Reign O'er Me

---

Chapter 13 - Here for More

You may think that you're pretty good people,
And you run at an even score,
But whatever you think you are here for,
You bet your life you're here for more.

- Here For More, The Who

---

Madam Pomfrey continued to hover over Sirius as she attempted to settle him into the hospital wing. Earlier, she had conjured a stretcher and had floated the protesting Marauder into the castle. She had wanted to do the same with Harry and Ginny but they had managed to stand and had insisted that they were ok. Madam Pomfrey had been too occupied trying to treat Sirius and keep him on the stretcher to argue. They had all followed the Mediwitch up the stairs and through the hallways into her domain. It had taken Dumbledore intervening to get Sirius into the hospital bed; none of the teens had heard exactly what he had said, but Harry heard his name spoken more than once.

Sirius had settled into the bed without further protest, and Dumbledore, McGonagall, the Flamels and Snape huddled in the far corner. Madam Pomfrey had chased the students away from Sirius’ bedside as she worked. Hermione had coaxed Harry and Ginny into chairs; Ginny was still looking pale and a little shaky. She had leaned heavily on her brother as they had climbed the stairs. The four students continued to eat bits of chocolate from a large bar McGonagall had given them.

Pomfrey was giving Sirius a mug of hot chocolate, a sip at a time, forcing him to drink slowly. “It may have only been two weeks since you’ve had any solid food, though it looks more like two months; you never did take care of yourself, Mr. Black. Slow down, now, or you’re going to be sick. And what have you managed to cover yourself in this time? I had thought when you had graduated I should never have to have you dripping over my clean floors again, but like your godson, you just keep turning up.” Harry grinned; he had been under Madam Pomfrey’s care often enough to know her grumbling was a sure sign that everything was going to be ok.

The discussion between the professors was growing heated; the teens couldn’t make out words, but tones and body language were clear; Perenelle Flamel and Severus Snape were very much at odds. Snape finally turned and strode from the room, his cloak billowing behind him. He slammed the door as he left the hospital room. McGonagall and Nicholas Flamel left a few minutes afterwards; Dumbledore and Perenelle moved to Sirius’ bedside; Harry could hear Dumbledore saying something to Madam Pomfrey, but again, he could not make out the words; Dumbledore was facing away from him.

Madam Pomfrey finally shooed the headmaster and Perenelle away. She conjured a basin of water and pulled the screens around Sirius' bed; Dumbledore and Perenelle joined the four students. Dumbledore looked at them for a moment and then said, “The resourcefulness that the four of you constantly show still manages to surprise me. I had honestly held little hope for Sirius’s return, even if you had successfully managed to somehow contact him. Miss Granger, you, in particular have accomplished, in a very short span of time, work worthy of the best of the unspeakables.”

“Thank you, Professor,” Hermione said. “Anything was better than having someone,” she glanced pointedly at Harry, “attempt to go through the arch with a portkey. That was the only other idea we had.”

“Anything seems to have included obtaining unauthorized access to a secret Ministry manual and using the Ministry-reserved spells it contained.” Dumbledore maintained a neutral expression.

“Yes.” Hermione did not waver as she calmly returned his gaze. “I know I broke more than just rules; I broke the law as well. Several laws, as a matter of fact. I did so with full knowledge of what I was doing and with the intent to do exactly what I did. I am solely responsible and am prepared to accept the consequences.” She looked down for a moment. “And I did it without remorse. I’m not the least bit sorry.”

“Wait!” Ron said. “I was the one who told her about the book, and I’m the one who unlocked it with the password and allowed Hermione to get to the spells. If it wasn’t for me, Hermione would have never had the chance. And I’m the one who used the portkeys she made.”

“I was in the middle of it, too; Ron only said he had an idea; I was the one who told everyone there was a book; I helped direct Dobby to it,” Ginny protested.

“But without me pushing, none of them would have been involved at all, Professor. In the end, I’m responsible for all of this. I sent Dobby to get the book; I pushed Hermione into making a portkey when she wanted to wait for help. And Ron made the tests, but only to protect Ginny and Hermione, and I was the one who used the only portkey that counted. If someone must be held accountable, then it should be me,” Harry said, looking toward the screens concealing Sirius. “No matter what, it was worth it. A thousand times worth it.”

A smile had started tugging at the corners of Perenelle’s mouth as Hermione had spoken; it grew as each of them had spoken in turn. “Have they passed your test, Brian? Are you now satisfied? Godric would have loved these four as if they were his own.”

Dumbledore nodded to Perenelle before looking to Hermione. “It would seem, dear girl, that in this case you have obeyed the only rule that mattered.” Seeing Hermione’s puzzled look, Dumbledore explained, “All rules are meant to be broken occasionally.” He exchanged looks with Ron and Harry, and then stressed, “Occasionally.”

When their laughter died, he continued, “Besides, I am proud of the four of you; you have succeeded where many others have failed, and you do not retreat from your actions at all. I am also pleased with the level of teamwork the four of you have shown in this endeavor and also that you sought advice and council before venturing so far beyond your experience. Well done.”

“But I do not think their actions today should be without consequences,” Perenelle said. “And if you do not do it, Brian, I shall. We are both members of the Order of Merlin. I will see these four are nominated and selected. Nicholas and I together have more than sufficient votes.” Then, smiling, she teased, “And you should be ashamed of yourself - a teacher, trying to frighten children.”

“These are not children, Perenelle.” Dumbledore looked sad for a moment before saying softly where only Perenelle could hear. “But I too have underestimated them.” Then, louder, he said, eyes twinkling, “But your suggestion does have merit. Would you like to present it to Cornelius?”

“I would relish that,” Perenelle said. “I knew his great-grandmother quite well; she would have certainly been disappointed in how he has handled himself of late.”

“It may be some time before he will be able to consider such matters,” Dumbledore said. “And while on the subject of the Ministry, it also occurs to me that you, Hermione, should use caution in casually casting the portkey spell. While the wards at Headquarters would prevent detection by the Ministry, and of late such use here at Hogwarts has gone unchallenged, creating one elsewhere could result in awkward questions, at least if the Improper Use of Magic Office begins operating again.”

“What happened? You mean there’s no one watching for under-aged magic use?” Ron asked.

“Or unlicensed apparition or flying carpets or many other things. After what happened at Azkaban, there is a severe shortage of Aurors,” Dumbledore explained. “Anyone with any sort of Auror training at all - which includes most of the Improper Use office - has been pressed into other duties. Your father and most of his staff have been reassigned as well; Arthur for all intents and purposes is running Magical Law Enforcement while Amelia Bones has taken over both International Cooperation and Accidents and Catastrophes; there are no resources available other than for the most critical things.”

Dumbledore looked thoughtful as he continued, “What I have told you is in confidence; though you may well read of it on the front page of the Prophet tomorrow. However, it occurs to me that being able to craft a portkey might prove useful for all of you. I had intended that the four of you be instructed in apparition this summer; however, the ability to create a portkey would be even less expected. Miss Granger… no, Hermione, would you undertake to share what you have learned?”

“Of course, Professor.”

“I would prefer that you restrict your initial attempts to locations inside of Headquarters, and with prior arrangements, between there and Hogwarts, however, I will trust you will at least not put yourself at risk or draw unnecessary attention to yourselves. And likewise, the fewer who know you have gained this ability, the better.”

“Professor, what was that thing?” Ron asked.

Dumbledore looked worried for a moment before answering. “I am not sure, Ron; Professor McGonagall is searching for an answer to that question even now, and Perenelle will join her shortly. It is a matter of some concern; the effects of the creature were like that of a dementor, though there were differences.”

“There was something strange about my Patronus,” Harry said. “It felt different, somehow.”

The professors exchanged a glance, before Perenelle replied, “Unfortunately, Harry, none of us got a good look. Unless Mr. Weasley or Miss Granger?”

Hermione shook her head as Ron replied, “No; once Harry drove it off, all I wanted to do was get over to them. I thought they had it when Harry’s first Patronus fizzled. What ever that thing was, it didn’t like that spell at all.”

“Please explain further, Ron. You must remember our view was obscured by the rip the creature entered through.”

“Harry cast two Patronus spells. The first one only produced a bit of vapor; as soon as he did that, that thing charged him.”

Perenelle asked, “Harry, what can you add to this?”

“I remember making the first attempt; I don’t know what I was thinking about the first time, but Ron’s right, the first one fizzled out pretty quick. The second time, I remember looking at Ginny and Sirius. That was a pretty happy thought. Then I cast the spell; something was different, but I was kind of dizzy at that point. At the time, the only important thing was it worked.”

The two professors again exchanged looks; Dumbledore then said, “In any case, let us hope that will remain a problem for another day. I am afraid that I must join Nicholas at the ministry; things are still quite unsettled there. I would prefer if you four either remained here, with Madam Pomfrey’s permission, or that you return to Grimmauld Place. We have not yet considered how to improve our defenses to prevent a repeat of something similar to Mr. Pettigrew’s entry into the castle.”

“We’ll stay here, Professor,” Harry said.

Dumbledore talked again briefly with Madam Pomfrey and then took his leave; Perenelle moved a chair near Harry and Ginny and sat. “I have not had the opportunity to check on the two of you in the past few days. May I?”

They both nodded, and Perenelle joined her hand to the joined hands of Harry and Ginny. Her eyes closed for a few moments, then she opened them, nodding. “Your bond continues to grow and strengthen, but in some ways not as rapidly as I had hoped. I am aware that you have become separated at least twice, briefly; if possible, it would be good if you can manage to avoid this, though I can hardly fault Harry for either occasion.” She looked thoughtful for a moment, looking first at intently at Ginny, then more briefly at Harry. “The two of you haven’t found much quality time for yourselves in the past few days, have you?”

Harry shook his head, while Ginny answered, “No, not really. No more than a moment here and there. So much has happened since all this, well, started, that by the end of the day we’re knackered, drained or both.”

“Try to make some time, just for the two of you,” Perenelle told them. “Not only will it help things proceed as they should, the two of you have earned it. You must take care of yourselves and each other.” Observing Ron and Hermione smirking, she said to them, “The two of you might heed the same advice as well. Your feelings are obvious to all around you except, perhaps, each other. These are uncertain times. ‘There is no joy like that snatched from under the shadow of the sword.’ If you show the same honesty you did a short time ago, you will stop playing at the margins with each other.”

Perenelle peered intently at Ginny again before releasing their hands and starting to rise. “I must go now and join Minerva; however, we shall see each other again soon. And, Hermione, well done.” After exchanging farewells, she too left the hospital wing.

A few minutes later, Madam Pomfrey moved the screen away. Sirius was in the red and white-striped pajamas, and the head of his bed had been raised to a 45-degree angle; all of the substance covering him had been cleaned away. Madam Pomfrey walked toward the four teens. “Now, then, I want to check the two of you over.”

She waved her wand over Harry and Ginny, and she also checked over Hermione and Ron before finally sniffing, “Nothing wrong with the lot of you that a dollop more of chocolate won’t fix up.” She walked to her office and returned a few moments later with two large bars of Honeyduke’s finest. “Each of you share one of those, and other than Mr. Potter needing to favor his left shoulder for a day or two more, you should be ready to begin your next plot to land one or more of you back here.”

“Madam Pomfrey, how is Sirius?” Ginny asked quietly.

Her face softened for a moment before she could help herself. “The man has the constitution of a dragon and the disposition to match. He’s starved, dehydrated, has been stuck with whatever that thing was for two weeks… though after two cups of Hot Chocolate, he’s little worse for the wear on that score than the four of you… but his first priority was to exchange tales with the four of you, preferably while also renewing his acquaintance with a bottle of fire whiskey. He’ll need to drink fluids - normal fluids, mind you - and should eat several small, soft meals a day before gradually returning to eating normally. He’ll be a little weak and will tire easily for the next day or two, but he is in remarkably good shape, all things considered, and will be fine if he acts sensibly for a change.”

“Can we talk to him?” Harry asked eagerly.

“You may as well. That’s my only hope of keeping him in that bed for a few more hours. But please try keep him from getting too excited.”

The four students rushed to Sirius' bedside; Ginny and Harry on one side; Ron and Hermione ran to the other. Sirius grinned widely as they approached; he held out his arms and hugged Ginny and Hermione to him. When they finally broke away, Sirius sighed contently and said, “It’s about time. That’s the kind of welcome I’ve been waiting for… the two loveliest lasses at Hogwarts… that’s how things should have started off. What kind of homecoming was that supposed to be, anyway? I open my eyes and the first thing I see is Snivillus Snape’s ugly puss. Harry, come here where I can reach you, you too, Ron.” Sirius pulled both boys to him; more than two minutes passed before he released Harry. “Thank you. All of you.”

As he finally stepped back, Sirius looked at Harry and Ginny and grinned wickedly, “And what have we here, Harry? A girlfriend? You couldn’t let her go of her hand long enough to greet your poor old long lost godfather properly?”

Harry grinned back, “Actually, I couldn’t, and it’s all your fault, you know. Not my fault, YOUR fault, you mangy, wretched cur. We have some things to talk about, Sirius, and I think Molly Weasley is going to want a piece of your hide, too.”

“I was NEVER mangy. Padfoot has a beautiful, sleek, shiny coat. I take it you got my letters, then?” He looked inordinately pleased with himself.

They all acknowledged receiving the letters; then Sirius tried to act indigent, “But what’s the big idea? Remus was only supposed to hand those out if I was dead.”

“Everybody thought you WERE dead,” Harry said. “They even read your will. And ‘almost all of them were true, and I hope you’ve found out by now the hard way?’”

“It worked, didn’t it? Don’t argue with success, Harry. It’s not polite; especially since you’re so obviously happy about it that you won’t let go of Ginny’s hand. Now, what’s this about my will?”

Ginny pulled the ruby pendant from beneath her shirt. Sirius' eyes widened for a moment, then he grinned and said, “I had forgotten that thing even existed; I haven’t seen it since before my grandmother passed. It looks marvelous on you, Ginny. Sod the will, I want to hear all about the two of you first.”

They summoned chairs to Sirius’ bedside, one of Ginny’s hands held Harry’s; the other held Sirius’s. They all participated in telling Sirius about the bonding that had taken place between Harry and Ginny; Sirius laughed until tears fell from his eyes when Ginny described how Harry had cursed him just prior to his confession. He finally recovered enough to say, “Harry, you’re so much like your father; he could approach any girl, except for one; the one he really cared about… you owe your existence to me, you know… but we’ll save that story for later. What happened next?”

They continued, telling him about the bonding and it’s aftermath. “Harry actually asked Dumbledore that?” Sirius laughed through their description of their first night, before remarking, “it’s just not fair. I had to work for every conquest, and Molly tucks the two of you in with orders to snog away. Harry, you either have it far too hard or much too easy. There is such a thing as a happy medium, you know.”

Madam Pomfrey interrupted at that point with a bowl of broth; she supervised as Sirius slowly worked through the bowl but allowed the teens to continue their tale; she had been following along, and, though she would not have admitted it, was as entranced in the story as was Sirius.

Their recounting reached the reading of the will. When Harry had finished describing the reactions following Sirius’ orders to remove the Malfoys and Lestranges, Sirius remarked, “You know, the only way that portion of the will came out like that was if I’d been cleared by the Ministry. I take it that happened? That seems like a kind of major point to skip over….”

“Yes, you’re cleared!” Harry said.

“And to top it off, Harry captured Wormtail!” Ron added.

Sirius looked at Harry. “You’re right, Harry, we are going to have to talk about some things. A long talk.”

“Hey, I’m telling you almost everything; just so much has happened in the last week, it’s hard to hit everything in perfect order. Besides, you wanted to hear about us first.” Harry grinned back at him. “And let’s see. You know we’re living at Grimmauld Place now, you know about Ginny, you’re free and clear, and if you’ll still have me, I’m going to live at your house. That’s the important stuff; the rest is just details.”

“You’re right. But I still want to hear all the details.”

They continued on, describing the events surrounding the reading of the will and then the other things that had happened up to this morning. When they finally reached the end, Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, “That’s a tale worthy of the very best of the Marauders. Secret spells, stolen books, risks, daring, a snog or two along the way, ultimate success, and the heroes and heroines riding off into the sunset… and Hermione, I don’t know how to say thank you enough. To all of you.”

Madam Pomfrey had hovered nearby, no longer even making a pretense of being busy. She brought Sirius another bowl of broth, and then checked him over with her wand. She seemed satisfied at last and said; “There’s really not a lot more I can do for you here. Plenty of fluids, several small soft meals for the next few days; plenty of rest and take things easy until your strength builds back up. I’ll floo Molly; I’m sure she’ll see that you behave yourself.”

“You mean I can go?”

“My memory isn’t faulty, Mr. Black. I would have never managed to hold you here as long as I have today without the help of your young friends. However, I’m afraid I’ve destroyed what you were wearing. It was beyond recovery.”

“No matter.” Sirius looked at Hermione. “You’re the best at transfiguration in this lot, right? Would you mind?”

She nodded, and flicked and swished her wand; the striped pajamas transfigured into jeans and a collared rugby shirt. “Not bad; not bad at all,” he approved. “Hey, did Fred and George get around to taking Moony shopping?”

“Not yet,” Ron answered.

“Great. I’m going with them,” Sirius declared. “I hear bellbottoms are finally back.” He gingerly sat up, Harry helping him, and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Madam Pomfrey put a pair of slippers on his feet that Hermione transfigured into trainers; Sirius then stood, Harry steadying him on one side, Ron, after moving around the bed, on the other. He smiled at Madam Pomfrey. “Thank you, Madam Pomfrey. If there is a next time, I will try to take care not to drip over your floors.”

“Oh, go on with you, Sirius Black. Mind you follow my instructions and stay out of trouble; I would like to spend some time on holiday.”

Sirius then asked the four teens, “Ok, what now?”

“Back to Grimmauld Place?” Ginny asked.

Sirius shrugged. “The old homey home place, eh? Not the Leaky Cauldron for a bit first? Oh, all right, all right, I guess it’s not quite time to make a public appearance anyway. At least this time around I won’t be stuck there.”

Harry had intentionally not said anything to his godfather about the changes that had taken place at Grimmauld Place; he’d worried that they had said too much when they mentioned Dobby getting the book for them from The Burrow, but Sirius had asked no questions; Harry hoped Sirius would be surprised and find the worst of his memories gone with the portraits and drab colors.

Ron pulled out the portkey; they all took hold and stumbled into the kitchen at Grimmauld Place.

Molly was just coming out the pantry. “Ronald! Harry! Gin… SIRIUS!!!” She dropped the box she was carrying and pulled him into a hug. “Sirius! I… I… couldn’t believe what the children were saying… that you were alive…. Harry wanted it to be true so badly… Are you all right?”

“I am now, Molly. Thanks to four very determined and resourceful kids who stopped at nothing and who don’t even know how to quit. Don’t you dare yell at them; they’ve earned a free pass this time.” He stepped back, and looked around, “Merlin! What have you done to this place?”

Hermione looked frustrated as she said, “This is Professor Dumbledore’s idea of a house elf vacation.”

“Dobby left Hogwarts, Sirius, to take care of Harry and what he thought was Harry’s house,” Molly explained. “Then Dobby asked Dumbledore if some of his friends could help. Since then, we’ve had battalions of Hogwarts house elves running though the house working like mad. Minerva tells me they barely get soup and sandwiches at Hogwarts any more; that even the elves who have remained are spending all their time working on things for this house.”

“Will wonders never end,” Sirius said. “I didn’t expect to ever be here again; but here I am; this room is fit for human habitation; Harry’s great; everybody’s ok, and Peter’s locked up. Let’s see the rest of the place.”

Molly remained in the kitchen; she told them that Dudley had come down earlier, and after another smaller dose of calming potion had been taken by Remus Lupin to buy a few items of clothing in Muggle London. Sirius looked slightly disappointed; he was eager to see the other Marauder.

After walking through the first and second floors, Sirius grew tired, and they returned to the kitchen. While there was still a great deal to be done to the house, the first floor was mostly finished, though several rooms needed draperies, and all of the furnishings had not yet been returned. There was no question the house would be magnificent when Dobby and the other elves finished. Not a trace remained of anything even hinting at a dark past; the decor was light and open; Sirius could hardly believe his eyes.

“I guess I better be asking you if I can have a room, Harry.” Sirius grinned as they took seats around the table.

“It’s your house, Sirius,” Harry said. “I should be asking you and moving out of your rooms.”

“Nope, sorry. After that will is read, it’s said and done. All official, done, over with, binding magical contract, all that,” Sirius replied. “And stay where you are; two need more room than one. And it hardly seems worth spending a lot of time worrying about undoing the will. I still have a huge claim against the ministry, and until then, Harry, if you’d loan me a few sickles now and then for an occasional firewhiskey, I’ll be fine.”

“But, Sirius,” Molly objected. “You can’t possibly be serious.”

“Et tu, Molly?” Sirius tried to look pained before continuing. “From what the kids tell me, everyone else seems to have been convinced I was deader than a doornail. Not to mention Gringotts isn’t in the habit of reading the wills of the living. Actually, I’m quite sure there are a number of solicitors who are going to take the position that I’m dead, Molly.” He chuckled thoughtfully. “Most of them work for Cornelius Fudge. To be honest, this is something I will have to talk with Jon Howe about, but my intention right now is to leave things just as they are. Harry has managed ok thus far; he’s already done a far better job of taking care of me than I ever did of him.”

“But… what you left us… it’s too much,” she objected.

“The only thing I was sorry about was that you didn’t have a couple more kids so I could have made the shares for Bella and Cissy even smaller. I doubt Bella will collect, but odds are Cissy will. Don’t worry about it, Molly; we’ll get it sorted. Besides, don’t you think Grandma’s ruby pendant looks smashing on your daughter? Harry and I do.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remus Lupin returned an hour later; he had turned Dudley over to Tonks, who was going to take Harry’s cousin to St. Mungo's to look in on his mother before returning him to Grimmauld Place. He had looked weary as he entered the kitchen; Harry knew the full moon was only a few days away. He didn’t look up as he approached the table.

“I know you’re used to my comings and goings, but you could at least say hello, Moony,” Sirius said as he stood.

Remus looked as if he had been electrified. “Padfoot!” he exclaimed as the two men clasped each other and pounded the other's back. His eyes brimmed with tears as they finally sat, and he looked at each of the teens in turn. No words were necessary.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Charlie arrived not long after Remus; he found them all sitting around the kitchen table, talking and eating sandwiches Molly had made. He and Sirius exchanged greetings and a warm handshake; he had already heard the news from his father, who had been told by Dumbledore. He had brought several copies of the Daily Prophet that he dropped in two stacks on the table. He said, “Dumbledore hopes to have a meeting here later tonight with several others from the Order; it’s not definite; it depends on things calming down enough at the Ministry. Anyway, there are several articles in the Prophet you will all want to read. Looks like a lot of cats are out of the bag all of a sudden, but at least Harry’s back on the Prophet’s good side again.”

Harry sighed; he’d been dreading this.

He and several others picked up copies. Two headlines blared from near the top of the front page: “Dementors Overrun Azkaban” and “Harry Potter Captures Death Eater.” A subtitle to the second story said in smaller type “Man Long Thought Dead Captured By Boy With His Bare Hands”; below the fold was another story, “Boy Who Lived Finds Love, Wealth.” This one was subtitled, “Harry Potter Dating Ministry Official Arthur Weasley’s Daughter.” He didn’t see the story about Professor Flamel, at least on the front page.

He began reading; the first story wasn’t bad, actually; while it played up the story in the most heroic light possible, Rita Skeeter had kept mostly to the facts, then she went on to note that this proved beyond doubt that the Ministry’s very quiet dismissal of all charges against the late Sirius Black was indeed warranted. The article contained a great deal of background material; it left no doubt that Sirius had experienced a severe miscarriage of justice and spoke strongly against passing a sentence without a trial, no matter what the circumstances. Maybe working with a reporter didn’t always have to be a bad thing.

Harry would have rather not seen the second article published at all; still, if he was going to be forced to live in a glass house, it could have been far, far worse. It described some of the history that he and Ginny shared, including a brief recap of what had happened in the Chamber of Secrets. Ginny was described as a tall, slender, athletic redhead, and there were pictures of each of them taken during the last school year on an inside page where the article continued. As he read, he snickered and said, “Hey, did you know I was dating Ministry Official Arthur Weasley’s daughter Virginia?”

Ginny looked where he was pointing and sighed. “It’s not the first time somebody has assumed Ginny means Virginia, you know. For some reason just about everyone thinks that’s the only thing Ginny could possibly be.”

“I like Ginevra better, and Ginny best of all,” Harry reassured her. “Ginevra is unique, like you. Besides, something tells me we’ll be talking to Rita Skeeter again soon.”

“You may be right,” Hermione agreed. “If Professor Dumbledore has started working the press, Sirius’ return is certainly a newsworthy event.”

“Bring ‘em on,” Sirius said, grinning. “I’ve got plenty to say. Just not any photographs, not yet. I need a week or two of Molly’s cooking. But still, I wouldn’t mind checking out the party circuit and maybe crawl a pub or two on the Muggle side of London.”

“Or an interview with Witch Weekly, I’ll bet,” Hermione said.

“Now that Harry’s settled, I have to start thinking about how I’ll spend my evenings,” Sirius replied. “It’s been a few years since my social life included anything other than hippogriff.”

Charlie looked uncomfortable. “I think that might have been what Dumbledore wanted to meet about.”

Sirius laughed. “If you see the good professor first, tell him I said, ‘Actions have consequences.’ He got me cleared; now he’s got to live with it. If he thinks I’m going to cower inside this place, even as good as it’s looking now, it’s just not going to happen.”

Harry returned to reading the paper; he skimmed the article describing the events at Azkaban. Over 140 prisoners had escaped; all the others had been killed, other than a few in a remote cellblock that had seemingly been overlooked. Most of the Aurors who had guarded the fortress were also dead; Harry scanned the list of escapees and was relieved to find Lucius Malfoy was not listed among them. The article went on to mention the attack on Privet Drive, though Harry wasn’t mentioned, and described the Ministry as being in a state of total disorganization and confusion. The full Wizengamot was reported as being constantly in session, with repeated challenges being made to the current government. There was speculation that Fudge might not last the week.

Harry noticed it had grown quiet and looked up; most of them were watching him. He suspected he must have missed something. “Things sound pretty bad at the Ministry.”

Charlie and Remus both nodded. Charlie said, “Things are pretty shaken up there still. A number of the ministers and senior department heads have resigned; rumor has it some of them are in the process of leaving the country. Fudge seems to be trying to hold on, but some of the Aurors have a betting pool going on how long he’ll last.” He grinned and added, “I bought two squares. Oh, that reminds me, Ginny; Bill said to tell you and Harry that he’d arranged to have your mail handled by an office in Diagon Alley. They handle mail for The Weird Sisters and Celestina Warbeck; anything that’s important or worth sending on they’ll leave with Fred or George, who promised to bring it here.”

“Thanks,” Ginny said. “Rita Skeeter suggested that, and I remember what happened to Hermione a year ago with all the howlers.”

“Not to mention the last thing we need is dozens or more owls every day….” Charlie said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sirius was settled into one of the third floor bedrooms that Dobby and friends had completed; though he resisted it, Molly finally cajoled him into lying down and resting for an hour or two. Lupin had insisted on going up with him to make sure Sirius was able to navigate the several flights of stairs, despite Sirius’ insistence that he was just tired, not helpless. He’d come back down a few minutes later, announcing that Sirius was "out like a light” before departing to Diagon Alley to try and meet with Jon Howe on Sirius’ behalf. Charlie and Molly left with him, also going to Diagon Alley to buy some provisions; the four teens were left to their own devices. Molly had told them she wasn’t going to say anything this time because of Sirius’ request, then proceeded to scold them anyway, albeit briefly, for leaving without telling anyone other than Dobby.

Hermione suggested that a bit of study was in order; after all, they were supposed to have started work three days ago. Surprisingly, Ron agreed, suggesting that an applied Defense revision session with just the four of them would be a good start. He led the others to a large, windowless room in the basement; the house elves had not reached this part of the house yet. It was mostly empty, though some ratty looking furniture had been placed along one wall. They agreed this would be a good place to practice; Ron made a mental note to ask Dobby to clear it out and try to find some mats and pillows like they had used in the Room of Requirement - out of Hermione’s hearing, of course.

Ginny at first protested; it would be difficult for she and Harry to duel; however, Hermione had positioned them back-to-back, holding their left hands; Harry had thought this perfect; he and Ginny fought back to back, their shields and protections encompassing them both. Ron and Hermione had tried to take advantage of their limited mobility, but Harry and Ginny quickly became adept at working as a unit; unless Ron and Hermione were 180 degrees apart, one would shield while the other attacked, which proved to be a very effective combination.

Finally, after they had disarmed Hermione and Ron stepped into a full body bind, Harry called for a break; Ginny tossed Hermione her wand while Harry dispelled the charm holding Ron. “You know, if you two ever manage to separate again, I want to swap roles,” Ron said. “What you were doing was pretty effective.”

“You mean you just want an excuse to hold Hermione’s hand,” Ginny teased.

Ron and Hermione joined hands and he replied, “You know, I think Mrs. Flamel was right; besides, we hardly need an excuse after the two of you. After all, I’m still waking up all alone every morning.”

Hermione gave him a slightly annoyed look, “Only because I’ve chased you out around sunrise.”

As Harry and Ginny snickered, Ron tried to act hurt. “How could you say such a thing, when I came running to your side when you had a nightmare?”

“That was Tuesday night, Ronald. What was last night?”

“I was making sure you didn’t have another one,” Ron replied.

“And just how would you do that?”

“Did you have a nightmare?”

“No, but that’s not the….” Hermione was becoming annoyed.

“See, it worked,” Ron said, smugly.

“Then we’ll just see how I do without any help tonight,” Hermione sniffed.

Ginny turned to Harry, “Please, please, promise me we’ll never be like that.”

Harry grinned back at her. Then, raising his voice over the still bickering Ron and Hermione, he said, “Hey, you two, let’s talk about what we did, and then go another round, or would the two of you rather square off?”

Hermione looked as if she were tempted; Ron, however, immediately changed subjects and asked, “Was it much of a distraction always having to think about what the other person was doing?”

“A little,” Ginny replied. “But once we hit a rhythm, it wasn’t too hard, and I could mostly tell which way to turn or step from Harry’s movements.”

Harry agreed; Ron and Hermione moved aside and planned out a coordinated attack before they engaged again. Harry had suggested they might get some advantage from moving around them in opposite directions. He and Ginny waited while they whispered together across the room, then assumed a ready stance as they broke apart and approached them from different sides.

Ron and Hermione moved constantly, rapidly firing spells, but could not seem to get past their shields. In a reverse of their rolls last time, Harry was maintaining most of the shared defenses, while Ginny attacked. She initially found it difficult to track the moving targets, but she finally started aiming a pace or two in front of where she expected the target to be and finally managed to disarm both Ron and Hermione.

After Hermione’s wand flew into her hand, they heard clapping behind them; turning, they found Tonks with a rather nervous Dudley behind her. “Wotcher, all. Pretty impressive, eh, D?”

Dudley mumbled something as Tonks moved forward to join them; after a moment’s indecision, he followed. Tonks asked, looking at Harry and Ginny, “Have you thought about what to do in case one of you needs to cast something that might interfere with another spell?”

“Not really; we weren’t using anything very powerful; were worrying more about just moving and working together,” Harry answered.

“They certainly got us twice,” Hermione added.

“But it was a lot harder the second time,” Ginny added.

“Hey, Tonks, feel like joining us for a round, maybe teach these two a lesson?” Ron asked. “They’re due.”

“I might be persuaded,” the Auror replied. “If Harry and Ginny are up for it.”

“Three on two? Actually, that sounds like fun,” Harry said; Ginny nodded.

Tonks threw her arms around the shoulders of Ron and Hermione and led them across the room. Dudley made a nervous sound; Harry turned to him and said, “You don’t want to be standing too close to us or in the middle of the room; you’ll get caught in the crossfire, but if you stand over by the door, you’ll be ok.”

“Is… it safe?” Dudley asked.

“Safe enough; all the stuff we’re doing is pretty harmless, or at least easy to fix. We’re practicing, not trying to hurt anyone. Just stay out of the crossfire, and you’ll be fine.”

Dudley retreated to stand just outside the door; a minute or two later, Tonks, Ron and Hermione turned; they all assumed a ready stance, and the duel began. This time, Harry and Ginny found it difficult to mount an offensive; they fought for the first 15 minutes casting mostly defensive spells; however, first Hermione, then Ron began to slow as their constant motion began to take it’s toll. Harry finally got Ron with a stunning spell; Ginny managed to stun Hermione a minute or two later. Tonks, however, fought on, showing no signs of weariness; the stalemate continued until she managed to hit Ginny with a body bind; Harry felt her freeze; the effort of trying to balance her distracted him; he saw Tonks aim too late to do anything other than attempt to disarm her; Tonks had used the same spell; their wands passed each other in midair.

“Shall we call that a draw?” Tonks said, holding Harry’s wand.

“I’m ready for a break,” Harry agreed. He’d turned and was supporting Ginny; they exchanged wands and Tonks freed Ginny from the body bind as Harry woke Ron and Hermione.

“You’re pretty good,” Tonks said, “and the two of you have a feel for working together. But all of you lot need to work on your endurance. I might be able find an old training manual or two you could take a look at… at least if you’d promise to forget where you got it.” She grinned conspiratorially at them.

“That’d be brilliant, Tonks,” Harry said as Ron groaned.

“I’ll ask around and see what I can turn up. Hey, that was fun, but I’ve got a couple more things to do today, and I’ll be back here tonight.” She waved as she walked toward the door; as she passed Dudley, she said, “See you later, D.”

Dudley looked a bit anxious as the four approached him; he said, “If there was some way to get to a gym, I could show you something about endurance training, how to use the machines, stuff like that.”

Harry was intrigued. “What sort of machines?”

Dudley looked surprised. “Exercise machines. Treadmills, steppers, rowing machines, that sort of thing. And weights and a good bench.”

“Are these only in gyms? Or can anyone get this sort of equipment?”

This time Dudley looked at him as if he were a bit simple. “Anyone can buy the equipment, but it’s not cheap. Good stuff is really expensive. That’s why if you’re serious about working out, you pretty much have to go to a gym.”

“If I could get the equipment,” Harry asked, “would you show us how to use it?”

Dudley looked surprised, but nodded before he caught himself, then asked, “What’s in it for me?”

“If you’ll show us, get us started,” Hermione said, “I’ll do the same thing for you with magic.”

“What do you mean?” Dudley asked, both fear and anger evident. “I can’t do magic. I’m not like him.”

It figured, Harry thought. First it was house elves, now it was Dudley’s lost heritage in the wizarding world. Well, I did tell Dumbledore he could stay; I guess this is part of the price. “Sorry, Dudders, I’m sorry to break it to you, but you can do magic. You are a wizard.”

Dudley didn’t believe them until Hermione finally coaxed him to hold her wand and then swish it; when a few sparks came from the tip, Dudley dropped the wand in alarm and asked, “Did I do that?”

As the four nodded back at him, he mumbled, “Mum is going to be really miffed.”

Hermione picked up her wand and said, “I’ll set up a study schedule for you. You’re frightfully far behind, but if you work now, it will be far easier when school starts.”

“And Hermione never kids about studying,” Ron told him. “You remember Hagrid, the big guy who gave you the tail?”

Dudley nodded reluctantly. His hands moved unconsciously toward his back.

“Well, Hagrid only took transfiguration - that’s changing things from one form to another - for less than three years. Hermione has taken five - and is the best in our year. You best just go along with her when she gets going about studying.” Ron was enjoying himself.

Dudley looked at Hermione with a mix of respect and fear; she nodded and said, “We’ll see about getting you a wand, but I do have some books you can start reading today.”

They returned to the kitchen; Lupin had returned and was sitting at the table reading through some official looking parchments; no one else was about. Harry, Ginny and Ron sat at the table; Dudley followed their example. Hermione had remained standing and excused herself; she was going up to her room to get some books for Dudley. Harry asked her to pick up the attaché case beside his bedside table, and she agreed. After she had been gone for a minute or so, Ron got up and walked outside the kitchen door. Harry could hear him talking to Dobby.

Harry asked Lupin, “You have anything planned for the rest of the afternoon?”

“Not really, Harry. I was just looking through some papers. No matter what, there’s going to be a huge mess to untangle.”

Ginny grinned. “Harry thought of that a night or two ago. He said it’d be a wonderful problem to have.”

Lupin smiled. “That’s true, Ginny. Anyway, Harry, was there something you wanted?”

“Actually, yes. We were practicing Defense earlier, and Tonks dropped by. She did a round with us and told us we all needed to work on our endurance. And Dudley here knows something about training, at least Muggle style. Would you take him to wherever one buys such things, and let him select what we need?”

Lupin looked surprised. “I think that sort of thing is very costly, Harry.”

“I’ve got money, not counting a Knut of Sirius’s. Since I’ve decided I’d like to be around to spend it, buying some stuff to help all of us prepare seems like a reasonable thing to do. Will you do it?”

Lupin thought for a moment, then nodded. “Ok. It may be a little complicated getting it here, but I think I can manage with some help.”

Ron had returned as Remus and Harry were talking. As he sat, Lupin said, “Ron, it would be a help if you and Hermione would go to London with me. In fact, I was thinking I might ask Bill if he could join us; there’ll be a bit of moving involved.”

“I’ll go, and I’m sure Hermione will too.”

”Couldn’t you use a bit more help?” Ginny asked, hopefully.

Lupin at least looked sorry as he said, “With the two of you still - er, well, like you are, I think it would be better if you stayed here for now; I’d rather not take chances without planning it thoroughly. But Dumbledore will be here tonight; why not talk it over with him. If he thinks it can be made safely, perhaps we can arrange a trip to Diagon Alley for the two of you. Besides, someone needs to stay in the house with Sirius asleep upstairs.”

Ginny looked disappointed, but thanked Lupin anyway. Hermione joined them, carrying Harry’s attaché and a stack of books. She sat the stack of books down on the table, handed Harry his case, then sat by Dudley and began telling him about the different books and the wonderful adventure he was about to begin. It wasn’t clear whether Dudley found the size of the stack or Hermione’s enthusiasm more intimidating.

Ron said softly, “Merlin, I love it.”

Harry and Lupin laughed as Ginny said with a smirk, “You didn’t think it nearly as funny when you were on the receiving end.”

“Hey, Hermione, want to go to London for a bit?” Ron interrupted her lecture as he pointedly ignored his sister and explained what had transpired while she was upstairs.

She nodded, and started to tell Dudley to keep reading until they got back, but Lupin interrupted and told her Dudley would be coming too, very much to his relief. Books had never figured very high on the Dursley list of priorities. Lupin told them they would floo to the twins' shop in Diagon Alley, then go from there to the Muggle part of London. Dudley wasn’t sure at all about traveling by floo, but Hermione was able to coax him into the fireplace after he watched Ron nonchalantly enter the flames and spin away. She and Lupin followed.

“And again, then there were two,” Ginny said, mischievously. “How about some ‘quality time?’”

“The suite? Better leave your Mum a note, or she’ll panic if no one’s here.”

“Ok.” Ginny found a scrap of parchment and a quill and scribbled a quick note, saying Lupin had taken Ron, Hermione and Dudley to Diagon Alley and that she and Harry were tired and going up to rest.

Harry glanced at the note. “So instead of ‘quality time,’ you want to rest?”

“No, I want uninterrupted quality time. Don’t be dense. Come on.” She tugged him towards the door.

They climbed the stairs and entered their sitting room; Harry had been a bit surprised when Ginny led him to one of the sitting room couches and then sat on his lap, reprising their positions from the first night. They had just gotten comfortable when Ginny remembered. “Sirius… he shouldn’t go down and find the house empty.”

Harry nodded. “You’re right. Dobby!”

Dobby arrived a short time later; Harry asked him to tell Sirius when he woke that they were in the sitting room, and invite him to join them. Harry also asked Dobby to tell them when Sirius woke up, then, to Ginny, “Now, where were we?”

“Right about… here.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nicholas Flamel entered the quarters he and Perenelle shared in Hogwarts castle. He was weary; both he and Dumbledore had not slept since the crisis had begun at Privet Drive. Perenelle, who had been sitting at a table paging though a book, rose as he entered; they embraced and she said, “I’m glad you’re finally here, beloved.”

“Did you miss me, beloved?” he asked, sure of the answer.

“Of course. You know I don’t like spending nights alone. Though honestly, I didn’t expect you back this soon.”

“There was little point in staying longer. It appears the current minister’s remaining tenure will be measured in days, if not hours. I left Brian there, dealing with the Wizengamot, but he intended to depart within the next hour as well; several of the members are planning to slip out one by one, then there will be a call for a quorum, and when that fails, Dumbledore should be able to adjourn until tomorrow. That will hopefully slow the pace and give some individuals a chance to consider the possible consequences of their actions.”

“Who will become Minister?”

“At this point, it’s hard to say. There are several different factions, and so far, most of them have been unwilling to abandon their own petty agendas; none of them have the numbers to gain control alone. In some ways, the deadlock is better than some of the possible outcomes. But tell me, what has happened here? Were you and Minerva successful?”

Perenelle’s face clouded. “Thus far, nothing of use. But considering Sibyll Trelawney’s prophecy, the meaning now seems quite clear. I am quite concerned.”

“As we all should be. The timing certainly has not worked in our favor. But at this point, I do not see anything we could do differently; resources - especially trained Aurors - are spread thin. Did you talk with Harry this morning? Did he and Ginny Weasley show any signs of adverse effects?”

Perenelle smiled as she shook her head, “They seem to be fine - Harry, all four of them, really, are flush with their victory. But I do regret you were not there to see their reaction to Brian when he hinted they had taken liberties using the portkey spell.”

“There is certainly a delicious irony there.”

“I am sure his intent was to test them.” Perenelle held out her hand towards him, two fingers extended. Nicholas made the same gesture and touched his fingers to hers; both closed their eyes.

A few moments later, they both chuckled, and Nicholas said, “Well, they certainly passed. Indeed, Godric would have found no fault with their answers, only in the question being asked at all. He would also not approve of what the Ministry has become, for that matter. But at least all is well with our young Guardian.”

“Perhaps not quite all, Nicholas. I am concerned that their bonding is proceeding more slowly than I had expected. Of course, their contact has been broken for short intervals, but I do not think that is the whole explanation.”

“If two weeks became three, or even a bit more, that wouldn’t be an insurmountable problem; but it’s not a situation that will be viable for much longer. It will be difficult for Harry to undergo some of the training he badly needs without freedom of motion.”

“I think that part of the problem may be that the two have had so little time to themselves. They have staggered from one situation to the next, shock after surprise to the point of exhaustion since this began. Couple that with much of what they have experienced thus far - emotionally, mentally and physically - is new to them, it cannot be other than a bit overwhelming. But there is something else as well, something thus far I have not fully understood. But this something inhibits Ginny; and she has pushed it so deeply away even she does not consciously have any awareness of it.”

“Do you think there’s something we need to do? Or for that matter, is there anything that we can do?”

“In many ways, beloved, we are in uncharted territory with these two. They have not shared any sort of physical intimacy, as just one example. Even the idea of two such being able to bond seems implausible in that light.”

“Even now?” Nicholas asked, surprised. “At their age, and given the circumstances, that seems almost as unexpected as the bonding itself.”

“Yes, as of this morning, at least. I did encourage them to set aside some quality time for themselves; I believe that to be the key to getting the process back on track as well; we must find some alternative to their running themselves ragged every day. But as I have thought further about it today, I am increasingly convinced there is something the two must address between themselves. Of course, it could also be that the bonding itself is why things have not proceeded further between them. Perhaps when they do find a moment for each other the emotional and the other mental aspects of the bonding prevents other things from proceeding; it might be that the ongoing process consumes them completely. This actually may not be a bad thing, really, until some parts of their bond are at full strength, but, again, we find ourselves unsure and operating in uncharted territory.”

“For now, I do not think we should discuss this further, other than perhaps with Harry and Ginny. We must be certain before attempting to tamper. There will be a gathering tonight at Grimmauld Place. Will you come?”

She smiled, “Of course. If nothing else, I’d like to check up on them; hopefully they will have had a chance to set aside some time for themselves today. And for that matter, I would not object to finding a bit of time for us.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Some indeterminate time later, they became aware of Dobby telling them that Sirius had awoken and was on his way up. Ginny shifted slightly, leaning back against the arm of the couch, but remained sitting where she was. Not long after, Sirius knocked and came through the door that they’d left ajar. He stopped, looking at them strangely for a long moment, before shaking his head and dropping into a nearby chair. “Sorry; it threw me for a moment. The two of you looked like… they used to sit the same way the two of you are now, sometimes, late at night in the common room.” He grinned. “Well, at least somebody around me today seems to have their priorities straight.”

“How are you feeling, Sirius?” Ginny asked.

“Mostly rested, very relaxed, and… free. You know, this is the first time I’ve woken up in I don’t know how long knowing that I don’t have to be looking over my shoulder every second. It’s a pretty posh feeling, actually. I can actually start thinking about looking ahead and maybe having a life again.”

“I have no complaints about how things have worked out,” Harry said, smiling. “I’ve finally got a home worthy of the name.”

“Dobby has done wonders with the place,” Sirius agreed.

“It’s not the house, Sirius. This is the first summer I’ve ever felt anywhere close to ok when I was where I was supposed to be.”

“Not missing Privet Drive?”

“Are you kidding?” Harry grinned. “The house isn’t even there any more.”

“What happened?”

Harry, with help from Ginny, told Sirius about what they knew about recent events at Privet Drive, Vernon’s actions, Petunia injury and Dudley’s unexpected arrival. Sirius didn’t look happy hearing about the latter. “I don’t know that his being here is a good thing, Harry. Your cousin wasn’t even much of a muggle. He’s a bully and a petty hood. I don’t see that changing, even if he does have a smidgeon of magic.”

Harry looked uncomfortable. “Yeah, but I couldn’t tell Dumbledore to memory charm him and dump him at the nearest police station.”

“Maybe you should have, Harry.” Sirius still looked concerned. “They would have certainly dumped you if they could have gotten away with it. I’m going to keep a close eye on the little prat; I don’t trust him.”

“Any further than you can throw him?” Ginny added with a grin.

“Not even that far,” Sirius said. “But I’d give a lot to see how far you could reduct him.”

Harry changed the subject; the last thing he wanted to do was talk about the Dursleys. “Sirius, what were all those discs in your attaché?”

“Found those, did you? Listen to any of it?”

Harry nodded. “Not much; there just hasn’t been time.”

“What’d you think?”

“It was different. I haven’t listened to much of it yet, but I’d like to. I really liked one song, I’ve Had Enough. The words… well, they described what I was feeling at the time. Kind of helped me sort some things.”

“Their music was always intense… and a lot of it was about intense feelings. That’s one of the reasons I picked up their albums when I was on the run; after Azkaban, there were times when I needed a prop to feel anything at all… and it helped. I listened to a lot of their stuff in the summers when I was around your ages…. I saw them play the first time in Manchester, when I was fifteen, then a few times afterwards. They were the loudest band in the world. At the end of the show, they smashed all their instruments… and these were muggles; they couldn’t just put it back together with a spell… I’d met their drummer the summer before seventh year at a pub and hung out with him a few times; he was a really wild and crazy guy.” Sirius sighed, lost in memories. “That song you heard was from Quadrophenia. It’s ironic it’d be a song from that particular album.”

Harry and Ginny looked puzzled; Sirius explained and promised that they would obtain a sound system that would do justice to the recordings. “You’ve just not experienced it until you’ve heard it cranked way up. Music’s one of the very few things that I think muggles have always done much better than wizards,” he told them. “And they have a lot more variety as well.”

They continued to talk as the afternoon became evening; Harry felt that something had changed between them, something positive; Sirius was open and relaxed in a way he’d never been in the past, telling Harry and Ginny about the adventures and misadventures of his youth and school days; this was the first time Sirius had really talked about his parents and their school days at any length; somewhere along the way, a barrier that had been between them had fallen. There had been a few light moments when Sirius must have felt a parental urge stir and asked if their relationship had given rise to any unanswered questions. Both Harry and Ginny acted as if they couldn’t understand what he was hinting about as Sirius grew increasingly frustrated and flushed. Finally Ginny took pity on him and told him not to worry; they’d already been through that with Molly.

Ron and Hermione finally came up the stairs and announced their mission had been successful; with help from Bill and Charlie, they had been able obtain the equipment and transport it to the basement of Grimmauld Place. They had left a drooling Dudley in the basement, all thoughts of Hermione’s books forgotten. He had been eager to start unpacking and assembling the equipment. Ron had looked rather pointedly at Ginny perched on Harry’s lap, but said nothing.

“Anyway, we were going to say come on down and take a look, but when we passed the kitchen, Mum said to fetch you; dinner is almost ready, and after, there’s supposed to be several other people coming here tonight. I think we’re actually supposed to be involved this time,” Ron told them.

“You know, Molly’s home cooking really sounds good right about now,” Sirius said. He stood, and they all walked down the stairs together.