AN: I am SO SORRY for the two-month hiatus, but the demons of real life and homework have been pestering me and I've been unable to work on The Half Breed Prince as a result.

While Black and James talked at Potter Manor, Dumbledore had been in his office when Slughorn stormed in, looking distraught. "Is something the matter-?" began Dumbledore, but he was cut off by Slughorn. "Oh, Professor Dumbledore, it's all my fault! Fire me, kick me out, make me live as a Muggle! How could I have been so stupid-"

"Horace-"

"I'm a complete fool! Nothing more than a drunken, bumbling idiot! Betraying one of my students like that! A disgrace on the name of Slytherin!"

"Horace!"

"I'll never drink again! I've let myself become one of those people who spills secrets with just a little wine! Oh, poor Mr. Snape, imagine what he'll have to go through now that people know he's a werewolf!"

"Horace!" yelled Dumbledore. Slughorn stopped babbling. "I would like for you to tell me what has happened to put you in this state of grief."

"Oh." said Slughorn. "Yes, yes... Well, a few days after Mr. Snape encountered Mr. Lupin while the latter was in wolf form, Mr. Avery came to my office for a 'discussion'. He had brought me some brandy, and I, like an idiot, couldn't resist and got myself drunk. Eventually, the talk turned to the Shrieking Shack incident. He didn't believe the official line, see, so he wanted to know if I knew anything more, and I... I..." Slughorn choked on a sob.

"Yes?" prodded Dumbledore.

"I told him everything!" wailed Slughorn. "I told him that Lupin bit Snape while in werewolf form and now Snape is also a werewolf! Oh, I'd bet the entire Black fortune he's eagerly spreading the details in the Slytherin common room right now!"

Dumbledore pressed his fingers together. "Very well. Go and fetch Mr. Avery." Slughorn waddled out, returning 20 minutes later with Avery at his side. He sat Avery down in a chair. "Mr. Avery. As Professor Slughorn has told me, you managed to wheedle the details of the Shrieking Shack incident out of him by getting him drunk." said Dumbledore.

"That's right." sneered Avery. "Honestly, if that's all it takes for him to spill the administration's secrets, you really should fire him and find someone else who isn't a drunken moron."

"In any case, have you told anyone else about the incident?" asked Dumbledore.

"No, sir." replied Avery. Dumbledore probed his mind with Legilimency, and found that he was telling the truth. "Very well." said Dumbledore. "I must ask you: Will you tell no one else about the incident?"

"No, sir." said Avery.

"Good. Be warned that if you break your word, you will be immediately expelled from Hogwarts. You may leave now." Avery turned and walked out the door, followed by Slughorn. Dumbledore sighed and began working on some papers. Twenty minutes passed before the fireplace turned green and Sirius Black's head appeared in it. "Professor Dumbledore?" he asked. "Yes?" replied Dumbledore. "May I step through?" said Black. "Of course." replied Dumbledore. Seconds later, Black was in Dumbledore's office.

"Now, what was it that you wanted to discuss with me?" asked Dumbledore. "Well... as I've been expelled from Hogwarts..." started Black. "Your parents do not wish to take you in anymore?" finished Dumbledore. Black gaped. "Yeah. And I've heard from James that when Hagrid was expelled, you let him stay on as assistant to the last gamekeeper, Ogg, until he died, which is when Hagrid took over. So I was wondering if I could stay in Hogwarts as Hagrid's assistant?" he finished.

Dumbledore pondered this question for several minutes. On one hand, Black had nowhere else to go, much like Hagrid when he had been expelled. On the other hand, Black had also attempted murder upon Severus. Finally, Dumbledore spoke. "I may need to think this matter over, Mr. Black. Rest assured, I will notify you when I make my decision."

"Good. I'll be leaving, then." said Black, as he turned and exited through emerald flames. Dumbledore returned to his paperwork, when the flames flared again and an aged Ministry official stepped through, accompanied by the Minister of Magic, Dugald McPhail. "Greetings, Minister McPhail." said Dumbledore. "May I ask, why are you here?"

"Bad news, Dumbledore. This here's the Head of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures," said the Minister, indicating the aged official. "He's just come to me with an order for the arrest of the rabid werewolf Remus Lupin."

AN: DUN DUN DUN! Another cliffhanger! Again, sorry for the hiatus.

Regarding the Minister: Harry Potter Wiki put his term at sometime "before 1980", which makes it perfectly reasonable to assume McPhail was Minister in the 1975-1976 school year.