Here's chapter 12, I hope you all enjoy it!
Chapter 12:
Sirius Black glanced up as he heard someone coming down the hall, make that more then one someone, three or four by the sounds of it. Who was visiting him? It had to be early in the evening, at least 7 pm.
"Black, you've got visitors." Moody's voice sounded from the other side of the door, Sirius felt a leap of something in his chest, was it hope? It had been so long since he'd felt it, the feeling was foreign to him now. He could hear keys jangling and the door swung open slowly.
"Hey cousin." Andromeda stepped into the room, grinning.
Sirius couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face. A younger woman stepped through, along with a little girl that looked exactly like Andromeda and Bellatrix had when they were children. Sirius' mouth dropped open as he watched the young woman's hair change from blue to pink.
"Dora?" He asked, surprised. He knew that the girl he'd left behind had grown; every child grew into an adult. However the change in Dora surprised him. She'd grown at least a foot and was nearly Andromeda's height now. Something that hadn't changed though was her smile.
"Hi Sirius!" Her voice was as happy as he was to see her. He and Andromeda hugged, and then he and Dora hugged, he got solemn however, when he squatted so he was more on Fantasia's level.
"You're Fantasia?" He asked.
"Yes, this is Fantasia…" Andromeda said her hands on her youngest daughter's shoulders.
"Her nickname is Asia." Dora spoke up.
"That is a nice nickname." Sirius told her, "When's your birthday?" He asked, "That way I know when to buy you presents."
"April 5th." Fantasia grinned.
Two hours later, the Tonk's girls left Sirius and Moody locked the door again. "I'll be back in the morning, about 7:45."
Sirius nodded and lay back on the bed, while he had been happy to see Lily and Remus while he had been in hiding; it was especially nice to see family.
The day dawned bright and early and Lily was up much earlier then usual. She quietly got ready for trial and started breakfast, Bellyah was coming over but she didn't want to make her neighbor have to do too much since she was taking a Saturday to watch over children that weren't even hers.
Bellyah had a key and Lily turned when she heard her friend coming in, Lucy in tow.
"Coffee's in the pot." Lily said, she pointed to the coffee maker and then turned to Lucy who looked abut half-asleep. "You can put her in the guest bedroom upstairs or I can make her some hot chocolate."
Bellyah sighed and thought for a moment, "It's only 6:30; I'll put her to bed in the guest bedroom."
"Up the stairs, you'll see which bedroom it is as there are signs on the doors for Harry and Ariadne's room, my room is obvious, and we've only got the one guest room." Lily directed.
Bellyah nodded a thank you and carried Lucy up the stairs. By the time she came back down, Lily had finished making the pancakes and was making sure the orange juice was in the fridge. "I've started making breakfast for Harry and Ariadne, we usually have pancakes faces on Saturday, the kids will know where the toppings are, and no matter what Harry says, I do not let him use chocolate syrup on his pancake faces unless it's his birthday."
Bellyah nodded and Lily quickly dished herself up some breakfast and began to eat. She quickly finished and then went upstairs to get dressed, she nearly ran into Harry as the nine year old came out of his room, he was half dressed and looked like he was abut to fall asleep on his feet.
"Pancakes are ready downstairs sport." Lily said, hurrying past him.
"Mum, yesterday, you said that there weren't Dementors, so can I please go to the trial today?" Harry yawned after he finished talking.
Lily glanced through her daughter's open door to see Ariadne was still fast asleep.
"If you can get ready without Ariadne waking up," Lily said, she knew her daughter would be mad when she woke up to find that Harry had gone to the trial and she hadn't been woken up, but Ariadne never completely woke in the morning until at least nine in the morning.
Harry nodded and went back into his room to finish getting dressed.
Lily quickly got dressed and went back down stairs, "I'm taking Harry with me." She told Bellyah as her nine year old came down the stairs.
"Grab some breakfast quickly Harry," she directed, "and make sure you eat up, we won't be able to get a snack during the trial, they break for lunch only."
"Okay." Harry began inhaling some pancakes as soon as he sat at the kitchen table.
Lily finished getting ready and by the time she was done, Harry was ready as well. "Let's go, we're going to be flooing to the ministry." Lily said, she and her son flooed into the Miistry and she quickly took her son's hand and guided him to a lift. "The trial starts at eight, if we're not in the court room at 7:45, we won't be allowed in." she said when Harry asked why she was hurrying so much.
They got to Courtroom Ten just in the nick of time and Lily could see Sirius' looking around, and behind him, looking for someone. He and Lily made eye contact and Lily jerked her head to the side, motioning to Harry. Sirius stared for a moment before it hit him, who was sitting next to Lily. His mouth dropped open and he stared at Harry, who was fidgeting in his seat. Harry finally looked up and waved at Sirius, who smiled and waved back quickly.
The trial reconvened, it was time for Sirius to go back under Veriteserum, since he was the one under scrutiny, he'd likely go through several more days of this, depending on how many questions Fudge and the other Wizengamot members could think of.
Lunch came and Lily took Harry to the small fast food restaurant in the Ministry, Harry chewed quietly until Lily poked him. "Knut for your thoughts." She teased.
"The trial is different then I thought it would be." Harry said quietly. "Uncle Sirius looks differently then the pictures."
"About eight years have passed since the pictures were taken." Lily pointed out, "and in those eight years, he hasn't eaten well." She tussled her son's hair and spoke: "When Sirius gets free, we'll have to fatten him up a little bit, have him over for dinner a lot."
"Can we have a big celebratory dinner with Bellyah, Lucy and Aunt Andromeda and Uncle Ted's family?"
"If Uncle Sirius wants to."
Harry nodded quietly and went back to his meal. "Would you like to go back to the house?" Lily asked, knowing her son would be too stubborn to ask the question.
Harry looked surprised, "No Mum, not until the trial is over." He shook his head stubbornly.
"Okay, it's all right if you want to go home though; I know this might be difficult for you to understand."
"Not until the end of the trial." Harry said stubbornly, he shook his head again.
Lily shrugged, "Okay Harry, but if you want to go home, just say the word."
Harry nodded and turned back to his lunch, Lily was unable to speak with Sirius until after the trial had finished for the day, thankfully things had moved faster on Saturday then they had the day before, and by the end of the day, the Wizengamot members were beginning to deliberate on whether or not Sirius should be pardoned. No one but the Wizengamot members were allowed in the courtroom and everyone else left the courtroom. Harry stayed close to Lily and quietly asked. "Mum, I thought they just took a vote and that was it."
"For cases like this, they'll deliberate and take several votes until they are sure about the decision." Lily told her son.
Sirius approached them, he still had his Auror guards with him and he spoke quietly. "Harry?"
"Hi Uncle Sirius." Harry said, Lily could tell that while some of the cheerfulness was forced, he was genuinely glad to see his Godfather.
"What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to come yesterday, but Mum wouldn't let me, said their might be Dementors here." Harry said, "Last night Mum said there weren't Dementors so I asked if I could come."
"You let him come to the trial?" Sirius asked.
"Unless he's on trial, he's not going to learn any better about the Wizarding Justice system." Lily said quietly, "and since I sincerely doubt he's ever going to be on trial…" She shrugged.
"Ariadne's probably pitching a fit about not being able to go." Harry commented, looking relieved that he wasn't home.
Lily shrugged, she had no pity for her daughter, "I would have said no to her going if she'd been up when I was getting ready."
"They've reached a decision!" Lily wasn't sure who had spoken, but they all filed back into the courtroom and took their previous seats.
Madam Bones sat back down in the Judge's seat and adjusted her monocle. She cleared her throat and spoke to the Wizengamot. "All those in favor of pardoning Sirius Black, raise your hands."
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