Moony-
What to say? I've put this together since Amelia first cornered me at the ICW Conference. If I know you, you're kicking yourself for believing that I would betray Lily and James, DON'T! Next if the rat didn't scamper away to hide and still has the nerve to be about, your next instinct is probably to murder the SOB.
As tempting as that might be once again don't, I need the yellow bellied slimy sneak to prove my innocence and if after that he doesn't get kissed, I might consider forcing him into staying a rat and feeding him to one of the many snakes that inhabit the area where Harry and I live. I'm so sorry that James and I stopped trusting you, you had done nothing to deserve it and I'll regret doing that for the rest of my life. Just goes to prove what a mule headed idiot I can be sometimes especially back then.
I've changed Moony. I know you doubtlessly are wondering why if I didn't do it, I took Harry and ran. You remember how back in school James sometimes seemed to know what was going to happen before it did. I found out why, James had a little bit of sight. Not the whole spouting out prophecies thing, just a hint of what would happen. Saved our arses a shitload of times as aurors, but he had a dream the day before Halloween. He MADE me swear a marauder oath that if something happened to him and Lily I would take Harry and get away from the U.K.
James didn't trust Albus with Harry, he trusted him with most things but not Harry because of some prophecy. That prophecy was the reason they went into hiding in the first place. Remus I know you respect and admire Albus more than anyone else because he let you come to the Hogwarts. But he is still just a man and he is fallible.
He intended to put Harry with Petunia and Vernon. He wasn't even going to have Poppy check him first. He blocked the wills, if Ironclaw hadn't known the contents of the wills I wouldn't have been able to escape with Harry. Thank Merlin he did and I did. I know this is probably hard for you. You've looked up to Albus a long time, hell I respect the man, but I don't trust him, not with myself and definitely not with Harry.
Enough on that though, moving on.
If I know you, you're between jobs, your furry problem being hell on work attendance in muggle jobs and wizards not being willing to employ you. I'm sure given the person you are you're squeaking by but you deserve better. So my friend, present yourself to Grimjaw Trollslayer at Gringotts' he'll give you details of your new job.
This needs to stay private Remus. I'm working to make it that I can come back to England but a big part of that for now is secrecy. I'm hoping Amelia has taken what I plan to give her and verified as much of it as she could before contacting you. I'm also hoping she's contacted Andy and Ted. I restored Andy to the family I plan for her to take over the Wizengamot and the Hogwarts board of governors seats. Both of you, sorry all of you need to know I inherited the Duke de Sable title.
If you need to refer to me please use that moniker not because of pride but because I have carefully been building a reputation in respectable quarters as the duke to make my return easier. Ask Amelia about what I've said about Moldyshorts, look for allies. Enjoy the packet my friend. I'm sorry you've been deprived of the joy I've been blessed with and sorry to have deprived you of my companionship during all those moons.
Much love brother
Padfoot
.....
Remus fought back tears that threatened to overwhelm him. He opened the packet inside were photographs of Harry there were a few with Sirius in them, most of them were labeled only with a date. The photos went back to his toddlerhood. The earliest photos were wizard photos it showed Harry as a less than happy baby, he looked ill. The photos progressed and starting with the photos of Harry's second birthday the photos became muggle ones.
But Harry's third birthday showed a smiling healthy child. There were pictures of him in a martial arts class of some kind, pictures of him frowning as he drew a picture when he looked around five. There was a picture of an old woman with sky blue hair, that one was labeled Harry's first magic since Oct.31, 1981.
Harry playing muggle football, his seventh birthday, Harry frowning in concentration as he played a cello, another of him playing a guitar, Harry and Sirius on a beach with surfboards, Harry in his martial arts uniform receiving an award of some kind, a school portrait, Harry in some other kind of uniform with several similarly dressed boys around a campfire. There were also copies of school reports and awards with Harry's name on them. Remus noticed that on all of them the addresses were carefully removed it would be impossible to trace Harry through the documents.
Amelia came back in the room. Remus all but pounced on her. "Where did you get this? How did you get it? What does he mean talk about him as Duke de Sable?"
Andromeda Tonks gasped at those words.
"If you'll calm down I'll tell you. I was at the ICW Conference in Japan last summer, during one of my down times I went to one of the workshops being offered. I was shocked and appalled to discover the auror offering the workshop was none other than the wanted criminal Sirius Black. What happened after that shook me even more. I got the drop on him, then he said I shouldn't blow him away because he wasn't James and Lily's secret keeper... I gave him my address here in London."
She finished telling them everything Sirius had told her including everything that he had said and done regarding Harry. All of her observations all of what she had been able to verify everything. "I now have a name to contact at Gringotts' to see about getting more proof that way. I'm not sure what we're supposed to do from here. I want to clean house at the ministry and in the Wizengamot but I don't have a real way to do that yet. Do any of you know who we could contact as allies?"
"Light minded allies of the Blacks are in short supply? The Greengrasses maybe, they've always been more motivated by economics than politics." Andromeda contributed.
"The Potters have always allied themselves with the Longbottoms, they also had ties to the Macmillians, and the McGonagalls."
"I've been looking hard at the ministry there are very few I can trust with this a lot of people there look to Albus or owe their position to him very few would be willing to stand up to him, the new minister is the worst of all. I wasn't aware Sirius was the Duke de Sable, he's right. He has been using money to build goodwill for his return."
"He has donated heavily to the training fund for the auror department. He's also helped 's with money for werewolf research, studies for helping curse victims especially cruciatus. And the war orphans fund, Scholarships for Hogwart and for trainings beyond Hogwarts. OH the egg this would leave on the ministry's face is priceless. Galleon for galleon he has exceeded Lucius Malfoy's donations but with a lot fewer strings."
"So the plan is?" Andromeda asked.
"I go to Gringotts' in the morning to speak with Grimjaw Trollslayer." Remus said.
"I'll go with you, if you don't mind there is some information I've been wanting to verify and he may be able to help me. Thank you."
"You're trying to do the right thing, so are we."
.....
Want to read ahead. Then You can dive right in!
Head over to my P*atreon right now and enjoy a combo of more than 60 advanced chapters from my two novels.
FREE members can access up to 2 chapters for FREE.
Join now!
Link:
p*atreon.com/Divine_Quill (Remove the *)