Disclaimers and Notes: Harry Potter is not mine, nor are any of the characters or items used in this fanfiction (thus, the word/term "Fanfiction"). HP belongs to J. K. Rowling, and she's a wonderful author for it. I respect her. Her work is beautiful, to say the least.
All information that may regard werewolves, runes, demons, etc. does NOT belong to me. They are merely the information that I found after doing research on the subjects.
Okay, due to "popular" demand, it seems, I'm not going to change any of the previous chapters... A lot of you appear to enjoy thing being complicated, so who am I to argue? Less work for me! Yes! But I have gone back and re-edited all the chapters to they're less grammar horrifying.
From here one, I think it'll be easier to understand. But this is slowly becoming a mystery. Some of you may have actually figured it out already, but I don't think any of you can possibly guess what's going to happen in future chapters. You just wait and see!
GRAMMAR MAY DEGRESS AS YOU GO ALONG! I was sorta rushed with this.
READ and REVEIW, as always. ^__~
Thank you.
Geuna~
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Charmed Curses
By Lady Geuna
Rated: This chapter will be rated PG
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
/.../ around a SENTENCE will mean a flashback or memory.
"..." speech
'....' thoughts
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Freedom Gained ?
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Carpe diem, Ron. Carpe diem… … Seize the day," Hermione said proudly, smiling. "No time like the present!"
Hermione Granger to Ron Weasley ~ Fanfiction "Charmed Curses", The Storm, by Lady Geuna
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
He could tell that Snape wasn't expecting him at all, had thought he was someone else. Feeling satisfied that he had managed to catch the other man so off guard, Lucius simply sauntered through the doorway, his cold gray eyes never leaving Snape's ink black ones.
Honestly, Snape had always been a brilliant actor. Even now he was able to hide his fear, masking it with cool indifference. He hadn't even taken a second glance at Lucius' wand as he stood up from his seat, giving Lucius a curt nod.
But of course he was afraid. He had to be. Unarmed, unprotected, helpless, and inching toward his wand on the night stand-
Snape's fingers had barely touched the wand before Lucius yelled, "Expelliarmus," and the frail piece of enchanted wood was sent sailing directly into Lucius' waiting palm.
"Do we feel a need to arm ourselves against a 'friend', hm," Lucius asked coolly, twirling Snape's wand idly in his figures, his eyes never leaving Snape's, before discarding it, throwing it over his shoulder. It clattered on the stone floor, far out of Snape's reach and out of view. "Friends don't need to arm themselves against friends, Severus."
Snape did scowl this time (to Lucius satisfaction). Finally, a flaw in that cold stone mask of his. "Well, Lucius, why do you feel the need to have a wand pointed at me?"
It was time to cut to the chase. "I'm not a fool, Snape. Even our Lord suspects you, and so do I. And I know it to be true now…"
"I don't know what you're talking about-"
"Yes, yes, defending the school against Skrewts, were we? ("How horrible.") And I suppose you know nothing of the events in the London Underground? Of a few wizards in search of a missing person, perhaps? Perhaps…," he smirked, "a dead man…?"
"Malfoy-"
"Where did you get an injury like that," he asked, ignoring Snape's attempt to speak. "I've never know a Skrewt to cause injuries such as those. You're not even burnt, a singe."
Silence…
Annoyed, he continued, raising his wand a bit more, "I want answers, Snape. I know you had something to do with all this."
Snape sneered, his eyes narrowing icily. "Are all you have is assumptions, Malfoy? I am desperately struggling to grasp whatever point you're trying to make, for I certainly don't see one. What the bloody hell are you-"
"Our Lord was a fool to allow you to continue to serve him," Lucius bit out, cutting the other man off once more. "You can't fool me! You should've been killed rather than allowed back into our circle. Traitor."
"If you're trying to get me to crack, Malfoy, there's no need," Snape hissed. "I say it one last time; there is nothing to tell. I have done nothing! Now, are you going to continue this tiring rate like a blithering ignoramus are you going to come to the fantastic realization that you. are. wrong!"
Lucius was impressed, indeed. Quiet an actor, this Severus Snape, quiet and actor…
But all masks had to fall sometime.
The simple, muttered word of, "Crucio," sent Snape withering to his knees.
Snape didn't scream, nor did he let out any cries of pain (Lucius would give him that much), but clutched his hands to his chest as one would while suffering a heart attack, his eyes wide and unseeing, his teeth painfully clinched. When Lucius allowed it to be over, the only sound in the room was Snape's ragged breathing, and the slow shuffling of feet and cloth as he struggled back to a standing position. He used the night stand as a support, and in his effort to get a firm hold, the small table tipped, sending a glass of water and a pitcher crashing to the floor, where it shattered to pieces. Glittering shard as glass littered the stone floor…
Lucius simply looked on with blank, gray eyes.
"You're going to tell me what I want know, or I won't hesitate in using any methods necessary. You will agree to take a truth potion, won't you, Snape?"
He was reaching into his robes to remove the draught when another voice made him halt…
"I don't think so, Mr. Malfoy."
Lucius froze, then turned around very slowly… Of course, he didn't need to see the man's face to know who he was.
"You..."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
A few minutes ago…
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The four men--Edward Thornback, Samuel Quell, and Professor Donald A. Rum--arrived on the steps of Hogwarts soon after lunch had ended, and long after the rain had started. All of them had been soaking wet and looked to be rather cranky. Arthur Weasley had been immediately escorted elsewhere to where his belongs had been taken by the house elves.
Now Mr. Weasley was unpacking the few belongings he'd brought with him into the empty drawers of his dresser, humming a tune to himself. The sound of the door gently opening, however, alerted Mr. Weasley to another presence, and he looked up quickly. "Ah, Dumbledore," Mr. Weasley said, surprised.
The elderly man smiled, closing the door behind him with a soft "click", "I trust you had a safe journey?"
"I didn't think you would be coming all the way here to see me..." (his room was located just around the corner from the Gryffindor Tower) Then he seemed to remember to answer Dumbledore's question, saying, "And yes, thank you." He straightened, rubbing his low back as he did so, smiling a bit. "I haven't rode a broomstick in so long..."
Dumbledore smiled a little, eyeing the other mans suitcase. "Unpacking taking longer than expected?"
"Hardly…" He smiled wistfully. "Heeh, Molly was positive that I would be staying at least a month, so she make sure I had more than enough close to get my by… She's very reluctant to let any of us leave her sights these days. But Bill's come to help look after Charlie." He sighed. "She wasn't at all pleased that we weren't sent with some sort of protection, or guard…"
To this, Dumbledore said, "Though, I trust you haven't brought any Dementors with you this time." Perhaps Dumbledore had meant for it to be a joke, but it didn't come out as such. There was no humor in his words, unfortunately...
In response Mr. Weasley closed his eyes and shivered visibly, remembering the events of a few days ago. "Not this time. I think the Minister his eating his own words about Dementors being under his complete control."
"Indeed."
After a moment, Mr. Weasley spoke again, turning to take a few more shirts from his case. "I think that's why he sent Malfoy in their place. What better then a person as foul as a Dementor..." Mr. Weasley suddenly stopped, embarrassed from saying such a juvenile thing to his own Headmaster. "Oh... Forgive me, Dumbledore. I don't mean to be so rude, though you know I've never been fond.... of…", he trailed off when he looked back toward Dumbledore, only to find the man's eyes growing hard and unreadable, as if a deep sense of foreboding had hit him. "Sir...?"
"Lucius...? Mr. Malfoy is among your people? I didn't see him."
The look in the man's eyes made icy dread creep up his spine...
"Yes," Mr. Weasley said slowly, suddenly feeling very worried. "I... I assumed he would be waiting for us here… He left ahead of us through another Portkey, I..." Wait… Dumbledore didn't know, he hadn't been told, that could only mean…
'Oh Merlin...'
There was something almost like fear (is that even possible…?) in Dumbledore's eyes as he whispered, "Severus," under his breath before rushing to the door, flinging it open, and sweep from the room, Mr. Weasley in close pursuit…
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
I few minute previous…
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
James Potter stood poised; Snape's discarded wand clutched in his hand. "Lower your wand now, or you don't want to know what I'll do to you," James said flatly.
Lucius knew a real threat when he heard one, but he wasn't one to simply back down. His eyes didn't leave James', though his wand remained pointed at Snape.
He silently wondered what would become of this little stand off…
The last person Snape had been expecting to walk through that door was now standing before them, his own wand in the other man's possession. The whole scene reminded him uncannily of the Wizard Duels they had participated in years ago…
"Mr. Potter," Lucius drawled, eyeing the other man lazily. "To what may I owe your company?"
Potter smirked, holding Snape's wand a little higher. "You should be more careful about throwing away perfectly good wands."
"Indeed, I shall remember that in the future." His wand hand still didn't waver, to Snape's dismay. If he moved, Lucius was likely to attack, no question about it. He cursed himself for being so off guard in the first place. And he couldn't do anything with Lucius trained on him like this…
Potter looked like he was getting annoyed at this fact. Then he narrowed his eyes and spoke firmly, loudly, his voice demanding rather than pleading. "Lower your wand, Malfoy. I don't want anyone hurt, here, but I will if I have to."
"I don't take orders from dead men-"
"Dead man or not, Aurors don't give favors to Death Eaters."
Silence…
Snape was watching them both intently. He wasn't scared, really, but puzzled as to why neither had made a move. Though, Potter certainly did have the advantage, and the excuse of defending a helpless (grimace) man should we actually attack Lucius. Lucius, however, had no way of explaining as to why he felt the need to torture another unarmed wizard… That sort of act of malice will get you a few solid years in Azkaban for sure. And it was more than likely that there were already other Ministry officials in the castle, he didn't dear do anything.
Or at least, this was the logic Snape used to explain it all.
Why weren't they moving?
"What do you think you're doing," Snape hissed, his eyes darting from Lucius to James, and back and forth again. "Use it!" 'Bloody man, you have the advantage, use it!'
But obviously Potter had different plans. "I won't..."
"What?" 'He couldn't be serious!' It was totally illogical!
While Snape was almost trembling with rage, Lucius was looking more than amused. "Really, Mr. Potter? This isn't exactly going accordingly with the Auror code, now is it? (chuckle) Are you going to join the Dark Lord now? You do realize you're helping me here?"
Potter shook his head, his eyes locked on Lucius the whole time. "I'm not helping you. I'm simply giving you a choice, right here, right now." There was a pause, in which Lucius waited, then Potter took a deep breath and continued, "First option. You walk, leave right now, and I won't have to turn you in..."
Lucius sneered. "And what gives you the right—"
"What gives you the right to threaten and torture another wizard," he responded coldly. "I am still a Auror, Mr. Malfoy, never, ever, forget that, or you might find yourself at the receiving end of a Dementor's mouth before you can even blink twice."
Lucius froze now, the sneer slowly fading from his lips... Then, finally, he asked simply, "What are your other terms?"
Snape couldn't believe this. 'He's going to go along with it…?'
Potter closed his eyes for a moment, still ready, still alert, wand still poised. When he opened them again, Snape could tell by the fire in his eyes that his mind was set. "Second option... I do turn you in. You rote in Azkaban for the rest of your miserable life, or you get your soul sucked right out of that large hole in your head to wander in torture for the rest of eternity. Sound like a fair deal?"
"I never knew you were quite the negotiator," Lucius said smoothly, slowing lowering his wand hand (to Snape's slight relief). But Lucius had other tricks up his sleeve, and he was probably ready to use them... That would be Potter's problem, though. "Why are you even giving me a choice?"
"Why...?" Potter paused, then gave a thin smile. "I'd hate to think I ruined another family, because of me... No matter how evil, or cruel... I don't want to see your son live on without his father..."
"....."
Snape watched on in fascination as this drama unfolded before his eyes... James Potter, the old James Potter he remembered years before, was back... It was just like in school, standing up to a bully from the Slytherin house.... Never blinking, never standing down, keeping his head high until he won...
And finally.... Lucius surrendered.
Lucius pocketed his wand without a glance at Snape or Potter, straightening his robes with the air of a true aristocrat. He would've made an effort to leave, although he realized finally that Potter had yet to let his guard down. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss, Mr. Potter?"
After a moment, Potter nodded. "Yes there is, and I do hope you remember this…
"This is a one time deal, Mr. Malfoy. Don't expect special treatment, don't expect it to happen again, and certainly, don't expect that I won't hesitate in throwing you to the Dementors myself if you ever come near my family and friends again."
Cold silence…… And then,
"… Good day, Mr. Potter," Lucius Malfoy muttered under his breath, turning his eyes away. And in moments, he had stalked out of the room, just barely brushing shoulders with Potter as he felt... Potter didn't even flinch or bother a glance in his direction as he did so.
The heavy door slammed behind him, and both James Potter and Severus Snape were left in silence, Snape starring at Potter, while Potter starred off into space, looking deep in thought…
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
James stood there for a time, going over what he had just done…
Was he an idiot…?
Had he done something incredibly righteous or incredibly stupid…?
What…?
"Why did you do it, Potter...?"
James blinked, coming back to reality, and turned to Snape. The man wasn't glaring (for once), and wore instead a blank expression. That could mean a number of things coming from Severus Snape. James chose to don a similar expression and starred right back. "I already told him, Snape. I don't need to repeat myself to you."
"You do realize you let a killer go free? A Death Eater?"
"You're one as well, from what I understand, and I didn't let him kill you, did I…?"
Snape's eyes instantly narrowed and he frowned, muttering, "He wasn't going to kill me…"
But James continued with a half smile, "And you're a… spy? Is that what you've been all this time, Snape…?"
Snape only starred at him coldly.
"… Yes… I thought so. And I don't care if you think I'm wrong, Snape ("and you probably do, you always do"), I can't let another family just get destroyed… And it won't ever happen again. Ever again…"
Snape finally made a face, and it showed just how much he disagreed with James' logic. "The Malfoy family is tainted with dark magic, they aren't worth saving in the end. They're better off broken apart." He carefully maneuvered himself so that he was sitting on his bed, grimacing slightly.
"Well, I'm not going to be the one that does it." James suddenly remembered that he was still holding Snape's wand, and tossed it over to the scowling man. "Yours, I believe?"
Snape caught it easily in his hand, looked at it almost suspiciously, then at James in the same fashion. "You know, it would've been more practical for you just to 've stunned the man while you had the chance." He stuck his nose in the air, much like he used to back in the old days while condescending James and his friends. It almost made James laugh aloud, the nostalgia... "Rather stupid, I think," he stated, as though giving his opinion in a debate (but he was completely right, of course). "You Gryffindors… You never loose that sense of stupidity."
James smirked, crossing his arms over his chest as he retorted just as smartly, "And you Slytherins… never loose that sly, underhandedness that seems to come so naturally, eh?"
"Sly and underhanded, hm?," Snape hissed, fingering his wand meaningfully (James knew very well that Snape was trying to intimidate him). "I could say the same to you, after storming out as you did…"
He blinked, confused.
James didn't remember ever storming out of the Infirmary…
And now that he thought of it, he couldn't remember how he'd gotten outside the door, after Snape had been yelling at him as he was… Well, that was really unimportant. If it were, it would come back to him later, right…? But it would hurt to ask. "What…?"
James never got the chance to finish his question when the doors to the infirmary swung open, hitting the walls with a loud bang!, and Madame Pomfrey strode in, looking troubled and nerve-wrenchingly anxious. "I couldn't find him," she said while looking over her shoulder, gripping her white nurses' apron in her fists tightly in a nervous manner, "but Mr. Lucius Malfoy just came from here. Professor-" She stopped and nearly choked when she turned around, her eyes bulging. "MR. POTTER!?!? You! Where have you—!?"
"Erm… heeh, hello, Madame Pomfrey…?"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
'Stupid,' Mr. Weasley thought to himself heatedly, "stupid, stupid, stupid!' He should've mentioned Lucius immediately upon arrival, should've waited.
Call it sheer paranoia, but Mr. Weasley was almost positive that Lucius was where for his own reasons other than the Ministry. Well, of course he was here for his own reasons! Damn!
He was one step behind Dumbledore when they neared the Hospital Wing.
When Lucius Malfoy came stalking down the steps, looking both pissed and troubled, his hands balled in tight fists. The pale man froze when he saw Dumbledore and Mr. Weasley in front of him…
"Dumbledore," Lucius said coolly, only sending a mere dark glance in Mr. Weasley's direction, eyes narrowing. "Can I help you?"
"I would like to ask the same thing," Dumbledore said evenly, and Mr. Weasley could hear the threat in tone.
Lucius only exchanged a glance with Mr. Weasley one last time before continuing on his way, lowly muttering "Good day, Dumbledore," as he passed.
Mr. Weasley had an almost overwhelming urgh to follow after him, to grab him and demand what his purpose was here at Hogwarts. But Dumbledore had let the man pass without any further intervention, heading up the stairs to the Infirmary. Reluctantly, after watching Lucius disappear from sight, Mr. Weasley followed, his mind troubled and running at a mile a second.
When he reached the top steps, however, he was greeted with the sight of a smiling Headmaster, the old man's eyes sparkling ever so slightly. The doors there were open and Dumbledore made a gesture with his hands to usher Mr. Weasley inside. "Arthur, there is someone I would very much like you to meet." Then he spoke to someone in the room, his voice muffled because he was facing his head away.
Baffled for a moment, Mr. Weasley nodded, stepping through the door, into the room, where Madame Pomfrey was hastily tending a perturbed potions professor and cleaning broken glass and pottery from the floor.
And there, near the center of the room, a handsome young man stood with unruly black hair, adjusting his round glasses on the bridge of his nose. There was a faint mark on the man's right temple, a scar of some sort, and looking relatively new. For Mr. Weasley, it felt as though he were in a dream. He remembered that face form the many photos he had looked at over the past few days, and in most of them he had been, laying, dead…
But this man was far from it.
The man smiled warmly upon seeing Mr. Weasley approach, obviously acting on what Dumbledore had said about "introductions", extending a hand in greeting. "Hello, I'm James Potter. And you are…?"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Lucius was seeing red as he stormed down the corridor, and had blatantly ignored Madame Pomfrey's questions when she saw him leaving down the hallways to the infirmary. He only barely resisted the urgh to plow right through her. He instead walked around the woman, ignoring her questions, not wanting to get into anymore trouble than he was already. Running into Dumbledore and the head Weasley didn't make him feel any better.
Damn Weasley. Damn Snape. Damn Potter.
Though… a deal was a deal, and in this case, a very troubling one. He had no proof that Snape was a traitor, nor did he have any proof that he was still loyal (even Lucius was becoming uncertain about both)… He would come to his Lord empty-handed. He would surely suffer for it.
And Lucius would un-doubtingly come into contact with the Potter family again, their friends. Someone would get hurt, die, chaos would ensue... All of a sudden the Potter family became the same as the Weasley's; bitter enemies.
Some things were just inevitable. Like war and death.
Of course no promises had been made that day that weren't easily broken.
But for now, Potter and Malfoy would stay at a distance from each other. If Lucius were to die or be sent away, Draco would be far to young to continue on the family name. He was still inexperienced and ignorant in many ways.
Too young…
But that would change in time.
He would need to speak to his son…
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The examinations didn't take long in the end. By noon, the chilling information within the Pensive had been reviewed.
About the same time, Ron had gone to wake Harry for lunch, as he had promised… Hermione, however, was nowhere to be found... Assuming she was off somewhere studying or still talking with a professor, they decided to look for her later if she still hadn't shown up by the time lunch was over…
She never came.
Two hours later, it was determined that the Pensive had in fact not been tampered with, and all memories available within were to be placed as solid evidence. And "blank" spots within these memories were blamed on James' physical condition at the time, for the Pensive showed absolutely no signs of tampering.
At some point after this, Professor Severus Snape was released from the infirmary without sustaining any further injuries (perhaps other than a bruised ego), and became the first person in many years to actually hold an argument against Madame Pomfrey for over two hours and not necessarily loose. Dumbledore finally told her to untie the ill-tempered potions professor, and he made a very hasty run for the dungeons. After all, he could take care himself.
Five minutes later, Snape was returned by a few house elves, who were still in the process of repairing the mess that was the dungeons.
They assumed he was having a coronary, or experiencing some sort of massive heart or brain trauma that was common for humans.
He probably was experiencing one, if not both, of these two.
Half an hour later, the last bit of physical evidence (besides Mr. Potter himself), the "time-turner", had been thoroughly investigated. By now there was no was of uncovering the device's true function, for there were too many charms and curses laced into it; a very complicated form of magic, indeed.
By late evening, lunch was well underway, and the last of many interviews with Mr. James Potter took place...
Hermione still hadn't shown herself…
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
He had been asked to drink a small draught of Veritaserum before each interview, but to make sure no relatively unnecessary (and possibly too personal) questions were asked, Albus Dumbledore, Lucius Malfoy, and Arthur Weasley looked over them briefly before they were asked allowed. The first questions from earlier that day were rather simple; testing Mr. Potter's grip and understanding of reality (a grip that had severely loosened at some point at the beginning of this whole mess).
Later on, simple questions and well as certain personal factors were brought to light; such as the names of his relatives as well as mother and father, what they looked like, his (original) wand type, and that sort of thing. In regard to his late wife's relatives, he had a few… "interesting" things to say… But that would be considered at a later time.
A few other questions were asked regarding to the events of the Pensive, and whether both accounts matched. In the end, very few of these questions were asked, due to the fact that James was still emotionally sensitive to what had occurred.
Hm, what business is it of yours, anyway? This is strictly a Ministry related event…
But it was over now, and finally they were wrapping things up.
"That's all, Mr. Potter," Professor Donald A. Rum said at last, rolling up the parchment he's just been writing on and quickly putting away his quill, his figures blackened with ink. "Anything else you would like to add before I go?"
"Yes," James said without hesitation....... though he didn't say anything else to elaborate.
There was a moment's pause, Rum standing ready to take out his parchment once more. But when James didn't say anything, Rum patiently asked, "Don't you want to tell me what it is, Mr. Potter?"
"Erm…" James turned an odd shade of red, fidgeting. "You would find it insulting and completely vulgar… sir…"
"Oh…" Rum cleared his throat, continuing to pack up his things. "In that case, I'm sure you're glad it's all over, then?"
"Very," James stated flatly, electing faint chuckles from Professor Dumbledore and Mr. Arthur, while Mr. Malfoy looked away with an expression of disgust.
That was it. Rum and the rest of them would go back to the Ministry, confirm the James Potter is who he says he is, and reinstate him as a (living) member of society.
But… Oh yes! There was one other issue that Rum had almost forgotten to bring up.
"Oh, yes, Mr. Potter," Rum said, "the Ministry would like to give its regrets for your wife and Mr. Pettigrew." At that moment something flashed in James' eyes and his face became very blank. Rum, not expecting this reaction, assumed it was some sort of misunderstanding, that perhaps he hadn't in fact known about Pettigrew, saying, "He had… Passed away, after all."
"I… Didn't know that," James muttered, eyes fleeting over to where the other three men stood in the corner, watching. Rum hadn't noticed that Dumbledore had become very still, and both Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy were watching very attentively.
Rum felt pity for this man. One of his friends betraying him, another dying along with his wife… A lot of real emotion went into what Rum said next. "And I am to give you our greatest assurance, that traitor will be found, and you and your son have nothing to worry about-"
"Wait," James said, so loudly he was almost shouting, "you said that he was dead. What are you getting at now? He's back from the dead?" He looked angry now. (hm, ironic that he of all people talks about coming back from the dead)
Totally confused, Rum sputtered, "I-I think you've misunderstood, Mr. Potter! Pettigrew was killed shortly before Black was taken to Azkaban."
In the corner, Mr. Weasley stayed rapidly attentive, Dumbledore looked quite calm, and Mr. Malfoy was looking rather anxious, his arms crossing and uncrossing as attention seemed to jump from his own thoughts to the events taking place.
Rum had no clue, however, and simply waited for a reaction. But a reaction was slow in coming, as the young man seemed to process what he'd just been told. James sat there for a few minutes, starring, blinking only once. When he finally attempted to get words out, his mouth moved, and choked words came forth. "Sirius," James managed, his eyes glazed over for a moment as though he was in deep though, until they snapped with full realization. "W-Wait…"
This wasn't making any sense at all… "Of course, I can understand," Rum said, uncertainly this time. "How Black escaped is beyond all of us…" That has to be why he's upset, he didn't know Sirius Black has escaped. Yes, that was it… "Every trained Auror and Dementor we have is looking for him…" He trailed off as James' face turned almost porcelain white and his eyes went almost impossibly wide.
"No!" James almost jumped up from his seat, looking mortified. "You must be talking about something-someone else!"
"Er…" Rum cleared his throat loudly, his neck suddenly feeling constricted by the tie he worn with his robes. He tugged at it nervously, wonder how things had just gone from good to disastrous. "Well, Mr. Potter… We-The Ministry has been under the strict impression that Sirius Black was your secret keeper, and had been fraternizing with You-Know-Who." Rum had assisted in the investigation himself.
"They couldn't 've sent Sirius to Azkaban! He didn't do anything! Peter!"
This changed everything…
"Peter was our Secret Keeper! They switched! Why didn't anyone tell me about this!? Peter betrayed us! You idiots!"
"Now Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said, walking up to the table, the perfect image of calm. Almost too calm… "I'm sure there is a good explanation for all this-"
"No! Sirius and Peter switched! That rat bastard, he—"
"Now Mr. Potter…" Dumbledore didn't seem to have any intention of stopping the man, however, and only smiled at Rum kindly. "Well, we didn't expect this to happen, did we?"
"N-No," Rum choked, nodding weakly.
It was all too clear by now that a very, very bad mistake had been made.
'Oh… crap…'
The Ministry wasn't going to be happy about this…
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Harry had long since come back from saying good night to his dad. Ron was in a near panic over Hermione, after he and Harry had spent most of the evening searching frantically for her. They had almost missed lunch, were James had made a grand appearance.
To say that the students were shocked was an understatement… Both Harry and his father had looked quiet ridiculous as they tried to ignore the intense starring, only to have them both turn the exact same shade of crimson.
He would've laughed had he not felt so worried.
Now he literally sat out on the steps of the Gryffindor tower. If Hermione was going to come back, she had to come up that way. She had to come back…
Ron was deadly worried that she was angry with him for something. Or that she had run into a group of Slytherins and the worst had happen. Or… Oh, he didn't want to think about it…
He almost nodded off completely around midnight, when he heard the faint sound of shoes on the steps, and shot wide awake again. Sure, it might be someone else. It had been "someone else" a few times, actually. But he could only hope.
Finally a figure came around the corner, with a head full of bushy brown hair…
"Hermione!" He leapt to his feet, nearly tripping over himself as he stood. "I've been so worried! I-I mean, where the heck have you been! A lot went on today, you know! I thought the Slytherins had gotten to you or something!" Practically panting, Ron stopped his rant and waited for Hermione's response.
Hermione just stood there for a moment, starring at him… There was something very wrong about the way she was looking at him, and for a second Ron felt a chill run up his spine. Then, at last, a response.
"Oh… Hello, Ron." A bright, wide smile…
That was… odd. "Hermione, are you feeling alright?" She just smiled and nodded. "Well, you're acting awfully peculiar. Where have you been?"
"Oh… Taking a walk. This place is so pretty, after all." Then she started walking again, past him, to the girl's fifth year dormitory.
Ron wanted to say, "But we didn't see you anywhere, where were you!?" But instead his eyes followed along her as she went. He didn't know why, but he felt very, very worried about her. "Hermione?"
Hermione just gave a pleasant smile, giggled, and disappeared through the door, closing the door behind her…
Something felt very wrong…
Little did he know…
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Within an hour after James' final interview the Ministry officials (excluding Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley) Edward Thornback, Samuel Quell, and Professor Donald A. Rum had collected all their things, thanked the professors profusely for their assistance, and left Hogwarts with great haste.
The information was immediately presented before a committee, which included Cornelius Fudge. After much deliberation, the knowledge of James Potter's existence would be officially released to the papers the next morning. His location would remain "confidential".
Dumbledore announced it during dinner that evening, were James, Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley all attended to eat at the faculty table.
The new issue of Sirius Black would take the whole next week to clear up.
Though Black was cleared of betraying the Potters, he was still charged with the murder of Peter Pettigrew and a dozen Muggles. But even this was put into question… Was Pettigrew really working with You-Know-Who the whole time?
By the end of that week, however, it was concluded that Sirius Black would be placed as innocent until proven guilty, and all Dementors were discharged from killing him on sight. Aurors were still on the look out for him, this time ordered to find him, alive, so that he may be returned for a fair trial.
At was after this first week that things really started to get interesting…
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
To be continued...
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Heeh, confused, aren't you?
Don't hate me!