Disclaimer: Not mine, sorry.
A/N Chapter 2; Harry Potter age 3. Between a year and a half to two years after Godric's Hollow. Sirius Black gets the trial he should have gotten.
James had never been good at hiding his emotions, and now, as he watched his wife of four years, Lily Potter, dress for one of the most important days of his life, he felt utter awe. Lily Potter had changed in the two years since Voldemort had tortured her in his desperate leap for true immortality. A silver lock of hair started at her left temple and was a clear marker of her torture at the hands of Voldemort, as well as wrinkles and scars, most of which were hidden under her clothing. Voldemort had not been kind to James either; his once thick, glossy black hair had gained a liberal sprinkling of white. Lines stole his youthful appearance, but his hazel eyes were undiminished in any other form.
"Now then," James said, laying his hands on either side of Lily's hips and leaned over her shoulder to kiss her cheek, "You look beautiful. Are you ready for this?"
"Of course," Lily replied, twisting to look up at James, "it's taken too long as it is. Let's go bring Padfoot home."
The pair left their bedroom and went into the shared room of their twins, Hunter and Harry, now three. Harry was looking at one of the books from the shelves and Hunter was trying to build something out of magical blocks. Lily, as she often did, stopped to look at both of her sons, quiet, serious Harry, who had started wearing glasses and looked so much like James, and Hunter, the loud, boisterous one, with a love of building and just making noise. Two babies made famous because of a burst of magic that couldn't possibly be accidental magic. Hunter reached for a green block that was out of his reach, after straining for a moment, he stopped and glared at the block, "Coom bai!" He declared, and the block shot over to him neatly.
Lily clapped her hands, "Very good, Hunter," she said, scooping up her son and twirling him around.
James kissed Hunter's cheek when Lily settled down, and then he picked up Harry, "I guess we'll be seeing you do the same soon, huh, champ?" James asked, smoothing back Harry's hair.
Harry grabbed his dad's hand and pushed it away, "No! No touch!" He said.
James laughed and ran his hand through Harry's hair one last time, bringing the lightening bolt scar into view, "There, now you look handsome!" He told the little boy.
Harry scrunched his face up, "No! No han'some."
"Yes handsome," Lily said, also laughing. "What about you, Hunter, are you handsome?"
"No." Hunter said firmly. "Like Hawwy."
"Well, I say that you are both handsome," Lily announced, bestowing kisses on both boys, "now, let's go. We don't want to be late, after all."
The foursome went downstairs to the fireplace and James pulled Harry close, "Here we go," he announced, then tossed in the Floo powder, "Ministry of Magic!" He declared and let the flames whisk him away.
The reporters were crowded around a different Floo and James smiled to himself at that piece of good luck. Remus, Dumbledore, and another of the Order Wizards, Aurora Florine, moved to join him as Lily showed up. "Are you ready, James?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes," James replied distantly. Dumbledore had not wanted to grant this trial anymore than the newly elected Minister Fudge, but James had spoken loudly and now Sirius Black would be tried.
"Let's go," Dumbledore said.
The group moved through the Atrium, pausing only to have their wands checked, and then they headed down to Courtroom Ten for the trial. Albus parted from them after they left the stairs, to take his seat as the Head of the Wizengamont. James turned to Remus, "You'll have to take Harry, Remus. I'll have to speak."
"Don't worry," Remus said, taking the boy, "if it comes down to it, I can watch both Harry and Hunter."
"Be careful," James said, "I'm afraid that someone will push us to identify the boys."
"No worries," Remus said, "I'll take care of them James."
"We'll take care of them," Lily corrected him. "You just worry about Sirius, James." James smiled at them tightly, and then left to take a seat in the witness section. Remus and Lily took the boys up to the spectator seating, as far from the reporters as they could manage.
There was a quiet murmur in the room, as people waited for the trial to start, using the noise to cover his own words, Remus turned to Lily, "I take it that there's still no way to tell?"
"No," Lily replied, "we still don't know. Albus has been urging us to let him declare the true defeater of Voldemort, but we won't. No one has been able to prove which boy is the one, so we're determined to not say anything. We'll treat the boys equally, and the reporters can just go hang themselves."
"Albus won't like that," Remus murmured, "as grateful as I am, and as good a man he is, he still cannot accept that his control is fading away now."
"He'll want to take over raising our sons," Lily said, "as soon as we let him tell the world anything. Our children are not sacrifices."
Harry tugged at Remus's hand, "Moony, see Pa'foo'," he declared, pointing.
"Yes, Harry, that's Padfoot," Remus replied.
"No! See Pa'foo'," Harry insisted, loudly.
"Not right now, Harry," Remus said, "we have to wait."
"Want Pa'foo'!" Harry cried, catching attention from the members of the Wizengamont.
"I'll take him outside," Remus told Lily, who nodded.
Remus picked up Harry with a grunt, "You're getting big, cub," he said as he started for the stairs.
"NO!" Harry howled, "Pa'foo'!"
Remus sighed and rushed from the court room before the three year old could disrupt the proceedings anymore. After the door shut, Remus sighed and set Harry down. "Court over yet?" One of the Auror guards asked.
"No," Remus said, watching as Harry howled and kicked the floor. "It's amazing, he's only seen pictures of Sirius for the past two years, and he not only managed to recognize him, but disrupted the proceedings with his demands to go to him."
"Makes sense to get him out of there, wouldn't want my kid so eager to see a back stabbing murderer like that," the Auror agreed.
Remus looked up sharply, "Were I you, I'd lose that attitude. The child is Harry Potter, and Sirius Black is his godfather, not to mention an innocent man accused of crimes he did not, could not, commit."
Harry's howls faded, and the little boy tugged at Remus's robes. Remus looked down, and smiled, slightly, Harry looked adorable as he rubbed his cheek with one hand and clung to his robes with the other, "Moony, wan' Pa'foo'."
Remus knelt, "Padfoot can't see you right now, Harry." He began, "He wants to, you know he loves you more than anything. It's just that he's in trouble, and those people are deciding how much time he'll have to spend in time out, ok? Like when you took Hunter's blocks and were sent to the corner."
Harry grinned, "Gonna hit 'em wit a paper, Moony? Like Mommy?"
Remus laughed, "I just might, for scaring me like he did."
The doors to the courtroom swung open and Hunter came running out, with Lily just behind him. "Hawwy!" Hunter said, "Coom Bai!"
Harry smiled, "Moony ebau Pa'foo' coo sofer."
Hunter smiled back, and as they launched into an intricate conversation in 'twin', Lily smiled at Remus, who stood, "I had to get out of there, Remus," she said.
"It'll be all right, Lily," Remus said. "There's no way they'll convict Sirius now."
"You're right, I just couldn't see them use Veritaserum on Sirius. It's always struck me as wrong that someone so full of life could look like that under the effect of any potion. Not that I'm glad that he is being mature in there, but I also miss the old Sirius. Even if we will have to ban his name in his presence again." Lily replied, with a false laugh, her eyes straying to her boys.
"I know," Remus said, "are they at that point already?"
"Yes," Lily said.
Remus hesitated, "I wanted to see this part, actually. I wanted to know how much of our Hogwarts exploits are going to come out while they're trying to get to the bottom of things."
Lily laughed again, less forced than before, but not carefree abandon either. There'd been little call for unrestrained laughter since Voldemort had disrupted their lives, and it was good to see Lily trying. "Go ahead, Remus. Get enough blackmail to make it worthwhile. I'll let the boys run around a bit before we come back."
"Ok, be safe," Remus replied.
"I will," Lily said.
Remus opened one of the doors, and went inside.
HPMOMHPMOMHPMOMHPMOMHPMOMHPMOMHPMOMHPMOMHPMOMHP
"Sirius Black, we, the Witches and Wizards of the Wizengamont, do find you…NOT GUILTY!"
Pandemonium filled the room at this announcement, but only a few photographers noticed the two black haired boys who raced to hug Sirius Black, who was crying and laughing and hugging his best friend. By the time everyone's attention was again on Sirius Black, he was holding one of the boys, James had the other in his arms, and Black was being squeezed in a four-way group hug with the Potters and a light brown haired man. Reporters surged, only to be held back by a shield. As they watched, eager to get the story, Albus Dumbledore spoke to the group, and then accepted a portkey from the head of the DMLE that whisked the group away, despite the howls by the reporters.
Dumbledore approached the reporters, "Mr. Black has requested time to recover from his recent stay in Azkaban, and promises to make a statement before the morning edition comes out."
"Professor Dumbledore," one reporter said, "is it true that you still do not know which of the Potter children defeated You-Know-Who?"
Dumbledore paused, and then seized the moment, "No, we have finished our testing. The twin that reflected the Killing Curse and destroyed Voldemort is Hunter Potter."
HPMOMHPMOMHPMOMHPMOMHPMOMHPMOMHPMOMHPMOMHPMOMHP
The headlines filled three quarters of the page the next morning, with special editions of both news pieces. The first was expected, in a way, but the second…the second was only the first sally in a cold war that would continue for many long years, until only a few people could even remember what had lead to the division between the Potter family and their allies with Albus Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix.
The first headline read:
SIRIUS BLACK DECLARED INNOCENT
AURORS SEARCHING FOR PETER PETTIGREW
The second headline was just as informative, and far less expected.
ALBUS DUMBLEDORE REVEALS IDENTITY OF THE BOY-WHO-LIVED
That headline would be the constant reminder to Dumbledore in later years, especially considering how much damage could have been prevented if he'd kept his mouth shut per the Potter's wishes.