A/N- As I have been working on chapter 24, I found there were too many details being left to deal with before Harry goes back to school. In re-reading them, chapters 22/23 felt tediously long while not really conveying all the things I wanted. And so, they have been somewhat revised and condensed.
I apologize for the changes and for not being able to update very quickly - I am hoping to have the next chapter ready to post in the relatively near future...
As Regulus made his way up the stairs, his eyes drifted to the Ministry's Suite above. He knew his parents would have ensured they were sitting up there for any quidditch match they attended in his youth. If not the Ministry Suite by invitation of a high-ranking official, then in their own luxury box on the same level. Not because they were avid quidditch fans and the view justified the added expense, but because sitting 'below' was unfathomable. Common. Unbefitting of their station.
Ironically, the Bones family, who likely had more expendable wealth than even the Blacks, would have deemed any such expense as extravagant and unnecessary. Maliah had mocked his disappointment incessantly, the first time they attended a match together. In his defense, it was not the view 'from below' that bothered him, but the number of seats that were crammed into each section. After his first experience of rubbing elbows with the stranger beside him, he had become more strategic in purchasing tickets.
In this case, they found their seats in the front row of the section just beneath the Ministry's Suite. A stone partition, too low to obscure their view, separated them from the sector below while allowing more legroom. In Carina's absence, they were also able to leave a space between them and the next patron, which he was especially glad for since he had not yet had a chance to share with Maliah what Carina had hastily attempted to convey to him (that her sister was there) and even more so, after recognizing one of his students would be beside them.
He didn't miss the look Maliah gave him as he guided her ahead of him. He had used every member of his family to discreetly distance himself from a student when the situation arose. Not because it bothered him to encounter a student outside of school, that was inevitable (a select few were known to come home from school with Carina on any given weekend and in a normal summer, Caelum would have had his friends over as well). For the majority of students, however, he deduced it was awkward for them to see a teacher when they were with their parents, as if they should worry of what would come out about them, if the two should talk.
For his part, it was often interesting to see the differences in his students when they were with their families compared to what he knew of them from school. In this instance, Philippe Montbrun resembled his older brother more than himself, with his sandy hair neatly groomed and solemn demeanor. At school, Philippe maintained an impressive crop of unruly curls, and had been accused of taking some astounding liberties. As he had never been caught doing anything more detrimental than amusing, and was a good student, most teachers regarded him as a lovable scamp rather than a troublemaker.
The fifth-year looked up with a blasé expression as they approached and with more interest in their group after seeing him. Regulus offered a formal greeting as etiquette indicated. He would have been content to leave the exchange at that, but Philippe's response caught the attention of the lady at his other side, and she turned to investigate. She had the same gray eyes, fair skin and aquiline nose as Philippe. It was no surprise to hear she was his mother.
Regulus introduced Maliah in turn, and the two women got along as if old friends. Rather than uncomfortable with being stuck between them, Philippe wore an indulgent smile while adding talking points of his own here and there, "Your daughter is in my year – she will be joining us, I hope?" And must have thought himself a real charmer, "It is no wonder where she gets her good-looks from."
When it sounded vaguely like he was trying to flirt with his wife, Regulus looked over. Philippe's expression was predictably one of wide-eyed innocence, until his mouth twitched, ruining the image. Unfortunately, after making eye contact with him, engaging in further small talk would be less awkward than not to.
"How is Landry?" Regulus inquired, in reference to Philippe's brother who had spent his last year of school at Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament. The older boy had been the captain of Carina's quidditch team – he had drafted her as a chaser in her third year, and she replaced him last year as seeker, after he "abandoned" the team.
"He is well," his mother answered. "It was nice to have him home, though he did not stay long. Some friends from Hogwarts came to visit him earlier in the summer and when they left, to visit some other friends, he went with them."
Regulus knew from the commencement ceremony many of the Beauxbatons students who had gone to Hogwarts intended to stay in touch with friends they had made, both at Hogwarts and Durmstrang.
"He was very complimentary of Scotland," Philippe said as if it should be of particular interest to them.
"It is beautiful there this time of year," Maliah said casually.
She knew that better than most, having grown up within apparition distance of Hogsmeade. As the Bones family was among the more prominent families known to reside in Scotland, it was for the best that she didn't mention it.
"I hope to visit sometime," Philippe said. "My brother described it as – picturesque… I should love to catch a glimpse of Nessie."
In case it might expedite an end to their conversation, Regulus turned his attention to the pitch. There was a large screen on either side that he knew would display the match once it began, but for now was showing the student section for each side. He was able to locate Carina, sitting with Andrae and another quidditch teammate, just before the screen shifted to the Ministry Suite.
The air became thick with the telltale signs of an amplifying charm, and he recognized Édouard Eppinette on-screen, who would be announcing the match.
The man had been a Chaser for Île-de-France and the French national team some years ago, though as he retired around the time they moved there, Regulus initially knew of him more for his commentary on matches, rather than his playing in them. Then his daughter, Selene, became one of Carina's suitemates. The girls had been nearly inseparable in their first few years at school which led to them getting to know Édouard and the rest of their family.
The screens shifted, allowing a larger portion of the Ministry's Suite to be seen. As was typical, many from the Council of Ministers for Magic were there with their families. His eyes scanned over the other familiar and some unfamiliar faces in the suite, and rested momentarily on the French Minister of Magic. Regulus had met him on several occasions when he visited Beauxbatons. He was likeable enough, though Regulus tended to retreat to his office and avoided him when he could help it.
He heard Maliah's sharp intake of breath and knew the cause even before seeing her sister, Amelia. She was standing beside her French counterpart, the Minister of Defense. Her silvery blonde hair had been cut bluntly at chin-length since he had last seen her, accentuating her square jaw and making her look more severe than even he knew her to be – and as least like Maliah as possible, he had to appreciate.
Regulus was more surprised to see the British Minister of Magic was there, hovering near Amelia. He would have ensured Carina stayed with them if he had known Fudge was there. Regulus kept his expression impassive as it would be imprudent to appear particularly reactive to the British delegation. When Sirius caught his eye, Regulus suspected it was Fudge who had bestirred him rather than Amelia, whom he wasn't sure he would recognize.
Ironically, the last time he had seen Amelia it was because of Sirius. Amelia came to them with the news of Sirius' escape from Azkaban before it was widely known. It might have been considerate, but the sentiment fell flat when she repeatedly asked where he could be hiding. It was not the first time he had been left with an ambivalent feeling towards his sister-in-law.
Sirius heard Regulus exhale and was not surprised to see the student sections for each team were being displayed once again. He had no reason to look for Carina, and yet, his eyes were drawn to her when he looked at the Guyenne side. She might have inherited Maliah's stature and some of her softer characteristics, but her striking features, what made her stand out in a crowd, was undeniably from the Blacks.
The resemblance she bore to Bellatrix instantly compounded with certain expressions she made – the blasé one she had earlier while the Guyenne fans were celebrating around her was a good imitation. But the taunting smile she wore now, as a schoolmate was turned around jesting with her, was spot on.
"Are you worried someone will notice the miniature Bellatrix in the crowd?" he asked Regulus offhandedly.
"I am inclined to think I had more to do with Carina's appearance than her," he said distastefully.
"Congratulations on having the jawline of a woman then," Sirius smirked. "And the hair and the eyes-"
"She has Maliah's eyes."
"Only in color," Sirius countered. "The ability to emote all the ways she's dreamt of killing you through them – that can only be from the ladies in the Black household."
Regulus cast an amused glance at his wife. "Are you sure that isn't from Maliah?"
Sirius conceded that not everyone would see Bellatrix in Carina as easily as he did. Certainly, it would be a stretch for Fudge to pick her out on the screen and make the necessary connections.
"Is resembling Maliah any better than Bellatrix?" he wondered aloud, too loudly.
Maliah gave him an incredulous look, "Excuse me?"
"I meant, in the current situation. If Carina was to catch – anyone's attention."
Her expression instantly became guarded. "Fudge isn't known for his perceptiveness, is he?"
"I thought Madam Bones more likely to make the connection," he said rather pointedly.
"Maybe," she conceded. "But she isn't likely to draw attention to anything that would jeopardize her career."
"Is that the reason?" an imposing voice asked from her other side.
Maliah turned so quickly she might have hurt her neck. In the seat that had been previously left empty, Amelia Bones now sat, silently observing her sister – her sister who was believed to have been murdered some fifteen years ago. And yet, she did not wear the shocked expression one might expect of someone discovering their sibling is unexpectedly alive after years of believing otherwise, Sirius couldn't help but notice.
Beside him, Regulus subtly shifted as if it wasn't too late to block Sirius from her view.
"What are you doing down here?" Maliah hissed. "And how, I just saw you in the Ministry Suite." In an undertone Sirius almost missed, she asked incredulously. "Are you using a time-turner?"
Amelia was looking at Maliah with a mixture of curiosity and surprise, "Does that seem likely?" she asked brusquely. "They are highly regulated by the Department of Mysteries – that is, the one department that does not answer to mine, I am sure you remember."
"The how is less important than why," Regulus interjected calmly. "Is there something we can do for you, Amelia?"
"Something you couldn't have simply written in a letter rather than showing up here?" Maliah added agitatedly.
"Letters are easily intercepted," Amelia reminded her. "And after reading your last one, I wanted to see you."
"You wrote to her?" Sirius asked in amazement, drawing three sets of eyes on him – Maliah seemed stunned that he had spoken, whereas Regulus looked as though he might throttle him. For a moment no one spoke as Amelia silently appraised him, and Sirius looked evenly back at her.
"Sirius Black," Amelia said curtly. "Countless resources have been spent looking for you and here you are with my sister." Her eyes flitted over Regulus before resting on Maliah. "I'd like to believe I can trust you, but you swore you had no idea where he could be hiding."
"We didn't," Maliah said defensively. "At the time..."
"Was it not enough to throw your lot in with one Black?" she asked bitterly.
In another world, Sirius could imagine Amelia and him debating over drinks who had gotten the worst sibling. He chuckled at the thought, which did not go unnoticed.
"If it is any consolation, I believed my brother was dead until a few weeks ago," he said by way of explanation.
"I have considered killing him a few times," Amelia said dryly.
Regulus had the decency to look abashed.
"I did tell you Sirius was innocent," he said quietly.
For all the good it had done. It was evident when Amelia looked at him, she believed he was guilty. It was only when she noticed Caelum sitting at the end of their row, separated from his parents by the 'fugitive' in question that she seemed less certain. Her eyes flitted to the other boy and her lips nearly disappeared for how tightly they pressed together. Harry's glamour was meant for the people of France - any British witch or wizard who even passingly looked through the Daily Prophet would recognize him easily. Amelia must have, however, she elected not to give voice to it.
"What proof do you have?" she inquired.
"There is precious little of that I'm afraid," Sirius answered. He knew he should have made an effort to get away from the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement before now, but if he wanted to be believed innocent, he needed to stop acting like he was guilty. Unless, of course, she made the effort to arrest him, in which case he wasn't holding back just because she was Regulus' sister-in-law. Upon reflection, Amelia wasn't innocent herself. At the least, she had knowingly allowed a death eater to remain at large. Of course, the fact he knew that, was all the more reason to silence him…
All of this had passed through his mind quickly, and just as he started to reach for his borrowed wand, help came from the least likely of sources.
"Sirius is working with the Order of Phoenix," Maliah informed her sister. "Dumbledore's word may not count for much at the Ministry anymore, but our parents trusted him."
Amelia raised a well-defined eyebrow. "Associating with Dumbledore has led to some of the longest-standing employees being dismissed from the Ministry recently," she said with distaste. "There is, of course, precedent for Fudge choosing to ignore what is right in front of him." To Sirius, she said, "I would welcome the opportunity to hear your account of past events – and to hear how you escaped from Azkaban."
Sirius stared at her suspiciously as he considered her words, certain it was a trap somehow. "You aren't going to try to arrest me?"
"I am choosing to trust my sister's judgment," she said curtly.
And not to incriminate yourself, Sirius thought to himself. She surely would not trust him to keep quiet if she brought him in now. He must have given some hint of a smile, for she added, "It should be understood there is little-"
"It's okay," he assured her swiftly, glad for the temporary reprieve, regardless of her motive. He understood that she was appointed to her position by Fudge and could just as easily be dismissed from it if she was perceived to be causing trouble – such as showing any sort of sympathy towards him, the convenient scapegoat. As frustrating as it was, it was more important to have people like her - magically powerful and firmly against Voldemort well-placed. If she was anything like Edgar, Amelia would not be easily susceptible to the Imperious Curse. "There are more important things than proving my innocence just now."
"I assume you do not have much time," Regulus prompted. "What can we do to help?"
Amelia had been giving Sirius an inscrutable look, but pulled her gaze from him at last, focusing on Regulus. "We need eyes and ears everywhere. In coming here, I had intended to alert the French Minister of Defense to our situation but that has become complicated with Fudge around... For one thing, he is keeping close tabs on me since I increased the security in Azkaban. It must have gone along with something Dumbledore advised him to do. He looked like he would sack me the moment he heard of it."
"Dumbledore advised Fudge to remove Azkaban from dementor control the night Voldemort returned," Sirius confirmed. "Are the dementors gone then?"
"No, sending them away would require consent from Fudge, and he would never grant that. Not now. I have added a safeguard for the dementors – they have been led to think it is for their benefit, but I will be notified the moment any of them start to behave suspiciously."
Sirius was glad to hear there were added precautions, but 'what happens then?' was the question no one wanted to ask. It seemed a false hope that Bellatrix and the others would remain in Azkaban indefinitely, but at least their escape might be delayed. For as long as Amelia was around…
"Dumbledore sent a liaison to the giants," Regulus contributed, "but they were too late."
"Voldemort is a natural ally for them," Amelia said knowingly.
"In regards to having eyes and ears everywhere," Maliah began, "I had thought of inquiring about available jobs at the French Ministry. At the least I could get a message to – what?" she asked of Amelia, who was looking at her oddly.
"You want to… work?" she asked as if the idea was an unfathomable concept.
Maliah looked a bit miffed by her reaction, "What did you think I would do when Caelum started school, stay at home and knit?"
"I suppose not. I just…" she seemed to think better of what she was about to say. "They will be lucky to have you."
"Don't you want to make a derisive comment about the 'valuable job skills' I've acquired from staying home with children for the past fifteen years? It has been a while since you've had a chance to bring it up."
Amelia smiled wanly, "I have said some awful things to you over the years… not all of them were wrong, granted, but terrible nonetheless."
"Well, at least you can admit it," Maliah said loftily.
"I can," Amelia agreed rather pointedly.
Regulus had remained quiet through their exchange. It was the first Sirius had heard about Maliah wanting to work and he wondered what he thought about it. If holding a job was uncommon for the men in the Black family, it was unheard of for the women. But then, Maliah wasn't a Black.
"There are a handful of people here in France whom I trust and that are well-placed to monitor for anything that could be related to Voldemort, particularly in terms of recruitment," Regulus added grimly. "I will put them on the lookout as well."
"How is that old injury of yours?" Amelia asked Regulus him.
He clenched his left hand into a fist subconsciously, "It's holding up."
"What is Fudge doing in all of this?" Maliah wondered.
"He is in denial and acting increasingly erratic," Amelia said. "He is obsessed with the idea that Dumbledore is plotting against him. He intends to make his own appointment to replace the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, should Dumbledore be unable to find someone suitable – and I can assure you, anyone Dumbledore considers suitable, Fudge will ultimately disapprove of," she directed to Regulus.
"Who is it that he intends to appoint?" Sirius asked.
"Delores Umbridge – she is a nasty piece of work. I've advised Susan to stay clear of her."
He recalled she had been the one to draw up the legislation against Werewolves a few years back and was glad to hear Amelia disapproved of her.
"How is Susan?" asked Maliah.
"She took the Diggory boy's death hard. He was in Hufflepuff and a Prefect... It was thought bringing her here might help get her mind off of it." She looked as if she would say something else before thinking better of it, and asking about Carina and Caelum instead.
Sirius noticed Amelia was intermittingly checking her watch while also seemingly keeping a close eye on the Guyenne student section though there had been no mention of Carina being there.
"They are well – Caelum is anxious about starting school. Carina is sitting with some friends from her quidditch team."
Amelia gave her a shrewd look. "You should know, as we were walking in, we came upon the group she is with. Cornelius made sure to get a good look at her specifically."
"I wonder why," Sirius said, though Amelia seemingly missed his sarcasm, and answered seriously.
"One of the boys had asked her how to say something in English. I believe it was her voice that caught his attention initially, but… well you must know she has the classic features of a Black," she said impatiently. "Fudge commented to me that she resembles Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black... I told him he was being ridiculous, of course, but he hasn't quite it let go, I'm afraid."
After a few more minutes of discussion, Amelia was in a hurry to leave. "I will be in touch," she told them grimly. Judging from the way her eyes lingered, she seemed to think Maliah would protest though she merely nodded. Amelia was the head of the D.M.L.E., not exactly a safe position even in the best of times and Voldemort had once made it his goal to finish off the Bones family. If now wasn't the time to stay in close contact, it might never be.
"Amelia," Maliah said, the moment she stood to leave. "It is good to see you."
Her sister gave her a knowing look. In the next moment, the place she had stood was empty and Sirius felt a privacy ward lift.