Chapter FOUR

Healing the Soul

...

Cadmus Selwyn was up bright and early the following morning. He walked into his office with a confident stride and small grin set upon his lips. Today was going to be a busy day. He loved cases like the one he was working for Mr. Potter, they always proved to be the most interesting and though he knew it was going to be a busy next few weeks, he was determined to bring about the best outcome for all parties involved.

Quickening his pace to his desk he gathered up the folder he had put together for his 830am meeting and set off to the fireplace located in the welcome room off the main entrance and headed to the ministry via the Floo network.

Arriving in the main lobby of the building Cadmus made quick work of checking in with the attendant at the front desk before making his way to the lift and headed to level 10 where not only the courtrooms resided but was also where the holding cells and interrogation rooms were placed and with them his morning meeting in the form of one Sirius Black.

HPSBHP

A noise outside the door of the room he had been moved to a few minutes before hand startled Sirius where he sat tapping the fingers of his right hand on top of the table in front him. It was a nervous tick, something he had been doing for as long as he can remember.

He had been told when they brought him into the room that his new Lawyer, a Mr. Selwyn would be arriving at any moment, so had sat down to wait. Part of him was impatient to begin whatever steps his Lawyer had in store for him. Do anything he needed in order to finally be able to see his godson. To meet him once more.

The other part of him was dreading having to dig deep into the very back of his mind where he locked away all the negative memories he had of his parents, of his past. He knew logically that it was needed. That if he wanted to set a good example, be a good parent to his pup one day, then he had no choice but to finally just let it all go. Leave his mothers treatment of him in the past, let go of his guilt for accidently revealing Remus' secret and endangering Snape in their sixth year, just because he had gotten the news his uncle Alfred had passed barely an hour beforehand and lost his temper and lashed out at the mans taunting. Let go of all the pain, guilt and rage he felt at suggestion Pettigrew be James, Lily, and Harrison's secret keeper. Just let it all go. Leave it behind him and move forward with the only person in the world who mattered to him now, Harrison.

Sirius straightened where he sat, eyes immediately going to the door as soon as the noise had appeared and watched as it slowly opened; in walking a man around his age who looked vaguely familiar. Sirius thought he should know the man now stood in front of him, but couldn't place him in his mind, so waited for the man to introduce himself.

"Good afternoon, Lord Black, As I'm sure you were informed, my name is Cadmus Selwyn. I'm not sure if you would remember me, but we attended Hogwarts together. Although I had been in Ravenclaw a year above you." Cadmus introduced with a friendly smile.

Recognition suddenly appeared in the man's eyes, as a memory flashed through his mind of a time long ago as he was finally able to place the man in front of him.

"Selwyn," Sirius nodded in greeting. "The Auror said you were to be my Layer?"

"Ah yes, yes." The man replied as he quickly sat down and flipping open his folder. "About two weeks ago, I had a client walk into my office asking for my help in getting you the trial you should have received 9'years ago."

"who...who would come to you about me, Was it Remus?" Sirius stammered shocked, his breathing starting to come just a little bit faster.

Cadmus stared at the man across from him for a moment before answering in a calm voice at seeing that he was getting slightly worked up. "No, it was not Mr. Lupin." He told him matter-of-factly. "It was your godson. Harrison Potter walked into my office days after his 10th birthday and receiving access to not only his accounts, but also his parents Last Will and Testament.

With the reading of the Will, it was revealed that you were not the Potters secret keeper as had been believed, but it was actually Peter Pettigrew. Which allowed us to take your case to Madam Bones, with it also putting into question the other charges laid against you."

"Harrison? It was Harrison who asked for your help? He knows I'm innocent?"

"Yes, Lord Black, Young Mr. Potter is very aware that you never betrayed his parents, and in fact is very eager to finally meet the man who should have raised him."

Sirius couldn't believe what he was hearing. Harrison knew the truth and didn't hate him. Knew that he Sirius was innocent, that he should have raised him. Harrison was the one to set this up, was doing what he needed to free Sirius, to allow them to be a family again. He wouldn't have to go looking for his boy! He could hardly believe that the child he had loved as if he were his very own from the moment, he had first held him -His pup- wanted to see him.

Tears slowly slid down the black-haired man's face as he sat there processing the information revealed to him.

"What is he like?" He asked desperately. "Does he look like James like we suspected he would? Did he get his mother's intelligence?"

"Actually, his features take more after the Black side of his family than the Potters. Though you can see a lot of James in him that is true. He's also very mature for his age, and extremely intelligent Lord Black." Was the reply he got making him smile softly.

Cadmus shuffled through his folder in search of something very specific. Knowing that the man would be curious about Harrison, he had used his own memory of his very first meeting with the boy, chosen the moment he had first walked into his office and introduced himself to create a current photo the boy. Letting out a near quiet "aha," he pulled the photograph free of the pages, and slid it across the desk.

"Take a look at your godson Lord Black. This was from just last week."

"Sirius, please just call me Sirius." Was the only reply he got, as the man picked up the photograph with shaking hands and gazed down at the ten-year-old form of his beloved godson. Cadmus had been absolutely correct in his description. Sirius could definitely still see James and Lily in him, but Harrison's resemblance to his Grandmother Dorea was extremely strong.

"Sirius it is then, and you will refer to me as Cadmus. Now let's move onto a bit of business, shall we?" Cadmus interrupted after a while, wanting to get down to business, so they can get moving on setting the man free as soon as possible.

"I have informed Mr. Potter of our meeting this morning, and once we have gone over everything in preparation for your trial in a few weeks. We can look into bringing him here to meet you. First, I would like for you to see a healer and get you set on your way to recovery after so long exposed to Dementors and lack of proper nutrition before we bring him in to see you. It won't do either of you any good to meet in the state you're in currently."

Sirius nodded in agreement. He didn't really want his godson to see him as he was currently. With his matted hair, pale skin stretched over hallow cheeks, and he was sure he had a mild paranoid look about his eyes. A healer wouldn't fix everything overnight he knew, but a few sessions with a mind healer, and a full medical scan as well as being put on a potion regiment to correct his health for a few days or so before meeting the boy would make him a bit less startling to look at. He wouldn't want to scare his pup the first time he'd ever seen him since that fateful night.

"I can do that," he agreed readily. He would willing do anything if it meant he could see his boy again, no matter how hard he knew it was going to be.

"Excellent, excellent," Cadmus replied joyfully. "I will schedule you an appointment with a mind Healer, and a medical Healer, for the beginning of the week. IF we get you on a potion regiment quickly, we can see about bringing in Mr. Potter by the end of the weekend as long as the healers agree."

Sirius nodded again, once more gazing at the photograph in his hand as he took everything his lawyer said in, his mind racing from all the information being given to him. It wasn't until a few minutes had passed when a thought crossed Sirius' mind.

"If James and Lily's Will was enough evidence to prove I wasn't their secret keeper. Why wasn't I given a trial years ago?" He asked Cadmus, his brow furrowing in a mixture of confusion and anger.

Taking a deep breath before he spoke, as he knew this piece of information was not going to go over well Cadmus told him, "Mr. Dumbledore was appointed Harrisons' Magical Guardian almost immediately after that night and had their Wills sealed before they could be read. No one knew anything until Harrison had them read last week."

Sirius felt his temper begin to grow. How DARE he seal the Will. Out of respect for the couple and their close friends and family at the very least they should have been read within weeks after they passed. If he had just followed protocol, Sirius could have been there to raise Harrison all these years. Brought him up the way Lily and James would have wanted. He could have grown up knowing who they were.

"Where…Where did grow up? Who raised him?" Sirius grit out, a terrible feeling filling his gut. If Dumbledore was involved, he had a feeling he knew the answer, but was hoping he was wrong.

"From what I gather his only living relatives, a Petunia and Vernon Dursley." Cadmus told him, as he ruffled through his files once more. He had found out as much about his Client that he could, finding his school records, which stated Mr. and Mrs. Dursley being the ones to register him.

Sirius closed his eyes, trying to hold on to his temper. His suspicions were confirmed, and he hated it more than anything. Dumbledore would never get anywhere near his pup again. Sirius knew Harrison has a right to attend Hogwarts if he wanted, but he would make sure the man knew his place, make sure he would never have any say outside of Harrisons schooling. Make sure he never had access to the boy alone.

Wanting to move on for the time being, Sirius motioned for Cadmus to continue with their meeting once more. He would think over everything and deal with it when he was alone once more.

"Now, your trial will be set hopefully for the end of September at the latest. I gave Madame Bones all the evidence she needs to schedule you one, as well as bring a few members of the ministry in for questioning. However, as the wizenegmont is closed during the summer, we can't, unfortunately get you your trial until after its first session, the first Thursday of September.

As the head of the DMLE Madam Bones will of course be in attendance as is her right and duty. Where she will bring up your case after all other proceedings have been dealt with. It will be decided what date your Trial will be scheduled for then."

Getting a nod from the man across from his, Cadmus finished going over any relevant information, before stood up to shake the man's hand and bidding Sirius goodbye for the day.

HPSBHP

The week passed by quickly, with Sirius having daily meetings with Cadmus. Even though they had an ironclad case proving his innocence. Being willing to subject himself to questioning under the use a Veritaserum at his trial, would be impossible to refute his statements after all. The man said he wanted to make sure every detail was gone over, so they were both on the same page. Sirius privately thought he mostly came because he knew Sirius had spent so long in isolation, and Cadmus was trying to get him used to company that wasn't a dementor once again.

Whatever the reason, Sirius appreciated the company none-the-less.

Thanks to the constant visits, the weekend had passed by quickly and soon enough it was time for his appointment for a full medical scan with a woman who introduced herself as Healer Blake. As he wasn't yet cleared, and there-for not permitted to leave ministry holding, Cadmus had set it up so his appointments would take place in the same room where they had been meeting all week.

The first thing she had him do was remove his outer robe – that one of the Aurors had given him to put over his prison clothes- and sit down on the chair in the middle of the room. Once he was settled, she took her wand from its holster on her left arm and began running it along his body while quietly speaking the incantations needed.

As she was doing her scans, Sirius noticed the parchment on the table begin to fill with writing to small for him to read from his current spot. So, as she finished and proceeded to pick up the parchment and read over the results, he sat and waited nervously.

"Well Lord Black, you are severely malnourished, as we expected. But it's the strain on your magic that came back that worries me the most. I will be putting you on a strict regimen of nutrition, and Muscle repair potions, to correct your physical health. As well putting you on a medium strength restorative drought to help heal your core. Being in constant company of the dementors, as well as your declining health was causing your magic to work twice as hard to keep you as healthy as possible, its why you aren't worse off than you are.

You will take each of the first two potions three times a day -best to schedule them at mealtimes as they may cause nausea if taken on an empty stomach-, and the third potion once before bed every night for the next 6 months. After which you will come back and see me for an updated scan. Based on those results I will then re-evaluate and adjust as needed. But be assured you will be on potions for the next year as least to correct what your body and magic has suffered over the passed decade." Healer Blake stated professionally yet not unkindly.

Mr. Selwyn had made sure to give the healers as much information on the case as he was legally allowed to do when he had requested, they come and look at his client. While he couldn't give exact details, with an added vow preventing even his clients name being made public knowledge on top of the one all Healers would have already given to keep all information pertaining to a patients confidential, he WAS able to inform them that his client was innocent, and they were currently in the works of proving it.

So, while it was a shock to see Sirius Black waiting in the room she was directed to, Healer Blake, made sure to keep herself professional, and not make any outwardly signs of her surprise.

HPSBHP

Sirius' appointment with his mind healer the following day also went in a similar fashion. He sat in the very same chair as before while the man had gently entered his mind with Legemency and made notes on all the trauma that Sirius had endured over the three decades he had lived thus far.

Though most of the damage done to his mind had been caused by so long in the presence of the Dementors, there were some he had received at the hands of his own mother. Growing up in the Black town house where he had been emotionally and verbally abused for 16 years before he finally got the chance to escape, had made Sirius' mind that little bit more susceptible to the magic of the Dementors.

Hearing all this Sirius knew if it hadn't been for his Animagus form, he would not be sane enough to be sitting here now having a conversation with his healer and that was a scary thought. The idea that he was so close to being medically unfit to granted custody of Harrison as was his intention when he was cleared, made It increase his determination to do everything his healers suggested to get himself back to a much healthier place. A place where he could hopefully care for Harrison comfortably without any worry that he might one-day break entirely.

Before the end of his appointment with Healer Thomas, Sirius was given three more potions to add to his list. The first was a mild calming draught, that he was only to take if he felt his mind straying to uncomfortable thoughts or his emotions were getting to much for him to handle. While it wouldn't make whatever his problem at the time was go away. It would allow him to deal with whatever it was that was the cause immediately and rationally.

His Second potion was the Befuddlement concoction, which was to be taken once daily for two weeks. It would clear the fog that had descended upon his mind due to being around the dementors for so long, Clearing his thoughts for the first time in years.

The third and final potion was a variant to the dreamless sleep. While it wouldn't prevent him from dreaming, it did allow him some form of awareness while he dreamed. This would make it possible for him to work through whatever it was that caused his nightmares while he dreamed them by giving him the power to change them until he no longer felt the effects, they caused him initially. Essentially taking the power of the nightmare away, so he could one day move on, and they eventually faded away.

The potions were meant to force him to deal with his trauma by facing them head on in a way he could safely control. Paired with the mandatory sessions with his healer to talk over everything, he was hopeful that one day he would be able to think back on everything that had happened and only remember the good times instead of focusing on the bad. His highest hope was to be able to tell Harrison all about his parents, without having to worry about breaking down in front of his pup.

HPSBHP

Keeping to his own promise to himself to do everything he needed in order to get as healthy as possible, Sirius was diligent over the following week in taking all his potions on time. As well as talking through things with Healer Thomas when the man came for his next appointment three days later. While it was as difficult as he suspected it would be to bring up things from his past. Sirius used very ounce of his Gryffindor bravery and determination to forge ahead. They talked a lot about his childhood, with Healer Thomas taking the time to point out details in the memories Sirius brought up, where he might have overlooked the abuse. It made Sirius question whether he could have done anything to gain his mother's love and approval? When he asked this of his healer, the man went over every detail they possibly could asking Sirius question after question on everything until finally Sirius was able to realize that no – no matter what he had done, it would always have been the same outcome. His mother was simply incapable of loving him.

While most might take this realization as a negative thing. Sirius took it as a positive, he was never the problem. Walburga Blacks issues were all her own, and he knew he had people that had loved and accepted him for who he was. He even had two wonderful parents in Charlus and Dorea Potter from the time he was 11. They had taken him in and treated him as another son, helping to guide him alongside James into being the man he had grown up to become and far as he was concerned, they were the only parents he had.

This thought had brought a smile to Sirius' face, a sense of peace to his soul. Yes, he had still spent 16 years being abused by Walburga, ignored by Orion, scorned, and hated by Regulus after he had been sorted into Gryffindor rather than Slytherin in his first year. But most importantly he had a family in the Potters; a mother and father who had loved and guided him, a brother in James who had stuck by his side through anything and everything. And that was something he would focus on; those were the people he would use to continue to guide him when he eventually brought Harrison home. That was what he focused on during all his future appointments with Healer Thomas.

While it would be many more seasons with his mind healer, before they could move onto his more recent trauma Sirius smiled in relief after the man had left for the day. He had finally begun to put some of his insecurities regarding his childhood behind him. He knew he had along way to go before he could completely put his past to rest for good, but this was definitely a start.

HPSBHP

As Friday was coming to an end, Cadmus sat at his desk going over all his notes once more. He was quite pleased with the progress Sirius was making. The man's healers had given him enough feedback without breaking Healer/Patient confidentially for him to safely say that the man would be in a good enough place for Cadmus to finally set up that long-awaited meeting between godfather and godson.

Keeping to his promise to keep Harrison informed, Cadmus grabbed a spare piece of parchment and penned out his letter.

Mr. Potter,

I am happy to inform you that, I have spent the past few days in meetings with Lord Black. As we had discussed previously, he has seen both medical and Mind healers and has begun treatment necessary to improve his health.

After speaking with his mind healer, we have agreed that it would be alright for you to visit your godfather this Sunday if you are agreeable. I must inform you that while he has begun treatment, there is still a long way to go in his recovery, so do not be shocked or worried when and if you see him. He is very eager to finally meet you again after so long apart but wishes me to inform you that if you are not ready, then he will wait as long as you need. He is leaving the decision on if and when you meet entirely up to you.

Whatever you decide, please send a response back with my owl Sven. If you choose to the day after tomorrow, I will come fetch you just before 11am and you can have lunch with Lord Black at the ministry.

Respectfully,

Mr. Cadmus Selwyn,

Selwyn, Yaxley and sons Law.

Nodding in satisfaction, he sent it off with his owl, locked away his papers for the day, and left the office to head home.

Things were finally moving along, and Cadmus was confident nothing would pop up in the future to delay them. It wouldn't be long, until his two clients were happily on their way, living their lives as a family as they should have been all along.

It would be a good day when this case was closed once and for all. A relief to be sure. But Cadmus knew that while the case will be won, his job was only just beginning. He had a lot of work ahead of him for his newest clients and he was looking forward to every single bit of it.

With one last goodbye to his assistant, who was just finishing up to leave herself, he stepped into the Floo, called out his address and headed for home.