A/N- I'm back again, my friends. I know that some of you have made comments about Remus, Minerva, and Dumbledore being OOC, that they would never react the way they did. While this is true, I put in the summary that this was AU. They all feel betrayed and Sirius is an easy scapegoat. These characters are only going to get worse as the story goes on so if that isn't your thing, no offense taken at you moving on. I promise you, all these characters that are acting irrationally are going to be on the side of the light, they're just going to be flawed, much like you and I are. If you can handle my portrayal of the characters, I'll see you on the other side. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing, you're seriously awesome.
Side note: You guys are getting this chapter earlier than usual but it's because I work the next three days and can't guarantee I'll be able to give y'all a chapter in that time frame. Happy Friday!
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing, I haven't made any money. I work like a dog and sweat my ass off daily so all the money in my bank account is mine by honest means.
Chapter 4
December 1, 1981
Sirius couldn't deny that he was nervous beyond measure. Today was his court case in front of the ICW, or International Confederation of Wizards. While he was as prepared as he could be, he also was aware that Albus Dumbledore was a well-respected wizard in many countries. It was going to be difficult to discredit him.
Sirius had called upon the Black family solicitor, a Mr. Silas Toomey, the day after his encounter with Albus. Sirius was quite certain that the man disbelieved him as everyone else in his life but in the end, it didn't matter. He was going to fight tooth and nail for custody of Harry no matter what he believed.
Mr. Toomey had a plan, of course. He wouldn't be the Black family solicitor if he hadn't. While Sirius considered himself far more forgiving than the rest of his family, it was quite apparent early on that if the man didn't put forth all his effort into winning this case, he would be out of his arse so to speak. Since their solicitor couldn't afford to lose the Black family as clients, it was a given that he would do anything short of avadaing someone to win.
The animagus tried to distract himself from his nervousness with thoughts from the past. Even though there was a constant ache in his chest where James, Lily, Remus, and Harry belonged, he had done his best to focus on the positive. First was Hermione, his beautiful and incredibly intelligent daughter. They had only gotten closer since he adopted her, and he could say without a doubt that she was the light of his life. He had taken Severus' owl several days after their meeting, the one containing the name and contact information of one Madam Cambridge.
Madam Cambridge came highly recommended from numerous pureblood families, she had produced the recommendations at their first meeting. Since Narcissa had expressed interest in her tutor as well, Sirius had allowed her to attend the meeting. She had been working with Hermione for a year already and while he didn't want Madam Cambridge to know that he was loathe to switch from her now, he still wanted to make sure that she was the best choice for his daughter.
While he was pretty much set on Madam Cambridge, he also checked out numerous other tutors in the wizarding world. Even though some of them already had charges, Sirius was arrogant enough to know that the name Black would have most of them renouncing their charges to flock to his door if only he said the word. In the end, he had decided that Madam Cambridge was the best there was to offer. So perfect, in fact, that Narcissa had begged her to take Draco on as well and teach the children together. For quite the hefty increase in pay, Madam Cambridge had agreed happily.
Hermione flooed to the Malfoys every other day now for lessons. On the days she didn't, Narcissa flooed Draco over and left him with one of their elves. Sirius found that he didn't mind his tiny cousin being there several times a week. He had indeed gotten closer to Lucius and Narcissa, if for no other reason then their children growing up together and getting along. While he hadn't confided in his cousin and her husband in anything other than his upcoming trial, he was getting along famously with them and they had stood by their word.
Narcissa had been upset to hear that Bellatrix was found guilty by the Wizengamot for torturing the Longbottoms to insanity. Sirius suspected that her upset was not because her oldest sister was sent away but because she had inflicted the worst punishment possible on someone. Narcissa was a softy at heart and she was quite against unnecessary human suffering. For this reason, Sirius couldn't help but wonder how she had gotten mixed up with the Dark Lord.
Bellatrix had been convicted, of course, as had Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Barty Crouch, Jr. While none of them had been sentenced to the Kiss, they had all four been convicted of life in Azkaban. Both fates were horrible, and Sirius really couldn't wager which one was worse. Narcissa had cried when the sentence was handed down, both in attendance. Sirius had comforted her as best he could, Bella was her sister after all, but in the end had smirked his cousin's way as she had been led off by aurors.
Since Bella was now in Azkaban, Narcissa had to hold up her end of the bargain. She had owled Andromeda the very next day, begging for her to meet with her in her home, that she wanted to rekindle their relationship. What Sirius hadn't expected was for Andromeda to owl him and ask his opinion. He had only tweaked the truth a little when he told his older cousin that Narcissa was genuine and that he had already mended bridges with her.
Sirius hadn't been present for their first dinner. From what he heard from both parties, he was happy that he had agreed to keep Hermione and Draco overnight that night. It had been explosive at first, literally and figuratively. With emotions so near the surface, both women had lashed out at the other, ending in a duel of epic proportions. In the end, it took Lucius stunning them both, binding them to chairs so they could talk without hexing each other.
Apparently, it had taken hours for the two to air their grievances with each other. Lucius had been pissed off fire whiskey by the time they were no longer fighting but it had all been worth it. While they weren't perfect, they were both willing to try to make their newfound relationship work.
Sirius had been invited to the next "family" dinner. When presented with Andromeda and Ted Tonks, not to mention their metamorphmagus daughter, Lucius had seemed downright thrilled to see Sirius, which the Gryffindor was more than amused at. The dinner had gone smashing, however, and as a family, they were well on their way to mending all their fences.
Severus had held true to his word, showing up the weekend after they had met. He had stayed the whole weekend and while it was awkward that first time, the following two weekends after that had been just fine. It made Sirius wonder just how their lives could have been different if they had managed to put their differences behind them back in school. In all actuality, it was a good guess that James would have never married Lily because she would have been with Snape. As much as he hated himself for thinking it, he was glad that the pair had had a falling out. James had loved nobody aside from Lily and Sirius would never begrudge the man who was his brother in everything but blood his happiness.
To his knowledge, Remus was still holed up at the Den. He hadn't heard any news of him on the streets or in the Ministry. Lucius had told him that all had been quiet on his front as well. Since Sirius had started to take over managing the Black estates and businesses, he heard quite a bit but never anything about Remus. Dumbledore was a different story. It was made clear to everyone through the Prophet that he would be going before the ICW against Sirius for custody of Harry Potter. His godson's location was never leaked, however, and it was driving Sirius mad.
These thoughts brought him back to the present, the fact that he was getting ready to walk into a courtroom housing thousands of people that had come to watch the battle between the betrayer of the Potters and Dumbledore. Hermione was standing next to him with Narcissa on one side, Lucius on her other, both holding her hands. They had decided to leave Draco in the safety of Malfoy Manor with their army of house elves to watch after him. Hermione had balked at leaving him there by himself, but Sirius had assured her that it was safer for him there rather than with them. Only then had she capitulated. Narcissa gave him a soft smile.
"I'm hoping for the best for you, Siri. It would be wonderful to raise Hermione and Draco with young Harry Potter. He needs to grow up and know that he has a heritage and a legacy." Sirius grinned at her for the use of his childhood nickname.
"Thanks, Cissy." Lucius gave him an encouraging nod before they led Hermione out of the private chambers and out into the gallery where they would watch the proceedings. Sirius watched them leave and couldn't help but consider just how he had ended up where he was today. In the only words that he could come up with, Peter Pettigrew. With a scowl, he turned toward the door he was supposed to take. Heaving a deep breath, he stepped through and strode to the defendant's table and took his seat next to Mr. Toomey.
It was clear that his solicitor could tell that he was nervous. While he didn't offer any words of comfort or encouragement, it was clear by the look on his face that he expected to win this battle. Dumbledore had chosen to not have representation, feeling that his position as Supreme Mugwump would be good enough to protect him. While Sirius wanted to be irked at the absolute arrogance of his opponent, he still couldn't help but worry.
The gallery was full. There were thousands of people gathered to watch this battle play out in person and Sirius couldn't blame them. Even though court proceedings did absolutely nothing for him, he probably would have turned up too just to see what happened in such an epic battle.
After watching the gallery long enough to spot Hermione and the Malfoys close to the front, he turned back to the scene before him. There was a collection of a hundred different wizards, most with a country name before their person. The Supreme Mugwump of the ICW was an ancient man, one as old as Dumbledore if it was to be believed. Dumbledore was across the aisle from them, seated at a table all by himself, a satisfied little smile on his face. Sirius couldn't help but to want to punch it from his features. When the doors the enormous room closed, the Supreme Mugwump brought the room to order.
"We've been brought here today by Lord Sirius Orion Black, who is pursuing the custody of his godson Harry James Potter, heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Potter. He is bringing charges against Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Supreme Mugwump of the Wizengamot of Britain for kidnapping, assault against a child, and misappropriation of funds. We'll work our way through each of these charges today and then it will be left up to the esteemed body of the ICW to make their ruling. I hold the veto power as befitting my station." Sirius took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, as the Mugwump, a man by the name of Percival Chalmers continued.
"Mr. Toomey, would you prefer to bring your case first?" Silas rose to his feet as he addressed the Mugwump.
"Absolutely, sir. The first charge we'll bring before the court is misappropriation of funds. I would like to enter into evidence paperwork from the goblins of Gringotts, Britain branch. In this paperwork, there is proof that a total of 200,000 galleons were donated by Lord Black to the war effort in the name of the Order of the Phoenix. There is also proof in there that Albus Dumbledore tried to withdraw 500,000 from the Potter vaults after their deaths, citing that James Potter had given his consent before he died. When the goblins researched the account Dumbledore had begun for the war effort, they found that it no longer existed. I would like to call Epoxymoch to the stand first to testify for Gringotts." Silas turned to one of the doors after handing the information to the man in charge of handing evidence to the governing body.
"Epoxymoch." The door swung open and a rather ancient looking goblin appeared before stepping up to take his seat next to the Mugwump. Silas gave him an encouraging smile, which he sneered at.
"You were the goblin that was called upon to investigate these charges. We in no way hold the goblin horde responsible if a guilty verdict is found today. Could you tell us your findings?" The goblin showed his rows of tiny razor-sharp teeth before folding his hands under his chin.
"My findings are as follows. Lord Black did indeed donate a sum of 200,000 galleons into an account that existed for the war effort. He and Albus Dumbledore signed a very basic contract, stating that the funds were to be used for the Order of the Phoenix, getting people into hiding, things of the like. That much is fact. The contract is in the stack of parchment you hold now." The witches and wizards were now shuffling through their parchment to find the one he was speaking of.
"It is also fact that Albus Dumbledore attempted to withdraw 500,000 galleons from the Potter vaults after their death, citing on the parchment in your stack that he was given permission to do so before James Potter was murdered. Since he could have possibly pushed that through due to his standing in the Wizengamot, it is only the intervention of Lord Black that this did not occur. He requested through his own account manager that all Potter vaults be frozen until such time that he could go over them since he was made custodian of them until young Harry reaches the age of his majority." There were soft gasps from the gallery and Sirius felt a slight thrill. Witches and wizards hated to be stolen from, especially wealthy people, and there was a good portion of those sitting on the ICW today. Epoxymoch continued.
"I also tried to bring the balance of the account in question and found that it had been dissolved shortly after Albus Dumbledore tried to funnel more funds into it from the Potter vault. It was merged with his own personal vault, the balance there in the parchment you are holding in your hands. Also included is an itemized list of withdrawals from his personal account and to whom they were paid to." Every single witch and wizard was poring over their copy of the parchment. Dumbledore sat there at his table, alone, hands folded serenely on his lap, eyes twinkling. Sirius wanted to punch him in his crooked nose. Mr. Chalmers spoke.
"It shows in these records that Mr. Dumbledore hasn't spent a thing from his vault except for large amounts of common staples, sent somewhere unspecified. These charges are congruent with feeding and clothing those hidden in safe houses, the very reason that the money was donated. The money that Lord Black donated has been used in the manner that it was meant to be. Epoxymoch, please step down, I'd like to hear from Lord Black for a moment." The goblin seemed pleased to be free to leave, hopping down without a word. Silas turned his way and urged him with his eyes to take the witness stand. Once seated, he waited patiently for the Mugwump to speak.
"When you signed that contract with Mr. Dumbledore, did it state that the money would remain in the account that you put it in?" Sirius gritted his teeth.
"No, sir. It stated that the funds I donated would be used to help the war effort." The man put the parchment in his hands down on his table before meeting his eyes.
"It is quite clear in the parchments your solicitor handed up that there have been no withdrawals from Mr. Dumbledore's account that haven't been war related. That does not constitute misappropriation of funds." Sirius nodded but couldn't help but answer back even though he probably shouldn't.
"Maybe we should change the charges to attempted theft. He still tried to take money from James and Lily's vaults after they were dead. It very well may have gone through if I hadn't frozen their accounts until I could sort them out." The Mugwump glared at him.
"Very well. Amend the charges and I would like to have Mr. Dumbledore up here to hear his side of things." Sirius stood and caught sight of Hermione cheerfully waving at him. While he didn't wave back, he flashed her a grin. Dumbledore stood and made his way to the seat Sirius had just vacated. Mr. Chalmers met his gaze.
"Mr. Dumbledore, it is clear that you have stood by your word regarding the money that Lord Black donated. What do you have to say regarding the money you attempted to get from the Potter vaults after their deaths?" Dumbledore stroked his beard for a few moments before answering.
"I had spoken with James the day that they were murdered regarding their contribution to the war effort. He had agreed to donate 500,000 galleons and have his account manager handle the transaction, much the same as Lord Black's had. I was under the impression that this transaction had already been handled, just needed my signature. I would never have stolen from James and Lily Potter." Sirius got a funny feeling in his gut when he saw the gleeful look cross the Mugwump's face for just a moment after Dumbledore spoke. He wondered if they knew each other. Mr. Chalmers nodded.
"Very well, we'll vote later on your innocence or guilt." Dumbledore returned to his seat and Mr. Chalmers turned to Mr. Toomey. He hoped that Silas was ready to bring his a-game.
"Continue with the next charge." Silas stood and ran his hands down the front of his robes, smoothing them out.
"The next charge we will bring against Albus Dumbledore is assault against a child. As Headmaster of Hogwarts, this is a serious charge. I would like to call Lord Black to the stand, as well as a mind healer." Mr. Chalmers nodded, and Sirius stood again, re-taking the witness seat.
"Please tell us what happened, Lord Black." Sirius took a deep breath and vowed to remain calm. This was the one charge that he was sure of, he just needed to play his cards right.
"I had gone to Hogwarts with my young daughter Hermione to speak with Mr. Dumbledore about the location of my godson. We got into an argument and he pulled his wand. Mine stayed in my pocket for a few minutes, not wanting to escalate the situation. When I saw that he didn't care that I had my two-year-old daughter standing behind me, I pulled my wand but didn't cast. He was so angry that he cast a cutting curse at my knee, slicing the tendon in two, which sent me to the ground. His second curse was some form of an incarcerous, which sailed over my head and hit my daughter.
Hermione was so livid that she exploded out of the ropes holding her and disarmed Dumbledore with her accidental magic. Minerva McGonagall had to restrain him to keep him from retrieving his wand and doing who knows what to my innocent daughter." He was quite certain that the Mugwump and Dumbledore knew each other now. The faint tensing of the man's jaw gave it away. Silas nodded at Sirius, taking that as his sign to move away from the witness' seat. The rest of governing body remained silent as they watched things play out in front of them. Silas called for the mind healer.
"Healer Ainsworth." A matronly woman came through the doors and settled in her seat to look out at everyone in the gallery. It was clear that she was used to testifying, something that Sirius really didn't want to think about. Silas smiled softly at her.
"Thank you for coming, Healer Ainsworth. You are employed at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, correct?" She gave a sharp nod.
"Yes, sir. Have been for nigh on fifty years." Mr. Toomey smiled again, this one looking somewhat like a shark going after its next meal.
"I understand that you drew a memory from little Hermione Black's mind the day that she was assaulted. Due to Lord Black's status as an animagus, he is unable to submit to legilimency, our usual form of verifying the truth. Therefore, after he was healed in your wonderful facility, the records being part of the parchment packet you all have mind you, you were called in to remove the memory of what happened." Healer Ainsworth nodded.
"Yes, I was requested the remove the memory from her mind, not only for the purpose of this trial but because Hermione Black has already suffered the loss of her biological father and watched her mother die before her eyes. Lord Black was concerned that she would begin having nightmares." Silas gestured for someone to bring forth the pensieve. Once it was set on the table in the middle of the room, Silas turned back to Healer Ainsworth.
"Please tell us about the memory we're about to see." The older woman leaned forward and folded her hands on the table, a no-nonsense air about her.
"First off, what you won't be able to tell by viewing this memory is the terror Hermione Black felt at watching her father fall before her and the absolute fury she felt for the man who had cursed not only her father but herself as well. Her reaction is extreme, the strongest accidental magic I've felt in decades, but then again, she is only two years and watched her mother die only days before this even happened. There is no expecting a child that young to exert control while facing the level of terror that she was." The man running parchment between all the members of the governing body retrieved the memory that Healer Ainsworth had turned in before the start of the trial and poured it into the pensieve. After a quick spell, the memory was projected for the whole room to watch.
Sirius couldn't help but turn to watch his daughter's face as the memory played out. Since he had requested the memory be removed, Hermione only had knowledge of it in the very back of her mind. Watching what happened would likely affect her and not in a good way. He tried not to worry since he had spoken to Lucius and Narcissa about it beforehand, hoping they could stave off her reaction.
The whole of their conversation was there for everyone to see. The memory had started just as they were reaching the castle and didn't end until Sirius was hobbling away after bandaging his bleeding knee. There were gasps at not only Dumbledore cursing Hermione but at her display of accidental magic. There were, however, several mistrustful glances Sirius' way, probably because he had admitted to killing in auror on accident in the memory.
He caught Hermione's eye after the memory was over. She looked pale and was clinging to Narcissa, but she hadn't reacted violently as he had feared she would. For that, he was grateful. The last thing he wanted was to terrorize her more. He hadn't even wanted to bring her with him today, but the Malfoys had insisted that it would help in the long run, show him as a responsible family man no matter what he had done before.
When the memory came to an end, the room was silent. Sirius wasn't sure if it was because they watched Dumbledore attack a child or if it was because of her display of accidental magic from nothing but screams. Finally, the Mugwump turned to Healer Ainsworth.
"Is that level of accidental magic possible? I've never seen it before." The matronly woman took a deep breath.
"It is. I haven't seen it in decades, like I said before. It was in a young man that unfortunately died from dragon pox in the 1960's. Believe it or not, he was a muggleborn. In the case of Hermione Black, her father, Regulus Black, and her mother, Erise Malfoy, were both extremely gifted when it came to magic. When Lord Black adopted her through blood magic, she inherited magic from his genes as well. To put it bluntly, a normal witch or wizard has magic from two parents. Miss Black has magic from three." The room remained silent and Sirius shot another look at his daughter. She was now seated in Lucius' lap, snuggled into his chest, realizing that they were talking about her. He had no doubt that Lucius was whispering to her that she was most certainly not in trouble if the tears on her cheeks were anything to judge by. Mr. Chalmers waved Healer Ainsworth down from the stand.
"I'd like Mr. Dumbledore to give his testimony of this event." Sirius watched as Albus stood and took the seat that Healer Ainsworth had vacated. Mr. Chalmers didn't look as confident as he had before.
"Please tell us why you would bind a child like that." Dumbledore sighed and looked contrite. Sirius couldn't tell if it was genuine or not. He liked to believe that his old Headmaster wouldn't want to hurt a child but now that he thought Sirius was a traitor, he was unsure of just what the old wizard was capable of.
"I never meant to hurt the child. I was angry at Lord Black, the very reason that I sent the spells his way. I didn't expect him to drop and I had already sent the second spell at him. I never wanted to harm Hermione Black no matter who her parents were." Sirius wanted to snort but refrained. There were a few sympathetic looks in the governing body but most were still hard-faced. Mr. Chalmers nodded and dismissed him.
"We will vote later in the day as to your innocence or guilt." Dumbledore took this to mean that they were moving on and stood, returning to his seat at the table opposite of Sirius. The Mugwump continued.
"Let us continue on with the final charge of kidnapping." Mr. Toomey nodded and stood.
"I would like to call Lord Black to the stand." Sirius was getting extremely tired of getting up and down, but this was the last time. He hoped. Silas gave him an encouraging nod.
"Tell us why you wanted Mr. Dumbledore charged with kidnapping." Sirius took a deep breath and began.
He told them how he and James had grown up together, how both their families were prominent purebloods. He told them of their Hogwarts years together and how their bond had only grown closer. He was the best man at James' wedding, he was named godfather to their only son, and he stopped and visited them as often as he could once they went into hiding. He couldn't help but tear up at the part where he had found James and Lily, cold and dead in their cottage in Godric's Hollow. He told them how Hagrid had arrived and since he was so consumed with getting revenge on Peter Pettigrew, he sent the infant on to Hogwarts for looking after until he could retrieve him.
Sirius was completely honest about the death of the auror on that fateful Halloween night. He kept the tears at bay, that just wouldn't do, but he knew that the emotion bled through into his voice. He told them about the missive from St. Mungo's and how he saw adopting Hermione as his daughter as a way to escape prison and be there for Harry now that he was an orphan. He made sure to include the ruling of the Wizengamot and the ridiculously high fine that he paid with no qualms.
Since the gallery and governing body had witnessed the confrontation between himself and Dumbledore, he touched on it only briefly, just enough to explain that he wanted Harry to come home with him more than anything, so he could make sure that he had the life his parents would have wanted him to have. Mr. Toomey had produced the parchment needed from Gringotts stating that James and Lily had indeed made Sirius not only the custodian of their vaults, but the only person that should gain custody of Harry in case of their deaths. It was clear to Sirius that when the paperwork had been drawn up, James had still doubted Remus, or he would have made the list as well. While it still would have killed Sirius to release his godson to Remus, at least he would know that Harry would be loved and treated well. At the end, Sirius couldn't help but add one last quip.
"I'm well aware that I'm not able to have a legilimens look through my memories, but I'm willing to submit to a wand oath or veritiserum to prove my innocence." There was a collective gasp throughout the room. Most of the governing body looked on with approving expressions but Mr. Chalmers looked irritated. It was him that spoke.
"Even though there are precedents where we have used veritiserum, we try not to do that anymore. A tolerance can by built up to the potion and a person especially gifted in occlumency can overcome it. We do not permit wand oaths or Unbreakable Vows in this court room because they result in the loss of life and loss of magic. Our world is sparsely populated as it is; we would never think to endanger our numbers. If you are unable to submit to legilimency due to your status as an animagus, we must simply take your word against that of Mr. Dumbledore's." Sirius wanted to rage at the fact that the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards was in Dumbledore's pocket, but he knew that there was nothing else that he could do except rely on the governing body of witches and wizards to believe the truth when they heard it. Sirius stepped down only for Mr. Chalmers to call Albus to the witness stand to defend himself.
"Tell us why you are not guilty of kidnapping." Dumbledore folded his hands serenely in his lap and gave the room a soft smile.
"I am the one who cast the fidelius charm on the Potter's home. While I was not there to see Lord Black take on the role of the secret keeper, he is the one that I fed into the spell since James told that was who they were going to use. This means that Lord Black had to give their location away to the Dark Lord and to let young Harry go with Lord Black would surely mean his death or turning to the dark side to take over where Lord Voldemort left off." Sirius could not believe the words that came out of his mouth. How could he seriously believe that he would turn Harry into the next Dark Lord? It was so preposterous that he was struck silent for several moments before he began hissing in Silas' ear.
"You ask him if Lily Potter could have changed the spell, Professor Flitwick always praised her for her work in charms. He wanted to take her on for a mastery." Mr. Toomey nodded and stood.
"Mr. Dumbledore, your charms professor, Master Filius Flitwick, wanted to take Lily Potter on as an apprentice, correct?" The Headmaster's eyes narrowed at his words.
"Yes, he did. He claimed that she was the most talented student that he had seen in years." Silas nodded understandingly.
"Is it true then, that Lily Potter could have changed the spell when they realized that their choice in having Lord Black as their secret keeper wasn't well thought out?" Rage flashed in Dumbledore's eyes. Sirius could tell that he was gritting his teeth when he answered.
"I suppose that it is possible but let's be honest. A woman with no formal training altering a spell that I cast without my knowledge? It doesn't seem likely." Sirius knew that they weren't going to get much better than that. There was a small amount of doubt and he could see it reflecting in the expressions on those making up the governing body. Mr. Chalmers cleared his throat and spoke before anyone else could.
"Thank you for your testimony, Mr. Dumbledore. We're going to adjourn so we may deliberate on the charges." Dumbledore stepped down and re-took his seat at the table opposite of him. Since Mr. Toomey was sorting through parchment in front of him, Sirius stood and made his way through the gallery to find Hermione and the Malfoys. When he kneeled before Hermione, she threw herself into his arms.
"I'm not in trouble, am I daddy? Uncle Luci told me that I wasn't, but I acted terribly." Sirius chuckled as he hugged her close.
"Uncle Luci is right, poppet, you're not in trouble at all. You helped daddy that day and you deserve a treat. How about ice cream for dessert tonight?" Sirius had learned that it was her absolute favorite, so she was quick to nod her head up and down.
"Oh, yes please, daddy." He kissed the top of her head and turned to his cousin and her husband. It still astounded him how easy it was to get along with the pair of them.
"What do you think?" Lucius raised an eyebrow at him for a moment before speaking.
"I think you're going to lose and not because of your solicitor. The Mugwump is obviously in Dumbledore's pocket." Sirius hated to have his fears confirmed but couldn't fault the man for telling him the truth. He had no idea what to do if he lost so his voice was small when he spoke.
"What the bloody fuck am I going to do if I don't get Harry? They'll turn him against me quicker than a snitch." Narcissa reached out and patted his hand.
"You can't stop them. We'll make sure that Hermione and Draco befriend him when they go to Hogwarts and tell him the truth. I know you planned on hiding nothing from your daughter anyways." This wasn't his preferred plan of action, but he realized that it was all he had. Nodding to his family and kissing Hermione on the top of her head, he stood and returned to the table that Silas was still occupying.
The wait was long and nerve-wracking. Sirius called upon every bit of training that his father had instilled in him in not showing his emotion, but it was difficult. Dumbledore seemed perfectly at ease over at his table. The gallery seemed to be waiting in bated silence, Sirius knew that they wanted to see just what charges would stick to the "most powerful wizard in the world". When the governing body and the Mugwump filed back into the room, Sirius noted that there were more than a few sour expressions. He only hoped that this boded well for him. Mr. Chalmers stood and faced the room at large.
"In the case of attempted theft of funds from the Potter vault, the ICW finds Albus Dumbledore guilty. A fine of 50,000 galleons will be levied against his personal vault." Sirius couldn't fucking believe it. He got a fine and it was to be taken out of the vault that his money was sitting in. Mr. Chalmers continue.
"In the case of assault against a minor child, the ICW finds Albus Dumbledore guilty. Whether by accident or design, you still cursed a two-year-old child. Not only will there be a fine of 50,000 galleons for the offense, an additional 50,000 galleons will be awarded to the child to be put in trust until she is of age to access it." Sirius wanted to laugh now. He was sure that there was somebody out there just wanting to make Albus' life a complete hell. Sure, two hundred thousand galleons in that vault belonged to him, but that meant that one hundred fifty thousand galleons had been awarded to either the ICW or Hermione. While it wasn't ideal, he'd rather them have it then Albus. Mr. Chalmers looked nervous when he spoke again.
"In the case of kidnapping, the governing body finds Mr. Dumbledore guilty since there are clear stipulations by his birth parents as to who the primary caregiver of their son should be." Sirius felt his heart leap in joy before the man continued to speak.
"However, as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, I hold the right of veto. In this case, I do. Whether Lord Black is telling the truth or not, it is best that he not be associated with Harry Potter, the Vanquisher of the Dark Lord. If there were other Death Eaters looking for him, Lord Black is the first place they would look. I order that he be remanded to his muggle relative's home and cut off from wizarding society until he reaches the age to attend Hogwarts. Only anonymity will keep him safe. Lord Black, you may not contact him at all until he contacts you. Our world can't have you putting our hero in danger."
Sirius felt like he had been kicked in the gut. Even though the panel of a hundred witches and wizards had felt Dumbledore was guilty, the Mugwump had overrode him, sending Harry to Petunia, a horrible excuse for a human. He wasn't allowed to contact his godson until he contacted him, and everyone knew when that would happen. Never. Albus would sink his hooks in him at the first possible second and poison his godson against him.
Sure, they had won on the attempted theft charge and the assault against Hermione but what Sirius had really wanted to win was the custody of his godson. He was sure that James and Lily were cursing him from the beyond, pissed that he had failed to secure custody of their son. Rather than wallow in his grief in front of the masses, he stood and made his way over to the table Dumbledore was at.
"I hope you reside in the darkest pits of hell until you realize the mistake you've made here today. Then, I hope that those you've fucked over will give you what you truly deserve." Dumbledore just smiled that serene little smile of his before speaking.
"Spoken like a true agent of the dark. Harry will be safe from you, I guarantee it." Dumbledore glanced over at the Malfoys, who were keeping Hermione close.
"Don't worry, he won't be allowed near your spawn either." Sirius saw red and there was nothing he could do to hold back his words.
"You come near my daughter at any point in the rest of her life, I'll fucking kill you and they won't find the body. Just remember, if this happens, I won't go to Azkaban, that's a guarantee. Half the Wizengamot would cheer at your painful demise. They follow the Dark Lord after all." While he saw no fear in the older wizard's eyes, Sirius could tell that his words affected him. Of course, this meant that Hermione was going to need protection whenever she left the Manor. He wouldn't stand for her to be hurt just because Dumbledore wanted him gone. Sirius turned at stalked away from the wizard he used to call Headmaster. When he reached the Malfoys and Hermione he knelt and pulled Hermione into a hug.
"I love you, sweetness. We're done here. Are you ready to go home and get ice cream?" Before she could answer, Narcissa spoke.
"Let's go to Malfoy Manor. You can drink just as easily there, Lucius will most likely keep you company, I can watch over Hermione and make sure that she's taken care of." Sirius thought for a moment and realized that her idea had merit. He really didn't want to be alone and he did want to drink himself to a stupor, so he wouldn't have to deal with the fact that his godson had just been taken from him for good. In the end, he nodded his agreement and allowed his cousin to lead him out of the court room while Lucius followed with Hermione in his arms.
-O-
It was clear to Lucius just three drinks in that Sirius was innocent of everything that he had been accused of. Yes, it was true that he had thought that from the start, but it was only this day that he truly believed it. The man was heartbroken that he hadn't received custody of his godson.
While Lucius had never been a huge fan of the Potter family in general, he could acknowledge that they were powerful enough in their own right. They were just as Ancient and Noble as his own family or the Blacks; if he had had a daughter he wouldn't have been opposed to a match with a Potter. To see Sirius so upset, however, cemented his belief that he was indeed innocent.
This meant that his Lord had indeed used the services of a Gryffindor, something that he had sworn to never do. While it wasn't a huge thing, it still dinged the trust the blond had for the Slytherin heir. Not only was he using Gryffindors now, he was going after children. The latter of the two had Lucius curling his lip in disgust.
As much as he hated the Order the of the Phoenix, they didn't target children. Sure, Hermione had been injured in their raid of her home but that hadn't been their objective. They had even sent Hermione to St. Mungo's for treatment. Lucius knew from first hand experience that the Dark Lord had no qualms targeting, torturing, and murdering children. It turned his stomach.
It was for this reason that he decided that maybe his wife's cousin had the right of it. Did he believe that purebloods were above mudbloods? Sure. They were notoriously weak in magic. It had nothing to do with their parentage, per se, but the fact that he wanted this offspring to be strong in magic. Breeding with a weak muggle born would not be a smart move in that aspect.
This outlook, however, didn't mean that only purebloods were powerful. Harry Potter was the perfect example. Lily Evans had been one of the few exceptions to the muggleborn rule. She was powerful and gifted, something that she passed down to her son. The young boy was a half blood and had vanquished the Dark Lord without holding a wand in his hand. It was clear that magic was the factor he cared about now, not so much the blood status.
Sirius drank himself to a stupor, crying at the end for the loss of his godson. While Lucius couldn't handle such emotional displays all the time, he understood this one. If the Gryffindor had kept Hermione from himself and Cissy, he would most likely have been just as heartbroken as the man before him. It wasn't something that he liked to think of, therefore, he tried to temper it with thoughts of the future.
He knew that if he and Narcissa returned to the Dark Lord when he returned, Hermione would be gone from their lives for good. Since she was the last remaining link he had to his beloved sister, Erise, that just wasn't an option. Lucius had a feeling that the Dark Lord would indeed return some day; it just wasn't feasible that he wouldn't since they had never found his body. Therefore, this left only one option available to himself and his wife.
Help Sirius in his mission to stop the Dark Lord once he returned.
He hated to side with the Order for any reason, but it seemed that they now had a common goal, even if they weren't aware of it. Sirius had told nobody but them what the goblins had said regarding their Lord. This meant that they were merely biding their time, hoping that their children would be grown and strong before he decided to return. Lucius didn't hold his breath on this matter.
This meant that it was imperative that Hermione and Draco had the most extensive education that they could get before the inevitable happened. While he was sure that Hermione would be tasked with protecting Harry Potter, Lucius had no urge to see either of his children injured in this task. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that whatever Hermione's mission was regarding young Potter, Draco would adopt it. The pair were already thick as thieves.
Lucius chased the last of his fire whiskey down, grimacing slightly at the burn all the way down to his stomach. He left Sirius snoring on the couch, determined to find his wife and reaffirm his love for her after his epiphany.
A/N- I know that many of you saw this coming and I'd like to say that you were right. I did say that this story would be following canon and that most certainly doesn't mean that Harry would be raised with Hermione and Sirius. Anyways, let me know what you think. Reviews make me smile.
Next chapter, Hermione's sixth birthday.
Love,
Alicia