Fragments of Us
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warnings: None for this chapter.
Chapter 69 – Aftermath
Lying before them was a sterling silver hand.
(end Chapter 68)
"Peter!" Remus whispered, his face the color of chalk as he gazed at the sight before them.
"Pettigrew," Fudge murmured, turning to gaze at the others standing with him.
"Kate, Remus, please gather the students from the hallway and take them back to the school," Dumbledore spoke urgently. "I must get to Harry. I suspect the Dark Lord will make an appearance momentarily."
"But, Albus, shouldn't he know…?" Kate began her own face pale and her voice trembling.
Dumbledore reached out and clasped her shoulder warmly. "In due time, Kate. Let's move the others out of danger. Take the children back to Hogwarts; get them to Poppy in the Hospital Wing. Cornelius, I can meet with you later, in your office." Dumbledore was already striding toward the doorway leading to the Atrium. Fudge nodded vigorously, watching the old wizard's back disappear from view.
Fudge turned to Kate and Remus, his shock evident on his face. "I must go; I – dear Merlin, Pettigrew's alive; Black is – well, I don't know what he is, I … suppose. Oh, dear, who would have thought..." he paused, his eyes widening as a thought struck him. "Did Dumbledore just say the Dark Lord would be … here?"
"I believe he did, Minister," Remus said. "And we really need to get the students back to Hogwarts before he arrives," and he carefully stepped around Fudge. "Come, Kate."
"Minister," Kate said to the shaken man. "Are you alright?"
"What? Alright? Oh, yes, yes. I'm quite fine, really. Thanks. Must dash," the Minister babbled and he headed for the door through which Dumbledore had just disappeared.
"Kate, we must get the children back to Hogwarts," Remus gently reached for her arm and they walked through the doorway where the students were waiting.
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The ragtag little party entered the Great Hall approximately ninety minutes later, transported by the same Thestrals that had taken them to London earlier in the evening. Remus had led the creatures to the edge of the Black Forest while Kate and the children waited on the grounds. As they approached the staircase, Minerva greeted them, confirming Dumbledore's safe return with Harry and hugging both Kate and Remus before shepherding the students upward to the Hospital Wing. Once the children were on their way, the adults walked slowly toward the Headmaster's office. Halfway there, Kate stopped in her tracks.
"Remus," she said, her eyes wide. "Umbridge…"
Remus smiled. "Gone. I was with Dumbledore when Snape arrived to report what was happening with Harry. Apparently, the Weasley twins made a grand exit during OWLs earlier this morning which was Umbridge's ultimate undoing. Apparently, she's somewhere in the Black Forest having tea with the Centaurs."
Kate shook her head and resumed walking beside her friend. "Pettigrew…Remus, who would have believed it?"
"Your theory suggested it; well, perhaps not exactly what happened tonight, but certainly that he would be involved," Remus said quietly. "And, they certainly did use Sirius to lure Harry – at least in a way. I'm hopeful that Kingsley will also be part of whatever meeting Dumbledore may schedule; I would like to know more about Malfoy's escape."
"Not to mention how Pettigrew was able to take Sirius' form. Snape warned me that Voldemort had pushed into Harry's mind an image of Sirius being tortured in the Department of Mysteries. He also said that the Death Eaters were being dispensed to capture the Prophesy, kill the other students and leave Harry to face Voldemort when he made his entrance later in the evening. Severus may know more about tonight's events than he was able to tell me at Headquarters," Kate mused. She shook her head as if to clear it before continuing, "Anyway, Tonks and a team of Aurors arrived as we were leaving to take over from Mad Eye. They'll be able to imprison Malfoy and the LeStrange brothers as well as that blonde bloke. Do we know who he is yet?"
Remus shook his head. "Tonks may; Kingsley certainly will, as will Severus, particularly given what you've just said. Bloody Bellatrix escaped, though."
Kate's face paled. "Escaped thinking she'd killed Sirius," she said softly.
Kate began to tremble. She had been trying very hard not to think of Sirius since they'd left the Department of Mysteries. Watching her greatest fear play out in front of her in the chamber had shaken her deeply; thinking of what had happened before the battle – at Headquarters, was also difficult. Kate did not think she would ever be able to forget his face as he had looked at her in the hallway of Grimmauld Place.
"Kate?" Remus asked. "Where is Sirius? It just occurred to me that you must have had to handle that end of things on your own…"
"Remus, it was terrible – worse than I had anticipated," Kate interrupted and, as hot tears slipped down her cheeks, she told him what had happened earlier that night. Remus stood next to her and listened silently until she had finished.
"Oh, Katie," he murmured, pulling her into a hug. "You knew you would have to take drastic action to stop him leaving; you told me as much." Remus felt her nod against his chest. "You also told Sirius that you would take extraordinary steps to ensure he could not endanger himself or Harry." Remus gently pulled back and raised her chin with his fingers until she looked at him. "You didn't lie. You did exactly what you promised. Sirius didn't like it and he directed all of his anger and frustration at you. You can't control that."
"You didn't see his face, Remus. He's never looked at me like that before," Kate accepted his handkerchief.
"You took a stand. You did what you felt you had to do; just as Sirius tried to do what he felt was best. I'll wager that he never thought you'd actually do it. He was careless and emotional; you were precise and stuck to your plan," Remus reasoned.
"He won't see it that way," Kate predicted. "And when he sees how upset Harry is…"
"Harry may very easily help your cause. As I recall, we haven't really heard from that young wizard; I'll wager he'll have something to say on the topic of Sirius' plan to go into battle with him. And I suspect Sirius will be very much surprised to hear it," Remus smiled tiredly. "Besides, I suspect that when Sirius hears all that happened this evening, he will have a great deal more to consider than a well-placed hex or two. After all, Peter was seen tonight – and by the Minister of Magic, no less. It should make it much easier to clear Sirius' name, wouldn't you think? I would imagine that it also raises another interesting question: should the truth of tonight's battle – and its surprise combatant – be released to the public straight away?" Remus paused, his expression suddenly thoughtful as he looked at Kate. "Or, should we announce that Sirius Black, fugitive from justice, died while battling Death Eaters with Magical Law Enforcement personnel?"
Kate looked at Remus, her face incredulous. "Clear his name, but deny him his freedom? That's completely unfair!"
Remus smiled sadly. "I know it is and I don't know that I would agree to it if I was in Sirius' shoes, but if, by doing so, we gain some type of advantage over Voldemort and his followers, don't be surprised if Dumbledore doesn't suggest it."
Kate nodded. "If he does, I'm not sure he'll find Sirius in a very accepting mood."
"Likely not," the werewolf agreed. "Why don't we go up to Albus' office and see what he has in mind for us?"
The duo had finally reached the revolving staircase that led to Dumbledore's office. They mounted the first step and Kate looked at Remus expectantly. "Fizzing Whizzbees!" Remus said clearly and the staircase began to revolve and move upward.
The door to the office opened upon their approach and Kate and Remus entered to find Dumbledore seated behind his desk and Harry in a chair in front of it. The boy's face still bore the bruises from his earlier skirmish despite Poppy's treatment. When the Headmaster's eyes rose to the door, Harry's gaze followed and upon seeing Kate he rose and walked over to where she stood. Kate was saddened to see tears standing in the teenager's eyes and she opened her arms to him. Harry shook his head and Kate's heart clenched. "You don't know everything," he said quietly, his eyes locked on the floor.
"There's nothing you could say to me that would make me refuse to hug you," Kate said, just as softly. When Harry looked up, he saw that she had not lowered her arms. "Come here," she finished. It took only a moment before Harry took that final step and Kate closed her arms around him.
"It's alright, darling," she whispered, as she rested her cheek against the top of his head. Harry trembled in her arms and she tightened them reflexively. "It's alright," she said again. "I'm right here."
At that, Harry lifted his head and leaned back to see her face. "But Sirius isn't," he whispered. "And that's my fault. It's all my fault, Kate. I didn't learn Occlumency the way I should have and I thought Sirius was in trouble; I let myself fall into Voldemort's trap and now, Sirius is …, and it's all because of me."
"Harry, no; please don't think that way. It's not your fault at all," Kate tried to reassure him. She then locked eyes with Dumbledore over Harry's shoulder and lifted her eyebrows in confusion. Surely, you've told him? It's cruel to let him continue to think that Sirius is …
Dumbledore gave a slight nod. "I thought perhaps Mr. Potter and his friends might wish to stay in the Annex together tonight. Kate, you and Remus will need to come with me to Grimmauld Place to meet with several Order members gathering there. There is much to discuss tonight and several decisions to be made. Tomorrow morning you could join him there and spend some time together. I think one night away from the Annex will not cause any harm; Kate, would you not agree?"
"Of course, Albus," she replied. Kate looked back at Harry, who had calmed somewhat but whose eyes still reflected his tremendous sadness. "Breakfast with me tomorrow?" she asked him and was relieved to see the ghost of a smile touch Harry's face as he nodded. Kate hugged him tightly once more and whispered, "I love you," before releasing him. Harry leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "I love you, too," he said. "I'll see you in the morning, then?"
Kate nodded, swallowing her own emotions and summoning a smile for the boy. "Get some rest, love," she said, patting his shoulder.
"Ah, Minerva, good," Dumbledore again looked across the room at the entrance to his office. "May I impose upon you to take Mr. Potter and the other children to The Annex? Molly Selkirk is there; I've spoken with her and she's quite looking forward to their company for the night."
"Of course, Headmaster," the Scotswoman nodded. "Come, Potter." Minerva put an arm around Harry's shoulders and led him from the room.
Once they had left, Kate turned toward the Headmaster once again. "Albus, this is simply cruel. You saw how he's reacted; it's completely unfair of you to allow him to continue to think that Sirius is…"
Dumbledore held up one hand. "Kate, I understand and I quite agree with you. Tomorrow morning, we will return Harry's friends to their dormitory then you and Sirius will join Harry and we will explain everything to him. Tonight, however, there is much to discuss and much to resolve. Harry needs to rest after this evening's events; that will prepare him for the shock of seeing his Godfather, alive and well tomorrow. Are we agreed?"
At Kate's nod, Dumbledore rose. "Why don't we use my fireplace to Floo to London? Remus, perhaps you could go first and let them know we're on our way, yes?" His eyes locked onto Remus' and the werewolf nodded. He stepped into the fireplace and tossed the Floo Powder onto the hearth. "Kitchen, number 12 Grimmauld Place," he said, clearly and a moment later, he was gone.
Kate watched him disappear and wondered at the reception she would receive when she arrived. She also wondered just how much Sirius knew.
"Are you ready, Kate?" Albus asked, handing her the jar of Floo Powder.
Kate nodded and repeated Remus' actions from moments before. Seconds later, she was stepping out of the fireplace and into the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. Expecting to see Sirius and Remus both, Kate was surprised to find the room empty.
"They are gathered upstairs, in the parlor," came the rich, baritone voice of Severus Snape. Kate jumped, startled at the unexpected sound and turned toward the stairway, the direction from which it had come. "My apologies; I did not intend to frighten you," he finished.
Just as Snape finished speaking, the fireplace blazed green once again and Dumbledore stepped into the room.
"Ah, Severus, there you are," Albus greeted the Potions Master. "And the others?"
"Upstairs. Before we join them, however, may I have a word?" Snape asked the older man.
Kate spoke up. "I'll just go upstairs, then," and made her way through the doorway and up the flight of stairs leading to the front hallway.
As Kate approached the parlor door, she saw Sirius standing in the far corner of the room, stretching, his arms extended over his head. Remus stood in front of him, slipping his wand back in his pocket. Remus' expression was stern; Sirius' was dark with anger and indignation. Recalling her mistake months ago, Kate did not linger outside the door, observing. Instead, she entered the room, bracing herself for the worst.
"Kate," Remus crossed the room to greet her.
"How is he?" Kate stood on tiptoe to look over Remus' shoulder. Upon her entrance to the parlor, Sirius had turned and strode over to the window, where he now stood, with his back to them both.
"How does he look?"
"Angry. Cold," Kate replied.
"Accurate assessment," Remus confirmed. "I'd recommend steering clear of him for now; see how things progress." He squeezed her arms gently. "Ah, here's Kingsley. Albus and Severus should be along in a moment and we'll begin."
"Remus. Kate," Kingsley greeted them both, then turned to speak with Dumbledore and Snape who joined them soon after. As Remus stepped forward to greet the Potions Master, Kate had a clear view of Sirius; he hadn't moved. Posture rigid, hands balled into fists and shoved into the pockets of his robes.
"Shall we sit down?" Dumbledore's voice rose slightly. "Sirius?"
Everyone took seats close to the fire while Sirius, who waited until everyone was settled, brought a chair over from the other side of the room and placed it a bit of a distance from the others – and as far away from Kate as he could manage and still technically be considered 'present' for the meeting.
"Sirius, I'm not sure how much you know of this evening's events," Dumbledore paused.
"There was a confrontation involving Harry; that's as much as I know. I was indisposed until a few moments ago when Remus arrived," Sirius said quietly, with the barest of glances in Kate's direction.
"This evening, Voldemort sent Death Eaters to the Ministry to intercept Harry and a group of his friends who traveled to London to rescue you," Dumbledore told him.
"To rescue me?" Sirius asked.
"Yes. Voldemort pushed an image of you into Harry's mind. The image showed you, being tortured at Voldemort's hand. He felt certain that the boy would try to come after you and he had apparently instructed his followers to obtain the Prophesy then kill Harry's friends, leaving the boy for him. The Dark Lord planned to arrive in the end and kill Harry, himself," Dumbledore paused. "Things did not go as planned."
"How is Harry?" Sirius demanded, rising from his chair. "Where is he?"
"Sit down, Sirius," Dumbledore said, not unkindly. "Harry's fine. He's at school with his friends. You and Kate will be with him tomorrow morning." At the mention of Kate's name, Sirius' face hardened and he sat back down.
"Sirius, when the Order members arrived in the Department of Mysteries this evening, you were with them," Dumbledore said, his eyes vaguely twinkling for the first time in a very long while.
Sirius spared a hard glance at Kate. "I can assure you, Albus, despite the fact that I should have been there, I was not."
"It appeared to be you, and all those present believed it to be true, as well," Dumbledore replied. "You dueled with Lucius Malfoy and bested him handily. Regrettably, your cousin, Bellatrix LeStrange took offense and cast the Killing Curse in your direction. Equally regrettably, you were standing before the Veil at the time. You died and disappeared through the archway," he finished. "It was in that moment that we knew for certain it was not, in fact, you. As the figure began to disappear through the Veil, certain changes occurred, the last of which was the dropping of a silver hand onto the floor."
Sirius looked confused.
"Peter, Sirius," Remus said to him. "It was Peter. The question, which perhaps someone here can now answer, is how Peter was able to transform into you."
"Pettigrew?" Sirius sat back in his chair and for the first time that night, his face bore more astonishment than rage.
"Yes, Black, Pettigrew," Snape cut in.
"But, how did he….?" Sirius trailed off, looking down at his hands which were clasped together to tightly, the knuckles were white. Kate watched Sirius closely and knew, from long experience, that his mind was racing and he was trying desperately to control it.
"We're not exactly certain," Kingsley took over from Snape. "It would seem, however, that the theory you and Kate developed was at least partially correct."
"How so, Kingsley?" Kate asked the Auror.
"We did an initial analysis of the silver hand and it yielded traces of Polyjuice potion," he responded.
"Well, I don't understand how that could have happened," Sirius mused. "The last time I saw that bloody rat was in the Shrieking Shack the night the truth all came out, and I certainly …"
"Kreacher," Kate cut him off. "Remus, didn't you say that he had been increasingly absent in the past weeks?"
"Kingsley, Kreacher could not have betrayed me to Pettigrew; he's bound to serve the Black family," Sirius refused to acknowledge Kate – or the theory she espoused; but Kate would not be deterred.
"That's correct, Sirius," she said. "The Black family. He could not have betrayed anything to anyone outside the family, but we all know that membership is rather loosely defined. Kreacher could have facilitated the potion by bringing something of yours to another family member. After all, you were disowned; that may have given Kreacher even more latitude."
But Sirius had turned his attention from her the moment Kate had interrupted him and made no response. Remus, however, picked up the thread of Kate's theory and continued.
"That makes complete sense," he agreed, turning to Sirius. "Padfoot, has anything of yours gone missing in the last few days? A set of robes? Your toothbrush?"
Sirius snorted and looked away from his friend. "Don't be ridiculous, Remus. I would have noticed if…" he paused.
"Yes, Sirius?" Dumbledore watched the younger wizard closely.
"My hairbrush," Sirius said quietly, huffing out a breath and shaking his head. "My bloody hairbrush went missing two days ago. I figured I'd left it at the Annex. The bastard probably brought it over to dear cousin Bellatrix; after darling Mum's portrait, she's the next in line for his affections."
"That would do it," said Remus. "So, Kreacher delivers the hairbrush to Bellatrix who then brews Polyjuice potion and gives it to Peter."
"Not Bellatrix," Snape put in. "Abysmal at potions. Only Neville Longbottom has melted more cauldrons than she. You're quite close, however; Narcissa, her sister, is a truly gifted brewer."
"But why?" Kate asked him. "Look, Bellatrix convinces Kreacher to deliver Sirius' hairbrush to her and she, in turn, passes it on to her sister, Narcissa, with instructions to add several strands of his hair to Polyjuice potion Narcissa must have had brewing for several weeks previous. Voldemort causes Harry to see Sirius in the Department of Mysteries, being tortured. By the time Peter arrives, in Sirius' form, Harry is already there. Mission accomplished. There had to be another motive. Kingsley, what about Malfoy? Have you been able to question him?"
"Not yet," Kingsley told her. "He's at the Ministry, in a holding cell. He's not yet regained consciousness." He smirked. "Pettigrew threw a remarkably strong hex at him."
"And that's another thing," Remus commented. "Why would Pettigrew hex Malfoy so viciously?"
Kate raised her head. "The Wizard's Debt." She leaned forward in her chair. "Kingsley, do we know where Jarvis is right now?"
Kingsley shook his head. "No, we have not been able to locate him. After hearing the theory you and Sirius came up with, I contacted Tonks right after we moved Malfoy to Holding; she's got a team watching Jarvis' home and office right now. So far, nothing. Kate, what is it?"
"What if the Polyjuice potion wasn't intended for Pettigrew's exclusive use? Remember, Voldemort extracted a Wizard's Debt from Jarvis, but both Malfoy and Pettigrew were critical pieces to the collection of that debt. We know that Pettigrew used the Polyjuice potion to appear at the Ministry as Sirius; the reason is murky. Perhaps Voldemort thought Malfoy would muck up getting the Prophesy from Harry and that Pettigrew, as Sirius, would be the back-up plan if he was proved right. Perhaps Pettigrew was supposed to lead Harry to Voldemort. Perhaps Bellatrix was supposed to kill Pettigrew as part of Voldemort's plan; we have no idea what the Dark Lord was thinking at this point. That information might not be as critical to us at the moment as figuring out how Malfoy escaped Azkaban," Kate mused. "Kingsley, has anyone looked in Malfoy's Azkaban cell?"
Kingsley shook his head. "Why?"
Kate smiled. "I'd bet my last Galleon that if you do, you will find Jarvis. Narcissa would certainly facilitate anything she needed to do to assist in her husband's escape. She could also have provided the necessary hair to make a supply of Polyjuice potion for Jarvis to take. I would also wager that he will be dead; if so, you should consider analyzing the Polyjuice potion from his body for the presence of poison."
"Acromantula venom," Remus murmured, smiling at Kate. "Katie, that's brilliant! Pettigrew's dead and, if you're correct, Voldemort's vendetta is complete with the subsequent murder of Jarvis, as well. And, Malfoy is no better off as he will now be returned to Azkaban to serve the remainder of his life sentence."
"Wait," Kingsley interjected. "Jarvis wouldn't have retained Malfoy's form once dead; Polyjuice doesn't allow the false shape to remain intact after death. You all saw Pettigrew begin to resume his own form immediately prior to falling through the Veil. How could Jarvis' presence in Malfoy's cell be explained?"
Kate shook her head. "It wouldn't matter if it even was explained, Kingsley. Look, Jarvis is Malfoy's attorney. He might have been visiting Malfoy to discuss financial arrangements for his services or, for that matter, to care for his family now that Malfoy would be incarcerated for the rest of his life. Malfoy could have overpowered Jarvis and killed him in a rage over his conviction. Malfoy could have used the Imperius curse on Jarvis before he was taken to Azkaban to begin his sentence. He could have conceived of and communicated the plan for his escape to Jarvis, setting in motion the events we have just described: from the brewing of the Polyjuice potion to Malfoy's escape. The end result remains the same: Malfoy is returned to prison. Voldemort couldn't have cared about anything else as long as that eventuality occurred. A very public punishment for Malfoy's many failures."
Dumbledore nodded. "Excellent theory. Kingsley, please contact Tonks and ask her to take the ferry out to Azkaban, will you? She should report back to us with her findings – and as quickly as possible."
Kingsley nodded and excused himself. When he returned, Albus spoke again. "We have an interesting dilemma to resolve, my friends. I have spoken at great length with Cornelius Fudge. Sirius, he saw your image change to Pettigrew tonight. He knows of – and now believes in your innocence."
Sirius' head came up slowly and his eyes locked on Dumbledore's kind, blue gaze. "I'm free?" he whispered, and Kate felt her throat constrict at the look of total disbelief on his face.
"You will be cleared – very publicly so," Dumbledore replied. "The timing of your freedom is a question that begs further scrutiny."
"What are you saying?" Sirius asked, his voice hoarse.
"I believe that a slight delay in fully disclosing tonight's events may be … prudent," the Headmaster replied.
"But, Albus, Voldemort knows that it was Pettigrew who went through the Veil. We cannot 'spring' Sirius on him to any benefit of our own," Remus protested, hating the thought of his friend's continued imprisonment now that he was about to be cleared and his name restored.
"Yes, yes, Remus, it's true that Voldemort knows the true identity of the man who was killed in the Department of Mysteries tonight. But it is my understanding that none of his followers have been so advised," Dumbledore said. When there was no response from Sirius, Dumbledore continued. "Sirius, I am not saying that we will withhold your freedom; I am merely saying that I would like to wait until Malfoy is questioned and Kate's suspicions regarding Jarvis are confirmed before we move to do so. Certainly, you can bear with us until then."
Remus was indignant on his friend's behalf. "With all due respect, Albus, I don't think it's appropriate for anyone but Sirius to make that decision. It is his life, after all – no matter how little of it he's been allowed to control."
Sirius looked gratefully at his oldest friend, but when he turned back to Dumbledore, his face was hard. "It has become painfully apparent to me, particularly given certain events that occurred earlier this evening, that I have absolutely no say in any part of my own life. Certainly, that will not change, despite any opinion or, Merlin forbid, decision that I may voice. I believe that I have but one choice: agree with you, or face significant opposition; including, as I well know, physical restraint. Let's not waste any more time here, shall we? I'll just agree with you now and you can be on your way." With that, Sirius rose and left the room.
Remus moved to follow him, but Kate leaned over and put her hand on his arm. "No, Remus. You heard him; this is as much about what I did to him as it is about anything Albus has asked. I'll go." She turned to the others who had remained seated. "Excuse me." And she, too, made her way to the door.
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Kate slowly ascended the staircase leading to Sirius' bedroom. When she reached the landing, she was shocked to see him exiting her own room. In his hand, he held what Kate recognized to be the larger of the suitcases she had brought with her when she first moved to Grimmauld Place. Her eyes widened as Sirius approached her and held out the suitcase. "Here," he said, his eyes cold and his expression hard.
Kate could have sworn she felt her heart stop. "Sirius, what are you suggesting?" she finally choked out.
"I'm 'suggesting' nothing. I've just handed you the rest of your belongings. Now, I'm asking you to leave. I believe you can find your own way out," he replied, his voice low and his face unchanged.
Kate's vision blurred and she reached out to him with her free hand. "Sirius, please," she whispered.
He shook his head and stepped backward to avoid her touch. In her own despair, Kate missed the heartbreak on Sirius' face as he made his way around her and walked down to his own room. She also missed the pained look he gave her as he opened his door. Kate waited until she heard the door click closed and then she walked slowly down the stairs and slipped out of the front door, unnoticed by anyone.