Chapter Six

Anton dozed peacefully and when he awoke he found he had slept through the previous day, night and that it was half past five the next evening. For the first time he felt thoroughly rested, he next to jumped out of the bed, almost knocking the goblet of potion onto the floor in his haste. Anton pulled open his bedroom door and hurried into the bathroom as he crossed the hall laughter could be heard from down the stairs. Ignoring the noise he continued into the shower and switched the water on, taking the risk he stayed in for six minutes.

'Anton! Are you awake?' Sirius shouted up the stairs when the shower had finished.

'Yeh I'm up!' Anton called back as he pulled on a long sleeved t-shirt.

'Well dinner's on the table, and Molly said she's setting you a plate' he said back.

'Coming I'll be two minutes!' Anton yelled down tying his hair back.

'Right but there's someone here you might like to meet,' Sirius said loudly.

'I'm coming!' Anton replied hurrying down the stairs.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs he came face to face with Hermione, he halted immediately as he saw her face, he quickly disguised his shock as confusion as he looked from Hermione to Sirius who was standing next to her.

'Hi,' he said hesitantly not looking directly at the teenager.

'Anton this is Hermione Granger,' introduced Sirius with a flourish 'and Hermione this is Anton Lukyen.'

'It's nice to meet you,' Hermione said politely, she had a coat on and her trunk was on the floor next to her.

'Nice to meet you to,' Anton smiled at her.

'Hermione will be staying here for the rest of the school holidays,' Sirius informed Anton 'she's a good friend of the Weasley's.'

'Well it's good to have a new face around,' Anton said to her sincerely.

'Anton is that you?' Mrs Weasley's voice called from the kitchen.

'Yes Molly it's me,' Anton said making his way to the kitchen.

'Come and have some dinner then,' she said loudly 'you've been asleep for over thirty hours.'

'And it's been brilliant,' Anton laughed entering the room and sitting down next to Ron 'I can't remember the last time I slept like that.'

'In any case you're looking better,' she said heaping his plate with sausages

'Hello dear' she said turning to Hermione 'take of your coat I'll get you some food, you're going to be sharing a room with Ginny.'

'So what have I missed,' Anton asked tucking in, not failing to spot the sudden looks of interest from the teenagers.

'Not a lot,' Sirius said truthfully 'what we did a schedule for, went off without a hitch.'

Molly frowned despite the cryptic way Sirius was answering Anton's questions

'Sirius,' she said softly 'I'm sure you can tell Anton everything later, away from the children.'

'Of course he can,' Anton smiled at her 'that was me being stupid.'

'Don't be silly Anton, you're quite right to want to know what's been going on,' Mrs Weasley said quickly 'it's just some things the children are better off not hearing.'

'Mum!' protested Fred 'stop treating us like we are children.'

'Fred and I are both legal adults,' George added 'I think it's time we were let in on a few things.'

'Not a chance,' she replied curtly 'and when you're finished with our food you can get back to helping clean the house.'

Anton stuffed his last sausage into his mouth and looked apologetically at Molly Weasley.

'Sorry,' he muttered.

'Never mind that,' she said glaring at the twins 'I'll get you some more food.'

An owl flew to the kitchen window and began tapping furiously on the glass, Anton caught a glimpse of white feathers before Sirius pulled open the window and let the owl in. It took Anton less than a second to realise that the owl Hedwig, Sirius pulled a trio of letters from her beak and handed one each to Hermione and Ron and kept one for himself. They each ripped the letter's open and studied the writing intently.

Hermione was the first to throw hers down to the table closely followed by Sirius and a second later Ron.

'It's not fair that Dumbledore's made us limit what we say to him,' she seethed not protesting as Ginny grabbed her letter and scanned the contents.

Fred was reading Ron's letter with George looking over his shoulder 'are they all the same?' he said looking up.

'Stuff about it would be great if someone would tell him what was going on?' Sirius said looking depressed.

'That's it,' George answered.

Anton said nothing and just kept eating, he was well aware of what the contents of the letters were having written them himself eight years ago. Hedwig cocked her head curiously and studied Anton closely, she continued to stare at him until she was offered some food by Ron and then she turned away still keeping a wary eye on Anton.

'We should try and devise a way to get him messages without the risk of the letters being intercepted,' Hermione said thoughtfully.

'No,' Sirius said sharply 'I trust Dumbledore and he insisted that no potentially dangerous information is spoken or written outside the protection of secured locations, no matter who it's too.'

'What do you think Anton?' Hermione asked suddenly.

'I don't think I'm one of the best people to give advice,' Anton said carefully 'I agree with Dumbledore's opinion as if the wrong people get their hands on sensitive information it can prove costly…' Hermione made to open her mouth but Anton continued before she could say anything else.

'However being left in the dark is one of the most demoralising feeling's you can experience.'

'Speaking from experience?' Sirius asked quietly.

'It wasn't one of the best times of my life,' Anton replied honestly.

'They rarely are,' Sirius agreed.

-=-=-

Lupin came yawning through the fireplace at quarter to nine that night, Sirius poured him a firewhisky almost immediately and Lupin dropped onto a settee and closed his eyes tiredly.

'What a night!' he groaned swallowing the firewhisky in one gulp.

'That bad,' Sirius said smiling 'that should be good I'm up doing it tomorrow.'

'Is this the guarding of the Department of Mysteries?' Anton asked curiously knowing full well that all the teenagers were being safely occupied upstairs by Mrs Weasley.

'Yeh though nothing interesting has happened so far,' Sirius said drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair.

'That's good though,' Lupin said snapping his eyes open 'I'd rather guard an empty corridor than a corridor complete with an Evil wizard.'

'Wimp,' Sirius laughed flicking Lupin with a spark out of his newly returned wand.

'Well after you've stood your own guard you tell me what it's like,' Lupin answered 'I doubt someone with your patience would be able to stand eight hours in the dark and quiet.'

'Hey I'm an expert of surviving in dark places,' Sirius grinned 'though the silence aspect, more like an expert at being able to stand the screams of the poor Death Eaters.'

Lupin laughed and sitting up he poured himself another drink 'so Anton' he said 'it's good to see you up and looking a lot healthier than the last time I saw you.'

'I sort of just bombed,' Anton said eyeing the firewhisky 'though it was my own fault I was warned I had to get fifteen.'

'You've definitely had fifteen today,' Sirius said 'so I guess Molly will let you stay up till later.'

'It is the strangest thing,' Anton said looking at the two men 'to be completely self-reliant one day and then the next to have a whole contingent of people looking out for you.'

'I can relate to that entirely,' Sirius agreed 'one minute I was fleeing from everyone and then suddenly they're all congratulating me on proving my innocence.'

'I'm still waiting for that day,' Lupin joked 'werewolves still have an unfair disadvantage in society.'

Anton noticed both men watching him subtly to gauge his reaction, Anton smiled at Lupin unconcerned before pronouncing 'an old friend of mine found that it was easier to threaten to bite them if they weren't polite.'

Sirius roared with laughter at this statement and turning to Lupin he said 'somehow I can't imagine Moony saying that, he's much more likely perform a complex spell to throw them off-balance.'

'War changes people,' Anton replied knowing full well that if he failed that would be the exact person Lupin would change into.

'So what kind of education did you have?' Lupin asked Anton 'I was lucky enough to be able to teach at Hogwarts before I was forced to resign.'

'I went to a magical school until I was seventeen and then I was taught on the go' Anton said again twisting the truth.

'What were you taught in that you couldn't be taught at school?' Sirius said interested.

'My family found that the best defence is a good offence,' Anton said smiling faintly 'and the best way to fight dark wizards is to fight them at their own game.'

'Dark Arts?' Lupin said.

'One of,' Anton nodded 'Defence against, actual dark arts, that kind of thing, I'd already got a good grasp of other skills like transfiguration and Charms.'

'How about potions?' Sirius asked hopefully 'because it would kill Snape if someone else was as good as him.'

'I strongly doubt I'm as adept as a potions master,' Anton snorted 'I have a basic grasp but that remains the sum total.'

'Damn,' Sirius smirked 'and here was me hoping you'd knock Snivellus off his shining pedestal.'

'Satisfying but unlikely,' Anton said floating an empty glass across the room with his finger.

Sirius clicked his own fingers and the glass fell from the air to land on the thud on the new floor rug, Anton grinned and was about to return the move when Mrs Weasley hurried through the door.

'Quick!' she said flapping her arms at Sirius 'Dumbledore needs to speak with you and Remus right away.'

'Coming,' Lupin said tiredly pushing himself out of the chair with a hand from Sirius.

'Um, Molly,' Anton said 'where are the Death Eater files?'

'Over there by the fire Dear,' she said hurriedly.

'I can't see anything,' Anton said confused looking at the blank space by the fire.

'Oh sorry,' Mrs Weasley said waving her wand and revealing a stack of parchment 'we have to keep them concealed from the children.'

'Understandable,' Anton said as she rushed out of the room after the two marauders.

Anton picked a few of the folders up and began leafing through them, he opened the first folder and the name 'Bellatrix Lestrange' immediately had alarm bell's ringing. Anton put her folder on the floor and over the top of it he wrote in flames 'Deadly'

The next folder belonged to a man named 'Herman Nell' Anton grimaced at the name and looked how long the sadist had been a Death Eater, the file read two months and it was blank at the point of 'number of recorded deaths'. Knowing exactly what the man was going to be capable of Anton put his folder apart from Bella's and wrote over the top 'Potentially Dangerous and Deadly'.

By about an hour and half later Anton had gone through about fifty folders, most he was able to identify and categorise in a few minutes, a fraction proved to be more difficult with Anton unable to remember if they'd died before he became actively involved against them, or if there was another reason he couldn't recall them. There were about twelve groups each with their own flame title, the titles ranged from 'Deranged' to 'Innocuous'.

The door opened and Anton raised his hand to vanish the folders and names but at the last moment he realised it was Sirius coming in. The older man raised an eyebrow at the sight of Anton sitting cross legged on the floor surrounded by fire and files.

'Having fun?' he asked picking a folder from the stack labelled 'Annoying but Harmful'.

'Lucius Malfoy,' Sirius said disgusted reading the name 'he's definitely harmful to anyone who can't stand assholes.'

'What did Dumbledore want you for that was so urgent?' Anton asked curiously.

'Information on my darling cousin,' Sirius replied shaking his head 'and something about werewolves in Europe, but that was aimed at Moony.'

Anton nodded in understanding, it was certainly a strange feeling to have your questions answered when you enquired and not have to put up with the awkward answers.

'Are you on watch tonight?' Anton said opening another folder and seeing Pettigrew's face staring back.

'I start at midnight,' Sirius said watching as Anton dropped the folder onto 'Tragically Dead.'

'Good Luck,' Anton said seriously 'I really wish I could do something more useful than this.'

'Yeh but this work is valuable and less than a fortnight you can go on active missions,' Sirius said picking another folder up.

'I am counting the days,' Anton said turning back to the stack of files that had yet to be sorted.

'Are you going to be doing any more of those?' Sirius asked glancing at the clock 'it's nearly half ten.'

'Yeh but I only woke up five hours ago,' Anton said smirking' I'm enjoying a late night.'

'Or at least until Molly tells you to go to bed,' Sirius taunted.

'At least I get to go to bed tonight,' Anton replied beginning to clear up some of the mess he was encircled with.

'I reckon there are quite a few people in this house that rely on potions for a goodnights sleep.' Sirius said looking sad.

'Just a few?' Anton asked looking closely at the man he had grown to love when he had been younger, one of the people who he had regarded as a surrogate parent.

Sirius smiled slightly before helping Anton to clear up 'Molly's going to back soon and she's definitely going to start fussing you to get to bed.'

'I hate being fussed,' Anton said grumpily.

'Molly lives for it,' Sirius said smiling 'and cooking, she also lives for that.'

'I hope your not talking about me,' said a voice from the open door.

Both men turned to see the face of Mrs Weasley who was trying to look stern but a smile played at the corner of her mouth.

'But Molly you make the best conversation,' Sirius said standing up 'and without you we would have starved to death by now.'

'Well keep that in mind Sirius,' Molly said sternly 'otherwise you'll find yourself returning the state of food quality you had before we moved in.'

'Can't be worse than some of the stuff I had to eat on the move,' Anton said shuddering slightly 'have you ever tasted raw lizard? It's disgusting!'

'No I have to go with rats,' Sirius juddered 'they are foul.'

'Well as interesting as this conversation sounds can we talk about a different type of food,' Mrs Weasley said looking dubious 'maybe something that tastes nice.'

'Snake,' Anton said his eyes lighting up 'snake tastes nice.'

'I had some snake when I was on the run,' Sirius said nodding with a bemused expression 'it wasn't bad when it was cooked.'

'Enough!' she announced loudly 'let's change the topic completely, how about potions?'

'Potions,' Anton repeated looking queasy 'I'd rather go back to food.'

'Have you had any today?' Sirius asked studying Anton closely.

'I had some when I woke up,' Anton said defensively.

'That counts as this morning,' Sirius said loftily.

'I'll get you tonight's dose,' Mrs Weasley said exiting the room.

'That's not necessary as I had them this evening,' Anton protested 'that's counts as the night.'

'No that counts as when you woke up,' Sirius said as Mrs Weasley came back in with the box 'you need another set before you go to sleep.'

'Which is within the next half hour,' Mrs Weasley said firmly passing him a vial.

'I think I would both hate and love to be your child,' Anton said taking the vial with a scowl.

'I believe that that's the opinion her own children have,' Sirius said waiting for Anton to finish the potion.

Anton let out a small smile and then gagged at the taste of the concoction.

-=-=-=-=-=-

The next couple of days passed with similar happenings, Anton would spend most of the day sectioning files, the teenagers would spend the majority of the time cleaning and painting under the supervision of Mrs Weasley and Sirius and Lupin would get in late at night absolutely shattered. A full week after Anton had gotten out of hospital he found himself lying on his stomach on the living room floor at lunchtime playing chess with Ron, so far he was managing to keep up. The look of concentration on Ron's face was also making him smile.

'Pawn to E5,' Ron said eventually not taking his eyes from the board 'your good, who taught you?'

'Queen to E5,' Anton said 'I was taught by my brother and he was damn good.'

'I wish I could play him if he's better than you,' Ron said wistfully looking for another move after Anton had destroyed his pawn.

Anton grinned as he thought of Older Ron playing Younger Ron 'I don't think that's possible,' he said eventually.

'Why not?' Ron asked glancing up from the board.

'A little curse called Avada Kedavra,' Anton replied calmly 'Knight to D3.'

Ron jerked his head up and his face went bright red 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean…'

'Chill it Ron,' Anton said smirking 'he'd be laughing if he could see your face at the moment.'

'Anton,' said a voice 'can I have a word?'

Anton rolled over and sat up to look at Dumbledore who was standing just inside the door.

'Sure I'll come right now,' Anton said standing up 'oh and Check Mate.'

'What!' Ron said scanning the board 'how could you know I was going to pull that move?'

'Magic,' Anton said 'spooky!'

When they had left the room Dumbledore headed to the room containing the black family tree, when Anton came through the door he shut and locked it quickly and turned to Anton.

'I need you to do something,' he said carefully 'Molly will have my head for asking you to do this but I'm willing to take the risk if you are?'

'What is it?' Anton asked interested.

'It's nothing dangerous, well hopefully it's not going to be' Dumbledore said 'it's just we've run out of people and I need someone I can trust to watch Harry.'

'Tonight?' Anton said.

'Yes but it's only for about three hours until I can get Tonks to take over, though after next week you'll be doing it for the full allocated time,' Dumbledore answered 'that's not a problem is it?'

'No,' Anton said quickly 'I'm fed up of being stuck in this house I'd appreciate the chance to get out.'

'Excellent,' beamed his former headmaster 'you need to be ready in half an hour and dress in clothes you can fight in, not that I believe it will come to that.'

'I'll be ready,' Anton said rejoicing the prospect of getting out 'though I would like to ask where my sword is, I would want it back?'

'I'm afraid it's being held in the Ministry,' Dumbledore replied 'they said it was evidence, will that be a problem at the moment?'

'No,' Anton shook his head 'I've always wanted to try a returning spell on a confiscated object.'

'Good luck with that,' Dumbledore said an amused expression on his face 'you'll be flooing to Privet Drive, and watching from Arabella Figg's house.'

'And if he walks off somewhere?'

'You follow with uttermost discretion,' Dumbledore said seriously 'to keep Harry safe we must keep our own presence a secret.'

-=-=-=-=-=

Twenty minutes later Anton was climbing through the fire grate dressed in his recently purchased combat gear, he reached for handful of powder not paying any attention to the roaring flames he was standing waist deep in.

'No. 2 Privet Drive,' he said clearly as the flames turned a vivid green.

The bottom fell out of the world and he zoomed past grate after grate until he eventually found himself climbing out of Mrs Figg's fireplace. Looking out of the window he saw his younger self sitting miserably on the garden wall of the Dursley's house. Anton felt a sudden burst of adrenalin at the prospect of seeing himself through a different prospective.

'Criminal isn't it,' Mrs Figg said coming to stand next to him 'I try and invite him over but he's started to avoid me, and I don't blame him.'

'Our experiences help us to grow stronger,' Anton said quietly.

'That's what I hope for,' she said picking up a cat that intertwined her legs 'now would you like some cake?'