All in the Family

Chapter 75: The Four Champions

Happy Valentine's Day! Or not? Whichever you prefer, here's an extra chapter.

Regulus was immediately sure of two thigs things. He'd never been in this room, would like to explore it under better circumstances, but would like to leave now.

It was a small, circular room lined with portraits from floor to ceiling, and for a wild moment he wondered what you had to do to be put in here? Was this a grand secret for those honored, or a storage place to shove away those they didn't have a care for in the hallways? A petite little witch in a purple witches hat nearly as large as her eyed them for a moment before flitting to the nearest painting and whispering in that person's ear.

The other seven were the reason he wasn't keen on taking in much more than that. Sirius, James Potter, and Remus Lupin stood groped in front of the large fireplace, their shadows casting daunting, flickering movement though they remained stone-faced and still. Peter had landed just slightly out of arms reach of them, on the book, and was rubbing his rump for it while trying not to look at anyone. Alice had to cross the middle of the room to get to Frank, stiff and uneasy the whole time as she breathed in the tension as much as anyone.

James winced as he saw the audience waiting with bated breath. He knew he should have done this back at the museum, back where there was a slight chance of privacy, but then Sirius had distracted him by releasing that old Snitch, and well . . . He could keep waiting of course, but they never knew where they'd end up. They may have the rest of this book to go as well as the other three at this rate, but if he kept putting it off, he was afraid he would forever. Peter was already cracking it open, it would be so easy to at least wait and see why Harry had been put in this bloody tournament, though at this rate no one had really seemed surprised about that part.

Sirius took the choice from him regardless. He'd been watching James' face and upon seeing his distress, took matters into his own hands, as he was want to do. Braisein, or simply uncaring of the audience, he snatched the book away, causing them to look at each other for the first time in what could have been days.

"I'm sorry, I've been an ars to you, and said all that shit to you. I should have, err, never, or well, thought it threw better‑" His voice was broken and uneven, James wasn't even sure if he meant it, yet. He did conclude with sincerity though, "You know I'd hate anything that would be the death of my best mate, even you, but I'm clearly just as screwed up in this future, well you more so but obviously I made some shitty mistakes too and‑"

"I know Sirius," Peter finally interrupted, and the soft sound of his voice made the other three wince as they already realized how long it had been since they'd really heard it. "I never blamed you lot for, well, what you said and did. I'm not happy with myself either." He rocked on his feet for a moment, not really looking at any of them, but seemed content to let it end there as he turned back to the book once more, holding his hand out expectantly.

Sirius hesitated, glancing at James for something, but he just kept watching Wormtail with hardly a change in expression. Sirius had said his peace, so gave the book back, admittedly curious to the extreme what was going to happen to Harry more than their...tiff anyways for the moment. If the kid died during this tournament, that would put their problems on hold for a while after all.

Peter glanced at all three of them for a moment with a hesitant smile, which Remus at least was able to return, before reading The Four Champions.

Regulus found himself smiling as Peter got started, not blaming him any more than Harry for the shock that must be coursing threw them. It wasn't exactly the progress he would have asked for, but progress none the less. Harry's predicament quickly overtook center stage this time though as every adult in that school came in arguing at the top of their lungs about this change of the tournament, except Dumbledore's calm head.

Lily waited through the whole argument with bated breath, tapping her nails impatiently on her crossed arms as she imagined those adults in this very room discussing Harry's future. Why couldn't it just be as simple as Harry couldn't participate because he'd broken the age rule? Surely there must be a loophole, it's not as if Harry had asked for this like James Potter would have.

Of course, hardly anyone believed poor Harry had been just as surprised as anyone this happening to him. She genuinely felt bad for the poor thing and wished she could give him some encouragement instead of Cedric, and the following rest of Gryffindor tower congratulating this stupidly spectacular feet.

She couldn't help scowling at Potter during the entire celebration, despite the fact that he was looking genuinely miserable for the child she still scoffed as she knew if he'd been in that situation he'd be strutting like a bloody peacock.

When finally Harry got to his dorm though, her heart plummeted, and she wasn't the only one who cursed in surprise upon Ron's reaction. It was beyond depressing now, to see one of Harry's friends turn on him when he so needed the support...then she really looked at who was reading. It was no wonder Peter Pettigrew's voice shook, the danger of this hadn't even sunk past her outrage yet, but it clearly had his.

Peter kept looking at nothing in here, but his eyes were pleading with the beyond to show him something. As if he wished his friend would appear right now and talk to him, but not at fifteen she suddenly realized. Peter didn't want to talk to his friend right now, he wanted to talk to the ghost of the man he'd doomed, to hear from him if he was forgiven or not for this being Harry's future.