Author Notes:

Just noticed that somehow the text showed up fine in Notepad, but transferring it to Word messed up the word wrap which I just checked and do have enabled in Notepad. If anyone knows how to fix this I'd be grateful. It will be fixed for the final version of the chapter. Please bear with it for now and if anyone can help, let me know.

I'm sorry. There's nothing much more that I can say

but if you take a look at my livejournal (see my profile for the

address) it might explain a little of why this update is so long in

coming. Be assured that I am not giving up on any of my stories, in

fact the ideas going round my head are driving me crazy. Anyway,

enough of that, on with the story.

My Lord, My Leader

Chapter 2.

A white light seemed to engulf Harry and the two students holding on to

him, warmth flooded through them and a moment later they were gone,

leaving three gob smacked people in their wake.

Harry Potter was free from Azkaban.

--------------------------------

It was a few moments before anyone could speak.

"Professor, did you see... did he just...?", stuttered out Tonks.

"Yes Nymphadora, I do believe Mr. Potter just apparated out of

Azkaban.", replied Dumbledore calmly.

Tonks scowled at the use of her first name, and wondered if there was

anything that could phase the old man at all.

"Right.", boomed Kingsley. "So setting aside the fact that this is

supposed to be a prison, and that therefore escape by such simple means

of apparition is supposed to be impossible, where do you suppose Harry

has gone?"

"I think,", said Dumbledore, "that he has most likely gone to the

Ministry, and if I am not very much mistaken I believe we should get

there to see the show." So saying he took out a mug and the others

touched a finger to it. With a jerk around their navals they too

disappeared from the prison island in a swirl of colour.

Harry, Ron and Hermione landed quietly behind a rubbish bin in a small

access alley between two shops in the main Wizarding shopping district

called Diagon Alley. Ron and Hermione, no doubt ffrom the shock of

being apparated across the sea and then across the length of the

country stumbled, but were quickly caught by Harry before they hit the

ground.

"Thanks.", they both said whilst dusting off their robes.

"No problem.", replied Harry. "Now I know you have many questions, not

the least of which is about how I got you here,", he continued, seeing

Hermione had opened her mouth and was about to start on a tirade of

questions. She quickly shut it. "...but we really must be going as

there is a lot we have to do today."

He looked around the bin, and once sure that no-one was looking in

their direction, pulled the others behind as he made his way a few

metres down the street and stopped outside a medium sized shop. It was

a rather colourful shop, with flashing ligbhts lining the window frames

and adverts for products such as Skiving Snackboxes and Wizfire

Wizbangs covering the glass. There was a sign with the word 'CLOSED'

in bright blue letters on it stuck to the inside of the door and a

vivid orange day-glow plackard bearing the title 'Weasley's Wizard

Wheezes' hanging over it.

Pushing open the door, he led them inside, their arrival announced by a

loud, melodious trumpet blast. He looked around the shop, the inside

of which was practically blinding when compared to it's neighbours.

There wasn't a dark or gloomy colour anywhere, and every nook and

cranny was filled with shelves lined with products or stacks of crates

and boxes. At had been at least nine months since Harry had last seen

the shop and he was pleased to see that business appeared to have been

good. He had given the Weasley twins, owners of the shop, his winnings

from the Triwizard Tournament in his fourth year, and now that they

were no longer studying at Hogwarts they had used what was left of the

money after buying the premises to extend their line of jokes and gags.

There was a yell as Fred bounded out from a room in the back of the

store, followed promptly by his brother.

"Harry!", cried Fred, running up to him and pumping his hand. "How

absolutely corking to see you."

"It's been too long mate.", included George, nudging Fred out of the

way and taking his turn with Harry's now slightly sore hand.

"Hi guys.", said Harry, a smile breaking out on his face. He couldn't

help but feel his mood lighten when the twins were around. No matter

what the situation, you could count on them to liven it up.

"And he apparated us here!" said Hermione, joining the conversation for

the first time, her face a mask of incredulity.

"Oh hello there Ronnykins, Hermione.", said George, only just noticing

Harry's two companions.

Ron's face flushed upon hearing the nickname, but he didn't have long

to think up a suitable retort as Hermione continued, now in full

encyclopedia mode.

"I mean he apparated us. He APPARATED us! I mean that isn't possible,

that just isn't possible. It says in 'A Complete History and Analogy

of Wizarding Law" that the prison of Azkaban was built with multiple

wards to improve security on top of the dementors, which included

anti-portkey and anti-apparation wards. It was rumoured that the

prison was inescapable, that is until Sirius-"

She stopped, her eyes widening as she turned to Harry, but to her

surprise he looked fine, although she could see the spark of

determination in his eyes. He gave her a small smile and a nod,

signalling her to continue.

"...until Sirius escaped.", Harry finished the sentence for her. "I

know, Hermione, but we really do have a lot to do today and I must

explain what has happened before we go. I ask you all to hold your

questions until I have finished.

Receiving nods from everyone, he waved his hand after which four chairs

zoomed across the room to where his friends were standing. Gesturing

that they should each sit down, he started pacing and began his

explanation.

"As you all know, our esteemed minister Fudge...", here, a contemptuous

scowl crossed his face, "...had the decency to have me arrested

shortly after my return to the Dursleys for, what did he call it, ah

yes, being a danger to society. At the time, Dumbledore and the Order

were trying to get everything, including the Ministry, into some sense

of order, and were unable to do anything even though they tried. Then,

shortly afterwards, Fudge was fired and Arthur Weasley took his place.

For reasons that are still unknown to me, he did not or could not do

anything to help. Fortunately, the grip on the Wizengamot was relaxed

with the change of Minister, and Dumbledore was eventually able to call

it together. They voted nearly unanimously to have me freed. All

this happened over the space of nearly nine months, whilst little old

me was safely locked inside..." He gave a bitter laugh.

The others looked at him with surprise on their faces. Harry wondered

whether they had expected him to be angry and start yelling, which, he

had to admit, he probably would have been this time last year. Yes, he

was angry, but he had learned that venting at innocent bystanders, and

his friends at that, would serve no purpose. There would be a time and

place for that, and boy would it be big.

--------------------------------

Author's Notes: This is of course not the entire Chapter 2, I just

don't feel right leaving it off here, but I'm going to post this anyway

just so you have something to read and come back to it in a couple of

days. I now have running University computing assignments that will

run from now till mid December, but I promise to make time for writing.

I will thank everyone who has reviewed at the proper end of the

chapter,but considered youselves thanked most graciously at this time.

Regards, Hussein.