The Hidden House

Sirius shook his head with frustration as he crumpled the parchment on his desk and threw it across the room. He had been awake for most of the night attempting to find a solution to the danger his friends were in. While it seemed clear to him now that what was needed was a Fidelius charm, he had no idea how to cast one. It was extremely complex as it required the secret to literally be kept inside of a person. 

As he walked over to the parchment he had thrown he cast a quiet “incendio” and destroyed it. All of this work would be useless if in his planning he left evidence around. After several more minutes of attempting to decipher the book in front of him, Sirius finally gave up and decided to get some sleep. The early rays of the morning were starting to shine through the windows and he was making no progress anyway. 

He slowly got ready for sleep, not convinced that he would be able to drift off with so much on his mind. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that dreams swept him away the moment his head hit the pillow. 

***

The wards around Sirius’s apartment blared through the air like sirens, jolting him out of bed and onto his feet in an instant. He darted for his wand, cursing himself for leaving it at his desk while his eyes searched for the threat. He had barely made it ten steps before he found himself unable to move. A silent petrificus totalus had him completely helpless and he could hear his heart racing as he desperately tried to identify his assailant. 

“Calm down it's just me!” Victoria's voice cut through the sound of the wards, but all Sirius could do was look at her. The body-bind curse was still in full effect. A fact she seemed to realize when he didn’t react to her presence. She took a moment to take in the sight in front of her. Her old friend from muggle studies in her fifth year was now immobile, shirtless, and staring at her with fury in his eyes. He had accumulated several tattoos over the years and she did not dislike the sight. Realizing she had been staring at him, she quickly released him from the body bind. Sirius cursed loudly as he reached for his wand to silence the wards. 

“Bloody hell woman, what was that for? I haven’t seen you in four years and the first thing you do is hex me?” He wasn’t sure if he should laugh or yell. Last he knew she was the Order’s primary source of intel out on secret missions with the Prewett twins, and now here she was showing up in his apartment and cursing him.

“I’m sorry, Sirius really but you were reaching for your wand and I didn’t want you to attack me. I didn’t mean to set off your wards! What is that? A caterwauling charm? Clever, I mean unlocking the door was way too easy but the backup was good!” She desperately backpedaled as she realized how she must’ve come across to her former classmate. 

“Why are you here? How did you even find me?” He had thought that he was fairly well hidden, but clearly, he was not. How long would it be before his quiet little muggle town became a battlefield? He knew his dear cousin Bella would jump at the chance to take him out.

“It wasn’t very difficult. I am part of the order Sirius, I know where the safehouses are, we have both been at the meetings. Bit rude saying you haven’t seen me in four years. As for why I am here, you know where James and Lily are.” She stated it as fact, confirming his fear that he was a threat to Lily and James simply because of their closeness. 

“Have a seat Victoria, do you want some Firewhiskey?” Sirius gestured to the small couch in his living room and moved to pour himself a drink. Maybe Lily was right and he was starting to drink too much, but after the wakeup call he had just had, he deserved a drink.

“No, I’m alright Sirius and I really don’t have much time. I am supposed to go back out with the Prewetts in an hour.”

“Suit yourself.” He shrugged and took his drink over to the couch. “Why do you want to know where James and Lily are?” He doubted that Victoria was a mole, but he was not willing to risk his friends. He cast a silent charm while he waited for her answer. It was growing more and more useful, Lily had taught it to him their fifth year. She called it a Pinocchio charm. He didn’t know what Pinocchio was, but having someone’s nose grow whenever they lied was very useful during times of war. He missed the days he only used it to embarrass James at breakfast.

“I know Dumbledore has put them in hiding, what has he told you?” 

“Just jumping right in then? Are you trying to get intel out of me Victoria?”

“No, I am trying to share intel with you Sirius.” He studied her face, waiting for her nose to grow. Not only did her nose not grow, her eyes quickly flashed from hazel to bright purple and back again. If he hadn’t been looking already he would have missed it. The charm was one that Dumbledore had insisted every member of the order learned upon joining. A silent and instant way to know if the person was who they said they were. Against all instinct, he took a deep breath and decided to trust her.

“He said that they have been targeted by Voldemort, that he believes they pose a strong threat. We assumed it was due to James’ influence over the Wizengamot as well as his influence within the order. Why? What did he tell you?” Sirius could feel the panic rising in his chest. Victoria had been on an intelligence-gathering mission with the Prewett brothers. A mission that had gotten them both killed, was it possible she knew something?

“Sirius, he’s not after James. He is after Harry.” Sirius’s stomach dropped. 

“What do you mean he’s after Harry? He’s just a baby! Why would he be a threat?”

“In our last mission Gideon, Fabian, and I hid nearby a meeting of the death eaters. We had intel that it would be happening and arrived ahead of time to learn what they would be discussing. The issue was, our intel was wrong. It wasn’t a meeting of all of the death eaters, it was just Voldemort and Snape. Snape was begging him not to kill Lily when he went after Harry and Voldemort agreed. I am not sure what it is exactly but apparently, there was a prophecy regarding Harry and Voldemort that has led Voldemort to believe that Harry will cause his downfall. So he wants to kill him before he gets that chance.” Victoria kept her head high as she spoke, but her trembling hands gave away her fear.

“He is after Harry.” 

“He is after Harry. But that is not the only reason I came to see you. Sirius, when Voldemort agreed not to kill Lily I saw the threads of an unbreakable vow. Snape tricked Voldemort into an unbreakable vow.” Victoria watched as Sirius pieced together the implications of what she had just shared with him.

“So you mean-” His heart was racing.

“If Voldemort attempts to kill Lily, he will die.” 

“What are you suggesting? Even if he can’t kill Lily he could still kill James and Harry. I am not going to tell them to come out of hiding.” 

“Of course not. But we could extend Lily’s protection to them.” 

“Victoria, who else have you told about this?” 

“Nobody I swear.”

“I need you to take a wizard's oath that you won't tell a soul. Not even Dumbledore.” He knew that he must’ve sounded insane to her, but he did not trust Dumbledore after his willingness to label Remus as a Death Eater. Victoria only nodded, she understood as well as him how important this information was. She also knew why he might not want Dumbledore to know. She had been sent on suicide missions since she graduated from Hogwarts. She knew how expendable people could be in his eyes. She drew her wand and prepared to take the oath.

“I, Victoria Weasley, swear on my magic that I will not tell anyone the information that I shared with you tonight.” It was a simple oath, but she knew as well as him that to break it would be to forfeit her magic. She could only share this information if he released her from the oath.

“Thank you, Victoria.” Sirius gave her a small smile as he realized she had solved his dilemma of how to protect his best friends and his godson.

“No problem, Sirius. Stay alive yeah?” He let out a small chuckle as she disapparated out of his flat. 

Sirius quickly summoned the parchment he had been laboring over before he had fallen asleep, possibilities spilling out in his mind. He uttered the key phrase to reveal his work from the seemingly blank parchment, “I swear I am only up to good this time”, and began to work. The information he had learned was opening so many doors. If he shared this knowledge with Lily he knew she would not hesitate to bind Harry and James’s lives to her own. She would bind the entire world to her if James wasn’t there to stop her. It was an instant layer of protection that could be added while they determined how to resolve their fears surrounding the safe house. 

He scribbled all over the page, ideas about the secondary safe house and the purpose it would solve, research on how to cast the Fidelius charm, and information on how to tie a life force to your own. It was dark magic, but not unfamiliar magic. For once, the hell he grew up in was serving a purpose for light. The style of magic Walburga, for he refused to refer to her as ‘mum’, had tried to instill on him from birth would be used to destroy the Dark Lord she so loved. 

After two more days of searching, he finally found the location that would become the second safe house. It was a recently vacated home in a neighborhood on the outskirts of London. It had a bomb shelter left over from the muggle’s second world war, a bomb shelter that was connected to the main house through a tunnel. It would serve his purposes flawlessly, as they could apparate into the shelter and enter the protected home without ever risking being seen by muggles or death eaters. 

Once the location was decided he quickly uttered a spell to once again transform the parchment into a blank slate and stowed it away in the pocket of his leather jacket. He barely remembered to reset his wards before jumping on his motorbike and taking off to Gringotts. He might not have his Black family fortune yet, but the Potters had left him enough to purchase this safe house. 

The flight over London went smoothly, which he attributed to the fact that both he and the bike were under a powerful disillusionment spell. For once, he did not see a single dark mark floating over businesses in Diagon Alley, or hanging ominously over any muggle residences. Still, he decided that it would be best not to push his luck as he stowed his bike and walked into the ancient bank. He silently cursed himself for not thinking to disguise himself before leaving, the secrecy of this house was of the utmost importance. 

He forced himself to remain calm as he spoke to the goblin at the front desk. He knew well enough that he was not going to get any favors from them. If they knew he was in a rush they would intentionally slow down. It was a miracle that they had not joined Voldemort’s cause out of spite. With a forced smile, he requested to withdraw the necessary amount and convert it to muggle money.

It took three more hours before the bag of cash was handed over the counter to him. He knew the bastards had finished converting the money in five minutes and simply decided that he deserved to wait. He took advantage of the time to cast an undetectable extension charm on one of his jacket pockets. He did not trust a bag to not get stolen in times like these. 

Once the cash was safely stowed in the newly expanded pocket, he nodded to the goblins and rushed out the door. The bike would prove very useful in the next stage of his mission, he imagined muggles might be put off by him falling out of their fireplaces, appearing out of thin air, or arriving on a broom. While the looks of shock might have been amusing, he needed to stay unnoticed. 

He wished that he could have brought Lily with him for this part. He did not know anything about muggles, but he assumed that money talked just as well for them as it did for wizards. The house had been listed in the local paper at 35,000 pounds, and he had 50,000. Enough for the house and the discretion he required. 

Sirius arrived at the house five minutes late for his 3:00 PM appointment and would have been far later if his bike did not have the ability to fly. He had only touched down a block away so that he could be seen arriving in a muggle fashion. The estate agent was waiting by the door and looked slightly annoyed as Sirius climbed off his bike and walked up with a smile. 

“Sorry for the delay, mate. Spot of traffic on the way. This the place then?” The muggle gave him a look of obvious disapproval that caused him to reflexively think back to when he had met Lily’s sister at the wedding. It seemed they were not the only muggles who thought he looked “scruffy”. He had found it funny then, but now he was hoping it would not work against him. 

“Yes.” The man replied curtly, “This is the house. Come on, let's get to the tour.” Sirius wisely remained silent for the duration of the tour and allowed the man to point out the different features of the house. It was a narrow home with three stories and a staircase that climbed through the center of it. It reminded him uncomfortably of Grimmauld place, just smaller and less bleak. Light shone through the windows and there was a shag carpet covering most of the floor, a stark contrast to the cold hardwood that he grew up with. 

“The listing indicated that there was a bunker still on the property that connects to the main house, could I see that?” He finally braved a question when it seemed that the tour was wrapping up. He needed to be certain that the home would serve the necessary function before he showed the money. The man seemed like a decent chap, but he could not afford to take any risks. He had not even given his real name and had instead said that he was called Neville Brown. It seemed like a basic enough name and taking his name a shade lighter had given him a bit of a laugh. 

“Yes. Follow me, it is right this way.” The estate agent, who had now identified himself as a Mr. Taylor, walked quickly to the kitchen. As he passed through the pantry he indicated a door that was barely noticeable. “There is a key just there,” as he spoke he pointed toward a small hook by the door that had a little silver key hanging from it. 

Sirius took the key and unlocked the door, opening it to find a dark tunnel with a metal ladder descending downward. Mr. Taylor tugged on the long string that connected to the single light bulb at the top of the tunnel and the dim light illuminated the drop. The ladder went about twelve feet down before connecting to a second tunnel that pointed away from the house. 

“Do you have a torch?” Mr. Taylor asked him, and when he was only able to respond with a slightly confused face, the estate agent pulled a small metal tube from his pocket. He clicked a button on it and a light came out. Muggles really did have some fascinating tools. He could understand why the Weasleys were so fascinated with them. 

When the man gestured toward the tunnel Sirius realized that he expected him to enter first, while he shone the light. After a couple of moments, both men found themselves at the bottom of the tunnel, dusting cobwebs off themselves from the ladder. Mr. Taylor led the way down the tunnel, which turned out to be a very short walk as the bunker was not very far from the house. At the end of the tunnel was another metal door and Sirius used the same key to open it. 

The bunker was in a slight state of disrepair. Although it seemed very structurally sound, it was filled with cobwebs and it seemed that at some point a group of squirrels had decided to claim it as their home. It would take some work before he would be willing to apparate a baby into the small space, but it would serve its purpose. 

Sirius turned around rather abruptly, startling the estate agent, and clapped his hands together. “I will take it!” He fished around in his pocket for the cash while Mr. Taylor attempted to understand what he meant. 

“If you would like to make an offer, I can pass that along to the owners Mr. Brown.” He was staring at Sirius a little incredulously as he pulled a fat wad of cash out of his pocket.

“I would like to purchase the home. Today. I have the cash and I need a place to live.” He was growing exasperated as the muggle continued to look at him as though he had five heads. “I have the money, the paper said it was 35,000 pounds yeah?” At the mention of money, Mr. Taylor jumped to attention.

“Are you saying you have 35,000 pounds right now? In cash?”

“Yes, and I would like to purchase the house.” 

“Right then, if you will follow me we can head to my office. I will call the owner and see if we can get the papers signed today.” Mr. Taylor said, practically running out of the house toward his car. Sirius barely had time to let out a small laugh as he started up his bike and followed the car through the city. It seemed he was right, muggle or wizard, money talks. 

***

Sirius collapsed into his bed with a sigh. It had been a very long, but successful day. He ended up spending every penny of muggle money that he arrived with when all was said and done. It seemed a bit much, but the muggles had agreed to leave all of the furniture, dishes, and cookware in the house. They had also offered to hire a cleaning service for the bunker which he did not hesitate to accept. 

The negotiations had taken all day and he had only just arrived home at 11 PM. The estate agent insisted that it was the fastest house sale he had ever had, but it had felt like an eternity to Sirius. Still, in two weeks the house would be ready for him to start the charm work. That was worth a day dealing with money and goblins and muggles. Tomorrow he would head to Godric’s Hollow and share the good news with Lily and James.