Lionheart ~ Harry Potter (Under Heavy Editing)

Chapter Twenty | Jessica O'Connor

After having thoroughly enjoyed themselves for a while, the quartet of Gryffindors had besides to return to the main village, since it wasn't long until Professor McGonagall would be calling for her students.

Ariana and Harry were draped in their friends' hand and scarves in an attempt to conceal their identities. Ariana had to tie her hair up underneath Hermione's hat, since it was as white as the snow they were traipsing through, and it was quite noticeable.

The group trudged through the swirling snow, both Ron and Hermione at either side of their friends, trying to keep them hidden.

"Those weasels! Never told me about any Marauder's Map!" Ron exclaimed angrily.

Harry and Ariana had revealed the Marauder's Map to Ron and Hermione, telling them everything they knew about it. Naturally, both of their friends had their opinions.

Hermione had voiced her concerns over how it was not allowed at Hogwarts, and Ron was still venting about how his brothers never revealed the map to Harry and Ariana rather than himself.

"But Harry isn't going to keep it. He's going to turn it over to Professor McGonagall, aren't you?" Hermione enquired, eyeing Harry and Ariana.

Ron scoffed. "Oh sure. Along with Harry's invisibility cloak, his pack of exploding snap cards, Ariana's -"

"Oh, shut up," Hermione groaned, rolling her eyes.

Ariana shook her head in amusement, but something else caught her attention: the Minister for Magic outside the Three Broomsticks, stepping out of his grand Ministry sleigh.

"Rosmerta, m'dear!" Cornelius Fudge called, emerging from the sleigh.

The four students watched up ahead as Hagrid opened the sleigh door for the Minister, then ripped it clean off of its hinges.

Under better circumstances, Ariana would of found Hagrid trying to reattach the door amusing, but she was too preoccupied with watching the Wizarding version of the Prime Minister grace the village with his presence. She wasn't a massive fan of him, but she was curious as to why he was there.

Professor McGonagall and a rather curvy, brunette barmaid joined him outside.

"That's Madam Rosmerta. Ron fancies her," Hermione smirked, nodding at the barmaid

"It's not true!" Ron protested.

"Shhh," Harry and Ariana whispered in unison, focusing intently on the three people outside the bar.

"I trust business is good?" Fudge enquired.

"It'd be a right sight better if the Ministry wasn't sending Dementors into my pub every other night," Rosmerta huffed, crossing her arms.

"We have a killer on the loose," Fudge reasoned.

"Sirius Black? In Hogsmeade! And what would bring him here?" Rosmerta questioned, raising her eyebrows.

Fudge said something they didn't quite catch, but the barmaid was far from discreet as she exclaimed in shock:  "Harry Potter! Ariana O'Connor!"

Fudge looked around cautiously, as if someone was spying on them, in which case he would be correct, and then ushered McGonagall and Rosmerta inside.

Harry and Ariana shared a look; they were both going into that pub one way or another. The dark-haired boy wrapped the Invisibility cloak around them, making sure there were no gaps.

With a determined expression, Ariana pressed herself into Harry's side, then walked through the door into the pub before it shut.

Ariana saw a sign hanging up that read "No Underage Wizards". Smirking, she and Harry passed it, following after the group who were discussing them.

They narrowly escaped bumping in to a strange-looking patrons of the bar. They continued to thread through the the teeming pub, managing to avoid being hit by tipsy customers.

Ariana tugged Harry's sleeve, nodding at the group whom they were tailing. Harry understood her message: hurry up. The pair of Gryffindors pursued the man and two women up a staircase, but lost then when they entered a back room.

The door slammed shut in their faces, and Ariana grimaced. She reached forward and quietly turned the brass doorknob, pushing the door open so that they could squeeze through.

Harry and Ariana settled in a corner of the room, watching as events unravelled.

McGonagall, who had noticed the door, frowned and re-closed it. "Years ago, when Harry Potter's parents were marked for death, they went into hiding. Few knew where they were. One who did was Black. And he told..."

"You-Know-Who," Rosmerta interjected. "I've heard this rot. It was all over The Daily Prophet back in the day. And I'll say now what I said then: Of all the boys I ran out of here, Black's the last who would've gone over to the dark side."

"Ha! Tell that to Peter Pettigrew!" Fudge scoffed.

"Peter Pettigrew?"

"Little lump of a boy. Always
trailing after Black and..." McGonagall trailed off.

"I remember him. What's he got to do with it?" Rosmerta questioned, looking slightly impatient.

"After the Potters were killed, Pettigrew went looking for Black. And, unfortunately... found him," McGonagall said morbidly.

"Black was vicious. He didn't kill Pettigrew. He destroyed him. A finger. That's all that was left," Fudge added, looking as grim as his companions.

"What does Ariana O'Connor have to do with this situation? She doesn't seem to fit in."

Ariana's interest in the conversation piqued higher than it had before. She subconsciously leaned forward a little, focusing solely on the people in the room and their topic of conversation.

"When Jessica O'Connor found out about the betrayal, she was furious. After all, she was a lifelong friend of Lily Potter. She intended to take Harry in and raise him with Ariana and Aaron, but the He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named killed her before she could," McGonagall recited, her face falling in sorrow.

Ariana's heart thumped against her ribcage. First of all: Voldemort killed her mother? Secondly: she has had no idea who her parents were, and all the while, they knew?!

Anger and sorrow coursed through Ariana's veins, but she done her best to focus on the remainder of the conversation. The rage did not subside, however, and Ariana knew that pushing it down would only make it worse, but she didn't have much of an option.

Clearly Harry knew she would be feeling awful, so he linked arms with his friend in an attempt to comfort her. It worked. The simple gesture reminded Ariana that she still had people that supported her, and it soothed the girl.

"Sirius Black may not have put his hands to the Potters, but he's the reason they're dead. And now he wants to finish what he started," McGonagall began, her face sullen.

"Harry," Rosmerta said, realising where they were going with the story.

"But that's not the worst of it," Fudge stated.

"What could be worse?" Rosmerta enquired, looking inquisitive.

"This: Sirius Black was and remains today... Harry Potter's godfather."

~~~~~

Question:
What is Fred Weasley’s chosen code name on Potterwatch, the secretive radio programme set up by the Order of the Phoenix?

Congratulations to Blackstars36 for answering the previous question correctly.