Harry Gaunt - Chapter 42

Sirius woke with a groggy cough. He felt weird, heavier almost as he shifted back in his chair. Arcturus was still asleep in his bed, the rain outside still pattering down through stormy clouds. Nothing had changed, hardly a few minutes having passed as Sirius got up to stretch his legs. "Bellatrix?" He looked around the room for her. "Right, they left."

They'd be at the great hall then as Sirius marched his way from the room. He could feel the ring on his finger, a weight that while new felt strangely familiar as he passed the empty hospital beds.

Madam Pomphrey seemed to have disappeared somewhere again, probably lunch as well. Sirius pondered if an extra house elf might be needed to help Arcturus. "I'll speak to Ga- Harry." Sirius begrudgingly corrected himself. "Harry Gaunt."

He'd have to deal with the man a lot as he arrived in the empty corridors around the hospital wing, thinking that whatever Lord Gaunt had in-mind to help him, would need cautious consideration.

For one, Sirius didn't know him. And for two, he'd still attacked the alley; and the forest and how Snape seemed to have taken to following him around all of a sudden.

Sirius grumbled. He was powerful, and had become very close to Bellatrix in a short space of time. "Weird. It's weird how close they are."

Sirius turned down a flight of stairs that coiled through the stone. He felt the wind leak through the windows as he made his way down - they were cracked and old, like so much of the castle he and James had discovered. James. Sirius looked at his hand.

"Oh, there you are." Mary appeared at the bottom of the stairs, she made Sirius jump.

"Mary," said Sirius. "Hi."

She gave him a sheepish smile. "We were looking for you," she said. "But it looks like I found you." Mary liked talking to Sirius, when he wasn't doing that silly flirting thing.

"You and Lily then," concluded Sirius. Mary nodded. "You split up to search for me?" He grinned mischievously, he'd always known how sweet Mary was. "Thank you."

Sirius smiled sincerely.

"Are you okay though?" Mary returned, feeling something different in the way Sirius held himself. "When Dumbledore took you off, James tried to go after you."

Sirius guffawed. Of course he had.

"Sirius." Mary looked at him. "Don't laugh. We were worried about you."

"I know, sorry." Sirius composed himself. "It's just James you know. He'd have probably duelled Dumbledore if he thought I was in trouble."

Mary's look became incredulous.

"Anyway, let's go." Sirius encouraged she follow as he swept around her. He was hungry, maybe they'd make it in time before the food disappeared.

Mary walked beside him. She could be quiet sometimes. "So…" She piped up quietly as they passed a stone gargoyle. "Is everything ok now?"

Sirius guided them round a bend. They bumped shoulders.

"Sorry."

"No, it was my fault." Sirius stepped purposefully away. "And yes - and no. It's difficult to explain." He took a laboured breath as they continued to walk. "It's just… unexpected news. But I am fine now."

He'd do his best. Arcturus would wake up soon, and by then, Sirius wouldn't have had enough time to mess anything up.

"Great," said Mary as they came to the great hall. "I like your ring by the way. I never noticed it before, but's it's nice." She was giving him a complement, even if she was clearly unaware that Sirius was a Lord now. "Anyway, I best be getting back."

Mary had to find Lily. She's probably found her way to the library by now.

"Mary." Sirius spoke before she could turn away. "Thank you again, for looking. I guess James and the others didn't…" He looked into her eyes.

She nodded. "They decided to leave you to it. They're back at the common room, figured you'd return there eventually."

"Right." Sirius thanked her again. "I'll see you later."

Mary nodded, turning to leave. She took one last look into his soulful grey eyes, they were unique, she'd never once seen a muggle with eyes like that. "Bye Sirius."

He watched her as she walked away.

Sirius shouldn't stare.

Sigh.

The hall was practically empty as he slipped inside, so he decided to just sit where there was food still out, nobody would care that he wasn't in Slytherin.

Then a few minutes later as Sirius ate some left-over pie, the door just over his shoulder swung open.

Sirius looked back. "Reggie?" He looked at his brother come trotting in.

Regulus looked over with relief. "Sirius. I'd given up." He sat across from him at the table. "I see you did it then." He looked at the ring clear as day. It fit Sirius perfectly.

"Yeah," returned Sirius quietly. "I just hope I did the right thing. Took me a while too." He was glad Regulus was the first to find him. "Did you feel it?"

Regulus nodded. "I expect we all did. Mother especially." He leaned his elbows against the table. "She wrote to me today about something else, apparently Grimmauld Place is inaccessible. Was that you?"

He looked at Sirius, who seemed confused. Harry hadn't said it was inaccessible, though… "No, not me. I only just put the ring on. Did this happen last night?"

"Yes. Her letter arrived this morning." Regulus sighed at the effort of it all. "She's becoming more intolerable by the day."

Regulus had suffered her words and expectations for years, just as Sirius had before he'd escaped to the Potters. Regulus far from begrudged his older brother for doing it, he'd have done the same in his shoes.

"It's not right. None of it is." Sirius waved his spoon for affect. "She's a nut. I bet her and the rest are already plotting on how to replace me."

Sirius took an angry piece of his pie. If Harry was right in what he'd said, then Sirius could very well be next.

"It's not that simple Sirius," came Regulus's nervous response. He ran a worried hand through his hair. "I don't know what's happening anymore. At first it was just mother's nonsense, then Cygnus, Pollux and the rest. But now it's…" He looked tired.

Sirius set his spoon down. "At first? You mean, they actually-"

Regulus nodded firmly. "They've joined. They have tattoos Sirius. The things Walburga had always said, how Pureblood's should rise up and take back control, they're finally doing it."

Took them long enough. They'd been unbearable with all the griping.

"What? Why am I just hearing about this?" Sirius slid the bowl away. "Last I heard, Arcturus had banished Cygnus from the house for supporting the Pureblood Movement, for killing muggles." Sirius hadn't cared to know more about it at the time. He'd shied away from it. "And Walburga being dreadful as usual, spouting nonsense about rising up and helping 'pave the way'-" He did speech quotes with his fingers. "-and now this?"

It was insanity. They'd tried to kill Arcturus, they were part of the Pureblood Movement?

"You've not been told Sirius," whispered Regulus. "A few days ago, everything changed. Mother and Cygnus are in charge now, they're closest to the… the-"

"The what?" Sirius looked at his brother strangely.

Regulus pushed it out. "-the Dark Lord." He looked down at the table. "I've never met him. But basically all the Pureblood families are on board now. They're planning to take control, by any means necessary." He looked back up at his brother, his Lord. "You know what that means Sirius."

Sirius stayed very still. He knew what it meant. "War."

"Yes, it'll be like before with Grindelwald. Except this time, they might just win." Regulus hadn't told Sirius any of this until now because until now, he was not in a position to do anything about it. "I don't know what to do. They want me to join, mother won't stop going on about it. She even thinks I should drop out after my OWL's."

"That won't happen," assured Sirius unequivocally. "She has no right. All that stuff's up to me now." Sirius reached across the table and grasped his brother's hand. Regulus had been dealing with all this on his own, all while Sirius had been running off pranking first-years. "She can't force you to do anything."

"But then," said Regulus as the two let go. "Who sealed off Grimmauld Place? Was it Arcturus before he died?"

"He's not dead," said Sirius. Regulus looked shocked. "I see now. Gaunt must have foiled them, and since I put the ring, they'll have no reason to believe Arcturus is still alive."

"But that doesn't change the fact that they always expected you to become Lord Black," added Regulus. "They'll still want control, so they'll either try to recruit you or…"

As of now, Regulus was Sirius's heir until he fathered a son.

"So that was Walburga's plan," concluded Sirius. "I am sorry Reggie. How did we ever become so unlucky to have a mother like her." Sirius rubbed a hand across his face. "It's a nightmare."

Regulus had put his head in his hands. He didn't know, but it was what it was. "So wait," he said looking up. "It was Arcturus then? Did he do it to all the property? Because that would be great if he did. Mother's staying at one of the manors in the west country."

They could make them all homeless, the traitors.

"No, that was Harry. I don't even know if I can do that for the other property. But Arcturus did say that everyone's money was actually his money, so there's that."

"That could work." Regulus liked the sound of that even more. "Will you cast them out as well? House Black, soon to be the smallest Pureblood house in the country." Regulus smirked.

Sirius laughed. He didn't honestly know, maybe they weren't all to blame. "We'll see. But I think since Cygnus tried kill Arcturus, he at least ought to be. Leave him spare without a sickle to his name."

Sirius would need to speak to Harry again. He hadn't got the full story before.

"Sounds good to me." Regulus felt a lot better now. "Are you going to finish that?" He gestured to Sirius's pie along the table. "I skipped breakfast."

The sound of the bowl sliding over echoed in the empty all. "May as well, we're already late for classes. And since I am Lord now, what can they do? They already let Lord Gaunt get away with it."

Sirius fished another bowl from further down, a large dish that had a few sandwiches on.

"I've not met him yet," offered Regulus. "I know he's close with Bellatrix though, and allies to our house. Mother never stopped complaining about it during the holidays." He scooped out the last of the pie. "Is he sane?"

Regulus had seen the Daily Prophet, and heard the story of dinner and how he broke the wards.

"Probably, who knows." Sirius hardly knew him. "But Arcturus trusted him."

That had to count for something. "You'll tell him then, what I told you?" Regulus wanted him to.

"Yes, of course." Sirius assured with a tilt of his head. "You don't want to meet him?"

Regulus shook his head. "Not yet." He found it difficult to explain. "She's still our mother. Maybe I can change her mind." There was a small chance, a slim bit of hope that her fanaticism wasn't real. "I'll leave if I have to," he added. "And here at Hogwarts, it's only Lestrange and his cronies you need to look out for. Malfoy too, but that's not his style."

Sirius rubbed his brow. He made a mental note about Lestrange. "That doesn't sound like a good idea Reggie," he said. "But if you're sure, then I won't stop you. But promise me you'll keep yourself safe."

Regulus promised. He was grateful to have a brother like Sirius. "I'll let you know if anything changes." Regulus got up and said goodbye. "Good luck Sirius."

"You too Reggie." Sirius watched him go, his brother was barely fifteen. "This is mental."

Sirius climbed to his feet. He had to find Harry and Bellatrix, even if he guessed that at least Harry already knew much of what Regulus had said. Arcturus would have told him, and more as he left the great hall.

~~~~~~~

Harry really wished he still had the map as he and Bellatrix huffed at the top of some stairs. They'd looked all over for Sirius, even the great hall which they'd thought would be the first place he'd go. But no, nothing. Just a few students finishing up.

At least Bellatrix seemed to be enjoying the exercise as she looked down the corridor they'd come to. "Harry, do you actually know how to run a house?" She turned back to him, curious more than anything. "I mean, you said you weren't always a Gaunt, so you weren't given training or anything?"

Harry walked stiffly up beside her. "No, not really. But seeing as it's just me in House Gaunt, who cares. I know more than most do." He recognised this part of the castle, it was near the clock tower. "You think I won't be able to help Sirius?"

How presumptuous. He playfully poked her side.

"What? No. No that's not it at all Harry." Bellatrix latched onto his arm as they walked along. "I just mean that maybe we should find some more books, learn what we don't know. That sort of thing."

She hadn't meant to imply that he was ignorant.

Harry chuckled, he'd done just that in the weeks before term had begun. "I'll leave that bit to you," he said. "I need get started on our… other project." He stopped and looked around.

Bellatrix looked at him.

"You know," he said. "The soul thing."

"Ah, yes of course." Bellatrix stepped up to him. "The soul thing."

Harry deadpanned. Bellatrix knew full well that he meant gathering Tom's Horcuxes, storing them, then destroying them so he wouldn't notice. But all she wanted to do was kiss him, it was the hospital room all over again.

He pulled her in. She seemed to want something from him. "What's on your mind Bellatrix…" He murmured. "Is something wrong?"

She moved down and kissed his neck. "No Harry…" she whispered. "It's the opposite. I just don't know how to show it." How could she convey everything she felt for him, everything he'd done for her. "I-"

Harry lifted her up.

"Harry!" She giggled. "Someone might come."

"You didn't seem to mind before," he said with a grin. "Now, off we go. I've got to show you something."

He carried her off, smiling as Bellatrix put her arms around his neck. She loved him.

Crack.

But then they appeared within a girl's bathroom.

"Harry, this isn't what I had in mind," said Bellatrix with an eye on the surrounding cubicles. "This is Myrtle's bathroom, Harry, did you get lost?" She leaned back to look at his face. "That's not like you."

"It happens sometimes. But not this time." He arrived by the sinks, feeling nostalgic as he looked between the taps.

Bellatrix patted his arm. He set her down. "Why are we here?" she asked. "Nobody comes here anymore, least of all boys." She watched as he assessed the stone column that the sinks were placed in. "Harry?"

He found a tap, then looked back for her to come see. "Take a look. Tell me what you see."

Bellatrix quirked a brow. "Okay." She peered down at it, looking for whatever Harry had seen. "It's a tap."

She looked up. Harry shook his head. "It's my tap."

"Your tap?" Bellatrix laughed. "Harry, you're not making any-"

"Open."

The stone gave a great heave as the sinks split apart, sliding against the floor with a hiss... Bellatrix hopped away, awed and amazed as an entrance was revealed.

"See," said Harry as he took her hand. "Mine. Corvinus did a great job concealing it."

Bellatrix snapped to attention. "Corvinus? So this is…"

Harry nodded. "Hold onto me."

Bellatrix did, remembering the feeling as they turned to smoke. They disappeared down the tunnel like a fog, leaving not a trace behind as the sinks returned with a quiet clunk behind them.

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