Disclaimer: See chapter 1 (Spoiler, I own nothing in this story)
"I swear Giles, I will never understand why trouble follows me like a lost puppy dog. It's my curse, I guess." Xander complained in the secure conference room they had gotten for the day from the goblins, for a fee.
The Black Property Registry lay on the table, unopened since the morning. The current topic of discussion between the two was the attack in the alley, the possible repercussions, and how it affected their plans. Xander had planned on remaining discreet until he had gotten the lay of the land, but that plan went astray quite quickly. And rather violently at that. What was worse he couldn't blame this one on the Hellmouth either.
"That might be something to look into, you might actually be cursed, but there is nothing to do about it at the moment. We need to focus on how to deal with the police and their questions. You can't hide in the bank forever." Giles reasoned. He was fairly certain Xander could pay the goblins to keep him here, but that was not a feasible solution. "What do you plan on doing with the reporter? She will be here in five minutes."
"I don't know. We could use someone to deal with the press, but I don't know if we can trust her. In fact, I know I can't trust her. All she cares about is her popularity and fame. First chance she gets she will stab us in the back." Xander sighed.
He needed help, but in this strange magical world he didn't know who to get it from. Sunnydale was easier. Kill the vampires, save the world. Politics was fuzzy and muddled and complex and he didn't want to deal with it, but that option wasn't available to him. Especially once his existence became public knowledge. Xander suspected everyone would want a piece of him once his name became known.
"Don't trust her to keep your secrets, trust her to be greedy, and use that to keep her in line. If you make it significantly more appealing to be loyal to you, in her terms, then you can trust that she will go where is it most advantageous. Treat her as you would a neutral, but hostile, demon in Sunnydale." Xander pondered his mentor's advice, then nodded in agreement.
"I think I can handle that. She wants fame and fortune, it shouldn't be too hard to tempt her with that. Do you want to be my spokesman again when meeting her?" Xander asked.
"I think I will leave you to speak for yourself. Tomorrow you will be on your own, you will need to stand on your own two feet. I'll assist if needed, but otherwise I will continue to peruse your family holdings," Giles responded gently. He truly did wish to aid Xander in his journey, but Xander was going where he could not follow, a different path and a different destiny than his own.
"Suit yourself. You can stick with your musty old books while we have a party over here. Your loss." The teasing tone put Giles at ease; if Xander could joke than he was his normal self.
"Mr. Axehandle, please let the lady through when she gets here," Xander asked the goblin servant, maybe a servant, more like an assistant since goblins didn't seem like the type to have servants. Slaves, definitely, but not servants. The goblin nodded without saying a word, in fact that goblin hadn't spoken at all, and left the room. He/She/It (Xander couldn't tell) returned a few seconds later in front of the reporter.
"Well, I seem to have forgotten to ask your name at our previous meeting. Who might you be?" Xander inquired, determined to set the pace of the discussion and negotiations. He took a moment to take note of her chipped nails (something he knew from his friends a woman would never stand for if she could help it) and hastily brushed hair that still had a few bumps in it. She was down on her luck, he could tell.
"Rita Skeeter, Queen of the Quills, writer for the Daily Prophet. Well, former writer, I am on an involuntary sabbatical for the year. What I really want to know is what your plans are now that you are the head of House Black. Why did you kill all those wizards in the Alley today? Do you have an agenda or statement you want to make? Will you take control of your House seat? Will you help bring your uncle to justice, or work on getting him a pardon as so many others have gotten? The public wants to know." At some point during her speech, Rita had withdrawn an acid green quill over a foot long and placed it on a piece of parchment. It started to write on its own as Rita looked on expectantly.
Sighing, Xander extended his wand and used the Force to summon the quill and parchment to his hand. To Rita, it appeared to be a simple nonverbal summoning charm, but Xander crumpling the paper and dropping the quill on the table made it clear that he would not be interviewed today. He continued without acknowledging that she had even asked a question.
"Miss Skeeter, why do you not write for the Daily Prophet? Is your skill unsatisfactory?" Xander knew that that was not true. He had asked Bronzebone about it when he first got to the bank, and found out that she was a decent writer who embellished the facts to sell more, and that she suddenly stopped all written work at the beginning of summer. The reasons remained unclear to the public as to why, but from what Miss Skeeter hinted earlier, it was not voluntary.
"You are not the only one who found out my secret form. A silly schoolgirl with grandiose plans for marrying into money blackmailed me into not writing, which I have to do or face consequences. And I am a skilled writer, capable of ferreting out the truth behind any story." She appeared to want to start asking questions again, but Xander had continued to crumple and re-crumple her parchment in his hand, giving a visual and auditory reminder that he had taken the quill and parchment from her a few moments earlier. She didn't look happy at it, but said nothing.
"I need a press secretary." At Rita's blank stare, Xander explained, "I need someone who knows the press in England, knows the players and reporters, who can use that knowledge to help me give official statements to the press and make sure that my public image is spotless."
The concept of a press secretary appeared to intrigue Rita, she seemed deep in thought, which is when Xander offered his first carrot.
"Salary will be 1000 galleons a month, plus a bonus each year for excellent work." That should entice her, and her widening eyes told Xander that it did. Now time for the stick.
"But should you accept and use your position to sabotage or besmirch my name or the name of my family, I will make sure that you will suffer as few have. You will not lie to me or try to mislead me, or no amount of time with a healer will return your ability to speak. You will have unprecedented access to the Black family, and a generous salary, should you choose to be loyal to the Blacks. At any point, should you choose to quit, I will accept it and not seek retribution for you wanting to work elsewhere." Xander extended his Force sensitivity around the reporter and tried to catch as much information as possible from her. Thankfully she only seemed interested in the opportunity this job offer presented, not in taking advantage of Xander. It didn't take long, and they negotiated on details, but she accepted the offer in the end.
"As my new employer, I will need you to resolve the issue with the Granger girl, she is the one blackmailing me. Currently, she is attending Hogwarts."
Xander nodded wisely, or his attempt at nodding wisely. "Ahh, Hogwarts, I had planned on visiting there while touring the country, I will make sure to arrange a meeting with her to discuss your new occupation and her non-interference in your chosen profession. Do you have any other issues that need to be addressed?"
"No, I think we have covered every important part. I would like to get that interview with Sirius Black, though. I assume he is part of the access we discussed." Rita said hopefully. Xander thought she was being too nice, too accommodating to him, something that didn't seem in line with her nature, but that was probably due to him paying her and getting rid of her blackmailer. He expected that she would start plotting after a few weeks.
"Since he is not technically a Black, he is not part of your access to Black information," Xander almost smiled at her crestfallen expression. "However, since you are my press secretary, you will be sitting in on my meeting with him, and in reviewing the documentation the ministry will be bringing me concerning his alleged incarceration without a trial. If he answers your questions, so be it."
Rita smile at being included in the meeting turned to shock when she heard Sirius didn't have a trial, which quickly became a sly smirk at the possible headlines that she could create from that information.
"I covered most of the trials they had after the first war, mainly death eaters who bribed or threatened their way out of Azkaban. I had wondered why the press didn't get invited to view the Black trial when your insane cousin Bellatrix had one. That was a terrifying trial, her screaming the entire time. They could cast a silencing curse on her, it was dreadful. But Black's trial was never advertised; just that he was sentenced to Azkaban." Her gleeful gleam caused Xander to take pause and reassess how to approach the situation.
Xander frowned in thoughtful contemplation. "We will see what the ministry provides, Sirius states that he never received a trial, the ministry needs to prove otherwise. Personally, I would like him to get a public trial, even if he had one before. Blame it on my American upbringing, the fact that the press was not invited to the alleged first trial disturbs me. If you find any inconsistency or grounds for demanding a new trial, please speak up." Her silent nod signaled her acceptance and her facial expression signaled her determination to find any loophole to get a new trial, if for no other reason than to get the inside scoop. It would take some time to break her of her reporter tendencies.
Looking at the clock, Xander realized the two had talked for almost 30 minutes. He would be late to his meeting with Sirius and the 'esteemed' Albert Runcorn. Sadly, he would need to keep Giles's advice and not choke the life out of the weasel of a bureaucrat, and wait until he had political allies. The more Xander thought about it, the more the thought of Albert grated on him. The Force was telling him something, but he couldn't quite decipher it. He would ask Revan and his mother tonight.
"Well, my newest employee, shall we go see what the formerly imprisoned Black has to say for himself?" The strange look Rita gave him reminded him that she wasn't used to his humor. He would have to be more careful in the future and keep up the Cordelia Mask that covered his sense of humor. It would not be fun keeping it up for long periods of time.
Rita took his offered arm and the two marched towards the room their goblin escort indicated, Giles in tow. It was past the two hour limit, so Xander hoped Mr. Runcorn couldn't find the documents. Walking in the room, though, told him it was going to be a long meeting. His new press secretary's vicious giggle confirmed it.
In the room there was a table. Next to the table there were four chairs. On two of the chairs there were two men. In the hands of the two men there were two wands. At the throats of each of the two men there were eight goblin crafted weapons ready to sever their carotid arteries. In between the two men were three folders containing papers.
"Am I going to have to squirt you with water like a bad puppy, dear uncle?" Sirius's almost fearful look merited more investigation, perhaps a personal conversation without any prying ears. Xander pushed a bit of the Force into his voice. "Put your wand away or this meeting is over. I will leave you to the goblins and the ministry."
It took, Xander later discovered, 1.8 seconds for Sirius to sheath his wand, but it seemed like an eternity. The moment it was gone, all six goblins that had surrounded him stepped away, but did not lower their weapons. At least he won't shave himself by swallowing. The Ministry official would be trickier since he had less influence or authority over him.
"Mr. Runcorn, I see that you have delivered what I asked for," Xander indicated towards the papers. "If you would feel more comfortable waiting away from my uncle, I am sure the goblins will allow you another room to wait, likely for a fee to be paid by the ministry." He couldn't be sure, but he thought he detected a few smirks on the guard's faces at his mention of a fee.
"Otherwise, I will politely request that you put away your wand, unless you think the goblins are being lax in their security measures?" He would pay, literally, for using the goblins in that manner, but by equating not lowering his wand with the idea of insulting the goblins in such a massive manner, Albert was forced to put away his wand. He was on official business for the Ministry, and the Ministry could not afford conflicts with the goblins. The guards surrounding him withdrew several paces.
"Excellent. Allow me to introduce my Press Secretary, Rita Skeeter. She will be sitting in on this meeting and the private meeting with Sirius later, in her official capacity." Xander ignored the confused and worried looks he and Rita received at his declaration, instead taking a seat at the table. Rita followed suit, taking one of the files and thumbing through it.
To Xander's inexperienced eye, the three folders was much too thin, a trial for life in prison should have been more. It looked like it was only 4 pieces of paper each. He wasn't yet certain if Wizards used magical paper or anything of that nature, he hoped they did.
Taking charge of the meeting, Xander ignored the previous hostilities the two other men showed and spoke to Sirius first. "I do hope your stay with the goblins was pleasant, I have found them most hospitable hosts. As a former member of the House Black, I will let you have first say in this meeting. Is there anything specific you would like to say before I start to read the documentation of your trial?"
"I didn't have a bloody trial. As a pureblood, I must be able to confront my accusers and provide a defense. I didn't get a chance to do either one. I could prove I am innocent with some veritaserum, but I was never offered any." Sirius was interrupted before he could go on.
"Your trial was in secret per the laws, you lost your rights when you got kicked out of your house…" Runcorn sneered.
"Silence." Xander's voice was barely a whisper, but the amount of authority and the Force he put into it made up for the volume. Both men found that they could not speak, nor did they have the inclination to try at the sheer presence The Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Black inadvertently exuded. Even Giles, sitting in a corner observing the exchange, sat up a bit straighter.
"You, Mister Runcorn, are here as a courtesy to the government. You will remain silent until spoken to, or you will leave. You will have your chance to speak later, for now it is my uncle's turn to say his piece." The only thing Albert could have done in response to such power was nod, which he did. Xander hoped the effect would last a while. He was finding it increasingly difficult to not gut the worm.
"Now Uncle, I can hire a lawyer to look into this, but is Mr. Runcorn right, did being kicked out of House Black get rid of that right? And are secret trials legal here in England?" Xander felt a little lost, well out of his element by having to deal with legal issues in addition to the politics stuff. He mentally made a note to hire a magical lawyer, and probably a non-magical one, here in England to help him get through everything.
"They are legal in times of war, which is what it was, but it would still need to be approved by the Chief Warlock at the time, and I refuse to believe that Dumbledore would sign off on it, not to me." The indignation in Sirius' voice was tangible, but the name Dumbledore reminded Xander of his previous conversation with Narcissa. It still weirded him out calling adults he respected by their first name, so it was understandable Sirius used the man's last name as well. Xander still called Giles, Giles.
"Why?" It was a simple question that put confused looks, once again, on the other two men. Even Giles looked curious at the question.
"Why what?" Sirius sputtered. Rita put the folder down, having finished glancing at the contents, and concentrated on the conversation fully. But Xander could sense a deep unease with what she had seen in the file. A sense of indignation she was barely keeping a handle on. He would have to ask her about it later.
"Why can you not conceive of Dumbledore approving a secret trial for you? Can you think of no circumstances in which he might do so?" It was a pointed question, but luckily Sirius thought about it before answering. His contemplation provided Xander a chance to pick up the folder Rita had put down. It looked like she had rearranged it, with the Secret Trial Authorization on top. The signature was illegible (not unexpected), but the name printed underneath ended with the name Dumbledore (seriously, who has 5 names and uses them all in their signature?). It looks like Sirius' trust was misplaced, and Narcissa scored one more point in her favor. Assuming this document was legitimate, the goblins would be able to confirm that.
The second paper was a list of witnesses, only three of them were called, and all for the prosecutor. Peter Pettigrew, Albus Dumbledore, and Samantha Artuona, all gave testimony that Sirius was something called a Secret Keeper, and was the only one capable of betraying the Potter Family. There were footnotes that indicated that both Peter and Samantha had been killed shortly after giving their testimony one hour after the death of the Potters. The transcripts of the witnesses' statement barely carried over to the third page, but each witness said the same thing, the Potter's confided in them that Sirius was the Secret Keeper.
The last page was the most interesting. Xander had never before seen a document that imprisoned a man without a trial, and it be legal. The American in him felt outraged, even if it was a time of war. The decade after the war should have seen an open trial, at least, but Xander reminded himself that this wasn't America, and it wasn't even England, but Magical Britain. The rules were different, the laws and customs were not his own. But he did notice an interesting and potential loophole he could use.
"What happened that night?" There was no need to clarify which night.
"I was never the Secret Keeper for the Potters, that was Peter. Lily and James spread the rumor around that I was so Voldemort would go after me instead of Peter. I was the red herring, but we didn't know that Peter was already working for the other side as a spy. I got a warning from James just before midnight that the Fidelius charm had fallen, and I rushed over to help defend, but I was too late. Voldemort was gone, Lily and James were dead, and Hagrid was carrying Harry away in his arms to meet with Dumbledore. I knew that Peter was the traitor, so I started tracking him down." The sorrow in his voice tugged at Xander's heart. He truly cared for his friends, and regretted their deaths.
"Regardless, the forms for your secret trial have been signed and filed by the Minster, so that portion was legal. However, your actual sentencing form is not complete. Bartimus Crouch Senior did not date his signature. This should be enough to get another trial, don't you agree, Mr. Runcorn?" Xander silently thanked having Rita in the meeting, the circled impression she made around the date with her fingernail gave him something to use in Sirius' favor. She also wrote a small scribbled note highlighting a few facts. "In fact these forms are also missing the signatures of approval by the chief judge of the council of magical law, also one Bartimus Crouch Senior, as well as the head of the Department of Magical Law enforcement." Xander looked down to read the small note attached to that point that Rita had hastily scribbled down. It made Xander frown.
"Now considering Bartimus Crouch Sr couldn't give his signature as the head of the… DMLE I think they shorten it to, while he was conducting his duties as the Chief Judge is understandable. It presents a conflict of interest and would show him clearly abusing his power to further a political end. Even if he was pursuing those ends in the name of justice. That alone should have stalled the proceedings until a new head of the DMLE could replace him. Why was this not done? Who took over the head of the DMLE after Bartimus Crouch Senior left the post?" Xander didn't know how Rita had written all that in a tiny note, but the effect was obvious. She would definitely be getting a bonus.
Runcorn didn't answer. In fact, he looked very uncomfortable with the questions Xander was directing his way. Xander immediately understood what was going on. Runcorn was hoping to take advantage of Xander's naivety and present to him what at first glance would seem a solid legal document. He did not expect Xander to give it more than a cursory look due to his lack of knowledge of their legal system. Of course, he couldn't have anticipated Xander's new trump card in these proceedings, one Rita Skeeter.
"Amelia Bones" Rita answered. "She took over as head of the DMLE about six months after the trial, and she remains in that post to this day. She's a strong and stern sort of woman but also fair minded. She is greatly respected."
"Why was her signature not added retroactively?" Xander inquired. He wasn't sure if that was possible, but it was worth asking.
Rita looked him in the eyes with a very interested expression of her own. "I don't know. This is highly irregular indeed. Even if the Chief Warlock and the Minister signed off on it. Bartimus Crouch Senior as the Chief Judge did not, nor did his replacement at the DMLE. This is enough for grounds for a retrial. More than enough."
Xander was satisfied with that answer as he turned his attention to Mr. Runcorn. He raised an eyebrow at the Ministry official who took the hint.
"Well . . . I . . . I'll have to check," Mr. Runcorn stalled. "But until it gets settled, Sirius needs to be taken into custody."
"No." The statement was quiet, but the emotion behind it could cut diamonds. "My uncle has been in jail for over a decade based on a secret trial with questionable legal backings. The Lord Black will not allow the ministry to sweep this away in another secret trial. Sirius will be under Black house arrest. He will not be able to leave Black property without forfeiting his magic, unless I give him permission. He will appear at his public trial when requested and required, with the appropriate lawyers present. Mr. Runcorn, you may now leave and make the arrangements with your ministry. I will inform the ministry of how you may contact Sirius. Thank you for your service, but I wish to consult with my family now. You may leave."
The dismissal was abrupt and slightly rude, but Xander didn't care much about the feelings of a corrupt politician. Someone had blabbed to the ministry, and someone had tried to kill him. He didn't know if it was the same person or group, but there was more going on.
In other words, it was a normal Tuesday.
"Oh, and Mr. Runcorn, please let the Aurors waiting outside know that I will be with them later concerning the dozen wizards I killed in self-defense while I was waiting for you. It might be a few days, though, as I am busy dealing with Sirius' impending retrial. Who knows what might happen if I have to wait too long again. Be sure to pass my message along exactly as I gave it to you."
The disgruntled face of Runcorn turned ashen white at mention of dead wizards and the implied threat. Evidently whoever his contacts were failed to inform him of the failed assassination attempt. By the curious and cautious expression on Sirius' face, the goblins didn't say anything to the fugitive either. The ministry official showed some self-preservation and left without saying a word, not willing to anger a wizard who allegedly slew numerous attackers.
"Is Cissy OK?" Sirius asked once the door closed. Sirius knew they were having lunch.
"Yeah, maybe a bit shook up, not that I could tell. She has a perfect poker face. Though I did leave her to the Aurors, so she might not like me right now." Xander answered with a shrug. "I am assuming you're staying at one of the two Black properties in London. I'll let you stay where you are now if you give your vow not to leave until your trial."
"I would accept, but there might be a problem. The property I am currently at is under a fidelius charm, and I'm not the secret keeper." The chagrined smile Sirius forced on his face started to give Xander a headache, which made him wonder if this is what Giles felt like during high school. A quick glance at the older man's smirk was all the confirmation he needed or would get.
"Let's ignore for now the fact that you gave control of Black property to a Non-Black, something the Black Family Rules prohibit. I am guessing Dumbledore has control?" A nodding head answered affirmative. "I need to meet with him today to get control back. He'll need to break the charm. Do you want to contact him or should I have the goblins do so?"
The fugitive suggested Xander visit Dumbledore at Hogwarts. Xander guessed, and Sirius confirmed, that part of it had to do with the old leader signing off on his incarceration without a trial, but another part was Sirius wanted to send a message to his godson in person, something that could not be intercepted by the Ministry. It seemed everything led to Hogwarts. He would be able to talk to Hermione Granger for Rita, Harry Potter for Sirius, Draco Malfoy for his cousin Narcissa, though she didn't ask for it, and Dumbledore for his property and to get a look at the Leader of the Light. Add to that his Force vision about a castle, and things looked very conveniently lined up in his path. He wasn't sure if he was the bowling ball, the bumpers, or the pins, but all lanes led to Hogwarts.
The worst part was Xander would have to take the journey alone. Giles had Watcher business he had to attend to, and as a non-magical he would have difficulty operating in Hogwarts. He left Sirius in the tender care of the goblins and Rita's questions, with strict instructions to answer all of her questions honestly and to not attempt an escape. Rita had earned that privilege for her work during the meeting. A quick private meeting with his mentor, his employee, and his uncle, and Xander was ready to head out. Paying the goblins for a portkey to the village outside Hogwarts and another one to his family house in London, Xander departed for the next leg of his journey, trusting the Force to guide him. And his sarcasm, couldn't forget that.
"What do you mean, he'll be with us when he gets the chance?"
Runcorn sweated under the intense scrutiny of the senior auror questioning him, and cursed The Black for forcing him to report to Shacklebolt.