A/N
In this story Dumbledore won't be evil but simply following his „I know best" policy"; and he doesn't like others to make decisions without his input. He would actually approve Cullen becoming Steward of Hogwarts, if it had been his idea from the start – and should Cullen would be more obedient.
A little explanation about the chapters of this story: They'll mostly describe "highlights" of the events. I don't intend to fully describe every scene, or every conversation. I expect the readers to at least have a smattering knowledge of the HP books, so that it will be enough to mention an event of the past. A few scenes are intentionally very sketchy, leaving the details to your imagination. All in all I wanted to keep this story short (something between 10-15 chapters with a total of 100k words).
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A Stone in a Pond
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Malfoy Manor
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"What do you mean: nothing?"
Peter Pettigrew cowered under his master's wrathful glare and even tried to hide behind Professor Snape's robes, which only prompted the potions master to take a step aside and look at him with no small amount of disgust.
"As I told you, Master," the rat-like man whined. "There is no information about him. The DMLE has nothing and the residents' office only mentions Hogwarts as his current residence. There is no document about any kind of graduation from anywhere. My contacts at the Muggle Police are still working but so far found equally nothing."
"What about the Department of Mysteries? He used their veil; they certainly know something or are at least investigating the case." It was sickening to watch the coward crawling on the ground. He truly was useless.
"The Department?" Pettigrew looked very ill. "It's dangerous to go there, especially after the lost battle." His eyes widened as he realized that this was the wrong thing to mention. His master had been there too, unaware of what was happening in the next room. Voldemort had been forced to flee by Dumbledore and Potter. It was nothing he liked to think about. Gulping Pettigrew tried to placate his irate master: "I'll go there and investigate right away." Luckily he had a large amount of Polyjuice and quite a number of hairs for using them. Croaker, he thought as he hastened away, happy to be out of his master's sight. I'll go there as Croaker.
Snape, who had been waiting for his dark master to address him, watched Pettigrew leave. With him entering the Ministry, it would be a chance to catch the vermin, taking away one source of intelligence from his master. However, three things stopped this from happening: how could the knowledge about Pettigrew's whereabouts be explained? Albus hadn't liked the idea of catching Pettigrew in the past, the reasons unknown even to Snape. And it would free Sirius, a man he still hated. No, Snape sighed, Pettigrew would enter and leave the Ministry unscathed.
"Tell me, Severus," Voldemort's voice was smoother now but certainly not a tad less dangerous. "What does dear Albus know about him?"
"Not much so far, Milord," Severus bowed. "He appears to be a Squib, at least according to Madam Pomfrey's examination. His magical core measures at 28, not nearly enough to cast any spells."
Voldemort nodded slowly. Like Snape he knew that scale. Wizards needed a core around 40 to be able to use at least some spells. Most schools had an admission requirement of 50 to 70, with Hogwarts' 65 in the upper range. Graduates normally had cores around 100 to 120, with some up to 150 and more. Everyone between ten and forty counted as a "Squib".
"He has no idea of our world or our magical society. Apparently he has a basic knowledge of potions and magical theory, but nothing more. Some of his ideas are weird at best. He often speaks about auras and dark magic, like he's able to sense them. Apart from the incident with Draco, he hasn't shown any special abilities."
Voldemort glanced towards Draco, who was waiting for his turn, doing his best not to clinch to his mother's arm for support. Even a blind man would notice his fear; his smell betrayed him.
"What about the rumours of him being Hogwarts' Steward?"
"They are true," Snape had a hint of smile of his lips. "Albus wasn't happy about it. It certainly wasn't his idea. What this position actually entails and what powers it encompasses, we have to wait and see."
"Where is he now?"
"He left Hogwarts with the express. As far as I know he'll stay at… at that place for the summer break."
Voldemort nodded again. He knew about the Order's HQ, and that it was hidden under a Fidelius, making it impossible to find – for now. "Keep me up to date, Severus."
"Certainly, Milord," he bowed deeply and left, equally happy as Pettigrew but better able to hide it. What were his dark master's intentions concerning the foreigner? Use him or kill him? Only time would tell.
"And now, young Draco, tell me everything about the incident in the Great Hall."
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Black Manor
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"So, you've met the Weasleys already?"
Sirius asked, feeling somewhat bored following Cullen around the house. He had readily agreed to deliver the house into the young man's hands and for a while actually felt quite giddy about the prospect of not only leaving it forever but to also see it destroyed for good. The ugly troll foot umbrella rack, the creepy gallery of house-elf heads, the dark corridors and magic-infested corners; he wouldn't miss anything of them. Especially not the painting of his mother, Sirius grinned wickedly. Kreacher nearly had an apoplexy when Cullen used his abilities to dissolve the magic binding the painting to the wall. That the whole painting had been destroyed in the process was certainly only an unhappy coincidence. The library he wanted to keep, a few small mementos, especially of his father and brother, and the family tapestry if possible. But the rest, to hell with it.
"Yes," Cullen nodded absent-mindedly, while further examining the contents of an old trunk. He had already destroyed a boggart – under the wide eyes of Sirius who hadn't thought that to be even possible – and a number of dangerous artefacts. That they had been lying around, more or less in the open and within reach of the teenagers, was only another proof of Sirius Black's sad condition and Dumbledore's carelessness. "Ginny and Ron were among the friends accompanying Harry on his way back from school and at the platform I met their parents and the twins." The experience of the train ride still troubled him but he certainly wouldn't show it now. It was no secret that these mages thought of him as a relict – something that amused Harry and Hermione to no end, knowing how far behind the magical society was when compared to Muggle technology.
"The twins?" Sirius grinned broadly. "I like them, they're a lot like Remus and I in our youth."
"That bad?" Cullen deadpanned, unimpressed by Sirius glare. "Harry told me some stories."
"Chatterbox," Sirius grumbled. "They have a joke shop in Diagon Alley now, founded it with Harry's help." He chuckled. "They're one of a kind. And not even their mother can distinguish between them. Thinking about it, only Hermione ever could – and their girlfriends luckily."
Cullen frowned. He found it easy to keep them apart. Their magical cores felt different. Apparently his ability to see auras wasn't widespread around here. He had always been good at that and since his time in the Fade the ability had been enhanced. Now he was able to recognize somebody even eyes closed. "Let's go have a look at the rooms on the next floor."
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"They agreed," Andromeda Tonks told them an hour later. "The Grangers want to meet Cullen before making it official, but they agreed to make me their magical guardian." She glanced towards Cullen: "her father seems to put some trust in your opinion. Gringotts is informed too and they'll prepare everything. I told them to take the money from your vault, Sirius."
Sirius mock groaned. "And how do you think I'll pay my next meal? Not to speak of Mooney's chocolate bill."
"Stop whining," Andromeda scolded him without pity. "You've got more than enough."
"So, everything is arranged," Sirius relaxed. Andromeda was right. She wasn't too poor herself, but Sirius inherited the bulk of the Black family wealth. "Now I only have to find a place to stay." He frowned shortly. "Albus won't be happy."
Cullen shrugged. "You were helpless… The big bad Templar forced you to leave your beloved house."
"What an ass," Sirius sighed.
"All Templars are," Cullen grinned. "Ask the Mages."
Sirius and Andromeda got more serious as they followed Cullen from room to room. He was obviously searching for something. What it was he didn't tell.
"So bad, Cullen?" Andromeda asked. "I mean the contact between mages and Templars."
"Yes," Cullen sighed. "The mages hate the Templars and the Templars hate, despise and fear the mages – mostly at least. You have to understand that our mages are far more dangerous to their environment than the wizards here, irrespective of their character. They draw magic from a place called the Fade. It is a place which non-magical humans only visit in their dreams. Regretfully it is the place too where demons live."
"Demons? Real demons?" Sirius asked flabbergasted.
"Are there unreal one? As far as I understand it, there are ghosts and demons. Ghosts represent virtues. They are often benevolent but still inhuman, mostly unable to understand human feelings and morals. You remember that "Greater Good" nonsense Albus speaks about in every second sentence?"
Both nodded uneasily.
"It's the same with ghosts of justice, par example. I once heard about a ghost of compassion who wandered around, altering the minds of people who felt pain because of some loss or similar things. He didn't ask, he didn't explain, he simply took memories away. He meant well but it still wasn't his right to do that." His audience nodded gravely. That sounded very much like something Albus would do.
"Demons, however, represent negative virtues like gluttony, hate or pride. They try to seduce mages, promise power, knowledge or other things their victims ask for in exchange for their soul and the freedom to roam our world." For a moment there was open concern and pity in Cullen's eyes. "Because of the possibility of betrayal, the Templars imprison mages. We don't allow them a normal life. They can't have families and if a female mage gets pregnant, the child is taken away immediately after birth. This leads only to more hate on the part of the mages. It is an endless spiral of hate and fear."
"I assume this often leads to fights between Mages and Templars."
"It does," Cullen admitted. "One of those fights led me here."
Feeling the urge to forget about that part of his past, Cullen jerkily opened the next door. Only now did Sirius realize that it was Regulus' room, the room of his late little brother. He had only visited it once and never returned. It had been too hurtful. "Perhaps we could…"
Andromeda raised a hand to stop him. She watched Cullen closely who had suddenly stopped to move and stared at something. "Cullen?" Nothing. "Cullen?" She shook his arm.
Instead of turning around, Cullen pointed at something and asked; his voice hoarse: "what in Andraste's name is this?"
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Memory or dream?
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"Please, please don't kill me, Cullen."
She pleaded, grovelling on her stomach. He hated to see her like this. Her face was the same as it had been before, however the signs were unmistakable: tiny horns protruding from her hair, the goat feet and the flicking tail. Cullen frowned. Something was wrong. Were these the signs of a Succubus or of a Christian devil?
"Kill her, Cullen. Do your duty." The strong and determined voice of Knight-Commander Gregoire broke through the fog filling his mind. It was a voice full of hate, promising pain and death to those who dared to oppose him. Cullen blinked, struggled to regain his senses. He felt something heavy in his hand. Glancing there he noticed his well-used sword, raised to cut her down, the blade sparkling in the setting sun.
"Cullen," Gregoire bellowed. "She failed her Harrowing. You have to fulfil your oath."
Cullen nodded slowly. He had sworn to protect her. After their common experience with the blood mage three years ago, they had sworn each other to kill the other should they ever succumb to a demon. I've promised her, Cullen sobbed. I've promised to protect her. I failed. He raised his sword again.
"Cullen, no…"
Cullen staggered back. For a second the fog cleared away. This can't be right. She was successful in her Harrowing. She left the tower after Jowan's flight, went with that Grey Warden only to die at Ostagar. She died a hero, her soul untainted. This can't be right.
"Strike her down or I will," Gregoire sneered. The sneer reminded Cullen of somebody else but he didn't know who.
"I'll do it," he answered hoarsely, only to earn himself a nod and a smirk from Gregoire as well as a sob from her.
"Find redemption in the maker," he uttered calmly before striking.
An inhuman scream rolled through the manor as the blade slashed through Gregoire's chest. Hissing and fuming he went down, his body fast dissolving into a mass of black goo. Only she remained for a few seconds more.
"Thank you Cullen. I miss you."
"I miss you too," Cullen sobbed. "I'll miss you forever."
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"What the hell…" Sirius uttered.
"You saw it too?" Cullen asked hoarsely. It has been similar with the boggart, only this time it got worse, far worse. However, in a way the boggart-experience had helped him to overcome the influence of this hellish artefact.
"It was … intense," Andromeda whispered. She looked shaken, stared at the locket shattered into two pieces by Cullen's sword. She still felt the dark aura permeating the whole room, having no explanation why she was able to feel it. In a way it was like sharing Cullen's emotions, a very disturbing experience. "We should show the locket to Croaker. He's an old friend of mine. Perhaps he has an idea about the nature of this… this thing."
Suddenly, a crack announced the arrival of the old house-elf Kreacher. Before Sirius had a chance to react – expecting some kind of stupid behaviour, insults or even an attack on the non-Pureblood who dared to enter his beloved master's room – Kreacher jumped Cullen and hugged him. It was a more than funny sight to behave, the tiny house-elf, his short arms barely able to reach around Cullen's waist, leaning into the muscled man's chest and sobbing.
"Nice man destroyed bad locket. Nice man helped Kreacher fulfil young master's wish. Nice man lifted bad emotions. Kreacher isn't a bad house-elf anymore. Kreacher is happy. Nice man isn't a worthless squib."
"Err, Kreacher…?" Sirius asked somewhat uncertain how to feel about this unusual behaviour.
Kreacher loosened his grip and brushed away a few tears from his big, round eyes. His smile broadened as Cullen offered him a handkerchief. Sirius commented the gesture with a groan: "that's Hermione's influence, isn't it?"
"What? Treating a feeling being like… a feeling being?" Cullen frowned. "That's called humanity or, if you're the religious type, Andraste's commandment."
"I only meant," Sirius started. He hesitated, glanced down to the old house-elf. He had hated Kreacher these past two years, belittled and insulted him at every opportunity and Kreacher had retorted in kind. Hermione hadn't been happy about the way Sirius treated the old elf, despite Kreacher insulting her too at every visit. Only now did Sirius realize that he had – perhaps – been in the wrong.
Cullen didn't wait for Sirius but kneeled down in front of Kreacher and asked kindly: "please explain yourself. Your master wanted this to be destroyed? You mean Regulus Black, Sirius late brother?"
Kreacher nodded eagerly. He blew his nose again and started to tell – tell them the story of his late master, a cave and a dark artefact.
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"In the end he found redemption," Cullen said supportively. "In the end he saw the light and returned from his way into darkness."
"Why didn't he tell me?" Sirius asked. He looked shocked and broken. For a decade he had hated his brother for his decision to join Voldemort's ranks. The story had been an awful one: how Voldemort demanded Kreacher's assistance in hiding the locket. How Kreacher nearly died if not for Regulus' command to return. Regulus – who wanted to leave the Death Eaters or at least do something right in the end. Kreacher told them about the second visit, how Regulus sent him away with the order to destroy the object and how he died in that cave all alone, killed by Inferi and the poison. I tried everything, the old house-elf whined. But nothing helped. Kreacher was a bad house-elf.
"You weren't exactly on speaking terms. Perhaps he feared you wouldn't believe him, that you would assume it's only a trap."
Sirius nodded slowly. "I always assumed he was one of them. All these years I thought he died as a Death Eater."
"Remember him as the man he was at the end, trying to repent for his former errors." Cullen put his hand on Sirius' shoulder. The sight would certainly stun most visitors: Sirius sitting in a chair with Kreacher sitting on his lap, crying for his late young master.
Sirius smiled weakly. "Could we continue at a later time with the house? I… I need some time to grasp this."
Cullen frowned but nodded curtly. "That would be alright. But you'll still leave the house as soon as possible." The Templar continued, looking at Kreacher now: "perhaps we could retrieve the body of Master Regulus and put him in the family grave. What do you think?" He glared at Sirius, daring him to object. It wasn't needed. "I would like that," he whispered, while Kreacher was only able to nod.
"It's decided then," Cullen stated calmly. "I'll take my leave for today. Andy? You mentioned this Croaker. Could we visit him now? I really want to get rid of this blasphemous piece of jewellery."
"Alright, let's go," Andromeda smiled, completely understanding the feeling.
As they wanted to leave the house, Kreacher stopped them a last time. "Master Cullen? Master Cullen helped Kreacher. What can Kreacher do in return for him?"
Cullen looked him in the eyes, thin king about the offer. "Trying to be nicer to Master Sirius would be a good start, Kreacher," Cullen responded. "Be polite to Miss Hermione when you see her again. Explain to her the bond between house-elves and their families. Miss Hermione is a Muggleborn," Cullen emphasized the word. "She really wants to understand but needs someone to explain things. Can you do that for me?"
Kreacher nodded eagerly. He didn't like it but he would do it.
As they left the house, Andromeda whispered: "I never expected to see the day…"
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On their way to the Ministry
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"What was that?" Cullen asked in a whisper.
Andromeda had stopped on their way to the Ministry only to drag him into a Muggle café, doing some spell as her first action. Cullen felt the magic around them but was unable to identify it.
"Muffliato spell," Andromeda explained, "gives us privacy. And now: spill!"
"Spill?" Cullen asked, guessing what she wanted to know. Andromeda was far better at noticing small details than Sirius. That and the news about Regulus hadn't shaken her up that bad.
Andromeda actually growled: "about the locket. You felt something, something that troubled you immensely." Her expression softened. "I have the dire feeling that I won't like it but I still want to know."
Cullen sighed and nodded slowly. "I didn't… I didn't want to upset Sirius. I knew that feeling, this dark aura around the locket. I've encountered it before, if far weaker."
He stopped for a moment to allow Andromeda to think about it. He wasn't surprised as she got the right conclusion. "Harry," she whispered. "You felt the same with Harry's scar."
Cullen nodded gravely. "Something is nestling there, something… living, something dark. I wanted to examine it this summer and extract it if possible. It had the same aura as the locket only far weaker. It feels like a sliver of a soul has been imbedded."
He noticed how Andromeda paled. She got white as a sheet. "We can't tell Sirius. He would be floored."
Cullen calmly responded: "no, we can't. At least not before I find a solution to the problem."
"You… you have an idea?"
"I have, but I need to prepare a few things. And I'll need a few helpers. Marius could be one of them. Can I trust him?"
"About Harry?" Cullen nodded. "Yes," Andromeda nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, you can. What do you have in mind?"
"I'll tell you later. It's too soon. Trust me with this."
Andromeda nodded weakly. "I fear I have an idea what all of this is about, especially this locket. It's more important than ever that we go visit Croaker. Let's go," she dragged him away from the table, out of the café and down the street towards Diagon Alley and the Ministry. She hoped to be wrong about it but her heart knew better.
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Ministry of Magic
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Croaker/Pettigrew slammed the file down on the table. Voldemort's spy was a very unhappy rat right now. He expected to feel no small amount of pain in the near future. His master would be neither amused nor lenient hearing about his failure to obtain any relevant news. For a moment he allowed his head to sink down on the table surface and sob.
It's not my fault, he whined.
The Unspeakables, this became quite obvious reading their file about Cullen, knew nothing. NOTHING! Cullen apparently so far hadn't cooperated all too much but as he hadn't broken any law they couldn't force him – despite some notes in the file about "a squib shouldn't be allowed to stand in the path of magical theory progress". So the Unspeakables were left with examining the veil. Pettigrew never had been good at magical theory and Arithmancy in the past. Most of the explanations in the file he didn't really understand. One thing however he grasped: Something about the veil had changed – something fundamental. The examiner even suggested the possibility of shutting it down completely. He saw the imminent danger of an open connection between this world and… somewhere else. Carefully Pettigrew started to make copies. He still had a bit of time until Croaker returned from the false lead they had let slip to draw him away.
Half an hour later he was on his way back to the entrance, nodding to a colleague here and there, trying his best not to arouse suspicion but still avoid longer conversations. His mind was still on his imminent meeting with his unhappy master, so he noticed the couple far too late.
"Hi, Croaker," Andromeda Tonks smiled. Blasted, Pettigrew groaned. He didn't know that the blood traitor bitch and the Unspeakable were close. According to her expression and greeting she was at least friends with the grumpy man. How would Croaker react? Hoping to react accordingly, Pettigrew curtly hugged the woman. It seemed the right thing to do. It was however the man at her side who concerned him far more. He recognized Cullen from the pictures and had to hide his disgust that a Squib was even allowed entrance to these halls and corridors.
"I wanted to speak with you about something, Croaker," Andromeda said with a low voice. "We found something you should have a look at."
"Sure," Pettigrew made a snap decision. This could be of interest for his master and perhaps spare him a round or two of Crucio. He made an inviting gesture towards his office and followed Andromeda through the door, Cullen behind his back. Pettigrew felt his scrutinizing look and wondered if he shouldn't better have left. Offering Cullen a seat at Andromeda's side, Pettigrew saw his eyes narrowing. Cullen's mouth opened and closed a few times but he said nothing. With a furrowed brow he glared at the Unspeakable.
Suddenly everything happened very fast. Later Andromeda wouldn't be able to say who reached first for his weapon, Cullen for his sword or "Croaker" for his wand. In any case Cullen was faster, way faster. In one slashing motion he draw the sword and made a cutting attack like in the Great Hall when Draco Malfoy tried to curse him. Only this time it wasn't the wand he was targeting at but the arm behind. "Croaker" staggered back, his scream of pain alerting his colleagues. His left hand clutched the stump of his right arm, the rest of it still gripping the now useless wand.
"CULLEN!" Andromeda jumped back. She wanted to reach for her wand, flabbergasted by the sudden chain of events. A single glare of Cullen made her stop. It didn't stop however the couple of Unspeakables that stormed into the office. Before they had a chance to attack the Templar and do something stupid, Cullen raised his sword and yelled "PEACE!" Everybody staggered. Everybody sacked on his knees and lost grip of his wand. Everybody – aside from Andromeda.
He spared me, she realized. He trusts me not to attack him. She frowned. Perhaps I should trust him too – for now. Looking around something caught her eye. Glancing down she noticed "Croaker's" wand, hand and forearm lying on the desk. Only the forearm and hand was completely silvery.
Slowly the other Unspeakables came to their senses, while Pettigrew's eyes darted around, searching for a way to escape. Before anybody could react, Andromeda stepped into the middle. "Stop," she commanded with her best pureblood lady voice. "This isn't the real Croaker. It's an imposter." She gestured towards the silvery arm.
Realizing that everything was lost, Pettigrew darted for the door, only to be tripped by Andromeda's foot. He came crashing down in front of his "colleagues" who were quite eager to take him in.
"Polyjuice?" One of them asked. Andromeda shrugged and threw Cullen a quizzical look. "I don't know," he admitted. "I only noticed that this man has two auras about him. One normal and very dark aura below and another very thin layer covering it. That and his arm," he pointed towards the cut off arm, "comes from very dark magic." He didn't explain that the arm had a similar feeling about it as the shattered locket. The arm had been created by the same mage who created the locket and caused Harry's scar. This was one detail he only wanted Andromeda to know – and the real Croaker.
"Be careful that he doesn't get away – or accidentally dies," Andromeda demanded.
"He won't do either," one of the Unspeakables grinned. "Come with me, Croaker," he grinned. "We have much to discuss."
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Grimmauld Place
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"I think we broke him," Andromeda grinned, feeling immensely happy to be the one able to tell Sirius the stunning news. Her cousin was sitting in his comfortable chair – pale, with wide eyes and utterly speechless, a piece of paper in his white-knuckled hands.
They had spent far more time at the Ministry than intended but it had all been worth it. Using a spell to force the imposter back into his real self, the Unspeakables had wasted no time to alarm the DMLE. Amelia Bones herself had interrogated the man. Since the battle at the Ministry and Voldemort's appearance in front of Minister Fudge, she had been allowed to openly investigate the case of Sirius Black. However, despite Harry's statement about seeing Pettigrew at Voldemort's resurrection, and her niece trusting him, she hadn't really been able to do something about the matter. She had been stopped left and right in her investigations, not only by Lucius Malfoy and his sycophants but also by Dumbledore.
This however changed it all. Pettigrew, she had Pettigrew in her claws. Immediately assigning Towers and Brinks, two Aurors she trusted with her life, to his security with strong orders to watch out for any attempts to silence the man for good, she had been giddy like a schoolgirl on her first day about the possibility to interrogate him. It had been enlightening.
"They have Pettigrew?" Sirius asked hoarsely.
"Yes," Andromeda grinned. "Cullen detected and caught him."
Sirius looked up, overwhelming gratitude in his eyes. "Thank you, Cullen," he barely whispered. "You have no idea what that means to me."
"You're welcome," Cullen bowed slightly.
"Can I offer you something? Another house? My firstborn?"
"Treating Kreacher like he deserves and being a real godfather to Harry would be enough."
Sirius nodded with a weak grin. "I would have done that anyway." He lifted the slip of paper. "This is for real?"
"Yes," Andromeda confirmed. "Apparently Pettigrew admitted that he had been the secret-keeper, a Death Eater and betrayed the Potters, not you. There will still be a trial in a few days but Amelia lifted the Dementor-kiss-on-sight order and the warrant. You're under house-arrest for now and only allowed to leave your house under Auror supervision. Tonks counts as your escort," she added with a grin.
"In a few days you'll be a free man," Cullen confirmed.
Sirius was ecstatic until some thought crossed his mind: "…wait. You said house-arrest – so I'll have to stay here?"
"No," Andromeda shook her head. "This house is unknown to the DMLE. You're under house-arrest at the home of an upstanding member of our society – who happens to be your cousin. Be my guest, Sirius, be my guest."
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Privet Drive
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"Cullen?" Tonks asked meekly, exchanging a worried look with her mother. Both women had agreed to accompany him to Privet Drive for a little talk with Harry. Sirius wanted him to know about the changes – his imminent freedom as well as what they planned for his summer – before he read about it in the Daily Prophet. Cullen had demanded that Sirius stay at Grimmauld Place, officially because not every Auror knew about the new orders and they didn't want to have him killed, unofficially because he feared Sirius reactions when visiting Harry's "happy home".
The stories had been disgusting, stories about Harry's room, how the twins once had to remove bars to free him, especially the details Hermione had put together from tiny slips Harry had made over the years. Cupboard, Cullen frowned deeply. She had been in tears speaking about it.
"Cullen?" Andromeda now asked too, feeling her shoulders tense as she watched the man. They had reached Privet Drive 4 a few minutes ago but instead of reaching for the doorknob, Cullen had suddenly stopped and was now staring at the house with a mix of disgust and rage.
"How could he do this?"
Tonks threw a quizzical look in her mother's direction only to get a clueless shrug in return.
"Blasted, damned and stupid goat that he is," Cullen hissed.
Ah, Andromeda silently nodded. It's about Albus again.
"Greater good, yes," Cullen continued with a deep growl. "Happy childhood, my ass," Cullen glared at the house front, his eyes only narrow slits. Suddenly he grabbed Andromeda's right and Tonks' left hand and drew them towards the brick wall, pushed their open palms against the cold stone. Andromeda just wanted to question the reasoning behind his behaviour as suddenly something flared into her mind. Pictures and emotions were running rampant in her head. Had she been able to notice her daughter's face, she would have known that Tonks experienced the same. It was more than disturbing. She felt magic under her hands. Knowing enough about wards, having erected a few on her own home, she realized that somehow Cullen allowed her to feel the protections around Harry's home. There were the usual wards against intruders and fire as well as some monitoring charms. However there was something completely different too, a very strong ward it seemed, a ward that made her feel unclean. Involuntarily she rubbed her side with her free hand as if trying to scrub away a layer of filth.
"Do you feel it," Cullen angrily whispered. "How could he do this? Doesn't he know what he's doing to Harry, to the Dursleys?"
And Andromeda felt it. Something was… moving… behind the ward, lurking, watching. "What's…?"
"Demons," Cullen hissed. "The arrogant prick has no idea what he did erecting this ward around the house. He thinned the layer to the Fade. It's like a beacon to them, promising freedom and free meals. You told me about the Dementors. This is similar. He changed the Dursley house into a free snack for every Demon for miles around."
"Could they… break through?"
"No," Cullen shook his head to her relief. "But they're able to influence the residents of the house. Remember: Demons are personified bad emotions. Their vicinity certainly had an enhancing effect on any bad emotions, any bad virtue the Dursleys felt."
"The Headmaster certainly had no idea about this," Tonks said, trying more to convince herself than Cullen.
"I share your opinion," Cullen growled to Tonks' surprise. "That doesn't excuse what he did, doesn't excuse that he's playing with things he has no idea about, only because 'he knows best', mightiest and wisest man around and all that shit. Blasted… arrogant… prick," every word was accompanied by another hit of his fist against the door.
Knocking on Durselys' door, Andromeda fruitlessly tried to see something funny about the whole matter. She glanced towards Cullen's angry face. I see some nice conversation in the near future, she mused, a conversation between a very pissed Templar and a meddling headmaster.
.
"How dare you to barge into my house?"
Vernon Dursley fumed, following Cullen as the enraged Templar moved through the house, his eyes darkening with every sick discovery on his way through the middle class home. Petunia was watching him with frightened eyes, clinging to her son like he was some kind of life line. Unlike her thick headed husband she seemed to grasp that something was about to change.
"You can't…" Vernon tried to stop Cullen as he – after visiting Harry's room on the first floor – reached for the cupboard's door.
Why does he want to… Andromeda paled as she had an epiphany about his reasoning. At the same moment, Cullen seized Vernon's jacket at the lapels and pushed him away before trying to pry open the wooden door. It was apparently looked, something only prompting him to growl before Cullen without a second thought pushed his well-trained muscled and heaved open the door, simply breaking the poor lock. Ignoring Vernon's all too loud complaints Cullen stepped forward, looked into the cupboard and froze.
What?… Andromeda and Tonks watched him closely. What is he seeing there? Are those… tears? There was no doubt: a few tears were running down Cullen's cheek as he stared into the cupboard like it was a void drawing him into its blackness.
"Cullen?" Harry whispered softly. "It's okay."
What is okay? Andromeda cursed. She wanted to know…
Cullen turned around. There was only pain on his face. With a scrutinizing look he glanced around, taking in the faces of Harry, Vernon… Petunia. Something he saw in Petunia's face gave him the strength to pull himself together – but not overcome the grief and hate he felt. Shame, Andy thought. She's ashamed of whatever Cullen saw there.
"Leave my house, you freak," Vernon growled and actually dared to touch the young Templar. Bad mistake, dude, Tonks thought.
It was bad luck for Vernon that many things had happened today, things that amassed to a mountain of bad emotions inside the Templar. Cullen hated how the Ministry had handled the Sirius case. Cullen hated how young Regulus Black had to die all alone with even his brother hating him. Cullen hated Dumbledore for putting such wards around the Dursley home without a second thought about the dire repercussions. He hated how the Dursleys had treated Harry, and that Harry had accepted it long ago. More than anything else however he hated himself, his passiveness in the past.
How often had he said nothing when a family ousted their magical child?
How often had he kept his mouth shut when a village treated such a family like lepers, fearing that they were somehow contagious?
How often had he done nothing against a Templar abusing his power over Mages?
When Cullen erupted into action, when Cullen's fist smashed into Vernon Dursley's broad, meaty face and knocked him out cold, he was equally punching himself for all the wrongs he did in the past. Not that this thought helped Vernon against the pain in any way.
The onlookers of the scene stayed completely silent, shock on most faces with only a small hint of approval on Andromeda's while Harry was completely confused.
"Harry," Cullen suddenly addressed him, his voice so hoarse that it was completely foreign to him. "Go upstairs. Pack your belongings. Andy, go with him. Examine him. Heal him if needed."
Andromeda paled even more at the thought of abuse marks on Harry's all too thin body. She moved to have a look into the cupboard herself but Cullen stopped her. "Don't!" He stared into Andy's and Tonks' eyes. "Say nothing about this to Sirius." Both women understood. Not even Cullen would be able to hold him back should Sirius hear about how the Dursleys treated his godson.
"Albus won't like that," Andy mumbled. Cullen glared. "I only had to say it," she grinned. "Don't kill the messenger." Without another word she followed Harry upstairs. Andy was right. Albus wouldn't like this. He actually hadn't planned to do this – at least not so soon. But after seeing this he wouldn't allow Harry to stay here for a single day more.
"Tonks, have an eye on this pig." Tonks nodded gravely, watching Cullen who grabbed Petunia's upper arm. "We have to talk," he told her, dragging her towards the porch, closing the door behind them to have some privacy.
He doesn't look happy, Tonks mused. Not one bit.
.
"What are they talking about?" Harry asked Tonks, staring towards the door of the porch. Tonks glanced towards her mother before she shrugged helplessly. Andromeda hadn't said a word since she returned with Harry from the first floor. His meagre belongings – mostly his trunk and Hedwig in her cage – were waiting near the door. Cullen and Petunia had been speaking for more than an hour now. Tonks had treated Vernon's face and instantly put him into magical sleep as he only woke up to start yelling. She didn't need that right now.
"I have no idea. Whatever he's been telling her, most of the time at least one of them has been crying, often both."
Petunia and Cullen had been joined by Dudley after a while. He had been the only one of the family not going against Cullen from the start. He had been silent most of the time, more or less polite if a tad distant since Harry's arrival. Harry wondered what had changed him. Perhaps the incident with the Dementors, he guessed. Now he was serving as his mother's anchor in this stormy sea of emotions, standing at her side and allowing her to clinch to his broad shoulders. At least he's a good son to her, Harry mused. She needs that right now.
"Should we…" Harry interrupted himself because Cullen opened the door and waved for him to come outdoors too.
"Petunia wants to tell you something, Harry."
.
Petunia watched Harry as he stepped onto the porch. The last hour had been harassing to put it simply. Cullen told her stories, stories that shattered the last remains of her haughtiness and pretended self-control.
Stories about his home country, how magical children were treated there, what they had to endure. His story about making them tranquil had been especially disturbing. Petunia couldn't stop her body from trembling, thinking about Lily – spirit, spitfire Lily – turning into an emotionless husk. How can they hate magic that much? How could I hate magic like this?
Then there were other stories, stories about Harry and his friends, about the dangers he had been facing and the fame he had to endure, the fame caused by surviving a night his parents died, surviving because his mother sacrificed her life to save his. And I've belittled her all these years. I nearly succeeded in obliterating Lily's gift. I betrayed you, Lily. That Lily would never behave like that with their roles reversed only increased the shame and grief she felt.
Her eyes were red and puffy, her smile weak and her lips trembling. "I have something to tell you, Harry, things to explain. I know I don't deserve it, but please listen…"
.
"I was jealous, Harry," Petunia said with a deep sigh. "This boy, this Severus… he was taking her away. It had always been a bit strained between us. Yes, Lily loved me and I loved her, but she had so much more in everything. She was smarter; she had more grace and was more beautiful. Wherever we were, she always drew the attention to her. I was always only in her shadow. You can't imagine how painful it is to be the ugly duckling with such a swan at your side. And then she got magic too. It felt so unfair. I wanted it too. I even wrote your Headmaster, wanted to be at Hogwarts too. Naturally he declined, politely, but still I felt dejected – again. As she prepared for Hogwarts, our parents made a fuss about her. Lily here and Lily there, it was devastating.
"She promised to write me every week and she actually did. She certainly meant well, wanted to stay close by sharing this whole new world with me. However, she only assured the contrary. I felt even more jealous, reading about something that was denied to me. Every break my parents behaved like every couple of parents would behave in their situation: overjoyed to have her back if only for a few weeks. I could have been invisible while Lily was there. I started to hate her holidays, praying for her to return to school as soon as possible. Every time she spent holidays with some friend our parents were sad but I felt only joy.
"After her exam, she came back with that man, telling us that he had proposed and she had accepted. Grandma was sad and happy at the same time, you can imagine. And me? What about me? Hadn't I been successful at school too? Wasn't I ready to enter the adult life as well? Where was my Prince Charming? Didn't I deserve to be happy too? Your father was handsome, witty and bloody rich, Harry. How could I have ever competed with that?"
Petunia looked at Dudley and hugged him. "I don't regret marrying Vernon, Dudley, because I got you. However, I certainly acted rashly and mostly because of me being jealous about Lily's James. I never finished my education. I never fulfilled my dreams of becoming a barrister. In a way I lost hope to ever be someone special, someone my parents would be proud of. I married Vernon and became a house-wife and mother."
Again she looked at Dudley with a weak smile. "I adored Dudley, Harry. He was the one thing I really loved about my life. The house? The garden? The tea parties and the polite 'Good afternoon Mrs. Dursley' greetings? All irrelevant. I only needed my Dudley." She actually pouted for a moment. "Only the name – I could have done with something nicer. Your father is to blame for that." Dudley huffed. He had suspected it, always had hated his name.
Petunia patted Dudley's stomach, a stomach – as Harry noticed now – that wasn't nearly as profound as last summer. Dudley actually looked healthier this summer, more muscles than fat. "I certainly spoiled him. I never showed him limits, was never the mother I should have been – like I never was the aunt you deserved. And now it's too late."
Petunia looked up to Cullen, thought about the things Harry had experienced this summer already. Cullen told her about the godfather Harry nearly lost, the mass-murderer that actually wasn't one. Perhaps he will give Harry the happiness I was never able to offer, the happiness he deserves. "Then those wizards killed our parents. They killed them to hurt Lily but in my opinion they only hurt me. Lily wasn't there. She never showed up at the funeral. It was because of the danger but I really needed her that day. My jealousy turned into hate on that day, Harry. I hated magic. I hated wizards. And I hated her for allowing it to happen. The day after your parents died, your precious headmaster delivered you like a postal package. He didn't speak with us on that day, just put you on our doorstep like a set out kitten. I learned of your mother's death from a letter, Harry. They didn't even have the decency to speak with me about it. They never visited us to explain things. What they expected. How we should raise you. If we even wanted you."
Petunia looked very sad and guilty now. "We never wanted you, Harry. Does that make me a bad aunt? Certainly. I was never able to understand your world. I felt unable to handle your bouts of magic. It frightened me. What if you got angry one day and set fire to our house? We never got money to raise you, to feed and properly clothe you. It's a poor excuse, I know, but it made it easy to tell us that you were a burden, a nuisance. For years we expected to see the Headmaster or anybody else again. We didn't know about your godfather being in prison. I only knew that he was a godfather and wondered why he didn't show up. Where was he? Where were his other friends?
"I don't expect you to forgive me, Harry, at least not now, perhaps never. But I hope you understand a bit better why I…" Petunia struggled "why I abused you the way I did. Why I allowed Vernon to behave like he did. Dudley," she put a hand on her son's shoulder "isn't to blame. He only copied what his father demonstrated. It was my fault that you had a shitty youth. Blame me."
.
"I still don't like her," Harry said a wee bit later while they were standing in front of his aunt's house.
"I don't think she expected that to change – at least not so soon," Andy softly commented.
"Do you think," Harry asked Cullen, glancing around where the invisible wards still did their work, "she would have been different, treated me different without those wards?"
Cullen sighed. "We'll never know. To be honest: I don't think so. Perhaps they would have left you alone more often, wouldn't have treated you like their servant and refrained from insulting you and your parents. But the vicinity of demons, I assume, only enhanced bad emotions, it didn't cause it." Cullen stared at the kitchen's window where Petunia still stood, watching them, with Dudley at her side. "She's neither an exceptional woman like your mum nor evil incarnate, Harry. She's a normal woman who was completely overwhelmed by the situation. It would have been better not to force you on her back then or at least offer her some help in handling the situation. She made your youth a living hell, but her own life hasn't been much better – especially not with that husband around."
Cullen, Andy and Tonks watched Harry in silence, as he was thinking about it all. It was obvious that he would need some time to handle everything. Perhaps his friends could help. Neville, in particular, seemed able to grasp what Harry was feeling, Cullen mused.
"I hate this house," Harry whispered. He turned towards Cullen. "Can you dissolve these wards?"
Cullen nodded. "I'll do it in a few days. I have to prepare something and examine them more closely. I don't want to accidentally tear down the last layer."
"What will happen to them?" Harry nodded towards the house and his… his family.
"They should leave. The Headmaster told you that those wards were for their protection too. Your cousin has already been attacked once. It would be too dangerous for them to stay."
"It's my fault that they're in danger," Harry sighed.
Andy wanted to object but Cullen agreed. "In a way: yes. Your pure existence is reason enough to endanger them. I assume you want to help them?"
Harry nodded slowly. "Uncle Vernon will have to quit his job. Moving around will cost them some. They were a shitty family but they're still family. I think I owe it to them."
"I don't know about owing," Andromeda said with a soft smile, putting a hand on his shoulder. "But I'm certain your mother would have been proud of you. I can't imagine she ever stopped loving her sister. Sisters are like that." Her expression turned sad and for a moment Harry wondered about Andy's feelings towards her sisters, estranged as they may be.
"It's the right thing to do," Harry declared.
"That it is," Cullen nodded. "That it is."
.
A/N
One Horcrux gone, a few more to go.
Marius Black (senior) is one of only three squibs named in the canon (the others being Mrs. Figgs and Filch).
Next time: solving a number of problems and Albus' reaction to the whole mess.