The meeting with Sirius about Harry's custody was scheduled for half-past eight in the morning, and Albus's first sign that something had gone wrong was when Minnie and Severus came into his office along with Harry.
"You're quite free to go," said Albus. "This may be private."
Minnie said, "Sirius asked me to be here for the meeting, as Mr Potter's Head of House."
Severus said nothing, but the hardening of his gaze at the mention of Sirius told Albus why he had come.
Before Albus could protest, the floo lit, and Sirius came through, followed by Andromeda, Ted, and Nymphadora Tonks. Then by Remus Lupin, despite the fact that the man must've flooed to the Black home from Hogwarts before flooing back to Hogwarts from it, then by Susan Connel, whom Sirius had engaged as a solicitor for Buckbeak's appeal, and Edward Seltzer, a private investigator well-known for both his skill and his discretion.
The solicitor and the private detective were both holding folders. Sirius glared daggers at Severus and said, "What is he doing here?"
"As you have brought an entourage, I'm asking him to stay. Sirius, I expected only you."
Sirius shrugged, visibly banishing Severus from his mind, and with a wave of his wand, conjured several seats. Simple wooden things, not a patch on the overstuffed armchairs Albus habitually conjured, but the casting was still, by ordinary standards, an impressively casual display of magic.
"Plenty of room for all of us." He pulled Harry into the chair next to him. "Figured I had to bring the whole family though. After all, the other Blacks will be living with me. Officially reinstated them into the family yesterday, with Ted married in. Lot of nonsense in my opinion, but Andy was keen on it."
"I was not aware that anyone else would be sharing your house," said Albus.
"Oh, they won't be in my house — we've moved theirs right next to it. All on the same grounds. Nymphadora'll take the cottage. So that'll be five grown witches and wizards all living behind the same set of wards — one of them's an Auror, and another's your own Defence Professor, so if that's not safe as safe can be, I don't know what is."
"The both of you are walking hazards," said Severus, indicating Remus and Sirius. "I doubt if Potter would survive even one lunar cycle."
Albus sighed. "Severus, Sirius is Harry's godfather. He has every right to seek his guardianship, and while I may have certain concerns about the extent of Sirius's recovery from his unjust captivity in Azkaban, I have every confidence in his ability to care adequately for Harry. But Harry already has a home."
"I want to live with Sirius instead," said Harry, quite firmly and distinctly.
"The matter of safety…" Albus began, but he was interrupted by Sirius dropping a folder on his desk.
"We've got a damn high wall with every appropriate ward. The perimeter is thick with devil's snare, whompers, and wiggin trees housing trained bowtruckles. We've got five magical dogs, and quite a few traps of my own imagining."
Albus skimmed the folder. "The is both impressive and expensive, and no one could deny that your own traps bear a nasty creativity. I'm particuarly intrigued by your treatment of floo travel, but it fails to adequately address the greatest vulnerability to any warded residence — people coming and going, which your cousin and her family will do frequently."
Andromeda said, "I'll be going part-time at the unicorn farm, and we're all brushing up on our defence, including resistance to mind magic. Sirius is pursuing masteries in wards and defence with great resolve. And further…"
She took a silver phial on a necklace from beneath her robes.
"A phial of Varda," Albus said, impressed despite himself. They moderately increased resistance to various compulsions, including the Imperius Curse, and were both rare and expensive. They did not play nicely with certain other magics, and most people considered them a lot of galleons for a small, double-edged benefit, but Albus would be quite pleased to have two or three at his disposal.
Ted Tonks — or Ted Black, rather, and wouldn't that goose his career — drew one out as well.
"I can see that you're quite serious about this, and Harry will be able to visit regularly, but none of it is a match for the protection which Harry renews yearly at the home of his Aunt and Uncle." He hardly wished to speak of the blood wards in front of so many people, some not in his circle, but in this circumstance, he had little choice. He explained the matter in vague but accurate terms, emphasizing how the protection given to Harry by his mother's sacrifice was key to his safety.
When he had finished, Sirius took the folder from Edward Seltzer and gave it to Albus.
When he opened it, Albus did not have to fake the blood draining from his face.
Albus had always known that Harry was being abused, but as the abuse had seemed unlikely to prove fatal, he'd sighed heavily and got on with his plans. Finding out the details was as upsetting as he'd always assumed it would be, but hardly surprising.
However, he could hardly admit that. Nor could he, with the reputation for honest documentation that Seltzer had garnered in 40 years of working, wave this away. Nor could he insist that Harry had to go back to his Aunt and Uncle anyway.
And that was a disaster, because Lily's protective charm was the greatest weapon Albus had against Voldemort, and he was unsure how being separated from his Aunt and Uncle would damage it.
The need was so great that, if Sirius and Edward had come alone, Albus might have put the Elder Wand to use. As distasteful as it was, compulsions and alterations of memory cast with it had a staying power and undetectability wholly impossible with lesser wands. But to do that to 10 people? Even for Albus, this convocation before him would be difficult to subdue without leaving signs or making a ruckus. Nor would he like to test the mind-altering powers of the Elder Wand against an occlumens as adept as Severus. And then there was whoever else might know, whatever parchments might be left behind. The risk was simply too great.
He had been remiss in allowing Harry to visit for Easter. He had placed too much confidence in the prototypical secrecy of an abused child. And above all, he had underestimated Sirius Black.
But if he couldn't stop it, he had to move with it. Lily's Charm was destined to die or fade in a few years regardless, when Harry turned 17.
He took Harry's hands, blinking back tears. "My dear boy, I wish I had known. I should've known. But I was remiss and neglectful, so convinced that you would be better off away from the attention of the wizarding world that I did not keep a close enough eye on where you actually were. I should've taken a more active hand."
Harry shrugged awkwardly. "I reckon I should've told you."
Albus shook his head. "I should've checked. Sirius, I'll do whatever I can to make amends. Starting with signing away Harry's guardianship to you."
Susan Connel produced the needed form, and Dumbledore added in a codicil granting himself certain rights.
"Oversight?" said Sirius, mouth twisting.
"I do not intend to repeat my error of absentia. Harry's safety is still a matter of prime importance, and there are those in the Wizengamot who might object to his placement with you, making spurious claims of instability and unsuitability. This will give them no leg to stand on."
Sirius seemed relieved rather than aggrieved. "Glad to have you on the team," he said. "To be honest," he laughed uncomfortably, "I really don't have a frog's ass of an idea of how to raise a boy."
Susan pulled Sirius aside for a hurried conference in the corner, centered on the idea that he should never admit to such a thing again, but Sirius returned not the least discouraged, and Sirius and Albus both signed.
Sirius pulled Harry into a tight hug. The boy stiffened at first, then relaxed. Albus was touched by the display. At the very least, Harry's life should improve, and that silver lining was nothing to sneeze at.
"About what you could do to help," said Sirius gruffly, when the hig was done. "I reckon I ought to teach Harry a bit extra about how to defend himself, so if you could sign a writ making my home an area of supplemental instruction… I've already paid the fees and all that." Susan Connel handed over another form.
Albus said "It wouldn't do for his professors to have their toes stepped on, or for him to move out of step with his yearmates."
"I'm not gonna try and stuff a year of schooling into one summer. I couldn't even if I tried. Just a few extras that might come in handy if someone comes after him."
Albus considered it convenient for Harry to be an unremarkable student, but he did not worry that Harry becoming yet one more of the many students who received private tuition over the summer would turn him into the sort of magical prodigy he'd shown little sign of becoming.
"Keep me informed of his progress," said Albus, signing that too, and after much shaking of hands, Sirius and his entourage left through the floo. Harry walked out of the office as if he were on a cloud, leaving Albus alone with his two most trusted Professors, who had been curiously silent throughout the affair.
When the door shut behind Harry, Minerva said, her voice full of acid, "I told you they were the worst sort of muggles!"
Albus moaned as if he had taken a blow, sagging in his chair. "I take it you read the report over my shoulder?"
"What I could of it, and that was more than enough! Harry Potter living in a cupboard, confined to it for weeks at a time as punishment for accidental magic?! A diet that occasionally verged on starvation?! Constant emotional and verbal abuse!? Encouraging their son to beat him black and blue?! It's a travesty."
Severus said, "Certain behaviors are cast in a different light. Not a result of being spoiled, but of the opposite."
"So they are," said Albus. "We must all re-evaluate our opinions of Harry. I placed far too much trust in an Aunt's love for her nephew."
"Placing too much trust in family," said Severus, his voice tight, "seems to be a failing of yours."
"So it would seem," said Albus. "But now we must endeavor to see that Harry gains what help he needs to succeed." And other such platitudes until his two Lieutenants left, though from Severus's glare Albus knew this wouldn't be the last he heard of it.
He had just made tea and put a lemon drop in his mouth when his floo lit again and Cornelius Fudge rushed through. The Minister of Magic was pale, short of breath, and sweat beaded down his face. His bowler hat hung askew.
#
#
There was a tightness in Sirius's chest, a nausea in his stomach. It had all sounded great in theory, but damnit — he was now responsible for the safety and happiness of a thoroughly traumatized 13-year-old.
He turned into Padfoot and raced barking out into the grounds, surrounded by his dogs. Beawoof, who he'd never got around to renaming and never would, Chukster, Assrash, Finegold and Bellygamut. Sirius was the unquestioned leader of the pack, though Assrash would be even bigger when the rest of him caught up to his paws.
They rolled as one furry mass into the woods, diving into and out of the brook and devouring wild apples that would do their stomachs no good. They sniffed at the edge of the whompers, and they pissed at the borders of the devil's snare, Sirius making sure yet again that the pack knew where to go and where not to.
They played their way back to the Quidditch Pitch, which was clover rather than grass, since that didn't wilt from dog piss so easily, and they tumbled and bit, rolled and yelped, played the chaotic mess of chaser and chasee that was the canine version of tag.
When Sirius finally left Padfoot behind and went back to the house, he felt the most human he had in days. He opened the pantry, since being a dog always left him hungry, and flicked the wireless on while he downed a brick of brie.
He froze midchew.
Wormtail was gone.
#
#
Exams were done, but Hermione was humming as she wrote. After she'd said it to the Minister of Magic, she'd realized it wouldn't be hard to make a news sheet. They could write a few pieces and use the Duplication Charm to make hundreds of copies. They would only last a few weeks, but that was more than long enough.
Dean Thomas had been flattered at her request that he make a masthead illustration for the Hogwarts Post, and he was currently working on his final version of an ink drawing of a phoenix reading a newspaper. After she'd explained her and Harry's deception of Fudge, Ron had started on a Quidditch piece with only token grumbling. First a recap of the season, then his analysis of how the House-teams stood entering the summer. He was growing more enthusiastic with every line.
Hermione's first task had been a short article about Buckbeak's escape, but she was spending a great deal more time on an article about Hogwarts' electives. She was complimentary of Babbling, Vector, and Burbage, and said as many nice things about Hagrid as she could justify while acknowledging the 'learning process of any new teacher.' She was as scathing of Professor Trewalney as she felt she could get away with. She hoped that the article would help second year students make judicious changes to their course plans.
Once Harry came back from wherever he'd gone, she'd badger him into writing a piece on Professor Lupin's successful first year as Defence Professor, which would hopefully help him keep his job once the truth about his condition inevitably got out.
But when Harry stumbled to the table where they worked, one look at his face drove all thoughts of a school newspaper from her head.
"What is it?" said Ron.
"Pettigrew's missing."
"What?" said Hermione, rising out of her seat.
"I was just on a mirror call with Sirius. He says Pettigrew was in a holding cell at the Ministry, waiting for his trial. When they went to give him breakfast this morning, his cell was broken into and he was gone. Sirius doesn't reckon they were trying to help him, though. He figures the people who don't want Pettigrew testifying had him killed. But…"
Harry stopped, looking meaningfully at Dean Thomas, who had been listening intently.
Dean rolled his eyes, packed up his things, and left.
Harry sat down and lowered his voice. "But what if he escaped? What if it's just like Trewalney predicted?"
Hermione laughed. Harry looked wounded but her laughter was of horror. Pettigrew's potential disappearance was a disaster in its own right, but worse was how it added a certain credence to Trewalney's prediction. Wouldn't it be just terrible if the only time she made a real prediction was about You-Know-Who coming back?
Ron said, "He didn't come back when he had Quirrel working for him, and he was better placed and more powerful than Pettigrew, wasn't he?
"Exactly," said Hermione. "But have you told Sirus about it? Maybe you should, just in case."
"Of course. And he's going to tell Dumbledore, but not right now because he's at the Ministry. And Sirius reckons the Aurors are going to want to talk to him."
"They can't think he's responsible."
Harry said, "He didn't seem worried about that, just annoyed they're wasting time on him when they could be searching elsewhere."
Ron said "Pettigrew wasn't all that hot on You-Know-Who to start with. He won't go running to him when he can just go back to hiding out as a rat somewhere."
Hermione echoed the reassurance, but when Harry thunked his head on the table, she and Ron shared a look.
Tell me the madness isn't starting again.
#
#
Severus Snape visited Malfoy Manor at the earliest justifiable moment.
He was made to cool his heels in the parlor for most of an hour, likely a way of reminding him of his station, before Lucius finally entered.
"Ah, Severus. I had wanted to speak with you. Draco tells me that of late, your efforts to advance Slytherin House have been less… fierce."
"I continue," said Snape softly, "to promote our House and our goals. But coming changes to the political situation require changes to my own comportment."
He didn't have to expand. While Lucius had lost his seat on the Hogwarts' board of governors as part of the fall-out from the whole Chamber of Secrets fiasco, he'd managed to get himself replaced with Nott, so it had made little real difference. But Narcissa had been occupying the hereditary Black seat on both the Wizengamot and the Hogwarts Board of Governors for years, and on January first of the coming year, Sirius Black would take over both of those positions, making him, infuriatingly, a politically powerful man with some degree of oversight over Severus.
Severus wasn't blind to the fact that he and Black were, odious as it was, essentially on the same side. If it were anyone other than Black inheriting that power, he could be pleased about it. Best of all if it were Severus himself. But alas, the Prince family was not so powerful, and there were extant lines of it who had little interest in acknowledging him as kin, let alone making him head of the family.
His voice turning ironic, Severus said, "Pettigrew's disappearance is such a shame. His testimony could've resolved so much."
But instead of gloating as Severus had expected, Lucius looked immensely frustrated, lips thin.
"I had anticipated the Pettigrew situation being taken care of for good, putting certain unfounded accusations permanently to bed. His escape is a great disappointment."
Severus did not hide his surprise or his worry. "You think he had outside help?"
Lucius said, "Based on what the Minister has told me, I would guess that an intruder attempted to enter his cell using a purloined key. The key, however, did not work, and this apparent accomplice chose to breach the cell forcefully. In the process, the wards that had prevented Pettigrew from transforming were broken, and he escaped. Only a supposition, of course. If you hear any rumors regarding his location, I would appreciate your coming to me with them so I can decide whether they merit being elevated to the Minister's ears."
A little later, Severus hurried through the halls of Hogwarts to the Headmaster's office, hoping that Albus was back from the Ministry. Displeased as he still was over the Potter debacle, this news couldn't wait.
Lucius had sent someone to kill Pettigrew, likely intending to make it look like suicide, but the assassination had gone tits up, and the rat was on the loose.
&& Author's Note:
How should Ron react to discovering that Lupin's a werewolf? Hard to say. He says "Get away from me, werewolf!" in PoA, but there's some extenuating circumstances there. I just gave him some culturally standard prejudice of no great strength, which he would get over very quickly if I continued the story.
A reviewer took issue with my having Pettigrew say that Lily 'never liked Sirius.' Well, reviewer, you're right. That doesn't play nice with Canon and it's not needed in this fic. Back when I was planning to continue this fic into 4th year and beyond, I wrote that in order to help set up Harry's eventual discovery that Sirius was (and in some ways still is) a bully. The backstory would've been that Lily put much of the blame on Sirius for James' own bullying, telling herself that 'James was only like that about Sirius.' It would've been connected to Harry's own eventual disillusionment regarding his parents. Ah well.
