THE DILEMMA

Hi again everyone. Sorry for taking a while to get this chapter up. I had a lot of work to do, and then I hurt my neck, which made it difficult to look down at my laptop. Sorry!

I hope you like this chapter. Don't forget to Review, please!

I stayed in the hospital for four days, and they were the longest four days of my life. Healers and prison guards were constantly entering and exiting the room. After the second day, I was strong enough to get out of bed and stretch my legs. I was grateful for the opportunity to move around, but I was restricted to the confines of my little room, for two large guards stood watch at the door and prevented me from so much as sneaking a peak into the hallway.

Things got better when Dumbledore came for his daily visits. Each day at precisely three o'clock, Dumbledore would come to my room and give me an update on the trial. He assured me that everything was going as planned and that it looked as though I would be freed. That news made me breathe a bit easier.

On the fourth day, Dumbledore came to my room for another visit.

"Hello," I greeted, anxious to hear what he had to say. The net day would be the final day of the trial, and then my fate would be decided.

"Hello," he returned. He looked tired, and that worried me. He exhaled deeply and slumped into the chair by the bed. I sat on the edge of the bed and faced him with a look of anticipation.

"What happened?" I prodded.

He sighed. "They want to hear you testify," he allowed.

"Well, we expected that, didn't we?" I replied. "I mean, we can't expect them to just let me go without hearing what I have to say about it."

Dumbledore gazed back at me with worried eyes. "Yes, but there's a problem," he returned. I shot him a puzzled look, and Dumbledore sighed yet again. "I'm afraid things have taken a turn. The Wizengamot knows that you and Sirius were apprehended together. They can't seem to understand why he would be at your house if you're innocent."

I felt my back stiffen. "Can't we tell them that he was innocent and trying to explain himself to me?"

"I've tried, but they simply won't believe that he's innocent," he argued. He released a frustrated groan. "All they want is a scapegoat. They refuse to believe that he's really innocent when there's no real evidence that suggests otherwise," he finished angrily.

"Well then I'll have to make them see the truth," I reasoned.

Dumbledore immediately shot a warning look at me. "No," he started quickly, "you're still seen as a dangerous criminal until they clear the charges, so they're going to suspect you're lying. On top of that, you and Sirius were friends in school, and that means bias. They're not likely to believe anything that you tell them regarding Sirius."

"But what else do you expect me to tell them?" I asked, growing frustrated. "I'm not just going to abandon Sirius in prison while I run free."

Dumbledore shot me another look, a look that conveyed exactly what he expected me to do.

"No!" I countered. "I'm not telling them that this was all his fault!"

"You may not have another choice," Dumbledore warned. "If you don't, there's a very good possibility that both of you will get tossed back in Azkaban."

I sighed. I didn't know what was going to happen to me, but I was sure of one thing: no matter what, I would do everything in my power to get Sirius free.

-oOoOoO-

Early the next morning, I was discharged from the hospital, and the guards led me back to the Ministry.

I began to realize exactly how much my illness had affected me on my first trip to the courtroom; everything from the outline of the buildings to the clouds in the sky appeared much clearer and crisper, and the ground no longer felt like it was going to disappear from beneath my feet.

The guards pushed me through the crowded London streets toward the Ministry. Once inside, we headed into the golden elevator and descended into the Department of Mysteries. I was led down the corridors and into the same courtroom.

The room was filled, and I discovered that my trial was gaining a fair amount of popularity. Several people stood around the balcony close to the ceiling of the dome-shaped room. They gazed down at the Wizengamot, whispering excitedly to each other when they saw me enter. Dumbledore was already there waiting for me by the witness stand.

I approached the stand and made my way up the many steps to the top. Dumbledore shot me a sympathetic look once I reached the top, and I turned to face the Wizengamot as a convict would face his executioner.

"Remus Lupin," Tugwood began just as he had the last time, "are you aware of the charges being put against you?" I nodded. "We can begin questioning," he instructed.

A bald man with deep black eyes approached the stand with a pile of papers in his hands. "Mr. Lupin," he started, "is it true that you and the convicted Mr. Black were friends while at Hogwarts?"

"Yes," I replied.

"And were you aware of his conviction months ago?"

"Yes," I repeated.

"So why then would you allow a mass-murderer to enter your house?"

"I said that I was aware of his conviction," I stated. "I never said that I believed it was right." That prompted several gasps from the crowd in the balcony, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see Dumbledore hold his face in his hands. I knew that they all thought that this was as good as a confession, but I didn't care. I needed to stand up for Sirius. I owed him that much.

"But the evidence against him is overwhelming," the man continued. "Why wouldn't you believe that this man killed your other close friends?"

"Because you're wrong," I replied. "There's no real evidence against him, and if you would allow him to explain himself, you'll see that he's no more guilty of murder than you are."

Another round of gasps circled the crowd.

"And how can you justify that?" the man asked. "He has already been convicted of murder, not to mention the other numerous charges against him."

"Just because he was convicted doesn't mean that it was fair," I started. "If we would just listen to him—"

"This is ridiculous," a man with a large red mustache and a balding head interrupted from the within the Wizengamot, "we're not here to discuss Black's conviction or trial."

"Quite right," a blonde woman agreed from the other side of the benches. "Let's get on with the questions."

"Do you have any other questions for the accused?" Tugwood addressed the bald man.

Then man shook his head. "No, no more questions," he answered as he headed back to his seat.

"Very well," Tugwood continued. He then turned toward the ornate wooden doors. "Bring him in," he called loudly.

I felt my stomach drop. Who could they possibly be bringing in?

The doors were pushed open by two very large men, and a horde of guards entered the courtroom. I could just barely see a head of shaggy black hair in the center of the circle of guards.

I stood in shock as I watched them lead the man toward the stand. I felt rooted to the spot, but a man came up behind me and forced me to come down. He led me to the far end of the courtroom and shoved me into a chair beside on the side of the stand.

I watched them push the man up the stairs and to the top of the stand. I felt my mouth hang agape when the guards cleared. It was Sirius. His eyes were sunken and dark, and his face was a sickly pale color. He was thin, and his cheekbones protruded from his face. The sight of him nearly made my stomach turn.

I leaned toward Dumbledore, who was no standing beside me.

"You never said they were bringing him here," I whispered through clenched teeth.

"He asked that you not know," he responded quietly.

I straightened back in my chair, my chest feeling as though it had fallen through the floor. I knew what he was about to do, and I knew that he was going to regret it.

"Sirius Black," Tugwood spoke, "do you know why your were brought here?"

"I think I can guess," Sirius replied sarcastically.

"Then you know that you are here only as a reference to Mr. Lupin's case, and you are not to discuss any of the charges brought against you unless asked by a member of the Wizengamot?"

Sirius nodded sternly.

A man with thick black hair exited the benches and stood on the floor of the courtroom. "Why were you at the accused's house that day when you were both apprehended?"

I cringed, praying that Sirius wouldn't say what I knew he would. "I came there to finish what I started," he answered evenly. "He was someone who knew what I'd done and where people could find me, so naturally he was in the way. I needed to get him out of the picture."

"Very well," the dark-haired man responded. "That'll be all."

I stood up from my chair in outrage. The guards surrounding the courtroom drew their wands, and three men came to push me back into a sitting position. Several whispers circled the crowd in the balcony.

Once things were calmed down, a man in the center of the Wizengamot spoke, "Guards, will you please return Mr. Black to Azkaban. We will decide what to do with him later. For now, Mr. Lupin, you will be led from the courtroom and allow us to deliberate."

Sirius turned away from the Wizengamot, a pained expression on his face. The guards surrounded him again and forced him down and out of the room while I was led down the hall and into another room.

The room was tiny, and the only furniture was two chairs and a table in the center. I paced around the room angrily, grabbing fistfuls of my hair in my rage.

How could he have said that? Now, he would be lucky if he didn't get the Kiss let alone the worst life conditions in Azkaban. How could he give up his chance for freedom like that? This was the chance for both of us to get off, and he'd gone and gotten himself put back in Azkaban.

Dumbledore came into the room wearing a sympathetic expression.

"How could you let him do that?" I asked angrily.

"Remus, you need to sit down," he instructed, motioning to one of the two chairs.

"I'm not going to sit when Sirius is getting tossed back in prison!"

"Remus, just listen—"

"We agreed to do whatever we could to get him out!" I yelled. "We can't just let him do this!"

"Remus this is what he wanted," Dumbledore interrupted my tirade. I stopped my mad pacing around the room and turned to face him expectantly.

"You're saying he wanted to get put back in Azkaban?" I asked sarcastically. "Trust me, no one wants to get thrown back in there," I added morbidly, sinking into one of the chairs.

"Not getting put back in prison," Dumbledore responded, "your freedom. He knew that the Wizengamot would never believe you if you told them he was innocent, so he did what he thought he had to in order to get you out of trouble." I felt my body go stiff.

Just then, two guards came into the room. "They're ready for you," one of them told us.

They took me into the courtroom and led me to face the Wizengamot. I looked at them with wide eyes, waiting to hear their decision and praying that Sirius' sacrifice would mean something.

"Remus John Lupin," a man in the center of the benches addressed me. I felt my breath catch in my throat, and I hung onto each one of his words as though they were the only things preventing me from falling over the edge of a cliff, "after much deliberation, the Wizengamot has decided to clear you of all charges."

There were some disappointed groans and shouts from those in the balcony, but the man continued. "You will be discharged from Azkaban prison and allowed to go free. That is all," he dismissed as the Wizengamot began filing out.

I wasn't sure whether to be thrilled or devastated. I was freed, but Sirius was imprisoned, and his situation was only going to get worse. He'd given up his one chance at freedom in order to ensure me mine. I sighed. One thing was sure: I was going to make sure that Sirius' sacrifice meant something.

Thanks a bunch for reading! I tried to make this one longer to make up for the long wait, and I hope you liked it! Don't forget to Review :)