This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy.
"Regular conversation."
Printed Word in letters and newspapers.
{Parseltongue conversation}
[Iggy talking with Harry and Neville.]
"The Sorting Hat speaking and pontificating."
***At Longbottom Hall after reading the Daily Prophet late on 1 August 1993. ***
"So, who is Sirius Black?" asked Neville. And while Frank explained about Sirius being one of four best friends of a group in Gryffindor a couple years younger than he was, Harry also listened to Iggy.
[He was the best friend and 'brother' of James Potter, just like you two boys,] Iggy replied.
Harry asked, [Could they talk to each other like we can?]
[No, but sometimes they knew when the other one was in trouble and went to help,] Iggy replied. [I cannot believe – do not believe – that Padfoot betrayed Prongs!]
"Dad, was there a trial for this guy?" Harry asked Frank, wondering who Iggy meant when he said 'Padfoot' and 'Prongs'.
Lord Longbottom admitted that he did not know and Augusta confessed that she did not remember. She explained, "There was so much confusion for a couple weeks. Frank and Alice were injured and I was lost with a baby to guard."
"Who would know what happened at the trial?"
It took almost two days to get an attorney to come to the manor and speak with the Longbottom family. Ted Tonks was a well-respected lawyer for following the letter of the law and defending his clients. Without any discussion, Mr. Tonks agreed to take the case of investigating everything there was to be found about the case against Sirius Black.
When he returned three days later, he had one arm in a sling and an unhappy wife tagging along. Andromeda Tonks, a healer from Saint Mungo's refused to allow her husband to travel without her wand guarding his back for the next week.
"What happened?" asked Gran while the elves served a scrumptious tea for their guests. Harry and Neville stood on either side of Frank's chair with his wife and mother both on opposite sides of the guests. Should their guests prove to be wand happy, the family could return fire from three visible sides–from the fourth side, behind the visitors, six elves stood ready to pop them in different directions all at once if necessary.
"Yesterday in the ministry when I was able to get access to the trial records, I discovered the Heir Sirius Black was incarcerated without the benefit of any kind of trial. He was transported from the street where he was arrested and thrown into Azkaban the same afternoon. But the goblins say that Sirius Black is 'Lord Black' and that means magic thinks he is worthy of the title."
"On whose authority was Lord Black thrown into Azkaban?" asked Frank in a quiet voice that chilled the room.
"Barty Crouch and Albus Dumbledore," replied Ted. "And before I could get out of the record room, Crouch appeared and attacked me. Fortunately, the man is old and too pure-blooded to have the power I do…"
Glancing at his wife, he added, "Or the spells that my wonderful wife has taught me that her family have perfected. He'll be in Saint Mungo's for a month at least."
Augusta nodded her head and said, "The Black family spells are incredibly powerful. My mother-in-law was a Black daughter and she taught me spells to throw idiots up against walls with extreme prejudice."
"And how do you keep the magical power in your family?" asked Ted.
"Augusta smiled and said, "My mother was a muggleborn. I was always more powerful than my husband. And Frank got his power from me."
Alice nodded and asked, "Mr. and Mrs. Tonks, what can we do? Is Harry in danger?"
Andromeda Tonks replied, "My cousin will be damaged mentally and physically after years in Azkaban. He is Harry's sworn godfather, like Lady Longbottom is his sworn godmother and could not have harmed Harry or taken the Dark Lord to where they were hiding!"
She rose from her seat and walked to the windows and stared out at the gardens wrapped in green light as the summer sunshine reflected off the leaves.
"But he is insane–could be insane now," Ted reminded his wife gently. "He might hurt Harry by accident."
[We'll rethink how the elves deal with people trying to grab you,] Iggy added immediately. [Something like stasis charms or transport… that's it. The elves will move anyone to a holding barn at the Potter estate. The elves can always dispose of the bad guys later if needed.]
"Have there been any sightings of Sirius?" asked Frank.
Ted replied, "The DMLE is playing their cards close to the chest and not giving out any hints. The tripe from Fudge that's printed in the Daily Prophet can't be trusted."
[Andromeda is sad,] Iggy informed Harry and Neville.
With a quick and silent conversation between the brothers and Iggy, Harry approached Andromeda and said, "Mrs. Tonks, when we find your cousin, we will give him the Breathe of Magic to help him heal."
The sureness and generosity of the young wizard's word affected the stern witch and she reached down to embrace him briefly with tears on her face.
"Thank you, Mr. Potter," Andromeda replied as her husband came and led her back to her chair.
Conversations about Sirius BlackThere were many conversations about Sirius Black that August.
Minister Cornelius Fudge, who had been the lead arresting Auror at the scene, built his career in politics on that one event. His meteoric rise to power in just two years was due to playing on that arrest and agreeing to bribery and other shenanigans by purebloods in the ministry. Every morning in August, he demanded an update from Director Bones who fed him false information and then waited until the imaginary sightings were printed in the Daily Prophet before she provided the accurate information to the Wireless, Quibbler, and Witch Weekly. Delores Umbridge supported her 'dear Cornelius' in every screaming match with Director Bones.
Albus Dumbledore kept his own counsel for once and hid inside Hogwarts. He communicated via the floo with Minister Fudge but refused to call any Wizengamot sessions for the entire month of August to prevent having to travel to London where Sirius Black was thought to be lurking and waiting to attack Fudge, Crouch, or Dumbledore if they appeared in the ministry atrium.
In a fit of inspiration caused by eating too many doughnuts one morning while listening to his Undersecretary rant about ungrateful muggleborns, Cornelius Fudge decided to place fifty Dementors around Hogwarts to 'protect' the children from evil Sirius Black. He wrote the order himself and sent it off the warden of the prison at Azkaban without getting anyone else's opinion. The Daily Prophet began running stories about Dementors rampaging across the nation looking for Sirius Black and many members of Wizengamot began asking questions that the Minister and the Grand Warlock ignored.
Wildlife at Potter ManorOn a regular morning later that first week of August, Harry's two personal elves popped into the dining room at Longbottom Hall with disturbing news.
"There be two of the scary Dementordemons around Potter Manor!"
"They fly close to house but then scents of magical flowers drives them away!"
"The giant green fiery dragons fighting with the Dementordemons!"
Without another thought, Harry grabbed the hand of Angus and popped over to Potter Manor, prepared to use Friend Fire to defend his manor, the woods, and the dragons. But the battle was already over, and both Dementors lay burning on the front lawn. The mother dragon had disappeared but the father remained on guard duty, seated on the roof of the manor house.
Behind Harry, Lord Longbottom and Neville appeared in the receiving room via elf express, with wands drawn.
Once he was certain the danger had been resolved, Frank yelled at Harry, "You can't go off without us! You're grounded for the three hours and must sit with Gran and your Mum while they plan menus for the rest of the month!"
Neville grinned and thought, [Give me your dessert tonight and I won't tell Dad that's not a punishment for you.]
[Deal.] replied Harry who was sorry to have made his dad angry but also revelled in the knowledge that there were people who cared about him.
Iggy asked, [Can we take a look at what the dragons left of the two Dementors before we burn them up? It might tell us more about them.]
"Dad, Iggy wants me to get closer to the rags left behind. He wants to smell and see the Dementor," Harry reported.
Frank grimaced, "Fine but tell that rag there'll be no tasting!"
[Rag! Who is he calling a rag! I'll show him rags!] shouted Iggy, making Harry and Neville snicker. Frank smiled, knowing perfectly well what he'd done with his comment.
Nonetheless, he watched Harry carefully as the brave boy used a large stick to turn over the rags and lift them into the air.
Neville whispered, "Iggy saws it's not death magic or any natural magic. The Dementors were born from nightmares. That's why the Patronus drives them away."
Frank sighed, "The Patronus is hard but we'll start lessons when we get home."
Listening to Frank and Neville talking, Iggy wondered if he could jiggle the spell for Friend Fire with some Patronus in it?
Tonks and Malfoy Working TogetherTed Tonks did not bring any more attention to himself though he did file the appropriate papers with the Wizengamot courts to make himself the attorney of record for Lord Longbottom and his family, Heir Potter, his guardians and his estate, and for Lord Sirius Black and his estate. The petition for Lord Black was put forth by his two closest living relatives, Andromeda Tonks and Narcissa Malfoy.
Working in concert, the sisters met regularly before the announcement of the escape to rebuild their family relationship. By the time of the 'escape', the two families met once a week at the Tonks' home for dinner.
Slowing adjusting to his aunt and uncle, who had perfect manners and who were very knowledgeable about many subjects, Draco Malfoy began to look forward to their weekly meetings. He found that Uncle Theodore had a great many anecdotes about the law that fascinated Draco and he began to imagine himself as a lawyer when he was grown. His only cousin, Nymphadora, was an Auror-trainee, and while he enjoyed her demonstrations of her metamorphic powers on occasion, he didn't enjoy her many 'Dumbledore is such a great leader' tales and yarns.
But rather than argue with his cousin, Draco merely listened and learned that his aunt and uncle were very displeased by their daughter's growing worship for the headmaster but they recognized she was an adult and could make some decisions contrary to their own.
'Do they think Dora's just saying this to aggravate her parents?' he wondered and decided to speak of the matter with his mother in the privacy of their own home. However, after dinner while Uncle Ted returned to his work, and Aunt Andromeda and mother spoke privately in the lounge, Draco caught his cousin using her metamorphic powers to make her ear much larger so she could eavesdrop on the conversation behind the closed door.
Smirking, Draco placed his fingers in his mouth and created a loud piercing whistle that made Dora clap her hands over both ears and turn toward him with an angry face. Her enlarged ear returned to normal size but her head was pounding.
"You little snake!" she shouted, while her mother and father both came out of their respective rooms. Narcissa stepped around her sister and niece to approach her son with a question in her eyes.
"Cousin Nymphadora was eavesdropping on your conversation, Mother. I know that is considered rude in pureblood circles,"
"Getting caught is when the act is characterized as rude," Narcissa admitted.
"Dora? Why were you listening?" asked her father.
"Auntie is a death eater… a death eater's wife," Dora explained. "Director Bones wants us to always…"
"No, she doesn't," Ted said, interrupting his daughter. "Director Bones follows the law explicitly. There's nothing in the books or rules about spying on 'former' death eaters, their spouses, or their children."
"Dora, what were you doing? Who are you spying for?" Andromeda insisted her daughter explain.
But the young Auror remained silent until her father commanded, "Dora! Answer your mother!"
"Professor Dumbledore…"
"Why would you be listening to our conversations?"
"The headmaster thinks you know where Sirius Black is hiding… or Aunt Narcissa is helping him!" she explained. "He knows you're helping Longbottom and boy-who-lived."
"How could you do this?" Ted asked. His anger was almost visible in his magic and the man continued, "You've betrayed and hurt your mother!
"The Blacks threw her out of the family! They betrayed us first!" argued Dora.
"And does that make spying and reporting to that senile old wizard alright?" yelled Ted.
However, before Ted could continue and say things he could not reverse, Narcissa intervened and loudly announced, "Nymphadora must be under compulsion. The Old Goat has very powerful spells. Sister, you're a healer; can you find out what spells she's under?"
"No, I am perfectly healthy…" Dora replied before her father petrified her.
Andromeda set to work while Ted removed his daughter's wand and Narcissa summoned two emergency portkeys from her niece's pockets. One was a DMLE issued portkey to the atrium in the ministry. The other was a portkey made by the headmaster to some location unknown to Ted or Narcissa.
"There's a compulsion charm anchored by something I have never seen before," Andromeda reported. "She's loyal to that whiskered goat before everyone else – even her own well-being."
Ted dropped into a chair as Andromeda moved her daughter to the sofa. Narcissa was lost in thought when Draco said, "Auntie, ask Potter and Longbottom to help her."
"What do you mean Draco?" asked his mother.
"At Hogwarts last fall, McMillian was in terrible shape after being possessed by that cursed what-ever-it-was, but Potter and his brother went to the infirmary anyway. According to rumours all over the school, they had some sort of magical elixir that instantly cured Ernie McMillian."
Not wasting a moment in discussion, Andromeda hurried from the room without her husband and everyone heard the floo ignite as the healer left the house. About fifteen minutes later, the floo ignited again four times as persons entered the Tonks home. Andromeda Tonks returned to the lounge and led Dowager Lady Longbottom and her two grandsons into the room.
Ted rose to greet Augusta, and Narcissa stood with one arm around Draco's shoulder; they both nodded in acknowledgement of the arrival of the other wizards and witches but did not speak for the moment.
"Here she is," Andromeda said.
"And you detected something of an anchor in the charm of compulsion?" asked Augusta. "A simple finite won't end the spell?"
"The charm would appear to vanish but the anchor will bring the compulsion back overnight," the healer explained. "I've never seen anything like it at Saint Mungos."
[I want to see/smell,] Iggy told the boys. [Stand on either side of her and hold out your wands but don't cast any spells.]
"What are you doing?" Ted asked quietly but with some command in his tone.
Augusta commanded, "Leave them be. They won't harm her… I think they are just looking at the spell."
Draco felt his mother's arm tighten just slightly as they watched the two third-year wizards standing opposite each other with the young Auror between them. He stared intently, determined to capture every moment in his mind to review it later.
After a full minute of silence, Iggy said, [I hate Albus Dumbledore. This is alchemy used to anchor the charm. There isn't a spell in the library of magic that will make it fade. How in the world did he put this…?]
[We gotta find some way to help her,] Harry insisted.
Neville lowered his wand and said, "Alchemy… we think it's alchemy from Headmaster Dumbledore's hand."
Andromeda and Ted exchanged glances and Narcissa growled, scaring her son.
"A witch may never recover and return to normal after being dosed with some potion that includes elements of alchemy," she said in a tight tone.
Augusta glanced at her grandsons and their classmate – did they dare allow them to return to Hogwarts if Albus was playing with alchemy and dosing people?
[Tell the others that we'll try the Breathe of Magic to break the spell,] Iggy said.
Neville again was the spokesman while Harry continued to stare at the young woman under the petrification spell with the funny colours of the alchemy potion floating around.
[I've never seen/smelled this before,] Iggy said. [I am certain that Lady Hogwarts has and she'll tell me more back at Hogwarts.]
"We have to tell Director Bones about this," Ted said, taking his wife in his arms.
"There's nothing anyone can do about Dumbledore," Narcissa said with some resignation in her voice.
Harry grinned widely and replied, "Lady Hogwarts, the spirit who is the castle and all her magic, put the headmaster into detention for the whole of the winter and spring terms last year. She wouldn't let him out of his office but twice a day in the castle – at breakfast and dinner. He wasn't able to wander in the halls and interfere with classes."
He glanced back at Dora still petrified on the sofa and continued, "When she learns about this, she may do more than give him detention."
"Can you help her with your magic elixir?" asked Draco. "She is my cousin and is a powerful witch who doesn't deserve to be anyone's lapdog."
Narcissa glanced at her son and said, "No witch or wizard should be another's lapdog!"
Neville said, "It's not…"
The boy stopped and grinned. "Draco, Mrs. Malfoy, you will have to join our silent group and swear on your magic to keep our secret."
While Augusta helped Narcissa and Draco through swearing to keep the secret, Iggy discussed 'which' bottle of perfume to use.
[I think you should pour about half the bottle of No.8 on her head,] Iggy told Neville.
[No.8? The dragons like No.8 a lot,] Harry replied, referring to the family of Welch Greens that remained in the forest around Potter Manor.
[Dumbledore probably uses dragon blood in his alchemy spells,] Iggy explained. [He is famous for his study on the use of dragon blood and there's no telling how many other things he's found to use it in without publishing the results.]
Drawing a simple perfume bottle from one of his pockets, Neville Longbottom pulled out the stopper and while the adults in the room found the smell of the perfume to be slightly off, the young wizard grinned and slowly dribbled half of the bottle onto the petrified witch's hair.
The liquid seemed to be absorbed by her hair very quickly and she moaned as the 'perfume' worked its way through her body and into her magical core. Moving forward, Andromeda cast several medical spells at her daughter to monitor the young witch's magical core. The other three adults watched silently while the three teenaged boys moved to one side. To make conversation, Draco asked, "Got your homework done, Longbottom?"
Nymphadora Tonks woke about ten minutes after Neville poured the perfume on her head. With her mother's aid, she hurried into the loo and was ill for some time. While Narcissa stood near the door to provide additional assistance while Lady Longbottom, Ted and the three boys remained in the lounge, discussing the news about Sirius Black and other stories in the Daily Prophet.
"Where are Lord and Lady Longbottom today?" Ted asked at some point.
Augusta replied, "My son and his wife have been very active this summer, keeping up with these two snitches who run house elves ragged regularly. They are resting all day today though I can tell they both recover faster now and by late this afternoon, they will join us for supper."
"Mr. Tonks, is there anything that can be done about Professor Dumbledore casting this spell and alchemy on your daughter?" asked Neville.
Shaking his head, Ted explained, "He'll always say that Dora consented and just doesn't remember now."
[Lady Hogwarts will not be happy with Dumblemore once again,] Iggy reminded both boys.
End of Chapter