Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all the other characters were born and raised in the beautiful mind of J.K. Rowling.

Chapter 1

Rain in Surrey

Mathew hated the rain.

He sometimes wondered why he had left sunny California for this cold lump of earth in the frosty northern sea. He suspected it had something to do with the large amount of money the British ministry was paying him to work for them. The auror behind him pushed him out of the knight bus and into the fierce rain storm. He clutched at his brief case as he walked a step or two forwards to where the minister was standing under his large black umbrella.

Fudged seemed a bit anxious. He was regarding the surroundings with worried eyes as if a hired assassin was hiding in the hedgerow behind him. Mathew doubted that such a person would set foot anywhere near Fudge at the moment. After the attempt on his life two weeks ago the man made sure seven of the ministry's best aurors were with him all the time.

He didn't understand wizards. They pretended to be so much better than normal people and would constantly remind him of it. Yet they were far more barbaric and cruel than his lot was. At least the non-magic world didn't have a place as nasty and vile as Azkaban fortress, where the smell of the prisoners rotting flesh rose from the floor like mustard gas, eating away at your mind. The prisoners all went mad in the end; lying lifelessly on the cold wet floor while the rats gnawed away at their bodies. Their eyes would be caught in the depressing loop of their worst memories played over and over in their minds.

It was cold there. Always cold. He had read that the prison was guarded by dementors. He had never seen them. He never wanted to. It was one of the advantages of being normal. Magic might have been the fantasy of his world, but seeing it and what it could do with his own eyes left him to believe that it was more of a curse.

He was a lawyer. He saw to most of the ministers legal matters. A couple of years at Harvard law and a few more working his ass of in a firm and here he was drawing up documents to legalize the killing of the wizards and witches the ministry was most ashamed of. Wizarding law was rather complicated and finding a loophole in it that would allow legal execution was challenging.

The laws were all built on top of each other, dating back to 112BC. Every leader had added their own rules and laws, the mess eventually ended up being immensely complex. So much so that Mathew didn't believe anybody bothered following them anymore. Though the ministry of magic was constantly under public eye and if someone spotted them doing something wrong, there would hell to pay. This was probably why they never did much.

He had spent the last three months drawing up the legalized execution of Sirius Black; a known mass murderer who had spent seven years in Azkaban and still refused to die. He had gone through all 285 volumes of Law trying to find a way to make it all possible. He eventually stumbled onto an interesting paragraph in volume 153 of wizarding law that was more than 700 years old, in which the minister of magic at the time 'James Hodge Pruett' stated quite clearly that in specific situations family were given immediate power in deciding over that persons life.

That is was brought them here today, to Little Winging, to the boy-who-lived. He wasn't exactly family. However Sirius Black was Harry Potters legal guardian according to his dead parents will. It wasn't really right, but it was good enough and after a lot of paper work he had finally pulled it off. He hadn't slept in days but it was worth 50 000 pounds.

An umbrella went up above his head and Mathew realized he had been standing in the pouring rain for a while. He hoped his brief case wouldn't sustain too much damage. It was a rather nice brief case and he didn't much fancy the idea of its documents getting ruined by the water. They were rather important.

The umbrella was bright yellow with purple polka dots. It reminded him a lot of Albus Dumbledore. Moody must have borrowed it.

"Are you alright Hazel?" Mad-eye asked him, "You seem a bit lost."

The night bus took off behind them, and the minister and his body guards had already started walking to the boy's school. He thought for a moment and shook his head glancing at the scarred man next to him, "I am fine, its just…nerves."

The old man smiled, "We best be off, Mathew, Cornelius seems to be waiting for us rather impatiently at the gates."

Mad-eye motioned for them to start walking. Mathew had been around the old wizard enough to know that he wasn't very pleased at the moment and during the journey from London he wouldn't stop annoying the minister with well placed questions. Mathew knew that the old man wasn't very pleased about the abrupt decision to kill Sirius Black.

Once again he couldn't understand the way a wizards mind works. He thought that it was rather merciful to kill someone who had been in that place for that long. Nobody deserved that hell. What made it worse was the fact that Black seemed sane. Mathew supposed that was why the minister wanted him dead. He had been pushing for the deaths of most of heavily guarded prisoners in Azkaban the past year. It was as if he were trying to erase proof of the last war. And the way that Fudge had been pressuring him to get rid of Black you would think that Fudge thought Black had arranged the entire assassination attempt from his cell. Sometimes you had to question the man's sanity…

They walked through the playground up to the office door. The local elementary school stood silently in front of him. Cold grey bricks dripping with waters. He followed Moody trying to stay underneath the umbrella. The secretary opened the door for them and they stepped into the heated building.

"Can I help you?" the young girl asked kindly addressing the minister.

It was weird being inside a school building after the end of the day. It didn't seem right without the other children. "Ah, yes miss, I am looking for a boy called Harry Potter. I am afraid I have some legal issues to sort out wit him."

The woman frowned, "Is he in detention? Incase you hadn't noticed sir all the kids 'ave gone home." she asked him wandering back to the desk. "He must be in detention then," Her hand reached down and picked up a file from the table. She began paging through it her eyes scanning the words of the pages. Without waiting for an answer she said, "He is in Mr. Mason's class. It's down the corridor to the left, number 31. Just tell his teacher what you told me yeah?" she finished. Her eyes finally took in Moody and his wooden leg. She seemed about to ask something but shook her head instead.

The young woman dismissed them and sank back into her chair in front of her computer. She pulled the headphones hanging around her neck back onto her ears and pressed the play button of her walkman. She didn't seem concerned at all. Mathew wondered what Harry Potter had done that could have earned him detention. His aunt didn't specify in the letter of consent, she only stated that he was being held after school for two hours every week day for a month.

The door opened and the sound of chalk scrapping a black board sent shivers running through him. He waited his turn to walk through the doorway. His hand groped his suitcase tightly.

This wasn't exactly legal, this wasn't exactly fair either. It made Mathew very nervous.

"Hello?" the voice of the young teacher spoke putting down his book.

Mathew immediately looked towards the opposite black board were a small boy was writing the words, 'I shouldn't play with matches.' repeatedly. There he was. Harry Potter; the little boy who would give him a big fat bonus for Christmas. He could go back to the states and visit his mother, maybe even by her a new house.

Kingsley smiled at the frowning teacher, "Ah, Mr. Mason? I was wondering weather you would give us a couple of minutes with your student? We have some matters of the law to sort out with him."

The teacher stood up, eyeing Kingsley and his bowler hat wearily. He looked at the aurors and then over at the minister, "Are you lot from the police department?" he asked curiously, he picked up his book and moved from around his desk, "I didn't think they would seriously send someone down."

What was left of Mad-eye's eyebrow shot up and he was about to ask the man a question when one of the aurors spoke up, "No I assure you sir, we were quite serious. If you wouldn't mind stepping outside with me for a moment, I would like to talk to you."

The door closed again, and still the scratching of chalk on the board could be heard throughout the classroom. Mathew was aware that the minister was staring at him. Sighing he walked over to the nearest table and set his briefcase down on it. His hand reached in and he took out the documents and a ball point pen. He sat down uncomfortably in the small wooden chair and waited.

The boy still continued writing as if there was nobody in the room. Mathew shifted uncomfortably and looked up to see the minister joining him on his left. "Are you sure you have got all the required paper work here Hazel?" the minister asked in a worried voice.

"Yes sir, its all here, I checked it many times." He pointed towards the small pile that lay stapled in front of him, "I know how to do my job Cornelius," he threw the man an irritated look.

The writing stopped. Mathew saw that the boy had to be finished with his lines. He seemed to linger at the board reading them all threw trying to make sure they were all right. Mathew made a small cough trying to get the boys attention.

Reluctantly the little boy turned around, the piece of chalk still firmly wedged between his fingers. He walked towards the table with a really sorry frown on his face. His hair was black and ridiculously messy and his one arm was in a sling. He stopped in front of the table and sat down in a chair.

He didn't look up at them. He stared directly into the wooden surface. It was as if he was trying very hard not to cry. His teeth clamping a piece of lip between them. Eventually he looked up straight into Mathew's eyes. They were emerald. A gorgeous green color. It took him a while to get over the shock of staring into such bright big eyes. "Um…Mr. Potter? I am Mathew Hazel, I am a lawyer. Do you know what that is?" he asked the little boy kindly.

Harry nodded. He looked around at the aurors above him and his eyes fell on Mad-eye. Mathew saw his mouth fall open a little and his eyes grow wide. "You send people to jail." He answered, looking back at Mathew shyly, "are you here to send me to jail?"

Mathew frowned, slowly shaking his head, "No Mr. Potter, I am not here to send you to jail. Why would you think something like that?"

He looked down at the table surface again, "I was bad. I burned that boy…" he seemed to hesitate for a minute, "But it wasn't my fault! Honest, I didn't mean to do it! And and I didn't even have matches. But but, but nobody believes me!"

Mathew looked back at the board, and then nodded, understanding. "I am not here to talk to you about that, Harry." His hand slowly slid the document across the table surface turning it around so that it would face him. "All I am here to do is to get your signature. You're not in trouble."

The little boy stared at the document and then stared back up in total confusion. "Where was it that you were from again?" he asked slowly. "And, who are all these people if they are not from the police department?" he motioned at the aurors. "And, and. And why is it so important that I sign it?"

Fudge spoke for the first time, "Harry, we really do not have a lot of time to answer so many questions. All you have to do is sign on the dotted line and then we will all leave and you can continue with your detention. What do you say, son?"

Mathew slid the pen forwards as well, smiling softly at the puzzled boy, his hand pulled back the pages of the document until it came to the last one and Mathew folded it neatly backwards. "you just have to sign it Harry, at the bottom of the page, do you see it?"

The boy's eyes scanned the last page of the document, his hand clutching the pen tightly, "All, all I have to do is sign here?" he asked his finger lingering over the line.

"yes, just write your name there on the line. Just write it there and we will be gone. Can you do it?" Mathew asked him.

His heart relaxed as he saw his ballpoint traveling to the spot. He would be out of here soon. This would all be over…

The pen dropped with a clatter on the table. Mathew's head shot up. The little boy was pushing the folded pages back his eyes screwed up in concentration as they began to read over the first paragraph. "Mr. Potter what are you doing?" his hands slammed onto the table and he stood up, his heart racing.

This wasn't good.

The little boy looked back at him shyly, "I, I was. I think. I want to read it."

"Read it!? Why would you want to read it?!" Mathew asked him in a hysteric voice. "You don't have to read it. You just have to sign it."

Harry winched and looked away. "But – but, but if I don't read it, then – then how am I supposed to know what I am signing?"

"It's noting serious Harry." The minister said in an awfully sweet voice next to him, "You don't have to worry about that, all you have to do is sign it. It would take you an awful long time to read all of that now wouldn't it?"

The little boy hesitated again, looking at the document and back up at Fudge, "I – I, just. Can I ask you a question?" he looked back at Mathew.

He was about to say no when Moody interrupted with a growl, "What is it that you would like to know Potter." A chair scrapped the tiled floor as the auror pulled a chair out from the table behind him and sat down facing Harry.

Harry seemed frightened by the man's appearance. His eyes lingered on the scars on his face and his magic eye. The boy swallowed heavily, his hands shaking madly as he addressed the old Auror, "I – I am sorry sir, but I. I just want to know…who is Sirius Black?" he looked away from Moody's eye and back at the document that his sweaty, dirty hands was ruining.

Moody was grinning, and nodded his approval. Mathew wanted to stop him, but Mas eye had already sent a warning glance his way, "Sirius Black is a man who is currently in jail Potter. He was charged seven years ago of man slaughter and sentenced to life imprisonment."

Harry's eyes shot up to meet the Moody. Mathew could tell that his shock seemed to overcome his fear of the man's appearance, "He is a murderer?" the boy asked innocently. "Who did he kill?"

Mad-eye smiled horribly, "He killed thirteen people. I do not know any of their names though."

The boy flinched. Mathew suspected it was from the amused smile on Moody's face. It looked very frightening when that man smiled… "Why were – why don't you know their names?" he asked in a whisper. His fingers digging into the document.

Mathew felt his insides squirm. This wasn't going the way he had hoped at all.

"Well," Moody said thoughtfully looking into the eyes of the aurors around him. All of them seemed to find this entire conversation very interesting. Mathew noted that none of them seemed to be concerned with Fudge's existence at all. "there wasn't much left of them to be identified."

That was defiantly something that you didn't tell an eight year old. The boy pulled a way, his hand shacking more. "And – and, and what does he have to do with me? Why is it so important that I sign this piece of paper?"

"That is en-" Fudge began saying. He had clearly realized the danger of the situation.

"Well, Potter," Dwalish cut in, "That document legalizes the execution of Sirius Black."

It seemed to take a couple of seconds before Harry understood what the auror had said, "Execution?" he repeated, "So – so, so if I sign this, then Sirius Black is going to be killed?"

Dwalish nodded, "Any other questions Potter?"

Harry bit his lip looking up at the auror and then back to Moody who was studying him with great interest, "Um…just – just one. Why would – why is, the – the execution of this man depending on weather or not I sign this piece of paper? I don't know him. I – I never met him? He is a stranger…so why do I have to sign this? Shouldn't. Isn't the prime minister supposed to sign stuff like this?"

Moody looked over at Mathew, "That is an interesting question Potter. I am sure that Hazel will be able to answer it for you."

Mathew took a deep breath. This was a disaster. But with seven Aurors staring at him expectantly he bit down his anger and took a deep breath, "Mr. Potter, Sirius Black is your godfather. That gives you by law a legal right to sentence him to death."

"He's my – my what?" Harry was standing up, the document straining in his hands, "My – my godfather? Like, as if, like you mean my mum and dad knew him? And was their friend?!"

Moody nodded quickly, "Yes Potter that is usually the case when it comes to godfathers."

Harry blushed and looked back down at the document. He seemed to be doing a lot of thinking. "I – I don't think I want to sign this." He said after a while looking back at Mathew.

He took the papers away from the hand belonging to the arm in the sling and slowly crumpled it up into a ball of paper with the good hand. Mathew felt his heart stop, he was about to get up and stop the boy when Moody's wand pressed into his side.

"Now just you wait here boy!" Fudge said angrily standing up out of his chair, "You can't do that! You need to sign it! Black needs to die!"

Harry shyly shook his head, "I – I want to meet him before I do any such thing. If you can arrange a meeting with him. I might sign it. I – should go home now. Goodbye."

He seemed so uncertain of himself, and at the same time seemed so sure in what he wanted. The boy walked away to the door not looking back. His shoulders were pulled up as if he was waiting for someone to grab him and force him back to the table.

Mathew let out a long sigh as the boy picked up his bag and pushed his way out of the classroom door. This was very bad. This had not at all gone as he expected. He hadn't counted the fact that the Potter boy would be this careful. It didn't seem a possibility at the time. He was after all just eight.

Outside the rain continued falling angrily against the windows.

Mathew really Hated British weather.

A.N.

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