𝗨𝗡𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗗 ━ Golden Trio Era

━chapter 13

Chapter 13
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"WELL?" SAID MCGONAGALL. "I have never seen such a disgraceful exhibition. Two on one! Explain yourselves!"

"Malfoy provoked us," argued Harry stiffly.

Sirius had not retrieved his hand away. If there was anything he noticed about Harry, it was that he was afraid of Sirius being angry with him. He only hoped the hand resting on his godson's back conveyed comfort.

"Provoked you?" shouted his old Professor. The woman was relentless with her scolding. She slammed her hand on her desk. To be quite fair, Sirius did think she was overselling it a bit. Despite what Madam Hooch had said, this definitely wasn't the first quidditch fight.

Beside him, Remus was silent. His lips were pressed together, his jaw was tight. The man's gaze had settled on a particular set of paper on McGonagall's desk as though it was the most fascinating thing. Sirius wondered what was up. Sure, what Harry did was wrong, but Remus was not the type of person to get so angry in a situation like this.

"He'd just lost, hadn't he? Of course he wanted to provoke you! But what on earth can he have said that justified what you two—"

"He insulted my parents," snarled George. "And Harry's mother."

And that part of the fight, they hadn't missed. He and Remus were simply coming down to the pitch to congratulate slash console his godkids, when he overhead the jeers the Malfoy boy was throwing at them. Sirius made it just in time as Harry jumped.

"But instead of leaving it to Madam Hooch to sort out, you two decided to give an exhibition of Muggle duelling, did you? Have you any idea what you've—"

"Hem, hem."

Sirius turned around, and there, at the doorway, was a stout woman in an emerald cloak. He recognized her visage immediately, from the red-cloak dawning Ministry employees that took up seats at the Wizengamot.

She entered the office, babbling about extra authority and whatnot. Sirius glanced at McGonagall, who's face had turned red from anger. But she regarded him with a stern look, one Sirius remembered receiving every now and then, back during his school days. From the teachers' table at the Great Hall, to the Transfiguration class, it was a look that said : "Behave. Or else."

Remus curled his fist next to him, and Sirius knew he recognized the expression, too. And since the woman was one of the only few teachers they had actually respected, Sirius decided to keep his mouth shut.

For now.

The woman in green — who Sirius realised was the High Inquisitor from her little speech — handed a scroll to McGonagall. Dolores then continued to talk, about power, and authority, and tempers and then...a ban?

McGonagall sent them another look.

"Ban us?" questioned Harry. He sounded startled, and his voice was small. Sirius ran his hand up and down his back. "From playing...ever again?"

Dolores smiled, a wide and wicked smile and Sirius instantly knew that the woman was enjoying herself. He glanced at McGonagall, but she was still sending him the look.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, I think a lifelong ban ought to do the trick."

McGonagall kept looking his way. Remus still hadn't moved.

"You and Mr. Weasley here. And I think, to be safe, this young man's twin ought to be stopped, too — if his teammates had not restrained him, I feel sure he would have attacked young Mr. Malfoy as well."