We arrive at the ministry and make our way to the courtroom, I can feel sweat running down the back of my neck and hope my earlier words to Sirius weren't just false hopes.
Fudge is already there when we arrive and the rest of Wizengamot was slowly filling their seats. Dumbledore strode up and took his seat, I was surprised at the amount of panic I felt as soon as he had left my side. I'd been depending on him, I'm an Auror, I don't know how to fight courtroom battles.
"Let us start then," said Fudge once the last member of Wizengamot had taken their seat. "Hearing for Sirius Black, charges murder and a member of…you know who's death eaters. Interrogators…"
I didn't listen to the whole list instead I looked at Sirius who had taken a seat beside me and was looking more then a little sick. I wanted to tell him that it would be alright but I couldn't make the words come out. I glanced over my shoulder at Snape who was standing in the back corner leaning against the wall a shadow was across his face so I couldn't tell what expression he was wearing.
Fudge finished his list and Dumbledore said. "Witness' for the defence, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Ruth Audrey Dawson and Severus Snape."
Fudge looked at him and grimaced. "Yes of course."
Dumbledore signalled Snape to sit beside me. Snape looked just as thrilled as Sirius did to be here.
"Now," said Fudge looking at Sirius. "You murdered Peter Petegrew and blew up a street killing 12 muggles with one curse."
"No," Sirius replies bluntly.
The witches and wizards in the Wizengamot mutter amongst themselves.
A witch to the right of Fudge leans in and mutters something to him.
"The chair recognises Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister," says Fudge dully.
I feel a flash of hatred towards her.
"Now correct me if I'm wrong," she says in her annoying high-pitched voice. "But you were the Potters secret keeper, were you not."
"No." says Sirius.
There is more muttering from the Wizengamot.
"At your last trial Dumbledore testified that you had been the Potters secret keeper and therefore the only one who could have sold them out to you know who. Later when you were confronted by Peter Petigrew you brutally murdered him in front of a street full of witnesses."
"Except," I say bluntly. "Peter Petigrew is not dead. He was the Potter secret keeper, they changed at the last moment thinking that Sirius was too obvious a choice. Unfortunately Petigrew was already in the service of Lord Voledmort" (the Wizengamot flinches unanimously at the sound of his name). "therefore Petigrew told the Potters location to Voldemort" (the Wizengamot flinches again). "Then later he faked his own death by blowing up the street and transforming into a rat. Petigrew is actually an illegal Animagus."
Fudge's face has gone purple. "I see no proof of any of this. As far as I know it is just some cock and bull story you have invented to free an old boy friend of yours."
"It is time, Cornelius," says Dumbledore. "For you to but aside old conflicts and to seek out the truth."
"You originally testified against Black," Fudge spits.
"That was before I had been told the entire story."
Fudge snorts. "Of course, you always stand behind her, after all she was your choice."
"Stop harping on old and insignificant conflicts," I snap. "And do what's right for once."
"You were saved from loosing your position as an Auror fifteen years ago by Dumbledore and Mad-Eye Moody, there is nothing to save that position now. If you keep it up you will be accompanying Black to Azkaban."
I rise to my feet shaking with rage, the ink bottle on the desk in front of the young scribe with red hair is also shaking.
Dumbledore shoots me a warning look and says. "Cornelius the Dementors no longer reside in Azkban but are instead in the service of Voldemort" (the Wizengamot flinches for a third time). "If you were to send Sirius and Ruth there you would loose to valuable assets to our side because as soon as Voldemort" (more flinching from the Wizengamot) "learned they were there he would send the Dementors there to kill them."
Fudge is now a deep shade of purple. "I see no evidence that Black is innocent, Dumbledore. So far I have heard an interesting tale but there is no proof that Peter Petigrew is alive or an Animagus. So far this has proven just to be another cock and bull tail that you and Dawson have concocted to cause trouble when we could be dealing with more important things."
Suddenly Snape is on his feet and striding towards Fudge. "You see that," he snarls pulling up the sleeve on his left arm. Fudge jumps and so do many members of the Wizengamot including the scribe who starts so fiercely he knocks over the ink bottle which pours all over his notes. Something tells me he had once been a student of Snapes.
"All death eaters have it. He burns it into the skin on your left forearm the moment we enter His service and it is impossible to remove. If you would like to check Black you would find he doesn't have the mark which means he couldn't have been in His service, ever."
Slowly Sirius pulls up the sleeve on his left arm to show that it is indeed free of the dark mark.
How's that for proof, I feel like screaming at Fudge but manage to restrain myself.
There's a lot of muttering amongst the Wizengamot finally Fudge says;
"All in favour of clearing him of all charges?"
Almost every wizard or witch raises their hand.
"All in favour of conviction?"
Fudge raises his hand, as does Umbridge and three or four others.
Fudge's expression sours. "Cleared of all charges."
I resist the urge to cheer but instead turn and leave the courtroom, Sirius, and Snape following. Once out in the hall with a closed door between me and the Wizengamot I jump into the air and cheer before hugging Sirius who laughs.
Dumbledore comes out to join us with a piece of parchment in hand. "Here is your official pardon Sirius. There will be an article declaring you a free man in the Prophet tomorrow. Now before we leave we must go register you as an Animagus so that Fudge has no other reason to try to but you in Azkaban."
As we head towards the department for Animagus registration I turn to Snape. "Thanks."
He looks slightly startled. "Wasn't that the point of bringing me here?"
"Still though, thanks."
Sirius turns to me, "What did Fudge mean when he said to Dumbeldore 'she was your choice'?"
I make a face. "When we needed a new minister a lot of people were behind Dumbeldore. However Dumbledore wasn't interested in running but instead of throwing his support behind one of the candidates he said that he thought I would make a good minister. I never wanted anything to do with it and repeatedly said so. Fudge has never forgotten, that's why he hates me so much, I never thought he'd make a good minister but unfortunately there wasn't really a better option."
"You could have run," Dumbledore says mildly.
"So could have you," I counter. "You would have done a great job."
"But then I could not remain Headmaster of Hogwarts which I think is much more important."
I decide not to argue.
It takes just over half and hour to get Sirius registered as a Animagus, what Dumbeldore did so that it didn't get back to Fudge that Sirius had been an illegal Animagus all these years I have no idea.
We arrive back at Headquarters just after nine and go in quietly so as not to disturb the portrait of Mrs. Black. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Remus are sitting on the stairs at the other end of the hall waiting.
"Cleared of all charges," Sirius announces upon seeing them.
Harry lets out a happy cheer which wakes up Mrs. Black.
"SHUT UP!" Sirius and I both yell at her.
Dumbledore waves his wand and the curtains close quieting her screams.
"I'd like know how you do that," Remus says as we go into the kitchen.
Dumbledore simply smiles.
"Well what happened?" Mad-Eye asks as we walk into the kitchen.
"Cleared," says Sirius. "Completely cleared."
"Knew you would be," says Kingsley gruffly.
Fred, George, Ginny and their older brother Bill are dancing around in a circle chanting, "He go off, he got off, he got off…"
"Well this calls for a celebration," says Remus smiling and tossing Sirius, Harry and I butter beers.
"Cheers," says Sirius holding up his butter beer.
Gen comes in and walks over to us. "Congrats Sirius."
"Thanks," Sirius relies with a smile.
Standing there with Gen, Sirius and Remus I find myself remembering all of the similar situations back in school. Harry standing next to Sirius where James always stood only serves as a reminder of all those fun times. I swallow my mouthful of butter beer along with the lump in my throat, memories aren't supposed to hurt this much.
I spend the rest of the summer on missions for the Order of such confidential nature that if I told you about them I'd have to kill you. The time that I'm not away on missions I spend with Remus preparing lessons for next year.
Now I'm sitting at my desk in my office at Hogwarts. I can remember having to sit on the other side of teachers desks so many times for detentions that it makes me smile. I arrived yesterday and spend the day getting my office and classroom set up for the year.
Over all my office is fairly plain, a few dark detectors sit on a table under the window along and a Canadian flag – similar to the one that always hung above my bed when I was at a student – hangs on the wall. There are only two pictures in the entire room and they're sitting on my desk. One is of Sirius and I from this summer and the other one is from about twenty years ago just before the summer after fifth year, all summer I kept meaning to show it to Harry. In the picture (from left to right) is Gen, me, Sirius, James, Lily, Remus, and Peter. There are times that I wish I could make Peter vanish from the picture but he helps serve as a reminder that sometimes the person that you find the lest threatening can really be the biggest threat of all.
I twist the key hanging on the chain around my neck, the one that Sirius gave me all those years ago and now with him cleared of charges it's safe for me to wear it again. I can't help but wonder what this coming year at Hogwarts is going to bring.
I hear the noise of students arriving and stand up throwing my cloak on as I head down to the great hall for the Sorting and the feast.
One thing that I can be almost assured of this year is that I will run into the three things I hate the most: Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy and Valentines Day (you thought I was going to say Snape didn't you).
A/N: that's it hope you enjoyed it. I'm considering doing a sequel so if your interested give me a shout if not I'll go on to other things. Oh and tell me if there's any spelling or grammer mistakes in this story, my beta's on holiday.