Harry Potter and the Dark Mark

Chapter Twenty Five

"So," Sirius began.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked instantly.

"Well... how much do you know?" Sirius suddenly asked with a suspicious frown.

"Everything Harry knows," Ron answered confidently.

"If you've read the news, you know nearly as much as I do. There were simultaneous Dark Attacks, devastating Stavanger and wrecking the Department of International Magical Cooperation. There were Dark Marks over Stavanger and numerous Aurors and Ministry Employees were hurt or killed. Fudge just stood there and bumbled, according to Moody."

"Have you told McGonagall or Snape anything?" Hermione asked pointedly. Sirius gave her a glance that seemed to be made up of respect, confusion and curiosity.

"What makes you ask that?" he enquired.

"We don't trust Snape," Ron hissed.

"If Dumbledore trusts him, I do," Sirius replied cautiously. "I may not like the slimy git, but I trust him."

"Do you really?" Harry pressed him. "Would you put your life in his hands? Remember the Shrieking Shack! And-"

"What does Professor Lupin think of him?" Hermione asked. Sirius looked alarmed at the barrage of questions.

"Remus? Remus doesn't trust him. But then the bastard did nearly reveal his secret - the secret we all tried so hard to keep - to the entire school out of spite. But what has sparked this off?"

"What about McGonagall?" Ron asked in a low voice. None of them would look at Sirius' head.

"What do you mean? Why are you asking all these questions?" The fiery Sirius shook his head in vexation.

"We-eelll..." Hermione was the one to unravel the tale of the two teachers, slowly presenting her evidence to damn the two into conspiring and conniving with Lucius Malfoy and Voldemort. Then their fears tumbled out in a torrent. Their worry that Dumbledore might die, Malfoy hexing Ron and Lucius creeping around corners unseen in his Invisibility Cloak.

"It's a lot to take in," Sirius said into the silence that had followed their whispered outbursts. "But you can see what it was like during His last Dark Reign. You're too afraid to trust anyone but each other. Even your teachers and schoolfellows become enemies."

As Sirius spoke he seemed not to be speaking about them but recalling it from his own school days. "Every stranger is a Death Eater, every poor passer-by in Hogsmeade at The Three Broomsticks is an informant. The Slytherins are passing information to their parents, waiting to get revenge for all their grievances against you and after each holiday the number of pupils has fallen again."

He snapped back to the present with an unpleasant grimace. "But it isn't that bad yet. You're just exaggerating the situation because you three have had more than your fair share of exposure to Voldemort. Dumbledore trusts Snape, so I do too. McGonagall - how could you think that about your own teacher? I think I'd better tell you some things to calm you all down a bit."

"All right," Hermione said in a tiny voice. Sirius' face flooded with relief. Harry wasn't fooled though. To anyone else it may have sounded as if Hermione was upset at being wrong, but he knew that she was just angry that Sirius had dismissed her ideas so quickly.

"Mundungus thinks-"

"Who the hell is Mundungus?" Ron demanded rudely. Harry flinched. Ron was never good at masking his feelings.

"I can't tell you," Sirius replied calmly. His irritation was controlled carefully.

"The Head of the Department of Mysteries," Harry answered.

Sirius gaped. "How the hell do you know?"

Harry shrugged nonchalantly but inside his heart was thudding against his chest at the excitement of having guessed correctly. "You mentioned his name when I met you in Professor Figg's classroom, and the Head of the Department of Mysteries was mentioned in the Daily Prophet article. I just put two and two together."

"Well for Merlin's sake, keep quiet. We'll have to make all three of you sign the Official Secrets Act."

"You were saying..." Hermione cut in briskly.

"Oh... We think - no - we know that Hagrid was murdered because his mission to the Giants was successful. It was a purely vengeful attack. His death had no effect on the activities of the Aurors."

Harry balled his fists. "Then what was the point?"

"Sick," Ron muttered, more to himself than to any of the others. Hermione said nothing.

"Dumbledore's poisoning is not unexpected. He is a prominent figure in a dark time. There are many people who might want him... out of the way, so to speak. We need him well again, but we don't think Voldemort and friends are responsible."

"What are you doing?" Harry wanted to know. "Dumbledore was about to tell me something about you right before he fainted. Seems to me that it's linked to your activities."

"It's a coincidence," Sirius insisted, "a terrible one, but still a coincidence. All he would have told you is that it was likely I would be leaving the country on the trail of Voldemort."

"Did you?" Hermione asked.

Sirius made an annoyed noise. "I didn't come to meet you to be given the third degree!" Seeing their churlish faces he relented slightly. "I know you're worried but there is no need to be. Everything is under control!"

"So in control that there were two massive attacks last night," Ron grunted. He instantly regretted saying it. "I'm sorry..." he stammered. "Sorry, I didn't mean... Look, we're all tired and worried, Sirius. You dismissing our conclusions after a ten minute explanation when we've been watching these people all year. We know when something is not right. Snape is being bloody NICE! He's acting almost as strangely as McGonagall, who is scared of chuffing cats when she transfigures into one! They're little things but they stand out when you put them together!"

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll have Mundungus have an Auror drop by Hogwarts," Sirius conceded. Hermione nodded in satisfaction.

"This isn't a nice note to leave the evening on," she said. "Let's change the subject."

They did as she commanded. Harry suspected they were all unhappy with the way their news had been received and moved onto Quidditch and House Cup scores with relative ease.

"What's the latest prank the twins pulled then?" Sirius asked with a cheeky grin. Harry could easily imagine him as a bold and mischievous teenager playing tricks to rival Fred and George.

Ron barked in laughter. "Harry'll kill me..." he said, sniggering.

"What?" Harry yelped. He looked in disbelief as Ron handed a photograph to Sirius through the fire.

"No!" Harry groaned. Without realising it he flung himself forward and clutched in desperation at the photograph he knew showed Ginny sleeping against him. Every nerve and muscle in his body strained to grasp the photo. Only the tingle of the flames flickering against his hand alerted him to the fact he had thrust his hand into the green fire. There was a roar like a thousand flames in Harry's ears and with a sickening spin he felt himself sucked into the fireplace.

Harry panicked. He didn't know if it would be better to relinquish the photograph and hope he returned to the Common Room or hold on for dear life. In the end he held on tightly and prayed. His terrifying journey came to an abrupt end. He shot out of a fireplace and landed in a painful heap on the hearth of a very dirty and obviously abandoned cottage.

Sirius was pressed back against the far wall. Harry could make out his figure but it was blurred because his glasses were askew. Straightening them, he took in his surroundings. As he did so the chilly air got beneath his clothes and he shivered. School robes were not the warmest items of clothing. The cottage was dank and burnt out with only half a roof. The windows were broken and the floors were damp. Harry could fell the moisture seeping through to his knees.

"Ouch," he said finally, testing his bones too see if they were broken. They weren't. He felt bruised all over though.

"That was a grand entrance," Sirius remarked eventually.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. He was surprised how mildly Sirius was reacting. It must be very simple to return through the fire. Looking round Harry spotted a jar of what resembled Floo Powder on the mantelpiece above the fire. He remembered Snape using something similar to summon Professor Lupin to him once.

"Nice picture," Sirius grinned. Harry scowled.

"I wouldn't know," he replied darkly. Sirius smirked and passed the photograph to him. Harry looked at it while hoping he wouldn't turn red.

A sleeping Harry was being admired by a half awake Ginny who smoothed back his untidy fringe and then pecked him on the cheek before settling down to snooze once more. Harry was embarrassed but secretly pleased. However, he thought it unfortunate that Colin had developed the film in the magic solution that made the pictures move. He was certain Ginny had never done anything like that while he had been asleep, especially not in front of a camera.

"We'd better send you back," Sirius said reluctantly. He moved over to Harry and helped him up before embracing him roughly. Harry pushed the photo into his trouser pocket. "McGonagall will chop off my boll-"

There were footsteps sounding from outside the room. Mid sentence, Sirius had transformed into his canine form and settled next to Harry expectantly. The footsteps grew louder and were followed by the entrance of a short burly man into the room. The man started when he saw Harry and put a hand to his wand.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded in irate amazement.

Harry looked down at himself in his ripped and dirtied robes and then glanced at Sirius. When his gaze moved back to the man, he shrugged.

"Walking my dog?" he suggested hopelessly.

Next to him, Snuffles put his head to the floor and his paws over his snout. He whined pathetically. Harry felt inclined to agree.