Thanks to all reviewers! I was so happy to see that I've broken 100
reviews, lets get up to 200 soon!
Evil Spapple Pie: I think we would all like to do that to Fudge, particularly after this chapter! Remus's fate won't be on trial for at least a few chapters, but I have an exact plan for how that's going to go, I don't think people will like it too much, but in the end everything will be great! A happy ending is the plan!
Squirrel Girl: We got a foot and a half up here in New Hampshire, we even lost power while cooking our Christmas Eve dinner! It was pretty cool though. I promise to never let Sirius or Moony die in this story, that just can never happen cuz I'd cry writing it!
Sirius Black: Neither Sirius or Remus are going to die, and this chapter will settle the rest of you fears, I think you'll be happy with the outcome!
Kimmy: You're back, I thought you, one of my first reviewers had left! Fudge does deserve to have his neck wrung, if you want to see one reviewers plan for him, you should read Evil Spapple Pie's review, it goes into a lot of detail! Where do you live that it rained on Christmas? That really sucks. My Christmas was wonderful, I went sledding in the backyard at 10 PM, I hadn't gone sledding in years, it was a blast! Hope yours was great too!
Emily: THANKS! I'm glad you like the story so much, I'm definitely not the number one writer, that title belongs to JKR only! And you'll find out now what Sirius's fate is!
John: You're wish is my command! I have updated. There's another cliffhanger on this chapter, but it's no were near as bad as the last one. But my cliffhangers are nothing! Some of these fanfic authors can really drive you crazy!
Silver Moon: Here you go, enjoy!
A.Dee: I'm glad the throwing up didn't disgust you, I have a friend who gets nauseous just hearing the word vomit, I was afraid you were like that! And I was trying to spark some Sirius sympathy when I wrote that part, I wanted to show just how scared he was...Now, you'll find out right about now whats going to happen to Sirius, but you'll have to wait a bit to see about Remus. So you're right, you need to be patient!
Katie: Does that mean you didn't like that last chapter? I guess it was kind of hard to make everything a surprise, and it was inevitable that eventually Sirius was going to be taken in, I just hope you still like my story! And what did you mean about the Harry and Remus thing, was I overdoing it, cuz I often think I am...Neway, you seem to have forgotten that the Dursley's are dead, I guess I didn't make a very big deal out of that, but it was at least 1/5 of a chapter...Oh well, I think you're right about the esp thing! That's so weird! Is the Christmas Wish your story? Or just one that you recommend? Either way, I can't find it, but I'd love to read it. And if it's not your story, let me know when you put it up!
Maryanne: You will hear the outcome of the prank, eventually, I was going to use it to lighten the mood during the trial, but it wouldn't fit good...And about Christmas, I usually go away to relatives on Christmas Day, but this year due to the snow and other reasons, we stayed home and I was SO BORED! So I had to get on the compy and finish that chapter up. I actually got quite a few reviews on Christmas Day, I didn't expect to get any! And I recently discovered the world of fanfics, and I must say I have become an addict! I get on at least once a day to see if my fav stories have been updated, and when I'm done that I work on my own for a bit. My family tortures me about it, but I love it! LOL, I think its so funny how they say Happy Christmas, too! I don't know why I'm gonna tell you this, but it just sparked in my head, at the store where I work, I told everyone Merry Christmas, but 3 times I said Happy Thanksgiving! It's the most embarrassing thing! Thought I'd share that...Happy New Year!
Moonlight: Don't be scared! And I would never let Pettigrew win, not this time! Everything, you will see, is sort of alright, hope you like it, thanks for reviewing...Do it again, and I'll promise to make this story have a happy ending!
Wellingtonboots: I love your name! Where did you come up with that? Thanks for the review, I hope you enjoyed the rest of it!
PhoenixFeather: It is sad, and I'm trying to make it that way, I'm really afraid I let it get to sappy though, I'm going to try to un-sap it a little, but the next chapters gonna have to have a little in it...Don't be jealous of the snow, it was nice to have it coming down like it was, but I'll tell you I'm already sick of it, I went out for lunch today, and first we couldn't park cuz there were too many snow banks, and then one of my friends decided to kick nasty slush all over me...it kept him rather entertained, but I had to change my pants when I got home! Grrr...I'm still angry about that!
A/N: Here it is, hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it! Happy New Year everyone! I will try to get one more chapter out before 2003! BTW, I tried to do a little symbolism/metaphor stuff in this chapter, but it didn't turn out that well, just thought I'd warn you that that bit is a little off, see if you can figure out what part I'm referring to!
Sirius stepped into a courtroom filled with people talking. The moment they turned to see him walking in, escorted by two guards they broke off all conversations. They all gaped at him like he was part of a circus show. No one showed fear, but everyone looked amazed. They had taken what they had heard the ministry said to heart. Sirius Black was no longer considered a cold blooded killer, rather an insane man who belonged in a padded room.
Fudge stepped up behind the stand and rapped his gavel. The attention of the people turned away from Sirius and to the minister.
"I am glad to see so many of you finally taking part in ministry affairs. It is a pleasure to have you all as witnesses today, for today we will be trying one Sirius Black. You all know of his story I am sure, and of the recent events that have taken place."
There was a quiet murmur of agreement from the crowd.
"Today's trial, however, will be different than is usual. Under a request from Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School has requested the use of veritaserum and a jury. Now we don't usually do things by jury in this court, but for Dumbledore I am making an exception."
The crowd nodded in understanding.
"Now I'd like to call Sirius Black to the bench," Fudge said loudly.
Sirius was escorted by the guards to the bench. He sat and locking charms were placed over him so he couldn't move. "Please administer the veritaserum," Fudge commanded.
A guard brought a vial towards Sirius and pressed it to his lips. Sirius opened his mouth slightly and the guard poured it into his mouth. It felt rather like he was under the imperious curse. His mind seemed incredibly clear.
"Now I'd like to introduce the jury," Fudge began before naming each of the nine members. None of the names were familiar to Sirius, which he considered to be a pretty good thing. Sirius ignored the jury and focused on the crowd. He saw Dumbledore sitting in the front row, and caught him winking at him. He scanned the rest of the crowd and found that neither Remus or Harry were present. He was relieved at this, but also slightly disappointed. He found that the only person he had there for him was Dumbledore, a man he had not always seen eye to eye with.
"I will now question the suspect..."
Earlier, Harry and Remus were back at the Lupin Loft, playing chess. "Is Sirius going on trial today?" Harry asked while they were resetting the board after Harry was taken out by Remus.
Remus sighed, he had thought he had successfully taken Harry's mind off Sirius. "Yeah, Harry he is."
"Can we go?"
"Dumbledore came over early this morning. He said it would be in our best interest not to go."
"Oh," Harry responded, looking down, "I just thought-thought he'd like to have us there, to show support for him."
"I know, and I was thinking about going despite what Dumbledore said, but I really think he's right. Sirius would probably kick us out if we showed up there."
"I just hope he's doing alright," Harry said sighing.
Remus squeezed his shoulder, "He'll be fine, Sirius is strong, and he'll do alright...I know it."
Harry nodded, then began the next game of chess.
"Did you, Sirius Black, kill thirteen muggles, fifteen years ago?"
"No," Sirius replied in a monotone, "Peter Pettigrew did that."
"Were you in fact trying to kill Peter Pettigrew that night?"
"Yes, I was."
"Why did you want Peter Pettigrew dead?"
"He betrayed Lily and James, it was his fault they died."
"So why did Pettigrew kill the muggles?"
"So everyone would think I did it and so he could escape. He caused the explosion cut off his finger and disappeared, leaving me as the prime suspect. Quite ingenious really."
"So you're telling me and the jury that Peter Pettigrew killed the muggles before pretending he was dead?"
Sirius simply nodded.
"And, why should we believe you, when Peter Pettigrew himself said that he was innocent of the murders as well?"
"Peter Pettigrew did not say that he was innocent. He told you that he as good as killed them, and that's just what he did. He managed to manipulate you, Mr. Fudge, even under Veritaserum! He did not say he was innocent, but I'm telling you, under veritaserum that I AM INNOCENT!"
"Indeed," Fudge said, taken a back by the tone in Sirius's voice. "But that will be for the jury to decide. Dumbledore, will you please show the jurors to their chamber?"
Dumbledore rose from his seat and walked toward the jury members. Sirius watched as they all filed out of the room. Sirius was terrified of what was soon to come. There were a million things that could have happened. "What if Fudge paid these guys to find me guilty? What if I'm found guilty under pretenses that are actually fair?" Sirius thought, realizing that if he was found guilty today, any hope of ever being freed would be gone, gone for good. Wormtail had admitted to murdering the muggles, and Sirius had denied it, yet Sirius was still the one being tried for the deed.
Sirius waited on the bench for nearly a half hour, tension growing by the second.
Back at the Lupin Loft at the same moment, Harry and Remus were having a heated game of chess, the last in their tournament. One move could send either into checkmate, and decide the outcome of the tournament. The winner and the loser would be determined.
Turns were taken, both were growing quiet. Harry moved a knight, and grinned broadly. "Check mate."
At the same time, the jury had just filed back into the courtroom. Sirius looked for Dumbledore and found that he had not returned with the jury. "That can't be good," Sirius thought grimly.
One juror came to the stand and faced the crowds, "The jury finds Sirius Black Not Guilty of all charges against him. He will be allowed to return home, obtain a wand, and will be given a formal apology from the ministry of magic!"
The crowd cheered for Sirius, which shocked him more than finding that he was free. They were all cheering for him, a man who was once over TV's and newspapers around the entire country. The crowds stood up applauding and grinning at him. Sirius felt like he was on a game show.
Fudge rapped his gavel a few times and the crowds settled down. He had a very sour expression on his face.
"The jury finds that you are innocent, thus you can leave. I however, still believe you are guilty. One wrong move Black and I'll get the Dementor's on you so fast..."
Sirius looked up at the minister, and then just grinned. The guards undid his locks and he stood up and walked straight out of the courtroom. Outside, he found Dumbledore leaning against the door.
"I told you I could pull a few strings."
"Thanks Albus, I couldn't have done this without you."
"It was my pleasure Mr. Black, but I suggest you hurry home now, there are two people there worried sick about you."
Sirius grinned, too choked up with happiness to say anymore.
"Before you leave," Dumbledore said, before reaching into his robes, and pulling out a long thin box, "I'd like to give you this."
Sirius took the box and opened it. Lying inside was his old wand, just as he remembered it before he had been taken away. Sirius grinned. He looked up at Dumbledore with tears in his eyes.
"Congratulations Sirius," Dumbledore said.
"Thanks Albus," Sirius said before apparating as close to Remus's house as he could. He ran the rest of the way back to the house. He had a plan to surprise Harry and Remus, but when he got to the front door, he found that it was locked.
"Damn it," Sirius said aloud. He walked around to the back door and found that it too was locked. "So much for that," he thought before walking back to the front door and knocking.
"Who could that be?" Remus said aloud when he heard the knock. He put aside the exploding snap cards he had been holding and stood up.
"You wait here, Harry, I don't know if it's safe," he said, Harry nodded.
Remus walked swiftly down the stairs and to the front door. He pulled the door open, gasped and then keeled over.
Sirius burst out laughing when he saw his friend faint, although he hit the floor pretty hard, it was pretty funny.
Upstairs, Harry heard the thud of Remus's fall, and then heard a laugh. He immediately thought the worst, Voldemort. He climbed into his wheelchair, grabbed his wand and went downstairs. As he approached the doorway, he slowed down. Not wanting to put himself in immediate danger, he peered around the side of the wall. He was tipping slightly but was doing a good job keeping his balance. The first thing he saw was Remus out cold on the ground. He saw a pair of dark dress robes, and instantly thought, "Deatheater." He then looked into the face.
With a crash, Harry tipped over his wheelchair. "Si-Sirius!" Harry said from the floor. The sight of his godfather had caused him to lose balance completely.
"Sirius, what are you doing here?! And what happened to Remus?"
Sirius rushed to Harry's side and helped him get back in his chair. "Well, Remus was just a little surprised to see me, as you apparently were too."
"Okay, but what are you doing back?!" Harry asked excitedly, but worried at the same time that there were guards outside the door waiting to take Sirius away for good. "Did you already have a trial?"
"I did, Harry, and guess what the verdict was?"
Harry looked down sadly, he didn't want to get his hopes up. When Harry didn't respond, Sirius bent down in front of him. "Harry, it's okay."
Harry looked up quickly. "It's okay? You mean...you're free."
Sirius broke into a wide smile and nodded his head vigorously. Harry threw his arms around him and cried happily. Sirius was crying too.
"Finally," Harry muttered after a few moments. Sirius pulled away and grinned, wiping his happy tears away.
"Let's get Moony up and celebrate, shall we?"
Harry nodded, smiling. Sirius bent down next to Remus and shook him, "Moony, Moony, wake up Rem!"
Remus woke up rather easily and stared into the face of his best friend. He looked for a minute like he thought Sirius was a ghost, then broke into a grin. Sirius bent down and hugged Remus tightly, whispering, "I'm free, I won, Rem!"
Remus started crying as well. He looked up to see that Harry had joined the scene since he fainted. "Thank God, Padfoot, I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you." He hugged Sirius again.
"Lets celebrate, we can go to Diagon Ally for dinner!" Sirius said, gleeful at the prospect of walking through Diagon Ally.
"Sounds good, Harry, are you going to be okay going into public with that chair?"
Harry nodded, "I'm going to have to face the world sometime."
"Awesome, why don't we all go and get ready, then I'll tell you all about the trial," Sirius said.
Remus nodded and got up off the floor. He hugged Sirius tightly one more time and left. Sirius and Harry did the same before heading to Sirius's room.
"Dress Robes Harry," Sirius said, throwing him some that Remus had bought. Sirius grabbed some for himself before adding, "I'm going to take a shower first."
Harry nodded as he watched Sirius go. He was so happy now that Sirius was free, he couldn't imagine anything getting in his way now.
Sirius on the other hand could. He stood in the shower letting the water run over him, and just sobbed. He was beyond happy that he had gotten his freedom, but knew that it was probably going to be at the cost of Remus. Hearing the guard and Fudge talking about trying Remus for withholding information had terrified him. He knew the second shoe was going to drop, and he was going to be tense about it until it did.
Sirius stopped his tears half way through his shower, so that no one would be able to tell that he had been crying. He hurriedly got dressed and put his over the moon face on before heading to see where the others were. Harry was where Sirius had left him, but looked immensely better. He had fixed his hair, only slightly, but it made a remarkable difference, and he looked debonair in his dark blue dress robes.
"Who are you and what have you done with my Godson?" Sirius asked upon entering the room.
"Very funny, Sirius," Harry said shaking his head.
"How is it you know who I am stranger?"
"Sirius, I don't look that different."
"You look good Harry, are you ready?" Sirius said, finally acting serious.
Harry nodded, "But first I want to try something."
"What's that?"
"I've been moving my feet a lot today, and I kind of wanted to try walking, but I need some help."
"Awesome Harry," Sirius said grinning, "Maybe we'll have two things to celebrate tonight."
"Can you just make sure I don't fall?"
"Yeah," Sirius said, helping Harry rise to his feet. Sirius let go and let Harry stand on his own. They were both smiling as wide as was physically possible. Sirius stood less than a foot away, with his arms held out to catch Harry if he fell.
Harry began to lift one leg, but started to tip slightly, he caught his balance and tried again, successfully. He put the foot back down, a little ahead of where he began. Again, he wobbled a bit, but kept his balance. Now he moved his other foot forward, quite successfully. Again and again, he took small steps towards his bed. Sirius was following very close behind. Harry made it to the bed, and then decided he was going to turn around. He took a step to the side, and twisted one leg slightly. This didn't work so well, however, and Harry went flying. He was about to hit the floor when Sirius grabbed him around the waist.
"That was great Harry," Sirius exclaimed after standing Harry back up. Harry shrugged, trying to keep his smile in check. "Are you satisfied for now? We can try again after dinner."
"Yeah, I'm starving, Remus and I didn't eat too much while you were gone, we were too worried."
Sirius grinned sadly, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be, you're free now, and that's all that matters. I just wish me and Remus could have been at the trial."
"I wish you could have been too, but Remus is already in a little trouble with the ministry, it wouldn't have been a good idea for him to show up."
"Yeah, he said Dumbledore told him to stay home," Harry replied.
"It was probably for the best...Now lets go get Moony."
Sirius brought the wheelchair up to where Harry still stood, and Harry sat down. "How are we getting there?" Harry asked.
"Car," Sirius replied.
"To get to London? I actually don't know where this house is, but it seems pretty far from London."
"Well, we have a special car, you wouldn't know about these of course. It's almost like an apparation vehicle. We just hit a button, say where we want to go there, and we end up in this sort of garage near where we want to go, then we drive the rest of the way like any muggle would."
"Cool," Harry replied, "I wonder why the Weasley's don't get one."
"Well, they're pretty expensive, and with all those kids they probably can't afford one."
Harry nodded, understanding completely. Sirius then walked out the door, Harry rolled after them. They went downstairs to find Remus waiting in the living room. He was wearing robes that were considerably nicer than the ones he had worn when he taught at Hogwarts. "Sirius must have a lot of money," Harry thought. After all, he had bought Harry a Firebolt, a wheelchair, and an entire wardrobe, and Remus probably couldn't have pitched in that much.
"Guess what Harry just did, Moony," Sirius said excitedly.
"His hair," Remus remarked noticing that it looked nicer than usual.
"Well that and...Harry you want to tell him?"
"I walked a bit upstairs," Harry said shyly. He didn't think it was that big of a deal and hated that Sirius was making it one.
Remus, however was on Sirius's side. "Harry that's awesome! Did it come easy?"
Harry nodded.
"Nice, keep practicing, and we can return that chair!"
"You ready Rem?" Sirius asked, "Harry and I are starving!"
"Me too, we haven't eaten anything yet today, lets go."
Sirius headed for the door, followed by Harry, with Remus taking up the rear. Sirius headed to the side of the house where a Jeep (A/N: I love Jeeps, I just got a brand new one! Or I should say my parents did...) was parked. Harry hadn't noticed it on his previous ventures outside the Lupin Loft. Sirius opened a back door and motioned for Harry to come over.
"See that handle? I want you to grab hold of that to stand up and then pull yourself in with it, can you do that?"
"I think so," Harry replied, and then tried it. It was difficult, but Harry made it into his seat and buckled up. Remus got in behind the wheel (the right side, right?) as Sirius put the wheelchair in the back. He then got in on the passenger side (Left side?).
"London," Remus said after pressing a button on the dash board. They immediately were lunged into darkness. After about 20 seconds they came to a halt and the inside of a city car garage came into focus. Remus put the jeep in drive and began spiraling down to the bottom of the garage. They drove through the city for 15 minutes or so, before finding a parking place near the Leaky Cauldron.
Remus got ready to get out of the car, but then looked at his friend. Sirius looked positively terrified.
"You going to be okay, Padfoot?"
"Ye-no," Sirius replied, shaking his head. "Rem, what if people still think bad about me, I'm sure everyone knows the truth by now, but what if I'm shunned anyway?"
"Sirius, man, it's something you're just going to have to wait and see about. Some people are probably going to be like that, but I bet a lot of them will be on your side. Are you ready?"
Sirius nodded, but still looked rather terrified. Remus opened his door and got out, grabbing Harry's wheelchair from the trunk. He then opened Harry's door and helped him out. After Remus shut Harry's door, he noticed that Sirius was still in the Jeep. Remus sighed and then went and opened Sirius's door.
Sirius was shaking slightly, and he grimaced at Remus when he opened his door. "Are you sure about this Moony?" he muttered.
"Yeah, Sirius, it's going to be alright, it doesn't matter what anyone thinks, what can they do to you? Nothing! Now get out, lets go, we're going to celebrate!"
Sirius reluctantly got out of the Jeep and Remus went to put some money in the parking meter. Sirius looked down grimly at Harry in his chair. "No using chair powers when we're on the muggle street, okay Harry."
Harry nodded and practiced moving the chair by rolling the wheels. It was actually more fun that way he found. Remus started walking down the street confidently, as Sirius walked by slouching, trying to be unnoticed, and as Harry struggled to roll up a slight hill. When they made it inside the Leaky Cauldron, everyone turned to stare. They were quite a crew. Sirius Black, the ex-convict, Harry Potter, the invalid, and a werewolf. The people didn't say a word, but stared, gawked at the group.
"Lets go," Remus mumbled, walking speedily to the end of the room where he could get to the entrance to Diagon Alley. Harry was using the wheelchair powers now, so he made it through smoothly. Sirius just looked scared as he walked through the crowds of witches and wizards. He had his arms crossed tensely in front of himself, he really looked as though he was trying to disappear inside of himself.
Remus stepped up to the wall and tapped it, and waited for it to open fully. When finally it did, they all went through. Luckily for everyone, Diagon Alley wasn't very busy that night. They trekked down the street until they reached a fancy little building called, "The Magic Moment Inn". Remus stepped up to the door and held it open. Harry went through first, followed by Sirius, then Remus himself. Remus stepped up in front of both of them, knowing full well that they would want to be hidden as much as they could. They waited for the hostess to seat them for nearly five minutes, tension growing by the second. When she finally came however, the tension met it's peak.
Remus almost fell over when he saw who it was.
"Remus!" the hostess exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in so long!"
Remus just stared at her, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. Sirius looked down at Harry, unable to see who the girl was. Harry couldn't see either so he just shrugged. Sirius became daring enough to peak around Remus and what he saw almost made him faint.
"Sorai!" he yelled before pushing past Remus and wrapping the hostess in a huge bear hug.
A/N: That's all for now folks! I hope you enjoyed that. I intended to make the trial longer, but how much could Fudge really ask??? Anyway, next chapter you'll see who Sorai is, I didn't intend to have an OC but I couldn't resist. Hopefully I'll be able to develop her good, it'll test my writing ability, and I'll try my hardest not to make her a Mary Sue! And keep in mind, I don't plan to have any romance in this story at all, I think it gets corny if there's too much of that! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!
Evil Spapple Pie: I think we would all like to do that to Fudge, particularly after this chapter! Remus's fate won't be on trial for at least a few chapters, but I have an exact plan for how that's going to go, I don't think people will like it too much, but in the end everything will be great! A happy ending is the plan!
Squirrel Girl: We got a foot and a half up here in New Hampshire, we even lost power while cooking our Christmas Eve dinner! It was pretty cool though. I promise to never let Sirius or Moony die in this story, that just can never happen cuz I'd cry writing it!
Sirius Black: Neither Sirius or Remus are going to die, and this chapter will settle the rest of you fears, I think you'll be happy with the outcome!
Kimmy: You're back, I thought you, one of my first reviewers had left! Fudge does deserve to have his neck wrung, if you want to see one reviewers plan for him, you should read Evil Spapple Pie's review, it goes into a lot of detail! Where do you live that it rained on Christmas? That really sucks. My Christmas was wonderful, I went sledding in the backyard at 10 PM, I hadn't gone sledding in years, it was a blast! Hope yours was great too!
Emily: THANKS! I'm glad you like the story so much, I'm definitely not the number one writer, that title belongs to JKR only! And you'll find out now what Sirius's fate is!
John: You're wish is my command! I have updated. There's another cliffhanger on this chapter, but it's no were near as bad as the last one. But my cliffhangers are nothing! Some of these fanfic authors can really drive you crazy!
Silver Moon: Here you go, enjoy!
A.Dee: I'm glad the throwing up didn't disgust you, I have a friend who gets nauseous just hearing the word vomit, I was afraid you were like that! And I was trying to spark some Sirius sympathy when I wrote that part, I wanted to show just how scared he was...Now, you'll find out right about now whats going to happen to Sirius, but you'll have to wait a bit to see about Remus. So you're right, you need to be patient!
Katie: Does that mean you didn't like that last chapter? I guess it was kind of hard to make everything a surprise, and it was inevitable that eventually Sirius was going to be taken in, I just hope you still like my story! And what did you mean about the Harry and Remus thing, was I overdoing it, cuz I often think I am...Neway, you seem to have forgotten that the Dursley's are dead, I guess I didn't make a very big deal out of that, but it was at least 1/5 of a chapter...Oh well, I think you're right about the esp thing! That's so weird! Is the Christmas Wish your story? Or just one that you recommend? Either way, I can't find it, but I'd love to read it. And if it's not your story, let me know when you put it up!
Maryanne: You will hear the outcome of the prank, eventually, I was going to use it to lighten the mood during the trial, but it wouldn't fit good...And about Christmas, I usually go away to relatives on Christmas Day, but this year due to the snow and other reasons, we stayed home and I was SO BORED! So I had to get on the compy and finish that chapter up. I actually got quite a few reviews on Christmas Day, I didn't expect to get any! And I recently discovered the world of fanfics, and I must say I have become an addict! I get on at least once a day to see if my fav stories have been updated, and when I'm done that I work on my own for a bit. My family tortures me about it, but I love it! LOL, I think its so funny how they say Happy Christmas, too! I don't know why I'm gonna tell you this, but it just sparked in my head, at the store where I work, I told everyone Merry Christmas, but 3 times I said Happy Thanksgiving! It's the most embarrassing thing! Thought I'd share that...Happy New Year!
Moonlight: Don't be scared! And I would never let Pettigrew win, not this time! Everything, you will see, is sort of alright, hope you like it, thanks for reviewing...Do it again, and I'll promise to make this story have a happy ending!
Wellingtonboots: I love your name! Where did you come up with that? Thanks for the review, I hope you enjoyed the rest of it!
PhoenixFeather: It is sad, and I'm trying to make it that way, I'm really afraid I let it get to sappy though, I'm going to try to un-sap it a little, but the next chapters gonna have to have a little in it...Don't be jealous of the snow, it was nice to have it coming down like it was, but I'll tell you I'm already sick of it, I went out for lunch today, and first we couldn't park cuz there were too many snow banks, and then one of my friends decided to kick nasty slush all over me...it kept him rather entertained, but I had to change my pants when I got home! Grrr...I'm still angry about that!
A/N: Here it is, hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it! Happy New Year everyone! I will try to get one more chapter out before 2003! BTW, I tried to do a little symbolism/metaphor stuff in this chapter, but it didn't turn out that well, just thought I'd warn you that that bit is a little off, see if you can figure out what part I'm referring to!
Sirius stepped into a courtroom filled with people talking. The moment they turned to see him walking in, escorted by two guards they broke off all conversations. They all gaped at him like he was part of a circus show. No one showed fear, but everyone looked amazed. They had taken what they had heard the ministry said to heart. Sirius Black was no longer considered a cold blooded killer, rather an insane man who belonged in a padded room.
Fudge stepped up behind the stand and rapped his gavel. The attention of the people turned away from Sirius and to the minister.
"I am glad to see so many of you finally taking part in ministry affairs. It is a pleasure to have you all as witnesses today, for today we will be trying one Sirius Black. You all know of his story I am sure, and of the recent events that have taken place."
There was a quiet murmur of agreement from the crowd.
"Today's trial, however, will be different than is usual. Under a request from Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School has requested the use of veritaserum and a jury. Now we don't usually do things by jury in this court, but for Dumbledore I am making an exception."
The crowd nodded in understanding.
"Now I'd like to call Sirius Black to the bench," Fudge said loudly.
Sirius was escorted by the guards to the bench. He sat and locking charms were placed over him so he couldn't move. "Please administer the veritaserum," Fudge commanded.
A guard brought a vial towards Sirius and pressed it to his lips. Sirius opened his mouth slightly and the guard poured it into his mouth. It felt rather like he was under the imperious curse. His mind seemed incredibly clear.
"Now I'd like to introduce the jury," Fudge began before naming each of the nine members. None of the names were familiar to Sirius, which he considered to be a pretty good thing. Sirius ignored the jury and focused on the crowd. He saw Dumbledore sitting in the front row, and caught him winking at him. He scanned the rest of the crowd and found that neither Remus or Harry were present. He was relieved at this, but also slightly disappointed. He found that the only person he had there for him was Dumbledore, a man he had not always seen eye to eye with.
"I will now question the suspect..."
Earlier, Harry and Remus were back at the Lupin Loft, playing chess. "Is Sirius going on trial today?" Harry asked while they were resetting the board after Harry was taken out by Remus.
Remus sighed, he had thought he had successfully taken Harry's mind off Sirius. "Yeah, Harry he is."
"Can we go?"
"Dumbledore came over early this morning. He said it would be in our best interest not to go."
"Oh," Harry responded, looking down, "I just thought-thought he'd like to have us there, to show support for him."
"I know, and I was thinking about going despite what Dumbledore said, but I really think he's right. Sirius would probably kick us out if we showed up there."
"I just hope he's doing alright," Harry said sighing.
Remus squeezed his shoulder, "He'll be fine, Sirius is strong, and he'll do alright...I know it."
Harry nodded, then began the next game of chess.
"Did you, Sirius Black, kill thirteen muggles, fifteen years ago?"
"No," Sirius replied in a monotone, "Peter Pettigrew did that."
"Were you in fact trying to kill Peter Pettigrew that night?"
"Yes, I was."
"Why did you want Peter Pettigrew dead?"
"He betrayed Lily and James, it was his fault they died."
"So why did Pettigrew kill the muggles?"
"So everyone would think I did it and so he could escape. He caused the explosion cut off his finger and disappeared, leaving me as the prime suspect. Quite ingenious really."
"So you're telling me and the jury that Peter Pettigrew killed the muggles before pretending he was dead?"
Sirius simply nodded.
"And, why should we believe you, when Peter Pettigrew himself said that he was innocent of the murders as well?"
"Peter Pettigrew did not say that he was innocent. He told you that he as good as killed them, and that's just what he did. He managed to manipulate you, Mr. Fudge, even under Veritaserum! He did not say he was innocent, but I'm telling you, under veritaserum that I AM INNOCENT!"
"Indeed," Fudge said, taken a back by the tone in Sirius's voice. "But that will be for the jury to decide. Dumbledore, will you please show the jurors to their chamber?"
Dumbledore rose from his seat and walked toward the jury members. Sirius watched as they all filed out of the room. Sirius was terrified of what was soon to come. There were a million things that could have happened. "What if Fudge paid these guys to find me guilty? What if I'm found guilty under pretenses that are actually fair?" Sirius thought, realizing that if he was found guilty today, any hope of ever being freed would be gone, gone for good. Wormtail had admitted to murdering the muggles, and Sirius had denied it, yet Sirius was still the one being tried for the deed.
Sirius waited on the bench for nearly a half hour, tension growing by the second.
Back at the Lupin Loft at the same moment, Harry and Remus were having a heated game of chess, the last in their tournament. One move could send either into checkmate, and decide the outcome of the tournament. The winner and the loser would be determined.
Turns were taken, both were growing quiet. Harry moved a knight, and grinned broadly. "Check mate."
At the same time, the jury had just filed back into the courtroom. Sirius looked for Dumbledore and found that he had not returned with the jury. "That can't be good," Sirius thought grimly.
One juror came to the stand and faced the crowds, "The jury finds Sirius Black Not Guilty of all charges against him. He will be allowed to return home, obtain a wand, and will be given a formal apology from the ministry of magic!"
The crowd cheered for Sirius, which shocked him more than finding that he was free. They were all cheering for him, a man who was once over TV's and newspapers around the entire country. The crowds stood up applauding and grinning at him. Sirius felt like he was on a game show.
Fudge rapped his gavel a few times and the crowds settled down. He had a very sour expression on his face.
"The jury finds that you are innocent, thus you can leave. I however, still believe you are guilty. One wrong move Black and I'll get the Dementor's on you so fast..."
Sirius looked up at the minister, and then just grinned. The guards undid his locks and he stood up and walked straight out of the courtroom. Outside, he found Dumbledore leaning against the door.
"I told you I could pull a few strings."
"Thanks Albus, I couldn't have done this without you."
"It was my pleasure Mr. Black, but I suggest you hurry home now, there are two people there worried sick about you."
Sirius grinned, too choked up with happiness to say anymore.
"Before you leave," Dumbledore said, before reaching into his robes, and pulling out a long thin box, "I'd like to give you this."
Sirius took the box and opened it. Lying inside was his old wand, just as he remembered it before he had been taken away. Sirius grinned. He looked up at Dumbledore with tears in his eyes.
"Congratulations Sirius," Dumbledore said.
"Thanks Albus," Sirius said before apparating as close to Remus's house as he could. He ran the rest of the way back to the house. He had a plan to surprise Harry and Remus, but when he got to the front door, he found that it was locked.
"Damn it," Sirius said aloud. He walked around to the back door and found that it too was locked. "So much for that," he thought before walking back to the front door and knocking.
"Who could that be?" Remus said aloud when he heard the knock. He put aside the exploding snap cards he had been holding and stood up.
"You wait here, Harry, I don't know if it's safe," he said, Harry nodded.
Remus walked swiftly down the stairs and to the front door. He pulled the door open, gasped and then keeled over.
Sirius burst out laughing when he saw his friend faint, although he hit the floor pretty hard, it was pretty funny.
Upstairs, Harry heard the thud of Remus's fall, and then heard a laugh. He immediately thought the worst, Voldemort. He climbed into his wheelchair, grabbed his wand and went downstairs. As he approached the doorway, he slowed down. Not wanting to put himself in immediate danger, he peered around the side of the wall. He was tipping slightly but was doing a good job keeping his balance. The first thing he saw was Remus out cold on the ground. He saw a pair of dark dress robes, and instantly thought, "Deatheater." He then looked into the face.
With a crash, Harry tipped over his wheelchair. "Si-Sirius!" Harry said from the floor. The sight of his godfather had caused him to lose balance completely.
"Sirius, what are you doing here?! And what happened to Remus?"
Sirius rushed to Harry's side and helped him get back in his chair. "Well, Remus was just a little surprised to see me, as you apparently were too."
"Okay, but what are you doing back?!" Harry asked excitedly, but worried at the same time that there were guards outside the door waiting to take Sirius away for good. "Did you already have a trial?"
"I did, Harry, and guess what the verdict was?"
Harry looked down sadly, he didn't want to get his hopes up. When Harry didn't respond, Sirius bent down in front of him. "Harry, it's okay."
Harry looked up quickly. "It's okay? You mean...you're free."
Sirius broke into a wide smile and nodded his head vigorously. Harry threw his arms around him and cried happily. Sirius was crying too.
"Finally," Harry muttered after a few moments. Sirius pulled away and grinned, wiping his happy tears away.
"Let's get Moony up and celebrate, shall we?"
Harry nodded, smiling. Sirius bent down next to Remus and shook him, "Moony, Moony, wake up Rem!"
Remus woke up rather easily and stared into the face of his best friend. He looked for a minute like he thought Sirius was a ghost, then broke into a grin. Sirius bent down and hugged Remus tightly, whispering, "I'm free, I won, Rem!"
Remus started crying as well. He looked up to see that Harry had joined the scene since he fainted. "Thank God, Padfoot, I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you." He hugged Sirius again.
"Lets celebrate, we can go to Diagon Ally for dinner!" Sirius said, gleeful at the prospect of walking through Diagon Ally.
"Sounds good, Harry, are you going to be okay going into public with that chair?"
Harry nodded, "I'm going to have to face the world sometime."
"Awesome, why don't we all go and get ready, then I'll tell you all about the trial," Sirius said.
Remus nodded and got up off the floor. He hugged Sirius tightly one more time and left. Sirius and Harry did the same before heading to Sirius's room.
"Dress Robes Harry," Sirius said, throwing him some that Remus had bought. Sirius grabbed some for himself before adding, "I'm going to take a shower first."
Harry nodded as he watched Sirius go. He was so happy now that Sirius was free, he couldn't imagine anything getting in his way now.
Sirius on the other hand could. He stood in the shower letting the water run over him, and just sobbed. He was beyond happy that he had gotten his freedom, but knew that it was probably going to be at the cost of Remus. Hearing the guard and Fudge talking about trying Remus for withholding information had terrified him. He knew the second shoe was going to drop, and he was going to be tense about it until it did.
Sirius stopped his tears half way through his shower, so that no one would be able to tell that he had been crying. He hurriedly got dressed and put his over the moon face on before heading to see where the others were. Harry was where Sirius had left him, but looked immensely better. He had fixed his hair, only slightly, but it made a remarkable difference, and he looked debonair in his dark blue dress robes.
"Who are you and what have you done with my Godson?" Sirius asked upon entering the room.
"Very funny, Sirius," Harry said shaking his head.
"How is it you know who I am stranger?"
"Sirius, I don't look that different."
"You look good Harry, are you ready?" Sirius said, finally acting serious.
Harry nodded, "But first I want to try something."
"What's that?"
"I've been moving my feet a lot today, and I kind of wanted to try walking, but I need some help."
"Awesome Harry," Sirius said grinning, "Maybe we'll have two things to celebrate tonight."
"Can you just make sure I don't fall?"
"Yeah," Sirius said, helping Harry rise to his feet. Sirius let go and let Harry stand on his own. They were both smiling as wide as was physically possible. Sirius stood less than a foot away, with his arms held out to catch Harry if he fell.
Harry began to lift one leg, but started to tip slightly, he caught his balance and tried again, successfully. He put the foot back down, a little ahead of where he began. Again, he wobbled a bit, but kept his balance. Now he moved his other foot forward, quite successfully. Again and again, he took small steps towards his bed. Sirius was following very close behind. Harry made it to the bed, and then decided he was going to turn around. He took a step to the side, and twisted one leg slightly. This didn't work so well, however, and Harry went flying. He was about to hit the floor when Sirius grabbed him around the waist.
"That was great Harry," Sirius exclaimed after standing Harry back up. Harry shrugged, trying to keep his smile in check. "Are you satisfied for now? We can try again after dinner."
"Yeah, I'm starving, Remus and I didn't eat too much while you were gone, we were too worried."
Sirius grinned sadly, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be, you're free now, and that's all that matters. I just wish me and Remus could have been at the trial."
"I wish you could have been too, but Remus is already in a little trouble with the ministry, it wouldn't have been a good idea for him to show up."
"Yeah, he said Dumbledore told him to stay home," Harry replied.
"It was probably for the best...Now lets go get Moony."
Sirius brought the wheelchair up to where Harry still stood, and Harry sat down. "How are we getting there?" Harry asked.
"Car," Sirius replied.
"To get to London? I actually don't know where this house is, but it seems pretty far from London."
"Well, we have a special car, you wouldn't know about these of course. It's almost like an apparation vehicle. We just hit a button, say where we want to go there, and we end up in this sort of garage near where we want to go, then we drive the rest of the way like any muggle would."
"Cool," Harry replied, "I wonder why the Weasley's don't get one."
"Well, they're pretty expensive, and with all those kids they probably can't afford one."
Harry nodded, understanding completely. Sirius then walked out the door, Harry rolled after them. They went downstairs to find Remus waiting in the living room. He was wearing robes that were considerably nicer than the ones he had worn when he taught at Hogwarts. "Sirius must have a lot of money," Harry thought. After all, he had bought Harry a Firebolt, a wheelchair, and an entire wardrobe, and Remus probably couldn't have pitched in that much.
"Guess what Harry just did, Moony," Sirius said excitedly.
"His hair," Remus remarked noticing that it looked nicer than usual.
"Well that and...Harry you want to tell him?"
"I walked a bit upstairs," Harry said shyly. He didn't think it was that big of a deal and hated that Sirius was making it one.
Remus, however was on Sirius's side. "Harry that's awesome! Did it come easy?"
Harry nodded.
"Nice, keep practicing, and we can return that chair!"
"You ready Rem?" Sirius asked, "Harry and I are starving!"
"Me too, we haven't eaten anything yet today, lets go."
Sirius headed for the door, followed by Harry, with Remus taking up the rear. Sirius headed to the side of the house where a Jeep (A/N: I love Jeeps, I just got a brand new one! Or I should say my parents did...) was parked. Harry hadn't noticed it on his previous ventures outside the Lupin Loft. Sirius opened a back door and motioned for Harry to come over.
"See that handle? I want you to grab hold of that to stand up and then pull yourself in with it, can you do that?"
"I think so," Harry replied, and then tried it. It was difficult, but Harry made it into his seat and buckled up. Remus got in behind the wheel (the right side, right?) as Sirius put the wheelchair in the back. He then got in on the passenger side (Left side?).
"London," Remus said after pressing a button on the dash board. They immediately were lunged into darkness. After about 20 seconds they came to a halt and the inside of a city car garage came into focus. Remus put the jeep in drive and began spiraling down to the bottom of the garage. They drove through the city for 15 minutes or so, before finding a parking place near the Leaky Cauldron.
Remus got ready to get out of the car, but then looked at his friend. Sirius looked positively terrified.
"You going to be okay, Padfoot?"
"Ye-no," Sirius replied, shaking his head. "Rem, what if people still think bad about me, I'm sure everyone knows the truth by now, but what if I'm shunned anyway?"
"Sirius, man, it's something you're just going to have to wait and see about. Some people are probably going to be like that, but I bet a lot of them will be on your side. Are you ready?"
Sirius nodded, but still looked rather terrified. Remus opened his door and got out, grabbing Harry's wheelchair from the trunk. He then opened Harry's door and helped him out. After Remus shut Harry's door, he noticed that Sirius was still in the Jeep. Remus sighed and then went and opened Sirius's door.
Sirius was shaking slightly, and he grimaced at Remus when he opened his door. "Are you sure about this Moony?" he muttered.
"Yeah, Sirius, it's going to be alright, it doesn't matter what anyone thinks, what can they do to you? Nothing! Now get out, lets go, we're going to celebrate!"
Sirius reluctantly got out of the Jeep and Remus went to put some money in the parking meter. Sirius looked down grimly at Harry in his chair. "No using chair powers when we're on the muggle street, okay Harry."
Harry nodded and practiced moving the chair by rolling the wheels. It was actually more fun that way he found. Remus started walking down the street confidently, as Sirius walked by slouching, trying to be unnoticed, and as Harry struggled to roll up a slight hill. When they made it inside the Leaky Cauldron, everyone turned to stare. They were quite a crew. Sirius Black, the ex-convict, Harry Potter, the invalid, and a werewolf. The people didn't say a word, but stared, gawked at the group.
"Lets go," Remus mumbled, walking speedily to the end of the room where he could get to the entrance to Diagon Alley. Harry was using the wheelchair powers now, so he made it through smoothly. Sirius just looked scared as he walked through the crowds of witches and wizards. He had his arms crossed tensely in front of himself, he really looked as though he was trying to disappear inside of himself.
Remus stepped up to the wall and tapped it, and waited for it to open fully. When finally it did, they all went through. Luckily for everyone, Diagon Alley wasn't very busy that night. They trekked down the street until they reached a fancy little building called, "The Magic Moment Inn". Remus stepped up to the door and held it open. Harry went through first, followed by Sirius, then Remus himself. Remus stepped up in front of both of them, knowing full well that they would want to be hidden as much as they could. They waited for the hostess to seat them for nearly five minutes, tension growing by the second. When she finally came however, the tension met it's peak.
Remus almost fell over when he saw who it was.
"Remus!" the hostess exclaimed. "I haven't seen you in so long!"
Remus just stared at her, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. Sirius looked down at Harry, unable to see who the girl was. Harry couldn't see either so he just shrugged. Sirius became daring enough to peak around Remus and what he saw almost made him faint.
"Sorai!" he yelled before pushing past Remus and wrapping the hostess in a huge bear hug.
A/N: That's all for now folks! I hope you enjoyed that. I intended to make the trial longer, but how much could Fudge really ask??? Anyway, next chapter you'll see who Sorai is, I didn't intend to have an OC but I couldn't resist. Hopefully I'll be able to develop her good, it'll test my writing ability, and I'll try my hardest not to make her a Mary Sue! And keep in mind, I don't plan to have any romance in this story at all, I think it gets corny if there's too much of that! REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!!