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 11
July 28,1988 Tokyo, Japan very early a.m.
Amelia Bones wasn't sleeping well. She wasn't sure if it was guilty conscience, from hiding her meeting with Sirius; or the fact she was disturbed by her observations of Albus. She had made sure she pulled duty while he was either in council sessions or during the actual congress debates and votes as this allowed her to observe how he actually handled the maneuvering. She was shocked, in three days of watching he had trotted out the phrase "it's for the greater good of the wizarding world" at least fifteen times, and he had alternately looked disappointed or twinkled at delegates to persuade them to vote the way he wanted.
Two thirds of the delegates were swayed by his "I'm older wiser and only want what's best for the wizarding world" mien. The other third eyed him with disgust and distrust, and voted as their countries wanted. After pulling so many duty shifts, she didn't have to do anything until they port-keyed home on the thirtieth. She was currently debating contacting Sirius again. When she gave up trying to sleep, she pulled herself from her bed and padded over to the desk taking a parchment she wrote a note.
S.B.,
We need to meet. You set it up for your own security. I'm free all day, let me know where and when I'll be there.
A. B.
She summoned a house elf to deliver it to his hotel suite.
In the Imperial suite
Sirius was pacing like a wolf in a cage. He had to get home Harry was missing. Liana was in tears, because she had passed responsibility for Harry to someone else for the day to be with Siska. The President sympathized but a portkey couldn't be arranged until late morning at the very earliest. Plus Sirius would have to wait until a replacement could be arranged for himself. He looked at his watch it had been five hours. Suddenly a house elf appeared in front of him he almost ran it over. It gave him a note. He broke the seal and was about to read it when his phone rang.
"Sirius"
"Bapak Black, Harry is safe."
"Thank Merlin! Where was he? What happened?"
"I do not know. The boys were all but asleep on their feet. They were unharmed and wanted to go straight to bed. I let them."
"Alright. Have Harry call me when he wakes up."
"Yes I will do that."
"Liana, Thank you."
"You are welcome. Good night."
"Get some rest. I'll be back late tomorrow."
After Sirius hung up the phone, he paced a few more times to dispel his excess adrenaline. The pacing reminded him of the note. He read it, and smiled.
Surya came in. "You're smiling. Harry's been found, I take it."
"He turned up safe and sound. Not that his arse won't get a spanking for scaring the hell out of me." Surya grinned because everyone who knew them knew it was an idle threat.
"Thanks for taking my shift."
"Well it's not like I would have been able to sleep."
"I'll pass the word when the others wake up. You've been up twenty-seven hours head to bed."
"Wake me at noon," he waved the note in his hand. "I have a meeting to arrange by tonight."
Sirius awoke in a very good mood. He called down on the communication mirror to the concierge's desk to make arrangements for a meeting with Amelia.
"Concierge. Sango speaking."
"Sango, I need to arrange a dinner for two in a top notch restaurant that has private dinning salons, for this evening to start anytime between 7 to 9 p.m. Cuisine does not matter. Magical or muggle does not matter what matters is privacy. The reservation needs to be made in the name Duke de Sable and I realize that to get this done I will need to pay extra. I'm willing to spend fifty thousand yen above the cost of dinner to get this done."
"Hai. I will let you know when it is done."
"Thank you."
Forty minutes later Sango called him back. "Chez Mizuru, is expecting you and a guest at 9 p.m. They serve continental cuisine with a price fixe menu and eight courses. I only had to promise them thirty thousand to secure a private salon. As they are a wizarding establishment I have apparition coordinates."
"Splendid." His cell phone rang. "I have another call I need to answer. I will be down once I'm finished with that. Thank you Sango."
As the discussion about the previous day between the boys, Liana, Sirius and their parents wound down, Sirius inwardly shook his head again in amusement. It was something James and he would have done as kids but it would have come out much worse. Hadi and Johan had been very clear that Harry had tried to be a voice of reason, but that they had persuaded him. Harry had used his sharp intelligence to make their adventure have a good ending. The parents handed out their punishment: a month long grounding from almost everything including football, extra chores, and the five thousand lines of "I will not try to drive a car until I have a driver's license." The other boys protested the harshness, Harry merely looked downcast and nodded. As everyone else left, Harry shifted the phone from speaker to handset.
"Sirius?"
"Yeah, kiddo?"
"I'm sorry we worried you and Liana. I think I knew better, but Johan and Hadi said it would be an adventure. I thought about all your stories about the Marauders and I thought this would be my chance for an adventure. But you know what I decided this morning, adventures are exhausting and not all they're cracked up to be."
"Well I can hardly blame you, this something like your father and I would have done had we had the opportunity at your age. So tell you what, I'm going to adjust your punishment. You are grounded only as long as it takes you to write one thousand lines of "I will not drive until I have a driver's license." three thousand lines of "I will not give in to peer pressure." and three thousand lines of "I will keep my cell phone charged." However you still have to do the extra chores for a month to apologize to Liana."
Harry said, "Okay."
"I'll be back tomorrow, and we can talk some more. Love you kiddo."
"I love you too Sirius."
Sirius went down to the concierge desk, he greeted Sango and wrote a quick note to Amelia Bones.
A.B,
Dress up in very dressy robes and be ready for further instructions at two till 9 p.m.
S.B.
He then wrote three more notes. He used a color change spell on two envelops one to turn it blue, the other to turn it red. He handed Sango 3000 yen.
"I appreciate you setting up the restaurant for me. I need these notes delivered in a particular way. I this note to be delivered to Amelia Bones with the British delegation at her hotel at 8 p.m., this second note at two till 9 p.m. She will come here; if she is alone give her the blue envelope if she has anyone with her hand her the red. Do not give her both just one or the other."
"Blue for alone, red for in a group. Hai Black-san."
Amelia had been hanging out working on paperwork she had brought with her in her hotel room all day. At 8 p.m. she was thinking about dinner and was about to order room service as she had for lunch when a house elf appeared and handed her a note. Reading it she shrugged and headed for the bathroom to get cleaned up. She was ready when the elf appeared a second time, following the instructions on the note she apparated to the concierge desk at Sirius' hotel.
"Madam Bones?"
"Yes?"
"Black-san of the Indonesian delegation left this for you." the woman handed her a blue envelope.
A.B.
Thanks for coming alone. You will apparate to Chez Mizuru ask Sango at the desk for the coordinates, and we'll talk.
S.B.
Amelia followed her instructions, and apparated to the foyer of a very upscale wizarding restaurant.
"Madame Bones?"
She nodded.
"This way. Your companion awaits."
She followed the maitre d to a private dining salon. He opened the door and after she entered he closed it behind her. Sirius rose pulled out her seat for her. After scooting her in he reseated himself.
They looked at each other, neither sure of who should go first. There was a soft knock on the door before it opened. A young man stepped in. "Good evening I am Miroku and I will be your server tonight. Tonight the chef is making your choice of a French based meal featuring a fois gras appetizer, an onion soup, a mescaline salad, brioche, campon entree with garlic mashed potatoes. Watermelon peaches and mint paired with a lovely gouda for fruit & cheese course, and crème brulee for dessert. Italian based meal featuring bruschetta, a portabello mushroom soup, Caesar salad, focaccia bread, butternut squash ravioli in a walnut and mushroom assagio sauce, grapes parmesan reggiano and candied walnuts, white chocolate raspberry cheesecake for dessert. Last an Greek based meal featuring dolmades appetizer, avgolemono soup, greek salad, pita bread, paidakia and yemista, honeydew melon and feta, and galaktoboureko for dessert. Here is our wine list I shall leave you to discuss."
Amelia was slightly intimidated she had never been in a restaurant like this before. Thank Merlin Sirius had at least warned her to dress her best.
"Amelia, what sounds good?"
"Would it be crass to say I'm not sure what most of those dishes are?"
"I'll make it simple do you prefer poultry, vegetarian or lamb?"
"Poultry. That and I think I might recognize some of the French meal."
"Well I've gotten used to a mostly vegetarian diet in Indonesia and I haven't had Italian in ages, besides we could always share tastes." Sirius opened the wine list. "What sort of wine do you prefer sweet or dry?"
"Dry."
"Chardonnay okay?"
"That's fine."
A couple minutes later Miroku knocked and stepped back in. Sirius started to order, "I'll have the Italian meal, my companion the French. We would like a bottle of the De Sable 1982 Reserve Chardonnay."
"Excellent choice sir." He turned and left the room.
Sirius looked at Amelia, he had things he wanted to ask things he wanted to tell but darned if he knew how to start the conversation. Summoning his Gryffindor courage he started to speak, "Harry had his first adventure last night."
"Really what did he do?"
"Well he and two friends were at a football tournament...." That topic took them through the wine tasting the appetizers and the soup course. Amelia took over as the bread was served by sharing her observations of Albus and his maneuverings of the last three days that lasted through the salad the champagne sorbet to clear the palate and the entrees. Sirius started giving her a list of people that he thought would have hard evidence that could be gathered on Albus but warned her to keep the investigation quiet because Albus was known in certain circles for playing hard ball. He also gave her a list of potential allies in case of trouble. This took them through the fruit and cheese and dessert.
"Amelia there is one last person who is a potential ally, but before he'll become an ally he'll need to see a memory. I duplicated the memory and put it in this unbreakable vial. Show him the memory then give him this pouch."
"Who is it?"
"Remus Lupin"
"The werewolf?"
"Yes, and a dear and true friend."
"Sirius, I need to know about the anchors."
"I know of four, numerically HE probably has six, dividing his soul into seven I have three in my possession. I cannot and will not tell you more at least not yet."
"Okay. New subject did you ever find that pen pal for Harry?"
"No."
"Here," she handed him a slip of paper. "This is my address in Muggle London. It's actually a wizarding building but it has many people with connections in both worlds. I don't know how Harry will feel about writing to a girl but Susan will be thrilled to get letters from someone in Indonesia. I don't know about you but I'm tired. Thank you for the marvelous dinner and if you think of more to tell me you know how to reach me."
"Goodnight Amelia."
"Goodnight Sirius."