Chapter 31: Into the Abyss.
The Leaky Cauldron was bustling with patrons when a disguised Sirius Black stepped into the dimly lit establishment. Conversation was noisy and there were clouds of smoke drifting near the rafters.
Stepping up to the bar, Sirius sat down and in a fake posh London accent ordered, "Gilly Water, please."
The Innkeeper, Tom, looked over the well-dressed stranger in front of him and said, "Right away guv'ner. Would you like a spot to eat too?"
Thinking it over, Sirius figured that it would be a good test of his disguise to sit and eat lunch in the Leaky Cauldron. If things got tense, he figured that it would be easier to escape from the pub than any building actually in Diagon Alley. Smiling at Tom, Sirius said, "Please, I'm famished. Do you have Beef Wellington on the menu?"
"We do. I'll place that order for you. It should be ready in about fifteen minutes. Feel free to sit here and eat or if there is a free table you can sit there and your meal will be delivered to you." Tom said before limping off towards the kitchen to let the elves know what to start preparing.
While he was waiting for his lunch to arrive, Sirius was pretending to read the Daily Prophet but he was really reflecting upon the morning's events. He felt much better knowing that Andromeda and Ted were filing the guardianship paperwork for Harry and Hermione.
It had only taken a few moments to convince Annabelle that it was in the children's best interests to get them both a registered Wizarding Guardian. After she agreed, Remus had run off to talk with Andromeda and Ted and to fetch the necessary paperwork.
After his run in with the Wizarding Legal System, Sirius wouldn't put it past the Ministry, or Death Eaters, to do something completely underhanded to bring Harry under their control. He wanted every possible loophole that anyone could use to get Harry closed. The guardianship, and his adoption into the Black Family, were the two easiest ones to exploit. Now that they were taken care of, Sirius felt that he could rest easier.
Reflecting on his shopping trip to Harrods a couple of hours ago, Sirius half shuddered, half snickered at the same time. He didn't know how John kept up with Annabelle. She was a shopping dynamo! He had to admit that she had a very good eye for fashion though.
The colored contacts had taken a bit of time to get used to but now he couldn't even tell that he was wearing them. Annabelle had also added a pair of wire rimmed glasses to complete his new look.
Annabelle had sent Winky to procure a dress cloak to match his new pinstriped suit. When they had asked the helpful elf where she had purchased it, Winky blushed and finally admitted that she made it herself.
Upon closer inspection, Sirius realized that the cloak was lined in Dragon Hide for a bit of extra protection and weight. It wouldn't flap open in a breeze and that would allow him to conceal things easier or to have his wand already drawn if he wanted.
He was pulled from his thoughts by the arrival of his lunch. Digging in, he idly reminisced about having drinks with James, Remus, and Peter during the summer holidays in what seemed like another lifetime. He was so lost in his thoughts that before he realized it, he had finished his meal.
Glancing down at his new watch, he discovered that it was getting late and if he didn't hurry, he was going to be late for his rendezvous with Ted at the bank. The plan was to have Ted keep a look out for any known Death Eaters while watching Sirius' back.
Sirius tossed a couple of galleons on the table to cover the cost of the meal and waved to Tom as he headed out of the pub and into Diagon Alley. He nodded to Ted as he entered the bank.
Stepping into Gringotts, Sirius felt another sense of nostalgia wash over him. The Goblin bank really was timeless. Goblins hated change unless it benefited them in some way. As he stepped over to a free teller, he was reminded of the first time that his father brought him down to the family's vault.
Knowing that he didn't really have any other avenue, Sirius realized that he would be closing a portion of his family's legacy in Gringotts. Looking up at the Goblin teller, he said quietly, "I need to visit my vault." as he handed his key over to the creature.
The Goblin inspected the authenticity of the key for a moment and then scrutinized the human before him. This was the key to a very old family vault that had not been accessed in person in over thirteen years. He didn't want to risk angering such a wealthy client, even one on the run from the law.
Stepping down from his booth, the Goblin's guttural voice was surprisingly high as he growled out, "Follow me."
They hopped into the cart and it shot off into the depths of the mines towards the Black Family Vault. After five minutes of twists and turns, the cart came to a halt outside of a very ornate set of double doors. The Black Family Crest was engraved on the stone doors in sharp relief, simple, yet elegant. The motto, `Always Pure,' was written underneath the crest in homage to maintaining the purity of the family bloodline.
After the Goblin opened the vault, Sirius held out his hand for his key. Once it was returned to him, he said politely, "I would like a moment alone."
Closing the door behind him, Sirius turned his focus to the contents of his family's vault. Finding what he was looking for in the corner, he dragged the trunk into the center of the room and proceeded to open it.
Finally locating the largest compartment, Sirius began to levitate the galleons into the chamber. Leaving a few hundred gold galleons in the vault, he switched to loading silver sickles into a different compartment.
Twenty minutes later, all that was left in the Black Family Vault was a few hundred galleons and an equal amount of sickles and knuts. Sirius had even taken all of the heirlooms and placed them into the remaining sections of the trunk. Finished with loading the trunk, he pulled out a Moke Skin pouch that was highly enchanted to be much larger on the inside and slipped the trunk into it before returning it to the pocket in his robes.
Careful not to let the Goblin see what he left behind, Sirius slipped out of the vault without opening the door fully. Once he was seated in the cart, the Goblin started for the surface.
Tipping the offensive creature to ensure his silence, Sirius made his way out of the bank and towards the Apparition point in the Alley. He nodded to Ted before he turned on the spot and vanished with a pop.
Once the Goblin was sure that Mr. Black was gone, he quickly left the main lobby of the bank and headed off to send a message to Lucius Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy had come in the day before and quietly let it be known that he would pay handsomely for information on anyone that accessed the Potter or Black Vaults.
Reappearing in the foyer of Grimmauld Place, Sirius called out, "Dobby!" When the small elf appeared, he smiled down at him before pulling out the shrunken trunk and saying, "Dobby, this trunk contains the Black Family Fortune. Would you place everything in it into the underground vault and then return the trunk to me please?"
Taking the shrunken trunk, Dobby said happily, "Of course Master Sirius. Do you need anything else?"
Shaking his head no, he replied, "No thank you. I'm going to head down and have a little chat with our guest before we decide what to do with him."
Remus and Sirius had created an underground chamber in the basement and then placed it under the Fidelius Charm as an added layer of protection in addition to the other precautions that they had taken. They planned to do the same thing at the Granger's for the contents of the Potter Vault as soon as they could get Harry to Diagon Alley.
While Sirius was having a nice chat with Barty Crouch, Jr., Dora was about to have an entirely different talk with her boss, Amelia Bones.
Knocking on the door to Amelia's office, Tonks was slightly nervous about what she was about to do. If things went pear shaped, it could land her unemployed or in Azkaban.
When the muffled, "Enter." came through the door, Dora stepped inside and sealed the door behind her with a few spells.
Seeing the normally cheerful Auror practicing some serious privacy spells, Amelia was intrigued. Outwardly, her face remained its usual stoic mask. She gestured to the chair in front of her desk and once the young woman was seated, she asked, "What can I do for you, Auror Tonks?"
Deciding to take the plunge, Dora pulled out several dossiers that she had been reviewing and adding information to for the past couple of days. Silently, she passed them across the desk to her boss and said, "Please read through these files before we talk. I think that you will find some interesting things in there."
Curious, Amelia picked up the top file and her mask almost slipped, it was a file on Peter Pettigrew. As she began skimming through the file, she realized that there were multiple affidavits sworn under an Unbreakable Vow that Peter Pettigrew was the Potter's Secret Keeper, not Sirius Black. The notes at the end of the file listed Remus Lupin, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley as witnessing Pettigrew confessing that he was the Secret Keeper.
Grimly, she sifted through the files for the one on Sirius Black. As she began to look through the pages of notes, feelings of remorse and disgust rose within her. Amelia was a practical woman that believed in justice for everyone. The file on Sirius Black showed just how unjust and corrupt the Ministry had become during the first rise of Voldemort.
Closing the file, Amelia paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. Looking at the nervous Auror across from her, she said tonelessly, "These are serious allegations, Auror Tonks." Seeing the young woman begin to squirm in her seat, she continued, "You did a good job documenting everything and making sure that it was all legal. The use of an Unbreakable Vow to obtain eyewitness accounts and interviews was ingenious."
Dora let out the breath that she had been holding as soon as her superior began to speak. Unsure of whether or not Amelia wanted an explanation, she cautiously said, "There are a couple of other files that you should read as well."
Putting her monocle back in, Madam Bones pulled the top file towards her and glanced at the name, Tom Marvolo Riddle. She recognized it from her time at Hogwarts but she couldn't remember ever hearing about him once he graduated.
Opening the dossier, she began to read the charges and suspected criminal activities. Her monocle fell out of her out of her eye socket when she reached the last page of the file and her gaze snapped up to Auror Tonks looking for confirmation.
Silently, Dora slowly drew her wand and wrote `Tom Marvolo Riddle' in flaming letters in the air. Swishing her wand, the letters reformed to read, `I am Lord Voldemort.'
Taking a steadying deep breath, shock evident in her voice, Amelia rasped, "How many people know that Riddle and…" she paused and shuddered before saying, "V-V-Voldemort are the same person?"
Counting aloud, Dora said, "Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, me, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, my parents, and Albus Dumbledore that I am aware of." She purposefully said Dumbledore's name last to gauge the reaction of her superior to that bit of news.
Fuming, Amelia growled, "How long has Albus Dumbledore known the secret identity of Riddle and isn't he dead?"
Shrugging, Tonks' voice was full of regret as she said, "My best guess is that he has known since Voldemort began his first rise to power. Unfortunately, Voldemort came back the other night at the end of the third task. Harry Potter's blood was used in a dark ritual to regain a body for Voldemort." She noticed that her boss only flinched slightly at the use of Voldemort this time.
Making a snap decision, Amelia said, "Put out an arrest warrant for Tom Riddle. If Fudge refuses to listen to reason, the least we can do is make sure that we make it difficult for Riddle to move around in the open." Pulling out a form, Amelia filled out the warrant and passed it over to Tonks to distribute.
Looking down at the remaining file, Amelia frowned when she read the name. Looking up at the young Auror, she asked, "Isn't Barty, Jr. dead too?"
Shaking her head in the negative, Dora said, "No ma'am. I know where he is at this very moment. Read the file and I think you will find more than a few surprises in there."
Giving her underling a look that conveyed that they would be talking about the last point soon, Amelia began perusing the file of Barty Crouch, Jr. Her heart clenched when she read that he had murdered his own father and Mad-Eye Moody.
When she reached the transcript of his interrogation under the influence of Veritaserum, her left eye began to twitch and her blood pressure rose as she absorbed the list of Death Eaters running around the Ministry in various important positions.
Not looking up from the page that she was reading, Madam Bones whispered worriedly, "This is not good. Not good at all." Looking up at the woman seated across from her, she solemnly said, "This could bring down the entire government. The problem is that I would be dead before it ever got that far if I brought even a fraction of this out of the shadows."
Giving Tonks a shrewd look, Amelia said, "Why did you bring this information to me? I can use some of it, very discreetly, but if I use too much, things will blow up in our faces."
Dora was formulating her response; they had gone over multiple scenarios in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place before agreeing on how to present the information to Amelia Bones. Tentatively, Dora said, "We came to the same conclusion that you did. I hope that you have enough trustworthy people that can begin to quietly monitor the known Death Eaters. Perhaps we will get lucky and catch one of them committing a crime."
Amelia was thinking of a few people that she knew who were reliable that she could use to begin trailing the known suspects. The problem was that she didn't have enough people and they would have to be extremely careful about how they went about this risky venture.
Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Madam Bones' deep voice rang out, "What are you planning on doing with Barty Jr.? His reappearance could spell trouble for my department and that would be a bad thing at this stage."
Tonks understood what her boss was getting at in regard to Barty Jr. The man was a psychotic killer and if everyone thought him dead, perhaps it was best if that became a reality. Not liking the decision at all, Dora growled out, "We will take care of the problem but please make sure that those files are secure."
Madam Bones nodded in relief; she was able to keep her department safe from the public backlash if Crouch Jr. were discovered alive. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will be in contact after I have arranged a few things. If you discover anything of importance, I would appreciate it if you notified me, we will do the same if we come across something important."
Recognizing her dismissal, Dora got up from her seat and said, "Thank you for your time and willingness to help, Director. I'll let our people know what is going on and if we find anything that would help you out, I'll let you know."
"Before you go," Amelia called out to Dora, "please file a missing person report on Barty Crouch, Sr. and Mad-Eye Moody." Receiving a nod from the young Auror, she continued resignedly, "We may as well get the ball rolling on that investigation even though we know how it turned out. That way everything that we can do has been done."
Canceling the wards and privacy spells, Dora waved goodbye, and left the office to file the arrest warrant for Tom Riddle before heading back to Grimmauld Place to update everyone on how her meeting went.
While Dora was filing the paperwork to get their plans rolling, Arthur Weasley received a missive from Albus Dumbledore.
Curious, Arthur slit open the envelope and began reading the familiar, loopy, script. The parchment almost slipped from his grasp when he read about the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he finished reading the letter. Dumbledore was reforming the Order of the Phoenix and he wanted him to begin recruiting new members.
The first thing that went through Arthur's mind was, `How do I keep my family safe?' and the second was, `Who can I trust enough to recruit?' He wasn't as dense as people thought he was. Arthur just didn't let the majority of things bother him; it was a guise that had served him well over the years. Many people had underestimated him to their eternal chagrin and he was quick to take advantage if the situation warranted it.
Mulling things over while he sipped his tea, Arthur realized that Dumbledore wanted him to recruit from within the ministry as quietly as possible. Realizing that he needed to see to his family first, he called out jovially, "Perkins! I'm going to step out and have lunch with Molly today. She seemed a bit down this morning when I left for work." Seeing the concerned look on his longtime colleague, he quickly said, "I think she is just missing the children. She always goes through this a day or two before they come home from Hogwarts."
Grabbing his cloak, Arthur left his office and headed up to the Apparition Point in the atrium. He turned on the spot and disappeared with a small pop of displaced air.
Molly was just about to sit down to lunch when she heard the front door open. Curious, she called out, "Hello?" As her husband stepped into the kitchen, the look on his face immediately concerned her. Worriedly, she asked, "Arthur? What's wrong?"
Gently, he led his wife of over twenty years into a chair. Once she was seated, he took the chair next to her and clasped her hands in his. Looking into her eyes, his own fears rose to the surface as he quietly spoke, "I have some bad news. V-V-, oh damn it all to hell!" he ejaculated in frustration before continuing, "Voldemort returned the other night. Harry was used in some dark ritual to bring him back to life."
Unable to believe what her husband had just told her, Molly Weasley did the only thing she could, she fainted.
Sirius had finished his little chat with Junior in the basement and he was feeling a bit hungry. He was just about to open up the pantry when Dobby returned with his trunk.
Taking one look at Sirius, Dobby happily said, "Please have a seat and I will make you some lunch."
Shaking his head in bemusement at the tiny elf, Sirius sat back down at the table. A few seconds later, the clanging of pots and pans told him that Dobby had begun cooking.
Remus stepped into the kitchen and his mouth practically started watering. Since moving into the old house, he had been eating regularly and getting more rest and it showed. Plopping down in the seat next to Sirius, Remus asked, "Did everything go okay?"
Sirius nodded yes while answering, "I think so. I'm still waiting for Ted and Andromeda to get back from the Ministry with the guardianship papers for Harry and Hermione."
Understanding his friend's concern, Remus said reassuringly, "I'm sure everything went fine. No one would question the guardianship of a muggle born being transferred to Andromeda and Ted and Harry is family. That means that his guardianship status is just a formality. They can howl all they want but for once we are using that pure blood garbage against them and I love it."
Grinning like an idiot, Sirius' happy voice rang out, "That's right! I love it when Lucius Malfoy gets a law passed that we can use to pull one over on him."
They were still discussing pulling the wool over Lucius' eyes when Dora and her parents arrived looking pleased but ruffled.
When they were all seated, Dobby began putting the food on the table. Once everything was on the table, Dobby asked helpfully, "Is there anything else that you need?" Receiving nothing but no's, Dobby continued, "I will be having lunch with Winky and the Grangers, if you need anything just call." When he was finished speaking, he put a Warming Charm on the extra food and disappeared with a tiny pop.
Ted and Andromeda were looking at Dobby in wonder. They were still not used to the changes in his speech and demeanor yet but they did like the difference when compared to a regular house-elf.
Remus saw the look on their faces and smiled before saying, "It does take a bit to get used to, doesn't it? John and Annabelle have done wonders for the two elves. They even eat their meals at the same table now and have their own rooms in the basement."
Andromeda was shaking her head in amazement at how different Dobby seemed from their old family elf, Kreacher.
Thinking of the tiny little terror, she asked, "Sirius, what ever happened to Kreacher?"
A smile graced her cousin's face when she asked her question. The mirth was evident in his voice as he replied,
"I freed him the moment Remus and I moved in. We didn't want him around Harry and Hermione because he was
insane. He died moments after I gave him clothes; the shock was too great for him."
When the meal was finished, Dora cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. She had been unnaturally quiet while eating and it didn't go unnoticed by the others. Her voice was devoid of warmth when she finally spoke, "I had my meeting with Amelia Bones this morning. Things didn't go quite as we planned."
Concerned, Ted was the first one to speak up in his deep, baritone voice, "What do you mean, Dora?"
Frowning, Dora answered her father's question, "We can't let Junior go free or have the body ever found. Amelia feels that the damage to the department would undermine her ability to assist us with keeping tabs on Death Eaters."
No one spoke for a few minutes as they all came to terms with what Dora had just told them. Breaking the stony silence, Sirius whispered, "I'll do it." He had done similar things under Dumbledore's direction during the first war and if he could spare the rest of them of this burden, he would. His nightmares were already gruesome enough and perhaps removing the stain that was Barty Crouch, Jr. from this plane of existence would help ease some of them.
Before Sirius could get up from the table to complete his task, Dora said, "Is there anything else that we can get from him first?"
Remus answered her immediately, "I don't think so. We've questioned him for hours under Veritaserum already. Unless there is something else you think that we should ask him, I think that we should just get this over with."
Turning to Sirius, Remus said passionately, "I think it's a good thing that we are about to do. That man is a killer and insane. Even if we Obliviated him, he is still a danger to others."
"Anything else?" Sirius asked in a flat tone, his emotions held firmly in check behind his Occlumency Shields. When no one said a word, he quietly rose from his seat and headed over to the cellar door.
To his surprise, everyone followed him down into the basement. Turning to face them, he said sincerely, "You don't have to be here for this."
Softly, Dora said with conviction, "Yes, we do."
Nodding in understanding, Sirius turned his attention to the prisoner.
The moment the door to his cage opened, Barty realized that his time was up. He knew that they were never going to turn him over to Dumbledore or the Ministry. Sitting upright in defiance, he snarled, "You won't win, you know. The Dark Lord is going to kill you all!"
Sirius pulled out his wand out of his robes and said calmly, "Perhaps. But you won't be around to witness it." Pausing to take a deep breath, he gazed intently at the murderer in front of him. Taking careful aim, he let the hate flow through him and snarled, "Avada Kedavra."
Barty's eyes went wide when Sirius Black uttered those two magnificent words. He heard the familiar rushing sound that accompanied the spell before it struck his chest. The lifeless body slumped to the floor of the cage, his eyes gazing up in silent condemnation at his executioner.
With that one spell, their path in the Second Wizarding War was set.
Disgusted, Sirius looked down at the body and mumbled, "I need a drink." before turning on his heel and heading back up to the brightly lit kitchen.
-->