Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Backfire	By : SpeedyTomato Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Sirius Views: 24217 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 12
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and make not a knut off this work of fanfiction

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
Chapter 7

After tossing the book he had been reading through on his desk, Hank leaned back and scrubbed his hands through his hair, letting out a groan. Head going back, he shut his eyes then told Yama, “There isn't anything in these to help shit. All they contain is just a rehash of well known information and simpering about the 'poor Boy Who Lived'. Well, and speculation about what happened, no real facts on it. They don't even give the name of the kid's relatives. Hell, they don't tell you the relationship either, just relatives. Which helps nothing.”
When Yama hissed at him, clicking his beak, Hank sighed then said, opening his eyes, “I think I need to talk to Sirius. Let's see what he knows. If the dates in the books are right, he was in Azkaban when the kid was growing up and until well after it was known he vanished. He might not know anything more than the books give, though.”
“I don't know if I'm chasing ghosts here, but there's something drawing me in. It might be the million galleon reward for information, though.” Hank sighed, slouching down and folding his arms over his chest, glaring at the less than helpful books. “Let's face it; a million galleons would be enough to get anyone's attention, especially mine.”
Yama flapped over then landed on the back of Hank's chair. When he was settled in, the bird began grooming his wizard's hair, making a soft hissing noise.
Hank smiled at the gesture from the bird, knowing it was a comforting and affectionate behavior. “Thanks,” he said, reaching up to pet the bird as he continued. Yama was a creature most would shy away from, no matter what, because of his malevolent looks, but Hank adored him and had since they met. He wasn't sure why, but they seemed to connect.
It had happened his first year in the Bronx. The whole adjustment process had been horrific. He had been beaten up, had everything stolen, threatened and there was even an attempted sexual assault. When he wasn't in class, he spent most of his time alone, hiding out or roaming the streets around the school. As odd as it sounded, the streets were safer because they were in what was called an exclusion zone; the US Ministry of Magic owned all the buildings on the streets around the old school and had a ward up to keep Muggles out. It wasn't the safest place in the world, but it was better than the school which had many places to hide and drag someone into.
One night during the summer, after the semester ended for the year and the school was a bit better since most went home, he was wandering the streets around the school and came across Yama. He was just a small bird and was hurt, his wing damaged. Unable to let the creature die, as stray dogs and cats were already eying him, Hank picked him up and carried him back to the school. The teacher who taught Care was still around, one who tended to stay all year round, so he took the bird to her. She was the nice sort and bandaged his wing up then told Hank what to feed him to help the bird recover faster. And recover Yama did. It took a couple weeks, but his wing healed perfectly. Hank thought he would fly away, but he didn't. Instead, the bird claimed him and became his constant companion.
As Yama grew, he took on protecting him. Plenty learned not to mess with him because of Yama. Since then they had been together, the only real companion Hank ever had. Oh, he had acquaintances, some who called themselves his friends, but he wouldn't let them close. The only one allowed that privilege was Yama. He was fine with it, too. The two of them got on well and he liked the companionship of the bird. Besides, Yama was perfect for helping keep an eye out for danger and the people he dealt with off-kilter. Some of the ones he did business with were plenty dangerous. Yama helped even up the score on that front since his malevolent looks made them wary to start with. Then there was the bird's reputation. Everyone knew it.
Stories about the bird spread among those he did business with, like the time the bird had ripped the arm off a fool stupid enough to pull a knife on him. Others were about a dealer who tried to kill him during a robbery. The dude didn't make it beyond drawing his wand and muttering the first two letters of the killing curse before Yama went after him. Most may have thought those were stories, but Hank knew they were true. And there were more incidents most didn't know about, like the fool in school his second year who preyed on the younger kids. He now sat down to pee and would for the rest of his life thanks to Yama.
And Yama had helped him in other ways. There had been something in his forehead, he didn't know what, Yama had used his magic to pull it out and ate it. He still didn't know what it was, but he felt a bit better after it was gone
Yes, Yama was his companion, one who kept him safe.
Hank smiled as the bird continued to groom his hair, hissing softly as he did. The stress seemed like it was melting away as Yama worked. Not opening his eyes, he said, “I think I need to pick a night this week to go out and relax. We can find somewhere to go that isn't the norm and just have a few drinks. If I was already putting out feelers to Black, I'd ask him to join us, but it's not time for that yet.”
Yama stopped what he was doing and looked at Hank, shifting from foot to foot on the back of the chair. Head cocked to the side, he let out a series of hisses then clicked his beak before going back to what he was doing. Though Hank was a human, he would understand to an extent.
Brow furrowed at what he heard, Hank thought it over then said, “You think I should ask him? Well—maybe hint at it then?”
Again, Yama pulled back from the grooming and clicked his beak again. Then he resumed the grooming once more.
“I'll see what I can do. Maybe get a brief leaning on whether he's interested or not during our next meeting.” Hank told the bird with a slight nod. “Let's see how it goes.” If Yama thought he could get somewhere, he'd give it a try. After all, he wasn’t the sort who fretted too much about rejection. He'd been rejected by the worst who could do it in your life, so someone not fancying him in the physical way didn't bug him after your only relatives made it clear they wanted nothing to do with you.
Not moving, Hank let the bird continue, relaxing and just talking softly to him. This was always something which helped him see whatever more clearly, so he'd let it go on for a while. Oh, there was a ton to take care of, no doubt there, but he could take a break.

“Right, with what Severus was able to find us on the Dursleys, and what's going on, I think I can manage,” Bill told Sirius and Remus, glancing between the two. They were at Grimmauld Place planning what they were about to attempt. “You two just stay close, though Disillusioned, and get the readings we need. I'll keep them busy. What I'm pulling out should manage. Well, it and the spell I'll use. Not to worry. Just watch my back and be vigilant for anyone who might be lurking around. From what Severus provided, Dudley's crimes have been publicized, so we need to stay alert. Not to mention if some of our kind are tarrying about to see if they can get hints where Harry is or what they know.”
“You worry about them and we'll ensure the rest, not to worry.” Remus assured him.
“We have the list of spells Snape said to try, so we've already divided them up and are ready to go,” Sirius added. “We need no more than ten minutes, tops. When we're done, I'll shoot you with the mild stinging hex we discussed and we'll meet you where we Apparated in. Don't put yourself in danger. If you think anything seems off, get the hell out of there and we'll meet up.”
“Not to worry,” Bill told him. “I have a good disguise I'm using. Even our kind won't recognize me. Just worry about the spells and let me handle my end. We'll manage this.”
“Let's get it done then,” Sirius said standing, heart pounding a little faster than normal at what they were going to attempt. It was risky in they might end up caught and have people wondering what they were up to, but it was worth it. Any bit of information on what the damned spell on the two nasty Muggles was would help.

Hank flopped down in the chair behind his desk at 'work' with a tired groan, head dropping back, eyes going shut. Unlike most days, he was just getting in, only giving him an hour to sort through what he had to do before his first appointment. He didn't like cutting it that 'close' to give him time to deal with whatever before he had to take on the people who came in.
Eyes opening, he looked over at Yama's perch when the bird flapped in and smiled a bit. “About time you caught up,” he told his companion then gave a grin and snort of laughter when the bird hissed at him and clicked his beak in annoyance. “Just joking,” he then said. “If you didn't get your feather's ruffled, I'd Apparate you too. We both know you don't handle it well.”
With a grunt, he then sat up and stared at the desk. As expected, there was a ton there to tend to, though he made certain to take care of all he could the day before. Mostly these were packages which came in today. Nothing he couldn't handle. It was worth being behind, though.
Today was the day he decided to visit Little Whinging to see if anything triggered memories of some sort. And it had. He just couldn't make them bring forth more than an inkling. It had to do with the batty old cat woman who lived not far from what he knew was their home so long ago. She was triggering plenty in him, but he didn't know what it was. He had also wanted to go into the house on Privet Drive, but people lived there, so he couldn't manage. Yes, this was the way to handle some of it. And he would be taking a couple more trips there to see what else he could manage. Oh, he would make damned sure he disguised his looks because he remembered plenty of the people around there, though he doubted anyone would recognize him.
A glance around his desk made him groan again then he sighed before telling Yama, “I have a shit-load to do here and am going to need your help to put it where it belongs. And make sure you keep a closer eye out than normal today. I've booked a few tighter than I like, but it can't be helped since so many are clamoring for some of this. A couple of them I'm cautious with anyway. Yaxley comes to mind there. Macnair too. He—I don't like him, at all. Keep a close eye on him for me.”
The bird gave his normal hiss, clicking his beak in the usual way. Hank nodded then began summoning the packages, sorting through them. Most of what came today he didn't need and would send home to work with it when it was needed. One he did; a book Snape was picking up. It wasn't anything horrid or bad, just hard to get your hands on. He managed to find it from a dealer he knew in Africa. The man would be pleased with him.
Sending what he was going through to the proper places or to his backpack to take home, he talked to Yama to give instructions, but his mind was on Little Whinging. It was like part of what he wanted to know was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't quite get it out. However, despite how frustrating it was, he liked the fact something was triggering. Yes, this was what he needed. Little Whinging was just the start. There had to be something else which could help. And he would find it. It would just take time.

After making room for Snape in the booth they occupied in the back of the Three Broomsticks, Sirius cast the standard muffling charm around the table. They chose this place since Snape was picking up something or other in town. As it was summer and the castle was empty of students, the pub wasn't that busy, thankfully. It would look odd for Snape to join them, though he took care to disguise his looks slightly, so they were taking special precautions. It was better than the Leaky as it was too busy and there just wasn't anywhere else they wouldn't stand out, so they were doing the best they could.
“How did it go?” Snape asked, looking between the three there, making sure to lower his head when their drinks were delivered. He was sure they could come up with some excuse for the reason he was meeting them, but didn't want to if at all possible.
“We have the readings,” Bill told him with a nod, sipping his beer. “I was able to distract them enough posing as a reporter asking about Dudley's case. Didn't take long at all for them to bluster and kick me off the property.”
“Sirius and I stayed out of sight and took all the readings we could,” Remus told him, sliding a copy of the paper across the table to Severus.
“Good,” Severus nodded, pleased. He picked up the paper and looked over the readings, brow furrowed as he did. Then he sighed and said, “Not sure how this will help, but I'll look into it on the sly and see what I can determine with the other evidence we have. Even then—let's say I'm not hopeful.”
“If we do find the solution and get the information, what are we going to do with it? I know we'll keep it from Albus, but...” Bill trailed off, looking between the other three.
“I'm going to try to find him,” Sirius said honestly with a shrug. “He needs protected and kept out of this mess. Not buying any of the shit with that prophecy, honestly. I know what it says and means, but that doesn’t mean it's still valid or we have to follow it. My thought was finding out what happened between him vanishing and now to see if it was invalidated in some way. If it was, it's ignored. Then I fill him in the best I can and make damned sure he's safe. With this nightmare, he needs to protect himself so he's not drawn in. Not sure about Albus, though I have my leanings, but I have a feeling the other side of the mess is waiting for Harry to turn up before he takes the UK to make sure someone can't toss a spanner into the mess.”
“Look, he has enough in place and is causing all kinds of hell and has for years now. It's been known he's back since before I was let out of Azkaban,” Sirius continued. “No one can tell me he doesn't have the power to take the Ministry at the drop of a hat. We know who he has in place there. Hell, we've been spying on them for years now. Malfoy alone has given him plenty. Fudge's fumblings allowed him to put the foundation in. This tells me he's waiting for the right moment. I'd bet everything in my vaults it has to do with Harry and making damned sure he can't come in and stop him.”
“I agree with Black,” Severus nodded, tucking the list of readings into his robes. “He's waiting and biding his time. From what I've seen, he's just kicking up enough dust and fear to keep everyone on their toes, not do what he wants though he has enough in place to take over everything with minimal problems. I'm betting Potter factors in. And if everyone thinks we're the only ones looking for him, they are sadly mistaken. The Dark Lord is as well, actively. He has people trying to trace him.”
Then, with a smirk, he added, “And he's having no more luck than we are. He hasn't looked at the Dursleys' yet as I've made sure he knows about the spells on them and the futility of any contact, but he will eventually. I'm trying on that front, letting him know that Albus is doing the legwork for him to keep him distracted, but it's coming. Which means if we want to help, we need to find him first then make damned sure he's as safe as anyone can manage.”
“We need help here,” Bill said, looking around the table, pushing his beer bottle back and forth between his hands. “This isn't something we can take on alone. Even with those added readings, it'll be a bitch finding the spell. We know the broad class, but not the sub classes it could be in to narrow it down. With us all being busy, some of this needs farmed out to people we can trust to keep it quiet.”
“Any suggestions there?” Sirius asked after agreeing with him.
“Fred and George,” Bill suggested. “You know they're about as happy with Albus as I am. It might be worse since they were in school when Ginny died and saw firsthand how bad it was when the signs started showing up. While they're helping the Order because they know what will come if someone doesn't fight the other side, they trust Albus less than we do. In fact, they hate the man. Trust me, they'll keep their mouths shut on the topic.”
Though Severus let out a groan at the thought of dealing with the two pranksters, he nodded, “I say we bring them into the fold and let them see what they can find. They have some connections the rest of us don't, so they might be able to get help we can't.”
After Sirius and Remus agreed, Bill said, “I'll go talk to them tonight after business hours and fill them in then pass them what we have. Let's see what they can do with it.”
“I'd say Hermione since she's excellent at research, but she would run straight to Albus since she still isn't over the hero worship of him.” Sirius sighed.
“No, no Hermione,” Remus said with a determined shake of his head. “Sirius and I can take on part of the research since we don't have as much to do as the rest of you, but I think this is an area we need to keep the numbers who know small. Let's see what Fred and George bring to the table then we'll go from there. Between all of us, we might, be able to find something.”
“True,” Bill agreed with a nod. “I've checked Gringotts vaults and his vault isn't in the system. I can't determine if it was emptied, moved or the name changed. As we have no clue the year he vanished, it's rather like looking for a needle in a haystack if it was a name change or transfer. And if this spell's involved, it's applied to the papers as well, so I wouldn't be able to get into them.”
“There's a way to find him, we just have to discover it,” Sirius grumbled, smoothing down his goatee, looking weary.
“There is,” Severus agreed, sipping his tea. “I need to add that even if we do find the spells and can trace him, it'll grow worse from there. I can only guess what all those spells do and I bet he has no clue who he is. Even if he does and he's been kept out of the country, away from all that's going on, he's not going to know anything. Even if you turn up, Black, he's not going to know who you are and convincing him of anything might end up worse than this. After all, most aren't going to believe a stranger if they turn up out of the blue with a story like this.”
“True,” Sirius admitted grudgingly. “Look, we won't worry about that part yet. Let's just see what we can do to find him before the other sides of this mess while trying to keep ourselves safe and hope hell doesn't kick off until then. If we get close to finding something to help or break the spell, we'll worry about the rest then.”
“Yes, we need to focus and not put the cart before the thestral,” Severus nodded. After refilling his cup, he leaned back with a soft groan and took a sip then asked, “Anything else I need to know about?” He didn't think so, but wanted to make sure.
“We're good so far, Severus,” Remus told him. “Just what you know about.”
“I have another meeting with Hank in a couple of days to see what he knows on some matters. I don't expect much, though he's helping a ton. Let's see what it brings.” Sirius told him, mind sliding to the man and what he wanted there. It was a bit distracting, so he tried to focus back on the matter at hand.
“It's status quo on my end as well,” Severus told them, pleased.
“Is Albus plotting anything, do any of you know? We know what he's like and I'm sure there is something in the works there like there always is,” Bill asked, looking around.
“He is, but I have no clue what it might be,” Severus told him, looking sour then laid out the clues he had. They then discussed what it might mean for all of them. After all, it was always best to prepare for whatever Albus might be plotting as it tended to draw them all in, whether they wanted to end up there or not.

@rigger42 The bit with the goblins... that's fanon, as it's called, not canon and something I never use. Banks are banks, nothing more LOL Hope that clears it up.
- 7
- 8
- 9
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Backfire