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Ch 9 Explain Yourself



“We have to go see Dumbledore” Snape grumbled while pulling on his robes.

“Why?” Harry questioned, searching for his glasses.

“The Ministry requested a meeting.”

“Bugger.” The boy sighed as he placed his head in his hands. “If it’s not ol’ Voldy then it’s them, isn’t it?”

“One might worry that they’re one in the same.”

“Wait…who is the Minister now? Last we all heard the Ministry had fallen.”

“Amelia Bones has been named as the temp until an election can take place safely.” Snape smoothed hair out of Harry’s face. “She’s proven to be just.”


“I…” Harry searched his mind for a compelling argument. “…don’t want to.”

“Great as you may be, I fear that won’t do it. Come on.”

Harry hesitated. “I don’t like that they get whatever they want.”

“That’s what they do Harry. It’s time to be an adult. Let’s go.” Severus didn’t have the energy to argue with the boy.

“This…blows.”

“Good to see that you have a firm grasp on the concept of adulthood.” Snape chastised before heading down the hall towards the Headmaster’s office.

*** *** ***

“Look at all of us…all together…what’s going on?” Harry questioned immediately after entering the room behind Snape. Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Lupin, Tonks, Dumbledore and Sirius sat in various positions around the office.

“Thank you for joining us tonight Mr. Potter.” Amelia Bones was seated next to the large desk.

“How could I refuse? You guys have proven so trustworthy in the past.”

“Harry.” Snape warned.

“I understand why you would be leery but, I assure I’m just trying to get to the bottom of this.”

“Yeah you let me know how that works out.”

“I just want some answers. You must understand that I am trying to clean out the Ministry. It’s my duty to investigate people coming back from the dead.”

“You mean ‘us’ coming back from the dead, right? We’ve all stepped on your toes at one point or another, correct?”

“He is combative isn’t he?” Sirius mused to himself proudly.

“Black.” Snape gritted his teeth. “Harry sit down and let them ask their questions. We’ve nothing to hide.”

“Quite right.” Albus chimed in.

“Alright then. The headmaster has been kind enough to allow us a look at his memories of the time he spent with the old ones. Would you extend the same courtesy?”

Harry’s cheeks flooded crimson as he glanced at Snape. “No.” He stated strongly.

Amelia sighed. “This may be a long night. Severus?”

“If Harry has declined I can only offer you the memories that are void of him, which are few.”

“Will you give us a statement?”

“I died. I was asked to be bound to Severus. I said yes. We came back.” His eyes burned with defiance.

“Perhaps someone else? A little more in depth?”

Snape sighed as he began to recount the tale.

*** *** ***

Severus finished and Amelia abruptly turned to Sirius. “And you?”

“If I have to hear this one more time I’m going to cut off my other ear.” Fred moaned.

“Very well. So what you’re all telling me is that the Gods of our world felt you all special enough to bring you back from the dead?”

“Why not raise Merlin himself to stop He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?” An Auror jeered from the corner.

“That’s enough.” Amelia snapped. “Pardon me if this is difficult but you came back to life. Dumbledore you had been dead for months and the rest of you…”

“Wait why are we here?” Tonks asked quietly.

“It’s been claimed that the Old Ones have chosen all of you to continue this battle, your tool being immortality.”

“That’s not just Ron and Hermione? Wicked.” George’s eyes began to twinkle with mischief.

“All of us?” Remus asked, looking around the room. “Do we know to what extent?”

“I do.” Dumbledore smiled. “You can’t be injured, killed, or otherwise incapacitated.”

“Not injured?” Hermione looked as if she wanted to take notes.

“As it was explained to me, you will still feel slight pain but your body will, effectively, regenerate itself instantly. You’re their army now. They want you protected. When it’s all over you’ll be stripped of immortality.”

“We need to figure this out.” Amelia seemed frustrated.

“What’s to figure out?”

“A hell of a lot Mr. Potter.” The Minister was clearly agitated. “Not only are you impossibly hard to kill, you come back to life, I have a mass murderer, a death-eater with shifting alliances, and a meddlesome Headmaster, all of which returned from the dead, let alone a slew of super students and various others that cant be killed. This is not a normal day at the office!”

“You want to kill Voldemort? I’ll step down.”

“Young man I’m not sure that this isn’t his doing!”

“You caught us.” Sirius drawled.

“I wouldn’t test my patience Mr. Black. You’re still a wanted murderer.”

“He’s innocent.” Harry defended.

“Yet to be proven.”

“Bloody hell.” Snape snarled.

“Your innocence could be brought into question Severus.”

“Priceless.” The Potions Master massaged his temples tiredly.

“I’m afraid I have no choice but to retain all of you into the custody of the Ministry until this is all sorted out.”

“Retained? Oy, Mom is going to slaughter us.” Ron whined.

“No! You can’t…” Harry was outraged.

“Harry.” Dumbledore silenced him. “We’ll go with you Amelia. As I stated previously, we have nothing to hide.”

“What grounds does she have?” Snape bellowed.

“I’m keeping this world safe Mr. Snape. You’ll all be released when I’m satisfied that this isn’t the work of Voldemort.”

“This is ridiculous.” Snape stood abruptly. “We’re all you have to save this world!”

“She can lock us up. It’ll be on her shoulders when there’s no longer a world for us to save.” Tonks crossed her arms over her chest.

“Won’t you be red in the face?’ Hermione warned.

“Fucking idiots.” Harry protested. “I hope he attacks while you have us thrown in Azkaban!”

“Take him first!” Amelia ordered one of the Aurors. A tall man shoved Harry into a floo. Sirius and Severus both tried to rush to him. “Take these two! Everyone else line up! You don’t get to make your own rules. We have laws that must be obeyed.” No one was listening to her as they all made they’re way through the fireplace.

*** *** ***

They all found themselves in a large dark cell lined with cots.

“Jailhouse blues.” George laughed, plopping himself on a bed.

“Everyone remember to hang on tightly to that soap” Fred joked sitting down on the mattress closest to his twin “I’m so gonna be a badass when I get out of the joint.”

“Where should I get my first tat?” George said, looking over his body.

Fred slung his arm around Ron’s shoulder. “I love you little bro but I should warn you, if you try to take any of my bitches I’ll have to shank you.”

“We should owl Mom and ask her to send us cigs. With enough smokes we could take over the joint.” George smiled broadly.

“I’m glad you’re in good spirits.” Hermione sat herself on one of the beds next to Ron’s. Dumbledore grinned as he lay on a cot in the opposite corner of the room. Lupin and Tonks chose one of the bunk beds. Snape settled into the bottom of another. Sirius had taken over the bed that sat below the only window. Harry paced anxiously.


“You want a spoon Harry? Start digging your way out?” Sirius grinned at his godson. “Might as well get cozy. It’ll be a while.” Harry ignored him, choosing instead to whisper a stream of curses under his breath.

“Fucking Ministry. This is lunacy.”

“Language Harry. I may be a cold hard felon but I have virgin…ear.” Fred attempted to cheer up his friend. Snape reached out and pulled his bonded down next to him.

“Get some rest.” He ordered, wrapping the young man in his arms. Suddenly what little light there was extinguished.

“This may be the pokey but I don’t want any funny business understood.” Sirius shot in Snape and Harry’s direction.

Harry took a deep breath. “Not to be redundant but…this blows.”



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