fatal love

Chapter 15

He took the Hogwarts Express back with Peter, and was grateful that he didn't interrogate him over his Christmas, just asked Sirius if he was okay, and then spent the journey regaling him with stories of how drunk his grandfather had gotten this year. Pete was good like that, Sirius thought, he wouldn't press you, he just showed he cared. Sirius remembered in First Year, when he wanted to investigate Remus' illness, Pete had said they couldn't invade his privacy, just let him know they were there for him. That's what Pete was doing for him now, he realised. Was he the one the Marauders worried about now?

"Shall we go find James and Remus?" Pete asked when they got to the castle.

"You go ahead Pete, I've got some stuff I have to do first," he said. Pete nodded, and headed towards Gryffindor Tower, and Sirius made his way to the Transfiguration corridor, knocking on McGonagall's classroom door.

"Enter," she called. "Mr Black, what can I do for you?"

"Um, I have to see Dumbledore."

Understanding flashed in her eyes. "Of course... come with me." She strode out of the classroom and he followed her through the hallways until they reached the stone gargoyle guarding the entrance. "Fizzing whizbees," said McGonagall, and the gargoyle moved aside, leaving Sirius to hurry up the staircase after her. When they reached the top, McGonagall rapped her knuckles sharply on the door before pushing it open.

Dumbledore was seated behind his desk once again, and looked straight at Sirius. "Mr Black," he said calmly, "it is good to see you."

"Uh... I think I have to tell you something," Sirius said awkwardly.

"Of course, Minerva, you can leave us."

McGonagall stared hard at Dumbledore for a moment, but nodded, and left his office without a word.

"So, Sirius," said Dumbledore, smiling in a friendly manner and gesturing for him to take a seat, "what do you want to tell me?"

Sirius sat down, shifting uncomfortably as Dumbledore looked him straight in the eye. "Well... my family took me to this Christmas party, held by the Bulstrodes..."

"I see, continue."

"And... well I was being dragged around to speak to all the important families - or, not important, but the ones my parents think are important, you know, I mean, I don't care about that stuff, not anymore-"

"I understand," Dumbledore said patiently, "and you heard something you thought I should know about?"

"Yeah," Sirius said. Now he was here, he wasn't sure how useful any of this actually was. But if it wasn't then those two weeks had been for nothing, and he refused to even consider that possibility. "Anthea Carrow was talking to my mother, and she said something about plans for January... She said it would show their power, and scare the Ministry, something like that."

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "Did you hear anything else?"

"No. I tried to ask my mother about it, but she said it was just politics. I'm sure it wasn't though, they were definitely talking about the war."

"I have to thank you, Sirius," Dumbledore said, "this information is invaluable. You are doing me a great service."

Sirius smiled, blushing a little. "It's no problem, Professor, I'm just telling you what I hear. I'll be going back over summer, I can find out more then!" He'd do it, he'd suffer whatever his mother threw at him, if it meant he could be a hero.

Dumbledore smiled at him. "I will accept all the help you are willing to give, Sirius. I know your home is not an easy place to be. How was your Christmas?"