Chapter 3: Wizarding Law

"Harry, Harry, Harry!" Remus Lupin called into Harry's ears.

"All right I'm coming." Sleepily, Harry Potter got out of bed and went downstairs. Remus Lupin, Tonks, Albus Dumbledore, and Doris Crockford were seated around the table.

Lupin waved his wand, and a table with chairs sprang up. The three adults moved to the new table, and Harry took his seat on Doris's right and Dumbledore's right. Lupin introduced, "Harry this is Doris Crockford, Doris."

Doris interrupted, "We've met before." Harry smiled. He remembered Hagrid taking him through the Leaky Cauldron the first time he found out that he was a wizard. Everybody in there shook his hand, and he fondly remembered Doris shaking his hand quite a few times.

Dumbledore said, "Wonderful, let's get started."

Doris announced in a business like tone, "The Last Will and Testament of Sirius Black, closest blood family member - Nymphadora Tonks, legal family member- Harry James Potter, best friend- Remus James Lupin, witness- Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Department of Magical Law Enforcement member- Doris Crockford." She continued, "I know that Bellatrix Lestrange is closer, but she tried to kill him, and Narcissa Malfoy fed information that led to his death, so Tonks is here."

"Let's get started," announced Dumbledore.

Doris agreed and said, "Harry the honors?"
Harry reached his hand out, touched the envelope, and felt a tremendous pain in his scar. He pulled back.

Lupin said, "It's all right Harry." He reached out and opened it up, passing it to Doris.

Doris read, "If you are reading this, then I am afraid I no longer am living. Hopefully I died a noble death, preferably fighting Lord Voldemort. If everything went my way I hope that I perished protecting you, Harry. I wish I had been cleared, and I thank everybody here for believing my story, the truth. Harry, I am designating my godfather duties to Professor Lupin. He is the last true Marauder left. If he too is dead, go to Arthur, Bill, Charlie, or Fred and George Weasley. In that order, if no Weasleys or Lupin remains alive, I am granting you to have the full rights of a grown wizard. In that case you can do magic over the holidays, and do not have to live with your aunt and uncle. Harry, you truly are your father's son, and I ask you, do not focus on my death. Be true to your friends, Harry, yet as I have learned, do not trust them beyond death. Although I truly doubt that Ron or Hermione will be a Wormtail, BE CAREFUL! I hope you remember me well. Remember me well, Sirius Black."

Harry wiped a tear from his face; he missed his godfather so much, and that letter reminded him of many great things. Before he could dwell on this, Doris Crockford took another sheet of paper out and read, "Sirius Black's possessions. I, Sirius Black, give my house to Mr. Harry Potter. I, Sirius Black, give 30% of my Gringotts vault to Mr. Harry Potter. I, Sirius Black, give 20% of my Gringotts vault to Mr. Remus Lupin. I, Sirius Black, give 20% of my Gringotts vault to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Weasley. I, Sirius Black, give 30% of my Gringotts vault to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I, Sirius Black, give my Azkaban cell to Mr. Peter Pettigrew."

Harry smiled, silently promising himself to fulfill the final part of Sirius's will.
"Miss Tonks please sign here," said Doris. "Professor Dumbledore, please sign below, very good. Now you Harry. Mr. Lupin if you would sign please, just below your new godson. Excellent, I will sign here."

As Doris finished signing the will, Lupin whispered to Harry, "I'm sorry about being so grumpy when I picked you up. Thank you for saving my life, although you shouldn't have."

Lupin smiled, "Please do not call me Professor Lupin now that you are my godson. I would prefer if you called me Moony or Remus."

"Yes Moony," replied a smiling Harry.

Harry walked up his own stairs, wishing he still had Sirius. He had not been working hard on his Occlumency since the summer, but he was determined not to watch his old godfather die again. As he walked upstairs, he saw Kreacher, the house elf who betrayed the Order of the Phoenix, sitting on a bed. Rage swept through Harry, less powerful only to when he tried the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix Lestrange. Harry charged, breaking into a run. He raised his wand and aimed between Kreacher's eyes.

"No Harry!"

Harry turned to see Hermione catching up with him. "He, he, that thing, it killed Sirius!" Harry bellowed in disgust. "I'm not going to make the same mistake I did two and a half years ago."

"Kreacher," said Harry angrily. "Sirius is dead, and he left the house to me; I am your master now."

"What does master wish?" said Kreacher sarcastically.

"Do you know who Professor Lupin is Kreacher?" asked Harry.

"I know the filthy half-breed," snarled Kreacher.

Harry felt a deep rage, but got a wonderful idea. "Kreacher on the next full moon follow Professor Lupin to wherever he goes."

Kreacher spat into Harry's feet, "Master must do as master wishes, and at that he left."

"Harry, that was really terrible," said Hermione, "Tell Kreacher you were joking."

"No Hermione, and forget about your little spew."

"It's not spew!" said Hermione shocked, "its Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

"Yep," Ron added approaching the noise, "She's still going on about house elves."

Hermione yelled, "I thought you two supported me. Why are you siding against."

"Filthy half breeds, mudbloods, scum, blood traitors!"

Harry whispered, "Not anymore" and stormed upstairs with Moony and Moody.

While the portrait of Mrs. Black kept growing louder, Harry asked Moody "Is there anything that we can do to shut her up."

"Reductor curse!" Moony replied at once.

Harry grinned, "Moody, Moony, how would you two like to do it together?

"You sure about this Harry?" asked Moody.

"Absolutely," replied Harry with a nasty grin on his face.

Kreacher hurried upstairs to the rescue. "Kreacher will not let the blood traitors and the half breeds and the filthy scum destroy Mistress.

"Would you like to fight us Kreacher?" asked Moony with a look of deep hatred across his face.

"Kreacher, step aside!" ordered Harry.

Kreacher dashed at Moody. Moody shuffled to the corner of the room. Harry shouted, "One!"

Kreacher dove, Moody apparated to the opposite side of Moony. "Two!" Harry yelled. Moody and Moony aimed their wands.

Harry screamed, "Three!" at the same time Mrs. Black cried, "Filth!"

Moony and Moody yelled, "Reduco!"

Much to Kreacher's dismay, the entire wall where Mrs. Black's portrait had stood exploded. Harry let out a great cry of triumph.

"Scourgify!" chorused Moody and Moony.

The wall that had cost the Order of the Phoenix many headaches was entirely gone.

For the next two days, Kreacher was extremely hard to avoid. He had developed a habit of walking up to objects of the Order and kicking them. Harry found this extremely annoying so he found Kreacher and lectured, "Kreacher, you must not destroy anything. You must not say the word mudblood again. You must not insult anybody who is here at my invitation."

Kreacher replied, "Young master must say what master wishes." With that, he left in disgust.

Harry walked into his old room and was followed in by Albus Dumbledore. "Harry," said Dumbledore, "There is something that will be of great interest to you in your room.

Harry walked up and saw Buckbeak being nursed by somebody familiar. The creature, a house-elf turned around and Harry blissfully yelled, "Winky, it's great to see you!"

Another house-elf stepped from behind Buckbeak and Harry grinned, "Dobby!"

Dobby grinned, "Dobby heard that Harry Potter has a house now sir. So Dobby decides that he wants to work for Harry Potter. Dobby asks Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Dumbledore says that it's OK. So Dobby finds Winky and says, 'Let's go work for Harry Potter' Winky says yes, so off to Harry Potter's house we go."

Harry saw that Dobby looked as if there were nothing in the world better than working for Harry Potter.

"How is Winky?" asked Harry. The last time he checked, Winky had not gotten over being set free from her master two full years ago.

Dobby looked extremely eager now. "Winky is much better Harry Potter. Winky realized that she was only set free because she tried to stop a bad dark wizard from breaking the wizard law. Winky does not yet want paying for her work, but she is ready to take a new master!"

Harry, Winky, Dobby, and Professor Dumbledore beamed. Dumbledore spoke now, "Dobby, would you like to negotiate your salary and conditions with Harry?"

"Yes Professor Dumbledore," replied Dobby with sheer excitement.

Harry asked Dobby, "Would you like to come to Hogwarts during the school year?"

"Yes sir!" squeaked Dobby, looking as if he had just been elected Minister of Magic.

Harry proposed, "OK Dobby, how would five galleons a week sound?"

"Good Harry Potter, but is two all right?" Dobby asked sheepishly.

"Three!" and they compromised.

"Winky is it ok if I pay you anything?" Harry questioned timidly.

"No sir," I will work for free sir."

Professor Dumbledore took out a contract and conjured a pen, Dobby, Winky, Harry, and Dumbledore all singed the parchment and said, "Wonderful! Now, Dobby and Winky, please excuse us; we have something important to discuss.

When the two house elves had gone, Dumbledore told Harry, "Harry I am assigning members from the Order to be with you at all times. I have put Rabastan Lestrange under Veritaserum, the strongest truth potion ever, and have discovered Voldemort is hatching a plan to kill several people. I will not tell you who he is trying to kill but."

Harry interrupted, "I'm guessing he wants Karkaroff. I know he wants to kill Moony, you, and me but I doubt he'd neglect a free shot on Professor Moody.

Dumbledore looked shocked. "Professor Moody is not his target," he talked louder, "Of course he wants both of us dead, but Karkaroff is true, yet less obvious, and Lupin, his plan revolves around killing him. How did you know?"

Harry looked guilty. Dumbledore quickly interrupted, "Harry we are to resume learning Occlumency right now. Leglimens!"

Harry concentrated hard, Diggle bowed in a shop. The glass vanished in a reptile house. A big brick wall surrounded a pool of water. Harry had never seen this before, so he concentrated hard on it. He thought that the water was his brain, and the wall was the shield.

"Good job Harry!" Dumbledore cried, "Remember that image, if you do that, your thoughts are impenetrable."

Harry grinned. Dumbledore told him to be ready at ten o'clock the next day. As Harry left the room he heard three high pitched voices yelling.

"Harry Potter is a great and good wizard!"

"Master wants scum and filth in the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."

"It's the house of Harry Potter now!"

Harry was sure if it weren't for he, Moody, and Lupin, there would be some loud yells about now.

"You is a very bad elf."

"Go serve the shame of wizarding flesh!"

"How dare you speak of Harry Potter like that?"

Hermione interrupted, "Stop fighting; why don't you just be friends?"

Harry snorted. He knew that the chances of Kreacher and Dobby getting along were about the chances that Professor Snape would give points to Gryffindor.

He hurried down to the squabbling and told everybody to simmer down. He was getting absolutely tired of Kreacher. He knew that it would be his birthday the next night, and this year that would be a full moon. "Kreacher, Harry ordered, I want you to follow Professor Lupin for the next two days."

"Whatever master says," spat Kreacher disdainfully.

Harry snickered sinisterly and left.

As the elves left Hermione lectured Harry, "That was a really mean trick that you are playing on Kreacher."

"Hermione," Harry drawled, "That idiot killed Sirius Black, and you know it." At that, Harry left the room.

The following morning, Kingsley, Mr. Weasley, Moody, Sturgis Podmore (who had been released from Azkaban a week ago), Tonks, Harry, and Dumbledore prepared to watch the trial of Malfoy, Dolohov, Avery, Nott, and MacNair. Just before they entered a car that Dumbledore had conjured, Dumbledore looked Harry straight in the eye and said, "Be careful Harry."

They arrived at the visitors' entrance and a badge came out for Harry. It read,

Harry Potter Trial Spectator

They proceeded into courtroom ten at various times, to avoid suspicions. Harry sat in the audience between Sturgis and Kingsley, Tonks sat below him, and Moody was above.

Lucius Malfoy, Antonin Dolohov, Walden MacNair, William Avery, and Robert Nott sat side by side in chains and shackles. Harry remembered when the chains were on his seat. Amelia Bones, Cornelius Fudge, Percy Weasley, and Albus Dumbledore sat in the questioning seats.
Minister Fudge read, "Conspiracy hearing of the thirty-first of July, offenses committed against the Decree for the Abolishment of Death Eaters, by Lucius Malfoy, Antonin Dolohov, Walden MacNair, William Avery, and Robert Nott. Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic; Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, chief of the Wizengamot; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Percy Ignatius Weasley. Court Scribe, Hestia Jones; Harry grinned because Hestia Jones was in the Order of the Phoenix.

Madam Bones began the interrogation, "Mr. Dolohov, you will be returning to Azkaban; I see no record of your release." She turned to MacNair now, "Mr. MacNair," she continued, "You work at the Ministry. Is this correct?"

MacNair answered, "Yes Madam Bones, I am an executioner for the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures."

Fudge interrupted now, "Mr. MacNair, what were you doing in the Department of Mysteries the night that Lord thingy was there?

MacNair shuddered and replied, "I needed to talk with Mr. Croaker, I went to check if he was there, and Sirius Black put me under the Imperius Curse. He told me to attack a boy, Neville Longbottom. Fortunately, Mr. Harry Potter there saved him."

Harry felt anger boiling inside him; he looked at the Interrogation table and saw that Dumbledore too looked absolutely furious. "Mr. MacNair," he began with anger in his voice, "Sirius Black came to the Department of Mysteries to help me attack murderers like you. He was killed there by Bellatrix Lestrange. Mr. Harry Potter there will confirm that. You are undoubtedly lying."

Fudge interrupted, "Here, here, Dumbledore," even so, he too looked mad.

Percy Weasley interrupted, "Mr. MacNair, do you have a witness?"

Lucius Malfoy spoke now with bitterness in his voice, "The defense calls, Mr. Remus James Lupin to the stand."

Harry looked shocked. Lupin rose and took his place next to Nott.

Dumbledore asked, "Mr. Lupin, what did you see that night?"

Lupin announced, "I'm sorry Professor Dumbledore, I'm under oath. I've got to tell everybody the truth. I saw Sirius Black use the Imperius Curse on Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, Walden MacNair, William Avery, Matthew Nott, and Augustus Rookwood. They then told some Death Eaters to attack the kids who were there."

Dumbledore looked terribly angry; Madam Bones now spoke, "Mr. Lupin, can you prove your story?"

Lupin responded, "You have heard from an eyewitness; that should be proof enough."

Fudge said, "Thank you Mr. Lupin; that will be all."

Percy proclaimed, "Would Mr. Alastor Moody please approach the stand?"

Moody looked angry. He stood tall, walked to where Moony had just been and sat down.

Harry's head was still spinning; how could Lupin have said such an awful thing?

Something had to be wrong.

Then he realized that it was to be a full moon tonight. There was no way that Lupin could've been here. He made a mental note to tell Dumbledore.

Moody first remarked, "I think you should've checked the last witness for the Imperius Curse."

"No Moody, no!" thought Harry.

Minister Fudge interrupted, "Alastor, you well know that the Imperius Curse would've been detected when he entered."

Madam Bones asked, "Mr. Moody, would you please kindly tell the Wizengamot where you were during the night of the infraction."

Moody replied, "Certainly, I was at home when I got an impulse that there was an attack. I then apparated to the Atrium at the Ministry of Magic. There I saw Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and."

Moody was thinking, yet he couldn't seem to remember that Sirius was there. "Someone else," finished Moody.

"We ran to the Department of Mysteries. Black, ah that's who it was, Sirius Black, well, he burst a door open, and hit MacNair with a stunning spell. Those three, he pointed at Avery, Nott, and Dolohov were attacking Potter. I didn't see Malfoy do anything though, although I'm sure he attacked and Potter stunned him."

"Thank you Mr. Moody," said Fudge politely.

Dumbledore roared, "I'd like to call Mr. Harry Potter to the stand and Mr. Arthur Weasley can be the guardian accompanying him."

Mr. Malfoy stood and protested, "Arthur Weasley is not his true guardian. Either his muggle aunt or uncle can be here. Otherwise, it must be whoever Sirius Black left in his will."

"You are correct Mr. Malfoy," said Dumbledore. The court recalls Mr. Remus Lupin back to the stand.

Lupin stood in the courtroom, and said, "I, Remus Lupin and Harry's godfather, refuse to represent Harry Potter."

Everyone in the courtroom was shocked. Who had ever failed to represent a younger person before? The only person left was Dumbledore, but he was an interrogator.

"Very well, settle down!" roared Fudge. "We must make our verdict now."

Dumbledore bowed his head, but Nott yelled, "We are ready, and we have presented our defense. There is no proof that we have wronged."

Amelia Bones rose, "All in favor of convicting Antonin Dolohov please put your wands in the air." Nearly everyone raised their wand. Two Dementors came through, and with an agonized look on Dolohov's face, they disappeared with him.

Fudge announced again, "All in favor of convicting Matthew Nott, please put your wands in the air." Not quite as many people were for conviction, but still there were many more than half. Two new Dementors came through and took Nott away.

Fudge continued, "All in favor of convicting William Avery, please put your wands in the air." The same crowd that voted against Nott voted against Avery. Two more Dementors approached and removed Mr. Avery.

Fudge bellowed, "All in favor of convicting Walden MacNair, please put your wands in the air." Even less voted against MacNair. Two Dementors took MacNair away now.

Lucius Malfoy rose and announced, "There is no evidence here to convict me."

Fudge ignored him, "All in favor of convicting Lucius Malfoy, please put your wands in the air." About half of the Wizengamot raised their wands. Mr. Fudge counted quickly with a sweep of his wand and regretfully announced, "Mr. Malfoy you are cleared of all charges."