It was raining and completely miserable outside. The wind was howling something horrible and every so often, there would be a "thump" resulting from a branch being blown off of one of the nearby trees and then being further blown into one of the walls of a small cottage. But inside the small, yet comfortable, cottage of Mr. and Ms John Davis a large fire was in the grate casting a warm and inviting glow. Though cottage was small, a family of four would be, and was, able to live in it without feeling the need for more space between themselves and their family. With three bedrooms, one for Mr. and Ms Davis and the other two for their children that were no longer children, a kitchen and a living room, the cottage was an ideal summer home for a family that liked to get away from the hustle of London. But an even better purpose then a summer get-away, was a retirement home, which was what Ms Davis had taken to calling it.
After a hard war, John Davis seemed to pull back slightly from the rest of the world. He seemed to have taken a liking to "people studying", meaning that he just liked to observe random people and how they went about normal everyday things. He watched as though he had never seen someone light a cigarette with a lighter before. Fearing that she might lose her husband to whatever hold World War Two had over him, Ms Davis had deiced to take the family, her husband and their two children Michelle and Richard, out to this small cottage every summer. And it seemed to help her husband a great deal. With no one else around really, all that he had to do was study his family, which, in an odd way, brought them all closer. For example, it was during one summer that Mr. Davis learned that his daughter liked bird watching, so, with nothing better to do, Mr. Davis began to accompany his daughter on her trips into the woods for "Bird Hunting". The family became closer and Mr. Davis slowly started to become the man he had been before he went to war. And when the time came for retirement, it was logical that this was the place for them.
So for quite a few years, there had been nothing but peace and quiet for the old couple. Which, perhaps, was the reason Mr. and Ms Davis were so eager to let a stranger into their home when he showed up in the early hours of Tuesday morning completely soaked from the rain that had started some time the night before. They wished to have something new in their life's, something else to talk about over tea. And this young James Potter seemed to be it.
"Would you like another blanket James? You're still shaking a little honey." Ms Davis asked the young stranger who was sitting in front of the roaring fire. Since arriving, James had said very little. He had told them his name, that he was lost, and that he just needed a place to sit the storm out and a few other things only offered after the Davis' asked a question. Ms Davis, whose maternal instincts kicked in as soon as she saw the 20 some odd boy at her door, could not turning him away. Seeing him there, wearing the most peculiar clothing, shivering from the cold rain had just made her heart ache.
And, if that had not been enough, when she had opened the door, he had been looking down, but at the sound of her voice asking if she could help him, he looked up, and when he did, Ms Davis saw heartbreak in his young eyes. So, she took him in and was trying to give him space, but comfort at the same time, something she was positive only a mother would be able to pull off. She had let him into her home, ushered him down a short hall wall, into one of the bedrooms and went hustling about looking for some dry clothes for him to wear. She found some old clothes that Richard had left from his last visit and left them on the bed for him, telling him to change and then to come out to the kitchen were she would have some hot food for him. Once he had changed, he walked slowly toward the kitchen were Ms Davis was heating some food in the microwave. After having some left over dinner, Ms Davis led him into the living room and told him to sit near the fire as he was bound to still be cold, and she insisted that he wrap a blanket around himself. James did not argue, he just merely sat down in front of the fire and hadn't moved from that spot since.
At her question James shook his head.
"No thanks. I'm fine." James said softly, eyes glued to the fire. After a moment, Ms Davis walked away from James and went to her husband who was standing in the kitchen, staring at James. Mr. Davis of course new what was going on, what was wrong with James, and what was making him shake like that. And it wasn't from the cold. Albus Dumbledore had explained it all or most of it anyway. Dumbledore had contacted him a few days prior, informing him that a man would be coming to them in a few days, asking for a place to stay. Don't turn him away, Dumbledore had said. And he had then explained some of what had happened to the young man that was sitting on John's living room floor. He said that John couldn't know too much because others would be coming for James, and that it would be best if he knew as little as possible so the others wouldn't give him a hard time.
"I'm worried John," Ms Davis said in an undertone once she had reached her husband. "That boy trembles something terrible, and I know enough to know that it isn't from the cold." She said looking at James concernedly.
"Don't you worry Christina," John said to his wife, watching as James pulled the blanket tighter around him. "Just leave him some hot coco, a plate of biscuits, and leave him be." Ms Davis opened her mouth to say something when a sudden movement in the living room distracted her. And it was clear what the distraction was.
James had sprung to his feet, letting blanket fall to the floor, and pulled from the waste band of the jeans Ms Davis had left for him a wooden stick. Ms Davis gasped. She recognized what that was, it was a wand. Just like the one her daughter-in-law had.
"Quiet." James said in a commanding voice. He was looking all around the cabin, as though looking for an intruder. Then there was a thud on the wall made by a tree branch and he spun around and pointed his wand at that wall. Ms Davis opened her mouth to tell him that it was just that, a tree branch, when Mr. Davis placed a hand over her mouth and pointed out of the window behind them. Ms Davis nearly passed out. A person wearing a black hood had just ducked from her sight as she looked at the window that was set over her sink. James, who standing in the middle of the living room now, had scene her glance, and saw the fear mount up in her.
"Was it a person wearing a black cloak?" James asked, wand now pointed at the window.
"Yes." Mr. Davis said hand still placed over his wife's mouth.
"Did they see you?" James asked, all the questions being asked in the same, almost monotone voice.
"Yes." James only nodded and slowly started to make a 360 turning. Taking in the entire cabin. Facing the Davis' there was a window behind them, the back wall of the cabin, over the sink, easy to gain access through. After a 90-degree turn to the left of the Davis' was a wall with pictures on it, no windows. James made a mental note 'left side from kitchen, safe to back up to.' Making another 90-degree turn, James now had his back to the Davis' 'And a windows ' he thought. The door was on this wall, and on either side of the door was a widow, set low in the wall. Very easy access. Then before James could finish his full 360 turn, there was a crash and a scream from behind him.
The storm raged on outside, the rain falling and the winding howling as though in pain. Most people don't like working outside in this kind of weather. Yet, most people aren't Aurors tracking down a dangerous man. The howling of the wind that might trouble some people was taken as a blessing to the team of ten Aurors that had just apparated out of thin air in the woods surrounding a small cottage. There was three facing the front of the cottage and three facing the back. The last four were split up on the remaining either sides.
Even though the wind and rain had covered their arrival, the Aurors' still moved as little as possible and seemed to hardly be breathing. They stood still for a full five minutes, in which they had completely been soaked. Then, one Auror leaned out from behind the tree that concealed her view of the house, and took in the sight. A warm flicking light was coming out of the two windows that faced her. Slowly she brought her wand up to her mouth and talked into it as though it were a microphone.
"Shacklebolt, what entrances do you got?" Paige Summers whispered into her wand. Most would talk normal, for who would be able to hear her if they were not standing right next to her? Well lets just say that she had heard to many of Mad-Eye Moody's stories, and had herself, become some of his stories about things that can go wrong.
"I have three windows, ones not high at all. Easy access. I can see light from it, the others are higher up and dark." A voice whispered, coming out of Paige's wand.
"Tonks what do you have?" Paige asked in a whisper.
"I've got two windows, but there high up and dark." Tonks' voice whispered come from Paige's wand just as Shacklebolt had done.
"Adams, you?"
"No windows on this side." Was the whispered reply.
"Right, everybody listen up. Shacklebolt, you and your team are going to make the first move. Enter through the low-set window you have. I'll follow with Clancy and Miller through the front windows. Tonks, you and your team file in through Shacklebolt's window, Adams; you come in after my team. Do not use the doors, they might be hexed." Paige said into her wand, moving back behind her tree and facing the two boys that where crouched low behind shrubbery, they were able to see the house, but anyone inside the house could not see them. "Shacklebolt, started leading your team to the window. Do not enter until you are all assembled and have my go." Bring her wand away from her face Paige said to the boys,
"I'll go in the right window first, wait till I get away from the window then come through after me. Use the same window." The boys nodded their heads. Bring her wand back up to her mouth, Paige said, "My team is making our move now. Tonks and Adams, wait for my go." Paige said. Then with a gesture to the two boys, Paige slowly made her way out form behind the tree. When she heard the crunch of a twig, she wheeled around.
"Sorry. I know, I know, light steps and feel the ground with your feet before stepping fully." One of the boys said in a quick whisper.
"If you know, then do." Said Paige. Once she was clear of the trees, she slowly lowered herself to the ground. Then, she laid herself flat and started to make her way to the house, pulling and pushing herself forward with her forearms and knees. Under most circumstances, the Aurors' would have just cast a Disillusionment Charm and creped up to the house. But, as Paige had told the team before they set out, this was not a normal case. It was only that afternoon (or yesterday afternoon) that she had devolved the information of the attack she had been part of. She had said that she wanted to have something to go on before she got everyone wired up. The team of hand picked Aurors had been told that this man knew of Auror tactics so it would not be safe to go about things in the usual manner. Another thing out of the ordinary was not entering through the dark windows. True, they would have been a little harder to get into, but Paige had said that again, this man knew Auror movements, and he would expect that. A full frontal attack would be less expected, giving them the upper hand. And then of course there was the fact that Dumbledore had personally asked her to keep the damage to a minimum as there were two old people who might die of a heart attack if things were made too much of a mess.
Once she reached the house, Paige pulled herself as close to the wall without touching it as possible, then, just as slowly, she flipped over and gently leaned her back on the cabin wall. She watched as the two boys followed her and did the same. She turned her head and looked left and right, then brought her wand up to her mouth and asked,
"Shacklebolt, in position?"
"Yes." Paige was just about to tell Shacklebolt to stand and get his team ready to go through the window when, next to her, she heard something that made her heart stop.
"AACHUU!" wheeling her head to the left Paige looked at the boy next to her who was as pale as a ghost and was pointing a trembling finger at the boy next to him, who, if it was possible, was even paler then his friend. Furious, she glanced up at the window that was two feet away from the boy who sneezed and brought her wand up to her mouth and whispered furiously,
"We may have been compromised. Everyone still for a moment." She whispered into her wand. "Shacklebolt, get ready to enter, Tonks, Adams, move into your positions now." She said after a moment. There was no way that James would have missed that if he was inside whatever room that was. With one last glare at the boy, Paige slowly began to stand upright, still leaning against the house. Then a branch hit the wall and she froze.
"One of my team was seen by an old women and man." Shacklebolt's voice said, coming out of Paige's wand. 'How many bloody things can go wrong?' Paige thought.
"Alright, on my word Shacklebolt. Tonks and Adams, you finish your move to position on my word too. One…two…NOW!" Paige heard a crash of glass breaking and then a scream. Taking a step away from the house and in front of the window, Paige pointed her wand at the window and yelled "REDUCTO!" and watched as the glass burst. Not waiting a second, Paige grabbed either side of the window frame and climbed through. The sight that greeted her was Shacklebolt and James dueling. The other members of his team were bringing the muggles to another room. Knowing that it would be best for everyone, James especially, if this ended quickly, Paige pointed her wand at James' back, which was facing her and yelled,
"STU-" but was cut off when from, outside of the cottage, she heard someone yell for her. Turning and looking out of the window, Paige saw the lights of spells being fired from the woods toward the house and spells from the house being fired into the woods. They were under attack. "EVERY AUROR THAT IS IN THIS HOUSE, GET OUTSIDE AND DEFEND!" Paige yelled at the top of her lungs, still watching the lights of all different colors coming from the woods. Then, thinking that she couldn't hear anything else to make this night worse, she heard a strangled cry from behind her and turned to see Shacklebolt hit the floor. She had left James with him for to long. James then spun around and began firing spells at Paige. There was no time for this. Some how Voldemort knew that James was back and here and had sent Death Eaters to collect him.
"James, listen to me. The bad guys are in the woods. The ones in the cabin and surrounding the cabin are the good guys." Paige said while blocking the curses James was throwing at her. James didn't answer. "Alright, um, Sirius!" She yelled, when she thought of something that might make James believe her. "When Regulus died, Sirius felt upset, and that pissed him off." She said quickly. Again, she heard her name being called from outside. It sounded like Tonks. James faltered a little at what Paige had said, but it was enough. "STUPEFY!" she yelled. And the jet of red light hit James in the shoulder, but it was enough to knock him out.
"Ennervate," She said, pointing her wand at Shacklebolt. His eyes snapped opened and he quickly got to his feet. Hearing the noise outside and seeing James laying on the floor stunned he asked,
"What's going on?"
"There's no time. You have to get him to the Ministry. Listen to me Kingsley, this man really is James Potter; I can't explain now, just get him to the Ministry and place him in a containment cell. Do not let anything happen to him. Understand?" Paige didn't even wait for Shacklebolt to nod before she yelled at him to go. She watched as Shacklebolt pulled off a necklace with a large pendent from around his neck, grab James' arm and start to activate the Portkey. Staying only to give them cover, Paige waited until they were gone and ran down the darkened hallway looking for were those kids put the muggles. They had to get out of here. Finding them in one of the bedrooms (both of them stunned and laying on the bed), Paige grabbed a lamp that was on the bed table and turned it into a Portkey. Placing their hands on the lamp she it activated the Portkey, but this time she didn't wait to see them away. Sprinting from the room, Paige ran back to the window she came in through and dived out, knowing that she would be harder to hit that way.
Once outside she started firing curses and backed up against the wall, in a line with the boys she had been with before and some of Adams' team. It wasn't long before she heard Tonks' voice again, coming from not to far away from her.
"There's to many!"
"WE HAVE WHAT WE CAME FOR! RETREAT!" Paige yelled, both, into the night and into her wand. Instantly, she heard pops and cracks all around her. Knowing that she had to get away herself, Paige apparated as well.
Potter Family Mausoleum Break in and Attack on a Search Team
On November 1st, there was a break in at the Potter Family Mausoleum. It seems that when the caretaker of the cemetery found this madman, he was attacked. Responding to magic in a muggle area, the law enforcement was send immediately. Yet once arriving on the scene, and seeing the man attacking the muggle, he was stunned. A team of two Aurors were then sent to take care of the problem. Only problem was they lasted hardly longer then the first.
To put a stop to the madness, and to be blunt, disgrace of the Magical Law Enforcement and the Auror Division, Senior Auror Paige Summers set out to find this man who was causing so much trouble. Even more so then wanting to keep the Ministry form embarrassment, Miss Summers wanted to find the man that had broken into her old, and first, partner's family tomb. Upon arriving at the Mausoleum, Summers saw that the tomb of James Potter had been blown open. On further expectation, she saw the tomb was empty. There was no body to be found.
"As I'm sure anyone can image, I wanted to find the person reasonable of this disgrace as soon as possible," Summers said at a Press meeting last night when she, at last, ended the rumors that had been flying about. Summers went on to say that she indeed tracked the man down, but he got away from her. But not before revealing another, sickening, aspect of this crime. "The man was identical to James Potter at the age of 22." (For picture of James Potter turn to page 4 where this article continues) She said that she was still working on finding his location, but she felt that she was close enough to let everyone know what she was keeping hidden. Though Summers seemed to have still been keeping things to herself.
News reached the 'Daily Prophet' this morning that a team of Aurors was taken to a site where they believed the "Potter-Poser" was. They did indeed find him. But, it would seem he was not alone. Before the "Potter-Poser" could be taken under control, the team was attacked. All of the team made it back to the Ministry alive, but the identities of the attackers was never found out. The only good news the Auror Department seemed to be able to give was that they had captured the "Potter-Poser".
Summers stated that she did not want to reveal the events that could have lead to the death of 10 or so Aurors until she had something for the Aurors to work with, but can we take her word? As readers from the time when Who-Know-Who was still in power will remember, Ms Summers was involved with the infamous Sirius Black. So we must all ask ourselves, can we take the word of a woman who, as an Auror, was sleeping with a Death Eater without knowing? While the Ministry stands behind Ms Summers that she was just in her actions, many will have to wait until the Ministry releases the results from the tests that are going to be performed on the "Potter-Poser".
Story continues on pages 4, 5 and 6.
Ron let out a low whistle, leaning away from Hermione as he finished reading the article. Hermione just nodded, and looked around the Great Hall as Harry took to staring at his plate, taking in what he had just read in the article.
"I think we should head back up to the common room." Hermione said in an undertone as the people who got the 'Daily Prophet' began spiting out there Pumpkin Juice from the shock of what the were reading. Harry looked up in time to see someone from the Hufflepuff table look at him and then sprit out of the Great Hall, Prophet in hand.
"Yeah, think that would be best." Harry said, looking away from the students of the hall who began to whisper and point. He glanced up at the Staff table as he, Ron, and Hermione rose from the table and he saw that the teachers that had been looking at him funny last week seemed to be the least surprised out of all the staff. Harry couldn't help but notice the nasty look Umbridge was giving the paper that she was holding, clearly she wasn't happy.
"Come on," Ron mumbled, tugging at Harry's elbow. It was then that Harry noticed how much the Hall had filled up in a matter of minutes, the looks he was getting from his classmates, and the whispering that seemed to be a roar that filled the Great Hall. They began to walk out of the Great Hall, at a faster speed then usually, when Hermione stopped turned back and grabbed the paper and they nearly ran out of the hall. Once they reached the marble staircase Hermione said in a soft tone,
"Um, do you want me to cast the charm Harry?"
"I donno, I think you could pull off a look of overwhelmed." Ron said casting a sidelong glance at Harry who was being very quite.
"Do it anyway. We have defense. I have to look my worst for Umbridge." Harry said. Then they saw two second year Gryffindor walk past them on their way to the Great Hall when Harry added, "Wait till we get to the common room." Ron stretched his arm in front of Harry and held his hand palm up to Hermione, indicting that he wanted to see the paper. Hermione handed it him. As they stopped to wait for a staircase to move over to them, Ron unfolded the article and was looking at the picture that was to the right of it. It was of a women wearing Auror robes standing in front of a Podium speaking to a crowd of people that were pushing each other about to get closer to her. Not really wanting to think about the article, what it held, and how the school was reacting, Harry watched the occupants of the paintings on the walls move about. Then, to his displeasure, he saw a figure run into the frame and whisper something to the mother that was reading a book to a child. Harry had a nasty feeling what the whisper was about. And when the mother's eyes widened and flew to Harry, his feeling was confirmed.
"You guys think this is the same Summers that came into the Great Hall last week?" Ron asked as the staircase came to a stop in front of them at last and they began to climb it.
"Probably was. Sirius said that it was an old friend of his and dads that found my dad and brought him to Headquarters." Harry said, watching as the occupants of the pictures surrounding them were moving from one picture to another, all the while whispering. To Harry's surprise, Ron let out a snort of laughter at Harry's words. It was only when Ron saw the looks that Harry and Hermione were giving him did he explain.
"Sirius said that she was his friend, well according to this, they were a little more then that." Ron said, holding up the newspaper and wiggling his eyebrows. Harry let out his on snort of laughter, though it was more at Ron then on what the paper had said about his Godfather. Hermione let out an annoyed sigh.
"Oh Ron, that is the same paper that calls Harry an attention seeking little liar. Are you really going to sink so low and listen to whatever they have to say?" Hermione said as they reached the Fat Lady's corridor.
"Oh, right." Ron said.
"You know, I wonder why they didn't bring me up." Harry said as they reached the Fat Lady. "Blibbering Humdinger." Harry said to the Fat Lady who was eyeing him oddly. 'News had really traveled this fast?' Harry thought as the portrait opened. There were not many people in the common room, but as soon as they saw Harry step into the room a hush fell over them all. Looking around, Harry saw the person in the painting that had told the Mother holding the child about what was in the paper, standing in the painting with the men playing cards. News really did travel fast. It was a nudge in the shoulder that got Harry moving again, and he headed toward his dorm. 'This is going to be a long day.'
'This is going to be a long day.' Paige thought as she sat at her desk with her head in her hands, rubbing her temples. The Press Conference last night had been just as she expected, Hell on Earth. And to day wasn't looking so hot either. There had to be some kind of class that people who wanted to be Reporters had to take that taught them how to become such heart-less blood sucking motherfuckers. They just had to bring the Sirius thing up didn't they?
"Summers," A voice said from the door of her office. Looking up through the mix of hands and hair that had fallen into her face Paige saw Shacklebolt.
"Yeah," she said lower her hands and straightening up. At first, Paige was a little hesitant to take him and his with her on the case, but there were two things that decided it for her. One was that it would look good; it would look as though she thinks that Sirius is behind it and she wants the best to help catch his ass. Then, there was Dumbledore saying that he wanted him and Tonks there because they're Order members and Tonks had already met James.
"They've had the imposter in the containment cell since we brought him here at 3:45 am." He said, stepping into her office and sitting down in one of the chairs that she had facing her desk. Her office was a very odd one. Were most would think that the old bitch would have only "grown up" things in her office, she had just as many Quidditch posters and Weird Sister Posters as any of the younger Aurors. There were also pictures of her and her friends at Hogwarts up to her fourth year, and then the pictures of her and her friends at the ages from 18 to 22. And, if someone looked close enough at some of the group pictures she had, you could see Sirius Black. Trying to get into her office and see one of the pictures she had of Black was often a dare, or command, giving to new Aurors. It was only the older ones that new she had a kind of sick sense of humor about everything that had happen between her and Black. Kingsley's eyes snapped away from the poster she had behind her of the Weird Sister's when she started to speak.
"Was there any Polyjuice detected?" she asked shuffling some of her parchment around, looking for the one she had started her notes on. She knew that this whole thing was pointless; Shacklebolt (who made a quick stop at Hogwarts to talk to Dumbledore at 4:30 am) knew that it was pointless, but they both still had to do all the damn paper work as though it were real.
"No. But, and I never knew this, no one would have been able to use Polyjuice potion anyway." Shacklebolt said. Paige looked up at him, eyebrows raised. "Yeah I know. This kid that was working near the cell we put him in heard us mention Polyjuice and said that there couldn't have been. He said that for Polyjuice to work, the piece of the person you're changing into has to be fresh."
"Fresh?" Paige asked, stopping her search for her parchment to stare at Kingsley.
"Yup. He said that it couldn't be more then a month old. And the older the piece is, the less time you have as that person." Paige leaned back in her chair thinking that over. She didn't get to far in her thoughts because Scrimgeour entered her office, without knocking, and said,
"Are you ever going to question the imposter? Because if you wont, if it's to much for you to handle, I'll be more then willing." He said walking over to her desk and standing in front of it. Then he looked at Kingsley and a small, nasty, smirk started to form on his face. "My, I didn't know that you were close with the man that's tracking down Black Summers." He said.
"I am on my way to question him now. I want to head this case. There will never be a need for you to ever take one of my cases, and get the fuck out of my office." Paige said, standing and picking up some of the parchment off of her desk. Knowing that if she didn't leave then that Scrimgeour would keep questioning her, Paige walked around her desk and out of her office to go and question James.
Ever remember forgetting something? Not the easiest thing to describe to someone, and even less easy to explain to yourself. James knew that this wasn't right. That something wasn't right with this whole thing. He remembered feeling this sadness that he was feeling now, and he remembered it going away, and that he felt happy. The same kind of happy he had felt when he held Harry for the first time. He remembered feeling that way, and it seemedlike a new feelingto him. But how on earth could he feel that happy? Now that Harry and Lily were…
One thing that he was thankful for was that he recognized the place he was. Not that it was a good thing he was there, it was just nice to know where he was with his world spinning out of control. Currently, he was sitting in one of the containment cells at the Ministry. True he had never seen the containment room from this side of the questioning table, but it was unmistakably the Ministry. Only the Ministry would be dumb enough to make a kid stand watch over him. Voldemort would have had all of his favorites taking their turns "playing" with him. James put his elbows on the table and his face in his hands. Why wouldn't they just question him, and let him go grieve in peace? Was it not enough that he was suffering from losing his family and friends that he had to suffer from hungry as well? Letting out a humorless chuckle at what Lily would say if she heard him thinking about his stomach at a time like this, James pressed his palm into his eyes to keep from crying.
"He hasn't really done anything expect stare at the wall and rub his face with his hands." A voice said from outside. James brought his hands away from his face and looked at the window set in the door. He could only see that boy that would look in every few minutes, but James assumed that he was speaking with whoever was going to be questioning him.
"Thank you." He heard a female voice say, and then before he could place the voice, the door opened and the guard walked in and held it open. Then Paige Summers walked in carrying a stack of parchment. It couldn't be her though; it had to be a death eater. But, this place had to be the Ministry though. He had thought it all through before; Voldemort would never leave him unattended like they had. It just couldn't be her though! How could she had lived this long? She was just as nuts as he was, risky, impulsive… Following her was the man that had attacked him at the Davis' home. He had to be a death eater. Then a thought came to him, they were both death eaters posing as Aurors, working from the inside.
"Right, I want this all done quickly, so tell me, are we going to have to get some veritaserum?" She asked James, set the papers down on the table and pulling out a chair to sit. Paige hadn't even waited for the rest of the people to file into the room. There was a redhead court scribe; one of Fudge's lackeys no doubt, and another guard that would stand behind James, wand at the ready. Upon hearing Paige start to talk, the sight was really rather funny, the scribe and the guard seemed to become all flustered and the scribe nearly dropped his ink in his hurry to take his seat and began writing. Turning his full attention back to the women, he wasn't sure whether to think of her as Paige or as an imposter yet, James said,
"That depends on what you're going to ask." She just nodded and made a mark on one of her papers. James then noticed something that was a defiant Paige trait; she was using a ballpoint pen. It was something that Paige was known for because she had such bad luck with inkbottles and quills.
"Right then. Who are you?" She said looking up at him.
"James Potter." James answered. Paige just looked down at her paper and made another mark. The reactions of the other people in the room was a little more interesting. The man that he had been dueling with the night before, was gazing coolly at him (probable pissed that he got stunned) and just raised an eyebrow, the scribe nearly broke his ink again, and James heard an intake of shocked breath from the guard behind him.
"Alright, if you wont corporate," Paige said looking at James then moving her gaze over his shoulder. "Could you please administer the veritaserum" She said. James heard movement from behind him but didn't turn around to look. He was almost sure that it really was Paige and he knew that if he looked it would seem as though he were nervous, like he had something to hide. So he kept eye contacted with her as someone moved and was now standing at his side.
"Open you mouth." A voice said. It was obvious that the speaker was trying to sound tough but was failing. James wordlessly opened his mouth and felt, one, two, three drops of veritaserum fall onto his tongue. He felt the affects at once. 'Hope the scribe doesn't destroy his notes when he spills his ink,' James was able to think as Paige asked the first question.
"What is your name?"
"James Harry Potter the Third."
Sirius paced the floor, running a hand through his hair every tenth step. Remus was sure that it was ever tenth step, because he had started counting. It had taken awhile to remove all of James' memories that wouldn't look good if the Ministry came to find them. But once they were all out, Sirius and Remus had to watch as Dumbledore led James out of the house. They couldn't have any contact with him until he got out of the Ministry and got his memories back. Cause if they did, James would remember it and they were running low on time. Dumbledore said that James would get the feeling that he's just forgotten something and he wont be as violent as when had first found him because, in his heart, he knew that he still had Harry. He would think that Harry and Lily were both dead, but he wouldn't feel that grief as he had. And ever since James had left Sirius had been a nervous wreck.
"How long do you think they're going to keep him again?" Sirius asked Remus, stopping his pacing for a moment to look at Remus who was sitting in an armchair. They had taken up to waiting in the Drawing Room for any news both getting bored of the kitchen scenery. And there were some rays of the afternoon sunlight dancing across the dark carpet.
"Dumbledore said that they might release him to Hogwarts on Friday." Said Remus. Sirius nodded and then started his pacing again. He opened his mouth to ask another question but the sound of the doorbell and Ms Black's screams stopped him.
"I'll get it. You stay here." Remus said standing from his chair and making his way from the room. Walking quickly down the stairs, Remus moved toward the portrait first. After a moment, he was able to pull the curtains of Sirius' mum shut and put a stop to her ranting about half-breed werewolves. Moving toward the door now, Remus pulled out his wand to undo the many locks. Once the door was opened Remus was greeted with the sight of a very pale Molly Weasley.
"Molly," Remus said standing aside so she could come in. He was surprised to see her. They all were expecting Order members to come and ask what was going on, but since the Weasley's canceled their subscription to the Prophet they weren't expecting them until the meeting Dumbledore was planning on holding that night.
"Oh Remus, Arthur just flooed me to tell me. What is Voldemort playing at? Has Sirius or anyone spoken to Harry about it? Oh, the poor dear what he must be going through!" Molly said franticly as she made her way into the house, heading toward the kitchen. Remus placed a hand on her shoulder and said,
"No, come up to the Drawing Room. Sirius and myself will explain everything to you."
A.N-Gasp could it be? A chapter that the author is happy with? Eh, kind of. I'm not so sure I like the ending, but I do like the rest of it, which is new for me. Thank you all for the reviews for the last chapter. I loved them, like always. My presentation and report for English went fine and I gotta say, nothing gets me writing chapters like your reviews and when I have homework or studying to do. Isn't that odd?
Fill my mailbox with reviews and you'll be my favorite people!
Till next time!
Oh, and just a little teaser for the 308 reviews you guys have given me, words can tell you guys how happy that makes me. So, heres a teaser instead…
When they got outside the press was already waiting for them.
"Mr. Potter, tell everyone how it feels to be coming out of a fourteen year coma?
"Mr. Potter, tell us what your first thoughts were upon waking up inside a tomb!"
"Mr. Potter, tell us what it feels like to know that your son has face, or is claiming to have faced, You-Know-Who more times as you have?"