Chapter Thirty-Two: Messenger of the Dark Lord

"So," Harry strolled casually into the kitchen, his hands tucked into his pockets, "what was the meeting about?"

Sirius raised his eyebrows and asked, "What makes you think I'd tell you?"

Grinning broadly Harry folded his arms, "Simple, really. You did, after all, promise me a basic summary…" he wiggled his fingers in the air demonstrating his eagerness of gaining information that was only privy to those select few.

Sirius raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, you got me!" He had, before dropping Harry off at the Weasley's, promised to say what the meeting was vaguely about. "What would you like to know?"

Harry shuffled on his feet obviously knowing the boundaries of what information he could glean from his godfather. He chose to be careful with his words. "I understand that some things should strictly remain confidential and that I can't know about, but I'm guessing that the Prophecy was discussed?"

Sirius nodded, leaning back in the chair he occupied at the table. "That is correct. Dumbledore wants us to protect it. He feels that Voldemort will seek it out in order to obtain information on how to destroy you."

Harry frowned as his mind thought over the contents of the prophecy. "But it doesn't say how he can destroy me though…it just says that 'neither can live while the other survives'…oh," his eyes widened as understanding dawned. "It does say how to destroy me – Voldemort can't succeed if we both live…Sirius?"

He was aware of the fear in his voice and Sirius hurriedly knelt beside him, grasping his shoulders.

"Don't think about that – it is not going to happen, do you understand me? You are going to be the one to survive, Harry, not Voldemort – and I'm not going to let him live either even if the worst comes to be, but that is not going to happen." He didn't care that he was repeating himself, only that he was, in some way, comforting his godson. "Harry, love is the strongest emotion you've got, the one thing that Voldemort doesn't have. You have the ability to love, Voldemort does not. Listen to me: love will enable you to survive because that is something Voldemort cannot handle – it is your weapon against him. Belief in love is the only thing you can do right now until you have amassed the acquired skills to truly face him. I know I want to protect you from this fate but I realise, and I stress this point, that at some point you will have to face him again and I can't prevent that. Voldemort will die, not you Harry."

Harry nodded, but then another thought struck him. "He's after me, what if he realises that you are the closest thing I have?"

Sirius sighed, running a hand down his face. "He already knows Harry. You have to promise me something."

"If it means letting you die…" Harry began before Sirius cut him off.

"If I'm captured by Voldemort you must not come after me, alright? If you do you'll be risking your life for nothing." Harry was about to reply but Sirius cut him off, his eyes flashing angrily. "Harry, you must promise me! It's important! You are important. Whatever he does to me you must ignore it. Your survival is more important than mine – it is inevitable that Voldemort will target me to get to you and if I'm captured you cannot risk your life trying to save mine. I will die before he gets to you, Harry. You have to promise me that you won't do anything stupid. Please."

Harry swallowed; his green eyes – so like his mother's – bore into Sirius' grey ones. "I -,"

"Please Harry," Sirius begged.

Harry nodded, but he couldn't bring himself to say 'I promise'.

He just couldn't say those words, but the slight action of his nod eased Sirius's fears - even if it was for only a little while.

Despite Dumbledore's protection on Grimmauld Place and the bonding spell that was still active upon Harry, Sirius wasn't taking any chances. On the morning after Harry had reluctantly promised to not come after him if he was captured, Sirius went around his childhood home adding his own blood protection to the house. In the event of his death he was 'programming' the house to recognise Harry as its new master. As his heir, Harry had the right to all of his stuff regardless.

After putting blood protection spells in place, Sirius flooed to the Ministry to report to Kingsley. He stepped into his superior's office and settled himself on a chair, leaning back comfortably. Kingsley nodded at him, settling down across from him.

"The Minister is still being a bit off," admitted Kingsley.

"You mean he's still being difficult about Voldemort?" asked Sirius, who shook his head. "That man is an idiot."

"I agree; Fudge is overlooking things. The good news is that Lucius Malfoy was caught talking to a mysterious figure. I had him tailed without his knowledge."

"Who was he talking to?"

Kingsley chuckled. "We don't actually know who, but they did perform an Imperious Curse upon an unwilling child – a Muggle that his acquaintance had brought along with them. We managed to intercept the child, and Malfoy is now under investigation. Fudge has been forced to admit that he has been taking advice from Malfoy for a while, which explains about his hesitation to admit that Voldemort is back."

"The truth comes out at last," whistled Sirius. "I can just see it now: headline – Minister caught dealing with Death Eater Malfoy." He aimed his fingers in photo mode, as if he was going to take a picture of a rather embarrassed Cornelius Fudge. "I wonder if dear Cornelius will be officially investigated or even put on trial for consorting with the enemy..."

Kingsley shook his head, choosing to ignore Sirius' comment about Fudge being put on trial. "I do know that Fudge supports Lucius' claim that he was under the curse himself…" He raised a hand to prevent Sirius from swearing angrily. "However Fudge's support of Lucius doesn't match up with our little investigations. He was arrested without warning when we came to his house and he had no choice but to allow us access to investigate. We did find a load of old dark objects hidden in the basement. We haven't told the Minister about that evidence just yet –."

Sirius laughed. "So basically you're going to let Fudge look like an idiot to the public?"

Kingsley shrugged nonchalantly. "It is likely. Now, I shouldn't be saying this, but if we are to fight against Voldemort, then we definitely need someone who recognises that he is a big threat to our community."

"Someone like Dumbledore?" suggested Sirius.

Kingsley nodded approvingly. "Yes. He's too attached to Hogwarts to want to become Minister. Besides the case with Lucius Malfoy is enough proof that Voldemort has returned and Cornelius cannot deny that now. He has been hesitant before but the evidence is unbelievable. Fudge's co-operation with Lucius Malfoy and believing him more than his own Aurors and Dumbledore has turned his political career downhill."

"So, effectively he's being kicked out of office?"

"Pretty much," Kingsley concluded. "Not that he knows that yet of course."

As Sirius and Kingsley made their way towards the Atrium they heard the unmistakeable sounds of yelling and the padding of feet upon floor. They both looked at each other anxiously before grabbing their wands and running towards the Fountain of Magical Brethren where a man was struggling against a couple of Aurors that had just come back from duty.

"What's going on here?" Kingsley asked, his deep voice booming around the Atrium. A small crowd was beginning to gather.

"Sir, this man was acting suspicious. We thought it would be best to detain him in case he means any harm," said one Auror, who had bright blonde hair to her shoulders.

Kingsley nodded and, with Sirius, stepped forward to address the man. "What is your name?"

"Matthew Petiers," he stated his blue eyes boring into Kingsley's. "I come with a message only."

"A message?" asked Sirius who stepped forward, concern in his voice. "Who from?"

"The Dark Lord," Petiers replied.

"Ah." Sirius twirled his wand in his fingers. "Then you are a Death Eater?"

"No, I'm only someone who holds his beliefs in high esteem," the man replied.

Sirius turned to Kingsley. "Is that enough to arrest him?"

"No, it is not."

"Damn," muttered Sirius. He turned his attention to the man being held. "What does this message say?"

"I will only say in the privacy of your office."

Sirius raised his eyebrows, "Really? The message is for me?"

"Yes."

"Then you can tell me here. Take it or leave it," demanded Sirius. He was not in the mood to negotiate with a follower of Voldemort.

The man glared at him with hatred in his eyes. "I have been ordered to speak to you alone."

"I'm not in the practice of trusting followers of Voldemort. I know for a fact that my life is threatened because Harry is my Godson. Voldemort wants to get rid of me to get to Harry. By risking myself in a room alone with you is technically signing my own death warrant. Followers of Voldemort always know how to use dark magic without their wands. I'm not a fool you know. You have one chance to tell me your 'message' or I will be forced to act." That was not a threat, but Sirius hoped it would entice the man to tell him whatever Voldemort wanted him to know.

Petiers continued to glare but then sighed. "I cannot win this battle therefore I must disobey my master."

"Your master?" asked Sirius. "I thought you said you didn't follow him?"

The man had slipped up. He was a Death Eater.

"Tell me."

"If you do not turn over your Godson to my Lord then my master will be forced to begin action against the Wizarding World, starting with those who have turned traitor to the pure ways."

Sirius stood there, staring venomously at the Death Eater. "You can regretfully tell your 'master'," he spat, "that I decline handing over my Godson. If he so wishes to get Harry then he can come and kill me himself, because for as long as I live I will not let that bastard get hold of him. He will have to go through me first. Understand?"

"Then so be it," Petiers whispered. "You will die like the weakling you are, begging for mercy and the traitor that you are."

"I doubt it." With that Sirius pushed past the Aurors and marched off to the Apparition Point. When would Voldemort get it into his thick head that he would not give up Harry?

Sooner or later, though, Voldemort would come for him, and Sirius did not intend to go down without a fight. He would fight to his last breath.

To be continued...