Warnings: Not a lot of language, although mentions a lot of people. A lot. Like, almost everyone. Really.

Apologies ahead of time for any spelling errors and the like.

Chapter 21- Sins of the Godfather, Wrongfully Accused

The end of September brought along a wave of nervousness for Harry. It wasn't that school was the problem, oh no. In fact, his opinion of the school had increased, or at least his number of closer friends (as his opinion on the Defense teacher was about on par with everyone else's: the Goldilock-like bastard could shove his dozen or so waste of good paper and money up his arse so far he was regurgitating them). Luna and Ginny had wormed their way into his trust much like Neville and the Twins had. He and Ron had a little row about the second week into the semester and they weren't talking anymore, not that Harry cared. It was something about Ron's Quidditch skills, or lack of thereof. Hermione had become less pushy and know-it-all-y, but she had been rather subdue since the beginning of the year anyhow. At first Harry didn't really care, glad that he had both of his 'friends' that had continuously breathed down his neck First Year were no longer bothering him. However, when Hermione leaned over and told Fred to stir the potion they were planning on making two counterclockwise and then add the unicorn hoof shavings to make the potion last double the time during Lunch, Harry couldn't ignore this change any longer. Neither could Fred and George, and after peeking at the Marauder's Map, found out that Hermione Granger was often vising a Mr. Theodore Nott when no one else was around- usually in the Library or in mostly unused parts of the Grounds.

Whoever this Nott person was, he was good for Hermione, and Harry couldn't find fault in it. Perhaps he could talk to him sometime.

But no, his nerves wasn't about friends or school- it was about his Godfather. He didn't even know he had one until this summer, and when he found out from Lady Bones- or Amelia, as she told him to call her- that Sirius Black hadn't had a trial, she promised him to hell and back that she will get him a fair trial. She wasn't the one who found the lack of trial records, she had told him, looking rather disappointed in herself at that, but it had come up in the first Wizengamot meeting of the term by a newly minted Lord Slytherin. It was a win-win, really. If Black really was innocent, it would be a slap to the corrupt government's face for throwing a Lord of an Ancient and Noble House into prison without the following of the law, and Harry could potentially gain a guardian, or at least after he went through a Mind Healer for his time in Azkaban. If he was guilty, then it was justice well served, a tying up of a loose end, making it look like the government was doing some good, but Harry would still be out of a guardian, but at least he knew why he wouldn't. Still, the trial itself was nerve wracking to Harry, as this was his one chance of getting close to the only relative he had that wasn't a Muggle.

This September morning was the trial of Sirius Black, and by demand of his current guardian, Harry found himself being seated in the large Courtroom on one of the benches in the guests and watchers, just above the reporters and looking around at the assembling Wizengamot. Of course Dumbledore had thrown a well hidden fit when Amelia had requested that Harry should be at the trial, but an accord had been struck. That was why he was sitting here alongside an irritated Snape. Amelia had told Harry in private that Snape and Black, as well as Harry's father, hadn't been on the best of terms during their school years. It was quite apparent now that Snape wanted nothing more than to throw Black back into his cell and go back to brewing potions just by the scowl and the folded arms. Snape had been less of a twat so far, and said absolutely nothing to Harry when they Floo'd into the Ministry, which was quite an improvement for Harry.

Trying to ignore his nerves and the obviously sulking professor beside him, Harry turned his emerald gaze to look around at the members of the Wizengamot that so far arrived. Regulus had taught him all the Houses that held seats in this government body- most to all from long lines of Wizarding families. A few Half Bloods were also present in the body, their saving graces being the blood and the name they carried. It wasn't a very good practice, Harry mused as he watched an old squat man trying to situate his robes so they wouldn't bunch up. There was no representation from the Muggleborns or the 'Half Breeds', which many of the other countries outside of Europe already accounted for. European countries like France had some rules for 'Half Breeds', as many of their population contained Veela blood, but like most of Europe, Muggleborns and other Magical Creatures and 'Half Breeds' had fallen to the waist-side of government bodies, their voices not heard unless uprising or a Dark Lord came about.

"You look like you're about to fidget out of your seat, young man."

Harry nearly jumped when someone settled on the bench beside him, ignoring the sharp look they both received from Snape. The man had a dark, sandy colored hair that reached about his shoulders, his nose slightly bent and clothes not too expensive but enough to pass for a Half-Blood. However, it was the icy blue eyes that made Harry relax. Only one person he knew had those eyes.

"Sorry sir, I'm just not used to being in a place like this," Harry said, smiling sheepishly but his eyes narrowed slightly in questioning.

"I haven't seen it this crowded either, although it's not everyday a mass murderer gets out of Azkaban for a trial. Usually they get sent in after the trial. Oh, looks like old Mrs. Sweever is glamoring her hair again. Don't know why- everyone knows she's been gray since the '60's."

Ah, so he glamored himself, Harry suppressed a smirk, although the corners of his lips did twitch upward. After all, Regulus couldn't just walk in to his brother's trial looking like himself. He'd give everyone a heart attack.

"Excuse me sir, but do you know who that is?" Harry asked, his eyes catching something a fiery red out of the corner of his vision. The man was busy pulling his robes over his shoulders, covering the Muggle clothes underneath. A man with similar facial features, although with much thicker eyebrows and blondish-brown hair rather than red hair and wearing much more expensive looking robes glared over at the new arrival.

The glamored Regulus' eyebrows went to his hairline as he leaned closer to Harry, his voice lower. "Them's the Kirkland Brothers. They're one of the few families in the entire European continent that carries the title of Regal instead of Noble that are still alive. The Founders' lines carry the title too. The Most Ancient and Regal House of Kirkland. I don't think they've been to a Wizengamot meeting since Grindewald's time."

Harry looked at Regulus before looking over at the pair. The caterpillar eyebrowed one gave the red head a withering look before pointing at something. The other blinked, raising his hand to his neck and pulled down the collar of his Muggle shirt, revealing several sets of teethmarks along his neck and upper shoulder. Caterpillar Man wrinkled his nose in disgust while the Fire Head's cheeks tinted pink, letting go of the collar and pulling his robes farther up than they should be, covering the marks.

Harry heard Regulus stifle a snort beside him.

"That one with the love bite's Allistor Kirkland," Regulus continued on. "He's older of the two brothers, as well as Lord of the House. He lets his younger brother there, Arthur Kirkland do all the politics though, and he's the Lord of the Seats, as they would refer to him. While they both carry the title of Lords and Arthur does all the politics and stuff, Allistor has the final say in any matter. I don't think both of them's been on the Seat since... ever. This must be something they really disagree on."

Which, Harry translated in his head, could be very good or very bad.

Soon the entire room was packed, full with audience and Wizengamot members, along with the Minister of Magic, several Court Scribes, and about thirty reporters. Regulus pointed out a few Lords, such as Lucius, who came solo today, and a new Lord that neither of them knew, but a polite old lady from the seat behind them supplied that the man was Lord Slytherin. He looked like an old Pureblood, with the aristocratic features and rich silken robes. His amethyst eyes threw Harry off though, wondering if the man had some sort of Creature blood in him to have such an unusual color.

The entire room fell silence went Dumbledore rose to his feet. As Chief Warlock, he opened the Court with the usual dates and times. Then he gave the court over to Amelia, who was heading the trial.

Amelia rose to her feet, the older Witch emminating power and justice on her average height frame and serious expression. "Bring in the accused!"

The doors opened and an foreboding iciness swept through the room. "Dementors," Regulus muttered beside Harry. "Nasty things, they are. Hope they don't come in here with all these people."

Luckily the Dementors stayed outside as four Aurors came in, leading a man in chain- or rather, half dragging the man as he was apparently not going fast enough and forced him into the lone chair in the middle of the room.

Sirius Black was a mess. His dark black hair was long and scraggly, greasy and dirty and tangled into knots that scissors would refuse to cut through. His skin was pulled tight along his bones, giving him a starved and haunted look. His eyes, however, betrayed the broken and filthy appearance, the similar icy blue flickering about in curious glances and hiding a faint sliver of hope.

"Lord Sirius Black," Amelia began, ignoring the looks she received by using the title. "You are here to stand trial for the murders of thirteen Muggles and the betrayal of Lord James Potter and Lady Lily Potter. As ruling states, you must be subjected to Veritaserum. You have right to refuse, but refusal will effect the outcome of the trial. Do you permit the use of Veritaserum on your person?"

The icy orbs locked onto Amelia, licking his cracked lips. "I accept the use," he said, his voice hoarse from misuse.

With a sharp nod from the Head of the DMLE, a grizzly scarred Auror with a glass eye that swiveled around to stare in the back of his head and clunked along on a wooden leg came forward, administering the potion to Black. When his eyes seemed to glaze over and his body slump, Amelia began.

"What is your name?"

"Lord Sirius Orion Black," the man replied back in a monotone voice.

"Are you, or were you in liege with the Dark Lord?"

"No."

That brought some unrest from the crowd. Harry saw Arthur Kirkland's forehead wrinkle while Allistor leaned back, hiding a smirk that his green-yellow eyes betrayed. Harry now knew who supported what.

Amelia silenced the people before continuing with the questions. "Did you betray the Potters?"

"No."

Amelia glared around, almost daring people to disturb her court while she was in charge. No one made a peep, although many looked like they wanted to protest. Dumbledore was rather void of emotion- strange.

"What happened on the night of October 31?"

The explanation was short, but to the point. Harry and Regulus had to pull their emotions down as Sirius explained how he wasn't the Secret Keeper for the Potters, but Pettigrew was, and when he made it to the Potters after a House Elf came to him in a panic as to what to do, he found the house a mess, James and Lily dead, Harry whimpering, and a pile of empty, unknown robes and a wand in the Nursery. He told them how he picked up Harry to calm him while trying to determine what to do. Hagrid had shown up then, saying that Dumbledore had told him to get Harry and take him to a safe place. Sirius relayed his thoughts on that matter, and if he wasn't under a potion he would have been growling in fury. In the end he relented after Hagrid said that Death Eaters might show up, and gave the half-giant his motorbike after unshrinking it from his pocket.

When the half-giant had left, Sirius straightened out the bodies of Lily and James, placing them in traditional poses of burial and respect to the dead while he waited for Aurors to arrive. When Dumbledore showed up instead, he described how he suddenly felt angry at Pettigrew, and soon went off to find his once friend. He relayed how he confronted Pettigrew, how the man cut his own finger off after throwing an overpowered Bombarda and turned into his rat Animagus form, which right after the Aurors showed up to take Sirius away.

At the end of the explanation, the entire court was roaring with life. People were shouting, the words bouncing off the walls into one chaotic ring. It made Harry flinch, while Regulus seemed to sink low in his seat, looking utterly relieved so far. His brother was innocent, and he might actually get out of this alive.

The chaos was brought to quick order from a loud bang from Amelia's wand, the woman looking utterly unamused. "Now that you all have calmed yourselves," she growled, eyes narrowed as she glared at them all. "We can get back to the matter at hand. You have heard for your own ears under Veritaserum. What is the vote?"

It was almost unanimous of the vote of innocence. Lord Slytherin did rise from his chair though.

"I propose that Lord Black be sent to a Healer, both of mind and body. His stay at Azkaban certainly did not do him well."

Amelia brought the notion forward and it was too accepted. Other proposals were to remove the Order of Merlin from Pettigrew and put a warrant for his head, both of which were approved. Dumbledore looked slightly insulted for even being brought up in the explanation, and Arthur Kirkland was actually sulking- his arms folded and his lips curled. His brother looked highly amused and smug, ignoring the fact that his robe slipped down and exposed the uppermost bite mark on his neck as he voted in his brother's stead.

Sirius was soon unlocked from his chains and taken away by the Aurors to St. Mungos, the grizzly man that Regulus had leaned over and whispered to Harry his name- Moody- shot Amelia a knowing smirk even though his magical eye was staring straight at Regulus before leaving the Courtroom. The crowds began to talk loudly as the trial came to an end. Harry was disappointed that he couldn't see his Godfather today, but he knew with this crowd, it wasn't worth the risk. He looked over at Amelia, receiving a small nod that she would meet up with him at a later date to discuss things further. He nodded back before turning and wishing goodbye to the disguised Regulus, who said his pleasantries as he was swept away with the crowd.

With a sigh that deflated the tension within his body, Harry felt exhausted as Snape steered him out of the Courtroom and towards the fireplaces to Floo back to Hogwarts, his sharp glare scaring off any reporters from approaching them to harass the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry was silently grateful- he probably would've hexed them to Oblivion if it had been anyone else but Snape leading him.

Still, he was relieved. He had a chance to gain a guardian, a Godfather, and a friend of the family back in one move. Things were beginning to look up.

Notes:

Whew, I think I got just about everyone in this chapter. Everyone of immediate importance, at least. And some who aren't.

Anyway, Sirius is free! He's going to get patched up a bit first, though, but he'll be up and about in no time.

I made the Kirklands hold a slightly superior title than to the rest of them plebeians. What sounds better than Noble like Regal does? I didn't mean to make it similar to my username, but that's how it happened. Oops? I suppose that means the King and Queen and the like would be titled Royal.

On another note- 30 REVIEWS, 33 FOLLOWERS AND 17 FAVES. I AM SO HAPPY GUYS. WE BEAT THE RECORDS ON MY STORIES!

AND POND RAM MADE PICTURES OF VATI AND SCOT! The links should be on her profile picture.

ALSO SHE MADE A FANFIC ABOUT THEM. I am happy. It's called Blind Date and I'm making her write more than one chapter. I don't know if the title name will change or not, but that's what is now. You should read it. It's adorable.

I like how everyone commented on how they liked Canada as a moose in the last chapter. I mean, it's fitting. Moose. Canada. Ha ha.

And to answer the question as to how Netherlands got to talking to Greengrass- he got called away from the bar. Business comes before socializing for Netherlands. And the question about Eli knowing... well, she knows everything... or that Vatican talks a lot when he's drunk. *shrugs*

Anyway, KEEP BOTHERING AND STALKING ME. I LIKE IT. MAKES ME FEEL IMPORTANT. Just kidding, it motivates me to write more often.

(This chapter was posted on May 14, 2014)

Next Chapter: Whispers in the Night