16/10/23

While Harry was with Sirius and Bunny, and Jack and Elisa were with Professor Lupin trying to plan their next move against Wormtail, the Weasley's were being examined and question by auroras and healers just to check that being around the rat for twelve years didn't have any nasty side effects.

"Please explain to us," the first aurora (they always worked in pairs), said calmly and clearly as this was being voice recorded "How this rat came to be with your family?"

"It was a few days after it was said You-Know-Who was gone," Percy said clearly, not sure what was going on. "I was about 5 years old, and was playing in the garden with Fred and George."

"We heard a noise from the bushes." Fred said, continuing the story.

"Thinking it was just a gnome me and Fred ignored it, but Percy went to see what it was and found it was a rat, which was missing one of its front toes." George finished.

"Where were you and your sister in this?" the aurora asked, looking towards Ron.

"Mum was putting us both down for a nap inside, and Dad was still at work." Ron answered.

"Right, please continue."

The Weasley's continued their story and were all examined by an assortment of Healers just in case one missed something.

Fortunately, none of the kids seemed to have been affected in any way spellwise.

"Did neither you nor your parent's ever wonder why your rat was living for so long?" the second aurora asked once the last question was answered. "After all a common or garden rat lives a mere maximum of just 3 and ½ years, and this one was already an adult when you found him, and living with you for more than 10."

"Well, now you mention it, it is kind of suspicious," Fred said in a thinking voice.

"But it was because he was magic right?" Ron asked hopefully.

"Not really," the first aurora said. "They can last longer, but only by about one or two years."

"May we all ask why we're being questioned about our family rat?" Percy asked.

"You may, doesn't mean you'll get an answer though." the second said collecting up all the notes.

"It's because we have a high reason to believe," the first one said, rolling their eyes at their companion. "That, that rat, was more than he seemed."

Seeing their confused faces they sigh and he said:

"We will explain more once we go and talk with your parents." he said standing up. "Until then, thank you for your time." and he and his partner left.

"No way?! Dad really did that?" Harry asked in a mix of shock and embarrassment towards his father.

Sirius was telling him of the time he tried to romantically ask Lily out on a date with the help of some special effect potions, but added too much of one thing to the mix and blasted pink goop all over the common room covering everyone in a 3 metre radius with it, with him and Lily getting the worst of it.

"Yeah, he did make himself unpopular with everyone that day. It was right before exam week you see," Sirius explained laughing to himself at the memory.

"But he managed to get her to like him right?" Harry asked, hugging a pillow as he sat up on a comfy green sofa.

"Eventually, but it took a few more years, and for him to grow up a bit more before she paid attention to his attempts." said Sirius smiling.

"I can believe that," Bunny said as he was off to the side drawing new egg ideas - yes Easter had just gone but these were for next year. "Still from what I hear, he's better than the Lockhart fraud the school hired to be the Defence last year."

"Lockhart?" Sirius asked trying to remember the name. "You mean Gilderoy Lockart?"

"Yeah, Hagrid said that Dumbledore only hired him because no one else wanted the job because it's jinxed." Harry said using air quotes around the last two words.

"What? No. No, no, no, no. Lockheart knows absolutely nothing to do with Defence Against the Dark Arts. He might have been a Ravenclaw but if you asked me I'd say the Sorting Hat made a mistake with that one." Sirius said rolling his eyes "In fact there was one time: It was valentines day, and that idiot sent himself so many cards to try and show off to everyone how much everyone loves him, the Great Hall needed to be evacuated because of all the owls flooding it. Some even accidentally started fires because they knocked the candles over."

"I believe that too," Bunny said after a bit of laughing at the story. "Man he was a Narcissus even back then? It's a good thing we don't have to deal with him anymore. Right Harry?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy.

"What's that mean?" Sirius asked, looking between his godson and Bunny.

"Um… well, have you ever heard of the Chamber of Secrets?" Harry asked nervously before going into one of his own stories.

After an hour or two of fighting, arguing, and planning, Jack, Elisa and Lupin had decided to go down to Hagrid's hut and capture Wormtail now, while they had the chance and before he could get away.

They were just leaving Lupin's office when shouting came from down the corridor.

"I DON'T CARE IF HE'S LOST HIS MEMORY NOW! I WILL TEACH THAT MORON NOT TO POINT A WAND AT MY GODSON IN AN ALREADY DANGEROUS SITUATION!"

Sirius Black came around the corner looking furious and almost blinded by anger, Harry and Bunny behind him, the boy trying to calm him down.

"AND ANOTHER THING! WHEN WE GET TO DUMBLEDORE I - " he cut himself off when he saw Lupin, coming to a stop a few feet away from him.

There was a moment of silence, everyone there switching from one grown man to another.

After a minute or two, Elisa stepped forward and pushed Lupin closer to Sirius, making him stumble and look back at her, seeing her wave 'Go on…' to him.

Taking a deep breath, Lupin turned to look at his old friend about to say something, when he felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around him and saw Sirius was hugging him.

"Um… nice to see you," Lupin said, unsure what to say.

"That's all you have to say?" Sirius asked, letting go and backing off a little.

There was another minute or two of silence, no one knowing what to do or say.

"How about we go and see Hagrid?" Elisa asked calmly "Leave you guys to be by yourselves for a bit and catch up later." she said, grabbing Harry's and Jack's hands and heading off down the corridor a bit.

"Good idea to me," Jack said, smiling brightly. "You two catch up with each other, and we'll deal with the rat after we get a cage charmed with unbreakable bars."

With that, and a confused looking Harry, they leave the three adults there who after a few minutes returned to Lupin's office, where the two friends explained themselves to each other, with Bunny being a third party.

AN: Not sure where this is going, but hopefully it's getting close to the end of the story.

As a birthday present (3 days to go) I would like some reviews - Please and thank you :)