Chapter 7 – Gathering Clouds

If there was one thing that Lucius Malfoy loved to do it was make his enemies pay. He rubbed his ribs, where the Potter boy’s spell had hit him, and winced slightly. His plan had worked beautifully. Potter would be in serious trouble with the ministry, especially with all the witnesses that had seen the attack. Of course he’d had no idea that Potter was so powerful. He reckoned that he had broken a rib at the very least.

Suddenly, as he sat outside Florean Fortescues ice cream parlour, a middle aged wizard apparated nearby. He was dressed in the typical wizard garb of robes, coloured rust red, and matching knee length cloak. Pinned to the left breast of the cloak near where it fastened with a silver clasp was a small gold badge denoting him as a member of the Ministry for Magic’s Investigations team. The closest thing the wizards had to the normal muggle police and the division that some of the lower ranking Aurors worked for.

The ministry wizard spotted him and walked over, offering his hand courteously. “Mr Malfoy, I hear you’ve been in a scrape?”

Malfoy frowned inwardly and shook the hand offered to him. “Scrape?” he replied indignantly. “I was reaching for a cigar and I was attacked!”

“Indeed,” replied the ministry wizard. “May I?” he asked pointing to the seat opposite.

Malfoy nodded impatiently while the wizard sat down. “Who are you?” he demanded. “I was expecting to see someone senior in the department.”

“Digby Aragorn,” he said while he pulled out a small notebook from inside his cloak. “And I am a senior investigator Mr Malfoy. If you have any objections to my handling this case then I suggest you take it up with the head of my department.”

Malfoy scowled. He knew very well who the head of the department was. It was one of the wizards who had tried his hardest to put him in Azkaban for his ‘rumoured’ support of Voldemort. Of course, his defence of being under the Imperius curse had worked wonders in that regard.

“None yet,” he said to Aragorn between tight lips.

“If you would like to recount the entire incident between you and Harry Potter?” he asked the name with a slight lilt to his voice as if restraining surprise or disbelief. “From the top if you would.”

Malfoy repressed a sneer and simply complied. He was, after all, going to use the investigation to get Potter expelled from Hogwarts and get him removed from the wizarding world.



“I wish I could have seen the look on Malfoy’s face when you knocked him to the ground!” roared out Hagrid in laughter.

“Hagrid!” cried Hermione a little indignantly. “Don’t encourage him.”

Hagrid turned his gaze to her and smiled. “Quite right Hermione,” he replied as he struggled to control his big grin. Turning to look at Harry now, he let his smile through. “If I ever hear of you attacking someone without very good reason I’ll send you back to Aragog for a lesson in manners.”

Harry shivered slightly at the memory of the giant spider he had met during his second year at Hogwarts. He had told Hagrid all about his ‘adventure’ in the forest and Hagrid had been quite surprised to hear that the spiders had tried to eat him and Ron. He hadn’t believed it at first, but he knew better than to question Harry, and so after a few minutes insistence, Hagrid had gone into the forest to find out the Spiders side of the story. When he had returned he was not happy and told them that if they were to ever find themselves in the presence of the Spiders again they would not be harmed. Harry and Ron had both been doubtful about that and they just intended to steer well clear of the spider’s home.

Hagrid, seeing that his coercion had had the desired effect, put his arm around Harry’s shoulder. “So tell me about your summer,” he asked, “apart from knocking Lucius Malfoy on his rear that is!”

Harry smiled wanly and was about to tell Hagrid that not a lot had happened over the summer except his lack of sleep when the door of the shop opposite them opened again.

Hagrid looked up and frowned. “Sorry Harry, it will have to wait.” He rose without a word and crossed the street and leaned into the now fully open doorway.

Harry and Hermione shared a look of interest, then rose and began to cross the street to join Hagrid. They had only made it halfway when they could hear Hagrid talking to someone in hushed tones. Suddenly he stopped talking and turned to look at them as they walked toward him, a smile on his face. “Got a surprise for you Harry,” he said as a cloaked figure leaned around Hagrid’s bulk.

Harry almost missed a step as his eyes tracked up from the booted feet almost hidden under the hem of the cloak to the narrow shoulder, then up to the shadow clouded face.

Something was familiar about him, but Harry couldn’t quite place it.

Then, suddenly, as the figure leaned further forward, sunlight penetrated the shadow under the hood and lit up the face of the most wanted man in the wizarding world. Sirius Black.

He looked even healthier than the last time he had seen him. The short black hair was neatly combed and the face was almost identical to all the pictures Harry had in his photograph album. He wanted to shout out his name and go running to him across the rest of the street, but it was far too public for that. The last thing he needed was for his godfather to be locked up again.

“How’re doing?” Harry asked almost nonchalantly as he stepped up next to Hagrid.

Sirius smiled down at him from underneath the hood and there was a sparkle in his eye. “I’m fine Harry,” he said. “I got your letter from Hedwig early yesterday morning. It took her a bit of time to find me.”

Harry opened his mouth to ask a question when Sirius pre-empted him. “I’ve been in hiding again,” he began. “The ministry has been keeping an eye on Lupin so I’ve had to be elsewhere.”

Harry frowned. “Why are they watching Professor Lupin?” he asked.

“Its not just him,” Hagrid answered. “Professor Dumbledore has been getting letters everyday from the ministry asking his opinion over the silliest details. Its been keeping him at the school most of the summer answering them.”

Hermione nodded. “It makes sense,” she said. “Mr Weasley and Percy have been working overtime at the ministry, Professor Lupin has been under observation and basically so has Professor Dumbledore.”

Harry thought about it for a second and his mind joined the dots. “So the ministry is keeping them busy?” he asked rhetorically.

“Exactly,” replied Sirius. “Fudge may be a fool for not believing Voldemort is back, but he’s not such a fool to allow us to run around spreading the rumour he is without opposition.”

Hagrid clenched his fists in frustration. “He’s a damn fool,” he argued. “To not oppose ‘he who must not be named’ is crazy enough. But to actively work against those of us who do… its madness!”

“Calm down Hagrid,” Sirius said softly, looking up and down the street. “We’re likely to draw enough attention standing in the doorway of a disused shop as it is without you making enough noise to raise the dead.”

Hagrid suddenly looked abashed and muttered he was sorry under his breath.

“I have to go now Harry,” Sirius replied.

“But you only just got here!” Harry replied, a little anguish in his voice.

“Like I said, I’m supposed to be hiding,” Sirius countered. “And far away from here as well,” he added gesturing to the deserted alley.

“When can I see you again?” Harry asked.

“I’m not sure when it might be safe, but I’ve told Professor Dumbledore about you're dreams and he seems to think your feeling what Voldemort is up to again, just like during the Tri Wizarding Tournament. He’s been working on a way to block the link between you but hasn’t come up with anything yet.” With a quick look up and down the street, Sirius stepped back into the shadows and pulled the hood closer about his head. “If you get any more dreams or feelings about it, send an Owl straight to Dumbledore.”

Harry nodded, then quickly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Sirius. For a moment, Sirius didn’t make any move, but then his arms wrapped around Harry. For so long now, everyone had regarded him with suspicion and fear. Despite a select few people now knowing he was innocent of his supposed crime, he was still not really used to human contact. For that moment Harry’s world seemed almost perfect.

“Harry?” came a sudden anguished cry from the top of the alley.

Harry let go of Sirius and turned toward the startled and worried sound to see Mrs Weasley running down the alley, Ginny, Ron, Fred and George in tow.

Harry turned to say goodbye to Sirius, but saw he was already gone. Harry’s heart skipped a beat as he felt the concern of current events re-enter his thoughts along with a renewed worry for his godfather.

“Are you alright?” Mrs Weasley asked breathlessly as she came to a halt beside him, wrapping her arms around him in a grip that would make any wrestler proud.

“I’m fine,” Harry replied speaking into her shoulder in a slightly muffled tone.

“Let him go before you suffocate him mum,” joked George.

Mrs Weasley loosened her grip, but one hand still kept a hold of Harry’s shoulder like she was afraid that, if she didn’t hold onto him, he might disappear. “Ron told me what happened,” she said. “Fancy that grown wizard threatening two children!” she almost shrieked, her hand tightening on Harry’s shoulder into a steel grip.

“It wasn’t quite like that,” came a stern but soft voice from the top of the alley.

“Professor Dumbledore,” stated Hermione.

“Miss Granger. I trust you had a pleasant summer?” he asked almost casually.

Hermione nodded with a smile and Dumbledore nodded back at her before turning his attention to Harry. “Walk with me Harry?” he asked.

Harry stepped away from Mrs Weasley, almost pulling her along with him till she realised she was still gripping onto him. With a quick look over his shoulder at the others assembled there, he moved up to join Professor Dumbledore. “We shall meet you in the Leaky Cauldron in a few minutes,” he said before turning back toward Diagon Alley with Harry in tow.

Silence fell about them for a moment and Harry felt the burning desire to start blabbering about his innocence and how sorry he was. But he kept his ramblings to himself and walked to the side and a little behind the Professor.

“I have spoken to several of the witnesses to your little incident,” Dumbledore began, “so I don’t need to hear your side of the events. Never the less, I would like to hear your reasoning behind the attack.”

Harry winced at the word attack, realising that was exactly what it was. He had attacked an unarmed wizard. “I thought he was reaching for his wand,” Harry offered.

Dumbledore looked down at Harry, almost like he was looking through him, as they entered Diagon Alley from the side street then stopped. “Take a look around Harry,” he said. “Tell me what you see?”

Harry did as he was told, taking in the sounds and sights of the busy shopping area. “I see Diagon Alley,” he said.

Dumbledore shook his head slightly. “More detail Harry.”

Harry looked about again. “I see Quality quidditch supplies, Gringots bank, Florean Fortescues, Robes r us, Spell savers…”

“That’s enough Harry,” Dumbledore interrupted. “You see, but you don’t see.”

“See what?” Harry asked now truly puzzled.

“You looked around and you saw what was here, but ignored a great deal of it. I look around and I see all the shop, yes, but I also see the people going in and out of them. What does this tell you now?”

Harry looked at the wizards and witches that moved in and out of the shops studied their clothing, the way they carried themselves, what they carried in the way of shopping. Then the realisation dawned on him.

“I see witnesses,” he said. “People who saw me…” his words trailed off as another layer of realisation swept over him.

Dumbledore smiled slightly. “Exactly Harry,” he said. “Lucius Malfoy is many things, but careless is not one of them. If he truly meant to attack you, he would not do it so publicly.”

Harry shook his head. “What’s going to happen to me Professor?” he asked.

“I have spoken to a few friendly members of the Ministry and they tell me that no one can decide what to do about you,” he responded.

Harry noted the way Dumbledore had said ‘friendly members’ but stayed quiet.

“It would seem that the divisions that have appeared in the ministry over the last few weeks have gotten considerably lager,” he said while guiding Harry over to a sheltered tree lined courtyard just round the corner from Gringots.

“Divisions?” Harry asked.

Dumbledore nodded. “There are three groups in the Ministry now,” he said. “One, who holds the majority, is those who do not know Voldemort is back. Another, a distinct minority, is made up of those who believe us but are not in the position to help. The third group is the one that contains the most power within the Ministry itself. It is this group that is working to keep the other groups from knowing the truth for the sake of maintaining the illusion of control.”

“So how does this affect me?” Harry asked as his mind tried to grasp the complexity of the politics Professor Dumbledore was outlining to him.

“Most of the members of the ministry have a ‘soft spot’ for you Harry,” he explained. “It is this group that is willing to just offer you a strongly worded caution. The group on our side is supporting this notion in an effort to seem less…” Dumbledore paused as if looking for the right words, “hard-lined than they are.”

“What about the others?” Harry asked, although he had the feeling he already knew.

“They are pushing for a more severe disciplinary action, asking for your suspension from Hogwarts and other measures that you need not worry about.”

“Will they win?”

Dumbledore shook his head. “Despite holding a majority of the power in the Ministry, they are still accountable to the majority. We do live in a democracy after all Harry.”

Harry shook his head. “So what does it all mean?” he asked a little confused.

“It means that, for now, you are to return to Hogwarts with nothing more than a strongly worded caution while an investigation takes place.”

Harry almost wilted with relief at the realisation he was not going to be expelled from school. “Thank you Professor,” he said.

“Don’t thank me yet Harry,” he replied. “You have to be very very careful this year. If you get into trouble with the ministry again, there may be nothing I can do to help you.”

Harry suddenly felt a hard lump settle in his throat and he found it hard to speak. He nodded, and then followed the Professor back through Diagon Alley and into the Leaky Cauldron.

"Chapter 7 – Gathering Clouds"  [13+]