Harry nodded, although he didn't really feel convinced. But what could he do? He'd explained things, and Ron had got upset and stormed off, and right now, he didn't have much more time to stay and explain things. Mrs. Malfoy had said that he could have half an hour to speak to his friends, but then they needed to leave. There was some kind of legal documentation they needed to do, and that could only be done at the Ministry.
"Aldebaran!"
Harry cringed. Hermione did at the same time, and smiled at him with her lip trembling. "Do you think you can get them to stop calling you by that name? It really is awful."
"I don't know if they will," Harry said, with a sigh. "As far as they're concerned, Harry is a name that my kidnappers gave me, and they don't want to use it."
"If they really love you and would do anything for you, then they'll get used to it."
Harry paused, and then had to smile. Hermione's idea was more than a little wonderful. At the same time, he didn't know if he wanted to ask anything of the Malfoys.
But he would have to. They were going to control his life from now on.
That made Harry lose the smile. After eleven years with the Dursleys, he knew the worst they could do. He hated it, but he could survive it. How was he going to cope with the Malfoys? Especially since he'd seen Mr. Malfoy and Draco in that shop selling Dark artifacts? What did they own? What spells would they use to punish him if he didn't do what they wanted?
At the same time, Harry knew that he couldn't just give up and go along with everything they wanted. That wasn't him. And he wasn't an obedient little doll like the Malfoys would probably want.
Maybe if I bother them enough, they'll give me back my illusion and let everyone pretend that I'm just Harry Potter?
It was an idea, Harry admitted, as Mrs. Malfoy called for him again and he hugged Hermione and then turned to go back down the stairs. It was definitely an idea.
"A Malfoy! Well, how wonderful indeed, how most wonderful!"
Minister Fudge had been saying some variation of that for the last hour, while they stood in a small room with a polished wooden table and chairs and waited for people called Aurors to bring in Sirius Black. Harry was getting tired of hearing it.
But he didn't say anything, because he was clinging to the hope that Black would say that the Malfoys were wrong, and he was really Harry Potter. He looked up sharply as the door opened and the Aurors, clad in scarlet robes, dragged in Black.
Harry shivered. The man looked insane. Matted black hair clumped around his face, and he had grey eyes that looked like Mrs. Malfoy's and Draco's. And Harry's, now. Harry shuddered a little.
The man glanced back and forth between them with no sign of recognition. Minister Fudge cleared his throat and adjusted his bowler hat. "I'm afraid that he's not really all that sane, Mr. Malfoy."
"That's all right." Mr. Malfoy waited until the Aurors left the room and then took out a sparkling vial from the corner of one pocket. "I assume that this stays between us, Minister?"
"Oh, well." Fudge had eyes that darted back and forth like a rabbit's when he was nervous. "The man didn't consent to Veritaserum, you know, Mr. Malfoy," he added, with a vague reproach.
"How could someone in the state he is in consent to anything?" Mr. Malfoy asked smoothly. "And we need answers."
"Yes," Draco said. He stood next to Harry, and he hadn't moved away from him since they came into this little room through the fireplace. Now he leaned heavily, so that Harry nearly staggered from the weight. We're supposed to be twins, but he's taller and heavier than me. So maybe we're not twins? "I want to know why he took my brother."
Harry sneaked a look at Draco. Why did he want Harry? Wouldn't he just enjoy being an only child, and see Harry as the competition? That was the way Dudley had always seen him.
Draco gave him a challenging stare, and Harry turned away, to look at Black again. It was still beyond weird to be reminded that the eyes looking at him now were the same color as his own.
He must have missed them pouring the Veritaserum down Black's throat, because Mr. Malfoy was taking back an empty vial. Black's head bobbed on his neck for a minute. Then he looked up with glazed eyes.
"Whazz?" he muttered.
Harry bit his lip, desperately afraid Black might not be able to talk. Then they would never get answers, and he would have to go along and be a Malfoy for the rest of his life.
Mr. Malfoy spoke. "State your name."
"Sirius Orion Black." The voice that emerged from Black's lips was unexpectedly strong and firm, nothing like the other. This time, Harry hoped that Mr. Malfoy hadn't created a potion that would just make Black repeat whatever the Malfoys wanted to hear. But no one else seemed surprised that he sounded that way.
"What are you in prison for?"
"The betrayal of James and Lily Potter."