** OH NO! It's the final chapter! What shall I do? OH well, go ahead and read it, silly! ** The Trial of Sirius Black – Chapter 13

Wattling still didn't speak. His eyes bulged. Harry felt like slapping him.

"He's being blackmailed," said James suddenly.

"How do you know?" Said Remus, with a crooked, if somewhat nervous, smile.

 James just looked thoughtful for a moment. "I dunno. Maybe it comes with being dead." He winced at the look on Harry's face. "Sorry Harry."

Dumbledore leant down, so close that his nose was almost touching Lucas Wattling's. "Well," he asked dangerously. "Are you?"

Lucas Wattling shivered under Dumbledore's gaze. Then, as though a great force pushed the words from his throat, he grunted, "yes."

There was uproar. Almost everyone in the whole room was on their feet, yelling and stamping their rage. Sirius turned and smiled toothily at them. "Now, you see what you can do once you're roused," he said.

Someone, it sounded like Fred Weasley, started a chant, and slowly every single person in the hall except Wattling, Dumbledore, and Sirius took up the words.

"Black, Black, BLACK, BLACK, BLACK!"

Harry and James, still chanting, looked at each other. Then they started to laugh. They laughed for what seemed like an eternity, with the people's cheers ringing in their ears.

"Who's famous now, Potter?" said Sirius when they had calmed down enough so that their voices could be heard.

"And who's that question meant to be addressed to?" Said James with a grin. "Me or Harry?"

Sirius shrugged. "Either. Who cares?" He went red with embarrassment as Hermione, apparently awake now, jumped onto the platform and hugged him.

The big gong sounded again. But was it the same one? It sounded deeper.

James' shadowy form flickered, way out of proportion, and then back again. Everything went silent.

"Oh bother," said James. "I have to go." He was doing his best to sound unworried, but his voice caught in his throat.

No one answered. Harry wanted to protest. He was his dad. He couldn't go now. He wanted to ask questions, he wanted to have a real family again… but even as he thought it the words sounded stupid inside his head.

"Goodbye Remus. And… Sirius. Good… good luck, you know with Voldemort and that sort of thing. Professor," he nodded in Dumbledore's direction. And then…

"Harry," the shade of James Potter said. "I… we miss you. We love you, always remember that. Be brave Harry. Be careful."

"We'll watch out for him, James." That was Sirius' voice. Harry didn't register it.

"Harry," said James Potter more urgently. "I love you. Your mother loves you. I'll always be here." He held out his hand.

When Harry touched it, he felt cold rough skin, so solid, so real… and then he was gone. The tears welled up in Harry's eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He forgot how long he stood there, with Sirius' and Remus' arms around him as he gazed unseeingly at the empty space, the wooden floor where his father had stood, littered with parchment and spilled ink.

At last, Dumbledore came over to the three of them. "Well, I've talked it over with Wattling," he said cheerfully. "Sentence is overturned. Sirius, you're free to go, though I'd try not to run into too many people before tomorrow's newspaper comes out or you might get mobbed."

"Come on, Harry," Sirius whispered in Harry's ear. "Let's go home." 

EPILOGUE

"At last," said Lily, as she watched her husband blur into himself beside the fire. "I thought you might be down there forever." James smiled at her. He sank down onto the sofa next to her. "So tell me what happened," she said eagerly, snuggling up beside him. "Where'd you get hauled off to this time?"

"Well, actually it was Sirius' trial," said James with a grin. Lily gasped.

"Oh no! What did he do this time?"

"That's what I said. Apparently, now you'll never believe this, but they thought that Sirius was the Death Eater…" and they laughed until the sky turned grey. 

** **Sobs energetically into handkerchief** It's the end! NOOOOOO! Oh well, at least I can now get stuck into something else. So do not despair, dear readers, I will be back! So go read my other stuff! When everyone has reviewed to my satisfaction, I will post a thanks list. I hope you liked it, but I guess you did or you wouldn't have bothered reading this far, sorry if it was a bit soppy, but it's kinda unavoidable in situations like this. Thank you all!!!!!! Love Laterose.**Waves until hand really, really hurts.** **