Black Vengeance – 16

Of Truths and Lies

(Author's Note: This chapter contains the explanation of Sirius Black's murder. I have read several accounts where the stunner of Bellatrix was considered accidental. However, I have read only one story where it was not her spell that caused his death – a story by Minniequill, which has not been unfortunately updated in quite some time. (Minniequill – if you are reading this, may I express my hope you will return to the story? It was excellent and it would be a shame to abandon it.) While her account of the immediate circumstances attending his death differed a bit from canon version (the actual events itself, I mean), I must say that I got the basic idea from her, which I am reusing in a different fashion. I hope my explanation will not only be in consonance with the canonical occurrence, but provide a different interpretation of the anomalies that were never explained in canon (at least until the end of Book 6 – I have not read Book 7.

This story had almost been dropped by me. The previous update was an year ago. If I wrote it from the beginning today, I would have taken a bit more care to develop Nott and Greengrass and their relations to Harry's group more carefully. For reasons I am not aware of, there seems to be a sudden interest in this story, and I have been inundated by a ton of mails requesting me to continue this story in the last two weeks. So be it folks. I bow to your will. The story shall be finished as it was originally intended to.

As usual, all criticism is welcome.)

--(Beginning of the Chapter)--

Bellatrix had set about elaborating on her offer without any further ado. She spoke of her desire to leave the Dark Lord and join Potter, and his allies in their quest to destroy He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Finally, she made her offer – join Bella and her allies, and escape to Potter's side. When she had finished, Emmeline latter was completely dumbfounded. When she had recovered her powers of speech, she burst out, "You must be joking! Why would you leave the Dark Lord's service?"

Bellatrix snapped icily, "My reasons are my own. Do you accept or refuse?"

"If I refuse?" questioned Emmeline.

"We'll have to dispose of you", returned her interlocutor shrugging indifferently, "We can't leave someone who'll run blabbing to Dumbledore the moment we turn away."

Emmeline's smile was bitter. "Not much of a choice, is it?"

"Considering last night's events, it's the only choice", rasped Bella. "Your own Order betrayed you, the Dark Lord is hunting for you, and the morons at the Ministry can't find their way out of a paper bag if their lives depended on it! Where can you go?"

Emmeline digested Bella's words. After a moment, she questioned, "But why would you follow a child? Why not go to Dumbledore? Do you plan to or have you already turned Potter dark?"

"Why would I go to a loser like Dumbledore?" laughed Bella coldly. "Didn't you see enough of your colleagues dead in the last war? What makes you think things will be better this time over?"

Emmeline couldn't in all honesty deny the number of casualties. However, she bit back, "Dumbledore did all he could to protect us! And Potter's still a child!"

"If the best that Dumbledore can do gets three quarters of his allies wiped out, it's time he retired! As for Potter, he's no more a child than I am. He's already crossed wands with the Dark Lord four times and survived. He led a bunch of school children to the Ministry and foiled the Dark Lord's plans." Bella found it prudent not to mention her own actions in the Ministry affair, as she continued, "Potter's likely to win, and I plan to be on the winning side."

"How can he win against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"He's got advantages no one else does. But that's beside the point. Have you made up your mind? Will you join us or will you die?"

Emmeline reflected for a moment. She remembered James and Lily, and had been good friends with them. If Harry had indeed joined Bellatrix, as the Azkaban escapee implied, it would be a good idea for someone who had Harry's good at heart to keep an eye on him. She could find out what the boy was planning. Besides, she was curious why Bellatrix was defecting. Bella was a very high ranking Death Eater, and her actions were in total contrast to her behaviour for the past twenty years. If there was a schism among the followers of You-Know-Who, it would be good for her to keep herself informed of it. Further, she believed Bellatrix when the other woman had told her of Snape. She needed to warn Dumbledore that Snape had gone over to the Dark side. Finally, her most important concern at the moment was staying alive. She could do something only if she was alive. She sighed, and nodded, "I accept."

"Good", returned Bellatrix. "I want you to swear an unbreakable vow about this, and we can leave."

"An unbreakable vow?" began Emmeline, but Bellatrix didn't have time for niceties. She snarled, "What else did you expect? That we would take your word to be a good girl and let you go? We aren't fools." Without waiting for Emmeline to respond, she turned to the door, and called, "Tilly!" A small elf appeared, and Bella ordered her to bring her husband. When Rodolphus had joined them, Bella and Emmeline knelt clasping their right hands, while Rodolphus stood as the bonder. "Will you swear not to reveal anything of what you have learnt from us to anyone except Harry Potter?"

"I will", returned Emmeline.

"Will you swear not to do anything that would knowingly endanger any of us?"

"I will."

"Will you remain loyal to and help Harry Potter to the best of your ability?"

"I will!"

Bella rose from the floor, and spoke to the elf, "Pack a few necessities for the next few days. Destroy any evidence implicating us. We need to leave soon."

--(Scene Break)--

Harry and Hermione had been allotted quarters in the rambling manor that now constituted the headquarters of Potter's group. The Greengrasses and Nott had left Harry and Hermione to their own devices. The two Gryffindors were now closeted in their room and Hermione broke the silence, "Harry, are you alright?"

Harry did not answer her, so Hermione walked to Harry and gently put her arm around his shoulder. "Anything I can do to help?" she whispered.

Harry knew that Hermione would want broach the subject of their latest alliance, but this was precisely the subject he wanted to avoid discussing. Consequently, he murmured, "What do you think really happened to Sirius?"

"I've been thinking about it", replied Hermione, a pensive expression on her face. "Is it true what Rodolphus Lestrange said? That Bellatrix hit him with just a stunner?"

"I've no idea, Hermione, but what I saw agrees with what he said. We'll have to find out from Bellatrix Lestrange, I guess."

"If what he said is true", pondered Hermione, "what could have happened?"

"I can't imagine. But the best I can come up with is that someone pushed him into the Veil at the same moment he was hit with the stunner."

"But who ..."

"Aye – who indeed?" mused Harry tonelessly, recounting that part of the battle to Hermione. "First, let us get the easier parts out of the way. I didn't hear any spell, so whoever pushed him beyond the Veil must have used a wordless spell. Agreed?" Hermione nodded.

Harry continued, "Apart from Neville and myself, there were Remus, Kingsley, and Dumbledore still on their feet on our side, and Rookwood, Bellatrix, Rabastan, Malfoy, and Avery still on their side. Of these, Rookwood was fighting Kingsley. Avery and Rabastan were fighting Remus, while Malfoy was busy trying to snatch the prophecy from Neville and me. Also, Hermione, the moment Dumbledore arrived, the Death Eaters panicked. They were trying to get away – save themselves. I don't remember any of them giving Sirius a thought."

"But Harry, that means ..."

"Exactly," returned Harry grimly.

Hermione was looking completely horror stricken, as Harry continued dispassionately. All the pain, all the sorrow was happening to someone else. Harry was a brain without a heart for the moment. "But it all makes sense, when you think about it. My careful isolation, ensuring I had no adult figure to look up to, except for Dumbledore. Dumbledore giving evidence that Sirius was the secret keeper and ten years later, yet believing his innocence without any problem, Sirius' melodramatic escape out of the country courtesy your time-turner so that he would be unavailable to me, carefully isolating him from me this year, the disastrous occlumency lessons with Snape – oh yes, it all makes perfect sense! It was beautifully executed, when you think of it."

"No! It can't be! There must be some other explanation!"

"Care to tell me?" murmured Harry sardonically.

That shut Hermione up momentarily, but the muggleborn girl was irrepressible. She pleaded, "You can't seriously believe that it was Dumbledore who killed Sirius?!"

"Why not? Why did he condemn Sirius to twelve years of hell without questioning him? And then, after twelve years, he believed Sirius' innocence merely on his own word. Doesn't that sound wrong to you?"

"He just made a mistake!"

"And realised it suddenly after twelve years?"

"Harry, you can't jump to conclusions!" Hermione's hero was falling to the ground in pieces and not all the King's horses and the King's men could put her idol back on the wall! She was not going to abandon her position without a fight.

Harry looked at her for a long moment. "You're right in one thing, Hermione. It won't do to jump to conclusions. However, we'll be able to judge for ourselves who did it in a bit."

What Hermione would have replied to that became academic as Harry's journal began to glow and grow warm – the usual call up sign. Harry drew it from his bag, and opened it to see who was trying to contact him, with Hermione craning over his shoulder to read as well. The caller was Susan Bones, the words appeared in black

"Harry, we have been discovering some important news. Can we discuss?"

"Yes, go on" replied Harry.

Swiftly, and methodically, Susan Bones told Harry of her experiences, of how the letter she had sent her aunt had never reached the head of Magical Law Enforcement. Further she spoke of her interview with David Greenberry and how the warning had been severely diluted by Dumbledore, with the consequence that there were no aurors guarding her aunt. She finished,

"So, you see, Harry, it took a number of coincidences to make sure that auntie knew nothing of the impending attack on her. I wonder if they were all coincidences!"

Harry replied, "Susan, I'm almost certain that they weren't coincidences. Someone intercepted the letters. Hermione's parents were also sent a warning, but they didn't get it either. I would be very surprised if Neville's letters reached his grandmother. Someone wanted them all dead!"

"But who, Harry? And why?"

"All that will be answered soon, Susan. The more important thing is for you to be safe. Where are you now?"

"With Katie Bell, at her home."

"Good. Stay there. I have some information as well, and you could be in danger. I will make sure you and Katie are picked up by a friend and you can come here where Hermione and I are staying. You should be safer here. The watchword is 'Black and Gold'.

Susan agreed to do Harry's bidding and on that note, they signed off.

Harry and Hermione's faces were grim, at the thought of Murphy's law being followed to the letter – everything that could go wrong was going wrong.

At the moment, an elf popped into the room, and announced. "Mistress wants yous in the library!"

--(Scene Break)--

Harry descended to the library with Hermione in tow, and awaiting them there were Bellatrix and her husband, apart from a most surprising guest. Emmeline Vance. Harry's face must have proclaimed his surprise, but Mrs. Greengrass waved both Harry and Hermione into seats and explained how Emmeline Vance had been captured, while Bellatrix spoke of how the Healer had been betrayed by Snape, how she had been assigned by the Dark Lord to kill her and how she had, instead, captured Emmeline. Emmeline confirmed the latter part of Bellatrix's story. Both Harry and Hermione were horrified by the end of the story.

Harry mused, "Dumbledore is Snape's greatest backer. Even when everyone suspects him of being on Voldemort's side, Dumbledore supports him. I've always wondered why."

Mrs. Greengrass reclined in her chair. "The more important thing is why did Snape betray Mrs. Vance. If Snape did it on his own, the answer lies with Snape. But if he was ordered to betray her, then it was for a reason and the answer lies with Mme. Vance herself."

"Dumbledore would never betray anyone to Voldemort!" objected Hermione forcefully.

Bellatrix laughed cruelly, while Rodolphus Lestrange remarked coldly, "Your parents, silly girl, would have been dead by now had you depended on Dumbledore! "He certainly did nothing to help them, even when you were warned."

Hermione glared back at Rodolphus, "He probably made a mistake .. ," began Hermione, attempting to shield her idol, only to be interrupted by Mrs. Greengrass, "Did he also make a mistake in the case of Amelia Bones and the Longbottoms? He was warned of the attacks on them!"

"He's just human," defended Hermione, but Emmeline had almost jumped at the name of the Longbottoms. "What is it?" questioned Harry sharply, looking at Emmeline quickly.

Emmeline looked at Harry for a very long time, "I am not sure I should tell you. It concerns the Longbottoms, but ..."

"If it concerns the Longbottoms, then it is most important," returned Harry grimly. "You see, Mrs. Lestrange here claims that she was not involved in the torture of the Longbottoms!"

"What?!" echoed Emmeline in total astonishment.

"It is true," answered Rodolphus. "None of us – Rabastan, myself, and Bellatrix – were involved in attacking the Longbottoms. We were never near the place where they were attacked!"

"But you admitted your guilt at your trial!" objected Potter, looking at Bellatrix. "You even took pride in it, claiming that Voldemort would be back and would reward you above the others!"

"Are you mad, Potter? We admitted nothing at our farce of a trial!" snapped back Rodolphus.

"I could swear that Mrs. Lestrange here challenged Mr. Crouch to throw you all in Azkaban!"

"I can swear we said nothing of the sort!" snarled back Bellatrix.

Harry looked at her incredulously, while Mrs. Greengrass inquired quietly, "How do you know what she said at the trial, Potter?"

"I saw it in Dumbledore's pensieve! I saw young Crouch pleading for mercy, while the others were indifferent or even proud!"

Bellatrix broke into a mirthless laugh, "You saw something in Dumbledore's pensieve and you believed it?! Potter, even after all this time, if you are still stupid enough to believe in what the old man says ..."

Harry had been burnt enough by Dumbledore, but he wanted evidence before he accapted anything now. He turned sombre at her words. "Why don't you tell us what happened, Mr. Lestrange" asked Harry quietly.

"That is easily answered," returned Rodolphus. "Do you know that, a few weeks before the attack on the Longbottoms, we were accused of being the supporters of the Dark Lord?"

Harry nodded slowly, as Rodolphus continued the story. "Well, nothing could be proved against us and we were all acquitted. That was just a few days before the attack on the Longbottoms. The evening before the attack, we all had a party in the Malfoy manor to celebrate our acquittal, and we all had a little too much to drink, I am afraid. Then, late in the night, we went back home and fell asleep. The next morning we were all accused of being involved in the attack on the Longbottoms!"