Disclaimer: We all know how these work, I acknowledge that J.K. Rowlings, Warner Bros. and Scholastic own Harry Potter and all other characters and settings from cannon, and I get to write whatever I please and even add in characters of my own as long as I don't get any money. The no money sucks but there you go, at least I don't get lawyers knocking on my door.
Sirius' Savior
Chapter 2 Where in the world is Harry Potter?
April 15, 1982 Hogwarts, UK
Albus Dumbledore sighed and rubbed his temples. He was meeting with the Order of the Phoenix in a half an hour but despite his connections he had no real news for them. Harry Potter was still listed in the Book of Witch and Wizard Children born in Great Britain, therefore he was still alive but he was Merlin alone knew where and he definitely was under someone else's control. Albus feared what the boy was being taught in addition to wondering how he would lead Great Britain's light when he didn't control all the players on the board.
The six months since Voldemort's demise had been mostly quiet after the first week. The biggest thing that had happened after the deaths of the Potters was that Frank and Alice Longbottom had been attacked by the Le Stranges and Barty Crouch Jr. . Frank and Alice were now in 's long term care ward and weren't expected to make a recovery. Albus had tried to get control of the other child of prophecy after the attack on the Longbottoms but Augusta Longbottom had a few too many connections. The Goblins had proved to be obstructive when it came to trying to stop or even track Sirius through his vaults. The Wizengamot had been stymied in the effort to freeze Black's accounts the goblins wouldn't freeze the accounts without a trial and there couldn't be a valid trial from the goblins point of view without a defendant, the circular logic was incredibly annoying.
A little later the Order filed into the conference room off the Great Hall. Arthur Weasley, Hestia Jones, Remus Lupin, Deadulus Diggle, Peter Pettigrew, Alastor Moody, Emmaline Vance and Minerva McGonagall were present. There were a couple of other order members but they weren't able to make it. "Alright let's get started, I'll start with the latest report from our spy, the Deatheaters have pretty much disbanded to avoid being captured. The trials are going slowly. The Wizengamot tried Sirius Black in absentia to try and freeze his access to his money; however the goblins refuse to acknowledge the trial as legal and won't freeze the accounts. With the death of Orion Black, his funds have increased fifty fold. Furthermore Minister Bagnold is calling off the pursuit of Sirius Black, not because she is giving up on rescuing Harry Potter but with Black's new resources it has become in her words too expensive. Despite the differences with his family, Black was never formally disowned or disinherited."
"We know why now."Remus growled.
Many members nodded in agreement. Albus sighed "My international contacts have not been helpful. I have been able to get into Department of Mysteries for my annual access to the Book. I have the list for next years students but while there I also checked on little Harry's name. I have news, do you want the good first or the bad?"
"The good!" most of the Order chorused.
"Harry Potter is still alive. Black didn't immediately kill him."
Alastor Moody spoke up, "I assume the bad is that the boy is likely still in Black's hands and is likely being raised as the next Dark Lord."
Albus lowered his head in assent.
"We can't give up searching, we can't leave Harry in that traitor's hands." Remus said. "Moody, you have friends in law enforcement around the world, is there any way you can find them?"
"Black was one of the sharpest trainees I've ever had. He didn't make the rookie mistake of going to a country we have extradition treaties with, which means he's in a country where I don't have any contacts. We tracked him to Morocco, but lost him after that. He's laid false leads, too many to sort out without a lot of money and manpower. Sorry. And damn sorry I did such a good job training the bastard."
"I think all of us here agree." Arthur Weaseley stated.
April 15, 1982 Jakarta, Indoniesia
Sirius carried Harry into St. Michaels Hospital of Magic. The last five and a half months had been grueling for Harry and himself. Harry had been ill ever since they had left England, but this was the first time they had been near a magical hospital in all that time. He hadn't been sick, sick until a couple weeks ago but he hadn't been normal for him either. Sirius just hoped that whatever was wrong with Harry wasn't life threatening. He already struggled with the guilt from the consequences of having suggested a last minute switch of secret keepers. If something was seriously wrong with Harry, he wouldn't know what to do.
Thinking about something happening to Harry made him think back to his desperate flight from England and the meeting that preceded it.
"Halt, who goes there?"
"Sirius Black and Harry Potter"
"Very late for coming to the bank, is it not?"
"I need to speak with Ironclaw; it's in regards to James and Lilly Potter."
"This way Mr. Black."
Five minutes later the very old goblin who managed the Potter accounts entered the room Sirius had been told to wait in. He was accompanied be a dozen goblin guards carrying various weapons. "Sirius Black word has come to me that James and Lily Potter are dead at Voldemort's hand. Some say you had a hand in it, betrayed their location. Betrayal in the Goblin world is punishable by a most painful and horrible death, the slow and painful flaying and dismemberment of the body. Charlus Potter was counted goblin friend and I was fond of his son, what proof can you give me that these rumors are false."
Sirius gulped. He hadn't expected the news to travel this fast. " With your permission I'll draw my wand and make an oath if that will suit. You can even propose the wording if you like."
"Draw your wand, repeat if you can, I did not betray the Potters to the wizard known as Voldemort and their blood does not stain my soul."
Sirius gulped again even as he drew his wand. "I, Sirius Orion Black, swear on my life and my magic I did not betray James and Lily Potter to the wizard known as Voldemort. Their blood stains my soul no further than it was my suggestion that rather than serve as secret keeper myself, I serve as a decoy and suggesting they choose Peter Pettigrew as secret keeper in my place." Sirius then cast a silent lumos with his wand to prove he still had his magic. He then tucked his wand back in it's holster.
" I see." Ironclaw dismissed the goblin guards and looked at Sirius thoughtfully. "I know the contents of James and Lily's wills. You were listed as primary guardian. However there is someone of high position in the Wizengamot who has already moved to seal the wills and named himself guardian of the infant Harry James Potter."
"James told me a day ago not to trust Albus Dumbledore with Harry. He said to take him and disappear. To do that I need travel papers and money. A portkey would be nice too, someplace without an extradition treaty."
"Such things cost money."
"I figured as much, the only question is how much?"
Ironclaw gave a grin. Sirius winced because he knew the goblins had him by the proverbial short hairs. As they negotiated, Ironclaw had a meal brought in. The goblin who brought it also brought a letter addressed to Sirius. He put it aside to read it later.
The hospital's receiving medi-witch broke him from his reverie. She started in Indoniesian but on seeing Sirius' blank look she spoke again in English. "May I help you?"
Sirius gestured to Harry. "He's sick; has been for a while. He needs to be seen by a healer."
"Alright Healer Harja deals with children he has an opening in an hour in the meantime you can fill out these forms."
Nodding Sirius took the forms and started filling them out after casting a translation spell to be sure they would be correct. An hour later he and Harry were ushered into a room where the aide told Sirius to strip Harry down to his nappy.
Healer Harja introduced himself to Sirius and then spoke a couple of comforting words to Harry before he did several standard spells to get a sense of Harry's health. He was very puzzled by his results. "Mr. Black, has Harry ever had dark spells performed on him?"
Sirius paused before answering; this was one of those details that might allow the Order or the Ministry to find him. It's for Harry's health he told himself. "His family was attacked by a dark wizard in Wales, Harry was the only survivor. He's my godson and we left England behind because it was a very unfriendly environment."
"Ah. I'd like for him to be seen by Healer Sri Lie. Her experience with dark curses and spells exceeds mine by decades. She travels about Indonesia and is usually here for four days twice a month. She will be here next week. You'll need to set up a visit with the hospital receptionist."
"If you think that's best."
"Yes, in the meantime. I give you a script for some potions mostly they're to energize his system, give him some extra nutrition, you look a little run down yourself. I'd recommend some rest for both of you. Also it looks like he's due for some vaccinations I would do it today but we don't like to give them to someone whose system is already down."
Sirius nodded, but this wasn't what he wanted to hear. He had suspected something of the sort though. Harry had done some form of accidental magic weekly since the age of nine months but he hadn't done any since Halloween.
The last five and a half months had been among the hardest of Sirius' life. He hadn't realized how much work a toddler was, and he hadn't realized just how many things he didn't know about life outside of England or even life in general. Even though he was the white sheep of the Black family, his family name had brought him certain privileges in England and he had always had a house elf at his disposal in England first from his family, then later his apartment had included elf service. He had a whole new appreciation for the finer things in life. Life as a fugitive lacked the romance it had in stories, not to mention an absolute lack of the finer things in life, like hot showers. Sirius really missed hot showers. Unfortunately he wasn't the only one paying the price Harry was too.
After putting Harry's clothes back on Sirius stepped out and spoke to the receptionist "I need an appointment with Healer Sri Lie. And I need directions to a hotel and a shopping area." He glanced at the bill for today and pulled out enough money to pay it.
"Wizarding or Muggle? Healer Sri Lie has a three o'clock on Friday of next week."
"That appointment will work. Wizarding, please."
"Floo to Istana Perdamaian. It is off one of the main wizard shopping areas and it is a nice hotel."
"Thank you."
Five minutes later Sirius came to the conclusion nice was an understatement. It was the sort of hotel his parents liked. He and Harry had been staying in hotels, inns and motels that had more in common with hovels than with this palatial hotel. He debated the wisdom of staying here. He knew that he could afford it at least for a month or two, thanks to Uncle Alphard.
He hoped there was a Gringott's branch here in Indonesia. The deal he'd worked with Ironclaw meant that he could get quarterly payments from Harry's estate for his well being. He'd need them if Harry's illness proved costly, it wasn't that he couldn't use his own money to care for Harry. But staying a step ahead of aurors on his tail and the near constant travel expenses not to mention the laying of false trails had eaten into his somewhat limited liquid capital. He thought carefully about staying here, places like this sometimes included elf service. He could truly rest, and maybe get a chance to breathe at least for a short while. If he did, maybe he could make plans rather than react to circumstance. If any aurors managed to trace him this far; they would expect him to follow the pattern he'd set. They would probably spend at least a week checking the low end hotels and they wouldn't have a budget to stay someplace like this. His mind made up, he went to a public restroom and transfigured their clothes into something that was more in keeping with the surroundings. They would only last a short time but it would be enough for them to check-in and not be very noticeable.