Chapter 2 - Conversations
Even with the sudden introduction, Harry was slightly wary regarding the lady, and remembering the words of Barty Crouch Jr. as Alastor Moody, `constant vigilance', he kept his hand on his wand.
"The same man who sent me this, also told me to remind you that he never forgot what you and Hermione did to him using a time turner," Imogen said, guarding the feather back in her briefcase. Harry finally relaxed, and let go of the wand. Only the three of them, plus Dumbledore, knew what had happened to Sirius that night. He extended his hand, which the woman promptly shook.
"Hi, a pleasure. And I guess we can talk in my room, right, aunt Petunia?"
His aunt nodded simply, albeit reluctantly. "Remember, Harry, no funny things," she said, with a sneer.
"I do, aunt. If you could follow me, Mrs. Cheatam."
"It's Ms. Cheatam. And of course," she said, with a smile.
They climbed the stairs and entered Harry's room, the woman noticing the locks on the outside. Once they were in, Harry closed the door, and Imogen opened the briefcase again, removing a wand from the interior. Harry's eyes buggered out and his wand was on his hand faster than she blinked.
"Calm down, this is for our privacy," she said, and after a quick incantation, the door glowed for a second. "It is an adapted silencing charm, instead of blocking sound, it changes what we are speaking to something inconspicuous. So, I guess your aunt will be extremely frustrated with what she hears from now on," she said, while guarding her wand back in her briefcase.
Harry grinned, and she fished a business card from her pocket. "Here's my card," she said, giving the small piece of paper to Harry.
Dewey, Cheatam and Howe
Attorneys at Law
Imogen Prefecta Cheatam
Attorney
"Someone in your family had a sense of humor, Ms. Cheatam," Harry said, pocketing the card. "Must be easy finding new clients. Sit down, please," he said, pulling the chair to the front of the bed, while he sat on the bed itself.
"You truly are Sirius' godson. He used the exact same joke when he met me. And it is just a name, not how I deal with either my clients or my cases," she said, but with a hint of a smile on her face.
"Sorry if I've offended you. Now, what can I do for you?" he asked.
"No offense, besides, I've heard several variations of the same joke. After a time, you know what to expect. And before we begin, I have something to give you before anything else," she said, opening her briefcase once again. From it, she removed a sealed parchment, and gave it to Harry.
Harry picked it up and noticed two things, first his name on the front, written in Sirius scrawny writing, and the seal of the Blacks on the wax.
A letter from Sirius.
Harry promptly broke the seal, unfolded the parchment and started reading.
Dear Harry,
Congratulations, son. If you are reading this, it means that I'm dead. Terrible way to start a letter, don't you think?
Let me start again.
Harry began to cry.
Dear Harry,
First of all, don't cry. I know it is kind of impossible to ask that of you, but there it is. There is no need for tears. I died, and I died happy, even if I died in pain to protect you, and since we are at war, I probably did. But if I died so you could live, I repeat, I died happy.
And knowing you, you're probably blaming yourself for my untimely demise. Please don't. Voldemort is the one to blame for my death. For Cedric's death. For Lils, for James. NOT YOU.
So, stop being pig-headed about it, and start on living again. Death is a new journey, to a new place. And I'll probably meet Lily and James on the other side, and pull some pranks just to piss off an angel or two.
This letter should have been delivered by a good friend, Imogen. She's my solicitor, and she has a few things to give to you. Don't worry, she's trustworthy, and she agreed to become your lawyer after I'm gone. She answers to no one but you, and she's as smart as Hermione.
As you can possibly figure, you're the sole heir of the Black's family fortune. I know that you don't want money, you just want to be left alone. I'm all for that, and after you finish Hogwarts, if you want to buy a small island on the Pacific and live there naked for the rest of your life, please do so.
Honestly, I know this is probably the last thing you'll do, since Moldieshorts is after your blood. So, I'm asking another thing entirely different of you.
DON'T LET THE BASTARD WIN.
Blow him up, curse his sorry arse with the AK fifteen times, I don't know and honestly I don't care. There must have something that muggles have that he can't expect, right? Just don't get thrown in Azkaban. Food's terrible, and the pool is not heated every day.
One other thing, trust your true friends, there are very few of those in the world, and I've cherished every moment I've lived with Moony, Prongs and Lils. Even Peter, before he betrayed us.
So, I guess it is time for me to leave for good, but before that I have one last thing to say to you. I loved you like my own son, of my own blood. Don't ever forget that, and as long as you remember me, I'll be by your side.
I'm serious.
Oh yeah, I am. That's my name.
(I just had to use that one last time)
With all my love,
Sirius Black, Marauder Extraordinaire.
Harry almost couldn't finish the letter, with all the tears falling. Once he finished, he let the letter drop on the ground. Imogen sat on the bed next to him and hugged him, while he cried on her shoulder. He cried for a good fifteen minutes, before he gained a small measure of composure.
"I think I destroyed your jacket," he said, pointing to the large tear stain on the shoulder.
"Nonsense, I'll deal with it in a moment. Are you all right for now?" she asked, sitting back on the chair and opening her briefcase once again.
"Mostly, yeah."
"Good to know," she said, and pointed her wand at the stain, murmuring a quick cleaning charm. In a mere moment, the jacket looked brand new. "Now, let me talk a bit about myself, so you can understand what I came to do here, okay?"
He nodded, and she continued.
"I'm a lawyer, as you know, and I had the good graces of being one in both worlds, the muggle one and the wizarding one. I've been the lawyer of Sirius for a long time now, since his fallings with his family, and we ended up being friends during the process. I even tried to motion for him to be judged when he was accused of being the murderer of those people, but the Ministry can put a lot of weight on the matter when it interests them. So, I was threatened with all sorts of things, from losing my license to physical violence, and unfortunately I had to let the matter go. When he escaped, and after seeking you out and making sure you were okay, he contacted me again and explained everything that had happened. He asked me to change his will to pass everything to you and Remus Lupin, and to purchase a few things in order to help you, and you alone, to win this damned war."
Harry lifted a hand and spoke. "On the subject, what is your opinion on this war?"
"Well, I think that Voldemort should be hanged, shot, drawn and quartered, burned and everything else in between before he died, but that's just my personal opinion. And don't be so surprised that I don't flinch when I say his name. He's just a person. A powerful and scary person, but just a person."
"Good to know. Go on, please," Harry said, with a smile. Thankfully, another one who didn't fear Tom that much.
"So, I have another letter like the one you received to give to Mr. Lupin. And yes, I do know about the Marauders. I've met your parents once, and they seemed like a nice couple. But right now, I'm here to explain a few things and to give you a few other things, okay?"
"Sure."
"First, are these three," she said, removing three notebooks from her briefcase. "This is a diary that Sirius wrote while on the run and the time spent at his home. It is not really a recollection of his days, there are a few passages like that in there, but most of all is a collection of spells, jinxes, charms and everything else that he thought that would be useful for you in this war. He said to me that some of the things in here are for Hermione to research, since he didn't knew much about it, and other things are for Fred and George Weasley to create. And the first one is entirely dedicated on the process of becoming an animagus. It is better than any book I've ever read on the subject, by the way. If I had the time or the inclination, I would be sorely tempted to try it."
Harry's eyes goggled, and he opened the first one, reading a line or two of his godfather's writing. He closed it with a big smile on his face.
"He purchased quite a lot of books as well, and I've ordered a wizard specialized in library charms to create this for you," she said, removing a thin dragon hide covered book from the briefcase. It had a phoenix stamped in gold in the cover "It is an index of all the books he purchased. Tap the name of the book you want to read with your wand, close the book, and open it again. It will now be the book. Close it again, and it will return to be the index. The books themselves are stored in one of the Black vaults in Gringotts."
"And finally this," she said, handling him a signet ring. "The ring of the Black family. You're the one eligible to have it. With it, comes another thing."
Imogen passed him a parchment, with a lot of legal mumbo jumbo. "What is all that?" he asked, trying to decipher the legalese.
"This is a request to turn you into an emancipated adult. Since Sirius was your godfather, he asked me to prepare this in case of his death. You only have to sign it, and I'll put it through the system. In about a week, you'll be an adult in the eyes of the Wizarding world."
"Sirius being an escaped convict wouldn't hamper this?" Harry asked, lifting the paper.
"Convict? Of what? He was never judged, for any crime. He was simply thrown in Azkaban, no trial, no nothing. And if someone so much as peep about it, I'll have a nice case on my hands, even if I can't prove his innocence," she said, with a feral smile on her face. "This will not be the first time I'll win a case because the Ministry didn't think things through."
Harry almost started crying once again, but kept the tears in check. He stood up, picked his quill and signed the parchment, giving it back to her.
"Thank you, I'll have this ready by next week," she said, returning it to her briefcase. "This ends the gifts for now. I have to explain a few things, are you up for it?"
"Sure. Sorry I can't offer a cup of tea for you, but this isn't exactly my home, and my relatives aren't exactly easy to deal with," Harry said, smirking.
"I noticed, and I can deal with this … aberration as well, Sirius explained the situation around here quite thoroughly. That's why I didn't announce either my title or the reason for my visit, and why I asked to talk privately with you. But let me explain what we'll have in front of us for the next few days. First and foremost, the reading of Sirius' will will be performed at Gringotts, at a time of your convenience. You and Remus should be present for the reading. It's more a formality, in it you will be given the Black's vault key, so I don't expect any troubles."
"Should there be any?" Harry asked, curious.
"Not that I'm aware of. The Black's family lawyer might make some noise, but he doesn't have any legal grounds to stand on, so I don't believe he will even appear. Other thing is that I've been ordered to find an Occlumens teacher for you, the best money could buy. I did, and she put herself at your convenience. She is from America and sworn to secrecy. I don't know the reason for you to need one, nor do I want to."
"Thank you, me and my actual `professor' had a bit of a disagreement," Harry said. "Anything else?"
"The matter of you relatives. I can call Child Protection Services on them, from what I've seen so far and what Sirius told me, and believe me, I want to," Imogen said, slightly angered.
"Don't do that. Not that I don't want to, I do, but the matter is more complicated than that."
"Care to explain?"
And Harry did. He explained about his link to Voldemort, the blood protection, and how Dudley had opened up and made some peace with him. And the threats made by Moody on the platform, which were keeping Vernon under control for the time being.
"So, there isn't much that you can do about it, is there?"
"If you want to, I can have them arrested before nightfall, but I must admit that the complications are indeed harsh. But I can always threaten them a little bit more, so your uncle and aunt remain in check until the summer is through."
"That would be nice. I guess that uncle Vernon will have a stroke before you finish, but if it will keep them in check, I'm all for it."
"That's good. And that, Mr. Potter, ends my job as Sirius lawyer. From now on, if you want to, I'll be your lawyer."
"I'd like to," he said, extending his hand and smiling. She shook the offered hand, smiling as well. "But if you're going to stay as my lawyer, I have to warn you about a few things."
"Go ahead," she said.
"First, I'm Harry. Just Harry. Nothing of this Mr. Potter stuff, okay?"
"Sure . . . Harry. And I'm Imogen. Sirius used to call me Immie, just to annoy me, but I've grown fond of the nickname."
"Okay, Immie. Two, because of my connection with Voldemort, I'm a target, more than anyone else nowadays. Being at my side is a risky business, if I sneeze too strongly I will probably be assaulted by a ton of Death Eaters, sixteen Dementors and a crazy Ministry official. You up for it?"
She thought it over for a moment. "Sure. I failed a friend, I won't fail another. Besides, we are all targets on this war."
"Three, there is the matter of security. Since I'm a target, and because of … other reasons, when I do get out, I usually have an escort with me all the time. I just want you to be aware of it."
"No problem. I've dealt with important people before, and I know how a security detail works," she said.
"Four, what do you think about Albus Dumbledore?" Harry asked, point blank, and Imogen stopped for a while.
"I think he's as manipulative as Fudge is, only his intentions are better focused. But he has his own agenda, as we all do," she answered, frankly. "Why?"
"You're the first of a very large group of people that talks of him like that. Why?" he asked again.
"Once you are deeply entrenched in the wizarding world and in Ministry issues, you start paying attention to who the real powers are behind the curtains. Dumbledore is one of those powers, Fudge and his lackeys is another, and Malfoy and by extension Voldemort is the other. Biggest problem is that Fudge is as corrupt as they come, and Malfoy has pretty deep pockets."
"Interesting. With things as they are, who do you think will win this war?" Harry asked. It was refreshing to talk with someone who didn't speak of the `greater good' or some similar nonsense. Wars were fought in many fronts, as he was learning.
"Right now, I guess that Voldemort has the biggest chance. He has a big foothold in the old pureblood families, and the old money speaks pretty loud in our world. Fudge is scared to do something that will lose his supporters and his chance at a reelection. And Lucius and the others are the ones who finance his campaign. And to a good part of the Ministry, the `purebloods must rule' rubbish that Voldemort speaks has a lot of strength, even if they will never say it out loud."
"Funny you should say that, because Voldemort is a half-blood himself," Harry said, to a slack-jawed Imogen.
"Are you sure?" she asked, surprised.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle. He rearranged the letters to form I Am Lord Voldemort. Check his background. His mother was a witch and his father was a muggle. He spent his childhood in an orphanage."
"Who knows that information? Why it wasn't released to the public? Voldemort would lose almost all of his followers if they knew that."
"I don't know who else knows, but I know that Dumbledore does," Harry said, slightly angered.
"I'm noticing that you don't like Dumbledore that much as well," Imogen said, noticing the reaction.
"We had a big fight before the term ended, and I'm not sure if I trust him that much nowadays. I know that his intentions are good, and we have the same enemy to face, but I've been lied to for my entire life, even by people that I though I trusted. It's not a good thing to know," he said, sadly.
"I can only imagine, Harry. So, since you told me you will need to face Voldemort eventually, what do you want me to do?"
Harry smiled, and started laying his cards on the table.
*****
They talked for the best part of another couple of hours, after which Harry escorted Imogen downstairs, he sporting a huge grin in his face, and she a predatorial grin mostly found in jungle cats ready to strike at their prey. They ended up finding a sour-looking Petunia sitting on a chair, flipping over a magazine. She stood up as soon as she saw them.
"Why did it take so long?" she asked, point blank, right in the face of Imogen. Not a very smart thing to do.
"Since I'm Mr. Potter's lawyer, I can't speak of any of the matters discussed between me and my client. But I'll be returning later tonight to speak with you and your husband regarding some issues concerning my client. It would be better if the two of you should be present," Imogen said in a clipped and controlled voice, extending another business card to Petunia. Turning back to Harry, she spoke in a much nicer voice. "Harry, I'll have some of the things you asked later tonight. Not all of them, but I guess you'll survive without them for another day or two. Is that okay?"
"Sure it is," he said, opening the front door. He smirked, noticing the purple color of his aunt. "I'll see you later, Immie. Thanks for your help."
"No problem. I'll be back later. Ta," she said, and walked out.
"What was . . . who was that?" aunt Petunia screamed after the door was locked.
"My lawyer," Harry said, climbing the stairs. "She'll be back tonight to speak with you and uncle Vernon."
Harry walked back to his room and waited. Ten seconds after he sat on his bed, his aunt entered the room like a tornado.
"I demand an explanation!" she screamed.
"You heard, she is my lawyer. She came here to discuss some legal issues concerning me. And that's it. The rest you will learn tonight," he said, calmly.
"I want to know what you spoke with that woman," she said, approaching menacingly. She was not a physical person, that was more the thing of uncle Vernon, but Harry guessed that if she was incensed enough, she would indeed get violent physically.
"I don't have to tell you squat," Harry screamed the last word. "You and that imbecile you call a husband ignored me for all these years, you can hold for a few more hours. Then you will know," he said, with a menacing look on his face.
Petunia huffed, still red as a tomato, but even she knew when a battle was lost. She turned on her heels and scampered downstairs. Harry grinned.
A few moments later, Dudley appeared on his doorstep.
"What was that?" he asked, to a laid-down Harry.
"Nothing that concerns you for now, Dud. I just had an interesting chat with my lawyer," Harry said, smirking. Dudley went white.
"My parents are in trouble, aren't they?"
"Man shall reap that which he hast sown, Dudley. But don't worry, for now it is just a bit more security for me, and a guarantee that your folks will walk on the straight and narrow with me for the rest of my time here. And who knows, you might end up benefiting from it if you ever decide to tell them."
The color returned to the huge young man's face. Harry noticed that even if he was still huge for a boy of his age, he was actually smaller than the last time he had seen him the previous year.
"Hey, you've lost weight, haven't you?" Harry asked, surprising his cousin. He entered the room, smiling.
"Yes, training. My coach told me that I could fare better if I traded fat for muscles, so I got on a diet," Dudley said, sitting down on the chair.
They spent another hour talking normal things, trying to mend the huge gap which separated them for a lifetime.
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