The Prisoner of Azkaban | Hermione Granger x Male Reader (Book Three)

15. A Family Discovery

"Merry Christmas!" he said happily, raising his tankard.

I drank deeply. I loved the taste of Butterbeer, I had tried it maybe once or twice as a kid.

Then suddenly, the door opened.

Professors McGonagall and Flitwick had just entered the pub, shortly followed by Hagrid, who was deep in conversation with Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic.

In an instant, Ron and Hermione had both placed hands on the top of me and Harry's head forced us under the table.

Somewhere above me, Hermione whispered. "Mobiliarbus!"

The Christmas tree beside our table rose a few inches off the ground, drifted sideways, and landed with a soft thump right in front of our table, hiding us from their view.

"So, what brings you here, Minister?" came Madam Rosmerta's voice.

I saw the lower part of Fudge's body twist in his chair as though he were checking for eavesdroppers. Then he said in a quiet voice. "What else, m'dear, but Sirius Black? I daresay you heard what happened up at the school at Halloween?"

"I did hear a rumour," admitted Madam Rosmerta, "can't believe you're setting them around Hogsmeade."

"Rosmerta, dear, I don't like them any more than you do," said Fudge uncomfortably, "necessary precaution, unfortunate, but there you are. I've just met some of them, they're in a fury against Dumbledore, he won't let them inside the castle grounds."

"I should think not," said Professor McGonagall sharply, "how are we supposed to teach with those horrors floating around?"

"All the same," said Fudge, "they are here to protect you all from something much worse, we all know what Black's capable of."

"Do you know, I still have trouble believing it," said Madam Rosmerta thoughtfully, "of all the people to go over to the Dark side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought...I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts."

"You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta," murmured Professor McGonagall, "do you remember who his two best friends were?"

"Naturally," said Madam Rosmerta, with a small laugh, "never saw one without the other two, did you? The number of times I had them in here, they used to make me laugh. Quite the triple act, Steven L/N, Sirius Black and James Potter!"

"Precisely," said Professor McGonagall, "L/N, Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. All very bright, of course, exceptionally bright, but I don't think we've ever had such a trio of troublemakers-"

"I dunno," chuckled Hagrid, "Fred, George Weasley and Issac L/N could give 'em a run fer their money."

Fudge then spoke. "Potter trusted Black and L/N beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black and L/N were best men when James married Lily. Then they named them both godfather to Harry. Harry has no idea, that Black is his godfather. That would pain the boy."

"Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.

"Worse even than that, m'dear..." Fudge dropped his voice, "not many people are aware that the Potters knew You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off, and he alerted James and Lily at once. He advised them to go into hiding. Dumbledore told them that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm."

"How does that work?" asked Madam Rosmerta. Professor Flitwick cleared his throat.

"An immensely complex spell," he said squeakily, "involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or Secret-Keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find, unless, of course, the Secret Keeper chooses to divulge it. As long as the Secret Keeper refused to speak, You-Know-Who could search the village where Lily and James were staying for years and never find them, not even if he had his nose pressed against their sitting room window!"

"So Black was the Potters' Secret Keeper?" whispered Madam Rosmerta.

"Naturally," said Professor McGonagall, "James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would die rather than tell where they were, that Black was planning to go into hiding himself, and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I remember him offering to be the Potters' Secret Keeper himself."

"What about Steven, why wasn't he asked?" asked Madam Rosmerta.

"He was dealing with some...other issues that were present at the time."

"James Potter insisted on using Black?"

"He did," said Fudge heavily, "and then, barely a week after the Fidelius Charm had been performed-"

"Black betrayed them?" breathed Madam Rosmerta.

"He did indeed." said Fudge sadly.

"Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!" Hagrid said, so loudly that half the bar went quiet.

"Shh!" said Professor McGonagall.

"Did the Ministry ever catch Black?" asked Madam Rosmerta.

"Alas, if only we had," said Fudge bitterly, "it was not we who found him. It was little Peter Pettigrew, another of the Potters' friends. Maddened by grief, no doubt, and knowing that Black had been the Potters' Secret Keeper, he went after Black himself."

"Pettigrew...that fat little boy who was always tagging around after them at Hogwarts?" said Madam Rosmerta.

"Hero-worshipped L/N, Black and Potter," said Professor McGonagall.

"Pettigrew died a hero's death. Eyewitnesses, Muggles, of course, we wiped their memories later, told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They say he was sobbing. "Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?" and then he went for his wand. Well, of course, Black was quicker. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens." Fudge said. "Only his finger was left..."

The conversation carried on, I was focused on listening to every word.

"Did you hear about how young Y/N found out his grandfather was You-Know-Who?" said Fudge.

Everyone nodded.

"Well, The Ministry reckons that the reason Black was so loyal to Voldemort was because..." Fudge paused. "You-Know-Who is his father in law..."

Everyone gasped, it seemed like no one knew this but the Minister.

"Which means-" McGonagall said, a hand over her mouth.

Fudge nodded grimly, "Y/N L/N is Sirius Black's only son."