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They had went around the shop and Ron, Hermione and Celeste paid for their sweets before getting out of the shop with Harry. Hogsmeade was brighter and more festive since it was Christmas- it was like one of those muggle post cards you get from your relatives who would be too lazy to get you a proper gift.
Celeste saw Harry shiver and took off her beanie before stuffing it right on his head.
"What- what are you doing?" Harry stammered and Celeste grins.
"Cover your ears- it'll be less cold. You were shivering" Celeste says as she fixed the beanie on him "And- you look adorable with the beanie on"
"Thanks- I guess"
"Your welcome Har"
They walked down the crowded streets, the wind blowing roughly against their skins and Celeste shivered at the cold piercing through the layer of clothing.
"That's the post office-"
"Zonoko's is right over there-"
"Let's go to the Shrieking Shack-!"
"Hey let's see" Ron shouted through the wind "We're going to go to the three broomsticks for butterbeers? How's that sound?"
"Brilliant!" Harry says, chattering his teeth as they crossed the road and entered the inn, the smell of butterbeer and soda filling all their noses.
"That's Madam Rosmerta-" Ron says turning slightly red "I'll go get the drinks"
"Ron fancies her" Celeste whispered and Hermione giggled and nodded in agreement.
The three made their way to the back of the inn when Harry spotted an empty table by the window and the lavishing Christmas tree which was by the fireplace.
Ron returned a few mintues later- carrying 4 tankards of butterbeer, they were all hot and foaming as Celeste felt herself drool slightly before getting hers.
"Merry Christmas!" Ron says lifting his tankard
Celeste laughed slightly before drinking her butterbeer- warmth spread through her body as the butterscotch-tasting drink filled her senses with amazing Christmas cheers.
The door of the three broomsticks opened and Celeste felt her hair go by the small breeze. She heard Harry choke on his drink and her eyes instantly darted to the door and she looked at Ron, alarmed.
Professor McGonagall and Flitwick had entered the pub, soon following with Hagrid who was talking to the minister of magic, Cornelius Fudge.
Celeste and Hermione both placed their hands on top of Harry's head and pushed him down, off of his chair and to under the table. Celeste tried to play it off by looking into her half-empty tankard and covered her mouth with it- trying to hide her small look of worry.
They went closer to the table after ordering something in the bar and Celeste took out her wand slightly
"Mobiliarbus" She whispered and the Christmas tree lifted slightly before turning sideways and landing right in front of their table, making it so nobody could see them. The teachers all sat in the table right besides them and Celeste played with the rims of her maroon scarf as she glanced at them from time to time.
Madam Rosermerta came to their table with a tray filled with different drinks.
"A small gillywater-"
"Mine" McGonagall smiled slightly before taking her drink
"Four pints of mulled meat-"
"Ta 's me, Rosmerta" Hagrid says as he grabbed his own drink.
"A cherry syrup and soda with ice and umbrella-"
Flitwick hummed and Celeste almost giggled as the Charms professor grabbed his decorated drink.
"So Minister, the red currant must be yours" Madam Rosmerata says and the minister nodded.
"Thank you Rosmerta dear, have one yourself would you? Welcomed to join us" The minister offered and the lasy smiled and nodded before going over to the bar to get herself a drink.
Celeste looked slightly down at Harry- if he didn't leave soon he wouldn't have time to go back to Honeydukes.
"So what brings you to the neck of the woods, Minister?" Rosmerta asks
"What else would it be, Sirius Black" He says after he checked if anyone else was eavesdropping "Haven't you heard what happened in the school?"
"I did hear a rumor"
"Hagrid, did you tell the whole pub" McGonagall breathed and the giant just looked down at his drink and sipped quietly
"Do you think Black's still in the area, Minister?" Rosmerta asks
"I'm sure of it"
"The Dementor's have been checking the pub twice now" Rosmerta slightly snapped softly "Really bad for business- scaring my customers away"
"I don't like them anymore than you, dear" Fudge sighs "They are necessary precautions that needs to be taken, unfortunately. Furious- furious at Dumbledore they are. Won't let them in the school grounds- shaken when I met them"
"I think not!" McGonagall says harshly "How are we supposed to teach with those horrors around!"
"Agreed!" Flitwick says as he dangled his tiny legs.
"I don't deny it" Fudge says "They're here to protect you- you know what Black's capable of"
"I still have trouble believing it" Rosmerta says "I still remember when he was a Hogwarts boy, around this pub- if you told me what he was about to become- I would say you had too much to drink"
"You don't know half of it Rosmerta" Fudge says "The worst isn't even widely known yet"
"The worst?" Rosmerta asks "Even worse than murdering all those poor muggles?"
"Yes"
"I don't believe it- what could possibly be worse?"
"You say you remember him from Hogwarts Rosmerta" McGonagall mumbled "Remember who he was always with?"
"Course I do!" Rosmerta says "Wouldn't leave eachother's side! The number of times that they came here- I saw them. Never failed to make me laugh oh!- Quite the double act, James Potter and Sirius Black!"
Celeste heard Harry drop his tankard and she could feel that he was shocked- to say the least.
"Precisely" McGonagall sighs "Black and Potter- leaders of their little gang, never met a pair of troublemakers-"
"I dunno- Fred and George can give em' a run for their money" Hagrid chuckled.
"You'd have thought they were brothers!" Flitwick exclaims "Inseperable!"
"Course they were! They technically were!" Fudge says "Potter trusted Black beyond belief! He was the best man when James and Lily got married! They even made him godfather to Harry- no idea that boy has- you can imagine how that would torment him"
"Because he was in a league with You-Know-Who?" Rosmerta asks
"Worse than that" Fudge says in a hushed tone "The Potters knew they were being hunted down by You-Know-Who. Dumbledore's got some useful spies- One of them alerted James and Lily at once and Dumbledore adviced them to go into hiding- of course it would be horribly hard to hide against You-Know-Who, so they used a Fidelius Charm"
"How's that work?"
"Immensly complex spell" Flitwick spoke up "involves concealment magically into one single-living soul. The information of there where-being would of course only be known by the secret keeper- You-Know-Who wouldn't have even know where he was- even if he was pressing his face against their living room window. Unless of course- the secret keeper chooses to tell them"
"So Black was the Potter's secret keeper?" Rosmerta asks
"Naturally" McGonagall sighs "They were thinking of Kristina- because of her twin but she already had Celeste and didn't want to worry. Of course Black was busy with that little piece of trouble as well but he said to Dumbledore that he would rather die than betray the Potters- remember him telling the man myself"
"He was sure that there was somebody in our side that was telling information to You-Know-Who" McGonagall says "He had suspected it for some time"
"But Potter insisted on making Black his secretkeeper?" Rosmerta asks
"Indeed- he didn't want to burden his twin sister with a secret while she was protecting her own baby" Fudge says "And about a week after the Fidelus Charm had been casted-"
"Black betrayed them?"
"He did- tired of his double agent act. Wanted to fully commit and declare openly his support to the Dark Lord. He seemed to have plan this for the Potters- but we all know You-Know-Who had met his downfall in little Harry Potter. Powers gone- incredibly weak and he fled. Leaving Black in a terrible position. He had no choice but to run from it" Fudge explains weakly
"Filthy, stinkin' turnout!" Hagrid shouts- silencing half the pub
"Shussh!"
"I met him!" Hagrid growled "I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people! Itwas me what rescued Harry from Lily an' James's house after they was killed! Jus' got him outta theruins, poor little thing, with a great slash across his forehead, an' his parents dead... an' Sirius Blackturns up, on that flyin' motorbike he used ter ride. Never occurred ter me what he was doin' there. Ididn' know he'd bin Lily an' James's Secret-Keeper. Thought he'd jus' heard the news o' You-Know-Who's attack an' come ter see what he could do. White an' shakin', he was. An' yeh know what I did?I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!"
"And yeh know whas worse?" Hagrid asks and everyone looked closer to the giant.
"Poor lil' Kristina's reaction to it" Hagrid sighed "Absolutely devastated"
"Ah- Kristina Potter. Absolutely brilliant witch" Fudge hummed "Always there for Lily, Roseanne Hart and their group of friends"
"Poor thing- had to raise Celeste all by herself- but of course she had help" McGonagall says "Her twin was dead- did you know about Black and her's relationship?"
"Of course I knew!" Rosmerta laughs sourly
"Must've been the most devoted couple in Hogwarts" Rosmerta continued "Always came hanging around here- James was furious for a while but got used to it"
"Ah- I always remember them running around the hall." McGonagall sighs "Beautiful relationship-"
Celeste felt her world fall- her face paled and the both Hermione and Ron looked at her with worry. That was why mom was incredibly sad.
"She lost almost everything- She was busy taking care of her and little Celeste when the news came" McGonagall says solemnly
"T' poor girl fainted when she heard ev'rything" Hagrid sighs "Doesn' deserve tis"
"I agree- never failed to make people smile at least once a day." Flitwick squeaked
"Alas only if we knew" Fudge says "It wasn't us- it was their little friend. Peter Pettigrew. Maddened by grief- went for Black himself"
"Pettigrew..? The fat little boy who always followed them around?" Rosmerta asks
"Worshipped Black and the Potters" McGonagall says "Never in their league- talentwise. I was always a little sharp to him- you can imagine how I felt-"
"He died a heroic death-" Fudge says "Got eye-witnesses. Muggles- had to wipe their memory, they said they saw Black cornering Pettigrew- he said 'James and Lily, how could you! How would Kristina think about this?'. Must've ticked a fuse as Black obliterated him right after that"
"Stupid boy!" McGonagall says as she blew her nose "Hopeless at duelling- should've just waited for the ministry"
"I tell yeh- if I would've gotten ter Black before Pettigrew did- I would'a ripped him- limb- by -limb"
"You don't know what you're talking about Hagrid- Black couldn't be defeated- only special and highly trained duellist would even stand a chance. I was there at the murder scene. Bodies everywhere- muggles screaming- a crater that was so deep- reached the sewers. Black was laughing- all that was left of the Pettigrew boy were-were bloodied up robes- and-and" Fudge sadly says before they all blew their noses.
"Well there you have it Rosmerta- Black was taken away by 20 magical law enforcement squad- poor Rose was one of them. Absolutely petrified that girl. Was crying the whole time as they tried to catch Black" Fudge says "Been in Azkaban ever since"
"Is it true, he's mad. Minister?" Rosmerta breathed
"I wish I could say he was" Fudge says slowly "I believed his master's defeate- had urked him somehow. But when we met in my last inspection of Azkaban- he was rationally speaking to me-surprised me out of my shoes. Asked if I was done with my newspaper- said he missed the crosswords?"
"What do you think he broken out for?" Rosmerta asks "For rejoining You-Know-Who?"
"M' afraid I'm not sure- the ministry questioned Rose about it. She didn't know any of it. We were going to bring in Kristina- but the witch stormed into the ministry and asked us all about it. I'm sure what she was feeling was horrible" Fudge sighs "The man she had loved- who killed her twin brother- her best friend and little Peter. Escaped- we tried to protect her. Hoping for people to keep an eye out for Celeste"
"God knows what that poor girl would've done" McGonagall says "Terrified to death- for Harry. Saw her crying after facing a boggart- it was Black killing the poor boy"
"Don't know what she would do if she ever finds out that Black's her father"