Love and the Game

DISCLAIMER: That part of this world and those characters you’ve seen before belong to their Creator: JKR. The rest is mine - although I cannot quit my day job as I make no $$$

A/N: No two for one this time…

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: LOVE AND THE GAME

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 th , 1993.

The woman sitting on the bed with Sirius Black was once named Connie Donovan. Her parents were Muggles and lived in Nottingham of Robin Hood fame which was where she and her older sister and younger brother grew up. Her father worked at a powerhouse and her mother was a secretary at a firm in town. For as long as she could remember, she and her siblings were somehow very different than all of the other children around. They were even different from their parents. Strange things happened when they were around, although none of them seemed to know why. They could not control such things nor explain them.

It had begun with her older sister, although that was before Connie’s first memories. The first time Connie realized that something strange had happened, her sister had seen it too and they had a talk. It became their secret. They did not tell their parents about it because they could not explain it and their parents clearly did not understand it the few times they encountered it. But it was nice that her sister was the same as she was because there was someone she could talk to about it even if neither of them knew what it was. When they realized their brother was the same as them, he became part of their little club as well.

They would later learn what it was. When Connie was eight, a strange woman arrived at their home unannounced and had a talk with their parents about her older sister. That was then ‘it’ now had a name: magic. The woman explained that magic was quite real, if also very rare. She explained that perhaps a third of the people with the gift came from a family that seemed to have no such gift at all and that once the gift manifested itself with one child, every child born to that couple thereafter also was born with the gift. The Donovans now knew that the girls were real, live witches and the boy was a wizard. They learned that there was a special school for such young people that taught them to control their gift and were told that to grow up without learning such control was dangerous. The woman was very convincing and Connie would learn later she and her siblings were fortunate. Her parents accepted this gift. It was not uncommon for Muggle parents to react badly to learning this. This tended to be true for the more narrow minded and religious Muggles, but it was neither limited to them nor universal with them.

Connie later learned that the visit served two purposes. The one that was obvious at the time was informing the family of their child’s gift and telling them about the school that was available to them. The second reason, which was not stated at the time, was to assess the parents. They would be evaluated then and over time and if it appeared they could not adapt to this change and refused to accept it and if it proved their revulsion or reaction would be harmful to their magical children, arrangements would be made for the children. Fortunately, this was not an issue in the Donovan family.

The summer after Connie turned eleven, her sister had just finished her Second Year at this special school. As she had on each of the prior Holidays, she told her family about the school, what she had learned and what was going on, although in the last case Connie was certain her sister was leaving something out. In early July, before Connie even thought to worry about whether she would be left behind, the family received a letter from one of those odd post owls informing them that she too had been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was the policy at that time that Muggle Borns attended to their shopping in Diagon Alley in a group and with several older witches and wizards who acted as an escort. The Muggle parents were not part of this for some reason.

Connie started Hogwarts in the fall of 1974 and was sorted into Hufflepuff House, the same House as her older sister and, it turned out, the same one that would accept her younger brother two years later. She learned about the reason why Muggle Borns went to Diagon Alley in groups very early on. That was a recent change. When her sister had first gone to Hogwarts, what would later be called the War had barely begun and most people in the Wizarding World were unaware that there even was a such thing as Death Eaters. The summer before Connie was set to start, and fortunately on a day after her family had purchased her sister’s supplies for the next year, things changed. The Death Eaters attacked the alley on a day where there happened to be a significant number of families shopping for their Muggle Born children. Those families had been specifically targeted and many died, although it would have been far worse had the Aurors not arrived in numbers.

Connie’s time at Hogwarts had been defined by that War. As a Muggle Born, she was escorted to and from classes as a lower year and became the escort for younger Hufflepuff Muggle Borns as an upper year. The threat was from those students who supported the Death Eater cause. This was thankfully a small proportion of the student body, but it was a potentially dangerous one. Most of these students were in Slytherin House, although again they were by no means the majority of the students in that House. It did not help that few of them were seriously punished for their actions by the faculty. But the same faculty tended to look the other way when the other students retaliated in kind. If anything, it seemed you were more likely to get bloodied up and spend time in the Hospital Wing if you were openly a supporter of You-Know-Who than if you were not. But that did not mean that as a Muggle Born anyone wanted to find themselves alone with those supporters.

There were even a few deaths at the school. She remembered one in particular. It was during her Fourth Year and a Muggle Born girl a year behind her in Hufflepuff had been assaulted sexually. The rapist had been a Seventh Year Slytherin Prefect and his body was found the next morning at the base of the Astronomy Tower. Officially it was ruled a suicide. But everyone believed the rumour that the dead boy had been killed by a Gryffindor who caught the boy in the act and the rumour was the Gryff had not hesitated at all. Things were a little better at school following that. The Death Eater types now feared the Gryffindors and a few of them realized that the other two Houses could well follow Gryffindor’s lead.

For Connie’s year, they had been able to enjoy Hogsmeade Weekends during their Third Year, but they were cancelled completely for the rest of her time at school. It was too dangerous to allow the students off school grounds in any numbers. The rumour was that the Death Eaters planned to attack the village to hunt “undesireables” which included more than just Muggle Born children. The attack never came because no student set foot in the Village. Another change was the exclusion of parents or anyone other than students and staff from Quidditch matches at school. It was another precaution to prevent a Death Eater attack.

But while things seemed to get better at Hogwarts, the same could not be said for the world beyond the walls of the school. It seemed that the Death Eaters were winning beyond the walls and most of the older students knew this was not a good thing, unless you happened to be one of them. By Connie’s Seventh Year, she knew that she would have to make a decision upon Graduation: risk her life and remain in Britain, or leave altogether. Many if not most of the Muggle Borns were emigrating to other countries and she was giving that serious consideration. Australia and New Zealand seemed to be the best options for that. The Americas had different and more restrictive requirements for emigration. That was certainly true in the English speaking north. Her older sister had remained in Britain but she had a job where she spent far more time overseas than at home.

Connie knew she was not going to just leave Britain when she finished. She could not really tell anyone why, because she really did not know herself. Something was calling her, for lack of a better word. She was meant to be here. Her destiny was here despite everything that was happening. Most of her Muggle Born friends would leave altogether. But she was determined to stay. She had applied for and was accepted into Healer training, but that would not start until the new year so she had six months without any real plans. Although it was a risk, she decided to live at home with her parents for now. The Death Eaters were attacking families of Muggle Borns, but it did not appear to be an organized plan. Living in the Muggle world actually seemed safer than the alternative, short of leaving Britain altogether.

Training as a Healer was one profession she had been interested in even before she began Hogwarts. She had learned they were like Doctors in the Muggle world. As she went through school she had also learned it was among the few professions that did not favor wizards or discriminate against Muggle Borns. Healer training required high marks in Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration and Charms and at least passing NEWTs in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. They could not add other restrictions if they wanted qualified applicants and the profession could not lower its standards to favor “the right sort.” Witches and Wizards seemed less concerned about parentage when they or their children were sick or injured. They wanted to be healed. St. Mungos had been the one place that had been safe from Death Eater raids. Although there had been some mysterious deaths there, those deaths had not been among members of the hospital staff.

She literally bumped into him in Diagon Alley a couple of weeks after she had finished Hogwarts in June of 1981. She had gone to the Alley on a day when it was heavily guarded. DMLE could not provide continuous security against attacks, but they could flood the Alley at announced times and days so that law abiding people could do their shopping in relative safety. Connie had gone there to stock up on her magical needs for the next several month until she was able to start Healer Training after the New Year. She was leaving the Apothecary when she ran right into him, dropping her packages. He helped her pick them up, apologized profusely and asked her to lunch as part of that apology.

He had been a boy three years ahead of her at school. She had first noticed him practically on her first full day at Hogwarts and she felt drawn to him in an odd way. It was not like a crush but something deeper, although neither would she say it was “love at first sight.” After all, she was only eleven and a little young for that. Not that it really mattered. The boy was also in a different house, at least three years older than her and ran with a group of friends that she would rather avoid. They were not mean necessarily and certainly not to any Hufflepuffs she knew. But they would prank you as soon as look at you.

For those first four years, he had been the only boy who had her attention. He seldom ever spoke to her and even when he did it was only out of politeness. Oddly, this did not upset her even though she knew there were several reasons why it seemed that her interest in him was not reciprocated. Three years was a very big age difference. He was a Sixth Year when she first was old enough to visit Hogsmeade Village and she never thought he would ask her out and was not disappointed when he did not. During her Second Year, there had been a threatened Death Eater attack during such a visit and as a result the school was in virtual lock down until after she finished. No one was allowed to leave or enter the school grounds without permission from the Headmaster which meant that parents and others were also barred from attending the school Quidditch matches.

And then, three years after she had last seen him during her Fourth Year, here he was helping her pick up her packages and then inviting her to lunch for the trouble. She was a little leery of the invitation. He had a reputation at school about having a lot of girls, but none that he was ever serious about. Still, it was just a lunch, wasn’t it?

Except that something happened. Lunch turned into an afternoon out in London proper which was safe according to him. He had just about finished Auror training after two years as a Hit Wizard and while he did not talk about that much, she got the idea that if he thought it was safe on the Muggle side, probably was as safe as it could be. The afternoon out was followed by a lovely dinner at a Muggle restaurant and then she found herself at his flat which was also in Muggle London. Before that day, she had never even thought she could give herself to a man that readily. In fact, she had been certain that such things only happened in books or to girls with issues or no morals. But to say that one thing led to another hardly did justice to what happened between them.

She had been a virgin when she woke up that morning; at least insofar as that meant she had never had sex with a boy. Her first time with a man she barely knew was beyond any description and it turned out he thought it was that way as well even though he could hardly be called inexperienced. He was from an old Wizarding family and immediately thought something magical had happened between them and he did not mean metaphorically. She felt she needed to be with him in a way she could not describe so the next day when he went off to the Ministry for a routine assignment, she spent her time moving into his flat. When he came home that evening, he had a piece of parchment with him. Something magical had happened the night before and he regretted he was not on good terms with his family because for once he felt in need of some of the rarer books out there. They had apparently completed a bond that could only happen if they shared a “magical compatibility” since birth and at least magically speaking they were as good as married.

“I don’t know much about these things,” he admitted. “Not something a proper family dwells upon, unless the couple in question is what they would’ve considered the right sort in any event. I know it’s not something you can ignore when it happens. I’m thinking of going to see a relation who does not think I’m a disgrace to my family to see if he has any works on the subject.”

Apparently, this relation did not but suggested a trip to France where such works were available. They left for France about four weeks after she moved in and found the works in question. The bond meant that they were magically dependent upon one another among other things. This was not as bad as it sounded, for it meant they were both somewhat more powerful than they would have been apart from the bond and there were other benefits magically speaking. Because of this interdependence and the fact that the bond could only form between a witch and a wizard, most magical societies considered a forming bond a binding marriage regardless of whatever other rules or laws they had on the subject. Even Britain recognized this, which was one reason why information regarding the potential of such bonds was restricted. After all one cannot help who it is they can bond to. If the other potential bondmate is “unacceptable” for whatever reason, that does not matter. Should the couple bond, it would invalidate any form of relationship that existed beforehand, to include other forms of marriage. Merlin forbid that a proper Pure-blood should form such a bond with a Muggle Born.

Fortunately for Connie, while he was a Pure-blood and possible Heir to an Ancient and Noble House, her bondmate thought the society rubbish about marrying the right sort was a form of socially approved incest as to marry “the proper sort” often meant marrying a cousin. His parents were cousins and those cousins he knew who were female, neither far too old or far too young and “the right sort” were the last women he would ever consider marrying - aside from one who ran off with a Muggle Born. She was the decent one of the bunch not that he saw here in that sort of way to begin with. She was seven years older for one thing and had two sisters he would rather never meet socially, although he was more than willing to deal with one in a “professional” manner. There was a younger cousin although still older than Sirius who had been “alright” before she started school. But that girl had turned into a bit of a snob and had married a man he also would only wish to deal with professionally. Connie knew he meant that the best thing that one could do for the Wizarding World was to drop dead.

He was not about to fight “what’s meant to be.” They married while they were in France. Apparently, France was taking advantage of the unrest in Britain and had very lax rules about a lot of things. The fees were a little stiff. But there would be none of the potential hazards associated with marrying openly in Britain and France also had a very liberal emigration policy that favored those who had some connection with France, such as having been married there. Then again, his family did own property there which made it easier. While neither of them were willing to be shot of Britain just yet, this was an option and they both agreed it was wise to have a plan if things ever really got bad.

They were married all of two months when he disappeared. She never believed the rubbish that appeared about him in the papers. She felt it was all lies and had to wonder whether it was her heart or their bond that was telling her that she was the only sane person in all of Britain when it came to him. She remained in their flat and had to delay her start at Healer training for a few years. Fortunately, she found she was not the only lunatic out there. There was an elderly man whom she learned was his paternal grandfather and the Head of House who also thought the common wisdom proved that the vast majority of witches and wizards in Britain were little more than gullible idiots. A couple of weeks after he went missing, the old gentleman appeared at her door. He had learned - with effort - that his grandson and heir had bonded to another witch. He was unapologetic about his general beliefs about society, beliefs that placed a Muggle Born like her as within an otherwise practically untouchable caste. But he also knew or believed that magic such as their bond cannot and should not be scoffed at or ignored simply because in conflicts with usual social conventions. He knew enough to know she was stuck in a way. The bond meant she could never marry another and her life was quite literally tied to that of her bondmate. He supported her - very quietly and certainly not lavishly - ever since and there was even a secret codicil in his Will that continued the support after he passed on in 1991.

And now, Sirius Black was back.

“So,” Sirius said after learning about his Grandfather’s role in things, “Grandfather just handed over a few Galleons now and then?”

“You don’t believe me?” Connie replied.

“Actually, I do. If he was anything it was completely unpredictable. Spouted that Pure-blood rubbish as if it came down from Merlin himself - which it didn’t. Doubt even Sal Slytherin was that way back in the day. The really old accounts - ones you can’t find at Hogwarts - paint a very different picture about the old coot. Grandfather knew that bit. I’m sure his Grandfather knew it too, but chose to ignore it as it was inconvenient.”

“What bit?” Connie asked.

“Sorry. Got to get used to be sociable, I suppose. Got used to being with a group that was well read into such things. Right then. The common belief is that Sal Slytherin was opposed to Muggle Borns, right?”

Connie nodded. Everyone had been told that. It was a “fact” constantly referred to in Magical History.

“Wrong!” Sirius said with a smile. “Oh, he did have a bit of a falling out with the other Founders about Muggle Borns. They felt the Muggle Borns should get no special treatment whatsoever. Sal had very different ideas. Sal’s idea was to take the Muggle Borns as soon as possible and have them raised in magical families, preferably while they were still infants so that they would have no memories of life without magic, thus making them no different than other magical children. The others were opposed to this on all sorts of grounds, not in the least of which being that the Muggle parents might not be so keen on losing their children as once magic manifests itself in a line, it tends to continue. There were also objections as to the mess it would make of inheritances as Sal would have those children properly adopted into those families which means they would have rights of inheritance and such. It’s true he did leave the school because of the dispute about Muggle Borns and then a few generations later there was a Slytherin who publically called them abominations and such and it was from that descendant that the idea that it all began with Sal came to be.

“Anyway, the point I was trying to make was no one could truly predict what Grandfather would really do, especially about family.”

Connie snorted. “I never got the feeling he really liked me. I don’t think it had anything to do with my birth, rather it was that my Muggle family was not one of means. I had the impression he thought I might be… irresponsible with money. Odd that, considering a fair few Muggles born to wealth are the worst sort when it comes to managing money. But, you were the last surviving Heir and… ,” she faded off.

“Unpredictable,” Sirius commented. “I was locked away and they seem to have forgotten there was a key. Twelve years in that pit! I can tell you that many don’t last that long. Good as dead, wasn’t I and yet he’s still providing for you from beyond the grave as it were? You must’ve made some impression - not that I doubt that you could have. Made quite an impression on me, let me tell you. Told a few folks that one of the reasons why it seems to me that Azkaban did not affect me like it does so many others is I was miserable without any help from the staff. Bloody was stupid, wasn’t I? Got chucked into the place without so much as a by your leave and conveniently forgotten by the powers that be since my freedom - it seems - would be terribly inconvenient for them. All the while all I could think was how I let all the people I truly care about down. At least I believed James and Lily were not suffering from my mistakes, but all the while I knew you were and there was not a bloody thing I could do about it! I wondered how you were doing all the time. I wondered if you were getting on with things or struggling to get by or what. Glad my Grandfather showed a little human decency. I mean, I may still have been Heir Apparent, but it was not like the line would continue through me, was it?”

“You sure about that?” Connie said with a mischievous grin.

“I think I would’ve remembered if my mistake that day had left you and our kid high and dry. I also think I would remember something about a kid. And so long as I was stuck in that place, there weren’t going to be any future heirs by my doing.”

“All of this presumes something,” Connie said.

“What does it presume?”

“That you don’t have a child.”

Sirius snorted. “I’ll admit that before you I was… less than careful about some things. But our laws don’t favor bastards. Even if there’s a hoard of little FitzSirius’s out there, they can’t become the next Lord Black; not that there are any. If there are any fruits of my loins, I am unaware of them and certainly have not recognized paternity.”

“You honestly think your Grandfather provided me with support as your wife out of kindness? Probably not. As you say, he could be quite unpredictable. But it was not a lark, either. There was a very, very real justification for the support. Have you checked on the Black Estates since getting out? You know I can’t, not really. But there are some things I know…”

“That was what that whole deal with Gringotts was about,” Sirius nodded.

“Rather odd, isn’t it?”

“What’s odd?”

“You were not disowned as your mother would’ve wished.”

“As I said, Grandfather was unpredictable about a lot of things.”

“And there’s been no provision for another heir…”

“My Godson was next in line. No need.”

“Except as he is from a distaff line, other lines can challenge namely House Malfoy.”

“Granddad would never allow a French usurper…”

“And yet the law would allow it if the Will didn’t not expressly exclude that line, correct? I’ve seen certain bits of the Will, you should know; those bits relevant to me as the wife of the Heir Apparent and know that it assumes the line will continue from you. You notice that?”

Sirius nodded. “I suppose he was hopeful?”

“Did you ever know him to hope when something more concrete was available?”

“No. Bloody pragmatic bastard.”

“So, the pragmatic thinking would be to assume that the Heir Apparent was not likely to leave Azkaban alive. Lord Black was around for ten years following your incarceration and was trying to do something about it and getting nowhere. You think he’d leave a little loose end like the future of House Black hanging on the off chance that you might get out and have an Heir?”

“What are you trying to tell me?” Sirius asked suspiciously.

“He came around about two weeks after you got thrown into prison, Sirius. If you remember, the day that your friends were attacked, I had a scheduled appointment with a Healer. I didn’t tell you why but…”

“What are you trying to tell me?”

“I was late!”

“Late for your appointment?”

“Are you being cute or has Azkaban really rattled your cage? Sorry,” she added contritely. “I never thought I’d have the chance to tell you this so… well… I was late, late. Not late for my appointment, late for my time of the month.”

“You were…?”

“I was. Was going to tell you the moment you got home,” she sniffled. “Didn’t think it would be almost twelve years later.”

“What happened? How did it happen?”

“I don’t have to tell you where babies come from, do I?”

“Um, no. Seem to remember that bit. Well, maybe not the specific bit but you know. Um… was there…?”

She nodded, “your daughter was born June 22nd 1982, Sirius.”

“Daughter?”

“Not an heir, but enough to keep the line going even if…?”

“I have a daughter?”

Connie nodded. “We have a daughter, Sirius. She just started Hogwarts a few weeks ago. She’s in Huffelpuff like me.”

Sirius seemed to be silent for a while. “I missed it,” he said. “Missed it all, didn’t I? Does she know about me?”

“Not much,” Connie admitted. “Your Grandfather thought it best given the circumstances to keep that information limited. He saw it as protecting House Black which he saw as vulnerable to outside forces were it known that he had a legitimate great-grandchild. I agreed that little should be said about how you came to be lost to us, but that was because I felt she would not understand at first and when she was older I didn’t want her clinging to some false hope that maybe you would return. I was doing enough of that for the two of us. She knows the important things.”

“Such as?”

“What kind of man you were and that we loved each other very much and that you would’ve loved her with all of your heart. Left out my belief that you’d probably have spoiled her rotten…”

“You can bank on that,” Sirius chuckled through forming tears. “And I missed the best bit, didn’t I?”

“Which bit?”

“The bit where she was Daddy’s Little Princess and likely to worship the very ground I walked upon, right? Now she’s almost old enough to see us adults as being less than perfect. Not that it matters with all that’s happened.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’ve been out of the picture for her whole life, haven’t I? She wouldn’t need me…”

“She may not need you. She’s always been very independent for her age and probably would’ve given you fits for not being the Little Spoiled Princess even if you were there to try. But she would love to know her father. Don’t forget, Siri… we are bonded. I can no more give you up than I can give up breathing.”

Sirius snorted. “Seem to remember reading somewhere that the Bond is like that. We can’t really give each other up.” There was another long silence. “So… does she have a name or were you waiting to talk to me about it?”

“Course she has a name! It’s Anna; Anna Nadine Fitzhugh.”

“Your mother’s maiden name?”

Connie nodded. “Another suggestion from your Grandfather. Our marriage was never registered here in Britain. Doesn’t make it any less legal, but given the times he felt it was safer for her to grow up without the burden of the Black name. He suggested that name to make it even harder for anyone to make a casual connection. Your notoriety aside, Siri, she is in line to become Regent for an Ancient and Noble House and there might well be pressure from other families for her hand.”

“She’s too young for that rubbish.”

“You know that rubbish is done even today, Siri.”

“Not what I’d want for any of my children, to be honest. You didn't…?”

“No, I did not. To be honest, even your Grandfather balked at the idea seeing as there were not many suitable candidates out there. He suggested such a contract to me regarding your Godson right off. That idea died once he learned that Dumbledore was acting as his magical guardian. Your Grandfather didn’t want that man exercising any control over House Black and feared he might just try and pull something to achieve that.”

“He was not off on that,” Sirius said. “Pretty sure Harry’d have issues with it as well all things considered. You did read about Harry’s rather unique situation, didn’t you?”

“Kind of hard not to, Siri. Aside from your trial, the present circumstances of the Head of Houses Potter is dominating most of the news. About the only paper or periodical that hasn’t commented on it… in any detail much less the annoying detail that just about every other publisher seems to insist upon… is The Quibbler. Then again, it’s not due out for another week or so.”

“You can expect a fairly balanced report from that one considering the editor’s daughter is one of Harry’s wives. If fact, he might well have the most complete story of the lot; not that every detail will be published. He’s agreed to make sure House Longbottom gets nearly the same degree and depth of story considering their similar circumstances. Can you believe my Godson is bonding with two witches?”

Connie shook her head. “I didn’t know it was even possible.”

“Neither did anyone else, it seems. There’s no record of it in Britain before Harry and his friend Neville found themselves in that situation. No one’s heard of anything truly similar elsewhere. Then again, the parents of the two lads had tried to set things up to give all the bonds the best chance to take hold. It’s possible there’ve been others who shared compatible magic with more than one other person but never actually bonded with the others. I’ve been told that records about such things are not kept after the younger member of the couple reaches age thirty since there is no record of a bond taking place that late in life.”

“I read the articles about that too, Siri,” Connie said.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I was, after all, very interested in all of it seeing as your Godson is the reason I can finally have my husband back. I’d like to thank him for that.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged.”

“Papers say that aside from that trial there’s no reason to expect that Harry’s going to have some kind of open house wherever it is he’s staying. Where is he staying, by the way?”

“A place for which they have yet to divine a satisfactory answer to that question. You get them talking ‘bout that and be prepared for a lengthy philosophical discussion with no conclusion at the end. Suffices to say he and his girls live in a trunk or at least they use the trunk to access where he lives. It’s rather confusing.”

“And that’s where you’ve been living?”

“It’s been a nice place all things considered. Certainly the company’s been much more pleasant than I’ve been used to. It has the added advantage that no one can get there without the permission of the owner. Nice place to be when it seems that every witch or wizard with a wand either wants to run for it upon seeing you or hex you up permanent.”

“Have you given any thought to your living arrangements since your trial?”

“It was on my list of things to do. To be honest, finding you was a higher priority than finding a place to live.”

“And now that you’ve found me?”

“More like you found me,” Sirius chuckled. “Either that or I just landed in the right place at the right time.”

“Siri, I’m serious and no, I’m not you.”

“They won’t let me use that joke either,” Sirius moped.

“So, now that you’ve found me,” she said trying to get him to answer her question.

“I have a few ideas,” Sirius nodded. “Some are not practical and all the good ones were based upon you being my wife again.”

“It’s the good ones I want to hear, Siri, since all I’ve wanted for myself since you disappeared was for you to come home to me again.”

“You do know I never truly considered that flat my home,” Sirius said. “Just a place to rest my head. Only became ‘home like’ when you moved in and to be honest it’s not enough.”

“Anna and I have managed quite well there all these years…”

“And you deserve better,” Sirius replied. “I’d like a place where I can spend time with you and Anna and not worry ‘bout folks popping 'round for tea or out of curiosity. I’d like a place that truly is ours and not some Black Family hand-me-down. You ever see any of those places?”

“No. Your Grandfather never invited me and I never asked.”

“Depressing, the lot of them. I’ve had almost twelve years of depressing and am not about to add to it. I was thinking of something like… well like what Harry has. You’re still in the flat?”

She nodded.

“Could use that as our place and then use Harry’s means to access our real place. Plenty of room in a place like that and no neighbors to complain ‘bout anything. Does Anna fly?”

“Not much opportunity for that in London.”

“What’s she like?”

“I really wish you could see for yourself, Siri. I think she’s perfect, but I’m biased. It’s a pity you had to get free while she was in school…”

“Somehow, that’s not the problem you think it might be.”

“Oh?”

Sirius then began to explain his ideas for getting to know his daughter, getting to know his wife again and for their future as a family in general.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 th 1993.

Fortunately, there was time.

His employer wanted this done. It made little sense to him. But he was not inclined to question an employer’s sense, only the feasibility and advisability of their outlandish schemes and this particular employer proved somewhat entertaining in his machinations. The truth was he found the employers ideas far more entertaining than the jobs he was hired to do. Naturally turning their odd notions into a reality was often an entertaining challenge in its own right. He was certain that if he thought about the morality of what he was often asked to do legally he might have some sort of crisis of conscious. He liked to think he had no conscious in that regard. Others might cross the line into truly illegal activities on behalf of their employers or stay well short of the line. He liked assignments that bent but did not break the boundaries and this was clearly such an assignment.

Still, he wondered what was so important about the object of his employer’s ire. True, the boy was famous and had very recently made more than a bit of a splash in the papers. He recalled an old fairy tale he had heard as a child. This boy all but showed that the “emperor” had no clothes. But was that enough to build a case to revoke his emancipation? The argument cut both ways. On the one hand, the boy played the game like a professional and seemingly outmaneuvered men for whom such games were supposed to be second nature. On the other, the boy had quite nearly brought down the government. It was this latter idea that made what he was asked to do legally possible. A thirteen year old with that kind of power and the willingness to use it for his own ends clearly could not be trusted with adult responsibilities.

His employer wanted the emancipation revoked. He did not care about the details, just so long as the effort was both successful and would hold up to the public and political scrutiny that would surely follow. The boy clearly was a political menace. The Muggles had a term for him: a loose cannon. There was, of course, the issue of sympathy. He was an orphan after all and the Heir to a venerable and highly respected Ancient and Noble House. The Justice of the Underage Bench in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Civil Claims could hardly be ignorant of such things. But orphan or no, he felt he could paint the boy as someone who was clearly in over his head. It certainly helped that this boy was also married to four young women and believed to be legally betrothed to a fifth. While such marriages were legal, they were also unheard of and this was further proof of the boy’s absolute reckless and arguably dangerous disregard for the norms of society.

Yes, it would be ugly. Ugly never bothered him. It would be legal and could be done which was all that mattered in the end. Well that and the amount of Galleons offered to see to it.

The second part of the employer’s scheme seemed even easier on the surface. The recently emancipated Sirius Black had to be declared incompetent to handle the boy’s affairs if the boy’s emancipation was revoked. The man may have just been exonerated by the Wizengamot, but they were not likely to just hand over the keys to the Kingdom as it were. They had done the man one huge favor. Two would be pushing their magnanimity possibly beyond the breaking point. After all, it was not necessary for him to show that Black was a threat to the boy or the boy’s Estate. All he needed to do was show doubt as to the man’s ability to handle the boy’s affairs and that might not prove difficult considering recent events and the convenient fact the man had been in Azkaban for close to a dozen years. It would not matter that he was innocent of any wrong doing. No one spent that much time in that place without suffering adverse effects; effects that could call into question his competence.

The third part of his employer’s scheme was the easiest, assuming he succeeded in the first two parts. With Black disqualified as a guardian and as the boy’s parents' Will had been declared invalid, a declaration that had never been challenged and now it was too late to do so, the Wizengamot would have little choice but to restore his employer to the position as the boy’s magical guardian. True, it was conceivable that this could fail. Then again, it was conceivable that the world would end tomorrow: conceivable but not at all likely. The only way he could lose on this third task was if any challengers to his employer’s petition could prove that his employer would not or could not possibly act in the boy’s best interests. He seriously doubted anyone could so smear the reputation of Albus Dumbledore who had been Headmaster of Greater Britannia’s premier magical school for almost forty years. No one was willing to take that leap into the realm of the ridiculous.

He was all but ready to proceed, but his employer told him to hold off. The Manor Court was still at the forefront of people’s minds including the minds of the Justice of the Underage Bench and members of the Wizengamot. He agreed with his employer to wait. His case was by no means a certain success and so soon after the Manor Court the boy and Black could easily ride the wave of public sentiment that had flowed from it. But people’s memories were surprisingly short. His employer wanted the emancipation revoked before the boy left school for the summer holiday and that was months away. That would give the public time to relegate the Manor Court and the story of Sirius Black to the status of ancient history.

That, and who knows what the next few months could bring? It was entirely possible that the boy and Black could well add to his list of reasons to find against them.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1 st 1993

For the students at Hogwarts including Harry and the Family, most of the events that had transpired in the larger Wizarding World since the Manor Court were virtually unknown. Harry and the Family learned about the attack on Sirius at the Ministry from Professor Lupin the evening after it occurred. Aside from that, if it was not reported in the Daily Prophet, they were unaware of an event that was beyond the walls of their school. Despite everything else that had happened to them, they were students and their primary responsibility was to learn. Hogwarts was different for them. After all, their living arrangements were quite different then they had been the prior year. But otherwise Hogwarts was Hogwarts and its dramas were more mundane thus far.

Aside from the Manor Court and the brief posting of scores of Dementors at the school, the drama for this year had unfolded on Harry’s first day of Care of Magical Creatures when Malfoy had provoked a Hippogriff. So far they had not heard of anything from outside the school regarding that event. But it was clear that Malfoy was making a bid deal about it. Everyone who was there - aside from Malfoy’s Slytherin cronies - knew he had suffered little more than a cut and maybe no more than a scratch. But he still walked about with his arm in a sling acting as if he was at risk of losing the thing if he had to use it.

This is the drama which led Harry to where he was now. He was in the Transfiguration Classroom following dinner. He was there with the entire Gryffindor Quidditch Team as well as the other three House Teams, all four Heads of House, Madam Hooch and Madam Pomfrey. It appeared Malfoy was still trying to play up his scratch for some reason.

“I am sure that Professor Dumbledore would consider this an acceptable solution to this dilemma,” Professor Snape said.

“He might well indeed,” Professor McGonagall replied. “However, as you are no doubt aware Professor Dumbledore is in Europe tied up with the affairs of the ICW and has been since the beginning of this year. In his absence I am acting Headmistress and for such a matter that cannot be resolved before his next anticipated visit, I am the one who will decide what is acceptable under these circumstances.”

“I am not sure that Slytherin can accept that,” Snape continued. “After all, you are Head of Gryffindor.”

“Are you questioning my impartiality?”

“Just pointing out the obvious fact that it is well known that your desire is for your House to win the Quidditch Cup.”

“I won’t deny that, Severus. But were I to make my decision based solely upon that factor, I would probably be inclined to accept your proposal without further comment. However, as Acting Headmistress I do have to take into consideration the fairness to all four Houses and, of course, the rules regarding our school Quidditch League which, I should remind you, are not concerned with situations such as the one which your House Team finds itself in.”

“The rules are hardly fair…”

“They are the same rules that have been in effect since the game was first introduced at this school four hundred years ago and the same rules that apply to the professional leagues. It is not the fault of the rules or on my part that find your Team in what you believe is its current bind. It is not the fault of the rules or anyone outside of your House that your team fields no permanent reserve. And it is not the fault of the school that the Team’s benefactor has placed conditions upon the use of those brooms.

“The first Match scheduled for next week will not be postponed! Matches have never been postponed before. As you are aware, I was not in favor of cancelling the Griffindor / Ravenclaw match last year simply because there had been another attack. We did not cancel matches during the War, and I saw no reason to cancel at that time. The current situation is not even in the same realm as the one we faced last year and I will not consider a postponement!”

“Perhaps, in that case, we could merely reschedule things?” Snape suggested. “Under the circumstances, might it not be better for Gryffindor to play one of the other teams while our Seeker recovers from his life threatening injury?”

For a moment McGonagall looked as if she might truly lose her temper. But she calmed herself down before saying anything.

“That might seem equitable from your team’s point of view, Severus. I might also agree it would not place an undue burden upon my House Team. But the other two teams are not scheduled to compete until November. Professor Flitwick?”

“I defer to the Team Captain, Professor McGonagall.”

“We’ve fielded three new starters, Ma'am,” Roger Davies said. “This includes our new Seeker who cannot be ready by next Saturday. We haven’t scheduled practices in anticipation of a Match so soon.”

“Professor Sprout?” McGonagall asked.

“I believe we’d find ourselves similarly handicapped,” Professor Sprout said.

“We’ve only had one practice since the close of team tryouts,” Cedric Diggory said. “We don’t have another one scheduled until a week from Monday.”

“I’m sure arrangements could be made,” Snape began.

“Indeed,” McGonagall added. “Assuming any such arrangements are necessary. Madam Pomfrey, would you kindly tell us your evaluation as to Mr. Malfoy’s infirmity?”

“There’s nothing wrong with him physically or magically,” Madam Pomfrey replied. “The injury is fully healed and has been since about five minutes after he arrived in the Hospital Wing a month ago. He continues to complain of pain, discomfort and weakness in the arm, but aside from his complaints - which mind you are inconsistent - there are no signs of any injury whatsoever. In my professional opinion, he’s a malingerer.”

“The bloody thing still hurts you… ,” Malfoy began.

“Silence!” McGonagall replied. “As you are well aware, Severus, because these Matches are attended by the public, particularly parents and family of the students but also including others such as Scouts from the Professional Associations, we cannot simply reschedule Matches for something as trivial as an injured player…”

“Sure didn’t try and reschedule our last match with Ravenclaw two years ago when Harry was in hospital,” Wood said.

“Proving there is recent precedent for not doing so,” McGonagall continued. “Significant effort attends to preparing for any such match and both the school and those spectators from beyond our walls cannot easily adjust to a last moment change - and this is indeed a last moment situation.”

“I still see no reason why one of the other teams cannot play in Slytherin’s stead,” Snape said.

“And I can see no reason why one of them should! We did not reschedule matches during the Dragon Pox outbreak back in the ‘70’s even though it left two teams with fewer than four players healthy enough to play on the day of their scheduled match! As Mr. Wood said, we did not reschedule when Mr. Potter was injured. I see no reason to inconvenience another team and another House just because Mr. Malfoy believes he’s too crippled to play. Perhaps, Severus, your team should seriously reconsider his continued tenure with the team.”

“What?” Malfoy shrieked.

“Silence,” Snape said this time. “You are the reason why we’re in this bind!”

“The rules are clear,” McGonagall continued. “There are no provisions that alter the scheduling or playing of a match merely because one team or another finds itself short players at the opening of the match or during the course of play. I see no reason why such rules and Tradition should be disregarded in this instance.”

“The brooms,” one of the other Slytherin players groaned.

“We ain’t got our own ones,” Marcus Flint, the Slytherin Captain complained.

“The brooms were accepted with the caveat that they could only be used if the benefactor’s son was playing Seeker,” Snape said with disgust.

“Not much of a gift,” McGonagall said. “Particularly given the brooms in question. Be that as it may, your equipment issues are of no moment for there are brooms available from the school stock. Naturally, this assumes Slytherin does not maintain its own stock of standby brooms.”

As there was no reply to this comment, McGonagall pressed on: “The rules are thus: the game counts should any team take the pitch at the scheduled time. If the opposing team should fail to field a player within the half hour following the scheduled start time, the game is declared a win in favor of the team which is present. There is no allowance for any undermanned team. Consequently, Slytherin will take the pitch next Saturday. Whether you play with a new Seeker or with only six players is your concern. If Slytherin fails to play, it shall be a forfeit and Gryffindor shall be credited with a win.”

“But no points,” Madam Hooch added. “The win counts towards the overall wins and loss record, but Gryffindor would not be granted a point advantage for the match for later consideration should there be a tie between Gryffindor and another team at the end of the season based upon wins and losses.”

The players understood this. It was entirely possible that two teams could finish the season with identical 2-1 records (in which case the other two teams would have 1-2 and 0-3 records). To select the Cup Champion, the rules then looked to points scored versus points allowed. This was one situation where the 150 point scored by a Seeker catching a Snitch did not factor into things as the Points Scored would be the total points scored by the Team’s Chasers during the season and Points Allowed would be the total goals allowed by the Team’s Keeper during the season. Thus, were Slytherin to forfeit, Gryffindor would enjoy a 1-0 win/loss record for the year but a 0/0 points scored/points allowed record towards any potential tie.

“Surely an exception can made,” Snape began.

“For such a triviality? I think not!” McGonagall said. “Dumbledore might have been more accommodating but in case it has slipped your notice, I am not Dumbledore. The rules are the rules and they do not provide for any exception in this case and I am not about to throw the entire Quidditch schedule for this year and the future into chaos to pander to a student who has had more than a month to recover from a minor scratch! Your team will take the Pitch next Saturday with or without Mr. Malfoy. I will not make an exception simply because your team might play with only six players or on school brooms. Aside from yourself, Severus, are there any objections to this from the rest of the staff?” No one said a thing. “It is decided, then. Meeting is over,” she said standing.

“That was bloody brilliant,” Ron said with glee as they entered the Gryffindor common room. “The Git didn’t get his way.”

“Been asking for it since he started,” Fred added. “For once, Snape can’t run to Dumbledore to cover for the little snot.”

“The question is what will the Snakes do now that their little scheme blew up like a cauldron in Snape’s class,” Angelina added.

“My concern exactly,” Wood said. “They might be more of a threat if they’re on something other than those 2001’s. We all know Malfoy’s a mistake at Seeker. They went 1-2 last year no thanks to him since he was 0-3 for the Snitch. Their only win was against the Puffs when Diggory caught the Snitch while the Puffs were trailing by 170 points. They might have someone in the wings who can play Seeker.”

“We’ve scouted their practices, Ollie, and you know it,” Katie said. “They’ve only ever had those seven.”

“Never know,” Oliver replied. “But for now we play our game and that should be enough against that lot.”