Chapter 4

With a predatory gleam on her face, the woman left the kitchen. In her hand was the most deadliest weapon men would fear when they said or did something stupid.

The woman was approaching her target, she was now mere feet away from the opened door to her target's bedroom. She managed to sneak in to the dark room without making a sound. She eyed the place she wanted so badly to hit. The man was snoring away loudly. There was no way he would have heard her coming in to the room. Smiling predatorily, she swung the cast iron frying pan into the man's face.

Lucius Malfoy was immediately thrown from his bed from the impact the Frying Pan had given him.
Lying on the floor, he cursed in his head that he married Narcissa. He only chased her at Hogwarts because she was beautiful and a member of the prominent Black Family. What he had not taken into account was the threats he got from her sister Bellatrix of dismemberment if he hurt her and Narcissa's obsession of hitting bad husbands with a frying pan.

"What did you do that for?" he shouted at her.

"I've been hoping to do that to you ever since your antics at the Quidditch Cup."

Lucius stared at his wife. "What makes you think that it was me?" he said coolly.

Smirking she said, "I can recognise a moron like you anywhere."

Managing to draw himself up to full height, he glared at his wife. "You couldn't recognise me," he said haughtily. "I was wearing a mask."

He realised too late what he had said. Narcissa's eyes had narrowed and her body language was screaming 'I'm gonna hit you with a Frying Pan until you're brain damaged.' There was only one way out of this. He immediately grabbed his wand and screamed "Sectumsempra."

Except nothing happened. Narcissa was preparing to dodge when she realised nothing had happened. Lucius looked at his wand, as if he was seeing it for the first time. The spell hadn't come out? What was going on?

"Expelliarmus," he called out, pointing his wand at his stunned wife. Still nothing happened. He started shaking his wand, thinking it had somehow malfunctioned. No sparks appeared, not even a flicker of one.

His eyes darted to his wife, who was slowly advancing on him, holding that terrifying weapon called a Frying Pan.

After seven hits, Lucius had gone unconscious in terror. Narcissa looked at her Frying Pan proudly. She couldn't believe she had underestimated Muggle ingenuity years beforehand. She knew quite well Muggles made these awesome creations. Five years prior she had came across their former house elf Dobby making their food on a frying pan. She had yelled at the elf for taking something so Muggle in to the manor. After 'accidentally' hitting Lucius for the first time with it she realised she found something worse than the Cruciatus Curse as Lucius curled up in his bed to cry through the pain on the first night. Not even the Dark Lord could do that to him. In gratitude to Dobby for bringing the deadly weapon to her knowledge she started whacking Lucius every time he would abuse the poor elf. She was glad the elf was gone. She only wished the little creature had brought her with him. Anything was better than being married to a pure-blood snob.

IlIlIlI

The reunion between Harry and his godfather Sirius was filled with joy for both.

It was now the Hogsmeade weekend and Minister Sirius Black decided to take the day off to finally spend some time with his godson. Amelia Bones was taking over for him for the day as there wasn't much for the DMLE to handle at the moment.

"It's wonderful to see you again Sirius," Harry beamed. "Especially with clean clothes and nice hair."

Sirius had started changing his attire. His hair was still straggly from his stay in Azkaban, but was considerably shorter to look like it had from his days at Hogwarts. He was wearing clean clothes and smelled fresh.

"Come on, Harry," he said in a friendly tone. "Let's go get a drink."

Godfather and Godson walked into the Three Broomsticks. Upon entering the bar the entire room went silent. Although everyone now knew Sirius Black was indeed innocent, most couldn't handle seeing him as they had all grown to hate him for being a supposedly loyal Death Eater and that he was now the Minister for Magic.

Madam Rosmerta came over to Sirius. "Your private room is ready Minister."

"Thank you very much Rosmerta," he said.

Many patrons sighed in relief that Sirius wasn't going to be in the same room with them. Harry looked at Sirius curiously, wondering why Sirius requested a private room.

Minutes later he found his answer.

"Tell me Harry," said Sirius, gulping down some Firewhisky. "What did you do to Voldemort?"

Harry panicked at once. He looked at his godfather and noticed his shoulders shaking in mirth.

"What do you mean?" Harry tried to ask innocently.

Sirius started laughing. "You think I don't know that it was you. I could smell you in that graveyard Harry."

Harry sighed. He related to his godfather what he had done. He told him he had read Voldemort's mind and discovered his plans for him and his rebirth. He told him how he placed skunk bones in the grave of Voldemort's father up to his pranking of the Goblet of Fire.

By this time Sirius was laughing so loud, he couldn't control himself at all.

Harry had so far not mentioned to his godfather his suspicions of Dumbledore and that Dumbledore was pilfering money from his account and had gone against his parents will.

"And now you've pranked Dumbledore into the tournament," Sirius laughed. "I'd love to have seen the look on the old coot's face."

Harry stared at Sirius. He spoke of Dumbledore in a disrespectful manner. But why?

He asked him.

"Because once I was pardoned by Amelia, I told her Dumbledore knew I was innocent," Sirius said. "I had never seen anyone as angry as I have seen her that day. She said Dumbledore should have ordered me a trial. Apparently as Chief Warlock he could have placed me under his protection instead of having you go back in time to rescue me. That is a decision the Minister can't override."

Harry sighed in relief. That just made everything easier to talk to Sirius about Dumbledore. So he relayed his discoveries from the past while since Dumbledore's name came out of the Goblet of Fire. When he told him about the Fidelius Charm, Sirius' face was in a mask of fury.

"Are you telling me he knew Pettigrew was the Secret-Keeper, and yet he left me to rot in Azkaban," he snarled.

Harry nodded.

"I'm ordering him in to a trial," Sirius fumed. He relaxed himself before he could get even more angry.

"We've spent enough time cooped up in here Harry," commented Sirius. "Let's go down to the pub."

They went back down to the pub. No one noticed Sirius returning so there was no silence.

"'Ello, 'Arry Potter," said a voice.

Harry turned to the voice. Fleur Delacour was standing behind him, holding a tray with drinks.

" 'Ow are you today," she said kindly.

Harry mumbled 'fine' while staring at the floor.

"Minister Black," she introduced herself. "Nice to meet you. I'm Fleur Delacour."

"Ah, you're Julien's daughter," he asked. She nodded in response. "How is he?"

"He's 'ere," she said. "Why don't you join us for a drink?"

Harry was mouthing at him no. Sirius knew immediately what had been running in his godson's head when he saw the behaviour. There was no way he was going to let Harry get away from this.

"Of course we will join you," he said amiably. He looked at Harry. "Why don't you take the tray for Fleur. Be a gentleman."

Harry was glaring daggers at his godfather. He knew what he was trying to do. Harry never felt so awkward in his life.

"In fact you should take half of the tray," he said smirking. "Share something with Fleur."

This time both youngsters blushed red. Sirius laughed to himself and made his way over to the table Julien Delacour and his wife Apolline were at.

"Hello Julien," Sirius said sliding himself into the seat. "How are you today?"

"Ah, Sirius," Julien smiled. "How good to see you again. This is my wife Apolline, by the way."

"Charmed," Sirius said, taking her hand and kissing it. Turning to Harry he smirked. "Why don't you try this on Fleur, Harry?"

Harry once again blushed. Inside he was furious. Why was his godfather doing this to him?

Fleur held out her hand to Harry, hoping for him to kiss her hand. Secretly she was hoping for him to kiss her somewhere else.

Feeling incredibly awkward, Harry shakily took her hand and placed a gentle kiss on it.

The ice was soon broken. They all settled in at the table, Sirius was having a pleasant conversation with Julien and Apolline. Fleur had broken the ice by asking Harry about himself.

He told her a bit about his life. He didn't tell her about his time at the Dursley's, but he told her about how he discovered magic and how he was enthralled with it and a bit about his friends.
She, in turn, told him a bit about herself. Although she was raised in a loving family, she experienced quite a bit of bullying at school and had very few friends. They were soon laughing at a joke she told about a salamander and Harry felt all the awkwardness go away as he began to get to know her.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Harry looked up from his conversation with Fleur to see a very angry Ron Weasley glaring down at him.

"Why are you not sitting with us?" Ron said angrily. "Instead you decide that we're not good enough for you that you have to sit with opposing schools. She'll try to find out from you what Dumbledore is going to do in the Tournament."

Harry gritted his teeth. He was not happy with his so called friend at the moment. Ron had tried making badges in retaliation to Malfoy's Dumbledore Stinks to Dumbledore: Supreme Champion and tried to get Harry to do it. Harry had told him coldly he would not support Dumbledore. Ron had called him a traitor and stormed off to the Great Hall in search of food. Harry was slowly beginning to realise Ron was like a parasite. He never let Harry be by himself. When he tried to make more friends Ron was always against it. He had also realised Ron was trying to make him lazy. Why else would he insult work and studying. Ron only liked food and Quidditch. Maybe Hermione was right. Ron was a terrible friend.

Withholding his gaze, Ron turned and stormed away. He jumped in the air slightly before disappearing to his table.

" 'Zat ought to do it," Fleur said, stowing away her wand.

Harry looked at her wand and then back at Ron, who was messily eating a beef stew. Hermione was sitting with him and as usual looked repulsed by his table manners.

"What did you do to him?"

"Whatever he normally does the most will increase his desire for what he does the most," she said with a little smile on her face.

What did Ron do the most other then laze about? The answer quickly appeared in Harry's head.

"Eating," he muttered.

Fleur looked at him before bursting into laughter. Harry joined in laughing.

FLASH!

Harry blinked as the bright light of the flash went off.

"Our new Minister enjoying a drink with the French Representative for the ICW and Harry Potter," said a voice. Harry looked up and drew eyes with a curly haired blonde. "And let's not forget Fleur Delacour, Champion of Beauxbatons."

"Hello Rita," Sirius said edgily. He kept his tongue held. There was no reason to annoy Rita with the amount of reputations she had ruined.

"Minister," she said cordially. Her eyes drew to Harry. "Harry Potter. How nice to meet you."

Harry decided to mimic what he had done to Fleur earlier. He took Rita's hand and kissed it.

"Quite the charmer, aren't you Mr Potter," she spoke. "Go get a drink Bozo."

Her loyal photographer scurried over to the bar.

"Mr Potter," she asked, feigning nervousness. "Could I possibly have an interview."

Harry felt nervous. He didn't want to talk with the reporter while he was enjoying himself.

"Maybe later on today," he caved. "Not while I'm enjoying myself. I'll see you here in two hours."

"Splendid," she praised him and then walked over to the bar.

"Harry, do you know what you have done," Sirius hissed.

"What?"

"That is Rita Skeeter," he hissed. "She's famous for destroying reputations."

At hearing this Harry had two thoughts. One was to avoid her at all costs and leave while he could. On the other hand he could possibly give her the dirt on Dumbledore he found out. The Wizarding World would be furious with him.

"What about Dumbledore's reputation?" Harry asked his godfather.

Sirius was about to retort until he realised what Harry was saying.

"Now, that's a good idea," he noted. "Yes, we will meet her in a couple of hours. I'm going to be there to make sure nothing gets out of line. Now back to what I was saying about the Kneazle Julien..."

Harry went back to his conversation with Fleur. Unconsciously he had brought his arm up and placed it around her. Fleur shivered with happiness at the feel. Her crush on Harry was growing by each new second she was getting to know him.

Sirius smiled at the spectacle in front of him. It was good to see Harry cheerful. From what he heard from Remus Harry was usually morose and depressed at school.

"Another drink, Rosmerta," he called over to her.

Two Hours Later:

"Be careful about what you say about yourself, remember," Sirius said warningly.

"Yes, I remember," Harry groaned. Sirius had lectured him on what to say and what not to say to Rita for the interview for the past thirty minutes. They both knew she would still want to know about him no matter what they told her about Dumbledore.

The door of the private room opened and Rita Skeeter walked in.

"Minister," she said respectively. "Harry Potter."

"Tell me Harry," she said, pulling out a Quick Quotes Quill. "What do you not like about the Wizarding World?"

Before Harry could answer Sirius butted in. "Rita, you might want a Dicta-Quill for this interview. It would be more interesting."

Rita knew what the tone in his voice meant. The man knew of a scandal and was going to let her in on it. She put away the Quick Quotes Quill and pulled out the Dicta-Quill.

"Alright," she said. "What's the scandal now?"

IlIlIlI

Dumbledore was not having a good time. Students were shooting him glares all around the castle. He had lost his favourite socks. His Sleekeazy hair potion was not working on his long beard and for some reason he felt that he had been modified somewhat but he couldn't place it.

"Chocolate frogs," he said to the gargoyle.

"The stairs are already open, you fool," hissed the gargoyle.

Dumbledore didn't realise the stairs were open. Who was in his office? The last thing he remembered before going up the stairs to his office was thinking of lacing his lemon drops with Firewhisky.

He woke up an hour later to find himself sitting in a comfy grey chair.

"Awake, are you Albus Dumbledore," growled a menacing voice.

Albus looked up into the smirking face of a goblin who was wearing a neat red uniform. Quickly he had guessed he had been kidnapped by the goblins and was now being held captive in Gringotts.

Two hours had gone by and The Comfy Chair was getting irritating. Every few minutes a hard filled cushion would magically appear out of thin air and slam into his face and he was now itching all over his face. Unfortunately his hands were magically restrained from giving himself a scratch.

The smaller goblin of the group came over to him. Smiling viciously at him, the goblin proceeded to whack him with a wiffle bat. Hours later the goblins sent in the most annoying and talkative goblin to deal with him.

After listening to the goblin for fifteen minutes prattling on about three people who had never been in his kitchen and trivia about The Goblin Ranger he had caved. He left Gringotts a poorer man that day, as he had 'borrowed' more of Harry's money than what was in his actual account.

"Lemon drops," shouted a voice. "Get your lemon drops here. Lemon drops."

Tears in his eyes from not being able to afford the wonderful sweets any more, he apparated back to Hogwarts.

He made his way to his office in a completely depressed and morose mood. Upon re-entering his office he was once again grabbed. He didn't have enough time to react before his wand was taken off him.

"You are under arrest Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore on the orders of Minister Sirius Black."

Rufus Scrimgeour put magical restraining cuffs on the old man. With the help of the other four Aurors that were sent to Hogwarts with him to arrest the Headmaster he forced the old man on his feet as he had fallen down from the shock. Dumbledore tried to struggle and was immediately stunned with four wands.

"Get him back to the Ministry and into a Holding Cell," Rufus ordered.

When Dumbledore woke up the next time he recognised the familiar walls in the Ministry's Holding Cells. He had visited this room many times in the past war to try and offer redemption to the arrested Death Eaters. None of them were compliable.

Desperately thirsty and hungry as he hadn't eaten since having his lemon drops early the previous day, he began edging his way to the toilet in the room. He tried to flush it to get clean water but it wouldn't flush. He had just started drinking the foul taste when the cell door opened and a glass of pumpkin juice was given to him. He hungrily gulped down the drink in hope of getting rid of the foul taste that was now roaming his stomach. It did very little to get rid of the taste.

He was suddenly lifted from his weak position on the floor by two Aurors who then escorted him to the Wizengamot Chambers. He was forced into the seat in the middle on the floor. The rattling chains on the arms of the seat sprang up and folded itself around his wrist, preventing him from escaping.

He looked around in fear and confusion. People looked at him in pity, others in confusion, and many others in anger. He could not tell if they were angry at him or angry that he was arrested and treated like a criminal.

Augusta Longbottom headed the seat of the Chief Warlock for the questioning. She had spoken with Sirius Black before coming in and knew what questions to ask. She never fully liked Dumbledore as he used his power to prevent the Lestrange's from receiving the Dementor's Kiss, citing that they deserved the chance at redemption. She didn't believe that Bellatrix would ever repent for her crimes. The insane witch would kill herself than rather feel remorse for her actions.

"Trial of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore on the-"she intoned.

Dumbledore didn't hear her. He was near to falling asleep throughout the talking. Fifteen minutes later he heard the first charge that woke him up entirely and put fear into him.

"You have been charged with pilfering money from the account of the Potter Family," Augusta said. "However, we have already been informed by the goblins that this charge is now void and has been settled."

"Second Charges consist of going against the Will Of The Potter's-"

Albus once again went into shock. More charges were read, all of which were true but not important. Didn't these people understand what the Greater Good was?

In the end he was force fed Veritaserum as he had become a hostile witness to the court. From there on in he told the truth while under the influence of the potion. Most were disgusted and furious he had violated the last wishes of the longstanding Potter line and knew who the Secret Keeper was, and yet failed to inform them of it when he claimed that Sirius Black was the Secret Keeper.

"Those in favour of the accused being guilty," more than half of the witches and wizards present put up their hands.

Dumbledore was voted guilty. He was expecting himself to be escorted to Azkaban immediately following the trial, however, a different conviction came.

"It has been suggested by our Minister Sirius Black, which I am in full support of," Augusta continued. "That Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore will be forced to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. At the end of the Triwizard Tournament, whether he wins or loses, he will then be sent to Azkaban for his crimes."

"You are also dismissed as Headmaster from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry due to confliction with the Tournament. Case Adjourned."

IlIlIlI

Ron Weasley was furious as he read the Daily Prophet. He hated reading so much, but he wanted to read this particular article in the hopes of seeing Dumbledore being cleared of all charges. Instead he found out that Dumbledore had been sacked as Headmaster. The article even mentioned that Harry Potter brought the information to the light.

That was it. There was no way Harry deserved his friendship any more. He would stay away from him completely. Hermione had taken to moving away from him more than half the time as well ever since his appetite had started increasing. At the thought of food he reached for the kippers and bacon to help start his day, ignoring the disgusted look from Seamus Finnegan, who was sitting beside him. Ron soon found himself sitting alone. But he didn't care. Food was more important than friendship. Right?

IlIlIlI

Albus Dumbledore had no place to stay at the castle. The wards which were now controlled by his former Deputy Minerva McGonagall who had now taken up the mantle of Headmistress had let him in, but had restricted him from entering certain places. He couldn't enter the Great Hall to eat anything. His office had barricaded against him which was now controlled by Minerva. He couldn't even access his old quarters from thirty years prior from before he had been made Headmaster.

"What are yeh doin' Dumbledore?" came a heavy gruff voice.

Dumbledore turned to face the one man who put too much trust in him. However, instead of seeing a happy and loyal Hagrid, the man was looking at him suspiciously.

"Why didn' yeh tell the Ministry Sirius wasn't the Secret Keeper all those years ago?" he asked him. "Yeh told me to get Harry away from tha' 'Lunatic Black' because he was the one who betrayed them."

Dumbledore was not expecting this. He had gone through hell for the entire day and hadn't come across one friendly face throughout it all. The remembrance of that goblin taunting him about his fear of commitment came into his mind.

He had no idea how he convinced the suspicious half-giant, but now he had regained a small bit of trust back and was allowed to sleep in Hagrid's Hut for the night. He received a bit of food to eat, but Hagrid's cooking was rather poor as usual, until he found out that Hagrid accidentally gave him Fangs dinner by mistake which was expired pork. But Dumbledore didn't care. He was glad enough to get some food. He soon fell asleep on the rickety couch in Hagrid's Living Room.

Late in the night Fang woke up feeling queasy. The poor dog was beginning to feel sick from the meal that was meant for Dumbledore. The dog ran around the Living Room whining before eventually throwing up on the sleeping figure of the former Headmaster on the couch. The dog went back to sleep peacefully afterwards. Dumbledore, being a heavy sleeper did not wake up and would not see the mess until the following morning. By then it would be too late.