CHAPTER EIGHT
FLIGHT OF THE FAT LADY
"The Flight of the Fat Lady." Ron read.
"Where'd she go?" Tonks asked.
"It's explained." Sirius sighed knowing he would have to explain himself.
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"No shock there." Bill muttered.
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"Okay. My clothes may not come from Voi, but I dress better than Dobby." Remus argued.
"Maybe if you would accept some financial help from those who offer…" Sirius said pointedly.
"It's the principle of the matter." Remus pointed out. "I don't accept financial help for the same reason Arthur doesn't."
"But Remus." Arthur argued. "The reason I'm poor is my own choice. If I wanted, I could leave the Ministry and find a job with better pay. But I love what I do and by doing so, I'm able to be more of a cheerful, loving father and husband. And the lack of money helps keep things into perspective for me. But you on the other hand, it's not your fault you can't hold down a job. It's Greyback's."
There was a bit of silence to let what Arthur said sink in for Remus as well as everyone else in the room.
"Growing up not knowing of my wealth, it does help put things into perspective and help sort out priorities." Harry said. "But knowing I have my wealth when I need it is also nice."
"Speaking of which, what DID you do with your Tri-Wizard winnings?" Hermione asked.
"I'm sure it's explained." Harry said though mentally praying it wasn't. "My point is Professor, just let me know what you need. It's the LEAST I can do for you teaching me the patronus."
"Thanks Harry," Remus said before admitting, "But I've already gotten some share of the Potter Wealth. Both James and Lily put me in their wills and I received some money. I'm just saving it for dire emergencies and my wardrobe is not considered as such. Only when the robes no longer do their purpose, then I purchase new ones."
"Speaking of some of those 'dire emergencies,'" Dumbledore spoke up with amusement in his voice. "I placed them in the Potter Family vault for safe keeping."
"Why my vault?" Harry asked.
"They may have been some birthday and Christmas gifts" Remus admitted sheepishly.
"Do NOT tell me you used what James and Lily left you on Harry!" Sirius exclaimed. "I'm all for spoiling this kid, especially after the Dursleys, but they meant YOU to use it on YOU!"
"I still have plenty left Sirius." Remus said. "The robes I'm wearing now I bought five years ago with some of that money."
Dumbledore smiled softly to himself as he had witnessed Remus update his will shortly after the first Order meeting of the year. Remus had split what was left of what he had inherited from his friends as well as what he earned to Sirius, Harry, the Twins, Ron, Hermione, the Order in general (aka, Dumbledore), Arthur and Molly, and Tonks. The split wasn't equal as Harry, Sirius, and Tonks got the bulk of the money as well as instructions to the Trio to find ways to help werewolves in some way.
"Can we get back to the story?" Ron asked.
"Sure." Remus said.
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Sprout, Flitwick, and McGonagall glared at Snape.
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"You brought it on yourself Snape." Moody said
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"WHAT?!" Charlie exclaimed. "Why?!"
"It's explained." Ron said before continuing.
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"Safer than Hippogriffs." Molly said.
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"Probably a good thing considering the next year." McGonagall admitted at the recollection that Quidditch had been canceled.
Wood would NOT have been happy.
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Harry looked down, almost ashamed. His first loss would be the next game mentioned.
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"Uh, YOUR name on the thing." Fred said.
"There's still this year." George added.
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Fred whistled innocently while avoiding his mother's glare.
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Ron shuddered.
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"I hope you didn't take him up on that offer." Molly said giving Harry a look.
"Got a bit distracted." Harry said.
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"It was quite the sight." Ginny mused with a giggle.
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"Has that cat been tested for animagi?" Moody asked.
"Yes. I tested Crookshanks when I tested Hedwig." Remus said shooting an apologetic look towards Hermione.
"So Crookshanks is safe?" Hermione asked.
"Then why is he so smart?" Tonks asked after Remus' nod.
"I can come up with two theories. The first: the theory that familiars take on the characteristics of their owners"
Hermione smiled
"So what does that say about Ron and Scabbers?" Bill asked.
"Scabbers doesn't count as he was Percy's to begin with." Ron said. "Not to mention wasn't a TRUE familiar which it will be explained."
"So what does that say about Ron and Pig?" Harry joked.
Ron reached over Sirius and whacked Harry.
"What's the other theory?" Hermione asked.
"I did notice that Crookshanks isn't a TRUE cat." Remus informed her. "he's part kneazle"
"No wonder I liked him." Sirius mused.
"Can we get back to the book?" Snape asked impatiently wanting this entire series to be over with.
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"I wonder if he knew." Harry mused knowing that Crookshanks was 'working' for Sirius at the time. If Peter knew, it was no wonder he was scared of the cat that would have taken him to Sirius.
Either that or it was the price of being a rodent.
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"Pure coincidence." McGonagall argued though she did look sympathetic towards her Gryffindor.
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"That's not true!" Hermione argued. "Had she not been carrying on about Trelawney being right, I would have been MUCH more sympathetic. Though, looking back, I could have been a bit more tactful."
"One of the benefits of reading these books," Arthur said. "We can look back on past actions and know how to better ourselves."
A few people turned to Snape.
"Just read Weasley." Snape told Ron.
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"Won't work." Sirius said.
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"I had spent the day after your parents' died watching them to see what you were getting into." McGonagall stated. "I know what those people are like."
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"Was it pity?" Harry asked the Head of Gryffindor.
"In a way, but mainly because I knew that James and Lily would have been disappointed that you couldn't have the same experiences. But rules are rules and just because you're the Boy-Who-Lived does not entitle you to special treatment and I'm certain that your parents, or at least your mother, would have understood." McGonagall explained.
Harry smiled at the honesty in her tone.
"Doesn't matter now anyways." Sirius said. "By the way, thanks for accepting my approval Professor."
"By throwing around your title of 'godfather' translates into magical guardian" McGonagall told him. "Besides, I was listening outside the door when Albus interviewed you that night you were captured."
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McGonagall and Molly glared at Ron.
"I was 13 and my best mate wasn't allowed to come to Hogsmeade with me!" Ron defended.
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"Real convincing Perce." Bill groaned.
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"Providing you didn't eat it all on the trip back." Ginny teased her brother.
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"Should have stayed in the common room." Harry muttered.
"That's actually not a bad thing you know…not being able to go to Hogsmeade." Ginny mused.
"Come again?" Harry asked.
"The castle with no Malfoy." She said in a tone that sounded almost seductive.
Harry slapped his forehead.
"Why didn't I take advantage of that!?" he asked himself.
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Ginny sighed. It would have been a good opportunity to have Harry alone so she could get to know the boy behind the Boy-Who-Lived without her brothers getting in the way. Why hadn't she taken the opportunity?
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"Giving out previews of upcoming lessons?" Tonks teased Remus.
"I know what it was like being alone while your friends were in Hogsmeade." Remus said shooting a glare at Sirius. "I figured that while Ron and Hermione were in Hogesmeade, I figured then would have been a good time to get to know the boy my best friends' son turned into.
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"I knew how close Lupin was to the Potters so I thought it would be prudent to catch him up." McGonagall defended herself as people turned to her.
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"Actually, I probably would have realized it was Sirius and have freaked out that he had gotten so close to you." Remus chuckled at the memory. "I wouldn't have thought you a coward Harry. Never."
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"Not knowing that James and Lily's blood runs through your veins." Remus chuckled.
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"All those present in the Old Order say his name." Sirius explained.
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"We have nothing to fear but fear itself." Tonks quoted.
"That's where I got it." Remus explained. "Quoted from Franklin Delano Roosevelt."
"Thirty-Second President of the United States." Hermione spouted out.
"Served from 1933 until his death in 1945." Remus added. "And was governor of New York before taking up the presidency."
Ron, not wanting a 'battle of the brains' spoke up over the back-and-forth of trivia facts about this Roosevelt guy.
Sirius shot Ron a grateful look.
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"It was so weird having a conversation with a teacher who saw past the scar."
Knowing this would embarrass Harry if said loudly enough, Remus leaned in and whispered into Harry's ear, "I changed your diapers. I've known you BEFORE the scar."
Harry blushed a bit.
"Thank you for not informing me of that then and there. Not sure if I would have been able to pay attention in class with that tidbit of information.
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"Had another bad flashback." Snape admitted.
"Bet it looked like James and Remus plotting a prank while I was getting food, didn't it?" Sirius asked.
"Exactly." Snape confirmed.
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"Lily probably could have found a way." Sirius mused. "She was brilliant at potions."
"She was actually on the verge of finding the Wolfsbane." Remus admitted. "But…she died before she could finish it. Luckily, Damocles found it."
"Actually, he found Lily's notes." Snape said with disgust in his voice having seen the man go to the monument that was Lily's home with James and Harry.
Sirius and Remus growled at the knowledge.
Snape wished he had grabbed them when he had come across the bodies that night shortly before Sirius and Hagrid arrived. He would have given Lily her due. However, he had been so distraught and the LAST thing he wanted was Black to see him there.
"Does it really matter who came up with it and how?" Ginny asked. "I mean, as long as it's available is what matters in the end."
Sirius turned to Ginny and blinked at her.
"That's EXACTLY what Lily would have said." Remus voiced what Sirius was thinking.
Between Harry, Ginny and Hermione, it was like Lily was back.
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"You thought Snape would poison Lupin?" Charlie asked.
"Constant vigilance." Harry admitted causing Moody to beam at him. "It's not like his behavior in the past has helped."
"As tempting as it was Potter, I wasn't allowed to. Dumbledore made me swear not to." Snape admitted throwing the headmaster a glare.
The man had had the nerve to even suggest an unbreakable vow not to poison the werewolf.
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"aftermath of the potion." Snape explained.
"You know, we might want to teach Hermione that potion." Molly suggested. "What with your position being so demanding and dangerous, backup would be good to have."
Snape was about to take offense to hint of doubt of his competency, however…
"And excellent idea Molly." Dumbledore said. "Miss. Granger? Would you be up for the challenge of learning Wolfsbane?"
"Sure" Hermione said eager for the challenge before turning to Remus. "I just hope I can do it as well as Professor Snape."
"This coming from the girl who brewed Polyjuice her second year." Tonks said with a grateful look on her face.
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"Even more at the Hogs Head." Sirius said.
"Don't encourage them to go to that place!" Molly reprimanded.
"Actually, the children would be quite safe there." Dumbledore said. "My brother owns that shop."
"True." Sirius agreed before whispering to Harry and Remus. "Just don't get Aberforth involved in a conversation about Albus."
Remus smiled knowingly though there was a hint of pity in the smile.
"Why not?" Harry whispered.
"They don't get along." Remus whispered back. "Aberforth never went into real detail so his argument don't make much sense."
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"Only on full moons." Sirius said patting Ron on the shoulder.
Remus reached over Harry and whacked Sirius upside the head.
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"When is it not?" the twins chorused.
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"Good. You need to eat." Sirius told Harry.
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"Don't even." Snape told the twins who were about to open their mouths. "I was checking for any side-effects of the potion."
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"What's wrong?" Molly asked frantically.
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"What happened?" Arthur gasped.
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Everyone turned to Sirius.
"I was angry! You all know my temper!" Sirius defended. "And I couldn't con her the way I used to when I'd forget the password or a certain PREFECT in the room purposefully gave me the wrong one."
Sirius glared at Remus who was the picture of innocence.
"Call it payback for the times you stole my chocolate." Remus said. "But you didn't have to slice the painting."
"I told you. I was angry. I had gone through a LOT of trouble to sneak into the castle, make sure everyone was at the feast, handle smelling the delicious food as I had been living off rats since the breakout, and then get to the common room without being seen so I could kill Peter and rest easily knowing that Harry wasn't anywhere NEAR that traitor and no student would have to witness the bloodshed." Sirius explained "Then she denied me access."
"It NEVER crossed your mind that Pettigrew alive is your one ticket to freedom?" Tonks asked.
"I didn't care about that at the time." Sirius said. "I was living in the present at the moment and the present consisted of my godson being near one of Voldemort's agents that Dumbledore didn't know was in the castle and my brother-in-all-but-blood was dead due to said agent. As it was my idea to switch secret keepers, it was my responsibility to make sure Peter PAYS. It wasn't until Harry spoke up against me and Remus killing the traitor I realized that I could be free. That we could have the family James made sure we would have should anything happen to him."
Harry placed a hand gently on Sirius' arm.
"Didn't you want me to know the truth?" Harry asked. "That you weren't the one who sold Mum and Dad out?"
"Pettigrew would have transformed" McGonagall explained. "Though it would have been VERY interesting to have Gryffindor walk into the site of a murder scene of a man who was supposed to have been dead for 12 years."
"Mo…Remus was the mastermind of the plans." Sirius defended while catching himself knowing that Molly didn't want it out that the Marauders were in the room with her twin boys.
The twins looked at each other. What was Sirius going to call Remus?
"So…who's next?" Ron asked knowing that lunch was going to be coming up after this next one and then they were going to have to sit on Harry as they listened to the eavesdropping scene when Harry would find out he HAD a godfather.
"I will." Fred said.
He took the book and frowned.
