Chapter 25
As Amelia left, Sirius waited impatiently in his room for the person he had been dying to meet for years. As the door to his room swung open once more, his heart stopped as he looked to the side and found a rather familiar face standing there.
The years had made him tall and thin, taking away even some of his hair. And their eyes met for a second as he gave him a nod.
"Remus," he called out, before his eyes tilted to the boy standing behind his tall friend, trying unsuccessfully to hide behind the tall man, and his breath hitched as he saw him.
He had James's looks, hair, and face, but his eyes were different. They were green, just like Lily's had been, and as their eyes met, he found himself stilled as he slowly called out his name, openly, freely, as he had been unable to do so months ago when he had seen him walking into the Night Bus at night.
"...Harry"
DAPHNE GREENGRASS
The Wizarding World of Britain had not been in such strife since the end of the war. Yet the revelations about Peter Pettigrew's betrayal and the subsequent turn of events had caused a major stir in their society.
The Ministry was in upheaval as the current Minister, Cornelius Fudge, tried to fight off an impending vote against him in the Wizengamont. Meanwhile, Amelia Bones was trying to shore up support for herself and had even supposedly met Sirius Black to gain the ever-important Black Family vote.
Fudge was trying to do the same as well, yet had been unsuccessful as of yet. But whoever was trying to keep him away from Black could only do so for so long.
There was not yet an expected date for the vote, but things were already in motion, and Fudge could only push it back until next September at most.
Her own family, while not the richest and most influential of the Ancient and Noble Houses, was being courted by both and already. Things seemed to have gotten much worse, for her father had written to her a few days back to distance herself from the Malfoys.
Not that he understood that, but she was not friends with Cassius because of his instructions or his second name. But still, if he were asking her to do this, it meant that the position of Fudge and his associates was not as secure and stable as one would think.
The school itself had been quite a buzz with gossip over this whole affair. Especially, with Dumbledore giving Potter special permission to leave the school and visit the infamous Sirius Black at the hospital.
It was against the rules but none would ever speak out against their beloved Headmaster, who himself was at the centre of this whole affair.
And the cause of it all sat right infront of her, engrossed in his little decrepit book which had hardly left his side in weeks. It was obviously old, with browned and fraying pages, and was intangible to her.
Yet her dear friend had been pouring over it for weeks. From the outside, he looked unbothered and undaunted by all the chaos around him, as he continued to be his usually jolly and outgoing self.
But she knew that it was not all pink and rosy for him.
His family's name was being dragged through the mud, and his father was being hunted down by the Ministry, and he himself was the cause of it all.
Whether it was by design, or simply an intended consequence of his action, but Cassius was troubled, even if he did not show it overtly. And as much as she wanted to help him, there was little that she could do for him.
It was rare for them to be alone ever since Hermione had joined their group, and the girl was more astute and witty than she had realised, and had noticed Cassius's troubles as well.
But in the end, even she was helpless in this case.
Both she and Tracey were away, visiting the owlery, leaving her alone with Cassius after quite some time.
"A letter came from father yesterday," she began, as Cassius lifted his head from his book, knowing well that it was not usual for her father to write to her, or even Astoria.
"What did he say?" he asked, with a raised brow as she closed off her book and continued.
"He asked me to put some distance between us, to not be seen too close with the Malfoys," and he nodded, not adding anything much to her frustrations.
"You do know what this means," she began with some frustration.
"He thinks Fudge is going to lose," and Fudge's loss meant Malfoy's loss.
"I know," and he was not an idiot. And yet he was doing nothing.
"I could try and convince him..." she began, but he shook her head.
"There is no need for that," he cut in before she could finish.
"What?" she asked, with surprise.
"I said there is no need for you to do anything, I will be just fine," he assured her, as he turned back to his book.
All it took was a simple twist of her wand, and the book flew away and straight into her hand as she glared at him.
"What do you mean by that? If Fudge wins, he could pardon your father," and he raised a brow, trying to seem oblivious.
"I know, Cassius," she whispered and saw him still, as his eyes narrowed.
"And what exactly do you know!" he asked back in a whisper.
And she continued sharply.
"That it was you who did all this. That your mother suspects your hand in it," it was obvious given that he had been asked to stay back at Hogwarts during Christmas while his twin was asked to return.
And her words seemed to surprise him.
"I could help you. Your father...."
"I said there is no need," he insisted, as his book left her hands and flew back into his own as he shook his head.
"I do not know how you figured this out, but I have already come to terms with the consequences of my actions," he said, not denying it, confirming that it was he who had uncovered Peter Pettigrew's secret betrayal.
She knew that he cared little for his father but his mother. Cassius had always been close to her if she suspected much like her.
"Are you certain?" she asked, and he nodded.
"I am," he assured her, and though she doubted she could say no more if his mind was already made.
"Who else knows besides you?" he asked.
"Tracey suspects as well," they had known him long enough to know that only a person like him could hatch such an elaborate plan.
"How, though?" he asked, seemingly a bit intrigued.
"I don't think I left any clues for any of you," he asked, leaning forward, and she smiled.
"It was not that hard to put together. Ever since the year began, it was obvious that you were planning something. The deal with the Twins, befriending Granger, and so forth, I suspected that you were planning something, but I just did not know what," and then there was the fact that she knew that no one else in the school could do such a thing.
"You should be a detective," he chimed in, and she shrugged.
"Maybe, but what about your mother..." she began, and his mood deflated, and he sighed.
"I don't know how, but she somehow suspects as well. She has not confronted me about it yet, but she suspects," she had guessed as much.
"What if she becomes certain? What will happen then?" she asked, which was why she had proposed her solution.
If his mother saw that he was trying to save Lucius Malfoy, his father, then it would lessen her suspicion.
"Then I will just have to face the consequences of my actions," he replied softly as he gave a small shrug.
"You read the Prophet," he added, nearly whispering, and she could see how shaken he was.
"You read what he did," and indeed she had. All of them had.
The attack on the Bones was somewhat of folklore. It was one of the most brutal and cruel attacks by the Death Eaters, and had wiped out two generations of the family, and to think that Lucius Malfoy carried it out.
It was chilling.
The truth was that he himself remained conflicted over it, for while he had some sympathy for Lucius Malfoy as a father, yet despite that, if the allegations made in the paper were true, he could not find it in his heart to save him.
And so, the question was, were they true? If so, then should he even try and help a person who had sone something as heinous as that?
"This is my mistake, and I will be the one to make it right. Involving your father, given how he is, would complicate things a lot more," and it was both heartwarming and troubling to see him trying to protect her, but it was not entirely up to him.
"You don't have to do this. It is not all your burden to carry. I will be just fine," she added, yet he looked into her eyes and shook his head.
"No, do not involve yourself in my mess, Daphne. I will figure it out, ..."
0000
NARCISSA MALFOY
When word had first come of Peter Pettigrew's betrayal and capture at Hogwarts, she had an inkling that Cassius was behind it. Her son was special. She had known that since the day he had been born.
He may have tried to hide it as much as he could, but she had spent her entire life surrounded by people who were broken and challenged in some way, and so his behavior was nothing special to her.
She had a hunch that he was involved with it all, and then the Aurors had come for Lucius, and her world was torn apart.
She had known that Cassius and Lucius had never seen eye to eye on the matter regarding blood purity and that one day this disagreement would cause a rift in her family, but she had hoped that such a day would not come for years.
But it was futile.
Cassius had acted, and in his actions, he had implicated his own father. The man she loved.
She was forced to make a choice between Lucius and her son. She could have chosen him, chosen Cassius, if only there had been a sliver of doubt that this all was not his doing.
That he was innocent in this whole affair.
But then the letter had come. Addressed to her by her estranged cousin, who had just won back his freedom, and with that, her hopes were dashed and her suspicions confirmed.
He had thanked her, in his naivety thinking that his entire freedom was her doing, but she knew better.
She knew that he was wrong. It was not her doing.
This was Cassius's work.
She knew that Lucius and many of his friends were all searching for the one responsible for Peter Pettigrew's downfall, for it had triggered a new wave of persecutions and actions against them, as the DMLE reopened old cases.
And if it ever got out that this was Cassius's doing.
No, she could not let that happen.
Even if she could not stand by his choices.
Lucius had called for her, asking her to meet him at a hideout they had used years ago, and so she found herself in a decrepit castle on the outskirts of Blackpool as she set up the portkey he had asked to arrange for him.
CLACK!
And with a single clack, a body appeared in front of her.
"Lucius," she called out as she saw his face, and it had become pale and thin, with dark circles around his eyes.
"Have you thrown up the wards?" he asked as he rushed at her, and she nodded.
"It is done. The place is secure," and she saw him ease as he came and hugged her, desperately clinging to her after months of separation.
"How have you been?" she asked, and he did not answer as they separated.
"Not good. Not good at all," he lashed out as he began to pace.
"That bastard Minster has been ignoring my letters and cannot even control that up jumped head of the DMLE!" he raged, and she was the real problem.
"And now I must return to my own lands like this," he continued.
"Why have you come back?" for this was a big risk.
He was safe out of England, out of reach of the DMLE and its Aurors, so she was surprised when he asked her to set up this hideout once more.
"I had to come back. I am not alone. There are others besides me. Others, who have spent years hiding in the shadows, but with Bones and the Ministry dead set on fighting us, we must send them a message," and his intentions made her heart sink, as she realised what he meant.
"No, Lucius. You cannot risk yourself like this," she pleaded hoping that he would see reason.
"NO!" he raged, flustered and even scared.
"We must do this! We must remind them of our ways! Show them that the Dark Lord is not as dead as they think," and the name still sent a chill down her spine even years later.
"And when we find the one responsible for this...."
CRACK! CRACK!'
And suddenly the air behind her cracked as she jumped and snapped back to the room fill up as a man stepped out of the shadows, he was burly man, with dishevelled hair and a long scar on his face.
"Well. Well. Well," he said, and it took her a second to recognise that face. It was feared just as much as the Dark Lord during the war, a face of terror and death.
"It is quite a nice place you have set up for us, Lucius...."
"Greyback..."
0000
And hours later, as Greyback and his friends made themselves at home in the hideout, Lucius found himself seated in his solar as he tore through all the mail, hoping to gather more support for their cause.
As he was doing so, he suddenly came upon a letter, one addressed to Narcissa, and found himself intrigued. He opened it, and as soon as his eyes skimmed over its contents, his heart stilled.
"NARCISSA!" he screamed as the letter fell from his hand.
"NARCISSA!" he screamed for her again, as she ran into the solar.
"What!" and as the door opened, he was on his feet, wand in hand, aimed at her as he mustered out in sheer rage.
"It was you! It was you!"
0000
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