The Parting of the Ways

When Dumbledore pushed open the doors of the hospital wing there was a very harassed looking Madam Pomfrey (B4, 699). She was surrounded by the Weasleys, the Creeveys, Siria's dormmates, Travers, Maddy, Patricia, Cedric, and Fleur Delacour— asking where Cassius and Siria were. They all turned to the open doors. Dumbledore stepped forward and addressed the wing.

"Listen to me, please," Dumbledore requested, "the two have been through a terrible ordeal and had have to relive it for me. What they need now is sleep and peace. If they would like you to stay, you are welcome, but I must insist you do not question them." [B4, 699]. Mrs. Weasley, very pale, rounded on the others.

"You heard him," she noted, "they need peace and quiet!" Mrs. Creevey nodded with a hand around each of her boys. [B4, 699-700]

"Once I've spoken with Fudge, I'll return," Dumbledore informed them. He placed a hand on Cassius shoulder and the other on Siria's. "I do not need to remind you that you have shown courage just as great as those who fought Voldemort last time, but do remember that you are still able to be weak," Dumbledore reminded them (B4, 699). "You are not alone," he offered them a small smile before he took his leave.

Cassius's dark eyes were tired when he extended his arms to Travers, who burst into tears when she fell into them. The Slytherins and Warringtons pulled into a group hug while Siria was swallowed by the arms of her fellow Gryffindors. "Get in here," Mrs. Weasley urged Cedric and Fleur, who joined the hug.

"Now," Sirius broke them up, "Poppy, could Siria use your sink?" He asked as he ushered Siria forward. "Can't sleep with contacts," he reminded her. Madam Pomfrey took Siria to the sink and offered her a washcloth.

For the first time since morning, Siria saw her reflection. Where confidence had greeted her in the morning, defeat greeted her in the pale light of the hospital wing washroom. She washed her hands and removed the contacts, which she had to toss into the waste bin. Then she splashed water onto her face before she squirted some more soap onto her hands and washed away the sweat and dried blood. Siria gazed at her own reflection. She held down her left eyelid to see the bottom of her lightning bolt scar.

"Siria," Hermione called, "did you want a hand?"

"What are you going to do?" Parvati hissed, "I can fix your hair," she called to Siria.

"Don't think anyone could fix that," George joked.

"I can hear you!" Siria shouted as she changed into the pajamas Madam Pomfrey provided. She pulled the door open and glared at him. "I've had enough rudeness, thank you," she defended and looked to Parvati. "Could you help though?" She asked.

Mrs. Weasley and Sirius flattened Siria's already neat bedspread. Siria sat with her back against the cool railing. Lavender and Parvati fought to untangle Siria's mangled braid. "I know what happened, but honestly," Parvati tsked as she dropped the greyed ribbon into Siria's lap.

"Did you get attacked by a mad hairdresser?" Lavender shook her head then smacked her hand to her mouth.

"I wish!" Cassius grinned from his bed, beside Siria's. "Siria could have handled that on her own," he assured them.

"I would have accepted your help with a hairdresser," Siria smirked. She looked up to Hermione and took her hand. "I can't believe we're cracking jokes," she stifled a sob and pressed her head to Hermione's hand.

"No," Hermione shook her head and threw her arms around Siria. "No, no— don't be sorry!" She shuddered. "We thought we lost you and we couldn't be happier you're okay!"

"Hell, Siria," Ron hugged them both. In the unfolding of a fan, they were cuddled back up to Siria. She clutched the back on Ron's robes and nodded.

"You ought to get some sleep," Mrs. Creevey said. "We'll be here when you wake up," she smoothed out Siria's hair. Cassius took a sip of his goblet and Sirius extended the other one to Siria. She sighed over the rim it.

"It smells like lavender," Siria said over a sip. Lavender sniffed,

"I smell way better," she joked.

"That's debatable," Hermione said. Lavender pushed Hermione's shoulder, lightly. Siria left just a bit at the bottom. Dumbledore would be back soon. She wanted to catch what was coming.

Loud murmurs or muffled shouts stirred Siria. She groaned, but the hand on her head was so cool and the room was so warm. Her eyelids were still so heavy in the dim room that it couldn't hurt to keep them closed. There was a soft hum of quiet chatter she recognized as Bill and Fleur, but it hadn't woken her. She caught the shuffling of cards, but that was nothing to voices that grew louder.

"What is Fudge shouting about?" Sirius growled.

"The Minister of Magic?" Mrs. Creevey asked.

"Nothing else could have happened tonight," said Mrs. Weasley.

"That's McGonagall," Remus said when the other voice spoke. Siria grumbled and sat up, but found a hand on each her shoulders and one on her head try to push her back to the bed. [B4, 700]

"It's nothing," Mrs. Weasley assured her. Siria groaned again and rubbed her eyes.

"No," Sirius sighed and let go of one of her shoulders. He handed Siria her glasses.

The room came into focus. Colin was sound asleep on Fred's shoulder, while Dennis had fallen asleep on George's lap. The twins sat in a circle, with Fay, Lavender, Maddy, Patricia, and Parvati, who were playing cards. Cedric and Travers sat beside the Warringtons, where Cassius woke as well. Bill and Fleur sat on the bed to Siria's right. Hermione and Ron sat on the end of Siria's bed; she gave them a tired smile, which turned into a yawn.

"Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva—" Fudge said loudly as he and Professor McGonagall came closer to the hospital wing (B4, 701).

"You should have never brought it into the castle!" yelled McGonagall. "When Dumbledore finds out—" and the doors of the hospital wing flew open. Fudge marched in with Professor McGonagall and Snape right behind him (B4, 702).

"Where is Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded of Sirius.

"Not here," Sirius replied through gritted teeth.

"Minister, this is a hospital wing, don't you—" Mrs. Weasley began, but Dumbledore swept into the ward (B4, 702). He took in Professor McGonagall's thinned lips and arched eyes, then Snape's glare at Fudge.

"What has happened?" Dumbledore asked them (B4, 702).

"When we told Mr. Fudge, he seemed to feel his personal safety was at risk— and insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him. He brought it to the office where Barty Crouch—" said Snape in a low voice.

"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" Professor McGonagall fumed. "We told him you would never allow dementors into the castle, but—" (B4, 702)

"My dear woman," Fudge shouted (B4, 703). Siria clicked her tongue and shook her head. For as angry as Fudge was, it was nothing to the fury that boiled out of Professor McGonagall. Her voice swallowed his as it boomed through the hospital wing.

"The moment that— that this entered the room it swooped down on Crouch and— and—" but she did not need to finish. Even Fudge fell silent for a moment. The dementor had issued its greatest weapon, the dementors kiss, and sucked Barty Crouch Jr.'s soul from him. [B4, 703]

"Now he cannot provide his testimony," said Dumbledore. He stared at Fudge as if he saw him for the first time. "He cannot explain why he has done what he has." [B4, 703]

"Why? Well, that's no mystery, is it?" Fudge blurted. "He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus tell me, he thinks it was all on You-Know-Who's instructions!" [B4, 703]

"Voldemort was giving Crouch instructions, Cornelius. They planned to restore Voldemort to full strength and have succeeded," Dumbledore explained (B4, 703).

Fudge stepped back. He scanned the room, as if he expected to see one of them holding a sign saying "Just Kidding!" There was no sign. Fudge shook his head and told Dumbledore it was preposterous. Dumbledore informed him of Barty Crouch Jr.'s confession under veritaserum, then Cassius and Siria's testimonies as well, but Fudge looked less and less convinced. [B4, 704]

"I'll take the veritaserum!" Siria blurted before she knew the words were out of her mouth.

"We'll let you take the memories!" Cassius added.

"Dumbledore's got that pen— pen— the memory basin thing," Siria nodded at Cassius then Fudge.

"HA!" Fudge scoffed and shot Sirius a vile glare, "of course she would." Siria looked to her father with a breathless expression of "what did you do?" His brow furrowed slightly. In silent reply, Sirius mouthed "later."

"Fine!" Siria called, "forget the veritaserum, what about the memories?" She proposed.

"Memories can be modified," Fudge argued. Siria cradled her head in her hands. He was intent to fight them. "Furthermore, Dumbledore you are prepared to take Siria's word on this, are you?" He had a curious smile on his face, which grew when Dumbledore agreed. Siria's heart sank. [B4, 704]. She pressed her eyes closed.

"Rita Skeeter," her whispered carried through the room.

"You believe the lies that—" and Sirius used a word that made half the room gasp "— writes about my daughter!" Sirius shouted. "Suppose you believe heaps of bodies were taken out of the wood at the World Cup too, do you?" Remus placed his hand on Sirius's shoulder, but glared at Fudge with him.

"Lies?" Fudge asked, "There have been more accounts of the girl being a Parselmouth— she announced it in the first task with the giant snake. Then the nightmares— possibly even hallucinations?" [B4, 705]

"We can give you names!" Siria urged. "Malfoy—" (B4, 706)

"Malfoy was cleared!" said Fudge, outraged that she would even name him. "Not to mention your history with the family," he snapped. (B4, 706)

"Macnair— Avery— Nott—" Siria listed (B4, 706)

"You are merely repeating names of those acquitted thirteen years ago!" said Fudge (B4, 706).

"One of them died!" Cassius called. His father's hand snapped to Cassius's shoulder with a look of terror. Cassius knocked the hand away. "In the Fiendfyre— one of them got tackled to the ground and melted."

"Unlikely," Fudge snapped.

"And the Stargazers?" Siria asked.

"Designed by a Black and—," Fudge refuted with a glare to Remus. Siria's jaw fell, but snapped closed as she shook her head. Sirius held his hand out to stop Siria from advancing on Fudge.

"Fudge, if you wanted to see how they work, you only had to ask," Sirius offered through gritted teeth.

"You all sound determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for these last thirteen years!" shouted Fudge. Siria mouthed, wordlessly to Hermione and Ron. They didn't know of a way to fix this. Dumbledore tried to advise that Fudge remove the dementors and speak with the giants. He told Fudge that too much worth was placed in blood "purity", yet Barty Crouch Jr. came from a pureblood family and became a murderer and Death Eater. [B4, 708]

"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius, then we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit and I— I shall act as I do," said Dumbledore (B4, 709). The silence was tangible. Dumbledore's voice sounded like a statement, just as non-threatening as small talk about the weather.

"Now, you see here, Dumbledore," Fudge said as he waved his finger, "I've given you free rein; I've had a lot of respect for you, might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I kept quiet. Not many Ministers would let you hire a werewolf—" Remus pulled Sirius back into his chair and Mrs. Weasley thrust Siria back down. "—or let you keep Hagrid, or even let you teach without reference to the Ministry, but if you're going to work against me—" [B4, 709]

"The only one I intend to work against is Voldemort," said Dumbledore, calm as the night outside. "If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."

"He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be…" Fudge pleaded. A strange tangle of hope and hopelessness hung in voice; if Dumbledore said Voldemort had not returned, then that would be truth, but if he confirmed, maybe there was still hope Voldemort was still gone. Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, and pulled up his left sleeve. Fudge recoiled. [B4, 709]

"There," Snape snarled. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can see—" Fudge stepped back. "Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight?" [B4, 709]

"I don't know what you and your staff are playing at Dumbledore, but I've heard enough. I will be in touch with you, tomorrow, to discuss the running of this school, but I must return to the Ministry," Fudge said and hurried to the door. He paused "Your winnings," he tossed tow bags onto the floor, crammed his bowler hat on, and slammed the door behind him. [B4, 710]

"An' zat ez your Minister?" Fleur shook her head.

Dumbledore turned to the rest of the room. Cassius stood up with a nod to Dumbledore.

"Whatever you're planning, I'm in," Cassius told him.

"And me!" Siria tried to sit up, but Sirius and Mrs. Weasley each stretched an arm over her. "Dad!" She hissed, but Sirius looked over his shoulder.

"We're in, of course!" Mrs. Warrington stood beside her son and looked to Dumbledore. "You-Know-Who," she squeezed her eyes shut, "Voldemort," she shuddered, "tried to murder my son and I won't stand by and let that happen."

"There is a lot of work to be done," Dumbledore informed them. Sirius put a hand on Siria's shoulder and stood. Mrs. Weasley rose with them, then Mr. Warrington. "Am I right in thinking I may count on you then?" he asked Molly and Mrs. Warrington.

"We know what Fudge is," Mrs. Weasley told him. "It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has kept him at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper Wizarding pride." [B4, 711]

"Anything we can do," Mrs. Warrington said and looked to her husband, who nodded.

"I need to send a message to Arthur, all those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as short sighted as Cornelius," Dumbledore explained. [B4, 711]

"I'll go to Dad— I can leave now," Bill said and stood up. Dumbledore warned him to be discreet, but Bill assured him he would (B4, 711).

"Willow, if you would go to Saint Mungo's, talk with anyone you think is trustworthy," asked Dumbledore.

"I'll go now," Mrs. Warrington kissed her son then her husband. "Time is of the essence" She nodded to Sirius when she past and stood before Siria's bed for a moment, as Bill ruffled up Siria's hair, kissed his mother on the cheek, and pulled on his cloak. They headed to the door together, where Bill waved to Fleur, then left. [B4, 711].

"Minerva, I want to see Hagrid in my office, as soon as possible," said Dumbledore. Professor McGonagall nodded and hurried out. He turned to Fleur, "Ms. Delacour, would you ask Madame Maxime if she would consent to visiting my office as well?"

"Of course!" Fleur assured him. She pecked Cassius on the cheek, which caused Travers to glare at her until Fleur pecked Siria's cheek as well. Fleur bowed her head to Dumbledore and excused herself. [B4, 711]

Then Dumbledore asked Madam Pomfrey to see to Winky, who was in Professor Moody's office. He assured her that Dobby would take care of Winky. Though she looked startled, Madam Pomfrey left. Dumbledore turned to Snape then Remus and Sirius. Sirius and Snape sensed what was coming and glared at the other. [B4, 711-712]

"For the short term, I will settle for a lack of open hostility," Dumbledore told them. "We are on the same side and time is too short to stand apart." Siria sighed, but tilted her eyes to Sirius and gestured, with them, to Snape. "You will shake hands."

"Dad," Siria urged. Though Sirius and Snape met in the middle, they shook hands in a second and nearly marched back to their previous spots in the room.

"Now, I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Remus, Sirius, alert the old crowd. See if any are still willing to stand with the Order. Lie low and I'll contact you soon," Dumbledore instructed (B4, 713). Siria took hold of Sirius's wrist with both her hands and squeezed her eyes shut.

"I'll see you over summer," Siria promised. Sirius pecked the top of her head then he and Remus hugged her.

"We'll see you soon," Sirius told her.

"Chloe may pick you up," Remus added. Siria nodded.

"Love you," she murmured.

"More than magic," Sirius messed up Siria's hair and looked to Mrs. Weasley.

"I'll take Barbara back and look after her," Mrs. Weasley said. Then Remus and Sirius were gone. [B4, 713]

"Severus," Dumbledore looked to Snape, "you know what I must ask you do. If you are ready…"

"I am."

"Then good luck," said Dumbledore with a look of apprehension. Snape looked paler than usual, with a strange glitter in his cold, black eyes. They flashed to Siria for a moment, or so she thought, before he swept out of the room. [B4, 713]

Several minutes past before anyone spoke again (B4, 713). "What about us?" Siria asked. "What can we do?"

"Focus on your schooling," Dumbledore instructed.

"You're joking," said Cassius. "We were almost killed tonight."

"You're still children," Mrs. Weasley told them.

"I'm of age," Cassius argued.

"You're still in school," Mr. Warrington reminded his son.

"They're right," Hermione spoke. She placed a hand on Siria's. "We ought to focus on school." Then her eye caught something on the window and she rose to her feet.

"I have matters I must attend to," Dumbledore told them. "Please avoid any recklessness for the evening." He left. Siria looked to Hermione, who inched her way to the wall of windows, then Ron, who shrugged. Colin extended one of the bags of coins on the floor to Cassius, while Dennis held the other out to Siria. She took the bag and held it out to Cassius, who had done the same.

"You take it," they told the other. "I don't want it."

"It's not like I earned it," Siria reminded him. "Junior got me through."

"No one would have told me about the dragons, if you hadn't," Cassius said.

"I would have died in the graveyard."

"I would have died in the maze."

"Just take it!" Siria insisted. Cassius threw his bag onto her bed. Siria gasped.

"I'll take it," Fred joked. Siria swept up Cassius's bag and threw it at Fred. She chucked the other at George's head then looked to Cassius.

"You didn't want it anyway," Siria said.

"Good— at least we'll get a laugh out of it," Cassius told her.

"Nonsense," Mrs. Weasley snapped at the two of them, "Fred and George are going to return it."

"No, they aren't," Cassius told her. "I may not have a say in being in the 'Order', but I get a say where my money goes."

"Thank you!" Siria agreed.

There was a loud crash and everyone turned to see Hermione, beside the window, with her hands clapped together. She blinked at Siria in the way Hermione often did when she focused on winking. "It's all settled, really Mrs. Weasley, Fred—" she looked to Fred, unsure if he were Fred or George, but he nodded, "offered to take it off their hands and I think we ought to respect Cassius and Siria's decision." Ron pressed his head into the side of Siria's bed to hide his face. Siria pulled her hair over, like a curtain.

"Besides," Travers stood up, with a nod to Hermione, "it's late and us children have a duty to our schooling, which we can't do without sleep."

"Yeah!" Fred agreed.

"So tired," George stretched.

"Very much," Lavender added. They quickly collected their things until Dennis was the only one not ready. He hugged Siria.

"Can't I stay?" He whispered. She patted his back.

"You'll want to know what's happening," Siria assured him.

Mr. Warrington, Mrs. Weasley, Mrs. Creevey, Cassius, and Siria were the only ones left in the hospital wing. Siria peered into her goblet. There was hardly any left, but some did remain. She sighed and finished it off, as Cassius did his.

"See you in the morning, roomie," Siria told him and she sighed. Mrs. Weasley tucked her in.

"See you, roomie," Cassius said in reply. Again, she felt the pull of sleep.

"Parent to parents," Mrs. Creevey said, "what do I do?" But Siria did not hear the reply. She heard nothing, but her breath, as she was carried off to sleep.