Enjoy!
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Chapter 15. The trouble with conspiracies.
Millicent Bagnold and Barty Crouch Sr were having an intimate dinner when they were interrupted by a couple of callers at Crouch's hall.
Winky, the house-elf, was fast, but she was met with a shield, and the house elf bounced and impacted on the adjacent wall with a hollow sound knocking her unconscious. Giving time to Crouch Sn to raise his wand. A staff tapped the floor tile, and a powerful Stupefy was emitted as a wave.
"Bleeding idiots, they know I hold the damn staff, and they still don't stop and ask," Said Alastor Moody, darkly.
"Ah, Moody, we are breaking and entering into their home," supplied Shacklebolt.
"Are we? No, no we ain't Kingsley, we are on duty, investigating a lead on the whereabouts of a fugitive death eater, now, stop staring at the Minister's underwear, and check the wardrobe?"
"Merlin, who would have thought about this, I mean the minister and Crouch? Oh boy, the anonymous tip turned out to be true, as my bleeding eyes are trying to make sense of the affair there. I say, we have a miracle in the flesh, look, peeping through the wardrobe's keyhole, Barty Crouch Jr, in the flesh," said Shacklebolt with sarcasm at the unconscious man. Not missing the fact that Moody's spell-casting was fearsome.
"Keep drinking the water at the office and I think you might develop into a decent Auror after all," said Moody,
"Fuck off Moody, let's tag the lovers and the fugitive, I'm sure it's going to be a fantastic circus in the next few days. Let's get ready for the backlash from Bagnold's cabinet landing next," said Shacklebolt.
"Oh, be still my beating heart! The pup is using his gray matter, and he's worried about his comrade-in-arms," said Moody with a hint of laughter. "You forget, we have Bones on our side, and if anyone crosses her people, the next thing the muggers wish is for the world to be over, the misery she provides takes too long for them. Come now, I have a date, and now I have an idea of what to give the fiery lady," said Moody as he noted the captive Minister's attire.
"Heaven hear my prayer, I need brain bleach, please! Moody and Crouch having an intimate life, is far too much for my sanity," said Shack with a hint of laughter. Then he jumped as a mild hex landed on his bum.
"Don't forget the house-elf, we need all the loose ends neatly wrapped," said Moody as he stepped out. The boy was stepping into his role, yeah, Amelia was right, one day, Shack would take the lead, but still, he could mind his cheek.
Later.
Amelia Bones's head was still spinning at the memories provided by Shacklebolt and Moody. This was not only good, this would change their world by 160 degrees. Crouch and Bagnold were done. Clearing Sirius Black would just be the aftermath of this, again, she took her captives to Gringotts, since these two figures were still too important and they had a following, she would only keep Barty Crouch Jr in a ministry cell.
Gringotts, got a contract to guard Crouch Sr and Bagnold, since the two were under investigation by the head of the DMLE. Bones agreed, and even though the cost was high, the payment came from the vault for Barty Crouch Sr. The vault in question received a house trunk addition, an addition that held Barty without issues, the goblins added, they could have left him in the dungeons, or in his vault. Crouch Sn took the hint and became a better host to Millicent, who at the moment was distraught at her change of fortunes.
Meanwhile.
Arthur Weasley could hardly believe the changes in staff at the Ministry of Magic. In her absence, the Minister's cabinet began creating new job descriptions, one of them called magical technology. Arthur couldn't figure out why this department was not created before. Mundane objects like cars were transformed into fully equipped homes on the road. New options on how to condition a wardrobe into a vanishing cabinet. The flow could become non-existent. A variety of objects that were of mundane origin, now, tools to work in the magical world. Arthur was a bit disenchanted finding out that a rubber duck's function was just like a boat in the tub, a simple toy. Then his world seemed to stop. There was an opening for an exchange training program in Australia's ministry of magic office, that fits perfectly to his profile. He filled out the papers, only after checking that this was indeed a good deal not only for him but for his family too. They did say that the sun was brighter down under. He could picture himself, riding that motorized home, and swimming in a warm sea. The kids would love it. Molly might protest, but she would understand that going away would also lead to a healthier life. There were far too many sad memories in Britain due to the war. The change would be good for the Weasleys.
Harry, as Oli, had been shadowing the Weasleys and he had a feeling that after the last of the arguments were presented and the family packing, one fat animagus rat was going to jump overboard. He waited, and his gut did not fail, Peter Pettigrew, a.k.a Scabbers, exited the Weasley abode in the middle of the night, right into Oli's waiting trap. He shocked the rat with electricity and then transfigured the rodent into a floor mat that read, Wipe your feet before entering our domain. He placed the mat on the steps of Grimmauld Place, which at the moment was being refurbished by the Goblin construction builders and conditioned to be a comfy, well-adjusted house, even though it was magical since it was under a fidelius.
When Sirius found out the fate of his once-good friend, he laughed so hard; he had facial cramps as well as belly cramps. It was a good thing because it was then that Harry asked him to erase all of his tattoos so he could have his day in court and display his bare chest and lack of tattoos.
Hermione encouraged this idea too, to get him on the most wanted bachelor's rich list in Witch Weekly. Plus, since he had new teeth, his tortured past would make him the bad boy who could have anyone. To Sirius Black, it was weird to see these really cute kids have so many ideas, including the one of him exposing his chest in court to win sympathy. Then again, Sirius considered, Bones would be there, so tit for tat. It was not something he was not familiar with, hell, his entire family flaunted their beauty and mystique, to the point of killing the name Black. Still, he asked, "Uh, all of them? And, naked?"
"Half naked, and yes, all the tattoos, this is close to a Salem's day in court, so unblemished skin and soul, a tortured man, who only wanted to make justice for his brother in all but blood and his family, no, it's not necessary to overact, be quiet and composed, a bit submissive as you take in this new chance of freedom. Even a bit bashful, have them eating out of the palm of your hand, can you do that?" Harry queried.
"Seriously, how old were you before returning?" Countered Sirius.
Both Harry and Hermione shifted to a close approximation to their elder personas, on that last day in Peru.
"Merlin! a lifetime of sadness before this?" Asked Sirius.
"Yeah, far too little time with you as my godfather, far too much time being Voldemor's taxi driver, Dumbledore's errand boy, the chosen one, and the most hated one depending on the season, and the mood of a bipolar mess of public opinion. But, the worse by far, was being in the fucking friend zone, for a lifetime," said elder Harry.
"Oh, I got one better. How about being able to do so much for the advancement of the wizarding world and still be committed to Saint Mungo's, married to the one Weasley who was a birth defect since conception. Bearing his kids, and then the lovely ones, actually turning out worse than their father and finally figuring out that I was my own worst enemy. Since I felt for Harry, but I was so messed up, jaded, that I couldn't touch him without feeling like I had no right?" Asked Hermione.
"Yeah, you were a prisoner for five years, but, Hermione and I, were prisoners since we found out magic was real," declared Harry.
Again, Sirius found himself without words. Instead, his eyes filled with tears. Harry and Hermione reverted to their house-elf shape, and Amelia Bones entered the room as the two elves vanished with a quiet pop.
"Oh, did I catch you at the wrong time, Black?" Asked Amelia slightly embarrassed, at his demeanor.
Sirius lowered his gaze, dried his tears, and tried to clear his mind, as though he was expecting a reading of his mind by the gorgeous woman in front of him. He replied, "no Bones, I just got some information on my godson's living conditions, before his disappearance," Said Sirius.
"How?" Asked Amelia.
"House-elf magic," said Sirius lowering his eyes.
"Oh, yes, clever aides, but, before I get more distracted, let me tell you, the tip on Crouch Sn actually taking Jr out of Azkaban is true, Crouch Sn and Bagnold were together when captured," said Amelia.
Sirius smiled without teeth and raised his eyes to meet Amelia's and asked, "How long before my trial?"
"It's going to be a closed trial, just after we get Crouch Sn, Bagnold and Jr judged too. And, no Dumbledore. He will be so busy with the International Confederation of Wizards that he will miss the final changes. Before we move on to him with the big question, What the fuck happened to little Harry after you were shipped to Azkaban?" Said Amelia with such fierceness, that Sirius, had trouble not drooling, instead he blushed like a prepubescent teen.
Amelia noticed the change and wondered if he was having an issue with his health. She was about to walk out and ask for a nurse, when a goblin healer entered and said, "Ah, Mr. Black, we received news that you wanted to have all of your tattoos removed, is that correct?"
Sirius felt like a brainless teen, and instead, he nodded. The healer and nurse said, "Very well, you will have to take the draught of living death, and by tomorrow your skin will be tender but, with no memory of ink."
Amelia questioned the move, "Why?"
Sirius turned to Amelia and smiled as he explained, "Everybody expects tattoos, imagine, not only am I not a death eater, but I was never as wild as to get ink, won't that be embarrassing for the stupid prejudiced lot?"
Amelia smiled, damn this wizard, he was so freaking sexy, but being so cunning did something to her. Oh, she was being silly, she had a job to do. In a way she was sorry, to see him lose his history of ink. But hey, choices were choices and she had to respect his. It was not as if he was interested in her. Rich boys had their proclivities, and being with a career woman was not high on the list of choices. Barty Crouch Sn was, so far, the exception to the rule.
It was then that she remembered she had an appointment with the guards keeping Crouch and Bagnold. "I'll see you when you're out of the procedure, take care," Said Amelia as she nodded goodbye.
Sirius returned the nod and wondered why the blankets were not thicker, his damn libido was close to piercing the bed covers. While the healer and the nurse ignored the pheromone release in those two. A bet was made. How long before the Black got to the Bones, or the Bones got to the Black? Goblins always took a betting deal, it was only natural.