"This is my friend Anastasia. She is our fury friend's lawyer...as well as yours." Dumbledore said quietly. Anastasia smiled at Harry. She was quite pretty. Harry didn't understand at all what was going on. Lupin hurried forward and propped some pillows behind Harry, so he was sitting up. Dumbledore waved his wand and the blankets became smoothed. "I have not told them why you are in the hospital." Dumbledore said quietly. He waved his wand and Harry's t-shirt sleeves grew down to his wrist, concealing the needle in Harry's arm. "Are you ready?" Lupin asked quietly. Harry took a deep breath and nodded. He had no idea what he was ready for though... Dumbledore pulled the curtains back. Fudge was indeed standing there, in robes of horrible mustard yellow. He was holding a pink bowler hat. There were some other men there. Two older ones and a younger man...no older than thirty. They all waved and smiled at Harry, all of them except Fudge. "Mr.Potter..." He said curtly. Harry rolled his eyes. "Mr.Fudge." He said shortly. The young judge stifled a laugh and winked at Harry. Harry forced a smile. Padfoot climbed onto Harry's bed and rested his head on Harry's stomach. Fudge eyed the dog for a moment, then looked back at Harry. "I would have like to have had this meeting somewhere a little more...official, but Dumbledore informed you are not feeling well." Fudge said in a hollow voice. "Your scar hurt again?" He added in an undertone. Harry seemed to be the only one to hear this, except for Padfoot. The dog growled and barred it's teeth. "Actually Mr.Fudge, I'm just a little under the weather. You know how it is...being chased everywhere by a man that wants you dead... Makes it even harder when some people are too bull headed to accept the fact that there is dark power again. But you know...great medical service here." He scowled at Fudge. Dumbledore tried to hide a smile, but it was pointless. Lupin also smiled. Several people did. The young judge was one of them. "Yes, well... Speaking of dark power, I am here investigating Sirius Black." Fudge said hotly. Dumbledore's smile faded. Everyone's did. Harry scowled at him. "You are mistaken Mr.Fudge." He said angrily. Fudge stared at him. His eyes bugging out of his head. "Excuse me?" He growled. "You cannot use Sirius Black and dark power in the same sentence. It's an oxymoron." Harry said calmly. Fudge glared at him. "Now see here boy, you can't expect to call the Minister for Magic a moron and..." Fudge stopped. Several people were stifling laughs. "Er..Cornelius?" The young judge asked. "Oxymoron is a word. By definition, is a rhetorical figure in which incongruous or contradictory terms are combined." The judge said, sounding like he swallowed the dictionary. "It's like saying...a deafening silence." One of the older judges laughed. "It's just wrong." Harry sighed. Fudge turned a horrid shade of red. He obviously didn't like being shown up in front of important people.

"Yes, well I suppose we are here to determine if it is an oxymoron. Though, I think it's obvious it isn't." Fudge said shortly. Harry glared at him. "What do you want from me?" He asked coldly. "Dumbledore here has come forward with some evidence he collected trying to prove Black's innocence. He would like you interviewed, because he feels you have some rather useful evidence for Black." Fudge said in a professional manor. Harry glanced at Dumbledore. "I would love to help you. I would be ecstatic if Sirius's name were to be cleared. He is innocent after all." Harry said sourly. The young judge was looking at Harry with interest. Fudge on the other hand, was staring at him, disbelieving. "Don't you know what he did?" He asked quietly, but angrily. "Cornelius..." Dumbledore said warningly. "He sold your parents out to He-who-must-not-be-named!" Fudge spat. Harry felt his face burning. "Fudge..." Anastasia said strictly. "He killed your parents!" Fudge yelled. Dumbledore's eyes were blazing. "Cornelius that is enough!" He said harshly. Harry was staring at him. "Sirius had nothing to do with it. Peter Pettigrew sold my parents out! Voldemort killed them!" Harry yelled. He began coughing. Fudge was shaking his head. He stepped towards Harry, but the judges grabbed his arms. Harry was still coughing. Fudge was pulled back. Harry couldn't stop coughing. Lupin pushed a goblet of water into his hands. Harry choked it down. The coughing lightened and then subsided. He was red in the face. Anastasia and Dumbledore and Lupin were now in a heated argument with Fudge. The older judges were watching. The younger one stepped up beside Harry's bed. He stuck out his hand. "I'm Dan. Dan Harper." He smiled. Harry shook his hand weakly. Dan sat down. "Harry, could you tell me a bit about Sirius Black?" He asked quietly. "Er...well, I've only met him once." Harry said quickly. "Uh huh. What did he seem like when you met him?" Dan asked. "Really nice. He seemed to care a lot about me, and my parents." Harry said wearily. Dan nodded. "Did you and he get along when you met?" He asked. Now Padfoot was looking at Harry. "Once I found out he was innocent, we kinda clicked. He told me I could go live with him..." Harry smiled. A dazed look crossed his face as he remembered when Sirius had said that. "And then what happened?" Dan pressed. "Well...we took started to take Pettigrew up to the school, but there was an incident and he got away." Harry said hastily, leaving out the part about Lupin. "How did he get away?" Dan asked quickly. Harry glanced at Padfoot. The dog licked Harry's hand. Dan was watching this. "Er...well, Pettigrew is an unregistered animagus. A rat to be exact." Harry said quietly. Dan nodded. He pulled a photo out of his pocket and handed it to Harry. "Is that the rat?" He asked. Harry peered at the picture. There was an index toe missing. Padfoot noticed this too and whimpered. Harry nodded to the dog. "Er...yeah. See? His index toe is missing." Harry pointed to the picture. Dan's eyes were on the dog. "That's a very nice looking dog you have there..." He said quietly. Harry felt his ears burn. "Er...yeah. I just ya know, found him. Loveable stray." He said quickly. Dumbledore and Anastasia appeared again. Dan dropped the subject of Padfoot. "Thank you for all your information Harry, it'll be very helpful. I hope you feel better." He smiled. Harry nodded and Dan left.

All the judges left, along with Fudge. Harry was still holding the picture in his hands. "You want this?" He asked, putting the photo in front of Padfoot. The dog growled and then attacked the photo. He shred it to pieces. Harry smiled. Dumbledore waved his wand and the picture became whole again. He grabbed it and pocketed it. "Could be useful evidence." He explained. Harry nodded and turned to Anastasia. "Not to be rude, but why-" Harry stopped. He was feeling really light headed.. He blinked a couple of times. Everything was going out of focus. "Harry?" Dumbledore asked. His voice was very distant. "Little tire...maybe just nap a little." Harry said hastily before his head hit the pillow.

Harry opened his eyes. Anastasia, Dumbledore and Lupin were talking at the foot of his beds. Padfoot was staring at Harry. He whimpered and hurried forward. He laid himself down on Harry's chest and licked his face. Harry smiled weakley. "Alright, alright!" He laughed. Dumbledore, Anastasia and Lupin looked at Padfoot and Harry. The all smiled. Only, Anastasia's smile was a sad one. "Even if I get his name cleared, I don't know if I can do the other thing." She said quietly to Dumbledore. "I can't send Harry back to his Aunt and Uncle's. Do you need to see the pictures again?" Dumbledore asked. Anastasia shook her head. "I'll do what I can, but they aren't gonna wanna put Harry into a convicted murderer's hands." She sighed. Her eyes fell on Harry and Padfoot again. They looked so happy together...

SATURDAY **************************************** Harry wearily pulled on his sweater. He was just getting comfortable in the hospital. Madame Pomfrey had given him a bottle of pills to take for a week, just to make reinforce the antidote. Harry pocketed the pills. He looked in the mirror. The dark circles under his eyes were gone. He realized how warm he was in the sweater, and pulled it off. He slung it over his shoulder as he gathered the rest of his things. Sirius had left that morning. He had a meeting with his lawyer and couldn't meet her at the school. Harry had had a hard time saying goodbye. He pushed this out of his mind as he walked along the corridors. He sighed as girls whispered and giggled as he passed. Harry made his way to the portrait of the fat lady. "Er..." Harry said awkwardly. He had no idea what the password is. "Harry?" Harry turned around. Parvati Patil was standing there. She wasn't wearing her school uniform...they didn't have to on weekends. She glanced at Harry and smiled. She stepped towards him. "The password..." She said quietly, almost in a whisper. "Is 'beautiful dreamer'." She finished. She flashed him a smile and turned around. She walked away. Harry stared after her. Something hit him in the arse. He spun around. The portrait was open. Harry scrambled through, unsure what to think. As he entered the common room, he was met with more giggles and stared from the female population of Gryffindor house. Harry groaned and trudged up the stairs to his dormitory. He pushed the door open. Ron was sitting on his bed, reading a comic book. Dean and Seamus were sprawled out on the floor, looking at a magazine Harry didn't really think they were old enough for. "Oi Harry!" Dean smiled. "Wanna meet Katrina?" He asked, pointing at the magazine. "Quite alright." Harry laughed. He plopped down on his bed and took the pill bottle from his pocket. Ron stared at him. "Are those..." He began. Harry glanced at Dean and Seamus and nodded. He opened the bottle and swallowed one of the pills. They weren't nearly as bad as the mixers....

He and Ron talked for a while about the classes Harry had missed. "We don't have Potions with the Slytherins?" Harry asked, disbelieving. "Nope! Hufflepuffs. I tell ya, Neville isn't the only dunderhead in class anymore..." Ron laughed. Harry smiled weakly. His pills were kicking in. "Oh, and there's this new girl! A real fox!" Ron said happily. "Oh yeah!" "Total babe!" Dean and Seamus cheered in. "Waz her name?" Harry asked. His eyelids started to droop. "Abby. Abby Keaton." Ron said. "In Gryffindor?" Harry asked. He was starting to sway. "Yeah...you alright Harry?" Dean asked, staring at him. Ron jumped up. "He's fine! Just needs a bit of sleep, that's all!" He said nervously. He closed the curtains around Harry's bed and tipped the pill bottle into the drawer of the nightstand. There was a muffled 'thud' as Harry hit the mattress. Dean and Seamus were staring at the closed curtains. "What's up with him?" Seamus asked. Ron shrugged. "Bit under the weather I guess." He said quietly. He peeked inside the curtains. Harry was fast asleep. Ron made his way out of the dormitory and down to the Great Hall for lunch. He bumped (literally) into Dumbledore on the way. "Sorry Professor." Ron said hastily. "Not at all Mr Weasley. Where might I find Harry?" Dumbledore asked. "Er...he's sleeping right now. In the dorms." Ron explained. Dumbledore thanked him and swept off. Ron shrugged and headed into the Great Hall. He sat down next to Neville who was goggling at Abby.

Dumbledore climbed through the portrait hole. A couple of students gasped when they saw him. Hermione was coming down the stairs from the girl's dorm. "Ah, Miss Granger!" Dumbledore smiled. Hermione blushed. "Could you please ask one of the boys in Harry's dorm to wake him? I need a word..." Dumbledore said quietly. Hermione nodded and headed up to the boys dorms. She tapped on the door, then opened it. Dean and Seamus glanced at her and threw the magazine under the nearest bed. Hermione eyed them suspiciously. "Professor Dumbledore is in the common room. He wants Harry." She said finally. Seamus scrambled to his feet and pulled back the hangings to Harry's bed. Harry, was fast asleep. Hermione knew she wasn't allowed in the dorm. "Wake him up!" She said as if it were obvious. Dean got up and began to shake Harry. "Mate, wake up!" He laughed. Harry didn't move. Dean kept shaking him. Seamus opened the drawer to Harry's night table and pulled out the bottle of pills. "Maybe he took too many pills.." He muttered. Hermione gasped and pulled out her wand. "Accio pills!" She yelled. The bottle flew from Seamus's hand and into her own. Seamus stared at her. "It's not polite to go through other people's things." She said sternly. Dean was frantically shaking Harry. "I can't wake him!" He said nervously. Hermione sighed and against her best judgement, entered the room. She bent over Harry. He was so handsome... Hermione blinked a couple of times. She raised her hand. "I'm really really sorry about this Harry." She said quietly. There was the sound of flesh on flesh as Hermione hit Harry's cheek. His eyes opened. "Wha?" He asked. "Dumbledore needs to see you." Hermione said. Harry grabbed his cheek. "Did cha hit me fur?" He grumbled. Harry crawled off the bed and out of the dorm.

This is going to be the last chapter for a couple of weeks. I'm going to be away for a little while but when I get back I will post a lot more.