Blood Ties
Part 13
Rating, summary and such are same as before.
Note 1: Thanks Joahn for beta-reading the story!
Note 2: Thank you for all your wonderful reviews. As for pairings, except from Willow/Harry there aren't really a set pairings of sort. Buffy is paired with Xander (eventually) in the original version and the same goes for Ron and Hermione (though as edition goes it becomes more and more unlikely the two would end up together...um...), but things might change as the edition goes and I'm open for any suggestion. ;p
The gang sat at the table at the corner of the crowded Three Broomstick next to a Christmas tree, enjoying the famous butterbeer of the inn. "Oh, look who it is." Hermione smirked when Ron staring at the woman standing by the bar. "Madam Rosmerta." She turned towards Buffy. "Ron fancies her."
"That's not true!" Ron blushed.
Buffy giggled. "Looks like Ron's not the only one." She said, pointing at Xander who was also staring at her.
"Hey!" Xander spun around when he heard the comment. "I'll have you know that I'm more into golden blond than dirty blond, thank you very much."
"You're picky." Buffy commented. She turned towards Harry, and found that he was staring in the bar owner's direction. "Don't tell me you have a crush on her too." The blond witch blinked when suddenly Harry slid out of his chair and went under the table. "Hey!"
"No. Look." Hermione silenced Buffy and pointed. Buffy followed her line of sight, and found Professor McGonagall entering the inn along with Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, and heading towards the bar.
"Crap." Buffy cursed when she saw the trio exchange a few words before heading towards the gang.
"Don't swear." Hermione warned as she quickly pulled out her wand and pointed at the Christmas tree. "Mobiliarbus." She whispered. The Christmas tree rose a few inches off the ground, before slowly floated towards the gang and landed right in front of their table, effectively hiding them from others' view.
"What?" Buffy pouted slightly. "I didn't say 'damn' or 'bloody hell', did I?"
"Shh!" Hermione frowned as she watched the adult through the branches.
The owner of the Three Broomsticks was busy ordering her workers at the bar when she heard a familiar voice calling behind her. "Madam Rosmerta."
"Oh Minister!" Madam Rosmerta turned and smiled when she saw Minister Cornelius Fudge accompanied by Professor Minerva McGonagall standing behind her. "Butterbeer?"
"Sure." "Thank you." The professor and the minister answered.
"I hope your business is good?" The minister asked.
Madam Rosmerta narrowed her eyes and stepped closer towards the minister. "It would be a lot better if the Ministry didn't sent the Dementors into my pub every other night." She said angrily, poking at the minister.
"We have a killer on the lose." Fudge reasoned.
"Sirius Black in Hogsmeade? Ah!" Madam Rosmerta rolled her eyes and snorted. "What would bring him here? Butterbeer?" She picked up the two cups of butterbeer her worker handed her and gave them to the professor and minister.
"Come." Professor McGonagall pulled the confused woman towards the far end of the inn and sat at the empty table in front of a Christmas tree, taking a slip of the butterbeer the other witch had offered her.
"Now, what is it about?" Madam Rosmerta asked after the other two settled down. "Does it have something to do with that rumor?" She lowered her voice. "About You-know-who's daughter being in Hogwarts?"
"No. Not really." The minister shook his head. "Trust me. If it is about her I'm more than willing to send her to Azkaban."
"Minister! It's a horrible thing to say! She is just a child!"
"Yeah, well..." The Minister took a slip of his butterbeer. "I'm not saying I would really do that. But I'm telling you, that girl's more than meets the eye. She had been here for less than two years and already gaining support from half of the old wizarding families. Not to mention her mother had never confirmed it to anyone. That cunning woman did a really good job hiding the girl's identity." He shook his head. "No. It is not about her."
"Then what is it about? I don't think Black would go after his nephew."
"Harry Potter." The professor whispered.
"Harry Potter?"
"Shh!" Professor McGonagall looked around, making sure that no one was listening in. "Years ago, when Harry Potter's parents realized they were out for death they went hiding. A few knew where they were. One of them was Sirius Black, and he told you-know-who!"
"Not only that Black led you-know-who to the Potter family but he killed one of their friends: Peter Pettigrew." The minister added.
"Peter Pettigrew?"
"The boy with the scarf? Always trailing after Sirius Black?"
Madam Rosmerta thought for a moment. "Oh. I remember him. Never let James or Sirius out of his sight." She looked between the other two. "But what happened to him?"
"Peter Pettigrew was trying to warn the Potter's and might have managed to have he not run into his old friend Sirius Black."
"Black was vicious." Fudge said. "He didn't kill Peter Pettigrew. He destroyed him." He held up his pinkie. "A finger. That's all he's left. A finger. Nothing else."
The Hogwarts professor shook her head. "Sirius Black might not be the one who put his hands on the Potter's but he was the reason they are dead."
"And now he wants to finish what he had started." The Minister continued.
"I can't believe it!" Madam Rosmerta's eyes widened.
"Oh, that's not the worst of it."
Madam Rosmerta frowned. "What could be worst?"
"This: Sirius Black was, and remains to this day, Harry Potter's Godfather."
Buffy and the gang quickly followed the trail of footsteps towards the forest near the Shrieking Shack. Harry had run out of the inn shortly after hearing the conversation, and the others quickly followed him. It was somehow difficult since Harry had put on his invisibility cloak and the only thing they could follow was the footsteps on the snow covered ground. At last, they found the dark hair boy, who was still invisible, sitting on a huge stone nearby.
Hermione made her way towards the soft sobbing noise. Ron tried to stop her, but Buffy pulled Ron away and nodded at Hermione. The Gryffindor bookworm reached the invisible boy and kneed down, her hand reached out in the air, and slowly un-covered Harry from the cloak. "Harry."
Harry looked up at Hermione. "He was their friend, and he betrayed them... He was their friend!" The word echoed in the forest as snow started falling down from the sky, leaving the other four looking sadly at the dark haired boy. "I hope he finds me." He continued, fury clearly visible on his pale face. "Because when he does, I'm going to be ready. When he does, I'm going to kill him."
Instead of joining other students who were leaving for Christmas on the Hogwarts Express, Willow had once again been denied the tradition, and was to travel with Mr. Shacklebolt using the portkey that was set up by the Ministry. Professor Dumbledore had asked for the floo network at first, but turned out same as Hogwarts, the whole Rosenberg ground was being protected by different wards that prevented anyone who was not a Rosenberg to enter the premises. That was why Willow and Mr. Shacklebolt were now standing just outside the gate entrance instead of inside the mansion.
"Wow." Willow blinked. She had heard about how rich her mother's family was, how big the mansion was, but she had never expected that. A tall black and seemly endless stone wall surrounded the whole small round hill, with a large white building on top of it. "Wow. My mom's loaded!" Then she frowned. "Did I just say that?"
Mr. Shacklebolt turned, his eyebrow raised at the youngster. Even Bennu, Willow's phoenix that was standing on her shoulder was now staring at her, blinking. Willow looked at the phoenix and the Auror. "Right. Sorry."
Mr. Shacklebolt shook his head a bit. "Now. The Ministry had already set up some wards around the area. After you enter the house, the wand will be activated. Anyone who enters or leaves the ground will trigger the alarm. So if you want to leave the ground at anytime, you'll have to contact me or Dumbledore first. Do you understand?"
"Right." Willow nodded. "I'm the prisoner. Check." She muttered under her breath.
"Sorry?"
"Nothing." Willow shook her head. "I better get going." She said as she moved towards the closed gate. But before her hand could touch the cold surface of the black gate, it slowly opened itself, revealing a golden coach that looked like something straight out from Disney cartoon Cinderella. "Um..."
"Miss Willow." Willow blinked from the coach towards an old house-elf who was standing next to the coach, bowing at her. "My name is Zuerst, at your services."
"Ah..." Willow turned and looked at Mr. Shacklebolt then back to the house-elf again. "Thank you?"
"Does Miss Willow wish to come in now?"
"Oh. Right." Willow turned towards the case she had bought with her, only to be beaten by the house-elf. Without a word, Zuerst took the case. "It's fine. I can get it."
"This is not appropriate for Miss Willow to carry anything herself, Miss." Zuerst said.
"Oh. Okay." Willow turned back towards the Auror behind her. "So... um, bye?"
"Goodbye Miss Slytherin." Mr. Shacklebolt nodded. "I'll see you after the holiday."
Willow nodded, before walking through the gate and stepped into the coach through the door the house-elf had opened for her. Zuerst closed the door, his eyes narrowed at Shacklebolt for a second before disappearing into the thin air with Willow's case. The Auror stood there quietly, his eyes staring at the leaving coach while the gate slowly closed itself. Not until the gate closed firmly in front of him did he turn around and leave.