A/N: Please excuse this slightly shorter chapter. I'm re-reading GoF right now to remind myself of some of the smaller plot points that I would like to incorporate into this story. Please let me know how you are enjoying this!
October 31st, 1994
Sirius didn't even knock; he just barged in to the headmaster's office.
"Sirius!" I scolded, rushing in after him. Professor McGonagall followed after us, her lips pursed at Sirius's poor behavior. Dumbledore was not, as I had expected, sitting at his desk; he was standing above a stone basin that held a milky liquid, staring in to it's depths – a pensieve.
Dumbledore held his hand up, dismissing my protestations calmly. He finished looking down at whatever memory he was examining – I couldn't make heads or tails of the shadowy figure that had risen from the midst of the milky substance. Sirius was staring at the figure curiously, as if he had suddenly recalled something that he had forgotten; something that he had been trying to remember but couldn't understand why it was important.
Dumbledore walked back to his desk and sat down, waving his wand to conjure a third armchair so that the three of us could all sit comfortably. I sat in between Sirius and Professor McGonagall, and crossed my legs while waiting for somebody to speak. I had decided on the way over that I was going to let Sirius do most of the talking. I had already expressed to Dumbledore that I found him to be an irresponsible figure in Harry's life, and I didn't need to beat a dead horse. Sirius, on the other hand, still had some reservations about my opinion of Dumbledore, and I was excited for him to explore it on his own – especially now that he was already angry.
I hadn't expected Minerva to be the first to speak. "It's absolute bollocks – pardon my language," she cursed, the emotional edge to her tone from earlier having been replaced by a fire that was extremely reassuring. "There is no bloody way that Harry can be expected to participate, can he Albus?" Her thick Scottish brogue made her anger that much more pronounced, and I was shocked by her harsh tone. I had expected her to be on Dumbledore's side, but she looked as angry with him as Sirius and I felt.
Dumbledore placed the tips of his fingers underneath his chin in an appraising manner. As per usual, he stalled for a minute while we sat in uncomfortable silence, staring at him. It was as if he enjoyed making us nervous; he enjoyed the illusion of us waiting for him to say something groundbreaking. "There is no way around it, Minerva. His name came out of the cup, so he must participate. Like I said before, but I will reiterate for Addison and Sirius's sake, putting your name in the cup constitutes a magical, binding contract."
"But Harry didn't put his name in the goblet! Surely intent must provoke such a contract? Addie, get Lewis in here! There must be some way around this," Sirius snapped. I knew that he was mostly joking about calling Lewis, but I looked at Dumbledore curiously; was it possible that the contract wasn't bound?
"The contract is bound," Dumbledore said gravely, his expression aloof as he looked at the pair of us.
"Are you saying that you think Harry did put his name in?" Sirius roared, flying out of his chair and putting his hands on Dumbledore's desk. He was leaning forward, his body angled threateningly towards the headmaster, who, for his part, did not look fazed in the least.
"Sirius, please sit down. I do not believe that Harry put his name in the goblet," he said calmly. "Please sit, so I can explain what I do believe is happening."
"I prefer to stand," Sirius shot back, his voice full of venom. He narrowed his eyes at Dumbledore, the pair in an oddly tense standoff. Dumbledore nodded tersely, and stood himself. He wandered over towards the large window to the right of his desk, and stood with his back to us.
"Somebody put his name in the goblet, somebody who knew that he would be forced to compete if his name came out. I don't know who or how, but I do believe that this is part of a larger plot." Dumbledore was speaking offhandedly, as though talking about the results of a Quidditch match and not of a plot to endanger my godson.
"So, you think someone is purposely trying to hurt Harry, and yet you are doing nothing to stop it?" Sirius snapped again, his temper flaring again as quickly as the weather changed in Scotland. I felt that, given the circumstances, I was doing a remarkable job of keeping my own temper is check.
"There is nothing that I can do," Dumbledore said sadly, turning back to face us. Finally, the indifferent mask he had been wearing since we had entered his office had fallen and I could see a glimpse of the depth of his sadness underneath. "Trust me, if there was anything I could do to save this boy even one more minute of pain, I would give my own life to do it."
I turned my head to look at Sirius contemplatively. There was some validity to Dumbledore's inability to protect Harry; none of us could save Harry completely, not when Lord Voldemort himself was out for him. All we could do, as the adults that love him, is work together to try to protect him as much as we could. But I also understood that nothing happened within Hogwarts that Dumbledore didn't know, so I couldn't believe that such an elaborate plan had taken place right under his nose, with him having no knowledge of it.
Sirius seemed to be thinking the same thing. "There is nothing that you can do? Are you, or are you not the headmaster of this school? Do you not know every single thing that goes on in this school?" He said it in such a sardonic tone that I knew that he was still seething.
"Now, Mr. Black," McGonagall said shrilly, her lips pursed even thinner than they had been before. "Professor Dumbledore can not possibly know every thing that goes on within the entire castle; don't be foolish."
"Well then," Sirius continued. "Perhaps we should be looking for a headmaster that has a better handle on his students, staff, and the goings on of his school."
McGonagall opened her mouth angrily, looking ready to give Sirius the telling off of his life. Dumbledore, however, raised his hand to quiet her before she began. He spoke in a kind and understanding voice. "I understand that I have failed you. You trust me with Harry's wellbeing, and I have not performed my job to the standard that I should have. I can, however, guarantee that no harm will befall Harry during this tournament. You will just have to trust me that we will do everything we can to ensure his safety."
"Well, excuse us if we don't trust you. You have given us precious little reason to do so since Harry's care has been entrusted to you. Now, if you don't mind, Addie and I would like to speak to our child," Sirius said in a cold voice. He sat back down and crossed his legs, looking at Dumbledore expectantly.
"I will fetch Hollyn for you," McGonagall said, getting out of her chair.
"Not that child," Dumbledore corrected her. McGonagall flushed, aware of her mistake immediately. "He should still be awake; the feast only ended just before you arrived."
"Yeah, we'd like to talk to the child that you lot seem intent to have killed off," I said irritably. "But why don't you bring Hollyn too. Make it a family reunion."
McGonagall nodded her head once before turning and quietly leaving the office. Dumbledore, Sirius and I sat in uncomfortable silence for several minutes. Sirius kept getting up out of his chair, pacing for a couple of seconds and then sitting back down, murmuring under his breath repeatedly. He was starting to irritate me to the point of me saying something, when Dumbledore spoke.
"I really am sorry that this is happening. I know that you don't trust me and that you don't agree with my decisions, but everything I have ever done, I have done because I believed it to be the best decision for Harry." He was looking at Sirius and I with a look full of remorse, and I had to believe that he was telling the truth. I know that he cares for Harry, but he has made mistakes and put Harry in more harm than he would have been had he allowed more people who cared for Harry to be involved in making decisions.
"It wasn't your place to make decisions for Harry. We all care for Harry." I replied. Sirius grunted sardonically under his breath, turning away from Dumbledore in repulse.
"Maybe so," Dumbledore conceded. "But I did what I felt was best with the information I had."
"Don't get me started on the 'information you had'. Because as far as I'm concerned, you always have more information at any given time than you admit to, and I'm really trying to contain my anger right now. Bringing up what you did and did not know at any given time is just going to set me off," I warned, using my fingers to make air quotes pointedly. Sirius grunted again, this time in agreement with me, I think. It was honestly hard to tell, given that he had been grunting intermittently since Professor McGonagall had left.
Dumbledore said nothing, choosing instead to turn his inquisitive gaze towards the ceiling. He stayed in that position for the next several minutes, until we heard the stone staircase moving, indicating that Professor McGonagall was back with Harry and Hollyn.
The door opened and Hollyn filtered in, with Harry following behind her. Hollyn looked extremely relieved to see Sirius and I standing there, and immediately rushed over to me and threw her arms around me. Harry looked…completed and utterly defeated. I exchanged a pointed look with Sirius, and communicated silently that Harry should be his focus right now, while I spoke to Hollyn.
"Mom! I'm so glad you and Sirius are here. Did you hear what happened tonight? Harry was chosen for the Triwizard tournament! You're not going to let him compete are you?" Hollyn said all of this basically in one breath, her words rushing together in an exhale of pure stress.
"I know, sweetheart. Your father and I came as soon as we heard," I assured her, smoothing her hair back from her forehead consolingly.
"How are you doing, son?" Sirius asked Harry, pulling him in to a hug.
"Fine," Harry said, shrugging his shoulders.
"Minerva, why don't we take a stroll down to the kitchens and get some hot chocolate? The house elves make a wonderful peppermint white chocolate that is so good you'll never drink another beverage again," Dumbledore suggested, intending to give us some privacy. "Harry, Hollyn – I'm sure your parents would love to escort you back to the common room after you talk. Addison, Sirius – we'll be in touch."
Professor McGonagall left reluctantly, understanding that Dumbledore's suggestion was less of a suggestion and more of an order. Sirius waited until the door closed behind them, and the stone staircase moved back in to place, before he spoke again. "Okay, now cut the shite, Harry."
I raised my eyebrows, but didn't say anything. I waved my wand and a fourth armchair appeared, and arranged themselves in to a circle. "Everyone, sit. Let's get comfortable," I said, sitting down in one of the chairs. "Sit." I said again more firmly, when only Hollyn made an effort to move.
Sirius sat down and Harry followed him slowly. Harry looked terrible; he had dark circles under his eyes and a permanent look like someone had just told him that his favorite Quidditch team had just been disbanded.
"Ron's being a prat!" Hollyn blurted out. Harry shot her a disbelieving look, like this had been some secret that they had agreed not to share. "Sorry, Harry, but this is my Mom and Sirius! If anyone should know what's going on, it's them."
Harry sighed, but nodded in agreement. "You're right."
"Is Ron being a prat…not normal?" Sirius asked, a touch of exaggerated innocence in his voice.
"Sirius! That is your nephew," I reprimanded while Hollyn laughed loudly. Harry tittered somewhat awkwardly, but seemed amused nonetheless.
"No, Sirius is right. Ron is always a prat, but especially today," Hollyn explained after she had calmed down.
"I'm just saying, last year it was the whole Crookshanks situation with Hermione, and this year it's…" he trailed off, looking to Harry to fill in the blanks.
Harry stalled for a moment, fiddling with the sleeves of his Weasley sweater. "Ron doesn't believe that I didn't put my name in the Goblet of Fire. He reckons I lied to him and entered behind his back, so that I can…I don't know, chase the spotlight or something."
"Right, because normal people really go chasing after the spotlight when they've spent their entire time at Hogwarts being thrust in to it against their will. It would be really in character for you Harry, to actively seek out trouble and not just fall in to it," Hollyn said, somewhat sarcastically. I had to admit, she was right; Harry did sometimes go looking for the trouble. She rolled her eyes at Ron's stupidity; she knew that Harry would never lie to Ron, his best friend, especially not about something like this.
"Ron is jealous," I said. "He always has been. I don't mean that in a bad way, but think about it – Ron never has had anything new his entire life. Arthur and Molly have never let me help them out with money, despite me insisting several times that I want to help. Ron didn't even have his own wand until third year, and that was after using a broken wand for an entire year!"
"I didn't know that!" Sirius interjected, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "Not using your own wand," he turned to address Harry and Hollyn, "drastically impacts your magical abilities. It would be like trying to play a Quidditch match on a broomstick made for a toddler; no matter how great of a flyer you are, you can't perform well if you don't have the right equipment."
"Right," I continued. "And then there's you Harry. In the last year alone, you gained two guardians who love you, and a…"
"Sister." Hollyn had jumped in when I had hesitated on what to call Hollyn in relation to Harry. "You gained parents, and a sister."
Harry looked sharply at Hollyn upon hearing her words, looking deeply touched by her assertion that they were really family. I looked at my daughter, pride shining in my voice as I continued, "Exactly. You gained a family in the last year – the one thing that Ron had always been able to say he had that you didn't. I don't think he even realizes it, but being the best friend of the famous Boy Who Lived can't be easy – and tonight was one more reminder that while you're always in the spotlight, he is always in your shadow."
"I just don't understand why he thinks I would lie to him. I never have before," Harry said, his shoulders slumping.
"He knows you're not lying to him, son. He just needs time to get over himself. James used to do the same thing – let his ego get in the way of his brain," Sirius chuckled, remembering some antic from our past. "But more importantly, how are you feeling about the tournament."
"Someone must have entered my name," Harry said, taking the change in topic completely in stride. "I just don't know who or how."
"Look, Harry, I'm not going to lie to you. There are signs. You both have heard about Bertha Jorkins's disappearance, yes?" Hollyn and Harry both nodded yes.
"Ludo Bagman told us at the World Cup that she probably got lost on her way to Albania. That maybe she forgot where she was going and ended up in Australia instead," Hollyn supplied, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"I knew Bertha at Hogwarts. She was a couple of years above us; and the Bertha I remember would definitely be easy to lure in to a trap, but she wasn't forgetful."
"That's right!" I said, realizing why Sirius had been intrigued by the figure rising out of the pensieve – it had been Bertha Jorkins. Why Dumbledore had been thinking about her was anyone's guess, but it must have reminded Sirius that he had known her. I hadn't matched the name to the person, and it appears that he hadn't either before seeing her form rising out of the pensieve. "She was the Hufflepuff who had a real knack for gossip."
"Never forgot anything," Sirius said, nodding. "Terrific memory. It would shock me, honestly, if she weren't in trouble somewhere. Just, be careful, okay?" He said, looking at both Harry and Hollyn. "Times are changing, and there are a lot of things going on that I don't like. Keep your heads down, and take all of the help you can get for the tasks, Harry. Write us at any time, and trust no one. Be on your guard – both of you."
"It's time for bed," I said, agreeing that we needed to wrap this up. "We'll walk you back to the common room."
I let Harry and Sirius walk a little in front of us, so Sirius could give Harry the advice for the tournament that I knew he desperately wanted to give. I threw my arm around Hollyn. "How's Ginny?"
"She's good. Finally gets to go to Hogsmeade this year, and I think she's got her eye on someone to go with," Hollyn said, her eyes slightly downcast.
"A boy?" I said, raising my eyebrows in surprise. "Well, that's wonderful!" I saw Hollyn's face, which was still clearly upset. "What's wrong? Are you two fighting?"
"No. I just feel like she is pulling away because she's older. She's been spending a lot of time with her friends in third year, and with a girl from Ravenclaw."
"Do you feel lonely?" I asked. "What about the girls in your dorm?"
"They're all fine. We do our homework together sometimes."
"Are you upset that Ginny isn't spending as much time with you?"
"Mom, can you please just drop it?" Hollyn asked sharply, with more bite to her tone than was normal.
"Sure," I said, agreeing to give her the space to figure this out on her own. "How are classes?" We spent the rest of the walk chatting about her classes, schoolwork, and the Halloween Feast. She did seem much more animated when talking about things other than Ginny, but I knew it was all a front. By the time we put Harry and Hollyn through the Portrait Hole, I was feeling less than confident in the wellbeing in both of our kids.
Sirius and I made our way downstairs, both feeling that we were losing control of the two people who meant the most to us. "Do you feel better about all of this, now that we spoke to Dumbledore?" I asked Sirius.
"Not even a little," Sirius responded, his eyes facing forward with a fierce intensity.
