Chapter 10: Space

Harry sighed at the headline. It was nice that Sirius was finally getting a chance at the freedom he deserved for so long, but there were certain things that could go wrong. Politicians had a tendency to be unexpected. But lucky, Dumbledore was a good politician. Harry was okay, but he still had a hard time maneuvering around the shark infested waters of lawyers. The trial was scheduled to take place in a week, a day before the big quidditch game of Gryffindor versus Hufflepuff.

Harry sat on his bed for a while and pulled out his chocolate frog card. He was still amazed at how fate liked to screw with him. Send a man back in time to when he was a kid, and give him a chocolate frog card to keep him sane. Brilliant. Harry stared at the romanticized portrait of him with the sword of Gryffindor. Harry put the card back, remembering that although he might have seemed brilliant on paper, Harry hated that life. Harry's head hit the pillow and he fell sound asleep.

The boy who lived woke up the next day feeling tired. He got up, brushed his teeth, and got dressed, before finally noticing that Ron was already gone. And since there was no momentous occasion today, it could only mean that it was already noon. Harry sighed and went down to the Great Hall to get a bite to eat, and maybe find his friends along the way.

Lost in thought about how he was going to get to the trial, and what he was going to do there, Harry bumped into someone. Harry only noticed when someone yelled at him, "Hey, watch where your going!"

"Oh, sorry. My bad." said Harry, shaking himself from his thoughts. He looked up to see who he bumped into, or rather, he looked down. Harry found himself staring at a first year Slytherin. Apparently, the Slytherin girl noticed that he was a Gryffindor older than her. Particularly a certain Potter.

"No, no, it was my fault! Don't kill me!" cried out the girl with a sudden change in attitude. Harry was slightly confused.

"Erm, are you alright? I'm pretty sure I'm not going to kill you, despite what you might have heard..." Harry suspected that a first year Slytherin who wasn't good at making friends might have a slight problem. Maybe more than a slight problem.

The first year looked back up at Harry, sizing him up. Harry thought for a minute about playing along with whatever the Slytherins had told the first year, but thought better of it. He definitely wouldn't appreciate it if someone scared him out of his wits during his first year. He girl had still chosen to remain silent, so Harry took the first step.

"Hi, whats your name?"

"Astoria. Astoria Greengrass." *

Harry felt the urge to laugh, but held it in. Astoria beared a slight resemblance to her sister, but was certainly different. Harry wondered how she would grow up to marry Malfoy.

"Nice to meet you, I'm-"

"Harry Potter, I know" interrupted Astoria. Silence washed over the two again. Harry debated weather to just leave it there and walk away, or attempt damage control.

"You have no idea how often I get that... What did the Slytherins tell you about me?" asked Harry, out of curiosity.

"Well... my sister said you were a monster... that eats first years... with a spoon..."

Harry chuckled a little. First years were naive as ever, "Well, your still standing and I'm still hungry, so thats definitely not true. Anyways, see you around!" said Harry, continuing his way to the Great Hall.

Harry entered the room and found it full of chatter. Harry waltzed over to where he found Ron and Hermione arguing over something again. They both turned and saw him before waving him over.

"Hey, Harry, help me out here!" pleaded Ron.

"Why, whats up?" answered Harry.

"Ron won't believe me when I tell him that man has been on the moon!" said Hermione, very much annoyed.

"I don't care how much technology those muggles have, they can never get to the moon! I mean, why aren't people living there then?"

"I told you already! Space is a vacuum!"

"What the heck is a vacuum? It sounds like a muggle invention."

"Yes... well..."

And the conversation went on, while Harry just sat there quietly, eating his breakfast of toast and tea. In spite of the argument, Harry smiled. Some things just never change.

Harry got up and yelled, "SPACE!" before dashing over to Dumbledore's office, leaving a Ron and Hermione staring at where he was only moments before. *

Only obligatory that a space core be thrown into a spacey conversation. After guessing the password in only a handful of tries, Harry proceeded into the headmaster's office. Inside he heard Dumbledore call to him.

"Good Evening, Mr. Potter. What might bring you here?" said the ancient wizard. Harry had a feeling the man already knew.

"Professor, I read there was to be a trial for Sirius Black."

"Yes, there is to be. And I suspect you already know why this matters to you?" Harry nodded, pretending to be an oblivious teenager that had eavesdropped for information.

"Let me tell you Harry, things are not always as they seem. A short while ago, I would not have believed anyone that came to me calling Sirius Black an innocent man sent to prison without a trial. But now, I believe it is our responsibility to follow through with justice."

"Professor, I was hoping I could attend the trial" asked Harry, knowing that it really did not matter what the man said. He was going either way.

"Of course Harry, I'll be sure to take you there myself."

"Thank you, sir" and with that, Harry left and called it a night.

Footnotes:

Portal 2? No? C'mon, its an awesome game! Well... I guess that was a kinda vague reference...