Padfoot's Weakness - HP / Marauders time travel

5: Meanwhile in 1997

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1997

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Sirius Black stared at the spot where Henrietta Potter once stood, which was now vacant. Nothing but disheveled grass was left in the place where his goddaughter once was. He vaguely heard the jubilant shouts of the men surrounding him, as they turned back towards Sirius.

'It's not possible!' Sirius thought frantically. 'Where did she go? Where did they send her?'

"Hands in the air, Black!" an Auror ordered him, paying no mind to the disappearance of Henrietta.

"Where'd you send her?!" Sirius exclaimed angrily. "Where is she?!"

"She was attacking Aurors for no reason," a bulky man snarled.

"Do you realize who she was--is?" Sirius spat venomously. "That was Henrietta Potter!"

They all paled drastically, much to Sirius' satisfaction. Several exchanged nervous glances, while the others gulped fearfully. They had just vanquished one of their only chances to defeat Voldemort. They had attacked and sent away the Girl-Who-Lived.

"We had a good reason!" one huffed. "C'mon, Black. Back to Azkaban for you. We'll make sure to let the Dementors have fun."

Just as they lifted their wands in sync, an abrupt blast of light came blinding them all. They all grunted, shutting their eyes to desperately escape the painful flash of brightness.

"What is going on here?" came the voice of Albus Dumbledore. He had his legendary wand tucked into his right hand, while the other was leaning over to rest on Sirius' shoulder.

"Dumbledore!" the familiar bulky Auror gasped. "We are here to send this murderer back to Azkaban. Let us do our jobs."

"I see no murderer here," Dumbledore responded calmly. "Sirius Black is an innocent man. Leave, now. You are trespassing on Hogwarts grounds."

"But--" they spluttered in shock, stunned at the headmaster's defensive behavior towards the infamous killer. "You're helping him!" one accused.

"That I am," Dumbledore agreed nonchalantly, stepping closer to Sirius. "Sirius is not a murderer, and you would know this, had you bothered to grant him a trial before he was sentenced a life to Azkaban." The man's usually twinkling eyes darkened, narrowing intimidatingly at the intruders. "Leave, Aurors. You may accuse Sirius later. As for right now, you are all out of place to be throwing around assumptions, when you have just banished Henrietta Potter away from us."

"The Minister of Magic--"

"Can visit me later," Dumbledore intervened. "Right now, I must figure out a way to find miss Potter. I recognize that spell, Jane." He rested his gaze on the man who had been the reason Henrietta was gone. "As for the rest of you, not only did you intrude on school grounds, but you attacked a teenage student without giving her a chance to explain herself. One of you," he paused to stare at a trembling man, "used an Unforgivable as well. If there is anyone the Minister should be visiting, it would be your group."

With a final nod, the Headmaster turned back to Sirius and pointed his thumb in the direction of Hogwarts. "Come, Sirius. We need to find Miss Potter."

And they headed back to the castle.

//

The moment Sirius and Dumbledore reached the Headmaster's office, the raven haired man began pacing endlessly. He stressfully ran a hand through his wavy hair, feet thudding rather loudly against the carpeted floor.

"Sirius, calm down," Dumbledore rumbled.

"Where could she be?" Sirius exclaimed, pausing in his pacing to confront Dumbledore. "What spell did that guy use? Where is my Goddaughter?"