{Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts}
{6th Oct 1991}
{Rigel's First person POV}
...
Normally a Sunday was my favorite day to lounge around in Hogwarts, the day was normally stress-free, and I had the whole castle to explore or maybe some new magic to learn and definitely someone to fuck. But as I waited for the Gargoyle to spin around in circles, a sense of anticipation filled me.
'Everything has to be perfect, and with Amelia and Dumbledore working together, it shouldn't take long to convince Fudge to my side...'
My last meeting with Dumbledore had gone quite well, despite some unexpected surprises in the end. The rising staircase's circling motion ended as I arrived in front of a closed door. As I went forward to put aside the Pandora's box and grab the knocker, Dumbledore's aged voice came through the door, "Come in!"
I resisted the urge to scoff at Dumbledore's games. After putting the box down, I grabbed onto the doorbob and opened the door with a slight push from my shoulder. I picked up the box, and as I was about to greet the old man, my eyes scanned the gathered entourage.
'That's a lot more people than I asked for. What's Dumbledore planning, or was it the minister?'
Inside the now cramped office were a few unfamiliar faces, though it didn't take a genius to guess who they were. My eyes scanned the levels of both Fudge and Lucius as I stepped inside. Narcissa's busty visage was a welcome surprise, one that I didn't mind.
"That's a lot more people than I asked for," I said, my eyes turning toward Amelia with a questioning glance.
Before Amelia could reply, Fudge cut her off, his face stoic as he spoke, "You don't get to make demands here, Mr. Black. Now tell me what info you have."
He started off aggressive, and I could see Amelia sighing behind him. Lucius was also glaring at me, so I guess it shouldn't be difficult to guess why the Minister of Magic was against me. I looked at Dumbledore and then finally at Snape, who was lurking in a corner.
"That's heir Black to you, Minister Fudge," I shrugged. If the old man wants to fight me, then sure, dismantling him won't be that difficult. If he thinks he has some form of leverage over me, then that's his misconception.
"Just because Malfoy's paying you off doesn't mean you can disregard everyone else," I continued, walking as I put Pandora's box on Dumbledore's table. Now, that caught Albus and Snape's attention as Fudge's face turned an angry shade of red.
"What Insolence-" Lucius started before I waved his indignation away.
"Oh, come on, Lucius, we both know you would not hesitate to don your precious uniform if it allows you to get rid of me, save me the bullshit. This is more important..." I motioned for the file that Amelia was holding.
"Don't," Fudge warned, but I ignored it. His eyes followed the file as he stared at me. I quickly opened the file, ignoring everyone else, and read through the barebones paperwork that was filed under the arrest case of one Sirius Black.
"Hmmm..." I hummed before I closed the file and extended it back toward Amelia.
"Are you going to explain why you had us dig a file of a case that was closed years ago?" Fudge asked, seeming impatient.
"I can see why you are angry now. That is a pretty huge blunder and scandal waiting to happen. It might even affect your chances of being reelected next term." I taunted for a bit and then continued. I didn't need to alienate the man completely, so I addressed another option for him to take, "What I don't understand is why you are taking Malfoy's side on this. This doesn't even concern him or you."
Seeing that I had his attention, I continued, "You know I can help you dodge this situation right, or if you can continue interrupting me and commit political suicide because this matter would come to light in tomorrow's newspaper, I have already made sure that would happen." I shrugged.
Fudge's angry expression vanished instantly. His face switched so quickly that I was even taken aback. He and I stared at one another.
After debating, Fudge grunted, "Fine, what do you want?"
"Fudge-" Lucius began, but Fudge turned his face away from the blond man.
I cracked a smile at how quickly he changed positions. I'm sure he wouldn't abandon Lucius completely, but he truly didn't have to indulge him on every matter, and he knew that.
"Good, we can proceed now. Lady Bones, if you don't mind recording what happens from now onward, it would be immensely helpful in resolving this delicate situation." I spoke before turning to Dumbledore. Even if I don't like to admit it, he's my trump card.
'As long as he is here and I'm a student who does nothing wrong, especially in this situation, he will protect me...'
"Professor Dumbledore, can you tell me how the Fidelius Charm works?" My out-of-pocket question caused everyone to look confused for a moment.
Dumbledore had been looking at everything with a serious expression until now. His eyes evaluated my request for a bit before he decided to indulge me. As he spoke, "A Fidelius Charm is a complex piece of magic, one of the best ways to conceal information. It does so by hiding a secret in someone's soul."
"And Harry Potter and his parents were hiding under this charm and its protection, correct?" I asked, getting another nod from Dumbledore.
"What's this got to do with anything?" Lucius snapped at me. I looked at him with a bored look and then turned to Amelia. "That's why I only asked for Professor Dumbledore and our esteemed Minister Fudge for this meeting."
I shook my head, turned to Dumbledore, and continued, "I'm assuming you were the one who cast the Fidelius Charm on the Potter Household?"
Albus looked at me for a moment, his mind already running through various scenarios. After a moment's pause, he stood up, his chair sliding behind him as he leaned forward and looked into my eyes. "No, they didn't."
'Did he reach the same conclusion as well? Should I nod or not?'
"I don't know what you mean by that, Professor, but since you cast the spell, you must know who the secret keeper was," I questioned.
...
After a moment's silence, Dumbledore replied, "James told me it was Sirius. I gave him a parchment with the address of the hidden Potter Cottage written on it. It is the byproduct of the ritual needed to cast the charm. Whoever reads that paper would become the Secret Keeper."
"Thank you, Professor," I turned to Amelia and spoke, "Please note that although James Potter told everyone that the secret keeper was Sirius Black, it could, in fact, be someone else, someone who Potter and friends used to perform a double bluff... isn't that right Professor?"
At Dumbledore's nod, I smiled and moved forward, my hand hovering above the notch of Pandora's box as I spoke, "Then what if the Potters really did a bait-and-switch, but in doing so, they unknowingly gave the secret to their home to a spy?"
"This is absolute nonsense. Sirius admitted to the crime himself." Lucius interjected again.
'Okay, I'm going to fuck Narcissa especially hard today for his annoying...' I thought as I glared at the blond. I paused for a second as another idea emerged in my mind.
'This is going to be fun...'
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AN: 50+ chapters on P.atreon!