Wow, so many reviews. I am responding to all of them, except for the crazy anonymous reviews who don't leave their e-mail address. I'm not going to spam you with porn...at least not tasteless porn.
I forgot to thank The Sushi Monster, beta of doom, in the last chapter. Thanks Sushimeister. Also, johnnydicaprio helped out with this chapter making sure that it wasn't a complete mess.
Doh! kehlencrow is my 'gamma'. I forgot her too...I am a forgetful person, eh? Damn brain and its not working.
Oh, and go read Bungle in the Jungle: A Harry Potter Adventure, by Jbern. Simply amazing, and hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing.
Disclaimer: JKR owns everything, including your soul. I lost my soul in a bet years ago, so I doubt she owns mine. I don't know which of us is better off.
There is no nifty line separator in this chapter for changes in location, so pay attention. :)It's Coming Down
Just over a week later, several plans were set into motion.
Nadia Chalmers followed Bill Weasley carefully while underneath an invisibility cloak. They were walking through the front yard of The Burrow, approaching the front door. She had no idea why she was there, only that Director Bones had ordered her to tail Weasley for surveillance. When she had asked her if Weasley was a target, which was doubtful knowing the little she did about the family, Amelia had shaken her head.
"Auror Chalmers, we have reason to believe Weasley will encounter a fugitive. It will probably happen near his home. The man we are searching for is an animagus, and will likely attempt to escape if confronted. Weasley is aware that we have Aurors shadowing him, but he does not know any details." This was a lie. Amelia and Bill had decided on the plan together, with advice from Harry and Albus. Each step was carefully mapped out and argued upon by the five who knew the truth about Pettigrew.
Remus was the hardest to convince. When he discovered that Sirius was innocent, his guilt had become almost overwhelming and he finally accepted Harry's story without reservation. He'd desperately wanted to go after Pettigrew himself, relenting only after Harry and Amelia carefully explained that not only would Pettigrew immediately know he had been discovered, but if Remus lost control and somehow killed the rat, Sirius would never be freed. That had sobered him, immediately. The pensieve memories of the reunion of the last living Marauders had brought him to his knees.
At the same moment that Bill opened the front door and stepped into The Burrow, Albus Dumbledore was convening an emergency session of the Wizengamot. Watching the other members file in, his eyes met those of Augusta Longbottom, who nodded to him. Amelia Bones walked by her side, and spared a quick glance for Albus before continuing her whispered conversation with the aged witch. Several minutes passed as the chamber filled with affluent, and almost exclusively pureblooded, witches and wizards. A small group entered with Minister Fudge, and Albus recognized several known Death Eaters among them, including Lucius Malfoy and Douglas Nott.
Bill paused before shutting the door, trying to be inconspicuous as he left it open so the Auror could slip inside. He could hear her footsteps falling lightly upon the floor.
"Cast a silencing charm on yourself, or something. He can't know you're here," he whispered. Hearing a very soft muttering, and then nothing at all from the space he believed the hidden Auror to be, Bill continued on to the kitchen, where he planned to make some noise so The Rat would think he was simply preparing himself a quick snack.
Fudge called the session to order, and then turned to Albus. As Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and the one to call the emergency session, it was his duty to steer them to business. The ancient wizard stood, and almost immediately, with a few noticeable exceptions, the chamber quieted. After the usual opening remarks, and a few trivial motions being submitted and voice-voted on, Albus inquired to the group of wizards and witches if there was any more business to discuss before the main topic of the day was brought up. With no voices forthcoming, he opened the meeting to debate. The first person to rise was Augusta Longbottom.
Remus and Harry sat in a boat, somewhere in the middle of the North Sea. They were headed to Azkaban Prison. The stormy water was making Harry a bit nauseous while Remus sat quietly. His guilt caused anxiety at seeing his friend, thought to be a traitor for so many years. It was dark, though just past noon, the sun hidden behind gray clouds that swirled above them almost as violently as the water underneath their small, rickety boat. They floated on in silence, too cold, too enveloped in thoughts of Sirius, to say anything. Out of the mist came an outline of a rocky shore, followed by the towering shape of the prison itself.
As they climbed the stairs to the third floor of The Burrow, Bill and his silent companion slowly withdrew their wands. When they reached the top step, just down the hall from Percy's room, Bill muttered under his breath. "Here we go," and then in a much louder voice, called out to the empty house.
"Anybody home?" Knowing no one would answer him, Bill continued on down the hall. Walking to Percy's door, he took a calming breath. He couldn't foul this up. It was unthinkable. Holding his hand inches from the doorknob, he paused and raised a fist, signaling in the way Amelia had taught him, to communicate readiness among the Aurors. He heard nothing, but could feel the tension level in the hallway rise considerably. His companion was ready.
"I call for a vote of no confidence against Minister Fudge and his administration!"
The statement stunned the entire chamber into silence. For two-seconds. Pandemonium quickly replaced it. Fudge stood. The noise of over fifty wizards and witches shouting at each other, at Augusta Longbottom, at Fudge, at Albus, drowned out any logical voice. Fudge tried to call them to order, but no one was paying him any mind. This was unprecedented. A vote of no confidence less than six months after a Minister took office was unheard of and made Cornelius Fudge very uncomfortable. He looked to Albus. In any matter involving the Minister's position, the Chief Warlock chaired the assembly. Albus sat silently, his face expressionless. A few minutes passed, and with no lessening of the madness, Albus stood.
"Silence!" His voice sliced through the tumult, echoing in the great chamber. There were some scattered mutterings as the members of the Wizengamot took their seats and prepared to debate the proposition of electing a new Minister of Magic less than half a year after the election.
They gently struck the rotten wooden dock at Azkaban Island. An Auror who looked like he would rather be anywhere else greeted them stiffly and swished his wand, silently securing the boat. If he found it odd that there was a young child visiting the most feared prison on earth, he gave no indication. Harry could not make out colors once they walked ashore, only different shades of gray and black. Little was visible in the muted daylight and thick cool mist. The water was murky, and appeared to go no deeper than the foamy surface. It matched the sky. Remus followed the Auror down a narrow path toward the prison, Harry trailing behind. After several minutes, Harry began to shiver, his young body unable to insulate itself from the soulless chill. Remus put his arm around him and rubbed his back vigorously, trying to create some sort of heat. A moment later, they passed by an especially large group of rocks that cut off their view of the sea. Then they saw it. Azkaban towered over the island it was named for, reaching so high that the top levels were not visible through the fog. The three of them walked up to the forbidding structure.
Then they felt the effects of the dementors. Remus visualized his worst memory, even with his eyes open. He was standing outside on his front porch, drinking hot cider and trying to stay warm, searching for the fairies that his parents said came every Christmas. When he heard something that sounded like a dog whimpering, he stepped down onto the grass. The whimper turned into a growl and a huge creature slunk out of the shadowy bushes and stood on its hind legs in front of the small boy. He had wanted to scream. Nothing else went through his mind except for the desire to scream and scream, but only silence came when he opened his mouth. The memory left him as quickly as it had begun, and Remus saw a large glowing white cat of some sort trotting in front of him.
"Verus Ostendo Animagus!" shouted Bill as he whipped his wand toward the large rat sitting in its cage in the corner of the room. The room of his younger brother that this animal, and Bill still thought of him as an animal, had called home for so long was small and neat. He hadn't bothered taking him out of the cage first. It was fragile, only strong enough to hold a rodent. Bill and Nadia watched as a pale, disheveled, truly rat-like man with a small paunch, expanded and destroyed the cage. Peter Pettigrew only had enough time to open his eyes in shock as an invisible Nadia stunned and bound him. Bill added a containment spell he'd learned from Rockspear that would leave the Death Eater in front of them in a field of static energy, preventing any magic.
"Augusta Longbottom will be recognized," Albus stated, calmly eyeing the entire Wizengamot. There were still whispers making their way through the chamber as Augusta rose, plum colored robes swirling. Her eyes glittered as strongly as the silver 'W' on her chest. The rest of the members took in the sight of the formidable witch, usually quite even-tempered, glaring at the Minister of Magic, menacingly. Fudge fought the urge to swallow nervously.
"Do you think Bill got the rat? Maybe we should check in with Dumble- Albus. He said the vote wasn't a sure thing."
"Remus, I know it's stupid to say in our current situation, but you need to relax. We came here to get Sirius, and no matter what happens, they're not bringing him back here as long as Albus and Amelia are still a part of the Ministry. And even if they aren't, I'm still not letting them bring him back. Plus, Kingsley is waiting for us in the warden's office." Harry was concentrating hard on his happiest memories to keep his Patronus strong. Remus was so overcome with guilt and worry that he couldn't produce his own. The dementors weren't attempting to get any closer, but the feelings of hopelessness and despair that they radiated assailed the entire island. There were too many of them. The large cat paced back and forth between them and their Auror escort, holding off the worst of the effects for the time being. Occasional screams would make Remus jump as they marched down the bleak corridor, quickly making their way to the high security cells. Eventually, after what felt like hours of endless blind turns and screams from prisoners, the three humans and single Patronus halted in front of a single door that resembled all the others except for the nameplate. Black, Sirius - Life.
They had straightened the room and disposed of the wrecked cage. There was some time to spare as the rest of the Weasley family, minus Charlie in Romania and Arthur at the Ministry, was stocking up on school supplies in Diagon Alley. Stepping away from Bill, Nadia produced a portkey that would transport her and Pettigrew directly to a Ministry holding cell. Bill knew he wouldn't be going along, so he released the containment spell and then quickly aimed his wand directly at the traitor's face and pushed as much magic into a Stupify as he could manage, insuring that the Death Eater wouldn't wake up for many hours. Nadia glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, curious at the look of contempt on the face of the young man to her right. Shaking it off, she placed the empty billfold on her prisoner's chest, grabbed his arm and tapped the portkey with her wand, activating it.
"Evidence has been presented to me, as a member of the Wizengamot, and as Lady Longbottom of the Noble House of Longbottom, that Minister Fudge has accepted private monetary compensation from witches and wizards not authorized to participate in such matters of governance. He has also, according to the evidence I've received, purposely misled various department heads, employees of the Ministry, and the Wizengamot itself relating to these accusations. Due to this incontrovertible evidence, I formally request The Minister's resignation. Since I have little doubt he shall refuse, I move to call a vote of no-confidence!"
The uproar that followed was just as earsplitting as the previous one, and over it all Albus and Amelia could hear Fudge shouting, "Preposterous!" Amelia also recognized the usually sickly sweet voice of Dolores Umbridge snarling, "Lies! Lies! How dare you accuse The Minister of such absurdity!" Similar sentiments were being uttered by a small number of Fudge's supporters, while the rest of the chamber was filled with shouted requests of, "Proof! Proof!"
Metal scraped against metal, causing Remus to wince as his werewolf enhanced ears railed against the noise. The warden mentioned that he would be just beyond the door while they visited before taking Remus' wand and stepping back and out of sight. Harry quickly walked into the filthy cell, followed immediately by Remus. Inside, they had difficulty locating Sirius for a moment. A small bucket sat in the corner, overflowing with human waste, and both of them were forced to breathe through their mouths. The scent stuck to their tongues as they frantically searched the room. There was a small metal bowl at their feet, just to the side of the door, half full with a gray substance that appeared to be porridge of dreadful quality. It was the only food that the prisoners were fed except for the occasional nutritional supplement to keep them alive. The walls were the same color as the floor, black, with lighter shades scratched into them by the crazed, desperate fingers of previous occupants.
After a few seconds, their gazes settled on a mound of black fur that seemed to blend into the surroundings, curled up in the corner opposite the disgusting waste bucket. It was hard to see the dog through the matted fur and filth that covered it. Very skinny, with patches of skin showing through the grime, Padfoot seemed dead. There was no sign he was breathing.
"Padfoot?" Remus called out softly. The form in front of them stirred the tiniest bit, then remained still. Harry hesitantly moved over to his godfather, and kneeled by where he suspected the dog's head lay. Reaching out his hand, trembling with the horror of the sight of Padfoot in such a condition, Harry gently placed it on the grimy dog. Without warning, Padfoot leapt up and tried to snap his godson's arm in half. Harry jumped back, wand in hand, as Remus darted forward.
The shouts and arguments had begun to die down after a minute. Griselda Marchbanks stood straight and silent, looking straight at Albus. The ancient witch waited for several seconds before slowly scanning the entire chamber.
"Second!" she spoke firmly, in the loudest voice she could muster. As old as she was, Griselda was respected and known by almost every member of the Wizengamot. Her support of the motion was met with stunned silence. She had never been very active in legislation, content to sit back and vote on matters that concerned only her or her department. Albus nodded to her, then glanced at Fudge. The Minister's face was bright red and he looked furious. There were several people on their feet just to his left, standing in a group muttering to each other after it became apparent that there was some information powerful enough to convince both Longbottom and Marchbanks to stake their reputations on this vote. Neither of the witches were known as risk takers.
Albus called the chamber to order, then stood and spoke. "All those in favor of a vote of no-confidence toward Minister of Magic Cornelius Oswald Fudge, please raise your hand."
It appeared few of the members of the Wizengamot were fond of the current Minister. He had made too many enemies already in the short time he'd been in office. Of the fifty-seven witches and wizards in the body, forty-five of them voted to allow evidence to be presented and the vote to be held.
"All those not in favor?" Albus watched as ten others, all wizards, raised their hands. Malfoy, Nott, and Parkinson among them. All ten were Death Eaters or suspected sympathizers. The only members to abstain were the man under threat of expulsion from office and Amelia Bones, who knew she had to appear impartial as the one presenting the evidence.
Albus was pleased. He had hoped there would be a large margin in the initial vote, but the results had been a surprise, even to him. Apparently, Cornelius was even less effective at politicking than he had been at governing.
Entering the dingy red phone booth that doubled as the visitors entrance to the Ministry of Magic, Bill searched his pockets for the muggle coins he had obtained. Distracted by the thoughts of his family having been in danger all these years, a Death Eater living under their roof, he punched in the necessary digits. When asked, by the inquiring automated voice, for his name and the reason for his visit, he stared at the phone and said, "Bill Weasley, here to present evidence that Minister Fudge is corrupt and incompetent, then observe him being voted out of office."
A few heartbeats later, a small badge appeared in the change dispenser. Bill looked at it before pinning it on the front of his robes.
Bill Weasley, Attempted Coup
He snorted. Ever since the first time he had visited the Ministry, the badges had always been a little too clever. The booth magically lowered itself into the atrium and he stepped out into a subdued atmosphere. The news of the no-confidence vote had apparently made its way out of the Wizengamot chamber rather quickly.
In the blink of an eye the skeletal animagus transformed into a gaunt and grimy Sirius Black kneeling on the floor, too weak to stand. His eyes were crazed, not recognizable to the two others in the cell. Harry stepped forward and faced his godfather.
The prisoner closed his eyes and lowered his head, defeated. "Come to give me the kiss, eh? Fine! Do it. Doesn't matter anymore. It doesn't matter anymore!" He snarled loudly, his underused voice cracking with the strain. Remus had taken a step back at the savage sound. Sirius was not completely sane, Harry knew, and the only thing they could do was wait out whatever feelings of self-loathing and hostility the man was feeling.
"Sirius, it's me. It's Remus. I brought Harry with me. We're getting you out of here. We're going home."
Sirius looked up, his eyes still slightly wild, and focused on the man who had spoken. Remus stared back into his old friend's eyes, willing him to understand and snap out of his madness. Slowly, gradually, the prisoner relaxed. The whites of his eyes were no longer so prominent. His body unclenched and he staggered back before stumbling into the wall and sliding to the floor. Sirius looked up and gave the impression he was aware of his surroundings for the first time since they had entered his cell.
"Moony?" he gasped. Remus beamed, a sight not seen often in one of the most miserable places known to wizard-kind.
In a small conference room several doors down from the Wizengamot chamber, Amelia Bones was speaking to Dolores Umbridge.
"Madam Undersecretary, the evidence against The Minister is overwhelming. I have had access to it for over a week, authenticating each accusation. There is nothing that would indicate Cornelius is innocent of a single one."
Umbridge was apoplectic, sputtering incoherently and spitting whenever she attempted to speak through her rage. Amelia had tried to avoid the unpleasant woman after a short recess had been called, following the approval by the Wizengamot to allow evidence of Fudge's dealings. The Minister's most devoted supporter had seized her like a seeker after the snitch and dragged her into this conference room. Her determination to disprove all charges before they could be presented would have been laughable had Amelia not known the lengths this particular witch would go to accomplish her tasks. The phrase Harry had repeated several times as they had planned the events of the day was a familiar one. Something ingrained in her mind since Auror training all those years ago. 'Constant Vigilance!' the infamous Alastor Moody had shouted in her face, in her ears, from behind, above and atop her, so many times that she had occasionally drawn her wand on friends and family during the first few years out of the Auror Academy. Fortunately, she had learned to temper those reactions, eventually. At the moment, however, her fingers twitched and she kept her hand near her wand, hoping she would not need to make use of it.
Getting through security had been no problem. As usual, the guard had not paid the visitor's badge any attention as Bill handed over his wand to be inspected. He quickly made his way toward the lift and took it up to the level for the DMLE. Arthur Weasley was sitting at his small, cramped desk in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office when his oldest son arrived.
"Bill!" Arthur stood as his son ducked his head in the room. "What are you doing here? Do you have a meeting at the Ministry?"
Bill stepped fully into the room. "Kind of. Do you know what's going on with the Wizengamot right now?"
"They're having an emergency session, or something of the sort. Professor Dumbledore called for it yesterday and they've been meeting for the past hour or so." He looked curiously at his son. "Do you have a meeting with someone on the Wizengamot?"
"Well, I actually needed to talk to you about something. I've been working with Director Bones for the past week, and there's a few things you should know about..."
The grin on Harry's face was so wide it was causing a slight ache. Sirius looked back and forth between the two people that had entered his cell. He was very confused.
"James?"
His smile shrank a bit, only to change into an expression a bit more comforting to his tortured godfather. "No, it's Harry. We've come to free you. They know about Pettigrew. They know everything. You're coming back with us, right now."
Sirius shook his head, bewildered. "Harry? But...Moony, what's going on? You two shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous!"
Harry shook his head and tried not to laugh. The joy of seeing Sirius alive was overwhelming his sense of horror. He would be alright, soon enough. The nightmares would come and go, and the guilt would never leave the man, not after almost a decade of reliving his worst memories, but he would be free. Truly free, not locked up in the house of the family he hated. Not constantly in fear for his and his godson's life. Free to do whatever he wanted, to go anywhere and do anything. If all went according to plan, Amelia and Albus would have the Ministry in line by the end of the day and Sirius would just be one of several patients at St. Mungo's recovering from being wrongly imprisoned in the hellhole known as Azkaban.
Remus reached his hand out and grabbed his best friend's arm to pull him to his feet. Harry moved to the other side and wrapped an arm around Sirius' much too thin waist. After hauling him up, they slowly shuffled to the still open door and met the warden.
The man pulled his wand. "What are you doing? You can't remove the prisoner!"
Remus slowly reached into his robes with his free hands and pulled out a roll of parchment. When he handed it to the irate man blocking their path, the warden glanced at it and, seeing the seal of the Ministry, quickly tore it open and read it. Then he read it again and looked a bit pale before shoving it in his own robes.
"Auror Shacklebolt arrived just before your boat docked. He's in my office. If I had known what this was about, I would have sent for him. I don't like transferring criminals without an escort."
Sighing, Remus nodded. "We understand, warden. Though, as you can see there is no threat from Sirius or young Harry, here."
For the first time, the warden took a good look at the young child in front of him. The boy was much younger than he had thought, probably not even Hogwarts age.
Then his eyes swept up his face to the forehead and he yelled out, shocked. "That's Harry Potter! What are you doing visiting this traitor? He's responsible for-"
"Can't you read, old man?" The frigid tone coming out of such a young child stunned the warden into silence. Sirius glanced down at the boy who was supporting him with surprise. Only Remus was aware of how angry Harry was. It worried him.
Arthur stumbled and almost crashed to the ground as they turned the corner, but Bill grabbed his arm to steady him and they continued to sprint down the corridor. Quickly, they neared the entrance to the DMLE's holding cells and Arthur burst through them with such force that the two Aurors on duty reflexively pointed their wands at him. The elder Weasley's normally pale complexion glowed as red as his hair in anger. Bill followed a bit more cautiously. After explaining the reason for their visit, both Aurors lowered their wands and answered the two redheads' question.
"Auror Chalmers arrived almost thirty minutes ago with one suspected Death Eater. She's finishing up the questioning now, did you need to speak with her?"
Bill responded quickly. "Yes, sir. We both need to see Auror Chalmers, Director Bones and the prisoner."
One of the Aurors looked at the older redhead. "Arthur, what's this about? Things have been crazy today and Bones didn't show after the recess began. Nadia said she was supposed to be here to help interrogate the suspect."
Popping an apple flavored hard candy into his mouth as he walked away from a small group of wizards, Albus reflected, again, how well things were going. He had spent the past twenty minutes of the recess speaking with as many members of the Wizengamot he could find. Most of them had stayed in various conference rooms near the chamber, while a few, mostly supporters of the Minister, had rushed out to let like-minded allies know about the upcoming vote and possible ramifications. All told, it was likely the magical government of Britain would be going through plenty of changes in the coming days and weeks. Augusta Longbottom and Griselda Marchbanks were two of the most well known witches in England. Griselda had tested almost every student who had graduated from Hogwarts, including most of the Wizengamot, since before Albus had attended. Augusta was of a noble pureblood family, connected with many others regardless of their allegiance. Between them, and Albus' informal endorsement of their call for a vote of no-confidence, most of the members of the body that governed wizarding life in Britain were falling into line.
He meandered down the corridor, greeting acquaintances as he went, before he stepped into a narrow passageway hidden behind a tapestry. He cast his phoenix Patronus with a message on how things were progressing, and sent it to Harry and Remus who would need the information to proceed with their plans. Stepping back to the main corridor, he began to make his way back toward the chamber. The vote would be held in a few minutes. He passed several doors, most containing storage or conference rooms, when he heard a faint sound that suspiciously resembled a scream. Stilling instantly, Albus focused on anything but the distant voices of the last few members of the Wizengamot reentering the chamber. There! He heard the sound again, a bit stronger this time. Whirling around, his robes billowing dangerously, Albus strode briskly toward the door where he believed the noise was originating.
The warden continued to point his wand at them. "Listen, boy! You shouldn't even be here. This is no place for a child."
"That's what I said..." muttered Sirius.
"This is no place for an innocent man, either." Harry shot back. "Do you ever wonder if the prisoners screaming out their innocence might just be telling the truth? Did it ever cross your demented little mind that people sent here without trial might not have gotten one for a reason?" Harry was incensed. He wasn't going to let some contemptible Auror-wanna-be force Sirius to stay in this miserable excuse for what the wizarding world called a prison.
"Harry..." Remus pleaded.
"No, Moony. This...man isn't going to let Sirius leave here alive. It's his job, after all." Turning to the warden, he gave the furious man an order. "You read the letter, go get Auror Shacklebolt." The man didn't move. "Now!"
Bill and his father slowed from a sprint to a brisk walk as they hit the stairs that led to the Wizengamot chamber. Entering the corridor, they spotted Albus standing in front of a door that led to one of the many smaller conference rooms on the level. He glanced at them as they appeared, then was blasted back as a spell shattered the door he had been hovering in front of, knocking him back into the opposite wall. Both Weasley's pulled their wands as a jet of green light took care of what was left of the door and shot splinters into the man slumped on the ground. They rushed forward, Bill holding his father back instinctively, and crouched as they approached the door.
Bill could hear the shouts and grunts of a duel being fought and spells being cast wildly. A jet of disturbing orange magic flew into the wall just above Albus' head, but the Chief Warlock rolled to the side with speed surprising for his age. A voice Arthur recognized oozed out into the corridor.
"I saw you talking to that old hag of a witch, Amelia! I know you're part of this...this coup!" Bill suspected that whoever created the badges for visitors might be smarter than he'd thought. "You can't do this to Cornelius, he's a great man!"
Amelia was not interested in debating the pros and cons of a Fudge run Ministry with the deranged woman currently firing curses at her. She was interested in hexing her into oblivion, or at the very least, a long-lasting coma. Yes, a coma would do quite nicely. Dodging another unidentifiable spell that looked as if it was probably rather unpleasant, Amelia tried again to reach the door.
"Stop hiding, Director."The toad-like woman spat the title. Bill and Arthur glanced at each other. His father readied his wand as Bill prepared to come to the aid of his partner in this half-crazy scheme to reform the Ministry. Albus had slowly gotten to his feet and was now standing on the other side of the mutilated door. With a nod, all three of them entered the room at once.
"Petrificus Totalus!" shouted Arthur while Albus sent a wave of magic into the room, throwing both women to the ground, disarming them immediately. Bill cast the same containment spell he had used earlier on Pettigrew at the petrified Umbridge. Amelia rose to her feet shakily, and grabbed her wand from where it had landed nearby before smoothing her robes. Albus mended his own. The four of them looked each other over, and finding nothing out of place, secured the, most likely former, Undersecretary to the Minister in traditional magical bindings.
Amelia looked at Bill. "Did you capture the suspect?" she asked, reverting to her 'professional' tone. Albus looked to Bill expectantly while Arthur appeared confused.
"Yep. No problems, so far. He's up in the holding cell. Are we still using him to-"
"Indeed, William." Albus had finished repairing the door and removing all signs of the impromptu duel that had taken place. Umbridge was still lying on the floor, still frozen in the containment field, but seemed to be vibrating occasionally. Bill was impressed. Normally, only an extremely powerful witch or wizard could affect the spell. As he looked closer, he realized the containment field itself was not being affected, but that Umbridge was so furious her entire body was shaking in fury.
Bill frowned. "What are we going to do with her?"
The other three looked at the wayward government official. Amelia spoke first. "I don't think she will sit quietly through the vote," she said with a wry smile. "Might as well take her up to the holding cells. I'll send her off with an Auror."
The foursome made their way back to the entrance of the chamber where Amelia assigned one of the Aurors flanking the entrance to levitate Umbridge to the DMLE holding cells until she could be interrogated for attacking a Ministry employee.
Arthur started off behind the Auror when Albus reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "Arthur, I believe it would be helpful if you could share some of your thoughts on Minister Fudge with the Wizengamot before the vote."
"Are you really trying to replace him?"
Bill walked over to his father and held up his visitors badge.
Arthur stared. "I see. Well, the badges never lie. I'll do my best. I haven't had that much to do with him since he was elected, though."
"That's fine, Arthur," said Amelia. "If you'll come wait over here with the other witnesses, we'll call you within the hour." They led him to a room holding several other Ministry officials, most of them not as high ranking as Arthur, but there were some other sub-department heads present.
As the Auror departed with Umbridge floating in front of him, Amelia, Albus and Bill stood outside the closed entrance to the Wizengamot chamber. The assembled witches and wizards were most likely wondering where their two highest ranking members other than the Minister had gotten off to, and Bill was not going to let his part in the plan be exposed at the moment.
Kingsley Shacklebolt was experiencing one of the oddest days in his life since the war. When he had reported for duty, Amelia had informed him that his next few shifts would be spent portkeying between Azkaban and St. Mungo's. The idea of spending an extended amount of time at the wizarding prison had been disturbing enough, but when she had shown him the files on almost a dozen innocent people who had spent from three to twenty-five years in Azkaban, without trial, he had felt positively sick. So here he sat in the warden's office, his Patronus circling him to ward off the despair of the dementors, waiting to escort Sirius Black, of all people. One of the most reviled wizards in recent memory was an innocent man! He shook his head, sadly. How could the Ministry send people off without a trial? Kingsley knew that war resulted in some rules being bent, but Azkaban was worse than death. There were no redeeming qualities to it, and when he had spent time with members of other Ministries they had made clear their contempt for Britain for still using dementors to guard the prison. It was something most other magical governments had discontinued centuries ago.
The warden, who Kingsley couldn't help but dislike immensely for promoting the continued use of dementors in more than one DMLE meeting, bustled in and frantically confirmed with the Auror that Sirius Black was indeed innocent. When he mentioned the man and child who were still in the prison with the prisoner, Kingsley exploded.
"You left them with the dementors? Without a wand? You fool! You left a child to be kissed, you...you..."
He was sputtering in rage as he sprinted out the door, leaving a stunned warden to gape in horror at what he'd done. Approaching the corridor, Kingsley cast his Patronus and prayed he wasn't too late. The dementors would go after Black first, but weren't that particular about who they kissed. If it had been too long, he would have quite the report to file with Amelia. She would not be pleased.
Approaching Black's cell, he stopped dead in his tracks. A glowing white feline Patronus of some sort stalked the corridor, growling silently at a group of dementors who huddled together opposite the Auror. Black was a mess, sunken eyed and thin to the point of starvation. He shook his head...the things they did to these people, in the name of 'justice'. Remus Lupin, who he had met several times in the past week, was supporting the prisoner, whispering in his ear. The Patronus was apparently being cast by a young boy, staring intensely at the hooding creatures as if daring them to move forward. Kingsley could feel the power radiating down the corridor, feelings of happiness and tranquility pulsing off the cold stone walls.
"Lupin!" he shouted. The man looked up at him and an expression of relief crossed his face before he said something inaudible to the boy. Green eyes that the Auror could spot, even from the distance he was at, stared at him and a small smile broke through the concentration. Kingsley's lynx joined the unidentified animal holding off the dementors. He motioned the trio to move while the two Patronuses pushed the foul creatures back down the corridor. The four of them slowly made their way back to the warden's office.
Harry spotted the man first. "I'm glad your stupid enough not to check a child for a wand, you idiot! We would have died back there. You're lucky the worst you have to look forward to is losing your job, because if it was up to me..."
"Harry, calm down," said Remus with a sigh. Harry stiffened and looked at the older man as if he were about to argue. Letting out a long breathe, he nodded once and holstered his wand. Kingsley was impressed. He had never known someone so young to be able to cast a Patronus, let alone one powerful enough to drive off dementors in the middle of the high security section of Azkaban. The righteous anger pouring off the boy was interesting, as well. He was a curious child.
"We need to get Sirius out of here. He needs healers, badly." Remus had spoken to Kingsley, who was still staring at the boy with interest. The Senior Auror shook himself out of his musings and nodded. Pulling out a portkey to the wizarding hospital, he moved toward the other three.
"Hold on to the portkey and it'll take us directly to a secure ward at St. Mungo's."
Harry and Remus looked down at the small hot sauce bottle and then glanced at Sirius. He was awake, but didn't seem very alert.
"Sirius. Sirius!" Remus shouted and Sirius jerked his head to look at him. His eyes were almost empty but for a small spark of something Remus didn't recognize. Harry did. It was hope.
A semi-transparent, glowing phoenix came into existence as the four of them reached for the bottle.
Albus' voice rang out into the silence. "The vote will be held soon. Take Sirius to St. Mungo's and come to the Ministry as soon as possible."
Kingsley looked at Harry, who the Patronus had stopped in front of, and grew even more curious. The jerk behind his navel startled him a bit as the portkey spun them through space to St. Mungo's.
It may take a little longer than usual to post chapter 6...random Chinese holidays create work for me.
And, a challenge. Not a story challenge, but a challenge nonetheless. All my chapter titles are also song titles. I bet no one can figure out which bands go with which songs. At least not all of them. I wish you luck.
