AUTHOR'S NOTES: As stated before, in this rewrite I'm pairing Sirius and Casey Novak and I'm also keeping the pairing of Harry and Hermione.

And now for the most unlikely sentance in history: I LOVE the IRS! (Dontcha love refunds?)

"On November 2nd, 1981, Harry Potter was left at his aunt and uncle's home in England," Casey said, making her opening statement to the court. "He wasn't even a year old and his parents had been cruelly murdered. All Harry has ever wanted was to have loving parents. Instead, his uncle and cousin beat him on a regular basis, and his aunt used him as a slave. On June 8th this summer, Harry asked his uncle if it was okay to take a walk alone before going to dinner. Vernon Dursley responded by beating and kicking Harry repeatedly. Vernon's son, Dudley, saw his father assaulting Harry and got into his father's car and when Harry staggered out into the open street, Dudley accelerated and hit Harry full on."

Making sure that the jury was paying close attention, Casey walked along the jury box, making eye contact with each of the jurors. "Petunia Dursley then said that they had to dump Harry's body somewhere. They shoved Harry out the backseat of Vernon's rental car right in front of the Manhattan SVU precinct. Harry was an athlete. He played sports at the boarding school he attends in Scotland and was even marked to be captain of his team this year. But that won't be happening. Because of the action of his 'family'—"

Vernon Dursley's lawyer, Damon Fletcher, stood, irritably, looking at the judge. "Objection, your honor!"

"Miss Novak," Judge Samuels said, a note of warning in his voice.

Casey nodded briefly and went on. "Because of the actions of the Dursleys, Harry can't move his legs. The doctors have said that the damage to Harry's spinal nerves is irreversible. Vernon Dursley has put Harry in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. The defense will try to paint Harry Potter as mentally unstable and a danger to himself and others. Harry is neither. His only problem is that the people he trusted to care for him and protect him hated him. Find Vernon Dursley guilty of the charges and let Harry finally be safe with people who care about him."

Casey sat down as Fletcher stood. "Harry Potter is an unstable young man. All through his childhood he had fits. The boy needed to be restrained and when Harry was especially problematic, Vernon Dursley resorted to violence to save his family. When Harry turned 11 he began to mentally unravel, creating a fantasy world in which to escape. He believed that he battled monsters, befriended giants, performed magic spells, and that he had the ultimate protector in having an escaped murderer for a godfather. Dudley Dursley never meant to hurt his cousin. Harry darted out in front of him. There is no crime here, ladies and gentlemen. Only an uncle at the end of his rope with trying to deal with a mentally unstable child."

As Fletcher sat down, Judge Samuels said, "Miss Novak, call your first witness."

Casey knew that debunking the 'mentally unstable' idea was most important so first she called psychologist George Huang to the stand. "Dr. Huang, did you do a psych assessment of Harry Potter?"

"Yes, I did," Dr. Huang replied, simply.

"Is he mentally unstable?" Casey asked, simply.

"No," Huang replied. "Harry has been abused emotionally, physically, and mentally, but he's certainly not unstable."

Casey wanted to ask if Huang believed Harry about being a wizard but that question had to be phrased most carefully if Casey didn't want to add weight to the defense's case. "Did Harry seem delusional at all when you spoke with him?"

"No," Huang replied, meeting Casey's gaze. "Most delusional people can't live in reality. It's hard for them to shift gears mentally. They often display confusion and are even prone to hallucinations. Harry knows what's going on, he's aware of his surroundings and in my professional opinion seems perfectly sane."

Not wanting to go any further than needed, Casey looked at the judge. "Nothing further, your Honor."

The defense had few questions for Huang and next up was Dr. Gail Martin.

"Dr. Martin, please describe the injuries you found on Harry Potter on the evening in question," Casey said, looking at the jury.

Dr. Martin nodded. "Certainly. I found multiple bruises on Harry's abdomen, chest, and arms. Two of the boy's fingers along with the thumb of his right hand were broken from being bent backwards. Harry also had impact fractures to his ribs, elbow, left leg, and spine."

"Do you believe that these injuries could have been caused by some sort of psychotic episode?" Casey asked, knowing how the doctor would respond.

"No," Dr. Martin replied insistently, shaking her head. "The bruises on Harry's arms were clearly from a strong hand gripping him tightly. Additionally, the broken fingers and thumb were most certainly not self inflicted in any way. Someone forcibly broke Harry's fingers and thumb by bending them back."

"In your professional opinion, then, how would you classify Harry's injuries?" Casey asked, looking to see how the jury would react.

Dr. Martin looked at Casey and replied, "The results of a violent assault followed by a hit and run."

Once Dr. Martin had been excused, Casey called Dumbledore to the stand. On a professional level, there was really no need to have the Hogwarts Headmaster testify. But personally, Casey believed that the only was Dumbledore would ever truly see what he'd done to Harry was to have the man sit through the whole trial.

"Tell me about Harry as a student," Casey said, praying that nothing said at this trial would require the need for obliviators later on. Not that it was hard to call in obliviators here in the States—unlike in England where the whole Ministry of Magic would likely be called in.

"Harry's grades put him 6th in his year," Dumbledore replied. "He's a very bright student."

Casey had started off with a nice, easy question, but now she threw the curveball. "Professor Dumbledore, after the death of Harry's parents, who placed him with the Dursleys in the first place?"

Dumbledore started at the question, but sighed. "I did. I left Harry on the Dursleys doorstep along with a note for Harry's aunt."

"Did you bother to check them out before leaving Harry?" Casey asked, fixing Dumbledore with an unwavering gaze.

"No, I did not," Dumbledore admitted. "I was operating on the belief that Petunia would protect the son of her only sister."

"And did you ever follow up on any of the allegations of abuse?" Casey asked. Dumbledore wasn't on trial, true, but she wanted to make sure that the jury understood the hand the headmaster'd had in the situation.

"I did not," Dumbledore said, sadly. "I never imagined that I could be so wrong about a situation."

"Nothing further," Casey said, trying to maintain her cool. This case was really starting to try her emotionally.

The day before, as Harry lay in his hospital bed, eyes fixed on the video camera recording his every word, he tried to remember as clearly as he could what had happen the night of the accident. The only problem was that everything had happened so quickly…

Seeing that Harry was looking a bit uneasy, Casey decided to start with the easy questions first and asked, "Why did you come to New York?"

Harry sighed, remembering the big to-do back at #4 Privet Drive. "Uncle Vernon got promoted. He got invited to a business conference and my aunt, cousin, and myself were invited along."

Casey nodded and continued with the questions. "Had your uncle been drinking that evening?"

"Yeah," Harry said, remembering the whiskey on Vernon's breath as he confronted Harry by the hotel pool. "More than usual, too."

"Did Vernon Dursley assault you in the hotel?" Casey asked, making notes in a notebook.

"No," Harry replied, his voice sounding stronger the more he spoke. "He dragged me into an alley behind the hotel. He bent my thumb back till I heard a snap… it hurt like Hell… then he broke my fingers… then he punched me in the side…"

Casey felt her heart ache as Harry described not only what happened on June 28th but 13 years of abuse. She never got used to hearing about kids being hurt. It seemed to be the curse of being part of the Special Victims Unit that she had to hear of some of the most horrific things that happened to people. And to make matters worse, just as she thought she could deal with anything, a case came along and tore her up all over again.

Plus, in the case of Harry, the muggle courts didn't seem to be anywhere near enough. Jail wasn't even close to being an appropriate punishment for what Vernon Dursley had done. The man deserved Azkaban and a couple of years with the dementors. But the wizarding courts had never tried a muggle before and it would take something of a miracle to get a trial before the Wizengamot.

It wasn't fair. How could Harry hope to get a fair fight in a room full of ignorant muggles?

As Harry continued recounting, Casey started wondering if she'd made the right choice in going into muggle law.

Casey watched the jury out of the corner of her eye as the video of Harry's testimony played. There were shocked faces and open mouths. Grinning mentally, Casey knew that no matter what the defense threw at her none of the jurors would be able to get the image of Harry—his arm and leg in casts, trapped in a metal back and neck brace—out of their minds.

Glancing over at Dumbledore, Casey noticed that the old man seemed even older as he saw what his actions had done to the innocent boy.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, Tonks sat with Sirius in Harry's hospital room, watching the two as they talked. Much as she loved her cousin, Tonks couldn't help feeling that something about Sirius seemed off since the debacle in the Department of Mysteries. Sirius seemed older, more like he'd been when he first got out of Azkaban.

"Sirius?" Harry asked, looking at his godfather who seemed to be lost in thought.

Sirius shook his head briefly, then looked back at Harry. "I'm sorry, Harry. I just… I was just thinking…"

"I'm sorry about Lupin," Harry said, quietly, feeling guilty for the death of his old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus Lupin. "If I hadn't gone…"

Sirius shook his head, sharply this time. "It wasn't your fault, Harry. I wasn't paying attention that night. If I'd been more aware, maybe I'd have seen that Moony was in trouble."

"You didn't pay attention… because you were focused on me," Harry said, looking away. It wasn't a question.

"Remus was one of my best friends," Sirius said, looking Harry in the face. "But you're my godson. There is nothing more important to me than your safety…" Looking at the back and neck brace Harry wore and the casts on Harry's leg and arm, Sirius leaned back in his chair. "I'm sorry I failed you, Prongslet."

"None of this is your fault, Sirius," Harry said, earnestly.

"Yeah, it is," Sirius said, leaning forward. "I never even imagined that you could be in trouble. I should have checked on you more often. I was pardoned months ago and I didn't even think to visit you after you got to privet Drive. I failed you, Harry. I'm not fit to be your godfather."

"Sirius, you're not at fault here," Tonks said, looking baffled. "Vernon Dursley's to blame for this. You didn't throw Harry into the path of that car."

"Tonks, can I ask you something?" Harry asked, turning as best he could to look at the young woman.

"Fire away, Harry," Tonks replied.

"How soon can we get a healer in here so I can go home?" Harry asked as the hospital door opened and Casey Novak strode in, grinning triumphantly.

"Good news?" Tonks said, looking at the ADA, hopefully, although whatever punishment Vernon received it was most likely less than what the git deserved.

"Jury hardly needed any time deliberating," Casey said, still grinning. "Vernon Dursley will be in jail for a minimum of 20 years. No parole. Dudley's going to a detention facility till he's 21."

"Great," Harry said, happy that his uncle and cousin were finally locked up where they belonged. But after a moment, he asked, "But, uh… what about me?"

"I talked to a few healers," Casey said, her smile fading slightly. "They'll do what they can and then you'll be transferred to a local wizarding hospital for your rehab."

"Is Harry going to be able to walk?" Sirius asked, concerned as he caught the hesitation in Casey's voice.

"I don't know," Casey replied, shrugging. The last thing she wanted to do was give Harry false hope but at the same time, she was afraid Harry might start slipping into depression once he started really dealing with his injuries. "But the two healers I talked to will be here soon so…"

Harry sighed, hearing the doubt in Casey's voice. "So even if they do fix me I could still end up not being able to walk."

"It's possible," Casey admitted. Wanting to change the subject, she looked over at Sirius and Tonks, and asked, "Do you guys mind giving me a few minutes alone with Harry?"

Sirius looked hesitant to leave Harry but Tonks grabbed her cousin and pulled him out of the room, closing the door as she said, "We'll be right outside if you need us, Harry."

Once alone, Casey sat next to Harry's bed so that the teenager could see her clearly. "You know that the Dursleys aren't exclusively to blame for what happened to you."

"Yeah, I know," Harry said, thinking of Dumbledore and what he'd heard about the headmaster's testimony during the trial.

"What do you want me to do about him, Harry?" Casey asked, looking Harry in the eye. "I mean, we can request that the Ministry of Magic put him on trial for—"

"Dumbledore can't go to Azkaban," Harry said, firmly. "I know what he did. But Hogwarts needs him."

"Dumbledore put you with the Dursleys, Harry. If you hadn't been with them…" Casey had seen many cases of children shielding their abusers but Harry seemed adamant about not punishing Albus Dumbledore. Wanting to understand the teenager's decision, she asked, "Harry, why don't you want me to prosecute Dumbledore?"

"He didn't know about the abuse. About how bad things really were. It's not like I told him my uncle and cousin were beating me every other day," Harry said, defensively. "He…" There was a dilemma inside of him about whether or not to divulge what he knew about the blood protection. If he told her… Surely as a witch Casey Novak would understand why Dumbledore couldn't be locked up. "Dumbledore… used the fact that my mother died to save me to create a magical blood bond between me and Petunia," Harry explained, simply.

Casey leaned back in her seat, her thoughts ramping up. She now understood Harry's reluctance at pressing charges against the Hogwarts headmaster and after a few minutes, she asked, "So what do you want to do?"

"Other than get out of this brace?" Harry said with a half-smile. "The casts I'm used to. I've had broken bones before. Before I went to Hogwarts, I mean. If you're talking about Dumbledore… I think just him seeing me around Hogwarts should be punishment enough."

"It's your choice, Harry," Casey said, shrugging. She honestly didn't want to prosecute Albus Dumbledore in connection to an abuse case, personally. But as an ADA who'd worked the past 3 years with the Special Victims Unit, she was fighting every instinct she had by not arresting Dumbledore immediately.

"Can I ask you a question?" Harry asked, curious about something.

"Fire away," Casey replied.

Thinking of how adept Casey was as a lawyer, Harry wanted to know, "What made you want to go into muggle law?"

Casey gave a soft chuckle. "Well, that would be because my grandfather was a muggle and he went into the law. He told me so many stories about trials when I was younger and I was fascinated by the whole subject."

"If you had chosen a magical career…?" Harry left the question open, wondering what Casey might have chosen.

Thinking about the question for a moment, she finally replied, "Teaching Potions. It was my best subject at school."

"Did you go to Hogwarts?" Harry asked, wanting to find out more about the ADA who had just put Vernon Dursley behind bars.

"Yeah," Casey replied, smiling. "And as nice as I am, I do have a devious and cunning side."

"You were in Slytherin, weren't you?" Harry asked, thinking about what he already knew about her.

"Don't hold that against me," she said, smirking, knowing how Harry probably felt about her old house at Hogwarts.

"I won't," Harry promised as the door opened again and Sirius came back in followed by a short man with curly hair and a slightly taller woman with a pixie haircut.

After closing the door, Sirius said, "These are Healers Dresdon and Rousseau, Harry."

Casey stood as the healers pulled out their wands and started waving them over Harry's immobilized body, performing various healing spells and magical scans.

After studying the results of the magical scans, Healer Dresdon nodded as he said, "The leg is healing nicely, Mr. Potter. The bones are aligned so that shouldn't be a problem. Same for your arm."

A few moments later, the casts on Harry's leg and arm vanished. "That feel loads better" Harry said, happily. "Thanks."

"Don't thank us yet," Rousseau replied, frowning as she magically scanned Harry's spine. "The nerves in your spinal cord are severed. I'll try to magically stimulate them and we'll see if it works."

After a moment, Harry tried to move his foot but nothing happened. "I still can't move my legs," he said as Dresdon healed the fractures to Harry's vertebrae and vanished the back and neck brace before magically dressing him in boxers, sweatpants, and a short sleeved shirt.

"Spinal nerve cells can't really repair themselves," Dresdon said, sadly. "Even with magic, spinal cord injuries are fickle at best. We can stimulate the nerves to grow new cells, but the if cells aren't able to connect with each other to repair the damage, then there's nothing we can do. It's a flaw in the human physiological design, I'm afraid."

"So… that means that…" Sirius's heart sank as he took in this news. "That Harry will…" He couldn't even think about it, let alone actually say the words. Why did everything have to happen to Harry? Why couldn't the powers that be ever cut the kid a break?

"I'm going to be stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of my life… aren't I?" Harry said, feeling lower than he'd ever felt in his entire life.

"Unless some miracle happens… I'm afraid so, Harry," Rousseau replied, sadly. "Auror Tonks is doing some quick memory work on the doctors and nurses so if you want we can get you out of here right now."

Dresdon pulled out a portkey and everyone in the room, Casey Novak included, touched it. After a few seconds, Harry felt a jerk behind his navel and he left the hospital room at last.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Hufflepuff Health and Rehabilitation Center wasn't all that busy for a Thursday afternoon so 5 people dropping out of thin air was more noticed that it would have been otherwise.

Sirius got to his feet first and bent down to pick up his godson, almost shocked at how light Harry felt. And Sirius felt even more dismayed as he felt how bony Harry was. This kid needed to gain some weight and quick.

"Ahhh, Dresdon, you're back," said a tall witch with long strawberry blonde hair tied up in a braid as she came around the check-in desk. "You can take Mr. Potter to…" She consulted a chart. "Physical Therapy Room 5425. Healer Kitner is waiting. And Mr. Black, I'll need you to answer some questions for me as soon as possible about Harry's medical history."

An assistant healer whose nametag read 'P. Hachure' came up to Sirius pushing what looked like a modern muggle electric wheelchair. "Mr. Black, if you wouldn't mind…"

Sirius sat Harry down in the wheelchair and after getting his godson seated comfortably, looked up at Hachure. "How does this thing work?" Sirius asked, looking at the wheelchair.

"Much like the normal muggle one," Hachure said, showing Harry the controls. "The joystick controls direction and the blue button you push before going up or down stairs."

"Follow me, Harry," Dresdon said, heading down a hallway.

Harry moved the control forward and he headed along down the hall after Dresdon.

Sirius went over to the witch at the front desk and said, "You said you had some questions for me about Harry?"

The witch nodded and flipped a page of Harry's chart. "Do you know if Harry has any allergies or previous medical conditions?"

Sirius shook his head, no idea about Harry's medical history. He didn't remember Harry having any problems as a baby. "I don't think so."

"Okay…," the witch asked, scribbling something down. "What about muggle immunizations?"

Sirius shook his head, also unsure. "I don't know. But thinking about the muggles Harry's lived with, I'll say no."

The witch made a note. "We'll do a few magical scans to double check. Um…" Scanning the chart, she finally asked, "I'll also need the names of Harry's primary and legal guardians, also where Harry will be living with if he gets out of here before he returns to Hogwarts."

"Dumbledore was Harry's primary guardian," Sirius replied, not wanting to think about what the headmaster would do. "But uh… Why don't you put me down instead?"

"Legal guardian?" the witch asked.

"Molly Weasley," Sirius said. "And Harry will be staying with the Weasleys as well."

"Duly noted," the witch replied, making a few notes on Harry's chart. "Thanks. If I need anything else, I'll let you know."

Sirius nodded and headed off to Room 5425 where he found Harry reseating himself in the wheelchair.

"Everything okay, Sirius?" Harry asked, turning the chair around.

"Just fine, Prongslet," Sirius said, watching as Harry came up. Trying to be upbeat, Sirius asked, "How are you doing in that thing?"

"Getting around is the easy part," Harry replied as he went back to a stack of mats piled on the floor. Sirius followed and Harry stopped the chair next to the mats and reached over, levering himself out of the wheelchair and onto the mats.

Sirius tried to look optimistic as Kitner—a wizarding physical therapist—helped Harry work on maneuvering in and out of the wheelchair as well as going up and down a set of practice stairs using the levitation charms on the wheelchair. Inside, however, Sirius felt his heart break as saw what Harry's life would be like from now on. How would Harry accept being unable to play Quidditch anymore? And what about Voldemort? Harry couldn't even walk! How was he supposed to kill the most powerful dark wizard in history if he was in a wheelchair?

"Sirius," Casey said, walking up to Harry's godfather and giving him a warm smile. There was something about the man she felt almost drawn to for some reason.

"I'm just thinking…" Sirius said, watching Harry go through his exercises. "You know about everything that's happened."

"I wish the wizard courts allowed for muggles to be tried," Casey said, eyes on Harry as well. "Then I could say everything I want to. It's hard hiding the fact you're a witch in the muggle world."

"I can well imagine," Sirius said, vaguely. It wasn't like he wasn't interested in what Casey was saying. It was just that he was lost in his own thoughts.

"And now suddenly being thrust back into the magical world again… I'm starting to wonder why I left," Casey said, thinking.

"You're a wonderful prosecutor," Sirius said, turning to face her. "You saved Harry from going back to the Dursleys… You could do a lot of good here." But as he looked at Casey Novak, Sirius was struck by the sudden thought that he didn't want her to stay here in New York. He wanted her to come with him.

"But that still doesn't change the wizarding courts," Casey protested, thinking about the injustices of the magical legal system. "We can go after wizards who attack muggles but not muggles who attack wizards?"

"We can't change it, Casey," Sirius said, shrugging. "It is what it is."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Casey said, sounding resolved as she turned and left the room.

Former judge Mary Clark had just finished making herself a mug of tea when someone knocked on the door. Wondering who would be stopping by unannounced, Mary set her mug down on the counter and headed for the foyer. Opening the door, she was only slightly surprised to see ADA Casey Novak standing there. "Casey. What brings you here?" Mary asked, curious.

"I need your advice," Casey said when her mentor stepped aside so that Casey could enter the apartment.

"Professional or personal?" Mary asked, heading into the kitchen as she gestured for Casey to take a seat in the living room.

"Personal," Casey replied, sitting down on the couch. "I guess you heard about the Potter case."

Mary nodded as she fixed another mug of tea and joined her protégée in the living room. "Hard case, I imagine."

"Judge Clark… if I tell you something unbelievable… do you promise not to automatically throw me in a nuthouse?" Casey asked as she took the offered mug of tea.

"First of all, Casey," Mary said, smirking, as she sat down with her own tea. "You need to start calling me 'Mary'. As for the 'something unbelievable'… Whatever it is, I promise to believe you."

Casey felt reassured, but was still unsure of how to say it. After a moment, she said, "I, uh… I'm a witch."

"That's it?" Mary said, sipping her tea, looking nonchalant. .

Casey looked taken aback. Her friend and mentor knew she was a witch? "You're not surprised by that?"

Mary grinned. "I told you my youngest son went to a private boarding school a couple years ago. I just didn't add that it was for wizards."

"You're a witch?" Casey asked, stunned that she never knew that the former judge knew about the wizarding world.

"Oh, heavens no," Mary replied with a small snort of laughter. "I'm a muggle and so was my husband. My son, Greg, is a muggleborn wizard. So… Now that that's out of the way, what did you need advice on?"

"The wizard courts can punish a wizard that attacks muggles but it won't prosecute a muggle who attacks an underage wizard," Casey said, drinking her own tea as she voiced her complaint.

"It's not right, I agree," Mary replied. "But what can you do? From what I know, not much has changed about magical law in decades."

"That's what I keep thinking," Casey pressed. "Nothing's changed even though it needs to."

Catching on, Mary leaned back in her armchair and said, "You're thinking about returning to the wizarding world."

"Exactly," Casey said, nodding. "I want to figure out some way that we can combine magical and muggle law. Who knows how many kids like Harry Potter need help."

Leaning back in her chair, Mary contemplated the quandary. "Casey, you're a fair yet strong prosecutor. You stand for what you believe in and you don't back down without a fight. With a wand in your hand… I imagine there's nothing you couldn't accomplish."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Getting back to her office late that night, Casey was surprised to see Albus Dumbledore standing by the door. "Pretty brazen move coming to see me given what you did to Harry," she said, not bothering to issue the man an invitation to come in.

"Do you mind if we talk?" Dumbledore asked, politely, as he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Make it snappy. I'm packing up my stuff," Casey snapped, going to her bookcase and retrieving a small, thin wooden case on the top shelf and wiping the dust off before setting the box on the desk..

Dumbledore nodded, understanding the woman's short temper. "I'd like to offer you a job, Miss Novak. I have already employed a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but the staff change has left me without a potions master."

"Why me?" Casey asked, doubtfully. She'd considered teaching a long time ago but that was back when she'd first graduated Hogwarts.

"Your grades in Potions were the best I've ever seen," Dumbledore replied. "And I know that you wish to affect changes in the wizarding legal system but that does not mean that you can't explore other avenues in the process."

"I admit if I hadn't become an ADA I think I'd probably already be teaching Potions," Casey said, opening the wooden box and pulling out a beautiful olivewood wand. "But if you're thinking that flattering me will convince me to forgive you for what you did to Harry—"

"I am aware that I have done… unforgivable things," Dumbledore said, sitting down on the sofa in Casey's office. "But I assure you I thought I was keeping Harry safe. I placed Harry with his aunt because I sought to take advantage of a blood protection."

"I know about that," Casey replied, looking the headmaster in the eye. "Harry told me when I asked why he wouldn't press charges against you."

Dumbledore sighed. He knew it was a long shot but he'd hoped that she might consider the offer. "If you wish to focus on wizard law, then I will return to Hogwarts," he said, standing up. "But should you change your mind… you know where to find me."

Just as Dumbledore was about to close the door behind him, he heard Casey ask, "How soon do I need to be there?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You're really leaving?" Fin asked as he stood in Casey's office two days later watching her magically pack the last of her belongings. Once you got past the surprise of it all, the magic thing was pretty cool, he had to admit.

"I just think that I need to get back to being a witch," Casey said, as the last of her things shrank and flew into the boxes on the floor. After closing up the boxes, she turned to Fin and gave him a smile.

"But we could still use you here," Fin protested. "You're good at your job." Besides, Casey Novak was one of only a small handful of ADAs who were up to the task of working in SVU.

"Vernon Dursley was tried here because the wizard courts couldn't try him," Casey replied, reiterating her reasons for leaving. "And even though I've done a lot of good for SVU, there are even more kids and victims out there who don't have anyone to fight for them."

Fin looked beaten, but he nodded. "I understand. You go do what you gotta do, Casey. I'll make sure they hold your job for you."