Author: Along Came the Spider
Summary: Thanks to intervention by Mrs. Black Sirius is pronounced innocent and Harry comes to live with his godfather.
Disclaimer: The characters within this story are primarily the copyright of J. K. Rowling and her associates
Prologue: Sound off
The walls surrounded him. He had always hated this place, the animal inside of him was in no way fooled by the enchanted windows the humans had placed up.
"So," The polite Auror smiled at him. "Would you please explain how you fit into all of this?"
Remus Lupin threw a glance at the other Auror who was playing with a silver chain. "James, Peter, Sirius, and I are old friends from Hogwarts." He licked his lips. The only water in the room was in a silver goblet, which he had refused to drink from. "We were the only Gryffindor boys in our year."
"And the other three became animagus's illegally to help you with your 'problem'?" The polite one raised an eyebrow as the other Auror read off a notepad.
"Yes," Remus sighed. "As I told you before, James was a stag. Sirius was a dog, and Peter was a rat."
"A good choice if what you say is true." The Auror said doubtfully.
"Why would I lie?" Remus asked, he was becoming exasperated by the hours of questioning.
"Because you want to save Black, and you know your kind is resistant to Veritaserum." The Auror barked.
Remus shrunk into himself as the Auror swung the chain a little to close for comfort.
"Brown," A voice called from outside the cell. "Open the door."
"If you would excuse me," The polite Auror, Brown, smiled at Remus. "This should only take a moment."
"It isn't like I'm going anywhere." Remus leaned his chair back against the wall.
Brown moved toward the door and the other Auror moved to protect his back. 'They must have placed a silencing spell in the Hallway,' Remus mused. 'I can't make out what they're saying.'
The other Auror apparently couldmake out what was being said. He didn't look like he wanted to hear it though.
Brown returned to his chair opposite Remus with a large smile. "Well Mr. Lupin, it looks like you're free to go."
"Does that mean that someone actually believes me?" Remus raised an eyebrow.
"It means," The other Auror growled. "That you are free to go."
"Careful," Remus cautioned the man as he passed. "With all the sounds your making someone might mistake you for a werewolf." He nimbly dodged the chain which was thrown at him.
"Remus my boy!" Albus Dumbledore smiled as Remus stepped off the Ministry elevator.
"Professor," Remus greeted the man. "Any news on Sirius?"
"Only that a new witness has stepped forward." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "They aren't saying who yet."
"So is he going to actually get a trial now?" Remus pressed.
"Oh yes," Dumbledore assured him. "In fact the trail is going to start soon."
"How long ago did this witness come forward?" Remus asked suspiciously.
"A week ago," Dumbledore nodded to himself. "It took me a while to locate you." The older wizard's eyes became serious. "Why didn't you come to me with what you knew."
"I wasn't thinking," Remus admitted. "I just wanted to save Sirius."
"An admirable goal to be sure," Albus's eyes twinkled again.
A ministry employee approached them. "Headmaster, Mr. Lupin, the trail is about to start."
"Well we wouldn't want to miss that." Dumbledore beamed. "Licorice anyone?"
The courtroom was crowded. There were more people present then had been at any of the other Death Eater trials Remus had attended. As he sat down a witch leaned forward from the row behind him. "I hear that they've found a way to make You-Know-Who himself testify here."
Remus snorted.
"No, no," the wizard next to her waved his hand. "The witness is a boggart that has been living in Black's closest along with two puffskins."
"I heard it was going to be a talking chicken and a spider that can spell." The witch countered.
The wizard looked ready to top that speculation when a bell sounded. The room quieted, the current Wizamagot entered and took their places on the High Benches at the other side of the room. Mr. Crouch, the man in charge of prosecuting for the ministry, bowed to them.
Remus smiled when he saw Dumbledore, only a few minutes but the man had found his robes and taken his rightful seat.
"Bring in the Prisoner." Mr. Crouch nodded to an Auror.
Remus's heart nearly broke when he saw his pack mate brought in. The weeks in Azkaban had made Sirius thin and sickly. His nearly black hair was unclean and stringy, and his clothes were torn. Remus's nose picked up some unpleasant stenches as well.
'How often did we joke about ending up in Azkaban?' Remus thought sadly. 'How little we knew.'
"Couldn't you have cleaned him up a little first." The voice stopped Remus's heart. 'Not her!'
"Is the name of Black to be dragged through the mud by this incompetent institution?" The voice continued. "Believe me that when this farce is over we will be demanding reparations."
'Sirius is doomed.' Remus thought as he watched his friends face fall at the sight of his mother. 'I don't doubt that Mrs. Black will do everything in her power to discredit the new witness.'
Mr. Crouch, on the other hand, looked like he had no clue what to do with the Matron. He finally settled on: "You are out of order."
Remus guessed that Mrs. Black was fixing one of her iciest stares on Crouch, as the man took an involuntary step back.
"I am here to demand that justice be done for my son, the Head of the House of Black."
Remus saw Sirius's spine stiffen and could guess why. It was just like Mrs. Black to throw her elder, disowned, son to the jackals to make up for her favorite's death.
"Our records show that Sirius Black was disowned five years ago." Mr. Crouch, unaware of the history between the members of the Black family, protested.
"If you would only look a little further you will find that he was reinstated three months ago with the death of his brother." Dumbledore spoke up.
Remus blinked as Sirius turned around to look at his mother. "Reinstated?" His voice was cracked from disuse.
"As this man is still a Black I move that he be questioned under Veritaserum." One of the older men on the bench piped up.
"I second that." Dumbledore winked at Remus.
Crouch looked like he was a five year old who had been told Christmas was canceled. "Fine," he spat out. "Go get the bottle."
A shaky looking Auror, barely out of Hogwarts, brought a small bottle to the Prosecutor. Mr. Crouch took the bottle and glared at Sirius. "Mr. Black, do you willingly consent to being questioned under the influence of Veritaserum?" The look on the man's face said that he wanted a negative answer.
"I consent." Sirius coughed.
The Veritaserum was administered, and a hush fell over the room as Mr. Crouch began to pace.
"What is your full name!" He spat out.
"Sirius Kennington Black."
"Where did you attend school!"
"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"Are you an Animagus!"
"Yes."
"Are you registered as such!"
"No."
"Where you ever in the service of one 'Voldemort'," several people in the crowd gasped. "Also known as Tom Marvolo Riddle?"
"No." A murmur began to move around the room.
"Where you the Potter's Secret Keeper?"
"No." The murmur became a dull roar.
After Crouch managed to get the noise level down he resumed his line of questioning. "Who was the Potter's Secret Keeper?"
"Peter Pettigrew."
"And you killed him because he betrayed the Potters?"
"No."
"Was there another reason you killed him?"
"No."
"Counselor?" One of the Wizamagot cleared their throat. "Maybe the question should be, 'Did you kill Peter Pettigrew?'"
Crouch's face turned red. "Fine! Did you kill Peter Pettigrew?"
"No."
"Where is he then?"
"I don't know, but if I had to guess I'd say hiding out in rat form." Sirius shrugged out the longest sentence since he entered the courtroom.
"So Peter Pettigrew is also an illegal Animagus?"
"Yes."
Mr. Crouch opened his mouth to ask another question but was cut off by Mrs. Black suddenly standing up. "You see! My son has done nothing! I demand that you release him at once!"
"There is still the matter of his being an illegal Animagus." Mr. Crouch protested.
"For which the Black estate is prepared to pay any amount the court deems necessary to fine him." Mrs. Black said pointedly.
"Ah yes," The current Minister coughed and recalled his prosecutor's attention. "I do believe this matter has been cleared up. I believe that the boy is free to go."
Mr. Crouch looked ready to have a heart attack, but he still nodded to the Aurors around Sirius who immediately released him from his bonds.
The moment the Aurors lowered their wands Mrs. Black moved forward and hustled Sirius from the room. Remus glanced at Albus quickly before moving to follow the pair.
Remus found them easily enough as they hadn't had the foresight to cast a silencing charm over their reunion. A reunion which mainly consisted of Mrs. Black waving her finger in her son's face.
"You!" She snorted when Remus joined them. "You convince him that he needs to get his act together and marry."
"With all due respect," Remus bowed to her. "I don't know what you're talking about, therefore I am of little use to either side of this argument."
"The Potter boy!" Mrs. Black shook her head as if it should have been immediately obvious. "Dumbledore has him staying with Muggles!"
"That makes sense," Sirius attempted to reason with her. "Lily was Muggleborn after all."
"And that means that you should leave him there!" Mrs. Black narrowed her eyes. "Those foolish Muggles wouldn't let me in to see him and you're his godfather!"
"This has all been about Harry?" Sirius asked incredulously.
"Well," Mrs. Black blinked. "What else would it have been about?"
"Some misplaced maternal instinct?" Sirius challenged. "You actually wanting to help me?"
"Ha!" Mrs. Black raised her head high. "You're a disappointment, and you always have been!"
Sirius rolled his eyes. "I am still a disappointment?"
"Until you shape up, get married and produce an heir you are." Mrs. Black sneered. "You, Merlin help us, are the last of the Blacks. Please show some small ounce of family pride every once in a while."
"Worse comes to worse that whelp of Narcissa's can inherit." Sirius growled.
"A Malfoy?" Mrs. Black's voice rose again. "You want to let a Malfoy be head of the family? Where is your loyalty to your house!"
"Lost somewhere, thanks to the number of times you put me under Cruciatus." Sirius spit out.
"I wouldn't have done that if you'd shown an inch of spine!" Mrs. Black was out and out yelling now.
"I was a Gryffindor!" Sirius's voice cracked. "That means I had a spine! Even if you didn't recognize it!"
"It meant that you were foolhardy!" Mrs. Black snapped. "Other wise you wouldn't have fallen into that trap that landed you in Azkaban!"
The two Blacks looked like they wanted to murder each other, which wasn't the best thing that could happen to Sirius under the circumstances. Remus glanced between the two of them and sighed. "Harry is staying with Lily's sister?"
"Yes," Mrs. Black shuddered. "A horrid women all around."
"Merlin," Sirius slumped to the ground. "I never thought I'd ever say this," he glanced at his mother. "But you're right. Harry can't stay there. Petunia is enough to make me actually believe in some of what Riddle is doing. Was doing."
"So you'll gain custody of the child?" Mrs. Black smiled smugly.
"Hell yes!" Sirius said. "I wouldn't wish that woman or her husband on Peter!"
"Good." Mrs. Black seemed as happy as Remus had ever seen her. He sighed. He could tell that her good mood was only temporary. As soon as Harry was living at Grimmauld Place the two remaining Blacks would be at each other's throats again. After all, there would have Harry's upbringing to fight about.
End Notes:
- Yes I know it doesn't look like a H/D story at the moment. I know it looks like a Sirius/Remus story. However it isn't. It might not be H/D in the truest form, but that is the closest I can come up with for the actual pairing at the moment.
-Please Review