Chapter 31- Creature problems
As soon as Madame Pomfrey let Harry out of the hospital wing, he and Remus went to see Sirius. They found him in Flirtwick's office being guarded by a man with many scars, a peg leg, and strangest of all a false eye that looked like it could revolve in it's socket. Harry suddenly remembered his dad mentioning a man named "Mad Eye" Moody. With him was a young woman with bubblegum pink hair. Even though they were technically supposed to be guarding him, Sirius was chatting with them and seemed to be in good spirits.
"Decided to pay me a visit?" he asked when he saw his friend and godson. There was no mistaking the guilty look on Remus' face.
"I should have gone strait to the Ministry and demanded they give you a trial as soon as you were accused," he said sadly. But Sirius cut his friend's apology short.
"They wouldn't have listened to you anyway."
"Then I should have gone to Dumbledore and had him persuade them."
"Like I said, you aren't the only one who doubted me. Anyway, it's my own fault for letting that rat outsmart me. Never thought that would happen," he tried to joke. There was a worried tone to his voice now though. "I have to admit, without Wormtail it will be hard to prove I'm telling the truth."
"Too many people saw him though. They can't possibly send you back to Azkaban," Harry said, trying to be reassuring. Sirius did smile a little at that. Then he said
"I don't know how I can ever thank you enough Harry. I owe you my life. If it hadn't been for you I wouldn't have been able to keep the Dementors back until help came."
Harry was surprised at that.
"But I fainted. You were doing better casting a Patronus than I was."
Sirius shook his head.
"It was just stubbornness on my part that kept me awake. I managed to cast it, but I didn't have my own wand. I could use Ron's wand, but since I never took it from him by force it wasn't working as well for me. I could feel that much. And I was having an awful time summoning a happy memory." Harry knew Sirius hadn't had anything to be happy about in a long time. "And I know what they'd have done if they'd caught me. They would have given me their kiss and I'd be worse than dead right now. You saved me from that, Harry." He shivered a bit. "I saw people brought past my cell after they'd been kissed. Completely soulless. You couldn't even call it being alive. There's a veil in the Ministry they used to use to try to study the mystery of death, but now it's just used to dispose of the bodies after the Dementors are done with them. They just shove the body through and that's it. That's the condition a Dementor can leave you in."
Hearing that description, the room felt almost as cold as if there were a Dementor there now. Remus and Harry both looked almost as pale as Sirius, the pink haired woman was biting her lip and looked choked. Even Moody looked downcast. Wordlessly, Remus passed his friend a bar of chocolate, which Sirius gratefully took.
"No more worrying about Dementors now, Black," Moody finally said. "That won't happen to you. You'll get your trial and be freed."
The woman with him added "If it's any help, Mum always said she had a hard time believing that her favorite cousin was a murderer.
Sirius gave a smile and said "Thanks, Nymphadora."
The woman's pink hair went red and she narrowed her eyes.
"Mum also said you could be terribly reckless, but if you're feeling really brave just go ahead and call me that name again."
Sirius covered a laugh and said "Just yanking your wand, Tonks." Then he looked at Remus and Harry.
"I don't think you've met my cousin yet. This is Ted and Andy's daughter."
Tonks smiled pleasantly and shook both Remus and Harry's hands.
"Wotcher. So you must be Remus and Harry."
Remus nodded, and for some reason felt at a loss for what to say. That was strange. He'd never been tongue tied around anyone before. Finally he said
"I don't think Nymphadora is such a bad name. I think it's rather nice."
Tonks rolled her eyes. "That brings the list of people who think that to two, you and my mother."
Nobody seemed sure what to say for a moment, so Harry decided to break the silence.
"So you're Aurors?" he asked.
"Auror in training in my case," Tonks said. "I've been going with Moody on a few missions between my classes lately and volunteered for this one. Thought it would be a good chance to visit Sirius." Suddenly she seemed more somber. "The Ministry isn't too keen on letting people see him before the trial. Had to say it was part of my job to get in."
Both Sirius and Tonks tried to keep the conversation as cheerful as possible after that (Moody gave them some privacy by standing guard outside the door) until Tonks had to go back to the Auror academy for the night. Sirius couldn't help smirking as he saw his friend watch her leave and ask if she was all right when she nearly tripped over her own feet on the way out.
"What?" Remus finally asked when he saw Sirius' expression.
"I was just thinking where I've seen that look on your face before."
"What look?"
"The one you had when you watched Tonks leave. It's the same look James had every time he watched Lily walk away."
Remus rolled his eyes. "Good to know you can still joke around. Implying I've taken a fancy to someone I've just met."
But Sirius was still grinning.
"Who's joking? I was just telling you what I saw. Wasn't I right when I said Lily and James would end up together? And then the way you asked if she was all right-."
Remus involuntarily blushed.
"I was only being a gentleman."
"Sure, Remus. If you say so. But in case you didn't notice, she had the same look."
Classes were over, so they were able to visit well into the evening. Unfortunately, before the day was over someone came to see them who was most definitely not welcome there. Dumbledore came in with the toad- like witch. Dumbledore didn't have the usual twinkle in his eyes. The toad woman herself had a smile that Harry supposed she must have thought was pleasant. Harry thought it was somehow the most sinister expression he had ever seen And that included the times he'd faced Voldemort.
"Remus, this is Dolores Umbridge," Dumbledore started to say, but Umbridge cut him off and finished for him.
"Senior Undersecretary to the Minister."
"We've met," Remus said in a tone so cold Harry was almost startled at the change in his dad's voice. Then he remembered him mentioning a witch who had tried to stop the adoption all those years ago. This had to be the same witch, Harry realized. He desperately hoped she hadn't found a way to break the binding magic.
"Does this have anything to do with me?" Sirius asked.
"Actually, it has to do with Remus," Dumbledore said.
"Let's go out to the hallway to speak," Remus said, and Harry could guess nobody was going to like what Umbridge had to say and Remus didn't want to risk Sirius loosing his temper. He didn't want anything to jeopardize the trial. When they were where they could speak privately Umbridge started speaking.
"I'm here on official Ministry business," she said. "As you know, the Ministry wants to be sure young witches and wizards are learning in a safe environment And obviously having a dark creature on the staff-"
"There's nothing dark about my dad!" Harry shouted. "And don't say he's a creature. He's a person the same as anyone else."
Remus put a hand on Harry's shoulder to quiet him. It wouldn't do any good to get Umbridge angry.
"As I was saying, we at the Ministry don't want to be taking any chances. After we learned the werewolf-"
"He has a name!" Harry yelled taking a step forward, and Remus squeezed his son's shoulder again.
"Hem hem. After we learned the werewolf had been hired here, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I've drafted a piece of legislation that I'm quite proud of, which states that all potential employers must check their employee's names against the werewolf registry, and no witch or wizard may knowingly employ a werewolf if the job requires the werewolf to be near people."
"But that leaves out just about every job in the magical world!" And Harry realized it meant his dad could no longer work at Hogwarts. Even Dumbledore couldn't do anything about it.
"It will be OK, Harry," Remus said, trying to keep his own voice calm. "I'm sure somehow I can get my old job back-"
"Which reminds me of the second part of my legislation," Umbridge said with a smile that was absolutely sickening. "No werewolf may seek employment in a muggle area. I'm sure you'll all be pleased that the Ministry is taking these steps against dangerous beasts."
She didn't even care that she had called Remus a beast to his face! Apparently she was at least somewhat afraid of him though, or else something in the way she was being glared at warned her to back off, because she quickly said "Good day," and hurried off. Harry was almost trembling with rage.
"That foul, loathsome , evil, rotten-"
"I know, Cub," Remus said, and sighed. "What exactly am I supposed to do for a job now? There don't seem to be any options left with that legislation."
"Dad, it's OK. My first parents left me a lot of money so-"
Remus shook his head.
"I'm not going to take any money from you, Harry. Not even a single knut. Don't worry. Somehow this will all work out."
"If I may, Remus, I believe I have a solution that you might like." Some of the twinkle had returned to the headmaster's eyes.
AN: Don't hurt me! I know, I know. Umbridge is beyond evil and we all hate to see Remus lose his job. But since the curse on it is still in place and the imposter Mad- Eye has to teach next year it has to be this way for now. I think Dumbledore's idea will help make up for it though.