Consumption

Dumbledore threw the file down on the metal table, the rage radiating off of him. Sirius watched in slight amusement as the old man huffed, his hands clasped together tightly as he sat down in the metal chair heavily. The handcuffs dug into Sirius’ wrists, trapping his hands on the table in front of him as he waited for the FBI agent to speak.

Dumbledore stayed silent as he opened the folder, pulling out a series of pictures and reports and lining them up in front of Sirius.

He had to restrain himself from smiling at the sight, Remus had gotten his message. The display was gruesome, blood coating every surface in an intentionally messy scene. Every piece of the puzzle was perfect, laid out for all to see, intending to finally speak the truth.

Barty’s body sat on the floor, barely recognizable due to the sheer amount of blood surrounding him and painting his tanned skin a crimson hue. He lay against a harp, his back pressed against the brass instrument as his fingers embedded themselves into the strings. His eyes were removed, laying innocently on the floor next to him as his eyelids remain pinned to his forehead, showcasing the emptiness of the sockets. Blood pours over his face, extending down his neck and staining his white shirt. Another picture proves exactly what Sirius knew it would. He’s missing an ear. The missing sensory organ sends a thrill down Sirius’ spine which is even more heightened by the series of knives sticking out of the orderly’s body.

This was his ticket out of here. The recreation of the murders Sirius was accused of.

“His ear was found stuffed down his throat.” Dumbledore spoke quietly, pulling out a picture of the inside of the man’s mouth. Sirius knew that Dumbledore had tried to ignore the blatant obviousness of this kill and tried to excuse it as an admirer of Sirius’. But he knew that this was The Artist. He knew that Sirius had been right the whole time.

“Finally believe me?” Sirius kept his face neutral, not allowing the man to see the joy that was currently radiating throughout his entire being.

“I don’t know what to believe.” Dumbledore leaned back in his chair; his arms crossed over his chest as he stared at the man before him. “All I know is that whoever killed Barty Crouch either killed those four people you were said to have killed, or they are an admirer of yours.”

“It’s The Artist.” Sirius said definitely, his tone steady despite the annoyance he was feeling towards the agent.

“We don’t know that.”

“Yeah, well you also don’t know that it was me who killed those people.”

“Your prints were on the knife!” Dumbledore threw his hands in the air, like the answer was obvious. “You were the only one in the hospital that night with Dr. Podmore, and you threw up Pandora’s ear!”

“I was being framed!” Sirius’ voice rose but he quickly cut himself off as Dumbledore’s phone rang, the shrill noise echoing throughout the room. The man stood up, sending Sirius a quick glare before leaving the room.

Sirius watched Dumbledore’s face through the small window in the door. The old man answered the phone, his face immediately dropping and his eyes darting between Sirius and the expanse of the hallway. Sirius knew that whatever was happening on that phone call was due to Remus Lupin. Remus knew that the murder of Barty Crouch wouldn’t be enough to persuade Dumbledore that Sirius was innocent, they needed evidence.

Dumbledore put his phone away, speaking to the orderly outside of the door before rushing down the hall. The door opened, the orderly quickly unlatching Sirius’ handcuffs from the table and leading him back to his cell.

“They’ve got him!” James shouted in excitement, his hands gripping the wheel of the vehicle as his friends piled into the van.

“James, have I ever said how grateful I am that you bought a mom van?” Marlene asked as she and Dorcas fell into their seats in the very back row. Peter pulled the sliding door shut, sitting in the second row behind the driver's seat.

“You have!” James’ face ached with his bright smile; the last time he smiled like this was before Sirius was incarcerated. “And now it will be full once again.”

The empty seat in the second row was starting to form a thin layer of dust. Sirius’ seat. It was strange to be in the van with everyone but Sirius, like the last piece of the jigsaw that got lost, making it impossible to truly see the full picture.

Despite the fact that James was going well over the speed limit and Lily kept shooting him small looks to slow down from her spot in the passenger seat, the drive to DSHCI felt extraordinarily long. The road seemingly never ending as he flew down the highway, his heart beating in his throat.

“So, what exactly happened?” Peter asked, throwing some gummy bears in his mouth before passing the bag back to Marlene. “Why’s Sirius all of a sudden being released?”

“They found prints on the harp and some of the knives.” James said, quickly changing lanes to get off on the next exit.

“Well, whose are they?” Dorcas called out, slightly leaning forward in her seat. James had called all of them frantically, telling them that he was picking them up in a few minutes. He gave no explanation at all, only Lily really knew due to the fact that she was there when he got the phone call from Dumbledore.

“Severus Snape’s.”

The hospital loomed over the group as the van came to a skidding stop and they all stumbled out of the vehicle. Dumbledore stood at the doors of the hospital, his face stern as he shouted orders at the FBI agents around him.

“Where is he?” James asked, immediately running up to his boss.

“He’s getting his things.” Dumbledore said offhandedly before turning to talk to someone.
James bounced on the balls of his feet, trying to peek behind the officers who were currently blocking off the entrance. Lily set a comforting hand on his elbow, gently pulling him to the side so they weren’t in the way of the people working.

The wait was excruciating, James’ mind was racing, not allowing him to join in on the conversation his friends were having. His eyes caught onto a flash of black hair, his spine immediately straightening and his feet moving before he could even process it.

In two seconds, his brother was in his arms, and he was okay again. The steady arms that wrapped around his torso were grounding and he felt warm tears slide down his face as his muscles finally relaxed.

“Guess I’m not criminally insane, huh?” Sirius laughed wetly; his face pressed into James’ shoulder.

James pulled back, his hands grabbing onto the shorter boy's face as he slapped a wet kiss onto his forehead. He ignored the muttered ‘nasty’ from Sirius as he looked over his state.

“Nope, just the regular insane…I missed you.” James whispered, “They cut your hair.”

“Yeah,” Sirius’ voice was resigned, a hand instinctively coming up to his short hair. “Snape got tired of sending someone to brush it.”

All of a sudden Sirius stumbled back, Marlene, Dorcas, Peter, and Lily crowding into his space as he was pulled into a large group hug. Everyone spoke at the same time, their voices filled with tears and regret.

“I’m so sorry we didn’t believe you, Siri.” Marlene sighed; her eyes were slightly watery, but she refused to let the tears escape. “But hey, at least they caught him!”

Sirius stopped himself from laughing at the thought that someone could believe Severus Snape was behind these meticulous murders…But if it got him out of prison, who cares. Sirius let his mind clear, all of his built-up emotions and conflicting thoughts were forgotten as his friends surrounded him.

Although he could still feel Dumbledore’s suspicious gaze on his back, he happily jumped into James’ stupid minivan, leaning back into the old, stained seat and listening as his friends conversed excitedly. As the vehicle started and James slowly pulled out of the hospital parking lot, Sirius watched as the building got further and further away.

It was a test. A test that Sirius had passed. And now, the only thing on his mind was one person. One person who had constructed this meticulous game, who had sent Sirius to be feasted on by the wolves. Someone who Sirius felt connected to, an irreplaceable bond that he couldn’t even begin to explain. Because after all that this man had put him through, Sirius could still feel himself crawling back to him.