Disclaimer: Two reasons I don't own Harry Potter or anything associated with it-1) Would I really be writing fanfiction if I owned the original story? and 2) Since the author and owner of Harry Potter is J.K. Rowling, and seeing that I'm not J.K. Rowling, then I'm not the author and I don't own Harry Potter!
And...I couldn't make a profit off of any of my fanfiction stories, even if I wanted to!


A/N: Here's what you've all been waiting for! Drumroll please...Harry finally sees Sirius!
Enjoy!


A/N: I'm writing this on Thursday: Ahhhh!!! Oh my gosh guys I'm soooo sorry! Something in my computer was screwed up and the whole chapter didn't show up on FanFiction.Net! Grrr...yous ee, there's a couple of more paragraphs after "...the fifth of which is Black himself!" Thanks so much, wellduh... for saying that that was a bad place to end the chapter, so I went to check the story out. Man this is screwed up...about chapter 11, I'm gonna work my butt off tomorrow to write it, but I can't guarantee anything, but I'll try.

Chapter Ten-Cornelius Fudge and Albys Dumbledore





Harry walked into Sirius's room, closed the door behind him, and--filled with something that felt remarkably close to dread-turned around to face the bed, and gasped.

There lay Sirius. He didn't look nearly as bad as Harry had expected him to, but Harry couldn't do anything but stare for a moment. His left arm was in a sling that was being held slightly over the edge of the bed, and-although Harry couldn't really tell, because Sirius was mostly lying on his back-there appeared to be a large bandage on the back of his head. But the thing that had made Harry gasp was Sirius's coloring: he was pale, very, very pale. So pale that, although it might have been his imagination, it seemed to Harry that he was hardly darker colored the white hospital blankets. He was unnerved by this-why was he so pale?

Sirius appeared to be sleeping, and Harry didn't want to wake him up, he knew what it was like to need sleep after you receive injuries. Instead, he slowly walked over to his bedside and just stood there, for how long he couldn't tell, watching Sirius's chest rise and fall with every breath he took. After days of worrying about Sirius's safety, just watching him lie here in peace was-to Harry-the equivalent as if one of the doctors in the hospital had given him a sedative. Watching Sirius sleep peacefully, he soon felt calmer and more at ease than he had felt in days.

As he looked at him, Harry began to think that he was relatively lucky, Sirius's condition could have been worse. Think of all the people who died or are going to die from the attacks in Southampton and Liverpool, Harry reminded himself. I'm really lucky, Sirius is going to be okay.

But then a startling new thought occurred to him. Was Sirius going to be okay? He was in the hospital for a head injury, and head injuries can be very serious, and people aren't in the hospital for no reason...and he was in intensive care...

With a sick feeling in his stomach Harry realized that this wasn't totally over yet, and suddenly, he didn't feel so lucky anymore.




* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *




Hermione watched anxiously as Harry walked into Sirius's room. For a moment, Hermione and the Weasleys didn't say anything, then she turned to Mr. Weasley, sighing heavily.

"So what's going to happen now?" She asked.

"Well," Mr. Weasley said slowly. "I am going to try and find a doctor who can tell us more about Sirius's condition, and then I'm going to speak with Professor Dumbledore."

"Why?" Ron asked. Hermione frowned. Honestly, Ron was one of her best friends and she cared about him a lot, but sometimes he seemed a just a little bit slow. However, she chewed on her bottom lip and refrained from making one of her trademark brisk, know-it-all responses-she didn't feel like being her own self at the moment. Instead, she let Mr. Weasley answer.

"Because I want to find out what the news is on the Minister giving Sirius a trial. Now," he directed his attention to the rest of them. "I'm going to look for that doctor now, and I want you lot to stay in the waiting room, and don't go in and bother Harry until he comes out himself. Then," he nodded at Mrs. Weasley. "We're going to get Albus."

Mrs. Weasley nodded, and without another word, her husband swept off down the hallway. Then she led them to the empty waiting room, where they all sat down. Percy looked a little agitated about not going with his father, but he didn't say anything about the matter, but instead picked up a pamphlet on head injuries and began to read. Mrs. Weasley sat down next to him, reading over his shoulder. Fred and George, for once, were not talking, and Ginny just sat staring at her knees, her hair falling over her face. Ron turned to Hermione, however, and they began to speak in low voices.

"D'you think Fudge will give Sirius a trial?" He asked her, and as an afterthought he growled, "He better...he's already suffered too much! This is ridiculous, someone's got to listen to us, he's innocent!"

"I know that and you know that," Hermione said reasonably. "But it's a matter of whether the Ministry knows that, Ron. After all, there were just five of us who saw Pettigrew confess to following Voldemort-three teenage wizards-one of which Fudge already thinks is off his rocker-a werewolf and a convicted murderer. I hate to say it, but in the Ministry's eyes, we aren't very reliable eyewitnesses. I don't like it anymore than you do."

"Yeah, I know," Ron said miserably. "But, I swear, if Fudge doesn't listen to us and sends Sirius back to Azkaban, I'll...I'll..."

"I know, Ron," Hermione said quietly with a sigh, something she had been doing a lot of lately. "I know."


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Meanwhile there was a bit of a commotion in the office of Cornelius Fudge at the Ministry of Magic. Fudge was in a seriously bad mood.

He was sitting at his desk, surrounded by books and papers and letters, with his head in his hands, massaging his forehead wearily. There was a small, incredibly annoying owl that belonged to the Weasley family flying in circles around the room. It had delivered a very frank, straight-to-the-point letter from Arthur Weasley himself, saying in very clear terms that he would be supporting Dumbledore all the way when it came to deciding the innocence of Sirius Black. He had received a very similar letter from Remus Lupin. Fudge hardly cared anymore-none of them we're in a big position of power in the Ministry, and if he kept saying no, these people would have to stop pestering him. Ignore him and he'll go away...Fudge though wryly as he remembered what his mother used to say when his little brother would provoke him into getting into sibling arguments.

The owl made a chittering sort of noise as it zoomed around the office. Doesn't that thing ever get tired? Fudge thought furiously. It had been in his office for almost two hours and didn't seem to want to leave. What was really annoying him about the darned thing, however, was that every ten minutes or so it would pick up a random piece of paper from somewhere in his office, and then drop it on Fudge's head. Then he would chirping madly as if he had accomplished some amazing feat that Fudge should reward him for.

At that very moment, the owl dropped a letter from Lucius Malfoy on his head. Fudge sat there for a moment, then he wearily lifted a hand a brushed it off of his scalp. It fluttered to the floor, but he didn't bother to pick it up, there was already too much paper on the floor for one addition to make much of a difference. Fudge felt like sticking his head out of his office window and wailing his brains out he brought his head down onto the desk and left it there.

This is too much, he thought miserably. I'm beginning to crack. I'm getting overly swamped with all this action by these people that claim to be Death Eaters--blast the Daily Prophet, who's encouraging those rumors-and this whole business with that dratted Sirius Black, and I'm getting owls from people left and right, and Dumbledore won't leave me alone, and the magical world is in a panic because they all thought that Voldemort was returning, which-Fudge downright refused to believe-he was NOT, and on top of it all there was this bothersome, maddening, dim-witted owl that was a major pain in the you-know-what that was going to get his neck broken if he didn't shut up because he was beginning to give Fudge a migraine.

And on top of it all, he was expected at St. Mungo's in a couple of hours.

He was interrupted from his thoughts by a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" He called, his voice muffled because his mouth was pressed against his desktop.

"It's me," said the voice of his secretary, Martha.

Fudge sighed, sat up, straightened his robes, and called out, "What is it?"

Martha opened the door. Warily eyeing the mess that met her, she said, "Well, sir, Albus Dumbledore, is here to see you."

Fudge stared at her, a bit disbelievingly. "P-pardon? Albus...Albus Dumbledore?"

"Yes, sir," Martha said, shifting uncormfortably under his gaze. "That would be the Albus that I am referring to."

"Yes, of course," Fudge sighed. "Bring him in." Martha nodded and, after a small frown directed at the Weasley's owl-which was now sitting on top of a bookcase, chirping and chittering madly and looking very content with himself--she left, leaving the door open behind her.

Albus Dumbledore was beginning to irritate Fudge beyond tolerance with all his persisting about giving Black a trial, or at least a hearing of some sort-goodness, couldn't the man just give him a break! He hadn't slept very much in the past few weeks, and all he wanted to do was to clear up the business with those so-called Death Eaters and ship Black off to Azkaban and off of his back.

Fudge wasn't particulary looking forward to seeing Dumbledore, but he decided that if he just told him a downright "no" to giving Black a trial, he might leave him alone. Might.

Fudge looked up as Albus Dumbledore walked swiftly into his office. Ignoring the mess and striding forward right to the desk in the back of the room, he rested his palms on the wooden desktop and leaned forward. The usual twinkle was out of his eyes, but his face showed no expression.

"Cornelius," he said simply, in a firm, calm voice. Fudge looked at him, understanding what that one statement of his name meant. It was a commanding question...an oxymoron if I've ever heard one, Fudge thought a bit wryly.

"Albus," he responded, although not as calmly, his voice shook slightly as he spoke. After a short silence, Fudge added, "I'm not doing it, Dumbledore. I will not give an already convicted murderer a trial. It doesn't make any sense, there is absolutely no point to it."

"Ah, but there is a point, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, still very calmly. "There is a point to giving an innocent man his freedom."

"Black is not innocent!" Fudge said sharply, standing up and beginning to pace around his office, massaging his forehead. "You have to admit, Dumbledore, that the evidence against him thirteen years ago was very strong. I just don't see how anyone-" he looked pointedly at Dumbledore, and then waved his hand around the room, motioning to the letters from Lupin and Mr. Weasley. "-could be convinced that he's not guilty!"

"Cornelius," Dumbledore said, and anyone who looked at him then would see that a fire was beiginning to be kindled in his eyes. "Five people saw Peter Pettigrew confess to the crimes of which Black was convicted-"

"Yes, Dumbledore, five people!" Fudge cried, interrupting the other man mid-sentence. "A werewolf, three teenagers-one of which I already know is untrustworthy and is Black's godson, and another of which is Arthur Weasley's son-and the fifth of which is Black himself!"

"Cornelius, I assure you that actions will be taken to assure that justice will be done," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes blazing now. Then with a swift nod and the swish of his robes, he had left, leaving Fudge to wonder whether what he had just said would be considered a threat. He hardly noticed when a small grey owl flew out of his office window and into the morning air.

Outside in the waiting room for Fudge's office, Dumbledore reached into the pocket of his robes for a handful of Floo Powder, and tossed it into the fireplace, murmering the words, "St. Mungo's." There was work to be done.




AN: This originally wasn't going to be the end of the chapter, but it seemed like a good place to stop...do you guys think I characterized Fudge well enough? And is it just me, or does Dumbledore seem a little out of character?

I know this chapter took longer than usual, and it's not really long, sorry guys! I've been really busy lately-my mom is having her gall bladder out tomorrow...and, well, I know I mentioned this before but I know that some new readers have arrived, so I'll say it again-on Saturday I'm going away for two weeks to a place where I cannot upload chapters and won't be back until August 31st,I think. I'll try my best to get chapter 11 out before then and get a start on 12...also, I can't guarantee that I'll have the next chapter ready as soon as I get back because I'll be busy there, but it depends how much time I have on my hands and whether I feel like writing-you see, I can't write a decent chapter if I'm not in the mood for writing. So, some people answer this in the reviews: If-and that's an IF-I get around to starting chapter 12 before I leave, do you want me to post it unfinished or not? Now, don't get me wrong-I may not be able to start it, but if I do...

The fact that italics won't show when I upload my chapters is really beginning to annoy me...I mean, somethings you can emphasize by putting it in caps, but still...it's driving me nuts!

WeasleyTwinsLover1112: Lalala...hehe, this is fun...I'm evil, aren't I? Hehe... :)

Gengi: You peoplea are all going to be happy today, I think!

Silver Moons: I noticed that you only reviewed the first chapter...you might want to read the other nine that are up! :)

Yuffie-Girl: Yeah, there are about two other "Rainbow"'s on the site, I think...I didn't know that, though, when I signed up. Thank you! Don't worry, Sirius will wake up in the next chapter...Yes, as you already know, Fudge is in this story!

PadfootProngs: Thanks a lot! I promise I will read your stories when I get home, or maybe in the next few days if I get the chance.

Last chapter was Typo City, grrr! And don't worry, guys-Sirius will be awake in the next chapter!