"Ah. Fair enough. Come to my office. You know where that is, right?"
"No, but I know how to get to the Ministry. I'm sure someone there can direct me." Kannan sighed.
"I'll have someone meet you in the atrium. And I'll have something brought in for lunch, so come as soon as you can."
"That important?"
"It involves the Grimm family, so yes." Kingsley nodded at Kannan's raised brow.
Kannan watched the three Aurors, Ron, Kingsley, Hermione and the baby, floo away and sighed in self-directed exasperation. "Why do I do this sort of crap? Why?" He chastised himself.
"You did the right thing, young man. Before anyone else could have, yes, but you weren't alone in wanting to act, you just got there a bit quicker than the rest of us." A familiar voice told him.
Kannan turned and was face to face with a familiar elderly witch. Augusta Longbottom nodded to him formally.
"Madam Longbottom." Kannan gave her a head and shoulder bow.
"The Minister called you… Kannan Grimm, did he not?" She asked.
"He did, Madam."
"I'm not familiar with the name 'Grimm'." She didn't ask the question, but it was clearly implied. She wanted to know who he was, who his family were and why she didn't know them.
"My great grandfather was a squib, ma'am, and hidden in the muggle world by his brother and cousins, they came from the Black family. When my grandfather turned out to be magical, the cousins suggested keeping him away from the wizarding world, they were afraid Lord Black would react violently, to a squib having magical children. Grandfather continued that for the next generation, more because of the war than anything. Father? I've no idea why he had me home-schooled, but I did okay."
"Ah, that would explain a lot. I heard that you are having to replace your wand?"
"Yes, ma'am. There was an incident involving some stairs, myself and a friend… the stairs won." Kannan huffed. "He offered up a selection of magical feathers for new wands."
"Ooh, that's a generous offer. Do they match with your core?"
"Yes, ma'am, some better than others. Madam Blishwick tested them with my magic. Two were declared suitable for wands. I've just got to go and collect them." Kannan replied.
"In that case, I shan't keep you. Thank you for assisting Miss Granger. Good day, Mr Grimm." Lady Augusta dipped a slight curtsy and stepped back.
"Good day, Lady Longbottom." Kannan bowed to her and after grabbing a cold slice of toast from his plate, left the Cauldron.
In the tiny courtyard, he paused frowning, he wasn't sure if, without a wand, he could open the entrance to Diagon or not. Before he could even attempt it, the entrance opened, and a stressed George came through.
"Excuse me." George said and made to head for the Cauldron.
"Mr Weasley?" Kannan called, George turned, and Kannan continued. "If you're looking for your brother or Miss Granger, you will find they have both been escorted to the Ministry."
"What happened? Do you know?"
"They were arguing, and Mr Weasley struck Miss Granger across the face, even though she was holding a child." Kannan sighed.
"Shite. The idiot." George huffed. "He's going to be grovelling for weeks."
"I doubt that, very much. Miss Granger handed him back his ring and told him to consider himself single." Kannan corrected.
"Aw, mate. Gods, he's an idiot."
"Agreed." Kannan nodded fervently.
"Yeah, and you don't even know him." George threw over his shoulder.
"Don't I?" Kannan said, as the door closed behind George and stepped back into the ally.
In Blishwick's he gratefully took possession of two beautiful wands, holly and hawthorn spiralled together. Each slid into a holster, one on his forearm and one at his ankle. The staff was work of art, and at his request, looked more like an ornamental fighting staff, than a magical one. Both ends were tipped in a highly polished steel with the shaft being made from African Blackwood and it had twisting vines, starbursts and runes covering its entire surface. Madam Blishwick gave him a men's necklace with a magical clasp to hold the staff, after it was shrunk, as a pendant, only his magical signature would release the clasp and allow the staff to be removed and enlarged.
From there he apparated back to his little flat in Leeds to get changed into clothes suitable for the muggle world, then it was off to keep his appointment with Dr Grey.
The doctor went through the results of the last round of testing and commented on how good everything looked. Meanwhile, Kannan was thinking. Should he tell the doctor, or not? Should he resolve the amnesia issue? By the time the doctor had completed his review of Kannan's tests, test-by-test, Kannan had reached a decision. When he asked Kannan if he'd had any more headaches, Kannan slowly nodded.
"Is there anything else, Kannan? Any more headaches?" Eric Grey asked.
"Actually, there is, two things in fact." Kannan tried hard not to smirk, but given the look on Eric's face, he lost that battle.
"Kannan?"
"I had a headache, yesterday… actually yesterday was a headache, from start to finish." Kannan shrugged. "The place where I work, it got sold recently, right? And we got a new manager, Beth Lincoln. After listening to her badmouth a customer yesterday, with the headache that had been building all morning, I lost my temper and called her a number of not very polite things."
"I think I can imagine that." Eric laughed. "You don't tolerate that very well, do you?"
"Nope." Kannan grinned. "But when I finished dishing the abuse back, I pulled my apron off, slammed it on the counter, called her an evil harpy and told her I quit."
"Quit? Whoa, Kannan, really?" Eric's eyes popped wide open, something that the relaxed doctor rarely did.
"Yep and I don't regret it. I went home and spent the afternoon staring into space, trying to figure out what I'm going to do next. I've got travel and work permits for Canada, America, New Zealand and Australia. I'm going travelling. But…"
"But?" Eric tilted his head and looked at Kannan, sideways.
"I was putting off making a decision. The headaches, you know."
"There are a few more tests we can do." Eric offered.
"Nah… Not necessary. I went to bed last night, but was woken up by a flash of lightning, at the time wasn't sure if it was real or in my head. Then the pain started. But before I could scream… and that's how bad it hurt… it was gone. Completely and utterly gone. Once I sat up and I realised that … doc, I can remember…"
"Remember? Remember what?" Eric asked.
"Everything. I remember everything." Kannan nearly bounced in his seat.
It took Eric a few moments to realise the significance of Kannan's words. "Oh… wow… Everything?" He gasped.
"Everything." Kannan nodded.
"Do you need to speak to the police?"
"No, it's all good." Kannan waved the offer away.
"Tell me. Tell me about Kannan Grimm." Eric sat forward, his pen poised to take notes. "How far back can you remember?"
"I remember being taken from my parents' house." Kannan said. "Sort of, anyway. Flashes of that."
"Do you think you could identify the person that took you?"
"I could but it would be pointless. He's dead, he died last year. Heart failure." That was the closest to the Killing Curse that any muggle explanation could manage.
"You knew him? You kept track of him?"
"Kinda. He… it was a bit of a mess really. He thought both my mother and father had died in the house invasion, but my… father hadn't. The old man ordered one of his flunkies to take me from the house and give me to him. He took me to a distant relative's place and left me with them. They weren't pleased and treated me pretty badly."
"Kannan, it might be good to speak to the police." Eric warned.
"It's all dealt with, doc. It was all sorted before I was hurt and no, they weren't involved in that, that was a case of mistaken identity." Kannan denied.
"Kannan."
"Let me finish, doc, you'll understand more. So, like I said I was treated badly, but my… relatives weren't actually abusive, more negligent. The man of the house, I refuse to call him Uncle or any other family title, he would have been abusive, if he'd thought he could have got away with it, but he knew that the old man had contacts in the neighbourhood, so I was neglected, more than anything. It wasn't until I went to the same school that my parents had gone to that anyone realised who I was and worked out that my father was alive. There were some extenuating circumstances, that involves government classification, so I can't speak to much about them, but it took a couple of years, before my father was located and I was returned to him. My… relatives were only too glad to see the back of me."
"Whoa…" Eric whispered.
"When my father was killed?" And how easy was it to speak of Sirius as his father? "The school's Headmaster put in a good word and I went into the halfway house. At least for the summers, the rest of the year, I spent at boarding school." Kannan huffed. "I left school last year, moved in with some friends and got a job. I'd only just got a place of my own when I was attacked by a group of young thugs."
"Kannan?"
"It's cool, the minute they saw my Id, they panicked. They thought I was their mate's cousin, he had a bad rep, for theft and attacking young kids. They figured on teaching him a lesson. But I'm not him." He wasn't Harry Potter, not anymore.
"And they panicked and brought you to a hospital?"
"And the rest, as they say, 'is history'. I woke up four days later, with no memory." Kannan sighed.
"Ah." Eric nodded. "That explains a lot."
"Doesn't it just?" Kannan laughed.
"So, what is next for Kannan Grimm?" Eric asked.
"A friend's off to Australia next week. I'm going to see if I can get everything sorted and go with her."
"Her? A girlfriend?" Eric waggled his eyebrows, causing Kannan to laugh.
"I wish. No, Mi's been one of my best friends for years."
"Ah. How did she react to your injuries?"
"I haven't told her, yet. Not really, there's a meeting set up, for lunch. Or as soon as I finish here."
"Ouch."
"Oh, you have no idea. Mi's got the wickedest right hook."
"Ooh… yeah, you can have that one all to yourself, Kannan." Eric grimaced.
"Eh, it could be worse. At least with the excuse of a recent head injury, I'm not likely to get hit. Ranted at? Oh, yes, I'm sure there'll be ranting and demands for explanations, but… no, I'm not likely to get hit."
Eric laughed. "Rants you can live through, right?"
"Right." Kannan grinned. "So… I'm sort of hoping that you'll pass me for international travel. Please?" Kannan pulled out all the stops on the Potter Puppy EyesTM.
"Oh, stop." Eric laughed. "Stop with the begging eyes." He waved his notepad at Kannan. "I'll write something up, this evening and you can pick it up, anytime from tomorrow morning. Alright?"
"Yes!" Kannan threw his arms in the air and cheered.
"Good grief, you're as excitable as a Labrador, aren't you?" Eric was still chuckling.
"Yep. My father's best mate used to call me pup." Kannan rocked his shoulders from side to side, swinging his fists in front of him, in a seated version of a happy dance.
"Oh, hell." Eric groaned. "Oh, go on, get out of here. But…? I expect letters to let me know how life is treating Kannan Grimm. Got it?"
"Got it, doc." Kannan bounced to his feet, shook the man's hand and was gone.
"Holy hell, that was a difference." Eric spent a few minutes writing up his notes and adding the letter to his after-patient worklist, before calling the next patient in.
"Mrs Jones?" He greeted the elderly woman, putting Kannan out of his mind.
Kannan apparated to the red telephone box that was the street entry to the Ministry of Magic, pressed the necessary number and answered the recording. He took the badge and pinned it to the front of his trench coat and waited for the lift to open, depositing him in the atrium. He stepped out of the cramped space, only to be greeted by a familiar face.
"Would you be Kannan Grimm?" Percy Weasley asked.
"I am." Kannan nodded, he wasn't Harry Potter, not anymore.
"Oh, good. The Minister is waiting for you." There was a hint of censure in Percy's voice, but nothing like the disapproval he'd expressed in the past.
"So, he said." Kannan replied, blandly, ignoring that censure.
"This way, please. You'll need to have your wand weighed before entering the Ministry, officially."
"Yes, I expected that."
"You've been here before?" Percy asked, attempting to make small-talk while they waited to have Kannan's wand weighed.
"Yes, but I was younger, so some things slipped my attention."
"Ah, well at least you've an idea." He paused as Kannan laid his wand on the scale and the security guard waved his probe around Kannan's body. Kannan was quite glad he had left his second wand at home, before coming here. The guard grunted and nodded at the wand, indicating to Kannan to retrieve it. "Thank you." Percy nodded to the guard and gestured to the gates that were the entrance to the Ministry's offices. "This way, Mr Grimm." And proceeded to lead him into the rabbit warren that was the underground Ministry.
Down this corridor, into that lift, along this hall, another lift, another corridor and into a large office-cum-waiting room.
"If you would take a seat, Mr Grimm, I shall inform the Minster of your arrival." Percy stated.
Kannan just nodded, trying to figure out what Kingsley had meant when he's said this involved 'the Grimm family'.
"Kannan." Kingsley's deep voice filled the office. "Come on in." The Minster turned to Percy. "That will be all, Percy. But I'd appreciate it, if you would locate Miss Granger and either bring or send her to conference room three, in about an hour, please?"
"Yes, Minister." Percy nodded and left the offices.
"Come on, Kannan, come in and we'll catch up. There's a few things we need to talk about." The Minister said.
"That sounds… ominous." Kannan screwed up his nose in dislike.
"Well… yes and no. Ominous, yes, but I do think you'll be pleased." Kingsley wore a secretive grin.
"No. I don't like the sound of that…" Kannan grimaced.
"Have a seat." Kingsley waved at the grouping of armchairs. "Let's keep this as informal as we can, huh?"
"Please." Kannan sat in a chair that reminded him very much, of the club armchairs from the Gryffindor common room. "Were you a lion?" He asked, suddenly curious.
"Good call. I was." Kingsley chuckled.
"Alright, Kingsley, enough with the chatter, what's this all about? You mentioned the Grimm family. Why?"
Kingsley put a sealed phial on the coffee table. "That's a calming draught, Kannan, you're going to need it." All humour was gone from his voice.
Kannan studied the older man, before sighing and picking up the phial and reading the label. "From Hogwarts potions store?" He asked, recognising the spiky writing.
"There's very few good potioneers out there, Snape may have been an asshole, but man knows how to brew."
"Still made them taste bad, though." Kannan cracked the seal and swallowed the mouthful of pale blue potion.
"Thank you." Kingsley sighed. "This is going to upset you no matter how many draughts you've had." He waved off Kannan's raised brow. "You were… your sentence started on the 3rd of May. A little over six weeks later, there was a… disturbance."
"And you didn't feel the need to contact me?"
"At the time, yes, definitely, but I only received approval to contact you this morning."
"Go on." Kannan waved his hand in a circle.
"Okay, I'm going to do this in order, alright?" Kingsley asked and Kannan simply nodded.
"Good. You were the 3rd of May. Miss Granger, Professor McGonagall and I pressed for a posthumous trial for Sirius Black, as per your requests. We presented your memories and those of Miss Granger that proved Peter Pettigrew was alive, as late as 1996, we left out his death during the incident at Malfoy manor. We also presented documents from the goblins and the Wills of James and Lily Potter that clearly stated the Black was a decoy and that Pettigrew was their Secret Keeper. There was little objection, Black was cleared, and Pettigrew stripped of his order of Merlin."
"Thank you…" Kannan whispered.
"Not at all, it should have happened much sooner, and I can only say I'm sorry it didn't. Sirius Black was cleared of all charges on the 16th of June. On the 18th of June, quite early in the morning, the DoM sent me a message, requesting an urgent meeting, in the head Unspeakable's office. Upon my arrival I was questioned as to my knowledge of Sirius Black and after providing them with sufficient information, I was informed that… well… there's no easy way to say this…"
"Spit is out, Kingsley, stop beating around the bush." Kannan snapped.
"Sirius Black was ejected from the veil, exactly two years and two minutes after he was cast into it." Kingsley grimaced as he said it.
"Excuse me? Could you repeat that?" Kannan said, blankly.
"Sirius Black was ejected from the veil, exactly two years and two minutes after he was cast into it." Kingsley obediently repeated.
"Yes… That's what I though you said." Kannan whispered.
"That is what I said."
"Sirius… Sirius is… alive…?"
"He is, he's not well yet, but he's far better than he was, he spent two weeks in a magical coma and his recovery has been slow but consistent. He's been asking for you, so, I've been working hard to get your sentence deferred, for services rendered. I received that approval, this morning. Hence me following the Aurors when Miss Granger's name was mentioned. I had intended to tell her and send her to bring you here, so we could lift your binds, completing your sentence and reuniting you with your godfather." Kingsley finished.
"But I was already there."
"You were. So, that enabled me to change plans a little. Black's been given the same alterations that you received, making him, Padraig Nyle Grimm, your father's brother."
"They were as close as brothers." Kannan whispered, meaning James, not Nigel.
"They were."
"What are your plans for him? For us?"
"Miss Granger has notified the Ministry of her intent to travel to Australia, by muggle means. She has yet to purchase her ticket and I've asked her to wait until after we meet with her this afternoon, stating that there may be two other wizards travelling and with one of them still not fully recovered from the war, having the three of you travel together would provide a buffer with the muggles."
"Good excuse." Kannan nodded. "So, you want us to go with Mione?"
"I do. Whether you return is up to you, but Blac- Padraig needs time to recover and St. Mungo's finest and Madam Pomfrey have said that he needs a warm, stress-free environment for the rest of his recovery." Kingsley answered.
"And he's not going to get that here." Kannan stated the obvious.
"No." Kingsley nodded. "Take him away. If not Australia, then the South Pacific or some other tropical location. It's spring in the southern hemisphere, their spring is warmer than our summer, usually. Take him and help him get better. I'll provide a set of linked portkeys for medical-"
"A set of what?" Kannan asked, interrupting.
"A set of linked portkeys. You know what a portkey is?" Kingsley waited for Kannan to nod. "Good. Linked portkeys are a set of three or in this case, four keys. Two base keys and two transporting keys. One base key will be in the hospital at Hogwarts while the other is with you. You tap your base key and activate is, Madam Pomfrey places her base key in her office and activates it. She then simply touches it with her foot and activates a transporting key, she will be portkeyed to your base key. You will have the second transporting key, in case of emergency, all you would need to do to portkey to Hogwarts is to touch your base key and activate the transporting key."
"Handy."
"Very." Kingsley smiled. "Right now, there are only a dozen people, maybe, that know Black was ejected from the veil and of them only three of us know that Sirius Black became Padraig Grimm. Not including you."
"Who?"
"That know he was ejected from the veil? Malfoy, Augusta Longbottom, McGonagall, Pomfrey, three healers from St. Mungo's, Alexander Fawley, Torrance Ollivander, Croaker and one of his Unspeakables and myself."
"Torrance Ollivander?" Kannan touched the tip of his wand.
"No, not the wand maker, but Garrick's older brother." Kingsley shook his head. "Padraig will need a new wand, we retrieved his original from the evidence locker and while he can use it, it's no longer a perfect match."
"Has his appearance been altered?"
"Yes. Why…?"
"I can take him to Blishwick's for custom wands." Kannan said.
"Oh… I hadn't thought of that. Yes, that would work well." Kingsley nodded. "Perhaps Miss Granger should do the same?"
"Probably." Kannan nodded. "When did you tell Percy to take her to the conference room?"
"I said an hour, but I'd like to reunite you with Bla- Padraig, first."
"I'd like that very much." Kannan let a tear run down his cheek.