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Chapter 30: Hey, you got a library?
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9 November, 1991 - Friday
Hogwarts - Library
Johnathan Grey
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Fate, or destiny, if there is even a difference, strikes again.
The Quidditch match happened almost exactly like it did in the movies, but instead of Hermione going off to save Harry, it was Hermione, Padma, and Su. It seems Harry joining us in the library brought them close enough together for Hermione to be convinced to attend the match.
"-and then Harry practically jumped off his broom—which was even more unsafe by the way, he could have died!—and then he accidentally swallowed the snitch, regurgitated it and won the match for Gryffindor," Hermione finally finished her animated retelling of the whole event in her 'speak-quickly-to-get-all-the-information-out-as-quickly-as-possible' manner.
Harry, for his part, looked embarrassed. His cheeks grew more red the more Hermione talked and avoided eye contact whenever he could with a sheepish look on his face. Padma, who had been sitting next to Hermione, nodded. "I'm starting to agree that Snape might have been the one who let the troll into the castle. My father said he was working as a double agent during the war, but from how he's treated Harry so far during classes, he seems like the biggest culprit."
I frowned a little at the conclusion-jumping that they were doing with their clouded judgment. "I'm not so sure about that. Snape may have been using a counter jinx on Harry's broom, and even if he was trying to Jinx Harry, he's smart enough to be hiding underneath the seats where no one can see him. Like you guys when you set his robes on fire. And we don't have any proof that it was Snape who let the troll in any way. If there was, he would already be in Azkaban."
Harry, who had been quietly letting us speak, suddenly spoke up. "But I saw him getting bandages in the staff room when I went to get my book back. His leg was injured, and he was acting really suspicious. The three-headed dog must have gotten to him when he tried to get whatever was being kept there.."
"That's a pretty good theory," I agreed with a nod. "But, I don't think jumping to conclusions without solid evidence is a good idea.."
Hermione nodded, albeit reluctantly. "John's right. We need to be sure before we accuse someone. But we should keep an eye on Snape, just in case."
'Keep an eye on Snape?' What does she think this is, a police briefing? It was weird a little weird from time to time how children blow things out of proportion and think some things are more important than they really are. Granted, sometimes they might be right. But being an actual child and involved in these conversations, it was kind of funny.
"Good afternoon, students," The familiar voice of Professor Flitwick greeted us from behind me. Hermione jumped slightly in panic, fearing that he might be there because of her recent bout of arson. But as Flitwick continued, she began to relax. "The Headmaster would like to see Harry and John in his office."
I exchanged a glance with Harry before turning towards the rest of the group to speak, "We'll see you all later." Packing up my things, Harry did the same, and we followed Flitwick out of the library.
Once we were out of the Library, Harry couldn't help but ask, "Professor, are we in any trouble?"
Flitwick glanced back at us with an amused look. "Do you have any reason to believe you would be in trouble?"
A classic teacher move. Let the student incriminate themself if you have nothing, and even if you have something, then let the student incriminate themself for something else they've done to add to the list. Shaking my head, I shrugged, a small smile on my face. "Not really, but it's always good to know."
Flitwick chuckled softly. "No, you're not in trouble. The Headmaster simply wishes to speak with you both. Sometimes, it's just as important to receive commendation as it is to receive correction."
We soon arrived at the familiar gargoyle guarding the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Flitwick spoke the password, "White Mice," and the gargoyle moved aside to reveal the spiral staircase. When we reached the top, Flitwick moved to knock on the door.
"Come in," Dumbledore's voice called out from behind the door before Flitwick's hand could actually make contact.
As we entered the office, I immediately noticed McGonagal had just finished wiping her eyes, sitting next to a gaunt-looking Sirius Black in front of Dumbledore's desk. Off to the side, I saw Remus leaning on the wall with a small smile, looking at what must have been McGonagall apologising for not believing Sirius's innocence. They both looked like they had been better, but Sirius looked barely alive.
"Ah, Harry, Jonathan, please have a seat," Dumbledore said, gesturing to the two other chairs in front of his desk. Flitwick gave us a nod and left us to enter the room, closing the door softly behind us. I decided put aside the question of why Dumbledore asked a teacher to collect us instead of sending a house-elf for now, adding it to the ever-growing list of strange things I hope to never start doing when I get old. The issue of common sense would have to be resolved another day..
The expensively dressed, gaunt-looking Gary Oldman—I mean, Sirius Black practically whipped his head around the moment he heard Dumbledore say Harry's name. The moment he laid eyes on Harry, he exclaimed in a raspy voice, "Pup!" His face lit up with a mixture of overwhelming emotions. Struggling to get to his feet as quickly, Remus was forced to move swiftly to support him, ensuring he didn't fall over from his sudden movement.
"Sirius?" Harry whispered, frozen in shock. His eyes wide as he took in the sight of his godfather for the first time, barely believing what he was seeing. There was nothing indicating that he would be turning up today in the letters he had sent, so this was a surprise to him as well.
Dumbledore stood and smiled gently. "Harry, Johnathan, please meet Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. We have much to discuss."
As Remus helped the now steadied Sirius, who couldn't take his eyes off Harry, I had to guide the boy to the two chairs next to McGonagall because he was being awkward just standing there not knowing what to do.
"Sirius, you need to take it easy," Remus said softly, though his own voice trembled as he spoke. Eyes much like Sirius's, looking at Harry like they see someone that wasn't really there. Most likely, an overlap of James and / or Lily or something like that.
Harry, with a look of concern at Sirius' state, asked, "Are you going to be OK?"
I could hear the desperation for family in his voice. The Dursleys were family only in blood, so no one really counted them. But Sirius actually cared for him and vice versa. So looking at the man who would hopefully love him like family and take care of him from now on, only to see him clinging on to life and needing help to even stand, was a heart-wrenching thing to experience.
"Come here, Harry," Sirius said, eyes welling up as he extended his arms toward Harry. "Give your old godfather a hug."
Harry immediately stood up, only to hesitate for just a moment before stepping into Sirius's embrace, making sure not to squeeze too hard due to Sirius' current physical constitution, or rather lack thereof. After they embraced each other for a few seconds, Sirius pulled back slightly, placing his hand gently on Harry's cheek, examining his face closely.
"You look just like your father, Harry," Sirius said softly, his eyes still shimmering with tears. "But you have your mother's eyes."
"You promised you'd tell me about them, Sirius," Harry said softly, lips trembling into a smile, his own eyes brimming with tears of his own. "Don't forget."
"I won't forget, Harry," Sirius nodded as he choked up. "I promise you, we'll talk more about them. I'll tell you everything. But I'll still keep writing as much as my big head can remember. There are only so many things you can put in a letter, pup."
Remus watched the exchange with a smile, his own eyes moist with tears of happiness at the whole situation. Professor McGonagall, still seated, looked on with a mixture of sadness and relief, while Dumbledore twinkled at this long-awaited reunion. A part of me wanted to go back to the days when I would start contemplating whether this was one of those "Evil Dumbledore" moments, but I just didn't really care enough to spiral into that at the moment.
No, I was thinking about something much more important right now. I was thinking about killing Dementors. My mind once again went to my old theory—if the spell lives up to its legend—is to use [Fiend Fire] or [Protego Diabolica] to destroy them. But if that doesn't work, I could always use a combination of Skyrim spells or shouts to deal with them. It would also give me a shit tone of points, so there was always that. I doubt people are just going to hand out the spell, though. I might have to break into Nurmengard.
"There's so much to catch up on, Harry," Sirius continued, his voice gaining a bit of strength. "So much to share. But for now, just know that I'm here for you, and I'm not going anywhere."
"Well, you're still going to have to leave school. You're a little too old to attend Hogwarts y'know." Harry joked, which caused Sirius and Remus to laugh as Harry and Sirius went back to the comfort of their hug.
[Reunite Harry Potter with Sirius Black]
[+1000 SP]
[Reunite Harry Potter with Remus Lupin]
[+300]
Alway nice getting points, you won't hear me complaining about that.
"Hey, you must be John," Sirius called, bringing me out of my thoughts. "What are you thinking about over there?"
I blinked, refocusing my gaze on Sirius. Without missing a beat, I replied, "I was just thinking about how to destroy Dementors permanently."
For a moment, Sirius looked taken aback by my straightforward answer. Then, exchanged a look with Remus before they burst into laughter. "You're quite something, hahahaha…. aren't you? Hahaha….So, you're the one who set all this in motion."
I could see Dumbledore giving me a contemplative look in my peripheral vision. Seeing as I already had a few 'self-made' spells he had been witness to already, he knew more than anyone that what I was thinking about was serious, pun completely intended.
"I just did what anyone else would have done in my position." I shrugged. "I just found some evidence and made sure it got to the right people. It's no big deal."
"'No big deal', he says," Sirius muttered under his breath as he shook his head, his expression turning serious. "No, John, it wasn't just 'anyone else'. It was you. You helped me, and because of that, I get to see my godson again. I get to live the rest of my life outside of Azkaban." He paused, giving me a grateful look. "So, thank you, from the bottom of my heart."
"...You're welcome." I nodded, giving the man a small smile.
"Y'know, if you want, you can come live with us," Sirius said thoughtfully. "To my knowledge, you haven't been adopted yet. It would also give you a great opportunity to study magic during the summer."
I was a little taken aback at the offer, but not really surprised. With a polite smile, I told him, "Thank you, Sirius, but I'd rather not get involved with the political shenanigans that might come with that." I paused, then added, "However, if you really want to make it up to me for getting you out of Azkaban, I'd love to peruse the Black family library over the summer, if there is one. Or, if that's not possible, perhaps some rare books on magic that I don't have access to."
I had to make sure to ask to enter their library and read their books, instead of outright asking for family magic. Apparently, that was a real big 'no-no'. Hopefully, Sirius doesn't decide to clear out the more juicy books before I even get there. Actually, even if he did, I have no doubt Kreacher would get them for me once the Locket was dealt with, so there wasn't really much to worry about.
Sirius burst out laughing, the sound filling the room and causing him to cough as it strained his throat. "You really are a Ravenclaw through and through, hahaha! Most people would have asked for money or better living conditions, but you ask for books instead?"
"I can get money easily enough through the knowledge and magic I learn from books, so it's not a problem." I shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "Without knowledge and wisdom, though, I wouldn't even know how best to spend the money. Probably end up getting scammed, robbed or end up broke due to ignorance and poor management."
I always used to wonder how some of those people who won the lottery ended up broke again. It just didn't make sense. How could you go through life just getting by like the rest of us, only to get enough money to last you the rest of your life and then lose it all because of really bad decisions? Personally, I wouldn't even tell anyone I won. Then, if I was really bad with my money, I would get a very good accountant to tell me everything I would need to know.
"I understand your concerns," Serious said. "But I would keep you away from any political dealings and ensure your safety at my home. You wouldn't have anything to worry about."
"Sirius, I understand and truly appreciate your offer. However, House Black still deals in politics, whether directly or indirectly." I pointed out. "The moment I am adopted, even as a ward with no official link to House Black's politics, it would still affect me. And frankly, politics gets annoying. I prefer the straightforward."
Sirius blinked, before giving a small knowing smile, "Slytherin?"
I gave a tired nod, "Slytherin."
"Have any Slytherin students given you trouble?" Sirius asked with a small concerned frown, " I know how some of them can be."
"No," I shook his head. "They haven't bothered me. And even if they did, I'm skilled enough to handle myself."
"I don't doubt that for a second. Well said, kid." Sirius said with a raised eyebrow, nodding at my self-assurance. "The Black family library is yours to explore. It's one of the most extensive private collections of magical knowledge in the wizarding world. I'll make sure you have access to it. It will give Harry here" He gestured to the boy, "Some company over the summer."
"That's brilliant," I said, my smile now fully pronounced. "Thank you, Sirius."
"It would be best not to experiment with anything while there, though," Remus added, after observing the exchange. "From what I've heard, you have quite the mind. It's clear that you value knowledge and learning. But just to be safe…" he trailed off.
"He has been warned," McGonagall added, giving me a look. "He has promised not to tamper with things too dangerous without adult supervision."
As the conversation came to a lull, Dumbledore spoke, making his way to his feet, "I think it would be best to give you three," he gave Sirius, Harry and Remus a look before continuing, "Some space to talk and catch up for now. Minerva, John, why don't we step outside for a while?"
Sirius gave an appreciative nod while McGonagall and I stood, ready to leave. Dumbledore followed suit but paused halfway through the room, turning back to Sirius once more. door, Dumbledore gained Black's attention once more. "And Sirius…." The man looked away from Harry and to the old man when he heard his voice filled with genuine regret. " I want to say again how deeply sorry I am for what happened to you."
"It happened, Albus," Sirius shook his head. "We can't change the past. All we can do now is atone for our mistakes and try to make things better for those still here." He glanced down at Harry, who was still nestled with one of Sirius' arms over his shoulder.
"And thank you, John." Sirius sent me a final grateful smile, tightening his hold of Harry a little before letting go. "For everything."
With a mock salute, I said simply said, "Welcome."
As we turned to leave, I heard Dumbledore add, "I'll be back shortly, but take your time. There's no rush."
With that, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and I stepped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind us. Outside the office, once we made our way down the stairs, Dumbledore addressed us, "Well, I suppose I will walk the grounds for a while," before looking directly at me, "Unless there is a student I can help practice magic…"
"Of course, professor," I easily accepted, having nothing else to do for the rest of the day, "Do you remember the room?"
"I do," Dumbledore nodded, before turning to look at McGonagall with a small smile. "Would you like to join us, my dear? It will be rather refreshing, I can promise you that."
"Oh no, thank you," She responded, slumped shoulders and bags under her eyes as she shook her head. "I think I'll call it a day."
As she walked away, I quickly used my go-to stealth combination, making my way to the practice room and leaving Dumbledore to his thoughts. If he turned up, then that was fine. If he went after McGonagall, then that was fine too. I could always improve my spells at times like this, so that's exactly what I was going to do.
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"Another wanderer, here to lick my father's boots. Good job."
— Nelkir from Whiterun.
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Autor Here
John gets to learn black magic and gets easy access to the Horcrux in Grimauld place.
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Thank you for reading.
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