Disclaimer: Once again, I must say that I do not own anything dealing with Harry Potter and I do not think that I shall anytime soon. Okay?

A/N: I would like to thank all of my reviewers. I know you have all been waiting so patiently (or impatiently, as is in most cases) for the update to this chapter and I am so sorry for the delay. But that is what happens when I have so many other fics I need to deal with, all of which are vying desperately for my attention. Not to mention I have a home life as well. But since I know it can be bloody torture to wait for a story to be updated, I suppose I shall have to post. Do not kill me if you do not like this chapter. I am extremely tired and sorry once again for making you wait.

Chapter Twenty: The Trial…

The fact that Lenora Marie Kingston showed up at Severus' bedroom door when she was supposed to be dead was not only a miracle but shocking, to say the least. In fact, it was impossible to tell who was more shocked, Minerva, Severus, or Poppy. The young child was not even supposed to be breathing, let alone clutching to the front of Minerva's robes and crying.

"Oh, Lenora," breathed Minerva as she held the child close to her. "Lenora, dear, where have you been?" Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as well. She looked up to see that Poppy and Severus were just as relieved as she was. The girl pulled back and looked longingly into Minerva's eyes, causing Minerva's heart to nearly break in two. In fact, she wasn't so sure her heart hadn't broken.

"Professor McGonagall…" she whined. "Please don't make me go back to my mother. If she finds out I ran away, she'll hurt me again, and I don't want to be hurt! Please don't tell her." That was all it took for the tears in Minerva's eyes to fall as well. She bent down and clutched the child as close to her as she could without actually hurting her.

"Oh, Lenora… I promise that as long as I have breath to breath, you will not go back with your mother." She looked up and saw that Severus' jaw was nearly to the floor as he climbed out of the bed, albeit painfully. Poppy hadn't even tried to stop him. She even helped him out of bed after she had clutched her hand to her mouth. She motioned for Severus to wait by the bed until she thought the moment between Minerva and Lenora was over.

"Professor McGonagall?" Lenora wailed. She pulled back slightly so she could look into the older woman's face. Tears streaked down her cheeks, mixing with dirt and a bit of blood.

"What is it, Lenora?" she asked. She hurt watching the girl before her. This girl was too sweet and pure to have to go through such torture. The moment she got her hands on Roberta Kingston was the moment all hell broke loose.

"Am I a bad girl for not wanting to back with my mum ever again?" The question was everything this child was… Open, honest, and scared.

"Oh, honey," said Minerva, hoping the term of endearment would comfort the child somewhat. She stroked the child's cheek. "No, you are not a bad girl. You are the kindest, most gentle child I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. And guess what? I got my memory back." She smiled as she took both Lenora's hands in her own. "I have my memory back." The girl smiled slightly before she frowned again and wiped her right eye with her right hand.

"That's good," she said.

"I know, my dear. It is very good. And now that I have my memory back, I will do everything that I can do make sure that you never have to see your mother again. I promise. If your mother wants to take you away, she'll have to come through me." The girl smiled as she wrapped her small arms around Minerva's neck.

"I love you, Professor McGonagall," she whispered. Minerva smiled broadly as tears of joy fell from her eyes. Never before had a child said that to her before, and it filled her heart with joy. She sniffled slightly.

"I love you too, Lenora," she whispered back. The girl's grip tightened slightly before she pulled back. She wiped her eyes again before Minerva handed her a handkerchief. Then, she frowned.

"Where's Uncle Albus?" she asked. Minerva looked at Poppy and Severus, both of whom shrugged, and then back at Lenora.

"Why don't you go with Madam Pomfrey and take a bath. She'll help you while we look for Albus. Is that okay with you?" The girl nodded, went to Poppy, took her hand, and allowed the medi-witch to take her into the bath. Once the bathroom door closed, Minerva looked to Severus and pursed her lips.

"Well, Minerva?" he asked, still sitting on the bed. "What do we do?" Minerva sighed.

"I think you know the answer to that, Severus," she said. "We'll have to take her to the trial. With her testifying, we may be able to prove that Roberta is an unfit parent."

"Not only that, but we can also get Albus off the hook for her murder," Severus smiled.

"And Roberta in Azkaban," said Minerva. "That and what I told you about my journal entry." Severus smiled and nodded.

"I think we certainly have a case against her." Just then, an owl tapped on the window.

"What could that be?" asked Minerva as she walked over to the window and opened it. She allowed the owl entry and took the letter from him. She frowned as she read the note.

"Severus, we need to go. Albus' trial is to start in about half an hour. They've already taken him from his cell and into the holding cell." The holding cell was a cell where criminals who were awaiting trial could prepare themselves for their defense.

"We'll go once Lenora gets out of her bath," he said. Minerva nodded before she folded the note once again and fed the owl a treat. When the owl hooted and took off, Minerva closed the door and turned to face Severus, sighing heavily.

"Well, I suppose there is nothing we can do but wait for the trial to begin."

Ooooooooooo

Albus paced the small holding cell they had placed him in. He hated this cell; even more so than he hated the cell he had just been taken out of. At least in that cell he had been comfortable. The cell was only slightly bigger than the one he had been in earlier, but not by much. And the color was a sickening puke green color which lined the wall as well as the floor. There was a high window, but it didn't do him any good. He couldn't see a bloody thing through the dark blinds.

He sighed. He didn't need to think about what he was going to say. He knew that all he had to do was to tell the truth about what happened and hope that the Fates were on his side as far as the minister was involved. But that was highly unlikely because the minister was a bloody fool.

He let out a rather aggravated breath as he stopped his pacing. Now he understood why the ministry forced every prisoner to spend at least half an hour in the holding cell before their trial. It was truly maddening to be there with nothing to look at and nowhere to sit. Thirty minutes in there would ensure a quick admission to whatever crime the doomed witch or wizard committed. It was enough to even drive an innocent wizard to confess.

In an attempt to keep from going insane, he thought of Minerva. She was the greatest witch he had ever met, in more ways than one. She was intelligent, kind, loving, and absolutely gorgeous. At least, he thought so. And he would curse the man who tried to prove otherwise. She was everything he ever wanted; everything he ever needed. He would give anything if he could just have one more day with her.

It was then and there, in that tiny little cell which threatened to drive him absolutely mad, that he made a deal with the Fates. He prayed that they would allow him to leave Azkaban a free man; he prayed that they would allow him to have Minerva, not just as a friend of lover, but as he wife. And in return for his freedom and the ability to call Minerva his own, he would dedicate the rest of his life to making her happy, no matter what that would entail. He would reach into the sky and pluck a star from the sky and place it in her hair. He would give her the moon to hold in her hand. He would make her life the Heaven she deserved. And he would start by giving her the family she most definitely deserved and longed for.

Ooooooooooo

After Lenora had finished cleaning up and quickly eaten, she took Minerva's hand as they stood around a portkey. Poppy and Severus were there as well, though Poppy had tried desperately to get Severus to stay in bed. He insisted that he was fine and that she should stop being an 'infernal woman' and allow him to decide what he 'was and was not capable of doing.' Though this was amusing, to say the least, Minerva pointed out that they needed to be on their way and that the bickering could wait.

"Are you ready?" asked Minerva. They all nodded, and with one final look at Lenora, she activated the portkey. Once everyone was touching the doorknob, they felt the familiar tug and the next thing they knew, they were in front of Azkaban.

Ooooooooooo

Roberta straightened herself in the mirror once more. This would be the day that her revenge would finally take place. She smiled evilly as she looked herself up and down several times. She began talking to her reflection.

"Yes, Roberta, you are most certainly going to get your revenge this time. Nothing, and I mean nothing will stop you this time." There was a quick succession of knocks upon her door and she rolled her eyes.

"I said I'll be out in a minute," she called rather angrily. The door opened without her bidding. "What?" She turned to look at her accomplice, who was sweating quite profusely.

"There's something I need to tell you," he said. His palms were itchy and he felt like a rather errant child.

"Not now," she snarled. "Later."

"But I think you really should know that-,"

"I said NOT NOW!" Roberta screeched. "The trial is starting." She grabbed her purse and checked to see that all her stuff was in it. The man frowned at her. Why was she always treating him like her lap dog?

"You know? Not once since you came up with this idiosyncratic idea have you treated me like an equal. I've been the one doing all the dirty work. By the way, what are your plans once we have Albus convicted?" Roberta turned on him.

"Once Albus is convicted, I will leave him in Azkaban for a day or two. Once he's softened a bit, I will swoop in, rescue him from that hole, and he will be so thankful that he will be indebted to me and… Well, I'm sure you can guess what happens next." The man glowered at her.

"So I've just been a pawn to you this whole time, haven't I?" It was more of a statement than an actual question. Roberta walked up to him and placed a hand on his cheek.

"Aw, how sweet. You thought we would actually get back together. I'm sorry to disappoint you." She smiled and walked out. "Come now. We are late." The man clenched his fist. She didn't care for him and he seriously doubted she ever did.

Ooooooooooo

The entire ministry was there, as were several other people; including the incredibly annoying, amazingly snoopy Rita Skeeter. No doubt she wanted to be the one to release the story to the entire wizarding community. It was so typical of her.

Albus stood there, in anti-magical shackles. The shackles made sure that he could not perform any magic, with or without wands. But he had no intention of running. He would face this like a man. Despite anything anyone might say, Albus was sure that justice would prevail… At least, he hoped it would.

"Albus Dumbledore, you are accused by one Roberta Kingston of the kidnap of her daughter, one Lenora Marie Kingston. And, as of yesterday, we have added murder to your charge. How to you plead?"

"Not guilty."

"And what evidence can you present to this ministry that you can prove that you are innocent as you claim?" Albus held up his hands in an almost saddened gesture.

"I must admit that I do not have any evidence to prove myself."

"I, however, have several witnesses who say they saw you with the child on the day she disappeared." Albus looked sadly at Cornelius Fudge.

"It is true I was with Lenora on the day in question. But I did not kill her. She was taken not but an hour before you came to take me to Azkaban."

"That's very convenient for you, Mr. Dumbledore," said Cornelius with a smirk. "Isn't that right, Miss Kingston?" Albus looked over his shoulder and found Roberta sitting there, crying. Well, she looked as though she were crying. This was the performance of a lifetime for her. Roberta's only response was to wipe her tears away. Albus just closed his eyes and looked back at Cornelius Fudge, who was smirking.

"Then I see it as my duty, unless you can prove otherwise, to convict you, Albus Dumbledore, of the kidnapping and murder of one Lenora Marie-,"

"He did not?" There was a rush of quieted chatter as the door flew open and Minerva McGonagall walked in, Lenora by her side and Poppy and Severus right behind her.

"Wh-What is… Wh-?" Cornelius continued to sputter as Albus broke into a huge grin. Minerva was here, as were Poppy and Severus. They were here to defend him. And…

"Lenora?" he breathed. Lenora let go of Minerva's hand and ran up to him, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him into a tight hug.

"Uncle Albus, I'm back," she breathed. The tears fell from his eyes as he pulled back and looked at her. She wiped the tears with her small hands. "Don't cry, Uncle Albus. I am here."

"I know you are," he smiled, rubbing his nose with hers. Roberta stood and tried to exit hastily, but was stopped by Severus. He held his wand to her throat.

"Not so fast, Roberta," he said. "I believe there are a few things you should clear up with the minister first. Such as why you kidnapped your own daughter and tried to pin it on Albus." She looked at him disgustedly.

"Now why would I do such a rotten thing like that?" she snarled.

"I don't know, you tell me," he drawled. Minerva went up to Cornelius.

"Minister, I have evidence that Roberta was a death eater for Voldemort, the reason why I lost my memory, and the one who attempted to set Albus up."

"You have all this?" asked Cornelius, dumbfounded.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do," she said with a triumphant smile. She looked towards the door. "The penseive, please." A man walked in carrying a penseive and Roberta paled.

"Gregario?" she breathed. "You betray me now?" The man in question, who had been the one helping her the entire time, glared at her as he paused by her side.

"I am through being your lap dog, Roberta. I will no longer subject myself to your evil plotting. I give myself up willingly, as soon as I offer this evidence. I would rather be a prisoner in Azkaban and free from your control than a free wizard under your wrath." Roberta's eyes were wide as she stared at the painter from Nepal, the man whom she had once had an affair with when her parents had planned on giving her away to the Russian soon-to-be-czar. The next thing she knew, she was being clasped with the same chains as Albus was and set beside him. Cornelius motioned to Minerva.

"Present your evidence."

A/N2: Ooh, what shall happen next? (Dodges spell after spell). Hehe. Fastest hands in all the land… (Dodges spell after spell… gets hit by one and disintegrates into nothing but rubble and dust) Always Hopeful