Time Astral | Sirius Black

11||The Illegal Group

October 1st, 1995

Harry felt happier for the rest of the weekend than he had all term. He and Ron spent much of their Sunday catching up with all their homework again, an although this could hardly be called fun, the last burst of autumn sunshine persisted, so rather than sitting hunched over tables in common room, they took their work outside and lounged in the shade of a large beech tree on the edge of the lake.

He'd planned the Dumbledore's Army last day at Hog's Inn and today, there had been a notice banishing all kind of groups, clubs, teams and societies.

Umbridge obviously had a gist of what they were doing. And it bugged Harry to no ends.

She'd made his life hell the entire month with detentions and blood quills and it was taking a toll on him. Though whenever he'd feel temper rising, he'd think of good memories and remain patient. Just like she'd said.

What was her name? Josephine, yes. He hadn't talked to her after September 1st, and wasn't thinking of doing so now, even though he wanted to. He wanted her advices even though he hadn't known her more than a day.

But he could trust her, it was sixth sense or instinct, Harry had no idea. But he could, he knew as much.

The day of their classes, the letter from Sirius had arrived.

They had been doing their potion lesson homework, or he had been, Ron was dosing in the chair when a head appeared from the common room fireplace.

"Sirius!"

"Hi." He said, grinning.

"Hi." Harry, Ron and Hermione chorused. Crookshanks, despite the heat, tried to put his face closer to Sirius'.

"How're things?" asked Sirius.

"Not that good," said Harry. "The Ministry's forced through another decree which means we're not allowed to have Quidditch teams or – "

"Or secret Defence against the Dark Arts groups?"

There was a pause.

"How did you know?" Harry frowned.

"You want to choose your meeting places more carefully." Sirius' grin widened. "The Hog's Head, I ask you."

"Well, it was better than the Three Broomsticks!" said Hermione. "That's always packed with people – "

"Which means you'd have been harder to overhear. You've got a lot to learn, Hermione." Sirius chuckled. "Alasia and I –" He halted. Cleared his throat. "Al...Alasia and I...we used to do this all the time. Went to Hog's Head Inn and made sure people heard us. We'd spread nasty rumours about someone who'd be troubling us." He seemed to absently smile. "Hog's Head is the place for overhearing, Harry."

"Who overheard us?"

"Mundungus, of course." Sirius shrugged. "He was the witch under the veil."

"That was Mundungus!?" Harry asked, stunned. "I'm being followed?"

"Yes, you are" said Sirius. "and just as well, isn't it, if the first thing you're going to do on your weekend off is organise an illegal defence group."

But Sirius looked neither hurt nor angry...but somewhat proud?

"Also, Ron," Sirius said. "Your mother has asked me to tell you that on no account whatsoever, are you to participate in the illegal defence group. She says your future would be ruined and you would be expelled. To Harry and Hermione, she has advised not to participate, and has agreed she has no authority over you two and simply begs you to remember that she has your best interests at heart."

"So, you want me to say I'm not going to take part in the Defence group?" Harry muttered.

"Me? Certainly not!" Sirius raised his brows. "I think it's an excellent idea!"

"You do?" Harry's heart warmed. Perhaps Josephine would've said the same.

"Of course, I do!" Sirius huffed. "D'you think your father and I would've lain down and taken orders from an old hag like Umbridge? Or Alasia would have?" His face grew nostalgic. "She would've hexed the heck out of her. Alasia didn't like Umbridge from the start, anyway. Neither did I. We worked with her, y'know? In the Ministry, Alasia and I. I'd trouble Dolores and she'd have to go to Allie because he outranked her." He laughed. "It was wonderful."

They discussed the location for a bit when Sirius said. "Oh...Well, I'll have to think and get back to – "

He broke off. His face was suddenly tense, alarmed. He turned sideways, apparently looking into the solid brick wall of the fireplace.

"Sirius?" Harry asked.

But he vanished. Harry gaped at the flames for a moment, then turned to look at Ron and Hermione. "Why did he - ?"

Hermione gave a horrified gasp and backed off from the fireplace just as a hand appeared amongst the flames groping as though to catch hold of something, a stubby, short fingered hand covered in ugly, old-fashioned rings.

***

"What's up with you, Hermione?"

"Just...thinking." She said, gazing at the window.

"About Snuffles?" Harry frowned.

"No . . . not exactly . . ." said Hermione slowly. "More . . . wondering . . . I suppose we're doing the right thing . . . I think . . . aren't we? I was just wondering," she said, her voice stronger now, "whether we're doing the right thing, starting this Defense Against the Dark Arts group."

"Hermione, it was your idea in the first place!" said Ron indignantly.

"I know," said Hermione, twisting her fingers together. "But after talking to Snuffles . . ."

"But he's all for it!" said Harry.

"Yes," said Hermione, staring at the window again. "Yes, that's what made me think maybe it wasn't a good idea after all . . ."

"Let's get this straight," said Harry angrily, "Sirius agrees with us, so you don't think we should do it anymore?"

Now staring at her own hands she said, "Do you honestly trust his judgment?"

"Yes, I do!" said Harry at once. "He's always given us great advice!"

"You don't think he has become . . . sort of . . . reckless . . . since he's been cooped up in Grimmauld Place? You don't think he's . . . kind of . . . living through us?"

"What d'you mean, 'living through us'?" Harry retorted.

"I mean . . . well, I think he'd love to be forming secret defense societies right under the nose of someone from the Ministry. . . . I think he's really frustrated at how little he can do where he is . . . so I think he's keen to kind of . . . egg us on."

"Sirius is right," he said, "you do sound just like my mother." Ron said, perplexed.

Hermione bit her lip but stayed quiet. Harry, on the other hand, was angry. Mad at his friend.

He shouldn't be, she had her own opinions, of course. And she'd saved his life so many times in the past but – but it wasn't the first time she'd talked about Sirius this way.

So ignoring her anxious look, he got up and took out a parchment paper.

Not caring whether it was intercepted by Umbridge or not, he begun writing. Dear Josephine,