Promises Unbroken

Promises Unbroken

Chapter Thirty: Awakening

Early morning found Sirius ensconced in the Hogwarts library, with two enormous texts spread open before him and a third serving as a paperweight. Although he'd never been much of a studier during his Hogwarts years (there were pitfalls to having a natural talent for magic and one of them was definitely laziness), his time in the Aurors had taught him the value of bookwork. At the height of his career Sirius had hardly needed to look spells up--he'd intensely familiar with ever one of the Aurors' standard texts, thanks to both his own natural curiosity and Alastor Moody's relentless hounding. Now, though, he was playing ten years worth of catch up, and he wasn't about to let Hestia Jones find him wanting in any category.

He was so engrossed that he didn't even hear Remus Lupin approach.

"A fine Auror you'll make," his friend commented quietly, "if you don't even hear me walk up."

Sirius shrugged and didn't even bother to look up. "I hardly expect to be attacked in Hogwarts' library."

" I bet you didn't expect to be attacked in the Great Hall, either," Remus countered mildly.

"Oops." Sirius grinned and leaned back in his chair, throwing his feet up on the desk before him. "Well, if you're the worst thing that's going to attack me, I feel fairly comfortable. Unless you'd like me to be properly frightened, of course."

Remus finally chuckled and dropped into a chair. "Maybe tomorrow. So what are you doing, anyway?"

"Studying." He yawned. "Thought I'd get in here before the children do."

"Oh?"

Sirius nodded and pulled his feet down. "That, and I thought I'd make use of the library before I leave today."

"You can stay longer if you need to, you know," Remus responded immediately, but Sirius smiled slightly.

"I know, and thanks. But I can't really hide any more, and you need space to adjust."

Remus looked at him strangely. "Adjust?"

"To whatever it is you did yesterday while I was gone," he replied. "D'you think me blind, Moony? You're different, though I can't quite put my finger on how."

"I never could fool you, could I?" his friend asked, seemingly not very upset at all.

"Nope," Sirius responded cheerfully. "You going to tell me why?"

He watched Remus take a precautionary look around the library to make sure they were alone, but Madam Pince wasn't even in sight. Finally, the headmaster replied, "I fell into a Font of Power."

"A--you're kidding me." Sirius stared at him, but Remus wasn't laughing. "Right?"

"Not at all. Hogwarts is built on one, you know."

"No, I didn't know," he said, blinking in surprise and trying to remember everything he'd ever learned about Fonts of Power. Unfortunately, that wasn't much. "At least tell me that you did so on purpose."

"Quite," Remus replied dryly.

"You're crazy, mate."

"Probably." His friend smiled slightly, but at least now Sirius understood the difference. Whatever had possessed Remus into jumping down a Font of Power had to be good, he knew--and the experience certainly had to change him, since it obviously hadn't killed him, anyway. But Remus was clearly still trying to figure it out himself, so Sirius made a mental vow to ask later as his friend changed the subject. "What are you reading, anyway?"

Sirius held up the book. "Dark Magic and Ancient Curses," he replied, "which, by the way, I was surprised to find here, too. What's a book like this doing in a children's library?"

"You see the sign labeled 'Restricted Section'?" Remus asked lightly.

"You think that ever stopped kids like us?" he retorted.

"Well, no, but if they're going to read it, Sirius, they'll find it somewhere," the headmaster replied reasonably. "My question, however, is why you are reading it."

Sirius sighed. "Looking for that incantation," he answered. "Without much luck, I might add." Impatiently, he gestured at the other two books, Outlawed Magic and The Rising Powers of Darkness.

"What did you say it was again?" Remus suddenly asked.

"Mandatus Prospicio Subigum." He shivered and tried mightily to hide his reaction. Even the words brought back memories, and Sirius had to make and effort to push them away.

Remus frowned. "Mandatus Prospicio Subigum..." he mused. "Roughly translated, it would mean something about commanding to see at a distance...with a conquering or compelling thrown in for good measure."

"I figured that much," Sirius replied quietly. If he closed his eyes, he could remember, but he didn't want to. He didn't want to see it, didn't want to be reminded... He shook his head. "But knowing what it means still doesn't tell me what it does."

"Yeah. Good point." Remus bit his lower lip in concentration. "I've got a few books you can check later if you want."

Sirius slammed Dark Magic and Ancient Curses shut with a decisive snap. "Sure. It's worth the try."

They stood together, and Remus trailed a few steps behind as Sirius replaced all three volumes on their proper shelves. "So, how did yesterday go?" the headmaster suddenly asked. "Any news on how long you'll have to wait before going back into the field?"

"Forever, if Jones gets her way." Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Beg pardon?" He knew that Remus didn't exactly like the idea of him going back into the Aurors, but all the same, Sirius also knew that his friend supported his choice. They also both knew how necessary it was.

"Hestia Jones can bite me," he replied acidly.

Remus looked at him strangely. "Surely you don't mean that."

Sirius sighed. "You're right. I'd much rather let Padfoot take a chunk out of her."

"Sirius..."

He just shook his head at his friend's warning tone. Remus had always been the least reckless of them all...comparatively speaking, of course. "I had to take a walk to avoid losing my temper with her when she talked about how I lacked concentration and didn't know how to work through pain."

"Oh," was all Remus could say as they walked out of the library, heading for the headmaster's office.

"Yeah, oh," Sirius rolled his eyes again. "So I wandered through Diagon Alley and ran into someone else. I didn't go back."

"Tell me you didn't run into another Death Eater, Sirius. You're getting enough press as it is," Remus remarked dryly.

"Well, technically speaking, I suppose she is." He grinned and saw his friend's eyes widen with understanding. "But this one is on our side."

"How in the world did you manage that?"

"I didn't." Sirius felt his stupid grin widen, but he could hardly care. Even the darkness seemed lighter now. "There's no one in the world who could make Julia Malfoy do a thing she doesn't want to, me included. But she made her choice."

Remus smiled. "I hope it works out for you, my friend," he said sincerely.

"Me, too." He smiled wryly. "In fact--"

"Ah! Professor Lupin!" a deep voice cut Sirius off mid sentence. "Just the person I was looking for."

Both turned to face the wizard who was striding towards them; he was dressed in shining robes of lavender with a hint of gold--a completely nauseating combination in Sirius' estimation, although he had to admit that the color scheme definitely outshone his own utilitarian robes of dark blue. He had golden blond hair and a dazzling smile; Sirius resisted the urge to wince away from the artificial glare set off by too perfect teeth. He's got to be using a spell for that was Sirius' first thought. What a fop was the second. Remus, however, was busy putting on a smile that only Sirius recognized as false.

"Gilderoy Lockhart. I'm glad you were able to show up...a half an hour early." The sarcasm was impossible to miss, but somehow Lockhart smiled cheerfully.

"Well, you know how it is," he responded with a smile. "The early Seeker catches the Snitch, as I always like to say."

He laughed at his own joke as Remus held out a hand; some of the smile faded, however, and Lockhart hesitated before taking it. Mustn't contaminate yourself, Sirius thought acidly, already deciding that he didn't like this applicant for the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. Bigot. Only Remus could keep his voice level and pleasant in such a situation. Sirius drifted back, away from the conversation, trying not to snarl as he did. Moony, you're a saint.

"Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Oh, yes, of course." Lockhart smiled again. "A charming place, really. Even if the castle is a bit too antique if you know what I mean." He paused, shrugging theatrically. "But then again, I doubt you get too many expert decorators amongst your staff, do you?"

"I tend to put emphasis on teaching as opposed to decorating abilities, yes," Remus replied mildly.

"Too true!" Lockhart declared. "And let me tell you, I have a great deal of experience that I'm simply aching to pass on to the next generation of witches and wizards...as evidenced by my published works, of course."

"Of course." Again, only Remus could have said that without seeming sarcastic. Sirius doubted if even Dumbledore could do better.

"And I'll admit that I have been ready to get out of the field for some time," Lockhart continued obliviously. "It will quite a relief to get away from all the glory and the fame...after all, what nobler pursuit can there be than educating young witches and wizards? There are times when my reputation can be very burdensome--although I will use it in every way I can to serve Hogwarts' aims."

Remus arched an eyebrow, and Sirius could tell it was getting hard for even him not to laugh. "Really?"

"Oh, definitely. Hogwarts is my alma mater, after all." Another patented and glorious smile. "Although I have to admit a bit of concern over some of the other applicants. There are rumors flying that you offered the position to Sirius Black..."

Sirius stopped drifting backwards. Remus kept an admirably straight face.

"Indeed?"

"My concern is solely as a Hogwarts alum," Lockhart said earnestly. "I've been speaking to certain contacts of mine in the publishing business, and it seems that, despite appearances, he is not entirely stable..."

"Is that so?" Remus asked coldly. Despite the formerly mild look, the headmaster's gaze had suddenly sharpened; very few wizards would have been foolish enough to interpret those frigid words as encouragement. Lockhart, however, was.

"Well, I certainly wouldn't want someone with such a troubled past teaching my children if I were a Hogwarts parent. Personally, I would prefer someone more like"--Lockhart shrugged self-depreciatingly--"myself."

"That's funny." If there was anything Remus couldn't abide, Sirius knew, it was people whose egos out massed their brains. There were few ways to try his patience, but that was certainly one of them, and he continued, "Seeing as how Sirius has been a friend of mine since we were eleven years old." Remus' smile grew rather wolfish. "In fact, he's standing right behind me. Gilderoy Lockhart, meet Sirius Black."

Lockhart spun, wearing the most priceless expression of shock on his face, and Sirius smiled.

"I won't offer to shake your hand, lest my instability contaminate you," he remarked sarcastically. "But I am absolutely delighted to make your acquaintance."

The pompous wizard blinked, and then glanced at Remus. "If this is some sort of comparison," he said archly, "I feel that I should have been properly notified ahead of time, as he clearly was."

"Comparison?" the headmaster repeated blankly; Sirius could tell he was trying hard not to laugh. "No, not at all."

"Then why are is he here?" Lockhart demanded, gesturing angrily at Sirius.

"May I answer that, Remus?" he cut in. "Seeing as how I am the subject of that...polite inquiry?"

"By all means," his friend responded gravely, and Sirius knew Lockhart was done. He turned to face the would-be Dark Arts Professor.

"I assure you, Mr. Lockhart, that I am not here to sabotage your chances at the Defense Against the Dark Arts position here at Hogwarts," Sirius said coldly. "A position, I might add, that I have already refused.

"However, as a 'concerned Hogwarts alum' myself, I would like to point out that you are hardly the type I would wish to have teaching at this school. If I had children of my own, your reputation would do little to reassure me. And as a wizard whose godson is currently attending Hogwarts, I am quite glad to see that you have thoroughly sabotaged your own chances." He smiled nastily. "Unless, of course, I have sorely misjudged my friend."

"Which," Remus picked up immediately, "he has most definitely not."

"I beg your pardon?" Lockhart glanced rapidly between them both, seemingly unsure which to stare at in disbelief.

Remus' blue eyes flashed. "You are no longer welcome at my school, Mr. Lockhart. I thank you kindly for the interview, but I have seen all that I need to see. Ego and self-promotion have no place at Hogwarts. Therefore, neither do you.

"Good day, Mr. Lockhart."

----------------

Peter sat cross-legged on the floor at Godric's Hollow, with a Siberian Husky puppy climbing all over him. Lily smiled, watching him laugh; ever since the night of that fateful revelation, Peter hadn't laughed nearly enough. Throughout their school years, Lily hadn't known him very well--until she and James had started dating in their seventh year, the Gryffindor girls and boys had existed in separate universes that only entered the same orbit in class or at meals. Now, though, she counted all of James' friends as her own and cared for them deeply. This wasn't to say, of course, that Lily had forgotten all of her own school friends, but of all of them, she'd only ever been very close to Alice Longbottom. The others had only been friends, although they still sometimes kept in touch. Alice, however, had been like a sister, and even with both their busy lives, the two still found moments to get together.

At the moment, though, Peter was sitting in a completely undignified manner on her living room floor, and Lily was laughing with him as Joe finally succeeded in toppling the wizard over to his back and licking his upturned face. She had never seen a puppy with so much energy, and Lily thought it was good for Peter, who had been for the past year a rather lonely man. A second failed engagement still troubled his relationships, and Lily thought it was good for him to have someone to come home to. Even if it was just a dog--but heavens knew, Joe had more personality than a lot of people Lily knew.

Finally, though, Peter extracted himself from the puppy's control and sat up, still rubbing under Joe's ears, which seemed to satisfy the rapidly growing Siberian. "Sorry about bringing him along," Peter said with a smile. "I just didn't want to leave him alone in my flat. He'd probably destroy the place."

"You know I always love to see Joe," Lily replied playfully. "Especially since he's not making messes on my carpet anymore."

"I keep telling you how sorry I am about that, Lily--"

"I'm joking, Peter," she cut him off. "Don't worry about it."

He smiled crookedly. "All right."

"So what brought you here, anyway? I mean, I always love to see you, but you usually drop by when James is around."

Peter shrugged. "Actually, he's the reason why I'm here," he said quietly. "James told me that the Unicorn Group has been working on a way to get rid of the Dark Mark."

"Oh." Lily fought down the need to slap herself. She should have thought of that a lot sooner, should have realized that Peter would need to talk to her. I should have sought him out, Lily reprimanded herself. I shouldn't have made him come to me.

Peter reddened slightly, misinterpreting her silence. "I mean, I didn't want to bother you, but I was hoping that...you know..."

"It's no bother at all, Peter," Lily replied quickly. "I just wish I had better news for you."

"Oh." His hopeful face fell, and Lily reached out to put a hand on his arm, noticing that Peter's right hand was unconsciously rubbing the Mark hidden under his left sleeve.

"The Unicorn Group has been working on this for a while, but just because we haven't made any progress yet isn't a reason to lose hope," she said quietly. "So far, we haven't really been able to talk to anyone who knows enough about the Mark to help us. I can't make any promises, but if you could work with us...?"

Peter's green eyes met her own. "Do you really think it's possible?" he whispered. "I'd give anything to be free of this."

"I do." Lily smiled slightly. But her expression didn't seem to do much to hearten Peter.

"It burns, you know," he said quietly. "I don't know how to describe it, really... I know that it's really just a Mark on my arm, but it feels like a stain on my soul." He winced. "I just wish..."

Lily squeezed his shoulder. "I know, Peter. I know."

----------------

"Well?" Sirius asked impatiently.

This was his final check-up, so to speak. When Pomfrey had worked on him the first time, she had told Sirius that his leg would require some time to heal. It had proved to be quite a pain that way, too, both figuratively and literally speaking. Somehow, his injured leg seemed to worm its way into influencing everything he did, and Sirius was ready to be done with that. Also, after spending two weeks at Hogwarts, he was ready to leave. It was time to step into the real world again.

"Mr. Black, if you don't ever learn patience, you're not going to get anywhere in this world," Pomfrey replied automatically. After a second, the matron seemed to realize what she'd said and blushed.

He snickered. "Sounds different when you say that to an adult, doesn't it?"

"The thought behind it is the same," the nurse told him sternly. "You could do with a bit of patience."

"Probably," Sirius admitted. He waited a heartbeat, and then smiled, knowing he had her. "Well?"

They both laughed. "How the four of you have managed to live so long is beyond me," Pomfrey remarked, still chuckling. "Despite that, I am pleased to say that your leg is finally healed. Just don't fall off a broom in the next few days and you should be fine."

"Seriously?"

"Quite," she replied evenly, not about to fall into that particular trap. "The spells I laid today should be final--providing, of course, that you don't do anything foolish."

"I won't," Sirius replied immediately, earning himself a doubtful look from the longtime Hogwarts nurse. "What? I promise!"

"I've heard that before," Pomfrey remarked with an indulgent smile. "Always about an hour before you went out and played Quidditch, hurting yourself again."

"How 'bout this?" he asked playfully. "I promise not to play Quidditch in the next week."

"A great deal of good that does me," she snorted. "I'm certain that the new and improved, grown up Sirius Black can think of much more inventive ways to hurt himself."

"True." Sirius smiled, jumping off the bed. "But I can promise that I won't do it on purpose."

Pomfrey sighed, but he saw the hints of a smile. "I suppose that will have do to."

"Thanks, Poppy."

She smiled in return. "You're welcome, Sirius. Be careful."

----------------

"Are you insinuating that I had something to do with my son's escape?" Crouch demanded.

Arabella leaned back slightly in her chair, keeping her face expressionless and resisting the urge to fidget. That was always something that she liked to do during long meetings, but doing so would be disastrous in this case. She replied evenly, "I'm just searching for answers."

Crouch snorted.

"You visited your son at twelve thirty in the afternoon two days ago, correct? While he was in DMLE custody," she added, just to see if he'd bite.

He didn't. "Yes."

"Are you aware of the fact that he escaped at exactly two thirty?"

"Obviously, judging from the fact that you're questioning me now," Crouch replied dryly.

"I see. Do you have any idea how he might have escaped, Minister?" she asked politely. "You were the last to speak with him."

"I have no clue." Crouch rolled his eyes. "Maybe he used some Dark Magic that he learned from You-Know-Who."

Doubtful, 'Bella thought, but she kept that feeling to herself. The wards on the DMLE's cells weren't something that could be broken in a day, and wandless to boot. "Did you know he was a Death Eater?"

"Of course not," he snapped immediately. "Do you think I'd put up with that from someone in my family?"

"Not at all," she replied. Most parents would have defended their children to the death, but not Barty Crouch. "But I have to ask, as I'm sure you understand."

"Right." He wasn't being very cooperative, but Crouch wasn't as angry and antagonistic as she'd expected, either. Arabella was beginning to get the feeling that this conversation was going nowhere.

"Looking back, can you think of any hints of what drove your son to become a Death Eater?"

Crouch hesitated, thinking. Finally, he responded, "He was never a very happy boy. His mother spoiled him too much, and her death hit him hard." Crouch's voice grew dark. "Maybe the loneliness did it."

It was like a door had closed before her, and Arabella knew she would get no more answers. So she stood, offering her hand politely to the man who was technically her senior in the Ministry. "Thank you, Minister," she said politely. "We'll be in touch."

"Right." He shook her hand very briefly and turned to go. "I'm sure."

----------------

"Everbero!"

She cast the first spell when Sirius' back was still turned, and power crashed into him from behind. He flew, rather like a very ungraceful bird, crashing into the shielded dueling area's far wall. Sirius bounced off, rolling, and heard Jones yell:

"If that were an Unforgivable, you would be dead right now!" she yelled. "Stay awake! Constant vigilance!"

A red streak of light hit the ground where he'd just left, and Sirius came up into his customary crouch only a few feet away, furious that she'd dare thrown Alastor Moody's words at him. Moody had been Sirius' Mentor. Jones had barely known him. He batted her Conjunctivitis Curse aside with ease.

"Impedimenta!"

"Is that the best you can do?" Jones' shield ate his curse up easily. "Suffocoum!"

Sirius rolled, not bothering to block the Choking Charm. An old and familiar calm was creeping over him, and he found himself grinning. Another blast of red light intercepted the path he'd just left, but he was rolling into the crouch again. Sirius' wand whipped forward.

"Conteriaco!"

His spell burst straight through her shields and sent Jones flying high into the air. Moments later, when she crashed back down to the ground, he was ready. "Demergos!"

The padded ground around his 'tester' turned into quicksand, and she started sinking rapidly. Unfortunately, Jones was nothing if not talented, and she did have years of training to fall back on. The Auror didn't even bother to try and counter the spell. Instead she cast one of her own.

"Incendio!"

The Fire-lighting Curse would have been a good idea if Sirius didn't have the same type of training to fall back upon. His shield forced it aside without even wavering. "Pulverulentus!" he cried quickly, and was gratified to see a cloud of dust immediately settle over his opponent, blocking her field of view. Taking great advantage of the fact that she couldn't see him, Sirius moved right, sprinting now and out of his crouch. However, Jones was pretty quick, and the cloud began to dissipate in seconds. Before it could, he shouted, "Roteventilo!"

Again, Jones shot up into the air, spinning like a child's top. Caught by surprise, she howled in fury, but still had the presence of mind to bring herself down quickly.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Sirius barely dodged in time, twisting to his left and presenting his back for one crucial and foolhardy second. He knew it was stupid even before he heard her cry: "Offenvox!"

Sirius felt like he'd been zapped by a bolt of lightning, and he barely managed to keep a hold of his wand as he fell. Unfortunately for Jones, he was rather well acquainted with pain, and instinct took over as he rolled to the right, coming up into his crouch with hardly a thought.

"Glacialium!"

Jones dodged the Freezing Spell with irritating ease. "Crucio!"

The curse hit Sirius full in the chest and sent him flying backwards. Hitting the ground hard, he felt the familiar feeling of agony racing through his body, and for a moment he was caught up in memories of other times, of darker places--No! Gathering himself, Sirius drew all his concentration away from the pain and into his wand.

"Everbero!"

His strike spell sent her flying, and he was suddenly free of pain. Quickly, Sirius leapt to his feet, ignoring the residual effects of the Cruciatus Curse--this was Auror training and almost anything was legal. Besides, he knew that he could take the antidote later and have little else to worry about. For a moment, he was tempted to toss the torture curse back in Jones' direction, just to see how she dealt with it, but Sirius resisted the urge. Doing so wouldn't prove a damn thing.

"Tarantallegra!"

"Imperio!"

Their spells crossed in mid-air; his moment of hesitation had cost him the advantage. Sirius never had time to tell if his spell struck or not; suddenly, he was encased in a warm feeling that he knew all too well. The rest of the world faded, and he was comfortable, drifting peacefully. On the edge of his consciousness, a voice began to whisper sweetly, telling him to drop his wand. It was of no importance, and the voice was so sensible... Drop your wand. Everything was warm and peaceful. It seemed so simple--

Awareness reasserted itself. Sirius broke free of the curse and brought his wand forward in the same instant.

"Expelliarmus!"

Jones' wand sailed into his hand as she stumbled backwards into the opposite wall. Sirius shook his head to clear his mind, concentrating on judging the affects of the curses he'd been hit with. After a mental check, he decided that there would be no lasting damage--but Jones was staring at him strangely.

"How did you do that?" she demanded.

"Do what?" Sirius asked in confusion.

"Break the curse so quickly," the Auror replied, walking towards him. "I've never seen anyone come through the Imperius Curse like that. It only took you a few seconds."

It did? Sirius wondered to himself inwardly. However, he only shrugged and responded dryly. "Practice."

----------------

"The list of applicants is shrinking rather rapidly, isn't it?"

"Quite," Severus responded dryly.

Remus chuckled, but his deputy headmaster looked at him as if he'd gone insane.

"I fail to see what is so amusing about the entire situation," Snape commented. "We have been without a Dark Arts professor for a week now. That translates into a great deal of cancelled classes, and O.W.L.s are less than three months away. So, unless you want to cap your fourth year as headmaster with dismal failures all around..."

"Severus..."

"Yes?" Snape asked pointedly, but Remus could only sigh. "So who will it be, then, Remus: the Death Eater, the fop, or the politician? Of the group, Crouch is probably the best qualified, but I certainly wouldn't recommend him."

There was nothing to do but snort. "I had truly hoped Dung would take the job," he said quietly. "Or Sirius."

Snape choked.

"Oh, don't carry on like that," Remus replied crossly. "You know as well as I do that Sirius is far more qualified that Quirrell ever was, and quite possibly more qualified than you, especially when he gets back in stride."

"I--"

"No, Severus. Before you even say it, you know I can't give you the job. First of all, potions experts are extremely hard to come by--harder than even Dark Arts Professors--and second of all, the entire Wizarding World knows you're a Death Eater."

Black eyes glinted angrily. "It's never been proven."

"Of course it hasn't. Arabella and James are remarkably talented at losing evidence," Remus retorted. Snape glared. "If I give you the job, parents will revolt."

Severus growled under his breath but remained silent, for which Remus was glad. He didn't really have time to deal with his deputy headmaster's feelings on the matter; he had a host of problems on his hands and very few ways to solve them. That, of course, didn't even take into account the fact that Remus was still struggling to adjust to his newfound powers, which had kept him from sleeping in over twenty-four hours. He was tired, irritated, and didn't any patience left. So if Severus was a tiny bit annoyed, so be it. At the moment, Remus could hardly care.

"Now," he said with pronounced control. "I recognize the fact that we have a problem. Do you have a solution?"

"No," his deputy grumbled.

"Nor do I," Remus admitted. "So I suppose I'll have to teach the class for the remainder of the year."

"What?"

Remus chuckled at the confusion on Severus' face. "I have taught it before, you realize."

"I know that," Snape snapped. "I was going to point out, however, that you are the headmaster. Your job is not to teach."

"So I've noticed," he replied dryly. "But unless you have any better ideas...?"

Snape glared, and he knew the answer.