All Debts Must be Paid

Chapter Fifteen: Sirius

The sun was sinking towards the horizon as Sirius allowed canine instincts to take over and idly snuffled rabbit trails that criss-crossed the lane. The heat of the day had not yet cooled and clouds of midges swarmed in the still air. He gave a mental snigger as Remus tried to wave the insects off, remembering he always did attract them like iron filings to a magnet.

Remus glared at him. "I'll say one word, Padfoot. Fleas."

Sirius pretended to ignore him and trotted ahead as the lane opened out and the castle stood before them, the setting sun reflecting off an open window on the eighth floor.

Once inside, they went straight up to Dumbledore's office, where Sirius transformed back into himself, scratching self-consciously.

"Well obviously you were successful, Remus," Dumbledore said, "But you can tell me about it later. I understand that the Head of the MLES is on his way to see me, so you had better make yourself scarce. Ah, the library will be far enough."

Remus looked surprised and not a little alarmed, but all he said was, "Certainly, Headmaster."

Sirius sighed and transformed back.

A few minutes later a house elf showed a stranger into Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and looked at the man. His eyes twinkled. He was clearly enjoying himself. "Why Mr Kellow, it's a long time since we've seen you here."

Sirius gave a mental smirk. Nothing like making someone remember being at school to throw them off their stride, he thought.

Kellow however, seemed to be made of stern stuff. "I'm not here to reminisce about school days, Headmaster, however."

"Pity," murmured Dumbledore, still with that twinkle. "So how can I help you?"

"I am looking for Remus Lupin. I gather he might be hiding somewhere here."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Mr Lupin is most certainly not hiding anywhere in this castle."

"You're sure about that, Headmaster? A concerned member of the public saw him leaving Hogsmeade and heading towards the castle not an hour ago."

Dumbledore smiled cheerfully. "Of course I'm sure, Mr Kellow. Mr Lupin isn't hiding here at all. In fact at this moment he's doing some research in the Library. Can I ask why you're looking for him?"

Kellow snorted. "Stopped reading the evening paper, Professor? he asked ironically. "We need to speak to him about how he's been helping Sirius Black."

Dumbledore glanced at Sirius and smiled again. "Helping Sirius Black? You appal me, Mr Kellow. When did he do this?"

The head of the MLES didn't look amused. "Sirius Black was re-captured this afternoon and taken to the Ministry of Magic." He paused before admitting, "Unfortunately he managed to escape before he could be questioned."

"Makes quite a habit of that doesn't he?" murmured Dumbledore.

Kellow glared at the Headmaster. "It is our belief that Remus Lupin assisted him to escape."

Sirius yawned and scratched himself.

Dumbledore looked puzzled. "I really don't see how he could have done that."

"Oh? Why is that, Headmaster?"

"He spent most of the afternoon with me, and then took this dog for a walk, which is when your informant must have seen him, as he got back about half an hour ago. He went down to the library on his return and has been there ever since. I'm sure Madam Pince will confirm that."

Kellow's expression said that he rather thought Madam Pince would say whatever she was told to say. Wisely, he did not voice this view.

The twinkle disappeared from Dumbledore's eyes. "Remus Lupin has told me about the brutal way he was treated by your men the other day, Mr Kellow. Unless I am very much mistaken, you have no evidence that he has been engaged in any criminal activity, save blind prejudice against Mr Lupin's unfortunate affliction."

"Lupin is a known associate of Black's, Headmaster," Kellow protested.

"He was a known associate as you put it, of Black's fourteen years ago. Black himself escaped from Azkaban over two years ago, and yet you didn't arrest him then."

"Perhaps we should have done."

Sirius growled, but as the Ministry Official looked at him, he turned it into another yawn.

"Had you done so, you would have discovered upon questioning him, as you did the day before yesterday, that there were no grounds for believing that he had been engaged in criminal activity. I have yet to hear your explanation for continuing to hound him in this way." Dumbledore paused and looked enquiringly at Kellow.

Kellow stared at Dumbledore, with an unreadable expression, but to Sirius he smelt embarrassed. Obviously he didn't have any evidence then, but wasn't going to admit it.

Eventually Kellow said, "If you are prepared to vouch for him, Headmaster."

The twinkle was back. "I am."

"Then of course there is nothing more to be said," Kellow said, standing up.

" And Mr Lupin will hear no more about being taken in for further questioning?" Dumbledore enquired.

"He will hear no more about it," Kellow agreed, although the statement seemed to be wrung from him.

"Well don't let another twenty five years elapse before your next visit back to see us, Mr Kellow," Dumbledore told him. Kellow snorted and left.

Sirius transformed back into himself. "You know he could easily check that we Flooed to the Three Broomsticks," he said.

Dumbledore smiled. "Of course he could. He's not stupid. However he also doesn't really think Remus had anything to do with your escape. Why should he? You've managed perfectly well by yourself on two previous occasions."

"So what now?"

"We need to find out why all this has started up now."

"It has to be something to do with that Hit Wizard, Jacks," Sirius declared, frowning.

"From what you say he certainly seems to be the common thread running through all this," agreed Dumbledore thoughtfully.

"But why?"

"Let's find out, shall we?"

---

Next day at lunchtime, Arthur Weasley appeared, to tell Dumbledore what he had managed to find out. Sirius had spent a restless morning prowling around the grounds in dog form, Remus having sent him packing from the library for disturbing him.

The four of them met in Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, and the other two sat opposite him in leather armchairs. "I can't stay long, I'm taking an early lunch," Weasley was saying as Sirius walked in, "but if you hadn't asked me to come I would have anyway, because this is important."

"Go on," Dumbledore told him, conjuring a plate of sandwiches for him.

Weasley ran a hand through his thinning hair and absent-mindedly picked up a sandwich with the other, waving it around as he spoke. "You asked me to find out as much as I could about a Hit Wizard called Jacks," he began. "I know the man, not well, but to nod to and speak to occasionally. He used to be quite well thought of in the MLES -"

"Used to be?" broke in Remus.

Weasley nodded. "Yes, until a couple of years ago, round about the time you got away from Azkaban, Sirius." He nodded over to where Sirius was standing. "Something happened and he was suddenly transferred to Archives and Records. Figured he'd been caught with his hand in the till or something."

Sirius snorted. "I can tell you what he did. He caught me, right after I got to the mainland, but I managed to get away. Guess they weren't too pleased with him then."

Weasley let out a low whistle. "I never heard a whisper about that. They hushed that up really well." He paused and rubbed his nose. "I spoke to him yesterday, as it happens, and he told me he'd managed to get a transfer back into the MLES. Said he'd been involved in this operation to re-capture you, but that his boss was interfering. He also admitted that the whole idea for the operation had been his. He certainly seemed keen to 'get you' as he put it," he turned to Remus, "both of you."

Remus and Sirius looked at one another. "At least I know what I did to him now," Sirius said.

"You do?" Remus asked.

"Yeah, I cost him his job." He grinned. "So, it's personal."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Weasley said, biting into his sandwich at last. His next words were muffled as he chewed. "Jacks was speaking to Macnair last night."

"But he's a Death Eater!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Just because someone was seen talking to another person we know is a Death Eater doesn't automatically mean anything." Remus reproved. Then he turned to Weasley, "I take it this was at work?"

Weasley shook his head. "It wasn't actually, he was seen drinking with Macnair in Crippens - it's a bar in Knockturn Alley generally avoided by Ministry types. An Unspeakable that I know, chap called Bode, saw them and wondered about it. It's circumstantial, I know but…"

Remus glanced at Dumbledore who had been sitting listening. "It would make sense, if he was a Death Eater. Think about it, something happens over two years ago that gives him a grudge against you, Sirius, but he does nothing about it. Suddenly he dreams up this plan to recapture you -"

"Of course," Sirius said slowly, "he only started to do something when Voldemort told him to. And he couldn't have done that until last month. But why?"

"I would have thought that was the most obvious thing of all," commented Dumbledore. "If Voldemort gets at you, he gets at Harry."

Sirius scowled and said, "Well I'll be damned if I let him." He turned to Arthur Weasley. "Where does Jacks live, do you know?"

"I can find out and send you an owl. Dumbledore?"

The Headmaster's eyes twinkled and he nodded. "Do that, Arthur." He turned to Sirius and sighed, "I suppose it's too much to ask for you to be careful, for Harry's sake if not your own."

"Might as well ask the sun not to rise," murmured Remus.

Once Weasley had left, it took several hours for his owl to return with the Hit Wizard's address. By the time it did, Sirius was just about rabid from the need to get out and do something and would have snatched the message from Dumbledore's hands if the Headmaster hadn't held it out to him as soon as he ran into the office. Sirius quickly scanned the contents, nodded and left.

He Apparated to an empty alley, and swore as he stumbled into the dustbin he'd appeared beside. The alley opened out onto a side street and he saw that the address he was looking for was above a Curry House on the other side of the road. He concentrated on the doorway opposite and crossed the street narrowly avoiding being run over by a taxi that passed him with an angry honk of its horn. He barely noticed it.

The flat he was looking for was at the top of the dilapidated building. Well, being a Death Eater hadn't precisely brought Jacks wealth and prosperity, Sirius thought sourly as he bounded up the stairs through the lingering smell of Chicken Jalfrezie. Served him right.

There was only one door on the top landing. He paused outside and listened. Silence. It didn't mean there was no one there of course. He quietly muttered a revealing charm, but there seemed to be no sign of wards on the door. Curious, he thought, unless the man didn't really live here.

He tried the door, but it was locked. "Alohamora," he muttered, and the lock clicked open. Giving the door a push, he walked into the room. There was no one there. He looked round. It was pretty grotty; the sofa which dominated the room was at least twenty years old, upholstered in an unpleasant orange colour, the arms splattered with coffee and wine stains. There was an empty bottle of Ogdens on the coffee table next to a coffee mug half full of an unidentifiable mould encrusted liquid. He noticed there were dirty dishes in the sink by the window and the air was tinged with the smell of over-ripe rubbish. Looked like Jacks was almost as good at housekeeping as he was, Sirius thought.

He stuck his head in the bedroom, just to make sure there was no one there, but again it was empty. He would have to wait. The man would be bound to come back sooner or later. He contemplated sitting down on the sofa with some distaste, funny how you could live surrounded by your own mess with no qualms, but other people's mess made you shudder, he thought with a grin.

He paced around the room for a few moments before he noticed a sheet of parchment peeping out from under the sofa. Curious, he pulled it out and quickly scanned it. As far as he could decipher Jacks' chicken track scrawl, they were notes about him, and links to Remus. So this was how the bastard had planned to trap them. He growled.

Then the fire flared up, indicating someone was coming through, so he pulled out his wand and waited. Jacks stumbled out onto the dirty rug in front of the fireplace, clutching a full milk bottle in one hand. His eyes widened as he recognised who was waiting for him. "Oh fuck," he said.