Chapter 6
If James was completely honest, the second after separating Molly from his brother, his thought was “the bastard deserved it”.
- Jesus Christ, a man tries to help, and he is attacked – whined Sirius, while sitting with a hand over his black eye.
- You kidnapped her daughter and helped my son lie to me, thought James – I think you got it light.
- Her daughter is possessed, Prongs. Malfoy targeted the girl. We need to help her.
- And you think that her parents don’t want it too? But they should be warned previously, not after you took their kid and brought to this wretched place – Said James, pointing to the dark walls. The screeches off the portrait could be heard, as well the screams of little Ginny.
James paced in front of Sirius, clearly mad, until he broke the silence.
- Come on, finish it. Say what you have to say. How you are mad with me…
- Of course I am fucking mad! You hid information from me about my son. You lied and omitted information when I sought you out because of that shit of Slytherin Heir, you broke my trust, Sirius! – yelled James.
Sirius sighed but maintained an unapologetic face, like he was saying that he did what he had to do. James was about opening is mouth to tell him to fuck himself as Kreacher appeared.
- The little bloodtraitor is already screaming her lungs off. May I suggest the master use a silencing charm?
- I swear to fucking Merlin, I will cut your head off your body if you keep using that language, Kreacher. – gritted Sirius.
James could no longer take their spats, so he intervened:
- How is she, Kreacher? Is Andromeda making any progress?
- Miss Andromeda is divided. She needs to control the girl, but if she makes her unconscious, she won’t know if the girl is still under possession. And the girl’s mother keeps interrupting. They told Kreacher to leave because with the two women and the mud… muggleborn who married with Miss Andromeda, the room is full.
- What about Arthur? – wondered James.
- The man left to the street.
Fuck. James and Sirius bolted to the door without looking at each other, exactly at the same time.
Finding Arthur was easy, catching him right before the apparition spot.
- Arthur, stop! – yelled James, while turning him and holding his arm.
- Let me go, Potter. – Seethed Arthur – He hurt my little girl. He must pay. The man was shaking and holding tears.
- Of course he has, but they bastard is slimy. You cannot get him now – said Sirius.
Arthur shook his head violently:
- You don’t understand. I have to…
- Get thrown into prison or get killed?! – continued Sirius. – Meanwhile, your child keeps hurting?
-Shut up, Sirius – Said James, without turning to look at him. He kept staring at Arthur – You’re right, he does not understand. He doesn’t know how it kills a part of you as they hurt your child. You would take the pain and fear gladly if your kid got to BE ok… I get it, Arthur. I get it. But this won’t help her. Not now.
- It is my fault – cried the redheaded man – and I can’t help her, but I can make sure he suffers it. That he suffers it too!
- But that won’t erase what she feels, and you will also be giving her the chance to have the support of her father. Will you do it? Will you take that from her? Don’t you think that took already too much of her?
The man crumbled while crying, which impelled Sirius and James to support him and drag him back to the house. What a fucking world, this kind of suffering … how had this become their lives. How did a bunch of bigots with narrow minds become such a violent force that ripped apart a society and their families, their children included, and this became an expected experience? Dragging a father who wanted to avenge his daughter, because Lucius Malfoy was protected by his scum and by law, but a decent man like Arthur Weasley, or his children, were not.
In that moment, James also felt the surge to get his wand and start a killing spree, but this was not a first-time experience, and he knew that he could only give any kind of support to his family and those in need if he kept a straight head and played the long game. Because, one day, no matter how, he would get them, and destroy everything that they built, every mechanism of oppression, every stupid rule implanted, tear every criminal of power position … he could do it, could he not? He was a Potter, not that he valued his bloodline over any other, but he had a privileged position that could give him a head start…
For the first time in his life, James thought he may have been failing his family because he only focused on the smaller picture. Had he been wrong to step away from the Winzengamot and the Ministry? Could, or should, he start the change within? Had he relented power to others that he should have taken?!
Back at the Grimmauld, they gave Arthur a draught. They were also not hearing Ginny’s screaming. Neither sounds from the adults, so he hoped everything was getting better.
James was staring at the fireplace, lost in thought, when Sirius approached him.
- Arthur is out. Sleeping with his head on the kitchen table, I may use Kreacher to take him to one of the rooms to rest properly. If must deal with that monster, I may as well put him to use. – He watched James, not responding, and notice that something has happening – Prongs, what is in your mind? I can see you wrecking your brain out, and while I think you may want to kill me, I think you would waste your energy on a plot and just do it. – he joked.
James sighed and turned to look at him with a straight face. He tried to open his mouth and speak, but he didn’t do it at the first try. His mind was reeling, and he felt like he was drowning in these new thoughts. Sirius seemed to understand and waited until he could speak, standing still.
- I had to demote Arthur from doing something that I had wished for many years. I knew exactly what he felt, but it was clear as day how wrong it would be … How it would be a mistake, not enough to change anything or end his family suffering. And that led me to think how we had to play this and change it … - He stopped at this point, dragging his breath, before letting it out, to test his last idea. Merlin, could he be right? Have I been wrong? Have I been sitting on my hands and moaning about everything, and lost the option to fight them? – He met his brother's eyes and waited. Sirius kept staring at him openly but made no move to speak, so he spoke again – I must do more, take them, hold their power. And the way to do this is to strike them where it hurts them more. Their power, their control… Arthur could not face Malfoy because the whole fucking Ministry would stand behind a Sacred Family… The Malfoys, the Bulllstrodes, the Lestranges, the Rosiers, are holding every structure of power in our world, and we let them. We let them take everything and hold us prisoners! We need to break their façade, to start attacking more cleverly, take each of their resistance, and diminish their power to destroy it!
- We may not like who we become, Prongs, well… in my case, actually… no, but ok. – said Sirius. No major gestures or voice fluctuation. Like this was not an outraging idea.
- What a hell, Padfoot? How can you be so calm?
- I was born on this shit. The power games… the corruption. – Sirius gave a dark laugh and looked around the room. He met James’s stare again and said: - You grew with Monty and Mia, who were sharp as a wit and knew this game very well, but they also tried to shield you from it. Meanwhile, I was … I am a Black, and that made me always understand that you’re either a pawn, ready to be exploited by those who hold power, or you become yourself a player. The thing is, do you understand who is holding you and playing you in every step.
James held his breath; all his life he also thought he was independent and valued his strength to pursue his freewill. He lived by whom he loved, by what he believed and his values … how could he also be played?
- What do you mean? – he rasped.
- Who suggest you hide? Who keeps assuring you that the Winzengamot is within control, even with all the Death Eaters? Who got you to enroll your child with that wanker who hates you? And who do you think is letting these Slytherin Heir rumours spread to get close to your child and assume the big protector role?! – said Sirius without hesitation. As these thoughts had already crossed his mind hundreds of times.
- You think…
- Even with little Ginny … - Interrupted his brother – Do you understand how he will use it? One of the most rightful and largest families of Britain affected by this will now gain the will to fight the Darkside and will join a war they had been trying to hide. The Order will be at its peak again… Dumbledore may as well take the Weasleys’ sons and Arthur’s knowledge within the Ministry to start plotting missions. The battles are starting again.
- Dumbledore fights for the light! He wants to end the war the same way we do!
- No, he wants the same result as we do, not the same way! He sees us as pieces of chess, always did. He might have the best intentions on his heart, but he does not stop to look at any means or to protect those on his side. Why do you think he let Death Eaters study and attack on Hogwarts grounds, why did he took eighteen year olds and train them to fight in the dark, as an secret order?! Who he let die and, while their killers become richer and more powerful in a fucking parliament he controls?! He is after Voldemort, but he will use anyone to get him, without looking at the costs. And you know who is his most precious piece.
Harry.
- I promise you, James, I will protect him. Do as I say, and the Order will stand and protect your all family. Said Dumbledore, but Voldemort still came to his door and attacked his son. If Regulus Black hadn’t come, James would be dead…
- Hogwarts is the best place for him. He will get all the tools to fight for himself. But his son had been bullied so far, had faced numerous monsters and was still in constant danger…
- Fuck! – screamed James, while hurling the nearest lamp at the wall. What a fuck had he done?!
Andromeda and Ted, who rounded the corner and came to the living room at that time, shrieked and recoiled.
- James! – screamed Andromeda, in all fairness, in a tone that resembled McGonagall – Are you out of your mind? The Weasleys are under a lot of stress, so we cannot aggravate them! Keep it under control or leave. – she repeated the same instruction that she gave when he arrived and found out that Sirius had kidnapped Ginny from Hogwarts.
- He will be fine, Andy – intervened Sirius – Today … it is a day of realizations.
- Whatever it is, it is time, Sirius. The girl is strong and is fighting the Horcrux, but we need to destroy it to sever the link. There is only one way, and we need to get Dumbledore and ask …
- No! – shouted James – Not Dumbledore! What do you need?
- Well, I see your realizations are leading you near my cousin's ideas, James. – sighed Andromeda – But we need something from Hogwarts, something rather complicated to get …
- And it needs to be quick – intervened Ted for the first time. He stood in the corner wrangling his hands. If we want to save Ginny Weasley from danger, we can’t keep that thing near her; neither can we risk it to be taken by someone else …
James looked at loss to Sirius, who had his head looking down.
- Sirius?
Sirius looked up. No, looked at him and gave him a hollow and small smile. With his black eye and that smile, James thought he saw a broken man who decided he had nothing to lose.
- We can go to Dumbledore… or we could call Remus and see if he is okay with breaking the law and invading a school in the quiet of night …
Ted and Andromeda protested, but neither of the present Marauders paid attention. A choice that was what his brother was giving him. And support. Now he had to choose if he would fight for himself and his family or would he keep relenting power… The choice was rather obvious, was it not?
- Call Remus. I will call Lily and tell her not to worry, but not to wait up.