Embrace

Cyberlina definitely wasn't going to personally seek trouble with the Malfoys—not for now.

After all, she had made a few small agreements with Oberth, so before making any decisions concerning the Malfoys, she had to see whether the family's descendants could see things as clearly as Oberth did—although she felt that the current head of the family seemed rather unreliable, and the Little Malfoy in Harry's year didn't look very clever either.

The Christmas banquet they had agreed upon was just over a month away. Cyberlina felt she could wait until then to decide, and besides, there might be other little Toms to capture at Malfoy Manor.

Although she wasn't getting involved in the Malfoys' affairs, Cyberlina had still done a little something about Little Black. Specifically—when Harry entered that gloomy, dim interrogation room with Dumbledore's permission, he was met by a pair of dark-gray eyes filled with eager anticipation. The man's cheeks were gaunt, his skin stretched tight over his cheekbones, and he looked terribly haggard. Yet he had clearly taken care of himself: his face was clean, his long black curls fell dryly behind his head, and he wore a clean, simple shirt and trousers.

He stood at ease yet exceptionally straight. Though he did not look particularly healthy, he still possessed an extraordinary air.

—"Harry."

Harry saw the shape of his mouth and the slight moisture in his eyes. He understood at once: this man was his godfather, Sirius Black.

"Looks like Cyberlina really did think this through..." Dumbledore whispered to Harry after sitting down. "Sirius specially tidied himself up so he could see you."

"I noticed," Harry replied softly, his face alight with excitement. Then he smiled without a sound.

Dumbledore smiled along with him.

Even though he had prepared himself mentally, Harry still couldn't help wrinkling his little face when he saw his familiar Scabbers transform on the spot into an ugly, fat man. Then, as he looked away, his eyes instinctively landed on Arthur Weasley, who had attended the trial as a related party.

The older and younger pair met each other's eyes and saw identical expressions of disgust on one another's faces.

This retrial was just as lacking in suspense as the first. After three drops of Veritaserum, Pettigrew, who had been trembling like a leaf, confessed everything. Sirius was acquitted on the spot, and the Ministry of Magic would soon return the Black family's properties it had been managing.

"Harry..." The moment they left the courtroom, Sirius rushed up to Harry. He stared at him excitedly and helplessly. "I, I... I don't know if you know, but I'm your—"

"Godfather. I know." Harry was excited too, but Sirius was still a stranger to him, so he remained reserved and polite. "Headmaster Dumbledore told me. He said you were my godfather."

Sirius seemed to notice Dumbledore only then, and cast him a look filled with gratitude. "Dumbledore..."

"Good boy, you've suffered." Dumbledore placed a hand on Sirius's shoulder, his eyes apologetic. "I'm sorry. Back then... I couldn't provide useful testimony for you. I even... doubted you."

"No... Professor Dumbledore, this has nothing to do with you." Sirius shook his head. "After all, we changed the Secret-Keeper in secret. Aside from James and Lily, no one knew. Even... Remus didn't know..."

Thinking of the friend he had suspected at the time, Sirius lowered his head.

"Oh, Sirius, you'll be seeing Remus very soon." Dumbledore's smile returned. "The retrial was so sudden that the owl's letter may have reached him only yesterday, but I'm sure he's already on his way. Perhaps... you'll see him tonight."

Sirius grew visibly excited again, but Harry's attention had already been caught by two people walking away together behind Sirius. Sirius noticed and turned to look, but saw only a sweep of pale-golden hair disappearing around the corner.

"Malfoy..." Sirius narrowed his eyes.

"And Fudge." Dumbledore tipped his head up slightly, his lenses reflecting the Ministry corridor's lights. "Hmm... Fudge has probably realized by now that Cyberlina has pushed him into an impossible position."

"Cyber—oh, that Sekerei." Thinking of the person he had seen in Azkaban the day before yesterday, Sirius nodded slightly. Although he treated all Slytherins alike, he had still developed an unintentional fondness for this Slytherin he had heard his great-great-grandfather curse since childhood.

Besides, she had indeed been as friendly as the Hogwarts portraits had said when they met, and had told him quite a lot about Harry. She really was a Slytherin unlike the others—no wonder his great-great-grandfather had criticized her for so many years. She was a good person!

"Headmaster Dumbledore, I, I..." Harry hesitantly tugged at Dumbledore's sleeve. Finally, as though he had made up his mind, he frowned and looked up seriously. "Headmaster Dumbledore, I want to go say something to Malfoy."

"Go ahead, Harry. Your godfather and I will wait here." Dumbledore lowered his head and gave Harry an encouraging smile.

"Okay!" Harry answered, then ran after Sirius.

"Harry—?!" Sirius stared at Harry in disbelief and tried to reach out and grab him, but Dumbledore stopped him in time.

Fudge was asking Lucius what impression the pure-blood families had of him.

Lucius maintained a pleasant smile and impeccable manners, but obvious impatience showed in his gray eyes.

Fudge was no longer the Minister of Magic supported by the pure-bloods, the one with whom they needed to maintain a superficial relationship. He was merely a "Minister" forced to remain in office because of the Unbreakable Vow. He was also a Minister who could be dragged down by that Sekerei at any moment.

So the clever ones had already begun quietly building up their influence within the Ministry of Magic, striving to replace Fudge with their own people the moment he stepped down.

Naturally, Lucius no longer treated Fudge with his former friendliness. More importantly, he had come today for Cyberlina. In Flint's account of the events during Hagrid's retrial, the details concerning Voldemort and that black diary had left him uneasy. Thus, when he heard that Cyberlina had visited Sirius in Azkaban, he had wondered whether he might see her at the retrial and use the relationship between the Malfoys and her to fish for information.

But Cyberlina hadn't come.

The more Lucius thought about it, the more he felt that he had wasted the day. He no longer wanted to play along with Fudge's superficial pleasantries, so he was about to cut him off and leave. Just then, however, an unexpected person ran into the corner where the two were talking.

"Mr. Malfoy...!"

The boy's voice drew both adult wizards' attention. Fudge put on a smile, while Lucius turned his head with his chin raised.

When he saw who it was, surprise flashed through Lucius's eyes. He turned sideways, lightly tapped his cane against the floor, and gave an affected chuckle. "Oh, it's our Savior—Mr. Harry Potter. Instead of staying beside that newly released godfather of yours... you came looking for me. Is there something im-por-tant?"

Harry was a little surprised that Lucius knew Sirius was his godfather, but he didn't ask. He simply said what he had prepared. "Senior Cyberlina asked me to send you her regards."

Lucius raised an eyebrow and sobered slightly. He turned to face Harry directly, transferring the cane's handle to his other hand. The cane stood slanted before him.

"Send me her regards..." Lucius inclined his head slightly. His pale-golden hair slid over his shoulder and fell before him as he looked down at Harry. "Did Madam Sekerei ask you to say anything else?"

"She said..." Harry raised his head and met those intensely oppressive gray eyes. "Senior said that before she comes to the Christmas banquet, you should make fewer little moves! So she won't have to worry so much—preferably, you should behave yourself!"

—That last sentence was something Harry had added on his own.

Lucius paused, then maintained his smile and replied in his usual tone, "Very well... Tell her that everyone in the Malfoy family is looking forward to her arrival."

Harry's heart pounded. He imitated Cyberlina's manner from memory, nodded solemnly, then turned around with an expression of exhilaration, as if he had accomplished something earth-shattering, and ran toward the two wizards waiting for him. He only barely managed to stop in front of them, then instinctively hugged Dumbledore's arm.

"Done?" Dumbledore asked gently.

"Done!" Harry nodded repeatedly. "Senior Cyberlina was right! It wasn't difficult at all!"

"Ah, so it really was a task Cyberlina gave you." Dumbledore looked down at him with a smile.

Harry froze. Slowly and stiffly, he withdrew the hand hugging Dumbledore's arm, placed both hands behind his back, and gave the two watching adult wizards an innocent, sheepish smile.

Sirius badly wanted to spend more time with Harry, but Dumbledore said he needed to go to St. Mungo's to recover for a while, while Harry had to hurry back to Hogwarts for class—it was Thursday, after all!

Sirius knew his own condition, so he agreed to Dumbledore's arrangement. But when Dumbledore said that Snape had arranged the hospital bed at St. Mungo's, Sirius's expression instantly became extremely ugly. His already frighteningly gaunt face turned somewhat terrifying.

Harry noticed the change and silently nodded. Yes, he didn't like Professor Snape's mouth either.

By the hospital bed at St. Mungo's, godfather and godson embraced one another again after eleven years apart.

A reporter camped outside St. Mungo's captured the scene as well. A photograph and article titled "A Touching Embrace" appeared in the latest issue of the Daily Prophet. This time, the entire retrial was reported.

The heir of the Black family had returned to the wizarding world's attention.

Harry, meanwhile, was cornered in the courtyard where Hermione had questioned him before. Hermione had two issues of the Daily Prophet in her hands, and Ron had come along with her.

The sharp-witted know-it-all began listing everything she had found suspicious since Halloween night, along with her deductions. The accuracy of her guesses made Harry's scalp prickle. He couldn't help groaning and asking why she was interrogating him when she already knew everything.

After getting a definite answer, Hermione hugged the newspapers triumphantly and walked away. Ron, however, was clearly unhappy. He felt that he was the only one who knew nothing—even his twin brothers had found out about the problem with his pet before he had.

Though it was obvious, Harry still failed to notice Ron's unhappiness. As they walked from the courtyard into the corridor, he complained to Ron about Hermione's aggressive questioning, told him how happy he was to reunite with his godfather, described how gloomy the interrogation room had been, and told him how Malfoy's father had reacted after hearing Cyberlina's name—

"Yes, you certainly know a lot," Ron couldn't help saying sarcastically, his lips pursed.

Harry stopped. Only then did he notice that something was wrong with Ron. "What's wrong, Ron?"

"Nothing." Ron pursed his lips, hoisted the bag hanging from his hand onto his shoulder, and trudged forward, trying to leave Harry behind.

Even Harry understood that Ron was angry now. He hurried after him and anxiously asked what had happened.

After the two quickly passed through the corridor, Cyberlina and Snape's figures gradually appeared in the courtyard.

Cyberlina watched the backs of the two little wizards as they left and said with a smile, "It's lively, isn't it?"

"Spying really does run in the family." Snape, whom Cyberlina had forcibly held back and cast with a Disillusionment Charm, sneered before turning and walking down another corridor.

Cyberlina raised an eyebrow, then followed after the swaying robes. "Do you know what the students call you in private?"

"I'm not interested." Snape gritted his teeth.

"Old Bat." Cyberlina chuckled. "I never thought much of it before, but seeing you from behind now... you really do look like one."

Snape closed his eyes, quickened his pace, and yet Cyberlina still followed.

"I heard from Albus that you arranged a bed at St. Mungo's for Little Black—" Cyberlina looked at him sideways with her hands behind her back. "I never thought you had it in you to repay resentment with kindness."

"A familiar healer needed a brain corroded by Dementors for research—" That was the truth, but Snape immediately shut his mouth after saying it. He had no reason to answer in the first place!

Cyberlina nodded and continued, "Speaking of which, isn't St. Mungo's order due soon? Will you have time?"

Snape turned to look at her. "Why?"

"Aren't I the Potions Master's assistant?" Cyberlina looked back at him innocently.

"...You're merely the Hogwarts Potions professor's assistant." Snape turned his head back irritably. "Please have some awareness of your own abilities, Madam Sekerei. The fact that you can brew the potions Hogwarts needs is already a great blessing."

"All right, let's try another angle." Cyberlina chuckled. "That materials list our Hogwarts Potions professor keeps buried beneath his lesson plans—does someone need to prepare it?"

Snape stopped in his tracks. He thought of how Cyberlina had frequently skipped class ever since her identity had been made public—

"That is the assistant's task."

"Understood, Professor."

"I hope you can do it soon—I believe all of that is child's play for Madam Sekerei, isn't it?"

"Of course." Cyberlina thought for a moment. "How about after Christmas? The Malfoys' banquet seems to be not long after the Christmas holiday begins. Before Christmas Day, I can take advantage of leaving school and go somewhere farther away."

"Fine." Snape paused. "You accepted the Malfoys' Christmas banquet invitation?"

"I accepted it at the start of term." Cyberlina shrugged. "After all, I have some history with Old—no, with the elder Malfoy."

"...That history has lasted until now?"

"Not necessarily. It depends on the circumstances."

"The poor current head of the family is still clinging to the fantasy that you'll certainly look after the Malfoys."

"I recall that he's your friend."

"Madam Sekerei certainly has extensive sources of information."

"What did Albus spy on?"

"A lot. He saw you—" Snape abruptly stopped. The robes behind him hung suspended for a moment before slowly settling.

Cyberlina walked two more steps before stopping. Then she rose onto her toes, turned, blocked Snape's way, and asked with a beaming smile, "Saw what?"

Snape turned to look toward the courtyard without speaking.

"'A lot'?" Cyberlina tilted her head, trying to look at him. "How many times did he tell you?"

Snape lowered his head and still said nothing.

Cyberlina narrowed her eyes slightly, straightened, and smiled. "Really, Severus? Are you truly going to cover for Albus? That's—Headmaster Dumbledore, the biased old Gryffindor!"

Snape closed his eyes. He knew Cyberlina was doing it deliberately, but... Dumbledore really hadn't told him to keep it secret... had he?

After thinking for several seconds, Snape raised his head and looked directly into those pale golden-brown eyes.

Let that old Gryffindor fend for himself!