FicWad

DISCLAIMER: See Ch. 1.

NOTE REGARDING THE LATIN FROM LAST CHAPTER: Okay, so I wanted to practice my Latin from the last chapter. Big deal. Anyway, the translation is at the bottom, after the chapter text.


Chapter 6: Bittersweet Victory

The powerful magical surge which was involved in Voldemort's death did not go unnoticed, however.

The Order of the Phoenix (now based in Number 12, Grimmauld Place) was in session when Dumbledore suddenly jerked in his seat.

"Albus?" McGonagall asked concernedly. "What is it?"

"I felt something..." he murmured. Getting up, he said, "I shall return. I need to get something from my office." Taking out a Portkey, he vanished from the room.

Everyone looked around nervously. Ever since Harry disappeared, they had been in a panic for the most part. Dumbledore wasted no time in bringing the Order of the Phoenix back together since the first war against Voldemort.

Hagrid (who had been called back at the last minute from an important mission) had opted to stand in a corner, given his size. He kept wringing his hands nervously, wondering about Harry.

McGonagall sat in between Snape on one side, and Sirius and Remus on the other (almost as though she was trying to subtly keep the bitter rivals apart).

Also in the room were the rest of the order, most of them new and only a few from the original Order of the Phoenix. Those from the original Order were Dedalus Diggle, Elphias Doge and Emmeline Vance, who were currently muttering amongst themselves.

Meanwhile, the newer recruits were all conferring which each other as well. Aurors Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt were engaged in a deep discussion while Sturgis Podmore sat patiently in his seat, ignoring his neighbor, Mundungus Fletcher, who was fingering something hidden in his coat. Mr. Weasley was comforting his wife with Bill's help. Last but not least was Mrs. Figg, the Squib who was Harry's neighbor, who at the moment was making small talk with Hestia Jones.

Finally, Dumbledore returned to the room, carrying his Portkey and a silvery device he retrieved from his office.

All chatter died down as Dumbledore put away the Portkey and set this device on the table. He then tapped the device repeatedly with his wand and muttered an incantation.

What looked like a holographic map floated over the device, showing a map of the United Kingdom.

With another quiet incantation, it then zoomed in on a mountain, and a dot started flashing in the image in front of the cave.

Dumbledore's eyes widened ever so slightly. As he shut off the function, he got to his feet and addressed his puzzled fellow Order members.

"I have detected a powerful surge of energy. I can only deduce that Voldemort is somehow involved."

The deathly silence was then followed by an uproar as people shouted out, asking what to do. Restoring silence with several bangs from his wand, Dumbledore laid plans as to what to do next.

"Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Kingsley, and Mad-Eye," he addressed those said members. "Come with me."



Minutes later, they were hiking up the mountain to the place which Dumbledore's device had detected.

With wands out, they entered the cave. Moving in, they stopped dead at what they saw.

Lying face down on one side of the cave was a short man who looked very familiar. Flipping him over, Sirius saw it was Wormtail.

"That /bastard/..." he ex-convict seethed.

"What's with the silver hand?" Lupin asked, making sure he didn't get too close to it.

"After the 'flesh of the servant' phase of the ritual," theorized Dumbledore, "I imagine Voldemort 'rewarded' him with that hand."

"Well, at least he's dead, in one piece, and not going anywhere," muttered Tonks.

"And who's this over here?" Kingsley asked, gesturing to the unfamiliar man slumped on the side, with an expression on his face evocative of a victim of the Killing Curse.

Dumbledore looked at the other dead man and sighed. "Tom, you never did know when enough was enough, did you?" he muttered.

Turning to face the others, Dumbledore said, "This is Voldemort... or what's left of him, anyway."

The five other Order members could only look at the corpse, repulsed...

"So where's Harry?" Lupin asked quietly, the first to find his voice.

"Something tells me he accomplished this," Dumbledore said slowly. "It certainly wouldn't have been the first time he's accomplished something unique, either..."

"You took the words right out of my mouth, professor..." Sirius said under his breath.

Something started beeping, and Kinglsey pulled a device out and looked at it. Stowing it back away, he said with a little urgency in his voice, "Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, Alastor - you'd all better get out of here. Other Aurors are on their way, and it may look bad if any of you are seen here. I'll make sure nothing 'happens' to Wormtail's body."

"Excellent thinking, Kingsley," Dumbledore commented with a small twinkle in his eyes. With that, he walked out of the cave with Lupin and Moody behind him.

Sirius kicked Wormtail's corpse on the way out, but a few paces later, he stopped only to turn back around and kick it a few more times before Lupin had to come back and all but drag him out.



About half an hour later, Dumbledore was once again at the cave, having been summoned by the Minister himself this time.

Fudge and his Aurors (minus Kingsley and Tonks) were quite surprised between the two different bodies they found.

"Dumbledore," he said slowly, "could you please explain to me why the bodies of Peter Pettigrew and what some people are claiming to be You-Know-Who are in this cave?"

"This may take a while to explain, Cornelius..."

By the time he was done several minutes later, Fudge's eyes looked about ready to fall out of his skull.

"That's the same thing Potter told me!"

"So he did," Dumbledore said indifferently with a shrug.

"But, when people find this out..."

"Cornelius," Dumbledore said with something akin to assurance in his voice, "that was Crouch's mistake, not yours. Merlin, even I believed it until I found out otherwise. I'm sure that the community, who also believed that Sirius Black was guilty (and they still do, come to think of it), will come to accept their mistakes and learn from them."

This seemed to calm Fudge down... /somewhat/.

"And You-Know-Who over there?"

"He's dead, which certainly makes everyone's jobs a lot easier," Dumbledore said with a small smile.

"And Potter...?"

The smile disappeared instantly. "We're just going to have to look for him."



Three days later, an event took place which shocked and rocked the entire wizarding community: The trial of Sirius Black.

Under Veritaserum, Sirius told them the truth which almost no one knew and a few had neglected. After all was said and done, it took the Wizengamot only minutes to reach the verdict.

Innocent.

Sirius closed his eyes and breathed a deep sigh of relief. Fudge had offered a hundred thousand Galleons as compensation (which Sirius turned down, saying he had enough from his family's wealth and didn't need anymore). The Minister also offered that charges on illegal Animagi activities be dropped if Sirius were to register with the Ministry as soon as he could, which the ex-convict did agree to in the end.

Sirius knew he should have been happy, but on his way out, gloom settled in.

Harry should have been there to see this. He should have been there, waiting to go home with him. Sirius had broken out with the sole purpose of being reunited with Harry, and now it all seemed pointless and obsolete.

Then again, Sirius could have never lived with himself if he hadn't even made the effort.

Silently making his way through the crowd of persistent reporters, he left the Ministry as soon as he could.



Once back at Grimmauld Place, people congratulated Sirius, which he quietly thanked them for. Once back in his own room, he just slumped in his bed, utterly depressed.

Finally, something had been able to break the stubborn Sirius Black where several hundred detentions as a student and twelve years in Azkaban had failed: Harry's safety and fate unknown. Was he alive or d-

'Don't even think it!' Sirius thought violently to himself.

What seemed like an eternity later, someone slowly opened the door a notch.

"Sirius?"

It was Lupin.

"Go 'way, Moony, 'm trying to sleep," Sirius mumbled.

"You want to talk?" Lupin said, concerned.

"No."

Lupin could see that his longtime friend was tired for more than one reason. "If you want to talk to me, you'll know where to find me." With that, the werewolf left and shut the door behind him.

Sirius fell into a deep, troubled slumber not long afterwards, unable to stop thinking about his missing godson.



TBC...

A/N: Well, this got some things wrapped up...

Note about how much Sirius is upset over what happened to Harry: If anyone wants to read a truly emotional story which shows Sirius' love for Harry in this kind of way, try reading "Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been?" by fyre. Just bring some tissues with you, just in case...

Next chapter is to see where Harry got to... -Quillian



The Latin incantation from last chapter, (roughly) translated:
Oh Merlin, give me the strength which I need...
For I always serve the forces of light; I always have served them, and I always will...
Therefore I will always fight those evil (people) who use magic against others...
AND SO, WITH ALL THE GOOD AND LOVE IN MY HEART AND SOUL, I NOW CONQUER YOU, VOLDEMORT!

(Okay, okay, so I also got a little carried away as well as creative.)