The Contract
Chapter 34
Wednesday came much too quickly for Corvus or Harry's liking. It was a week that just kept on getting worse, for him. Yesterday the Dark Lord finally admitted defeat and confessed to Harry that he had failed to find anything that could remove the Horcrux within him. Reassuring him however, that he wasn't in any danger to it's presence, and if anything big or small changed with it, to alert him immediately. True to Corvus' word, Harry wasn't at all surprised to hear that there was nothing they could do, otherwise it would have been done by now.
"Are you alright?" Corvus asked, having been a mite more protective and watchful of Harry since his breakdown a few days ago. If anything, Corvus had probably came out the worst of it, it had been a wake up call the lasting damage that Dursley's had done. It was pretty stupid of him to think for a moment that over a decades worth of abuse had been simply washed away because he was out of the horrid situation. Already jumping to ask him if he was alright the second he stepped into the dining room.
"I'll be fine," Harry said, his smile a little brittle, still horrified and embarrassed by his display days ago. Not the accidental magic, no, in fact, Harry had never felt more normal, just hearing about Corvus' and Voldemorts and even the Lestrange brother's accidental magical displays. If anything it had amused him, so much so that he'd revealed his own bouts of accidental magic. He refrained from telling them about the consequences, but both men knew without needing to be told.
"Did you sleep at all last night?" Corvus asked, watching Harry take his seat, refraining from sighing, judging by the racoon eyes he guessed not.
"A little," Harry admitted, worry shadowing his eyes.
Corvus bit back the words he so desperately wanted to let loose. At least it would be over tonight, Harry would know what was happening. It was definitely the uncertainty that was getting to the young one, Corvus absolutely refused to lose Harry to Sirius Black. Even if it meant playing dirty, then so be it, he'd do it. He already had a dozen or so suggestions as to why Black would make a piss poor magical guardian.
"It seems we have our answers on how Dumbledore has been keeping in touch with those on the outside." Voldemort commented, as he wandered into the room with his usual regal air. This would be his last day here, he'd be returning to his own estate until he could safely stay at Hogwarts, he had been here for convenience only, while they researched the Horcruxes looking for answers and information.
"Oh?" Corvus asked, turning to the Dark Lord, curious himself, they knew it wasn't Aberforth so it begged the question, how was Dumbledore passing on letters or information whenever he liked.
"It seems Dumbledore has his own people guarding Azkaban prison, we've identified at least two," Voldemort explained, giving a curt nod Harry, as he sat down. "We have evidence of hands off's of letters and parcels. It's just a matter of deciding whether to catch him now, or wait until we can identify them all."
"He might only have the two, most of the others were employed because of their…sympathies." Corvus pointed out, "Admittedly most of them are higher up, with good reason." It gave the Death Eaters respite really.
"There are still at least three unknown at this point," Voldemort pointed out, he'd checked out everyone else and knew they weren't aiding Dumbledore. "Once we have determined whether they are working with him or not, the information will be passed to the appropriate authorities." They would immediately check Dumbledore's cell, and those he was using would lose their job effective immediately. The gleam of the vials catching his attention as he glanced briefly at Harry as he drank his allotted medication for the morning.
"Make it so they're on rotation this afternoon then, the quicker you find them then the easier this will be to completely seclude Dumbledore and stop him interfering with our plans." Corvus suggested, pursed lips, Merlin, he loathed Dumbledore and his constant ability to interfere despite being incarcerated. It didn't truly surprise him, of course, but he could have done without it. who knows whether he was guiding the Wizengamot into voting so that Sirius Black gained custody of Harry. He couldn't promise the boy everything was going to be alright, because even he wasn't sure of the outcome.
"Already done," Voldemort admitted smugly, before he begun to plate up his own breakfast, Harry doing so as well, more subdued than normal. He'd sent the letter off to his contacts within moments after reading the information available to him. This way might end up taking many more years…but considering his full out assault had failed…well, maybe it was best for a subtle approach.
"Severus has already set up his lab in the basements of the Daily Prophet," Corvus added absently, as they all ate, trying to keep their worries minimal. "He wasn't impressed with the space given or the fact he found it filled with print presses." He'd had to shrink down dozens upon dozens of them, then and only then could he begin getting his labs fully functional for students to use. Something that had been imparted to him while he got his potions through the Floo due to how busy he'd been he had forgotten to owl them yesterday. Normally he wouldn't explain himself, but Severus had felt it was inexcusable.
"Yes, the process went a lot smoother than even I anticipated," Voldemort agreed, it wasn't without it's difficulties, of course, but by the second day they were all working together towards a common goal like a well oiled machine. Each of the students who lived in the Muggle world – with no means that an underage child could use to get there – were given a Portkey for daily use to get back and forth from Diagon Alley (The Leaky Cauldron) and back home. A lot of them were capable of using the Floo Network and did not need Portkey's. Other older Muggle Born students were quite happy to get the bus. They addressed it by year, first through to seventh until each student had been equipped with means to get to school. All but five pureblood students remained with tutors instead of returning to a school setting.
"Have you made a decision on whether you wish to re-join the others at school?" Corvus queried, with it being only one level, and staying in one classroom for the duration of the day – minus potions – he would find it significantly easier than it had been at Hogwarts. He liked having Harry here, but Harry actually liked school, without Dumbledore there…he might light it more.
Harry shook his head mutely, "No point to making any plans is there?" he confessed, true enough, legally Sirius Black might have custody of him in a few hours. Who knows what exactly Dumbledore has over people…and whether Corvus' convictions could override those decisions. He would still be Lord of the Black Estate though, and wasn't that a mindboggling concept? In all ways, especially financially he had a say in Sirius' life…unless he disowned himself, but Sirius Black would still have custody of him as his godfather. Harry wasn't sure how that worked, but he was determined that if Black got custody of him that he'd fight for emancipation, he was smart, he knew the laws and regulations of the magical world now…he had a chance to fight it whereas he had not in the past.
"Oh, please, if you think Corvus will easily allow your removal then I have overestimated your intelligence," Voldemort sneered, giving Harry a pointed look, "Trust me, Corvus probably has plan after plan in place to ensure a favourable outcome." For them, they weren't about to lose the boy to the light side, who knows what damage Black could do given time.
Harry broke into a reluctant smile, "I hope so," genuinely amused despite himself. Although, he didn't like his intelligence being questioned, the Dursley's had done that enough to last a lifetime. His worries and fears didn't equate to being unintelligent. It wasn't his fault Voldemort was a psychopath with limited feelings. At least he had them though, as muted as they were.
He wasn't unaware of the danger Voldemort could pose, but he was very intelligent, and despite himself he couldn't help but like him. He was blunt, honest and okay…a little scary, but he was safer than anyone else…with the Vow binding them together, and the fact he was a horcrux. That he had a piece of Voldemort in him.
Harry was quite frankly the most protected person in Britain.
Not that he was aware of that, of course.
The rest of breakfast was eaten in a more relaxed silence, Harry taking Voldemort at his word. Which pleased Corvus immensely, it was perhaps exactly what Harry needed to hear. It was true enough, Corvus was going to do everything he could in order to ensure Sirius Black did not gain custody of Harry. He refused to allow Dumbledore's plans to come to fruition. Then again, by the time the Dark Lord was through, Dumbledore was going to be entirely cut off from the population.
Like he should have been from the beginning of his sentence.
"Do you wish to come to the trial and watch?" Corvus asked, it would probably save Harry a world of waiting and fear. He would be in disguise of course, he didn't want to let the public know that he was out and about, it would question whether he should or shouldn't be in school. He didn't want the press stalking him trying to get a story.
Harry vehemently shook his head after a few moments of reflection, no, the thought of being shoved and jolted by people in the Ministry was horrifying. People maybe wouldn't mean anything by it, but it would hurt him severely to have someone elbowing him to get to where they want to be, or his arms, or head, since he was so short. Even in the gallery people budging him to get by, stepping on his feet, no, he didn't want to spent the entire time miserable.
Although staying wasn't any more desirable, he felt his stomach churn a little at the thought of spending all day worrying about the outcome of the trial. Just waiting for it to be over to find out what was going on. He had plenty of books that would hold his attention, as intermitted as it would be.
"Very well," Corvus agreed, it was entirely Harry's prerogative on whether he wished to attend or not. Truthfully, he preferred it that way, but he would never try and restrict Harry's life. He'd had enough of that at the Dursley's with Dumbledore playing in the wings. He would have been safe, surrounded by himself, the Dark Lord and Lucius even. Admittedly they wouldn't have been in the same part of the court room, but they would have all been able to see him. Kept an eye out and ensured he was safe and experienced what a court setting was like. He'd one day experience it, that would have to do. He couldn't deny he was surprised by the boys answer, you'd think he'd want to see and hear what was going down, but once more, Harry surprised him. "Do not be worried if we're gone a long time, there is a lot to cover in this trial, and I wouldn't be surprised if it takes longer than a single day."
Voldemort sneered, "It had better not," he had things that demanded his attention far greater than sitting amidst Black's trial with them all believing he'd take the pathetic wizard into his ranks. To think Sirius and Regulus were Orion's sons, Orion had been powerful, smart, educated, poised, something Sirius definitely wasn't but Regulus? Regulus had been like his father…minus the power.
Then again, everyone – except for Dumbledore and Harry – were mediocre and pathetic when comparing magical powers.
Corvus' lips twitched at Tom's annoyance, if he truly didn't want to attend, he wouldn't. His protests were just for show, Tom seemed to forget that Corvus knew him well. "Well, I haven't been late for a trial, I shan't start now. I'll be back as soon as I can." He informed Harry, "Be careful and remember to take your potions at their appointed time and eat."
Harry nodded, "I will," he promised, and when he made that promise he truly tried to keep it.
"Good," Corvus said pleased, brushing his hand absently over Harry's hair, a grounding touch that didn't hurt. He had been unconsciously doing it more lately, and never seemed to catch on until after he'd finished. Harry didn't seem to mind, in fact he relished it.
Regretfully, that was it, they both had to leave immediately, lest they risk being late.
"Now before we begin, what preliminary legal arguments need to be solved?" came the chief Warlock's voice, as he stared around the group of people, the trial would start soon enough, until then they had preliminary parts to deal with.
"My client did not receive a trial, this is an utter farce, he should have been free to leave a free man when it became clear he wasn't and had never been convinced in court." Bill Clearwater argued, lips pursed his nostrils flaring, as he stared every single Wizengamot member down, furious that they were going through with this.
"Save that zealotry until your client is here to see you defend him," Lucius sneered, staring down at Bill Clearwater with a grimace. Making it clear he knew he only put on a front of his clients, the truth probably was he just didn't care…except for the money.
Bill threw a droll look at Lucius, taking nothing to heart, "You know I'm right, especially considering the only come back was as weak as that!" waving in Lucius' direction, "He did not receive a trial…"
"Then let's give him one, shall we?" Chief Warlock Ogden declared strongly, arguing about this now was just a waste of all their times. Time they did not have, for this trial was going to be a long and arduous one with Bill audacious bringing up Black's lack of trial constantly.
Bill's lips disappeared yet again, but conceded his defeat graciously with a nod.
"Is that all?" Ogden questioned, glancing at everyone, at the silence he cleared his throat, "Then let's get this trial underway, I will let the public in momentarily, and a further five minutes, Sirius Black and then we shall begin." Everyone knew how it was done, but he did this every time, habit followed by protocol.
Within three minutes the doors were opened, the wizengamot situated, and the press, public and anyone with an interest in the entered. Other workers silently getting themselves prepared for the work head, the scribe especially.
"Bring in the prisoner," Cornelius Fudge called out, blatantly ignoring the look of dissatisfaction and annoyance on Bill Clearwater's face at the pronouncement. No matter there were other times to correct what he had just said.
The two burly Aurors did indeed exist the court room, in a bid to bring Sirius Black before the wizengamot. It took them much longer to return, and it was quickly understood, as Sirius Black practically wobbled into the room, his gait unsteady and if not for the two Aurors…Sirius Black would have already been plastered to the floor.
With unusual gentleness – especially for Aurors – they led him towards the seat, and used their strength to ease him into his seat. The chains wrapped around the chair rattled ominously but inevitably stilled, they were not needed this day.
Sirius was already looking desperately at the crowd gathered, whether looking for pity or mercy nobody was sure. Truthfully, Sirius was desperately looking for a familiar face, one that wasn't his lawyer. Yet nobody, not one familiar face in the crowd, not even Dumbledore much to his confusion. Wasn't Dumbledore part of the wizengamot? He certainly had been before he was incarcerated…maybe something had happened? yanked out of his thoughts by the loud clearing of throats. "What?" he rasped out croakily.
"You are Sirius Orion Black are you not?" Bill Clearwater asked, giving his client a concerned look.
"Yes," Sirius murmured, wide eyed, wincing at the feel of the strain on his throat. Had he really been thinking throughout the entire introduction? The entire introduction? It made his stomach queasy just how much time he could lose by just spacing out entirely.
"Formally of 13 Hogsmeade Alley, Scotland?" Bill continued undeterred by his inability to get Sirius to focus.
"Yes," Sirius murmured, Alphard had given him enough money in his will to enable him to get a flat. Up until that point he'd stayed with the Potters and of course, James. Potter Manor had been a godsend for him after he'd ran away from the mental abuse he suffered at the Black's.
"Can you tell us in your own words what happened that faithful night, October 31st ten years ago?" it wasn't a year anyone would forget in a hurry.
Sirius licked his dry lips, not that it helped, his tongue was just as dry. His eyes closed as the horror of that day played across his face, as it always did.
They were all unaware of the predator in their midst, someone that had been there that night…who had been defeated that night. Who was watching the entire thing with nonchalance, clearly unbothered by the conversation topic.
"I um, went out, allowed myself to be seen in Hogshead pub," Sirius said, way too subdued, eyes glazed over. "I was playing decoy, to keep my best friends safe, I wasn't the Secret Keeper." He told them, eyes dull, no sign of confidence or self-righteousness to be seen.
The explosion that surmounted to was louder than ten blasting charms simultaneously. The wizengamot as always remained poised and listening, but the gallery…was shocked and horrified by what they were hearing. Worried that they had kept an innocent man incarcerated in Azkaban for a decade.
Was it true?
Could it be true?
It was impossible!
The Potters wouldn't have trusted anyone else!
He was Harry Potter's godfather!
He's guilty!
He's YOU-KNOW-WHO'S MOST FAITHFUL!
You're guilty!
Disgusting!
Liar!
"Silence!" Ogden roared, somehow miraculously being heard over the chatter of dozens upon dozens of people. It wasn't an abrupt silence, but they did eventually begin lowering the volume before quieting down to a murmurer as if expecting that Ogden wouldn't be able to hear them. "You will be silent or you will be escorted from the room and barred." He stated firmly.
Now that caused utter silence to descend upon the room, only the creaking of wood as they situated themselves firmly on the benches once more.
"Please continue," Bill urged the wizard to do so.
"I normally visit Peter on that day, when I did I realized something was wrong immediately. The flat had been ransacked. I couldn't find Peter anywhere, I got a really bad feeling." Sirius confessed, a lone tear running down his face. The Dementors had sucked every emotion from him, otherwise he would have been a wreck. Sobbing and unable to say a coherent word kind of wreck. "That bad feeling led me to realize I knew where my best friends were, where Harry was, when I shouldn't. I shouldn't have been able to think of Godric's Hollow let alone the words. I got in my motorbike and I sped as fast as possible to get there. I knew I was too late the second I saw it, all blown up…then I saw them…" choking out the words, before his throat ceased, unable to say a damn thing more.
The shaking of heads, clearly they weren't believing a damn thing that was coming out of Sirius' mouth. "Would you consent to the use of Veritaserum to prove your claims, Mr. Black?" Clearwater questioned, a smug and superior look gracing his features, as he stared around at the stubborn creatures that make up the wizarding population.
Everyone perked up at that, so sure that they were about to be proven correct. That Sirius Black was guilty as his dark cold soul, there was no way he would agree to the potion…not for it to just prove his guilt.
"I give my consent," Sirius agreed, and the jaws dropped, incredulity and disbelief clearly visible in their startled faces.
"Potion Master Leonard Gallagher will administer the potion," was called out, and written down by the scribe, the aforementioned Potions Master stepped forward, and when Sirius willingly opened his mouth, he placed three drops in his tongue. Pressing his fingers against his pulse, peering into his eyes to ensure that there were no negative effects the potions were having on the wizard before him. once he was sure the potion was working as described, he nodded at the chief warlock and the Minister before stepping back. Remaining to ensure all went well, and administer the antidote when requested.
"What is your name?" the customary question to ask when one was administered the Veritaserum.
"Sirius Orion Black," he answered.
"Were you the secret Keeper that the Potters' employed to keep them safe?"
"No," Sirius revealed.
Utter silence descended.
"You did not betray James, Lily and Harry Potter?"
"No," an echo of his previous answer.
"Did you kill thirteen Muggles?" Bill asked, not that the magical world actually cared about Muggles all that much. Truthfully, if Black had been found out, he'd have been lucky to end up sentenced to three or four years for that alone. To most of the magical society…Muggles were irritating pests, lesser beings.
"No," Sirius answered once more.
"Oh COME ON! IT'S DEFECTIVE! IT MUST BE!"
"THERE WAS NOBODY THERE!"
"OH MY GOD HE'S ACTUALLY INNOCENT!"
"SICK!"
"WHY WASN'T THIS REVEALED DURING HIS TRIAL?!"
"SILENCE!" Ogden roared once more, his throat beginning to prickle with soreness. "One more time and you'll all be asked to leave," he wasn't about to put up with any more nonsense from any of them, this was a trial, court proceedings, not some drama laden thing in a pensive or worse something in the street that high society was watching in amusement.
"If you did not kill the thirteen Muggles who did?" Clearwater threw a look that suggested 'I win' despite the fact he wasn't actually in court fighting against another lawyer to get his client off, he was though, essentially fighting the entire wizengamot for Black's freedom.
"Peter Pettigrew," Sirius confessed.
"He's a hero!"
"He tried to stop you!"
They all refused to believe someone they had venerated for years was responsible for the Potters' deaths. He had even received an Order of Merlin, that had been given to his poor mother, who had lost her only son, the only family she had. The only part of the boy they'd found – and he was just a boy a mere twenty-one years old when he died – was his finger. There hadn't been any sightings of him or anything, there was just no way he could keep himself hidden so long.
"Who was the Potter's Secret Keeper?" Clearwater continued, undeterred by the outcry's, but Ogden looked ready to ship everyone out of the courtroom for good. The veins were pulsing at the side of his head, a show of just how pissed he was with his edicts being ignored.
"Peter Pettigrew," Sirius informed them, it was supposed to be him, but he'd decided to play decoy, keep his friends, his family safe. They'd been his family, his chosen one, but still family nonetheless.
"What happened the night you entered Godric's Hollow?" Clearwater continued.
Sirius closed his eyes and answered, "I found my best friends dead, my godson somehow alive with the remains of Voldemort naught but ash on the floor. I was enraged, I wanted revenge, I was determined to hunt down Pettigrew and kill him for what he did. I handed my godson to Hagrid, who was insisting on taking Harry to Dumbledore. I left, went to hunt down Pettigrew and got played." Pettigrew will have just been waiting for him to appear, like a predicable idiot.
"I have no further questions," Clearwater stated, sitting himself comfortably and smugly in the knowledge that his case was going to be an easy one.
"Mr. Black, why were you found laughing manically at the scene of the crime?" Madam Bones stood, beginning her own questions, or rather the ones on her albeit short list.
"Peter got the better of me," Sirius answered without giving specifics, as the potion does. He couldn't believe Peter, shy, unassuming, pathetic little Pettigrew had managed to get one over him. He still didn't understand why he'd joined Voldemort, why he'd given up a decade of friendship for that piece of shit.
"Did you inform anyone of what happened?" Madam Bones then asked, the horror of the situation sinking into her. They'd let an innocent man rot away in Azkaban prison for a decade. It wasn't even a case of wrongful conviction either, he'd been illegally incarcerated.
"No," he confessed, he'd been in shock, the loss of his friends, the betrayal of another and then seeing him killing thirteen muggles as if it were nothing. He'd been working on autopilot when the Aurors caught up with him. He'd spent time down in the cells in the Ministry before being transferred to Azkaban. Nobody else had turned up, nobody came to him to talk about a trial…just left him there to rot.
"I have no further questions," Madam Bones declared, refusing to ask the questions put forth by the wizengamot before the trial. He'd been asked enough questions without those being asked too.
Corvus' nostrils flared and his mouth flattened in an unpleasant line. Oh, well, he would just need to ensure he spoke up when the time was right. He wasn't about to let anyone get their hands on Harry, let alone Sirius Black.
The antidote for the Veritaserum was administered by the Potions Master. Everyone else was absolutely silent, entirely subdued by what they'd just learned. Part of them just wanted to believe that the Veritaserum was faulty, that Black was guilty. It would make things much easier on them, but a larger part still…if he was innocent he didn't deserve what had happened…and most certainly wouldn't deserve to be sent back to prison. They all knew they wouldn't be able to sleep well if they did.
"Sirius Orion Black, you're free to go," Amelia Bones told him, sympathy gleaming in her depths. She knew without a doubt the lawyer would push Sirius to sue for wrongful imprisonment. To be fair, she wouldn't blame him, a decade was a long time to spend imprisoned.
"Free he may be, but he cannot get the decade of his life that he's lost back. I demand compensation on behalf of my client." Clearwater stated, and he wouldn't get a single sickle of it. He was doing this pro-bono for Dumbledore, one of the last things he'd ever have to do for the old fool. He can just imagine how much the Ministry would have to give him…and to think if he had taken on the case normally, he would have had a percentage of it.
"Clear the gallery!" Cornelius shouted, the trial was over now, and this would not be discussed in public. No, this sort of discussion was for the wizengamot, himself and Madam Bones alone.
"Where's my godson?" Sirius asked immediately, his jaw clenching ten years he'd missed of his godsons life. He was deeply hurt not to see Remus here…but what if something had happened to him? had he been killed? Found out and killed? Or had he passed during the inevitable clean-up of the Death Eaters? Considering Lucius Malfoy was sitting across from him he seriously doubted that everyone had been arrested. The disgusting slippery fucker must have managed to get off scots free.
Everyone paused, and it took the Aurors barking at them to move and a single spell before they were finally propelled out of the court room and the doors slammed shut behind the Wizengamot still within the room along with the Minister, Clearwater, and Madam Bones. Even the potions Master had left with the rest of the people that had been in the gallery.
"Now you're concerned?" Corvus asked with deceptive mildness, eyes gleaming with disgust. "Where was this concern when you left him in the hands of Hagrid? A wizard not even legally allowed to use magic… and has no magical training beyond what? His fourth year? If there had been an attack there would have been nothing anyone could have done to save the boy." mentally apologising to Harry for calling him as such.
Sirius blanched, swallowing thickly, "He's alive…right?" he croaked out, eyes wide, he hadn't even considered the possibility of his godson being dead.
Sirius wasn't the only other one to blanch either, everyone else did too. Apparently they hadn't thought of the immense danger Harry could have been in with only Hagrid to protect him. If they had decided on a mass attack, they would have died, absolutely zero doubt.
"He's alive, yes," Amelia comforted the distraught wizard, although that was probably all she knew when it came to the mystery that was Harry Potter.
"I think perhaps we should focus on one thing at a time, compensation," the lawyer put in, annoyed by the sheer side-tracking that was going on.
"Money isn't more important than my godson!" Sirius protested.
Bill to close his eyes in exasperation. Honestly, did the wizard not think at all? He had no money, what he did have was ceased by the Ministry a decade ago. His flat had been burnt down to a crisp, unless he took on the Lordship of the Black Estate he had nothing. No means to live, no roof over his head…he needed that money…he wouldn't gain custody of his godson until he had these things. He'd informed the idiot of this, but he seemed to have a one track mind. It wasn't fair he knew, his mind was still all over the place…he honestly dreaded to think what it would have been like if the dementors had been there full time.
"Hasn't someone informed Mr. Black of the state of his affairs?" Lucius sneered, eyeing Black with immolation.
Clearwater coughed, "No, I'm afraid I didn't get a chance," Sirius had spent too much time unconscious and when he had managed to talk to him, he was only able to reveal the important bits before the Aurors informed him that the wizengamot requested his presence.
"State of his affairs?" Sirius mouthed, brow furrowed, what the hell did he mean by that where they just purposely trying to distract him from his godson? "What are you on about, Malfoy?" his distaste for the wizard clear.
Lucius didn't get offended, if anything a slow lazy smirk crawled across his face. Eyes gleaming with feral amusement, speaking of a secret only he knew out of the two of them. oh, if only Black knew who his 'precious' godson associated with…would he abandon him as he had his real family? Decry Harry as dead to him and refuse to be his godfather? He didn't much care for the Potter's or Black…but after everything the young Potter had been through, he didn't deserve to be abandoned again. Although, from the rumours he'd heard, he wasn't sure Mr. Potter could consider it abandonment, if anything he'd be grateful for it.
Sirius stared at Lucius puzzled by his reaction, normally he'd get extremely offended and snap back. What he failed to realize was that Lucius had grown in the last decade, and they were in official capacity, he wasn't going to risk it all by being an idiot with Black of all people.
The lawyer stepped closer to Sirius, hiding him from view, blessedly giving him privacy to digest what he knew would be the latest blow. "When you were arrested, your money was taken despite the fact you had not received a trial. A few weeks after your incarceration, your flat was destroyed, the other flats were destroyed in the blaze also." Leaving three families homeless just because they'd had the unfortunate happenstance of living next door to Sirius Black.
Sirius' face spasmed in horror, a shudder wracking his body as devastation coursed through him. swallowing bitterly, "W-w-was anything saved?" he asked, already knowing the answer, Merlin, this was killing him, what had they done? What had they done?
A grim shake of the head, no, was the only answer he got.
Clenching his shaky fists, the sick feeling almost made the hot chocolate they'd given him be spewed up on his lawyers shoes. Merlin, help him, all his stuff…personal items he'd gotten from James, Lily and Remus…irreplaceable and so very, very precious. Pictures…the lot, he was well and truly homeless, no money, no home, no belongings, he slouched in defeat against the chair, unable to keep his own weight up. They'd won, they'd finally, finally destroyed him, the fact Dumbledore and Remus weren't there just added to it all.
Did they seriously still think he was guilty?
"Mr. Black? Shall I continue?" on your behalf went unsaid but heard nonetheless.
Sirius with the lump stuck in his throat, nodded weakly, curling into himself, desiring nothing more than to curl up in his animagus form and blot out the world. The emotions were becoming too much, he wanted to lash out as much as he wanted to curl up away from society. He did neither, he just slumped his weight more fully on the chair defeat and despair tearing through him in equal measures. What had he done to deserve everything that had happened? He had nothing, no wand, only the clothes on his dirty dirt caked back. He hadn't foreseen this, he thought at least he'd have his flat, his old clothes…which might be a bit too big on him.
Merlin what on earth did he have to offer Harry now? He was destitute, completely Knut-less with no chance of replacing what stability he'd gained the past decade.
"I demand an immediate agreement of restitution rewarded to Sirius Black for his wrongful imprisonment." Clearwater stated firmly, leaning against his desk, staring the Wizengamot down, making it clear he wasn't about to be intimidated or faffed off by the lot of them. "If an agreement is signed today, Mr. Black will agree not to discuss the amount or the fact he was wrongfully imprisoned and whether or not he blames the Ministry, no interviews." It would ensure that people forgot quicker, they already knew yes, but it still surprised him how quickly the public could bury his head in the sand. He was working on his own here, since they hadn't discussed such a thing, but it would ensure the Ministry would agree post haste.
"These sort of things usually take months," Lucius arched a brow, pointing out the obvious to the idiotic wizard. Immediate restitution? Considering everything they were doing to try and correct what Dumbledore had done? They didn't have the time or the money to give out the likes that Black would get for compensation.
"We're offering a onetime deal, that will see the Ministry not come under fire for what happened." Clearwater, doing as he always did, threatening who he had to in order to get the best outcome for his client. Sirius would need that money, he would need that to start over.
"And I want to see my godson," Sirius rasped out, he absolutely refused to let that be shoved aside.
"And custody of Harry James Potter," Clearwater called out, he knew they'd adhere, they were now just on damage control now.
Sirius glanced at Clearwater perplexed, he hadn't said custody. He really just wanted to see Harry, and if he wanted to live with him once he got himself into a better situation then he'd take it. Harry didn't know who he was, he'd been living with someone else, a different family for the past decade no doubt. He was selfish though, and didn't say anything to correct Bill Clearwater's words. James would want Harry to live with him. End of story.
He'd already lost out on ten years of Harry's life.
"Compensation, I think, we can all agree that can be accommodated this evening, but custody is a different department, and not up to us." Madam Bones said smoothly, giving Clearwater a gimlet glare behind her monocle.
"He wasn't legally or officially sentenced, which means he remains to this day, Harry Potter's magical guardian and officially his next of kin." Clearwater stated triumphantly. They had no leg to stand on, Harry Potter legally belonged to Sirius Black, to keep him from his godfather…they were ALL breaking the law.
Corvus closed his eyes, swallowing thickly, yes, he'd just hit the nail on the head, and his biggest worry.
Andi this is for you :) so will they give Sirius his compensation and send him on his way and set another date for Sirius to get custody of Harry and have him appear on that date? Sirius and Harry deciding on whether he 'wanted' to live with him or not or will they shut that down there that night? and have him go to St. Mungo's to be fully checked - perhaps having it so that the Ministry has the power to send people for help against their will like they used to and the dates they run by its' entirely possible! giving/buying Harry, Corvus and the others more time? with Harry deciding to visit him and slowly open up his eyes to what could have been done for him? I'm still on the fence whether to have a decent Sirius or not...what about Remus...will I have the pair NOT make up for once? R&R please
