A Black Comedy

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Harry and Jimmy walked down the path from Hogwarts silently. Harry wasn't saying anything, and Jimmy was trying his best not to jump in front of Harry and shake the answers out of him.

"Hey Harry?"

"Not now."

Jimmy nodded in understanding and kept quiet for about five seconds. "Can I ask when?"

Harry glanced over and answered, "When we're drunk."

Jimmy frowned. "I'm not sure I-"

"When we're drunk," Harry repeated forcefully.

"Okay," Jimmy agreed. He held his tongue for almost ten seconds this time. "Are you going to obliviate me?"

Harry winced. "The odds of your memory staying intact are better if we're drunk."

"Works for me," Jimmy happily jumped onboard with the drinking plan.

"And if I'm drunk," Harry helpfully added, "the odds are also higher that a memory charm won't stick for long."

"Sounds good," Jimmy agreed, keeping up with Harry's brisk pace.

Harry admitted, "I suppose the same could be said of the odds that I'll memory charm a little too much. Like a year or three."

"That's not so good."

Harry shrugged with a smile as they reached the main street in Hogsmeade. They both slowed down when they spotted Sirius chatting up a couple of ladies in the middle of the village.

"Is that...?"

"Yeah," Harry slowly answered.

As they got closer they saw Sirius was pushing a mentally challenged-looking man with thick bulbous goggles and a red plastic helmet around in a wheelchair.

Harry glanced at Jimmy worriedly. "Sirius is so going to hell."

Jimmy opened his mouth and then closed it. He feebly argued, "There could be a completely rational explanation for that."

Their conversation was interrupted by a sudden exclamation from the helmeted blonde in the wheelchair. "I was born Lucius Malfoy, Junior!"

"Okay," Jimmy conceded. "You're right. Hell it is. But probably a funny hell."

"Lord Black," Harry loudly greeted as he and Jimmy walked up.

"Lord Black," Sirius cheerfully replied.

"Hell-low!" the special needs man shouted.

"Hello," Sirius and the two ladies with him happily echoed back.

"I was born Lucius Malfoy, Junior!"

"Okay," Harry agreed before turning to address his widely smiling godfather. "Sirius?"

Sirius made an exaggerated show of looking at his watch. "You know what? It's probably time I got Squibby back to his secret room at St. Mungo's. You ready to go home, Squibby?"