Chapter 450: The Clever Fudge

By the time the group walked through the archway and back outside into the cavern, daylight had fully arrived. The morning sun had chased away the cold and darkness, casting a golden shimmer over the sea, creating ripples of light. Nearby, a flock of seagulls had perched on the rocks, eyeing Fawkes curiously on Kyle's shoulder, though they all scattered when Kreacher suddenly began howling at full volume again.

The group waited outside for ten minutes before Dumbledore, who had stayed behind to manage the aftermath, finally rejoined them. He offered no explanation for what he had been doing, and no one asked.

"I need to take Regulus with me," he said. "Severus should be able to find a way to restore him to his human form rather than... what he is now."

"I'll go too!" Sirius said immediately. Though he and Snape had never gotten along, he was willing to put up with it for Regulus. At worst, he figured he could just hold his tongue whenever Snape made his usual sharp remarks.

"I don't think you should go," Dumbledore replied, hesitating. He was certain that if Sirius went, Snape might not even open the door for them.

"Hm..." Sirius understood and muttered, "Can't someone else go, like Madam Pomfrey?"

"No," Dumbledore shook his head. "She's better suited to healing the living."

"Well... okay," Sirius sighed, then bent forward and gave Dumbledore a deep bow. "I'll leave Regulus in your hands."

He then turned to Kreacher, who was still sobbing beside him. "You go with Professor Dumbledore and see that man. If anything's missing, let me know at once. And no matter what harsh things he says, even if he mocks Regulus, you must act as though you didn't hear a word of it. That's an order!"

This time, Dumbledore didn't object. With only a House-elf accompanying him, Snape would likely not mind. Before leaving, he glanced at Kyle, who seemed on the verge of asking something. But in the end, Kyle simply shook his head and stayed silent.

"Bang!"

With a flash of light, Fawkes led them away, vanishing into the distance.

After they'd left, Sirius sat down on a stone, gazing up at the sky, his face showing an unusual look of relief.

"I'm actually a little scared to go back," he joked to Kyle. "I'm sure Lupin's going to give me a good thrashing the moment I set foot inside. I hate to admit it, but I really can't take him on now—wand or no wand."

"You insisted on coming along, so I'd say you deserve it," Kyle replied, walking over to him. "And Lupin's right. If it weren't for Professor Dumbledore, we'd probably be looking for two people now. And I'm sure Snape would be more than happy to brew you a potion."

"Oh, he'd be thrilled," Sirius said with a grin, lying back on the stone. Then, after a pause, he said quietly, "Thanks."

"What?"

"For giving up something that could have saved your life—for my sake," said Sirius. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Fawkes likes his herbs," Kyle murmured.

"I see," Sirius chuckled. "Leave it to me." He stood up from the stone and said, "It's getting late; I'll take you back."

"No need," Kyle waved a hand dismissively. "I can get back by myself; you don't have to see me off."

"So... you're not coming back to 12 Grimmauld Place with me?" Sirius's expression stiffened. He'd been hoping Kyle might help him smooth things over with Lupin—maybe, as an ex-student, Kyle's presence would lighten the mood and save him from an impending lecture or worse.

But Kyle shook his head. "I've been out all night, so I definitely have to go home first. See you next time."

Ignoring Sirius's increasingly panicked expression, Kyle gave a brief wave and walked off. Sirius, left alone in the empty cave, could only stare after him, feeling almost ready to cry. He could already envision his impending fate at Grimmauld Place.

But then a thought struck him. How had Kyle just left? Apparition? But... wait...

Sirius froze in realization. Kyle—a student who hadn't even reached his fifth year yet—had just Apparated?

...

After returning to St. Catchpole Village, Kyle walked in to find Chris and Diana already having breakfast. Both looked surprised to see him back so early.

"Why are you back so soon? Was it uncomfortable staying at Sirius's house?" they asked. They were already aware of the situation with Sirius and Peter, and Kyle had sent a letter from 12 Grimmauld Place the night before, saying he'd be staying overnight.

"No," Kyle shook his head, taking a seat beside them. "It's just that his place might be in trouble soon, and I didn't want to get caught up in it, so I came home early." After a busy night, Kyle was starving and immediately grabbed a piece of toast, biting into it as Diana added fried eggs and grilled sausages to his plate.

Once he'd finished eating, she asked, "What happened? I thought you said Sirius was being framed."

"It's not about that," Kyle replied. "He just did something that really ticked Lupin off, and now he's likely in for a beating. It felt a bit wrong just to sit there watching."

They both nodded, as if this were entirely ordinary.

"They were always bickering, even back in school," Diana said with a smile. "Especially after Remus became a Prefect—he drove me up the wall."

"I never really had the best impression of him," Chris added, "but even when I heard Sirius had supposedly betrayed the Potters, it was hard to believe. Everyone knew it couldn't be true—they were as inseparable as Fred and George, always together. But then it actually seemed true."

"By the way, Dad," Kyle asked, "when is Sirius's hearing going to start?"

"I don't know," Chris shook his head. "I was going to ask you the same thing. Are you sure Fudge knows about all this already?"

"Definitely. I was in the Headmaster's office and heard it all," Kyle confirmed. "Fudge seemed really eager to help Sirius."

"Then why haven't we heard anything from the Ministry?" Chris wondered aloud.

"It's no surprise," Diana interjected. "Don't forget what's happening in August."

"The Quidditch World Cup!" Chris realized. Crouch was overseeing the tournament, and if it was a success, his popularity would soar. Fudge was probably waiting until after the event to bring up Sirius's case—having imprisoned an innocent man for twelve years without a trial would ruin Crouch's reputation in an instant.

"Hoho..." Chris chuckled, recognizing Fudge's tactic. It was a shrewd move, one that would all but eliminate Crouch's chances of replacing him.

The three of them continued talking for a while before Chris and Diana prepared to leave for the Ministry of Magic.

"So early?" Kyle glanced at the clock. "It's still two hours before regular working hours."

"It's been like this lately, with two major events to prepare for. The Ministry's swamped. Oh, by the way..." Chris, who had just walked out, suddenly turned back, leaning in to speak to Kyle with a mysterious look. "You might want to read more books and practice Charms... it could come in handy."