The History of Mr. Crouch
The black, glowing, floating beach balls were in fact magical monitoring devices, which had broadcast their surroundings on the surface of giant mirrors. Hagrid had cheered louder than anyone when Siria reached the hostages first. Ron told Siria that, when Fleur returned to the surface because of the grindylows, she had screamed and shouted for Siria to bring Gabrielle— in between shouts at Madame Maxime to let her return to the water. He told her all about how furious Karkaroff was that Siria reached the hostages first. "So, of course he's the one who put your name in," Ron added, though Hermione still wasn't convinced.
Remus and Sirius worked for weeks on the devices, which they named "Stargazers." "Because they watch you," Sirius had told her with a huge, dorky grin on his face. She supposed anything else would have been out of character for the man that sent her Knock, Knock Howlers for a year. Siria was ultimately thankful for the Stargazers because it meant everyone had already seen for themselves what happened and wouldn't need her to explain.
"But why Snuffles?" Siria asked Sirius's crackling head in the fireplace of the Gryffindor common room.
"Well, I can't swim." Sirius confessed. Ron laughed, but Hermione didn't seem to approve. She pressed her lips together and looked firmly at her page. "Besides," Sirius smiled at them, "Chloe needed a hand and 'Sirius Black' was expected elsewhere."
"You didn't!" Siria gasped with an eager grin.
"I may or may not have talked someone into taking a little Polyjuice," he chuckled.
"That's brilliant!" Ron laughed with Siria. Hermione tutted. She had been in a rather poor mood this week, with so many people teasing her about being what Viktor Krum would miss most.
"Anyways, dad, it's getting late," Siria raised her watch, as if she were looking at it, but gestured with her eyes to Hermione. "We'll see you Saturday anyway." Sirius's flamed face nodded.
"You know, you ought to look in a mirror sometime," he winked. "Good night. Don't do anything I wouldn't." He told them and disappeared.
"That's a very short list," Hermione snapped. Siria felt that Ron had taken things better than Hermione. It was mostly Draco Malfoy and occasionally Pansy Parkinson, but Ron had gotten a lot of calls like "How's it feel to know you won't be missed as much as a dog?" Siria was thankful Ron knew Sirius was Snuffles because he could retort with things like "You'd miss Snuffles more too!" as if he didn't care.
Hermione resigned herself to blushing furiously. She and Siria now only used Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and the Room of Requirement. Myrtle seemed a little less depressed with the company. Hermione had cast Lightening Charms on their bags, so they could climb up and down the stairs without the weight of their books as they rushed to or from the washroom.
After the talk with Sirius and promise of seeing him at Hogsmeade the next day,
Friday Double Potions seemed a lot less terrible an idea than usual. From the laughter that roared from Pansy Parkinson and her collective of Slytherin girls, Siria realized she was mistaken and it would be the usual levels of terrible— or worse.
[Book: B4, 511 Pansy gives them the Witch Weekly and they enter the class. Hermione finds the article "Siria Potter's Secret Heartache"]
"Where can I issue a very loud and obnoxious announcement that it's Potter-Black?" Siria snapped through sealed teeth. Hermione dismissed her and they continued through. After some surprising "poor Potter, her life has been tragic" sentences, Siria elbowed Hermione. "Why didn't you tell me we were going steady?" She grinned.
Where we had thought Siria Potter had finally found love
in steady boyfriend, Ronald Weasley, he was in fact her "beard"
(a term used by kids these days for when a homosexual pretends
to be a heterosexual). She had been dating the believed temptress,
Hermione Granger— a rather plain, Muggle-Born.
[Book: B4,512 Krum invited Hermione over for summer. Pansy called Hermione ugly & accused Hermione of brewing a Love Potion. Rita says Dumbledore should investigate, and Rita continues that Siria will put her heart into a worthier candidate]
Siria clenched her nails into her palms, but smiled as best she could. Ron had not been her "beard" and Siria didn't even know of anyone that used that term. She had very clearly stated she was bi. More than anything though, Siria was furious more people had access to Rita Skeeter's article than the Herald. Countless readers would think Hermione was some rotten, Love Potion making, fame chasing deviant than what Hermione really was.
Ron had taken a different angle than Siria's fury and had gone immediately for "I told you!" (B4, 513).
[Book: B4, 513-515 Hermione wonders how Rita Skeeter could have known that Hermione WAS invited to Krum's over summer and that he did say he's never felt the way he does about Hermione. Snape takes the magazine and reads the article aloud, with a pause after every sentence]
With her head held in proud defiance, as Sirius's would have been, Siria smiled. It didn't matter if the Slytherins' laughter howled through the dungeon like a plane about to take off. It didn't matter that it sounded worse when Snape read it aloud than when they had silently. Siria swallowed. What mattered was their plan. Hermione had gotten heaps of letters to support Hagrid— Siria would do better.
[Book: B4, 515-519 Snape separates them & tells Siria he isn't impressed, she doesn't fool him, and she's just a nasty little girl that thinks rules are beneath her. He accuses her of breaking into his office then threatens to put Veritaserum, Truth Potion, into her drink. Karkaroff comes in, insists he needs to talk with Snape. Near end of lesson, Siria makes a mess, so she can stay and clean up. She knows Karkaroff shows Snape something on his arm and, whatever it is, it's getting clearer. Siria then quickly bolts after Karkaroff, so she isn't alone with Snape]
Where the Three Broomsticks was usually lively and crowded, the Hog's Head was quiet. Whatever it had looked like when it opened, none of them could have guessed with the stains and fine layer of grime that coated most of the bar. The Wizards' Chest set, beside the far window, seemed to be the only thing that got cleaned. A pair of hooded figures sat in one corner of the bar while a bandaged man nursed a mug of what looked like tiger lily petals.
At the bar, Remus, Sirius, and the bartender made up half the bar's total occupants, until the students arrived. Siria rushed to take the seat beside Sirius, which, in her effort to fend of George, resulted in her falling off. George reached to catch her, but she caught herself on Sirius and George. "This is why I didn't want you to come!" Siria snapped at George as dusted herself off. Fred and George were all too eager to see Sirius and Remus to talk products in person, despite the fact they got to speak with Sirius at the fire more than Siria did. George patted on Siria's seat to offer it to her as an apology. She pulled it from him and placed it against Sirius's before she took her seat.
Fred patted the stool beside Siria, for Hermione, who rolled her eyes, but sat down beside Siria. "Don't be like that," George smiled as he sat down beside Remus.
"We love you're old man too," Fred grinned and sat beside George. Lee Jordan took the stool beside Fred while and Neville sat next to Hermione. The lot of them took up all but one stool at the bar.
"He isn't old!" Siria leaned around Sirius to glare, but he father leaned in her way.
"It's fine, Siria," he assured her as he slid some money to the white haired bartender. "Seven, Abe."
"But you get so offended when I call you 'old'," Siria argued.
"He likes us more," George winked. Hermione tugged on Siria's arm.
"Fine," Siria grumbled to Hermione and turned away from George.
When the bartender handed out their drinks, Siria thought there was something familiar about the twinkle in his blue eyes, but he turned from her too quickly for her place it. Though the mug was a little grimey, the Butterbeer tasted as it did from the Three Broomsticks. Once the twins and Lee Jordan were absorbed with Remus, Sirius lowered his voice to Siria. "Now, you said Bagman keeps offering you a hand, but what about Crouch?" Sirius asked. Siria shook her head in reply.
"He hasn't been around to help," Siria noted.
"But he has to snoop." Hermione clicked her tongue at Crouch.
Hermione and Siria told Sirius of when they saw Crouch on the Marauder's Map. Siria added that Moody searched Snape's office and that he had the Map now. "Hm," Sirius drummed his fingers on the bar. "While I'm not keen on someone else having the Map, at least it's Moody."
[Book: B4, 522-533 Sirius says Moody probably searched all the teachers' offices. They learn that Crouch was almost Minister, but he sent his own son to Azkaban & it left people asking questions and wondering if he was really right for the job, especially after his son died, followed quickly by his wife; it's likely Neville's wand was taken when they were in the Top Box. Sirius tells them that the Bertha Jorkins he knew had a great memory, especially for gossip.]
George leaned onto the bar and looked to Siria. "Potter-Black, aren't you seeing your pa' over summer?" he asked. She leaned onto the bar as well and rested her face in her hands.
"Weasley, aren't you seeing my pa over summer?"
"Wait," Fred said as he and George looked to Sirius.
"You were serious?" George asked.
"You both sounded excited over summer," Remus reminded them.
"But that was before." Fred said.
"We've got so much to do," George added.
"Couldn't possible be in an office all day." Fred agreed.
While Fred and George argued they couldn't possibly work at Moony & Padfoot over summer, Sirius returned his attention to Siria. "Speaking of summer, I've managed to talk Mrs. Creevey down to two days." Sirius told her. "I am a little worried she won't let you return though," he joked.
"Can't Colin and Dennis come over instead?" Siria asked.
"They will. I'll drop you off on a Thursday evening, pick you and the boys up Saturday night, and we'll all so Sunday dinner at the Weasley's. Honestly, I think Molly is really the one who talked her down." Sirius ruffled Siria's wild hair. "There'll still be plenty of work and fun, I promise."
On their way back to the castle, Remus and Sirius were monopolized by Fred, George, and Lee Jordan until the very end. Hermione and Siria walked arm in arm, which caught more than a few glances from other Hogsmeade goers. At the edge of the grounds, Siria let go of Hermione to pull Sirius to the side. "There's something that's been bothering me all day," Siria confessed. "Rita Skeeter,"
"Oh, no." Sirius shook his head "What did the manticore do now?"
"It's kind of an accumulation at this point, but her Witch Weekly article could get Hermione way more hate mail and it isn't really fair." Siria told him.
"Siria, my dear, nothing is fair and—" but he stopped as she shook her head.
"I want to find a way for the Hogwarts Herald to reach more people. To send it to parents, at the very least. Maybe get a few copies into Hogsmeade or Diagon Alley." Siria said. "It isn't fair that people only read what Rita wants and don't get to know Hermione."
Sirius placed his warm hand on Siria's head and smiled at her. "I'm sorry," he said. "I should have let you finish. It's a great idea to get the Herald to more people and we'll make that happen. Now, let me see your compact."
"My compact?" Siria asked, but withdrew a small compact from her pocket, which Sirius picked up.
"This isn't the one I gave you."
"Chloe gave it to me— Hermione's got a matching one," Siria smiled. "I've got yours still. It's just on my desk." Sirius sighed and handed Siria back the night sky themed compact.
"When you get back to the dorm, open the compact for me, okay?" He requested as she zipped the compact back into her jacket pocket.
Inside the compact with the changed Black Family Crest, was "Dad?" Siria asked at the small, reflection of Sirius where the mirror would be.
"Finally!" he said and she watched him shake is head in disbelief. "Your sense of justice is boundless, but your lack curiosity leaves me worried sometimes."
"It's a compact!" Siria exclaimed. "Excuse me for thinking my compact was a mirror and not a magic phone— why didn't you just tell me?"
"Think of how much more excited you would have been to realize on your own, though."
"This is like Moony & Padfoot all over." Siria told him. "Please, dad— just tell me things."
"Okay, but you aren't going to like it," Sirius shook his finger.
"What?"
"You need a leaf."
Siria sighed and looked around the Potion brewing room of her trunk, to the shelf with the mandrake leaf jar. Her mouth dried at the thought of the bitter, ginger like taste of her future. When she could finally transform, it would be worth it… she hoped.