Prologue III
SIRIUS BLACK ARRESTED!
At 8 am this morning, a shocking event unfolded as Peter Pettigrew, a recent hire at the Department of Magical Transportation at the Ministry of Magic, confronted Sirius Black, who had surprisingly revealed himself as an undercover follower of the notorious "one-who-must-not-be-named." According to Cornelius Fudge, the Junior Minister of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, Pettigrew was the first to locate Black after a search and arrest warrant was issued against him.
Despite the lack of survivors from the event, Cornelius Fudge provided a statement to the press regarding the incident. "Good morning to everyone... Concerning the events of this morning, Mr. Pettigrew, probably overcome with grief and rage after the deaths of two of his closest friends, tracked Sirius Black down. He was the first to find Black, who was assumed to be planning a mass attack against Muggles as an act of vengeance following his master's downfall. Pettigrew attempted to hold Black until the Ministry's HIIT wizards squad arrived... Unfortunately, in an act of pure evil, Black cast a powerful blasting curse that not only reduced Pettigrew to ashes but also killed twelve innocent Muggles and devastated the surrounding area."
Cornelius Fudge expressed his deep sorrow over the tragedy but confirmed that they were able to capture Sirius Black and have since placed him in a cell at Azkaban. When asked about the rumors of his candidacy for the Ministry of Magic's next elections, Fudge stated that his sole goal was to serve the magical community of Great Britain and dismissed any further questions.
This news comes on the heels of a report by special correspondent Rita Skeeter on page 25, detailing the torture and murder of a Muggle named Steven Blakeley on the same night that the one-who-must-not-be-named disappeared. Sirius Black is the son of Orion and Walburga Black and is the last surviving male of the Black family following the presumed death of his younger brother Regulus Arcturus Black at the age of sixteen. A former classmate of Regulus has come forward anonymously, stating that Regulus was continuously bullied by his older brother and a group of friends who referred to themselves as "the Marauders."
As the wizarding world reels from these recent events, many are left wondering what other secrets and tragedies may come to light.
The man sat in his armchair, engrossed in the newspaper while his baby daughter slept peacefully in his arms, until his sons' voices erupted in the living room, jolting him back to reality. Just three days ago, any sudden sound would have made his blood run cold, but today was different.
"He exists! I read it in the Daily Prophet!" proclaimed the youngest child.
The older sibling rolled his eyes before responding, "Of course you did. That's precisely what they want you to believe. It's a story invented to soothe infants like you to sleep at night. It was Dumbledore! Besides, you're only five years old; you can't even read the paper!"
"Yes, I can! Mum is teaching me! We read the paper together every day!"
The other sibling smirked and drawled, "Yeah, of course, you can..."
Such scenes were commonplace in the household. The father knew all too well that these arguments needed to cease before a more significant conflict emerged, even though he doubted anything could spoil his wife's good mood.
"Boys, please keep it down. Your sister is napping."
"Sorry, Dad. I was only making sure that this one," the older sibling pointed to his brother, "is at least a tad brighter than a troll, that's all," he said, grinning. He then turned to his brother and added, "You know, Percy, if you believe everything you hear, you won't be considered intelligent enough to receive a letter from Hogwarts, like our cousin Walter," his tone full of regret.
Percy's face turned white, and he turned to his father with a frightened expression. "Is it true, Dad?"
"No, it isn't. You don't even have a cousin named Walter. He's only joking. And please, keep your voices down!" the father replied. "Would you mind explaining what you're arguing about this time?"
"Sure!" the older sibling chimed in. "Listen, Percy, we'll ask Dad. If you're correct, you can ask me for anything you want, no matter what it is!" he said, spreading his arms wide. "But if I'm right, you'll owe me a favor. Deal?"
Percy looked at his father, uncertain, before speaking in a small voice, "Deal," and shaking his brother's hand.
"Wicked!" the older sibling exclaimed, shaking Percy's hand. He then turned to his father, who was eyeing his sons suspiciously. "Okay, Dad, Percy has been saying since yesterday that You-Know-Who is dead... He said that a baby, Happy Pooper..."
"HARRY POTTER," Percy shouted.
"Uh, yes, Harry Potter, killed You-Know-Who."
"So, is it true, Dad?" Percy asked, hopefully, his eyes wide behind his glasses.
The father let out a sigh, and softly kissed his baby on the forehead before kindly addressing his sons. "Yes, it's true. That's precisely what happened. You-Know-Who attempted to kill Harry Potter, but he failed. Instead, he was vanquished. Nobody knows why or how, but it isn't a lie. That's why I'm not at work. They gave my department the day off to celebrate the end of the war. Everyone is celebrating in the country anyway," he said, smiling at them.
After Percy's triumphant victory over his older brother, a moment of silence ensued before he raised his fists in the air in celebration. Percy, unlike his mischievous brothers, had always been considered the innocent one of the family.
"Now I want my prize! We made a deal, and you can't back out. Dad saw everything, right, Dad?" Percy demanded.
"Yes, I did," replied their father, casting a pointed look towards the older sibling who was looking dejectedly at his feet, a facade that their father was all too familiar with.
"Alright, Percy. You win this time. What do you want? Please, be kind to me," the older brother pleaded.
Percy grinned slyly and ordered, "I want you to give me Scrabbers!"
"What? But, Percy, you know how much he means to me. He's my oldest friend, and now he's my only friend since Bill left for Hogwarts!" The older brother protested.
"You just found him this morning..." said their father, holding back a chuckle.
The older brother gave their father a defeated look before letting out a long sigh and turning to Percy. "Alright, Percy. Scrabbers is yours now, but please let me play with him sometimes..."
"No!" Percy exclaimed before rushing to hug his mother, who had just entered the living room holding a redheaded toddler. "Mommy, guess what! Harry Potter really exists, Dad told us! And I won Scrabbers! I beat Charlie!"
Their father observed with amusement as Percy continued to chatter on excitedly. However, his interest was piqued when he noticed his son's sly smirk. In a hushed tone, he asked, "So that was your plan? You didn't even spend a day with that rat. Did you do something to him?"
His son looked at him with a smirk before saying, "Watch it!" with a wink. He then scampered off to the kitchen where his mother was, and they overheard him telling her with excitement, "Mom! Dad said I can have a dragon for Christmas! He said yes because I've been so nice to Percy ALL day!"
His mother looked at him fondly and gently caressed his cheek before saying, "Sweetheart, if you're so keen on taking care of dragons, you have two of them in the garden right now, terrorizing the gnomes..." Her expression then turned stern as she warned, "And if you ever lie to me again, Charles Weasley, I'll find a dragon and feed you to it!"
Arthur Weasley held his daughter close, smiling at the sleeping form against his chest. His heart swelled with gratitude towards Harry Potter, who had unknowingly made their children's childhoods possible. Despite the tragedy that had befallen Harry's own parents, Arthur knew that the boy was in good hands with Albus Dumbledore. He was certain that Harry would be loved and cared for just as much as his own daughter, who was currently nestled in his arms.
The memory of his wife's fear and anxiety during the dark days when Voldemort was still at large weighed heavily on Arthur's mind. He couldn't bear the thought of his children growing up with the same constant dread and uncertainty. Thankfully, Harry Potter's sacrifice ensured that his family and countless others could live without fear of the Dark Lord's wrath. Arthur felt a deep sense of gratitude towards Harry and vowed to ensure that his children knew the boy's story and the debt they owed him.
With a contented sigh, Arthur gazed down at his daughter and silently thanked the universe for her gift and the little boy who had lost all for their family's safety.
