Chapter 59: What a Wonderful World
Across Britain, Lucius Malfoy was sitting in his office, enjoying a snifter of brandy when his life was about to change forever.
Muggles may be filthy creatures, he mused as he swirled the amber liquid in the glass but they do make good alcohol.
The next moment, the sleeve of his robe lit up, a signal from Cornelius that Luecius told him never to use unless he was compromised. Fudge thought Lucius would use it to save Fudge's hide. Little did Fudge know it was Lucius' signal to bug out. Lucius let the glass fall from his hands as he quickly stood. He sprinted to the bookcase and slid his hand over a rune to make the bookcase slide up. Grabbing his old Death Eater garb, as well as a few trinkets. He was about to tie the bag of gold around his belt when a sound of someone apparating in made him turn around.
"Who are you?" Lucius drew his wand, pointing it at the figure in the shadows. "Step forward slowly and tell me how you got in here."
"Good to see you too, Lucius," the figure said, stepping into the light.
"Peter Pettigrew," Lucius was wary. "Thought you were dead."
"Yeah, you were supposed to; everyone was," Wormtail said before looking around the study. "Good you're packing. Fenrir has made his move on Potter. However, he stupidly did it in front of Lupin, Black and an auror. I've watched Potter for two and half years: Fenrir will fail."
"How did you get in here?" Lucius reiterated his question.
"My how you've forgotten your past, Lucy," Pettigrew laughed derisively, pulling up his sleeve. "All marked Death Eaters can access your house. All I had to do was steal a wand from someone in Hogsmeade and… voila."
Pettigrew flourished his hands, impressed with his simple trick.
"We don't have time for anymore stupid questions," Wormtail said. "The aurors will be on their way shortly. To put it simply: you're cornered and out of options. We have to run."
"Run?" Lucius sneered. As good as the Bones bitch was at her job, Lucius had enough gold from the Malfoy and Black vaults to buy his freedom. "Run where?"
"To the only person who can protect us both," Peter's eyes glinted. "We're going to find our master."
Lucius wondered for a moment whether Pettigrew was having him on or not. A loud knock at the door to his study made up his mind, however.
"Aurors," the voice that Lucius knew to be Rufus Scrimegeour rang throughout the whole grounds. "Open up!"
"We have to leave," Pettigrew grabbed Lucius shoulder and shook him. "Now!"
Lucius pulled on his Death Eater robes and mask, thumbed the emergency portkey and popped them away just as the aurors broke down the door. Last to cross the threshold was the lion-like mane of Scrimegeour.
"He's gone," Scrimegeour said, his tall stature and deep voice an imposing combination. He walked to the fallen glass, seeing the floor still wet. "Someone must have tipped him off."
"Wasn't me," Narcissa actually looked surprised. "His machinations have cost me too much for me to actually protect him."
Narcissa cradled her stomach as she spoke. She physically shook herself and instead pointed toward the study.
"While you're here, check behind the bookcase," Narcissa walked toward the bookcase in question. "My home is yours for as long as you need it."
"Duly noted," Scrimegour's golden eyes watched her closely as she moved into the study.
"Hit the rune cluster," Narcissa pointed to the bookcase. Scrimgeour pushed where Narcissa said to reveal a hidden wardrobe. The outline of robes and a mask could be seen, beneath that there was a treasure trove of pictures and other trophies from Lucius' favorite kills as a Death Eater.
"Is that…" Scrimgeour picked up a jar with a lock of red hair.
"Elizabeth Bones, yes," Narcisssa hugged herself. "He was particularly proud of that one. That's his last trophy from the war."
"Thank you for showing us this," Scrimgeour took out a camera to document the entire hidden wardrobe.
"You would have found it anyway," Narcissa said. "I've been waiting for years for Lucius to step in it. Leave no stone unturned."
"That is our job," Scrimgeour took careful steps to document everything found in the office. "I will make sure to relay your cooperation to Madam Bones."
Narcissa turned away from the door, a smile on her face, feeling free for the first time in a long time.
Back in Hogwarts, Harry was laying in his hospital bed with a smile on his face.
"You look content," Hermione said from the next bed over. They had both been checked by Madam Pomfrey, given some chocolate before she dismissed them to a bed for the night.
"I am," Harry said. "We faced a pack of werewolves and lived to talk about it; Sirius has a chance at freedom and the Dementors are being removed as we speak. I'm glad he wasn't actually the man who betrayed my parents."
"And I never will," Sirius said from the bed across from them. "I swore to protect you. I'm sad that I wasn't there from the beginning but I'm excited to get to know you."
"Feeling's mutual," Harry said. "You didn't by any chance send a couple Firebolts to myself and Cedric?"
"Oh you figured it out?" Sirius looked pleased. "Yes I felt bad seeing your broom destroyed and then I thought Diggory deserved to be compensated for his heroic actions. Hopefully I'll be able to come see you fly before the end of the year. You fly just as brilliantly as James, maybe even better. That's saying something since James was being courted by the English National Team while he was in school."
"Really?" Harry's eyes brightened. "I knew he was on the Gryffindor team as a chaser but I didn't know how good he was."
"Oh he was spectacular," Sirius' eyes glazed over as he spoke. "He was a menace tearing through the defense. Keepers never knew which hoop he was going shoot on."
"Yes and he also was reckless," Pomfrey said. "He was one of the students I saw most often during his years. I hate to tell you, Black but your godson is even worse."
Pomfrey pointed toward the plaque over Harry's bed. Sirius followed her finger and let out a belly laugh that grew and grew until Sirius was wheezing and holding his sides.
"Oh Prongslet," Sirius composed himself and wiped his eyes. "You'll have to tell me how you earned that honor."
"Another time," Pomfrey had her hands on her hips. "It is late and you all need your rest."
The next morning, Sirius got permission from Dumbledore to have breakfast at the castle. Dumbledore probably should have asked him to be specific because at 830, a half hour into breakfast, Sirius strutted through the doors into the Great Hall filled with students eating breakfast. Freshly showered, shaved and wearing clean robes, he looked 10 years younger than he did the previous night. Students screamed and crawled over one another. Some tried to draw their wand to defend themselves but most had their wands knocked away in the chaos.
"All this time," the dungeon bat descended on Sirius with a victorious smirk. "You have been hiding all this time and now you just walk in. I must say: it'll be nice to be the one to turn you in to the aurors."
"Already done, Snivellous," Sirius held his arms out, a wide smile on his face. "Let's just say evidence has come to light that will hopefully clear me. All I wanted was a hot meal for the first time in over a decade."
"You can't be so foolish to think we will believe that, Black," Snape spat back at Sirius.
"I was there last night," Dumbledore finally made his approach. "Sirius is in fact innocent, if Auror Tonks is to be believed. He will be tried for his alleged crimes. Though I wish you had told me you were going to eat at the Great Hall before frightening all the students."
"A marauder through and through," McGonagall groaned. "You just had to make a scene, didn't you?"
"Guess it's been too long since Padfoot pulled a prank," Harry said with a smirk. He couldn't deny the reaction of every student was hilarious. Colin was even up to the task, taking picture after picture of the scene. He also noticed the Weasley twins perk up at the nickname Harry used.
"Enough terrifying everyone," Hermione's impatient voice cut through. She pushed Sirius and Harry toward the Gryffindor table. "I'm famished and I'd like to eat something before breakfast ends."
"To all the students," Dumbledore addressed the student body. "New evidence has come to light that clears Sirius Black of his alleged crimes. He is a guest of this castle for the morning. Please treat him as you would any other guest."
Sirius sat down and was instantly besieged by the Terror Twins.
"Did Harry-" Fred started
"-Just call you," George continued.
"Padfoot?" They finished together
"Yes," Sirius said, flourishing his hands and taking an elaborate bow. "I am Mssr. Padfoot of the illustrious, famous and irreplaceable Marauders."
"You have," George leaned forward
"To tell us," Fred put his arm around George, literally putting their heads together.
"How you did it all," Their voices held as much glee as a kid on Christmas.
"Oh you know," Sirius leaned back. "You study, work on alternative ways to use magic. It was a lot of fun. James, Remus… Peter."
Sirius finished the last name venomously.
"James?" Fred spoke first. "As in James Potter?"
Sirius shook his head vigorously.
"As so little Harry is the son of a Marauder?" George looked at a blushing Harry. "You're telling us we should all watch out for him?"
"Actually, the one you need to watch out for is next to him," Sirius pointed at a shocked-looking Hermione who was caught mid-bite. "The only witch I've met to rival Lily Evans. Best prank anyone ever pulled was done by Lily."
"What did she do?" Hermione swallowed rapidly and asked, eagerly.
"Well," Sirius dropped his voice in spite of everyone listening. Everyone leaned in to hear the story. "In the summer between sixth and seventh year, James finally got Lily to agree to go out on a date with him. I decided to follow them in my animagus form-.
"-You have an animagus form?" the twins asked. McGonagall facepalmed up at the head table.
"Yes I can turn into a big black dog," Sirius said as if it was nothing. "Anyway so I wanted to follow them on their date. Next thing I know, Lily whips out her wand and an intricate bit of spellwork later, I'm trapped in my dog form.
"The rest of the date, she kept me on the leash as she and James enjoyed their date," Sirius said to general laughter, Hermione laughing hardest of all of them. Even McGonagall was seen smirking. "She fed me kibble, took me for a long walk with James, eventually ending up at a dog park where she told me to play nice with the other dogs before playing fetch with me as they picnicked.
"She only let me return to my human form if I promised to not follow them again," Sirius said. "She said the next time, she'd make it permanent."
"Having fun, Black?" the newly-healed Tonks came up behind him in the Great Hall. Sirius looked up at her and nodded aggressively. "Glad to hear it. Come now, you have a date with a Healer."
Sirius paled and looked across the table for help.
"Come now or it'll be a visit with a vet," Tonks said, sternly. Everyone laughed at that as Sirius stood up. The Weasley twins applauded his exit with a few students joining in. Sirius turned and flourished an elaborate bow to general laughter. Nobody even saw Snape snap his fork.
"Be good, pup," Sirius waved goodbye to Harry as Tonks marched him out the doors. "Hopefully I'll see you before term is out."
"Just go, get healthy and focus on your case," Harry shouted at him. "We'll deal with the rest later."
Once they cleared the Hogwarts grounds, Tonks took a hold of Sirius and popped them away. When his feet hit the ground, he was spotted a quaint cottage backing up to a lake. Moss was hanging on the house and smoke was floating out of the chimney. The door was thrown open and a face Sirius hadn't seen in nearly 15 years stood in the doorway.
"Andi," Sirius said with a smile. Andromeda sprinted from the doorway and wrapped Sirius up in a tight hug that bordered on suffocating.
"Siri," Andi had a tear drop from her eye. "I knew you were innocent. I just knew."
"Give him some air," a congenial man said over her shoulder. He was a head shorter than either of the ladies with a balding head of dark brown hair and high cheekbones that made his smile look bigger. He was a little on the portly side but he carried it well. Andi pulled back and the man extended his hand. "Edward Tonks. You can call me Ted. Glad to finally see you again."
"Sorry it took this long," Sirius said. He shook Ted's hand and embraced the man as a brother. "I love the house."
"Oh this?" Andi gestured at the house over her shoulder. "It's not much but it's home. Come on inside and I'll take a look at you before you and Ted get down to business."
"I'll let Bonsey know I got you here safely," Tonks said, turning on her heel and popping out.
"Great kid you've got there, Andi," Sirius said. "She's quite the auror."
"I'd wish she'd choose something far less dangerous," Andi said as they entered the house. "But Nymphadora has been as stubborn about her chosen career as she is not being called by her given name."
"Well I wouldn't be here without her, I don't think," Sirius said. "Her, Hermione and Harry, all. They were simply brilliant."
"Brilliant at what?" Ted asked.
"Last night we were confronted by a werewolf pack," Andi gasped when Sirius spoke. She knew Tonks was injured last night but there were scant few details.
"A pack?" Ted sounded horrified. "And you held them off with Tonks and two third years."
"Two extraordinary third years and a lot of luck… and a really courageous cat," Sirius was still cagey on not revealing Lupin's status. He was sure that if Fenrir had been able to join the battle, things would have gone much, much worse."
"That story will have to wait for later," Andi pulled her wand and gestured to her makeshift office where she had a transfigured table for Sirius to sit upon.
"Serious malnutrition, magical exhaustion, acute Dementor exposure after 12 years," Andi said to a dictaquill writing everything down. She started drawing vial after vial from her medicine cabinet. "You're going to need a lot of rest, some nutrient potions, probably a daily calming draught that we will wean you off of as you improve, probably good to catch you up on your inoculations, get you an invigoration draught as you will probably tire and a consistent exercise regimen to get your muscle mass back. Also wouldn't be a bad idea to schedule some time with a mind healer, when you are able."
Sirius' face looked worse with every line that Andi wrote. He looked down at the potions he needed to take like a kid looks at a plate of broccoli.
"Don't look at me like that," Andi said. "You've got 12 years of health to regain. I know you didn't like your potions as a kid but they're necessary. Don't give me those eyes, you know they won't work on me."
After he took the potions laid out, Andi lead Sirius to the dining room where Ted rejoined them.
"How are you?" Andi asked, seriously.
"I'm great," Sirius beamed. "I've got my godson back, I'm about to be a free man, assuming the courts don't cock everything up. Everything is great."
The older woman wasn't having any of it.
"How are you," she asked again. Their dark eyes locked on one another and Sirius' whole demeanor changed. His smile slid off his face like runny eggs from a frying pan.
"I failed them," Sirius said. "James and Lily. And Harry. I've failed them all. I told them to use Peter; I told them to use the man who betrayed them. Then Harry, oh Harry. I was supposed to take care of him."
"And I'm sure the Dementors didn't help," Ted said.
"Every day," Sirius croaked out. "Every day I relived walking into that house. Seeing James, seeing Lily. My best friend. His wife. My godson crying, trying to reach his mother."
Andromeda couldn't hold back the tears anymore. She extended her arm and grabbed Sirius' hand. The war was a decade old but the horrors never fade for some.
"It's okay," Andi said, her voice hoarse.
"It's not okay," Sirius wiped his eyes. "I had to relive my worst failure day after day after day."
"It's okay that it's not okay," Andi said, squeezing his hand. "We're here for you. It won't happen overnight but eventually you'll get there. Harry is safe and, according to our daughter, has a great group of friends. You are safe. You won't be going back to prison, not if we have anything to say about it. The past does hurt, yes but the future is as bright as ever."
"Thank you, Andi," Sirius said. "You've always been the best of us Blacks. I've missed you so much."
The cousins stood and hugged tightly. The hug lasted for a long while until Sirius stopped shaking with grief.
"Now," Ted said once they broke apart. "Let's get to work. You've got a godson to take care of."
That night, back at Hogwarts, as they were studying ahead for the week to come, Harry heard the clearing of a throat. In front of them stood Percy.
"Mr. Potter," Percy said. "I just got done being interviewed by Madam Bones. She told me you discovered Scabbers was actually an animagus?"
"That's correct," Harry nodded, wondering where this was going.
"I wanted to thank you," Percy said, stiffly. "It makes me uncomfortable that a grown man was sleeping in my bed; was able to spy on my family and was also sleeping with my brother. That he was also apparently a Death Eater makes my skin crawl. They were known to rape at will, the younger the better."
Ginny paled. She heard the story of what went down the previous night but never put that last part together. Madam Bones was scheduled to interview her and Ron tomorrow.
"Thank you for all you did to out him," Percy said. "I know my brother is sour with you and that my mother can be overbearing but if you need anything, you can count on me."
"Thank you, Percy," Harry said. He could see movement out of the corner of his eye but he kept his focus on the Head Boy. "Just keep your eyes peeled whenever you get the ministry. Do you have any job prospects by the way?"
"I do actually," Percy smiled. "I've got a lead as the assistant to the Head of the Department of International Cooperation. It's a big job that has enticing prospects for upward mobility."
"You will do great," Harry smiled at Percy. Even though he was stolid, Harry saw through his stoicism to see his dedication and drive to succeed.
"I just need to do well on my N.E.W.T.s ," Percy said. "Speaking of which, I should get back to studying."
"Won't keep you, then," Harry let Percy go on his way. When he turned back, he saw Ginny holding her sides in silent laughter.
"What's so funny?" Harry asked.
"Look down," Ginny pointed. Percy's pants had been turned into red and white striped pants. "It's been like that since Percy started talking about career prospects."
Percy saw his sister laughing and looked around for the joke. Looking down, he snapped his head around to his twin brothers leaning on each other in silent laughter.
"Fred! George!" Percy drew his wand and chased the twins from the common room, to gales of laughter. Even Ron took a break from brooding to smirk at Percy's misfortunes.
Harry chuckled at the twins antics. With Sirius no longer an issue and the Dementors moved back to Azkaban, Harry felt light as a feather. He slid his arm around Hermione, letting her snuggle in close as they turned back to studying. One of the best parts of their relationship being out in the open offered them every opportunity to snuggle together and enjoy one another's company. Hermione seemed to sense his thoughts because she tilted her head up and extended her neck as far she could to share a kiss with her boyfriend. It wasn't long but it was just enough to communicate her love.
What a wonderful world, Harry thought to himself as he engaged her a discussion on their class topics for the coming week.
(A/N: Lucius slips away, unfortunately but don't worry. I have plans for him and Pettigrew both. They'll never see it coming.)
