My name is James Sirius Black; I am now 38 years old and am a teacher at university in Northern Wales. I'd like to tell you a story of my life and how I became James Sirius Black.
It started long ago however I'll tell you the shorter version.
Let's begin with July 31st 1998 my seventeenth birthday.
It was a muggy morning in Surrey, the morning mist mixed with the heat of the day made things miserable. I awoke with a sharp pain within my head as normal, and went about my day. However as I was seventeen, I packed my things and left. I walked to Old Mrs.Figgs house and used her floo to get to my destination, Godrics Hollow, which happens to be where I currently reside today.
What I didn't expect was upon my arrival I was arrested for murder.
The aurors that arrested me stated I was being arrested for the murder of Albus Dumbledore. This was however completely ludicrous as I hadn't seen the man since before school let out before that summer.
I pleaded with the aurors to let me go, that I was totally innocent of the crimes they accused me of.
But, nothing worked they had all turned on me again.
So, I was again whisked off to the Ministry to stand trial for yet another crime I didn't commit.
The next day my trial was set, I was to be prosecuted by none other than my best friend's older brother.
As the dementors dragged my limp body into the court room I began to stir, I never left consciousness, however I was drained from the physical and mental beating that I was accosted to the day of my arrest.
I looked around it seemed every head of wizarding state, every minister; every politician was there; all ready to see me kissed.
Then I looked over to her, her eyes gleaming like the night stars, she had come for me. Hadn't she? The love of my life, we were inseparable, well except for that beginning of summer.
She looked over at me and smiled, it wasn't a cold smile of sneer like everyone else was giving me it was pure. I attempted to smile back but from my extreme beating I had received I was in torturous pain. However it didn't matter as I knew she was there ready to stand by me in my time of need.
Just a mere ten minutes later I was convicted guilty of all charges.
I remember Fudge's comments like it happened this morning.
"Sir, you are convicted of murder, you will be sent to Azkaban Prison with no chance of parole, FOR LIFE. You murdered a great man and you will be held accountable. Guards take this scum from this courtroom." He'd said that fateful day.
I looked over at my beloved. Tears running freely down her soft cheeks. She could do nothing to help me. I felt helpless.
As they drug me away from her eyes I heard her yell, "Believe in me I'll find a away my love" after that I wouldn't see nor hear from her again for many years.
For that matter I didn't have a clue of the outside world's happenings either.
I sat in my cell trying to hold onto that thought that I was innocent and that she still loved me.
However I was betrayed by all those that I held dear besides her. My friends, and so called family; betrayed me they would come and visit me just to spit in my face and tell me how much they hated me.
However she never came. She never visited me. It was only a slip up from one of the guards that I ever found the truth of why she never came.
They wouldn't let her.
Simple as that they simply denied her access to the island.
For seventeen long years I rotted in that cell, for seventeen long years I held onto my sanity.
I endured hours upon hours of my most horrendous memories, repeating them over and over never ending. And I endured the visions. I saw through 'HIS' eyes, I saw every murder, every single horrific event that he planned. I saw former classmates murdered in battle, I saw former friends slain in cold blood.
I saw it all.
Then as my seventeenth year in hell came to a close, the door to my cell opened and the guard told me I was free to leave, he handed me my wand and ushered me out of the prison.
I tried to ask him what had happened, he simply shrugged and asked for forgiveness for the pain he'd caused me for so many years. I ignored him and walked to the boat awaiting me and left.
A few hours later we docked and I was escorted by heavy guard to a building with the Ministry's symbol fronting it.
As I came inside I was standing in the same courtroom as I had been found guilty in.
And I saw him. Fudge was sitting pompous as can be upon his throne of idiocy and looking very torn.
"You are hereby released from Azkaban prison, we have found new evidence that you were wrongly arrested and imprisoned, and we do hope that you will find it in your hearts to forgive us for the tragic mistake we have made." Fudge sounded off.
"As entitled we also hereby grant you a sum total of" Fudge paused when he read the notice. If my memory is correct penance for wrongful imprisonment is 40 times a yearly salary of the person wronged "Madam Barnes this simply cannot be correct, we cannot award this much to him" Fudge nearly fell after speaking. It was fun to see the man stammer at his own mistakes.
"Minister I assure you this is what he is entitled to. His annual earnings are roughly 60 times more than that, times by seventeen for the number of years." Madam Barnes told Fudge.
"Also Minister I'd like to point out that the wrongfully accused has the right to demand anything within the Ministry's power as part of his entitlement. " An elderly woman at the end of the row noted.
My face probably lit up like a deer caught in the headlights at that point. As I was ecstatic, I could have anything I desired.
I looked directly at the Minister and simply spoke.
"I demand the immediate removal of Fudge from office of Minister of Magic" I told them.
They looked at me with mixed feelings, some in awe that I would demand such a thing, some in horror that their precious Fudge would be leaving office.
An older man with white long hair and a red beard simply stood and said "SO BE IT".
I saw other doing the same. Fudge looked in horror.
Then I said it.
"I also formally press charges against former Minister Fudge, for wrongful imprisonment, criminally disregarding Ministry procedure, and fraud."
The aurors present didn't even flinch, they arrested Fudge and took him from my sights.
Then I asked. "Umm Madam Barnes, exactly how much was the Ministry to give to me?"
She stiffened at this question.
"Sir, all your accounts, holding, and possessions have been returned to you. The amount that is due to arrive in your account to repay you for your imprisonment is. 1,413,831,947 galleons. Added to your currently holding and accounts, you are now the richest person to ever walk in the Wizarding world." She finished.
"I don't want the money." I said simply.
The council looked to shock, expecting me to make other demands.
So I did.
"I have plenty of money with my own accounts. I will not take yours. However I want my love to know that I've been released and I'd like her here within the next 10 minutes.
Also I want my records sealed and my named changed. I will never go into the world again by the name I was born with that you people worship and then toss aside so much.
You will NOT tell the press that I am even alive, I want nothing to do with this world even though I cannot leave it as my love is also part of it." I said.
"Is there anything else we can do? Your requests can be met easily." Madam Barnes asked.
"Yes, I need some new clothing and a bath quickly. Also I want you to take ½ of that money you wanted to give to me and give it to the families that have been hurt over the war." I said then I remembered I didn't know what was going on with the war.
"Also can someone please tell me what old Moldy shorts is up to?" I asked.
Another man answered. "Well is seems that a few years ago the war simply stopped, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named died. He simply gave up and died."
I remember I started yelling, "Prophecy my arse, what the devil" over and over.
I finally calmed down, not knowing what to think I'd always thought if I did in fact ever get out of that hell they had put me in that I would have to kill.
Yes kill, the thing I was imprisoned for to begin with. Now with the enemy long gone I simply didn't know what to do with myself.
So I excused myself asking for the nearest washroom so that I could get cleaned up and ready to meet my love of all those years.
It wasn't long until they informed me that she had arrived.
I hurried to her be at her side after all those long years, once I spotted her I fell to my knees in shock.
Around her waist was an arm, I followed that arm to it's body then face and nearly died on the spot of who I saw.
My best friend that had betrayed me, had his arm around my love's waist.
I turned my eyes from her downward to see a small child. She couldn't have been more than eight or nine years old.
My attention once again turned to my love, yes I'd always love her, she kept me sane in that hell, she gave me the strength to endure all the torture and pain.
She walked out towards me, seeing the tears falling from my eyes. She knew that she'd killed me right then and there.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I didn't know if you would ever get out of that hell, I had to go on with my life, can you ever forgive me?" She cried.
I brought my eyes up to meet hers then looked at the traitor she was with.
"I could have forgiven you if it had been anyone but him." Was all I said.
I got up tried to calm myself before I landed up back in that hell. No I was NOT going to do anything stupid enough to land myself back in that hell. NEVER.
"Parvati!" I called.
She looked up.
"You kept me alive in hell for the last seventeen years and for that I thank you. But now I think it would be wisest to never speak to me again, as you have also betrayed me, by getting involved with him." I coldly noted.
He moved quick to scold me for talking to her in such a manner, I simply ignored him.
"Take that back!" he roared at me.
I ignored him again and started walking away, away from it all I had been betrayed by everyone.
I never had thought that she wouldn't have waited for me, I can't say really blame her. She needed a life too but I just wish it had been anyone but him.
She called my name, and I turned back to see her.
"He's the one that finally got the evidence to free you, don't turn on him like that, I understand me, but not him, he's worked for years to free you." She said.
"And he's the one that put me in there, he can't make up for that. The Ministry told me, it was his testimony that finally convinced them even before the trial started. And I will never forgive him or anyone for that." I said evenly.
"How long ago did you go to him?" I asked coldly.
"Nine years" she responded.
"And what of Hermione?" I asked.
She knew that him and Hermione had been engaged when summer started.
"She left him for you, she as I did believed your innocence, even though she decided to hide it for her own well being." She informed me.
"Fine, thank you for your answers, I will now be off have a good life Parvati as you will never see or hear from me again." I told her.
She looked in shock at that revelation.
"You're leaving?" She asked trying obviously near to tears again.
"Yes, I'm leaving forever, I'm making a few stops and leaving this world never to return." I spoke out, not really to her directly but to everyone in attendance.
"Ohh and by the way, just for everyone's knowledge you need to be informed that after today, Harry James Potter doesn't exist anymore."
Gasps and crying could be heard from nearly everyone there.
However I didn't care. I spun on my heel walked towards the public floo, transported to Gringotts and gathered everything left to me and left.
While walking down Diagon alley after gathering my money's (after exchanging a large amount into muggle cash) and other items that were left to me, I put it all in a feather light and bottomless bag and preceded to walk down the street.
I picked up a few books, some household wares, food, and supplies to get me through a few months and then headed to the apparition point to leave.
Nearing my target a body hit me from the side, it was a woman she was carrying a large amount of books and didn't seem to see where she was going.
"Are you alright?" I asked her somewhat concerned.
Then she turned to face me, and it was Hermione Granger in the flesh.
"Harry?" She asked "Ohh my god Harry your out, I heard they were releasing you but no one knew when." She quickly said.
Without the knowledge that she'd never betrayed me, I would have probably walked away from her right then and there. However I stayed.
"They let me out this morning and I got rid of Fudge, I made them remove his sorry arse from office. I also found out that Parvati betrayed me, and what happened to you and Ron. Ohh and just so you know Harry James Potter is dead.
I am James Sirius Black." I told her.
"And I'd like you to come away with me Hermione for a long time." I pointed out.
She sat there still on the ground, before long though it looked as if she could speak again.
"Yes" was all she said.
So I helped her to her feet, and walked her over to the apparition point, then whispered into her ear the place we were going to.
The place where it all started.
A year later she became pregnant with my first child, I went to school to teach muggle children. When I graduated the University, I was immediately given the Chemistry Professors position at the same University. I married Hermione just two months before she gave birth to our daughter.
Lily Catherine Black is now four years old today. I write this today so that someday she will understand who her father is and how he came about.
Please understand what Harry James Potter was, he was an abused child, a neglected child, a betrayed man, a fierce lover, and a valiant fighter.
I am still those same things, however I am not Harry James Potter.
I am James Sirius Black, husband, father, and teacher.
To you my daughter I tell you that you needed to know.
And I hope one day you will understand.
Love.
Daddy..
