Chapter - 81 : Wake-Up Calls and Whispered Warnings part - 2

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Mrs Frobisher appeared to be slowly coming to the realisation that things weren't going her way. "Yes, but he deserved it! And in any case I only gave him a few boils."

"Only!" Mr Wilkes sputtered. "I have boils in some veryuncomfortable places, I'll have you know!"

Sirius kept his attention studiously fixed on Mrs Frobisher. "We're currently standing on Mr Wilkes' property, aren't we?" he asked her.

"I suppose we are," she said grudgingly.

"Mr Wilkes, did you invite her here?"

The Werewolf stared at him incredulously. "Of course not, why the hell would I? Uh, I mean, no, I didn't. Sorry."

"Right." Sirius put away his scroll of parchment. "Mrs Frobisher, it appears to me that you've trespassed on Mr Wilkes's land and hexed him without any apparent provocation. Do you have an explanation for your behaviour? Preferably one that doesn't involve the word 'Werewolf'?"

Mrs Frobisher drew herself up in angry indignation. "What was I supposed to do? What with him howling all night long and making such a racket - I couldn't sleep a wink! He's a monster!"

Mr Wilkes flushed and looked down at the ground in shame. "I tried to put up silencing spells, but they don't last long," he said quietly. "This was only my second full moon..."

"Silencing spells aren't enough," Mrs Frobisher said. "Auror, he's a danger to everyone. Surely he can't be allowed to live amongst us decent people?"

"Thank you for your time, Mrs Frobisher, but I'll have to ask you to please leave the premises," Sirius said. "I've determined your complaint to be groundless and you no longer have any reason to be here."

"B-but I -"

"Good day, Mrs Frobisher," Sirius said firmly. He wished he could report her - her false accusations merited a fine at least - but he didn't want to attract anyone else's attention to the case. Scrimgeour wasn't the only Auror ready to arrest a Werewolf for a crime he didn't commit.

"Well I never!" Mrs Frobisher marched off with a final huff of indignation, slamming the door of her house shut behind her. Sirius was glad to be rid of her, but hated what he had to do next.

"She's right about one thing," Sirius said, turning back to the Caspian Wilkes. "It's against the law for you to live here. Werewolves aren't allowed to own property in Hogsmeade – it's an all-wizard village. If you were bitten two months ago then you've only got until the next full moon to find another place to stay. I'm sorry."

"I know I was told that at the Werewolf Registry Office, but I didn't actually believe it," Mr Wilkes said. "I've already had to give up my wand, now they want my house, too? It's been in my family for generations! I can't just leave."

Sirius mentally cursed the Ministry and their unfair laws. "I'm afraid you'll have to, or risk being sent to Azkaban," he said. "And believe me, you don't want to end up there."

Mr Wilkes looked startled. "How... wait a second. You're Sirius Black, aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's me," Sirius said with a sigh.

"Oh, I suppose you'd know, then," the Werewolf said. "Do I really have to leave?"

Sirius nodded. "I'm afraid so."

The other man gestured helplessly. "But where can I go? None of my friends will speak to me now, and I don't have any close family."

"The people at the Werewolf Registry have a list of areas where Werewolves are allowed to settle," Sirius said. "Though I can understand if you'd prefer not to ask them. They're not the friendliest bunch. Look, I've got a friend who's in much the same situation as you. I could give you his owl address if you like..."

"Thanks, I... I'd appreciate it," Caspian Wilkes said. He looked dazed and overwhelmed as he accepted the scrap of parchment from Sirius. "Are you sure your... friend won't mind?"

"He won't," Sirius assured him confidently. He knew Remus would be glad to help, though how much he'd be able to remained in question.

The Werewolf stared up at his house for a long moment and when he turned back he had tears in his eyes. "Thank you," he said. "You've been very kind. Any other Auror... I know I'm lucky I'm not being sent to Azkaban. Thank you."

His heartfelt thanks made Sirius feel wretched. What had he done, after all, except enforce the Ministry's bigotry?

As he made his way back to the Auror Headquarters to fill out his report, Sirius wracked his mind for a way to help Caspian Wilkes and those like him. Perhaps he could open some sort of shelter or set up a fund for the support of Werewolves. Maybe there were even some healing potions which could help with the transformations; Remus ended up badly injuring himself every full moon, and Sirius was prepared to do almost anything to spare him and any other Werewolves that sort of pain.

He decided to write to Orion to see if he had any ideas. And in the meantime he could assuage his conscience by visiting Melania and staying on Arcturus' good side. Sirius knew that if he became the Paterfamilias of the House of Black he would have a chance of abolishing the Werewolf restrictions entirely, instead of only trying to ease the effects of the unfair laws.

Even with all his good intentions, Sirius was filled with dread as he walked up the sweeping driveway to Black Manor. He didn't know why Melania wanted to see him, but he couldn't imagine it was for a particularly important reason. Which meant he would no doubt be forced to sit through her interminable chatter as she filled him in on society gossip he had no interest in hearing.

"Ah Sirius, there you are!" Melania greeted him at the door, dismissing the family elf with a wave of one hand. "Really, there's no need for you to walk here. You may apparate straight into the house, no need to stand on ceremony. You're family, after all."

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