Part 1
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Dim lights lined the black tile of an enormous circular chamber with a domed ceiling. The chamber was clean, almost unnaturally so, like something would suffocate any life that dared enter and blow it out the door. Chairs surrounded the chamber with dozens of ministry witches and wizards sitting in rows. Cornelius Fudge sat in a tall seat overlooking a wooden chair in the middle of the chamber.
The chair held a man whose head had been shaved. He looked up at the witches and wizards in ministry robes. Cornelius Fudge smacked a gabble down. "Corvus Jugson. You sit here charged with two counts of attempted murder, one count of harboring a convicted felon, and one count of conspiracy against the ministry of magic. How do you plead?"
Jugs on just stared at the prime minister for a few seconds. "Uh...what??" He looked around the room, then back at Fudge. "I got the first part, then you lost me."
Fudge sighed. "Your charged with murder, helping a major criminal, and treason."
Jugson spat. "What!? But I haven't even had a trial!"
Fudge facepalmed. "Th-this…" He facepalmed. "This is the trial."
"Oh. Well." Jugson's pupils darted away from the prime minister before looking back. "So what am I charged with again?" He smiled nervously.
Fudge shrugged. "Whatever. You can choose not to take this seriously. Your funeral I guess." He looked through a few papers before turning back to Jugson. "I'll ask again. If you don't answer I will assume you plead guilty. Now what do you plead for each of your crimes, guilty or not guilty?"
"I-ah." Jugson's eyes flashed fearfully by Umbridge then back to Fudge. "Not guilty?" Umbridge gave the shadow of a nod.
Fudge nodded. "Well then, we have a witness to your crimes. Mcgonnagall?"
Mcgonnagall stepped up beside Jugson's chair.. "This attempted to kill me along with a wizard by the name of Evan Turner. He's also following the orders of someone named Wormtail."
Jugson winced slightly and Fudge waved his hands as Mcgonnagall walked away. "Jugson. Your case doesn't look good." Several witches and wizards nodded. "If you wish to explain yourself or give evidence on your co-conspirators to lessen your sentence, now is the time."
Sweat formed on Jugson's face. "Well I." He gulped. "I do know where one of them is hiding out. Padfoot. He's at Grimwall place."
Fudge nodded as a floating quill wrote down the information. "Very well, what does he look like? And what about Wormtail, what does he look like?"
Jugson tried not to look at Umbridge. "They've both got black hair. Both have messy hair. Wormtail's young, maybe 25 or 30? Padfoot's also got messy hair. I think he was in the newspaper a few years back. What'd they say his name was...Sirius? Yeah Sirius."
A murmur broke out through the chamber. Fudge's eyes bulged for a few seconds before calling for order. As he regained his senses he leaned over his podium. "Corvus Jugson, if what you say is true, and Sirius Black is captured. You will be a free man. Until then, you shall be held on ministry grounds by Dolores Umbridge."
Jugson's eyes went wide. He glanced at Umbridge who gave the shadow of a nod.
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Part 2
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Darkness cloaked the sky between pinpricks of stars over a house that could've held the quidditch World Cup. Inside, Lucius Malfoy paced back and forth before his son, his shoes clanging against the shining obsidian floor. "I can't believe someone tried to poison you. That old duttering fool has lost what little touch he had left."
Draco Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "Uh, poison? I mean it was unacceptable, but I wouldn't call it poison."
"Your skin changed color. For all I knew you were going to die!" The old man kept pacing. "A week of making sure you weren't going to die! A week!" He stormed toward a mahogany door with the Slytherin symbol. "If the Dark Lord were still around he'd have punished the people responsible and put in a headmaster who knew what they were doing."
"I suppose I could put it on my to-do list." Voldemort smiled from behind a mahogany desk lined on top with marble.
Lucius looked up at him, his pale face turning even paler. "M-my lord…" He blinked a few times before pulling up his sleeve. The dark mark was still faded. "Wait a minute." He pulled out his wand. "Nice try imposter, but I won't be fooled that easily. Now tell me who you really are before I kill you." He smirked.
Voldemort flicked a finger, disarming Lucius. Then he proceeded to hover in the air. "I seriously doubt a fake could do this."
Lucius' jaw dropped. "It's really you. But, how? You were destroyed."
"Yes, destroyed, but not killed." Voldemort's feet touched the ground. "And I have a task for you."
"O-of course. What do you require?"
"A few things. But to start, I want Harry Potter brought to me alive. How you do it doesn't matter. I'll also accept Remus Lupin, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and/or Neville Longbottom. Whoever is easiest to get a hold of without arousing too much suspicion."
"Of course my lord, but if I may ask. If you're back. Why didn't you summon myself and the other death eaters?"
"I was going to, but...I liked Crouch's idea better. Hopefully it keeps the old man in the dark. At least somewhat." Voldemort pulled out his wand. "Oh, and Lucius. Don't do anything until the summer is over. Unless you can kill Dumbledore or something." He vanished into thin air.
Lucius Malfoy clutched his chest, sweat pouring down his face. After a few moments he was able to calm down and noticed Draco standing behind him. "Was that?" He couldn't even get the word out, caught on his own breath.
"Yes. It was Him." Lucius Malfoy shuddered with a mixture of fear and excitement. "The most powerful dark wizard in history is back." He took a few moments to regain his full composure. "Draco. What do you know of Remus Lupin, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Neville Longbottom?"
Draco frowned, as if ready to spit on the floor. "Worthless bunch if you ask me. Particularly that dirty mud blood Granger. Why do you ask?"
He weighed his options for a few moments before sighing. "I need to kidnap one of them, and bring them to the dark lord alive."
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Part 3
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Sirius Black and Remus Lupin sat at the kitchen table of Grimwall place. Lupin sipped from a cup of coffee. "You sure this is the safest place to be?"
Sirius shrugged. "It seems to work pretty well. Haven't had any trouble yet."
Lupin grimaced. "But after what Dumbledore said, don't you think it's possible this place is compromised. What if the death eaters come after you?"
"Let them try. I doubt they'd do anything without Voldemort around. Maybe that Crouch guy, but I doubt he can get by the house's defences." Sirius flipped his wand between his fingers.
"True. But the entire ministry is another story." Mcgonnagall held her wand to Sirius's face. She whispered in his ear. "Sorry, there was no time to warn you...the ministry found out where you are and how to get in."
Sirius and Lupin looked at each other as several ministry wizards and the prime minister walked into the kitchen. Sirius's face went white, and Lupin was so stunned he didn't even react. Fudge smirked at Sirius. "Well now Black. Looks like we finally caught you."
Sirius stared at the minister, glancing back and forth between the aurors, the prime minister and Mcgonnagall. Then he noticed something. Mad Eye Moody, Kingsley, and Nymphadora Tonks were in their ranks. The aurors were members of the order of the phoenix, and knew he was innocent.
Fudge gritted his teeth. "You're lucky Mcgonnagall has asked me not to give you over to the dementors." Then his smirk came back. "But at least I have you in custody."
Sirius breathed a sigh of relief as he felt bindings across his body. He was captured, but safe for now. Then he saw Fudge's eyes moving toward Lupin, panic filled him again.
The prime minister squinted. "Remus Lupin? You'd better have a very good reason for consorting with a mass murderer."
Lupin shrugged. "Have to keep an eye on him somehow right?" He chuckled.
"This is no laughing matter. I'm afraid you are also under arrest." Fudge motioned for the aurors to bind Lupin, who simply raised his hands.
Once Lupin was bound, the aurors searched Grimwall place for any clues. Moody found a note addressed to Padfoot from Harry Potter. "Minister." He called over. "You may want to take a look at this."
"Hmmm?" Fudge picked up the letter. "This can't be right. Why would Harry Potter be writing the man responsible for the death of his parents. In such a respectful tone too." He looked over the letter and found several letters from Potter on a desk. "These have the same respectful tone. But Black tried to kill Harry, unless, these were forged!"
Fudge snapped his fingers nodding to himself in content. Then a snowy owl flew out from the fireplace and to the desk. It dropped a letter from Harry. The ow perched on Moody's shoulder and he gave it a treat. "Here you go Hedwig." The owl then flew away, back through the fireplace.
Fudge raised an eyebrow. "Moody, you recognize that owl?"
"Oh yeah. That's Hedwig." Moody nodded. "Harry's owl actually, sometimes brings me letters from him."
Fudge gawked pointing between Moody, the new letter and the fireplace. After a few seconds he laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry. This letter must be for you. Terribly sorry for any intrusion on privacy." He handed Moody the letter.
Moody opened the letter. "Uh...this is for Padfoot." He handed it to the minister, whose face just showed confusion.
He looked at the letter. It was from Harry, to Padfoot. He looked at the envelope, Grimwall place. "But that, that doesn't make any sense. If it's not forged. Then." Fudge thought for a few moments trying to figure out what was going on. Then a grim look crossed his face. "Moody, I need you to retrieve Potter. I believe he's under a confundus charm."
