A/N: This is a continuation of my one-shot, Only In Fairy Tales. You don't have to read that to understand this, but hey, it would help the process greatly. Since I already have two stories in progress, if not that many people interested, updates will be VERY slow indeed. But the reviews in Only In Fairy Tales inspired me to write this. I'll try and not let this slow updates on the other two. I posted a recap, to clarify what happened in this universe, especially if you didn't read Only in Fairy Tales.
Also, in this story, Fudge was the Minister of Magic when James died, where he in PoA he says he isn't.
Summary: AU- James Potter was in Azkaban, wrongly convicted with the murder of Lily. Fourteen years later, in the light of Voldemort's return, the Ministry found him innocent, and released him. Is he still sane? What about Harry? Takes place during OOTP.
Disclaimer: This counts for the whole story, so I will only tell you once, I don't own Harry Potter.
Edit: Made a few small changes. Mostly grammatical.
Wrongful Imprisonment:
That's The Way The World Is Now
Chapter One: Too Many Mistakes
Recap: When Voldemort attacked the Potters, James was merely knocked unconscious (Not by Avada Kedavra), but Voldemort thought he died. He then went onto kill Lily, with James's wand, since his own got snapped in the fight. As you all know, when he tried to attack Harry the curse rebounded on him instead. The force of this spell caused the house to explode.
When Sirius came to check on the Potters, after realising that Peter was no longer hiding, he saw James's body next to Lily, and thought he was dead as well. He then spotted Harry, and when Hagrid turned up, Sirius let Hagrid take him, and then went to find Peter to get his revenge.
Three Ministry Aurors turned up an hour later, with Cornelius Fudge, after being notified of the attack by Dumbledore. They had noticed what the others had not, and realised that James was in fact was not dead. Fudge was now stuck, since he had informed the world that James and Lily had died, but Harry had lived and Voldemort was dead. Since Voldemort had not left a body, he decided to clear up his mistake and instead accuse James of the attack. There was actually no proof that Voldemort had been involved at all.
Cornelius Fudge also thought James to be a threat to him, since he knew the truth about what was really going on between him and Lucius Malfoy. Money could speak all languages, but it wasn't only a matter of money…it was far more complicated than that. He then discovered James's wand and little did he know this discovery would actually back his claim.
This didn't make much sense on their part, since they told the world that Voldemort had killed them both. But they never intended for it to get out. However…one of these Aurors was a young Kingsley Shacklebolt.
James got a private 'trial' with Fudge and the three Aurors. He let have James have one person speak on his defense. He chose Dumbledore. He then got thrown into Azkaban after Fudge performed Prior Icantato. The three Aurors strongly objected to this, but Fudge threatened them with their jobs if they didn't co-operate.
Afterwards, Fudge obliviated the Auror's minds. He didn't need this mistake to get out, especially since he had only been appointed Minister for a little while. Dumbledore wouldn't tell anyone. Who would believe him if he did?
When Sirius caught up with Peter, Peter also thought that James had killed Lily, but then Voldemort turned up on his word killed James, and attempted to kill Harry. But he was also wrong.
If only the Ministry knew how much more complicated they were making everything…
Sirius Black was talking to Albus Dumbledore in the kitchen in Grimmauld Place, 'Order business' he had told him.
The only business he was able to do for the Order was clean the house and cook, and what was the point of that, when they could eat Molly's heavenly cooking?
And as for cleaning the house, he wasn't a housemaid. Next time Dumbledore might ask him to don a little black and white dress and wear one of those little odd hats. And besides, Hermione and Ron were getting a kick out of doing that. Well, not really, it just relieved them of boredom. What else would you do in a house over run with cobwebs, and where weird creatures had infested every corner of the house. Why not clean the windows, when they were so grimy that no sunlight was able to battle its way in?
He and Albus hadn't being doing much, just exchanging the usual pleasantries. Then his second cousin, Nypmhadora Tonks, came. He could tell before she had entered the kitchen, because she had tripped over the troll leg, making the portrait of his mother start shouting again.
She ran into the kitchen, waving a copy of the Daily Prophet. Her usually pink hair, had turned back to it's natrual brown colour, as it usually did if she was upset or shocked.
"You're not going to believe what happened!" She exclaimed, puffing as if she had run the whole way to the house. She kept waving the paper madly in the air above her head.
"What, have Muggles discovered the magical world?" Sirius asked, leaning back in his chair like he used to in his school days.
"I wish they did." Tonks sighed. "It's worse." She still didn't stop waving the paper frantically around.
"The whole Muggle world has exploded, showing many brilliant and previously undiscoveredcolours to the world?"
Tonks rolled her eyes. "Be serious." She said. The waving of the paper slowed down, and she dropped it on the table in front of Sirius.
"I already am." Sirius took a sip of his coffee, and leaned forward to read the paper. He immediately spit it out, not only because the Weasley twins had switched the salt and sugar again, causing a very disgusting coffee, but because of the headline on the front page.
James Potter Alive: The Ministry Has Been Lying To Us.
"Do you get what I mean now?" Tonks asked, distraught. "This is going to cause major confliction in the Wizarding World."
Sirius shook his head in disbelief, and slid out of his chair. "James." He whispered silently to himself. "Prongs. There's no way…absolutely no way…they lied…THEY LIED? How can you pretend someone's dead? I saw his body! I saw it! Damn it, Dumbledore, I saw it!" He stood up and reclaimed his seat, casting a quick cleaning charm to rid his robes of the coffee stain.
Dumbledore merely remained silent.
Sirius and Tonks turned to look at him. He cupped his hands. "I should have known. Kingsley Shacklebolt came to me, and told me he was having trouble remembering things. I discovered he was under several memory charms. They weren't very strong, cast by an average wizard. I removed the blocks, and he thanked me and left. He was one of the Aurors dispatched to Lily and James's the night they died."
Sirius was confused. He ran a hand through his shaggy black hair, and then rubbed his chin. "What does that have to do with anything?" he asked.
"James Potter has been in Azkaban for the past fourteen years." Dumbledore finally admitted.
Sirius did a double take. He looked at Dumbledore's face. There was no sign of a twinkle behind those half-moon glasses. There was no hint of humor in the old man's face.
"You mean…" Sirius's voice broke, "You mean…you knew my best friend spent fourteen years in Azkaban! And you didn't do a thing about it?"
"I--" Dumbledore started, not looking Sirius in the face.
"You what? You couldn't do anything about it? No one would believe you? Oh…wait…I know where this is going…you thought he was guilty too! Just like you did with me! Wait…what was he convicted for?" Sirius shouted in disbelief. This was probably just another one of those horrible reoccurring nightmares he had since he had left Azkaban. Even though, he felt a twinge of hope. He squashed it down ruthlessly. It was a horrible thought anyway. You were better off dead than in that hellhole.
He ought to know.
"The murder of Lily Potter."
Tonks quickly found a chair. "It doesn't say that in the article…" She said, quickly looking interested in Sirius's salty coffee. "In the article all it says is that Prior Incantato was cast on his wand, and he was convicted." She said shakily, "It never says what for. That doesn't even make sense! You don't just go killing people you love. You marry people because you love them, not because you wish them dead. I guess that's the way the world is now…" Tonks face went white, and she clutched the edges of the paper.
Sirius felt like the world like he knew it was falling apart. James? Murder Lily? James had been infatuated with her since the first time he ever saw her. Thanks to James, Sirius could say he believed in love at first sight. It had been, for one party anyway.
A baboon would have known that James couldn't have killed Lily. His hatred of Fudge increased tenfold. That manipulative bastard was worse than Voldemort. If Fudge had been in the room at the moment, he would've given Sirius a reason for being sent to Azkaban.
He'd always wondered if he could ever cast the Avada Kedavra curse. He now knew the answer to that question. Or maybe he'd just throttle Fudge with his bare hands. He couldn't think of anyone who would deserve it more.
Not even Peter Pettigrew.
Sirius resisted the urge to jump out of his chair and start trashing everything in reach. "When do we get to see him?" he asked.
"According to the article," Dumbledore said, the paper in his hands, "He was released yesterday and is now in St. Mungo's under-going psychiatric assessment with some Healers and the Ministry."
Sirius's face darkened at the thought of the Ministry. "We can't leave him with them. Fudge will come and think of some other trumped excuse to make sure he never gets in his way."
Dumbledore smiled sadly. "Actually, Sirius, Cornelius Fudge is no longer Minister of Magic."
Sirius immediately punched himself in the eye, and buckled over in pain, clutching at his right eye. "Crap…that hurt…I have to wake up…this is just some horrible nightmare…so who's with him now?"
"Kingsley Shacklebolt, he was the one who told the Ministry about what Fudge did. The Ministry decided they couldn't trust Fudge anymore, and voted him out of office."
"They can do that?" Sirius asked, punching the wall behind his chair. He scraped his knuckles and grimaced with pain. "Yep." He declared with his mouth in a straight line, "Definitely hurts."
Tonks looked at him with concern. "What the hell did you do that for? Are you feeling alright?" she asked, patting him on the back reassuringly.
"Yes, I'm feeling fine thank-you. I've just found out my best friend has been in Azkaban for even longer than I had, and is not actually dead at all. I've also found out that Fudge is an even bigger bastard then I previously thought. I also found out that Dumbledore's been lying to Harry even more than I have previously thought. I wonder what this is going to do to Harry. He's not exactly singing Fudge's praises either. Dumbledore, we need to tell Harry." Sirius finished angrily, pounding his fists on the kitchen table, upturning the cup of salty coffee. His right eye was now swelling slightly.
Dumbledore looked at Sirius over his half-moon glasses. "I don't believe we should tell him until he is ready."
Sirius exploded. "THAT'S YOUR EXCUSE FOR EVERYTHING, ISN'T IT? 'WAIT UNTIL HE'S READY!' WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO DECIDE HE'S READY? WHEN HE'S ON HIS DEATHBED? WHEN HE'S DEAD? WHEN VOLDEMORT TAKES OVER THE WHOLE BLOODY WORLD? WHO ARE YOU TO KNOW IF HE'S READY? ISN'T THAT A QUESTION YOU SHOULD ASK HIM?" Sirius felt himself stand up and raise his fists. He didn't care if he punched Dumbledore right on his 'wait 'til it's ready' face.
"Sirius," Tonks stated, standing up. "Calm down." She then turned to Dumbledore. "Why didn't you tell us this before…no…why didn't you tell Harry before?" She had managed to turn her hair pink again during their argument.
"Enough of this!" Sirius exclaimed. "I have to see James. Right now."
"What are you going to do, Sirius? Barge in and declare you have to see James? They'll send you back to Azkaban!" Tonks exclaimed.
"I guess I can't." Sirius said, sagging in his wooden chair. "But why don't you get some of the Order members to go retrieve Harry so they can get him there pronto?"
There was a pecking noise at the kitchen window. Through the grime, Sirius could see the outline of Harry's owl, Hedwig. He stood up, glad at the interruption. He opened the parchment, and saw the words penned upon it and paled.
Dear Sirius,
What exactly did the front page of the Daily Prophet mean? Is there something else you're keeping from me?
From,
Harry.
Sirius turned around and dropped the letter on the table. Dumbledore and Tonks leant over to read it.
"It looks like Harry might be one step ahead of us." He announced, shakily. "Guess there's no hiding from the truth now…"
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So what do you think? I'm sorry the name of the story isn't very good. I just couldn't think of one. That's unusual for me, 'cause I usually think of the title first, than have to write a story to fit it! Okay, please review if you ever want to see me update this story again. Remember updates may not be so quick because of my other stories, but anyway…review!
'til next time,
Thoughts And Pondering.