✓ | Constellations; Fred Weasley [Book One]

Chapter 8

The Three Broomsticks

The end of term was approaching and soon, it was already winter. The past few weeks had been quite uneventful for Venus. With the dementors on school grounds, no class seemed fun anymore, well except for the DADA, where Professor Lupin was teaching them the Patronus charm. They needed to know it for their OWL examinations. They had had only two classes on it so far and nobody was able to produce a full corporeal patronus yet. Venus' other teachers kept giving her additional homework, their excuse being that she has so much potential.

On the very last weekend of the term, there was to be another Hogsmeade visit. The twins and Venus knew that Harry would not be able to go, again, so they decided to give Harry the original map. They had nearly completed the replica anyway. They were still struggling on the fact that they wanted their own nicknames to be there and that they did not want to call it the Marauder's Map. George suggested Weasley's Map but that idea was scrapped when Venus and Lee glared at him.

The twins and Venus had yet again pranked a couple of third year Slytherins a few days before the end of term, which resulted in their last Hogsmeade visit being cancelled. However, it was important for the girl to go into Hogsmeade that day, especially to The Three Broomsticks. Earlier in the morning, she had overheard Minnie talking to Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts Gamekeeper, about Sirius Black. The two were supposed to meet with the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge at The Three Broomsticks. While Venus could sneak in Hogsmeade whenever she wanted through the use of the secret passageways, it would be even more difficult to sneak in The Three Broomsticks without Madam Rosmerta, the landlady of the pub, noticing her, which was why as soon as breakfast was over, Venus dragged Harry away from his friends.

"Ouch. Vee! What is it?"

"Sorry Harry, but I have a favour to ask. I need your invisibility cloak, please."

"Okay. Can I ask why?"

"Well I overheard Minnie talking to Hagrid about Black. They are going to meet with Fudge at Hogsmeade and I need to hear what they know about him. I swear I'll tell you if I find out anything about him. After all, he's after the both of us."

That was how Venus got the cloak and used the passageway which lead into Honeydukes' cellar, to get into the small village. The twins had sneaked in as well but they went to Zonko's instead. They did look at Venus suspiciously when she said she had some business to take care of. She never did keep any sort of secret from them after all. Taking out the cloak from her bag, she threw it over herself and entered the pub.

She was sitting by a table at the very back when she noticed Harry, Ron and Hermione entering. After a while, the door had opened again to reveal Professor Flitwick, Minnie, Hagrid and Fudge entering the pub while chatting. By that time Harry was hiding under the table and Venus, still under the cloak, trying to get nearer to hear whatever the adults were talking about.

"Of all the people to go over to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought... I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd had too much mead." It was Madam Rosmerta who was talking to the Professors.

"You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta," Fudge said, "The worst he did isn't widely known."

"The worst? Worse than murdering all those poor people you mean?"

"I certainly do."

"I can't believe that. What could possibly be worse?"

"You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta," Minnie interjected, "Do you remember who his best friends were?"

"Naturally. Never saw one without the others did you? The number of times I had them in here - ooh, they used to make me laugh. Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter! Oh and Rose Potter, I always knew she would end up with Sirius. They made quite the cute couple."

Venus felt sick. Her eyes flickered to Harry who looked as he was going to be sick as well. Her mind was elsewhere suddenly.

Rose. Rose Potter. Harry has an aunt? No one knew that. Is she my mother? R.D.P. It makes sense now. Does it though?

"Precisely," Minnie said, "Black and the Potter twins. Ringleaders of their little gang. All of them very bright, of course - exceptionally bright, in fact - but I don't think we've ever had such a group of troublemakers-"

"I dunno," Hagrid chuckled, "The Weasley twins and Venus could give 'em a run fer their money."

"You'd have thought Sirius and James were brothers! Inseparable!" Flitwick said.

"Of course they were," Fudge said, "He trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Rose and Black got married and James was the best man, just like Sirius was the best man at James's and Lily's wedding."

"Oh Rosmerta," Minnie said, "Venus, we have kept her away from the truth for so long. She still doesn't know that her parents are indeed Rose and Sirius. She's a troublemaker, just like her father but she has a really good heart. And Harry, he is Sirius' godson. He too, has no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment both of them. The poor children will be so heartbroken."