Chapter 6
"I just have one question," Luna said after hearing about the attack. "Why isn't the git dead yet?"
They were again sitting on the rocks by the creek enjoying a picnic lunch. Normally they would have been freezing since it was the middle of winter but Hermione had cast a warming charm on the area so they were all quite comfortable. Her question cause the other three to laugh before Harry got a chagrined look on his face.
"After I punched him out in the great hall," he answered her. "If anything had happened to him, we would've been the prime suspects so unfortunately we couldn't risk it. Besides neither of us was able to leave the hospital until just before it was time to come home so there was really no opportunity."
"Okay," she said and seemed to be deep in thought before continuing. "I'll take care of the little bastard myself then. I still owe him for that curse he hit me with and, since no one knows I know you, there's no way it could be connected to you." Her expression turned predatory as she continued. "In fact I think I'll do it right now."
She stood up but was pulled back down by Neville.
"You're not going anywhere," Neville said firmly his tone indicating his decision was final. "I'm not letting him get another crack at you Luna."
Unfortunately he would soon realize the magnitude of his mistake as Luna turned to him her expression having gone from predatory to just plain scary.
"You don't think I could handle him?" she yelled at her boyfriend. "He didn't beat me at a duel Neville! The coward hit me in the back just like he did Hermione. Let's get one thing straight right now; I will stand beside you and fight as I always have or I won't be anywhere near you at all!"
Neville's face went deathly pale as she yelled at him and Harry knew he'd really stepped in it this time. Neither he nor Hermione said anything as they knew this was something their friends needed to work out for themselves. Neville's mouth opened and closed several times without any sound coming out and his face was a mask of pure fear as he was desperately trying to think of something to say. He tried to take her hand but she quickly it pulled away which only intensified his fear.
"Look, I'm sorry," he said when he was finally able to get his voice to work. "I didn't mean it that way. I still can't get the image of him cursing you out of my head. I thought I was getting over it but his attack on Hermione brought it all back again. I don't doubt your ability nor would I ever really try to sideline you. It's just that I know your safe as long as you're nowhere near him and I wanted to keep it that way for as long as I could."
Her expression softened as she saw the pain in his eyes. She scooted closer to him then reached up and caressed his face.
"None of us are truly safe Neville," she responded softly. "Not as long as the Weasley's, Malfoys and even Dumbledore are still around. This is just a momentary peace because for the most part they haven't made any moves yet and don't see us as a threat to their long term plans. That won't last long though especially with Harry refusing to be friends with Ron and being at odds with Dumbledore. They'll try to use you, Hermione and eventually me to control him. We need to take advantage of any opportunity we get to throw a wrench into their plans and that includes taking them out when we get a chance to. I want to build a life with you Neville but that can't happen until those bastards are dealt with."
He nodded his head and she smiled in gratitude before pulling him into a hug. With that the fight was over and soon they were back to being four friends enjoying a picnic lunch. Harry knew that Luna felt like she had been sidelined because she wasn't at school. He'd seen the subtle signs of her frustration even though she'd tried to hide it. She wanted to do something rather than hear about things after the fact. He'd been thinking about her situation for a while now and had come up with a mission for her. If things worked out, she wouldn't be frustrated much longer.
"Luna," he said getting her attention. "I agree with Neville. You need to stay away from Ron for the time being." He held his hand up to stop her protest as he continued. "You could handle him without even breaking a sweat but he doesn't deserve a quick death. We'll deal with him when we get back to school. I've got something else in mind for you as well as the rest of us."
"What," she asked her face brightening in anticipation.
He told her what he had in mind and she was clearly excited to finally be doing something while Neville looked worried but was supportive. Being her boyfriend, he probably knew better than anyone what she'd been feeling. Hermione just squeezed his hand to let him know he had her support. Luna had several questions but chose to ask, what to her anyway, was the most important one first.
"When can we start?" she asked
"Probably not until after the holidays," Harry answered. "Though, if things work out, there might be one that can be taken care of sooner. We should know by next week. I thought we could meet in Diagon Alley, say next Wednesday, to finalize the plan. Do you think you could get your parents to take you there?"
Luna had told them all about her mother. Because she'd died when Luna was so young, she'd forgotten most of what she knew about her but, having a year with her and being mentally an adult, Luna had soaked her up like a sponge. Her father was different too. He hadn't lost himself in conspiracies and mythical animals like he had the first time and was more attentive to both of them. All in all, Luna now had a very happy home life.
"That shouldn't be a problem," she replied. "I'll just tell daddy I want to go get another gift for my mum."
Harry then looked at Neville.
"Think you could get your gran to take you Nev?" he asked his friend.
"She's tough sometimes," he responded. "But she's tends to ease up during the holidays."
He trailed off at the end and they all knew why. Neville and his grandmother always spent Christmas at St. Mungos visiting his parents. They'd done it every year even after he'd moved out on his own. The last Christmas before her death, Luna had gone with them and his grandmother had welcomed her. Luna had moved closer and wrapped her arms around him as he spoke. Her touch had the desired effect on him and soon his mood lifted.
"Don't worry mate, I'll be there," he finished.
They continued discussing their plans until all of Luna's questions were answered then spent the rest of the afternoon talking about holiday plans and enjoying their time together.
Harry had been nervous about spending the holidays with Hermione's parents. He hadn't met them until he was much older and didn't know how her father would react to a boy his twelve year old daughter brought home. He was worried for nothing. Her parents saw him as simply a friend and had welcomed him. He'd gotten to enjoy a real family Christmas. He'd gotten to help make all kinds of holiday treats and decorate the house. He was even asked for input when they went to pick out a Christmas tree. Hermione's parents had even taken him clothes shopping so he now had clothes that fit rather than having to wear Dudley's old oversized ones. All in all, it had quickly moved to the top of the list of his best holidays.
Harry and Hermione made full use of their alone time while her parents were at work. They finished most of their homework within the first few days and spent the rest of the time making plans and enjoying themselves. Hermione had a subscription to the Daily prophet and they watched for it daily hoping it would contain the news they were waiting for. It finally came in the Friday edition.
Purebloods lose their Magic!
St. Mungos reported today that several Hogwarts students were brought in by their parents. The students all seemed to be unable to control their magic. The healers immediately ran tests and found that their magical cores had become unstable. Within hours, all of the victim's cores had completely collapsed rendering them muggles for all intents and purposes.
The article went on to list the students names and calling on the ministry to investigate and determine if it was the work of a new dark lord. There were also statements by both Fudge and Dumbledore expressing sympathy for the victims and outrage should there have been any foul play involved. Both also vowed to get to the bottom of it. Harry and Hermione hugged in celebration. The spell worked, now they could really take some action. Their celebration was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. They both pulled out their wands as they headed to the door. Several death eaters had just lost their children and might be out for revenge. A muggleborn like Hermione would be a prime target for their wrath. Death eaters probably wouldn't ring the bell first but they weren't willing to take any chances. When they got to the door, he peeked through the peephole then breathed a sigh of relief.
"It's McGonagall, Bones and, unfortunately, Dumbledore," he told her.
She noticeably relaxed as well while putting her wand away before opening the door.
"Professor McGonagall, Madam Bones, Pleasure to see you," she said smiling. Her smile disappeared when she looked at Dumbledore. "Headmaster," she said coldly then turned back to the women her smile returning.
"Miss Granger, I apologize for stopping by unannounced," Professor McGonagall said then shot an irritated look at Dumbledore before continuing. "But there's something we need to tell Harry and the Headmaster insisted we tell him in person and that he be present."
"Not to worry Professor," Hermione answered while stepping back and holding the door open. "You and Madame Bones are always welcome here."
As the door opened, the adults saw that Harry was standing behind her. He smiled at the women and greeted them kindly without even acknowledging Dumbledore's presence. They returned his greeting then they followed Hermione as she led them into the house. Harry walked with them making small talk. Neither he nor Hermione invited Dumbledore in but he followed them in anyway. They headed to the sitting room where Minerva and Amelia sat in the two chairs facing the sofa while Harry and Hermione took the aforementioned couch leaving no place for the headmaster to sit.
Again he was ignored by the two students as he stood there while they continued making small talk with the ladies. Finally Dumbledore had had enough and conjured a chair and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention as he sat down.
"I apologize for the interruption," He said his tone apologetic with a touch of sadness. "But we really must discuss a serious matter that's recently come to my attention."
Harry didn't think the old man could surprise him anymore but his attempt to take credit for something he'd had no part in was astonishing. He had no doubt they'd come to tell him about Sirius, Pettigrew and hopefully a trial but, to hear him talk, you'd have thought Dumbledore was the one who'd discovered the traitor and brought him to justice. The women weren't happy about it either if their expressions were anything to go by. He decided to make it clear to the old bastard that he knew the truth.
"Professor, Madam Bones," he said not even acknowledging that Dumbledore had spoken. He also noticed Hermione doing the same. "What did you need to speak to me about?"
Both women smiled slightly and, although he didn't look, he was willing to bet the headmaster's expression was anything but happy at being ignored. Amelia cleared her throat while throwing another glare in the direction of Dumbledore before meeting his eyes.
"Mr. Potter," she started her tone professional. "As you already know, while you and Miss Granger were staying in the hospital wing as her injuries healed." She cast another glare at Dumbledore showing her disapproval of his handling of the attack as she spoke. "A man named Peter Pettigrew was found standing above the bed of one of your classmates in the Gryffindor dorms. Another student happened to wake up and see him and stunned him before any harm could come to the student. Pettigrew was a friend of your parents and was believed to have been murdered by the man who betrayed them; Sirius Black. Because of the suspicious circumstances he was found in, he was questioned under veritaserum. As a result, everything we thought we knew about the night your parents were killed was wrong. It was Peter, not Sirius that betrayed your parents and later murder twelve muggles. We've come here to inform you that a trial for both of them has been scheduled for Monday at 9am sharp and to see if you would like to attend."
"I don't think that would be a good idea-," Dumbledore started but was interrupted as Harry spoke up continuing to ignore the old man's presence.
"I wouldn't miss it," he said enthusiastically. "But would it be possible for Hermione to come with me and maybe my friend Neville?"
"Miss Granger is welcome to attend," Amelia responded smiling. "And I'll speak to Augusta about allowing Neville to be there as well. It's likely that you will hear some pretty upsetting things at the trial and having your friends there for support will help."
"Thank you," he responded smiling.
The conversation soon dissolved back into small talk as they discussed holiday plans among other things after McGonagall agreed to escort them to the ministry for the trial. Dumbledore tried to offer to escort them but was ignored. He tried a few more times to talk to them but finally gave up and just sat there. He continued to sit there as the women got ready to leave until McGonagall glared at him and didn't look away. With a loud and petulant sigh, he stood up, got rid of his chair then led the way out. Harry and Hermione bid the women goodbye as they walked out the door and again said nothing to Dumbledore. As they closed the door they could tell that he was fuming at his treatment.
On Monday morning, Harry was up early and dressed in his best school robes. He was excited about seeing Sirius. Hermione dressed in her best robes as well. She had to practically force feed him his breakfast as he was almost too excited to eat. They were both ready and waiting at eight-thirty when McGonagall arrived to take them to the ministry. They portkeyed to an alley near the Leaky Cauldron then flooed to the ministry atrium. Harry recognized the courtroom as soon as they entered. It was the same one his trial for underage magic was held in. The professor led them to where the spectators were supposed to sit and he received his first surprise of the day albeit a good on; Luna was sitting next to her father. He held parchment and a quill in his hands indicating he was there in an official capacity and she had managed to get him to bring her with him. Neville was sitting on her other side and waving them over. Harry and Hermione immediately joined them after thanking McGonagall who took a seat next to Flitwick and Hagrid.
"Harry, Hermione," Neville said in a slightly exaggerated way raising his eyebrows slightly. "This is Luna Lovegood, she'll be at Hogwarts next year, and that's her father. He owns the Quibbler."
It was a staged introduction. It was an opportunity to officially meet Luna. No one knew they already knew each other and they wanted to keep it that way. Playing along they made a show of the introductions. Harry had never realized how good an actress Luna was but she was playing the little girl meeting a famous wizard to the hilt. She introduced them to her father and Harry noticed he was nothing like the man he remembered from their previous lives. He was dressed in normal robes rather than the odd clothes he remembered him usually wearing and not once did he mention any conspiracies or strange creatures during the conversation. All in all, they had a pleasant chat as they waited for the proceedings to begin.
Soon the wizengamot members were all seated except for Madam bones who was seated at a table facing them giving instructions to several people standing near her who Harry assumed were aurors. When she was done most of them left the room but one walked to the single chair that sat in the middle of the room with shackles to hold the accused. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the chair and soon a second chair appeared. A few minutes later, Harry's assumption was confirmed as four of the people who left returned escorting a man in chains that Harry recognized immediately.
Peter Pettigrew had to practically be carried to one of the chair where he was securely restrained. The aurors then positioned themselves around him as guards. The courtroom doors opened again revealing the last two aurors and the man Harry had last seen falling through the veil in the department of mysteries. Sirius was still wearing his prison clothes but was walking in on his own power and unlike the rat wasn't in chains. The aurors led him to the other chair but didn't lock him in. They too, took up positions next to the chair but acted more like body guards then prison guards. In fact one of the aurors smiled at something Sirius said and it became clear that they'd been having a pleasant conversation as they walked in.
Once he was seated he began to scan the crowd until his eyes found Harry's. Harry could tell his godfather was worried about how he might react to him and tried to put his mind at ease by smiling at him. The smile worked as his expression became relieved before returning the smile. Dumbledore arrived last and, as head of the wizengamot, started the proceedings. Madame Bones stood from the table and began to present her evidence. The transcript of Pettigrew's questioning under veritaserum was really all that was needed but she wanted to be thorough. Both Pettigrew and Sirius were questioned with veritaserum again with the same results. The verdicts were quick and exactly what Harry wanted; Pettigrew was found guilty and Sirius was cleared. Pettigrew was sentenced to be kissed and taken away. This time he actually had to be carried as he wept and begged for mercy.
Once he was gone there was a lengthy discussion about the amount of compensation that should be paid to Sirius by the ministry for this injustice. Once an amount was agreed upon, several members stood up to leave thinking it was over only to be stopped by Dumbledore.
"Ladies and gentlemen," He addressed the court. "As happy as I am to see this injustice corrected, I feel I must voice concerns I have about releasing Sirius Black at this time."
Harry was halfway to his feet with wand in hand before Hermione stopped him.
"This isn't the place Harry," she whispered to him. "Let's see what the old coot is up to."
He didn't like it but seeing that Neville and Luna were nodding their heads in agreement he put his wand away and turned his attention back to Dumbledore. He noticed that several people were unhappy with this development including McGonagall and Madame Bones.
"What's the meaning of this Albus!" Amelia yelled when she got over the shock. "He's been cleared! What possible reason is there to keep him in prison?"
Dumbledore assumed a repentant expression as he addressed her.
"My apologies Amelia," he responded forlornly. "I'm afraid I haven't made myself clear. I'm not suggesting keeping him in prison. I'm worried about the affects prison has had on him. I was merely trying to suggest he be sent to St Mungos for an evaluation to determine if it's safe for him to be released back into society."
"He's been checked out Albus," Amelia countered. "And determined to be perfectly sane. The man has suffered enough and deserves his freedom."
"Was he checked by healer that specializes in this sort of thing Amelia," He replied his tone slightly condescending. "Or was it one of the MDLE staff healers?"
"It was one of my healers but-" Amelia answered but was interrupted.
"Then that can hardly be considered reliable," Dumbledore responded looking victorious. ""I'm sure you're right Amelia but, for the greater good of wizarding society, we can't afford to take the risk. The healers at St Mungos can probably make a determination in few hours. If all goes well, Sirius would be free in time for dinner."
Before Madam Bones could argue further he called for a vote. The vote was in Dumbledore's favor and the aurors were ordered to transport Sirius to St Mungos. Harry couldn't believe what had just happened. He sat there trying to control the urge to kill the old man with only Hermione's whispered words of comfort keeping him from making an attempt until McGonagall and Madam Bones approached him.
"Mr. Potter," Amelia said apologetically. "I apologize for this. I didn't see this coming. I don't know what Dumbledore was playing at but, unfortunately, too many members still believe that Sirius is dangerous and went along with it."
"What can we do about it?" Harry asked.
"Sirius Black is as sane as you and I Mr. Potter," She answered him. "He'll probably be free to go shortly. If you would like, we can go there and visit him. That is, if you'd like to meet him?"
Harry nodded enthusiastically. He didn't need to meet Sirius, he already knew his godfather but this Sirius hadn't met him yet and Harry wanted to change that as soon as possible. They said goodbye to Neville and Luna then followed the older women out of the courtroom. They headed down to the atrium then flooed to St Mungoes. Harry soon found himself in a waiting room as he waited for Madam Bones to locate Sirius. She returned and informed him the Sirius was being evaluated and someone would come let them know when he could have visitors. Harry held tightly to Hermione's hand as he began to get nervous about seeing his godfather. She squeezed his hand back letting him know it would be okay.
They sat there for a long time. Harry was starting to get impatient. He wanted to see Sirius and was tired of waiting. He looked at the clock and saw it had been close to an hour. Just as he stood up to storm the nurses' station to demand answers, a man walked into the room and headed toward Madame Bones.
"Madame Bones?" the man asked. She stood nodding and met his gaze as he continued. "I'm Healer McTavish."
"Can we see Sirius now?" she asked.
"I'm afraid not," he responded. "Mr. Black has been confined to the secure ward."
"Why?" she asked clearly shocked.
"Mr. Black is severely under nourished," he answered her. "I gave him a nutrient potion to start repairing the damage. He'd drank about half of it when all at once he attacked me. It took quite awhile for the aurors to subdue him. I've order him held until we can figure out what happened. As of now he's too dangerous to have visitors. He's not coherent anyway. I fear the stress of the trial proved to be too much for his fragile mind to handle. We'll do what we can but I've seen this before. He may never recover from this. I'm sorry but I have other patients I need to tend to, if you will excuse me."
There was silence in the room after he left. Amelia just slumped back into her seat while no one else even moved. They were all too shocked. The only movement was Hermione holding on to Harry with everything she had trying to comfort the man she loved. His expression was stony except for his eyes. They were a tempest of emotions from sadness and helplessness to anger and disbelief. He thought he would finally get to see Sirius again. He'd never really gotten over his godfathers death. A death he'd blamed himself for. Once again he felt like he'd lost him and there was nothing he could do about it. Motion to his side brought him out of his thoughts as his protective instincts kicked in only to find it was Minerva wiping tears from her eyes.
Despite all the mischief they'd gotten into, she'd always been rather fond of the marauders. The Potters' death had been doubly hard on her as one; James Potter was the unofficial leader of the marauders that, although publicly she'd had to be stern with, privately had brought her a lot of amusement, and two; Lily Potter was her best and all time favorite student. To her, it was like losing two of her own children. Few knew that Sirius was right up there with them. It had broken her heart when she was told he'd betrayed them. Finding out the truth had been like the prodigal son returning. She couldn't wait to hug one of the few remaining 'kids' she still had. Being told that may never happen was almost too much for her to take.
Harry and his friends represented the next generation and she was quickly becoming attached to them too. They were filling the void left by losing too many of her 'children' to senseless wars. She promised herself to do everything she could to protect Harry and his friends not just from Voldemort but Dumbledore and anyone else seeking to harm or control them. Lionesses were notoriously vicious when protecting their young. She was the head lioness at Hogwarts and it would be utter foolishness for anyone to underestimate the lengths she would go to protect her cubs. They were all lost in their own thoughts but it was Amelia who finally broke the silence.
"I'm sorry Mr. Potter," she said sadly drawing everyone's attention. "I can't believe this has happened. Sirius didn't seem stressed during a trial."
She trailed off shaking her head but her words had gotten through to Harry.
"He wasn't," he replied excitedly. "He was smiling and chatting with his guards. There's no way his mind just snapped Madame Bones. Something had to have happened to him."
He'd been feeling guilty thinking they'd somehow caused this by coming back in time but those feeling had faded as he realized something much more sinister had to have happened. He didn't know for sure who (although he had a pretty good idea) but someone was trying to keep him and Sirius apart. He wanted to shout the name he had in mind but doubted either woman would believe him at this point and decided to keep those thoughts to himself.
"Mr. Potter I know this is difficult," Amelia responded a little condescendingly. "But we've no reason to doubt what we've been told. Rest assured, I'll be keeping tabs on the situation and, as soon as he is up to it, I'll contact Minerva so you can finally meet him. For now, I suppose, we should take you home."
McGonagall concurred and they left the hospital. Thirty minutes later, Harry and Hermione found themselves alone at the granger house and Harry gave full vent to his feelings.
"That Bastard!" He yelled at the top of his lungs causing Hermione to cringe.
"Harry, you don't know-," she replied but stopped when he glared at her. She momentarily looked like she was formulating another argument when her shoulders slumped while she let out a sigh. "You're right; we should have seen this coming. Dumbledore's obviously willing to do anything to keep control of you. I just can't figure out how he did it."
"I don't know," He responded. "But I'm going to find out. I knew Dumbledore would try to meddle in our affairs Hermione but I never suspected this. I'm having a hard time finding a reason not to kill him."
Hermione immediately put her arms around him. She felt him calm slightly as he returned her embrace.
"I know it's hard Harry," she said soothingly. "But he's not evil. He just thinks he's the only one who knows what's right and refuses to allow for the possibility that he might be wrong. We'll deal with him in time but what are we going to do about Sirius?"
"I don't know," he answered her. "I guess, for now, we'll wait and see what happens. We can always plan a rescue mission later if we think its necessary but mark my words; we will get him out of there one way or the other." He pulled back until he met her eyes then reached up and caressed her face. "As for Dumbledore, we can continue to work around him for now but, if he tries something like this against you or the others to get to me, I will kill him."
Her eyes grew wide for a moment before she nodded her head in agreement. They sent a letter to Neville letting him know what happened then tried to carry on with the rest of their day.
Healer McTavish walked down the hall towards his office wearing a triumphant smile. He'd succeeded in fooling Amelia Bones into thinking Sirius Black had had a breakdown. He was doing someone a favor and didn't mind one bit. He was a few years behind Black in Hogwarts and had longed for a chance to get back at him. Sirius had protected the younger Gryffindors from being bullied and he'd been one of the bullies. Life had been quite good to him lately. First it had brought one of those Gryffindors from his year that he'd loved to bully onto his team and then it delivered their protector into his hands. He really must have done something right. He saw the current recipient of his bullying and couldn't resist taking a shot at him.
"Wilson," he called and smirked when the man looked up a look of dread on his face. "I did what I could but I'm afraid you'll have to stay on the graveyard shift for now."
"Come on Benedict!" he replied angrily. "I've been on that shift for six months now! This isn't fair! It was one thing when I was the newest member of the team but now I'm one of the oldest!"
"I'm sorry Tom," he said in mock apology. "But the others all have families and I wouldn't feel right taking them away from them."
"I've got a family too!" he yelled back. "My wife and I are becoming strangers and I'm pretty sure my daughter has forgotten who her father is. You can't keep doing this to me!"
McTavish just sneered at him for a moment all pretense of regret gone from his face.
"You could always quit but I'm afraid you'd have very little luck getting another job as a healer." He said evilly.
"I wouldn't give you the satisfaction Benedict!" he responded angrily.
"Well then," he replied with an evil smile. "Graveyard it is. Don't be late now."
McTavish then turned on his heels and walked away. He did enjoy tormenting the idiot. He could care less about him or his family. He was just a mudblood and so was his wife. As far as he was concerned, they didn't belong in the wizarding world taking jobs away from proper wizards. The rest of his team, thankfully, were pureblooded wizards whom he would never assign to the graveyard shift in place of a mudblood. He continued down the hall utterly pleased with himself until he came to his office. As he stepped inside the lone occupant of the office looked up.
"Well?" his visitor asked.
"All taken care of Headmaster," McTavish answered.
"Excellent," Dumbledore replied getting to his feet. "I appreciate your assistance with this."
"Happy to help," he responded. "But, if I may, why do you need Sirius Black out of the way?"
"It's for the greater good Mr. McTavish," the older man answered. "Despite what the wizarding world would like to believe, Lord Voldermort is not gone. He will return someday probably sooner rather than later. Sirius Black could have and probably would have interfered with my plans to deal with him when he does. With the future of the wizarding world at stake, that's not a risk I can take. The welfare of all those people is far more important than one man's freedom."
Mctavish was amazed at what he'd heard and took a moment before responding.
"What makes Sirius Black so important?"
"He's the true legal guardian of Harry Potter," the headmaster replied simply.
McTavish nodded his understanding. Even he knew who Harry Potter was even if he didn't truly understand his importance. It was enough for him that Dumbledore considered him important.
"So how long do you want me to keep him here?" He asked finally.
"I'm afraid he'll need to be kept here indefinitely," Dumbledore answered. "In a few months I'll call a meeting of the Wizengamot to have him permanently committed and his guardianship terminated. Once that's done I will offer myself as a replacement for him which shouldn't be a problem as I've been acting as his guardian since Sirius first went to prison it just wasn't made official. It will be now. I need Harry focused on more important matters so, until Voldermort is truly destroyed, I cannot allow Sirius any contact with the boy. It will likely be several years if not decades before that happens but, once that's been accomplished, I'll consider letting him go and allowing them to meet but until then he must be kept out of the way. I regret having to do this but it's unfortunately necessary."
"That won't be a problem," he responded. "The aggression potion got him to attack me just like you said it would and the other potion should make it seem he lost his sanity to the dementors without any problems. I'll limit all access to him as well so no one can help him."
"Good," Dumbledore replied. "I don't have to tell you what could happen if someone were to learn the truth about this or our other endeavors. One more thing; I'm well aware of your history with Mr. Black but under no circumstances are you to harm him in any way. I want him out of the way not dead. I want you to give him your best care. Treat him as you would a member of your own family."
McTavish nodded his agreement. They spoke for a few more minutes and then the headmaster left. He sat down at his desk and began doing paper work. He actually smiled despite the fact that he despised paperwork. It had been a good day. He got to torture Tom Wilson again and now had Sirius Black at his mercy. He would obey Dumbledore's instructions for now. Sirius Black would receive the best care until the hearing but once he was permanently committed, McTavish would have his revenge. Another smile graced his face as he began think of all the things he would do to his old enemy. His last thought as he focused on the stack of parchment on his desk was that the hearing couldn't come soon enough.
Wednesday arrived and there still no news about Sirius. Harry had hoped it was all some fluke and that his godfather would recover quickly. Part of him wanted to storm the hospital to see him but a little voice kept talking him out of it; a voice that sounded suspiciously like Hermione. They enjoyed a pleasant breakfast with her parents then finished the last of their homework before leaving for Diagon Alley. They took the night bus to the Leaky Cauldron only to find Neville and Luna already waiting for them. They greeted Neville warmly but were slightly less kind to Luna to keep up the appearance of having just met her. They ate lunch and chatted like any kids their age would be expected to then headed into the alley. After a quick stop at Gringotts to get some gold, Hermione dragged Luna toward Flourish and Botts while Harry led Neville to Ollivander's.
"What are we coming here for mate?" Neville asked. "Did something happen to your wand?"
"No," Harry answered the second question first while holding up his wand. "I'm buying you your Christmas present now."
It only took a few seconds before understanding appeared on Neville's face.
"You don't need to do that mate," he responded.
"Yes I do," Harry replied. "Things are about to get dicey and I don't want to risk something happening to you because your father's wand stops working for you at an inopportune moment. Plus, Luna needs a wand for our missions and yours seems to work pretty well for her."
"But what am I going to tell my gran?" he asked a look of pure fear on his face. He may be an adult mentally but he was still afraid of the formidable older women.
"Tell her Hermione read about how the wand chooses the wizard and told me about it," Harry responded. "Remembering being told the same thing by Ollivander, I figured that was why you were having trouble using your wand and decided to get my best mate a new wand. If nothing else, explain to her that I was raised in the muggle world and am not familiar with wizarding traditions."
Neville thought about it for a while then nodded his head. They entered the shop and waited a few seconds before the wandmaker made a show of appearing out of nowhere intending to surprise his customers. He'd done that when Harry had come in for his own wand as well and he wondered if it was gimmick the odd man used on all his customers to catch them of guard so he could use passive legillimency to discover their identities. He looked back and forth at both of them as if sizing them up while wearing a predatory smile Harry had seen on most of the salesmen he'd ever dealt with.
"Mr. Potter," he said speaking in his usual peculiar way. "Eleven inches, holly and phoenix feather, a very special wand as I recall. Has something happened to it?"
Harry held up his wand to show it was in perfect condition.
"No it's fine Mr. Ollivander," Harry responded smiling. Despite how odd he was Harry truly liked the strange man. "I'm actually here to by my friend here a wand. He's been using his father's wand and it doesn't work very well for him."
Ollivander turned towards Neville flashing an even bigger smile.
"Ah, yes, Mr. Longbottom," he said to Neville who tried to smile but was clearly nervous. "I was wondering when I'd see you. I expected you months ago but now I understand. I'm not surprised your father's wand doesn't work for you. The wand chooses the wizard Mr. Longbottom. Now let's see if we can find you a wand that's right for you."
Mr. Ollivander began pulling wands off of the many shelves that seemed to be full of them. How he knew which ones to take and which to leave Harry had no idea. He soon returned with an arm load of boxes and set them down on the counter. As he began to open the boxes, Harry noticed Neville looking closely at the revealed wands. Harry knew he was looking for the wand he'd had in the other timeline. Neville had gotten it just before Sixth year so there was no guarantee it had even been made yet. Harry now understood why Neville had been reluctant to get his own wand early. He wanted his wand and wasn't sure it was available yet. Ollivander began handing Neville wands to test after announcing its attributes. Neville had gone through about a half dozen without finding a match when he pulled out a wand they both recognized.
"Twelve inches, cherry and unicorn hair," Ollivander announced with pride as he did with all of his wands. There was no doubt the man was proud of his work.
Harry could see the joy in Neville's face as he gingerly took the wand from the older man. It was his wand. There was no denying his joy when sparks flew from it as he waved it. Harry paid for the wand and a holster then they left the shop and headed toward Flourish and Botts to find the girls. They were still there which was really no surprise. It was, after all, Hermione in a bookstore. It could have taken all day to get a wand and she'd still be happy perusing the shelves. Her arms were full and so was Luna's. Hermione reluctantly agreed to limit herself to the books she'd already picked out and they headed to the counter. When they got there Harry noticed a stack of books on the counter at least big as what the girls were already carrying. Shaking his head at his girlfriend's obsession, he nevertheless happily paid for all the books. He was grateful when the cashier shrunk the bags and placed a featherlight charm them. Hermione was able to fit all the bags into her purse without any problems.
They spent a few more hours walking around the alley before heading to Fortescues to meet up with Luna's parents and Neville's gran. They found the adults having a pleasant conversation and were given permission to sit at their own table. After their ice cream arrived, Hermione cast a charm to give them privacy while they talked. Anyone listening in would only hear what would seem like a normal conversation between four young kids. Neville subtlely passed his father's wand to Luna while Harry pulled out a two pieces of parchment, opened them up and placed them on table in front of her. One was a list of all the deatheaters that had bribed their way clear of any charges after the war after claiming to be imperioused. The other contained the names of their children as well as the ministry employees and wizengamot members that had set them free. It also included anyone else they intended to use the spell on. He gave her a few moments to peruse both lists then pushed the second list towards her then folded up the first list and put it away.
"Here's your list," he said seriously. "I want you to be very careful Luna. Don't take any unnecessary chances."
She gave him a look similar to the one Hermione gave him in the room of requirement.
"Don't start with me Harry," she responded a little harshly. "I've already had to set Neville straight. I've fought several battles with you guys and more than held my own. I think I can handle a solo mission."
"I have no doubt about that," he responded smiling causing her expression to soften slightly. "I wouldn't have given it to you otherwise but you're family to Hermione and I not to mention the love of Neville's life so it shouldn't be a surprise that we worry about you. If something were to happen to you Luna, we would likely kill everyone or die trying so, for our sakes and the sake of the world, we need you to be careful."
She smiled and he noticed a little extra moisture in her eyes as she nodded.
"Good," he continued then pointed to a particular name on the list. "Do this one as soon as possible."
A look of particular distaste came over her face as she read the name. It was replaced with a feral grin as she met his eyes again.
"Shouldn't that name be on the other list?" she asked curiously.
"I would love nothing more than to send that particular soul to hell where it belongs Luna," Harry answered her. "But, unfortunately, we may need to keep that person around to help us get rid of Dumbledore so, for now; the spell will have to do."
"I'll take care of it," she replied nodding her head showing she understood even if she didn't like it. "So when are we starting on the other list?"
The question making it clear she intended to help with that as well. Harry could tell Neville was still unhappy with the idea of Luna battling deatheaters with them. He understood what his friend was feeling as he too was worried sick about Hermione putting herself in danger. They'd talked about it and both realized the girls worried about them just as much plus they could use the extra wand. Neville reluctantly agreed to include her and it was easy to see he still wasn't happy about it but, after the fight they'd had the previous week, he wisely chose to keep his feelings to himself.
"Not until we're back in school," Harry answered. "I want us all to enjoy the holidays. Once we're back and things seem normal, we'll start taking care of them."
Luna nodded her head in acceptance then folded up her list and put it in her bag before turning to Neville. "Are you spending Christmas in the usual place?"
Neville suddenly looked uncomfortable as he nodded his head. Fighting the urge to caress his face or pull him into a hug, she instead took hold of his hand under the table. The privacy charm protected their conversation but they were still visible so they had to limit their affection.
"Don't worry Neville," she assured him. "I'll be there to hold your hand as always."
He looked up to her in surprise not quite believing what he'd heard but there was no mistaking the hope in his expression as he met her eyes. He'd come to rely on her support when he'd visited his parents and wasn't looking forward to having to see them alone. In his head he knew his gran would be there but, in his heart, without Luna there he would feel lost.
"How," he asked
"I-I'm not sure yet," she answered him hesitantly then turned deadly serious. "But I'll find a way."
He gave her a grateful smile and squeezed her hand under the table. The conversation moved to less important topics like what books they'd bought. They quite happily put the serious topics aside and just enjoyed the rest of their time together.
On Christmas morning, Harry awoke not feeling nearly as excited as he thought he would. He'd hope to be able to spend at least part of the day with his godfather but that wasn't going to be happening. There'd been no change in his condition and he still wasn't allowed any visitors. He once again swore to himself that he would get Sirius out of there one way or another. He was pulled from his thought when his door was flung open and a bushy haired missile launched itself onto his bed and started jumping up and down.
"Wake up! Wake up!" Hermione yelled between bounces. "It's Christmas Harry!"
He couldn't help but smile at her excitement. He got up, put on a robe and followed her downstairs. He spent the day enjoying his first real family Christmas. He had an enjoyable breakfast despite Hermione pushing everyone to eat faster. Opened presents, ate lots of cakes and biscuits and finished off the day with a sumptuous Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. All in all, it had been the best holiday he'd ever had. As he got into bed that night, he promised himself that, no matter what, Padfoot would be part of the next one.
Luna had risen early as well. Because her mom had died when she was so young, she'd forgotten what it was like to spend Christmas with her. She'd also forgotten how her parents were with each other. She knew they loved each other but there was a passion between them that she'd never gotten to see before or at least hadn't understood what it was at the time. She too was excited for the presents but could have watched her parents all day as their love for one another shone brightly during breakfast. She played Santa once they got to the presents gleefully handing them out to her parents and making a pile for herself. Like at the Grangers, there was no shortage of cakes and biscuits. After cleaning up all the wrapping paper and ribbon, her mother excused herself to the kitchen to start working on dinner. As she watched her mother leave the room, she knew at that moment she didn't want to be anywhere else. Then she remembered her promise.
She'd promised Neville she'd be there and wasn't about to let him down. She began thinking of a way to get out of the house when she saw a bowl of nuts on the coffee table.
"Daddy," she called out getting her father's attention. "Could I take some of these out into the woods? There are squirrels and other creatures out there and I'm worried they don't have any food. Even the lowliest creature deserves a Christmas dinner."
Her father just smiled at her.
"I think that's a wonderful idea honey," he told her. "Make sure you bundle up and don't stay out there too long."
She jumped up and hugged him before running up to her room to get dressed. The last thing she did was slip the wand she'd borrowed from Neville into her robes. She ran back down stairs and into the kitchen. She momentarily stopped and watched as her mom chopped vegetables, stirred something already cooking on the stove and checked the turkey roasting in the oven. Reminding herself that her mother wasn't going to die this time and she'd have many more holidays with her, she got the small bag she went in there for and returned to the sitting room. She filled the bag with nuts then headed out the door. She distributed nuts around the base of the trees until she was out of view of the house in case her father was watching her through the window then set the bag down at the base of a tree and pulled out the wand.
Since getting the wand from Neville, she been practicing the disillusionment charm and was now able to do it with ease. She disillusioned herself then pulled out a small mirror from one of the pockets of her robes. The mirror appeared to be hanging in mid air and she had no reflection when she looked into it. Satisfied that she couldn't be seen, she apparated to a secluded spot near the entrance to the hospital. As she walked in, another thought occurred to her. The person whose name Harry had pointed to on the list was also in this hospital. It was an opportunity she couldn't pass up so she decided to make a quick detour. She carefully made her way into the target's room and noticed he was either asleep or unconscious. She didn't know which nor did she care. She slowly pulled out her wand so she wouldn't wake him if he was only asleep and sent the same spell toward him that Hermione had hit the Slytherins with then quickly left.
She reached her desination a few minutes later. Neville was standing with his grandmother facing his parents beds. Frank Logbottom's eyes and expression were vacant just as she remembered them but Alice's eyes were locked onto her son but that was really the extent of her ability to communicate. Neville's eyes were filled with tears and his shoulders were slumped. His hand was opening and closing as if trying to grasp something. She knew what he was trying to grasp and moved toward him until she was right next to him. She carefully put her hand out and the next time he reached out his hand closed around hers. Neville only slightly tensed but managed to control himself for the most part. She saw him quickly glance her way before turning back to his parents. Knowing he couldn't see her, she squeezed his hand to reassure him she was really there. He squeezed back and suddenly didn't look quite as lost as he had when she first entered. She also noticed the corners of his mouth turn up slightly as he flashed her a quick smile.
They stood like that for a while until Neville's mother held up a candy wrapper. She'd done that every year and Neville kept the wrappers in a box in his trunk. They were the only presents his parents had ever given him and he treasured them. He stepped away from them and moved to his mother's side but, instead of giving it to him, she dropped it in her lap and grabbed his hand with both of hers and pulled. She didn't pull like she was trying to pull him closer, it was more like she was trying to pull herself up or more specifically out of the prison she was in trapped inside her own body. Her eyes took on a pleading quality and it looked like she was literally begging him to help her. Tears immediately began running down his face and it was all she could do to keep from running over to him and hugging him but his grandmother was there and she couldn't let the older woman learn of her presence.
His grandmother had moved to his side and placed a hand on his shoulder. She too had tears running down her face. Luna knew she loved her grandson and wanted to comfort him but she was too overwhelmed with her own grief. Luna moved to Neville's other side feeling her own tears flow to offer what comfort she could while being careful to avoid his grandmother's hand. She rubbed his back with one hand while resting the other on his free shoulder then leaned in and nuzzled his head with hers. It was then she heard him whispering.
"I-I'm sorry mum," he spoke softly through his tears. "I-If I could make you and dad better I would. I'm so sorry, you deserve a better son."
It broke her heart to hear him talk like that and she swore to track down whoever did this to his parents and make them pay. She planted a light kiss on the side of his head then moved her lips close to his ear.
"It's not your fault Neville," she whispered. "I know they love you very much and would never blame you so don't blame yourself."
She glanced up at Neville's grandmother to see if she'd heard her speak. She was crying openly and her face held nearly as much pain as Neville's. All at once she wiped her eyes then looked down at her grandson.
"Neville," she said softly then waited for him to look up at her. "I think I'll check in with the healer. I won't be gone long."
She didn't wait for an answer; she just turned and headed for the door. As she reached the door she covered her face with her hands and she started to shake. Luna knew she wasn't going to talk to the healer. She was trying to leave the room so she wouldn't breakdown in front of Neville but hadn't quite made it. Neville's mother had calmed down by then so, as soon as the door closed, she pulled Neville into a hug. He immediately clung to her as he released his hold on his emotions. She didn't say anything she just held him as he cried trying to put all the love she could into her embrace.
By the time his grandmother returned, Neville had calmed down and was once again standing at the foot of his parents' beds. Luna was again silently standing next to him holding his hand. His grandmother joined him and they just stood there staring at their loved ones for a while. It was Neville who broke the silence.
"Mum has never done that before gran," he said looking up at the older woman. "Do you think that means she might be getting better?"
She looked down at him her expression a combination of sadness and pity.
"I wouldn't get your hopes up Neville," she responded. "But I suppose we could ask healer McTavish about it."
He nodded and they went back to their silent vigil. They stood there for a while longer until his grandmother announced it was time to go home. Luna walked with them as Neville refused to let go of her hand. Eventually, they ended up on the ground floor next to a fireplace. His grandmother went first and flooed home. Neville squeezed her hand one more time before letting it go and stepping into the fireplace. As he held the floo powder up preparing to leave he looked where he thought she was and mouthed thank you before throwing the powder down and disappearing. She then made her way out of the hospital, back to the secluded spot she'd arrived at and returned home.
The rest of the holiday seemed to fly by and soon it was New Years Eve. Harry and Hermione rang in the New Year with her parents. They watched movies, drank egg nog and discussed possible resolutions for the New Year. They counted down together as the clock reached midnight and Harry couldn't help but feel a little jealous as he watched Hermione's parents kiss at the stroke of midnight. He wanted to kiss Hermione so bad he almost couldn't take it. They talked for a little while longer then he excused himself and headed up to bed. He hadn't been in his room long when there was a knock on the door.
He opened it to find Hermione standing there. She didn't say anything she just pushed her way into the room then grabbed his head with both of her hands and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. He immediately put his arms around her and responded in kind. When they broke the kiss she pulled him into a hug.
"Happy New Year Harry," she whispered in his ear.
"Happy New Year Hermione," he responded. "I love you."
"I love you too," she replied.
They kissed one more time then they said their goodnights and she left. He got into bed genuinely hopeful that it would be a good year for once and that they would have many more good years after that. Tomorrow would be the last day of the holidays then it would be time to go back to Hogwarts and deal with Dumbledore and Ron.
Albus Dumbledore sat in his office celebrating the New Year alone. It seems the staff all had other plans so there wasn't a party in the castle as usual. The few students who'd stayed in the castle had also chosen to do their own thing. All in all, he was happy to see this year end. It had started out alright but with the new school year came a huge disappointment by the name of Harry Potter. The boy had been insolent and disrespectful at every turn. He was still livid about his treatment at the Granger residence and had no intention of letting that continue.
Thankfully he'd made some strides over the holidays to help bring the boy back under control. He'd successfully managed to get Sirius Black out of the way despite being cleared of the crimes he was sent to prison for and He would now be able to officially become the boy's guardian. All that was left was to finally break the boy's will and the two deliveries he received that day meant it would be happening sooner rather than later. One was a parcel containing the potions that Molly Weasely had promised him, the other was a letter bringing him much needed good news; Severus Snape was finally awake.