Authors note:
Tell me, people, I can do three things:
1. Make it easy for myself and make this ff incredibly sad with a sad ending.
2. Make it a bit harder for myself but make it happier and with a happy ending.
3. Make it... not that sad, but still a sad ending.
Tell me in the comments 1, 2 or 3➡️
(Votes still going, I will say when they are closed.)
Diana hadn't went to the hospital wing immediately. She first had found an empty hallway and sat down on the ground, against the wall for a moment, processing everything.
Barty was alive. But now she learned he was innocent, he had decided to become a death eater anyway.
Regulus had died on a mission that Dumbledore send him on, and Evan had died in the claws of someone who saw him as a bad person.
She suddenly felt something on her lap and helped as she opened her eyes. An orange cat tried climbing on her lap and she sighed.
Diana picked him up and put him on her lap. "Once again roaming the castle, are we?" She asked and he meowed slightly.
She sat there, with the cat in her lap for about twenty minutes until she stood up, gently getting the cat of.
"Thank you, but I need to go to the hospital wing now." She told it, giving him one last pet on the head.
She entered the hospital wing and looked around. She met Poppy's eyes and she looked towards a bed with the curtain around it.
Diana moved the curtain slightly and looked inside.
There she found Hermione, Ron, Mrs. Weasley, a man she supposed was te oldest Weasley child and Pippa.
"Hi." She whispered and she met eyes with Mrs. Weasley. She stuck out her hand. "Diana Sardothien, I'm a professor here." She said and they shook hands. "Molly Weasley." She said and Diana noticed the tears in her eyes.
Diana sat down on a chair and she suddenly spotted Sirius in his animagus form, sitting next to Harry, he stared at her with big eyes.
He slowly got up and moved towards her, resting his head on her lap. "Hi there, Padfoot." She greeted in a whisper.
She didn't see the surprised glances Ron and Hermione shared. She also didn't see Pippa looking at the dog in wonder.
Loud voices where suddenly heard and Diana shared glances with everyone there.
"They'll wake him if they don't shut up!" Pippa said in a soft voice, though still irritated. "What are they shouting about? Nothing else can have happened, can it?" Ron asked.
Mrs Weasley got to her feet and so did Diana. "That's Fudge's voice," Molly whispered. "And that's Minerva McGonagall's, isn't it? But what are they arguing about?" She asked and Diana slightly moved the curtain to see.
"Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva-" Cornelius Fudge was saying loudly as he walked into the hospital wing. "You should never have brought it inside the castle!" yelled McGonagall.
"When Dumbledore finds out-" she started in a threatening tone of voice. The oldest Weasley opened the curtains entirely to see what was happening.
McGonagall and Snape where walking behind fudge with furious looks on their faces. "Where is Dumbledore?" Fudge looked from Diana to Mrs Weasley and back to Diana.
"He's not here," said Mrs Weasley angrily. "This is a hospital wing, Minister, don't you think you'd do better to-" But she was cut of when the door opened, and Dumbledore came barging in.
"What has happened?" Asked Dumbledore sharply, looking from Fudge to Professor McGonagall, to Diana. "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, Diana, I'm surprised at yo– I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch-" he said but McGonagall talked over him.
"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" she shrieked. 'The Minister has seen to that!" She said and Diana's heart sank as her eyes shot to McGonagall and then at Fudge with a furious look in her eyes.
She started to shake slightly and Sirius leaned against her, slightly whining.
"When we told Mr Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," Snape, in a low, emotionless voice, "he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a Dementor to accompany him into the castle." Dianas eyes widened, wishing what she thought wasnt true.
"He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch-" but McGonagall once again talked over.
"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" She stated. "I told him you would never allow Dementors to set foot inside the castle, but-"
"My dear woman!" roared Fudge, who now looked about as angry as McGonagall. "As Minister for Magic, it is my decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous-"
But Professor McGonagall's voice drowned Fudge's.
"The moment that– that thing entered the room," she screamed, pointing at Fudge, her hands trembling, "it swooped down on Crouch and– and-" Diana gasped slightly and put a hand over her mouth.
Pippa gripped her mothers arm so she would keep standing.
Diana didn't hear much of the conversation where Fudge refused to believe in Voldemorts return but her head shot up when she heard Dumbledore.
"we heard Barty Crouch confess. Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort – learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins – went to free him from his father, and used him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return."
"Yeah, under that same serum he also confessed a whole lot else." She bit, venom in her voice. Dumbledores eyes traveled to her. "I will talk with you later, Diana." He said. The woman huffed but didn't protest.
Fudge stumbled over his words, trying to explain the impossibility of Voldemort returning and Diana kept rolling her eyes at him and she felt Pippa's hands on her arm stiffen a few times.
Everyone jumped at the sound of Harry's voice. "You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr Fudge?" Diana turned to the boy and gave him a small, what she hoped to be, reassuring smile.
She was ready to curse Fudge into the next century when he continued making excuses and not believing anything.
Harry yelled and started naming people he knew where there.
Diana's head whipped around when she heard "Avery." On the list. She really, really hoped he had at least some guilt, but it became clear to her that he had the wrong thoughts.
Diana watched and listened as everything went down, though she was frozen to her spot, and Pippa next to her seemed to be too.
"There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves." Is one of the things Fudge said and she heard Sirius growl slightly.
People gasped when Snape suddenly almost shoved his arm in Fudges face, showing him the dark mark.
She listens to him as he explained what it did. She already knew. She had always known what the mark did, she had seen it, touched it even.
After giving Harry his winnings, Fudge left and Diana watched him close the door behind him.
"There is work to be done," Dumbldore said. "Molly ... am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?" He looked at the woman who immediately nodded. "Of course you can." She said and her lips pursed.
"He knows what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that has held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper wizarding pride." She explained.
"Then I need to send a message to him," said Dumbledore. "All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and Arthur is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as short-sighted as Cornelius."
"I'll go to Dad," said the oldest Weasley, standing up. "I'll go now." He said. "Excellent." Dumbledore nodded.
"Tell him what has happened. Tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry-"
"Leave it to me,' said the man, cutting Dumbledore off. He clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder, kissed his mother on the cheek, pulled on his cloak, and strode quickly from the room.
"Minerva," said Dumbledore, turning to McGonagall, "I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also– if she will consent to come– Madame Maxime." He requested.
Professor McGonagall nodded, and left without a word. "Poppy," Dumbledore said to Madam Pomfrey, "would you be very kind, and go down to Professor Moody's office, where I think you will find a house-elf called Winky in considerable distress? Do what you can for her, and take her back to the kitchens. I think Dobby will look after her for us."
"Very– very well," said Madam Pomfrey, and she too left. Dumbledore made sure that the door was closed, and that Madam Pomfrey's footsteps had died away, before he spoke again.
"And now," he said, "it is time for two of our number to recognise each other for what they are. Sirius ... if you could resume your usual form."
The great black dog looked at Diana for a moment and then turned into a man. Diana felt like crying as she looked at him.
Mrs Weasley screamed and leapt back from the bed. "Sirius Black!" she shrieked, pointing at him. "Mum, shut up!" Ron yelled. "It's okay!"
"Him!" Snape snarled, staring at Sirius, whose face showed equal dislike. "What is he doing here?"
"He is here at my invitation," said Dumbledore, looking between them, "as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences, and trust each other."
Sirius was judging looking Snape up and down.
"I will settle, in the short term," said Dumbledore, with a bite of impatience in his voice, "for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth stand united, there is no hope for any of us."
Sirius stared at Snape with a disgusted look so with a annoyed sight, Diana pushed him forward.
Very slowly– but still glaring at each other as though each wished the other nothing but ill– Sirius and Snape moved towards each other, and shook hands. They recoiled almost immediately at each others touch.
"That will do to be going on with," said Dumbledore, stepping between them once more. "Now I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher– the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while, I will contact you there."
"But-" said Harry. "You'll see me very soon, Harry," said Sirius, turning to him. "I promise you. But I must do what I can, you understand, don't you?"
"Yeah," said Harry. "Yeah ... of course I do." He murmured.
"I'll go with him, I know where we can some of the old folks, and if needed he can lie low at mine, no one comes there anymore." She said and Sirius smiled slightly. He turned into a dog and they together walked out.
"We're taking the fireplace in Dumbledore's office." She informed him. They walked to the seventh floor in silence and when they arrived Diana muttered the password and they walked in.
She grabbed a hand full of floo-powder and stood in the fireplace. "Potter Manor!" She said loudly and threw down the powder.
Green flames engulfed her and soon she stepped out of her own fireplace at home.
Sirius came out moments later and when he stopped out she engulfed him into a hug.
"I'm sorry."
"It's alright."