AN: So I don't really know where the inspiration came for this chapter, but I hope anyone that decides to give it a read enjoys it. Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to the Harry Potter universe. Any familiar text was borrowed from the book.
Chapter 10: Unbelievable Turn of Events
Harry sat bolt upright, his heart racing, his eyes sweeping around the dark room to find what'd woken him. He jumped a little when he spotted Peeves floating next to him, the annoying man having been blowing hard in his ear.
"What'd you do that for?" He asked furiously, annoyed he'd been woken up so early, and on game day. The poltergeist just puffed his cheeks out then blew hard, zooming out of the room with a cackle.
Knowing he wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep, Harry turned his alarm clock off and got out of bed with a groan. One very hot shower later, he felt less groggy and grabbed his broom and his bag, figuring he could finish the charms essay that was due on Monday. He made his way quietly downstairs until he reached the common room, which was quiet and dark, the silence only interrupted by the loud clapping of thunder outside, the first large storm of the year already getting worked up.
Harry whiled away the hours in front of the fire, doing his school work, even managing to doe off once the essay was completed. He was woken up a little while later by Ginny, who was decked out in rain gear in Gryffindor colors, her hair pulled up into a ponytail.
"C'mon sleepyhead, let go to breakfast."
"Alright." He nodded and grabbed his broom, leaving his bag next to the couch, knowing no one would bother going through it.
The two headed down to the Great hall, the hour still early, meaning there weren't many awake yet and they had the large room mostly to themselves. Neither of them wore able to sleep in anymore, having trained their bodies to wake up early for their workouts, so this wasn't unusual for either of them.
Harry had a large bowl of porridge, not wanting to test his nervous stomach with anything heavier; Ginny didn't have to worry, so she had eggs, sausages, and potatoes, her apatite having increased as she continued to heal. She wasn't over last year, but she'd made amazing progress in facing her demon and realizing that she'd survived; realizing that Tom Riddle hadn't destroyed her. And while she still had nightmares, they were growing fewer in number as the weeks went on; she was growing healthier, both mentally and physically. That was a win in her book.
The team finally showed up, Oliver Wood looking anything but calm and collected.
"It's gonna be a tough one." He muttered, hands fidgeting with his broom, not moving to eat anything.
"Stop worrying, Oliver. We don't mind a bit of rain." Alicia said soothingly, her words met with a loud clap of thunder and a bright streak of lightening.
"Oh, yeah, it's just a bit of rain." Fred said sarcastically, getting a glare from Alicia, as Oliver's hands just tightened around his broom stick.
It was anything but a little rain. The wind was ferocious, the thunder loud and the rain biting. They all had to wear spelled goggles to repel water just to see in front of them, making Harry grateful he didn't still wear glasses, as that would've just been a nightmare. And things were bad enough as it was.
And they just got worse, as he'd been chasing the snitch when the field was covered with dementors, the creatures unable to resist the temptation of so many souls in one place. He'd tried to keep going, but his mother's screams had filled his head until he couldn't focus on anything else. He'd fallen, plummeting to the ground, unconscious before he'd even made impact.
Gryffindor lost by a hundred points, Cedric Diggory having caught the snitch right after Harry'd fallen. They're only shot at getting to compete for the Quidditch Cup now was if one of the other teams lost by a hundred points or were disqualified, neither of which seemed likely. Harry was horrified, this being the first Quidditch match he'd ever lost, as well as the fact that he'd passed out again because of the dementors. Add on the fact that the Whomping Willow had reduced his beloved Nimbus Two Thousand into kindling, and he just wasn't having a great day. It was like he'd lost a piece of himself, a best friend, and he didn't know how long it'd take to get over the loss on top of everything else.
Madame Pomfrey kept him in the hospital wing for the rest of the weekend, much to his annoyance. But he had a constant stream of visitors to keep him company, so it could've been worse. His friends were constantly there, only leaving at night and his teammates popped in randomly to check on him and try to lift his spirits. Wood came up to tell him he didn't blame him for the loss, but the older boy's voice was dull and hollow, making Harry feel even more guilty, as it was his captain's last chance to win the cup before he graduated. Hopefully they'd somehow find themselves in the finals and he could make up for this before it was too late.
Unexpectedly, the girl from the glasses store, Stacey, showed up to see how he was doing. Harry was embarrassed about the loss and once more going unconscious, but the 6th year had reassured him that no one thought less of him, making him blush and knock over a book that'd been on his side table. Stacey had just giggled and picked up the book, finding him cute.
Ron had laughed at him once she'd left, while Ginny had forced herself to join in the teasing, reminding herself that Harry was her friend and that was more important than some crush. She had to push the jealousy she felt towards the pretty Ravenclaw down, knowing it was pointless, as there was nothing she could do about her looks or age. It wasn't easy, but she reminded herself that Harry was also still really young and that him having a crush wasn't the end of the world. Maybe she'd even develop one herself on someone other than Harry, which would definitely be good.
Harry was glad to return to normal life on Monday, him and Ginny exercising and playing with Snuffles before heading to breakfast, like usual. He got a surprise, however, as an owl dropped a letter by his plate, the envelope closed with a ministry wax seal. Hoping it was about his inquiry about the trial transcript, he quickly opened it, pulling out a single leaf of parchment.
"What's that?" Hermione asked as she opened her Daily Prophet.
"Oh—uh—I wrote to the DMLE to see if I could get a copy of Sirius Black's trial transcript." Harry replied, getting looks of surprise from everyone but Ginny.
"Why d'you wan' that?" Ron asked in confusion, a piece of toast half-sticking out of his mouth.
"I'll explain, but not here." He said, eyes moving around the crowded hall. Hermione pursed her lips, wanting to know now, but understanding the need for privacy. Harry skimmed the page, his confusion about the whole thing growing.
Dear Mr. Harry Potter,
I must apologize for the delay in my reply about the trial transcript for Sirius Black. It troubles me to inform you that there isn't a transcript because there was no actual trial. I've searched the archives completely but there is no record of Mr. Black getting a trial for his charges. It appears that he was placed in Azkaban immediately after his capture.
This is very troubling, as this act deprived Mr. Black of his rights as a citizen of the Magical Community of Britain. I am continuing to look into the matter to understand why he was denied a trial as other captured supports of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named were given their due process before being convicted.
Please rest assured that I will get to the bottom of this matter and will let you know what I find. Thank you for bringing this injustice to my notice so that I might rectify it. Even criminals deserve to be treated civilly and responsibly.
Madame Amelia Bones
Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement
"What does it say?" Ginny asked after a minute, her curiosity killing her, especially since she actually knew what it was about.
"Black didn't get a trial; they just threw him in prison." Harry answered with a frown, folding the letter back up with a sigh. This didn't clear things up at all; it actually made it more confusing and he started to truly believe his parents might be right after all.
"How's that possible? Everyone is supposed to get a due process of law and a trial, even in war times." Hermione said with a scowl, her mind racing, trying to understand. None of the books on Wizarding customs she'd read had ever mentioned criminals being thrown in Azkaban without being found guilty beyond doubt. It didn't make sense.
"I don't know. The head of the DMLE said she'd look into it." The raven haired teen shrugged, not having any answers. He understood this world less than all of them, though he was working on that, so he was at a loss.
"'S weird." Ron mumbled around a piece of bacon, getting an annoyed look from Hermione before she went back to reading the paper.
"Maybe your dad's right." Ginny whispered, getting a slight nod in reply. He knew he needed to come clean with the others about everything, but this wasn't the time or place.
"The attack's in the paper! Dumbledore called a school board meeting!" The bushy haired girl announced after a few minutes, capturing everyone's attention.
"What?"
"There's an article on the dementors' attack. Here, listen.
The Ministry is abuzz this morning upon the news that Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, called an emergency meeting of the Hogwarts School Board to discuss the issue of the dementors appointment at the school.
It was revealed that students, whose names have been kept secret due to their age, have been attacked by the creatures three times since the Hogwarts Express left Platform 9 and ¾: on the train, early one morning in October, and yesterday at the Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff Quidditch game.
The parents were justly horrified to find out their children had been in such danger, as it is well documented the horrors that dementors cause those around them to experience. And the possibility of one of the children getting kissed and their soul removed had the Board demanding answers to why the fowl creatures were allowed such free reign.
Mr. Dumbledore made a point of clarifying that he and all the staff at Hogwarts were against the dementors' placement from the very beginning. It was also revealed that the Grand Sorcerer had gone to the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, to request to have them removed from the grounds following the second attack.
The Minister, who has declined to comment at this time, apparently put catching Sirius Black, escaped criminal, above the children's safety and well-being. The Board has not yet decided if they are going to overturn the decision and none of the members would comment.
We will keep you updated and let you know the School Board's decision once it's been made.
Geoffrey Fredricks
Senior Reporter of the Daily Prophet"
Hermione finished her face showing her surprise, as it was the first article she'd read that didn't paint the minister well. And the fact that Dumbledore had taken a stance against him public was shocking, even if she whole heartedly agreed with the headmaster.
"Man Dumbledore was really mad. I mean, I've never seen him so furious at the pitch; but, to go to the press, he must be beyond angry. Wonder what Fudge'll do." Ron speculated.
"I hope they remove the dementors. I'm tired of running into them." Ginny shuddered, just the thought of the vile creatures enough to make her shiver. The sooner they were gone, the better.
"We should get to class." The bookworm said a few minutes later, finishing her orange juice and grabbing her bag.
"We could skip; it's only history." Ron mumbled, really not wanting to go to class, even if he'd end up sleeping through it anyway.
"Ronald! We are not skipping class!" Hermione said shrilly, making the boy wince at the high pitch. Harry just shrugged at the two and grabbed his own bag, exchanging goodbyes with Ginny before the trio left.
"So are you going to tell us about why you're looking into Sirius Black?" Hermione questioned as they headed towards History of Magic, her curiosity nearly overwhelming her. The raven haired teen rubbed at his neck, glancing around the busy stairs.
"There's…I haven't told you guys everything about this summer."
"What d'you mean?" Ron asked, not understanding, as they didn't really keep secrets from each other.
"Listen, I can't explain here, and there are things I need to show you, privately." Harry muttered quietly, not wanting anyone to overhear them. The brunette seemed to debate with herself before she sighed heavily.
"Then let's go where you can tell us." The guys stopped and turned back to look at her, both their faces showing their shock.
"You—you want to skiv class?" Ron's voice was skeptical, his eyebrows nearly touching his hairline.
"I do not condone skipping classes, but as you pointed out, it is only history, and I've already read the textbook. I want to know what Harry's kept a secret." She replied, eyes settling on the youngest group member, her expression a strange mix between hurt and sternness. She was a little upset that he'd kept secrets, but she was willing to move past it if he'd come clean now.
"Uh—okay, yeah, sure. Let's go back to the dormitory."
Harry shrugged and started up the next staircase, surprised and nervous that they were actually going to do this now. He'd thought he'd have the day to come up with what he'd say, so he was floundering a little. He wasn't sure how either of his friends were going to react; would they understand or would they be mad and hurt and never forgive him? What if he lost them because he kept this from them for so long? What would he do then?
You're worried about Ron and Hermione, I get it. But if they're as good of friends as they claim to be, they'll just be happy you finally have a connection to your family.
Ginny's words echoed in his head, reminding him that she hadn't been mad and that true friends wouldn't be either. Or, at least, they'd forgive him for keeping secrets and be excited that he now had parents to talk to. He hoped Ron and Hermione understood.
"What's the big secret? How's it connect to Black?"
"I'll explain everything when we're in our dorm room." Ron rolled his eyes but fell silent, the three reaching the seventh floor quickly. The common room had a few stragglers, but they didn't pause on their trek, going up the boy's staircase and into the 3rd year dorm.
Hermione wasn't very comfortable being there, but she was too curious to complain. And they rest of the boys were all gone, leaving the room in silence and giving the group the privacy Harry wanted.
"Okay—I, uh, sit down." Harry fidgeted in front of his trunk, making Ron and Hermione exchange a look, as they'd never seen him so nervous. Quidditch didn't count.
"Harry—"
"No, no, I need to explain. Sit." The bushy haired teen pursed her lips before sitting on the edge of Ron's bed so she could see him better, the red head joining her. They watched their friend take a deep breath and square his shoulders, obviously gearing up for whatever he was going to reveal.
"I want you both to know that I didn't keep this from you to hurt you or because I don't trust you."
"We know—"
"Hermione, if I don't get this all out, I might not." Harry butted in, not knowing if he'd be able to do this if they kept interrupting. This was harder than when he'd told Ginny, because they were his best friends and he didn't know how he'd deal if they decided they didn't want to be his friend anymore. When Hermione nodded and clamped her lips shut, Harry took that as his cue to continue.
"Before Hagrid found me, I didn't have friends; I didn't even know what real friendship was like. And you've—you've both helped me to understand it and I don't want either of you to think I don't trust you, because I do." Harry paused to take a breath, his heart pounding in his ears. The two remained silent, even though it was clear they both wanted to speak.
"The reason I haven't shared this with you is because I wanted to keep it to myself for a little while. And then I was afraid you'd be angry because I kept it a secret for so long, so I stayed quiet. I know I should've told you before, but I didn't. So I just hope both of you will understand and won't be too mad." They watched as he opened his trunk and pressed some type of button before glancing back at them.
"Follow me."
"What?" Hermione stepped towards him in confusion, her eyes widening when he stuck first one leg and then the other into the trunk and then started to lower himself until only his hands and face were visible.
"Come on." Ron's eyes were as big as saucers when Harry completely disappeared. The two looked into the trunk, but it was completely dark, only the glint of the metal ladder visible.
"What in the world?"
"It's…it's a magical trunk. I've only heard about them, as they're really expensive. How'd he get one?" Ron mumbled, his hands gliding over the gleaming sides, awestruck.
"Let's find out." She said with determination, fingers going to the ladder to feel it out. She took a calming breath and stuck her foot inside, waiting to make sure she didn't splinch or something. When it was deemed safe she started down the rungs, darkness enveloping her as she descended, until the room came into view. It was some type of entry way with an archway leading out, Harry waiting to the side.
"Mate, how'd you get this?" Ron asked when he stepped off the ladder, his eyes trying to take everything in. Which wasn't that difficult, as there was only the ladder and archway, but whatever.
"I'll give you a tour and then explain. C'mon." Harry motioned for them to follow, leading them into the living room.
"Wow." Hermione whispered as they stepped into the tastefully decorated room.
"Yeah. I think the man who created it hired someone to decorate or something. And I can apparently connect the fireplace the Floo Network if I need to."
"This is amazing!" Ron spun around, his eyes wide. He felt a vicious stab of jealousy at what Harry was able to have because of money. He hated that he felt like that about his best friend, but he couldn't help it. Maye he'd get a trunk like this with the money he'd gotten from the basilisk sale.
"There's a lot more to see." The trio moved from one room to another, that first stab growing into an inferno within Ron. Harry's trunk was bigger and better than Ron's whole house and it just wasn't fair.
"So why'd you buy this? It's a little…excessive, don't you think?" Hermione questioned as he led them towards the library.
"Yeah, I don't think I'll even use most of it for years, but I was…encouraged to get it, since it'll last my whole life if I keep it in good condition. And it'll come in handy when I'm at the Dursley's, as I'll be able to actually do my homework and fly."
"Fly?" Ron's ears perked up, pulling him out of his moping. Harry grinned and nodded.
"I have a Quidditch pitch." He said proudly, making his friend's mouth fall open in shock.
"Really?"
"Yeah. It's not as good as flying outside, but it's better than nothing."
"Can we see it?"
"Sure. I was gonna wait to shot it last, but we can go now." Harry nodded and veered away from the library, instead going to the archway that led towards the outside room.
Snuffles greeted him by jumping up until his large paws were on Harry's chest, his tongue laving attention to the teen's cheek. Hermione jumped about a foot in the air when she first saw the huge animal, calming down only when she saw it wasn't going to maul Harry's face.
"Get off." Harry pushed at the large dog with a laugh, wiping at his face to get rid of the slobber.
"You have a dog?"
"What's up with that, mate?"
"It's kinda a long story. Well, Ginny and I found him when we were running and she was upset when we couldn't go out anymore, so I brought him down here. So yeah, I guess I do have a dog."
"What's his name?" Hermione asked, holding her hand out for the animal to sniff.
"Snuffles." That was met with two looks of disbelief, making him laugh and shrug.
"Ginny named him." He said, as if that explained everything. And it did, to Ron at least, as he was well aware of his sister's penchant for strange pet names.
"So anyway, the Quidditch pitch is through there." Ron ditched Snuffles, nearly running in his excitement. Harry let them explore, checking on the dog's food and water, even though they'd been there a couple of hours ago.
"This is truly impressive, Harry." Hermione said as she wandered around the room, dipping her fingers in the cool pool water.
"I'm looking forward to using it this summer. I won't even have to see my relatives." Hermione gave him a sad look, knowing how horrible his relationship with the Dursley's was.
"I'm glad you'll have a place to escape. But…what does this have to do with Sirius Black?" Snuffle's ears perked up and he sat at attention, completely focused on the two teens. Harry scratched behind the dog's ears, knowing it was time to be honest.
"The trunk doesn't have anything to do with that. It's what I've kept inside the trunk that does." Hermione turned inquisitive eyes on him, both ignoring the whooping and hollering coming from the connected room.
"What're you keeping down here? Is it illegal? You're not…you not keeping Black here are you? Harry! He's trying to kill you!" The boy's eyes widened at the conclusion she'd jumped to, missing the way the dog tense under his hand, his ears flattening.
"What? Of course not, don't be crazy."
"Then what?" Hermione huffed, irritated he wouldn't just come out and say whatever it was that he needed to.
"This is so cool! I can't believe you have your own pitch!" Ron exclaimed, coming back into the main room, a little overwhelmed with everything. He'd never even imagined a trunk like this could exist, let alone that his best friend would be the one to own it. At least it wasn't Malfoy's.
"There's one more room I need to show you." Harry said and started towards the archway again, the two following behind him. Snuffles tried to follow, but Harry shook his head and locked the room, not wanting the dog to wander around.
He led them into the library, or well, it was more of a study room, as it only had a few bookshelves. The room mainly consisted of desks, seating, and a large table that seated six comfortable, a prime study station for a group.
"It's beautiful."
"This isn't the real room. I have a connecting office. And…that's where I keep the things I've kept a secret." Harry revealed, moving to the double doors.
"The trunk isn't the secret?" Ron questioned.
"No. Well, I mean, I did keep it a secret because I wasn't sure how you'd both take it, but t's not the big secret." Harry shook his head, hands going into his robes' pockets as he shuffled his feet.
"Is it really that big of a deal?" Ron wondered out loud.
"Yes it is."
'Well then, show us." Hermione motioned with her hand, getting impatient. The trunk was very impressive, but she wanted to know what he'd kept from them.
Harry nodded and opened the doors to his office, stepping before them to make sure his parents were dressed before the others saw.
"Harry dear, shouldn't you be in class?" Lily's question was met with gasps of surprise, Hermione and Ron both hurrying around the corner until they could see where the voice had come from.
"You—you're parents!" The girl pointed in shock, nearly tripping over her own feet.
"Bloody hell!" Ron muttered, just as floored as Hermione.
"Mom, Dad, this is Ron and Hermione."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. We've heard so much about you." Lily smiled, leaning forward in her frame.
"I…where did you find them?" Hermione asked, her mind trying to comprehend just what it was she was seeing. Harry, somehow, had magical portraits of his parents.
"They were in my Holdings vault."
"Why'd you keep it a secret?" She turned hurt eyes onto him, not understanding why he wouldn't want to share such an amazing find with them. They were his best friends!
"I dunno. It was like I wanted to keep them to myself for a while; to get to know them, I guess."
"Damn this is weird." Ron muttered, eyes flicking between the paintings.
"I get it Harry, I do. You've never known your parents; and then to be given this gift, it must've been amazing. But I wished you would've shared it with us."
"Don't be too hard on him, Hermione. We're a bit of a handful." James said with a smirk.
"Speak for yourself." Lily scoffed with an eye roll, making the imprint pout and the teens all laughed.
"Are they always like this?"
"Yeah. At least they're wearing clothes."
"How many times do we have to apologize? Let it go son." James winked, showing he found it amusing.
"Okay, so you found your parents' portraits and then bought your trunk? What does any of this have to do with Sirius Black?" Hermione questioned, bringing them back to just why they were there.
"Sirius is innocent!" James exchanged, getting wide eyes from Ron and Hermione. Lily gave him a light slap.
"Let Harry explain James." The two teens turned confused eyes to Harry, who motioned towards the chairs that sat in front of the fireplace.
"Dad is the one who told me to buy the trunk. And mom talked me into changing courses and they both helped me with the notebooks."
"So that's how you knew the spells! I'd thought you'd been reading books on advanced spell work." Hermione grumbled, still a little irked that he'd been able to create something so advanced without her help.
"Well, we gave the spells, Harry had to actually perform them, and they required a lot of power." Lily spoke up, not wanting to take the credit when they really hadn't done much.
"Anyway, so I found out Sirius Black actually used to be close friends with my parents, along with Lupin."
"He was my brother."
"And dad is positive he's innocent, so I wrote a letter to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to see if I could get a copy of his trial transcript."
"Have you heard back from them?" Harry scowled at his father, irritated the man continued to interrupt.
"Yes, this morning. And it turns out Sirius didn't even get a trial." He explained to his parents, as his friends already knew this.
"Please tell me you're joking." Lily said quietly. She sighed heavily when he shook his head.
"He was set up, he had to be. And this just proves it." James said passionately.
"Actually, it only proves that Black wasn't given a trial. It doesn't speak towards his innocence." Hermione spoke up, getting an annoyed look from the portrait.
"I know Sirius and he'd never murder a bunch of Muggles."
"It wasn't just Muggles. My dad said he killed a wizard too. Peter something."
"Peter Pettigrew?" Lily demanded, making Ron jump slightly before quickly nodding.
"Sounds right."
"No. Nope. Peter was one of the Marauders; Sirius would never kill him, no matter what anyone claims. Something is wrong with this whole thing."
"Well figure it out, James." Lily reassured, moving into his frame so she could take his hand.
"Who're the Marauders?"
The trio spent the rest of the hour chatting with the portraits before they had to get to their next class. And while both Hermione and Ron were hurt he'd kept this from them, they didn't get angry, much to Harry's relief.
Ron was still consumed with jealousy over the trunk, but he understood Harry wanting to keep the portraits to himself, so he didn't make a big deal about it. Besides, he was more annoyed that Ginny had been the first to find out more than anything, thinking his sister was trying to steal his friend. But he wasn't willing to let Harry go, so Ginny would just have to deal.
Harry was just relieved to finally have everything out in the open; well, okay, not everything. He hadn't told anyone about the prophecy his parents had revealed, not wanting to think about it. And he really didn't want them to think about it either. Voldemort was still pretty powerless for now and he wanted to enjoy the school year.
Which was made harder by Draco and the rest of the Slytherins, who kept teasing him whenever they were in the same vicinity. It got so bad that he ended up punching Malfoy in the face after a particularly frustrating Potions class, his patience completely worn out by the annoying blonde. He reminded Draco of the offer he'd made and told him that he'd take it back if he didn't get his head out of his arse soon.
Draco had, of course, cried to Snape, who'd delighted in giving Harry detentions for the rest of the month and taking house points. But it'd been worth it in Harry's opinion, this strength training he'd been doing giving him more power behind his fist, resulting in the breaking of Draco's nose. Hermione had been horrified at the physical altercation while everyone else had been amused, all agreeing that they wished they could've seen it.
It's not that Harry condoned violence, far from it actually. But a person can only take so much and he'd reached his breaking point with Draco. It probably had more to do with his humiliation over losing the game and passing out from the dementors, but the Slytherin didn't help matters. Maybe now the annoying boy would think twice before insulting him again. One can dream.
The month passed in a busy, routine filled blur. Now that they might be out of the running for the Quidditch Cup, Oliver had cut the practices down to twice a week. This was good, since Harry had detention every Friday for the month, meaning he couldn't go to Dueling Club, so he used Wednesdays to review the spells with his friends. It wasn't as fun as dueling, but he learned the spells, and that's what mattered.
To everyone's delight, the weather cleared up and winter made itself known, leaving the sky a dazzling white and the muddy ground glittering with frost. The castle was abuzz with the excitement of Christmas, the students filling the air with talk about their plans and their hopes for presents. Professor Flitwick had even decorated his room with shimmering lights that were actually real, fluttering fairies. Harry wasn't sure why the creatures would want to be lighting, but it was pretty none the less.
Rona and Hermione decided to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays, wanting to keep him company, as there was only so much one could do with portraits for parents. Ginny tried to get permission to stay as well, but her mother was adamant she return home. It sucked being the youngest and only girl, as she was always being treated like a baby. The prior year didn't help with that, making Molly nearly smothering with her worry. But Ginny loved her mother and she knew how lucky she was to still have both her parents, so she just let it go and agreed to go home.
The clear weather prompted Dumbledore to allow another Hogsmeade visit on the last week of term. The article about the dementor attack had stirred up a lot of unrest and the School Board had voted to remove the dementors, making it safe for the students to venture outdoors once more. This decision was helped along by the fact that there hadn't been any sightings of Sirius Black since October, so they felt the students were safe with the patrolling Aurors. Everyone except Fudge was thrilled with the decision, as they'd all feared a fourth attack and the possibility that someone would get seriously injured or even kissed if the creatures remained.
Harry, however, wasn't excited, as he still couldn't go to Hogsmeade, and he didn't have a giant snake to keep him busy this time either. Ginny had offered to spend the day with him, but she was supposed to be hanging with Colin and Luna before the break, so he said he'd be fine. He put on his best smile and bid Ron and Hermione goodbye before starting back towards the grand staircase, figuring he'd do schoolwork or something to stay busy.
"Psst—Harry." He turned at the whisper, spying Fred and George standing at the door to an unused classroom.
"What are you doing? Shouldn't you be in Hogsmeade?" Harry asked inquisitively.
"We've come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go." Fred replied with a mysterious smirk. Harry followed the brothers into the room, his curiosity piqued.
"Early Christmas present for you, Harry." George said, beaming at the younger teen. Fred pulled something from inside his cloak with a flourish and laid it on one of the desks. It was a large, square, very work piece of parchment with nothing written on it.
"You're giving me a bit of old parchment?" Harry asked in disbelief.
"A bit of old parchment! This, Harry, is the secret to our success!" Fred said, scandalized. Harry just gave them a confused look.
"This little beauty has taught us more than all the teachers in this school."
"I still don't understand."
"Dear Harrykins, this is anything but a mere piece of parchment. Watch." George instructed and pulled out his wand. He touched the wood to the paper lightly and spoke.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
Once the last word was spoken, thin ink lines began to spread like spider's web from the point the George's wand had touched. They joined each other, crisscrossed, then fanned out to the four corners before words began to blossom across the top.
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present
The Marauder's Map
It was a map showing every detail of the castle and grounds. But the truly remarkable thing was the tiny ink dots moving around it, each labeled with a name in miniscule writing. Astounded, Harry bent over to get a better look. A labeled dot in the top left corner showed that Professor Dumbledore was pacing his office study; Mrs. Norris was prowling the second floor; and Peeves was currently bouncing around the trophy room.
As Harry's eyes traveled up and down the familiar corridors, he noticed something else. There were a set of passageways he had never entered. And many of them seemed to lead to—
"Right into Hogsmeade." Fred said, tracing one of them with his fingers.
"There are seven in all. Now, Filch knows about these four"—he pointed them out—"but we're sure we're the only ones who know about these. Don't bother with the one behind the mirror on the fourth floor. We used it until last winter, but its caved in—completely blocked. And we don't reckon anyone's ever used this one, because the Whomping Willow's planted right over the entrance. But this one here, this one leads right into the cellar of Honeydukes. We've used it loads of times. The entrance is through the one-eyed old crone's human in the third-floor corridor." Fred explained, his excitement evident.
"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. We owe them so much." George sighed, patting the heading of the map.
"Noble men, working tirelessly to help a new generation of law breakers."
Harry couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up in his throat, a mixture of amazement and amusement filling him. He was beyond grateful to be given the map, both for the fact that it'd definitely come in handy and because it had also belonged to his dad. He'd never grow tired of finding things that used to be his parents', feeling closer to them with every discovery.
"What's so funny? We're trying to be serious here."
"Sorry. It's just…I know who the Marauders were." Harry explained, receiving identical looks of shock in reply.
"Really? How'd you find out? We've never been able to." Fred pressed eagerly.
"Because my dad was Prongs. He left me a book they'd written in my Holdings vault."
"Your…your dad was Prongs?" George asked in disbelief.
"Yeah." He nodded, amused at the awestruck looks on their faces.
"You wanna know who Moony is?" The raven haired boy asked in a whisper, making them lean in closer.
"Tell us!"
"Please!"
"Remus Lupin." That was met with silence before the two erupted into loud exclamations, amazed that their DADA professor was also one of their idols.
"Who're the other two?"
"Peter Pettigrew and…Sirius Black." That caused even more excited chatter, the twins talking over themselves at leaning the criminal was one of the Marauders. Harry let them go for a few minutes before he cleared his throat to get their attention.
"Does the map just clear after a while?" He asked, nodding to the still present ink.
"Oh sorry. No, you have to wipe it." George said.
"Just tap it again and say 'Mischief managed. And it'll go blanks."
"Thanks! I'm gonna go grab my coat."
"See you in Honeydukes." George replied with a wink before the two ducked out of the room, their conversation quickly turning back towards the revelations they'd just learned. Harry was sure they'd want more information, but he was happy to let them go so he could go to Hogsmeade.
Harry only hesitated a moment before he dashed out of the classroom and took off up the stairs, his body humming with excitement at the possibility of actually going to Hogsmeade. He'd been so jealous of his friends getting to go while he was stuck at the castle; but, now he could finally experience the magical town for himself and he didn't want to waste a minute of it.
He came up short once he reached the specified stature, not knowing how to access the passageway since the twins hadn't revealed that secret. Looking around to make sure the hallway was clear, Harry pulled out the map and activated it, hoping it'd give a clue.
To his astonishment, a new ink figure had appeared on the parchment, the label reading Harry Potter. The tiny form was positioned exactly where he actually stood, giving credence to the item's credibility. What was strange was that his little ink-self appeared to be tapping the witch with his tiny wand. Harry copied the gesture, but nothing happened.
He was about to give up in frustration when he saw a speech bubble had appeared next to the figure that had "Dissendium" written inside it. Willing to give it a shot, Harry glanced around once more before quietly whispering the given word while tapping the crone with his wand.
The young wizard jumped a little when the statue's hump opened wide enough to admit a fairly thin person. Harry took a breath before hoisting himself into the hole and pushing himself forward.
/*/
It took ages to reach the trapdoor in the cellar of Honeydukes and he was hot and sweaty by the end of it. It took some well-timed and quick maneuvering for him to get out of the cellar and onto the sales floor, but it was worth it when he got his first look at the store.
There was candy everywhere; Dudley would've been in absolute heaven. He'd never been in a Muggle sweets shop, but it was hard to imagine any could compare with this; there were shelves upon shelves of the most succulent-looking candy imaginable. From Every Flavor Beans (and they mean every flavor) to tiny black Pepper Imps ("breathe fire for your friends") and fragile sugar-spun quills.
Moving through the crowded store, Harry spotted Ron's bright hair and moved closed. His two friends were standing underneath a sign that read "Unusual Tastes", examining a tray of blood-flavored lollipops.
"Ugh, no, Harry won't want one of those. They're for vampires, I expect." Hermione said, shaking her head at the sucker Ron was holding.
"How about these?" He exchanged the lollipop for a jar of Cockroach Clusters.
"Definitely not." Harry said, not even wanting to know why these were the candies they were looking at. And for him no less.
"Harry!" Hermione squealed in surprise while Ron jumped nearly a foot in the air, almost dropping the jar in the process.
"What are you doing here? How—how did you—"
"Wow! You've learned to Apparate!" Ron exclaimed, looking very impressed.
"'Course I haven't." Harry shook his head before telling them about the gift the twins had bequeathed to him, keeping his voice low so no one would over hear.
"How come Fred and George never gave it to me? I'm their brother!" Ron said angrily, not understanding why they'd have kept something like that from him. He wasn't Percy for Merlin's sake.
"But Harry isn't going to keep it! He's going to hand it over to Professor McGonagall, aren't you, Harry?"
"Are you crazy? This was my dad's!"
"How could he hand in something this good?" Ron goggled at Hermione, thinking all the studying had finally made her go barmy.
"But what about Sirius Black? I know your parents think he's innocent, but what if he's not? He'd know about the map and the secret passageways! What if he uses one of them to get into the castle? The teachers have to know!"
Harry paused at that, not having even thought about that. He'd begun to believe his parents were right and that Black was innocent, but there was always the possibility that he wasn't. He could be the deranged criminal the papers painted him as. Maybe he should hand it over, just in case.
"Nah. If Black was gonna come into the castle, he would've by now, especially since no one would've known. And obviously Dumbledore doesn't think we're in danger any more since the dementors are gone." Ron said, sounding sure. Harry shared a look with him before he nodded.
"Ron's right. If Black really was after me, he could've gotten to me since term started. And there haven't been any sightings for months. I think we're fine."
"Yes, but—but—" Hermione floundered for a second.
"Look, even if that's true, Harry shouldn't be coming into Hogsmeade. He hasn't got a signed form! If anyone finds out, he'll be in so much trouble!"
"Come on, Hermione, its Christmas. Harry deserves a break."
"And the map was my dad's." Harry added, looking pleadingly at her. His eyes were so bright and green that it was hard to not just give in immediately.
"Are you gonna report me?" He asked, grinning when he saw her begin to waver.
"Oh—of course not—but honestly, Harry—"
"Seen the Fizzing Whizbees, Harry? And the Jelly Slugs? And the Acid Pops? Fred gave me one of those when I was seven—it burnt a hole right through my tongue. I remember mom walloping him with her broomstick." Ron chatted as he pulled harry through the crowd.
Hermione sighed heavily, knowing there wasn't anything she could do, as the two boys were ridiculously stubborn. Even though she was still worried about Black and the possibilities of the Marauder's map, she knew she'd never turn Harry in. All she could do was hope they didn't end up regretting this.
Luckily Harry had already used carrier owls to order his Christmas presents, so he was able to just enjoy the day without having to worry about shopping. It was also good, as he didn't have any money on him, as he hadn't gone back to the tower before leaving the castle. This also meant he only had the light jumper he'd been wearing and was freezing by the time Ron suggested they go to the Three Broomsticks.
Once they were sufficiently warmed by tankards of butterbeer and the guys got to ogle Madam Rosmerta, they headed back out to the village, which looked like a Christmas card. It was charming; the little thatched cottages and shops were covered in a layer of crisp snow and there were holly wreaths on the doors and strings of enchanted candles hanging in the trees. Harry felt more festive by just being there.
They visited Zonko's, where Ron bought some items he hoped to be able to use as revenge on the twins, and then the Shrieking Shack (it was rumored to be haunted) before Harry had to sneak back into Honeydukes. The sun was beginning to set and he didn't want the students to return for dinner before him, as that'd raise questions. And he needed to tell Ginny and his parents about his new acquisition.
He really hoped his dad was right about Sirius, because he really didn't want to give the Marauder's map up.
/*/
Harry waited until his roommates were asleep before he pulled the map out and shut his curtains, wanting to get more familiar with it. The thing really was a work of genius and must've taken an outrageous amount of time, skill, and raw power to create it' especially since it still worked after almost two decades. He wondered if he and his friends would ever be able to create something so amazing.
It was easier to see the entire castle this time, as most of the students were separated into four clusters, giving him the locations of dormitories. He spotted a couple of Hufflepuffs locked in a broom closet and the twins in the Great Hall, most likely getting up to no good. Filch and Mrs. Norris were on the fifth floor, in the complete opposite direction of the troublemakers, for which he was sure Fred and George were grateful, since they didn't have the map anymore. Harry made a mental note to be on guard tomorrow morning, not putting it past the two to prank their own house as a holiday goodbye.
Glancing towards the Gryffindor tower, the teen nearly fell off his bed when the jumble of names revealed two labels that shouldn't be there. Holding his lit wand closer to the parchment, Harry rubbed at his eyes before looking again, thinking he hadn't seen right. But when he glanced down again, the two names were still there, mingled with those of the third year boys.
"Sirius Black" and "Peter Pettigrew" stared up at him in black ink, as if mocking him.
This has to be wrong. The map must actually be losing its potency, because there was no way this was right. Ron had said Pettigrew was killed by Sirius. And even if Sirius wasn't the one to kill him, there was no way he was still alive, not when so many people had seen him die.
Harry quietly got out of bed, his wand held tightly in his hand, his mind going through the defensive spells he'd learned in Dueling Club. He didn't think the map was correct, but he didn't want to risk it if Sirius Black was actually inside the dorm. If Black was in the tower he didn't want to give the many any opportunity to do anything, especially if he actually was a murderer.
Harry silently searched the room, being careful not to wake any of the guys. He even did a quick scan in their trunks, not wanting to leave anything unturned. But the criminal was nowhere to be found, making the young wizard certain the map really was faulty.
Going back to his bed, Harry wiped the parchment and stored it in his trunk, figuring he'd talk to his parents about it in the morning. He extinguished his wand and pulled his curtains closed, falling asleep quickly.
/*/
The students were leaving for the holidays the next morning after breakfast, the castle quickly emptying. The twins had set off half a dozen dungbombs in the Great Hall, effectively clearing it out and getting most of the student body out in the entrance courtyard, exchanging goodbyes and well wishes with their friends.
Ginny was sad she had to leave, but she was glad Rona and Hermione would be there for Harry, so hopefully he would stay in high spirits. She promised to keep up her exercises while on break, not wanting to lose the routine they'd set up. Harry agreed it was a good idea and promised to keep it up too.
Once the carriages disappeared the trio decided to visit with Hagrid, as they hadn't seen him outside of his of class in a while. And the half-giant was always happy to get visitors, so they thought it was a good idea. It was Christmas, after all, and their visit was long overdue.
They found the large man returning from the forest, an empty sack in his hands and Fang was trotting happily next to him. Hagrid beamed and let out a booming greeting when he spotted the three teenagers.
"Yeh've come ter visit me? Yeh just missed feedin' time wit the hippogriffs!" Hagrid indicated the sack, which had several red splotches on it, indicating it'd been used to haul the "food".
"Ah—uh—that's alright Hagrid. Maybe next time." Harry said after sharing a look with his friends, all of them grateful they'd missed the event. Watching dangerous creatures chow down on raw meat wasn't their idea of a good time.
"Come inside. I've got a batch o' cakes fer yeh." The students followed him inside, taking seats as Fang scampered over to a corner, a large, still bloody bone waiting for him.
"How have you been Hagrid? I know we haven't been down recently, but—" Hagrid waved his hand at Hermione as he filled the kettle and sat it on the stove.
"Yeh've been busy. I rem'ber how school was. An' its break now, so yeh can relax and have some fun."
"Speaking of school, I noticed the flubberworms aren't outside anymore. Did something happen?"
"They died. Too much lettuce.'
"Oh no!" Ron said, unable to stop his lips from twitching delighted at the news.
"So we'll be moving onto something else next term, right? I've read through the Monster Books of Monsters and there are a lot of very interesting creatures discussed." Hermione commented, taking the mug Hagrid offered with a smile.
"Well…af'er what hap'ed with Buckbeak, I don' know if it's a good idea." Hagrid shrugged, his tone sad and resigned.
"Hagrid, we all know what happened was an accident. You warned everyone and Malfoy didn't listen." Ron said.
"Yeah. And I'd really like to see the creatures you had planned to teach as about." Harry added.
"Yeh—yeh really think it'd be alright?" He asked, his face hopeful.
"We do." Hermione answered for them with a firm nod, the boys copying her.
"I'll have ter speak wit Dumbledore."
"Great! I think he'll say its fine, since he did hire you for the position in the first place, already knowing your penchant for—interesting animals." The bushy haired girl gave the half-giant a reassuring smile, even if there was a small part of her that questioned if they'd just made a mistake. After Fluffy, Norbert and Buckbeak, there was no telling what Hagrid would come up with. But she wanted him to be happy; and, truthfully, she hated taking care of flubberworms and wanted something more exciting to study.
"Like what are the winged horses that pull the carriages? They're a little…unusual. Especially since only me and Neville can see them." Harry spoke up, subtly pushing the hard cake away, not wanting to hurt their host's feelings but also not wanting to break his teeth.
"Yeh can see 'em, Harry?" Hagrid asked in surprise.
"Uh, yeah." The large man shifted in his chair, making the teens share a look of worry, as the groundskeeper seemed hesitant to answer. The animals couldn't be that bad, could they?
"They're called Thestrals." The three just gave confused looks, as the animals hadn't been mentioned in their book.
"I didn' plan ter cover them 'till fifth year or later, but they're 'mazin' creatures. Smart an' clever an' they have great senses o' direction, jus' take em' where yeh want ter go an' they'll take yeh there. Hogwarts has got a whole herd of 'em in the forest."
"Why can I see them and others can't?" Harry questioned, watching as Hagrid's face fell a little.
"Only people who've seen death can see 'em. I guess yeh saw yeh ma—" Hagrid's voice died out, his huge hands twisting in his lap anxiously. Harry's gut clenched tightly at the revelation.
"I saw my mother die." He muttered quietly, eyes unfocused. Hermione gripped his hand tightly.
"I'm sorry Harry. I didn' mean—"
"No, uh, it's fine. I don't remember, thankfully." The raven haired boy shook his head, trying to get past the morbid turn the conversation had taken. Though it really explained why the dementors affected him so much.
"So what type of creatures do you plan to teach next term?" Hermione asked, changing the subject.
They visited with Hagrid for a little while longer before they returned to Gryffindor Tower. Harry grabbed the Marauder's map and then opened the trunk so they could go down, as he wanted to talk to his parents about the glitch in the item. He would've preferred to spend some time alone with them, but he still felt guilty about keeping the trunk and portraits a secret, so he felt like he needed to include them.
"Harry what's wrong?" Lily asked the moment she saw him, his shoulders slumped a little and a somber air about him. Harry shrugged, really not wanting to talk or even think about why he could see Thestrals.
"It's nothing. We actually came to talk to you about the Marauder's map." He said, holding up the blank parchment. His dad let out an excited sound, leaning so far forward in his frame he threatened to topple out.
"You found it! That, son, is the compilation of all the Marauders' skills and our most brilliant creation." James grinned wide, completely thrilled his son had the map.
"Actually, Ron's brothers had it. You remember I told you about the twins."
"Ah, good men, carrying on our noble cause to create mischief."
"I think you mean mayhem." Lily said, getting a shrug and smirk from her husband, who was completely unrepentant.
"It really is a most ingenious creation. I'd love to know how you managed to make it." Hermione sat on one of the chairs in front of the fireplace, her entire focus on the paintings. She was always looking for more to learn and this was definitely something she'd like to research. Just the number of spells that had to have been used was astounding.
"Uh, actually, that's why we're here. The map is faulty or something. I was wondering if we could fix it." Harry said before either parent could get started, activating the map and spreading it out.
"That's not possible. The map is never wrong." James refuted, offended they'd even suggest such a possibility.
"Why would you think it's not working properly?" Lily questioned, ignoring the man-child that was James Potter.
"I was looking over it last night to get familiar with it and it showed two names that shouldn't have been on it. I even searched the entire dorm, but I didn't find anything."
"What were the names?"
"Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black." His words were met with silence, the news shocking. Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, unhappy the information hadn't been given to a professor, even if she had to agree that there had to be a glitch.
"You—you saw Peter's name? Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Look, it's still there, in the third year boy's dormitory, along with Black's." Harry answered, holding the map up so the portraits could see. Ron came over and helped him, the two lifting the large parchment up closer so they could see clearer.
James and Lily examined the two name tags before they looked at each other. It was clear they were having a silent conversation, the years they'd spent together in the vault showing, as they didn't even need to speak to understand each other.
"If the map shows they're there, then they are, as unbelievable as it seems." The redhead said finally, turning back to address the teens.
"How's that possible? My dad said all that was left of Pettigrew was his finger." Ron commented, looking utterly confused.
"Then they were wrong. Wormtail is obviously alive. And he and Padfoot are lurking somewhere. I knew there had to be more to this." James said with relief, knowing his brother would've never killed one of their friends. Snape, maybe, but not a Marauder.
"If Pettigrew is alive, then where is he? I looked through the whole dorm and I didn't find anyone." Harry said, confused. This was not turning out how he thought it would.
Could Peter Pettigrew truly be alive? If he is, why was Sirius blamed for his murder? Did they both actually work for Voldemort and had both betrayed his parents.
He had so many questions.
They could be in their animagi forms, especially if they're in hiding." Lily relied softly.
"Animagus? Black and Pettigrew are animagi?" Hermione perked up, this information new to her.
"Yes, we all were, to help—yes, they're animagi. Padfoot is a large black dog and Wormtailis a rat." James said, nearly slipping about Remus. He didn't know if Harry had told them or not and he didn't want to reveal his old friends secret.
"I completely forgot about that."
"They wrote a book on how to become an animagus? How cool would that be if we could learn?" Ron asked excitedly.
"Hello! I think you're missing the picture." Hermione said loudly, trying to grab their wandering attentions. The two guys turned to look at her.
"What?"
"Black and Pettigrew are animagi! A black dog and a rat! And they're in your dorm room on the map! Am I the only one who sees it?" She asked in frustration, throwing her hands up.
"Snuffles." Harry said after a moment, his eyes widening.
"Wait, what? You think your dog is Sirius Black? And what, Scabbers is Peter Pettigrew?" Ron scoffed.
"You have a dog? Where do you keep it?" James asked in surprise.
"If this Snuffles is Sirius, we'll know it; the same with Peter. Can you bring the animals down here?" Lily asked, turning the conversation back to what was important.
"You can't be serious! Scabbers is not a wizard; he's a rat!" Ron shook his head.
"It would explain why Pettigrew's name is on the Marauder's map. And wasn't Scabbers Percy's old pet?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Rats do not tend to live more than 3 years, Ron. He's been in your family a lot longer than that." Hermione reasoned, making the red head scoff again and cross his arms over his chest.
"Why don't we see if Snuffles is really Black before we go get Scabbers?" Harry said, not wanting Ron to get even more upset.
"Yes, that sounds reasonable." The brunette nodded and Ron just shrugged. Harry took that as his cue and left the office, hurrying quickly to the outdoor room, where Snuffles greeted him with happy licks.
"Come on." He motioned for the dog to follow him back out, unnerved that the pooch might actually be a man. He could even be a wanted murderer. It was a little creepy.
Snuffles followed the teen through the hallway, his head swinging back and forth as he got glimpses of different rooms, amazed at what Harry had been able to get something this nice. He didn't know how a thirteen year old would've known how to get a trunk of this magnitude, but he was impressed.
Harry held the door open so the dog could walk into the office, locking it behind him and pulling out his wand. Hermione and Ron were already armed as well, backing away slowly from Snuffles as he came around the corner.
"Oh, yeah, that's definitely Padfoot." James said when he saw him. Snuffles's head's jerked up at the voice, his mouth dropping open in shock before his body began to contort. The teens all jumped back as the animal turned into a man with a snap.
A mass of filthy, mattered hair hung to his elbows. It eyes hadn't been shinning out of deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin. It was Sirius Black.
"Bloody hell!" Ron croaked in shock, wand held shakily in front of him.
"James! Lily! I—I—" His eyes turned to look at Harry, taking a staggering step towards the boy.
"Hey! If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" Ron shouted, diving in front of Harry to stop the criminal from reaching him. Hermione hurried over until they were all standing together, a united front.
"I would never hurt Harry!" Sirius denied with a shake of his head, turning to look back up at the portraits.
"Padfoot, what's going on? Why were you sent to Azkaban?" James questioned. Black paced away before turning back, his boney arms wrapping around his stomach.
"They say you killed Peter, Sirius. What's going on?" Lily's voice was soft and soothing.
"I didn't—I should have. I tried."
"Why?"
"I convinced you—I convinced Lily and James to change secret-keepers to Peter when they went into hiding." Sirius said, his eyes going to Harry instead of the portraits, as it was hard to look at them.
"What's a secret-keeper?" Harry asked.
"If the Fidelius Charm was used to hide your parents' location, they would've entrusted the secret to only one person, the secret-keeper, making it impossible for anyone to find them unless the secret-keeper chooses to divulge it." Hermione provided.
"The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed and their bodies…I realized what Peter must've done…what' I'd done…I killed them." Sirius's voice broke.
"Peter…Peter sold us out to Voldemort?" James demanded, outraged.
"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Hermione questioned, wand never lowering.
"Why do you think I broke out of Azkaban? I saw the picture of Peter and had to find him. I have to kill him." Sirius said furiously.
"Whoa, whoa, let's just calm down. Are you certain, Sirius, that Peter betrayed us?" Lily took control of the conversation, pulling them back and focusing.
"He's the only one that knew your location, Lils."
"What about all the Muggles you killed?"
"I chased him down after I gave you to Hagrid, and when I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself—and sped down into the sewer with the other rats."
"And the largest part of Peter that was found was his finger." Harry provided, making Sirius's eyes grow hopeful.
"Er—Mr. Black—Sirius?" Hermione said. Black jumped at being addressed like this and stared at Hermione as though he had never seen anything quite like her.
"If you don't mind me asking, how—how did you get out of Azkaban? No one's ever done it before."
"I don't know how I did it. I think the only reason I never lost my minds is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the dementors couldn't suck it out of me…but it kept me sane and knowing who I am…helped me keep my powers….so when it all became…too much….I could transform in my cell…become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know…" He swallowed thickly, just the thought of the demons enough to make him shudder.
"They feel their way toward people by feeding off their emotions…they could tell that my feelings were less—less human, less complex when I was a dog…but the thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand…
"But then I saw Peter in that picture…I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry…perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his hears that the Dark Side was gathering strength again…ready to strike at the moment he could be sure of allies…and to deliver the last Potter to them. If he gave them Harry, who'd dare say he'd betrayed Lord Voldemort? He'd be welcomed back with honors…" Sirius shook his head.
"What picture are you talking about?"
"This one." Sirius pulled out a very crumpled and faded newspaper clipping. Harry took it hesitantly, smoothing it out to reveal the picture that'd been taken of the Weasley in Egypt because Arthur had won that money. And sitting perched up on Ron's shoulder was a much healthier Scabbers.
"How d'you know it's Peter and not just a normal rat?" Harry asked as Ron snatched at the clipping.
"He's missing a toe, just like Peter." Sirius answered.
"He could've lost it fighting another rat! We don't know if Scabbers is really anything but a rat." Ron protested, still not wanting to believe his pet could really be a wizard, one who'd apparently betrayed his best friend's parents that led to their murder.
"Ron…I know it's hard to believe, and if I hadn't been here, I wouldn't. But…it's possible." Hermione said quietly, squeezing his arm. The red head sighed heavily, his head dropping.
"What do we do?"
"I kill him."
"No, you won't, Sirius. We need to prove your innocence so you can get your life back. So you can be Harry's godfather." Lily said firmly, glaring at him, arms crossed over her chest. Sirius scowled, but as the painted woman just kept staring at him, he sighed and his shoulders slumped.
"Fine."
"We can't just rush into this, as I'm sure you'd all like to. If Peter escapes before Sirius's name is cleared than he'll never be cleared of the charges."
"Lily is right. I want you to be free, Padfoot, so that you can there for Harry. I can't believe Peter would betray us, but I know for certain you never would." James leaned forward in his frame, wishing he was more than just paint and memories.
"So how are we going to do this? It's not like I can just waltz into the Ministry and proclaim my innocence."
"No. But we can figure something out. You never received a trial, which deprived you of one of your basic rights as a citizen of the British Wizarding Community. We should be able to fix this somehow." Hermione said, trying to look hopeful.
"We need someone in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to hear us out. And we need to keep Peter locked away before he can escape."
"What about Amelia Bones? She's the one who wrote me about the trial and she said she'd look into it. She's also the head of the department." Harry provided, glancing between Sirius and the portraits, still unnerved by this whole thing. He'd come down here to see about the map malfunctioning and now Sirius Black was standing in front of him, proclaiming his innocence. And he believed him.
"Good. You can transfigure something into a cage and spell it to keep Peter from getting out. And speak to Dumbledore when you contact Bones; Sirius will stay in the trunk and you should keep Peter hidden. I'd say lock him in here too, but I don't want to Sirius to give in to his rage and kill him."
"We haven't reached that type of transfiguration yet." Hermione commented.
"I can do it." The teens all looked at Sirius, who just shrugged at the expressions they wore.
"I'd only need the wand for a minute." Harry glanced at his friends hesitantly before slowly stepping forward, handing his wand over to his godfather. Sirius looked around the room before going to the desk and grabbing a paperweight. The teens watched as he waved the wand and muttered something quietly, a shiny silver cage taking shape. He then spelled it to keep it locked before turning and handing it to Ron.
"It'll stay locked once you close the door. You can feed him through the slot." He explained, handing Harry back his wand.
"Alright, well…this has all been very strange." Hermione muttered, her eyes flicking from the cage up to the man standing only a few feet from her, a man wanted for murder. A man, who if they believed him, had been wrongfully imprisoned and spent the last twelve years in absolute hell because someone he trusted, someone Harry's parents had trusted, had betrayed them all. She really hadn't seen her night turning out this way.
"I know this is all serious and everything, but are we gonna go get dinner soon? 'Cause I'm starving." Ron mumbled, hand rubbing at his stomach, which had started gurgling.
"Please, you've already done so much just listening to me, I don't want you to starve." Sirius said, lips twitching into a smirk, the first true expression they'd seen since he'd transformed.
"Okay. Right. Uh—I guess you can stay in one of the guest rooms, use the shower. The food's in the outside icebox, but I can bring some more after dinner."
"You—uh—you can have some of my clothes, if you want. I mean, you're taller than Harry, so his won't fit." Ron said, rubbing at his neck uncomfortably.
"Thank you Ron. Thank you all for believing me." Sirius smiled, the action strained and foreign. He hadn't had anything to smile for in the last twelve years.
"I'll drop the clothes and food off before bed." Harry said, not sure what more to do. They couldn't just rush out and announce Sirius's innocence, but it was also a little strange to just leave after all this. But he was hungry too.
"Goodnight." The man nodded, giving them the out they needed to leave.
The trio left after that, Ron snagging Scabbers before he could scurry away and locking him in the cage. He was still a little unsure, but he didn't want to be the reason the real murderer went free while an innocent man went back to prison; or at least had to live on the run for the rest of his life.
Somehow they'd get the truth out and hopefully Sirius would be free and Harry would have someone flesh and blood to be there for him.
AN: Okay, so I don't know where this chapter came from or when the next update will be, but I hope you all enjoyed this. Thanks for reading. Sorry for any mistakes.