Disclaimer: this story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Chapter 13: Of Dragons and Trials

Harry was honestly surprised when the Malfoy eagle owl landed in front of him with a letter. Draco had written to his father about the trial transcripts a couple of days before, but Harry hadn't really expected Lucius Malfoy to actually reply. But then again, maybe it was a politely worded 'hell no', because from being around Draco he'd learned that Malfoys could be very polite about the strangest things.

He untied the letter and fed the owl a piece of bacon, which earned him a scowl from Draco, who was of the opinion that food meant for people shouldn't be fed to animals. Harry shot him an unrepentant grin and opened the letter.

Dear Harry, the letter started, and Harry blinked at that. It seemed like a weirdly familiar form of address, but then again, Ron's father wouldn't call a friend of his son by his last name either.

Through Draco I have received your request for the transcripts of Sirius Black's trial. I am sorry to inform you that there are no transcripts to be found. I have even tried searching for them by hand, thinking they might have been misplaced. It would seem that there has never been a trial, which is the only explanation possible for the lack of transcripts.

Harry's eyebrows rise as he read. Lucius Malfoy, Death Eater, had actually searched for the trial transcripts and was honest about not finding them. That had to be some kind of joke, except Harry knew it wasn't. But then again, Harry would've pegged Lucius as abusive, not Narcissa. So really, he had to admit to himself that he didn't actually know all that much about Lucius. He obviously didn't know enough about the guy to accurately predict what he was going to do.

I have hesitated to write to you about this, having gleaned from Draco's letter that you are looking for the reason of Black's betrayal. I am certain you must feel disappointed that I am unable to help you by providing these transcripts. However, I have a sufficient amount of influence here at the Ministry to push for a trial, if that is the course you want to take.

Harry gasped in surprise as he read the offer to help. It would be perfect, absolutely perfect. Lucius was far more likely to succeed in getting Sirius a trial than Harry was. Besides, he didn't have to wait to find a reporter and the opportunity to talk to said reporter, no, Lucius could start right away. But there was still the fact that it was Lucius Malfoy, and yeah, Harry wasn't so sure it would be a good idea to work together.

I cannot, of course, promise such a trial will bring you the answers you seek. Such a lengthy stay in Azkaban will most likely had a profound impact on Black's mind and there is no telling how coherent his answers will be, even under Veritaserum. Nevertheless, it seems to be the only option if you still desire to obtain your answers.

I will await your reply before undertaking any actions. The final word lies with you, since this is your quest.

Kindly,

Lucius Malfoy

Well, Harry knew Sirius' mind wasn't gone, thanks to him being an Animagus, but it was actually kind of sweet of Lucius to surreptitiously warn him about it. And that, right there, was weirder than anything Harry had encountered since travelling back in time. For the first time in a long time, Harry wished for the old Hermione to be there. She had known him so well, she had known so much, surely she could tell him whether it was a good idea to accept Lucius' help or not.

Putting the letter away, Harry resolved himself to the fact that Hermione wasn't here and he had to figure things out for himself. He glanced at the Head Table, where Remus was sitting next to Professor Flitwick. In the old days, he would've asked Remus' opinion on this, but he didn't have to ask to know what Remus' answer would be. Snape might actually give a more objective answer in this case, but in the end, Harry decided that Lucius was right about one thing. The decision was his in the end, so he might as well make it alone.

Across from him, Draco and Theo were shooting him questioning glances, but Harry didn't comment on the letter. Luckily, both boys had so much etiquette pounded into them that they don't ask about it. He resumed breakfast like nothing had happened and after half a minute his friends did the same. But the content of the letter didn't leave Harry's mind all day.

In the end, Harry decided that getting Sirius out of Azkaban as fast as possible is the most important thing, even more important than keeping his distance from Lucius Malfoy. So after his last class, he wrote back, thanking Lucius for his offer to help and taking him up on it. He sent Hedwig on her way, the letter tied to her leg, and watched until she was no more than a tiny speck in the distance. It was out of his hands now. All he could do was hope the trial would prove Sirius' innocence.

HPHPHPHPHPHP

Harry had been riding high on the successful completion of his first ever prank. That it was the Weasley twins who got pranked made it even better. That it was in revenge for a prank pulled on his house made it even more brilliant. That Severus Snape had figured it out and approved, that had made Harry so completely giddy that it had made him stupid. Literally. Because what had he been thinking when he'd invited Draco, Theo, and Hermione to come with him on his monthly visit to Hagrid.

All the way down to Hagrid's cabin, Harry fretted about inviting his fellow Slytherins. He wasn't actually sure what he was more afraid of, Hagrid's reaction or Draco and Theo's behaviour. Actually, he was probably more afraid of Hagrid's reaction. Draco and Theo would behave for the sheer sake of politeness, but Hagrid hadn't had the best track record for tact. He might be fine with Harry being in Slytherin, but having a Malfoy and a Nott over for Saturday afternoon tea might be pushing it.

When they reached Hagrid's cabin, Harry nervously knocked on the door. Fang started barking and scratching at the door, and Draco took a nervous step back.

"Don't worry, he's harmless," Harry said reassuringly. "Just very enthusiastic."

Just then, Hagrid opened the door and quickly ushered them in. He hadn't even really looked who Harry had brought with him, but by the time Hagrid seemed to realize Harry's not alone it's too late. All four of them had seen the black egg nestled in the fire. Hagrid watched Draco and Theo with undisguised horror on his face.

"This isn' what it looks like," he said.

"Hagrid, that's a dragon's egg!" Hermione said.

Harry swallowed round the lump in his throat. He thought he could change the course of events, but Quirrell is long dead and still Hagrid has a dragon's egg. The heat inside the cabin was pressing down on him, the silence stifling. Then, Draco moved forward.

"Oh, it's beautiful," Draco said in a hushed, reverent voice.

He kneeled down besides the egg, heedless of his surroundings. The crazy thought that Draco was aptly named flitted through Harry's head. But Draco's actions have broken through the tension. Hagrid visibly relaxed now that it was apparent Draco and Theo weren't going to find the first available teacher and report him.

"Do you know what kind of dragon it is?" Theo asked.

"It's a Norwegian Ridgeback," Hagrid said with obvious pleasure. "They're very rare. I've been readin' all these books about what to do. Yeh have to put it in the fire 'cause the mother breathes on it, yeh know."

Harry listened with half an ear to the conversation about the feeding and care of a young dragon. He was still stuck on the fact that Hagrid had someone gotten his hands on a dragon's egg. He'd been convinced it had been Quirrell who'd conned Hagrid and shipped him off with a dragon's egg, but maybe that wasn't what had happened.

"How did you get it?" Harry asked. "I mean, aren't dragon eggs illegal?"

"I found it," Hagrid said. "Out in the forest. I think it might've been smugglers or somethin'. Poor thin' was in bad shape when I brought it back."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Quirrell had probably hidden the egg there, or had arranged for it to be delivered there, but then he'd died and the egg was abandoned. But now that Hagrid had the egg, it brought a whole slew of other problems. For one, there was no Ron with a convenient brother who worked with dragons to ask for help.

"Hagrid, you're not planning on keeping it, are you?" Hermione asked.

"O' course I am," Hagrid said, sounding absolutely love struck.

"But Hagrid, you live in a wooden house!" Hermione exclaimed.

Hagrid ignored her and soon after he bustled the foursome out the door after extracting promises not to tell anyone. On the way back, Hermione voiced all of their concerns.

"There's no way this is going to end well."

HPHPHPHPHPHP

The next week Harry, Hermione, Theo, and even Draco desperately tried to reason with Hagrid. Keeping an illegal dragon in a wooden house was just not a good idea. But nothing they said could convince Hagrid to get rid of the egg. Harry had known it would be useless to try and reason with his friend, but had hoped that this time around Hagrid would be a bit more reasonable. No such luck, though, which was why the four were gathered in their den to discuss their options.

"We have to do something," Hermione said. "When that egg hatches, we'll have a lot more problems on our hands."

Theo nodded.

"If that egg hatches, it will be almost impossible to keep it hidden," he said. "Hagrid will end up in Azkaban for sure."

Harry groaned. Theo was right, but he really didn't see a solution.

"We have to tell someone," Draco said.

"We can't do that," Hermione said, horrified by the suggestion. "That'll just get him arrested!"

Harry on the other hand thought Draco's idea had some merit. They couldn't solve it alone, so they needed to tell someone. Someone trustworthy, who wouldn't mind keeping it a secret. Someone like Remus.

"We could tell Remus," Harry offered. "He'll keep it a secret."

Hermione was nodding enthusiastically at the suggestion, but Draco and Theo were looking doubtful.

"I think telling Snape is a better idea," Draco said.

Harry looked at Draco incredulously. Telling Snape? The guy was all right, but this was not the kind of information you handed out to just anybody. He trusted Remus to keep this a secret, he wasn't so sure about Snape.

"Honestly Draco, there is no way Snape would keep this a secret," Harry said.

"Harry," Theo said softly. "He's our Head of House, of course he'll keep it a secret. He'll want to help."

Harry still wasn't sure about telling Snape, but in the end Theo and Draco managed to convince Hermione Snape was the best option. They mainly did it by telling her Snape would have the necessary contacts to get rid of the egg, while Remus might not. Outvoted, Harry followed the other three down to Snape's office.

Once they had all filed inside the office and the door was closed, Draco started to explain the situation. Harry tried to read Snape's reactions, but the man is a master at keeping his face bland and neutral. Once Draco, with the occasional comments from Theo and Hermione, has done his story silence fell. Harry caught himself holding his breath, waiting for what Snape would say. After a tense minute, Snape leaned forward, planting his elbows on his desk and weaving the fingers of his hands together. Over the top of them, he looked at each of them, Harry last.

"You did well, bringing this to my attention," he said. "I will handle it, do not let it concern you any longer."

The tension seeped out of Draco and Theo's postures and Hermione murmured a quiet "yes, sir, thank you", but Harry couldn't accept such an open statement so easily.

"What are you going to do, sir?" he asked.

"Deal with it," Snape replied.

"But, sir..." Harry said.

"Harry," Snape interrupted him. "Trust me."

Harry ducked his head and swallowed harshly at the memories that simple sentence brought up. It was the exact same thing Snape had said when he'd seen the wizard three months after Dumbledore was killed. Harry had replied by throwing a Blasting Curse. He hadn't actually hit the man, but the message had been clear. Snape hadn't contacted him again. Later, much later, after Hermione had found out the truth, Harry had thought back on that moment and wondered how different the war would've gone if he had trusted the man.

Lifting his head back up, Harry stared into Snape's eyes. The man looked back, patiently letting Harry come to his decision. With a big sigh, Harry nodded.

"Yes, sir," he said softly.

A small smile flitted over Snape's face and for one insane moment Harry had the feeling the man was actually proud of him. With a small smile of his own, Harry said goodbye and followed his friends out of the office.

Deciding to trust Snape to handle the dragon egg problem didn't actually stop Harry from fretting. In fact, the rest of the week Harry slept poorly, dreaming about Dementors kissing Hagrid or Norbert burning down Hagrid's hut with the half-giant still inside. But the next Saturday Hagrid's curtains were open again and when Harry entered the hut the temperature was back to normal and there was no sign of the egg. Hagrid never said anything and Harry didn't ask, but that evening he whispered a quiet thanks to Snape during their Potions lesson.

HPHPHPHPHPHP

Harry stared at the letter in his hands. He'd gotten it almost two weeks ago. He read through it again, even though he knew the contents by heart. Today was the day, today was Sirius' trial. It had taken Lucius a little over two months to get it arranged and as soon as he had, he'd written Harry with the trial date. Which was finally today. Harry folded the letter and put it in his robes. Hopefully, at the end of the day, he would have his godfather back.

On the one hand, Harry was glad he only had Potions that day. He had a hard time concentrating on anything, as his thoughts kept shifting back to Sirius. The only thing that kept the potion he was working on with Neville from blowing up was the fact that he'd made it already a couple of weeks ago during his private potions lesson. But he knew Snape had picked up on his distraction, because the man kept coming over to their table. Which, of course, didn't help in the slightest, since Neville was so terrified of the man he made twice as many mistakes.

Therefore, it didn't surprise Harry in the least when Snape had him stay behind at the end of class. He made his way to the front of the room. It had been a long time since he felt uncomfortable around his Head of House, but he was now. He was supposed to know better, Snape was spending his precious time on giving him extra lesson and how did he repay the man? By becoming so distracted he had almost blown up his potion several times. Harry stopped in front of Snape's desk and kept his eyes firmly on the ground. He didn't want to disappoint the man, he suddenly realized.

"Perhaps you could explain your dismal work today?" Snape asked.

There was something in the tone of Snape's voice that made Harry look up. He expected to see disappointment, or perhaps anger, but all there was to see in the man's eyes was kindness. With a rush, Harry realized he knew, Snape knew. He blew out a surprised breath and groped in his pocket for Lucius' letter. He handed it over to Snape, who did little more than skim it.

"I see," he said, and Harry really believed the man did see. "Why don't you come with me?"

It wasn't a question, or even a suggestion, really. Harry followed Snape and was led to the man's private quarters. Once there, he was directed to do his Potions homework. Harry just blinked owlishly at Snape, not completely comprehending what he was doing in his teacher's private quarters.

"Once the trail ends, Lucius Malfoy will contact me," Snape said. "I thought you might like to be here when he does."

It amazed Harry that even though he'd kept this a secret, Snape had still gone to the trouble of arranging this for him. He softly thanked the man and set out to read the assigned chapter. But his concentration wasn't any better now than it had been in class and frequently his thoughts drifted away from what he was reading. Would Sirius be okay? Would he be acquitted? How was he going to react to Harry being in Slytherin? That question sent shivers down Harry's spine. If Sirius reacted unfavourably, he could be looking at going back to the Dursleys without any hope of escape. Or worse, he could still be going to live with Sirius, but have his godfather hate him.

"Harry," Snape said, drawing Harry's attention away from his dark thoughts. "Why don't we play some chess?"

Harry gratefully put aside his book. After two games, in which Snape thoroughly trounced Harry, the man started to teach him some moves. It worked pretty well as a distraction, so it was like getting a bucket of cold water thrown over him when the fire in the hearth turned green and Lucius Malfoy stepped out.

"Lucius," Snape greeted him.

"Severus, Harry," Lucius said with a regal looking nod of his head.

"How'd it go?" Harry choked out, too nervous for anything approaching politeness.

Lucius' face darkened and he gestured to the couch. Mechanically, Harry walked over and promptly collapsed there as his legs decided they weren't going to hold him up anymore. Snape sat down next to him, while Lucius took the wingback chair that was opposite the couch.

"There were...complications," Lucius said.

"Meaning?" Snape asked, his voice dark, while his hand went to Harry's shoulder.

"Sirius Black was questioned under Veritaserum and has been acquitted of all crimes," Lucius answered.

Harry had been expecting it, but it still came as a shock. Sirius was free. He'd gambled on the truth coming out in the trail and he'd won. He should feel happy, elated, or perhaps anxious, but Harry didn't feel any of those. In fact, he didn't feel anything, really, just numb.