Hogwarts Express: Time Travel

XXXVI. Godfather

XXXVI. Godfather

Fudge: Rosmerta, m'dear! [Up ahead Cornelius Fudge emerges from a ministry sleigh as Hagrid swings the door clear and -- with unfortunate ease -- rips it clean off the fittings. Fudge joins McGonagall and a curvy barmaid (ROSMERTA) outside the three broomstick pub.

"Everyone knows I'm the only one who calls Rosmerta dear back off oaf" Sirius growled jokingly "It's like she hasn't aged a day!"

"You still into older women brother?" Regulus jokes making Sirius playfully glare him

Hermione: That's Madam Rosmerta. Ron fancies her.

"Because he has fine taste, nice going mate!" Sirius nods approvingly making Ron chuckle

Ron: It's not true!

Annie: Shhh.

Fudge: I trust business is good?

Rosmerta: It'd be a right sight better if the Ministry wasn't sending Dementors into my pub every other night.

Fudge: We have a killer on the loose.

Rosmerta: Sirius Black? In Hogsmeade! And what would bring him here?

"I'm wounded dear, that of all people you'd believe that rubbish!" he dramatically gasped

Fudge: Annie Potter.

Rosmerta: [Surprised] Annie Potter! [Fudge looks around nervously, then jerks his head toward the pub. As he leads Rosmerta and McGonagall inside]

Hermione and Ron: [Glancing at each other then the place where Annie was standing a minute ago only to find the spot empty] Annie?

She's gone, footprints track through the snow, into the pub, as she threads through the teeming pub under her invisibility cloak past a sign "No Underage Wizards" and nearly collides with some very strange-looking patron. Ron and Hermione ripple briefly past a frosted window, then... three shrunken heads swing into view.

"I really hate those heads" someone commented

"You and me both" Replied Annie

Shrunken head #1: So I says to him, 'Careful, Ned. Don't want to go losing your head!' [As the three heads cackle hysterically, bobbing up and down on their strings, Annie turns... just as an unshaven wizard's arm whips down and a dart goes whistling right towards Annie's eyes, she ducks just in time, pivots and – THWOCK!-- sees the dart pierce the cork of the disfigured dartboard behind her.

Annie hurries on, trailing Fudge and McGonagall up a dark stairwell as Rosmerta leads them into a small back room. As the door starts to close, Annie rushes forward: SLAM! Too late. The knob turns, the door slightly opens... snow flutters off the sill of a half-open window. McGonagall turns, frowning, and re-closes the door, harder this time, then joins Fudge and Rosmerta.

"Tough luck"

"It's Annie, she'll find a way to hear"

Rosmerta: Come on then. Let's hear it.

McGonagall: Years ago, when Annie Potter's parents were marked for death, they went into hiding. Few knew where they were. One who did was Black. And he told...

"Why would the Potters of all people would be marked for death in the first place?" Asked a confused Druella Black making few head nod at her question

"It'll be explained"

"Come on Minnie, you didn't really believe that, now I'm truly wounded, me selling out my friends?" Sirius asked his tone somewhat playful but it was hard to miss the hurt in his voice as he spoke