Chapter Two: Consequences
Sirius’ problems were far from over when they pulled up to Hogsmeade Station. He was still immersed in his thoughts, and walked quietly behind his siblings as he made his way out of the train. Just as he was stepping out, something hit him hard in the back and he went careening out of the train to land on his face, opening the cut there again and scraping both his face and his hands as well.
Sirius was back on his feet in an instant, pain not even registering as he turned back to the door. A Slytherin seventh-year stood there, lowering his foot, with a sneer on his face. He was a large boy, about as tall as Sirius, though most of his weight seemed centered around his midsection. Still he looked to be itching for a fight, and Sirius was very much in the mood to oblige him.
“So how many Weasleys and Potters did it take for you to take down Nott, Potter? Did you bring the whole family? From what I can see, you couldn’t fight a first year and win. Sorry about that… accident… though. These stairs are frightfully easy to trip on.”
Sirius shook blood off of his face and readied his wand. Disarm him, and then beat him to a pulp with my fists, he said to himself as he planned what he would do.
James saw what was happening, and also saw the angry crowd gathering around as well. Slytherins were glaring at Sirius and his siblings, while a crowd of Weasleys were gathering around them, fingering wands and muttering to themselves as well. The Weasleys were edging closer to Sirius, all four of them grinning at the chance for mayhem they were about to take part in.
“That’s enough, McFarren,” James said loudly. “I saw that ‘accident’ of yours very well, and your Head of House will be hearing about it from me. The rest of you need to get on the carriages. Now!”
It looked like McFarren was about to cause more trouble, but just then a loud familiar voice began calling out.
“Firs’ years, this way. Come on, now, firs’ years! Hey! What’s goin’ on here? Sirius, yer a mess! What happened to yeh?” Hagrid’s big voice boomed.
Hagrid hadn’t changed much at all over the years; there was still not a trace of gray in his hair, and he still seemed too big to be allowed. Sirius grinned up at him as the Slytherins hastily went about their business. A crowd of uncertain-looking first years were gathering around Hagrid as well, including Muriel.
“Sirius beat up four Slytherins by himself,” Muriel informed Hagrid in a matter-of-fact tone. “And then another one kicked him down the stairs and he was going to beat up that one too, but James stopped them.” She sounded disappointed in James.
“I stopped a riot,” James said with a grimace, “and you should all be glad I did. I think Headmaster Shacklebolt would have little choice but to expel Sirius for starting a civil war at Hogwarts.”
After McGonagall left Hogwarts for the Ministry, she had petitioned the Board of Governors to make Kingsley Shacklebolt the new Headmaster, especially after Professor Flitwick turned down the post. The Charms professor just wanted to teach, and McGonagall had not wanted Professor Slughorn to be the Headmaster. Shacklebolt had shown a real flare for administration, and everyone agreed he was a good choice, though he demanded attention to the rules and had little sympathy for those who broke them, even if they were family friends.
Sirius lowered his head sorrowfully. “I’m sorry, James, you know I am. But Nott and his friends jumped me, what was I supposed to do? And I didn’t ask to be kicked down the stairs.”
“Well, you should make sure you don’t have any more reason to be in fights,” Lillian said curtly. “Save your energy for the Quidditch Pitch. You’re going to get a detention or two from this as it is, and I won’t stand for you missing practices because you couldn’t pass up the chance to bully some Slytherin when you know better.”
Hagrid was chuckling to himself by this time, and Sirius thought he heard something like “just like their parents” before Hagrid was leading the first years to the boats, throwing back a final admonition to stay out of trouble and to have Madame Pomfrey look at his cuts as soon as he got there.
Sirius got into a carriage with Lillian and James and they were soon on their way to the Sorting Feast.
Of course by the time they reached the Great Hall, students who had left earlier had carried the tales of what had happened ahead of them, and a large number of those students were Slytherins, including Nott himself, and his companions. So it was no surprise that they found Aunt Hermione, or Professor Weasley as she insisted they call her at school, waiting for them with a very stern look on her face. Sirius could help but think that sometimes it didn’t help to have family connections at school; Hermione was strict by nature, and more likely to expect a lot more from family. As Head of Gryffindor House, she had a lot of family to expect a lot from. Some of her run-ins with the quadruplets had become legendary, though it was not the twins who came out on top. They avoided her completely now, whenever they had any kind of mischief planned.
“Sirius Alastor Potter, what have you gotten yourself into this time,” Hermione said in a low, stern voice. “I’ve heard it from no less than two dozen students that you have been starting fights, and by the look of you, they seem to be right.”
Sirius didn’t think it was fair that Aunt Hermione always referred to them familiarly when she wouldn’t allow them to do the same with her. He wasn’t about to say anything of the sort now, though. Harry and Ginny didn’t raise idiots.
“He didn’t start any fights,” Lillian interrupted angrily, and Sirius fought to hide a grateful smile, nodding instead. “Nott and his goons jumped Sirius when he was walking back to our compartment. Sirius just finished the fight, that’s all.”
Hermione looked to James for confirmation, and both Lillian and Sirius flushed with irritation. She should know very well by now that we don’t lie, Sirius thought angrily, at least, not to family.
“They’re telling the truth,” James said. “And Timothy McFarren kicked Sirius off the train and gave him most of those scrapes. Do you want to speak with Slughorn, or shall I?”
“That's Professor Slughorn, and I think I will,” Hermione said slowly, her anger shifting away from her niece and nephews and towards several Slytherin students. “And I’m going to have to speak with a good many of the students about telling lies. Sirius, you will receive detention for this; I know you don’t normally start these fights, but I saw Mr. Nott and his friends, and I’m sure you were more rough than you needed to be just to stop the fight. Don’t argue, you know you did, and you know I know it.”
Sirius’ mouth closed on the argument he had been about to make, as she smiled down at him tightly, before frowning and looking at his face. She muttered to herself as she began casting healing charms, and cleaning off the blood.
“That first one is going to leave a slight scar” she muttered as she finished.
“I’ve had worse,” Sirius said, uncaringly. “Anyway, girls like guys with scars.”
Lillian rolled her eyes. “You aren’t good looking enough for a scar, Sirius.”
Sirius said nothing, though he grinned at her. They both knew that he had plenty of admiring girls to choose from, from all four houses, though the Slytherin girls were quiet about it.
Hermione paused for a moment and then sent James and Lillian off to the feast.
“Come to my office, Sirius,” she said quietly as she began walking down the hall.
“What about the feast? I wanted to see Muriel get sorted,” he protested, though he was already following her.
“I can’t imagine Muriel being anything but a Gryffindor,” Hermione said dismissively. “And we need to talk.”
After a brief walk they arrived at Hermione’s office, and Sirius sat down in front of her desk while she sat behind it. Everything in the office was perfectly clean and tidy, and there wasn’t a speck of dust to be found anywhere.
“Dobby?” Hermione said to the air, and there was a crack as the House Elf appeared, his large green eyes brightening at the sight of Sirius.
“What can Dobby do for Professor Weasley and the son of the noble Harry Potter?” Dobby asked with a bow.
“Can you bring us some food from the feast, please?” Hermione asked politely. Hermione’s goals for House Elf rights had never changed, but once she and Remus Lupin had finally gotten the Ministry to change its policies and give non-humans more rights, the House Elves of Hogwarts had used those rights and wrote a petition to the Board of Governors asking them to see that Hermione stopped trying to free them all. Hermione had had no choice but to give up on S.P.E.W. after that.
As they began eating the excellent food Dobby brought them, Hermione’s attention came back to Sirius.
“You know it has to look like you’re getting disciplined more than you are, don’t you?” she asked finally.
He nodded slowly; there had been a large number of complaints about preferential treatment for Weasleys and Potters, and they increased as the years went on. If a Potter screws up, Sirius thought, he has to pay double what anyone else would… or at least look like it.
“You are probably the most gifted student in this school right now as well, Sirius.” Sirius sat up in surprise that she would say that right out, but she kept going. “And I don’t want to see you become nothing more than a bully. You have incredible power, and your memory and ability to learn are nothing short of astounding. A lot of the students here, including some of the older ones, and almost all of the younger ones, admire and look up to you. We need you to set a good example for them; look at James, he’s responsible. Try and take a leaf out of his book. Or Lillian; she’s been trying to keep you in line since you got here.” Hermione trailed off, and seemed to steal herself. Sirius braced himself for what he knew was coming.
“I’m sending an owl to your parents,” she said finally, and Sirius grimaced. This would be the earliest in the school year that they would get a disciplinary owl from Hogwarts, and they were never happy about it. With all of the stories Sirius had heard from their days at school, it seemed like they shouldn’t have anything to say, but they also seemed to think that the Potters needed to set a good example, and his mum had all kinds of crazy notions about ‘good parenting,’ so he knew that he could expect a scathing rebuke through the mail, if his dad didn’t come to Hogwarts himself.
“I wish I didn’t have to do this, Sirius, but it seems like you get in more fights every year. You’ve got a chip on your shoulder that’s bigger than you are, and that’s saying something. I know you didn’t start this one, directly, but I also know that you did start the one that led to Nott wanting revenge. You need to calm down, or you might find yourself expelled one of these days. Your family name can’t protect you forever.”
Sirius found himself growing angrier as she continued, and the last part pushed him over the edge.
“I don’t WANT my family name to protect me,” he shouted. He didn’t remember standing, but he was on his feet, and suddenly realizing that he was bigger than his aunt. “All my life, I’ve been held to an impossible standard. I have to live up to James, Lillian, and my dad, and it can’t be done! I’m my own person! I wish people would stop looking at me as Harry Potter’s son and see me for myself.”
He felt a small bit of the heat on his face that he remembered from when he had stunned all four of the Slytherins in the compartment, and forced himself to calm down.
“If there’s nothing else, Professor, can I go now?”
Hermione had sat through the shouting completely unfazed, and was now regarding him coolly.
“I suppose you may,” she said finally. “I will let you know when you are to serve detention and with whom, and I expect you to stay out of trouble. Run along now.”
***
After Sirius left, Hermione sat for a short while, thinking about what had just happened. It was obvious that Sirius was troubled by something beyond just unreasonable expectations, but she also knew she would never get him to talk. Maybe Harry should come down and talk to him, she thought.
The oddest thing was that she could have sworn Sirius’ eyes had lit up with fire when he was shouting, though it had been so brief that she wasn’t certain it had happened at all. She got up slowly and began writing the letters. She knew she had to send two; if Harry got the news by himself, he would try and handle it himself, and Ginny was the same way. And both would be too easy on Sirius because they were both lenient by nature; but for some reason, they tended to discipline very well when they worked together, most likely because they would then talk about it and decide what would be best for the child. It made her grin, thinking about them; Sirius’ eyes were already out of her mind.
***
Sirius walked down the hallway angrily. Your family name can’t protect you forever. The words kept going through his head, over and over until he nearly shook with rage. Realizing that almost any Slytherin he saw within the next few minutes would get blasted just for being there, Sirius headed straight for the Gryffindor common room. When he got there, he remembered that he hadn’t been told the password, and couldn’t get in yet. He sat down in the hallway, and rested his head back against the wall.
He knew very well that Aunt Hermione was right; he couldn’t get into any more fights. He didn’t understand why, but his temper was getting worse all the time. He didn’t want to really hurt anyone, and he didn’t want to be known for a short temper. I’ll stay out of trouble this year completely, he thought firmly, knowing that he couldn’t keep that resolution at all.
“Sirius?” came a tentative voice from down the hall, and he looked up in surprise.
Samantha Harris stood looking at him tentatively from down the hall. She was a Gryffindor, and in her fifth year, like his sister. They had spent a lot of time together last year since she and Lillian were good friends, and Sirius had grown to like her, though he would never admit that to her or Lillian.
“What do you want?” and he cursed himself as she flinched at his hard tone.
Just when I decide I’m going to watch my temper… he thought, kicking himself mentally.
She didn’t leave though.
“I thought you might like someone to talk to,” she said quietly. “When you didn’t come in when Professor Weasley came back, I figured you would have come here. The password is ‘Cygnus.’”
The fat lady opened the painting as the girl said the password, and Sirius gratefully let her lead him into the common room towards two of the comfortable chairs by the fire.
She wanted to know everything that had happened of course, but Sirius found himself telling her all about it; he barely managed to stop himself before telling her exactly how he had ended the fight. He wasn’t ready to give away everything, just for a pretty face. And Samantha was pretty; she was tall and had long dark brown hair with light blue eyes, and she always seemed to be smiling. Sirius liked her smile.
“You really should stay out of trouble,” she said gravely after he finished telling her about his visit with his aunt. “The Weasleys are already talking about following you ‘into battle’ against the Slytherins, and I think most of the house would join you.”
“Would you?” he asked impulsively, and his face reddened immediately.
“I don’t know, Sirius, I guess that depends on whether you had a good reason or not. I’m not much of a dueler, anyway; Potions seems to be my best subject, these days. Do you want me to make you a Calming Draught?” she asked innocently.
Sirius couldn’t help but laugh, though he thought he might have cursed anyone else for saying that.
Sirius spent the rest of the evening talking with Samantha until the other students came back. Muriel had been sorted into Gryffindor and seemed to have taken charge of the rest of the first year students, making friends with all of them at once. Sirius grinned as he watched her. She was friends with everyone, and nobody could dislike her for long.
Lillian joined him and Samantha for a while, before all of them headed to bed. Sirius shared his room with the quadruplets, who were also fourth years. Brian was waiting for him as he came up the stairs.
“Fine way to start a year, Sirius,” he said reproachfully. “Then you had to ruin it all by letting that brother of yours stop the fun.”
“I’m not sorry about that at all,” Sirius said with a grin. “I’ve already gotten all the trouble I want from this, and Aunt Hermione wrote letters to my parents.”
“Ah, that brings back memories…” Lee said wistfully from his bed.
“Reminds me of the first howler mum and dad sent us,” Chris chimed in.
“I think it lasted over ten minutes,” Jack said thoughtfully. “It’s really too bad you can’t save howlers.”
“That would be a great keepsake,” Brian finished.
“That’s all beside the point, though” Chris said suddenly, and all four of them looked at Sirius sharply.
“Did you get them?” Lee asked, and all of them waited anxiously for the answer.
Sirius didn’t answer at first, instead walking over to his trunk and opening it with a wave of his wand. Another silent wave summoned a paper-wrapped bundle out of the trunk and into his arms. By now all of the Weasleys mouths were open in silent anticipation. Sirius opened the bundle, and pulled out a scrap of parchment before tossing the rest of the bundle to the quadruplets. Jack caught it and pulled out the diaphanous cloak inside.
“I got them,” Sirius answered with a broad grin. “The Marauders will live again!”
Sirius spread out the Marauder’s Map, while Jack held up Harry’s Invisibility Cloak; all of them were laughing jubilantly.