If Only for Now

Chapter Four:

Azkaban

"Harry!" said Hermione, her bushy hair flying behind her as she ran up to him. "Oh, Harry!" She hugged him so forcefully that he was sure his ribs would crack. "Oh Harry, we were so worried!"

Lupin slid out the fireplace of number twelve Grimmauld Place's massive, dungeon-like kitchen. He was immediately pulled to his feet by Moody.

"You all right, mate?" said Ron, who was very white. Even his many freckles and flaming hair seemed paler.

"I'm fine," Harry told him as Lupin and Moody filed past him. "Everyone ... got out okay ..."

"The Map was going mad!" exclaimed Ginny. "We're lucky that Headquarters are so close to the Ministry, or Hermes would never've made it!"

"They all came and simply looked at the map," Hermione explained to him. "And then they all just ran, kind of like what happened when the Death Eaters escaped --"

"Get upstairs, you lot," Moody interrupted sharply, without even turning. "We've got to plan. I don't want any of that usual crap! None of those blasted ears, none of it! This is important!"

Startled, and slightly injured, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny mounted the staircase, not daring to lag behind for fear of Moody's wrath.

"What's up with him?" whispered Ron, looking back as they entered the hallway. His brow furrowed, scanning the room below. "And didn't Sirius go to get you too?"

Sirius' unconscious face loomed like a ghost in Harry's memories.

"What's up?" asked Ginny, noticing whatever of Harry's thoughts must have been revealed on his face.

"C'mon," he said softly. "Let's get somewhere ... into Ron and my room ..."

Utterly perplexed and all appearing uneasy, they followed Harry into the high-ceilinged room in which Harry and Ron usually stayed at Grimmauld Place.

"What's wrong, Harry?" asked Hermione after they had closed the door.

"Sirius," Harry said uncertainly. "He ..."

But he never needed to finish his sentence, because his friends all gasped and Ginny said, "He's been captured, hasn't he?"

Harry nodded numbly, unsure if his body would obey any other commands. They were all watching him, and he knew he would have to recount everything that had happened. Harry took a deep breath and began with Mark Evans. ...

"So we'll be seeing the kid?" asked Ron.

"Yeah," said Harry.

"But how're they going to clear him?" squeaked Hermione. "We don't have Wormtail or any evidence!"

"He'll probably be under Veritaserum," said Fred, as he entered the room.

Harry jumped. He hadn't known that the twins were listening. As George followed, he nodded.

"But that's not enough," said Hermione. "Someone can think they're telling the truth but not really know that it's not true. And they think that Sirius is mad. It's the same excuse that Fudge would have for Crouch Junior's case. Fudge said that he could have believed that he was taking orders from Voldemort --" the Weasleys all flinched horribly and Hermione rolled her eyes at Harry, "-- but it may not have been true."

"What about all of our word?" suggested Ron. "We can tell about how we saw Pettigrew and what he did to me! And Ginny or Fred and George can tell about the time they spent with him, and that's not to mention what Lupin could say ..."

"One problem, little bro," said Fred, "Lupin's a werewolf and almost no one trusts werewolves --"

"Including Lupin," Hermione added, "even though everyone who's ever met him knows what a kind person he is."

"Right," said Ginny, "and none of us will forget how they treated Harry last year. Those feelings toward him were a long time in the making and some people aren't going to let them clear up all too quickly."

"They've got to listen to Dumbledore and Harry," said Ron flatly. "The Ministry got themselves into big of trouble last time they didn't believe them!"

"Yeah," said George, "let's not forget the people who do feel guilty about not believing Dumbledore and Harry. There are more of them in the Wizengamot."

Hermione was rubbing her head. "You've all got a point," she said softly, all though her voice still had a shrill quality to it. "But this is going to be so highly publicized. You wait! In a few hours, the Daily Prophet will come and it'll be covered with the story of Sirius' capture. I'd bet like Bagman that they won't even mention that the Death Eaters came to attack Harry!"

The mention of Ludo Bagman, the previous, but currently bankrupt, Head of Magical Games and Sports, made Fred and George scowl unpleasantly. He had stolen quite a lot of their money after he'd lost a large number of bets. But Hermione took no notice. Harry didn't include himself the conversation. He simply allowed their words to wash over him as he sat numbly on the bed, unable to bear of the image of Sirius sitting in Azkaban yet again, lost in the nightmares that the dementors would undoubtedly bring. But no one seemed to require him to enter the discussion. Everyone else seemed to be too worried about Sirius to notice but, unlike him, had control over their vocal cords.

"That brings us to a new problem," said Ginny. All of them looked at her. "Fudge is in big trouble with the magical community! He's going to want anything to bring him back to some kind of affection with everyone. If that means catching a Death Eater and not giving him a fair trial, then he'll do it. Arresting You-Know-Who's 'right hand man' will be a big victory, showing that he can do the Minister's job, even with the war!"

"This is going to turn into a political issue?" exclaimed Ron, sounding astonished that anything could be so complicated.

"Of course it is," Hermione snapped. "Fudge needs a victory. Everyone knows that the Battle in the Department of Mysteries was a complete disaster and it showed how bad Ministry security was!"

Fred, seemingly unable to think of anything other to do, conjured a tea tray and offered it around. Everyone looked at him skeptically. He seemed hurt.

"This is the wrong time," he said quietly. "Trust me, George and I know when and when not to have a joke."

Ginny was the only one brave enough to have a bite of scone and take a sip of tea. She did not faint, vomit spectacularly, her nose didn't begin to bleed, nor did her tongue become something roughly the size of a boa constrictor. The others, heartened by this, took the tea and drank slowly. Harry didn't even add sugar to his. His tongue couldn't taste anything properly.

"What'll they do to him?" he wondered, speaking for the first time.

"They're not going to kiss him!" said Ginny immediately. "They can't!"

"We all know that," said Hermione, placing a sympathetic hand on Harry's shoulder. "But I guess we'll have to wait until the newspaper to find out what's going to happen to him in the time between now and the trial."

Harry took another gulp of tea. It always seemed that he was worrying about Sirius and Sirius about him. He supposed this was the price to pay for his godfather, but it didn't improve the sickening, crunching feeling in his gut. Hermione was restless, her nervous energy seemingly uncontainable. While Ron sat on his bed beside Ginny, looking at his tea with a blank expression which Harry expected his face to mirror. Ginny was staring at the floor, hiding her reaction, as she often seemed to do. Fred and George were taking small nibbles out of their scones.

"I think we should all go to bed," said Ginny finally. All eyes immediately swiveled to focus on her. Instead of becoming as red as her hair, which was usual, a mere pink tinge appeared amongst her freckles. "Well, Harry, you've just dueled and the rest of us have all been up too. It's almost three in the morning! We should at least try to sleep or we may not be able to help the Order for whatever they're planning for Sirius!"

It was her last words, more than anything, that convinced them to take her advice. Fred and George bayed them goodnight, and Hermione and Ginny left together, heading for their room. Harry and Ron settled down in their beds.

"They won't Kiss him," Ron was saying, more to himself than Harry. "They can't Kiss him."

With no response, Harry turned out the light and laid his head on the pillow. Without him being able to stop it, his thoughts began to wander to Sirius. Screwing up his face, he rolled over and closed his eyes. ...

When Harry woke, Ron was sitting up in bed.

"They'll have thought of a good plan by now," said Ron confidently. "Dumbledore always thinks of something."

Harry tried to agree, but he remembered several instances when such was not true. Dumbledore was human. Brilliant, but human.

They two of them descended the stairs together and entered the cavernous, age-old kitchen of number Twelve Grimmauld Place. The first person he saw was Percy, who was sitting at the table, apparently exhausted. Mrs. Weasley was cooking eggs, and beside him sat Moody, who was pouring over the Daily Prophet, the wizarding newspaper.

"What does it say?" said a voice behind Harry. He jumped a foot in the air to find Hermione holding Crookshanks in her arms and standing next to Ron. She was gazing intently at Moody.

Moody grunted hoarsely. "They're not going to Kiss him just yet. He's going to get a trial ... exactly what we wanted. Good job Percy."

"Thank you," said Percy. "It was all I could do to convince the Minister that it would help him."

"How'd you do it?" asked Ron, who had taken new respect in his brother since he'd returned to the famly.

"A lot of reciting rule books," said Percy. "The law never fails."

"You'd be surprised," muttered Moody.

"I'm going to be the scribe," said Percy proudly. "I can't believe he wanted me to do something so important!"
"Guest it has something to do with the fact that he knows that you must be in contact with Dumbledore," said Ron, making Percy frown slightly.

"Anything about witnesses?" asked Harry. "Can he have any?"

"Yes," said Percy. "Dumbledore told him that he couldn't expect this to get over quickly and it may well take days."

"Bet he wasn't happy about that," said George, tousle haired and stretching. "If he wants to have a victory, he'll want it fast."

"What're you talking about?" said Mrs. Weasley sharply.

"Catching Sirius'll be a big deal," said Hermione hurriedly, obviously sensing the danger that this could have very well been something that the Order had spoken about last night. "We just thought that it'll be a political triumph for Fudge."

"You're right," growled Moody, his magical eye on her. Hermione went red; Moody's eye had always made her blush.

Mrs. Weasley was placing plates of food down before them as Ginny walked in and Hermione passed the newspaper to Harry.

BLACK CAPTURED!

Sirius Black, the most infamous first (and only) ever independent escapee from the wizard prison, Azkaban, has been captured. Though many have criticized the Ministry of Magic for the delay in this event, others have praised the work of Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was the leader in the pursuit of Black and brought him to the Ministry in the early hours of this morning.

A more pressing issue is being debated, however, over the fate of Mr. Black. Most believe that it is appropriate that he receives the Dementor's Kiss immediately, but Shacklebolt and Dumbledore both insist on his fair trial.

"All wizards are entitled to the law," Dumbledore argued at an exclusive meeting with Fudge and Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Though this choice may prove dangerous and result in the escape of Black, much of the Wizengamot has agreed with Dumbledore.

"He was not given fair trial when originally arrested, as few people are aware of," says Percy Weasley, Junior Assistant to the Minister of Magic. "This was the fate of most captured in the first war against You-Know-Who. The Ministry was supposed to have given these prisoners trials, however they allowed public appeal impede them from upholding the rights of their citizens."

The Minister of Magic was unavailable for comment and the explanation behind this injustice has been denied of the Daily Prophet. However, not all Ministry members are convinced.

"Black is obviously dangerous and insane," says Dolores Umbridge, Assistant to the Minister of Magic. "Any attempt to associate with or interrogate him may well lead the Ministry into an attack from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

During the same conference, Kingsley Shacklebolt explained that Black will be interrogated and tried under heavy and possibly unhealthy doses of Veritaserum. This was approved by St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries and the Committee for the Protection and Health of the Wizard Community as long as he is under close medical observation by a qualified Healer. He also explained that Black will be kept in the highest security cell at Azkaban. In spite of this, some worry that he will have an easy escape, do to the massive breakout from Azkaban only two nights ago and the fortress' weakness.

"We will be taking extra precautions," Amelia Bones assures the magical community. "He will not escape before his hearing."

"We're going to go to Azkaban today," Moody said suddenly. Every head in the room turned to look at him as Harry's head jerked up from the paper. "Well, Harry, Lupin, Kingsley and me--anyway. We're going to need to talk to him."

"Are you sure you'll be allowed?" asked Hermione.

"Kingsley is the head of Sirius' case," Mrs. Weasley reminded her. "He can come with anyone he wants."

They prepared to leave at about three-thirty that day.

"Be sure to tell him that we all say hi and that we care," said Hermione. She paused for a long moment, biting her lip. "Don't let him get any idea that we have any doubt."

"We do?" asked Harry, trying feebly to grin but failing. Hermione and Ron did the same.

Ginny handed him some chocolate. "You should have some," she said. "And give a bit to Sirius too."

"I will," said Harry. They were acting like he was going on some great journey and they wouldn't see him again for a long time. "I'm coming back, you know. And so is Sirius."

Ginny nodded, Hermione sniffed and nodded too while Ron just grinned. "We don't want him to loose hope," said Hermione. "No one deserves what he could get if the trial is lost!"

"But it won't be," said Kingsley as he stepped into the room, his steady, slow and deep voice confident. "Are you ready Harry?"

"Yes," said Harry.

"Come on then," he said, sweeping his great, dark hand and gesturing that he come with him.

Harry leapt after him, his nerves not permitting him to stay still for another moment. He followed the Auror down the hallway and into the dark stairway. He turned to look at Harry and placed a sturdy, dark hand on his shoulder.

"Harry," he said seriously, "be careful what you say in there. There's no doubt that the dementors will be listening and they could easily pass information to You-Know-Who."

He noticed the expectant expression on Harry's face as he waited for more news of what could be happening in the battle between the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters. But he realized that he would get nothing from the firmness in Kingsley's eyes. Harry suddenly understood why he'd been chosen to look for Sirius, who'd been accused of being Voldemort's right hand man.

Moody stumped to the bottom of the stairs with Lupin standing behind him. Lupin looked rather paler than usual and Moody's eyes were shadowed, but for Lupin it was nothing new. Moody was clutching a boot in his knarled hands.

"We'll be taking a portkey," said Lupin.

"I thought you said it was more than our lives' worth to make an unauthorized portkey?" said Harry.

"It's not unauthorized," growled Moody. "The Ministry made it so that we could take you."

"Why are they letting me, anyway?" Harry inquired.

"Kingsley has told them that you're an important witness," said Lupin. "And it's like what Molly said, he can bring whoever he wants."

Harry nodded slowly. He pulled his cloak around his shoulders. The wrappers of Honeydukes chocolate crackled in his pockets.

Lupin grinned. "Chocolate?"

"Ginny gave me some," said Harry. "It's allowed isn't it?"

"Yep," said Kingsley. "That should make him ... well it'll make him feel better for a little while."

"Can't I leave it with him?" he asked as they all gathered around the portkey. Harry knew that his friends were listening to him from the stairway.

Kingsley shook his head slowly.

Harry took a deep breath as Moody said, "Ready? One ... two ... three!"

Grimmauld Place spun away. The usual dull colors, Harry noticed, were darker than he was familiar to. And then finally the shade of darkness overtook them as they slammed into the ground. Harry lost balance and fell face first on the ground. He heard an odd yelp from Moody and another thud. In the moments before he pushed himself away from the clammy floor, he noticed it was more than clammy. Salt-smelling slime was slicked across the floor, making him shiver almost as effectively as the cold of the dementors, which were no doubt close at hand. Lupin's shaking hands pulled him up.

"Are you all right?" he asked, noticing Harry's shivering. The cloak around his shoulders just didn't seem thick enough.

"It's cold," Harry replied.

"It's Azkaban," said Moody as he was hauled to his feet by Kingsley, his wooden leg slipping.

No one replied. Harry noticed Kingsley's cold stare was fixed around some place near the door. Following it his gaze, Harry could see that he was glaring at a rough looking guard standing at the right side of the door. He was staring at the wall opposite him, his back and neck stiff as a board and his face rigid, expressionless. His large right hand was clutched around a wand, which he had pointing to his left as his arm lay folded sidelong across his chest. He was wearing the same color grey robes that Sirius had worn when he'd first escaped Azkaban, only they were far cleaner and newer, and a white band was tied around his left arm, which had a rune written across it that Harry couldn't understand.

"You're late, Shacklebolt," said the man. "The Ministry will want to know what kept you."

"It is no business of yours what the Ministry knows or doesn't know, Moon!" Kingsley said in his slow coldly. "Did you change his cell?"

"Yes," snarled Moon. "He's in number seven." His eyes flashed in an odd manner that almost made Harry shudder harder. Lupin's hand was still on his shoulder.

"What did they do, Moon?" Kingsley growled, sounding like a bear. "I know you know something!"

"But I don't," Moon said neutrally. "Like you said, not my business."

Kingsley cast him a very nasty look before he swept Harry from the room as Lupin went to give Mad-Eye, whose leg was still sliding dangerously on the grimy floor, a hand to steady him. The pitch black hallways were lit with blue lanterns that flickered ominously, doing very little to allow any visibility to the passage. However, Harry didn't notice this. The only thing he truly saw was the dementors, one standing menacingly at each cell, sucking all happiness and warmth out the air.

"Don't touch him," Kingsley said sternly to the creatures as one or two turned to face Harry. "You're under orders!"

Harry was thankful that dementors were ordered not to use their powers against him. His shivering seemed to have subsided slightly. He was able to look to his left, which revealed a small cell. The bars were about half a foot apart, which horrified Harry because Sirius had told him that he'd thin enough to slip through the bars of his own cell. There were small scratches on the wall, but the dungeon was empty. In fact, none of the three cells they passed had anyone within. But he barely had time to remember that there had been a massive breakout not long before now, when they came to dungeon number seven.

A dark figure lay sprawled at the foot of the wall. It looked like he'd been thrown very hard against the stone wall, sunk to the ground, and then not moved. Harry was able to squint and see the pallid face, contrasting horribly with the darkness of the prison. Sirius looked as gaunt as he had in the photos of him that had covered the Daily Prophet after his escape three years ago. He was paler than death, his breath rather raspy as Harry listened. He could no longer move for fear of the state of mind he would find his godfather in. Kingsley jammed a key into the lock, tapped it once with his wand and muttered a spell, letting the door swing open.

There was nothing that could stop Harry and Lupin from bolting to Sirius' side, the wet, salty slime splashing slightly at their feet. Sirius tried to raise his head, but he fell back.

"What's wrong?" said Lupin, putting a hand under his friend's head to lift it up ever so slightly. "It doesn't look like they beat you too badly. ..."

"Who came in here?" asked Kinsley sharply. "Sirius - what did they do?"

Sirius closed his eyes lethargically. "They ... it was a ..."

But before he could even get the sluggish, slurred words out, Moody exclaimed, "You've been drugged!"

He nodded wearily.

"What was it?" asked Kingsley. "What did they do to you?"

"Quanking ... Potion ..." he muttered. "Said I wouldn't ... be escaping ..."

"Weakens the drinker," Lupin muttered in Harry's ear. "He'll be okay."

"They should've -" muttered Kingsley, but Moody overrode him.

"We have more pressing matters to deal with," he said. He gestured to Sirius, "We can't help what they've done to him now." He turned to him. "Sirius, we're going to have to cut your hair. You having long hair will just remind the magical community of the criminal they hate from the Daily Prophet three years ago, not a man trying to prove his innocence!"

"Right," said Sirius feebly.

With a simple wave of Moody's wand, Sirius' hair was short again. In fact, it looked exactly like it had before he'd been sent to Azkaban. Harry had difficulty in not staring at him. The effect was startling--as though Sirius had never lost those years of his life to the wizard prison--as though he'd simply grown older, and nothing more.

"You actually look civilized, Padfoot," said Lupin, chuckling feebly.

"My story ..." said Sirius urgently.

"The entire truth," said Kingsley firmly.

"But the ... Animagus ... transformations ..."

Harry understood what he meant. If they gave away Sirius' ability to turn into a dog, his cover would be ruined.

"You'll have to tell them everything, Padfoot," Lupin told him.

"But ... proof?" Sirius whispered. "Peter ..."

"Do you have any pictures ... anything?" asked Moody.

"Nothing," said Lupin. "We made sure that we had no proof so that it was always secret. A part of the reason James, Sirius and ..." he swallowed, "Peter never registered when they got out of school was because they wanted to use their Animagi forms to better fight Voldemort undetected."

No one flinched at Lupin's words this time.

"Your word will have to do," said Kingsley. "And the fact that so many people can swear that they saw him is really something. ... The Wizengamot can't get around that!"

Lupin sighed. "Unfortunately, those who do aren't well trusted. I'm a werewolf, and Sirius' main witness, Harry was labeled as insane last year, which won't rub off as easily as we'd like, Hermione's a Muggle-born, so somehow that'll worm its way into her trustworthiness, and Ron is Arthur's son, and he's not very high up in the political order at the moment."
"But Ron's also Percy Weasley's little brother," muttered Harry. "That's got to count for something."

"I'm not sure it will," Moody grumbled quietly. "Fudge disapproves of this whole delay to his redemption and ..."

"Fudge's decision will not effect the entire trial," Kingsley growled. "I've made sure of that."

As the adults discussed the trial, Harry's eyes traveled to Sirius. His shadowed eyes were closed as though sleeping, but Harry knew better. He slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out the Honeydukes chocolate Hermione had given him. He placed it tenderly in Sirius' hand. His godfather's eyelids lifted feebly to gaze at him. Pale eyes flicked down at the thing in his hands. Strange as it was, Harry never expecting it, a small, ghostly grin spread over Sirius' ashen face.

"How'd you ... get this past ... Moon?" he asked, almost inaudible, his voice nearly drowned out by Moody's angry reply to something Kingsley had said.

"Kingsley didn't let him check me or anything," Harry said softly, returning the grin. He bent low over Sirius, touching his forehead soothingly, watching the members of the Order.

"We have no choice but the entire truth," Kingsley was saying. "Everyone will just have to exclude the bits about the Order."

"And what about Veritaserum?" barked Moody.

"There's no doubt they'll use it," said Lupin quietly. "But there's very little we can do ..."

"He's ... right," mumbled Sirius from the floor, speaking aloud for the first time in minutes. "I'll ... try to resist ... it, but ... other than that ... we've no choice ..."

Suddenly, they heard footsteps down the hall way, and the rattling breaths of the dementors. Sirius drew a deep, shuddering gasp and tensed. Harry bowed lower over his godfather. The footsteps stopped outside the cell door, where Moon's figure stared at them in the gloom.

"You've had your maximum of time with the prisoner," he said formally. "Its' time to go so that the dementors can guard the cell. As I understand, you ordered them--"

"I'm a Ministry official," Kingsley rumbled angrily. "I get as much time as I like with him."

"But they're not," sneered Moon, pointing at Harry, Lupin, and Moody. "Ex-Aurors don't count. Every werewolf should be in one of these cells," he smiled nastily at Lupin, and then his eyes fell upon Harry. "However Potter just might fit in around here!"

Kingsley arose so quickly that Harry could feel the displaced air blowing in his face. He jabbed his wand into Moon's broad chest.

"You'd better watch your mouth," he thundered in his most dangerous, slow voice, as though he wanted to make sure that Moon was sure of every single word he said. He was towering over the wizard. But Moon stood defiantly still, glaring up at Kingsley. "Or there will be serious consequences."

"Either way," barked Moon, "they're not Ministry officials and someone needs to escort them off of the premises."

"Alright, Moon," said Kingsley calmly. "Get our Portkey ready." Kingsley bent low to put a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "I'll be back tonight and tomorrow morning before the hearing," Kingsley told him quietly, trying to smile. Sirius did the same.

He gestured for Harry to get up. Harry looked at the man he was crouching over. "Sirius ..." he muttered, unable to find the words to express the encouragement he wanted to give his godfather. "I--I'll see you when the trial's over."

Sirius was already shaking from the dementor's cold, which didn't seem to affect his godson. He didn't smile. "I'll see you Harry."

Harry was forced to stand up and was guided slowly out of the cell, trying not to look back and the godfather he loved so much.