48 - Setting Things in Motion
Chapter Forty-Eight
Setting Things in Motion
Breakfast on Wednesday saw the group back in the Great Hall. Sunset and Hermione were clearly rather tired. As they had expected, they hadn't gotten much sleep. It also wasn't entirely surprising when the headmaster came up to their table.
"Good morning Miss Shimmer, I hope yesterday's adventures weren't too straining for you?"
Sunset tiredly shook her head. "No. But I'm not really in any hurry to return there if I can avoid it. At least unless it's to get rid of those abominations."
"There is no known way to destroy dementors," the Headmaster calmly pointed out.
"Give me a day when I'm not this tired and I'll find one for you." She chuckled quietly before looking back to the headmaster. "So, anyway, how is Mr. Black doing?"
"All things considered, surprisingly well. His mind seems largely intact, though his body will still take a bit to recover. I take it you will inform your princess of what you have learned yesterday?"
"Of course. I'll probably do that later, I didn't find the time tonight."
"It did get rather late, didn't it?"
"After telling the others what happened, definitely."
"Yes, it seems the school's rumor mill is going to have a field day with this. And the Daily Prophet won't be far behind, I suspect. Ah that reminds me. Mister Potter, would you mind seeing me in my office after lunch?" When Harry shrugged, Dumbledore turned back to Sunset. "I already asked you to come anyway, Miss Shimmer. Would you mind showing him the way?"
"Sure."
Satisfied, Dumbledore returned to the head table while the Gryffindors continued their meal.
Once they had eaten lunch, the Gryffindors returned to their common room to relax and conserve their strength for the day's Astronomy class, late at night. Harry and Sunset, however, were headed elsewhere.
Harry followed the girl through the castle's many corridors until they reached a stone statue. Sunset stopped before it, rolled her eyes and said, "Bubblegum." Harry tilted his head in confusion, before the statue suddenly came to life and jumped aside, the wall parting behind it to reveal a passageway.
Waving for him to follow, Sunset stepped through and made her way up the spiraling stone staircase. Stepping onto it, Harry noted that it was moving, slowly carrying them upwards. Sunset was walking up it anyways so he made to catch up.
"Come in."
Sunset pushed the door open and stood aside to let Harry pass into the office atop the stairs. Seeing the headmaster wave her in as well, Sunset stepped inside, closing the door behind them.
"Thank you for coming. There are some things I need to tell you about Harry. Take a seat."
The two of them sat down.
"Miss Shimmer, I take it you and Mister Weasley informed your classmates of the things we learned yesterday?" When Sunset nodded he continued. "Good, then I don't need to explain too much. Harry, you know that Sirius Black was a good friend of your father, but there is more to it than that. Sirius is your godfather, Harry. And I expect that once he has sufficiently recovered from the terrors of Azkaban, he will want to get to know you. After all, he hasn't seen you in ten years."
Harry stared at the old man with wide eyes. He had a godfather he never knew of? A man who had been a friend of his father? A man who could have taken care of him all these years he had spent with the Dursleys?
While Harry was lost in thought, Dumbledore turned to Sunset. "Now, Miss Shimmer. If the magic of Equestria truly does sustain his mother's protection, which my scans suggest it does, then there is no reason for him to return to the Dursleys over the summer.
"Sirius, I know for a fact, has inherited the house of his family, simply because he is the only viable heir. As long as there is a member of House Black who still bears the name, the house cannot be inherited by anyone who doesn't. The family's wealth will have gone to others, but the house is his.
"That being said. If I'm guessing right, Sirius will not be eager to return to said house, which leaves us with a bit of a problem.
"I can't tell if the protection Harry's mother gave him will now require him to see Equestria as a home he can return to, but I'd rather not take the chance, so it would be best if he did."
Sunset nodded thoughtfully. "I'll write to Princess Celestia. I'm sure she can arrange something. And if Mister Black wants Harry to live with him, I'm sure that can be arranged as well. The Weasleys and Hermione's parents adjusted rather well to being ponies and if Mr. Black is already used to a quadrupedal form, that will just make it easier for him."
Dumbledore smiled. "I had hoped you would say that." He nodded and his expression became thoughtful again. "I suspect it will take a week at least for Sirius to recover physically from the effects of Azkaban. As far as his mental health is concerned, I suspect meeting Harry will greatly help him improve on that front.
"For now, let's assume that he will be ready for that by next Saturday. If we are to make arrangements in Equestria, that would require your presence or, if she can arrange it, that of Princess Celestia. I'd very much like to meet her."
Sunset, having had quite a while to get a measure of the man, nodded slowly. "Yes, I guess you would. I'll see if she can arrange it."
"I thank you. Now. Harry."
Dumbledore calling his name seemed to startle Harry from his thoughts.
"We have ordered your new broom and it should arrive soon. If you get a long slender package that looks like it could hold a broomstick, please don't open it in the Great Hall. Take it to your dorm and open it there, we don't want this to make a big splash."
"Okay, Professor."
"Good. Now I think you will want to rest up a little so you can be ready for Astronomy tonight."
Harry made to leave but noticed that Sunset wasn't following. "Sunset?"
"Go ahead. I'll be there in a minute."
Dumbledore looked up as Harry shrugged and left the office. "Is there something else, Miss Shimmer?"
"Yes. There is. You remember how I noticed the mark on Mr. Pettigrew's forearm yesterday?"
Dumbledore slowly nodded. He could guess where this was going. "You noticed that Professor Snape also bears the same mark and wondered if I know about it?" Sunset nodded. "I do. You needn't worry about him. He abandoned the dark forces before the end of the war and acted as a spy for me after that. He had personal reasons that I will not share here, but I assure you they were good ones. I trust him completely."
Sunset considered the matter for a moment. "Alright, there is also the matter of Professor Quirrell."
"Quirinus? If you noticed dark magic about him, I wouldn't be surprised. It could easily be a side effect of his position."
"I know that. And I'm making sure that that isn't the cause. That's actually the main reason I waited so long before telling you about it. The problem is that there is a dark magic about him that has been growing stronger since the start of term. A dark magic I have yet to identify. And I'm starting to run out of things it could be.
"I've also heard that the position is supposedly cursed. I checked in today's lesson. There actually is a curse on the position, but that isn't the dark magic I've been sensing. It's extremely subtle and well hidden, but if you want I can help you track down its anchor at some point. The worrying thing about the dark magic surrounding Professor Quirrell is that it is focused around his head."
Dumbledore's eyes widened slightly. He knew quite a few things about dark magic. Including its corrupting influence. If it was focused around the head, that could indeed be highly problematic. Still he let the girl continue.
"Furthermore, it only breaches skin level in one place. The back of his head. So to summarize. The dark magic about him, a dark magic that, by the way, shows all the signs of being deliberately concealed, and the only place where it is likely to show physical effects is hidden underneath his turban. I don't know what he told you about his turban, but when we asked him about it in class his explanation was flimsy at best.
"He said it was a gift. A reward for ridding an African prince from a zombie. But he was quick to distract from the subject when we asked how he did that. Not to mention that we saw him in the Leaky Cauldron only a month before the start of term. I didn't know what he looked like then, but I certainly didn't see a turban then."
Dumbledore was worried now. "Are you certain he claimed it was a zombie?"
Sunset narrowed her eyes in thought for a moment. "Yes. That's what he called it, why?"
"Because there is no such thing as zombies. The concept is entirely a muggle invention. Likely based off of the concept of inferi, but if it had been that, an expert on the dark arts would have called it that. We may have to inquire directly."
"I don't think that's a good idea. It may not even be anything. And if he thinks we suspect anything, he could easily become very dangerous. Give me a bit more time to identify the magic. We can find a solution from there. Until then, maybe just keep your eyes open."
Dumbledore was quiet for a moment. "Very well. I suppose you have a point. Rash action may prove unwise. I'll make my own covert scans. Once either of us manages to identify the magic, it may be wise to ask your princess for advice."
"Yes. A thousand years of experience might come in handy. I'll probably soon ask her if she can recommend any more scans I could make. It may well be a type of dark magic I didn't think of."
"Very well. For now I think you should return to your common room and save your energy for tonight."
"True. Good afternoon professor."
Dumbledore watched her leave with mild concern. He would have to think over his past dealings with Quirinus again. Was there a subtle change in behavior he had missed? Aside from the obvious, of course. Or was his stutter and anxiety simply a mask to conceal such subtle differences? He would need time to think about that.
Now, however, it was time to send out a few letters. There were some people who deserved to learn about recent events from him rather than seeing them in the morning news a few days from now.
He looked down at the letter in his hands as he sat in the reception area of St. Mungo's Hospital. It had arrived in the morning, only a few hours ago and he had come as soon as he could. It wouldn't do to visit his friend any later, especially since the full moon was a mere few days away.
With nothing better to do while he waited, he unfolded the parchment and re-read the letter another time.
Dear Remus,
I write you today because I have news that you deserve to be told in person
rather than learn them from the Daily Prophet. Just yesterday I learned a
good bit about what you and the other Marauders got up to over your last
three years at Hogwarts. I learned that James was an animagus. And that
Sirius and Peter still are.
Yes. You read that correctly. Peter is alive. He spent the last ten years in his
animagus form, hiding out as a rat. When one of my students noticed that
something was off about the pet of young Ronald Weasley (yes he hid under
the roof of the Weasley family, the irony is not lost on me.) she brought the
matter to Minerva's attention.
When she revealed Peter's true identity, he tried to attack and kill her, but
ended up disarmed and subdued. I called in Amelia's help and she took us
along to take up our statements. In the interrogation I learned all that had
happened. Sirius didn't betray James and Lily. He wasn't the secret keeper.
He wasn't the double agent. Peter was.
Sirius suggested making him the secret keeper as a bluff, a ruse to lead
Voldemort on a false track. He knew that he was the obvious choice. But
by suggesting Peter, he played right in his hands and Peter betrayed them.
He was also the one that killed all those muggles that day, then cut off his
own finger before fleeing through the sewers as a rat. Sirius never fired a
spell. We went to Azkaban to retrieve him immediately. He is in St. Mungo's
now. With this letter I'm sending you a written authorization. The staff will
let you see him.
I will do all I can to see this injustice corrected.
Your old friend,
Albus.
He could hardly believe it. Peter was alive. And he was the betrayer, not Sirius. Sirius was innocent. He had never understood how his friend, his pack mate, could do such a thing. He had never been one to be easily swayed from his beliefs, so how had the Death Eaters gotten through to him? Sirius had never been one to desire power, so that could not have been a draw. He had never feared a confrontation, so him turning on them out of fear was unimaginable. And while wealth was a draw for every wizard, Sirius had more than he would ever need.
Now, of course, everything made so much more sense. Peter had always had a certain lust for power, he might have been susceptible to the Voldemort's machinations. He was still convinced that they had simply gotten unlucky. Peter had always been the weakest of the group, but even winning him over couldn't have been easy. He was saddened by the betrayal of one he had considered a friend.
But Sirius was innocent. And that was why he was here. With renewed resolve, he walked up to the receptionist and showed her the slip of paper he had found in the letter. She nodded and quietly told him a room number, pointing to the door beside her desk.
With a quiet thanks he walked off.
The headmaster's prediction came true two days later. The morning mail made breakfast in the Great Hall quite a bit more interesting. Harry's broomstick arrived, of course, but is also seemed that the Daily Prophet hat gotten their hands on the news of Mr. Black's release from Azkaban.
Over the course of the past two days, the news had slowly spread throughout the Gryffindor Tower, bur only in the later hours of the previous day had the news spread to the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. As such, there was quite the uproar at their tables, but it couldn't match the chaos at the Slytherin table.
It got so bad that Professor Snape had to come down in person to lay down the law. After that, his house resigned itself to silent fuming under the watchful eyes of their prefects. Harry, meanwhile led the trek back out of the hall and to the common room. From there it was a mere few moments before he reached the boys' dorms and unwrapped his brand-new 'Nimbus 2000', as the plaque at the front proudly proclaimed.
It was, by all accounts, a top-of-the-line racing broom. The streamlined shape and polished wood spoke of the work of expert craftsmen. The entire design showed their pride in their work.
After that day's Potions class was over, this time without an almost disaster at the hands of Neville, which did wonders for the boy's confidence, Harry found Oliver Wood at lunch. He was, unsurprisingly, eager to start training Harry, and promised to give him an introduction that evening.
So it was that at seven that evening, Harry flew from the top of Gryffindor Tower to the Quidditch Pitch. He landed lightly on the grass, jumping off his broom just as Wood arrived with a large box that Harry suspected to hold the game's four balls.
"Very nice. I can see what McGonnagall meant. You really are a natural. Now. You said you know the rules?"
They then went through the basic rules of the game. Harry, having memorized the rulebook they had bought for Sunset to translate, surprised Wood with his knowledge and even taught him a few obscure things.
Wood didn't quite expect Harry's reaction when he explained that they wouldn't be practicing with the Snitch due to the darkness. "So what? I'll find it. It's not like it can just fly off, is it? It's charmed not to leave the playing area."
"I suppose you're not wrong ..."
"And ... I've figured out how to get my eyes to zoom. Oh that reminds me."
Wood was puzzled to see Harry wave in the direction of the distant Gryffindor tower. "Why are you waving?"
"My friends are watching."
Confused, Wood took a closer look, and indeed, squinting a little, he could see the glimmer of several telescopes in the light of the setting sun. "You can see them from here?"
"Yep. I have the best eyes at the school. And now I also have a built in telescope."
"Well alright then."
Wood let the snitch fly several times. Each time, Harry would close his eyes to give the ball a few seconds to fly off, then reopen them and let his gaze wander over the vacant stadium. He would then jump onto the broom and race off towards a more or less distant corner of the field and come back with the snitch in hand moments later. Occasionally, the ball would manage to escape, but even then it would only take a few moments before Harry found it again.
By the end, Wood had to hold back so as to not jump for joy.
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good chapter nice to see Sunset didn't take long to bring her suspicions to Dumbledore. Bit of a correction to make:
This isn't true, Zombies are stated to exist in the Harry Potter universe and while similar to inferi Rowling did explain the difference:
Edit: The other problem with this is that Quirrell isn't an idiot. If he was gonna make up a false story he wouldn't use a creature that doesn't actually exist. Especially in a school where such details could be easily fact-checked.
Somehow I have the feeling Sirius once he travels to Equestria will become a Diamond Dog, which will likely cause all kinds of trouble.
9644162
Interesting tidbit. Thank you for sharing that information.
Harry's going to make quidditch quit being fun for the next seven years in Hogwarts, ain't him?
It would be intresting to see Sirius become a Diamond Dog or a Dragon when he gose to Equestria of corse it would also be nice to see McGonical become an Abysinian, like Capper, when she gets to Equestria, no one has done that yet
9644194
I'm more interested in what Remus will become... Or will his lycanthropy be cured and the wolf will just become his form?
9644227
You make a very valid point.
9644221
That ... is an interesting idea, I'll give you that.
9644227
I have plans for that, but they might take a while still ... That's all I'll say.
So they gave his money away ... well its a good thing it was illegally distributed .. he didnt receive a trial so the ministry distrbuted a illegally imprisoned mans wealth. If he had a trial and was found guilty thatd be different but he never stood before a judge who declared him such. Technically Barty crouch should be tried for obstruction of justice since he never gave him a trial and if hes connected with the distribution of blacks wealth grand larceny. They could go for whoever was in charge of the ministry and the head of magical law enforcement at the time of his illegal imprisonment too. Probably just be fines paid to black but its something. Plus if their public trials their names will be dragged through the mud meaning if their still in office theyd probably have to step down from their positions.
9644320
Yeah, the loss of his fortune is definitely a change from the books because it's mentioned that after Sirius' death Harry inherited the entire black family fortune.
This could happen, not sure what the author's plan is if he plans to greatly deviate from canon. In canon the lack of trials wasn't a secret, it was basically the wild west towards the end of the war, as people turned a blind eye to the lack of trials because everyone was desperate to bring a quick end to the war in the wake of Voldemort's defeat.
"Very nice. I can see what McGonnagall meant. You really are a natural. Now. You said you now the rules?"
It should be know.
9644336
Actually, this wasn't a change at all. Sirius makes it clear that his fortune is inherited from only one uncle of his who was (likely because of that) removed from the black family tree in 12 Grimault Square. He never owned the rest of the black fortune in canon either.
9644352
That is should. Fixed.
9644362
Ah yes I reread it, I guess i misread it the first time so it's more like others inherited it instead of him.
I sometimes wonder if that curse on the Defense position has some kind of subtle mental effect, because everyone seems to have just accepted it as something that can't be fixed.
nice work.
9644442
If it was easy to remove they would have gotten rid of it years ago. In canon, it took Voldemort's death to finally get rid of it.
Great update!
9644486
I think it may be a matter of opinion, that I think more could have been done. Like this…
What if they just officially get rid of the defense position for a year. Would the curse have nothing to hold onto, and come undone, like a stone arch with the keystone removed. Or would it be set adrift, like a boat that's suddenly found that the ocean floor its anchor was resting on, has gotten too deep for the chain. (Unlikely as a real world scenario for an actual boat, but it's the best I could do with the time I allowed myself.)
I also don't know exactly what they tried, to get rid of it. They tend to mess up a lot of other thing, so I can't trust that this isn't one of them. Clearly, something is stopping Dumbledore from delegating effectively, so he's stretched too thin. (I don't know if he has trust issues, or simply lacks the leadership skills to delegate tasks. He might even have some form of PTSD from the two wars he's been in.)
I just think that they've given up too soon on a solution, and not done enough to solve it. It's kind of important, after all!
9644623
Their problem is a simple one: You cannot break a curse, if you cannot find it.
9644623
The curse has existed for years and it's not something they can just ignore. The assumption is that they tried everything they could think of and nothing worked. I know a lot of people on this site like to answer everything with "wizards r dumb" but the fact is the reason most fics don't bother trying to get rid of the curse, other than there being no reason too, is that anything you come up with is gonna feel like an asspull because it is simply unbelievable that a curse that causes this much trouble for the school wouldn't have every conceivable solution thrown at it before they had no choice but to give up.
Loving the story. I am curious is this a reverse gender role Equestria?
9644952
Not specifically, no.
9644971
Good good. Since Sunset held a door for a boy I can just assume it is. Sunset is taking the lead and training Hermione to do so too. With nothing countering the thought it's as good as proof!
9644985
I'm... not sure that's how proving things works... But sure, why not? There are worse headcanons to have.
9645234
Lyra and Bon Bon are lesbian lovers due to sitting next to each other. Lyra loves humans due to sitting like one once. Why let things like lack of proof or logic get in the way of fan theories? Though to be fair I wouldn't put this like in the RGRE group stories without at least a little more, like Sunset cat calling at a guy or Sunset/Celestia buying a house for the poor abused stallion (total RGRE trope).
Did you write this in to illistrate that Dumbledore has absolutely no clue how the law works on any level or did you just want Sirius to be strapped for cash in your story? Setting aside the fact that he was left independently wealthy by his uncle, he still has claims to the family fortune, no matter who may have "inherited" it with him in prison. Even the most incompetent lawyer would be able to secure him the lion's share of whatever remained and/or any profits/properties acquired through the use of the inheritance. The only reason cannon Sirius never had access to these funds is because he was never acquitted.
Also, you need a quote at the end there.
9645578
Dumbledore is aware that Sirius has the inheritance from his uncle, but not the Black family fortune. Whether or not he can get it, is another matter entirely, the point of fact is that he doesn't currently have it. And no, that doesn't need a quotation mark at the end, as Dumbledore continues speaking in the next paragraph. That's more or less a custom here no FimFiction, kinda like not capitalizing the names of races and species. (I don't know why we do those things, but we do.)
9645674
Really? I hadn't noticed that before. The quotations thing that is. I only caught it in your work because I quoted it.
On the inheritance, I think you're splitting hairs with that response. The chances of Sirius not receiving at least thirty percent of the Black family fortune under current US laws is exactly zero. That's with him being estranged completely from all of his family members and being explicitly written out of any wills after his incarceration. Since we are dealing with a fictional legal system, you have a lot of leeway to play with, but Dumbledore's statement stretches the boundaries of credulity. Something, I'm perfectly fine with. I was just wondering at the intent behind why you wrote it that way. You are otherwise writing him as a straight shooter, yet this one line pings strongly on the manipulation scale.
9645913
He's just stating facts as they are. He could speculate on how they might end up being, but ultimately the note on the family fortune was only an aside in talking about the house, so he didn't mention it.
9645975
I definitely understand what you're trying to get across but it probably would have been better to not mention the money at all then or at least make it clearer what's being discussed. It makes things a little unclear because you make it sound like Sirius doesn't have a penny to his name when in canon he definitely had money even as a criminal. Either way is fine it could just stand to be a little clearer.
9645256
I'm honestly not sure how Sunset holding the door open for Harry when he's literally right behind her and they have the same destination is an indication of RGRE. I tend to hold doors open for people all the time when I notice someone coming up to somewhere behind me because it's the polite thing do to, as opposed to slamming it in their face and making them open it themselves or go around. Harry is also Sunset's friend, so she doesn't really need an excuse to be nice or polite to him. Much the opposite as a matter of fact...
I'm also not sure how Celestia "gifting" Sirius a home in Equestria somewhere would necessarily be a sign of RGRE. I mean, yes, under certain circumstances it could be, but it's harder to explain as a definitive indication by itself, since Celestia is going to be fully appraised of the situation regarding Harry and Sirius, will understand that Harry will probably want to live with Sirius (the latter being the former's godfather), and is a genuinely Nice individual who legitimately wants the best for everyone and can afford to be so despite being a head of state. That's not to say that if that Does happen in this story Celestia wouldn't have some sort of ulterior motive, as I would expect Celestia to want to keep a sharp eye on the situation anyway, given Harry's history as an abuse victim and Sirius being exposed to Dementors for ten years, and giving Sirius a house somewhere in Canterlot would be a perfect excuse to "Check In" on them personally on occasion to make sure they're Both doing well.
I'm not denying that fandoms in general, and this fandom in particular, tend to take tidbits of the most obscure things seen or heard from their respective series and blow them out of proportion into whatever they end up being in the Fan Lexicons (EX: [Insert whatever ship you want here], Lyra's human obsession, "Evil" Dumbledore, Canterlot Nobles, Molly/Ginny used Love Potions on Harry, Etc...), but in Fanfiction I prefer to wait and see which interpretations the authors have taken to the different fanons available to them, and between Gerandakis stating that RGRE isn't particularly a thing in this setting, and my personally not seeing what Equestria being RGRE could Add as a narrative device other than making things more convoluted and awkward for all the male characters, I just don't see it happening here and dearly hope the author doesn't go that direction later down the road.
9645674
https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/70360/is-it-proper-grammar-to-omit-an-ending-quote-at-the-end-of-a-paragraph
9646123
RGRE is certainly an interesting concept, and a more realistic way to project real-world issues into Equestria.
However, most things in the show point towards a completely egalitarian society. I mean, a lot of the male characters were often portrayed as comic relief, or incompetent, but no societal influences were present.
After all, Shining Armor is in a very prominent position, and Prince Blueblood certainly doesn't have to struggle to make his authority apparent. (As small as that authority actually is.)
Show-wise, it seems that with both genders not having any predetermined cultural roles, both sides are allowed lenience. Stallions don't have to be manly, and mares don't have to be passive. There are still societal pressures, but they seem class-related, and not gender related.
None of those traits seem to be present in this fic, though. Sunset has always been driven and assertive, except when actively embarrassed immediately following her reformation.
Pffff funny thing is that Goblins don't actually care about Wizarding politics, and this is the only reason that Sirius kept not only his money, but the house as well that I would remind you was under Fidelius charm
As a heads up this chapter repeats itself.
Loving the story!
In fact, IIRC, since Grindelwald died, Dumbledore & Voldemort are probably the two biggest experts alive on the Dark Arts
9768414
grindy didnt die until after dumbles