Chapter 054

"What in Merlin's name possessed you, Black," asked Bones, "Just to walk, bold as brass, up to my auror counter to turn yourself in?"

"Well, after all the different ways you sent me messages," he replied. "I thought you really wanted to see me. So, here I am!"

"I wanted to keep the fact we were trying to capture you, rather than sic a Dementor on you, quiet," she sighed.

"And you still have," he impudently grinned back. "The only people who currently know who I am are you, dear little Nymmie here, Robards and... probably... Shacklebolt."

Shacklebolt took that moment to walk back in. As soon as he spotted Sirius in his unglamoured form he stopped, blinked once and walked over to Bones while keeping an eye on him. He handed her a small vial.

"For the record," she said. "Senior Auror Shacklebolt has just returned from the auror department apothecary, where I sent him to collect one vial of Veritaserum. He was just returned with that vial and I now hold it in my hand. I confirm that the seal is unbroken and the vial untampered with. It is vial number three fifty two."

Turning to Shacklebolt she handed it back and said, "I return it to Senior Auror Shacklebolt for him to administer the recommended three drops onto the tongue of our Interviewee, Sirius Orion Black the Third of the House of Black."

Shacklebolt walked around the desk to stand just behind Sirius. He then cracked the seal and looked to Sirius, "Are you willing to tilt your head back and stick out you tongue, Black?"

Sirius didn't say a word. He just did it.

After the three drops were administered, Sirius pulled his tongue back in, tilted his head back down and smacked his lips.

After a long few moments Bones spoke again. "I now begin an informal interrogation under Veritaserum of Sirius Orion Black the Third of the House of Black..."

The interview only lasted for a few minutes. At the end of it, Bones dosed him with the counter-agent herself. As Sirius began to shrug off the effects of the powerful truth potion, he looked at Bones and grinned.

"So, Ami," he said. "About that trial."

"First things first," she said. "Shack; remove his manacles."

As Shacklebolt stepped forward with a specially designed ward stone key, she went on, "Now we need to find somewhere to stick you until I can arrange a trial for you."

"I'll ask Mum if he can stay with us," piped up Tonks. "Neither my Mum or Dad ever thought he was guilty. So, it won't take me much to convince them he's been interviewed under Veritaserum and found innocent."

"Check with them," said Bones. "Go use the floo in my office."

Tonks immediately left.

"In the mean time..." She looked back to Sirius. "Will that rune stone on that cord return your glamour if you put it back on?"

"It will," he nodded.

"Gawain. Give it to him," she ordered.

The elder auror immediately handed it back. And Sirius slipped it back over his neck before dropping the stone down the front of this robes.

A moment later his form blurred for a moment before he was again the man who had appeared at the front counter less than a half hour ago.

"Good," she stated, once the change was complete.

Turning to her junior auror, she said, "Gawain; take the Dicta-quilled statement, make two copies of it, put the original and one of the copies on my desk. Black gets the other. Not a word of this to anyone. Tell Tonks the same, but it excludes her parents.

"Shack; the same ban applies to you, too. Not a word of this to anyone."

Finally, she turned to Sirius and said, "You'll be following me to my office and remain there until Auror Tonks returns. Got that?"

"Yes, Madam Bones," he more formally replied. It was now clear she was going out on a limb for him and he'd not carry on with the prank because of that.

_‗_

―==(oIo)==―

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At Hogwarts, as Monday morning's breakfast was winding to a close, the owls entered as per usual. As soon as they began to glide down from the owl windows high in the rafters Hermione was focussing all her attention on trying to spot Hedwig through the illusion of the blue sky with small puffy clouds of outside.

As usual, Harry was the first to spot her, but he remained silent to let Hermione think she spotted her first.

"There!" she cried, seeing the owl and almost jumping out of her seat in excitement.

Of course, Hedwig knew where to find her 'pet', Harry, so was already on a gentle banking glide coming in over the head table, when Hermione first spotted her.

Expecting it, Harry watched as she landed with a light touch down between the plates in the middle of the table before Hermione. And immediately offered her leg.

Hermione was so nervous in trying to untie the bow that held the muggle paper envelope to Hedwig's leg that she nearly caused the bow to knot so badly it would need to be cut off. Harry had to reach over and gently untie it himself. And Hermione quickly scooped up the envelope.

Of course, she was so busy trying to rip the envelope open to get at reading the note from her parents she completely forgot to reward Hedwig for doing a good job. And the bird let her know it.

"Prek!" barked Hedwig, glaring at the bushy-haired human.

Hermione gave a start, blushed and quickly offered the bird two strips of bacon. "Sorry, Hedwig. I was so excited I forgot about you."

Obviously that didn't impress the bird, as she simply snatched the two strips of bacon out of the girl's fingers and flew off without an acknowledgement.

Harry chuckled and said, "You'll have to apologise better than that to her if you expect her to carry any more mail for you."

"They said yes!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed. "Mum and Daddy are both looking forward to properly meeting you and said you can stay for as long as you like.

"The only thing they want to know is when they can expect us; and do they need to go to Kings Cross Station to pick us up.

"I'll have to write back to them to tell them we'll be arriving by portkey in the house, direct. And explain what a portkey is, I suppose. So, they won't need to pick us up.

"Plus, we don't know what day we'll be arriving, as I don't think much will be decided until we know the results of the trials. And those are going to take a few days, at least."

"Woah, Hermione," Harry tried placating her. "I know you're excited. But, as you said, we don't know when we can leave or how we're going to get there yet.

"I suggest writing to them again and telling them we hope to know the when and how in a few days. And that the 'how' will very likely not require them to pick us up from anywhere, as the magic used should see us delivered right to their home.

"If the trials go as quickly as I think they will, then the 'when' will likely be within the week."

"This time, please also ask your parents if they are also willing to house a few aurors for the duration I'm there. I cannot see Madam Bones rescinding her order for aurors to shadow me at all times, just because I'm no longer in the castle. And it wouldn't be fair to them to be shut out of the house. If necessary, I'll pay for their lodgings with my own funds, so your parents are not out of pocket."

"Oh, sorry," she said as she blushed. "I didn't want to worry you about it... and I already figured aurors would follow us there... so I included that in my first letter. But I'll add that you'll pay for their lodgings as Daddy did ask about that and I was going to ask before sending my response. There's an unused servants' quarters on the lower ground floor they can use."

The female auror standing behind them this time gave her throat a little clear to gain their attention. When both teens turned to look, she said, "Thank you, Miss Granger. That would be far preferable to standing out in the cold all night; especially if it is raining."

Hermione sent her second letter off early that afternoon. And Harry included an attached letter thanking them for the 'invitation' and assuring them he had more than enough money to pay for the lodgings of the aurors and himself for while he was there.

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