I Know Your Secret
In Justice we don't want Secrets
"Where's that little Potter brat?" Cornelius Fudge screeched as he entered the Hogwarts Entrance Hall, purple faced with rage. He was shocked straight away as he had a microphone shoved in his face by a blonde haired girl while a red haired girl snapped away rapidly with a camera blinding him with the flash. Amelia Bones was in a similar state as she had accompanied him for her own reasons, not that she would tell him what they were; he didn't much care anyway.
"Mr. Fudge!" the blonde haired girl cried out as Harry watched from the stairs rolling his eyes as Luna and Ginny had their fun. "Luna Lovegood, Hogwarts Frontier. Is it true that you've allowed evil soul sucking monsters to stalk Hogwarts to capture a man who was never legally imprisoned?"
"No comment!" he called out automatically before looking at both girls smugly. "And I won't answer questions thrown out by children. You shouldn't poke your noses where they are not welcome!"
Luna and Ginny just turned their attention to the woman. "Amelia Bones, head of the Law Enforcement Office. I'm Luna Lovegood of the Hogwarts Frontier. Do you have anything to say on this matter? Are you going to stand by and show that our world favours money over justice and integrity?" she asked just as another news reporter exited the Great Hall. She looked over in surprise to see her aunt.
"Of-of course not," Amelia answered. "I've not actually heard of these accusations until now. I'm here personally to speak with Mr. Potter on the matter. It seems to me that my department shall be petitioning to give Mr. Black fair trial. However, we shall not be trying Mr. Hagrid, as I would like to state now that the Department of Law Enforcement was not made aware of such 'crimes'. I would like to state that Mr. Hagrid is lawfully allowed to finish his school education! And he is furthermore allowed to obtain a new wand!"
"That's kind of you," Harry interrupted. "Susie speaks highly of you," he added with a smile over at the blushing girl. "We may be young, but we are not stupid, and we report the facts as we see them. It would probably be a favourable thing to grant Sirius a trail. After all, the people do like those who fight for justice-like great heroes of the past such as Merlin for example!" he said smilingly as Fudge had been about to speak he stopped: a look of thought and greed on his face.
"Yes, yes, of course," Fudge interrupted smilingly as he turned a one eighty. "I was going to say that we have decided that we shall give Mr. Black his fair trial. And-and… of course your reporters are permitted Mr. Potter!"
"I figured that's what a smart guy like you would be here for," Harry agreed laughingly as Fudge muttered about stuff to do and quickly left while looking clueless.
Amelia just watched Fudge go for a moment before commenting. "Yes, he really is that stupid."
Harry laughed shaking his head. "Well, ma'am, would you like to come to my office? Susie, you can come if you want, but this is still, Luna and Ginny's story."
"T-that's okay, these stories would give me a headache," she replied as she hurried over and Harry led the way. It was an interesting interview, and by the time the others had left Harry felt drained dry and exhausted.
"Harry," Hermione said several minutes after the others left as she entered his office just looking at him floppy in his chair. "Hagrid wants you to meet him tonight at midnight with your cloak. Though, if you ask me, I think you shouldn't go, but the way it was said suggests first task. Though, why he told Ron to tell you… I went and asked Hagrid about that and he apparently didn't know you aren't talking to him. I swear Hagrid needs to open his eyes and ears more. I had to give him a copy of the Frontier because he hadn't got one. He was pretty shocked I can tell you."
Harry snorted in good humour. "If he's pleased or shocked with that, wait until Saturday's paper when he finds out he's not only allowed a new wand, but to finish school too. Though, if I have my way the Ministry will compensate him too," he said rolling his eyes. "But this telling me the first task thing seems suspicious to me, so I suppose I'll go and check it out."
However, in a poof of smoke Dobby the House Elf appeared. "H-Harry Potter sir," he said looking around in suspicion. "Y-you said that Dobby or Winky should report back if anything… odd happens at Hogwarts, or if we find out the tasks for the competition… Dragons have been brought to Hogwarts… nesting mothers, Harry Potter sir!"
"That explains Hagrid," Hermione said flatly. "Harry, that means you need to practice more. So you should spend a little less time thinking up stuff for the paper. That's why I'm here."
"You're my best friend and I love you a lot Hermione," he said with a smile as she blushed but he made her happy telling her. "You are also my next in command, but you just don't know…" he sighed at her look. "Okay, but no articles on elf rights. If you want something like that, you need to be… Slytherin about it…!"
"How about… umm… something on the champions training for the 'unknown' task?" she suggested hopefully.
Harry laughed. "And I was worried. I like it. Perhaps you could get Blaize to do that. He is pretty gifted with knowledge with stuff like that, spells and whatnot, unless you do it with him?"
Harry was happy as the weeks progressed as he didn't have to worry too much about the newspaper. It was going well, and he went into training overdrive, practicing spell after spell, from transfiguration, charms, and defence against the dark arts. It was all about learning, and learning what he could to potentially fight a dragon.
He had gone to meet Hagrid. He was going out on a 'date' with Maxime, and had to watch way too much of that. Though, he got to see the four dragons, and noticed that moron Kakaroff was stalking along the tree line out of sight to find out what the task was. It was unfortunate only two of the dragons were to his preference. So other than Cedric everyone knew what they would be facing and he wasn't going to tell. If Cedric was not smart enough to cheat like the rest of them, then he didn't deserve to win.
It was two weeks before the first task that Sirius gave himself up on Harry's suggestion, and a trial had been made one week later. Harry was in attendance looking down to see that his godfather had been mistreated while in custody. He held back from standing and speaking his mind to get things rolling as he knew he could get those responsible beaten up at a later date for a few galleons. Sirius had been given truth potion and was telling the truth of Peter Pettigrew and his betrayal.
Harry watched as the council looked on with wide open mouths as they realised that yes; they sent an innocent man illegally to jail. The rest of the trial took a relatively short amount of time as Sirius was found not guilty and compensated two million galleons for each year he lost. It wasn't nearly enough, but Sirius was content being free, and to claim guardianship of 'Harry'. Though, Dumbledore tried to intervene there, he was overruled.
"I… I can barely believe it," Sirius muttered in shock as he was at least allowed a clean change of clothes and a shower while in custody, so he didn't stink. "Ho… Harry… you really set things right and set me free," he said in joy and gratitude. "I don't think I can ever fully repay you."
"Just don't belong to Dumbledore and I'm fine," he replied rolling his eyes. "Though, having a real home would be cool. I mean… you can easily buy something nice. Oh, and find the stupid werewolf teacher guy. I've tried sending mail to him but either he doesn't accept it or Dumbledore intercepts it. And come to the first task, and see me being awesome."
Sirius couldn't help but laugh rolling his eyes. "Just like your mother I see?" he asked chuckling and getting a weird look. "Well, your mother was quite… well full of herself, but she had never made herself out to be more than she was. And… in truth, she was pretty cool."
Harry couldn't help but laugh when they were interrupted by Dumbledore and Fudge. "Mr. Fudge, what you've done is amazing," Harry quickly said ton inflate his ego. "You corrected this injustice. If I could vote you would defiantly have it," he finished with a large smile.
Fudge got all flustered as he replied. "W-well thank you Harry. It's a pleasure to know… well if you'll excuse me," he said with a smile as he left them.
"Sirius m'boy, I wonder whether I could have a word," Dumbledore said trying to not look nervous but not succeeding very well. Sirius nodded half knowing what he wanted. "Well, it's about Mr. Potter's living arrangements…"
"No!" Sirius replied straight out. "I'm not going to be sending my godchild away to those muggles. I'm going to look for a place after the first task of this stupid tournament and he's coming to live with me in a proper home, and if I can get Remus out of his pity-hole he'll come too. He's the last friend I have and I'm not going to let him wilt away because people are too blind."
"B-but Sirius," the old man reprimanded. "Harry is only safe while he lives with his mother's blood."
Sirius snorted. "Don't kid a kidder Dumbledore. I know for a fact that Lily's will stated that under no circumstances was her child to go to them, and you weren't on the list either. I've seen that plenty of people who were approved weren't looking after him!"
"Yes, well, it was for…"
"Albus," Amelia was quick to butt-in as she rushed over. "Maybe I could have a word or two about why you've seen fit to hide… Vol… his identity from the world and why it seems the whole magical population of the UK is under a jinx to fear his fake name? If he was capable wherever he is I might have attributed it to him, but he's not. And I doubt the free Death Eaters would do this as they're probably more scared of him than anyone."
"I… umm… I…" Dumbledore stuttered under her fierce glare. "Its… it's just the children being children. O-okay, so that is his real name, but there is no jinx."
She then grinned at him like a hungry lioness. "I've had some investigators looking into it, and it seems that these 'children' are onto something big. If we find out who did this, it could mean a life sentence in Azkaban. We might have just laughed it off if they didn't make so much sense in bringing up the question, 'how can a muggleborn first year fear a name they've never even heard or read before?'," she said smugly causing him to gulp. "And don't think that if this is one of your crazy schemes for some stupid reason that I'll let it slide!"
Harry quickly dragged Sirius away as they were both biting their lower lips to keep from bursting out into laughter. Dumbledore was actually quivering under her tirade. "The poor old man," Harry said chuckling and shaking his head. "Well, I've got to go fetch Ginny and Luna and get back to school, so I'll see you later!"
"I've got a headline too Skeeter," Luna said to the woman smugly as said woman looked haggard and angry. "Rita Skeeter: bitch!" That was all she apparently needed for a good headline.
"I'll ruin you, you little twerp!" Skeeter hissed at her while her camera man was trying to stop her attacking while Ginny was taking some pictures with a smug grin. They were definitely diamond shots.
Luna just grinned. "Now the headlines really coming together," she said laughingly. "Rita Skeeter, yesterday afternoon contracted mad cow dieses!"
Harry and Ginny burst out laughing as Skeeter struggled harder. "I'll get you… I'll ruin you, you meddling kids!"
Harry just shook his head as she got free and stunned her without thought before she even touched Luna; the woman just hit the ground. "Aurors!" he called as two had been watching while laughing and came over, one was a hot young woman with pink hair and the other a large built black guy. "I want this woman arrested for attempted assault on a minor, and we will be prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law!"
"A pleasure," the black guy said with a wicked grin on his lips. "How we have always wanted to get this bitch. It looks like we can test her for being an illegal animagus now. She might even get a nice stint in jail before some community service."
Harry grinned as they took her away before leaving with Ginny and Luna back to school, everyone would have a nice laugh at Luna's headline the next day as she wrote a quick insert on Rita and her instability.
