Hello, readers! Here we go, the sequel!

I don't own HP, blahblah

So, I have five years of ideas here. However, some months will be skipped lmao

This one is longer, as repayment for the shorter one

Also, that guest review had me rolling. So Guest, in response to your review: Everything. Everything just happened.


August

"... being charged with treason, attempted murder of a Ministry employee, attempted assassination of the Minister-" Dawlish read out.

"Wait, you can't charge both." Kingsley objected. "It's either attempted murder or assassination-"

"Both carry the same punishment, Kingsley." Dawlish said. "Dementor's Kiss."

"No, it's not the Kiss-"

"Yes, it is. Escaping Azkaban, attempted or successful murder of a Ministry employee or assassination of a Minister." Dawlish said. "All still punishable by the Kiss."

"Unless I-"

"Unless nothing, Kings." Dawlish said. "You're barred from this trial, I'm not even supposed to be telling you this. They're refusing to allow witnesses or spectators, they say it's a pretty open and shut case. And it kind of is."

"It is not." Kingsley snapped.

"But it is! An ex-Auror doesn't just try to murder the Minister for no reason, and the evidence that we've found-"

"It's all fake!"

"We've run every test, it is all legitimate." Dawlish said slowly. "Kingsley, I know you don't want to think this way, but maybe she is a Death Eater."

"I know everything is false." Kingsley said. "When is the trial?"

"Tomorrow. Attempted assassination is a big charge, it's pushed back the lesser trials." Dawlish said, and Kingsley tapped his fingers on his desk. "I know what you're thinking. You want to pull rank to get in there. They won't allow it."

"I want to hear and see this evidence." Kingsley said. "Because I know Dora. She's not a Death Eater."

"They'll allow you and the rest of the family to wait in an empty courtroom nearby. However, you will not be allowed to see or hear any of the trial. You'll only know the verdict."

"I already know the verdict, she'll get the Kiss."

Dawlish nodded. "Regretfully."

"There has to be something we can do." Kingsley said. "I know she was Imperiused-"

"But how do we prove that? Everyone being charged with treason is claiming that, and we can't prove it." Dawlish said.

"Is there anything you can file to delay the trial?" Kingsley asked.

"I can't find anything. Like I said, the evidence appears to be real."

"And they won't let anyone testify otherwise?" Kingsley asked. "I have to be able to do something."

"Look, I'll look into whatever I can, but it doesn't look good." Dawlish said.

"If I have to pull rank, I will."

"They won't let you. They've already voted, you're not allowed to have anything to do with this trial."

Kingsley sighed and Dawlish could understand. It was confusing. She hadn't seemed odd at all, and wouldn't they notice if she was Imperiused?

"Kingsley, I'm going to work all night. Trace her steps, anyone she talked to, I'll talk to. If she was Imperiused, I'm going to find out before tomorrow. I don't want to believe this either, so I'm going to try to prove otherwise. But if I can't..."

"You have to, she's innocent. I know she is."

"And, if I may speak as a friend and not an employee, she's also related to someone who was in a similar situation."

"Yeah, so?"

"So... Maybe he told her how to escape Azkaban." Dawlish said, and Kingsley frowned. "Hypothetically, of course."

Dawlish didn't go home after leaving Kingsley's office, and he didn't sleep that night at all. He wanted to see what he could find.

First, he went to talk to Tonks again, who told him the exact same story as before. He then traced her footprints from the moment she Flooed to the Ministry, to the moment of the attack. Everyone she spoke to, he contacted.

They all said the same thing. Nothing seemed weird about her. Remus said she had been a little moody when he got home from helping Sirius around the Werewolf Support Office, but attributed it to the fact she hadn't been feeling well and the conversation with her grandmother. Remus told Dawlish that Tonks had gone to chat with Williamson, so that was his next step.

Williamson had been working that night, so he had been in the Auror department. Williamson said she seemed distant, but nothing strange. Dawlish wondered if something happened between her leaving the atrium and getting to the Auror department. However, how could he prove it? Or find out?

Dawlish headed back to Azkaban to talk to Tonks. She looked relieved to see him.

"I'm not here to release you." Dawlish said, and she looked disappointed immediately. "I need to ask more questions."

She stepped back, and he opened the cell door. "Ask away." She said, shrugging.

"I've been doing some digging, and things don't add up. You said it felt like someone was controlling you, right?"

Tonks nodded. "I've told you, I'm sure I was Imperiused. I can remember someone telling me not to tell anyone who they were. And then they were telling me what to do, I don't know why I couldn't fight it."

"So, your trial is for tomorrow. Unless we can find something to prove you were Imperiused, it will happen, and you will most likely be sentenced to the Kiss." Dawlish said. "Who did you talk to before Williamson? Anyone?"

"I ran into Savage outside of the department." Tonks said. "He said he was just getting off of a shift."

"He didn't work that day." Dawlish said, frowning. "What did you two talk about?"

She shrugged. "A little bit of everything. He said he had a granddaughter, I said I had Teddy. Just catching up, I guess."

"And did he say anything else? Was he acting weird?"

"He was a little fidgety, but nothing overly weird." Tonks answered. Dawlish frowned. If Savage was acting strange, and claimed he was working when he wasn't...

"I'm going to find Savage." Dawlish said. "In the meantime, is there anything you can think of that could halt a trial?"

Tonks looked defeated as she shook her head. "Imperiused or not, Dawlish, I did it. I guess the trial should happen. Is there any way I can see Remus or Teddy?"

"I'm sorry, but no." Dawlish said. "It's procedure, as you know."

"I know it is, but... I just... I wanted- if I get the Kiss, can you tell Remus something for me?" Tonks asked.

"You're not going to get the Kiss, Tonks."

"But just in case?"

Dawlish nodded. "Listen, you won't get the Kiss. I'm still going to work as hard as I can, because I just don't believe you're a Death Eater. Tomorrow, you're going into that trial with your head held high. You tell the truth, everything. I will try to prove the letters are fake, and if they sentence you to the Kiss... I will tell your family anything you want."

Savage denied the conversation ever happened, leaving Dawlish more confused than before. Savage said he hadn't been at the Ministry at all that day, and he certainly hadn't spoken to Tonks.

Another dead end, and Dawlish just had to hope he could find a loophole to stall the trial a little longer.


Tonks walked between the two Aurors, and was momentarily surprised that she hadn't seen very many Aurors she recognised. Maybe this was intentional, because she had been an Auror, and maybe they were worried she'd convince her old colleagues to help her escape.

She had to admit, it wouldn't be a terrible idea.

The courtroom should have been intimidating, but she couldn't bother with feeling intimidated. The Wizengamot were all sitting in rows, staring down at her as the Aurors led her to a chair in the middle of the room, securing her cuffs.

An unfamiliar man sat where the Minister usually would, and she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed that Kingsley wasn't there. She hadn't seen anyone but Dawlish in a few days, it was terrible, and she hadn't gone this long without seeing Kingsley since she had spent those days with her grandparents. Even when she was working in Hogsmeade, she was home every other day.

"Nymphadora Andromeda Lupin, arrested August twentieth of 1999. Charged with treason, attempted murder of a Ministry official and attempted assassination of the Minister." The man read. "The Wizengamot has requested the Minister be barred from these proceedings due to his personal relation with the accused. As Undersecretary to the Minister I, Brutus Maximus, will be in charge of these proceedings."

Tonks couldn't help but frown. Wasn't Percy Weasley the undersecretary? This man was definitely not Percy, and she had never heard Kingsley mention anyone named Brutus.

She couldn't help but feel the Wizengamot had already decided. Brutus was listing off evidence, showing letters that she had never seen before, but didn't ask her a single question.

The letters outlined details and plans that she had apparently told the Death Eaters. One claimed she was the reason behind Alastor's imprisonment during the year he was meant to teach at Hogwarts. One claimed she was the reason behind Charity Burbage's death.

One even resurrected the claim that Teddy was a Lestrange, not a Lupin.

"As this letter states, Nymphadora was aware of her pregnancy early on and together, with Rodolphus Lestrange, planned to deceive the Order of the Phoenix to maintain her cover by having her marry Remus Lupin."

That doesn't even make sense, Tonks thought, there was no way I was pregnant before I married Remus!

She knew it wouldn't help her case to interrupt, and would simply have to wait to try to defend herself against this evidence. She wasn't too thrilled about the idea of having to revisit the topic of her virginity and her son's paternity, but if she had to, she would. As for the letters they apparently had, the only way she could think of to prove they were fake was to somehow prove it wasn't her writing, but what if it was her writing? What if someone managed to copy her writing?

It seemed to move quickly, and the next thing she knew, court was dismissed so the Wizengamot could deliberate- all without a single question being asked.

"Wait, don't I get to defend myself?" Tonks asked as an Auror released her cuffs from the chair and pulled her to her feet. The Auror didn't respond, and led her from the courtroom. "Stop, I get to speak-"

"Stop struggling, you won't help your case." The Auror growled, leading her to a holding cell. "You'll be taken back into the courtroom when court resumes."

Tonks was stunned. This wasn't right, this wasn't how a trial was supposed to be. She was supposed to be asked questions, she was supposed to have a chance to defend herself...

Except Sirius didn't get that chance. Sirius didn't get a fair trial.

She started pacing in the tiny cell, her hands shaking.

"Dora."

She turned quickly, relieved when she saw Sirius pull the Invisibility Cloak off. Tonks rushed to the bars. "Sirius, something's not right."

"I know." He said. "I hid in the back of the courtroom, I saw everything. I'm going to go tell Kingsley, he'll be interested to know there's a new undersecretary."

"Sirius, that is the least of my concerns right now." Tonks said. "They didn't ask me a single question, I couldn't even defend myself-"

"I know." Sirius said. "I'm going to go tell Kingsley everything, something seems wrong here. Listen, I might not get back here before the verdict. If the worst happens, keep reminding yourself you're innocent or the Dementors will destroy you."

"What if-"

"Let us worry. You keep yourself sane, we'll get you out. Remember, you are innocent." Sirius said. "You'll come home, I promise."

"Sirius, what's it like?" Tonks asked, grabbing his arm before he could turn away. "The Kiss?"

"I saw one or two while I was there." Sirius said. "They force them to take a Calming Draught so they can't fight. It's extremely strong, they can barely walk after. There are two Aurors only, one signs off as the witness. They take the prisoner somewhere else, but you can hear them. They scream, it's horrible."

"What happens after?"

"They leave them in their cells until they die. They can't eat or do anything, they're just... nothing. So they just waste away for a few weeks." Sirius said. "And then they're tossed in unmarked graves, all of the prisoners are when they die." Tonks felt sick, and Sirius continued. "Listen, they may not sentence you to the Kiss. If the Lestranges didn't get-"

"The Lestranges didn't try to kill the Minister." Tonks said. "It's all about ranks, Sirius."

"Let me go tell Kingsley everything I saw. We'll get you out of this." Sirius said, reaching through the bars to squeeze her hand. "You're innocent, keep telling yourself that, Dora."

Sirius disappeared under the cloak, and she was alone again. She couldn't help but pace again, and wasn't sure how long she had paced before the unfamiliar Auror returned. "Court will be resuming now." He said, opening the door.

"Am I being questioned?" Tonks asked.

"They've reached a verdict." He said, grabbing her arm.

Her heart was pounding now as he led her to the courtroom again. The Wizengamot was seated, Brutus Maximus sitting in the Minister's spot. As she was led to the chair and had her cuffs reinforced, she just knew what the verdict would be. Just by looking at everyone, she just knew.

As soon as Brutus faced her, she felt ill. When he spoke, she wanted to cry. "Nymphadora Andromeda Lupin, the Wizengamot has found you guilty of treason, attempted murder of a Ministry official and attempted assassination of the Minister. You will be escorted to Azkaban, where you will be given the Dementor's Kiss on the twenty eighth of August."