Ebb and Flow

The Three Broomsticks and Hogwarts, April 1994

***

"It's nice to see you here, Althea," Rosmerta said, placing the shot of Firewhiskey in front of Althea. "I haven't seen you in Hogsmeade for some time," she added, sitting across from her.

Althea nodded as she stared at the shot glass full of Firewhiskey. "Yeah, I've stayed away...don't like the dementors too much."

Rosmerta nodded. "Neither do my customers," she said, pointing around to the almost empty Three Broomsticks.

For a usually busy late Friday afternoon, there were few patrons, which did not surprise Althea. No one liked dementors lurking about in alleyways at nighttime, or at anytime. The Ministry assured residents and patrons that the dementors were safe; however, Althea knew better--probably better than the Ministry. If the dementors were hungry, they did not care if one was innocent. Sometimes their appetites were insatiable, and it did not matter if the Ministry had not ordered the Dementor's Kiss. It happened twice that she could remember, or wanted to remember. The prisoners screamed, pleaded, and went silent. Afterwards, she found that Ministry informed their families they "died of natural causes"--their soulless bodies rotting in Azkaban until they died. Althea had learned a word for those people--zombie--from Marie. According to her, it was a fate worse than death. The person was not alive and not dead--their bodies trapped in everlasting purgatory.

"I don't know what Fudge is thinking," Althea spoke, running her fingertip along the rim of the shot glass.

Rosmerta sighed and rested her chin against her hand. "He's worried about Black," she said, placing her other hand on top of Althea's hand on the shot glass.

Althea frowned.

"I remember...you dated him at Hogwarts."

Uncomfortable, Althea nodded. "I did...at Hogwarts," she answered slowly, removing her hand from the shot glass, and underneath Rosmerta's hand.

Rosmerta laughed warmly. "I remember he would take you here on dates. I never thought The Three Broomsticks was popular with couples," she reminisced, smoothing her hair away from her face. "Popular among friends, but not couples."

Althea smiled weakly. "Sirius and I...were different," she replied, resting her chin against her palm. "In our seventh-year, we would sneak out on weekends and visit the nearest Muggle village."

Rosmerta stared into Althea's eyes--unnerving her. "You would know him better than any of us, then?" she asked, continuing to stare into Althea's eyes.

Althea quickly diverted her eyes back to the shot glass before her. "I thought I did," she said quietly. "Our relationship didn't last after Hogwarts."

"Oh?" Rosmerta asked, raising an eyebrow.

"So, I wouldn't know what he was like, would I?" Althea replied, leaning back against the cool wood of the booth.

Rosmerta frowned. "I just can't agree with Fudge," she said, shaking her head.

Althea sat up. "Fudge?"

Rosmerta nodded and leaned forward. "Ever since Fudge came in awhile ago, I can't stop thinking about Black. I thought we could talk about it because you knew him the way I did."

Althea leaned forward over the table. "What did Fudge say?"

Rosmerta cleared her throat. "He told me how close Potter and Black were, but I already knew that," she said and bit her bottom lip. "He also told me that he was the Potter's Secret-Keeper."

Althea's face paled as she relived Sirius's betrayal of her best friend. I can't believe Fudge told her this, she thought, frowning. No one knew Sirius was the Secret-Keeper--I didn't know.

"What else did he say?" she asked shortly, her eyes narrowing on Rosmerta.

Rosmerta frowned, and attempted to remember. "He said that Black was a double agent and by betraying the Potters, he would show his loyalty to You-Know-Who," she said, a crease forming between her eyebrows.

"Did Fudge say that Sirius told the Ministry this?" Althea asked incredulously.

Rosmerta shook her head. "He didn't say. Hagrid mentioned that Sirius was pale when he saw him after what happened to the Potters."

Althea's eyes widened. "Hagrid saw Sirius? When?" she asked, attempting to remain calm.

"After it happened, he offered to take Harry, but Hagrid refused. Sirius gave Hagrid his motorbike," she replied, eyeing Althea warily. "He said he didn't need it anymore."

Althea dismissed Rosmerta's caution. "Fudge--did he say anything else?" she asked heatedly.

Rosmerta nodded. "He said that he was on the run when Pettigrew cornered him," she said, leaning back. "After the explosion, Fudge was the first on the scene. He said that only a trained Hit Wizard could have taken down Black."

Althea did her best to hide her smile. "Fudge believes he was that dangerous?"

Rosmerta nodded. "I'm sorry, Althea, I have a hard time believing Black could have betrayed the Potters. He was always so nice," she finished, standing from the table.

"Whether he was nice or not had nothing to do with betraying the Potters, did it?" Althea remarked, lifting the shot glass to her lips.

Rosmerta sighed. "I suppose not. What will you drink to?"

Althea smiled sadly. "To April Fools," she said, tipping her head back and gulping the fiery liquor.

And to Sirius's birthday, she thought, placing the shot glass on the table, may his misery be at least half of what is mine. Althea stood from the table, left a tip, and walked out the door.

***

With the tip of her wand, Althea lit what would be the first of many cigarettes, inhaling deeply the noxious smoke. Exhaling slowly, she watched the stream of smoke leisurely rise, lingering for a moment, and dissipating into her canopy. Lying on her bed, Althea took another deep drag on her cigarette. April Fools Day--the one day she renounced her inhibitions and indulged in gluttonous activities. She did not bother with a glass this year--she drank her family rum from the bottle. As she lay, sprawled across her bed, half-drunk, she wondered where Sirius was. Was he celebrating his birthday? He's probably not having as such a lovely time as me, she thought taking another gulp from her bottle. I'm drinking myself into pleasant oblivion. Althea lit another cigarette and thought more about Sirius.

"A trained Hit Wizard," she said aloud and began to laugh. "Fudge, you stupid git."

Althea sighed and took another drag on her cigarette. Sirius--a murderous Death Eater? Althea laughed again--if anyone would have known his character, it should have been her. She lived with him, slept with him, and tended to his wounds so that he could continue to fight. Why did Fudge tell Rosmerta that, she thought as she took another cigarette from the pack, and who told Fudge that Sirius was the Secret Keeper? Althea frowned and gulped her rum. Could Dumbledore or Sirius have told the Ministry? Furrowing her eyebrows, she put out her cigarette and put the cork in the bottle. He wasn't in Azkaban for being the Secret Keeper--that would have come out after they arrested him. How fast they arrested him too, she thought, rubbing her forehead. It took them three years to find me. How convenient for Fudge to be in the area, or they might never have caught him. Arrested immediately, thrown in Azkaban, no trial--at least they had the decency to give me a trial. I confessed too, but Sirius didn't confess...did he? Althea sighed and rested her arms behind her head.

"Hagrid," she whispered, wide-eyed.

After Lily's death, Althea refused to talk about Sirius, and wanted that part of her life never to have existed. She had never talked to Hagrid about the night he found Harry. She did not want to know the details of the discovery of Lily's bruised and broken body covered in rubble. Hagrid said that Sirius had been there, he was upset, and he offered to take Harry. Althea vigorously rubbed her temples, in an attempt to stop the drunken fog from seeping into her brain--she needed to think. How did Hagrid know that James and Lily were dead? If Sirius were the Secret Keeper, wouldn't he have arrived first? Althea sat up as she forced her mind to think. If Sirius were so keen on Harry's demise, why didn't he kill Hagrid and Harry then? Althea gasped, placing her hand to her mouth. He gave Hagrid his motorbike, she thought, clutching the blankets. He loved that motorbike and wouldn't have given it up for anything. If Sirius were on the run, he would have needed his motorbike. Althea dropped her hand from her mouth--he said that he did not need his motorbike anymore.

"He was going to kill himself," she whispered, her mouth remaining open after the last syllable.

If Sirius knew that James, Lily, and she were dead, he would have killed himself. He was not on the run, and he was not a Death Eater; her stomach churned and convulsed. Covering her mouth, she ran to her bathroom and threw up into her toilet. She sat with her back to the wall, her head rested against her knees. Why would he want Harry if he had betrayed James, she thought, tightening her fists. It doesn't make any sense. He would have died for James--he saved James' life!

"How would Hagrid have known?" she muttered, frustrated, slamming her fist on the cold tile floor. The notion of Hagrid arriving first to Godric's Hollow perplexed her. "Someone else...someone else!" Her stomach erupted once more and she quickly knelt over the toilet.

With her head resting against the wall, and her legs sprawled in front of her she continued her thoughts. Sirius had nothing to live for; why did he allow himself to be taken alive? Why didn't he die in Azkaban? How did he survive all these years? Why would he have escaped now? Unless...maybe Sirius wasn't the Secret Keeper....

The blood quickly rushed from her face to her stomach and she shuddered. "He's at Hogwarts," she muttered, her lips losing all sensation--her arms tingling. "Remus," she whispered, horrified, as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Sirius was right. It was him, and I--I convinced Lily to trust him."

She rested her head against her knees and cried. It was so easy--Sirius--James's best friend the Secret Keeper. No one would ever suspect otherwise. Sirius, a member of the Black family, the darkest of wizards; their son Regulus died a Death Eater, and left Sirius the lone heir--all of that money--all of that Black money. No one would question a Black's loyalties. Of course, Althea would not have believed Sirius returned to his family. There had to be another motive, one that she would believe. All those times he protected her and saved her life--what was one more?

"How stupid could I have been!" she said angrily, clenching her jaw. "Damn family. Damn name," she muttered through gritted teeth.

Dizzy, Althea's head slumped between her knees. She spent the rest of the evening passed out on her bathroom floor.