Chapter 4: Goodbyes

The Dursleys were reviving the worst memories of their lives until they heard someone shout "Expecto Patronum!" The someone is a character the Dursleys never saw before but, based on his clothes, they could tell he's a wizard. "Who are you?" Vernon angrily asked while Dudley went to his bedroom to hide from further danger.

"My name is Kingsley Shacklebolt and I'm an Auror." Shacklebolt explained. "Professor Dumbledore sent me here to protect you against Death Eaters who might resent you for sheltering Harry Potter."

"Is that what just happened?" Petunia asked with a frown as she thought of another reason to hate her nephew.

"Normally I'd think so except that we were attacked by Dementors, Mrs. Dursley." Kingsley explained.

"What are Dementors?" Vernon grumpily asked. "And what's an Auror in the first place?"

"Aurors are Dark Wizard catchers and Dementors guard Azkaban Prison." Petunia explained.

"Then what are those Dementor things doing here?" Vernon angrily asked. "Are they looking for the boy?"

"Boy?" Kingsley asked in confusion.

"Harry Potter." Vernon clarified. "Why else would Azkaban guards come here? What did he do?"

Kingsley didn't catch on the fact Vernon meant some real wrongdoing. "The Dementor attack is likely the work of some corrupt officer who wanted to prevent Harry Potter from suing the Ministry of Magic." He explained.

"He's what?" Petunia asked in shock. "What's he suing for?"

"The boy probably figured out a frivolous lawsuit is the only way he can get by not that he's no longer living at our expense." Vernon commented.

"He's suing on behalf of his recently deceased Godfather, Mr. Dursley." Kingsley answered.

"Godfather?" Vernon asked in confusion. "The boy doesn't have a Godfather."

"Not anymore." Kingsley replied.

"Then why didn't he take the boy in?" Petunia asked. She was indignant that she had to take a freak in while said freak had a Godfather all along.

"Because he was in Azkaban during all this time, Mrs. Dursley." Kingsley answered.

"Is that what the boy is suing the Ministry for?" Vernon asked in curiosity.

"Yes, Mr. Dursley." Kingsley answered. "Harry Potter claims the Ministry should have allowed him a chance to plead his case in a trial."

"Are you saying he wasn't?" Petunia asked in outrage. "What kind of barbaric society doesn't allow their accused criminals a trial? What if he's innocent?"

"He's Sirius Black!" Kingsley said like that made it obvious Harry's Godfather couldn't be innocent.

"Who?" Vernon asked as he never heard of Sirius Black before.

"By what I recall, Sirius Black was a year mate of the boy's parents and used to be best friends with the boy's father." Petunia answered.

"Is that all you know of him?" Kingsley asked in confusion.

"We lost contact with them after their graduation." Petunia replied. "What else were we supposed to know?"

"Sirius Black betrayed the Potters to Voldemort and, when Peter Pettigrew tried to capture him, he killed Pettigrew and twelve muggle bystanders." Kingsley explained while exasperated at the notion that there were people who knew of the Wizarding World but not of this fact.

"Are those the crimes he was left to rot in prison for with no trial?" Vernon asked.

"Yes." Kingsley simply answered.

"Then there's a chance he's innocent of all of them." Vernon commented. "It's not like it'd be necessary to deny him a trial to keep him imprisoned if they had strong enough evidence to convict him."

"Mr. Dursley, that's exactly why we didn't waste time with a trial." Kingsley explained.

"That's witch hunter reasoning!" Vernon angrily protested. "There should have been a trial to settle doubts regarding Sirius Black's supposed guilt no matter how certain those who imprisoned him were or said they were of it."

Being well-versed on Muggle Studies, Kingsley Shacklebolt took no offence to the "witch hunter" comment but something else worried him. "Said they were?"

"Exactly." Vernon stated. "I am now fearing for the worst and believing this Black character was only denied a trial because somebody wanted him out of the way regardless of him being guilty or not."

'Oh, Merlin.' Kingsley thought. 'A muggle Xenophilius Lovegood.' "The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black is one of the most influential families in the Wizarding World." Kingsley pleaded. "Had the Ministry allowed him a trial, they would have rigged it to have Black acquitted."

"They could do it but couldn't force the Ministry to hold a trial in the first place?" Petunia skeptically asked. "I find it hard to believe."

"Well, it's none of my business if you believe Black guilty or not." Kingsley commented. "I'm checking the area for more Dementors."

Meanwhile, at the Ministry Headquarters, Dolores Umbridge giddily went to the Improper Use of Magic Office to talk to Mafalda Hopkirk. "Ms. Hopkirk?" She called with her sickly sweet voice.

"What may I do for you, Senior Undersecretary Umbridge?" Hopkirk asked out of respect and fear.

"Have you ever received any notifications of magic being done in front of muggles at Privet Drive lately?" Umbridge asked.

"Yes, Senior Undersecretary Umbridge." Hopkirk answered. "A Patronus Charm has been reported to be done at Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey a few minutes ago

"Which action has been taken against Harry Potter for it?" Umbridge asked.

"N-none." Hopkirk answered. "He's not a suspect."

"Who besides him could be responsible for this?" Umbridge asked. "He's the only wizard who lives in the area."

"Harry Potter moved into his family's home in Godric's Hollow, Senior Undersecretary Umbridge." Hopkirk explained. "I was notified of the fact so he'd no longer be automatically regarded as the main suspect of every improper use of magic done at Privet Drive."

"Nonsense." Umbridge stated. "Potter still has family living there. No other wizard or witch has any reason to be in that muggle area."

"Well, I suppose I could send him a letter of inquiry." Hopkirk suggested.

"Just inquiry?" Umbridge asked. "Cornelius and I would be very displeased if you did nothing more."

"I've sent a subordinate to interrogate the Dursleys since they're the only muggles in the area who are allowed to know about the Wizarding World." Hopkirk added.

"I don't care for whatever tales some muggles will make up to protect their half-blood nephew." Umbridge said with a dismissive tone.

Meanwhile, Kingsley Shacklebolt arrived at Headmaster Dumbledore's office to report the latest development. "Kingsley, you did good by saving the Dursleys but it's regrettable they support Harry on his effort to sue the Ministry." The Headmaster commented.

"They're merely upset because, for better or worse, Sirius Black would have otherwise taken Mr. Potter from them." Professor McGonagall stated.

"As a half-blood who grew up in the muggle world and had a muggle father, I know for a fact that the mistakes caused by the witch hunters from old times have induced muggles into believing they must never be certain enough of a criminal's guilt to see it as a justification to deny them a chance to plead innocent." Professor Snape commented. "The Dursleys are merely acting upon that principle."

"They wouldn't care about anything that happened in our world if it didn't affect their chances of not having Mr. Potter with them and you must know that, Severus." Professor McGonagall commented. "After all, you had the displeasure of growing up in the same neighborhood as her."

"Any chances we can get the Dursleys to talk Harry out of the idea Black's trial-less imprisonment had ulterior motives, Kingsley?" Dumbledore asked.

"Impossible, Headmaster." Kingsley sadly replied. "They also believe there must have been some ulterior motive." He then looked at Snape. "Mr. Dursley even said it was witch hunter reasoning to avoid wasting time with a trial for the obviously guilty. Mrs. Dursley even added that, if those willing to rig an eventual trial on Black's favor could have done so, they'd be able to make a trial happen in the first place."

"Kingsley, have you already reported your usage of the Patronus Charm?" Dumbledore asked.

Meanwhile, Harry was having a meeting with a solicitor. "Mr. Potter, a hearing day has been set." The solicitor said as he showed Harry the official parchment. "Please show up there at least three hours earlier just in case the Ministry anticipates the hearing to make you late."

"Can they do that, Mr. Greengrass?" Harry asked in outrage.

"In theory, they can for as long as they send a forewarning before the new time set for the beginning no matter how much of a forewarning you get, Mr. Potter." Greengrass stated. "My only concern is your insistence in accusing Headmaster Dumbledore in spite of everything he did for you."

"Not in spite of everything he did for me but because of everything he did to me." Harry replied.

"Yes, you've already told me of your theory that Dumbledore pretended to fall for the frame-up Sirius Black was supposedly a victim of." Mr. Greengrass said. "You're already pushing your luck by accusing Peter Pettigrew of faking his death and framing Black. And besides, my daughter Daphne told me of the times Headmaster Dumbledore favored you at school."

"She doesn't know me." Harry defiantly stated.

"Everybody knows how Dumbledore suddenly gave enough points to you and your friends at the end-of-year feast to make Gryffindor go from last to first for your first year." Mr. Greengrass stated.

"The achievements we got those points for were more important than Dumbledore made them out to be and that made up for the time McGonagall unjustly docked fifty points from each of us for something she docked only twenty points from Malfoy." Harry explained. "Now, did you get in contact with a tutor to teach me for my seventh year?"

"Yes, Mr. Potter." Mr. Greengrass answered. "Horace Slughorn agreed to teach you."

"Are you certain he's a good choice?" Harry asked.

"Not only he has connections, you'd also have an easier time learning potions from him than from Severus Snape." Mr. Greengrass explained. "Not only he doesn't have any animosities against any of your parents, he's also willing to teach those who got EE for Potions O.W.L.s as shown back when he used to be Hogwarts' Potions Master."

"What about my godfather's funeral?" Harry asked.

"Tomorrow at fifteen o'clock as you requested, Mr. Potter." Mr. Greengrass answered. "The Weasleys, the Grangers and the Longbottoms were invited."

Their conversation was then interrupted by a letter from Mafalda Hopkirk. "I thought I'd no longer have to worry about these once I left the Dursleys." Harry commented and then read the letter. "Perfect." He sarcastically stated. "Hokirk's saying somebody performed a Patronus Charm at Privet Drive and I'm being treated as a suspect because no other wizard or witch has anything to do with that place. I've never even been there ever since I've moved out."

"I'll talk to Madam Hopkirk and see what this is about." Mr. Greengrass stated. "It's probably a trick to persecute you but we'd better keep our suspicions between us."

The next day, Mr. Greengrass informed Harry that Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt used that Patronus charm and justified it by claiming the Dursleys were being attacked by Dementors and it seemed somebody wanted to keep him from suing the Ministry. Later that day, they held the funeral. Hermione was the first guest to appear. "Oh, Harry. Are you forgiving Sirius for what he did to your family?"

"No, Hermione." Harry answered. "I believe he's innocent."

"Harry, I understand it's wrong on the Ministry's part to deny an accused criminal a trial but the evidence is clear." Hermione pleaded.

"No, it's not and that's the real reason he was denied a trial." Harry replied.

"Harry, you cannot believe that!" Hermione was shocked.

"I don't blame him, Hermione." Her father commented. "I find it suspicious someone could be imprisoned without a trial."

"The evidence was clear and there was a war." Hermione explained.

"Lucius Malfoy was allowed a chance to say he was under the Imperius but Sirius Black wasn't allowed a chance to say he didn't do anything he was accused of doing." Harry argued. "If you don't see the unfairness of that, you probably agree with the Weasleys that the lawsuit I'm moving against the Ministry for denying him a trial is frivolous."

"Not at all, Harry." She explained. "Everyone should be allowed a trial. Hagrid would likely still be in Azkaban had you not found out about Tom Riddle back in our second year."

"Hi, Harry." Neville said.

"I'm glad you came, Neville." Harry commented and then looked around for Neville's Grandmother.

"My Gran thinks you're barmy for doubting Black's guilt and too strict for minding about the Ministry skipping a formality to minimize the chances of Black escaping justice." Neville said, explaining her absence.

"And she let you come?" Harry asked.

"I've been an adult for a day longer than you, Harry." Neville stated. "I've even bought my own wand so I'd no longer have to use my Dad's. Just don't tell Gran."

"Okay, Nev." Harry replied.

"Where are the Weasleys?" Neville asked. "I thought you'd invited them as well."

"They refused the invitation." Harry explained. "They're too certain of his guilt. Anyway, now it's time for me to give him a proper goodbye."

End chapter.