Dumbledore's POV
Dumbledore sat fuming, looking at the spot Harry and Sirius had just disappeared from. He had never been so dismissed before, not even since Harry had lost his memory. Ever since that child was brought back to the castle it was one rebut after another, but this was the worst, and he wasn't sure how he should handle it. Perhaps, if he got the one horcrux that he knew of, and showed to the boy, maybe then Harry would cooperate.
With that thought in mind, he quickly Disapparated to Little Hangleton. Making his way down the dark path to the Gaunt Shack, which looked like a strong wind could blow it down at any second. He stood and studied the wards. They were formidable, but nothing he couldn't handle with a bit of cunning, or failing that, brute strength.
He drew the Elder Wand and started dismantling the wards. One after the other, they fell to his casting. The closer he got to the house, the more cautious he became. Inch by inch, foot by foot, he gained ground, until he was at the front door, which had a parseltongue password. He grimaced at the snake nailed to the door. The Gaunts were a nasty family, that should have all been put in Azkaban before the daughter had created one Tom Marvolo Riddle.
From the memories he had viewed, none of them were redeemable. Not even Merope, sad though her story was. The things she did to her abusive family were not something that Dumbledore thought anyone should do, especially family. Then she potioned that poor man into falling in love with her. No, not even she could have been saved.
Gathering up his Gryffindor courage, he blasted the wall next to the door, negating the password. The inside was just as dismal as the out. The dust and dirt covered everything, the air was dry and stale, and the furniture was rotting with a dry musky smell, much like that of a disused classroom in the castle. There were slithering tracks on the floor, letting the old man know that there was, or had been, a snake in the house.
He created a ball of light and pushed it magically into the room, casting the shadows away. He looked around and didn't see a serpent, so he carefully took a step into the house. One step at a time, never letting his guard down, he made his way to where he could feel the evil coming from. It was so thick he could almost taste it.
Casting a detection charms and following his finding to the middle of the room, he found the spot where there seemed to be fresh snake tracks. They were in a circle, like the snake had slithered there, numerous times. Perhaps, it was guarding that spot. He tapped his spectacles to see if there was anything alive in the shack. Instead of body heat, they could find heart beats. There in the corner was a coiled up, disillusioned snake. It looked to be ready to strike at any moment. A quick trapping charm, which would fade in a few hours, and the snake was in a cage. No need to kill the poor thing.
He was now free to see what lay under the floor. Carefully he lifted the loose boards up and peered into the dark hole. A Lumos, and he could now see a box. It was a small red velvet ring box, laying there so innocently. Not one to be fooled by looks, Dumbledore lifted the box magically and placed it on the floor.
Casting a few more charms to see what dangers it held, he noted that there were a few deadly curses on the container itself. Conjuring a bag, he levitated the box into the opening and pocketed the whole thing. He'd look at it later. Right now, he wanted to leave, since he was sure Tom was nearby. With a 'crack' he was gone.
Harry's POV
Harry took him and his godfather to The Three Broomsticks. They arrived in a puff of smoke in the alley next to the building. With a causal air, they stepped out and went into the inn. "Well, at least now I know what he wanted. I still can't believe that he thought by telling me these things that I would suddenly cooperate," Harry said as they grabbed seats at the bar. He put of a ward for eavesdroppers and settled down.
"That's Dumbledore for you. He has always had an air of self-importance. He is too used to everyone doing what he asks that it confuses him when they don't," Sirius said, flagging down Madam Rosmerta. He mouthed their order, and she gave them a nod and continued to serve the person in front of her.
"Still, him and McGonagall need to realize that they have not earned a bit of respect from me. Both of them have violated me in one form or another. The old man, my mind, and the old woman, my freedom," the teen groused, putting his head on his folded arms. He was so tired.
He thought coming to Hogsmeade would wind him down, but the bastard had to ruin that. He gave a great sigh and sat back up. He was going to have a good time, and not let that arsehole destroy his night.
"So, do you really think Peter is going to die?" Sirius asked with glee. Nothing would give him greater pleasure than knowing his traitor ex-friend would be laying dead on the ground. He hoped that Peter's last thought were on how wrong he was to choose the side that he did. And that he deeply regretted turning his back on his friends. Padfoot hoped that Prongs and Lily were waiting for that backstabbing bastard. They'd give him hell, if he didn't head there first.
"Yeah, he was bleeding pretty badly. I don't know if… Tom can stop it in the form he's in," a smiling Harry answered. He figured he'd use the man's real name, so people wouldn't freak out. He wanted to enjoy his time here and not cause a riot, or whatever rot that name would induce.
"Well, here's to hoping," the dogman replied as he lifted the firewhiskey that Rosmerta had just set in front of him and clicking it to Harry's butterbeer. He took a drink and gave her a nod. She smiled and went to wait on someone else. It was a busy night here.
"I'll tell Bones tomorrow when I see her. Maybe, they can find the body and prove once and for all that you're innocent," the teen said with a hopeful look. While he liked hanging out with the younger looking Sirius, he was sure the man wanted his life back. He knew that he wanted to remember and then go on with life— whole. The burst of memories he had been getting made him ever hopeful.
"Don't worry about it, I think I'll just open another vault and call the Black line dead. Though, that means I have to magically take a new name. Any suggestions?" Sirius asked, taking another sip of his drink. He had thought long and hard about it. And the Black name was too dark to try and turn. If he died, then Malfoy and his ilk would get everything. If he killed the name, then they would get nothing. He would, of course, put aside some money for Andromeda and her family, the rest could suffer for all he cared.
"How about McCarthy? It sounds nothing like Black," Harry suggested, pulling a name out of nowhere.
"Like the non-magical singer. No thanks, I need a wizarding sounding name," was the reply.
"Ummm, okay, wizarding. How about Jenkins?"
"Hmmm, that sounds close, like hijinks. Could be. Anything else?"
Harry giggled as a name popped into his head. "Holegend Dumblewhite?" he asked, watching to see the other man's reaction.
Sirius spit his drink across the bar. "You're joking, right? That's not even a proper name," he all but snapped. "Get serious, would you?"
"I can't you, that's you. All joking aside, are you going to change your first name? It's kinda recognizable."
"I don't know, I really like my first name. But, you're right it's a pretty rare name. Maybe keep it as my middle name?" Sirius said deep in thought. He hadn't really thought about his first name. He liked it too much to just get rid of it.
"You know, I think we're thinking too hard on this. Go simple, like Sirius Reggie Grey," was the final suggestion.
"Why did you pick Reggie?" the glamored man asked.
"Don't know, it just sounds right," the teen shrugged.
"Yeah, I could do that, or Reggie Sirius Grey. That'll work too," Sirius said, thinking about his younger brother. The time spent in Azkaban had laid to rest the hate he had for the dead man. He understood the peer pressure that Regulus had faced. The poor man had been faced with it from all sides. His mum, his dad, his extend family, his friends in school, and finally the Dark Lord. Regulus didn't stand a chance. Still, he'd have to think on it whether or not to take that name.
"Anyway, let's drop this for now, and see if we can't just relax and have a good night," Harry said, seeing how melancholy his godfather was getting. He had no idea why that name put that look on Sirius' face, but was sure he would tell him when he wanted. Until then, they could just chill and talk about girls or something.
So that's what they did for the rest of the night, Sirius talking about his latest conquest and Harry going over his feeling for his two female friends.
.....
Can't wait to read more exciting chapters then what are you waiting for Join my p*atreon right now.
Get 60+ Premium chapters.
Link: p*atreon.com/Earthly_Writer (Remove the *)
2 Chapters for all free members.