Chapter Three: The Long Awaited Trial
Half an hour before the trail was due to start; Harry, Professor Lupin and Tonks arrived at the visitor's entrance to the Ministry. Ray Harker - the red-haired keen-eyed new recruit who had been driving them - and his girlfriend, Sandra Troy, an athletic raven-haired woman, led the way to the telephone box. As they were travelling incognito, they wore a variety of clothing: Harry wore black trousers and a green shirt, under his new dragonhide coat; Professor Lupin, a old grey suit almost a well-worn as his robes; Tonks wore her Weird Sisters T-shirt over a pair of black jeans; Ray Harker was dressed in a maroon tracksuit and red cross-training shoes; and Sandra wore a black Muggle halter-top and jeans topped off with silver- blue, dragonhide boots and a black dragonhide jacket. Sandra and Harker quickly scanned the street for Muggle and non-Muggle observers, Harker nodded and they moved forward quickly. Tonks stepped forward and picked up the handset, the others crammed in behind her, and she dialled quickly and spoke into the mouthpiece. "Nymphadora Tonks, Auror, escorting Remus Lupin and Harry Potter to witness a trail on Level Ten, also present are Raymond Harker and Sandra Troy."
Four badges dropped into the coin slot and Harry handed three of them back to the others. The operator reminded them that they would have to submit to a security check and then the box began to sink into the ground. When they arrived at the Atrium they swept through it - the statues atop the fountain had still not been replaced - and over to the security desk, which was manned by the same wizard who had been there almost a year ago, Eric, Harry thought his name was. Harry, Remus, Harper and Sandra handed over their wands for inspection - Remus' was thirteen inches long and made of oak and unicorn hair; and Harker's was fifteen inches long and made of yew and dragon heartstring; while Sandra carried an eleven-and-a-half inch olive and phoenix feather wand - then entered the golden lift.
Two minutes later, they came out into the Department of Mysteries. Harry paused at the threshold, neither of his previous visits to this level of the Ministry had not been pleasant, Professor Lupin took him by the arm and guided him forward. "Everything will be okay Harry. Trust me."
Harry smiled slightly. "It's just. difficult, that's all."
Lupin nodded. "I understand. It's not easy for me either."
They walked in silence for a few minutes until they caught up with another large group of people, heading the same way, just down the corridor from the courtrooms - seven redheads, a young woman with platinum blond hair, a young girl with dirty blonde hair and a distracted air, and another girl of Harry's age with bushy hair who carried a large, leather satchel. "Hi guys!" said Harry, beaming. It had been over a month since he'd seen any of the Weasleys, the blond woman, Fleur Delacour, or the other two girls - Ginny's friend, Luna Lovegood and his best friend, Hermione Granger.
"How are you Harry?" Hermione asked. Ginny, Ron and the twins turned to listen. Luna might have too, with her it was hard to tell.
"I'm fine," Harry assured her. "At least I have since. since." he paused.
"Sirius returned." Ginny finished for him.
Harry nodded, "I've been staying with Professor Lupin and Tonks at his house since my birthday. Two or three of the new recruits are with us at any one time." he indicated Harper and Sandra. "Harper, Sandra. These are my friends, the Weasleys. Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron - one of my best friends, Ginny, and their father Arthur." Harper and Sandra nodded in acknowledgement. "Plus Fleur Delacour, Bill's girlfriend, Hermione Granger - my other best friend, and Luna Lovegood, another friend."
He took a deep breath. "Hermione, Luna, Fleur, Weasleys... this is Ray Harker and Sandra Troy, they both work for the Order."
Mr Weasley suggested they move inside. Bill, Fleur, Charlie and Tonks, followed him immediately, but Hermione, Ron, Ginny, the twins, and Luna held back to stand with Harry. Harper and Sandra took flanking positions as they moved inside and sat down on the benches facing the judges panel, to the right sat twelve witches and wizards who would serve as the jury. Only three other people were present: Rita Skeeter, and two tall, broad- shouldered men Harry didn't recognise - though several of the others did - whom Tonks identified in a whisper as Kenneth Clarke, a journalist for the Daily Prophet and Barty Williams, an announcer of the Wizarding Wireless Network.
"All rise for the Wizengamot," ordered the same cold, male voice that had spoke the last time Harry was there. Everyone rose to their feet and stood as the fifty witches and wizards clad in plum-coloured robes strode in. As they took their seats, Harry was pleased to see that three faces from last time were missing. "Bring in the prisoners."
The door on the opposite side from the ones that they, and the Wizengamot, had entered through creaked open. First to come through the door was a small, bald man in grey Ministry-issue robes, flanked by five wizards in the blue-and-silver livery of the Hit-Wizards - Harry recognised two of them, Jason Draper and Josef Phobus, a brawny, and rather sinister and intimidating man, who had been recruited to the Order only two weeks before. Wormtail won't be able to slip away this time, Harry thought to himself with a certain amount of satisfaction. Wormtail was escorted to one of the two chairs in the centre of the room, and he sat down, the chains attached to the edge of the chair promptly snaked up to ensnare him. Contrastingly, when Sirius was escorted in a few moments later by Kingsley and two Ministry Inquisitors loyal to Dumbledore, he was not imprisoned by his chair.
"The chairs only imprison the guilty," explained Tonks. "There's a spell on the chains that senses feelings of guilt."
"Now everyone who needs to be is here, we shall begin," announced Dumbledore from his seat at the centre of the bench. "We are here today to determine the facts of the events of November 1st 1981, and to determine the guilt or innocence of Sirius Lee Black of number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London, regarding the charge of wilfully killing thirteen Muggles with a single curse. The charge of wilful murder in the case of Peter Pettigrew is summarily dismissed due to the presence of the individual concerned in the courtroom at this instance."
"Interrogators: Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of Magical Law Enforcement; Hestia Veritas, Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol. Court Scribe: Adolphus Waffling."
"Mr Black, could you please describe for the court the events which lead to the death of thirteen Muggles and your incarceration in Azkaban Prison."
"Yes Professor," Sirius replied. "On October 24th 2003, James and Lily Potter were told that Voldemort intended to make a move against them due to a prophecy which said that their son Harry would destroy him. The Potters went into hiding under the Fidelius Charm."
"And you were their Secret Keeper?" asked Madame Bones.
Sirius shook his head, "That was the original plan as I intended to go into hiding myself, but I persuaded them to change to Peter at the last minute, as a misdirection ploy."
"So you are saying that you were not directly involved in the deaths of Lily and James Potter?" clarified Madame Bones.
"Yes, I am Your Honour." confirmed Sirius. "I only heard about the attack after it happened. I rushed to Godric's Hollow and found Rubeus Hagrid retrieving Harry from the ruins of their house. I tried to persuade him to let me take Harry - I was his godfather, you see - but Hagrid insisted on taking Harry to Little Whinging to live with his Muggle aunt and uncle."
Dumbledore nodded confirmation of this when Madame Bones looked at him. "For his protection, you understand?"
Madame Bones nodded, "Continue Mr Black."
"The next day, Peter caught up with me in London. In front of Muggle witnesses, he accused me of betraying my friends and then killed a group of Muggles behind him with his own wand, which he had hidden behind his back."
"I see, and can you explain why Mr Pettigrew would try and frame you. And how and why he was believed dead?"
"Yes Your Honour, I can." Sirius answered. "He tried to frame me for the same reason that he betrayed Lily and James in the first place. He is a coward, more interested in saving his own skin than doing what is right. As for why he fled. I discovered during my time in Azkaban that many of the Death Eaters knew that Voldemort had been told where James and Lily were hiding by Peter, they thought he lured Him to his destruction deliberately. The reason why everyone believed that he was dead, was that after he chopped off his own finger, he transformed into a rat and escaped into the sewers where no-one could find him."
"He transformed?" blurted out Madam Veritas. "How did he do this?"
"By using the Animagus Transformation your Honour," Sirius explained. "During our fifth year, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and I became Animagi. We never registered ourselves, although I believe James may have told one or two of his superiors in the Corps of Aurors that he was an Animagus."
"Can anyone else verify that Peter Pettigrew is indeed an Animagus?" asked Veritas. "Other than Pettigrew himself of course."
"Yes, Your Honour."
"Are any of them present here today?"
"Yes Your Honour."
"And they are?"
"Remus Lupin, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."
Veritas scanned the audience until she spotted Harry. "Mr Potter, please stand and address the court."
Harry stood immediately. "Yes Your Honour." "On your honour as a wizard. Can you verify that Peter Pettigrew is indeed an Animagus. a rat Animagus to be precise?"
"I can Your Honour."
"Have you witnessed this transformation?"
"Yes Your Honour," Harry replied. "During my third year in the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade Village during the evening of the June full moon I saw Worm- Peter Pettigrew return to human form from that of a rat."
"What were you doing in Hogsmeade at time of night?" asked Madam Bones.
"That matter is outside the purview of this hearing and has already been dealt with." Dumbledore told her. "Please continue Harry." "Thank you Professor. About an hour later, in the grounds of Hogwarts, I saw him transform again, this time into a rat. It was then that he managed to escape."
"Thank you Mr Potter. You may be seated." Veritas told him. "Mr Black, do you have anything more to add?"
"No Your Honour."
"Very well," said Veritas. "Mr Pettigrew, please tell us your version of the events outlined by Mr Black."
After a little, non to gentle, prodding from Kingsley, Wormtail spoke and naturally confirmed everything that Sirius and Harry had said was true. When he had finished speaking, Dumbledore spoke up again. "Peter Pettigrew, did you aide and abet the kidnapping and illegal imprisonment of Bartemis Crouch Sr; furthermore, did you brew illegal necromantic potions with the intention of resorting Lord Voldemort to his full power; and did you in fact inflict actual bodily harm on Harry Potter to this end?"
"I did."
"Therefore, I ask that the jury deliver its verdict," said Dumbledore, looking at them over his half-moon spectacles. "Raise your hands if you believe that Sirius Lee Black is guilty of the charges levied against him?" Harry held his breath. Not a single hand was raised. "I therefore declare Mr Black innocent of all charges. Does the jury believe as I do that a sum of ten-thousand Galleons would be suitable remuneration?" This time every hand was raised.
Dumbledore waited until Kingsley and the Inquisitors had escorted Sirius out of the room before he continued. "In the case of Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, does the jury feel that he is guilty of the crimes of which he stands accused?" Again every hand was raised. "Does the jury feel that such crimes deserve the maximum possible sanction?" For a third time, every hand was raised. Dumbledore glanced at both the witches sharing the bench with him, they nodded. "Peter Pettigrew, under the Crime and Sentences Act 1867, an Animagus may, at the discretion of the trail interrogators, be defined as a Beast for the purposes of sentencing."
Harry leaned over to whisper to Tonks. "Is Dumbledore about to do what I think he's about to do?"
Tonks nodded. "He is."
"Oh... Good."
"Peter Pettigrew. by the authority vested in me as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot of Britain and Ireland. I hereby decree that you shall be taken from this place, and then to a place of execution, where your head will be stricken from your body. Go in peace."
Dumbledore waited until Wormtail had been taken from the room and then spoke again. "Court dismissed."
"I hope somebody other than MacNair is holding the axe." muttered Harry as they moved out of the courtroom, Ron and Hermione where on his left, with Tonks, Lupin and Moody on his right. Ginny, Luna and the other Weasleys walked behind them and Harker and Sandra stood in flanking positions outside the group. Ron nodded grimly, he still took Wormtail's betrayal of them as personally as he ever had. As they passed the seat where Rita was sitting she opened her mouth to speak, but a scowl from both Harry and Hermione made her change her mind.
Sirius was waiting for them when they reached the Atrium, the two Inquisitors were nowhere to be seen, but Kingsley stood slightly behind Sirius. Harry knew he shouldn't but he couldn't restrain himself. He ran forward and embraced Sirius with so much violence that the former convict almost fell over. "I thought I'd lost you forever and now you're here. and a free man too. When can I move in?"
"As soon as you want to Harry. I don't want you to ever return to those Muggles." Sirius told him. "I hope you don't mind if we make it Remus' house? At least until I can get a few things sorted out? I've had enough of Grimmauld Place to last me a lifetime."
"No problem." Harry assured him. He had no particular wish to return to Grimmauld Place either.
Harry said his goodbyes to the Weasleys, Hermione and Luna and followed Sirius, Professor Lupin, Tonks and their escort back up to the street. Harker's car was exactly where he had left it, so all that as required was a quick Expanding Charm so they could all fit in.
That night Harry didn't get much sleep, he was too worked up by being back with Sirius again and in a place that felt like a home too. Not his home, Harry reflected, but homely none the less.
A/N: I hope you like what I've written so far. It's been fairly light so far but it may get darker later. Please review following the link below or by e-mailing me at behomuk@yahoo.co.uk. More will be coming soon. Dumbledore's final sentencing speech is adapted from the one used by English judges before capital punishment was banned.
Half an hour before the trail was due to start; Harry, Professor Lupin and Tonks arrived at the visitor's entrance to the Ministry. Ray Harker - the red-haired keen-eyed new recruit who had been driving them - and his girlfriend, Sandra Troy, an athletic raven-haired woman, led the way to the telephone box. As they were travelling incognito, they wore a variety of clothing: Harry wore black trousers and a green shirt, under his new dragonhide coat; Professor Lupin, a old grey suit almost a well-worn as his robes; Tonks wore her Weird Sisters T-shirt over a pair of black jeans; Ray Harker was dressed in a maroon tracksuit and red cross-training shoes; and Sandra wore a black Muggle halter-top and jeans topped off with silver- blue, dragonhide boots and a black dragonhide jacket. Sandra and Harker quickly scanned the street for Muggle and non-Muggle observers, Harker nodded and they moved forward quickly. Tonks stepped forward and picked up the handset, the others crammed in behind her, and she dialled quickly and spoke into the mouthpiece. "Nymphadora Tonks, Auror, escorting Remus Lupin and Harry Potter to witness a trail on Level Ten, also present are Raymond Harker and Sandra Troy."
Four badges dropped into the coin slot and Harry handed three of them back to the others. The operator reminded them that they would have to submit to a security check and then the box began to sink into the ground. When they arrived at the Atrium they swept through it - the statues atop the fountain had still not been replaced - and over to the security desk, which was manned by the same wizard who had been there almost a year ago, Eric, Harry thought his name was. Harry, Remus, Harper and Sandra handed over their wands for inspection - Remus' was thirteen inches long and made of oak and unicorn hair; and Harker's was fifteen inches long and made of yew and dragon heartstring; while Sandra carried an eleven-and-a-half inch olive and phoenix feather wand - then entered the golden lift.
Two minutes later, they came out into the Department of Mysteries. Harry paused at the threshold, neither of his previous visits to this level of the Ministry had not been pleasant, Professor Lupin took him by the arm and guided him forward. "Everything will be okay Harry. Trust me."
Harry smiled slightly. "It's just. difficult, that's all."
Lupin nodded. "I understand. It's not easy for me either."
They walked in silence for a few minutes until they caught up with another large group of people, heading the same way, just down the corridor from the courtrooms - seven redheads, a young woman with platinum blond hair, a young girl with dirty blonde hair and a distracted air, and another girl of Harry's age with bushy hair who carried a large, leather satchel. "Hi guys!" said Harry, beaming. It had been over a month since he'd seen any of the Weasleys, the blond woman, Fleur Delacour, or the other two girls - Ginny's friend, Luna Lovegood and his best friend, Hermione Granger.
"How are you Harry?" Hermione asked. Ginny, Ron and the twins turned to listen. Luna might have too, with her it was hard to tell.
"I'm fine," Harry assured her. "At least I have since. since." he paused.
"Sirius returned." Ginny finished for him.
Harry nodded, "I've been staying with Professor Lupin and Tonks at his house since my birthday. Two or three of the new recruits are with us at any one time." he indicated Harper and Sandra. "Harper, Sandra. These are my friends, the Weasleys. Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ron - one of my best friends, Ginny, and their father Arthur." Harper and Sandra nodded in acknowledgement. "Plus Fleur Delacour, Bill's girlfriend, Hermione Granger - my other best friend, and Luna Lovegood, another friend."
He took a deep breath. "Hermione, Luna, Fleur, Weasleys... this is Ray Harker and Sandra Troy, they both work for the Order."
Mr Weasley suggested they move inside. Bill, Fleur, Charlie and Tonks, followed him immediately, but Hermione, Ron, Ginny, the twins, and Luna held back to stand with Harry. Harper and Sandra took flanking positions as they moved inside and sat down on the benches facing the judges panel, to the right sat twelve witches and wizards who would serve as the jury. Only three other people were present: Rita Skeeter, and two tall, broad- shouldered men Harry didn't recognise - though several of the others did - whom Tonks identified in a whisper as Kenneth Clarke, a journalist for the Daily Prophet and Barty Williams, an announcer of the Wizarding Wireless Network.
"All rise for the Wizengamot," ordered the same cold, male voice that had spoke the last time Harry was there. Everyone rose to their feet and stood as the fifty witches and wizards clad in plum-coloured robes strode in. As they took their seats, Harry was pleased to see that three faces from last time were missing. "Bring in the prisoners."
The door on the opposite side from the ones that they, and the Wizengamot, had entered through creaked open. First to come through the door was a small, bald man in grey Ministry-issue robes, flanked by five wizards in the blue-and-silver livery of the Hit-Wizards - Harry recognised two of them, Jason Draper and Josef Phobus, a brawny, and rather sinister and intimidating man, who had been recruited to the Order only two weeks before. Wormtail won't be able to slip away this time, Harry thought to himself with a certain amount of satisfaction. Wormtail was escorted to one of the two chairs in the centre of the room, and he sat down, the chains attached to the edge of the chair promptly snaked up to ensnare him. Contrastingly, when Sirius was escorted in a few moments later by Kingsley and two Ministry Inquisitors loyal to Dumbledore, he was not imprisoned by his chair.
"The chairs only imprison the guilty," explained Tonks. "There's a spell on the chains that senses feelings of guilt."
"Now everyone who needs to be is here, we shall begin," announced Dumbledore from his seat at the centre of the bench. "We are here today to determine the facts of the events of November 1st 1981, and to determine the guilt or innocence of Sirius Lee Black of number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London, regarding the charge of wilfully killing thirteen Muggles with a single curse. The charge of wilful murder in the case of Peter Pettigrew is summarily dismissed due to the presence of the individual concerned in the courtroom at this instance."
"Interrogators: Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of Magical Law Enforcement; Hestia Veritas, Head of the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol. Court Scribe: Adolphus Waffling."
"Mr Black, could you please describe for the court the events which lead to the death of thirteen Muggles and your incarceration in Azkaban Prison."
"Yes Professor," Sirius replied. "On October 24th 2003, James and Lily Potter were told that Voldemort intended to make a move against them due to a prophecy which said that their son Harry would destroy him. The Potters went into hiding under the Fidelius Charm."
"And you were their Secret Keeper?" asked Madame Bones.
Sirius shook his head, "That was the original plan as I intended to go into hiding myself, but I persuaded them to change to Peter at the last minute, as a misdirection ploy."
"So you are saying that you were not directly involved in the deaths of Lily and James Potter?" clarified Madame Bones.
"Yes, I am Your Honour." confirmed Sirius. "I only heard about the attack after it happened. I rushed to Godric's Hollow and found Rubeus Hagrid retrieving Harry from the ruins of their house. I tried to persuade him to let me take Harry - I was his godfather, you see - but Hagrid insisted on taking Harry to Little Whinging to live with his Muggle aunt and uncle."
Dumbledore nodded confirmation of this when Madame Bones looked at him. "For his protection, you understand?"
Madame Bones nodded, "Continue Mr Black."
"The next day, Peter caught up with me in London. In front of Muggle witnesses, he accused me of betraying my friends and then killed a group of Muggles behind him with his own wand, which he had hidden behind his back."
"I see, and can you explain why Mr Pettigrew would try and frame you. And how and why he was believed dead?"
"Yes Your Honour, I can." Sirius answered. "He tried to frame me for the same reason that he betrayed Lily and James in the first place. He is a coward, more interested in saving his own skin than doing what is right. As for why he fled. I discovered during my time in Azkaban that many of the Death Eaters knew that Voldemort had been told where James and Lily were hiding by Peter, they thought he lured Him to his destruction deliberately. The reason why everyone believed that he was dead, was that after he chopped off his own finger, he transformed into a rat and escaped into the sewers where no-one could find him."
"He transformed?" blurted out Madam Veritas. "How did he do this?"
"By using the Animagus Transformation your Honour," Sirius explained. "During our fifth year, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and I became Animagi. We never registered ourselves, although I believe James may have told one or two of his superiors in the Corps of Aurors that he was an Animagus."
"Can anyone else verify that Peter Pettigrew is indeed an Animagus?" asked Veritas. "Other than Pettigrew himself of course."
"Yes, Your Honour."
"Are any of them present here today?"
"Yes Your Honour."
"And they are?"
"Remus Lupin, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."
Veritas scanned the audience until she spotted Harry. "Mr Potter, please stand and address the court."
Harry stood immediately. "Yes Your Honour." "On your honour as a wizard. Can you verify that Peter Pettigrew is indeed an Animagus. a rat Animagus to be precise?"
"I can Your Honour."
"Have you witnessed this transformation?"
"Yes Your Honour," Harry replied. "During my third year in the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade Village during the evening of the June full moon I saw Worm- Peter Pettigrew return to human form from that of a rat."
"What were you doing in Hogsmeade at time of night?" asked Madam Bones.
"That matter is outside the purview of this hearing and has already been dealt with." Dumbledore told her. "Please continue Harry." "Thank you Professor. About an hour later, in the grounds of Hogwarts, I saw him transform again, this time into a rat. It was then that he managed to escape."
"Thank you Mr Potter. You may be seated." Veritas told him. "Mr Black, do you have anything more to add?"
"No Your Honour."
"Very well," said Veritas. "Mr Pettigrew, please tell us your version of the events outlined by Mr Black."
After a little, non to gentle, prodding from Kingsley, Wormtail spoke and naturally confirmed everything that Sirius and Harry had said was true. When he had finished speaking, Dumbledore spoke up again. "Peter Pettigrew, did you aide and abet the kidnapping and illegal imprisonment of Bartemis Crouch Sr; furthermore, did you brew illegal necromantic potions with the intention of resorting Lord Voldemort to his full power; and did you in fact inflict actual bodily harm on Harry Potter to this end?"
"I did."
"Therefore, I ask that the jury deliver its verdict," said Dumbledore, looking at them over his half-moon spectacles. "Raise your hands if you believe that Sirius Lee Black is guilty of the charges levied against him?" Harry held his breath. Not a single hand was raised. "I therefore declare Mr Black innocent of all charges. Does the jury believe as I do that a sum of ten-thousand Galleons would be suitable remuneration?" This time every hand was raised.
Dumbledore waited until Kingsley and the Inquisitors had escorted Sirius out of the room before he continued. "In the case of Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, does the jury feel that he is guilty of the crimes of which he stands accused?" Again every hand was raised. "Does the jury feel that such crimes deserve the maximum possible sanction?" For a third time, every hand was raised. Dumbledore glanced at both the witches sharing the bench with him, they nodded. "Peter Pettigrew, under the Crime and Sentences Act 1867, an Animagus may, at the discretion of the trail interrogators, be defined as a Beast for the purposes of sentencing."
Harry leaned over to whisper to Tonks. "Is Dumbledore about to do what I think he's about to do?"
Tonks nodded. "He is."
"Oh... Good."
"Peter Pettigrew. by the authority vested in me as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot of Britain and Ireland. I hereby decree that you shall be taken from this place, and then to a place of execution, where your head will be stricken from your body. Go in peace."
Dumbledore waited until Wormtail had been taken from the room and then spoke again. "Court dismissed."
"I hope somebody other than MacNair is holding the axe." muttered Harry as they moved out of the courtroom, Ron and Hermione where on his left, with Tonks, Lupin and Moody on his right. Ginny, Luna and the other Weasleys walked behind them and Harker and Sandra stood in flanking positions outside the group. Ron nodded grimly, he still took Wormtail's betrayal of them as personally as he ever had. As they passed the seat where Rita was sitting she opened her mouth to speak, but a scowl from both Harry and Hermione made her change her mind.
Sirius was waiting for them when they reached the Atrium, the two Inquisitors were nowhere to be seen, but Kingsley stood slightly behind Sirius. Harry knew he shouldn't but he couldn't restrain himself. He ran forward and embraced Sirius with so much violence that the former convict almost fell over. "I thought I'd lost you forever and now you're here. and a free man too. When can I move in?"
"As soon as you want to Harry. I don't want you to ever return to those Muggles." Sirius told him. "I hope you don't mind if we make it Remus' house? At least until I can get a few things sorted out? I've had enough of Grimmauld Place to last me a lifetime."
"No problem." Harry assured him. He had no particular wish to return to Grimmauld Place either.
Harry said his goodbyes to the Weasleys, Hermione and Luna and followed Sirius, Professor Lupin, Tonks and their escort back up to the street. Harker's car was exactly where he had left it, so all that as required was a quick Expanding Charm so they could all fit in.
That night Harry didn't get much sleep, he was too worked up by being back with Sirius again and in a place that felt like a home too. Not his home, Harry reflected, but homely none the less.
A/N: I hope you like what I've written so far. It's been fairly light so far but it may get darker later. Please review following the link below or by e-mailing me at behomuk@yahoo.co.uk. More will be coming soon. Dumbledore's final sentencing speech is adapted from the one used by English judges before capital punishment was banned.