Harry Potter

The Aftermath

Chapter 8

Azkaban

January 17, 2018

Christmas and New Years has come and gone with one house on Diagon alley looking deserted still being boarded up. Valentines day looms close at hand and Marie is still under house arrest by the Ministry for which she believed was just a way to keep her out of their hair. After nearly three and a half months being locked in the house Marie just walked around her house almost in a daze there was nothing left to clean nothing left to do, she wondered briefly every now and then how Remus was doing since he was all that was left of their small group.

Remus for his part after the first of the year he lost his apartment without James' support he couldn't pay the rent so he roamed around the country finding small jobs and rooms to rent until they realized what he was then he would move on again. With the expensive ingredients of the Wolfs-bane potion and his lack of potion making skills, being that Potions wasn't his strongest subject by any means, had to continue to endure the pains of the monthly transformations. The difference being he could no longer have his friends to help him through the worst of them.

Remus had tried several times to write to Marie to explain that day in Hogsmead to her but he would always wad up the paper and throw it away unable to come up with the words he wanted to express himself properly. He had thought many times to just go see her but he felt he would be unwelcome and would bring more grief into her life being that he is a werewolf.

Marie heard a tapping upstairs on a window so she began to climb the stairs slowly. She walked into her's and Sirius shared bedroom, over to the window and opened it curiously. There was a small barn owl pecking at the window, it flew into the room circled a couple of times then decided to land on the dresser by the window. It hooted for her and stuck out it's let to which it had a letter strapped to it. She walked over to it curiously and took the letter then watched as the owl flew back out the window. She flipped the envelope over to find the Ministry seal then opened the letter.

Dear Miss Willis,

This letter is to inform you that our investigation is now

complete into your Death Eater charges. This investigation

has deemed you as innocent of all charges and the house

arrest has now been lifted from you. Please take care.

Sincerely yours,

Amelia Bones

Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement

Marie looked up at the daylight streaming into the room and she just sat there she could legally leave the house now. Amelia Bones had taken over the Department of Magical Law Enforcement which meant that Barty Crouch Sr. had lost favor after the sentencing of his son to Azkaban Prison. She stood up and walked back down stairs opened the door to look out to see her guard gone.

Marie left her house walking down the street intending on checking on Frank and Alice Longbottom at St. Mungo's after doing a little shopping for her home. Only to find that most places didn't want to sell anything to her still. She sighed sadly then apperated to the hospital and went in up to the front desk.

"What can I do for you?" the lovely young woman asked behind the desk.

"I wish to see Frank and Alice Longbottom please." Marie said politely with a sad smile.

"Oh that's such a sad fate. This way then." the lady said and walked around the counter and down the hall.

"So they've had no improvement?" Marie asked sadly remembering them laying unconscious on that barn floor after enduring all those cruel curses.

"Oh my dear no, they were tortured into insanity their minds just snapped. There is no going back they don't even recognize their own son or Mr. Longbottom's mother when they visit." she said as she made her way up to the permanent ward.

"Poor Neville, he's not going to understand as he gets older. What a terrible fate." Marie said softly as she watched the rooms pass by.

"You knew them well then? I've never seen them have visitors other than Mrs. Longbottom and the couples son Neville." the lady said as she glanced back at Marie curiously.

"We fought together during the war, I've been rather preoccupied and unable to visit since they were attacked." Marie said as she looked over at the lady now standing in front of sealed doors.

"Well they are all the way at the end of the room on the left dear if you need anything there is a nurse right down the hall." the woman said motioning down a different hall than they had just came up then opened the door for Marie to go in.

Marie walked into the almost empty ward then all the way to the end where she saw Frank and Alice laying their staring at the ceiling mumbling to themselves in gibberish. "Damn Death Eaters!" she said softly as she watched the two of them talking over each other in a gibberish conversations of their own.

Marie shook her head sadly as she walked over to Alice and grabbed her hand which drew the woman's attention. She leaned over and grabbed Franks hand which drew his attention. "I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner my friends." she said sadly then kissed both of their hands lightly which brought about another fit of gibberish as they both looked at her.

"I thought the Ministry had acted too fast." Mrs. Longbottom said from behind Marie.

Marie spun around with her hand on her wand out of instinct. "I have no idea what you are talking about. Besides you should know it's dangerous to sneak up behind people like that." she said as she relaxed and stood up putting both of their hands back up on the beds since she had just dropped them and they were hanging oddly off the bed.

"I heard you, I have you to thank for rescuing them then?" Mrs. Longbottom said as she looked at Marie curiously at the care she obviously had for her son and his wife.

"I was under house arrest." Marie said as she turned and waked by Mrs. Longbottom without looking at her.

"Miss Willis I am grateful for your assistance to my son and his wife in their time of need no matter the legality of the rescue as viewed by the Ministry." Mrs. Longbottom said as she watched this young woman wondering if she had miss judged her based on the Ministry's views.

Marie stopped for a moment staring straight ahead then slowly turned with tears in her eyes and a sad look on her face. "I'm just sorry I took to long." she said then nodded her acceptance of the thanks and gratitude to Mrs. Longbottom before leaving the room.

"She is punishing herself for their condition." Mrs. Longbottom said with a frown as she turned back to her son and his wife sadly.

Marie apperated to her family's home situated in a small sleepy market town situated in the gap passing through the Chiltern Hills 30 miles north-west of London is Tring, Hartfordshire, sat a large old style house kind of off to itself up on a hill. Her family home was a small farm set atop a hill and she smiled as she looked around it felt good to be home so good she almost called out to her family then realized they had been gone for nearly a year now as she looked around at the disarray of the property.

Marie hadn't been here since the night of the attack. She made her way over to the house looking around curiously seeing no signs left of the tragedy that had happened to her loving family. She pulled out her wand and unlocked the front door and went in.

The house was a Large size two story farm house with a wrap around porch the living room was at the front of the house as soon as you walked in with the Kitchen and Dinning area down a long hallway by the stairs. Everything was covered in dust just how her family had left it nothing seemed damaged the house felt cold and empty though. She made her way back to the stairs and up she went first to her parents room, then her brothers, then to her own which had been sitting empty since 1978 when she had moved out to live with Lily before her and James had gotten married.

There was a knock on the door and she turned around suspiciously holding her wand at the ready as she made her way back to the stairs cautiously looking around the enchantments on this old house had died with her family. She peaked through the window by the door curiously to see an old muggle neighbor and she used her wand to change her clothes quickly behind the door before she opened it.

Marie opened the door now dressed in a pair of black pants and a gray t-shirt with a black jacket on. "Can I help you?" she asked curiously making sure to stow her wand in her back pocket under her jacket.

"Ah young Miss Willis, I saw some stranger coming up to the house and wanted to check what was going on. I didn't recognized you from so far away but I guess the old eyes aren't what they used to be." the old man said with a soft laugh as he scratched the back of his head. He was dressed in normal farmers clothes he was from the farm across the small valley between the two hills their houses were on. "Are you moving back in dear, this old house sure seems lonely with out it's family to take care of." he said with knowing eyes as he rubbed the door jam gently like the house was in pain being empty for so long.

"I... uh really hadn't thought about it to be honest though it's not a bad idea. I just came to check on it today." Marie said as she looked at the picture of her family by the door that was standing stock still since they were in the presence of a muggle and she smiled.

"Your family has sorely been missed around here. I've been taking care of your live stock for you, come and get them when ever you decide to move home dear." The old man said then turned to leave knowing the house was in good hands.

"That was very kind of you but I have no way to pay you back for all that hard work." Marie said stepping out onto the porch as he made his way down the stairs.

"Wasn't no hard work Miss Willis, I require no payment. You would have done the same for me and mine had the roles been reversed." The old man said from the bottom of the stairs with a huge grin on his face then he walked away heading back home.

Marie watched as the old man left. 'I wouldn't be around a lot of witches and wizards here like I am now. But that house in Diagon Alley we bought together...' she thought wondering if she should sell the house in Diagon Alley and move back home where no one knew her most recent history or stay where she was in the presence of Sirius memories.

Marie sighed and went back into the house setting up the enchantments so to not get startled again muggle or not. She checked the fireplace to make sure the chimney was clear then she started a fire to warm up the house. Once that was started she began cleaning the house room by room. By the time night fell she had cleaned the living room, dinning room, and kitchen.

Marie was tired and she hadn't gotten to the up stairs yet so she decided to go back to the house in Diagon Alley. She went out the back door after making sure the fire was out and disaperated back to her and Sirius' house and she looked up at it she couldn't deny that she was extremely attached to this house. The more she thought about it the more she just couldn't sell it.

"How did you get out Death Eater Lover?" a coarse old woman asked angrily as she glared at Marie while making her way by to get to her own house which was the last on the block.

"I've been cleared on all charges and am no longer on house arrest or under investigation thank you very much!" Marie bit back at the old woman with a frown on her face.

"That's a mistake everyone knows your a traitor to those you fought with even your own friends." the old woman said as she started up her stairs.

"Watch what you say old woman, I didn't betray my friend or those I fought with!" Marie said as she turned to face the old woman angrily.

"I'll not believe that! That Sirius Black murdered a lot of muggles and one of your friends you'll be just like him you will." the old woman spat back at Marie as they glared at each other.

"We have no idea what transpired that day because the Ministry never did an investigation they just threw Sirius into prison because he was an easy target to show the Ministry was doing it's job. So keep your piss ass comments to yourself!" Marie said angrily then stormed up her stairs and slammed the door open then walked inside before the old woman could retort again. Once the door was shut she punched it our of rage at the comments the old woman had made about her and Sirius. Nothing had changed in nearly three and a half months these people were still cruel, and verbally abusive to her.

Marie rubbed her hand cause it now hurt as she looked around the house to see how dark it was compared to her parents old house which had been bright with the window's unboarded. 'I can't sell this place but I can't keep staying here around these bitter nasty people.' she thought making up her mind she would be moving back to her parents house as soon as she got it cleaned up, their stuff packed away then Sirius and her stuff moved.

~*~*~*~ Azkaban Prison ~*~*~*~

Sirius laid in the middle of his caged cell in his big black dog form looking out of his small window as the clouds rolled across the moon, the full moon had been a few day's ago and he was wondering how Remus was doing without him and James to keep him company course he had some comfort knowing that Marie was still out there with their friend.

Thinking of Marie did two things for him, first it made him sad that he had managed to put her through all this and second it gave him hope that she would be able to get him out of here with a trail. His innocence, his Animagus form, and the thoughts of Marie were keeping him sane. But he still had to make Peter pay for all of this that little rat had caused all of this and it wasn't fair.

From what he could tell by the moon patterns it was nearing Valentines day or had just past it, he knew it was February being how well they had studied the moons patterns over the last ten years. And he thought about the late spring wedding Marie had planned for them. He huffed as another cloud covered the moon could she manage to get him a trail before then or would Cornelius Fudge block her and ruin what was left of her life. What would she throw away to save him or would she give up and move on without him, leaving him here for the rest of his life with these vile creatures.

The waves crashing against the shore would have been relaxing anywhere else as he thought about this awful island in the North Sea, the iron and stone prison where he now resided, with other prisoners and the dreaded Dementors. The Dementors made sure to feed their prisoners regularly as to make sure they lived as long as possible to feed them their human emotions. Their food had to survive to feed them was the way Sirius understood the cycle of life here. They seemed to linger around longer than necessary when bringing food around to the prisoners.

When new prisoners were brought in it only took a few weeks for them to grow quiet and distant from the depressive atmosphere the Dementors created as they sucked all the happiness out of the prison. Then the hallucinations and yelling began, Sirius learned a lot about these Death Eaters during those periods of anger and despair. He had learned that the Death Eaters here blamed Peter for their Lords disappearance saying he had taken their Lord into a trap and now he understood that Peter wasn't just hiding from Remus and Marie but all of Voldemorts Death Eaters the bloody coward had framed him to go into hiding. Eventually people were left with only their worst memories which eventually drove them insane or to stop eating preferring to die than continue their life in this manner.

Sirius' life was an ongoing torture of failures, sorrows, what if's, how are they's, I'm sorry's and a slight barely visible band of hope at times. Then there was the dementors who's presents just sucked the heat right out of him and with the heat went the hope. His innocence had became an obsession over the last several months so it wasn't a happy thought it wasn't an emotion the dementors could feed off of so there wasn't much to take from him so they tended to stay closer to the other occupants of the prison.