Professor Quill
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The Hero They Needed: Chapter 3
🕑 Added 2023-10-14 21:26:41 +0000 UTCChapter 3
Sirius stepped into the Vanishing Cabinet, and Andi closed the door behind him. He felt pressure on his entire body, his ears popping, and then the feeling left. Sticking his pinky in his ear, he wiggled it around and worked his jaw as he opened the door and stepped out into his new home. The house was like nothing he’d ever seen before. The front of the house, where the living area was, was made up of bare white walls and minimal furniture. An open floor plan left him with a clear view of the kitchen and the back wall made almost entirely of glass panes from floor to ceiling.
Stepping out of the cabinet, he closed the door behind him and walked closer. Outside the window, all he could see was mile after mile of reddish sand with a few dry bushes and cacti dotting the landscape. In the distance, he could see a large hill with a massive city sprawling out on either side far behind it. It had been just after noon when he’d stepped into the cabinet, but here, the sun was just rising over the horizon.
“Sirius!” Andi yelled. “Stop staring at the scenery and help me start unpacking.”
“Right,” Sirius replied, shaking himself from his reverie. “This place is huge, and it’s a second home?”
“Ted’s uncle owns a software company,” Andi told him, handing him the suitcases she’d brought with her. “Don’t ask. I don’t understand what it is, either. I do know he made a lot of money from it. He’s getting on in age and doesn’t come out here much. I think he spends most of his time out in California now.”
“Does he know about magic?” Sirius asked, watching as she closed the cabinet, then opened it a moment later and started pulling out trunks and boxes.
“No,” Andi replied. “The Americans are very strict about that sort of thing. We just told him there were terrorist attacks in England, and we might need to get out. He offered us this house as soon as we told him.”
“Nice guy,” Sirius commented.
Suddenly, they heard crying coming from the cabinet. The door opened and Nymphadora stumbled out while Harry cried in Ted’s arms.
“I don’t think he liked the trip,” he told them, bouncing Harry and rubbing his back. “It’s all right. It’s all over now.”
“I’ll take him,” Andi said, taking him from Ted. “You two need to get ready to meet Meredith. She’ll be here any minute.”
The words had only just left her mouth when there was a knock at the door.
“Bugger,” Ted muttered. “Sirius, give me your wand. Let me do all the talking unless they ask you a question directly.”
“Why do you need my wand?” he asked, reluctant to part with it.
“it’ll look better if you’ve already surrendered,” Ted said urgently. “Sirius, trust me.”
Huffing in frustration, Sirius handed over his wand and stuffed his hands in his pockets while Andi went to answer the door.
“Andromeda,” came a woman’s voice. “It’s good to see you again. Can we come in?”
“Of course,” Andi said, stepping aside and holding the door open.
A middle-aged woman with dark curly hair greying at the edges stepped into the house. Her dark, intelligent eyes scanned over the room while a small smile hovered on her lips. She wore a Muggle dress suit under an open, dark blue robe, the golden MACUSA insignia embroidered over her right breast. Behind her came two men. One was black, the other white, but they both wore matching suits and sunglasses, wands peeking out of their sleeves.
“You must be Sirius Black,” Meredith smiled, looking him over. “You’ve caused quite the stir. Meredith Bennet, at your service.”
“Pleasure,” Sirius said, smiling shortly.
“Oh, don’t be so nervous,” Meredith chuckled. “If I really thought you were a threat, I’d’ve sent the MFBI to pick you up. So long as you’re telling the truth, we just need to take a trip to D.C., you give your testimony before Congress, and then you’re free to go. I’ve already processed the Tonks’ and Harry’s request for asylum. Once you’re cleared, I’ll stamp yours.”
“Has there been a request for extradition?” Ted asked.
“No, I doubt they even know you’re here,” Meredith told him. “Last I heard, the British closed all exits from the country until you’re found. They’ve yet to contact other countries, which is why we need to move quickly. I’ll need your wand, I’m afraid.”
Ted handed it over, and Meredith nodded approvingly.
“The next session starts in less than an hour, I should have them home after lunch,” Meredith said to Andi.
“Thank you, Meredith,” Andi said gratefully. “I don’t know what we would’ve done without your help.”
“Don’t mention it,” Meredith smiled. “It’s the least I can do after everything Ted did for Henry.”
She gave Andi a brief hug and then walked out the door. Ted put his hand on Sirius’ back, guiding him to follow her, the two Aurors wordlessly falling in behind. Sirius squinted from the bright sun as soon as he stepped outside.
“Bloody hell,” he said, shielding his eyes.
“Jones,” Meredith called, holding out her hand.
Reaching for the inside pocket of his jacket, the white Auror pulled out an iron horseshoe and handed it to her.
“This Portkey will take us to the Capital in Washington,” she said, holding it out. “If you’re ready to go, grab hold.”
Ted reached out first, and Sirius took a deep breath before taking hold. The two Aurors moved in on either side of him before gripping his biceps and touching the horseshoe. Before Sirius could question them, Meredith tapped the Portkey with her wand, and they were off.
Tumbling through a wild swirl of colors, the trip lasted much longer than Sirius was used to. Just as he was beginning to wonder if it would ever end, the Portkey slowed, and he started to kick his feet. They landed under the cover of a bus stop, and the first thing he noticed was the sudden change in temperature. It was much colder in Washington, D.C., and there was a light dusting of snow on the sidewalk. In front of him was the Capital building, looking massive compared to the way he’d imagined looking at pictures in his History of Magic books.
Wrenching his arms free from the Aurors, Sirius gave them a glare and adjusted his leather jacket aggressively. The two men stood back, their faces impassive. He hated the fact their eyes were hidden behind those glasses.
“This way,” Meredith said, marching forward without looking back to see if they were following.
Crossing the street, they walked past the Muggles making their way into the building through the front entrance and made their way down the side until they came to a metal door. Meredith tapped a pattern on the door with her wand, and the lock clicked open audibly. Yanking the door open, she strode inside. Ted put his hand on Sirius’ back, directing him to go first. When Sirius stepped inside, he found himself in a long, wide hallway with doors on either side. Each door had an American flag outside of it and one or two others he wasn’t familiar with. One he particularly liked was a yellow flag with a segmented snake across.
“We just need to make a quick stop at my office,” Meredith said.
Walking a little further down the hall, she turned and opened one of the doors.
“Arabella, I’m back, have we heard anything from Britain?” she asked.
“No, ma’am,” replied a young, Hispanic woman with a pretty face, her hair tied up in a bun. “Congressman Holmes stopped by a few minutes ago, though. He said everything is ready.”
“Perfect,” Meredith smiled. “Thank you.”
Closing the door, she started back down the hall.
“Who’s this Holmes bloke?” Sirius asked curiously, his paranoia getting the better of him.
“Congressman Edward Holmes from Texas, he’s the speaker for Congress,” Meredith told him. “You’re lucky the Whigs took the majority after the last election. This would’ve been much harder if the Democrats were still in charge.”
“Whigs?” Ted asked. “I thought it was Democrats and Republicans.”
“Only on the Muggle side,” Meredith told him. “In Muggle Congress, the Whigs were split on slavery, and the party fell apart in the 1840s. The Republicans formed in 1854 as the party against slavery. We never had that issue on the magical side. We agreed to end all slavery years before the civil war broke out.”
“Huh,” Ted said. “Wish Binns had taught us that.”
“He probably did, we just slept through it,” Sirius joked.
“You’ll find Ilvermony has much better history lessons,” Meredith said. “Every year, the sixth years come to Congress to participate in a mock session and meet their representatives.”
Opening a door at the end of the hall, they stepped into a massive atrium. Sirius was struck by just how big everything was. Everything just exuded a level of power and wealth, and it was like they weren’t even trying to put it on display.
Taking the stairs, Meredith turned right at the top and led them into a well-appointed waiting room.
“You and Ted can wait here until we call for you,” she told him. “It shouldn’t be too long.”
With a reassuring smile, she turned and walked back out the door, the two Aurors taking up position on either side of the door. Ted took a seat and patted the chair next to him.
“Take a seat, Sirius, and try to relax,” he said. “Everything will be just fine.”
“Easy for you to say,” Sirius said, dropping into the chair. “You’re not getting sent to Azkaban if this goes wrong.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Ted told him, patting his knee.
“Are you sure we can trust Meredith?” Sirius asked nervously. “I’ve never met a politician I liked.”
“She’s a good woman,” Ted replied. “I expect she’ll use this to make some political move, but she genuinely wants to help.”
“How do you know her, anyway?” he pressed. “What was that she said earlier about helping someone?”
“Henry,” Ted said with a sigh. “Her son. He came to Britain a few years ago to study under a Potions Master. One night, he came across a wizard assaulting a Muggle woman. They got into a duel, and Henry ended up killing the man. Broke his neck when he knocked him against a steel staircase. That man ended up being Jonah Selwyn.”
“Bloody hell,” Sirius said. “I bet they threw a fit over that.”
“Oh, they did,” Ted nodded. “Not only was he American, but Henry’s father is a Muggle, not just a Muggleborn, which would’ve been bad enough. Meredith being a Congresswoman made them even more irate. I was the only one who would take the case. No one else wanted to anger the darker faction, especially with the rising disappearances at the time. Nearly cost me my job at the firm. The trial lasted a week, and the Selywn’s used every trick in the book, but Henry walked free, as he should have. All the evidence was on his side.”
“And this is Meredith’s way of paying you back for that?” Sirius asked.
“I suppose you could look at it that way,” Ted admitted.
“Thanks, Ted,” Sirius said sincerely. “I really appreciate you doing all of this for me.”
“Don’t mention it,” Ted smiled.
Smiling back, Sirius picked up a Quidditch magazine to read about American Quidditch teams while trying to keep control of his nerves. They waited for half an hour before there was a knock at the door, and a big, heavily bearded Auror stuck his head in.
“They’re ready for Mr. Black,” he said.
Sirius took a deep breath and stood, straightening his jacket. Ted was right behind him, hand on his shoulder as they walked towards the chamber. Sirius was very cognizant of the two Aurors following close behind.
“Just answer any questions they ask as best you can,” Ted told him.
Nodding, Sirius walked into the Congressional chamber. It was easily ten times the size of the courtrooms the Wizengamot used for meetings, and every seat was filled. When he reached the front, a young man stood and motioned him to a seat in the center of the room at a long wooden table.
“Sirius Black,” A tall wizard with a beard to rival Dumbledore’s spoke from a raised podium. “I’m House Speaker Edward Holmes. You’re here to declare your innocence and ask for asylum in the United States, correct?”
Sirius looked to Ted, who nodded.
“Yes, sir,” he said, holding his head high.
“And you have agreed to be questioned under Veritaserum of your own free will?” Holmes asked.
“Yes,” Sirius replied.
“Very well, the members have submitted their questions,” Holmes said, ruffling a stack of papers. “Aurors, if you would administer the potion.”
A side door opened, and an Auror came out with a wooden box in his hands. Walking over to the table, he set the box down and opened the lid. Inside was a single, tiny vial of Veritaserum. Taking it out, the Auror walked around to stand next to Sirius.
“Please tilt your head back and stick out your tongue,” he said.
Sirius did, allowing the Auror to place three drops of the powerful truth potion on his tongue. A haze came over his mind, and he felt like a large part of himself was trapped underwater. The Auror pried open his left eye and looked at it closely, then stood back and cast a charm Sirius didn’t recognize before turning to Holmes and nodding.
“He’s under,” he said.
“You are Sirius Black from London, England, correct?” Holmes asked.
“Yes,” Sirius replied without even the thought of hesitating.
“Who was the Secret Keeper for James and Lily Potter?” he continued.
“Peter Pettigrew,” Sirius answered, his emotions suppressed by the potion.
“Why does the British Ministry believe you to be their Secret Keeper?” Holmes pressed.
“That’s what we told everyone,” Sirius replied. “Everyone knew I was the most likely person to be their Secret Keeper, so we used that. The plan was for me to keep the Death Eaters busy looking for me while the real Secret Keeper, Peter, was completely safe at home. We didn’t know that he was the traitor.”
“Are you now, or have you ever been, aligned with the wizard known as Lord Voldemort?” Holmes asked.
“No,” Sirius stated firmly.
“Why did you come to America instead of going to your own government for help?”
“The Aurors put out a kill on sight order for me,” Sirius replied. “There’s still enough Death Eaters hidden in the government that I didn’t trust them not to kill me, even if I turned myself in. I was also worried about my Godson. Dumbledore has been acting oddly lately, and I don’t trust that he or the Ministry has his best interests at heart.”
“I’d like to enter into evidence the birth certificate of Harry James Potter,” Meredith said, holding up the document. “It clearly declares Sirius Orion Black as his Godfather. According to British law and our own, Mr. Black is his legal guardian.”
“Without objection,” Holmes nodded, summoning the parchment to him. “Does anyone have any new questions they’d like to add? No? Then please give Mr. Black the antidote.”
A vial was suddenly shoved in Sirius’ mouth, and his head forcibly tilted back. He choked on the bitter potion briefly before he swallowed, and his mind quickly cleared. Reaching for a glass of water, he downed half of it to get the taste out of his mouth.
“That was quick,” Sirius said, smiling crookedly. “Did I pass?”
A few members of Congress chuckled, and Holmes cracked a smile.
“I think your answers speak for themselves, but we still need to put it to a vote,” he told him. “Now, this is not a court. We are merely to determine whether Mr. Black should be granted asylum or not. All those in favor of granting asylum, please raise your wands and say yay.”
Sirius gazed around the room, trying to count the number of lit wands with what felt like a lead ball sitting in the pit of his stomach.
“All those opposed?” Holmes asked.
Wands were again raised, but he was relieved to note it looked like far less this time. Despite that, he couldn’t stop his growing anxiety. Under the table, his leg bounced furiously. After an interminable minute, a young witch handed the tallied votes to Holmes.
“The clerk records the votes 182 yays to 34 nays,” he announced.
Sirius let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding while Ted clapped him on the shoulder.
“Mr. Black,” Holmes said, smiling when Sirius looked up and raising his gavel. “Welcome to America.”
Bang.
~
As Sirius landed back in the Nevada desert, he was immediately overwhelmed by the sweltering heat.
“Blood hell,” he said, taking off his jacket and squinting his eyes as the sun glinted off the windows of his new home. “This heat’s going to take some getting used to.”
“This is nothing,” Ted smirked. “In the summer, it gets up to 49 during the day.”
“Well, at least I’ll get a tan,” Sirius muttered. “Just remind me to flip over before I get well done. Oh, that reminds me, I need to try and get in touch with Remus.”
“It might be best if you wait for news to make it across the pond,” Ted reminded him patiently. “Tomorrow would probably be better. For now, let’s go give Andi the good news and help her unpack.”
Sighing, Sirius nodded and led the way to the front door. Swinging it open, he stopped and blinked as he watched a black and blue blur shoot from one side of the house to the other with a loud giggle.
“Harry Potter, you get back here, young man!” Andi shouted, racing after him.
She disappeared into another room, only for Harry to reappear a moment later, heading in the opposite direction. Nymphadora sat against the wall, laughing herself to tears as her harried-looking mother sprinted after him.
“Look out for the vase!”
Crash!
“Ah, home sweet home,” Ted chuckled.
Comments
GhostnKC
Came back to read the current 3 chapters again. I'm hyped for chapter 4. And 5, and however many more this great story gets
jordan
Honestly the most fantastical thing in the chapter was an effective American congress.
HowlerAtTheMoon
I'm loving this story, the shorter chapters are both amazing and packed with storyline!
Toraneko Mai
Very promising so far, and i'm looking forward to seeing more of it. i do have one little spelling/grammar nitpick, that while not really consequential does make me cringe a little. when voting, while the sound is "yay" it is actually spelled "yea"
Shawn.justshawn
This is very promising! I am looking forward to this one now more then ever!
TheWickedTruth
Great chapter, I can't wait to see more.
JaxonGold
Getting to see all of the reactions from Hagrid, to Dumbledore, to the minister and Barty Crouch, the public, and especially Severus Snape is what I’m living for right now.
Josh Robbins
I love this story already
Doobiesnax42
Consistently great writing dude. Looking forward to the next piece
J.Rogue
Getting much better, the premise sounded good but the first chapter had me iffy on the story second chapter was better but this one has my interest in the story
Erinnyes
Another solid chapter, really looking forward to seeing an American raised Harry reacting to the insanity that is magical Britain. :D
jp9901
I like it. Now let's watch the shitstorm happening in Britian when this gets out
Professor Quill
Nope, the republican party never formed on the magical side. Just an interesting bit of history I thought I'd throw in.
Aeron Danaher
This is quickly becoming my new favorite series. I love the perspectives and characters you're showing us. Especially modern day magical US. Now we just need to wait for Harry to meet Draco for the first time ... And for Harry to make us Americans proud.
Austin Brouk
So did the party switch not happen here then?
Matt
Excited for more, thank you for another good chapter
