29/11/21
AN: Sorry for the long wait - to make up for it, i will publish 2 chapters today (Although the first one is a tad bit long)
Jack wasn't really keeping track of the time, nor was he really working on making it a race, but either way, he was pleased to see that it seemed he had made it to the sweet shop first.
Now, normally Jack didn't really like crowds, but he could see Ron and Hermione looking at some glass jars and felt he had to go tell them Harry was on his way, so he opened the door and tried to get over there.
He was almost there when Ron cried out – in a minor hushed voice – "Harry!" nearly dropping the jar of what looked like chocolate bugs.
"Aww..." he said in a whine getting their attention, "I guess I lost the race."
"Race?" Hermione asked looking between Jack and where Harry supposedly was in his invisibility cloak.
"Well of course you lost if Harry's learnt to Apparate," Ron said stupidly putting the jar back on the shelf.
"Of course I haven't" Harry's voice said as Jack came closer.
"Besides Ron, you can't Apparate or disapparate within the Hogwarts grounds, haven't I told you enough times?" Hermione asked grumpily.
"Well then how did you get here then?" Ron asked turning his attention back to the jars because a group of 6th year were passing by.
"By using the architecture of the school to his advantage," Jack said grinning and looking at some live chocolate bunnies that were hopping around their 'hutch'.
"Huh?" the two friends asked again looking between the both of them.
At this Harry, quietly told Ron and Hermione about the Marauder's Map, and then let argue about it while Jack looked around for some sweets for himself and ended up with some chocolate bunnies, bertie botts beans, liquorish wands, chocolate wizard coins and seven small 'verity sweets' boxes.
Jack was just coming back as Ron had pointed to a sign in the window and said –
"See? I'd like to see Black try and break into Honeydukes with Dementors swarming all over the village. Besides the Honeydukes owners will hear a break in Hermione, they live above the shop!"
'Unless he's already in here when they close,' Jack thought looking around for signs of a dog living here.
But, there didn't seem to be anything.
"Yes, but- but-" Hermione said, trying to find something else wrong with all this. "Look, Harry still shouldn't be coming into Hogsmeade; he doesn't have a signed permission form! If anyone finds out he could get into loads of trouble."
"Like that would stop him from doing something like this," Jack said speaking up "Don't tell me you've forgotten who you're talking to Brownie-locks."
"Hey!" Harry's voice said sounding a bit offended.
"And it's not night full yet – " Hermione continued acting as if she hadn't been interrupted "What if Sirius Black turns up today? Now?"
"He'd have a hard time spotting Harry in this," Ron said nodding to the window indicating the poor weather outside "Besides he's got that cloak on, no one can see him anyway. Come on Hermione, it's Christmas, Harry deserves a break."
Hermione bit her lip, still looking worried.
"Are you going to report me?" Harry's voice asked.
"If she does she'll need to report the Twins too, and me because I knew about it but didn't say anything." Jack said smiling.
Finally Hermione gave up, and Ron showed the invisible Harry Potter the sweets.
Saying he needed some air, Jack headed for the door, promising to wait for them outside.
o0o
It took about 5 minutes before they came out.
Checking Harry was still there, Jack suggested ditching the cloak while they walk around the town.
"Why? You're the one who said to bring it," Harry said sounding confused.
"Let's see..." Jack said in a thinking voice and started counting them "One... Two... Three..." he said pointing to the visible Hogwarts students. "And One... Two... Three... Four." he said pointing to the trails of footprints they were leaving behind them as they walked away from the shop.
"We could say it's a ghost," Ron said hopefully.
"Ghosts don't leave footprints in the snow, Ronald," Jack said holding out a hand for the cloak.
Sighing and checking no one was watching, Harry took off the cloak and handed it over to Jack.
"If we run into trouble, you can have it back," he said stuffing it in the back with his sweets but while we're out in the snow best you keep it off."
Nodding, and ignoring Hermione's 'Sirius Black' warnings the four of them explored the Christmas-card-like village. It made Jack of the Pole with all the yeti homes down the path from the workshop.
While Ron and Hermione gave Harry the tour of the Village, Jack made up some snowballs and looked for some targets, wondering if he'd get into trouble for setting off a fight.
Seeing some grumpy looking Slytherin's, Jack was about to take aim and fire his first snow ball when Ron called out to him:
"Oy Jack! Come on we're going to the Three Broomsticks!"
Frowning, Jack turned and started to follow them, dropping the snowballs to the ground.
After following the road for a few minutes they get to the inn and headed inside, once they were inside the door, Jack gave harry his cloak again, and they and Hermione went to look for a table while Ron went to get drinks.
Seeing Elisa all alone with a mug of butter beer and a book at one table by the window – her shopping on the floor beside her, Jack led their group over to her.
"Mind if we join you, Miss?" he asked bowing a little to be polite. "Someone like you shouldn't be alone at Christmas."
"Not really, kind sir," she said closing the book and making room. "I have been ditched by my friends who were having last minute dates with their boyfriends."
"Your friends have boyfriends?" Hermione asked sitting down, sounding surprised.
"Well, they call them boyfriends," Elisa said in an unamused voice "I call them 'good looking boys they only met today'." Seeing questioning looks, she said "We were just finishing our Christmas shopping and on our way here, when a bunch of older Slytherin's blocked out path and ripped our bags from our hands and started to laugh at what shopping we got for our friends and family. Then the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw male Prefects came over and made them stop by putting them in body-bind-curses and said they'd only let them free, if they apologise and leave us alone."
"I thought those snakes outside were more grumpy than usual," Jack said trying not to freeze the table in his anger "I thought it was just because of the temperature out there."
Just then, Ron came over with four mugs of butter beer, but stopped when he saw Elisa.
"Ah Ron, how sweet, you got Elisa a fresh mug of butter beer too," Jack said smiling at the redhead.
"Err... yes," he said and set one mug next to her "Here you go Elisa."
"Thanks Ron, but I'm not finished with this one yet," Elisa said holding up her mug. "Perhaps set it down there with some straws and maybe let the elves get to it." she said looking over to the empty seat between Jack and Hermione.
"You saw us come in didn't you," Jack asked smiling a little loving the stunned silence and looks from the others.
"As an older sister, I need to be aware of my surroundings at all times, Jack," she said taking a smug sip from her mug. "Such as," she said leaning back to the window a little looking outside "I can see the teachers and the Minister of Magic just coming down the road and... Yes they're coming in here."
Worried, but trying to stay calm as Harry was invisible – thanks to Jack – the five of them tried to be inconspicuous as they watched Professor Flitwick, Professor McGonagall, Hagrid, and Cornelius Fudge come in to the inn, go over to the bar and then start to look for a table.
"Mobiliarbus," Hermione whispered moving a small Christmas tree a little to sit right in front of their table.
"What you do that for?" Jack whispered.
"So we can listen in on them," Elisa said, also in a whisper.
And sure enough, the teachers picked a table not too far away from them.
Carefully, peering through the pine-needles of the tree, they watched and listened to the adults as Madam Rosmerta came over with a tray of drinks.
"A small Gillywater-"
"Mine," said Professor McGonagall accepting it.
"Four pints of mulled mead-"
"Ta, Rosmerta" said Hagrid.
"A cherry syrup and soda with ice and umbrella-"
"Hm..." Professor Flitwick said happily.
"So you'll be the redcurrent rum, Minister."
"Thank you Rosmerta, m'dear," said Fudge, putting his lime-green bowler hat down on the table. "Lovely to see you again, I must say. Have one yourself, wont you? Come and join us..."
...
"Is he allowed to do that?" Jack asked in a whisper to those around him.
"Not really, but he makes the rules, so..." Elisa said shrugging.
...
Soon Rosmerta came back with a drink for her own.
"So what brings you here, Minister?" Rosmerta asked taking a sip of her drink while Fudge looked around to make sure no one was listening.
"What else, m'dear, but Sirius Black?"
...
Jack stilled at this wondering if somehow he had been caught yet.
No... no they wouldn't have, it would have been in the paper.
...
"Did you tell the whole pub Hagrid?" McGonagall asked exasperatedly, getting Jack to turn back to their conversation.
"Might have done," Hagrid said looking embarrassed.
"Do you think Black's still in the area Minister?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.
"I'm sure of it" said Fudge shortly.
"You know, those Dementors have searched my pub twice now?" Madam Rosmerta said a slight edge to her voice. "Scaring all my customers away... It's very bad for business, Minister."
"Rosmerta m'dear, I don't like them anymore than you do," said Fudge uncomfortably. "Necessary precaution... unfortunate but there you are... I've just met some of them. They're mad at Dumbledore – he won't let them inside the castle grounds."
...
"Like anyone in the school wants them there in the first place." Elisa said in a whisper mixed with a glare. "Hogwarts is a school not a prison."
"Well I've known some schools that can be called 'prisons' by the students that go to them," Jack said trying to bring cheer to this conversation.
Harry, Ron and Hermione ignored them and waved at them to be quiet.
...
"Do you know, I still have trouble believing it," sad Madam Rosmerta thoughtfully. "Of all the people to go over to the Dark side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought despite the rest of his family. I mean, I remember him when he was a boy in Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd say you'd had too much mead."
"You don't know the half of it Rosmerta," said Fudge gruffly.
...
"Neither do you, Pudding," Jack whispered glaring at the fat man on the next table, but thankfully only Elisa heard him.
...
"The worst he did isn't widely known."
"The worst?" said Madam Rosmerta, her voice alive with curiosity. "Worse than killing all those people you mean?"
...
At this Jack huffed, but stayed quiet.
...
"You say you remember him from school," murmured Professor McGonagall. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"
"Naturally," said Madam Rosmerta, with a small laugh. "Never saw one without the other did you? The number of times they were in here – ooh how they made me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter."
...
Beside him, still under the cloak, Jack felt Harry go stiff letting out a gasp of surprise.
The others looked at each other in surprise too - all but Jack, for he already knew all of this. (See the end of Chapter 19 part 1, and the beginning of Chapter 19 p2)
...
"Precisely," said Professor McGonagall. "Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course – exceptionally bright – but only on subjects they enjoyed. I don't think we've ever had such a pair of trouble makers –"
"I don' know," Hagrid said smiling through his beard chuckling "Fred and George Weasley can give them a run for their money, and then there's Jack Frost now as well."
...
Jack smiled at this and gave a mock proud look and pose, getting the others to roll their eyes and Elisa so gently punch him on the arm.
...
"You'd have thought Black and Potter were brothers" piped in Professor Flitwick "Inseparable."
"Of course they were," said Fudge. "Potter trusted Black with his life, beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed once they left school. Black was best man at James and Lily's wedding. Then they named him godfather to Harry –"
...
Beside him, Jack could feel, and hear, Harry gasp and become still at this news again.
Slowly Jack reached out to where he believed Harry's arm was and placed a comforting hand on top of it, wondering if they should let the teachers know there were people who could hear them.
He was about to signal to Hermione to move the tree back when Harry pulled the hood off the cloak and shook his head – he wanted to listen.
...
"Not many people are aware that the Potter's knew You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies. One of which tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once. He advised them to go into hiding. Well as you know You-Know-Who wasn't an easy man to hide from." said Fudge. "Dumbledore told them their best chance was to use the Fidelius Charm."
"How does that work?" asked Madam Rosmerta, breathless – obviously never having heard this before.
Professor Flitwick cleared his throat, "An immensely complex spell," he began in his squeaky voice "involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find – unless, of course, the Secret Keeper chooses to divulge it. As long as the Secret keeper refused to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where Liliy and James where staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his face pressed up against their living room window!"
"So Black was the Potter's Secret Keeper?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.
...
Jack fought back crying out that they had that bit of information wrong, and that it was Pettigrew instead, but then he would have to explain how he knew this and that would put him in trouble for not coming forth with the information that he sort of knew where Sirius was.
Seeing Jack was upset, Elisa placed her hand on his arm now too, silently asking if he was ok.
After taking a breath, Jack nodded, and they carried on listening.
...
"Dumbledore was sure someone close to the Potters was the one keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements," said Professor McGonagall darkly. "Indeed he had suspected for some time someone from our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who."
"But James insisted on using Black as Secret Keeper," Madam Rosmerta asked.
"He did," said Fudge. "And then barely a week after the spell had been preformed –"
"Black betrayed them?" breathed Madam Rosmerta.
"He did indeed –"
...
"No he didn't," Jack said quietly and glaring at the man all in green at the next table.
"Jack," Elisa said leaning closer to keep this between the two of them "Is there something you wish to say?"
"Oh there's lots of things I wish to say Snowflake," Jack said, taking a sip of his butter-beer as calmly as he could "I just can't at this precise moment."
Rolling her eyes, Elisa was about to try again when...
...
"Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!" said Hagrid so loudly that half the bar went quiet.
"Shh!" said Professor McGonagall.
"I met him!" growled Hagrid. "I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all tham people! It was me what rescued Harry from Lily and James's house after the was killed!"
...
Thinking Jack asked Elisa – the others were paying too much attention to Hagrid – how Hagrid would know of the location of the house to find Harry to rescue him in the first place.
Elisa shrugged and waved at him to be quiet wanting to listen to this too.
...
"Never occurred ter me what he was doin' there. I didn't know he had bin Lily and James's Secret Keeper. Just thought that he heard the news and was coming to see what he could do about it." Hagrid continued. "White and shaking he was. An' yeh know what I didn? I COMFORTED HIM: THE MURDERING TRATIOR!"
"Hagrid, please," said Professor McGonagall. "Keep your voice down!"
"How was I ter know he wasn' upset abou' Lily and James? It was You-Know-Who he cared abou'! "
...
Again Jack made fists with his hands and glared at the adults not believing how accusing they are / had been just because Sirius's family were known to be Dark Wizards.
...
"Told me to take his motorbike ter get Harry there. "I won' need it anymore" he says.
' Well I shoulda known something was up with that – he loved that bike of his, why was he giving it away? Why wouldn't he need it no more? Fact was it was too easy to trace. Dumbledore knew he'd been the Potter's Secret Keeper. Black knew he was goin' to have ter run fer it that night, knew it was a matter of hours before the Ministry got a hold of him.
'But what if I had given Harry to him eh? I bet he'd've pitched him off the bike halfway out ter sea. His best friend's son!"
...
"Seriously?!" Jack said in as loud a whisper he dared making to get up to give these 'adults' a good talking to, but found he was stuck to the seat courtesy of Elisa who sensed he was going to do something like that. "Els let me go!"
"Sorry Jack, but whatever you want to say to them, I feel should stay a secret just a little longer." Elisa said looking just as annoyed at the conversations and accusations they were hearing.
Getting annoyed, crossed his arms and pouted like a child and looked away from the other table.
"If it will help," Elisa said quietly "You can tell me what the real story is later. Ok?"
Frowning Jack nodded, but said nothing.
Then not wanting to listen to any more of his nonsense, but obviously stuck there until the teachers left, sighed and asked if he could borrow Elisa's earmuffs.
Smiling she handed them over after casting a muffliartus charm on them.