." His 'eye' rolled about in his head.
She slid her wand home, as she stood. "This had better be good."
She followed him to the Floo, but missed hearing what he called out as their address, just before he pulled her into the Bloom of green fire.
HPSW
Dobby dropped a platter of Ham sandwiches on the Table, before returning to his stew pot.
Ginny and Ron fell on the Platter like starving civets. One in mouth, and one in each hand, they only fell back when Harry growled. Harry then tossed a sandwich to the Saber-Fang, before placing a second on a plate, and sending along the to skid to a stop in front of Kitty-Snape. He grabbed one for himself and leaned back taking a sip of tea from his mug.
Lupin and Black each grabbed two, and began wolfing them down.
Hermione grabbed one, before pulling out a tome from her book-bag.
The twins grabbed the platter, whisking the rest of the sandwiches to the 'high' end of the table, where they sat across from Snape.
"So, Potion Master..."
"We were wondering if …"
"You could help us."
"Must you twits annoy me!" Snape growled.
The twins shared a look. "Yes." They choursed.
The Floo belched a bloom of green fire, disgorging Moody and a Witch with a Monocle. A Witch Harry recognized from his Hearing yesterday and six months ago. His left hand dropped to his belt.
The fading redhead coughed, as she dusted herself off. As she then looked about the room, her frown deeped at the sight of three of her best laid out and bound. She snorted at Albus as he too was cocooned in 'leather like' bindings. Then her eyes caught sight of Black munching on a sandwich, dressed in a loose tied shirt, a black leather vest, and a scarf tied about his head. As her hand found her wand, she noticed the hard emerald eyes looking at her from a barefaced Harry Potter…
Her eyes rolled back, as she fainted.
HPWS
As she then looked about the room, her frown deeped at the sight of three of her best laid out and bound. She snorted at Albus as he too was cocooned in 'leather like' bindings. Then her eyes caught sight of Black munching on a sandwich, dressed like a muggle pirate in a loose laced shirt, a black leather vest, and a scarf tied about his head. As her hand found her wand, she noticed the hard emerald eyes looking at her from a barefaced Harry Potter…
And if She read everybody's body language correctly, Potter was ready to defend Black. Then something in her head snapped… and she remembered! She remembered riding on a muggle machine, hugging the back of the man, of the wizard as he piloted the machine along the roads and into the air, of the Wind in her face, her hair…
Her eyes rolled up as the world faded to black.
A sharp smell…
She slowly returned to the world as we know it, looking into the gentle brown eyes and cat muzzle of a bushy haired teen. "Cat?"
"Potion accident from our second year." The witch smiled, "Around family, I often relax my hold on keeping the cat hidden." Into the Kitchen strolled an orange tom. He brushed along the leg of the Black haired wizard, before jumping to the table top, and sprawling across the wooden surface. The cat-faced witch scratched behind the tom's ears, before raking her claws through the fluff of his tummy as she sat beside the green eyed lad.
Amelia groaned as she fought her way to her feet. "Moody. Explain."
"About a week after school let out, the Headmaster began reaching out to the old crowd. Director, you are in the nest of the Order of the Phoenix." Moody dropped into his chair, pulling his flask from his belt. "Black was tapped to offer us a safe haven. We are under Fidelis. Molly, fearing for her family, moved everybody into the House. Three weeks later, the Lad has his attack, Albus sends a wing of us out to collect Him, and we drag him back here. Until the Lad's trial, he and the other children were put to work cleaning this pit. This Morning, Molly sent them into a room under the stairs to clean, Black and Lupin followed after locking the place down. This evening, when Albus called the whole order in, The Children returned… and a few words were exchanged. Potter did that to Snape, before dropping the old man and your three best there." He sipped from his flask. "Potter's elf then told everyone that the food Molly Weasley was feeding us was laced with Loyalty potions. Everyone that could, ran off to St Mungo's. Leaving Molly, The Head Bastard, and your three golden wanders hogtied, and the Potion Master as a talking cat." He sipped again, "Potter sent me to get you, and here we are."
She dropped into a chair, "Can I get a cuppa or something stronger?"
A steaming cup appeared before her… followed by an old-fashioned glass with three cubes of ice and two fingers of liquid amber-gold.
Sampling them both, and finding them to her liking, she drew her wand, and fired a yellow bolt into the older of her female Aurors. "Auror Vance, care to tell me how you and your companions came to be bound and stunned?"
"Director...I can't. Albus won't…"
"And if I told you that potions were causing you to violate your oaths?" Bones asked.
The witch blanched. "Please Merlyn, No!"
Bones flicked her wand, releasing the witch. "Get yourself to St Mungo's." the witches scrambled into the floo. Bones blasted the Black man next.
He awoke, twitched, and then looked about. "Ma'am."
"Albus called and like a good dog, you came running?"
"Ma'am."
"And will you tell me what you are up to?" Amelia sipped her tea. "Or are you too potioned up?"
"Potion?"
"Molly and her cooking." Lupin growled.
"Shit!" Kingsley muttered a word, and the bindings popped, as he sat up. "Other than misleading the 'Hunt for Black', we just shared office gossip. The Misleading is/was due to Black being not guilty of the crimes he was sent away for." He wrinkled his nose. "I never ate here, but will be going to St Mungo's just in case" He ducked into the floo.
Director Bones turned her wand on the Pink hair witch…
"Son of a 'Bee itch'!" her hair shaded from pink to red to scarlet. The witch turned her head so she could look at Potter, "Damn Potter, you're fast. Three of us down before our wands finished dropping into our hands… after beating the old goat too." She struggled against her bindings for a bit "Ah, Potter? Care to lend a hand?"
Bones flicked her wand, vanishing the ropes. The Auror climbed to her feet, adjusted her robes, before looking about… spotting the Director sipping from a tea cup.
"Shite!"
"Tonks." the faded redhead witch spoke calmly. "Sit. Tell me what you are doing here."
"I followed Moody into joining the Order." Tonks dropped into her chair, "Fudge was actively preventing us from doing anything. The Order promised to do something. I joined up. And all we did was trade gossip, I swear!"
"And where do your Loyalties Lie?"
"House Black, The Core, the Law." Auror Tonks answered.
"House Black?" Bone inquired.
"As a Daughter of House Black, My Blood sings for milord to call me to service. Now that we have a Lord worth answering the Call, that is."
All eyes turned to Sirius Black.
"Oh Alright, I will do it!" He stood, raising his Right Fist to the ceiling, "I Sirius Orion Black, third of that name, Claim by Right of Blood, Magic and Law, the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, swearing to uphold it's Honor, Creed, and Bloodline. So mote it be!"
The House shook as if struck by Lightning, as Black was thrown back into the wall behind him.
HPWS
"Oh Alright, I will do it!" He stood, raising his Right Fist to the ceiling, "I Sirius Orion Black, third of that name, Claim by Right of Blood, Magic and Law, the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, swearing to uphold it's Honor, Creed, and Bloodline. So mote it be!"
He was struck by the power of the Black Bloodline Magic… and a Chorus of voices filled his mind;
Powerful… a quick mind and quicker tongue… a history for getting into trouble, and a skill for getting out.
A Flaw! Not able to Sire!
He had named an Heir before he was defiled!
The Sion and Heir of another Line!
Branch line to the boy, and a skilled artist… the Boy will need to breed for both Houses.
House Black Accepts Sirius Orion Black as our Lord and Master!
Sirius groaned as he climbed to his feet. "Which way did that dragon go?"
Lupin snorted.
"Hey Ami? How soon can you get me a hearing before the full 'Mot?"
"Well the Monthly sesion is on the 13th, like it is every month…" the Director trailed off. "What are you planning?"
"A few details require Harry to check up with the Goblins, but if Lord Potter claimed his seat, then using 'Successor's Privilege', He can ask why the Ministry is trying to Kill a Lord of the Realm." Sirius grinned, "Everyone will most likely think he means Himself. When My name is brought forward as innocent of the Charges…" He leaned back, crossing his arms. "I will even accept Veritaserum."
"And how will you get there?" the sharp eyed witch glared at the shaggy wizard.
"Lord Potter inherited many things from his Father… including his Familiar." Black smirked, as Lupin choked at the old joke.
"Padfoot?" Bones perked up, "We always wondered why a Scion of a Light House would flaunt such a dark binding. Where has the sweet boy been hiding?"
Black's smirk grew as he shimmered and slunk under the table to rest his weary head on Bone's lap.
The witch just stared at the beast with his head in her lap. Finally she got control of her voice. "You Son of a Bitch!" The grimm thumbed his tail twice.
"His second favorite joke." Harry sighed. "Director. In your time, yesterday morning, I stood before the full Number of our Nation's Government, and was called a liar and an attention seeker when I was just defending myself. At the Time, I thought Riddle was behind it. Now with six months and the smartest witch I know, I am led to believe that someone in the Ministry is out to kill me, if only to silence me. Only a incompant Government Official could have screwed up this royally, come this close to succeeding, and cover the whole thing up. Tomorrow, I am going to Gringotts, then to Madam Malkin's. The Morning After." He locked his burning green eyes on hers. "The Morning After, I am coming for the Ministry. There is a reason the Potion Master is a kitty. It wiped away his Mark. He will spend the weekend teaching the twins and us Potions, as a cat. On the Fifteenth, if he has learned his lesson, he will regain his human form."
"Just like your Father!" the cat roared.
"I was going for my Mother's touch." Harry called back, "Should I make you female as well?"
Crookshanks rolled upright and licked his face as he looked at the black haired cat on the other end of the table.
"No, No need for that. Boys, to your room please. Just keep that Beast away from me!" The twins chuckled as Fred grabbed the food tray and George enfolded the Potion Master in his arms. With their harp and Lyre across their backs the twins danced out of the Kitchen.
"I am seeing something funny about you all and your Magic … tastes funny." Bones looked the others over.
"You see it too?" Moody let his eye spin wildly. "I thought it was just me."
"Where we were, wand-use, like it is here, is weak." Hermione continued to run her fingers through the kniesel's fur. "Each of us adapted a new medium, or style. I wield the Grimire, No Book is beyond my Reach or Command."
"Beast Master." Ginny sighed as she sprawled on a Hunting Cat, half the size of Padfoot. "No Beast or Animal will fail to heed my Call, unless they be bonded Familiars."
"Chessman" Ron looked at her, "I raise and command Golems. I can Hold sixteen, and they often look like chess pieces."
"The Twins are Bards. Jokers and song-spinners of Jest. They hum a little tune, and through their foes into Chaos. Lupin found Moony, and Bonded. He now is an Alpha, and the Moon no longer controls his shifting." Harry slowly stood, folding his coat back to show off his belt and the six wands and two scepters hanging there. "Black became a Spell-sword, and plays the Pirate. I am a wand slinger. Each of my wands here, have three to five spells that they cast. Oh I can work any spell through them I like, but there are four classes of Magic in general." he cross drew the center wand to his right hand. "This is like the colt .45 from the American Old West. With both in hand, I am good at six to one odds in Dueling. Throwing piercing hexs to 'bombradas', I own the mid range combat field." the #2 wand slid home as he drew the smaller wand. "This is for the fine tuned things where precision is needed. Be it sewing a set of robes up, to knitting flesh, to shaving a Grim for fleas and leeches." the #1 wand slid across his buckle, as he reached #3. "This I use to transfigure stone and Ironwood." He twirled through his fingers, before the Kitchen Table morphed it a more elaget, yet better reinforce surface. Where it had been old english oak, it was now a Black Ironwood, with silver inlay. With the Wand inplace, his Hand drew to his hip, and he pulled a cubit of the same wood that end with socketed globe that held what looked like an eye. "I use these to smash Walls, raise Mountains, and devirt Rivers. With these I am a God! I could shred the Wall of Hogwarts like wet parchment, wards and all, but then I will sleep for the next thirty hours."
"How do I know you all are not a threat?" The Director asked.
"The same way you know that Black is not a threat to you." Harry smiled as he climbed back onto the bench.
"What?"
"Ever since he put his head in your lap, you have been scratching his ears." Hermione smirked.
Bones froze as her eyes traveled to her lap where Padfoot was basking in her affection, his eyes gray pools of gooey love. His tail thumped twice.
"I can make you this Promise." Harry sat on the bench, before tapping the table. A dirk nosed elf appeared on the table in a clean pillow case, and odd socks. "Hey, buddy. A round of drinks. Butterbeer for me."
Same" Granger.
"Same Here." Ginny.
"Two for me, cold." Ron
"Whiskey, single malt, four fingers." Lupin.
"Root Beer, chilled." Tonks.
"Just a topper." Bones leaned back.
Once a Drink was before everybody, Harry took a deep pull of his mug, wiped his upper lip, and sighed. "This Promise. We will never seek to harm those who have not Treated us with Malice. You leave us alone, and we will ignore you. Unfortunately Riddle and his Tattooed Followers Have Treated Us with Malice." The Elder wand bloomed in his hand, before a jerk of a reverse flick, caused the Black Diamond to jump from the sleeping Albus's robes. His superior reflexes saw the wand stowed, before he caught the stone. "I will be declaring Blood Feud, and taking Action. I can do it in Chambers, or the Atrium on my way out, your call."
"Chambers." Amelia sighed as she re-dug her nails into the soft hair of the doggy head in her lap. "That way we can declare the new members for next month's Meeting." she finished her scotch, only for Dobby to refill it. "To recap; Potter is taking up his seat, accusing the Ministry of Attempted Assassaination, Declaring Blood Feud, and striking first. Black will be Claiming that He is Innocent before the entire Chamber, and claiming his Seat." She looked about, "Is that All?"
"For now." Granger licked her muzzle, "We will save Albus for next month."
"Thank Merlin." She finished her tea, but before replacing it on the table, "Anything else?"
"Not unless you want to teach Padfoot new tricks." Harry smiled.
Bones set the cup down, inverted, and threw back the last of her scotch. "Night all. Potter I will see you and Padfoot in the Atrium morning after next, ten to 9 am." She stepped into the floo, and vanished.
HPWS
Black Boots, with an inch heel, ending at the knee. Loose Black silk trousers, with a black silk shirt. His black vested robes that split at the hip, were belted low over his hips. He left his scepters behind, but put his Phoenix Wand and the DeathStick in his right boot. He left the duster/robes behind, settling for a gray wool cloak.
Sirius was dressed in his Dread Pirate getup, before turning on the spot into Padfoot.
Hermione was in the Library, as Ron was having a lie in. Remus was heading out to find the Packs, to find the lay of the land.
Ginny decided to go with Harry. She wanted to try out her 'Wyld-chyld' look. Tight short-shorts and a halter that showed less than you thought, knee high boots, and gauntlets. Her wand was in her right Gauntlet, easy to draw if needed. Her Red Mane was pulled back into cornrows/braids, two feet long with carved bone charms at the end. A matching collar to that of her Hunting Cat. The two of them prowel to his right, as Padfoot hung off his left.
This is what stepped from the Floo into the Leaky Cauldron.
The place went deadly silent.
"Tom." Harry nodded at the Innkeeper.
"Potter." The jolly man was neutral.
Potter led the way to the exit to the Alley.
As they mounted the steps to the Bank, they were met by two of the guards.
"Lord Potter. Account Manager Barchoke has requested to see you. I will take you." the Guard on the Right Spoke.
The one on the Left, his eyes locked on Harry, "Lord Black, Account Manager Ashraq will see you now. I will take you."
"Lead on." Harry hooked his thumbs into his belt. They were escorted across the Lobby, and into the Office Zone. Once out of sight of the Other Humans, Padfoot split off, following his guard. Harry just strolled along as the two females off his right hand side slinked lazaly.
Barchoke looked up as the Guard entered the room. "Ah, Lord Potter. Guard, remain."
TBC