I certainly have no rights to Harry Potter, but this won't stop me writing this story. However, you probably already know this. As it is my specialty, and as in my other big stories, this shows how things go if something went different right at the beginning. Please note that I'm not a fan of bashing and also don't expect the pairings to differ from canon. However, the path to them sertainly will be quite different. I also want to try and subvert certain plots and things that became common in the fandom over the years.
For now, the story will update every second Saturday, until I say otherwise.
I'll try to answer reviews from now on, since I do like the feedback for improvement.
I don't yet have a TvTropes page for this story, but plan for one. However, it would be a pleasant surprise if someone does it first.
Chapter 2: Aftershocks
It had happened too fast for them to react.
Sure, they'd known of the aftermath of the war. Numerous Death Eaters claimed to have been under the Imperius Curse - most prominently men like Lucius Malfoy, Nott and Avery - and thus they claimed the now faded mark on their arms had been given to them against their will and was no proof of their allegiance. It proved next to impossible to disprove that claim and everyone knew that money had been involved in these people 'washing off' the sins they claimed were not theirs.
That did not sit well with parts of the public, and this failure would plant the seeds for a growing rift in society, but many just wanted to move on and not look back. Magical society had an even shorter memory than the normal one, as impossible as that sounded.
However, other Death Eaters, who clearly stood firm to their allegiance, were still at large and dangerous. The traitor Pettigrew had vanished from the face of the planet, as did some others who couldn't be found, while other Death Eaters were intent to cause as much mayhem as possible before going down - which due to a lack of organization was thankfully not too much. Sadly, the two of them right now were confronted with the most dangerous of these remnants.
Frank and Alice Longbottom had decided to take a little walk before returning home. Months in hiding had worn them down, but now that Voldemort was dead and the Death Eaters were collapsing, they felt that they on their own were safe enough while Frank's parents were watching over their son Neville. However, it turned out that had been a big error.
Having three Death Eaters suddenly stun you out of nowhere, only to wake up restrained in the ruins of a Muggle factory was not good. Worse - one of the three was the notorious Bellatrix Lestrange. Lestrange was notorious due to not only being incredibly brutal and sadistic, but also for her reputation as being the Death Eater most fanatically devoted to Voldemort. With his seeming demise, this was a bad combination.
Their captors watched them from a distance.
"Just look at them; like two little piggies ready for the slaughterhouse," Bellatrix said with dark glee when looking at the magically bound Longbottoms.
"Where's Barty? I thought he would love being present for this?" her husband Rodolphus asked his wife.
"As devoted as little Barty is to the cause, this is something I think should stay in the family. He's outside, standing guard," Bellatrix told her husband.
"Ah, yes, don't want junior to be here when things get down and dirty," Rodolphus, agreed.
To be honest, he held no illusions about his marriage. It had been a purely political thing and she had made it clear right from the start that the only man she felt worthy of bedding her was the Dark Lord himself, and the Dark Lord certainly held her in high esteem. That explained why despite being nominally married, he'd not once seen her naked. Rodolphus however was not unhappy with these arrangements, since Bellatrix very much approved of his use of mistresses to satisfy his needs.
"Well, enough talk..." With a sadistic glint in her eyes, she approached their captives.
Cripes! If I only could move a little bit, then I could break it, and... Frank Longbotom knew they were in trouble, but he did have an ace in the hole.
"Alright, now to business! What really happened to the Dark Lord? Talk!" Bellatrix questioned them, all hints of - naturally dark - humor having left her.
"Don't you read the newspaper?" Alice Longbottom snarked to win time.
-smack!- That only served to anger Bellatrix and she slapped her hard, causing Alice to bleed from her mouth. "Watch your mouth, blood-traitor! I only have little patience!" Bellatrix hissed, an angry glint appearing in her eyes.
"What makes you think we even know anything?!" Frank hissed in anger when seeing his wife being hurt, barely holding back an added 'bitch'.
"You think we are stupid?" Rodolphus called from the side. "The Dark Lord wanted to go after your brat next for some reason. That, and you are high-ranking Aurors. You do know something and you will tell us."
Alice spat out some blood. "Even if let's say we do know something, there is no way we would tell anything to the likes of you."
Bellatrix' eyes narrowed and she slowly pulled out her wand, causing Rodolphus and Rabastan to do the same. "And that's your last word?" Silence greeted her and her features transformed into a truly psychotic nightmare. "So be it. Don't say we didn't give you a fair chance to get an easy death."
Outside of the ruins, Barty Crouch Junior was standing guard.
Bellatrix might have told him that she didn't want him inside due to wanting to have warning should someone interrupt them, but Crouch knew better. In reality, Bellatrix knew that he was, besides his smarts, also incredibly sadistic. She clearly did want to have the lion's share of the fun and thus gave him guard duty to make sure. Oh, he didn't mind, as he was patient and could wait.
Truth to be told, he was disturbed that the Dark Lord had vanished, due to Lord Voldemort giving him the appreciation his father had denied him. He had only been in his employ for a short time, but already proven his worth. The Dark Lord had forbidden him to do anything high-profile, stating that he needed him to be able to keep up the pretense, so that the strike against Crouch Senior would be all the more satisfying once the time came. Thus why his vest, for a Death Eater, was still quite clean.
He thought in disgust at these pathetic, opportunistic worms like Lucius Malfoy, who clearly couldn't be fast enough to forsake their Master and come up the the cheap excuse they had been under the Imperius Curse and thus weren't responsible for any of it. However, their cowardly ways also gave him ideas. Should things go wrong, he could t least make sure his cold father would suffer as well.
"Ouuuuaaah!" "Yaaaargh!"
Hearing screaming from the inside, he knew that Bellatrix lost her slim patience with the Longbottoms and the fun part had started.
Really too bad I couldn't be part of it. However, perhaps this is for the better. Already planning ahead, he moved further away, so he wouldn't hear the screams anymore. Plausible deniability after all.
Several minutes later, Bellatrix paused a moment to catch her breath. Casting Crucio at two people at the same time, thus needing to split her attention and hatred, was a bit tiring.
The Longbottoms had felt pain like never before - a pain so intense that they had honestly wished to die. However, they had managed to stay firm and not reveal any of the little they did know. The magical bindings had been removed, clearly the Death Eaters no longer felt their victims were in any condition to try and escape. They paid no attention to Frank Logbottom's shaking hand trying to reach for something in his other sleeve.
"Hey, Bellatrix," Rabastan called to his sister-in-law.
"Yes?!" Bellatrix barked, starting to get frustrated that she was getting nowhere. If that continued, she would Crucio them until they were drooling idiots.
Rabastan would never openly admit it, but Bellatrix intimidated him. "Making them just feel pain doesn't seem to work. Maybe all of us together should put more variation into it? You know, use our imagination?"
"Yes, we are not exactly one-trick ponies, are we?" Rodolphus added, knowing what his brother was playing at.
"Hmmm... yes." After a few moments, Bellatrix understood the appeal. "Well, then, wands out, men!"
She then turned back to the Longbottoms, giving them a mockingly disappointed look. "Oh, both of you did not play along and told us what we wanted to hear. You have no one to blame but yourselves for what is coming next. Of course, unless you finally want to spill it?"
Alice's mouth by now had become quite bloody from biting the insides of her mouth. "Go to hell, Lestrange," she spat.
"Now look what you have done..." All three Death Eaters raised their wands.
Frank barely managed to finally get the small glass sphere out of his sleeve and break it in his hand, before things became worse.
It was perhaps just a minute, but all three of the Lestranges now seemed to be in a competition who could be the most sadistic with dark and injuring spells. The Longbottoms in some moments even wished they 'only' would have been under the Cruciatus Curse. That wouldn't have been as bad as what they were suffering now. Death really would have been a mercy at this point.
Thankfully, the torment did end suddenly.
"Hands up!" "Wands away!" "Don't move!"
It came all of a sudden; Aurors stormed into the ruin, at least a dozen of them. And they took no chances, considering who it was they were encountering. The Lestanges had little time to react, before stunners rained onto them, overwhelming their defenses. Overkill was better than letting them escape, and they only had this one chance while the Death Eaters were distracted.
"Secure them, lads!" the leader commanded.
The leader, Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody truly was an intimidating sight. Having lost a leg and part of his face in battle against Death Eaters only served to make him look even more determined than he already was. The magical replacement eye in one of his eye sockets, which unnervingly could see through his own head, only added to his aura of sheer power. That new eye was a recent development after a nasty battle.
"Yes, Sir!" they told their commander. His sheer accomplishments - and the way he got disfigured in the line of duty - instilled great respect to the men in their ranks.
"Damn, this looks bad!" Moody cursed when seeing the state the Longbottoms were in. Without him insisting everyone should still carry their emergency signals, these two probably would have died. "What are you waiting for?! Get them to St. Mungo's right away!" he barked his orders.
The Longbottoms were taken away to the emergency room, while Moody approached the reawakened and properly restrained Lestranges. "Death Eater scum... Even without your Master, who has bitten the dust, the only thing you can cause is more suffering. Caught red-handed, no way to talk your way out of it."
For someone getting arrested, Bellatrix looked incredibly arrogant. "This is just a temporary setback. the Dark Lord will rise again, you better believe it!"
Moody's magical eye seemed to stare a hole into her. "If that's your illusion, who am I to take it from you?"
That moment, three Aurors arrived, escorting a young man in anti-magical binders between them. "Sir, we've found another one outside. He's claiming he has nothing to do with all of this and just was too afraid to leave."
Bellatrix for a moment was incensed that Crouch would pull such a stunt, until suddenly she saw the look he was giving her, and she understood. It was an act. Barty knew there was no escape, so he was preparing a gambit to at least ensure his father would suffer as well. He in no way had forsaken the Dark Lord, and Bellatrix found Barty's dedication to further hurt his enemies - she understood the personal motive - impressive. Some looks to Rodolphus and Rabastan silenced them; she would explain later.
"Well, well, well, if this isn't the wayward son of our esteemed head of Magical Law Enforcement. Lad, you are now really deep in it," Moody greeted the younger Crouch, seemingly not surprised at the sight.
Crouch stayed silent and looked scared, but that was just an outside appearance.
"That will be a spectacle I wouldn't want to miss," Moody said further, actually anticipating it.
One would think that Moody and Crouch Sr. would get along well, since both of them were against the Death Eaters, but nothing could be further from the truth.
In Moody's mind, being well-prepared with constant vigilance and using your strength and skill in a smart way was the path to victory; something he had drilled the Aurors extensivly in with great results. On the other hand, he felt Crouch's heavy-handed approach was like trying to crack a peanut using a sledgehammer. The collateral damage and bending of the system was something Moody disapproved of. Additionally, he could not respect someone playing the hard-ass while said person always sat behind a desk.
No, Alastor Moody did not respect Barty Crouch Sr. That dislike had only grown significantly after Crouch had cut that blasted deal with Igor Karkaroff. While that had revealed the traitor Augustus Rookwood in the Department of Mysteries, it had also resulted in Karkaroff getting away scot-free, despite his numerous proven crimes. Moody, who'd spent six months catching the bloody Death Eater in the first place, of course was incensed at this.
Karma is a bitch, Crouch, Moody thought darkly, getting a certain satisfaction that the elder Crouch would now get a taste of his own medicine.
o
Augusta Longbottom was an old-fashioned woman, and thus she normally tried to be reserved in public. However, the current situation meant she forgot these lessons while waiting nervously for any news in a waiting room in St. Mungo's, the magical hospital. This without doubt was the worst day in her life - waiting to hear if her son and daughter-in-law would survive or not.
The news of the attack had hit them completely unprepared as it came out of nowhere. Her husband had promised that he and their two house-elves would keep a close watch over their grandson Neville, while she could leave for the hospital. Her husband could read her all too well and knew that she probably worry herself to death if she couldn't get the news as fast as possible.
Frank was her only child, and thus she naturally worried a lot about him, thus why the news of his horrific torment had hit her hard. To her shame she had to admit that she hadn't liked Alice at first, but over time she had grown very fond of Neville's mother as well. And now both of them were in intensive care, being treated for wounds caused by darkest magic. It was a situation as bad as it could be imagined, apart from actual death.
Finally, the door opened and a healer approached her. "Madame Longbottom. First off, relax, they won't die."
That took off the worst pressure, but the elderly woman instead sensed what the healer wasn't telling. "How are they? Tell me the truth."
The healer looked uncomfortable. "We are still working on it. I've never before seen such outright malevolence towards anyone. Killing someone is one thing, but this..."
"Get to the point," Madame Longbottom finally demanded, his words only making it worse.
"Alright. It's impossible for us to heal all the damage done. Both of them can still live a full life, but with permanent injuries. They can never again be as physically active as they used to and will need a cane for walking. Their bodies, with the thankful exception of their faces, will be riddled with magical scars," he finally spelled it out.
Only her great discipline prevented Madame Longbottom from fainting when hearing these news. "Can I see them?"
"Yes, but as I said, while their faces were untouched, the rest of their bodies is not a nice sight. Also, they are still unconscious, we keep them under until we are sure they won't be in pain anymore, or they would be screaming the entire time," the healer warned her.
She was escorted to one room, where other healers were still busy with working on Frank and Alice Longbottom. Madame Longbottom paled when seeing the condition these two were in.
Both of them looked like hell. Their skin still looked red and raw and since they were naked from the waist up, Augusta had no problem to see the many fresh scars all over their bodies - something that would be especially hard on poor Alice, despite her not being body-conscious. The worst damages of course was not visible - the ones that would partially cripple them for the rest of their lives.
She said nothing, but her thoughts were clear. She wanted to make sure the Lestranges would never again see the light of the day for this crime.
...four days later, November 20th, Ministry of Magic...
"Ah, Andy, there you are. Did little Nymphie finally let you go?" Sirius asked his cousin Andromeda, who got disowned from the Black family years ago after marrying a muggleborn man named Ted Tonks, after waiting for her at one of the floos of the Ministry in the atrium.
"Yes, Ted is watching her until we get back. Considering what happened and who was involved, I feel I simply need to be present. I know that my other sister will be there as well. Thanks for standing at my side," Andromeda Tonks told Sirius.
Today was a major day. Today, the trials against the latest batch of caught Death Eaters would be held. Captures didn't happen often, due to many them rather wanting to fight to the death. The 'main attraction' in question would be the Death Eaters who had attacked and seriously injured the Longbottoms mere days ago. For one, the Longbottoms were quite popular. Then there was Bellatrix, who right after Voldemort himself was the second-most feared person in magical Britain. Finally, there was the nugget of Barty Crouch's son having been caught as well at the scene of the crime. Yes, that surely would be a busy day.
To Sirius and Andromeda, Bellatrix being one of the accused in court was why they were present in person. Bellatrix' actions had shaken Sirius and by now he was very close to a final decision. Andromeda knew this probably was the last time she would ever see her sister. Despite being disowned by the Black family and having given up on Bellatrix after accepting her sister was irredeemably psychotic and sadistic, she simply had to do it, even if only to be at peace with herself.
"Ah, yes... Narcissa. Guess she's proud how her hubby managed to weasel out of his just punishment," Sirius grumbled while trying to correct his fine robes. After years of wearing jeans, he'd probably never again get used to these things - not that we would have a need to after today.
Andromeda's grimace was answer enough what she thought of that display of impotent justice. "I knew her well enough to know she is most likely really proud of her husband escaping justice. Lucius is cruel enough on his own and doesn't need any curse to make him."
"Too bad that dear old Mum seems to like him. After all, he represents all the things I rejected. The perfect, bigoted pure-blood," Sirius remarked.
"You know Walburga's views on everything," Andromeda reminded her cousin, still shuddering at the memory of her aunt. "Sirius, I hope you know what you are planning to do after the trial. Seeking the big stage like that..."
"You know me, Andy. Have some faith and please wait until the trial is over. I want to go for maximum effect here," Sirius told her, making Andromeda hope Sirius wasn't making a mistake. "I... oh, what a circus."
It was controlled chaos. Aurors were busy with holding back the press, who were shooting questions at the people walking into the courtroom. Not to speak the magical flashlights of cameras going off. Seeing him together with Andromeda only seemed to set them off worse than they already were. After all, he was rather famous - or in some circles, infamous - as the most prominent Black who broke with the family.
"I have an announcement take make once the trial is done, so have a little patience!" Sirius called, before he and Andromeda ran the gauntlet and got into the visitor section of the courtroom. The declaration had made the reporters only more curious.
The courtroom was packed to almost maximum capacity, which was no wonder considering how many waves the crime that finally got these Death Eaters caught had caused. The atmosphere in the courtroom also vast vastly different compared to outside; it was somber and people only dared to whisper to each other. Considering the Death Eaters that were about to be tried and their final crime, which in a way was worse than simply killing them, it was understandable.
Looking around, they saw that the Longbottoms themselves were not present, which was no wonder. Both of them were still recovering at St. Mungo's, and then would be set for further recovery at home. Clearly, Frank and Alice would not be in the public limelight again. Augusta Longbottom on the other hand was present and looked perfectly capable of killing - which she probably would have done to the accused, if not for her strong discipline.
Dumbledore sat next to Crouch the elder and his wife. Mrs. Crouch looked like a complete wreck, which was no wonder considering that her son turned out to be a Death Eater. Dumbledore looked like he wanted to be somewhere else, but his duties dictated that he had to be part of this trial. The elder Crouch tried to look controlled and cool, but Sirius easily saw through it, there was a volcano of anger and disappointment bubbling underneath the surface.
Looks like someone is not pleased that Junior didn't turn out as planned, Sirius mused.
"I don't want to be in his shoes right now," Andromeda whispered to Sirius, also having noticed Crouch's behavior.
"Oh, people will agree with it for now, but in the long turn, it'll break his neck. Guess he won't become Minister," Sirius replied.
Looking through the crowd, they spotted several known faces. Thankfully, due to having become a recluse after the deaths of Regulus and her husband Orion, Walburga Black herself was not present for the trial. However, Narcissa Malfoy was, clearly having seen them but trying to ignore them as best as possible. That was no news, as she always had been good at ignoring people she didn't like. Thankfully, Lucius clearly felt it was better to not show his face for some time, so he was not present.
Sirius frowned when instead seeing Cygnus Black sitting next to her. The man was doing his best to ignore both of them, and while he didn't care, it clearly was hurting Andromeda. It was a harsh reminder for Andromeda that to her father she was dead and he acted like he didn't have a granddaughter. It was cruel and bigoted, but so was most of the House of Black.
"Don't let him hurt you. He already hurt you so much you should not let him win," Sirius tried to reassure Andromeda when seeing a tear.
"I can't help it. He still is my father, and he acts like I don't exist and refuses to acknowledge Nymphadora at all," Andromeda confessed, still feeling hurt over the rejection.
Even the whispers died when it was announced the trial would now begin, the silence only broken by the sobs of Mrs. Crouch.
"Bring them in," the elder Crouch called.
Everyone shuddered when the dementors escorted in the accused. These creatures were universally feared and hated due to their especially dark nature and the nasty effect they had on people - that was, even without considering their soul-eating abilities. It seemed to get colder in the room as well, but most knew this was only a mental effect. No one knew if dementors had emotions, but if they did, they seemed to enjoy their surroundings a lot, with lots of positive feelings to absorb.
Rodolphus and Rabastan looked slightly nervous at the presence of these creatures, while Bellatrix seemed not effected at all, probably testament to her personality. Crouch Jr. in turn looked highly nervous and if he could die of fright.
While the accused were chained to the chairs in the center of the big room, whispers started again. While there was no love for the Lestranges, the younger Crouch was accused on rather shaky evidence. There was not exactly much to justify a sentencing, especially compared to those that got out on an Imperius-defense. That already didn't reflect well on Crouch the elder.
Bellatrix used that moment to look up to Sirius and Andromeda, giving them an icy look. They both knew what it meant.
"I know that look. It was a promise to personally kill us, once she gets the opportunity," Andromeda whispered, feeling sad at the reminder of what kind of person her sister was.
"She is all the worst traits of the Blacks put into one person," Sirius added, playing upon the danger that Blacks could turn out to be especially violent or partially insane - most likely due to their breeding policies - a danger they thankfully managed to pass safely.
What followed next was utterly predictable to anyone with some brains.
Rodolphus and Rabastan had clearly elected Bellatrix to speak for them, and Bellatrix made a big show of her support for Voldemort and her utter conviction that the Dark Lord one day would rise again, and then everyone would pay for daring to resist him. There was no doubt in her voice, she meant every word of it. Even worse, the dementors still didn't seem to have much of an effect on her.
Even as a prisoner, surrounded by dementors, Bellatrix managed to give off an aura of danger. She wanted to leave little doubt where she was standing and most in attendance just hoped she would be gone soon enough.
"Even in chains, she remains fanatically loyal to him. Makes me wonder what he promised her," Andromeda whispered to Sirius, actually being afraid of her younger sister.
Sirius had a good idea. "Probably the simple opportunity to live out her bloodlust against all those she feels don't deserve to live. But hearing her talk of him, I don't even want to imagine what more was going on between them."
I don't exactly want to know, either, Andromeda thought, trying to hold back her imagination.
That being over, now came the more interesting part.
It actually turned out to be rather sad. Barty Jr. was a complete nervous wreck and everyone knew the evidence against him was somewhat weak, with him not even being present when the Longbottoms were tormented. However, despite his son pleading he was innocent, had been forced into the group and had just been too afraid of Bellatrix to run away, his father was coldly proceeding by the book.
"This is just sad to watch," Andromeda said, shaking her head in disbelief.
All the pleading and appeals to his father fell on deaf ears, and the elder Crouch even used the opportunity to publicly disown his own son, labeling him an utter failure. When the whole sad display was finally done, Crouch Sr. finally spoke the sentence: lifelong Azkaban to all of them, even his son despite the quite weak evidence against him. Mockingly, this caused thunderous applause from the audience.
Sirius snorted. "They applaud now. But mark my words, they'll change their minds about Crouch soon enough... Well, time to face the music. Could you stand by my side when I face these vultures?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Andromeda assured him of her support.
Thankfully, the press had been told to wait in the big atrium of the Ministry - more space and less danger of someone getting trampled. The were waiting like a pack of wolves and while the trial of course was the main story, they had all smelled blood when Sirius had told them he had an announcement to make. That was a chance none of them wanted to miss.
"Mr. Black!" "You have something to announce to the public?" "What do you think of your cousin being sentenced to Azkaban?" "Is this announcement about the House of Black?" "Is this the former Andromeda Black with you?"
He waited a few seconds, ignoring the storm of questions, before rising a hand. Even though he got disowned and couldn't care less about such things, he still had the aura of a Black if desired. And that small gesture was enough to silence them.
"Thank you, gents and ladies. First off, my cousin Andromeda is here for moral support, she is not part of what I have to announce."
He waited a few moments, then added, "You can quote me on the points I have to say." He said that when seeing a young witch with blond hair and a rather atrocious fashion sense fumble with an acid-green stenography quill.
"Attending this trial, which I mainly did to give my cousin Andromeda the emotional support she needed, helped me to come to several conclusions to questions I asked myself for some time. I found answers that many won't like; especially not what little is left of the House of Black after most of it died off and they disowned those that didn't follow their insane beliefs."
To the reporters, this was gold. A direct attack on the House of Black from its disowned son!
"I called their beliefs insane. Growing up in the House of Black, they tried to hammer their beliefs into me, often with violence, but I learned better. Well, they took it much further than most, but the root problem is the same."
He knew he had their full attention now; they all listened attentively.
"You may call me jaded, but it more is a great disillusionment I have with the magical world of Britain. Our society is infected with great intolerance, bigotry and those who cling to their outdated beliefs with violence. Especially those with money and power are in that camp. Why do you think this war even happened?"
There were some gasps. They had not expected Sirius to attack those in power so blatantly.
"This war has cost me many friends, the Potters being its final victims. All their deaths have finally brought me to one conclusion: I no longer want to be part of this world."
There were even more gasps now, except from Andromeda, who had been told in advance what this was about and that Sirius was seeking the big stage for this announcement. It was intended as a massive slap into the faces of all these arrogant pure-bloods.
"Yes, you have heard right. I am going to leave the Ministry and once I've done so, I hopefully never have to set one foot into the magical world again. Doing stuff by mail will be the extent of my interaction with it. Otherwise, I fully plan to find myself a nice place in a non-magical neighborhood and have a nice job, with no one knowing who I used to be."
"Mr. Black, does that mean you are planning to live like a Muggle?" the witch with the green quill asked. She appeared to be especially nosy.
"Well, I do plan to use my magic as little as possible. After all, they are doing really well without it. Now, thanks for hearing me out. Have a nice day."
That said, Sirius ignored all other questions and together with Andromeda entered a Floo that transported them directly to Andromeda's house.
She hugged Sirius as soon as they were out of the fireplace. "Oh, you... Only you would declare that in front of the gathered press! That's exactly like you!"
Just when she let go, her husband Ted and their 8-year old daughter Nymphadora finally reminded them that they were not exactly alone. Indeed, the little girl was actually giggling at this display of affection, her hair cycling through colors. Nymphadora being a Metamorphmagus had been reason enough for Walburga to send the girl a Howler, declaring her an abomination. It had taken all of Andromeda's strength to stop Ted from getting back at the woman for scaring his daughter like that.
"You got all huggy..." the girl continued to giggle.
Ted knew to overlook his daughter's antics and addressed Sirius directly. "Well, looks like you made your point, considering what my wife just said. Does that mean you'll be gone for a long time?"
"Yes, at least several years. I'm under no illusion that it will be forever. Sooner or later something will happen that forces me to make a return," Sirius said, having accept that reality. He then saw that Nymphadora looked disappointed and her hair had returned to its natural brown. "Hey, why the long face?"
"You won't be there when I finally go to Hogwarts," the girl said, only now realizing what Sirius' absence would mean. "I don't even know how long you... eeek!"
Sirius had suddenly scooped her up and hugged her. "No, don't think so negative. I will return, this is what you should think of. Just promise me, should I not back by then, then take Hogwarts by storm! After all, Nymphadora never gives up!"
Nymphadora blushed a little, and her hair turned red as well. "Oh, my name is stupid. I got so teased for it just the other day."
After all their seriousness of the day, this finally was an outlet and he laughed. Nymphadora started to dislike her name, despite Andromeda insisting that it was a great name. He could already see her going by her last name in some years. Sure, it was sad he would miss some of her years growing up, but that was a price he'd had to swallow in order to help Harry.
...shortly later, the Evans house...
Getting off his motorcycle, Sirius was still glad to be out of these damn robes. He still couldn't believe how uncomfortable he had been in them today. It showed how much he had already moved away from the wizard norm. Though, truth to be told, he saw these things starting to fall out of favor with the younger crowd as well. Perhaps times were truly changing and he just hadn't noticed yet.
Man, that would surely horrify my dear mother, he though sarcastically.
Well, with some luck he never would have to wear them again, even if he returned to the magical world someday.
Noticing the disapproving looks the neighbors were giving him, he sighed in annoyance. It had been fun the first time, but by now it's annoying. Guess I have to start dressing less like a stereotypical biker.
Using the doorbell, he was seconds later greeted by Veronica, who let him in.
"Paddy, Paddy!"
Sirius quickly scooped up the toddler who was running to him as fast as his small legs could. Harry looked very happy to see him. "Well, look who we have here! Seems you just waited for me?"
"Oh, he actually did. It seems the two of us are some much needed continuity he needs," Remus commented from where he sat, reading a thick book titled Lord of the Rings. "Since you are back, I guess it's done?"
"Yes, it is done," Sirius said while sitting down, still holding Harry in his arms. Thomas was joining them that moment. "Lots of things happened today. Let me tell you..."
Over the next half an hour Sirius was busy with explaining the day's events, starting from his arrival at the Tonks home and ending with him leaving the Ministry to return home. The others listened attentively. Remus, because he could see the bigger picture, and the Evans couple because they always were happy to get more information about the magical world, besides getting a better picture what was going on in it.
Listening to everything the Evans couple couldn't help but to shake their heads while Sirius was describing the trial, but saved their comments for later. They were also interested when Sirius explained his rather complex family situation, due to the presence of no less than five current and former Blacks in the courtroom. To say that Thomas realized that there were families way more dysfunctional than he'd realized was an understatement. The troubles of Lily and Petunia with their parents looked harmless compared to that.
When Sirius was finally done with his recounting of the day's events, everyone needed some moments to process all this.
"No offense, but your justice system does not sound very functional. The description of that courtroom sounded more like 'bread and circuses', only that instead of gladiators fighting or people being thrown to the lions, they are given to these dementor monsters," Thomas finally said.
"Yes, and one of the accused being the judge's own son would have disqualified the man in a normal court from leading the trial due to being too close to the case. That rule is there to prevent exactly what you described: a revenge-driven judgment despite shaky evidence at best," Veronica added.
"Well, these are some of the many reasons why I took the exit. After watching those guilty as sin getting away with a cheap excuse that they were under mind control, it made me wonder if we had really won this war. If it's so easy to get away scot-free if you have enough money. I bet my last Knut that they'll soon be back to their old tricks." Sirius made no secret how much that angered him.
"You make it sound like Harry should never enter that world," Remus observed.
"Oh, don't get me wrong, it's his heritage and the world is not black and white. There are also many good people there, they just have trouble to be heard. I'm not as arrogant to think that I can make that decision for him. It's solely up to him to make it, once he's old and mature enough to do so," Sirius said, holding Harry close.
"It's still a bit weird to hear such mature statements from you, Padfoot," Remus noted.
If anything, it felt more weird to Sirius himself. "I was forced to mature really fast. Our school days are over; now we have to see how to manage life."
"So, you are done with them now? What do you plan on doing next? I know you are planning on staying close by," Thomas asked.
"Well, for the moment, I'm staying in a rented flat in London. But it's merely a bachelor crash pad, little more than that. I want to be part of Harry's life, and that means living close by. As much as this is - nothing personal - a rather boring neighborhood, Harry's presence alone is worth it," Sirius explained.
Remus knew the flat in question. It consisted of little more than a small bedroom, a cramped bathroom and a kitchen consisting of little more than a fridge and a stove. It was impossible for more than one person to live in it, due to its small size. However, who was he to say such things? After all, his own living arrangements were hardly any better, due to a constant lack of money and being unable to rent in the magical world because of his condition.
"So you are planning on buying a house close by? Isn't that very expensive?" Veronica asked, remembering the price for their own house, which was substantial.
Sirius shook his head. "No, not at all. My Uncle Alphard left me his whole personal fortune. Boy, for that he got disowned post mortem by the family. They couldn't stand the idea that I now was financially independent. Even after buying the house, I would still have enough for the rest of my life."
Taking Harry off Sirius, Veronica wondered how Sirius could have turned out so well despite such a horrible family. "Your family makes me wonder how deep people could sink. Oh, the way you spoke of it, you already seem to have a house in mind."
"Padfoot, I know that smirk," Remus remarked. He'd seen it when ever Sirius was planning to prank someone.
"Oh, I indeed already found a house, there's just some legal red tape to be done. Everything is legal, but Petunia and her husband the walrus won't like their new neighbor in the slightest," he said, starting to chuckle.
Now realizing what this was about, Thomas could see the humor in it. "You mean, a house directly next to theirs was available? Knowing her, she'll be completely horrified to have a wizard as a neighbor."
"It was not even intentional. It just happened that their neighbors were offering their house for sale since they want to move away. I simply saw the sign when scoping out the neighborhood and things got rolling from there. Getting this little revenge on Petunia is just a nice bonus, and I don't have to do anything for it." To Sirius, this was just perfect.
"Well, she certainly deserves this, especially since the whole punishment thing with a wizard as a neighbor only happens due to her own bigoted views," Veronica added, feeling this was just gold.
"Oh, not just one wizard." Sirius turned to Remus. "Moony, you said you would be at my side if I make a hard cut. Now is the moment to see if you really mean it. After all, you lamented often enough about the stigma you are facing."
"You mean... moving in... with you?" Seeing Sirius nod, Remus needed some moments to think about it.
Normally, Remus was a person strongly opposed to charity for himself, due to him having started to associate charity with pity over his lycanthropy - something he disliked immensely. People who didn't know him as well as his friends did could mistake it as misguided pride. However, he realized that what Sirius was offering was not charity at all, it was something entirely different. Sirius wanted to help his friend get a fresh start without the stigma of his lycanthropy. Further, he clearly wanted his friend in his life and have him be part of Harry growing up.
With all that in mind, it proved impossible to decline Sirius' offer.
"I...yes... I have no idea what else to say," Remus stammered, overwhelmed by such compassion.
"No need to say anything. It's enough you agreed."
Wait a moment... Thomas realized.
Thomas chuckled after finishing the thought. "You know, that will perhaps horrify the Dursleys even more?" Seeing blank looks, he added, "Look, two adult men living in the same house. What kind of conclusion you think Petunia and Vernon will come to?"
Finally realizing what he meant, Sirius and Remus started laughing at this unintentional prank they would pull on the Dursleys. Little Harry looked confused at the sudden laughter, while Veronica could only shake her head at this somewhat childish display.
"At times I don't get male humor, though I do understand why they find it funny," she told Harry.
...next day, November 21st...
Kreacher knew this would be a difficult day right when he got the morning edition of the Daily Prophet for his Mistress Walburga. Just one look at the headlines - a habit he adopted after several close calls with her temper - was enough that he knew to be careful.
"Oh, Mistress Walburga will not like this at all. Kreacher needs to be careful," he whispered to himself, dreading what he knew would come next.
The big story of course was Mistress Bellatrix going to Azkaban. Walburga Black wouldn't like that at all, having actually approved of most of the horrible things Bellatrix did as part of the Death Eaters. That was a huge blow to the House of Black. However, the thing hitting even closer to home was the story about that swine Sirius. In his warped worldview, thanks to his surroundings, Keacher put all the blame for the alienation between Sirius and the family at Sirius' feet.
However, what was printed in the newspaper about the traitor was a totally different kind of bomb.
Kreacher was fully devoted to the House of Black, and especially to Mistress Walburga after Master Orion's sad early demise. However, he also had certain survival instincts, and as much as he wanted his Mistress to cut off his head and put it on display like with his predecessors, he first wanted to serve the House of Black for as long as he could. That however would hardly be possible by becoming collateral damage of his Mistress' moods.
More in the back of his head also was the rationalization that he could only finally figure out how to destroy that locket of Master Regulus if he would live long enough to find a way. The hope to accomplish that and the idea that he was still following the order actually kept him sane.
"The morning paper, Mistress," he said after entering the morning room.
Walburga Black simply took it with no further comment. After all, someone in her position shouldn't thank a house-elf for the expected service and even acknowledging them more than necessary was discouraged. She thus also didn't notice Kreacher quickly departing for the room with the silver cabinets as an excuse for his absence.
It took only one look at the headlines for her mood to worsen significantly.
The morning newspaper was her only source of news, having secluded herself a lot after the deaths of her husband Orion and her son Regulus. This was the first time she read of what happened the previous day. She had already expected that Bellatrix would never live to see the light of the day again - getting caught red-handed like she did could only result in life in Azkaban. No, it was the other news story that enraged her to no end.
The more she read what her wayward son had said, the more agitated she became. How dare this shame to all Blacks say these things?!
Sure, she'd known for years that her elder son had gone blood-traitor, did so already during his years at Hogwarts - the very reason why she had disowned him and blasted him off the family tapestry. Normally, such behavior from her former son would no longer surprise her - though still anger her. Yet, all of his past transgressions paled compared to his actions as of yesterday.
"Declaring this... Right in front of everyone!" she hissed when reading how Sirius saw the magical world and his disillusionment with it.
The biggest nugget was yet to come however.
"He plans to do WHAT?!" Mrs. Black finally exploded, threatening to rip the newspaper apart. "He wants to live like a lowly mudblood!? I bet he's using the money this traitor Alphard left him. This... this goes beyond mere blood-traitor! Ohhh, I should have killed him when I still had the opportunity!"
Finally throwing the Daily Prophet away, she got out of her seat and took hold of her wand. Her blood pressure was rising significantly the more enraged she became. Her healer had told her to dial down her temper, or something bad could happen, but what did these quacks know? She had every right to be this angry now!
Trembling in rage, she aimed her wand at the nearest vase she could find.
-blaaangkliiir-
Kreacher heard his Mistress starting to blast things into pieces - things that he knew he would have to repair once she had exhausted her temper.
He then returned his attention to polishing the silver by hand. Sure, he could have used his magic for it, but not only did he enjoy doing it by hand, it also gave him a reason to not leave for quite a while - more than enough time for his Mistress to calm down. Her temper was getting worse in recent years, forcing Kreacher to develop new survival instincts the fast way.
Thankfully, she was doing the damage in a room where no family heirlooms were stored - actually nothing of worth was in it.
Kreacher had to think of a locket that sat in a glass case in the drawing room. His Mistress had not questioned its sudden appearance and dismissed it as one of the many heirlooms coming out of storage and being on display now. It was in plain sight and yet in the safest place imaginable.
Kreacher should not think of such things right now, he reminded himself, getting back to his time-consuming work.
...November 22nd, Crouch manor...
Bartemius Crouch Senior looked out of the window of his modest manor house, but he didn't see a cold November day outside. No, his thoughts were occupied with something entirely else.
All what I have done for society, keeping it safe in the darkest time, and this is how they thank me? The whining of this little weakling swaying them shows how weak they are, he thought in grave disappointment.
A mere week ago, he had been at the top, and now it all could be gone in no time.
To Crouch this felt very unfair. He had sacrificed a lot of his strength and time to fight back against the Death Eaters threatening to topple magical Britain. Sure, there were those who were whining that his methods were like using a huge club to smash open a walnut, about the amount of injustice generated in the justice system and his methods - like allowing the use of the Unforgivables - erasing any difference between them and the enemy, but he had learned to ignore them quickly.
However, after the scene his good-for-nothing son had pulled off in court to make himself look the victim of his father's cold-heartedness, not to speak of the fact his son was a Death Eater, these weaklings came out of their holes, smelling a chance to cut him down.
He knew that these events were putting his chance of becoming Minister for Magic in the next elections in serious doubt. To him it looked like these weaklings preached to the public that he now looked like a cold-hearted bastard, who had first neglected his son and then used a kangaroo court to quickly get rid of the reminder of his failure on shaky evidence. Guilt or innocence didn't interest these sheep, only how it looked like. Of course the press then dragged his methods from the war back into the limelight.
From the safety of peace, it's easy to give moral lectures. They have no idea that the end does justify the means, he thought bitterly when remembering the most recent issue of the Daily Prophet.
While his reputation was still high at the moment, even he could see that it was starting to slide. Some more months of this and he knew his career would hit a dead end. There already was talk in the Ministry to make him the leader of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. In his mind that was little better than being given a desk with a magical window. He knew that they couldn't remove him outright, so they were thinking about giving him that department to make sure he'd hold a dead-end job with no hope of ever ascending to a higher position again.
He was the victim in all of this, that was for sure.
They of course don't understand that sacrifices have to be made for the greater good. They are naive if they think you can get security for free, he ranted silently.
Sensing that someone else was present, he looked around and spotted his wife standing in the door.
It was only now, after the war, that he was starting to notice that she had went through changes. She looked thinner than he remembered, and a bit paler as well. That made him wonder why he hadn't noticed before, since this could hardly have been a recent development. Her whole body language had changed as well. She no longer was the open person she once had been. She now looked guarded and closed-off. Indeed, she didn't say one word and just gave him an unreadable look, before she turned around and left.
That strange behavior made him wonder what was the matter with her. Was it because of recent events? Was she disappointed because their son turned out to be a Death Eater, or was she blaming him for doing his job and throwing him into Azkaban for his deeds?
Now he was starting to worry about her as well, on top of his other troubles.
...Privet Drive, November 25th...
Parking the car after returning from work at Grunnings, Vernon Dursley was surprised to see that there was a lot of activity going on in and around the neighboring house No. 6. The Wilkens had moved out last week and he'd expected the house to stay empty for a while. That they seemed to have found a buyer this fast was remarkable. He was sure, Petunia could tell him more about it - after all, she was always well-informed about everything in the neighborhood.
"Hello, Petunia. Looks like we are getting new neighbors," he greeted her in the house, knowing this was the appropriate bait.
"Oh, indeed, Vernon. It's very interesting." She took great pride on missing nothing in the neighborhood. "It started shortly after you left for work. Not only is someone moving in, they are also making sure the house is maintained properly. I think, however, they are almost done by now."
Vernon listened with interest, knowing it meant that whoever was moving in, they did have serious money. He was smelling a possible rival in the social game. "Interesting, who is moving in?"
Now Petunia looked a bit embarrassed. "I honestly don't know yet. Whoever it is, they have not arrived yet. Oh, I wonder what kind of people they are?"
"They must have money, or at least a good credit rating to get support from the bank, otherwise they couldn't have bought the house," Vernon concluded, while hanging up his suit jacket, and taking off his necktie. "I'm sure we'll know very soon."
Petunia meanwhile again was looking through the window to see if any new development happened. Suddenly, she became excited. "Ah, Vernon! Something is happening. I... well, that's no car."
Wondering what his wife was talking about, he walked to the window and saw what she meant. "A motorcycle," he grunted, already disapproving of what he saw. "No one worth of respect would drive something like that."
As oblivious as he was of other things, Vernon was really good at quickly casting judgment on other people concerning their place on the social ladder. To him, people that have the money to buy a house but insisted on driving a motorcycle had no class and thus already were his lessers. After all, he was really good at creating prejudices against people he didn't even properly met.
"Yes, Vernon, these people must have money but no class." Petunia's eyes then widened when she saw the rider help the passenger out of the sidecar. "Great goodness, Vernon, look at that!"
"I see it." Vernon's mood dropped when he saw that it was two men who were now walking to the house.
Now, Vernon and Petunia had certain ideas about people and society. To them, it was simply unthinkable that two adult men could live in the same house simply as friends who shared said house. No, in their mind, seeing these two men act so familiar with each other and the fact they would live in the same house, could mean only one thing: these two men were gay! (and not in the meaning of happy)
The Dursley couple shared a code of prejudices towards certain social groups, and gay men were on their list of unacceptable freaks they could not tolerate. In their mind it was already summing up: classless hacks with too much money than it's good and they were gay on top of it. Yes, they had already made up their minds about their new neighbors and Petunia vowed to turn the opinion of their neighborhood against these intruders into their middle-class heaven.
That was, until Petunia got a good look at one of the men when he stepped into the light coming from the front door. "Oh no!" she gasped.
"Petunia?" The sudden change in mood in his wife concerned Vernon.
"I recognize that man! He is one of THEM!" She sounded close to a panic.
Now Vernon started to panic as well. "Are you sure?!"
"You remember when my sister introduced us to that none-for-good boyfriend of hers? When we were leaving, how we were confronted by this ruffian? He was dressed like one of these bikers," she told her husband.
Vernon did remember. The man had been about to pull a wand on them in anger, when James Potter had stormed out and lectured the man that they had agreed they didn't need backup and that he wouldn't haul his arse out of prison. Vernon paled at the memory. "But... that means the other one must be one of them as well!"
"Oh, Vernon, what should we do now?" Petunia was horrified at the idea of having wizards as neighbors.
This was one of their worst nightmares coming true. If they tried to do something to get rid of these two, even if it only was smearing their reputation to make them leave, they imagined they would retaliate by turning them into frogs or worse. Their dislike of their new neighbors was now kept in check by the fear what two adult wizards could do to them, if being angered.
They had no idea that Sirius and Remus were well aware of their spying on them.
"They really seem to think we wouldn't notice them standing in the illuminated window," Sirius snorted. "The walrus has become much fatter than I remember him, while Petunia now resembles a beanstalk with how thin she is."
"You think they recognized you?" Remus asked his friend.
"Considering how both of them paled, I think so. That should make sure they won't trouble us." Sirius then chuckled. "Oh, poor Dursleys. Now they have to live with their worst nightmare living just next door, endangering their little paradise."
"Well, it also was the only house available in the neighborhood, so it's just a nice bonus. Eh, Padfoot, please don't do anything you could regret later," Remus then warned his friend.
"Oh, don't worry. These bigots are not worth me being sent to Azkaban and I'm certainly not into Muggle-baiting. Only arseholes do that," Sirius waved it off.
Well, the last thing certainly was true. While in retrospect they had been quite nasty in their teenage years with pranks that at times were downright cruel and sometimes even more than that - Remus still shuddered at Sirius' stupidity of almost getting Snape torn apart by the wolf - none of them had ever done anything against Muggles. While bigoted pure-bloods saw it as a funny sport, none of them ever did anything like that.
Walking into the house that would be their home for years to come, Sirius and Remus knew this would be a great change in their lives. This was all new for them and it would take time for them to adapt. However, for Harry's sake they would find the strength and patience to do so.
o
-rriiiiing- The telephone rang in an office where the desk lamp was the only light source. Everything else was shrouded in shadows.
"Yes?" a woman said when answering the phone.
"They have both moved in. The information was correct. Should we do any further actions?" a man reported from the other end of the line.
"No. Our checks confirmed, apart from one incident with a traffic stop some years ago, which not even was their fault due to outside interference, these two have done nothing to warrant such a thing," she told the man. "MI-X does not exist to conduct a witch hunt. We are only interested in the security of our country."
"All right. Should we engage in long-term observation? After all, these two are very important men," the man asked further.
"Yes, but be discreet. There is no need to anger them by being too invasive. We'll know anyways should something important happen," she told him.
"We've already purchased a house at the edge of the neighborhood. I'll report once everything is set up."
"Good. Keep me informed." She then hung up the phone.
...6 Privet Drive, December 12th...
It was now over three weeks since he had cut next to all ties to the magical world, and Sirius, now that he had the time to think in peace, wondered where he should go next with his own life. The whole war situation and the aftermath had made any planning impossible, but now he was looking forward to a whole decade without much or any contact with the magical world.
Granted, since his Uncle Alphard had left him his entire personal fortune - which was quite substantial - he didn't exactly have the need to seek employment. However, the mere idea of always sitting at home without doing anything constructive didn't sit well with him. The Evans were doing the lion's share of actually raising Harry, so he was left with lots of time at his hands. He needed something to do.
One problem however was, what exactly he should strive for, since for almost his entire life he had only known the magical world.
He knew Remus had his sights on being in the educational sector, even if his medical problems with his lycanthropy prevented him from becoming a full-time teacher at a school. He had already started to get the needed non-magical education some time ago, so he could get a license, making Sirius realize that Remus had already been on his way out of the magical world. His friend told him, being a private tutor, with flexible work hours, would be the best in his situation.
Moony already knows what he wants, but I don't, Sirius thought while looking over various employment magazines he had bought in order to get an idea what qualifications he'd need himself.
It was sobering to think that despite finishing Hogwarts with good grades - thanks to his friends - that wouldn't even qualify him to become a mere store clerk in the non-magical world. He had no wish to work some minimum wage job and knew that it meant he had to enter adult education in order to get the needed credentials to get anything better. It would be difficult and hard work, but one thing all Blacks were known for was being stubborn.
"What are you reading there?"
Looking up, Sirius saw Remus enter. His friend looked tired, which was no wonder, since yesterday had been a full moon. Good that they had a shack in a nearby forest prepared in time, so that the wolf would be content to simply spend time with its friend in there and then sleep it off until dawn. It certainly was better than the alternative.
Sirius waved at the magazines. "Oh, I'm trying to find out what I want to do and what I need for it. Fresh coffee is in the kitchen."
Knowing how to use a coffee machine was one of their best accomplishments. Even them, who had been exposed a lot to the non-magical world - and in Sirius' case embraced it to piss off his parents - were shocked at how little they actually knew. Living in a fully non-magical environment and vowing to only use their magic in emergencies however were good teachers for learning fast. It also gave them a reminder of how painfully ignorant the normal wizard and witch had to be - at least those without a significant Muggle background and from the older generations.
Remus left without another word and returned some minutes later, looking more awake and holding a cup. "You know that you need to get a non-magical education before you can qualify for any of these, right?"
"And how I know," Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "Not that this is impossible. I survived seven years of Hogwarts, so I can do this in a reasonable time as well. The problem is that I have no idea what I want to go for."
Sitting down, Remus took one look at the stack of employment magazines and then shook his head. "Padfoot, I think you are approaching this the wrong way."
"I do?" Sirius asked.
"Yes, why don't you first try to imagine what you actually think you'd like to do. Maybe remember what you were told during your job orientation at Hogwarts and the advice Prongs was giving you," Remus suggested.
Sirius tried to remember. "I remember McGonagall mentioning that many Blacks went into politics, but that's not helpful. She also mentioned my grades would allow me to become an enchanter, but that's nothing useful here."
"Anything else?" Remus wondered.
"Well, she said it also opens a number of opportunities at the Ministry for me, and that not only meant desk jobs," Sirius remembered. "I remember James saying... wait a moment, perhaps. Now I remember... where is it?"
Sirius started to look through everything until he found what he was looking for. Opening the correct page, it showed a page from the Surrey police. It looked... exactly what one would describe 'official'. Really dry and boring and stuffed with text. However, looking at it, it caused Remus' eyebrows to rise when realizing what this was about.
Looking back to his friend, Remus asked, "James suggested you should become an Auror?"
Nodding, Sirius took a closer look at the page. "He said I would fulfill all the criteria for it and he would have joined them himself in time, if not for first wanting to make time for Lily and then the whole thing with Voldemort wanting to murder them to get to Harry."
Taking another look at what Sirius was reading, he tried to imagine his friend as an officer of the law. Sirius certainly would make a good officer - the war and its aftermath seemed to have removed most of his immaturity. The Sirius Black who left Hogwarts and the Sirius Black of the present time were two quite different people. The current Sirius was much more serious (no pun) but at the same time knew when to lighten the atmosphere.
"You know that in order to take part of the recruitment drive next year, you would have to plow through your education like a madman? Doing the work of several years in mere seven months is something even I would think twice about," Remus warned his friend.
Trying to imagine himself as a massive bookworm, surrounded by countless books, papers and empty coffee mugs, working tirelessly to make up for his lack of formal education, Sirius at first felt a bit intimidated.
Pull yourself together! You survived 16 years with your awful family and a war, so why are you afraid of getting more education? he then berated himself.
"I'll make it... well, perhaps if you can help me out?" Sirius gave him a hopeful look.
Why do I have the feeling I'm going to regret this? Remus thought while reluctantly voicing his agreement.
...April 29th 1982...
Barty Crouch was in a miserable mood while returning home. Today had been the lowpoint after months of a constant slide.
The whole mess had pretty much started when he had sentenced his useless son, who had dared to become a Death Eater, to life in Azkaban. That had started the destruction of his reputation, with all kind of backstabbers turning up and relaying their attacks through the press. Over months his reputation had slid further and further, the more stories were dug up. Oh, it wasn't all at once, it always was in small doses.
Additionally, his wife had finally admitted that she was ill - terminally ill that was. The healers saw no chance to help her and even all the magic in the world would be unable to cure her. That had been the second strike against him, as if fate itself decided to conspire against him. He was used to be in control, but now these two developments were something he could do nothing about.
He still wondered why he had given in on her plan on getting their son out of Azkaban. Perhaps it was due to weakness - she was one of his few weaknesses after all.
Visiting him, he had put his son under the Imperius Curse and then polyjuice was used to make his son and his wife take each other's form, so that she could take his place. Just two days ago he got the news that his "son" had died in Azkaban and only yesterday he had staged a funeral for his wife with a secretly empty grave, while Barty Jr. was safely locked up and guarded by Winky, the house-elf.
Well, with these seeming death of his son in prison, the whole smearing of his name was complete.
They only waited for it, he thought in bitterness.
It was like everyone had only waited for that event to dump tons of vitriol over him. He was sure even before leaving this morning, that his ambitions had hit a dead end. He got a long-winded explanation from Minister Bagnold about how circumstances were convincing her this was the best decision, but he knew she wanted to make sure that the Ministry would not be caught in his downward spiral.
From the head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement to head of International Magical Cooperation. That's a barely disguised demotion, he steamed.
He however would not give up. Oh yes, he would make a return, regardless how long it would take!
Thing was, Crouch had no idea he was lying to himself.
In actuality, all the things that had been dragged back into the limelight had happened exactly as described, the whole thing with his son was just a catalyst for the public to begin to doubt him. That was, why his popularity had sunk like a rock; people looking back and realizing what he did was not that different from the enemy. Crouch of course didn't see it that way and needed to blame someone else. In his world, he couldn't be at fault for anything.
That way of thinking after all was far more convenient.
Stepping of of the fireplace, he right away was greeted by Winky. "How is he behaving?" he asked right away, not bothering with acting nice, since he felt a house-elf didn't need that.
"Winky is proud to tell that young Master is behaving very well, Master Barty," Winky reported. She tried to sound enthusiastic, but the loss of her Mistress had hit her hard.
That he behaved well was no surprise, due to him being under the curse. "Good, and I want it to stay that way. You are responsible for him, elf. So serve me well."
Winky for her part was excited for this long-term assignment. Sure, part of her was disappointed that her Master didn't use her name - her late Mistress having always addressed her by name - but unlike other masters, Master Barty wouldn't force her to punish herself.
Winky was a good elf and would follow her Master's orders to the letter.
to be continued...
Next Episode:
"Little Whinging's Finest"
Notes:
Here the notes.
As you can see, the ripples are continuing. Now, some might now say that this destroyes neville's backstory. However, I think growing up with parents who got crippled would be almost as bad as them insane. This also gave me a chance to have some Moody in the chapter.
Yeah, Sirius for the time being is done with the magical world - too much has happened and he wants to concentrate on Harry as best as he can. That that of course has effects - seen with how Walburga reacts - was inevitable.
Making Sirius the neighbor of the Dursleys was an idea I got early. Not only are they 'punished' (even though they do it all to themselves) by having two wizards as neighbors, but I reasond that people like them, especially in the 80s, would be quite homophobic, even if they are wrong about it (but don't know that).