Posted Dec 2, 2014.
SUMMARY: Both Rasalas and his godfather have their say before the law, thanks to the Canadian ministry; Kate begins to look into Brady's records; the Sawyers learn they're getting a new, friendly neighbour; and Dumbledore discovers his influence has no meaning, while being detained at the pleasure of the Canadian ministry.
110. DUE PROCESS
November 2 – 3, 2005
"Indictments of any kind are serious. That being said, let's not forget that an indictment is not a conviction. We still have due process in this country."
- Rob Simmons
A few minutes later, everyone was crowded into the dining room.
"This is Patricia Hoyt, and her court scribe, Lenny White," Auror Jackson introduced them. Lenny was already pulling a number of things out of the large portfolio slung over his shoulder, including a covered clay bowl. Several pages of parchment were set up, along with quills.
"Those not participating, I ask you please remain from speaking while we are on the record. If you feel you cannot do so, then please leave the room," said Patricia, firmly.
"It's for accuracy," Lenny explained, "When we go on record, everything that is said will be recorded."
"One word out of anyone not participating, and I'll cast a silencing charm on them," said Rasalas, "We've got two issues I'd like to see resolved here and now."
"If we're ready then. Mr. and Mr. Black, if you will both take your seats," said Patricia, indicating seats across from her.
Both Rasalas and Sirius sat down.
"Begin recording," said Lenny. The quills that had been up to this point laying dormant on the parchment suddenly lifted up, poised to begin writing.
"This hearing being held this second of November, in the matter of Black and the English ministry for magic," Patricia began, "Madam justice Patricia Hoyt, with court scribe Leonard White, and lead Auror Stephen Jackson. The defendant, Sirius Orion Black, answering to charges; one count of participating in a terrorist organization, one count of conspiracy to commit murder, and thirteen counts of murder."
"Kate Lewis, solicitor for the accused," Kate spoke up, "My client has agreed to give testimony in his own defence while under Veritaserum. Pensieve testimony will also be drawn as supporting evidence to his innocence."
"So noted. Court scribe. If you will administer the Veritaserum."
"Yes ma'am."
Lenny stood up, and produced a vial containing a clear substance, and circled the table. Sirius opened his mouth, and Lenny allowed three drops of the liquid to fall on his tongue. He then recapped the vial, and glanced at his watch. "We'll need a few minutes for it to take effect."
Sirius gave a nod, and closed his eyes. He was minutes away from freedom. There would be a few questions, he'd give a few memories, and that was it. No more hiding from the Aurors, or worse... being a prisoner in his own home.
Brady, meanwhile, looked on with dozens of questions running through his head. This was a trial? Didn't they have to hold these kind of proceedings in an actual court? Where was the prosecution?
"For the record, please state your name," said Auror Jackson.
"Sirius Orion Black."
"And your current place of residence?"
"At a location that cannot be revealed as it's hidden by a Fidelius Charm," he answered, his voice flat and monotone.
"At any time, did you in any way aid or partake in activities set in motion by a terrorist organization in Britain known as the Death Eaters?"
"No, I did not."
"Shortly after Lily and James Potter gave birth to their son, they went into hiding to protect him. Were you a part of those plans?"
"Yes, I was."
"And a later plan involved the casting of the Fidelius Charm on their residence. Is this true?"
"Yes."
Auror Jackson glanced at a set of notes at his place at the table.
"Were you part of additional precautions put in place alongside the Fidelius Charm?"
"Yes."
"By operating as a decoy."
"Yes."
"And that was because you agreed as a group, that you were the obvious choice for secret-keeper. Is this true?"
"Yes."
"Who actually became the secret-keeper for the Fidelius Charm cast on the Potters' residence?"
"Peter Pettigrew."
"A former friend, a member of your close-knit group while you were students at Hogwarts. Is that true?"
"Yes."
Auror Jackson glanced at his notes again.
"Turning now to the night Mr. and Mrs. Potter were murdered. When did you attend the residence?"
"Late. The exact time, I don't remember."
"What did you find when you got there?"
"The door was blown open. James... he was felled in the hallway. I found Lily upstairs, in the nursery."
"And Harry still alive in his crib."
"Yes."
"Harry being, Harry James Potter, James and Lily's son."
"Yes."
"What did you do next?"
"I meant to take Harry from the house... being his godfather. It's what Lily and James agreed on. That I would keep him safe if the worst would happen."
"What prevented this from happening?"
"I found Hagrid at the door," Sirius answered.
"The current groundskeeper and professor of Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts?"
"Yes."
"What was he doing there?"
"He had come to collect Harry."
"Why?"
"He said it was on Dumbledore's orders."
"What was he instructed to do with Harry once he was collected?"
"He was to meet Dumbledore. He was forbidden from telling me."
"What did you do after?"
"I told Hagrid to use my bike. It was parked in the back of the house."
"And after?"
"I went to look for Peter."
"Believing he had betrayed you."
"Yes."
"Take us to when you finally caught up to him. Did the pair of you exchange words?"
"Yes."
"What did he say to you?"
"He accused me of being a traitor, and nailed me with a powerful cheering charm."
"What happened next?"
"He cast a strong blasting curse at a gas meter on one of the buildings nearby."
"And you were in too much of a euphoric state to give any sort of pursuit."
"Yes."
"The state in which the British Aurors found you in, is that true?"
"Yes."
"Were you offered any sort of legal representation before you were taken into custody?" Patricia questioned.
"No."
"Was any sort of trial or hearing conducted with regard to this event, excluding this hearing?"
"No."
"Auror Jackson, any further questions?"
"No, your honour."
"I have no further questions. Court scribe, if you will administer the antidote."
Lenny once again stood up, went around to where Sirius was sitting, and administered the antidote.
"If you will now draw the appropriate memory pertaining to the incident in question."
"At once, Madam justice. Mr. Black, if you will produce the memories which cover the events in question." Lenny indicated the pensieve.
Sirius produced his wand, and placed the tip at his temple. He began to pull, almost gingerly, and a silvery strand of a hair-like substance began to pull away. Brady was fascinated as this happened. It looked almost gasssy in consistency. Longer and longer it became, until Sirius gave it a final little tug, and it separated completely. He then dropped it into the clay bowl, causing the liquid in it to shimmer in the light.
"Sirius Black. Do you swear before all these witnesses, that the memory we are about to view is complete and unmodified in any way, shape, or form?"
"I do swear."
Lenny tapped the clay bowl once with his wand, and what appeared to be a holographic image came to life at the centre of the table. The events unfolded exactly as Sirius had explained, beginning with his arrival at the Potters' residence, and ending with him being taken into ministry custody following the explosion on the street.
Patricia remained silent for several minutes, thinking over the testimony she'd just heard. Finally, she began, "The testimony I have heard here this evening paints a most disturbing picture of how badly things can turn out when conclusions are made based on assumption, rather than proper examination of evidence on hand.
Sirius Orion Black. Based on the testimony you have provided, and further evidenced by the pensieve memory provided, I find the charges levelled against you by our English counterparts to be unjust and illegal, and therefore have no bearing here within Canadian jurisdiction.
"Further, these findings will be circulated to the membership of the International Confederation of Wizards, with the hope that other jurisdictions will follow our lead. The accused has the right to due process, this is one of our tenets in a just society."
"Thank you, madam justice," said Sirius, softly.
"With this dismissal of charges here, comes the next matter of record."
"My client wishes to claim political asylum and protection from magical England," said Kate.
"Do you have a place to stay, Mr. Black?"
"I think we can make room," said Phil, "We might have to have a couple of people sharing, but we'll manage."
"Very well. Based on my previous ruling, I see no reason to also grant the application."
"Thank you, madam justice."
"Stop recording," said Lenny. The quills all stopped, and he began to collect the parchments, replacing them with new ones.
"Rasalas... I never realized..." Brady managed, giving Rasalas' shoulder a tight squeeze.
"Sit." Rasalas indicated the seat beside his own. Brady obliged, pulling off his cap, and rubbing his face.
"Your life really sucked."
"You have no idea... and I'm still seeing all this rubbish as a third party. I'm not kidding... had I lived through it (and somehow I did), I would have jumped off the highest bridge I could find."
"You don't really mean that, Mr. Black," said Patricia, sharply.
"My solicitor's been doing plenty of digging regarding my life up to the beginning of September. It's been unpleasant."
"I got your back, an' I mean that," said Brady.
"Are we ready to continue?" questioned Lenny.
"If Mr. Black is ready."
"I'm ready," Rasalas answered.
"Begin recording," said Lenny. The quills once again stood up, ready to begin writing.
"This hearing being held this second of November, in the matter of Black nee Potter and the English ministry for magic," Patricia began, "Madam justice Patricia Hoyt, with court scribe Leonard White, and lead Auror Stephen Jackson. Point of order, complainant appealing his conviction of underage sorcery, and application for political asylum within Canadian jurisdiction."
"Kate Lewis, solicitor for the applicant. My client submits the transcript of the hearing held on the second of August this year into evidence."
Kate reached into her portfolio, and produced a stack of pages, sliding them across the table.
"The court shall record the submission of a transcript, dated August 8, 2005, carrying the seal of the clerk of the Wizengamot," said Lenny, "The date of session is August 2, 2005, in the matter of Wizengamot vs Harry James Potter. Charges of casting the Patronus charm in the presence of a Muggle."
He slid the transcript to Patricia.
"The articles of note, I have marked with red tabs," said Kate, referring to a set of notes of her own, "The first, I find perhaps the most inflammatory of anything that follows, the interrogators saw fit to dismiss anything that Mr. Black nee Potter attempted to say when he was questioned. That in itself violates their own laws, your honour."
"I would have to agree," said Patricia, as she skimmed the indicated section.
"The second section, covers the testimony of a squib who lived near Mr. Black nee Potter's relatives on Privet Drive. Her testimony clearly describes what someone would experience, when confronted by a Dementor. Yet, the Wizengamot chose to dismiss this testimony."
Patricia skimmed through the second section.
"Mr. Black, given the fact you were not allowed to mount a proper defence, that alone is grounds for me overturning the verdict, which I will now do."
"Though he's already been practising magic here. Will that reflect on his record?" Sirius questioned.
"No. Given we have no record of the trace, the ministry will not be sending out warning letters or fines," said Patricia. "It is curious to know how this may have happened, Mr. Black."
"My client declines to answer on record," said Kate.
"We then move to the second part of this hearing. You are applying for political asylum within Canadian jurisdiction."
"Yes, your honour," Rasalas answered.
"You've been using the name Rasalas Black since arriving here back in August?"
"Yes ma'am. Both my godfather and Gringotts recommended I make the change."
"This is a legal name-change?"
"It is," said Sirius, "Show her the ring."
"Right." Rasalas tapped one of his right fingers, and the Black heir ring appeared.
"Very well," said Patricia. Brady, meanwhile, grabbed Rasalas' hand so he could have a closer look at the ring.
"Y'know... someone might get the wrong impression," Rasalas smirked. Brady quickly let go, but Rasalas left his hand where it was.
"Mr. Black..." said Lenny, with a glare.
"Sorry."
"I find the application in order, and so grant the petition. Additionally, to prevent the repeat of an undesirable event which transpired earlier, I'm ordering elevated protection detail for the property. Auror Jackson here will coordinate proper coverage. We are off the record."
"Stop recording."
"Thank you, madam justice," said Rasalas, inclining his head.
"No, it should be us thanking you, young man. Voldemort threatened us just as much as he did England. You and your family stopped him before he could claim complete victory."
"His mother was a powerful witch, never mind his father," said Sirius.
"No matter, it was a brave and noble thing that should not be forgotten, and England's Wizarding community should know better than to bite the hand that feeds it."
"We really do have to be going," said Lenny, as he packed the last of the papers in his portfolio, "This still has to be filed with the clerk."
"Yes, indeed. I bid you all a good night."
The pair of them left the room, and a moment later, there was a noisy pop.
"So... th-th-that's it?" asked Ryan, taking a seat at the table.
"That's it. As far as we're concerned here, he's been cleared of the charges, and is under our protection," Kate answered, "Though I might make a suggestion that we make this a permanent solution."
"Citizenship," Rasalas guessed.
"Exactly. Both you and your godfather, perhaps."
"It would send a rather incendiary message back to England," said Sirius, "But really. Dumbledore's tried his way. It doesn't work. So it's time to try something new. What would we have to do?"
"I'll get the paperwork started straight off. Or, at least, when I get into the office tomorrow. I know there's a lot to discuss, but this is getting ridiculously late, so I'd suggest that we get some rest and start fresh in the morning."
"Yes, I couldn't agree more," said Casey, "We still have to sort out sleeping arrangements."
"I can sleep with Harry—Rasalas, I mean," said Sirius.
"Mr. Black, that may not exactly be proper," said Casey.
"Rasalas can stay in my room," said Brady, "You can have his."
"If you're sure. I mean, I'm a sorcerer. I might eat your young," Rasalas teased. Brady rolled his eyes.
"I see some of your dad's humour is rubbing off," said Sirius.
"A little. Right. So, guys, once again. My godfather, Sirius Black. Sirius. This is Casey and Phillip Sawyer, their son Ryan, his friend Aaron; and last but not least, my new best friend, Brady."
A round of handshakes ensued.
"Do I detect a bit of southern English there?" Sirius questioned, as he shook hands with Brady.
"Georgia."
"Ah, of course."
"All right you lot. Rest. I mean it," said Kate, as she stood up, and collected her papers into her portfolio. "I'll drop by likely around nine tomorrow."
She stepped out of the room, and there came a soft pop.
Brady furrowed his brows. "So help me understand somethin'. People can just... jump from place to place."
"It's called Apparition," said Sirius.
"Kate's lining me up with an instructor, though stuff like this keeps happening and it keeps getting pushed back."
"Well, we'll make sure to change that. I would suggest we talk to Remus about tutoring; I'm positive he'll be happy to help you out with your schooling."
"Remus?"
"You don't remember him?"
"Sirius. I'm not kidding. I remember nothing from before the beginning of September, save for flash-memories that usually have no place or context. Everything I know about myself... it's been seen in the third person.
"These guys have been absolutely brilliant in looking after me... Mrs. Sawyer's become an honorary mother to me, and Ryan an honorary brother."
"Thank you all for looking after him. His correspondence suddenly stopped at the beginning of September, had a lot of us gravely concerned. Albus believed he'd died. But I knew better, given his heir status. Had he truly died, the ring would have been returned to Gringotts."
"Heir to what?" Brady asked.
"My estate," Sirius answered, "My dear old mother's about died again on a number of occasions, with me telling her what my godson here's been doing. You've been on a bit of a spending spree as of late."
"Yeah, providing security for the weekend event here was a bit steep. Nearly a half-million Canadian, if I remember correctly."
"It was very uncomfortable for most of the evening back at the house when I told her," Sirius smirked, "The Order had great difficulty holding their meeting."
"You'll share a pensieve memory of that, right?"
"Oh, I will, pup. Winding up my dear old mother's something of a sport."
"You hate your mom? Why?" asked Brady.
"My mother despised me when I wouldn't tow the family line. First in generations to be sorted into Gryffindor rather than Slytherin, the first in generations to turn my back on our family's notorious reputation. Harry—or Rasalas' father and I were best friends; his family practically became mine when I was kicked out of the house.
"She died while I was in Azkaban, but was thoughtful enough to leave behind a large portrait of herself. It now frames the hallway in the family's ancestral townhouse in London."
"Wizarding portraits are 'alive' in some way, keeping some of the person's personality and memories in it," Rasalas explained, "One of the few memories I've remembered clearly, is of Sirius' mother's portrait. Even dead, she's a very unpleasant woman."
Brady scowled. "Sounds like fun."
Sirius let out a yawn. "Right. It's late here, which means it's outrageously late—or early, back in London. And since it's unlikely your room has more than one bed, we'll need to make a change or two."
"And I'll be setting up Auror patrols of the property," said Jackson.
"Feel free to come and go as you need to," said Casey, "I'll leave the coffee pot on."
"That's a generous offer, ma'am."
Casey was just clearing the plates away after breakfast, when there was a soft pop outside, and moments later, there was a knock at the door. Ryan got up to answer it, and only moments after that, he brought Kate into the room.
"Good morning everyone. I hope everyone was able to get adequate rest. I do have a few things to go over."
"Is Dumbledore still being held?" Sirius questioned.
"Yes, he's still being detained in a holding cell at the ministry," Kate answered, "He'll be arraigned this morning. It's known the man has a lot of political clout, but he did brazenly violate the law."
"Yes, that he does," Sirius agreed, "The better question, what are the chances of him being found guilty of what he's been charged with?"
"Very high, Mr. Black. Our system prides itself on impartiality. Dumbledore will face a similar hearing as was held here last night. With your godson's testimony alone, it'll be more than sufficient for a conviction. However, I would like all of you present to reinforce the evidence, to leave no room for doubt.
"Now, even in the unlikely event he should escape conviction, he will be barred from ever entering the country again. I still find it incredible such an intelligent, wise individual would commit such a... well—"
"Dumb move," Rasalas finished, "But knowing what I know about my past, it doesn't seem to really matter a whole lot to him, now, does it?"
"Maybe he was drunk or somethin'," Brady suggested.
"No. The man was more than aware of what he was doing," said Rasalas.
"Will the normal—I mean, non-magical authorities be told about him?" Aaron wondered.
"Yes, most definitely. When I said banned, I meant it. And knowing how the U.S. cooperates with us, he'll likely be banned from entering the U.S. as well. Again, this is something I wouldn't expect from someone who is well versed in international law.
"Now. The largest matter of immediate concern, is to establish property wards. Though I understand Rasalas and his godfather are only a guest, Dumbledore now knows where you live. This puts everyone here at risk, whether my clients remain here or not."
"Whatever the cost, I'll see it covered," Sirius promised, "In fact I might suggest bringing in a warding team from Gringotts."
"I was thinking of something along the same line," Kate agreed.
"Will the ward interfere with the business?" questioned Phil.
"No. Not at all. It will, however, prevent someone from just Apparating or using a port key to get onto the property. Should we need to, we can also prevent unwanted individuals from coming onto the property at all."
"Uh... I think that needs to be put in place anyway. There are individuals who should never be allowed near my godson, starting with Albus Dumbledore."
"The wards won't effect non-magical p-p-people?"
"Yes and no. If you black list someone, it won't matter whether they're magical or not. They'd bounce off the wards."
Aaron gave a smirk. "Yeah, I know exactly what you're thinking, Ryan... black listing three quarters of the school."
"Revenge is a dish best sssss-served cold," Ryan smirked.
Casey pursed her lips at what her son was suggesting, but Phil only gave a smirk of his own.
"Now. Next item I do need to cover. Mr. Gibson, I was under the impression you were supposed to return to the U.S. yesterday."
Brady scowled. "Was. Somethin' in my I.N.S. file's messed up an' they won' lemme back in the country."
"I see."
"And his credit cards and his bank card all stopped working last night," Rasalas threw in, "We found that out coming back from Peterborough."
"What were you doing in Peterborough?"
"Went for a drive," Brady answered, "I.N.S. bullshit pissed me off, an' Ras suggested it, so we went."
Kate had already produced a note pad and a dicta-quill, and it was scratching out notes as they spoke.
"I'll have someone back at the firm have a look and figure out what's wrong. That's if I have your permission."
"Can't make it worse than it already is," said Brady, with a shrug.
"So it's expected that you may be a guest of the residence for some time yet."
"It's a bit tight, but we can make do."
"And on that," said Rasalas, "Something I got to thinking about. Though with Sirius here, he'd probably be better-able to make sense of this than I will... uh... Mr. Sawyer, you sold the property on the west side of Bennett Road sometime ago, right?"
"Yes. Would've been about six years ago now. The owner then sold it to a developer who plans to build a subdivision."
"Something you would rather not see happen," Kate guessed.
"How difficult would it be for me to buy the land?"
"Well... the ethical issues aside, it would likely be very expensive, Mr. Black."
"Say, Sirius, what would you think, of the Blacks setting down new roots here in Canada?"
"We could get rid of Grimmauld Place, and a few others, but yes, we could most certainly do something like that. Miss Lewis, the Black estate is willing to pay up to one billion dollars Canadian for the property in question."
"One... billion..." Brady mouthed. "That's with a 'B', right?"
"You heard exactly," said Rasalas, grinning madly.
"Good lord, son, you're loaded."
Rasalas burst out laughing.
Kate, meanwhile, simply sat there, open-mouthed, at what she'd just heard. She knew the Blacks had a lot of clout, but that... there it was. To offer that kind of money off-hand... Sirius and his godson would turn the Wizarding world on its head, one way or another.
"Well now..." she finally said, after clearing her throat several times, "I'll... I'll need to determine the current owner is. This will likely take some time."
"We'll need to line up an architect... and I'll need to talk to my account manager. Uh... Mr. Sawyer, we're going to need a connection to the floo network."
Phil looked confused. "A what?"
"Your fireplace is nearly the right size, but in essence... it's a method of travel in the Wizarding world. It can also work somewhat similar to a telephone, in that one can talk to someone else through the fire."
Brady let out a snort. "I'll believe that when I see it."
"It will be more convenient if one's installed," Kate agreed, "And given Ryan is a wizard, there will be no trouble getting it done. If I can borrow your telephone once we're done meeting, I can get in contact with someone at Floo Regulation. With luck we might have someone in by the end of the day."
Sirius shook his head, but grinned. "It would never happen back in Britain. Installing a floo connection in the house of a Muggleborn? The application would be laughed out of the office."
"Such discrimination isn't tolerated here, Mr. Black," said Kate, "Witches and wizards are all equal under the law, and furthermore, it's made very clear that a witch or wizard is no better than non-magicals, or Muggles, as you refer back in Britain."
"Muggle... that makes us sound stupid or somethin'."
"We try not to use the term here, Mr. Gibson, as yes, it can be interpreted that way."
"It's the old pureblood rubbish my mother and father were always going on about," said Sirius, "That wizards were better than non-magicals. And purebloods were better than half-bloods and Muggleborn.
"Thing they fail to recognize, is that over the past couple of decades alone, some of the strongest witches and wizards in our world continue to be of either half blood, or Muggleborn. One of Rasalas' first friends continues to be near the top of her class as far as her grades go. She's a Muggleborn, just like Rasalas' mother, who was another incredibly bright young witch."
"It's a trend that also applies here, Mr. Black, though the purebloods here tend not to say a whole lot about it. The Canadian Wizarding community continues to be strong and flourish, because of the constant infusion of fresh blood."
"And until England gets that, our community will remain stagnant, if not continue to wither. Every witch or wizard who leaves England, is one more nail in the coffin," said Sirius, "I know that. Remus knows that. James knew that. And I'm pretty sure Albus knows that too. But most people are too closed-minded to realize the damage that's being done."
"Never mind the two Wizarding wars in the past hundred years alone... and the one that's on the horizon," said Rasalas, "Killing magical families won't help matters either."
"Which is exactly what Voldemort and his followers continue to do."
"Sounds like stuff has to change from the bottom up," said Aaron, "Whole attitudes need to change."
"You said it exactly," Sirius agreed, "But as it stands right now, no one has the political clout to do exactly that."
It had been a most unpleasant night for the Hogwarts headmaster, being forced to share a cell with a number of other individuals being detained for one reason or another. To be treated like a common criminal, it was most humiliating, and it was made far worse, considering the people in the cell with him knew who he was.
"My, how the mighty have fallen," one wizard had sneered.
The indignity continued that morning as he was led into a court room that looked better suited in the Muggle world. He wasn't even allowed to speak in his own defence, as a pair of solicitors debated the matter with the magistrate.
"Your honour, the defendant entered the country illegally, then attempted to curse a young wizard in front of a group of non-magical people. It can only be speculated as to exactly what his intentions were, but be it as it may, we have to treat this no different than we would if he carried the Dark Mark—"
"Objection."
"Sustained. Refrain from inflammatory remarks, councillor."
"Withdrawn. I do emphasize, however, that given the amount of political power the defendant has at his disposal, the crown feels he is a flight risk. He should therefore be remanded to ministry holding until trial date."
The appointed solicitor scoffed. "Insinuating my client carries Dark Mark? A most inflammatory, biased, and untrue remark, your honour! The defendant has nothing but a long list of great accomplishments, all for the betterment of our world. To lock him away would only tarnish a great symbol of the light, one we cannot lose in these troubling times."
The magistrate seemed to think a moment. "Yes, we are very much aware of Mr. Dumbledore's lengthy list of accolades and accomplishments, but that is neither here nor there. Given recent legislation, I am imposing special direction, as his actions fit the statute. Defendant is remanded to our detention facility at Toronto Island until trial. Next!"
UP NEXT: Ryan gets his wand, and the wand maker in Toronto has an unexpected reaction seeing Rasalas' wand; Brady experiences his first trip via port key and his first ride on a broom; and Rasalas has a most unsettling dream...
CHAPTER NOTES: Poor Dumbledore. If he expects special treatment from Canadian authorities, he's sadly mistaking. The Canadian ministry will most certainly react poorly to a witch or wizard entering the country illegally, no matter WHO they might be. Add to it, the fact that Dumbledore attempted to curse someone, they aren't going to play nice.
Onward and upward, we now see Sirius and Harry/Rasalas begin to make plans for the long term. What sort of message will that send to England? Never mind the message being sent by Dumbledore's detainment.