The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

Propaganda

Sirius's heart nearly stopped, "You're gonna let me drive it?!"

"Sure," Ace said. "Push up, I'll get on back."

Ecstatic, Sirius pushed forward and Ace swung up behind him and Sirius ran his fingers over the handlebars, over the body of the bike... "Wicked," he breathed as he stroked the smooth cranberry-red paint.

Ace said, "You remember how to start her up?"

Sirius nodded enthusiastically and he followed all the same things that Ace Dante had done back at the carpark. It took him two tries not to stall it - but once he got it going and he engine was rumbling and everything, he felt excitement go up his arms and he grinned, remembering Filch's face back in February... remembering the rush of the air through his hair... and he wished against all wishes this lovely motorbike could fly because ohhh how much he wanted to zip right up into the clouds with it... But driving, it turned out, was very similar to flying and Sirius zipped down the road as Ace Dante laughed and shouted instructions... they drove up and down the road several times, Sirius whooping excitedly as they cut corners.

Ace Dante made him practice driving up and down and up and down about twelve times before he finally shouted, "You want to drive her home?"

Sirius definitely wanted to.

So they pulled back out into the road and Sirius drove the cranberry-red motorbike down the street, past the lake and back to the carpark beside Ace Dante's house. When they came to a stop and Sirius had cut the engine, he pulled off the helmet, jumping off the bike as Ace Dante got up, too, and Sirius high-fived Ace with excitement. "THAT WAS SO COOL!" he shouted.

"You did excellent," Ace answered.

Across the street, James was standing up beside the stone wall, looking quite alarmed at the sight of Sirius Black driving the motorbike.

Sirius grinned, "Thanks man, that was great, man. I really love your bike, it's brilliant. I wish I had my own bike. I will one day."

Ace Dante said, "Well... do you still have that card I gave you?"

Sirius nodded, "I do."

"Well sometimes old Hank down at that garage, he'll get junk bikes and he'll sell them really cheap, he calls them scrap - but if you get one and bring it here, I'll help you fix it up if you buy the parts and all."

Sirius's eyes widened, "Yeah?"

"Sure," Ace said.

Sirius reached into his pocket for the card. He'd been carrying it about ever since Ace Dante had given it to him. "Hank, you say?"

"Yes, Hank Tonner. He's the owner."

"Brilliant," said Sirius.

He thanked Ace Dante again and returned his helmet, then ran off across the street to James as Ace went inside. They walked back to the Potter house through the woods, but Sirius insisted on staying in human form and he talked and talked and talked the whole way about how grand the bike was and how cool Ace Dante was and how great it would be if he could only come up with the galleons to buy his own motorbike to fix up as he'd said. "I need a job," Sirius announced, "I need galleons! I need loads and loads of galleons. James, if I have a motorbike we could go anywhere and do anything we like." He suddenly had visions of flying a motorbike to Costa Rica and his eyes glistened with excitement at the thought. He pictured Remus Lupin clinging onto him as their hair whipped back in the air and the ocean sparkled down below... he pictured white sands and aquamarine water...

Propaganda posters went up that night in every wizarding town across the country. Minchum for Minister? they read across the top in bold lettering. Below was a photograph of Harold Minchum, cowering behind a broken stone wall, peering over the edge with wide, frightened eyes. It was cut from a wizarding photo of the duel between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. ALL TALK AND NO ACTION - HIDING BEHIND WALLS SINCE GRINDELWALD! boasted the poster nastily. WE WANT A MINISTER WHO WOULD ACT. And below that was a photo of Adom Tutman... facing the too familiar figure of Voldemort, his bone-white wand raised... VOTE TUTMAN, the foot of the poster said.