(OotP) CHAPTER FIVE: The Black Bombshell
"This is insane," Ellie whined as she readied for the fourth Apparition following their departure from the Ministry of Magic. "If they were following us, they've long since lost us."
Dumbledore had carried Ellie swiftly out of the courtroom following her "fainting spell," showing surprising strength for someone of his age, as Fudge and Umbridge shouted warnings of future hearings to determine how, exactly, Ellie had come about her claims. She had remained "unconscious" as Dumbledore handed her off to Arthur, who then Floo Powdered her and Harry to the Burrow and subsequently Apparated them to four different places out of an abundance of caution not to be followed to 12 Grimmauld Place.
"I still can't believe you did that," Harry told Ellie, sounding rather impressed. "The bit about Sirius or the fainting spell."
"The bit about Sirius was a dangerous move," Arthur scolded. Either Fred, Harry, or Dumbledore must have filled him in. "But the fainting spell was a stroke of genius, I'll admit. Hard for them to call fake, given your recent visit to St. Mungo's."
I was less of a fan, grumbled Fred in her head. Thought you really did pass out for a minute there. Give me a little warning next time, would you? And tell Dad to hurry up.
"Really, Mr. Weasley," Ellie said out loud. "Surely it's safe by now. Can't we go back?"
With a reluctant sigh, Arthur nodded and outstretched his hands once more toward Ellie and Harry.
As soon as they arrived safely on the stoop of Grimmauld Place and stepped inside, Ellie spotted Fred on the inner balcony of his floor, looking down at her. But before she could say anything to him, Sirius stepped into the foyer.
She hadn't been sure how he'd react to the news. He had every right to be angry, of course, but she had announced to wizarding Britain's high court and Parliament that he was an innocent man; how mad could he be?
"You really did it?" he asked her. "Told them the truth?"
She nodded.
Finally, his emotions betrayed him, and he let out a loud, enthusiastic cackle before coming over to her and embracing her in a tight, warm hug.
"Well, I'm glad you think it's funny," snapped Molly from behind him as she, too, stepped into the foyer. "Albus certainly didn't, when he sent word of the news. Nor will the rest of the Order when they hear about this."
"She didn't reveal anything about where we are," Harry told Molly. "Or even say that she'd had contact with Sirius. She only said that he was innocent—and that Pettigrew is still alive."
"And you think they're just going to leave it at that, do you?" snapped Molly.
"Well, they might," said Arthur. "Apparently the bulk of them just thought she'd gone batty after her last visit to St. Mungo's. I expect we'll see an article about it tomorrow."
Ellie knew she should dread seeing that article, but she didn't. At least they'd be writing about something other than her silence. Besides, even if they wrote about Sirius' innocence within the framework of Ellie's insanity, at least they were writing about it.
"We'll have to come up with an explanation," said Molly. "The Order are on their way here. We'll figure out something and then call Ellie in to go over the plan."
Ellie didn't much care for a group of adults telling her exactly what to say to another group of adults, but she knew better than to question Molly.
"Great," said Fred, who had descended the stairs by then. "In the meantime, I'm taking El away from all the yelling."
She wanted to go with him. She had missed him even for the few short hours she'd been away from him, and she knew she owed him an apology for scaring him.
But she felt good—the adrenaline she'd gotten from acting so reckless with the Wizengamot had been the perfect distraction from all things Cedric—and she wasn't ready to let go of it just yet.
So she smiled politely at Fred and said, "Can we do that a bit later? I've got to go over a few things with Harry."
She tried not to look at his crestfallen face as she and Harry darted off to his room.
"Did you plan that?" Harry asked when they reached his room. Ron was there when they walked in, but seemed to get the message to bugger off without having to be told. "Telling them about Sirius, I mean?"
"No. I planned to tell the truth about the graveyard, but not that. It just sort of... happened."
"I get why you did it. I can tell it meant the world to him. I just hope…"
She knew what he meant; he didn't have to say it. Even if the Order crafted the perfect story for her, what if the Wizengamot resorted to something like Veritaserum or the Cruciatus curse to get the truth out of her?
Then again, would that really be so bad? If they did sneak her the truth serum, she could tell them the whole truth—including that of Voldemort's return and Sirius' innocence—and they would have no choice but to believe her.
"This is nice and all," Harry said after a moment, "but do you want to tell me why you really asked for alone time with me? Something tells me it has a bit more to do with who you don't want to see than who you do."
I'd like to hear this one, too.
She sighed. Harry knew her too well—almost as well as Fred. And whatever she said to him, Fred would hear, too.
"I'm just not… ready," she said quietly.
She'd let them figure out exactly what that meant for themselves.
"Legilimency," Ellie repeated an hour later after the Order had summoned her into the dining room. "Like… telepathy?"
Sounds familiar, said Fred in her head.
"More or less," said Moody. "In this case, the ability to project one's thoughts into someone else's head. Something Sirius could have done from anywhere in the world, and something that you have no control over—thus, you maintain your innocence."
Ellie glanced at Sirius, who hadn't stopped smiling since she confirmed the news for him. He shrugged. "Fine by me."
"Now that the can of worms has been opened, It is a good opportunity to get as many details as possible out in the open about that attack," said Lupin. "I can verify the detail about Remus being an unregistered Animagus."
Ellie frowned. "Will that incriminate you?"
"Only marginally. I should have reported him, but I didn't technically commit a crime."
"Have we received any word from them?" asked Ellie. "The Ministry? Like a court summons, or anything?"
"Not yet," said Molly. "Not that they'd know where to send it. To your mum's, I reckon, or perhaps the Burrow."
"I'll send Woodstock out to check both spots for letters," said Ellie.
"If not a summons," Tonks warned her, "you'll likely have received some interview requests. Nothing you can make in time for the Prophet tomorrow, but perhaps a chance to set the record straight afterwards."
Ellie nodded. She didn't much care for the press, especially after her dealings with Rita Skeeter last year (who, thanks to Hermione, had ended her writing career), but if it meant a chance to tell people the truth about Sirius, she was in.
THE BLACK BOMBSHELL: Ellie Black Confirms Rumors Are True and Claims Father, Sirius, is an Innocent Man
Tensions ran high yesterday morning in Courtroom Ten of the Ministry of Magic, where Harry Potter was tried for his use of underage magic outside of Hogwarts. After Potter was "released on a technicality," according to Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, the guest who attended his trial with him—Ellie Black, the girl who, until now, was only rumored to be Sirius Black's daughter, kept the session going.
"Oh, she confirmed it, all right," said Umbridge. "Loud and proud. Shortly following a series of other, equally wild claims, such as Black being an innocent man and Peter Pettigrew still being alive. And being an Animagus, no less! Absolutely absurd. How could we possibly be expected to believe such outrageous claims when they come from someone who has been lying about her identity for years?"
It remains unclear whether Black has only recently learned of her true parentage or whether she has known all along. When pressed for details on her means and extent of communication with the escaped criminal, Black fainted. Considering her week-long stint in St. Mungo's following the tragedy at the Triwizard Tournament, this points to Black having a serious condition—one that is likely tied to the Perelli Charm she displayed at the Quidditch World Cup last summer.
"Nobody is meant to have that kind of power," says Umbridge. "It does things to your head as well as your body. Undoubtedly, it's the same reason she and her friends concocted the stories they did about the tragedy at the Triwizard Tournament. What really happened that night, we may never know."
Umbridge, of course, was referring to the claims by Black and Potter that He-Who-Must-Not-be-Named returned to the realm of the living the night of the final task of the Tournament—claims that have yet to be substantiated in any way.
"They're sad children—parentless children—who crave the attention of the masses. They frame themselves as 'heroes' in the public eye when the true heroes are people like the Diggorys, who had to bury their own son far too young."
Black has so far been unavailable for comment.
"It's incredible!" cheered Sirius when he was finished reading it. "In attempting to slander you, it ends up doing exactly what you wanted—spreading the word about my innocence and your true identity."
"And also slandering her," grumbled Fred, crossing his arms. "It's not exactly something to celebrate."
They were in the kitchen—just the three of them. No one else had woken up yet, but Ellie had jumped to attention the moment she heard Woodstock pecking on her window. He had delivered the Prophet along with a single interview request—not from the Prophet, but from the Quibbler.
"I think I want to do this interview," said Ellie. "What do we know about the Quibbler?"
"Less than reputable," said Sirius with a frown. "Run by Xenophilias Lovegood, who's more or less universally thought of as loony."
"That's Loony—er, Luna—Lovegood's dad," said Hermione as she stepped into the kitchen with Ginny. "She's in your year, right, Gin?"
Ginny nodded. "Ravenclaw. She's okay, but the magazine's definitely rubbish. If you interview with them, no one will take you seriously."
"And if she interviews with the Prophet, they'll eat her alive," countered Fred. "I think you should do it, El."
Ellie glanced at her father, who had much more to gain or lose than she did from any of this. But he only shrugged. "Don't reckon you can do wrong in my eyes at this point. If you manage to convince even a few more people of my innocence, it'll be better than it was before."
Her heart went out to him at that. A part of her was starting to wish she'd done this sooner. Why had no one thought to—simply because it would endanger them?
Ellie was no stranger to danger. What she was a stranger to was having a father who the public accepted. And she was long past ready for that to change.
The following day, Tonks, Ellie, and Fred went to the Lovegood residence for Ellie's interview.
She hadn't been able to go alone, of course; she wasn't able to Apparate yet, 12 Grimmauld Place wasn't a part of the Floo Network, and brooms were too risky in the public eye. So she had gone to Fred, the one person who had supported her in her desire to do the Quibbler interview. He had said yes, of course, but had insisted that they bring Tonks for added protection. Ellie hadn't had the chance to speak with Tonks much since the night they discussed Cedric, so, despite not wanting a babysitter, she agreed.
"Strange sort of house," Tonks observed pleasantly as they approached the front door. "Though I reckon that's to be expected."
Ellie smiled politely in response as she knocked on the door, but in truth, she was nervous. What sort of questions would he ask her? Was it really a good idea to lie in an interview that would exist in print forever?
Too late to back out now, she thought grimly—to which Fred retorted, It's never too late. But I think you should stay.
She heaved a deep breath as Xenophilius Lovegood—a tall, strange-looking wizard with shoulder-length, white hair and bright yellow robes—answered the door. Just behind him stood his daughter, who Ellie vaguely recognized as Luna—or, as Hermione had put it, Loony—Lovegood.
"I'm so glad you came, Ellie," said Luna in a slow, dreamy voice. Her hair wasn't quite as shock-white as her father's, though it was still blond, and her big, wide eyes bulged with almost curious excitement. "I know we haven't officially met, but I'm a big fan—particularly of the way you threw caution to the wind and told everyone the truth about your dad."
"We knew already, of course," Xenophilius told Ellie cheerfully as he gestured for her and the others to step inside. "I'd been working on my own article about your father and how he's actually in a rock band, using the alias 'Stubby Boardman.'"
"Like father, like daughter!" said Luna cheerfully as she headed to the kitchen to prepare them some tea.
Ellie exchanged nervous looks with Fred and Tonks as they followed Xenophilius to the sitting room. Had she made a mistake in coming here? This man seemed even more off his rocker than she'd feared.
"This is Fred Weasley," she told them politely, gesturing to Fred, who was smiling warmly. "And that's Nym—er—just call her Tonks."
Tonks grinned gratefully at Ellie as she shook Xenophilius' hand so hard, he cringed.
"Pleasure," Xenophilius said through tight lips. "Now, then. You won't mind if I use a Quick Notes Quill, will you?"
"No," said Ellie, warily eyeing the pad and quill that sprung to life at the sound of their name. "That's… fine."
"Very good. Now, then. What do you have to say about the Prophet article that was recently released about you and your father?"
"Well, other than the bitter comments of a shrewd, old woman who clearly resented that Harry and Dumbledore won their case against the Ministry, it was fairly accurate. I mean, I am Sirius Black's daughter, and I did announce it at that trial. I fainted, too."
"Let's start with that. What made you faint? Luna and I have been speculating that blargaps have been at work on your bed. You should really be sure to wash your sheets at least once a week, you know."
Knowing that she'd be there all day if she asked him about every sort of imaginary creature he mentioned, she chose to slide past the speculation. "When Harry and I fought Voledmort in that graveyard, my shield had to work much harder than it was used to to keep me and my friends…" She bit her lip. "To try to keep me and my friends alive. Ever since then, I've been… weaker… as a result."
She felt Fred's gaze bore into her, but she didn't look back. If she did, she'd give away how much truth there was to her words.
"The graveyard," Xenophlius repeated as Luna stepped over with the tea tray. "You're referring to the night of the third task of the Triwizard Tournament? The night you, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Potter claim You-Know-Who returned?"
Ellie nodded. "He did return. Summoned his Death Eaters to join them, too."
"Did you get a look at any of their faces?"
Be careful, Fred warned her. Name names, and you're putting yourself in serious danger.
Ellie tried not to laugh. I think that ship has sailed, she told him before giving Xenophilius the names of every Death Eater she could remember.
"I didn't come here to talk about that night, though," Ellie said when she had finished. "I mean, you can include that and all, but… I'd rather steer back toward the subject of my dad."
This was, of course, largely to avoid having to talk about Cedric.
"Righto," said Xenophilius cheerfully as his daughter finished pouring their teas and took a seat next to her father, smiling rather vacantly. "Your father, then. You say he's an innocent man?"
"That's right. All those years ago, it wasn't him who killed those Muggles. Peter Pettigrew had just given up the location of the Potters, their best friends, to Lord Voldemort, and my father was looking for Pettigrew to confront him about it. When he found him, Pettigrew sliced off his own finger, caused the explosion, and scuttled away in his Animagus form—the form of a rat. He then proceeded to spend the next decade as a pet, until Dad escaped and confronted him. But Pettigrew ran off to find a way to resurrect Voldemort—and, ultimately, succeeded."
Xenophilius nodded, looking a strange mixture of bored and intrigued. "And you know all this… how, exactly?"
God, she wanted to tell the truth. She couldn't, of course. It would land her in Azkaban in seconds.
"Dad's a gifted Legilimens," she said reluctantly. "He's been communicating with me telepathically. A bit."
"How interesting!" exclaimed Luna, looking thrilled. "I've always thought I'd be rather good at Legilimency, but unfortunately it isn't taught at Hogwarts."
"Now, now, Luna," scolded Xenophilius in the gentlest voice imaginable. "This is Miss Black's interview, not yours."
"Sorry," Luna said sheepishly to Ellie.
"Not at all." Ellie was surprised to find that she rather liked the enthusiastic Ravenclaw. "It's not that interesting, though. The Legilimency isn't what matters to me. I just… really want to get the word out about his innocence. And for people to start looking for the real criminal."
"Of course," said Xenophilius jovially. "Now, then. Shall we discuss the musical prowess that you and your father share?"
I know I sort of stole Harry's future thunder by having Ellie do her own Quibbler interview before he does, but I thought it would be a good opportunity to intro Luna earlier, and to continue spreading the word about Sirius' innocence to the wizarding world! We'll venture out to Diagon Alley in the next chapter, so make sure you tune in for that, and don't forget to review and follow to show your support. Thanks for reading!
