Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy || G. Weasley

POA: Chapter Six

With Christmas coming up, all of Hogwarts was buzzing with excitement. Hermione, Ron, Cordelia, and her Pa had all decided that they would be spending Christmas together at Hogwarts. Cordelia, Ron, and Hermione were very excited about the upcoming Hogsmeade trip and Cordelia was determined to make the most out of it and get Christmas gifts for all of her friends.

On the day of the Hogsmeade trip, Hermione, Ron, and Cordelia found their way into Honeydukes in search of something to bring back for Harry. Ron had just held out a jar of Cockroach Clusters as an idea when Cordelia and Hermione jumped because Harry had somehow spoken from behind them.

"Harry!" Hermione squealed. "What are you doing here? How— how did you—?"

Cordelia smirked at the fact that Harry had snuck out of the castle and shot him a small thumbs-up, much to Hermione's disapproval.

"Wow!" Said Ron, he looked very impressed, "you've learned to Apparate!"

"Course I haven't," said Harry, shaking his head. He dropped his voice and told them all about the Marauder's Map.

When Harry finished and Ron, Hermione, and Cordelia had paid for their sweets the quartet set off for The Three Broomsticks to get some butterbeer.

It was warm and crowded when they entered the inn and Ron pointed out Madam Rosmerta with a slight blush and went to get their drinks. When Ron came back five minutes later with their butterbeer the four of them drank happily. Suddenly a cool breeze was felt at Cordelia turned to the door to see Professor McGonagall and Flitwick come in with Cornelius Fudge. Faster than a Snitch, Cordelia leaned over and shakedown Harry under their table while Hermione moved the Christmas tree to hide them from view.

Cordelia watched from behind the tree as Fudge asked Rosmerta to sit with them.

"So, what brings you to this neck of the woods, Minister?" Asked Madam Rosmerta.

"What else, but Sirius Black? I dare say you heard what happened up at the school at Halloween?" Cordelia froze and Hermione put a comforting hand on her shoulder as Madam Rosmerta admitted to hearing a rumor about such and asked if Fudge thought that Sirius might still be around.

"I'm sure of it," said Fudge.

"I still have trouble believing it," said Madam Rosmerta. "Sirius Black was the last person I thought would go over to the Dark Side. I remember when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become..."

"You don't know the worst of it, Rosmerta." Said Fudge.

"The worst? Worse than murdering all those people?" Rosmerta asked curiously.

"I certainly do," said Fudge.

"You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta," muttered McGonagall. "Do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Naturally," said Madam Rosmerta. "Never saw one without the other, did you? Quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"

Harry and Cordelia both dropped their butterbeer.

"You'd have thought Black and Potter were brothers!" Chimed Professor Flitwick. "They were inseparable, much like their own two children."

"Of course they were," said Fudge. "Potter trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was the best man when James married Lily and James was the best man when Black married Remus. Then Lily and James named Black godfather to Harry and when Cordelia was born James and Lily were named her godparents. Harry and Cordelia have no idea, of course. You can imagine how the idea would torment them."

"Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?" Whispered Madam Rosmerta.

"Worse even than that..." Fudge dropped his voice. "When James and Lily found out that You-Know-Who was after them, they went into hiding at once. Dumbledore told them that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm. Black was their secret keeper."

"James Potter insisted on Black." Said, McGonagall.

"And then." Said Fudge. "Barely a week after the charm had been performed—"

"Black betrayed them?" Breathed Madam Rosmerta.

"He did indeed. Black was tired of his double-agent role, he was ready to deliver his support for You-Know-Who."

"Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!" Said Hagrid. "I met him! I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people! It was me who rescued Harry from Lily and James' house after they were killed! Sirius Black turned up on that flyin motorbike he used ter ride. Thought he'd just heard the news of You-Know-Who's attack an came ter see what he could do. He was shakin, he was. An yeh know what I did? I COMFORTED THE MURDERING TRAITOR!" Hagrid roared.

Cordelia was sobbing into Hermione's shoulder at this point.

"How was I ter know he wasn't upset abou James and Lily. An then he says, 'Give Harry to me, Hagrid, I'm his godfather, Remus and I will look after him—' but I had orders from Dumbledore, an I told Black no, Dumbledore said Harry was ter go ter his Aunt an Uncle's. Black argued, but in the end, he gave in. Told me ter take his motorbike. He loved that motorbike. Black knew he was going to have ter run for it that night. At least Harry was safe and Cordelia didn' have to grow up with a father like tha' at least she had Remus."

"It was Peter Pettigrew who found him the next day." Said Fudge bitterly.

"Pettigrew ... that fat little boy who was tagging around after them at Hogwarts?" Said Madam Rosmerta.

Professor McGonagall blew her nose. "Stupid boy... foolish boy... he was always hopeless at dueling... should have left it to the Ministry... all that was left of him when Black was done was a single finger."

One by one, the teachers and Minister left the inn. Ron and Hermione were staring at Harry and Cordelia.

Ron and Hermione didn't talk at all throughout dinner. That night, Cordelia didn't sleep and though Hermione had tried to talk to her she didn't answer, too lost in her own thoughts.

The next morning Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Cordelia went down to Hagrid's hut. When Hagrid finally opened the door, he was crying.

"Hagrid, what is it?" Asked Hermione. Hagrid handed them a letter, explaining that Buckbeak was to go to trial because of what he did to Malfoy. The trip to Hagrid's though not fun kept Harry and Cordelia's minds off of Sirius.

On Christmas morning Cordelia woke up early and grabbed a sheet off of her bed so that she could carry her presents to the boys' dorm so that they could open them together. Hermione did the same. Mrs. Weasley had sent her a beautiful coral sweater with a C on it and some Christmas cake. Ron had gotten her a bunch of Honeydukes chocolate. Hermione had gotten her a Muggle book called Beauty and The Beast and strawberry perfume that was enchanted so that it never ran out.

Harry had gotten her her own wizard chess set. Her Pa had gotten her a small charm bracelet that had a Wolf paw on it. And it turned out that Fred and George had been saving their money so that they could buy her something, they ended up getting her a small, gold, heart-shaped locket that was filled with their memories of each other. When everyone had finished opening their presents, both Harry and Cordelia saw that there were two more addressed to them and when they ripped them open they saw that they were two broomsticks. Not just any broomsticks. They were Firebolts. There were no cards.

Hermione was not as excited as Harry, Ron, and Cordelia had been and demanded that they be given to Professor McGonagall for inspection, and after much fighting and arguing Cordelia eventually agreed though Harry and Ron didn't talk to Hermione at all after the brooms were taken away.

                                                              1322 words