Beta: Demos - "...too much exposition, dialogue too similar, not enough variation amongst the characters..."
Original release date: 7/13/14
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Harry Potter world or any other world, and only own my own thoughts based on my own creativity. The mirror calling idea was attempted by Harry to Sirius after he died, and I'm only using it in a more prominent manner and am not calling it the product of my own imagination.
Chapter Thirteen – Unlucky
Walking towards his office, Dumbledore spots Director Bones and Sirius standing by the stone gargoyle.
"Ah, Sirius and Amelia, so nice to see you, although unexpected."
Grimacing, Sirius replies, "Yes, it is and unfortunate that we are meeting in these circumstances."
"Chocolate Cockroach" states Dumbledore, revealing the winding staircase to his office, before leading the way to his office. Sitting down, Dumbledore steeples his fingers before asking, "Now, what has brought you here today?"
"We need to talk about the troll incident, Headmaster." States Director Bones with a steely voice.
Reclining in his chair, Dumbledore queries, "Whatever do you mean?"
"Headmaster, certainly you are aware that a mountain troll entered Hogwarts a week or so back, correct?" continues Director Bones.
"Yes, I am aware of said incident. But why does it have any bearing on our meeting?"
Bursting with anger, Sirius shouts, "Because it could have killed students! In fact, if Harry hadn't been wearing his Quidditch chest plate, he may have become permanently injured!"
"Headmaster, while no serious harm befell the students, there is the question of how a fully grown troll entered Hogwarts. Certainly the wards should have stopped, should they not have?" states Director Bones.
Exhaling loudly, Dumbledore replies, "Correct. Perhaps there is a weak spot in the wards that needs to be addressed. I believe I can handle that without investigation, am I not correct?"
"Normally that would be correct. However, there is the fact that Professor Quirrell wasn't at dinner that evening until he came running into the Great Hall to alert everyone about the troll. Some fishy circumstances if you ask me. There is also the fact that despite Professor Quirrell stated that the troll was in the dungeons, you sent the students back to their common rooms, of which the Slythering common room is in the dungeons. You could have sent multiple students to their deaths, fortunately the troll was no longer in the dungeons." answers Director Bones.
Narrowing his no longer twinkling eyes, Dumbledore asks coldly, "Trying to interfere at Hogwarts are you? Unhappy with whom I have selected to teach are you?"
"Only if they potentially put lives at stake. Seeing as we haven't had any issue before now, I and a couple of Aurors will do an inspection of the wards over the Christmas Break, when most of the student populace isn't around. Understand?"
"Certainly. I'll cooperate with the ministry in the matter. The students' safety is of course of the utmost importance." states Dumbledore.
"Good. I think we're done here. Sirius, let's go."
Sirius and Director Bones stand up and exit the office, without any words from Dumbledore.
/* later that day*/
"Harry." calls out Neville.
"Yes?"
"Have you finished Professor Quirrell's essay yet?"
"Yes, why?"
"I'd like to compare my essay to yours and see if I missed any important points. Do you mind if I do?"
Shaking his head, Harry pulls his completed essay out of his bag and tosses it across the table to Neville, before activating his Marauders Map.
"I wonder what's taking Ron so long to get back from his detention with Professor McGonagall?" murmurs Harry, looking around the map, looking for Ron.
Harry does a double take when he spots a dot with a small green circle around it in the room he shares with the rest of the boys of his year. Reading the name on the dot, Harry's eyes get big, before pulling out his mirror and murmurs, "Sirius" a few times with no response before murmuring, "Remus", with Remus appearing in the mirror.
"Harry, what's wrong?"
"I've found something I think you need to see" whispers Harry, facing the mirror towards the map for multiple long seconds before Remus replies quietly, "I can't believe we've found him after all this time. Do NOT go into that room. Do no bring any attention to yourself, and just wait for Sirius or I to contact you, understand?"
Harry nods his agreement, and then Remus's image disappears from the mirror.
/*somewhere else in the world*/
"Sirius, this is a very upscale restaurant, how did you get us seats?" inquires Director Bones.
"Director—"
"Now Sirius, you can call me Amelia when I'm not on duty."
"Ok, Amelia, I pulled some strings and got us a reservation. I've planned this for a few months now."
"You were expecting me to continue with our dates this long?" queries Amelia, casting an appraising eye over Sirius.
A bark of laughter escapes from Sirius's mouth before his eyes widen in surprise.
"Moony, what—"
"Director Bones, Sirius, we have an issue. Harry got in touch with me a few minutes ago with some VERY important information. Peter Pettigrew has been found at Hogwarts. He is in his animagus form in the first year boys' dormitory" interrupts Remus.
Both Sirius and Amelia's faces adopt a look of surprise before Sirius whispers, "How do you know?"
"Harry saw him on the Marauders Map. I verified this when he showed me the map" answers Remus.
Standing up, Amelia says, "Sirius, I'm afraid that our date has to be postponed, as there is a criminal on the loose", a faint hint of a smile on her face.
Dumbfounded, Sirius replies, "What? But this is personal. I need answers from Pettigrew."
"Then accompany me, and together we shall capture Pettigrew and get the answers you're looking for."
Sirius, Amelia, and Remus quickly and quietly exit the restaurant, heading down a darkened alley. Amelia sends off a patronus before turning around and saying, "Alright, let's get to Hogwarts. We have five minutes before what few aurors we have available arrive at the gates", before apparating away.
Remus and Sirius follow suit arriving just outside the wards and gates of Hogwarts. Spotting Amelia with the Longbottoms and a couple of other aurors, Sirius and Remus head over.
"So what's our plan?" queries Remus.
"The plan is to enter the castle and Remus, you go to McGonagall's office and alert her to what's happening, Sirius, your job is to get the password into the Gryffindor Common Room, and then you and Robards will stay in the common room and keep students from going up to their dormitories. The rest of us will go in, prepare stunning spells, and I'll be casting the animagus reversal charm. We'll be transporting him to the ministry and into a maximum security holding cell. Everyone understand their job? Yes? Good, let's go."
Remus hands Sirius his mirror and states, "You'll need this to get the password from Harry", before following the aurors towards the castle.
Splitting off from the main group, Remus heads towards Professor McGonagall's office, while Sirius leads the group to Gryffindor Tower and giving the password, with the Fat Lady staying open while the clearly marked aurors enter.
Robards and Sirius stand guard at the foot of the stairwell, while the rest of the aurors head to the first year boys dormitory.
/*mean while*/
Hearing a knock on her door, Professor McGonagall crosses the room, opens the door, and comes face to face with Remus.
"Professor, I need you to come with me to Gryffindor Tower, please."
"What? Why? What has happened? How did you get inside the castle?"
"Just follow me, and things should become more clear."
Professor McGonagall nods, and quickly exits her office, sending a patronus to Dumbledore.
/*in the first year boys dormitory*/
Director Bones casts the Animagus Reversal spell, causing Peter Pettigrew to appear on Ron's bed. Half a dozen stupefies barrel across the room, all hitting their mark throwing Pettigrew into a nearby wall. Quickly Pettigrew is tied up and levitated down the stairs to the common room. As the aurors arrive in the common room, Remus, Professor McGonagall, and even Dumbledore enter the room.
Without skipping a beat, Director Bones issues a command, "Scrimgeour, take the aurors and our prisoner to the ministry, where you shall stand guard and await for my return."
Scrimgeour and the aurors troop out of the portrait hole single file, heading towards the ward boundaries.
"AMELIA! I demand to know the reasoning behind this, this intrusion!" shouts Dumbledore.
Without blinking, Director Bones holds her ground and calmly replies, "I was tipped off regarding the position of a known and dangerous individual, and left my dinner to capture said individual. What I'd like to know in return is how did Peter Pettigrew enter the grounds and make his way to the Gryffindor dormitories. Headmaster, I believe we need to have a nice long chat in your office with your heads of houses and the first year boys, as it was in their room Pettigrew was discovered. Also, it is Director Bones to you, Headmaster, when I'm duty, thank you very much."
/* Dumbledore's office*/
"So, Director Bones, I do not appreciate being forced into meetings, especially as it concerns my office." states Dumbledore.
Looking around the room with Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, and Snape, alongside the five Gryffindor students, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, and of course, Harry Potter, Director Bones clears her throat and replies, "This morning we had a meeting about the wards and how a fully grown mountain troll entered Hogwarts, how it was unsafe for sending the students back to their common rooms without the knowledge of exactly where the troll was, which could have ended with many students being severely injured, if not dead. I'm here now regarding finding Peter Pettigrew, known betrayer of the Potters', in the sleeping chambers of these five students. How did one of the ministry's top wanted wizards enter the grounds and stay there for who knows how long?"
The staff visibly pale at this revelation. Continuing on, Director Bones addresses the five students in a pleasant manner, "Who was the owner of a pet rat?"
Trembling, Ron raises his hand, before quickly retracting it.
"Mr. Weasley, is it not? How long have you had your pet rat?"
"I-I've only had him s-since the train. B-before then he was an older brothers. H-h-he's been with our family for ten years or so." answers Ron, visibly shaken.
"An extraordinarily long life, even for a magical rat, is it not? Anyways, it no longer matters, as your pet rat was actually an animagus by the name of Peter Pettigrew." states Director Bones.
Turning back to Dumbledore and the staff, Director Bones continues, "And to think that knowing that Pettigrew was an unregistered animagus at the time and through a few years of Hogwarts as well, you did nothing to restrict the movement of animagi inside the walls of Hogwarts. I do understand, Minerva, that animagi wards would restrict your transformations, but Dumbledore could have altered the ward to allow you and not anyone else. Dumbledore, I believe that it is now the time for an official ministry investigation into the wards. Any questions either by anyone?"
No one speaks and Director Bones nods her head and says, "Very good then. I must be off to the ministry."
/*at the ministry, in a maximum security holding cell*/
"Now Mr. Pettigrew, you are going to answer some questions under the effects of Veritaserum. Do you understand?" states Director Bones.
Pettigrew nods his acknowledgement before being administered Veritaserum.
Some time later, an unnamed auror enters Director Bones's office and silently places the stack of paper regarding what they had found out from the interrogation on her desk before leaving. The Longbottoms and multiple others escort Pettigrew to Azkaban.
Author note: I'd like to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, messaged, etc, this fanfic. Without you all, I wouldn't have nearly as much written, nor would I have the feedback to tweak the story in a more positive way [should be more obvious in the later years of Hogwarts]. If anyone is wondering why I'm referring to Director Bones by her title and then by her first name, it is based on the situation. Formal situations equal her title, and then in informal situations her first name.
Question to everyone, is the dialogue basically the same for every character it seems? I'm trying to develop the characters to fix this issue, but I don't know if it is enough or not, hence the question. I appreciate any feedback you all provide.
Edit [7/13/14]: I'd like to thank the guest reviewer who caught my typo regarding 'escort'. I appreciate it.