"Wormtail!" Crouch growled into the fire in his office. "Wormtail, show yourself!" He felt the ache in his mind as he glanced from the fire briefly before looking back into it. He had taken a risk calling at this time of the day but his potion supply had run up again.
"Crouch?! What in the nine hells are you doing contacting us like this?!" The whining, grating noise of a voice came echoing back at him.
"I need more polyjuice potion! Snape is getting too suspicious of his pantry being ransacked for me to be able to gain the supplies anymore." Crouch huffed.
"What are you doing raiding it?! I made you enough for a full school year!…Apologizes to my Lord, I will try to keep it down." Wormtail's voice turned from the fire softly before returning. The next thing Crouch knew a crate came through the fire beside him. "Now be careful! No one knows the true danger of using this as much as it seems your using it. Some even suspect-"
"Silence you sniveling maggot! I am one of the Lord's most trustworthy! I will do as I need!" He extinguished the fire and opened the crate grabbing a bottle as fast as he could and chugging it down. "Aaaaaaaah" He exhaled softly as his robotic eye whirled around the room looking at every and all points of the room as if taking stock of his surroundings. Yes yes constant vigilance like he….wait….like Moody always said." He glared slightly and reached over pulling himself upright and onto his wooden leg moaning softly as he snapped it into place. He'd need a better one soon, it's driving him mad. Hahahahaha Mad-eye Moody being driven Mad! He thought.
"You are an idiot."
Those were beginning to become her catchphrase when it came to fixing the situations of her family Andromeda realized as she looked to the ground in the goblin courtroom as Remus sat surrounded by goblin guard. Their spears pointed at him as he sat between all of them.
"I….Yes. Yes you're right and I'm sorry and you're my best friend. Now if you wouldn't mind, GET ME THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" Remus apologized up and down for the tenth time to Andromeda as they stood there together. God damn it Sirius, he thought, You owe me way too goddamn much now!
Funny enough as that thought was being made, the animagus was hauled into the hall in his dog form by four leashes. As he was brought down a voice rang out from the top of the courtroom. "Revert him back to the form of man." The voice was calm and yet had a power in it that made Remus anxious. A goblin nodded and approached Sirius and snapped his fingers causing the magic to reform Sirius into his human form groaning as he was forcibly turned back.
"IT HURTS WHEN YOU DO IT THAT FAST!" He growled out before taking a deep breath. "You could have used a cloak instead…." Sirius muttered, getting a bit of laughter from the goblins assembled.
"That may be the case Lord Black." The voice spoke again before the lights of the court grew brighter and a council of goblins could be seen around them before he looked down upon them. "I am Ragnuk. King of The Goblin Nation. You have brought a dark magical artifact into Gringotts violating the treaty put forward by YOUR people." He glared down. "The only reason you have not been immediately executed on the spot is due to the fact a similar one was found in the vault of the Lestranges. I demand to know who and how you found it. I have allowed you to have representation due to your connection to Madam Tonks, due to her high ranking legal council reputation. Mind you we have only truly done this because of her speaking on your behalf."
This was high praise from a goblin to a wizard. Praise that had not been given since the time of the Founders. Albeit that is primarily due to the arrogance and supposed superiority of modern wizards and witches. Neither the less Andromeda was in shock as she stared upwards at Ragnuk.
"Th-Thank you Lord Ragnuk." Andromeda stuttered out before looking back at Remus and Sirius…..WAIT SIRIUS. Her stuttering and confusion turned to anger as she rushed forward at the man first her hand balled up into a fist.
"Hiiiiiii Andi…now listen I think it's time we talk- '' Sirius stuttered out before he was slapped and then hugged closely before smacking once more. Then she continued.
"You Lying Bastard! Son of a Bitch! You lying-" Her words capitalized with a punch or a smack. Sirius grabbed her hands and wrapped them down before his arms went around her.
"Listen…Listen to me! LISTEN TO ME!" Sirius fought her to stop struggling. "I DIDN'T KILL THEM! I COULDN'T…."Sirius sighed as he slowly let go. "I'll explain afterward…"
"If The Honorable Black Family may finish these conversations at a later date we must continue to discuss our situation." The three individuals sat down. "Now ... .How did a horcrux come to your possessions?" And so for several hours a discussion was had over how a horcrux was and how it was found.
"We have come to the acknowledgement that you did not knowingly or intentionally bring a horcrux into our place of business and due to the lack of magic connecting you or your family to them."
"What do you mean connected magic?" Andromeda asked, confused.
"When a horcrux is made it is a severing of your soul and in doing so it contains trace amounts of your magic. The Black Family has a unique form of this. The Black Madness as you have dubbed it for all of you…There are no traces inside them. If you would be kind enough to us to bring any new ones found here for destruction."
"So….That's how Voldemort survived…".Sirius was in shock as he slumped back in his chair and shuddered.
Andromeda was in shock and then looked at Sirius. "Yes that's how your Master survived…."
"Council Tonks. Sirius Black could not be a traitor to the Potters as due to the Godfather ceremony on young Lord Harry Potter."
Andromeda began to tear up. "So….i've been forced to think…." She looked at Sirius.
"It's okay Andi….it's okay." She stood and rushed into her cousin's arms hugging him close.
"I'll get your name clear I promise. I'm so sorry Sirius!" Andromeda cried into him after they had all been dismissed from the courtroom together.
"I know you will Andi…I never blamed you for not believing me okay?" Sirius tilted her head up to face him. "I'd go turn myself in to the Ministry but I'd be given the kiss or sanctioned for execution before I even had the trial ...but maybe Amy…."
"Oh Siri…" Andromeda looked at him sadly. "You know she'd have to do her job…Amy always was that way." Sirius sighed and nodded before Remus came over and gently rubbed his back. "Now come with me we'll take you home so you're safe…and i'll come by to talk after tonight okay? ... .It'll be a bit before I can bring Nymphadora…she's still…antsy about the situation." With a nod and a form change she walked them out but in her thoughts was the realization that she'd need to fully get Siri free.
"Inconceivable!" Selune hissed above Harry as he discussed his dream with the ancient serpent. "Even my master would tell you the same." Selune looked down at him. " This is a simple side effect of the Madness absorbing the horcrux within you. After All this was made for a being with one soul within them. It was never thought of what would happen if a second was present like in you. You are not the False One." Selune leaned down to look Harry in the eye. When the boy had awoken in such a panic he had been unable to tell her what it was until she finally worked it out of him.
" These are his memories though…Parts of him….shouldn't i be afraid that I will become him?" Harry once again argued. "Even Dumbledore once compared me to him."
"DUMBLEDORE IS A OLD FOOL AND You Should remember he has not had your best interest at heart." Her voice was like a mothers, loud at first but then quieting as if realizing that she had started it too loud. Her words made sense to young Harry but still the doubt remained. So perhaps, she thought, I should try another approach. "Have you found a date yet for the Yule Ball? It is next week, is it not?"
Harry suddenly spun around and looked back at her "NEXT WEEK?!"
" Yes you were down here training so much recently I thought you had already found a date."
"No, I didn't find a date! Shit! McGonagall is gonna kill me…"
"HARRY JAMES POTTER,-"
"ARE YOU TELLING ME YOU HAVEN'T FOUND A DATE YET?!" Hermione scolded Harry before they walked into the Great Hall heading down to their seats.
"Wow…the fact you are the second person in the past two hours to yell at me like that for that exact reason is kinda surprising." Harry chuckled slightly as they took a seat and sighed. "No I haven't …Been busy with my mind over the Tasks."
"Harry you need to find someone or e-" A scream and a running body that almost knocked her over if it wasn't for Harry's hand wrapping around her waist and holding her, surprised and interrupted her. "What was that?" She asked slightly dazed.
"Ronald." Two voices said at once as the Patil twins said as they sat down across from Harry and Hermione. "We think he was trying to ask Fleur out but well…he panicked." Hermione giggled slightly as Harry rolled his eyes.
"Git deserves it a little." Harry muttered into his drink. "Besides I heard she's going with Davis." He took another sip from his drink. "He apparently didn't just go blank eyed so she was impressed enough.
"Enough focusing on others. What are you going to do, Harry?" Hermione got back on track.
"What do you mean Hermione?" Padme asked.
"It's noth-"
"Harry hasn't found a date yet."
"Hermione!"
"Sorry, but it's true."
"Still don't need to make me sound like Ron." They laughed lightly as Harry took another drink. Quite large compared to his previous sips. "Besides maybe if i…"
"Harry?" Parvati asked as she saw him look down at his cup slightly before pushing himself up from the table and grabbing his throat. "Harry!" The twins jumped up and slid over to the other side of the tables as they joined Hermione when Harry went to his knees clutching his chest.
"Agh! I can't….." He groaned loudly and pushed himself back as he growled deeply. Hermione grabbed the cup and looked in it seeing the pumpkin juice looked slightly…discolored. Snape was down the rows instantly grabbing the cup and looking in it as he took a sniff.
"Love Potion…..a very powerful one." Harry screamed as he threw himself onto his back and opening his mouth black smoke escaped him flowing up in the air until it balled up and inside was a pink heart spinning in a circle before it collapsed in on itself destroying itself. Harry gasped for air as he leaned back to the floor spitting the remains of his stomach to the ground. "Patils….take Mr. Potter to the Medical Wing." The girls nodded and helped Harry up, walking him out of the hall.
"How are you feeling Harry?" Padme asked as they walked together.
"I'll be fine...give me a moment and I'll be fine…I don't need to see Pomfrey." The twins looked at each other debating. "Trust me." He moved slightly off their arms and sat down on a few steps. "Thanks for making sure I didn't crack my skull back there."
"Anytime Harry."
"Let me know if you need help with anything and I'll be there I promise." They were about to head back to the Great Hall before the twins looked at each other. Something passed between the two of them as they both smirked and turned around back to Harry.
"Actually Harry there is something you can help us with…"
"And it'll help you out too." The twins started and finished each other's sentence
"And what would that be girls?" Harry looked up, wiping his eyes of tears.
"Will you take the both of us to the Yule Ball?" They asked with their arms around each other.