Godfather Guardianship
Hermione’s POV
Hermione closed her notebook with a sigh, “I wonder what this is about, I hope it’s nothing bad” she says, already looking frazzled as she stands up and begins to go down the stairs, the boys following her. Ron gives Harry a look and they snicker. “What do you think is so funny, you two?” she adds, looking back at them, rolling her eyes.
“You are so stressed out Hermione, relax a little.” Ron said with a smirk on his face.
“It really is okay Hermione, I’m here now, whatever they have to say won’t really matter” Harry says, trying to ease Hermione’s nerves.
As they get to the bottom of the stairs, they all overhear the end of a conversation in the kitchen.
“Sirius, we won’t let him stay here, you have no idea how to raise a boy. He can make his choice, but at the end of the day we need to do what is best for him, and that is coming to live with us at the Burrow. He will go back to school in September, and we will all act like nothing else is going on.” Molly’s voice was laced with venom.
“What do you mean I’m going to live with you?” Harry bursts out as he pushes into the kitchen. “I’m staying here with Sirius and Hermione, I have my own room here, all my stuff is already here and unpacked, and of course I’m going back to school, but things aren’t okay, we all know that!”
“Harry my dear, Sirius thinks it's best for you to stay here, he doesn’t seem to trust Dumbledore the way we all do.” Molly tutted.
“I don’t really trust him either” Harry contemplated his next words carefully. “He treats me like a child, like he can control my life.” Harry spits at her. “I will not be leaving this house until it is time to go back to Hogwarts,” with a look to Sirius, he added – “I can protect myself there, and I will have Ron and Hermione. I can’t stay in hiding forever.”
“You’re right Harry, you get to decide, just as long as you know that there is no hiding you from Voldemort. He will always come for you, until he is dead.” Arthur states, glancing between Molly and Sirius, both of whom looked ready to hex the other.
“I am staying here, and that's the end of it. Sirius is my godfather, and he has the right to be my guardian the way my mum and dad wanted him to be.” Harry says, a tear running down his face. Hermione knew more than anything, Harry wished his parents could be here.
“Then that is what will happen my boy, you and Hermione will stay here with me. Weasleys, you are welcome to visit, but for now let me get Harry settled. I will send Dumbledore to the Burrow after he has been here to deal with Mundungus.” Sirius says as he takes charge of the situation, ushering the Weasleys towards the fireplace.
Once the Weasleys left, Sirius took Hermione and Harry upstairs, away from the front room where Mundungus still sat bound. “I need to talk to the both of you, but first, Hermione, can I have a word alone with you?” Sirius asks, sounding just a bit nervous.
“Sure, what is it about?” Hermione replied.
“Harry, we will join you in your room in just a minute.” Sirius states as he stops at the doorway of his study.
Hermione walks into the study, curious what Sirius wants to speak to her privately about. Sirius closes the door behind them, and puts up a silencing spell so nobody outside could hear what they were talking about. “Hermione, you are the brightest witch of your age, which is why I need your help with a very important task, well rather a few tasks. I want to create a potion, I already have the planning done, I just need to gather ingredients and do some tests, and I want your help. The only thing is, you must do this in confidence. Nobody can know. Do you think you can do that?” Sirius stumbles over his words.
“What kind of potion, Sirius? And why can’t anyone else know?” Hermione questions, the look on her face very similar to when she was facing a problem in school.
“A potion that ensures my survival and maybe that of others, we can’t let others know because if they find out, it could get out to the wrong people.” Sirius explains as simply as he could.
Sirius has never been this nervous before, he was counting on Hermione to help him. He could only hope that she would keep his secret and only use it if the time came. He watched her as she thought about his question, he could see the quizzical look in her eyes and the need to know more, but before she could say anything, the chime of the floo sounded.
“Sirius, Hermione, Dumbledore is back. We better go greet him.” They heard Harry say as he walked down the stairs past the hallway to the study.
Dumbledore enters into the front room of 12 Grimmauld Place, and immediately notices Mundungus Fletcher sitting in a chair bound up by ropes. Just as he was about to question the man about why he was here, Sirius, Hermione, and Harry enter the room from upstairs. “Sirius, what is going on? Why is Mundungus tied up to a chair in your front room?” He questions the man.
“Arthur and Molly ran into him at the Leaky Cauldron, he admitted that he wasn’t watching over Harry when he was supposed to be. They brought him here for you to deal with.” Sirius said, smirking towards Mundungus.
“Dumbledore, I was only gone for a few minutes. The boy was safe when I left him, I don’t know how this happened,” Mundungus stammered.
“He was attacked by dementors, and only escaped because he knew how to produce a patronus. You are lucky he is still alive or this conversation would be going very differently.” Sirius growled.
“Sirius, please forgive me, I didn’t mean any harm to the boy, he’s okay isn’t he? No harm no foul, right?” Mundungus pleaded.
“No, if it was up to me you’d be suffering a dementor’s kiss and on your way to Azkaban, but considering the dementors are under the control of Voldemort, I can’t make that happen right now. You are lucky. There is enough evil after Harry, he doesn’t need someone incompetent like you watching over him.” Sirius growled back as he stormed out of the room.
“Sir, I think you should just let him go. He didn’t know I was going to be attacked, and I don’t trust him, so I don’t want him anywhere near me.” Harry said directly to Dumbledore.
“If that is what you want, then that is what we will do,” Dumbledore says, releasing Mundungus from the binds. “Mundungus, you best get out of here before Sirius returns, I feel he won’t be so lenient on you next time.
Mundungus doesn’t waste any time and bolts to the fireplace to floo away before anyone can say anything else. Leaving Harry, Hermione, and Dumbledore in the front room in silence.
“Harry my boy, I must inform you that you have a summons regarding the magic you used, I will let you know of the date once I know. The Ministry has agreed to leave your wand intact until after the trial. Your expulsion from Hogwarts is also pending the outcome of the trial. I must be going now, stay safe, if you feel at all threatened please owl me and I will help you as best I can,” Dumbledore whispers to the boy, hoping Hermione won’t overhear.
Sirius’ POV
Sirius knew that he needed to start making this potion as soon as he could, because now that Harry’s life had been threatened this way, it was only a matter of time before the war began and nobody would be safe anymore. He just had to find a way to get the ingredients to make it, and he knew just the person to help him procure some of the more elusive items. Mundungus Fletcher – he owed it to him after putting Harry’s life at risk when he abandoned his watch post. Now to go back downstairs to confront him, and back him into a corner to make him do his bidding.
Sirius walks down the stairs, a new spring in his step all because of one man's mistake, but he realises he is out of luck when he walks into the front room and Dung is no longer there. “Where is Mundungus? I need to have a chat with him.” Sirius questions the group standing there in silence.
“We let him leave. I didn’t want him near me and it’s best that he just gets out of our way.” Harry replies, a frown on his face, wondering what his godfather was planning to say to the man who he just let leave.
“Well, I guess I will need someone,” he glares at Dumbledore, “to make him come back and have a chat with me, I can promise you I won’t hurt him,” Sirius says somewhat menacingly.
“I will do my best Sirius, but you, yourself know just how slippery Mundungus can be,” Dumbledore says.
“You will find him, or I will go out looking for him myself and I won’t be as nice about it” Sirius snipes back.
“Sirius, I won’t be looking for him, whatever it is you want him for, you will have to hope he comes back on his own.” Dumbledore says with a grimace.
“No, I won’t accept that. I need his assistance with something important, something that can save the wizarding world if it works.” Sirius mutters, hoping Dumbledore won’t ask too many questions.
“Sirius, my dear boy, what is it you think is so important, and why can’t you just enlist the help of somebody else?” Dumbledore questions, his eyebrows raised in suspicion.
“I can only say this, and I promise when I can I will tell you more,” Sirius said, lying through his teeth hoping the old man would believe him, “it is all about life, or death, and if I can get his help, it will all be about life.”
“Fine, fine I will get him and bring him to you when I can, you best be sure about this Sirius.” Dumbledore mutters, “I must be going now,” and with that he walks to the fireplace and floos away.
Sirius was now left alone with Hermione and Harry again, and it was time to get to know the two of them more deeply with nobody else pressuring them. The group spent the rest of the evening chatting and sharing stories about Hogwarts, some of which absolutely pissed Sirius off, especially once he heard how much danger Harry had been in the first two years of his schooling.
As the evening turned to night, the group went their separate ways to the bedrooms they had chosen, looking forward to the next day as Sirius had promised them that they could do some exploring of the house and see what kind of family heirlooms and artefacts were left behind.