Chapter 28- Letting them go

Sirius yawned and stretched. He was rubbing the remains of sleep from his eyes when he opened the door of his room and stopped. What was Moony up to?

Remus was systematically packing his books in boxes.

“Huh, Moony. I know you love your books and all but you have copies of most of them at home. Why are you packing them for the holidays?”

“I am not packing for the holidays,” Remus said without stopping what he was doing. “I’m resigning.”

“WHAT?” Sirius yelled, “Why the bloody hell would you do something so humongously stupid like that?”

Remus stopped mid motion of putting a book in one of the boxes and looked at Sirius sadly, “You know why.”

“No, I don’t. Please enlighten me. And what do you intend to do? Be cooped up at Grimmauld Place all year long while we’re here?”

Remus bit his lip, and without meeting Sirius’s eyes stated, “I’m actually moving. There’s that cottage my parents left me. I’ll be moving in there.”

Sirius furiously stalked to where Remus was and yanked the book from his hand. Then as he started taking books from one of the boxes he hissed, “I will not allow you to abandon me and Harry.”

“Sirius,” Remus said tiredly, “I have to go. It’s for the best.”

“For the best!” Sirius cried, “Exactly how is you running away for the best?”

“I almost bit him!” Remus yelled losing his composure, “I can’t risk it again!”

“That,” Sirius said through gritted teeth while walking to Remus, stopping only inches from his face and poking his chest with an index finger, “was an accident that won’t happen again.”

“How can you be so sure? What if I forget my potion again?” Remus cried desperately.

“You won’t. You never have before. This was a fluke. There were extenuating circumstances,” Sirius waved widely.

“That doesn’t make me less dangerous. I can’t risk Harry and the rest of the students like that. One mistake again and I could bite someone!”

“You won’t,” said a new voice from the door.

Sirius and Remus turned abruptly to see Severus entering the portrait hole and closing it.

“God Severus, can you please make noise when you walk?” Sirius said faintly.

Severus smirked at Sirius, then turning to Remus he said, “Dumbledore told me you handed in your letter of resignation. He also said he burned it.”

“Severus,” Remus started.

“Apparently he has someone for the DADA post next year and wants you back tutoring,” he continued as if Remus hadn’t said anything.

“I can’t-“

“You can wait until September to make your final decision,” Severus said.

“What difference would it make?” Remus asked tiredly.

Severus motioned for them to take seats. Sirius sat at once. If Severus managed to crack Remus’ thick skull, he was all for it. Remus sat slumped and Severus sat calmly.

“For quite a few years now I have been developing a new potion. It took me quite a while since all the contacts I made had to be made under disguise, and quietly too; it wouldn’t do for a known Death Eater to be searching for a cure to Lycanthropy. It’s not what we are supposedly interested in,” Severus started and the Marauders’ jaws fell.

“You mean you found-“ Sirius stuttered but Severus cut him off with a grim shake of his head.

“Not yet. But I managed to tweak the Wolfsbane to make it permanent. I’ve just finished it last week. Unfortunately it was late for testing on the last full moon since Remus had already started his monthly dose when I finally got it to work,” Severus finished bitterly.

“What do you mean permanent?” Remus asked cautiously.

“I mean that you only have to take it once. Well not exactly once, you have to take the seven doses in the week prior to the full moon, but after that the effects are permanent and you won’t have to take it again. On the following full moons you should be able to keep your mind without having to take the potion. Of course, I need to test it. Make sure my changes didn’t make the original potion ineffective, and of course that it works on the next full moon. So I was going to ask you if you consent to being locked in a cage for the next two full moons.”

Remus looked between shocked and ecstatic, “Severus. That is huge! That means never having to worry again. Never depending on being able to have access to the potion!”

“I know that. I just hoped I had finished this before Pettigrew and Lestrange escaped. That whole situation could have been avoided.”

“It’s not your fault,” Remus looked ashamed.

“Neither is it yours,” Severus said sternly, “So stop wallowing in self-pity.”

Sirius looked like he could kiss Severus and Severus continued to explain:

“It also has a numbing effect so the transformation will feel just like when an Animagus changes forms and it shouldn’t put any strain on you anymore. I hope it doesn’t. It should take away any recovery time you needed before.”

“How long have you been working on this?” Sirius asked.

“Roughly about eight years,” Sirius and Remus looked impressed, “As I said, it took longer than it would have because I couldn’t freely contact potions experts to exchange theories. Sometimes someone else can have an insight on something you missed. For instance, when I talked to Belby I had to use Polyjuice so he wouldn’t recognize me. I mostly had to get through all the walls I hit on my own, with a little help from Albus now and then. Even Harry gave me some insight a few times,” Severus smirked proudly.

“Harry knew?” Sirius asked shocked.

“Oh, yes. He found out when he was eight, and he and Albus have helped me with more than just insights,” Severus smirked again at Sirius.

“You’re The Pro-Werewolf Association?” Sirius asked in a shocked whisper.

“The what?” Remus asked.

“When Harry was eight he came to me very seriously with a bunch of very official looking parchments, asking if he could contribute money to The Pro-Werewolf Association, who was a new group researching a cure. Everything looked in order and I asked Albus if he knew about them and he confirmed they were a very respectable group. From then on Harry has been contributing a monthly sum from his Potter vaults. You, you three duped me!”

“Yes we did,” Severus said satisfied, “The Pro-Werewolf Association has funding from Albus, myself and Harry. That is how we were able to by ingredients, special cauldrons, as I melted quite a few, books, Polyjuice ingredients and of course trips around the world to talk to potions experts that might help without making a noticeable dent on any of the three accounts. Not that it would much since they are all pretty full, but I didn’t want Harry depleting his vaults and he was adamant about helping. The Pro-Werewolf Association also provides a cover. Harry, Albus and I are the founders but when the potion comes out it will be in the Association’s name and not mine. The owners are not disclosed so we don’t risk my position.”

Sirius pouted and crossed his arms as he slumped on his chair. Remus shook his head at their antics. This was very well thought out.

“Not that I am not grateful but why did you dedicate so much time into his?” he asked.

Severus looked at him as if considering his response, “To be honest? I was scared shitless of you.” Remus looked shocked.

“Not of you in human form but of the fact that you spent the night as a werewolf in the same place as Harry. Oh, I know rationally that even without the potion you would not be able to get through the wards you two put on the doors. And that at Grimmauld Place, even without wards, you wouldn’t be able to get through that steel door in your basement, but fear isn’t rational. And I couldn’t bear the thought of losing Harry. I had decided when Lily died that I would be lonely until the day I died. That there was nothing left for me, but Harry proved me wrong, and I just couldn’t lose that. I kept picturing his small body mauled by a werewolf.” Remus shivered at this. He had the same fears, “I couldn’t help it. Later on, especially more recently it has been for you too Remus, but not when I started. When I started I barely tolerated the both of you.”

“Reasonable,” Remus said.

“How are you going to release the potion?” Sirius asked.

Severus rested his chin on the tip of his thumb that was propped up by the elbow resting on the arm of his chair, “It’s tricky. I don’t want to make the brewing instructions public. The Wolfsbane is a very complicated potion that requires a very expert Potion’s Master to brew. That make’s it harder for werewolves that choose to attack, like Fenrir Greyback, to get their hands on it. He already is dangerous and has more control over what he does than others. How he manages to bite the children and take them without killing them I could never know. But imagine him with total control. It would be a disaster. Even he could manage to find someone to brew him the potion once if everyone knows it.”

Sirius and Remus shivered; that was a scary thought.

“We thought that they could come to us to get it. This way we would have some control, and know who takes it. But that is dangerous; what if the Ministry decides to make some kind of registry?”

“They would love that,” Remus said bitterly, “I know Dolores Umbridge has a few very nasty laws up for voting. Albus says she doesn’t have enough votes, but I’m sure that if what happened here had been known to more than just us she would.”

“Yes, Albus is trying to find if there is a way to protect the Association’s register from the Ministry so that they can’t force us to show it. I think this way more werewolves will come forward too. Also we don’t want to advertise to the general public what the Association has planned. Just let the rumor go through the underground. Let the werewolves know.”

“I know a few choice people I could let know from my contacts in the war,” Remus said, “They could make sure word gets around.”

“We’ll let the public know a new potion has been developed that renders werewolves harmless, well not exactly harmless but tamed forever, but not the recipe. We think that maybe with time, people may get less suspicious of werewolves if they know they are tame.”

“That will take more than a potion Severus,” Remus said bitterly.

“Probably. But it’s a start,” Sirius said happily.

XXXXXX

“But Andy-“ Sirius said.

“No buts Siri,” Andy’s head said from the fireplace. “I am not living my life in fear of my lunatic sister. I miss my house and we are going back.”

Sirius huffed and crossed his arms.

“After her narrow escape, she must be long gone Siri. Even Bella isn’t that nuts to stick around.”

“Albus thinks they went after Voldemort,” he grunted.

“I agree. And as much as that is a daunting thought, I think you can loosen security. We are going back home and you could let your son have a little fun.”

Sirius huffed again “I already agreed he can go back in the train. Remus will be with him and we are sending Filius and Pomona too.”

“Good,” Andromeda said pleased, “Relax Sirius or you’ll get wrinkles.” Sirius jumped and looked at a big mirror they had on top of the fireplace. He examined his face worriedly.

“I was kidding Sirius!”

XXXX

“You kids had a nice term?” Mrs. Weasley asked as she hugged her brood and then hugged Harry, Hermione and Neville for good measure.

“Yes, Mrs. Weasley. Thank you,” Harry said happily as Mrs. Weasley examined him.

“Are you sure you are well? I was ever so worried when I heard.”

“Yes, Mrs. Weasley. Madam Pomfrey fixed me real quick.”

Even though no one knew about Remus transforming, the whole school found out about Pettigrew kidnapping Harry and he and Bellatrix escaping while the Dementors almost attacked Harry and two teachers, who they all assumed were Sirius and Remus. The general belief was that by attacking them the Dementors aided the convicts escape.

Poor Kreacher had been inconsolable and Harry tried to reassure him that he didn’t blame him; he understood the house-elf laws. In order for nothing like that to happen again, Sirius ordered Kreacher not to take orders from Bellatrix, Narcissa, Lucius or Draco. Since he was the Lord of the family, and therefore the most important Master, the magic would recognize that order even though the others were Blacks too. Sirius wanted to kick himself for not doing that sooner. He had once again tried to give the elf clothes but the bawling that followed that request almost left him deaf.

Harry had been smothered by his worried friends after the ordeal. He was still a little sore and tired so he didn’t complain much about them getting him stuff while he slept most of the last days of term off.

Hermione was greeting her parents and Neville his grandmother when Remus stepped behind Harry and said shortly:

“We have to go.”

“Okay. Just a sec,” Harry said.

He turned to his friends and said seriously, “Don’t forget to write. We have to make plans for the Quidditch Cup. Dad said he was getting tickets.”

Neville looked at his Grandmother and sighed, “I don’t think Gran will let me go.”

“Oh, I think she will,” Harry said mischievously. “Never underestimate Sirius Black.”

Harry was tapped on the shoulder and looked to see his Uncle’s impatient face.

“Yeah, okay, gotta go.”

Choruses of “Bye, Harry” and “Goodbye Professor Lupin” were heard.

Remus grunted a goodbye and they left.

“What’s up with him?” Harry heard Ron ask.

He looked at his Uncle, and with his index finger and thumb, tried pushing his Uncle’s lips to form a smile. His hand was swatted away.

They walked to the empty alley as usual and Apparated from there to the shadowy corner of Privet Drive, and walked to Number Four. Petunia opened the door.

“You’re back,” she sneered.

“Believe me if I never saw your face again it would be too soon,” Remus said and Petunia blanched.

He ushered Harry up the stairs and Harry led the way to their room.

Remus looked around and sneered.

“Very Spartan.”

“You know, Uncle Moony is usually a little more cheery,” Harry sad sitting on the bed.

“Umph,” Remus huffed as his features started morphing into Severus’. “One more second and we would have been too late.”

At that exact moment the door burst opened and in came a righteously angry Petunia, “Now listen here. You can’t talk to me like- YOU!” she shrieked.

Severus looked at her with disdain, “Yes, me. Lupin is otherwise engaged and could not come. As you noticed, for your benefit I used Polyjuice to mimic his looks while outside so your neighbors won’t talk.” It was actually for Severus’ benefit but there was no need to let her know that. “But I refuse to do so in here.”

“The deal was with Lupin,” she shrieked.

“He can’t come,” Severus said in his low whisper, ”Would you rather have Black here?”

Petunia looked like she was choosing between two horrible evils and finally hissed, “No, but stay in here, you awful boy,” she finished twitching her nose in disgust.

“I haven’t been a boy for a very long time Tuney,” Severus smirked.

“Don’t call me that!” she hissed.

“Fine, why don’t you go bake,” he said shooing her with his hands.

“It was you! I knew it!” she cried as Severus closed the door on her face.

Harry was trying to muffle his laughter with the thin pillow.

“Always hated her,” Severus said and huffed. “This is going to be hell.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Meanwhile, Sirius, Remus and Albus where walking down a country lane bordered by high hedgerows. They were all wearing Muggle attire, and while Remus and Sirius were wearing normal jeans, shirts and trainers, Albus was wearing a rather vivid and old-fashioned purple velvet suit. Sirius had been very good and not commented at all on Albus’ suit. Which said a lot about how serious the mission was.

If anyone looked at them, they would think they were walking to some type of business meeting since Remus had hanging from his shoulders one of those tubes that architects use to transport blueprints. They kept walking until they entered a gap in the hedge, leading to a narrow dirt track bordered by higher and wilder hedgerows.

The threesome discreetly had their wands out as soon as they were out of view. As they walked on purposefully, they quickly came in view of what could only be described as the ruins of a house. It wasn’t that it had been blown up like the Potter’s house had, but it was obvious nobody had lived here in decades. The house had that abandoned look; the walls were mossy and almost all of the tiles had fallen off the roof. Spider webs could be seen everywhere and all it took to open the door was a little nudge of Sirius’ foot for the rotten wood to budge.

They slowly and alertly entered what looked to be a kitchen and living room combined. The layer of dust was thick and as they stepped in the house, the flying dust was illuminated by the vast amount of sun light that entered through the almost non-existent roof.

“There seems to be only three rooms,” Albus said in a low tone pointing to two doors that led from the main room.

“Good,” Remus nodded, “Then it won’t take long to search. The faster we’re out of here the better. I don’t like this place.”

“I’ll keep guard,” Sirius knowing this was Albus and Remus’s territory.

They all separated. Sirius stood at the entrance door in a position to see both inside and out while Albus and Remus each went through one door. They started chanting detection spells as they slowly swept every inch of each room. After over an hour they both met in the main room.

“It has to be in this one,” Remus said. “There were no concealing charms in my room but I could detect some nearby.”

Albus nodded, “The same here. I had already thought that. Even in a miserable shack like this one Tom would go for grandeur and choose the main room. But we had to sweep everything in any case. Shall I start at one end and you the other and we meet in the middle?”

Remus nodded and they once again started. They reminded Sirius of something he saw in a Muggle telly once, where the Muggles were looking for metal in the desert with a weird contraption that had a stick with a disk at the bottom. Their movements were similar, anyway.

Again, it took almost an hour of their sweeping, and as they were nearing each other, a blue light surrounded the armchair that was by the fireplace and Sirius recognized it to be the one Morfin Gaunt had been sitting when he talked to his nephew. Figures!

The light was encapsulating both armchair and the fireplace and as Albus and Remus slowly approached while chanting louder, the blue light got smaller and smaller until it was only surrounding one of the bricks that surrounded the fireplace. Sirius approached them.

“It must come out,” he said. “It must be loose. Should we take it out?”

“Not yet,” Albus said. “First we have to cancel the protection charms,” and Sirius saw that as Albus waved his wand around the brick, the blue light changed colors a few times.

“This will take time Padfoot,” Remus grimaced. You better keep guard again.”

Sirius nodded and resumed his post as Remus and Albus started chanting again.

XXXXXXX

“Does he know what you did?” Petunia asked from the door.

Severus, who had been reading at the desk, turned around and raised one eyebrow. Harry was taking a shower and he hoped he came back soon.

“Because I do,” she said calmly entering the room.

“What you think you know and what you actually do are two completely different things,” he drawled.

“Oh, I heard her crying to our mother,” she said looking pleased, “Mum asked why you hadn’t been around that summer and she broke. Told her all about you calling her a Mudblood,” Severus blood turned to ice. His worst memory being flaunted like that by Petunia of all people was the last thing he wanted, and yet, he wanted to hear what Lily said. “She said she forgave you for that, she loved you like a brother and wanted to still be your friend, but she couldn’t condone what you were turning into,” Petunia smiled evilly, “Does Harry know that you are a servant of the man that killed his parents?”

Severus inhaled sharply, he had loved Lily more than as a brother but to know that she never stopped loving him even after all he did was a small comfort to his everlasting torture. If he had only been less bitter towards his abusive father and, in turn, to all Muggles. If he had only turned away from Malfoy, Mulciber and Avery’s influences and chosen her. Away from his revenge against the one he thought inferior to him, but that had always overpowered him. But as much as he loved her he didn’t. Deep down he knew he couldn’t have both; she was Muggle-born and they were against her kind, but he had wanted them both. He hadn’t understood that life wasn’t about getting revenge, not then nor even after. Afterwards, he had just changed targets; Voldemort became his revenge target. It wasn’t until he came to have his very weird little family that his fight became a fight to protect them and not to get even.

“Yes he does,” he answered icily; “He knows I once served the man that wanted to kill all Muggles and Muggle-borns.” He let that sink in, the fact that he wasn’t denying being a Death Eater. Petunia paled and Severus smirked; yes, he can be very dangerous and she better not forget it. “But he also knows I don’t anymore.”

“And he believes you?” she hissed.

“Yes,” he said simply. To anyone else this would be dangerous information to disclose but he knew that Petunia wouldn’t repeat a word of this to anyone. She wouldn’t admit so much knowledge of the Wizarding World, not even under torture. That’s why Severus could be himself inside. The Dursley’s fear of what the neighbors would think would keep them quiet.

“Well,” she said scowling, “I don’t. And you better stay away from my family. I will be bringing yours and the fr- boy’s,” she amended at a steely glare from Severus, “food here.”

“You expect us to spend two weeks inside this room?” Severus asked dryly.

“You can use whatever you used to get here to go outside, but inside this house, this room and the guest restroom are all you can use. Do not dare use the family’s bathroom; I don’t want you contaminating it,” and she stalked away. She almost bumped into Harry on her way out.

“Sorry about that Uncle Sev,” Harry said entering and closing the door, “I forgot to tell you the bathroom rule. She never lets us use the family’s and I guess she drowns the guest’s with disinfectant once we leave. Must torch it a little too, just to be on the safe side,” he tried joking but Severus saw that this treatment hurt Harry, and it reminded him of Lily’s tears at her sister’s harsh words. He hated Petunia even more. How that woman could make two people he love hurt so much was beyond him.

XXXXXXXXX

After a few more hours Albus finally said:

“It’s done.”

Sirius once again joined them and looked worriedly at his companions. They were sweaty and pale.

“Shouldn’t you rest?” he asked.

Remus shook his head, “We have to finish this soon,” he looked at Albus and bit his lip. “Sirius and I can manage Albus. Why don’t you sit on that chair a little?”

“I will pretend you didn’t just call me old Remus and continue our work.”

Sirius chuckled and Remus glared at him. With a flick of his wand Sirius removed the brick from the wall and, as expected, the brick was thinner than the others and Marvolo’s ring rested in the hollow of the wall. Sirius tried levitating the ring but it didn’t work.

“It must be protected against summoning and therefore levitating too,” Remus said.

Albus slowly reached his hand out and took the ring. Nothing happened. He looked at it almost transfixed, like he was seeing something beyond the ring. His fingers moved of their own accord, but he was stopped by a hand.

“I don’t think that is a good idea Albus,” Remus said. “We don’t know what could happen if you put it on Best to dispose of it fast. Put it in the floor while I get the sword.”

As he said this, Remus reached for his tube and unscrewed the top off. From inside he took Gryffindor’s sword. Albus watched as if in slow motion. Sirius and Remus didn’t realize what they had in front of them. They probably always thought the Resurrection Stone, as all the Deathly Hallows, was just a legend. But Albus knew better. He possessed one of them, the Elder Wand. And he knew Harry’s cloak was another. But this was the one he coveted the most. He looked at the ring, at the Resurrection Stone once more and saw his sister and parents. He so wanted to ask for forgiveness. A distant voice came:

“It’s not your fault grandpa. You tried to stop it. You made a bad decision. Uncle Moony said that that doesn’t make you bad.”

“Your parents and sister. They are watching over you too, right? They are always with you.”

“Albus?” Sirius prompted.

Albus looked at Sirius’ worried face. Sirius, who had grown so much. Who had overcome his upbringing and who had to live with the pain of knowing his suggestion aided Voldemort. He remembered Severus’ guilt of knowing he sent Voldemort after the love of his life. They could only hope that they were forgiven and so could he. Albus nodded and set the ring on the floor. There would be a time to see his deceased family when he departed for the next great adventure, but that time was not today. He watched as Remus stabbed it with all his might, cracking the stone right in the middle. Cracking Albus’ chance of seeing his sister and parents again. He just hoped Harry was right.

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A/N- Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and huge thanks to my beta.