Geneticus

CHAPTER ELEVEN: MONTROSE VS. WIMBOURNE

When Mulder got downstairs the next morning he was the only one in the pub save Tom, who quickly brought Mulder a cup of tea and some bacon and eggs.

"I think there's an owl for you and your friends," said Tom, pointing to an important-looking owl perched on the bar. The owl looked over at them and, apparently recognizing Mulder, silently flew over to his side.

Mulder untied the note from the owl's leg. "You want any bacon or eggs?" he offered. The owl declined (apparently), and simply took off, leaving through the single open window in the room.

Sipping his tea, Mulder looked at the letter, noting that it was addressed in loopy handwriting to himself along with the wizards and witch he found himself traveling with. Who knew he was with these people? Brow furrowed with curiosity, he unfurled the note:

Dear Sirius, Remus, Fox and Adhara:

There has been a slight change of plans, one that should make your trip much easier, I'd imagine. I have contacted most of the members of the Order myself and asked them to meet at our old stomping grounds tomorrow. I will meet you there as well.

They do not know that Sirius will be joining us, so it would probably be best to bring him in while in Animagus form and explain the truth about what happened before revealing that they've been in the company of a fugitive all along.

I was unable to get word to Dash Brighton; I suspect that he has a Quidditch game today, and has likely then blocked all owls. If you could please meet him at his game and bring him to the meeting, then all will be taken care of.

I will see you all tomorrow.

Fondly,

Albus Dumbledore

Mulder smiled; of course Dumbledore would know such things as who ended up traveling with Sirius. He folded the letter again, not wanting Tom to glance at it accidentally.

He finished breakfast, then went back up to the rooms. He paused briefly outside Remus and Addie's room, but there were no sounds at all coming from inside, a sure sign, Sirius had told him, that silencing charms had been used. He could speak to them later.

His own room, he found, was covered in flowers from floor to ceiling. Sirius stood in the middle of the room, wand in hand and a huge grin on his face.

"Don't mind me, Muggle," said Sirius; with a flick of his wand, the flowers disappeared. "Just getting used to having a wand again. It's like getting a limb back after fifteen years."

The comment surprised Mulder at first, but on further thought it made sense. Wizards used their wands for everything, and started using them at age eleven. Of course the absence of one would be felt keenly, much like losing a limb.

Or, Mulder further reasoned, like not having a gun at his side in potentially dangerous situations. When they'd burst into Remus's house, Mulder had reached instinctively for his sidearm, but of course came up empty. He'd felt quite exposed and defenseless, a feeling all too familiar after months of captivity.

Captivity...Mulder looked up at his roommate, who was almost gleeful as he turned a bed first into an ottoman, then a pincushion, then a tea cozy, and finally back to a bed. Sirius had been held captive, too. What had he lost in all those years? Who had he left behind (besides his sister) who was probably still mourning him today?

Scully wouldn't tell him much about how she handled things while he was missing, but if her experience was anything like his own when she had been abducted, Mulder knew her suffering must have been great.

"Do you have any other family, Sirius?" he asked, not entirely sure what had prompted him to speak his musings aloud.

Sirius stopped practicing and sat down on his bed. "You mean aside from Addie?" Mulder nodded. "No other siblings. My parents are both still alive, and I know I've got some aunts and uncles all over the world. We were never really close with any of them, though. I don't even know if I've got any cousins. Why do you ask?"

Mulder shrugged; he sat down on his own bed, facing Sirius. "I was just thinking about Scully, how she must have felt when I was missing. Wondering if it was better or worse than knowing a loved one was in jail for a crime he didn't commit."

"I'd imagine much worse," said Sirius, his voice low. "At least my parents and sister knew where I was, even if it was the most awful place you could ever imagine. And if I'd died while there, they would have been told. But to be missing...well..."

To be missing put a strain on the hopes of the loved ones. To be missing lead to sleepless nights, or else nightmare-filled ones when sleep came at last. To be missing resulted in feelings of helplessness and utter frustration.

"You're right," Mulder conceded. Both men were quiet then, remembering their own versions of hell.

* * *

"Quidditch! It's been far too long since I've been to a match," Addie said, handing Dumbledore's note to Remus. "Who does Dash play for?"

Everyone looked to Remus. "I think he's with Montrose. Yes, I believe I read about him in the _-Daily Prophet-_ a few weeks back, he'd just broken some sort of record for points in a match, even surpassing their Seeker."

Sirius's eyebrows rose. "More than 150 points in a match? Wow. I mean, he was good back at Hogwarts, especially with Sage and James flanking him, but...in *one* match?"

"I believe so. The Magpies are expected to take the league this year, and are showing quite nice odds in the European Cup."

Mulder suddenly felt incredibly homesick as he found himself wondering how his Yankees were faring this season. He'd have to find a New York Times before they left London.

Addie brought up a good point. "Where is the match being held? Because if it's up in Montrose, there's *no* way we can get up there and back to the meeting place in time, not with the Muggle slowing us down." She tossed an affectionate grin Mulder's way, and he just smiled back.

"That I don't know," Remus admitted. "We'll have to find a _Daily Prophet_, or stop over at Quality Quidditch Supplies and pick up a _Generally Quidditch_ and get the schedule."

Remus and Addie ended up being the ones to run out to pick up a schedule, while Mulder and Sirius headed down to the bar to settle their tab. As Tom totaled up their bill, he asked where the group was off to after checking out that morning.

"Well, we're hoping to catch a Quidditch match, actually. Any in the area today?"

Tom smiled a toothlessly. "Might you be interested in watching Wimbourne get flattened by Brighton and his Magpies?"

Sirius perked up at the notion that the Magpies were in the area. "At Wimbourne?" Sirius asked. Tom nodded, and Sirius made a show of taking it under consideration. "Well...that might be just the game for my American friend here; Yankee bloke thinks his Quodpot has Quidditch beat by a mile, you see," he added with a wink.

Tom narrowed his eyes at Mulder. "Well then young man, I *insist* that you take in this match!" He rummaged below his bar for a few moments, finally resurfacing with several slips of parchment in his hands.

"Here you are, gentlemen! I'm lucky enough to have been graced with lifetime season tickets to Wimbourne's home matches, three seats to my name. I can't get away today, and I'd be pleased to know they aren't going to waste."

"Well thanks very much, dear sir! I promise to leave the game with a properly converted Quidditch fan."

Having promised to meet Remus and Addie at the car, the two men headed there directly after paying the generous innkeeper. Mulder, after checking that the street was relatively empty, said to Sirius, "Should I know what the hell Quodpot is?"

Sirius chuckled. "I suppose I should have asked you if you knew what Quidditch is."

Mulder shrugged. "Harry and Ron filled me in on it, so I have a general idea. I only know it in theory, of course, since I've never seen a game."

"Well, at least you're not a complete beginner. Did you understand any of what Remus and I were on about back up the room?"

They reached the car, and Mulder leaned back against the passenger's door. "This Dash Brighton character, I gathered that he's a Chaser, since they're the only ones -- other than Seekers -- who score points. And I gathered that he's rather good."

"'Rather good,'" Sirius mocked with a wry grin. "Understatement of the year. We played together at Hogwarts. He, James Potter, and his twin sister Sage were Gryffindor's most successful line of Chasers in years. The Brightons had that lovely twin connection, and James...he was just a natural on a broomstick, could have played any position, really, but he loved the rush of beating the Keeper.

"Anyway, it appears that Dash has turned Quidditch into his career, quite smartly it would seem. Since a Chaser can only score ten points at a time, anytime one gets up near one hundred points per game, the fans take notice. And to score one-fifty...well, that's just unbelievable!"

Mulder nodded. "So, what's Quodpot?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "When the Muggles started shoving off to America, some wizards went, too, mainly to try and escape the suspicious Muggles here who were starting to distrust our kind." He paused and looked around him, as though afraid some of those same suspicious Muggles were eavesdropping at that very moment. "Anyway, through some sort of freak accident, the story goes, a Quaffle exploded and an idea for a new game was born. Basically, you've got to pass the Quod around and get it into a pot before it explodes."

"Oh, so it's like hot potato," Mulder said. "A children's game," he further explained at Sirius's puzzled look. "Well, Quidditch sounds like fun, and I'm a sports fan in general, so I'm sure I'll catch on."

"Oy! Ian!" Mulder and Sirius turned, spotting Remus and Addie jogging towards them, waving a magazine. "Got a _GQ_; Brighton's in..."

"Wimbourne," Sirius interrupted. "We know; we got three tickets to the game." Quickly, he explained how Tom had given them the tickets. "Now, since there are only three, I reckon it'd be best if I play Snuffles for the afternoon. It makes sense anyway, since Dash is more likely to suspect that I'm not really your cousin."

"Right..." Remus gestured to the car. "We ought to get moving, then. The match starts in an hour, and we've got to find our way!"

They piled into the car, and Mulder heard Sirius ask to see the magazine. "Ah, speak of the devil," he chuckled, holding the cover for Mulder to see. "Our quarry," he explained.

The man gracing the cover of the publication was smirking, occasionally winking to anyone who might be watching. Dressed in a leather coat and black jeans, Mulder was reminded of any number of Muggle actors. The brief article teaser read, "Chasing Dash: The Magpie Reveals Useful Hints, Secrets and Great New Tricks."

"I guess he's doing rather well for himself," Sirius said, sounding slightly put out.

Mulder started the car. "Can I get something off my chest?" he asked, a sly grin turning up the corner of his mouth. The others encouraged him, and smiling wider, Mulder said, "I must say, that fellow's rather dashing!"

All three wizards smacked him before he could pull into traffic, laughing at his own brilliance.

* * *

From the outside, the Wimbourne Quidditch Stadium reminded Mulder a lot of nearly every major league baseball park he'd ever been in; indeed, it was quite similar to the general shape of nearly every kind of stadium worldwide.

Once inside, however, Mulder found himself in awe of the grandness of the sport.

The stadium was packed; he was hard-pressed to find an empty seat in the crowd. And unlike the sports he was used to, the "nosebleed" seats seemed to be the seats of choice, as the game was played high in the air on broomsticks. The players flew around in a blur; Mulder wasn't entirely sure what was going on in the game, though Remus was more than happy to keep a running commentary.

The intricacies of the game were fascinating. Chasers not only had to keep themselves open for the Quaffle and avoid being hit by other Chasers, they had to keep an eye out for the two ferocious Bludgers that were constantly being batted around by the two Beaters of each team; Mulder reckoned the Bludgers were quite hard and painful.

And above it all were the two Seekers, patiently waiting to spot the most elusive ball in the history of sport: the Golden Snitch. It was, apparently, quite rare that the team whose Seeker caught the Snitch didn't win the game, though Remus said it had just happened at last year's World Cup Final.

"Ian said he played during school," Mulder said to Remus. "What position did he play?"

Remus sighed, a small smile playing at his lips. "He was a Beater. Good way for him to let off some steam. Plus, he got to protect James. I don't know what it was between the two of them, but they became friends the moment they met, and Sir--er, Ian did everything he could to keep him safe..."

Again with James, Mulder thought. Was there any topic that wouldn't put that sad smile on these men's faces?

"Did you play at all?"

"No," Remus replied, "I was never that adept at broomstick flying, and Lily needed someone to cling to when James was getting pummeled by the Slytherin Chasers."

Lily, Mulder thought, must have been James's wife, Harry's mother. Time to stop talking about the past, he decided.

The teams took a time-out, landing their brooms at opposite sides of the field. From the commentator's box came an announcement: "Ladies and gentlemen, we here at Wimbourne are proud to be playing host the most successful team in British Quidditch history, the Montrose Magpies. But even more grand is our opportunity to become a part of a new world record! Magpie Chaser Dash Brighton is a mere thirty points away from breaking the all-time points record for his position!"

A loud cheer went up from the crowd, and Mulder couldn't help but notice that the general pitch of the sound was in the upper octaves. "I take it Brighton's got a large female following?"

Remus laughed. "You might say that. Dash Brighton, well...let's just say that back at Hogwarts the popular rumor about him was that he had a love potion in his veins in lieu of blood." He paused a moment to ruffle the ears of the large black dog at his feet, then leaned closer to Mulder and confided in a soft voice, "He was even more of a lady killer than Sirius was. The big difference was that while Sirius would get Howlers after breaking off a relationship, Dash would find himself listening to the girl begging to still be his friend. Sirius once said that Dash was the closest thing he had to a hero!"

The dog, apparently taking offense to Remus sharing such a story, growled lightly.

With a frown, Remus turned to Addie. "You know, on further thought, maybe you shouldn't be meeting Mr. Brighton with us. I'd hate to lose you to him after all we've been through."

Addie rolled her eyes. "Please. The last thing I need is a man who's looked on as a hero by Sirius Black!" Again Remus laughed, planting a smacking kiss on her cheek.

The match didn't last much longer, and Brighton was still twenty points back from beating the record when Montrose's Seeker caught the Snitch and ended the game. His female contingent cheered nonetheless.

"We'll just wait for most of the crowd to disperse," Remus said, settling back in his seat. "And another few minutes for Dash to clear through most of the women who'll be waiting outside the locker room for him..."

Snuffles stood up and nudged Remus's knee, whimpering lightly. "Look, it's pointless to try and get down there right now, it'll be madness." Snuffles whimpered a bit more forcefully; suddenly Mulder realized what the problem was.

"Uh, maybe I should take him down there, find a secluded patch of grass," he suggested, and Snuffles wagged his tail in response.

Understanding dawned in Remus's eyes, and he nodded. "Ah...well, we'll all go down then. Addie and I might as well get in line."

The group stood and trekked down the stairs, meeting the crowd again when they hit the ground floor. They circled the outer wall of the stadium, heading for the visiting team's locker room. A wall of witches gave them a clue that they'd found it. Secure with the idea that he could find his way back, Mulder led Sirius towards a secluded grove of trees.

Once safely out of sight, Sirius returned to his human form and proceeded to relieve himself. Mulder turned away out of courtesy, but not before he realized something was quite wrong with the picture.

"Shit! You're not Ian anymore!" he hissed, staring out at the stadium.

"I know," Sirius replied quietly. "Addie warned me that Glamours don't survive any sort of transfiguration. Don't worry, I've planned to stay in Animagus form until we've met up with the rest of the Order. Just treat me like any ordinary dog."

Mulder heard a zip and a soft pop, and when he turned around Sirius was gone, replaced by Snuffles, the lovable pooch.

They meandered back to the slightly smaller throng of fans outside the Magpies' locker room, easily catching their two companions in the back of the group. Remus was grumbling about the size of the mob.

"We've got to get moving...who knows how long he'll stay here..."

"Remus, just push through and get his attention! I'm sure if he knows what we need him for he'll be out in a flash," Addie said, the voice of reason. With a nod, Remus grabbed her hand, motioned to Mulder with his head, and began pushing through the crowd.

They broke through, and Mulder found himself face to face with the apparently legendary Dash Brighton. He was tall, a couple inches more than Mulder, with broad shoulders that spoke of years of athletic activity. The dark hair, hazel eyes and tanned complexion accentuated on the magazine cover were just as impressive in real life; Mulder wasn't surprised that women swarmed to Brighton's side. All that was missing was...

Ah, there it was. The requisite Winning Smile. Brighton beamed out at his admirers, waving and signing autographs when quills were put within his reach. He was slowly working his way away from the locker room door.

"Dash!" Remus called, waving his arm frantically to gain the athlete's attention. "Dash, over here!"

Dash, possibly thrown by the deeper voice, glanced around, searching out its owner. Finally his eyes caught Remus's, and his Winning Smile became one given to a friend that's not been seen in years.

"Remus Lupin!" he exclaimed, reaching a hand out to draw the wizard closer. "Well it *has* been some time now, hasn't it?" He pulled Remus into a brief hug, and Mulder could see Remus whispering something into Dash's ear. Dash's smile faded.

"I'm afraid I have to be off now," he said to the crowd, who groaned in frustration. "I'm sorry to cut it short, please forgive me." He and Remus started walking out of the group, and Mulder quickly turned to follow.

Once clear of disappointed fans, Dash said, "What do you mean the Order's been summoned? And who are these two?"

Remus steered Dash towards the Ford. "Something happened during the Triwizard Tournament the other day, and one of the champions ended up dead. Harry Potter ended up dueling Voldemort."

Dash stopped in his tracks. "Merlin's beard...they *dueled*? Voldemort's gotten that much power back?"

With a grim nod, Remus added, "Dumbledore's called us all together; we're meeting tomorrow morning. He tried to owl you..."

"But I'd put up a blocker. Damn. I just wanted to avoid the press. For the last few weeks all anyone'll talk to me about is that bloody record..." He shook his head. "Well, thanks for coming to get me. This fight comes before anything else...did you get hold of Sage?"

"I think so, Dumbledore said he'd gotten to everyone else. Oh, by the way," Remus gestured to Addie and Mulder. "This is Fox Mulder, he's a Muggle from America who's got his own interests in our fight. And this is Addie Black, I don't believe you two ever met..."

Dash looked back and forth between Mulder and Addie, as though he wasn't sure who he was more astounded by. Finally he focused on Addie. "Black? As in...?"

Addie nodded once, curtly. "He's my brother." Her voice was sharp, and it was clear she wanted to drop the subject.

"Do you need anything from your room?" Remus asked, once more getting the group moving towards the car.

Dash shook his head. "I can always come back later. I'd much rather get to the meeting place now, get settled in before tomorrow."

They reached the car, and from the look on his face Dash had some serious doubts as to the reliability of the Muggle vehicle.

"You should have seen it when we found it," Mulder offered, though it didn't seem to ease the Quidditch player's mind. "Just get in, buckle up, and tell me where we're going."

"You'll want to go north," Remus instructed. "We're going to Stonehenge."

END CHAPTER ELEVEN