The Hearing

Sirius directed them through the Ministry and past a large, gold fountain of statues. Hermione glared at it. "Can you believe them?" she hissed to Siria and Ron, who looked back.

"That the money goes to St. Mungo's?" Ron asked.

"The poor house elf," said Hermione. Like a fool, Siria searched for a house elf, until she actually looked at the statues, which consisted of a handsome wizard with a fine witch, smiling centaur, and awestruck house elf. [B4, 127]

True to his role as face of the party, Sirius stepped up to the man behind the security desk. Siria leaned against the counter, with her back to the security person. She kept her head down, at an angle that kept her bangs over her scar. They handed their wands, one at a time, over the counter. The wand would be placed on what looked like a postage scale, which would print out a ticket, the ticket was impaled on a small spike, then their wand would be handed back (B4, 123).

They followed Sirius to a section of lifts, where he loaded them into the first one that opened. Hermione watched the enchanted paper planes that flew in and out of the lift as they rode lower and lower. With each floor, a cool voice, similar to the phonebox would tell them what level, departments, and which offices there were. [B5, 129]

Everyone was silent as they past Level Seven: Department of Magical Games and Sports, British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters, Official Gobstones Club, and Ludicrous Patents Office. Then Level Six, for Transportation. Siria flinched at the mention of "Portkey" and took another gulp from the water bottle. Level Five, the Department of International Magical Cooperation, made Ron shift on the balls of his feet. That had been Percy's level, until he took the position of Fudge's personal assistant. [B5,129-130]

They rode past the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures then the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. "This is us," Sirius told them and they stepped out at Level Two: Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The voice told them it was Auror Headquarters, Improper Use of Magic Office, and Wizengamot Administration Services. Ron smiled a little. [B5, 130]

"Amelia Bones is seeing us," said Sirius. "It's a little odd for them to want a hearing for heritage. Normally you just," but they didn't get to hear the normal procedure. Susan Bones was leaning against the door to Amelia Bones's office. She closed her book and gasped at them.

"No," Susan told them. "The hearing got changed to old Courtroom ten."

"What?" Remus asked.

"My aunt was worried you wouldn't get the letter. It starts at eight, just take the lift down," Susan told them. Siria nodded to Susan and mouthed "Thank you!" as they ran back to the lifts.

Chloe pushed the button like it would make the lift appear faster. Siria handed her the water bottle from Hermione's tote. She shook her head. "Trust me, take a sip," Siria said. Chloe sighed, but drank some as they entered the lift. It wasn't as effective as taking an entire Draught, but a sip was enough to stop Chloe's fidgeting.

"Why is it there?" Remus asked as the voice described Level One.

"What's wrong with the Courtrooms?" Ron asked.

"Nothing," Sirius lied. "You all will have to wait in the hall, still." Siria squinted at Sirius with eyes that read "can't you lie better?" He winced out a smile.

"Department of Mysteries," said the voice (B4, 135) . Sirius and Remus roped them out of the lift.

"Why don't you stay up here?" Sirius suggested with a shared look to Remus that spoke volumes. "Hermione isn't used to heels, and all," he added quickly.

"I love you! See you soon!" Siria shouted as Sirius rounded down a set of stairs with Chloe. He echoed her words, but panic burst in her chest.

Hermione handed Siria the water bottle. She finished it off. Siria took a slow, steading breath and looked around. There were no windows on this floor. Though they had been short glances, she had seen windows on the other floors. At the end of the corridor was a very plain, black door. It looked nothing like the door Susan Bones had leaned against, which had been a soft brown with a golden handle. For some reason, the door made her feel uneasy, even with what had been left of the Calming Draught.

"What's really the deal with Courtroom ten?" Hermione asked Remus. He gave her a small smile.

"They haven't used them since the Death Eater trials," said Remus. "The last time Sirius and I were here, Peter was being sentenced."

"Oh," Hermione inhaled the word. "I'm sure it's fine," she told Siria, but her voice was higher than usual. "So," Hermione looked to Ron.

"Department of Mysteries, then?" Ron asked as a change of topic. "Dad never says much about them. I didn't even know they were down here."

"Willow was an Unspeakable, for quite awhile," said Remus. "Though, that'd be about ten years ago now."

"What's an Unspeakable?" Siria asked.

"That's the thing, they're not allowed to say," said Remus.

The lift opened and Albus Dumbledore stepped out. He nodded to Remus, but didn't acknowledge Hermione, Ron, or Siria. Instead he marched down the stairs without a word. That was the third time, Siria noted, that Dumbledore ignored her.

"You're being silly," Siria told herself. If Courtroom ten was as big a problem as it sounded, then she should rather he go to Sirius. It wasn't like anything important happened to Siria or that she needed to ask him something. "Maybe he's mad about Lumos," a voice inside whispered. Siria slouched against the wall and turned her gaze from the stairs to Hermione.

Hermione, to no one's surprise, had brought a book. Ron pretended to read with her as an excuse to rest his head on her shoulder. Remus smiled at Siria. He watched her like he expected her to dash down after Sirius if he looked away.

"It's weird that you're dating again," Siria confessed. Remus's smile shook, but pulled itself back on. Hermione and Ron had frozen as if petrified. While Remus picked his words, Siria added more. "It would be fine if you were like 'hey, we're dating,' but you're all sneaky about it. I guess I don't get how you can be happy if you're hiding it. You used to sit right next to each other at meals; now you sit a person or two away and spend half the meal trying to make eye contact."

Remus crouched down, beside Siria, on the wall. "When we get back, how about we talk with Sirius together?" Remus suggested.

"Only if you're both okay with it, I guess," Siria muttered. "If you're both happy sneaking around, then… then I guess it's whatever, but I don't want you hiding because of me or something." She put her head in her hands. "I love you," she grumbled. Remus patted her hair.

"I love you too," he said.

Through Siria's fingers, she peered at Hermione and Ron. They both focused on staring at the page, to pretend they had not heard, but were as red as Ron's hair. Siria gave Remus a sheepish smile. He added, "really, I do," and some of her embarrassment slipped away.

When the doors of the lift opened a little bit later, they all stood up. Siria couldn't stop her eyes from rolling. A tall man with sleek blonde hair and a pale, pointed face stepped off the lift (B5, 154). He was accompanied by a younger copy of himself.

"Well," the man forced a smile that did not at all hide his scorn, "what a surprise to see werewolves at the Ministry." Siria rose, but Remus placed a hand on her shoulder and held her back. She raised herself to her full height to glare at Lucius Malfoy. Her teeth gritted when her eyes flickered to his son, Draco, for just a moment.

"More of a surprise—" Siria began, but Remus tightened his grip. Hermione had stretched an arm across Ron. The four of them glared at the two who glared back.

All Siria could think of was that the last time she had been this close to Lucius Malfoy was in the graveyard. He had been one of the masked Death Eaters. Voldemort accused Lucius of having poor faith for believing "Siria Potter" had triumphed over Voldemort. She felt that, given Voldemort's loss of body and power for thirteen years, Siria earned some sort of victory.

"Read the Prophet, Potter-Black?" Draco Malfoy asked. Siria leaned against Remus.

"No," Siria lied. "My dads don't want me around garbage," she emphasized the last word. Remus eased up on Siria. Ron smirked.

"I suppose they believe that rubbish like the Quibbler?" Lucius Malfoy sneered. "After all, rubbish is gold to other trash." He shot Hermione a glare. Hermione held Ron while Remus held Siria.

"You hang onto your Fool's Gold blood then," said Siria. "I'm only half and I'm more like Voldemort than—"

"Don't you say that name," Lucius Malfoy hissed at her. Siria scoffed, but they all fell silent at the sound of footsteps so close.

Albus Dumbledore nodded to Remus, "Lucius," he nodded, but the lift knew he was there, and opened for him. Draco Malfoy gazed from the closed lift gate to Siria. She considered chucking her shoe at his daft, blonde head, but more footsteps sounded.

Chloe ran straight for them and hugged Remus and Siria. She kissed Siria's forehead, then Remus's and gestured for Hermione and Ron to join them. They did. Sirius, however, stayed to glare at Lucius Malfoy.

"Free to wag your tail another day then," said Lucius. Sirius looked royal as he smirked in reply.

"If you lay with rats, you'll get the plague, Lucius," Sirius forced a smile. He extended his arm and gestured for the others to come closer. Remus pressed the button for the lift.

"You're such a disappointment," said Lucius. Siria took Sirius's hand and glared at Draco from her father's side.

"Not the people that matter," said Sirius. The lift arrived and they stepped in as footsteps thundered up the stairs.

It was difficult to tell who was most relieved when they all returned to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Chloe, rather than relieved, seemed furious. She stormed down to the kitchen, followed by Sirius and Siria. A sharp CRACK told Siria that Kreacher had Apparated away.

Chloe spat out a string of tangled insults Siria could not wait to use on Draco Malfoy. She slammed sweet after sweet onto a plate and dove in mid-sentence, as she continued to complain about Fudge. With a growl, she put her plate down and took a seat.

"I can't believe that worked though," Chloe confessed and inhaled a brownie-cookie.

"Why…" Siria started, but stopped herself and turned to Sirius. "Chloe's a Muggle, isn't she?"

"According to a Saint Mungo's Healer and the Ministry, she isn't" said Sirius. Siria pinched the bridge of her nose.

"We already had to 'prove' I'm a Squib once, but it was a lot easier last time. We borrowed Sirius's cousin's birth certificate and lined it up with a family tree and a few other things." Chloe said.

"Why did you have to prove it before?" Siria asked. She scanned Sirius's face, then Chloe's. Chloe's eyes had bags under them that Siria hadn't noticed. She skillfully covered them with her foundation.

"I needed a rather complicated Potion for something," Chloe said. "It wasn't the kind of thing Sirius could just brew up. A Healer oversaw someone make it for me then had to monitor me for a little while after." Siria wanted to ask what the Potion had been for, but felt Chloe would tell her when Chloe was ready to share it. A better question took its place.

"Are you serious?" Siria raised her voice as she turned to Sirius. Sirius rose to his feet and opened his mouth, but Siria shouted over him. "Potions work on Muggles—we could be helping them with Draughts and the magic community stays a secret?" She cried. "Do you know how many lives could be saved?" She felt the tears welling in her eyes as the fury boiled up. "I'm sick of—" Sirius held Siria by her shoulders and faced her.

"It isn't our place," Sirius said. She knocked his arms from her as she glared over her glasses at him.

"Isn't our place?" Siria shouted back. "But it's your place to help one person when we would help countless?"

"We can't save everyone," said Sirius.

"Not without trying!" Siria knew she was screaming now. She had heard the footsteps into the kitchen. "What could the Ministry do to stop a viral video, Sirius? We could record us doing any of the practice from this summer— I could go back to the graveyard and cast FiendFyre again. I could show them it wasn't a 'gas leak'. They can't Obliviate everyone!"

"I know!" Sirius confessed and she paused.

"Then why?" Her voice fell to a tremble as her teeth chattered. He opened and closed his mouth. Siria shook her head as she turned away from him. Her head continued to shake while she walked toward the stairs.

"I— I forbid you from posting about it!" Sirius said when Siria's hand touched the stair rail.

"You forbid me?" Siria scoffed, her ears ringing with disbelief. Hermione grabbed Siria's wrist and tugged. "Sirius Has-Broken-Every-Rule Black—" Hermione tugged again and Siria pried her wrist away.

"You'll be expelled or worse!" Sirius argued.

"You're an idiot!" Siria cursed and stormed up the stairs. The crowd that had gathered parted.

She stomped all way to the attic. There would be no point in being in her communal room. If anything, someone might try to sneak a Cheering Charm on her. Siria shook her head. She roared into the dusty attic.

Four years ago, Hagrid had told Siria that Muggles couldn't know about magic because they would want magic solutions for their problems. She had accepted it without question. For four years it made perfect sense. Naturally, Muggles need to solve their own non-magic problems in their own non-magic way.

Siria ignored the rattles from the writing desk and shot glances to the Muggle comic books Sirius had in an open box. She poked in and they weighed down her heart. Would Muggles really act like they had before? If the Magic Community reached out with cures and solutions, would there be witch hunts? Wouldn't Muggleborns be better off? She searched the cover of the comic as if the answer was hidden on the page. How could that hurt anyone?