Chapter 56: Moving Forward
"WOOO!" Sirius shouted at the top of his lungs as he waved his shirt and a copy of the latest Daily Prophet in the air while standing on a table. "I'M FREE!"
"Take it off! Take it off!" Hildegarde chanted, the young dwarven woman pounding the table excitedly as she watched. She wasn't alone. Several people were watching the crazy man proclaiming his freedom in the middle of club while standing on a table, many of whom had appreciative looks in their eyes as they took in Black's chiseled body. A few months of food and he no longer resembled a shaggy skeleton.
It was April 1st, a day after the 'Trial of the Century' as the magical papers reported it, and everyone across Magical Britain now knew that Sirius Black was an innocent man and the true culprit was behind bars.
The Light and Dark Factions in the Wizengamot had also completely collapsed as a result of the trial. Dumbledore stepped down from his position as Chief Warlock in order to avoid being ousted by a political rival, and was supposedly being investigated by the Ministry after word regarding the potential existence of a Basilisk being in the school was spread by the students to their parents.
Whether or not he kept his job as Headmaster was up in the air, though I doubted he'd lose that position. Dumbles wouldn't allow it, and he still had favors to cash in and allies to rely on, despite how tainted he had become. Odds were he'd just get a fine or slap on the wrist.
Malfoy and his lackeys suffered a lot as well after the trial. They had 'borrowed' a lot of money from the Blacks through Narcissa, and with Sirius exonerated, he could demand it all be repaid. There were also quite a few people in the Ministry and Wizengamot who'd been arrested after Pettigrew's confessions. Magical Britain was in an uproar, and didn't look like it'd settle down for a while, either.
Of course, scandals weren't the only thing on the menu. Today was also my birthday, and so to celebrate the occasion as well as Sirius' newfound freedom, we all went out to Mark's night club. Sirius wanted to cut loose, and that was the best place to do so.
Our group consisted of myself, Delilah, Hildegarde, Sam, Remus, and of course, Sirius. We were all gathered at a table in a corner of the club in the VIP section. Mark had given it to us when we called and asked for a spot to party in.
"To freedom!" Sam laughed, raising a bottle. Everyone cheered and toasted at that, and we all enjoyed the mood and the drinks.
"What do you plan on doing now that your name is cleared?" Delilah asked Sirius after he finally got down off the table.
"First, I'm going to reinstate my cousin Andromeda and welcome her back as a member of House Black," Sirius declared after he drained a beer in a single go. "Then, I'm going call in all of the 'loans' House Malfoy and his goons were making in the Black family name. Lucy won't end up bankrupt, but it will hurt him. Lastly, I'm kicking out Bellatrix. Crazy bitch has only gotten worse since getting locked up."
"You should see if you can get the goblins to scour the old Lestrange vault for any nifty valuables before you do that," I spoke up, thinking about Helga Hufflepuff's goblet and the shard of Voldy's soul inside of it. "Since Bellatrix was married to them, I bet you could get quite a bit of money out of it."
"Hmm, reclaiming the dowry might be possible," Sirius mused thoughtfully. "And since the Lestranges don't have any living relatives to contest that, I could just let the goblins plunder the vault for any goblin artifacts that might have been squirreled away. That would make them much more amenable to my plan."
I nodded, pleased by the idea. If the goblins discovered a Horcrux in the Lestrange vault, I was certain they would take care of it. As inhuman as the goblins were, they had a loathing towards necromancy that would ensure them destroying the artifact and denying Voldemort another sliver of his soul.
'I'll have to double-check with the goblins to make sure of it, but hopefully that's one problem taken care of,' I thought to myself.
"What about your house?" Remus asked. "Not that I'm kicking you out of mine, but my place isn't exactly built for two bachelors in mind."
"Ugh, don't remind me about that!" Sirius groaned, slumping a bit. "I haven't been in there in years, and I don't relish finding out what, exactly, has been festering within it since my childhood."
"Probably could get some people to look it over. Cursebreakers and what-not would have a field day in there," I pointed out, again trying to subtly lead Sirius to finding Slytherin's pendant.
"Hmm. Maybe. Still, I do want to clean it out, just to make it not so dreary," the animagus replied.
"I have a second cousin who is an interior designer," Hildegarde spoke up. "She does magical home renovations as well. Currently working in the States but I could put in a good word for you."
"Really? Thanks, that would be great!" Sirius said gratefully, flashing the dwarf a roguish smile that had her blushing.
"Girl's got it bad," Sam whispered to me and Delilah, and we nodded in agreement. Remus just looked amused, probably glad to have some ammunition to tease his friend with to get back at Sirius for the insinuations about him and Amelia Bones getting together.
Which had been a surprise to me. That was a pretty significant change to canon if it actually went anywhere, but I found I didn't mind it. Certainly a better match than Remus and Tonks. The age gap between them had been a bit too much for me, even if magical folk did live longer.
'Admittedly I don't really have a leg to stand on, what with my status as mentally older than I appear,' I thought as I sipped at my drink while glancing over Delilah, feeling like a hypocrite.
"Come on, let's dance!" Delilah said, grabbing my hand and tugging me out of my chair.
"Alright, alright!" I chuckled, letting her drag me out to the dance floor, letting the feelings from earlier wash away in the sheer energy filling the area. Delilah and I weren't the only ones to go down, either.
"Let's get to the fun part!" Sirius called out, and he and Sam dashed out and began to show off their moves. They soon had a crowd of people watching them party, and Remus and Hildegarde ventured out as well after a bit, not wanting to be left out.
It was a wild time. I didn't remember or recognize any of the songs being played, and honestly it all turned into a hazy blur, the lights and pounding music making it all feel like a dream and the passage of time had no meaning.
'This must be what the fairy courts were like,' I thought to myself. After a nice bit of exercise, we wandered back to the table to
"Whoo! What a rush!" Sirius said, panting like a dog as he leaned back in the booth eyes lingering on the scantily clad young women who were still dancing. "I had no idea the Muggles did this sort of thing! If I had, I'd have gone out for this sorta party scene all the time while in Hogwarts!"
"It's certainly different," Remus agreed, looking around and observing some other dancers. He wasn't a fan of the night club scene, I could tell. Neither was I, but it was something to do once in a while just to experience it.
'Also, this was a safer choice than Sirius' original idea for a party venue,' I thought to myself. The horndog had wanted to hit up a strip club. Nobody else did. This was the compromise.
"Dancing burns a lot more calories than I thought it would," Delilah hummed, fanning herself a bit.
"I agree! Which is why I prepared these!" I said, raising a hand and motioning towards one the men at the bar. He nodded, and walked off, only to return a moment later with a trolley laden with dozens of cupcakes.
"Would you look at that," Remus whistled, impressed by the massive pile of cupcakes one of Mark's guys wheeled over.
"Hah! Look at these!" Sirius laughed, noticing that they all had black dogs made of chocolate icing on the top.
"Glad you like 'em," Sam said with a proud grin. "Took me forever to make and decorate them all in time for tonight, but it was worth it!"
"There's enough for us all to get one," I said as they were passed around. "Plus, there's enough left over for everyone else in the club to partake if they want. Generosity and noblesse oblige and all that."
Letting the rest of the people partying at the club grab birthday cupcakes if they wanted them went down well with them, people cheering and toasting us while buying us drinks in thanks.
I giggled a bit, feeling a little tipsy. I hadn't drunk much, just a pair of margaritas, but the atmosphere had been more than enough to give me a buzz.
After a few more hours, our group started to disperse. Remus and Sam went first, leaving as they had their own plans for tomorrow.
"Remember to wrap it before you tap it, Ed," Sam whispered to me with a smirk as he got up to leave, and I blushed before slugging him in the arm.
Sirius and Hildegarde were next, leaving together. The dwarf was supporting Sirius, who'd drunk a bit too much and was now wobbly and unsteady on his feet.
And then, all that was left in the club was myself and Delilah.
"Should I call a cab?" I asked her, and she gave a demure nod.
Back at the apartment, we stared into each other's eyes.
"Are you sure?" I asked. "We don't have to do anything if you don't want to."
"Happy Birthday, Edward," Delilah whispered in my ear in response, nipping it slightly.
I shivered, face flushing a bit. "Alright, alright, I get what you're telling me," I murmured back. "Let's go to the bedroom."
That night, Delilah and I 'celebrated' my birthday in the privacy of my apartment.
111 &&& 111
The next morning, I woke up with the sun, feeling refreshed. I glanced over at the bed's other occupant. Delilah was still asleep, drooling into a pillow.
I carefully got out of bed, trying my best not to disturb her, though she did shift a bit, mumbling softly to herself when I was no longer beside her.
Throwing on a bathrobe, I tiptoed out of the apartment's bedroom, and went to the fridge, getting out some ingredients. Then, I moved over to the stovetop and greased a frying pan.
"Morning, Delilah," I said a few minutes later, greeting my girlfriend as she staggered out of the bedroom with a yawn, her hair messy.
"Mmm, pancakes for breakfast?" Delilah said as she sat down at the table, watching me work in the kitchenette.
"Chocolate chip with cinnamon," I confirmed. "There's also eggs and bacon that'll join 'em."
"You know how to treat a woman right," Delilah grinned.
"Anything for you," I replied, winking at her. She giggled, then yawned again.
"If you're still tired, you can go sleep some more," I offered. "You don't have class until eleven, after all."
"I suppose I could," she replied, eyeing me closely. "But this seems more enjoyable."
"Ah, I see, watching a man in an apron cook for you is one of your kinks, isn't it, you deviant," I teased, and she burst into laughter.
I served her breakfast a few minutes later, as well as grabbing some for myself. We ate, chatting about this and that, and simply enjoyed each other's company. She then grabbed a shower – I joined her in it – and afterwards, she left, giving me a kiss before heading out of the apartment.
Once she was gone, though, I had nothing else to do. No classes for me today. I did have some homework and assignments to finish before next week, but I had the weekend to work on them.
Left alone, my mind began to wander. I started to think about what I was going to do for the future. And not in the long-term, but in the shorter term.
There were only two more months before Harry returned from Hogwarts, and I had several plans for our group to do for summer break. One of which was traveling to the United States. New Orleans, to be precise, to check on the house the Flamels had left me in their will.
But thinking about those plans always derailed, as my mind kept drifting towards a topic I had no way to resist. The basilisk. Harry knew about it ahead of time, and had rescued the petrified victims early. Things should
Yet I couldn't help but worry about his safety. My mind refused to focus on anything else. Had I messed up by telling Harry all of this? Could the butterfly effect result in him getting injured, or worse, killed? I didn't like it, and found myself pacing about the living room, unable to calm down.
After a few minutes of this, I whispered for Inky, and he appeared at my side, looking concerned.
"Young Master Eddy, are you alright?" he asked nervously.
"I… can I ask you a favor, Inky?" I inquired, and he quickly nodded.
"Please go to Hogwarts, and if possible, can you speak to Fawkes, the headmaster's phoenix?" I requested. "Tell him… I wish to speak with him about a matter of urgency."
Inky tilted his head but nodded before popping away. I slumped onto the couch as I waited, hoping that this task could be carried out. As I did so, thoughts whirled about in my head.
There had been a question on my mind for the longest time regarding Fawkes. Why, exactly, had he bonded with Dumbledore?
Phoenixes were seen as symbols of goodness and the Light, and this wasn't exactly wrong. They were vehemently opposed to creatures and magic that could be described as 'Dark,' but good? Maybe. But not in the way humans might view it.
What a phoenix – or any animal, really – saw as 'good' differed slightly from the mindset of a human or other sapient being. That was why Fawkes could stand to be near Dumbledore, even when the man was willing to raise Harry as a living sacrifice, with no guarantee his mad plan would even work, or that Harry could survive a second killing curse.
Reading Nicholas Flamel's journal after I obtained it, I learned why Fawkes was willing to serve Dumbledore. It was because a phoenix did not see anything wrong with what the headmaster was doing. A single sacrifice to extend the life of the magical world by even a few decades was worth it in the eyes of a being whose only purpose was to serve magic itself.
Yes, a phoenix's concept of morality was very different from my own or another human's. They were creatures of magic, and when magic itself perished, so too would they. And that was creeping ever closer, according to Flamel's writings. Magic was being choked out by the Muggles. More and more they pushed the fantastical aside and as the witches and wizards and other magical races died out as their habitats shrunk, magic itself dwindled.
Voldemort's return and unchecked rule throughout the isles would inevitably lead to Muggles discovering the existence of magic, and a murderous bastard like Snake Face would terrify them. They would react the only way they knew how in order to stop him. Violence.
'The Greater Good.' A phrase that left ashes in my mouth, but I could understand why Dumbledore believed in it. He wanted the magical world to survive through any means necessary, and Fawkes, as a phoenix, wanted the exact same thing. Harry sacrificing himself to bring down Voldemort was something that would halt the Dark Lord in his tracks and buy Magical Britain a generation or two more before the Muggles' technology caught up and was able to see through their magic.
Knowing this, I understood, even if I didn't like, Dumbledore's decisions. But I would find another way to save Harry and the Magical World! I would not let one sacrifice themselves for the other!
As I was brooding on this matter, Inky reappeared, holding something I hadn't expected in his hands. The Sorting Hat, in all its ratty glory, and nestled underneath was a plump red chick that was looking at me with a curious light in his eyes.
"Hello, Fawkes," I said, bowing my head in greeting to the powerful magical creature. "I didn't expect you bring a friend along."
"Well, there's not much else to do in the headmaster's office besides sitting on a shelf," the Sorting Hat spoke up, its voice deeper and rumbling with a hint of an accent I couldn't quite place. "So I decided to tag along."
I accepted that with a nod, then turned to look at the phoenix who currently looked like a larger than average baby chicken.
"You're very cute," I had to admit, and Fawkes huffed a bit.
"He's not exactly fond of being called that," the hat admitted with a chuckle. "True as it may be, a several centuries old being like himself gets tired of it every time he has to go through his burning cycle."
"I see… wait, you can communicate with each other?" I asked in disbelief.
"Of course. He's wearing me, isn't he?" the Sorting Hat replied. That was interesting, and had all sorts of curious implications.
'Does that mean phoenixes are smart enough to communicate in a way the Sorting Hat can understand, or is the hat's own inhuman nature allowing it to bridge the gap?' I wondered.
"So, what is it you wished to discuss?" the Sorting Hat asked.
"I'd first like a promise not to let Dumbledore know I asked to see you," I requested, and Fawkes chirped at that. I could feel the displeasure carried through that single note. The empathic songs of a phoenix were more than able to just calm people, they could convey other emotions.
"Fine, I suppose it is a bit rude to just ask that without giving anything in return," I said, and Fawkes seemed to settle down. "How about this? I will tell you why I wished to speak with you, and in return you can make your own decision whether or not to keep your silence."
"I can agree with that," the Sorting Hat said. "So long as what is discussed does not endanger any students or the school itself."
Fawkes bobbed his head.
"That's fair, and what I want is actually to help protect the students and the school," I said, putting a hand over my chest. "I'll even wear you, Mr. Hat, so you can read my mind and see the truth of my words."
That caused Fawkes and the hat to perk up, intrigued, and after a moment of what I assumed was silent communication between the two, Fawkes bobbed his head again, and I reached out and took the famous enchanted hat of Godric Gryffindor himself.
For a moment I couldn't help but marvel at it, a bit of childish glee at having it in my hand rising up, before I plopped the Sorting Hat down on my head. I made sure to lower my Occlumency barriers as well, letting it see… everything.
"Oh. Oh, my," the Sorting Hat murmured, and I wondered what it was seeing.
"Is everything alright?" I asked.
"So... that is what death is like, then?" the hat whispered softly, and I tensed up.
"Ah. So, you saw that?" I asked.
"Terrifying, but then… blissful peace and tranquility."
I frowned, confused. That wasn't at all what I remembered. I could remember my death with almost perfect clarity thanks to Occlumency, but there was none of that peace stuff the Hat was speaking of. It had been an almost instant transition from one life to another after a brief period of darkness.
'Is there something not even I can remember about my death hidden somewhere within my memories?' I couldn't help but think to myself. 'How, though?'
"Occlumency merely helps the mind and sorts the memories the brain physically holds. It cannot… it cannot grasp the soul," the Sorting Hat replied, its voice subdued and thoughtful as it answered my query. "But I can see what your soul remembers, while your body cannot."
"A-ah," I muttered, surprised. "Can you… can you tell me what you see?"
"No. No, I think… I think theywould not be happy with me if I did so," the Sorting Hat replied, a note of fear in its voice. "The living are not supposed to remember what happens to them while they are dead."
I shivered, as the voice the hat spoke that last sentence with was not its usual deep and masculine voice. Instead, it was… different. I couldn't say 'why' or 'how,' it just was. And so I wisely decided to drop it.
"M-moving on," I said nervously. "Can you see what I know about Harry Potter?"
"I can. I also see how things have… diverged," the hat confirmed, its voice thankfully back to normal. "You care for him."
"I do," I nodded. "That's why I don't want him to get hurt if I can help it."
"A noble desire," the Sorting Hat replied softly. "And you want to save as many people as you can as well, including the Magical World itself from its slow decline. You coach it in matters of practicality, common sense and decency, and other terms to make it seem more beneficial for you than merely because it is the right thing to do, but that does not change the fact you are willing to use your cunning and ambition for the sake of others. Yes, you would definitely have done well in Slytherin had I the honor of sorting you years ago."
I took the Sorting Hat off my head at that, and put it back onto Fawkes, letting the phoenix nestle into the overly large hat. The two then spent a minute communicating mentally in silence, before finally the little phoenix chirped out in amusement, and gave me a curious look.
"Fawkes finds your plan for the future… agreeable," the Sorting Hat declared. "He will aid the young Potter in defending Hogwarts from Slytherin's Monster, and, if you continue to impress him, will consider going a little bit further to ensure your idea for Apotheosis works as you intend it to."
I sagged, relief flooding my veins at that. A lot of worries that I had been carrying on my shoulders suddenly lifted, and I felt light as a feather.
"Thank you," I uttered sincerely, unable to keep a few tears out of my eyes. "And… can you give this to Harry, when it's time?"
I handed over the ring with the shard of Philosopher's Stone in it that Nicholas Flamel had given me, and Fawkes took it in his beak, swallowing it for safe keeping.
"Least I could do," the Sorting Hat replied. "Now, we must be going. Before Dumbledore notices we're gone."
"Of course. Inky, please take them back to Hogwarts," I requested, and my loyal House Elf bobbed his head, vanishing with a pop.
I stared at the spot where they'd previously been, before I leaned back into the couch. My mind felt clearer, and new ideas were already starting to pop up within them.
"I think I should work on my alchemy for a bit," I decided. And maybe I'd figure out a way to convert magic into electricity, and vice-versa.
Well, it was a bit unlikely, but there wasn't a reason to not keep trying.
111 &&& 111
Author's Note: Thanks for reading! If you'd like early chapters, please consider checking out Akashicrecordstrue over on Patty-ron! Or, if you'd just like to leave me a tip, Akashicrecords over at Kofi is also an option!