Harry arrived to his dormitory to the sound of hacked off sobs emmanting from behind the closed curtains of Blaise's bed. He immediately set off toward it.

'Potter. Harry.' Came a hissed whisper, and he snapped his gaze around to see Draco with his head stuck out of his own drawn curtains. Draco moved his head to indicate Harry should come over, which he reluctantly did.

'What?' Harry whispered once he was sat on Draco's bed.

'Talking to Blaise at the moment won't help anything, he needs some time.' Draco replied, sat at the rear of his bed.

'How do you know that?'

'Cause he told me so Potter.'

'Just cause he told you so…' Harry said, before deciding there wasn't any point arguing with Draco. 'Whatever, did he at least tell you what's happened?'

'Yeah, Wizengamot has agreed to hear the French's request to extradite his Father, and it's not looking good.'

'Fuck.' Harry replied, his voice raising.

Draco shushed him, pressing a finger to his lips.

'But yeah, normally the traditionalists would never vote to send anyone to the French, but he's French himself so they don't really care. The Ministry lot would do anything to help the French, and for the Progressives it's a bit of a hard case to throw yourself behind, considering you know, maybe he did actually kill those Witches.'

'Well, what are we going to do about it?'

'What do you mean, what are we going to do we're-'

'I know what I'm going to do.' He hadn't take long to decide. 'I'm going to go see Dumbledore, I know exactly how I'm going to convince him. It's just up to you to convince your mother.'

Draco gaped at Harry.

'My mother doesn't listen to me Harry!'

'Well you're just going to have to make her, aren't you? Or convince your sisters to convince her. What were you planning to do, nothing? He's our friend, we've got to do whatever we can to help him, it doesn't matter that were kids.'

'Alright, alright.' Draco said nodding.

It had taken Harry a while to see the Headmaster, over a week. He was probably the busiest wizard in Britain. Snape had done his utmost to draw out of Harry why he wanted to meet, but Harry had remained tight lipped and the Potions Master had eventually agreed to pass on his request.

Dumbledore had said that they should meet near the lake, and so Harry was there on a Saturday morning, on the first decent of spring, thought he was still wrapped up. Otherwise as soon as the sun went behind a cloud he'd have to be casting a heating charm . The Headmaster was a man easily spotted at a distance, especially in the white robe he had decided to wear today as he strode across the grass.

'Hello Harry, what a fine morning!' Dumbledore said when he got nearby.

'Good morning Sir.' Harry replied, pulling his cloak a bit tighter as cold gust of wind past.

'I know your have something to ask me Harry, but you do you mind waiting a moment or two?'

'No Sir.' Harry replied, and followed after Dumbledore as he started his way around the lake.

'You know Harry, it is completely within the power of the enchantments of Hogwarts to control the weather inside the grounds? Nearly all Headmasters simply choose not to use this power, or use it only to a very minor degree.'

'Why's that Sir?' Harry asked, he would have loved some relief from the Scottish weather these past few months.

'I cannot speak to the opinions of every Headmaster, but I think for most I think it had to do with not wishing to make Hogwarts to feel like a completely unreal place, disconnected from everything else.'

'Hmm, I can understand that, this place feels barely real sometimes.'

'I think I know what you mean Harry, but would you mind elaborating?'

'Well you know, it seems more like a fairy tale than a practical place for schooling. I mean you've got moving staircases that more often that not get you lost, and aren't they very dangerous? I heard there's one with a step that's an illusion!'

Dumbledore nodded sagely.

'Well in regards to the staircases Harry, wizards are a lot tougher than muggles, it's why we can play a game like Quidditch where we launch iron balls at each other, a wizard's magic automatically protects him to some degree from things like falls and impacts. This combined with the wards of Hogwarts means accidental deaths are very unlikely to occur here.'

'But sir, what about non-accidental deaths? Everyone gets taught the severing charm in second year, and it's like putting a gun in every kid's hands. I've heard that a pupil hasn't died in Hogwarts for fifty years, but how is that possible? Surely some kid has been getting bullied or whatever and just snapped!' Harry was almost shouting by the end, this had been on his mind for a while.

'Well Harry, have you heard of the unforgivable curses?' Dumbledore replied calmly.

'Er, yes Sir I have.'

'Well one of the reasons cited for why these curses are difficult to perform is that they require certain cruel mental states to perform, to cast the killing curse you must genuinely and completely want that person dead, and the same goes for the torture curse, for it to be effective you must truly wish for that person to suffer. What most wizards do not know, or do not care to remember is that such is the case of all spells. If you cast a severing charm at someone's neck without the intent to kill them, the same strength of intent that you must have to cast the killing curse, the wound will not be deep enough to kill, regardless of how strong your magic is.'

'Oh.' Harry said, feeling his stomach drop.

'Harry, my boy, I hope I don't have to remind you that Fletcher still breathes.'

'He would be dead if there was no one there to heal him.'

'I doubt that very much Harry. I know you worry about it, but I must reassure you that you are nothing like him, the man who gave you that scar.'

'How can you be so sure?'

'Because Tom never ever cared for his friends, or really anyone at all, and I know that is not the case for you Harry. How is Blaise?'

Harry's shoulders tensed up and he didn't say anything for a while. Blaise wasn't good, he was trying to go on as usual, but it seemed more like he was acting than anything else.

'He's mostly pretending that nothing is happening, but all the life has gone out of him. You knew this is what I was going to ask?'

'Merely an educated guess Harry, you did ask for a meeting a mere day after the Wizengamot agreed a hearing on his father's deportation.'

He supposed he wasn't being that mysterious either, Harry assumed Snape must have guessed too.

'And you have also guessed what I will use to convince you to help him?'

'My guess is slightly less educated there, say what you will Harry.'

'If you help Blaise's father I will convince Sirius to adopt me, which means he will no longer be in violation of the marriage law and can take up his seat in the Wizengamot.'

'Can you claim that you were not planning to do this anyway Harry?'

Harry shrugged, they were halfway around the lake by now.

'I'm happy to spite you, even if it means Sirius staying locked up in that miserable old house.'

Dumbledore looked at Harry, looking genuinely mournful.

'Harry, what have I done that your first instinct is to try to compel me to do something, rather than simply come and speak to me about it?'

Harry felt a little bad, but he had to persevere, for Blaise's sake.

'Would you have helped Blaise if I had just come and reasoned with you?'

'I still don't know if I'm going to, another seat on Wizengamot is all well and good, but if it means calling in so many favours, and losing seats in the next Assembly election, then I'm not sure it's really worth it. There's also the fact Harry that you are not the only path towards getting Sirius into the Wizengamot.'

Harry felt the pressure of Dumbledore's words on him, and something more than that. He knew if he stayed beside him any longer he was going to end up giving in, and just going along with whatever the other wizard wanted.

'You are right Professor, it is the best that we maintain a good relationship, and you should know that I am not going to give up on my friends.'

Harry separated from the headmaster, walking back towards the castle. Leaving him to walk around the lake in silence.