The trial was set for the week before Christmas and Harry was a nervous wreck. Ne spent the night before it pacing the common room refusing to go to bed even when Ron threatened to levitate him there. It was three AM before Ginny could led him upstairs and by then he was to tired to resist. After all of that however he still couldn't sleep and he spent two hours tossing before falling asleep just before dawn.

            He was awokened at seven by gentle hands that he didn't recognize. Slowly he emerged from thhe deep sleep he had managed to go into in the two hours he had slept.

            "Come on Harry wake up we have to go.' When he opened his eyes he rolled ver and drew the covers over his head.

            "I shan't go, Moony!!" Proffeser Lupin stood over him exaspeeratedly.

            "Harry come on now llet's get this over with. I didn't become a lawyer to fight with teenages."

            "Gee that's bloody sterotypical isn't it?" came the muffled replay from uner the quilt. Remus sighed and beckoned to someone in the doorway.

            "He thinks I'm bloody sterotypical you give it  a whirl." Someone sat on the edge of the bed and pried the covers from Harry's hand.

            "Harry get up I know you don't want to do this and I don't want you to have to but let's get moving." Ginny coaxed and Harry slowly glaring at her and Lupin sat up.

            "Okay okay if we must." They nodded and lfet and Harry got dressed. It was slow in going though because his hands were shaking horribly. He clutched the banister much as he had during his first days without vision but now it was not due to sight because he could see wellenough, some more of his colour vision was back and the second sight was more than usful. No, it was not due to that. It was for stability because if he didn't hold onto something he was sure he would fall.

            Siriis, Lupin, Ginny, and Dumbledore were all waiting for him when he got down the stairs and he let himself be led down halls and breifed on what he had begun to call D-Day.

            "Hey judge is nice enough she left Sirius off with a warning when he rammed his motorcycle int a fence. Well that and it was a DUI."

            "Barely!" Sirius blushed.

            "Right… Dumbledpre will be a co-co ucil simply because the jury tends tend to think lower of me well because of what I am." Here it was Remus' turn to blush. "I'll most likely be cross examining you so beware of the prosucution and don't get scared. And Harry listen to me here. There is no doubt that Vernon Dursley will be there but we won't let anything happen to you." They got to the doors and Harry and Ginny hung back.

            "Harry you know I can't come with you."

            "I k-k-know."

            "But I will be thinking of you." They kissed for a long time.

            "Okay lovebirds break it up!"

            "Yes m-master S-sirius." Harry dragged himself to the gates of Hogwarts and down to the Hogsmeade courthouse.  He walked inside he sensed the presence of someone to be feared, someone who could flanked by the two surviving Mauraders and Dumbledore. As he sat down and had hurt him and his eyes couldn't help but flicker to the left. There he sat his mass barely contained in the court chair. Harry felt his pulse racing and he felt the sweat trickleing down the back of his neck.  He slowly watched the judge speak but he couldn't hear. Didn't want to hear. He didn't want to know that he was being called The minor in question or to hear about what would happen pending the results of this trail he really just wanted to go home.

            He didn't regain control over any of his senses until Remus nudged him.

            "Huh?"

            "Go up there.' Harry nodded and with shaking legs stepped up to the witness stand.

            'Mr. Potter please state your full name for the court."

            "Harold J-j-james Potter. H-h-harry."

            "Well then Harry." The prosucutor was a skinny man and looked rather comic compared to obtuse Mr. Dusley. He had a black bttle brush moutache that clashed horribley with his gray, balding hair. "let's get staight to the point shall we? Were you abused by Mr. Dursley?" Harry took a deep breath.

            "Yes. Th-that's what I'm here for r-r-right?"

            Ignoring Harry's statement the man went on.

            "When?"

            "M-many t-times."

            "How often would you say? Once a week? A month?"

            "About o-once a w-week?"

            "You say that as if it is a question."

            "I-it was. It v-varied so m-much th-that I can't really s-say. It depended on his m-mood."

            "His mood?"

            "Well yes. S-sometimes he w-was madder th-than others."

            "Oh? And on these occasions what would he do?"

            "Well usually he-he'd t-take my g-g-glasses. Th-then he'd b-beat me. Usually with his f-fists, s-s-sometimes with his b-belt."

            "You say he took your glasses? Tell me Harry are you far-sighted or near-sighted?"

            "N-near-sighted."

            "Objection! Relevance!"

            "Over ruled get to the point Mr. Jones!"

            "I'm coming to that. What is your vision?"

            "Before or a-after?"

            "Before."

            "Oh a-about 20;50 w-w-without glasses"

            "And how far away from you would Mr. Dursley stand?"

            "With his -bbelt? About t-two yards or so."

"So you had trouble seeing him?"

"A b-bit blurred."

"So it could have been anybody?"

"I-I guess… but it w-was h-him he'd lean in e-everyonce in a w-w while."

"But in essance it could've been anyon! Your honor for  all this boy could see we have the wrong man! No further questions!"Harry sat still the world spinning around him. Have the wrong man? He thought not!

"Your witness council."

"Right thanks your honor. Harry I need you to tell me about the events of July first please." Harry sighed he had known this would come.

"O-okay. I-i-I had been t-t-told to cut the g-grass but I k-knew that if it was c-c-cut again so soon it'd die. Wh-when  I told him th-this he told me to see h-h-him after ch-chores. Wh-wh-when I did he b-beat me bad. He broke my arm and he-he s-sprained my ankle."

"That had to hurt. And how did he do this to you?"

"H-he hit m-me.'

"So he had to stand close?"

 "Yes."

"So you could see him."

"Y-yeah."

"Thus this makes the prosucuters statement obsoleate. Now Harry how long has the defendant been hurting you?"

"For as long as I can remember. It got worst since last year."

"Oh what happened last year?"

"He-he-he-he-he-hehe-he." Harry seemed unable to finish his finish the sentence.

"Please tell us Harry." Lupins voice was calm but firm. Harry took several deep breaths before he was able to speak.

"I-I can't"

"Try."

"Okay. He-he-he-he. He raped me." A series of gasps spread through the courtroom and Harry grew pale.

"Right. No further questions."

"Mr. Potter you may step down." Harry did and almost without thinking sank back into his cahir. When he sat down, he passed out.

When he came to Vernon was on the stand and staring straight at him. Lupin was standing in front of him.

"If what you contend it is true that you and I quote "never harmed a hair on the boys head then who did? Did someone sneak into your house and beat him."

"No. He fell down the stairs."

"Oh? then why pry tell did our nurse say that he had a fist mark on his chest?"

"Erm…"

"And why are there no head injuries like what normally comes when a child falls down the stairs."

 "Er…"

"And how come under a lie detector test why does he content that he was abused?"

"The test must be-"

"the test is fine Mr. Dursley. I do believe you are lying. So tell me one more thing. Why do it?"

"I well… I did it because he was so smart and brave and well famous and my boy is not. So he had to be punished."

"thank you. No further questions. I rest my case.'

"In that case, this court sentances Mr. Vernon Dursley to three years under custody and Harry Potter is now a ward of the school of Hogwarts." Harry blinked and whispered to Sirius.

"What d-does th-this mean?"

"It means Harry that you don't ever heve to go back to Number Four Privet Drive!" Harry smiled an ear to ear grin and then he said,

"You m-mean I c-c-can go h-h-home now, to Hogwarts?"

"Yes!" Harry cheered and he and the others went back to Hogwarts.

Ginny was waiting for him in the Gryffindor common room and when the portait opened she jumped at him.

"Are you okay? You're smiling that must be good! Or it could be a cheering charm…."

"Relax! I'm f-f-fine he's l-l-locked up."

"Wahoo!" they jumped up and down together and when Ron and Hermione came in they shared the good news. For once Harry slept that night.