I don't own Harry Potter, nor any related characters, and I'm not making any money off this.
9 Lives
By: Time Keeper
Chapter 5: Let's Get it Started
#/# November 26, 1994 #/#
Amelia is sitting in The Three Broomsticks, when Sirius walks in flanked by Harry and Hermione. The three of them walk up to the table and sit down. "Afternoon Amelia." Sirius says.
"I had expected you to come alone." Amelia says, glaring at Harry and Hermione.
"At least my companions are in plain sight." Sirius says, looking around the room. "I count 4, all ready to hex me. That means I'm missing at least 3 more, right?"
"You're still technically a wanted man." Amelia answers.
"Technically?"
"Well, you clearly didn't kill Peter Pettigrew." Amelia answers. "I do have some questions for you."
"Peter was the Potters' secret keeper, not I." Sirius explains. "I thought it was a great prank, who would suspect that Pettigrew was the secret keeper?"
"Do you blame yourself?" Amelia asks.
"How could I not? It was my idea." Sirius answers.
"You made the best decision you could, given the information you had." Hermione says.
"I should have let them pick me, I wouldn't have ever revealed the secret." Sirius says.
"What good would that have done?" Harry asks. "They would have just killed you, and then Pettigrew would have been free to tell them the secret anyway."
"I… I never thought of it like that." Sirius says.
"Well you should," Harry says.
"Cause we're glad you're alive." Hermione says.
"Thank you." Sirius says.
"I hate to interrupt, but can we get back to why I'm here?" Amelia asks.
Sirius nods. "What else do you want to know?"
"What happened on November 1st, 1981?" Amelia asks.
"When I figured out what happened, I went to confront Peter." Sirius sighs. "I had every intention of killing him, but I just wanted him to answer one question first." Tears well in his eyes. "Why?" He asks, his voice cracking as he did, "why did he betray them?"
"I'll ask him when we question him." Amelia says. "I promise."
Sirius nods as he pulls himself together. "I remember pulling out my wand and pointing it at him. Then the explosion that killed the Muggles."
"Was that you?" Amelia asks.
"I… I don't know." Sirius admits. "I don't think it was me, but I can't be sure now."
Amelia nods. "Even if it was you, the maximum sentence for that would have been 5 years. You've served more than that." She took a deep breath. "I, Amelia Bones, Director of Magical Law Enforcement, declare Sirius Black a free man. All his rights and responsibilities are returned to him." As she finishes speaking, she pulls his wand from her robe and hands it to him.
Sirius takes his wand from her. "Thank you, Director."
"You're welcome." Amelia says. "Legal will be in touch with you to discuss compensation for your extended stay."
"Tell them they can send any messages to us." Hermione says. "We'll pass them along."
Amelia looks at Sirius who says. "You heard my Goddaughter-in-law."
Amelia chuckles slightly. "Very well." She gets up and leaves, with over half of the other customers leaving behind her.
Sirius stares at his wand until Harry speaks. "Sirius, are you okay?"
"I've dreamed of this day for years, but was never sure it would happen." Sirius cries in response.
Hermione immediately gets up and hugs Sirius, she motions for Harry to do the same. "Take all the time you need."
Sirius hugs them both back. "I'll take the time I need when this is over."
"Very well, then are you ready to proceed with the plan?" Hermione asks.
"Yes," Sirius says. "Let's go."
#/#/#
Sirius, Harry, and Hermione step through the fireplace into Gringotts Bank. Sirius steps up to the counter and speaks before the goblin can. "My name is Sirius Black. I'd like to speak with the goblin who is in charge of my estate at their convenience." He turns and walks to a nearby bench where Harry and Hermione are already sitting and joins them.
Some time later a goblin comes walking in. Unlike the other goblins, his skin is tinted purple. A magical monocle sits where his right eye should be, and his right arm appears to be prosthetic. Sirius sharply draws in a breath and whispers, "Yurak."
"Sirius Black," Yurak says stepping in front of him. "It's been a long time."
"I knew that the rumor of you being killed by five lions was too good to be true." Sirius says.
"5 lions, huh?" Yurak laughs. "That's a new one."
Sirius laughs with Yurak, then turns to look at Harry and Hermione, who are both looking at the two of them with confused expressions. Sirius clears his throat. "Forgive me, Yurak, I'd like you to meet Harry Potter and his wife Hermione."
"Ah, so this is the legendary Boy-who-lived." Yurak says.
"Are you THE Yurak?" Hermione asks, excitedly.
"Which Yurak would that be?"
"We were taught that two goblins, one named Ragnok and the other named Yurak, were instrumental in ending the last goblin uprising." Hermione rattles off.
"Yes, I'm that Yurak."
Hermione squeals. "I have so many questions for you." She takes a deep breath.
Harry puts his hand on Hermione's shoulder, drawing her attention. "Not the time, dear."
Hermione lets out her breath and blushes. "Sorry."
"I'll tell you what." Yurak says. "If you write all your questions down I'll answer them when I can." Hermione lets out an inaudible squeal as she runs off to find parchment and quill.
"I should warn you: my wife can get a bit obsessive when it comes to knowledge. You may very well regret telling her that." Harry says as Hermione returns with some parchment, and quickly starts writing.
"Thank you for the warning." Yurak says. "Now, Sirius, what can I do for you?"
"That depends on whether or not my father ever fully disowned me." Sirius answers.
Yurak grins. "No, he didn't."
"Then I would like to take the title of Lord Black." Sirius says.
"Come with me." Yurak commands, then turns and starts walking away. "The Potters' can join if you want."
Sirius motions for Harry and Hermione to follow him as he sets off behind Yurak. Yurak leads them to a cart, after just a moment of hesitation Harry and Hermione get in, Hermione putting her list up for the time being, and Yurak sets them on their way. Soon they arrive amongst the lowest levels of the bank. "The Black family vault." Yurak says as he gets out, followed by Sirius.
Harry and Hermione hesitantly get out, both of them remembering what happened the last adt time they were down here. "You two coming?" Sirius asks, breaking them from their thoughts.
"Right behind you." Harry says, taking Hermione's hand and catching up with Sirius and Yurak.
Yurak opens the door. The vault is filled with piles of coins as far as the eye can see. They walk in single file along a narrow winding path through the vault. Once they pass the coins, they reach a crossroads where paths branch off into three separate directions. Hermione looks down each path and sees that each one leads to another vault door. "Are those sub-vaults?" Hermione asks, then pulls out her parchment and continues writing.
"They are indeed." Yurak answers. "We need this one." He turns and heads down the path to the right from where they came. They enter the vault when Yurak opens it. The room is round, with drawers lining the walls.
"The drawers hold the wands of every member of the Black family." Yurak answers the question before Hermione can ask it. Once he steps into the middle of the room, a podium rises out of the floor, with a knife resting on it.
Sirius walks over to the podium and grasps the knife in his right hand. He takes the knife and slices the palm of his left hand open. He bunches his cut hand into a fist and holds it over the podium. "I, Sirius Orion Black, son of Orion Black, do hereby declare my intention to take the title of Lord Black." He tips his hand so his blood drips onto the podium.
The podium glows red softly, a pale pink light comes from the podium and hits Sirius' hand, closing his wound. Once the light fades a stone ring sits on top the podium. "It appears that magic has decided you are worthy of the title." Yurak says.
Sirius picks up the ring with his left hand and slides it onto his right ring finger; the ring resizes itself as it does. "Excellent, now as Lord Black, I'd like to review a few marriage agreements, namely Narcissa's and Bellatrix's."
"For that we need to go to another vault." Yurak says, and they all quickly file out. Yurak seals the vault behind him. "The vault we want is straight across."
The three humans and one goblin cross to the other vault, and Yurak opens it. Inside the room are floor-to-ceiling cubicles filled with various rolls of parchment. Yurak scans the cubicles. "How do you know what you're looking for?" Harry asks, drawing Hermione's attention away from her ever-growing list of questions.
"We goblins see a spectrum of colors you can't see, all of our shelves are labeled with it." Yurak answers as he continues to look through cubicles. "Here we are!" He states as he pulls a roll of parchment from one of the cubicles. He unrolls it slightly. "This is Bellatrix's." He hands that one to Sirius, then grabs another from the same cubicle, and unrolls it. "This is Narcissa's."
Sirius nodded as he read the parchment in his hand. "It looks like they had the standard clause for providing an heir, unless I'm mistaken. No heir, male or female was produced."
"That's correct," Yurak says.
"Then as Lord Black I take back Bellatrix's dowry." Sirius commands.
"The entire contents of their vault are only estimated to be half of that." Yurak says.
"Very well, I'll take that instead." Sirius says.
"Excellent! I'll have someone move the contents shortly." Yurak states.
"While they are doing that, I wonder if they would keep an eye out for Hufflepuff's cup." Harry asks.
"Hufflepuff's cup is in the former Lestrange Vault?" Yurak asks.
"So she claims." Harry answers..
"I will personally check for it myself then." Yurak says.
"I'd appreciate that." Sirius says as he finishes rolling up the scroll in his hands, then exchanges it with the one Yurak is holding. He unrolls the new scroll. "Let's see, oh, this is good. House Malfoy swore subservience to House Black to get this agreement."
"That can't mean what I think it means." Harry says.
"What do you think it means?" Sirius asks.
"They have to do whatever Lord Black tells them, or they risk losing their magic." Harry answers.
"That's exactly what it means." Sirius says as he rolls back up the parchment and hands it back to Yurak.
Yurak puts the two rolls back where he found them. "Is there anything else I can help you with, Lord Black?"
"Just let me know when you find Hufflepuff's cup." Sirius says, and Yurak nods.
"Before we go," Hermione says as she walks over to Yurak. "I have the list of questions." She holds out a roll of parchment, which Yurak could tell would be at least 15 feet long once unrolled.
Yurak carefully takes the parchment. "I hope you're not expecting answers very soon."
As soon as he said it, Yurak knew he had said the wrong thing. He could see the hurt in Hermione's eyes as she spoke coldly. "No, of course not."
"Hermione," Sirius says, glaring at Yurak. "That was goblin humor."
"I don't get it, but okay." Hermione says.
#/#/#
The sharp crack of apparition announces the arrival of Sirius, Harry and Hermione on the empty street. "Where are we?" Harry asks.
"Home," Sirius says. "Sirius Black lives at 12 Grimmauld Place."
As soon as he says it, the familiar house reappears. "Oh, thank goodness." Hermione says.
"What was that?" Sirius asks.
"We were told the secret in the previous timeline." Harry answers.
"Throughout the entire time we've been in this timeline, we could remember that we had been told the secret, even how this place looked, but we couldn't remember its name." Hermione explains.
"Until I said it, letting you in on the secret in this timeline." Sirius says.
Hermione nods, "exactly!"
"Let's go in." Sirius says.
As soon as Sirius steps inside, a woman's voice can be heard yelling, "You! What are you doing in my house?"
Hermione steps in behind Sirius and casts a silencing charm on the portrait of his mother that had been yelling. "Sorry," she blushes slightly. "I forgot to warn you about her."
"KREACHER!" Sirius bellows.
Kreacher appears before then, an obvious look of disdain on his face. "What are you doing here, traitor?"
"I am your new master, and the new Lord Black." Sirius answers.
"That's impossible! I saw your father burn your name from the family tapestry myself." Kreacher snides.
"That may be true, but he never disowned me. Magic wouldn't have let me get the ring if he had." Sirius shows Kreacher the ring.
Kreacher sighs. "What can I do for you, Master?"
"Rumor has it that in his final days my brother turned to the path of light and took something of his old master's." Sirius explains."A necklace, I want it."
"Why?" Kreacher asks.
"I want to finish what my brother started." Sirius answers.
"Master Regulus wanted to destroy it, but he couldn't. What makes you think you will do what he couldn't?'
"We have access to things he didn't." Harry answers.
"We can destroy it." Hermione says.
Kreacher vanishes, then reappears holding a bundle of rags. "This is it." Kreacher says as he parts the rags to reveal Slytherin's locket.
#/#/#
Harry and Hermione walk towards Dumbledore's office, Sirius and Remus flank them as the statue moves and they all go up the stairs where they obviously surprise Dumbledore.
"The entirety of Potter Academy in my office. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Dumbledore asks.
"We've come for the sword of Gryffindor." Remus answers.
"Pardon me?" Dumbledore asks, dumbfounded.
"We've come for the sword of Gryffindor." Sirius says, authoritatively.
"In the Chamber of Secrets I pulled the sword from the hat. At the time I didn't understand what exactly that meant." Harry explains. "The sword chose me, so it is mine and I want it back."
"I can not let you have the sword." Dumbledore says.
"Because it's too early for us to use it to destroy this?" Hermione pulls Slytherin's locket from her robes and places it on Dumbledore's desk.
"Is that Slytherin's locket?" Dumbledore asks in shock. Hermione nods as Dumbledore picks up the locket, he gasps as he feels the dark magic.
"That's right," Harry says. "It's just like the diary I destroyed during my second year. It's a horcrux."
Dumbledore places the locket back down on his desk. "How did you find out about such an infernal object? I know there's no reference to them in any book in Hogwarts' library."
"I found the reference in the Black library." Hermione lies.
Dumbledore sighs. "I shouldn't be surprised, the Black family had been steeped in the dark arts for generations."
"Something, that for once, I am incredibly glad to acknowledge." Sirius says.
"Be that as it may, I fail to see what this has to do with the sword." Dumbledore says.
"According to the book there are only two known ways to destroy a horcrux: Fiendfyre and basilisk venom. The sword of Gryffindor is well known to absorb anything that will make it stronger." Hermione explains.
"And as you are aware I used the sword to slay a basilisk." Harry adds.
"So it is our belief that the sword is now impregnated with basilisk venom, and can be used to destroy a horcrux." Hermione finishes.
"So, headmaster, now you know why we need the sword. Will you give it to us?" Harry asks.
"And if I refuse?" Dumbledore asks.
Sirius draws his wand. "We'll take it by force!"
Harry pushes Sirius' wand down as he turns towards him.. "No, we won't."
"Harry, we need that sword." Sirius reminds him.
"The sword was the safest way to destroy the horcruxes, but we have another way to do it." Harry says as he turns to Dumbledore. "We'll go to the chamber where the carcass of the basilisk is, I'm willing to bet we can harvest enough venom to accomplish what we need to."
"Though harvesting basilisk venom is quite dangerous, I'm sure innocent lives will be lost in the process. Lives that will be entirely on you." Hermione says poignantly. After a moment of silence she grabs the locket, then they all turn and start to walk away.
"Wait," Dumbledore pleads, and they all stop. "I'll give you the sword."
"You're doing the right thing." Harry says as they turn around to see Dumbledore with the sword in his hands.
"Will you allow me to destroy this horcrux?" Dumbledore asks.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Harry asks. "The diary nearly killed Ginny, and you're not exactly at the peak of health."
"I'm willing to take that risk." Dumbledore says. "I see now that I have made wrong decisions concerning you. I have long put too much burden on your shoulders. Let me take this much off."
Harry looks at Hermione who nods as she puts the locket back down and they all back away."We suspect that it needs to be opened before it can be destroyed."
"It is Slytherin's locket," Dumbledore muses. "I will need your help after all, Harry. Speak parseltongue if you would."
Harry steps up to Dumbledore's desk and hisses, "~Open~"
The locket immediately opens, and a cloud of darkness spews forth. "Headmaster!" Hermione shouts. "Do it now, before it takes shape."
Dumbledore goes to swing, but stops as the cloud speaks, its voice sounding like that of a young woman. "Are you going to kill me again?"
"Ariana?" Dumbledore whispers.
The cloud takes the form of a young woman. "Yes, Albus, it is I, your beloved sister, the one you killed."
"It was an accident." Dumbledore says. "There's no way to tell which spell hit you."
"No, but YOU were responsible for me." The dark Ariana says. "So it might as well have been your spell."
"Headmaster!" Harry shouts, trying to free Dumbledore from the spectre. "It's not real; the locket is using your memories to protect itself!"
"Albie, you can't kill me again."
"I'm sorry, Ariana, but I must." Dumbledore quickly raises the sword and swings it down, the force of the swing causing Dumbledore to lose his grip on the sword as it embeds itself into the desk, splitting the locket in half. Then the desk explodes, sending fragments flying everywhere.
Harry and the others quickly cast their shields, then Harry sees the Sword of Gryffindor, now dislodged from the desk, flying end over end right towards him. The blade slices through his shield and impaled him. The world goes dark before he could even register what had happened.
