Chapter 23: Easter Holiday in England
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Another interlude. This time without Ivy.
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That same week, on the other side of the pond, Sirius knew that Hogwarts' Easter Holiday was due and that Albus was probably going to call a meeting. He made sure that Kreacher had the house clean and completely artifact free. He didn't want Mundungus to get sticky fingers. He had gathered up all the goblin-made stuff and shoved them all into a sack and was currently carrying them to Gringotts.
Everything else of value he had Kreacher put in a safe in the office. Then he hid the safe behind the portrait of his mother. He never went into the room anyway. He had Kreacher get the portrait off the wall since he was the only creature that could. She was not happy about being relegated to the office, but she made a great alarm.
People were looking at Sirius strangely as he walked down Diagon Alley, like they knew what was in the bag and wondering if he had lost his mind in Azkaban. No one gave the goblins back their items. It set a precedent. One they didn't want to follow through with. That and it would give the Black family clout with the goblins, and no one wanted that. Who knows what Sirius would do with that.
Sirius was whistling when he entered the bank. Every goblin was watching him as he approached a vacant teller. Their beady eyes narrowed as they tracked his movements like tigers tracking their prey. Sirius didn't let it bother him.
"Good morning," he said to the teller. "I have here a bag full of goblin-made artifacts, and I'd like to return them. But be warned, some of them might be cursed," he said, gleefully. He held the sack in front of the counter like he was going to pour the whole thing onto it.
"Was that a threat?" the little being asked with a snarl as he reached his boney hands towards the sack. They were trembling with anticipation. Never had a wizard boldly just deposited goblin-made artifacts in the lobby like this. Usually it was on the sly, so other wizards didn't know they were doing it.
"No, it was a warning that my family were/are right bastards. I don't even know what they might be cursed with," Sirius said, seriously. "I had my house elf go over them, but he can only do so much," he confessed, putting the bag on the counter and letting the teller grab it. He had no need for it anymore. He could care less what the other wizarding folk were thinking of him. Ivy would love what he was doing.
The goblin opened the sack and his eyes bulged. There was a treasure trove of items in there. There must have been over 100,000 galleons worth of merchandise, and he was handing it over without thought.
"And what do you want in return?" the wary goblin asked, taking the sack, and putting it behind the counter.
"Nothing, they are your items. The people who purchased them are long dead," Sirius said, waving his hand with a negligent air. He was the richest man in the magical world, bar Tony. And thanks to Tony, he was even more successful than he had been. That investment firm saw his money grow by leaps and bounds.
"Very well, Mr. Black, our business is complete," the teller said, greed in his eyes, while the rest of the bank looked on with various degrees of shock and dismay. There were many wizards who were upset over the whole transaction. However, the goblins were ecstatic. They could only hope it started a trend, but they weren't going to hold their breath.
Sirius went back to the flat with a spring in his step for having done the right thing and was settling in with a glass of rum when Jarvis let him know that Dumbledore had come to Grimmuald Place with Snape. He wondered why they were there, and decided to listen in.
"Why did you drag me here?" Snape snapped, sounding very put out that he was anywhere near the place.
"It is the only place where we are guaranteed 100% security. We can be interrupted anytime at Hogwarts, that and, the portraits are notorious gossips," Albus said, settling in a chair. "Oh, they keep secrets, but they hint that something is going on, and things escalate from there," he said, huffing a bit.
Minerva had figured out that he was planning something to do with Ivy a few times from the hints the portraits dropped.
"How do you know this place doesn't have listening charms?" Snape asked, waving his wand as if to check. At least that was what Sirius was picturing him doing from the sounds he was making.
"I had Alastor check the other day," Albus said, a smugness in his tone.
"How did you manage that?"
"He stood outside and looked the house up and down from there. His eye is a magical wonder. He found no listening or scrying charms of any kind," the headmaster explained. He didn't want to warn the owner of the house that someone was 'casing the joint', so he had Alastor do it from outside.
"Why don't you just go and snag the girl like you tried to do before? I am sure that you know the dangers now and can avoid them," Severus asked, not sure what the problem was. This was supposed to be the greatest wizard alive today.
"I tried to go back after I was attacked the first time, but the wards are stronger. I had Alastor look at them when Fawkes could not get in them. He could barely see through them, but he did inform me that they were gone from the east coast of the United States. So I had Fawkes look for Ivy and he found them on the west coast. I had Alastor scan the house, which again had formidable wards. All he could tell me was there was at least three adult magicals, four non-magicals, two or three magical animals, he wasn't sure, and one or two magical children at a time," Albus explained, his eyes narrowed as he thought of the implications of all those people surrounding Ivy Potter.
"So, break the wards and snatch the girl," Snape said like it was a simple thing.
"You do not understand what I faced the last time I was there," Albus said, a vacant look coming over his face. He shook himself and chastised himself for showing his fear. "I am sure that some of those 'magical beings' that Alastor saw, are not magical at all. She is being guarded by a creature I have never come across before. I fear they have allies that are otherworldly," he added in a secretive tone.
"Otherworldly?" Snape said incredulously. "Have you gone barmy? There are no 'otherworldly' beings," he stated with conviction.
"We live in a world that muggles believe is myth, and you don't believe in aliens? Creatures from another planet? I will have you know, Severus Snape, that this world came close to being overrun by aliens just a few months ago. I was informed of this at the last ICW meeting. Had it not been for a group of extraordinary muggles, we would have been dead. All of us," Albus stated, anger in his voice. He still had nightmares over the creature he had faced and the aliens that they showed at the conference.
"You believe this?" Snape said, his tone was still one of disbelief.
"I know it to be fact," was the statement. "I can show you the proof, if you don't believe me."
"Say I do believe you, why do you believe that Ivy Potter is protected by aliens?" Snape asked, the sound of him folding his arms was heard.
Sirius was getting excited to hear what the headmaster said next. He was having Jarvis record this for the Avengers to hear. They were going to want to know what the wizards knew about what had happened. Even if it was only on the top level.
"I will show you the memory of what tried to eat me," Dumbledore said, taking something out of his pocket, which Sirius believed was a pensieve. There was silence at the other end for around five minutes and then there was the sound of retching as he assumed both men were ejected.
"Oh Merlin, what was that thing?" Snape said, when he was done dry heaving. His voice was raspy from his ordeal.
"An alien," Albus said dryly. His voice was shaky from remembering almost being eaten.
"I believe you," Severus said, straightening up and settling in a chair. "What do we do about it, is the question." He had no clue as to how to fight something like that.
"I don't know, and I am bound by oath to keep this close to the vest, as the saying goes. I am only telling you as my closest confidant, which I finagled in my oath. I cannot tell the Order, so I cannot get suggestions from them," Albus said, sorely missing Alastor's advice on this.
"I am at a loss," Snape said, making Sirius glad. "It never crossed my mind to make plans for an alien invasion." His tone was sour.
Sirius made a mental note to tell Goose that he had the wizards scared of him. He was chuckling out loud since no one could hear him. He wished he could see the looks on their faces. If only they knew who walked among them right now. Goose had nothing on Jormungandr. And if Loki had it his way all of his children would be Ivy's playmates. Well, not Hel. She had her own domain.
"Be that as it may, we need to figure out a way to retrieve Ivy Potter from her current guardian," Albus said, sounding like he was running his hand down his beard, like he was wont to do when he was thinking. "Hopefully, without coming across those allies," he muttered. He did not want to be eaten by that non-cat, or whatever else she had guarding her.
"How? He legally has custody of her in both worlds and countries," Snape argued. It was one of the first things he checked. Stark had covered all his bases. "That and the man has more money than God," he grumbled. That had been a shock. Stark was richer than Malfoy and Black put together, three times over. And he wasn't afraid to show it. "Not even Fudge will touch him," he added, knowing that the minister was a wuss when it came to powerful men with money.
"We will have to think of something to lure her here," Dumbledore said, thinking hard on what could bring a little girl to her home country.
"The man could buy her whatever she wants. We have nothing to offer her," Snape said, all but snapping at the man. Yeah, he was bitter.
"Well, I will call a meeting in the next few days and we can discuss it with the Order. Now that school is on break, we have a bit of free time," Albus said, sounding like he was getting out of his chair.
"I still feel that you are banging your wand against a brick wall, but it's your wand," Snape said, sounding smug.
"Indeed, it is," Dumbledore stated, like that was quite a funny joke.
The sound of the two of them leaving was heard and Sirius had Jarvis stop the feed. "Send that to the Avengers," he told the AI and settled back to finish his rum. There really wasn't anything he could use, but it had been entertaining.
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The meeting was three days later, Sirius let Tony know so he could listen in, and there were fifteen people in total: himself, Remus, Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Hagrid, Mundungus Fletcher, Alastor Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Arthur Weasley, Dedalus Diggle, Elphias Doge, Emmeline Vance, Hestia Jones, and Sturgis Podmore. They were a motley crew to be sure. Albus' brother was a silent member, so he wasn't there. Molly Weasley was tending her youngest children, or she would have joined.
"Let us get this meeting started," Albus said as he made his way to the head of the table. He was almost there when Sirius' voice stopped him.
"Um, Albus, that's my seat," Sirius said, moving to waylay him. "You can have the foot of the table, if you must be seen," he said, pointing to the other end. He had been tempted to just let the man sit there, but he decided that was bullying and he had promised Ivy to stop that.
"Now, Sirius, my boy. I am the Head of the Order, I need to sit at the head of the table," the headmaster said as if it were a given. Which in a normal situation it would be, but this was an Ancient and Noble household, and it was peculiar. There were rules and protocols that must be met, or the house would react violently.
"Sorry, Headmaster, but the house, itself, won't let you sit here. If you try, terrible things will happen to you. I do it for your own good, my dear man," Sirius said, condescendingly. He really hated it when Albus talked to him like he was a child, so he returned it in kind.
"Surely, you jest," Albus said, making his way to the head of the table as if Sirius had not warned him. There were no such thing as sentient houses. Even Hogwarts wasn't sentient. If it were, he'd know about it.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," Sirius said, standing aside, but not far. He wanted to stay close to see what would happen to the man. If it got too violent he would be on hand to stop the damage from being too great. He could negate the wards, but he had already warned Albus and that was enough in his eyes.
Albus sat in the chair, and it emitted a loud sound that was close to a horrendous fart and then promptly dumped him on the ground. Everyone laughed and then covered their mouths at what they had done. This was the headmaster after all, one did not laugh at his misfortune. Albus sputtered indignantly and stood with his mouth agape.
"Sirius," he said, like it was the other man's fault. He shook off his robes and stood there, unsure what to do next.
"I did warn you," Sirius said, though he was shocked that the house did a prank spell. He was sure it would have done something more nefarious. Then again, he was the master now, so it might take his wishes and not his former families. His face was lined in laughter, though.
"That was not even remotely funny, Sirius Black," Emmeline Vance said, waving her finger at the man. Though, she could not hide the merriment in her tone. She had found humor in it, for all she tried to hide it.
"I didn't do it. The house did, and I warned him. I am the Head of House, I sit in that chair," Sirius said, pointing to said chair. He picked it up and righted it. He then sat in it without issue and waved to the foot of the table. "If you want to be seen…" he trailed off.
Albus too-many-names Dumbledore stomped, without showing it, to the end of the table and sat with as much poise as he could. His face was still pink, though it was fading.
"Now that the shenanigans are over," he said, glaring at Sirius, who shrugged, "let us get to the meeting. We are here to discuss what we are going to do to get Ivy Potter back into England, so that she can be here when You-Know-Who comes back," he stated, making everyone start talking all at once.
"What do you mean You-Know-Who is coming back?" many said, with various degrees of excitement and fear. Moody, Snape, Sirius and Moony were already to fight the man, while the others were ready to run and hide. Just at different levels. None of them doubted the old man's words that the Dark Lord would return, though only Albus, Remus and Sirius knew how.
Sirius and Remus wondered just how strong he'd be with all his items gone. Tony had told them all about it on the phone just last night. There was a small chance that Tom Riddle was dead, but they didn't want to think that he was, only for him to pop up in a few years. Loki told them not to worry about the hopped up man. He and Thor could handle the idiot. For only an idiot would split his soul.
"I have it at the highest authority, that he will return," Albus said, to him there was no authority higher than his. Only he knew what happened, to his thinking, and only he knew how to handle it. He was the highest authority he knew.
"How do they know?" Dedalus Diggle asked, worrying his hat. He was one that wanted to run and hide. He was not a fighter. He only joined because he owed Albus many favors.
"I cannot tell you that," the headmaster said, stroking his beard in a wise manner. Many nodded in understanding. It was not abnormal for the old man to withhold information for their, or someone else's, protection.
"He never can," mumbled Sirius, though a few heard him and nodded in defeat and agreement. Those like Moody and Snape hated it when Albus didn't share. People got hurt or killed when information was withheld.
"Albus, Ivy has been adopted. How do you propose we bring her back?" Remus asked, knowing any way they suggested would be illegal. Or at the very least, immoral.
"Lure her here with a prize she cannot resist," was the old man's suggestion. "There has to be something little girls want that her current guardian cannot give her." He was out of ideas, which was the reason he brought them all here to begin with. They were all different people from different walks of life. They had to have different views on things.
"Yeah, her parents, which you can't give her either," Sirius said, snidely. He knew that was one thing no one could give her, that she desperately wanted.
"If you are not going to be helpful, Sirius," Albus said, with his patented disappointed look. "I suggest you try harder." He glanced over his half-moon spectacles and peered down his long-hooked nose at the man.
"I'm just saying," Sirius said, holding up his hands in supplication. As it was, he and Remus were putting together a picture album for the girl. However, they would not be holding it hostage for her. They would be sending it as soon as it was done. Tony was completely on board with it. He was anxious to see the moving pictures and Lily and James again. Well, he had only really met Lily a few times, but it would be nice to see a picture of her and her husband.
"We have Sirius," Arthur Weasley said, thinking that was a great idea. "He's her godfather," he pointed out.
"I can travel," Sirius said with his nose in the air. "I can go to her anytime I wish," he added, clarifying that he was not a lure.
"Not if I ground you," Dumbledore said, narrowing his eyes. "I can get you barred from international travel," he added as if to quantify. It would make a great trap for the unsuspecting girl.
"On what grounds?" Sirius wanted to know. He knew Albus would try, but he had the money to outbuy whatever the man came up with, and if he didn't Tony did. He wasn't too worried; however, he was upset that they even thought of the notion of using him.
"That Azkaban was too much for you, and you need to stay close to home to heal," Albus said smugly. "That having your goddaughter here would be most beneficial," he added, his smile widening.
"And you became a healer when?" Remus asked, affronted on his friend's behalf.
"It is simply a matter of putting a bug in their ear," Dumbledore said, waving it away as an easy thing done.
"I'll fight you every step of the way," Sirius said, very upset that they would use him in this way. "After I volunteered my house to you and everything," he added, slamming his hand on the table showing just how upset he was.
"Don't you want Ivy Potter here?" Elphias Doge asked, confused at the man's reaction. They were all here for this reason after all.
"It's not that, but I refused to be used, or be made to be seen as crazy for any reason. Find a different way," Sirius said, folding his arms and sitting down again.
"Very well," Albus said, not sounding sincere as Sirius thought he should, but the other Order members, bar Moody, Moony and Snape bought it. "I will take other suggestions," he said, looking at the other members.
Arthur offered to have his kids write to her expounding the greatness of Britain and Hogwarts to her. To which, McGonagall said she would have the Gryffindor house do the same. Snape reluctantly volunteered the Slytherins for letter writing as well, but he didn't think that would go as well as the lions.
With those suggestions tossed about, there was a campaign to have an advertisement in the Daily Prophet to have all those school age write to Ivy Potter telling her what an icon she was to them and perhaps she should come back to England so that she could still be that icon.
The meeting broke up and they all went home, except Sirius and Remus, who stayed to clean up the kitchen, which was littered with dishes and glassware.
"We should have Jarvis show Tony the meeting," Remus said as he dried the dishes with his wand. They were washing themselves, but they needed drying separately. Kreacher was still working on another part of the house. He was told to stay away for the night.
"I'm sure he's already seen it. I warned him it was happening," Sirius said as his phone rang. He saw the caller id and put the phone on the table and answered it. "Go, Tony," he said when he hit the answer button.
"They really are morons, aren't they?" the billionaire said without preamble. His hologram popped up and he was there in living color.
"Hey," Remus said on behalf of the people who just left. "Only half of them are," he added, thinking that those like Snape, Moody and a few others didn't qualify as morons.
"I'll permit Ivy to read the letters, but I'm having Gringotts vet them first," Tony said, looking around the kitchen with interest. Especially Remus doing dishes. "It'll do her good to have some pen pals."
"I wonder if Dumbles will remove the mail ward he put on her first," Remus said, thinking that was the only reason she had not gotten any mail in her life.
"He would have to," Sirius said, though he understood why the old man had done what he had done. "Now that she's not with Petunia, it won't be an issue," he added in way of an explanation.
"I guess," Remus said, nodding in understanding. Petunia was a right bitch that would have punished the child for the post owls in her yard. Albus had to have known that, which made him just as compliant as her. Sirius seemed to get that thought as well because he scowled.
"That's going to make things here interesting," Tony said, thinking of all the owls that were going to show up. "The press is going to have a heyday," he whined. "I can just see it now, 'Tony Stark experimenting with owls.'"
"They will have muggle repellant charms," Remus said, then thought of all the sightings the night that the Potters died. "Most of them," he reiterated. "I'd have Loki put up a ward or something to redirect them to the barn and maybe see about getting a house elf," he suggested.
"Just call one of the Potter elves," Sirius said with a negligent wave of his hand. "That's what they are there for," he added, like everyone knew what he was talking about.
"What is a house elf?" Tony asked, thinking he might have read about them, or Sirius might have mentioned them, but he wasn't sure.
"They are domesticated creatures that, as the name suggests, keep house," Remus said, rubbing his chin in thought. "Do you recall stories of Brownies as a child?"
"Yes, Jarvis, my butler, told me a few," Tony said, remembering the stories of the little people who cleaned for food.
"They are like those," Remus said, snapping his fingers at the man.
"Do you know the names of any of the Potter elves?" Tony asked Sirius.
"There was the head elf, Tilly," Sirius said, rubbing his forehead, trying to recall their names, but they were far beneath him in the chain of command, so it was hard. He was raised not to think about such things that were not his problem, and the Potter house elves were not his to deal with. He had gotten better now that he was out of prison, but it was too late for this issue.
"I'll have Ivy call her," Tony said, thinking that the girl might have more than a few more people around to play with and protect her. He had met Peter Parker earlier this evening, and he was a good kid. He would go far, if he stuck to his schooling. Tony was serious about giving him an internship.
"They are pretty powerful magically, unfortunately they can only do as they are ordered," Sirius said, wanting to make sure that Tony understood what they were.
"They're slaves," the man said, slowly.
"Symbiotic," Remus said instead. "They can't live without us," he offered. "In exchange, they clean our houses," he said lamely.
"That sounds completely unbalanced," Tony said, thinking of the house that Sirius described to him and the house elf that he now remembered the man bitching about.
"Well, it's what they like to do," was the comeback.
"Who am I to object if that is their required payment?" the billionaire said, though he was going to see if he could renegotiate with this Tilly person.
"Anyway," Sirius said, hating this debate. He'd had it many times with Lily. "We'll call you next time a meeting is scheduled, or if something comes up," he said, waving to the hologram on the table.
"Right," Tony said, signing off.
"That was rude, Sirius," Remus said, putting the last dish away. He'd been doing them the entire time.
"I'm too tired to debate the workings of house elves," Sirius said, picking up the phone and putting it away.
They finished straightening up and went back to the flat. The rest of Easter Break was uneventful, and they got a call the end of it, letting them know that Loki's oldest had been found and was home.