Plots and Plans
Thanks for all the reviews. They are the only payment I get.
Every time I edited this it got longer. I had to throw up my hands and say, ‘Enough.’ If there are errors, I apologize.
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Moody and Amelia joined John and Vic in the manor that Saturday afternoon after Marcus left. After introductions were made, Moody said, “Why am I here?”
He never was one for beating around the bush. He wanted to get to the point right away and leave the pleasantries for another time. Or never. Never was good. To much time was wasted on niceties.
“What do you know of horcruxes?” Vic asked bluntly, watching his new bodyguard for a reaction. It might be helpful to have one more person in on this. If the man didn’t know what they were, that was okay too. Bodyguards were known for their discretions. For now, he could just stand there and look intimidating.
And intimidating he did look too. He was very tall, brunette, and built like a brickhouse. He wore black jeans, a black muscle shirt with a black leather jacket thrown over it, and a black shoulder holster which housed a black gun. On his feet he had black combat boots, that laced halfway up his calves. His hands sported fingerless leather gloves, also black. He was wearing black shades, even though they were inside, which hid his brown eyes.
If he wanted, he could blend in with the shadows, but for right now, he was standing like a statue behind Vic.
Both Moody and John narrowed their eyes at the mention of the word. Though it was hard to tell on both men, John because of his glasses, and Moody because he only had one eye. Their mouths disappeared to narrow lines and the lines on their faces firmed. They both knew what Vic was talking about.
Moody spit on the ground. “Vile things,” he said, not in the least bit concerned at the house elf that glared at him when it came and cleaned up his spit. “Where did you come by one of those?” he asked.
“Harry had one in his scar. We got it out. I’m pretty sure it was Voldy’s,” Vic said, making the two men start. “Also, I think Albus knows about them and isn’t telling. He’s always spouting that You-Know-Who isn’t dead. That’s why I think he’s so obsessed with Harry,” he said, going to the bar and indicating that he was pouring for those who wanted one. Amelia and Moody nodded they wanted a drink, but John declined. “I have a gut feeling that there are more,” he added, going over what he told Amelia the other day.
He was trying not to use the house elves for everything. He was getting pudgy in the middle. He didn’t want to look like Fudge. He was going to have to look into exercising or some such rot. He might go down and train with the Aurors, or have his new bodyguard put him through the paces. Now there was a thought.
“I always knew Albus was hiding something, but this…” Alastor said, his tone was one of disbelief. “This could get people killed. That means old Voldy is still out there, and we are in no way prepared to fight him. Hell, he could waltz in and take over right now and we couldn’t stop him.”
“Believe me, I’d do my best to stop that. I’m not Fudge,” Vic protested, taking his seat again. “I have the Prime Minister on my side,” he added, handing out the glasses to the two others.
“I forget that you are the minister,” the older man grumbled, taking the glass, and waving his wand over it. He never drank anything he didn’t pour himself without checking it first. “I’m too used to incompetent people being in office. It’s a good thing you didn’t let Malfoy win,” he said, lifting his glass in a toast. He downed it in one gulp and then set it on the table.
“Hear, hear,” Amelia said, lifting her glass too. She sipped hers and held it in her hand. Though she thought the man might have consulted the grey faction and come up with another candidate. Knowing her luck, that would have put her in office, and she didn’t want it. Well, that was water out of the cauldron now. He was in office and doing a marvelous job.
“I’ll do my best to get what I can out of Albus,” the scarred ex-auror said, as he looked around the room for threats with his good eye. “He might not know as much as you think, but far more than we know now. If we can get what he knows, then we at least have a place to start. I think we should start with the Death Eaters. Look into their backgrounds and see if they have anything hidden that didn’t come out in the wash during the last war,” Alastor said, his magical eye roaming around his head seemingly of its own violation. “I’d start with Malfoy.”
“Speaking of Malfoy, he’s out to get me and I am getting tired of waiting for the other shoe to drop. I need to find a way to get him off my back. Any suggestions?” Vic inquired, hoping with more people there might be better suggestions then what he and Arcturus had, which was just wait and see.
“I’ve been trying to get him arrested for years,” Amelia stated, slumping over in defeat. “I have nothing for you,” she added, sighing in resignation.
“The man is a slippery one,” Moody agreed.
“You could just kill him,” John chimed in.
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” Bones stated, taking a swig of her firewhiskey.
“I’ll help you plan it,” Alastor said with a chuckle, winking at Amelia to show he was joking.
“I guess I’ll just keep playing it by ear,” Vic sighed. He had hoped for more.
“I suggest you take a closer look to home and start with Arcturus’s family. If Voldy trusted anyone with the horcruxes, it would be the Blacks,” Moody said, rubbing the good part of his nose.
“I can do that,” Vic said, wondering just how much Alastor thought he knew. “Arcturus, can we get into the assets with Harry being Lord Black?” he asked the portrait.
“He can go anywhere that is listed as Black property,” Arcturus stated, having been silent this whole time. “He can even get into the vaults. I’d start with Grimmuald Place,” he said, thinking that if there was one hidden anywhere it would be there.
Vic inwardly shuddered. He hated that house. “Isn’t your niece still alive?” he asked, looking to Amelia. “Would we need a warrant?”
“Depends on if she’s dead or not,” the woman said, shrugging.
“She’s dead,” Alastor stated, getting up and looking at Arcturus. “I read about it a few years ago,” he said, watching for the painting’s reaction.
“Good,” the old man said, nodding his head. “She was a blight on the house.” He never liked that Sirius’ parents were cousins. That and the Black Family Madness was strong on that woman.
“So, we go and take a looksie,” Vic said, dreading taking Harry to that dark house, but he’d have to go along with them. “Then we’ll pilfer the vaults,” he said decisively. “Just us four and Harry. We’ll keep it to just us for now,” he stated, getting nods from the other three.
“Now that that’s settled, how do you plan on keeping our minister alive?” Mad-eye asked John as he sat back down, and with that the talk turned into a half an hour-long debate on the best way to be a paranoid bodyguard. Vic’s eyes got wider and wider at the more elaborate plans they came up with. At the rate they were going, he was never going to have any fun. “What is that under your coat?” the old Auror finally asked the younger man.
“It’s a gun,” John said, bringing it out to show him.
“I know what a gun is, but I’ve never seen one that looks like that,” Alastor said, remembering the ones he’d seen back when the war was going on. The war that dropped bombs on the country.
“When was the last time you’ve seen one?” Stances asked, looking at the older man like he was a recluse of the magical world. Which he was.
“When the bombs fell,” Moody confessed, rubbing his chin.
“This one is a bit newer,” he said, pulling out his Desert Eagle Mark VII. “I like this beauty for its fire power,” he said, not handing the weapon over, but showing it to Alastor. “It’ll blow your head clean off,” he said, making sure not to aim it at the paranoid man.
“Do you plan on shooting anyone with it?” Amelia asked, leveling him with a look that said he’d better not be if he knew what was good for him.
“Only if they deserve it,” John stated, putting it back in his shoulder holster. “I’ll aim to maim,” he added, though he thought that Malfoy might not make it through the maiming. Accidents do happen all the time, after all.
“I’d appreciate that,” she stated, nodding her head. Less parchmentwork for her.
“Now that we’re all acquainted, we should have regular meetings. Once a month or so. We are the only ones that know about the horcruxes, along with Arcturus, we need to keep in touch,” Vic said, looking at the time. Harry would be coming home soon. It was getting late. “We need to make plans on when to go to Grimmuald Place,” he added.
“Excellent idea. How about the last Sunday of the month for our first foray,” Amelia said, looking at the men in the room. She’d make her calendar free for this. “That’s in two weeks,” she added, doing the mental calculations.
“My schedule is open,” Moody said, being a retired man, he had nothing but free time.
“I’ll have to check mine, but it sounds doable,” Vic said, looking at the clock on the wall again.
“I do need to be going,” Amelia said, consulting her watch. “Moody, come see me at the office when you’re done with the headmaster, let me know what he says,” she instructed as she gathered up her things.
“Will do. Minister Potter, it was good to meet you,” Alastor said, standing and shaking the man’s hand. “Stances,” he added, nodding his head to the bodyguard.
“Moody,” John said, still standing behind Vic. He did return the nod to the other two.
“I’ll be in my office if you two need me,” Vic said, seeing them to the door.
“Good to know,” Amelia said as they left.
“Well, John, are you going to be living here?” Vic asked, not sure how that was going to work. They hadn’t gotten to that part yet. They had only gotten to how much the man was going to be paid, when Amelia and Moody showed up. Marcus had left and the meeting commenced. He hadn’t even gotten around to telling Marcus about his true identity.
“Until you get another guard,” he said, smirking at his new boss. “I’ll be prowling the area,” he said, moving away from Vic and slinking towards the walls and looking at the wards.
“This is going to be fun,” Vic said, going back into the house. “Tilly,” he called.
“Master is needing Tilly?” the little elf asked.
“We need a room made up for my bodyguard,” he said, pointing to the moving dot on the map.
“Tilly wills bes doing that,” she said, and popped away.
“I hope he’s worth it,” Vic said, going to the bar and pouring another drink.
Harry came home and was introduced to John, and they got along well enough. John ate with them and was with Vic most of the time. He became a fixture around the house but wasn’t in the way in any annoying way.
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Lucius Malfoy was beyond frustrated. He had found nothing on Vic Potter, or Harry Potter. Well, he found that the younger Potter had been abused, but that would just bring public pity to him. “Narcissa, what am I going to do?” he asked, trying to keep a whinge out of his tone. He was at his wit’s end.
“What are you trying to do?” she asked, knowing the answer, but wanting the nitty-gritty. So far her husband had been vague.
“I know that Vic Potter is Sirius Black,” he finally told her. He had been keeping that tidbit from her for fear she’d try to see a way to help part of her family. “I am sure that your cousin Arcturus performed black magic to adopt him into the Potter family. If only I can prove it.”
“While I am upset that you kept that from me, why don’t you simply put him in a room with Severus Snape. They cannot tolerate one another. Sirius cannot help himself from being mean to his hated childhood enemy.” She didn’t care if Sirius was caught out. That and Severus hated anyone named Potter. It would make for an explosive evening, in any event. “If anyone can make him slip, it would be our friend, Severus,” she said, sweetly.
Not that she thought that Vic Potter was Sirius. She thought Sirius was long gone. He had run ages ago. Taken his inheritance and headed for parts unknown with the help of Arcturus. That’s why the old man had named Harry Potter as his heir.
“How would I do that?” Lucius asked, pondering the dilemma. He wondered if he should do that to his friend. Severus had been a friend of the family for years, since Hogwarts. While Lucius was a few years older than the man, Severus had helped him immensely in his potions grade in school.
“Simply invite them both to the same party,” she said, like it was obvious. “Make sure it is for charity, that way the minister can’t decline,” she added, waving her hand in a negligent manner.
“That is a marvelous idea,” he said, kissing her cheek and getting some parchment.
And with that they started planning.
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It was a week later on a Saturday afternoon when the owl came. The Potters were enjoying some free time by the fire. It was a chilly November day, and they were both just relaxing with a book in the study. Arcturus was reading one of his as well. John was prowling the grounds. He was always doing that. He had the whole place rigged with traps for the unwary. Moody loved to check his work and was gleeful when he got caught.
“Who’s it from?” Harry asked when Vic relieved the bird of its burden.
“Malfoy,” was the confused answer as the other man read the missive.
“What the hell,” the preteen said, putting his book down.
“First of all, language. Secondly, we’ve been cordially invited to a charity event at Malfoy Manor this coming Saturday,” the minister said, reading the invitation. “It’s to raise funds for St. Mungo’s long-term wing.”
“Are we going?” Harry wanted to know. “We have to go to Grimmuald Place the next day, you know,” he reminded the man.
“I don’t see how we can’t not go,” Vic answered, tucking the card back in the envelope. He tapped the missive on the table thinking of all the ways this could go wrong. “I don’t think it’ll interfere with that,” he noted. They had it all planned out with Amelia and Alastor.
They were going early in the morning and taking the entire day to search the house for any horcruxes. They weren’t hopeful; however, they were going to be very vigilant. This was a Black house after all. Who knows what kind of traps or dark magic was lurking about. Well Vic did, but he couldn’t come out and say it.
“It’s a trap you know,” John said, coming into the room, having heard the entire conversation as he was coming down the hall. He had been in the other room looking for intruders.
“Oh, I know, but I can’t turn down a charity event,” the minister said, thinking of the political ramifications. He looked at Harry and worried about taking him to Malfoy Manor. There wouldn’t be any other children there. They were all at Hogwarts. Unless Lucius snuck his sprog out for the night, which he wouldn’t put it passed the man. Harry would have to stick by his side during the entire event, and that might be boring as hell for him. Still, he couldn’t see Harry turning it down either.
They could spit in the man’s eye and bring Hermione as Harry’s plus one. That might be a cruel joke, but it would not be nice for the young lady in question. She would be treated like dirt, and that would be just mean to her.
“I see where you’re coming from, but I recommend caution,” John said, thinking of all the ways this could go wrong.
“Oh, I plan on being extra vigilant. So, what do you think his gameplan is?” Vic asked, looking at Arcturus. “You know him better than anyone.”
“I don’t know. If he is inviting people, I think he’s going to try and trip you up. Be careful in how you react to others. Even those you hate. Especially those you hate. I’d try and be bosom buddies with anyone you have a past with. This stinks of Narcissa’s planning,” he added, a thoughtful look on his face.
“Snape,” Vic said, his face twisted in hate. “He’s friends with Malfoy. I can see him being there.”
“Stop right there,” Arcturus said, pointing his finger at the man. “That is the emotion you have to let go of. And I do mean right now. There is no reason for Vic Potter to hate Severus Snape. Or Harry Potter. If anything, you both should admire him for his achievements,” he said, looking back and forth between the two Potters.
“Who is Snape?” Harry asked, looking at his younger uncle.
“A vile and disgusting man,” Vic said, all but spitting on the floor. “But he is the youngest potions master in centuries. He is also the Potions professor at Hogwarts. He is quite accomplished in his endeavors; I’ll give him that. That doesn’t make him less of an arsehole,” he stated, thumping down in his chair.
“I agree,” John stated, knowing Snape from school, if only a little bit. “I was a few years ahead of him, and in a different house, but Snape was a creep,” he added his two knuts worth. “He was always skulking around and just being strange. There was a group of four Gryffindors that used to follow him around and bully him, but he gave as good as he got,” he added, keeping his eye on Vic as he talked.
“Yeah, about that,” Vic said, getting up and pouring himself a drink. “Since Arcturus already hinted about it, you should know. Well, let me get Marcus here,” he said, moving to call his cousin on the phone.
After confirming that Marcus could be there in ten minutes, they settled in silent contemplation. Harry read his book, while Vic just stared into the fire. John looked smug for some reason.
Marcus made it in six minutes and was soon seated with his own drink. “What’s up?” he asked, looking at Vic.
“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you, and I figured I’d better tell John as well. I’m really Sirius Black,” he said, just letting it slip out. He then told the story of his escape and adoption, the rescue of Harry and what they did after.
“I already figured most of that out,” Marcus said, with John nodding along. “I told John that before I asked him to watch you,” he confessed, jerking his thumb to the other man. “You were just too obvious.”
“I thought you might know something, but I wanted you to know,” Vic said, downing his firewhiskey. “I was hoping you could help me with some pop culture. I’m tripping myself up with the PM and other muggleborn. I’m supposed to have been raised around muggles,” he requested, hoping his cousin would, or could, help him. He didn’t know how he passed muster with Selby, but he figured the man just was too wrapped up in fixing the magical world to worry about Vic’s origins.
“With John around, that might be helpful, we can hook you up with an earpiece. But I barely see you, I’m not sure how I can help,” Marcus said, tapping his chin in thought. He really wanted to help his cousin, well, his ex-cousin.
“Get him a telly,” John said, looking around the room, which was deprived of one. “Then bombard him with old tv shows from his timeframe,” he suggested, thinking of the classics. “Make it a homework assignment,” he said with a chuckle. “He has the excuse of being here the last few years, but not growing up.”
“That is a thought,” Marcus said, thinking a VCR would go a long way in helping. Nightly movies and tv shows would help too. He and Harry could make it a family thing.
“We do have the runic array that makes electronics work that I want to try,” Vic said, a thoughtful look on his face.
“Why, when you have this house hooked up?” John said, pointing to the power outlet. He had a telly in his room and a lamp. There was also a laptop and Dial-up for the internet. He didn’t want for creature comforts.
“It is, but I want to see if it works with delicate equipment,” Vic said, getting excited about testing new things.
“Uncle Pads, computers are delicate,” Harry said, giggling at the man’s enthusiasm. “You use it at work for your laptop and printer.”
“Whatever,” Vic said, still thinking about the new things they were bringing into the house. “Anyway, Marcus, how about you move in here and help me out? You can be part of the family. It’s not like you’d have to give up your muggle things, since we’re all hooked up,” he offered, hoping the man would comply. It would be nice to have one more body around.
“It’s tempting,” Marcus said, thinking about it. The thought of not having to pay rent was a very tempting thought.
“Say yes, Cousin Marcus,” Harry said, with puppy-dog eyes. He really wanted the man to move in. Since Uncle Arcturus died, he wanted to keep his family close.
“Sure, why not,” Marcus said, knowing it was futile to resist those eyes. He could do his business here as well as from his flat. That and there were people that knew where he lived that he rather didn’t.
“Okay, back to next Saturday, we know it’s a trap and that it might have to do with Snape,” Vic said, shuddering at the thought that he might have to be nice to the man he hated with every fiber of his being.
“Yes,” Arcturus said, his tone imperious. “You will be nice to him, no matter what,” he ordered, like it was a matter of life or death.
“I will try,” Vic sighed.
“For Harry’s sake, you will do more than try. Shore up your Occlumency and be that man’s best friend,” the old man demanded.
“Fine,” Vic said, this time he was pouting.
“Is he really that bad?” Harry asked, looking to his uncle.
“Yes,” came the answer from both John and Vic.
“I’ll be nice to him, but if he’s mean to Harry, then all bets are off,” Vic said, knowing the man hated all things Potter. This might turn out to be an unmitigated disaster.
“Just do your best,” Arcturus said, remembering that Snape did hate the Potters on principle.
“Harry, it’s been a few weeks, how are things going with Hermione?” Vic asked, changing the subject now that everything else was settled. The other two men went to talk about moving Marcus into the manor.
“She’s alright, she needs to learn that she doesn’t need to answer every question, but we’re getting there. Anyway, she’s more worried about her friend, Neville,” Harry said, settling back in his chair.
“Neville?” Vic asked, not familiar with the name.
“Yeah, Neville Longbottom, I think,” Harry said, tapping his chin like he was trying to remember if that was the correct name.
“Frank’s son?” he asked, tilting his head.
“I wouldn’t know,” the preteen said, waving the question away. “Anyway, he gets picked on just as much as she did, only for being a squib of all things,” he said, his face twisted in disgust at the cruelty of children. It made him all the more glad that he was being homeschooled.
“I should talk to Augusta,” Vic said, thinking of ways he could help the boy. Maybe invite him to join them here. He knew Augusta from the Wizengamot, but did he know her well enough to make that offer? “I’ll see what I can do,” he stated, ruffling the boy’s hair.
The two went back to their books and tried to enjoy the rest of their day.
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“Okay, Lucius, why are you inviting me to your charity event?” Severus asked the day before said event. It was after classes, and he had time away from the castle, if only for a few hours. “You know I hate these things.” He was a dour man by nature, and he loathed social events with a fiery passion.
“I need you to antagonize the minister,” Malfoy said, not giving up the whole game. “I know you hate the Potters, and I want him to slip up,” he added, smirking like he was playing a great prank.
“You want me to provoke the man in to making a mistake?” Snape asked, not seeing how that was going to work. Making the man angry was easy enough, but what kind of mistake did Lucius want him to make?
“I believe he’s hiding who he is,” Lucius said, bending a bit. “I think he was someone else in the past and has used dark magic to hide that fact. If you can get him to spill that, then I can get him out of office, and his nephew to denounce his lordship,” he finished. “You can bring Draco, correct?” he asked, hoping the man could sneak his son to the dinner.
“Yes, Draco will be here,” the potions master stated, dreading what his friend would say next.
“Good. If all goes as planned, then he will be the new Lord Black by the end of the night,” Lucius said, grinning like a fool.
“That is not how that works,” Snape said, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to persuade the man from his delusions. Ever since Draco had been booted from the lordship, Lucius had been frantic to getting it back. He had been disillusioned in believing that his schemes could work.
“It will, you’ll see. Just do this for me, old friend,” the blond said, his tone not quite desperate, but it was close.
“Very well,” Snape said, dreading the dinner, but willing to help a friend. He didn’t see this working, but… Still, to take potshots at a Potter, let alone two, it might be worth it.