The Hero They Needed: Chapter 2 (Patreon)

Chapter 2

Sirius didn’t sleep at all that night. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw James and Lily’s, cold and lifeless, staring back at him. He sat for hours on the couch, watching the minutes tick by as he waited for the sun to rise. Guilt and sadness ate him up on the inside, gnawing painfully at his heart.

A part of him was glad to be alone, but another part wished Andromeda had stayed. But, then again, she hadn’t known James and Lily that well. Andi had only met them a couple of times before they’d gone into hiding. Sirius wished he could call Remus, but he was still away talking with the Werewolves and wouldn’t be back for a few more days.

Unless the news reached him sooner, in which case Sirius worried he might try to kill him. He was really regretting keeping his ‘brilliant’ plan to himself. It was stupid now that he thought about it, but the thought of Voldemort getting to James and Lily was so unthinkable he hadn’t even considered it an option. In hindsight, he should have told someone, anyone, they all trusted.

“Did you get any sleep?”

Sirius looked up so fast that his neck popped painfully. Andi came walking down the stairs in a worn, pink bathrobe, eyeing him critically. Blinking, he glanced out of the window and was surprised to see the sun rising over the horizon. After hours of watching and waiting, the damn thing had managed to sneak up on him.

“A couple of hours,” Sirius lied.

“I’m sure,” Andi replied, unconvinced. “Well, since you’re up, you might as well come with me to the kitchen. You’re going to need to learn how to cook if you’re going to take care of Harry.”

Groaning and rolling his eyes, Sirius got to his feet and followed her into the kitchen. Grabbing a carton of eggs and a pack of sausages from the refrigerator, as well as a can of beans from the pantry, she showed him how to make a simple breakfast.

“I hope you can at least make toast,” Andi said, handing him a loaf of bread.

“I’m not that bad,” Sirius grumbled, snatching it from her hand. “I’ve been living on my own for years now, you know.”

“You live above an Indian restaurant for a reason,” she said knowingly.

“Well, they do have great takeaway,” Sirius admitted.

Laying out ten pieces of bread on the counter, he toasted one side, then flipped them with a charm to toast the other. While he was doing that, Ted ambled into the kitchen sleepily and headed straight for the coffee maker.

“Morning,” Ted yawned, kissing Andi on the cheek.

“Morning, dear,” Andi smiled. “Are the kids still asleep?”

“Yep,” he replied, smiling softly. “I checked on them before I came down. Nymphadora must’ve woken up in the night and moved her bed closer to the crib. She’s laying with her hand through the bars, and Harry’s got a death grip on her finger.”

“That girl,” Andi said, shaking her head as she moved the last of the eggs onto a platter.

“Should I go wake them?” Sirius asked.

“Oh, you poor man,” Andi said, patting his cheek. “You have so much to learn. If the kids are still asleep, eat, then wake them. Things get chaotic at the table when kids are involved, especially with Nymphadora.”

“Right,” Sirius said, looking over at Ted, who chuckled as they sat at the table.

“Nymphadora didn’t want scrambled eggs yesterday,” he said. “Her accidental magic dumped the whole bowl over Andi’s head. Took her an hour to get it all out of her hair.”

Sirius snorted but couldn’t bring himself to really laugh. It felt like doing so would somehow be disrespectful to James and Lily. Eating mechanically, he got through half his plate, never tasting what he was eating before an owl flew in with the morning paper. Ted dug a Knut out of his pocket to pay for it and took it from the impatient bird. As it flew back out the open window, he opened the paper and immediately choked on what he was eating.

“What is it?” Andi asked.

Coughing to clear his throat, Ted set the paper on the table. On the front page was a picture of James and Lily’s house in Godric’s Hollow, Ministry workers swarming the scene. The title of the article stood out in big, bold letters.

Boy-Who-Lived Defeats Dark Lord! Sirius Black Wanted for Kidnap and Murder!

“What!” Sirius yelled, jumping to his feet.

“It gets worse,” Ted said. “The Ministry has started a nationwide search. They have orders to kill you on sight. And there’s a ten thousand Galleon bounty for information leading to your capture.”

“Shit!” Sirius said.

He nearly knocked over his chair as he got to his feet and began to pace back and forth in the small kitchen.

“I was their best friend,” Sirius growled, running a hand through his long, dark hair. “How could they think I’d murder them and then kidnap my own Godson.”

“Because you told everyone you were the Secret Keeper,” Andi pointed out. “What about Harry? Does the paper say anything about him?”

“Let’s see,” Ted replied, scanning the article. “They know he was alive when Sirius took him. Good Lord, they’re saying Harry killed You-Know-Who in a burst of accidental magic.”

“Ted,” Andi said, giving him a brief glare.

“Right. Sorry, dear,” he said. “Um, they believe Sirius is either going to use Harry in a ritual to bring You-Know-Who back to life or raise him to be the next Dark Lord. One that he controls so he can take over magical Britain. Some believe Harry is already dead, and Sirius has already fled the country.”

“Alright,” Sirius barked angrily. “Okay, here’s what I’ll do. I’ll go to the Ministry and tell them what really happened. They won’t kill me until they know where Harry is, right?”

Ted and Andromeda shared a look that didn’t boost his confidence.

“Sirius, I hate to say this, but I think as soon as they have you, they’ll use Veritaserum to find out where Harry is and then have you Kissed,” Andi told him.

“They would administer the Kiss to someone just like that,” Sirius said, though the words felt like a lie even as he said them.

“They already have,” Andromeda told him, her face solemn. “Ted, tell him about those cases you’re working on.”

Sighing, Ted folded the paper and set it aside.

“My firm is working on two cases where the Ministry arrested two ‘known’ Death Eaters and had them Kissed before they could be questioned,” he said. “Neither of them had the mark, and they went missing days before they suddenly reappeared and committed heinous crimes. The families believe they were put under the Imperious Curse and forced to do those things. With the current climate, it’s been nearly impossible to find a sympathetic ear in the Wizengamot. I’ve been holding off on filing the cases. If I do it now, I have no doubt I’d lose.”

“It was Crouch, wasn’t it?” Sirius asked, his heart racing as he started to pace again. “I knew that fucker was no good.”

“If you go into the Ministry now, it’s almost certain you won’t be coming back out,” Andi told him bluntly as she shared a look with her husband. “We need to think of something else.”

“What if I grant you custody of Harry and make a public statement?” Sirius asked. “I can hide out someplace long enough for the public to hear my side of the story, and Harry will be safe here. They’d have to put me on trial just to clear things up, right?”

“Maybe,” Ted said, stroking his chin.

“It won’t work,” Andi said, shaking her head. “The Ministry lost this war, everyone knows it. It’s only because of whatever happened at the Potters last night that it’s over. They won’t allow anyone but themselves look like the hero now. Kill you, save Harry Potter, and they’re back as everyone’s savior. Not to mention, there are still Death Eaters in the Ministry that would still love to see you dead. You’d never live long enough to see a trial. Ted, I think it might be time for plan B.”

Ted stared at Andi for a long moment, his normally jovial face dropping into a frown as he finally nodded.

“What’s plan-”

Sirius was cut off by a loud knock at the door. Everyone froze, staring at each other until they knocked again.

“Just a moment!” Andi yelled, dropping her voice as she turned back to the men in the kitchen. “Ted, Take Sirius and the kids and hide. I’ll tell you when it’s safe to come out.”

“I have a better idea,” Sirius said.

Dropping down onto all fours, he transformed into a big black dog. Andi and Ted’s shocked looks lasted for only a second.

“That’ll have to work,” Andi said just as the person knocked again. “Ted, go!”

Nodding, Ted quickly and quietly made his way up the stairs. Sirius heard a murmured incantation before the house fell silent.

“Coming,” Andi called.

Sirius followed her to the door so he could see who it was. When Andi opened the door, he wasn’t too surprised to see Dumbledore standing there in a dark blue set of robes that sparkled in the morning sun.

“Good morning, headmaster,” Andi said respectfully. “What brings you here this early?”

“Hello, Andromeda,” Albus said, smiling tiredly. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m afraid I have grave news. Have you had a chance to read this morning’s paper?”

“No, it arrived while I was making breakfast,” she said, looking up at him worriedly. “What’s happened?”

“Voldemort found and attacked the Potters last night,” Albus told her, his face dropping. “James and Lily are dead. Miraculously, Harry survived, but Sirius removed him from the house before I arrived. I’m afraid there’s evidence to suggest he was involved in giving away their location. You haven’t heard from him, have you?”

“That’s terrible,” Andi said, her acting perfect. “No, I haven’t heard from Sirius in weeks. But I can’t imagine him doing anything to hurt James, Lily, or Harry.”

“Until last night, I would’ve said the same,” Albus sighed, taking off his glasses to give them a quick clean. “Please, if you hear from him, let me know immediately. It’s imperative Harry is found and returned to his family.”

Sirius perked up at that. James didn’t have any family, and Lily’s only living relative was her Muggle sister. Surely he wouldn’t put Harry with that magic-hating shrew, he thought. Andromeda caught his movement out of the corner of her eye and spoke up just as Dumbledore started to turn.

“I wasn’t aware James had any family left,” Andi said.

“Indeed, Harry is now the last remaining Potter,” Albus told her. “Fortunately, Lily’s sister has agreed to take him in. It’s the safest place for him. Sorry to bother you so early, Andromeda. Please let me know if you hear from Sirius.”

“Of course, headmaster,” Andi replied while Sirius fought back the urge to growl.

She closed the door slowly, giving them just enough time to see Dumbledore Disapparate before the latch clicked into place. Sirius instantly transformed back into his human form.

“What the hell is he thinking!?” he raged. “Petunia hates magic! She wouldn’t even come to James and Lily’s wedding! And how can he think I’d ever do something to hurt any of them!? That sanctimonious, self-righteous son of a-”

“Sirius!” Andi yelled, slapping his shoulder. “First of all, don’t use words you don’t understand. Secondly, you told everyone you were the Secret Keeper, remember? Is there anyone that knows the truth? Is it in James or Lily’s wills?”

“No,” Sirius grumbled. “We didn’t want to chance anyone finding out the truth. We didn’t even tell Remus because of how much time he spent around the other Werewolves.”

“You could’ve told me,” Andromeda told him, crossing his arms.

“I didn’t want to put your family at risk,” Sirius replied lamely.

“Bellatrix is my sister, and I married a Muggleborn; I’ve always been at risk,” she told him angrily before pausing to take a deep breath. “This isn’t getting us anywhere. Do you trust Dumbledore enough to tell him the truth? Do you think he’ll listen to you?”

“I don’t know,” Sirius said, running his hands through his hair. “I used to, but something changed. He’s been making really odd decisions the last few weeks. It was like he’d given up. He was really focused on James, Lily, and Harry for some reason. James told me some of what was happening, but I didn’t let him tell me everything in case I got captured. Merlin, I’m an idiot.”

“You were in a tough situation,” Andi said, giving him a hug. “If we can’t trust Dumbledore, then we have no choice but to deal with this ourselves.”

“Is this that plan B you were talking about?” Sirius asked.

“Yes,” Andi said. “Let me go get Ted and the kids, and I’ll explain.”

Patting his shoulder, she turned and made her way upstairs. Sighing tiredly, Sirius walked over to the couch and collapsed onto it heavily. He dropped his head into his hands, feeling like the whole world was collapsing around him.

“I can carry him,” Nymphadora said loudly from the top of the stairs.

“You’re not carrying him down the stairs,” Andi said annoyedly.

“You can sit with Harry on the couch, okay?” Ted asked.

“Okay!” Tonks cheered. “Thanks, Daddy.”

Sirius smiled slightly as Nymphadora came racing down the stairs, her hair bright yellow. The energetic four-year-old ran right past him and climbed up onto the other end of the couch. She was waiting impatiently before Ted and Andi, with Harry in her arms, had even reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Ted, can you call Meredith?” Andi asked, setting Harry next to Nymphadora, who grabbed his hand and started gabbing away.

“Sure,” Ted replied.

Kissing his wife on the cheek, he made his way over to the Floo. While he was grabbing a handful of Floo powder and getting on his knees, Andi sat across from him.

“I think the best option right now, for all of us, is to get out of Britain,” Andi said.

“I can’t ask you to do that,” Sirius said, shaking his head. “I was thinking I could just take Harry and go to Black Island. I don’t want to put your family in the middle of this.”

“We’re already in the middle of this,” Andi told him. “Ted and I have been talking about this for a while. Even with You-Know-Who gone, we still have to worry about the Death Eaters in the Ministry. You know as well as I do that people that powerful aren’t going to see the inside of Azkaban. Besides, without that monster holding Bella’s leash, there’s nothing to stop her from coming here. Add to that the way our government is treating you. We think it’s time to leave. Ted has family in America. We’ve had arrangements set up for months.”

“But how do we get there?” Sirius asked. “We can’t just walk into the Ministry and ask for an International Portkey.”

“We have a Vanishing Cabinet upstairs connected to Ted’s uncle’s house in Nevada,” she replied. “I made plans to leave as soon as Bella married Lestrange. I knew it would only be a matter of time before she came after us. She’s made her opinion of Ted quite clear over the last few years. Ted’s talking to a friend of his right now. She’s a Congresswoman in MACUSA. She’ll make sure you’re given a fair trial there. You know how much the Americans like a good headline.”

“We’re leaving?” Nymphadora asked, hugging Harry tightly.

“I’m afraid so, sweetheart,” Andi said softly. “It’s not safe for us here anymore, especially for Harry.”

“He’s coming with us, right?” the little girl asked, morphing her eyes to make them look slightly bigger.

“Yes, Harry and Sirius are coming with us,” Andi smiled, looking at Sirius as if daring him to argue.

“Yay!” Nymphadora yelled, kissing Harry’s head as he tried to squirm out of her grip.

Ted pulled his head out of the fire and sat on the arm of Andi’s chair.

“We’re all set. Meredith will meet us at the house with a couple of Aurors in a few hours,” he told them. “They’ll need to question him under Veritaserum, but it will all be public, and I’ll be with you the whole time. She’s also sending a Healer to take a look at Harry. Bagnold is claiming he survived the Killing Curse last night.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Sirius scoffed. “No one can survive that curse.”

“Maybe not,” Andi said, drawing the incredulous stares of both men. “I checked on his cut after I laid him down for the night. Whatever caused it is some of the darkest magic I’ve ever seen.”

“But there’s no way… I mean, Harry’s only a baby, right,” Sirius said. “I know he showed magic early, but accidental magic can’t stop a Killing Curse, can it?”

“I didn’t say he did it on his own,” Andi corrected him. “We all know how brilliant Lily was. I’m sure she had something to do with it, but Harry survived some powerful magic last night. Of that, there’s no doubt.”

“Is it hurting him?” Sirius asked, glancing over at the toddler in concern.

“No,” Andi replied quickly. “Besides a cut, he’s perfectly healthy. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to get a second opinion.”

“I hate to interrupt, but we really should get packing,” Ted butted in.

“Right,” Sirius said, getting to his feet. “Well, looks like I’ll have to go with what I’m wearing. They’ll be watching my apartment. I just need to figure out what to do with my bike.”

“You rode that death trap all the way here? With Harry?” Andi asked angrily.

“I didn’t have a choice,” Sirius said, waving her off.

“Idiot,” Andi muttered. “Where did you leave it?”

“I parked it behind the petrol station on the corner and put it under a Disillusionment Charm,” he told her.

“At least you hide it well,” she sighed. “If Dumbledore had seen that… Alright, Ted, you go get the bike and see if you can shrink it. I don’t want Sirius going outside the house. They could be watching it. Sirius and I will start packing.”

“Mummy!” Nymphadora yelled. “Harry made a stinky!”

“Correction,” Andi smirked. “I’ll start packing while Sirius changes his Godson.”

“I don’t know how to change a baby!” Sirius said, looking alarmed. “And I don’t have any diapers.”

Andi’s smirk never faltered as she summoned a piece of parchment and transfigured it into a diaper before it even reached her. Catching it, she handed it to him and patted the top of his head.

“Time to learn,” she told him.

Ted chuckled as he headed towards the door while Andi took Nymphadora by the hand and led her upstairs to pack. Sighing, Sirius pulled off Harry’s pants and wrinkled his nose at the smell.

“Urgh, what did you eat?” he asked.

Sirius turned his head to the side for fresh air, trying and failing to open the diaper. Giving up, he drew his wand and vanished it.

“Shit,” he cursed.

Using a couple of more spells to clean the mess on Harry and the new one on the couch, Sirius grabbed both of the toddler’s feet gently in one hand and lifted him up. Harry giggled while Sirius grabbed the diaper and slipped it under him. Tilting his head to the side, he turned it back and forth a couple of times.

“I don’t suppose you know which part is the front, do you?” he asked.

Picking the side he thought was right, Sirius set Harry back down and folded the diaper over before realizing he didn’t know how to close it.

“How the bloody hell does this thing work?” he asked no one.

After struggling for a few more moments, he once again resorted to using his wand. Two quick Sticking Charms left the sides attached quite securely. Putting Harry’s pants on was even more of a struggle. The lad seemed to take great joy in yanking one leg free while Sirius tried to cloth the other. After several minutes of struggling, he finally managed to get them on and wiped the sweat from his brow.

“I hope you’re not always this difficult,” Sirius said, lifting Harry up and holding him to his chest. “Now that that’s done, ready to go cause some mischief in America?”