Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Harry Potter.
Note: Thanks for the reviews. I'm so sorry for the lack of updates but as some of you may have heard, I was away for six months for my internship. I moved to Australia and I had a blast. I recently returned home (5 days ago) and the jetlag is kicking my pretty behind. So I'm back to writing, let's begin.
"I call Sirius Black to the stand." Sirius was not sure if he would ever get used to this. Finally, after all these years somebody was listening to him. When he had been caught there had been no trial for him. He had been sent immediately to Azkaban, like so many in those dark times.
He glanced around the room. All of the Wizengamot was present for this trial and Sirius swallowed. He felt more alive than he had in a long time, including those short moments that he spent in his Animagus form. He had yet to see Peter Pettigrew and for that he was glad.
This was his chance to be on his best behaviour and to show that he was more than ready to integrate back into society. He was not insane and only the knowledge that he was innocent had kept him sane during those long dark years in Azkaban. Not even the Dementors could suck that knowledge out of him. But he was quite certain that when he saw Pettigrew he would kill him again. Just to be sure that he was really dead this time.
So all in all it was a good thing that he didn't see Pettigrew at this moment because he was not sure what he was going to do. Scrimgeour was seated on the front row and the Auror rose to assist Sirius in going to the stand. Apparently they trusted him enough that they would not take his confession with him shackled in a chair.
With a clang the shackles fell away and Sirius waited with rising to his feet until Scrimgeour had a hand under his elbow. The auror helped him up and towards the stand. Sirius relished the chance to walk on his own again and to be trusted to do so. It was better than the crushing despair that was his constant companion in Azkaban. It was refreshing to be able to think clearly without having to resort to the limited emotional range of his canine side.
He breathed in deeply and then took a few steps. It wasn't long until he was standing on the stand in front of the Wizengamot. The shackles attached themselves to the posts and Sirius breathed in deeply. He had no desire to cause a scene and he was not going to panic just because he was tied up again.
"We shall administer the Veritaserum." Sirius nodded. He didn't enjoy being given the potion but he understood the necessity of it. The Wizengamot would not believe his testimony otherwise unless they saw him take the potion themselves. So be it. He could play along if it meant that Pettigrew was brought to justice.
"I understand." He said. He opened his mouth to allow Scrimgeour to administer the three droplets of the potion. He swallowed.
The potion had no taste but immediately his mind began to cloud over and he had trouble keeping [!?] his thoughts. They kept escaping and he had to force himself to focus all his attention on what was going on in the room. He could not afford to be distracted right now. Not only his life hung in the balance but that of Snape and Harry as well.
"For what crime were you sentenced to a life sentence in Azkaban?"
The question startled him but it focussed his mind.
"It was believed that I killed Peter Pettigrew. "He kept the answers short. He had no desire to further give them information.
"How long had you known Peter Pettigrew?"
"Since my first day at Hogwarts. We sat in the same train compartment and we were sorted into the same house together."
"And would you consider him a friend?"
"At first no I did not. He tagged along with the rest of us. But he began to show himself as a friend and as one of us. Yes, I would consider him a friend. Otherwise I would not have persuaded James to make Peter the secret keeper."
Murmurs erupted in the room and Sirius closed his eyes for a brief moment. This was one of the biggest regrets in his life. He had been the one to convince James to go with Peter instead of him. Voldemort had been after him for a while and he had been certain that it would create the necessary diversion for James and Lily to disappear. He had never expected that Peter, little coward Peter to actually serve Voldemort.
"So Peter Pettigrew was the Potter's secret keeper?"
"Yes, we changed it at the last minute. We thought it would be safer. I was already hunted down and people assumed that I was actually a servant of Voldemort. We saw no problem with keeping these rumours going. The Death Eaters had started hunting us and we had assumed that it would take the focus away from James and Lily if people assumed I was the Secret Keeper."
"And you are saying that Pettigrew was the one who betrayed James and Lily to You Know Who?"
"Yes, I am. He was a servant of Voldemort."
"Do you have proof for that?"
"If you ask me if I have seen if he has a Dark Mark, no I have not. I am not in the business of asking my friends to show their wrists to ask if they have been marked by a Dark Lord. I trusted my friends." The last part was almost a whisper.
He had thought that Peter had been too much of a coward to serve under Voldemort but he had been so wrong. He had assumed that Peter would not have any reason to betray his friends but what was friendship worth to the other man if he betrayed it for fame and glory? He had no idea what the reason was why Peter had joined the Death Eaters and why he had betrayed James and Lily. He could think of why he had done it but he longed to think that their friendship was worth more than just simple means to rise in the ranks of his enemies.
"But only the Secret Keeper could have given away the location of James and Lily." He cleared his throat and resumed his story. He was lost in the past and the emotions threatened to overwhelm him. He longed to escape into his dog form to get away from the pain but he forced himself to stay here and deal with it. It was time that he did that.
"When you heard of the attack what did you do?"
"We all placed wards on the property to alarm us in case of an event like this. I woke up to the wards being breeched and I immediately Apparated to Godric's Hollow. But it was already too late. The house was visible and in ruins. The house could only be visible if both of the people the spell was tied to were dead. The spell had been tied to James and after that it would go to Lily so I knew that she was dead as well. Dumbledore was there. But I was nearly insane with grief. I remember that I kept shouting that I would get him and that this could not be happening. I even forgot the most important part and that was to check if Harry was alright. I trusted Dumbledore when he said that he would take care of the boy. That way I could start hurting down Pettigrew."
"What do you remember of the night?"
"I remember the heat of the flames and the eerie light of the Dark Mark over the propertyBesides that I do not remember anything from the moment I left until the moment I cornered Pettigrew in the alley. That was the moment that everything became clear again."
He had blocked out most of the night and he had tried for years to get the night back but nothing.
"Perhaps you can tell us about that night then?"
Sirius took a deep breath and began. "I do not recall how much time had passed, but I hunted him down with the determination of a hound on the trail of its prey. Peter was my prey and I was going to get to him before anybody else could I needed an answer for why he had done it and I knew that Remus would rather have gone back to take care of Harry than to make certain that the one responsible for James' death would pay. But I would make the one responsible pay that was my promise to Harry as his godfather."
"What happened further when you cornered Pettigrew?"
"I hunted him down as a human…"
Sirius immediately realised that he had misspoken as the room fell silent. He held his breath and then the expected question came.
"How else would you have hunted him down?"
"I would have hunted him down in my Animagus form. He made his escape in his Animagus form."
He could hear murmurs in the hall and knew the questions that were being asked. Somebody rose to their feet to leave the room and Sirius knew what they were looking for. However Pettigrew and he would not be in the register of the Animagus. That is what they were going to check. He had given away his secret. Then so be it, because he had not only given away his secret but Pettigrew's secret as well. Perhaps they could prevent Pettigrew from assuming his rat form and escaping.
"Please continue."
Sirius took another deep breath and licked at his dry and cracked lips. "Very well, so I managed to corner him and we exchanged words. He did not look remorseful at all. He did not care that he was responsible for the death of his friends. I remember that he kept saying that Voldemort was too powerful and it would only take time before he would rise and the darkness would consume us all. I pulled my wand with the intent of hexing him but he was too quick for me. He cast an explosive hex and transformed. I managed to curse of his toe but he had already escaped I was too late…"
There was silence in the room and Sirius wondered if he was done. He could not remember anything else he would have to share. He glanced up when Scrimgeour approached. The auror held out a flask of water and Sirius drank gratefully when it was held to his lips. He tried not to gulp everything down like he wanted do.
He nodded gratefully at Scrimgeour as the man stepped away. He licked his lips to get all the drops that were still clinging there. Water was scarce in Azkaban. It would be given but it would be so easily taken away. If he would ever be released then this would be one thing he would never take for granted.
The silence seemed to grow tenser by the second until the door to the courtroom opened and a young wizard entered. He carried a piece of parchment and approached Stephen. The man glanced up sharply and nodded before he regarded Sirius.
"I sent young Mathew here to find the information concerning the registration of the Animagus. You are not registered, are you?"
"No, I am not."
"Was there a reason for this?"
"I can make up plenty of excuses but there are none. I always thought it to be funny to be an unregistered Animagus. It was dangerous but we never saw the harm in it."
"Had you registered then we would have known that Pettigrew had not died because a tracking spell is put on an Animagus so we know if the Animagus is well or deceased. This could have been prevented."
"Had I been given a fair trial then I could have told you this beforehand and I would not have spent the last decade behind bars." It came out sharp because it was the truth. "Yes, we all broke the law by becoming unregistered Animagus' but we were young and foolish. It has led to the escape of the one responsible for the murder of my best friend and his family. Do you honestly think that whatever you can do is going to make it better? I failed my godson by not keeping his family alive and by not being the godfather he deserves. I was blinded by grief and rage and I hunted a man down. I would do it again if presented the chance. The only thing I regret is not killing Pettigrew!"
Sirius took a deep breath before he continued. "I will never forgive myself for what I have done but do not pin on me that you lot did not give me a fair trial back then. There are plenty of pretty excuses for both of our sides but we both were in the wrong and I think that it is time to correct that. But you can never give me back the most important thing and that is James. The only thing you can give me back is my freedom so that I can spend time making it up to Harry for neglecting him all these years as my godson."
He sat back down to the silence of the room. Let them think on this one.
Hp
"Now I suppose that you have not yet come up with a plan to get rid of Quirrelmort?" Minerva had never been one to be subtle. She was Scottish and did not believe in that. She was direct because she found that it had always worked best when working with Albus.
The Headmaster looked up and graced her with a smile. "No, my dear, I am afraid I have not. It is quite a conundrum we are facing."
She glanced around the room. There were books stretched out all throughout the room. Ancient tomes that she had not seen in generations. Albus looked distracted as he sat sipping tea.
"Yes, it is not every day that we encounter a Dark Lord inhabiting the body of one of our Professors." She remarked dryly, waving her wand to transform a piece of parchment into another chair. She glanced at the chair critically and then changed the black to red. She sat down with a sigh and gave a nod when Albus held up the teapot.
"How far are you with any plans?"
"I have gathered information but nothing that can be put into a plan just yet. It is an obscure business this Dark Lord and dark magic thing." Albus looked old and worn. Minerva hummed under her breath before she said.
"Have you heard about the legend of the Chamber of Secrets?"
"Of course I have. I was at the school when it happened. As were you."
"Did you ever figure out who was responsible for opening the chamber? Hagrid was sent away but he could never have done it. Hagrid is a wonderful man but he does not have an evil bone in his body and he would not have set a monster loose in the school, especially one who was responsible for killing an innocent student."
"I have my suspicions but they remain that. I do not have enough proof to accuse that person and he has not been seen for many years. Nor has he been heard of."
Minerva sighed. Albus remained cryptic as ever. She narrowed her eyes and said. "You do not happen to know how to open the Chamber?"
Albus appeared shocked but she knew better. If the Headmaster wanted he could be a very good actor. He had managed so many secrets over the years that Minerva sometimes wondered if Albus was ever honest with anybody, even himself. He was a manipulator, even when he told everybody that he wanted the best for everybody. He did but sometimes his choices were not what was best for everybody.
"If I had known that, do you honestly think I would share this knowledge? I have my suspicions as well as on the location of the Chamber but they are just that, suspicions."
"And what of the monster then? Do you have any suspicions about the species?"
"Yes, but once again they remain suspicions. Are you trying to imply something, Minerva?"
"No, I would never dare. No I was merely working on a plan. It would be a good benefit if we could put Quirrelmort somewhere he cannot be easily found. The Chamber is an obscure legend and there are only a handful that remember what took place at Hogwarts fifty years ago If we could find the Chamber then we could put Quirrelmort there until we can find a way to deal with him."
Albus took a sip of his tea and regarded her as he said. "It is a better plan than any of the plans I have come up with so far. The only disadvantage is that I cannot open the Chamber. I do not know how. The only one who knows is the one we are trying to defeat."
"Are you implying that You Know Who was responsible for opening the Chamber all those years ago?" It was a good thing that Minerva had set her tea down because she was quite sure that she would have dropped it.
Albus gave a nod and answered. "Yes, though he was not in the guise of Lord Voldemort at the time. He was known as Tom Riddle and he was starting to gather his power and make himself known to everybody. He was not entirely innocent back then but he was not as evil as he is now. He is the only one who knows how to open the Chamber. I can guess but even then I lack the means necessary to open it and command the monster. Tom Riddle was a parselmouth and I do not know anybody else who has that particular talent." Albus looked downright sorry and Minerva sighed.
"So if we found a parselmouth we could open the Chamber."
"In theory, yes we would be able to. I think that I can find the entrance to the Chamber through the viewing of my memories and of encounters of the events with Armando Dippet. I'm quite certain that we can get to some kind of solution."
Minerva inclined her head and rose to her feet. "Then I shall let you get back to your work."
Albus gave her a nod before he cleared his throat and said. "Minerva, I assume that you would tell me if you know the whereabouts of Severus or Harry, wouldn't you?"
Taking a deep breath, Minerva sat back down in her chair. She fixed Albus with a look and said. "I would not, in fact. You know that you have done wrong by both Harry and Severus and I cannot fault Severus for taking Harry away from Hogwarts. I think that the only thing you need to be concerned with at the moment is to find a way to deal with Quirrelmort."
Albus looked away, but not before she saw the pain in the blue eyes of the Headmaster. She pressed on ruthlessly anyway and said. "I would not risk Harry near Quirrelmort either That man is dangerous, even when kept in a magical containment facility. I hardly trust myself around him. And I am a Professor. I am trained. I really do not see why Harry should be forced to be near Hogwarts at this time. He's safer where he is right now. And you know just as well as I that if Severus does not want to be found, he cannot be found, not even by you."
"I suppose you are right. He's a master in hiding."
"He's a master spy, you mean. He had to make due with the things that life handed him. I am not saying that Severus is a saint because he did make some bad choices. But he has paid for those choices. It does not surprise me that he has a backup plan for situations like this."
"So he could have even left the country? I doubt he would have done that. There is a hearing scheduled to hear his guardian claim. There is somebody who challenged it."
Minerva narrowed her eyes at Albus. There was something that he was not saying. She was unsure if a letter had been sent to Albus asking for a recommendation of Severus as a guardian. The Ministry would have to. He was the only one listed as Severus' employee.
"You know who challenged Severus?"
"I was not told of the identity of the person but I can hazard a guess. It could be Cornelius, though why he would do such a thing is beyond me except to win over the public. Ever since that article the public has not been too kind for him."
"Well deserved though."
"Yes, rather fitting I thought… There are of course no surviving Potters, unless a Black has stepped forward to lay claim on Harry but even then Sirius would be the first in line. The Weasleys would not do such a thing…"
"And neither would you, I am assuming." Albus gave her a wounded look but she knew he had considered it. She had known him for a long time. He sighed and then answered.
"I thought about it but in all honesty what can I offer the boy that Severus cannot. Severus is young, I am not. He has a chance to build a life, I do not. I am Headmaster of Hogwarts and I am busy. Too busy to spend time raising a teenager. I am not what Harry needs. Besides, like this I can spoil the boy if Severus allows me to remain in his life."
"Perhaps a chat with Severus is in order." Minerva remarked dryly, getting to her feet once again.
"Yes, if only I can find him." And with a last smile at the Headmaster, Minerva closed the door behind her. If Albus wanted to find Severus, he would have to try harder himself. She was not going to help him and besides, it was almost fun to see him try.
Hp
Severus glanced down at his letter for what felt like the 100th time. He flexed his fingers, the only sign of frustration he would allow himself to show. He hmphed and shifted in his seat.
"Would master Snape care for some more tea?" The house elf was unwelcome and Severus fixed it with a black gaze. The house elf looked ready to bolt and it wrung its hands anxiously. He shook his head and instead said.
"No, but could you fetch Master Harry for me? I need to talk to him."
The house elf looked relieved to have been given something to do as it disappeared as though Severus was going to murder it at the nearest instance. Which was not far from the truth. He felt too rattled by the letter. He had assumed that everything was going to go fine for one instance but he should have known better. Life always found ways to make things difficult for him, as was the case with Quirrelmort. The Defence teacher had to be possessed by the Dark Lord, not by any other bloody spirit but the one spirit that made Severus want to grab Harry and flee the country.
The sound of running shoes and happy screams could be heard before the kitchen door flew open. Harry and his friends came barging in, breathless with laughter. Apparently they had been racing. At the sight of Severus' scowl they stopped and sobered up but still exchanged looks between one another. For one brief moment Severus felt guilty for tearing Harry away from his friends. Surely this news could wait but then the boy stepped forward and asked.
"You asked for me…."
He was interrupted by the house elf that appeared in the room. It flung itself on the floor and begged. "Please do not give me clothes, Master Snape. Dobby shall go and throw himself off the stairs for failing in bringing all children here instead of just Mr Potter….."
Rolling his eyes at the dramatics of the house elf and the horrified look on Harry's face, Severus said. "You did alright. I had forgotten that Mr Weasley and Miss Granger were still present. Lucius would not have liked to have them in the library unattended so you did right in bringing them to me. Go and prepare dinner and for Mr Potter's sake do not throw yourself off the staircase."
The house elf shot Severus a grateful look, beamed and promised. "Master Snape is too good for Dobby. Dobby shall go fetch hot tea, biscuits and hot chocolate."
Before Severus could say anything the house elf had disappeared again. Severus pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. He prayed that the headache he could feel starting to build would hold off for a bit longer until he had dealt with this situation. He opened his eyes again and gestured to the kitchen table.
"I suppose that you can all take a seat since that house elf is determined to bring hot chocolate." The children scrambled to do as he said. Severus forced himself to take a deep breath. It was more than alright to be annoyed by the situation but it would not help him any if he took it out on Harry.
"I did ask for you, yes. I received a letter about my application to become your guardian. Somebody is challenging my application and I was asked to attend an interview."
It was so silent that Severus wondered if Harry had understood him. He was on the verge of repeating himself when Harry blurted out.
"I want to attend! I want to tell them that they can't take you away from me. They have to understand! I'm not going to live with anyone but you…" Harry glared at him as if daring him to disagree with him. Severus opened his mouth to answer when the house elf popped back into the room with a tray with tea and hot chocolate.
The tray wobbled as Severus shot the elf his darkest glare. The elf gulped, sent the tea to the table and disappeared with a loud bang. Only Severus' quick reflexes saved the tray from crashing into the table. He set it down carefully and sighed. Another reason not to get a house elf. They would only interrupt him at moments he could not use it. If he was busy working on an important potion for example and they would disturb him.
He poured the Gryffindors hot chocolate, hoping in vain that it would calm Harry down. Harry was glaring at him for all he was worth and Severus met his ward glare for glare. "It isn't as though I mean to send you away, Mr Potter. But I must attend this hearing. If the Ministry decides that I am not a suitable guardian for you then there is a chance that they will send you to another family…." Severus took a sip of his tea to wet his throat. Before he could continue, Harry pushed back his chair and declared hotly.
"Fine, I'll go and pack my stuff if you are so determined to get rid of me. You know what, Professor, I thought that you would at least fight for me but I guess I was wrong…."
Severus' mouth fell open as Harry banged the door behind him. He turned back to Weasley and Granger. Weasley was glaring at him and Granger was giving him a look of pure sympathy. "What the hell just happened?" Severus bit out.
"I think Harry is convinced that you are not willing to fight for him…."
"I just barely survived a duel with a Dark Lord to protect him! I'm not going to go to the hearing because it is fun. I'm doing it for Harry, because I do want what is best for him and I…"
"You want what is best for him but do you also want him in your life?" Severus was taken aback by the question but the answer came without a thought.
"Of course I do, I've grown fond of the bloody brat."
"Then tell that to Harry, while we go back to Hogwarts."
And before Severus could say anything Granger and Weasley had floo'd to Hogwarts.
Hp
Harry ignored the knock on his door. He buried his face in his pillow. He should have known better. He was such a fool. Why would Professor Snape want to keep him? He was just a brat that took up space and time. Time the Professor could spend on his potions, instead of on Harry. He was a fool for hoping.
He heard the door open and the soft footfall of the Professor as Snape approached the bed. He ignored the other wizard. He wasn't going to answer the Professor. He didn't want anything to do with the man…."
"Harry?"
He ignored the soft call of his name. He didn't have to answer a man that didn't want him.
"Mr Potter, at least do me the courtesy of looking at me when I am trying to explain something to you. Harry turned his head the other way instead. Snape sighed behind him before the Professor said.
"Fine, I will simply speak to your back instead to tell you what I plan to do at the hearing. I do hope that your new family can give you some better manners because the Fates certainly know that I have tried and failed miserably."
"If you plan to say that you're going to get rid of me, then you can save your breath, Snape! I don't want to hear it."
"Where do you get the notion that I do not want you? Have I not put my own life on the line to protect you? If I wanted to get rid of you then I simply would have given you up to the Dark Lord and let him have his way with you. I would have been rewarded. I plan to fight whoever thinks that they can simply take you away from me. Nobody takes you away! I am only giving you up if you want to go. However we do have to take into account that perhaps there are people better suited to take care of you than a bachelor with a Dark Mark."
Harry turned to face the Professor. Snape looked a little blurry and Harry righted his glasses with two hands before he said. "But I don't want anybody else but you."
Snape sighed and said. "That is all very well, Harry but I do not know how much the judge will take that into account. I am the first person you have been with outside of your own family and you can easily become attached to the wrong person that shows you kindness. In the short term I may be a good guardian for you but I may be unable to care for your wellbeing in the long term. There are things you may be missing out on when you are staying with me, such as maternal love and the influence and wisdom of a woman. I do not see myself marrying or committing to a relationship simply to please your needs…."
"But I can always go to Mrs Weasley if I need some mothering. She is very good at that."
Snape seemed to bite back a smirk as he nodded. "Yes, you do have a point there. There certainly is a big enough support system to oversee all your needs and desires. Perhaps it is time to muster the troops and to tell them that a new problem has sprung up, one that must be dealt with immediately."
"So you're going to go to the hearing?" Harry had to know.
"Of course, Mr Potter, if only so that I do not hear about it until the end of my days that I failed to go to a hearing concerning you." And a relieved Harry hugged his Professor gladly, at least this was right in his world.
Hp
Hermione wasn't sure she would ever get fully used to working a floo. It was a magical ride through a fireplace. She was literally hopping from one fireplace to another. How strange was that? She should tell her parents about this, if only she could. She was quite sure that they would never believe her. They hadn't believed her when she had told them that she saw buildings or people dressed funnily.
Her parents were very sweet and at first they had indulged her because she was their only child and they were very busy with their work. But there had been a time when they had taken her to therapists to try and figure out what was wrong with her. One of them had suggested that Hermione was only doing it because she wanted attention. After that Hermione had learned to keep her mouth shut.
It had been a relief when the Hogwarts letter came. It had explained so much and while her parents had been sceptical at first, they had honoured her wish to go. Especially after the visit of Professor Sprout to explain things to her family, had her parents been convinced. This was the world where their daughter belonged. It had pained her parents that they did not believe her when she had told them that she was seeing things but they were happy for her. She took to her new world like a fish in the water.
She stepped out of the fireplace gracefully. Professor McGonagall turned around to regard her and nodded. "Miss Granger, please wipe your feet."
Hermione did as the Professor requested and stepped aside to let Ron through. When he did, she asked. "Professor, could we have a word?"
"Concerning?"
"It concerns Professor Snape and Harry. They received a letter that a hearing is scheduled to judge if Professor Snape is worthy as Harry's guardian Harry couldn't stand it if he was taken to another family that he doesn't know. Isn't there anything we can do?"
"I can understand your reasoning and your plight, Miss Granger and I applaud your efforts but there is nothing we can do. We are not to interfere with the Ministry and only if we are asked as witnesses in the case then we can plead their case. I am a teacher and a colleague of Severus and therefore I am a biased towards him. I have known him since he was a student here. They will ask for my opinion but I do not know if they will value my opinion. But I do know that the more people that know Professor Snape and Harry well give an opinion, the better the case will be built."
"So it would be a good idea to send letters to our parents and ask for their support?"
"I am quite sure that Professor Snape would prefer if nobody were involved but I think that it is time for Gryffindors to show Slytherin that we can be as sneaky as them." Hermione smiled at her Professor. Her Head of House was a very nice witch, one with a spine of steel and Hermione for one was glad that she was in Gryffindor because Gryffindors stood by their friends and she was going to help Harry and Professor Snape. Because honestly they deserved happiness.
Hp
"You sure that we can just burrow an owl?" Ron's voice was a whisper as he glanced up at the owls that hooted softly in their sleep. The rafters were filled with them. He had never seen so many owls in his life.
"Unless you can summon an owl right now, then yes we can burrow one. I just don't know how to send a letter to my parents."
"No offense, Hermione, but I'm not sure how your parents can help. Unless they can find a way to get Harry's muggle family persecuted in the muggle world then there is nothing that they can do…."
"Oh Ron, you're brilliant!" Ron was not prepared for Hermione to hug him. She beamed at him as he asked.
"What did I say?"
"Well, you just gave me an idea of what my parents can do. If there is a case that a child has been mistreated by his family then this needs to be reported to the police and the proper authorities. We cannot do that because we are underage but if I send my parents a letter together with the details of what Harry has been going through, then they can report the Dursleys."
"Oh, of course. That would be brilliant. I was going to ask my dad because he works for the Ministry and he may know which people to approach in the muggle world. But perhaps we can try both ways. But won't your parents mind receiving an owl?"
"No, I have been sending them letters nearly every week now. They write back as well. I was even thinking of getting my own owl. Hey, do you think Harry will mind if we burrow Hedwig?"
The snowy owl came as if summoned. She landed with a soft hoot on the table that Hermione was using to put the finishing touches on the letter that they were going to send to the Weasleys. It was quite a long letter and Hermione rolled it up to a neat scroll.
Hermione regarded Hedwig as she tied a ribbon around the scroll. The owl extended her leg, hooting softly at her. She had only seen Harry handle the owl. Even when she was growing up she had never really been around animals. Hedwig sat there patiently waiting for her, hopping about and hooting.
Ron, as if sensing her hesitation, took the scroll and said. "So what should we put in your parents' letter?"
Glad to have something else to do, Hermione immediately began to write the letter. "That should be easy. I will just explain briefly what has been happening. I've only hinted at it…"
"You tell your parents everything that we talk about?" Hermione glanced up to see Ron's sceptical expression. She could feel herself blushing as she said.
"Yeah, of course. I am an only child and I didn't have that many friends when I grew up so yeah, why wouldn't I? My parents appreciate it when I tell them what is going on my life. And in a situation like this you have to agree that it is very convenient…"
"Yeah, I'm not saying that. I'm surprised I guess. I wouldn't tell mom everything that is going on at Hogwarts. That would only get me in more trouble."
"But you tell your brothers?"
"Yeah, I guess when they catch me. I've been pretty close to them but Fred and George are always together or they were always teasing me. Bill and Charlie were a lot older than me. I just never had anything with Percy. But I have always been on my own." Ron shrugged at her.
"I would love to have a big family." Hermione had missed having somebody to play with or talk to when she was growing up. Her parents had been at home when they could be but they were busy a lot. It had been lonely growing up.
"It isn't all that it is cracked up to be. Mom and Dad have pretty much seen everything that I've done or could do. They aren't all that impressed which can make it hard. And I have never owned a single thing in my life. Even my wand is a hand me down. But yeah, I wouldn't trade them in for the world. There were always people to play with growing up." Ron grinned at her, apparently caught up in some of the adventures he and his brothers had created.
"I had a wonderful family as well, even without siblings. My parents love me and support everything I do. Everybody deserves a family like that."
"Yeah, especially Harry. So let's send these letters off and set things in motion." And as they did that, they joined the team of people determined to help Harry and Severus become the family they deserved to be.
That is it for now. I hope you liked it. Review please.
In the next chapter: Sirius' trial continues as Sirius makes the request to look the murderer of his best friend in the eye, but will that request be honoured? Minerva approaches Remus with an unusual idea to force Quirrelmort to take another shape, can our two clever Professors figure out how to work this magic? Severus prepares himself to do the impossible and ask for aid, only to find that help is already underway. And Petunia gets a nasty surprise as she opens the door one morning. That and more in the next chapter.