A/N: I'm having an awesome time writing the sequel to this one, but I doubt I'll be able to post it directly after this one. I just like editing too much. So of course, I'll change it all again before posting, and it won't even resemble the one I started with. (Mind you, it's much more action packed than I thought it would be!) However, don't expect another story to beposted immediately after this one.
Whomping Willow Disclaimer: BANG! 'OOF!'
Chapter Thirty-one –
Evasion and the Trial
"So you say that Snape was actually trying to help you last year?" Ron asked, looking skeptical and trying to retrieve a lost bean bag from under the bookshelf in the Room of Requirement. "I don't believe it. I still wouldn't trust that man as far as I could throw him."
"Oh, Ron." Said Hermione acerbically, starting the juggling circle up again once she saw that Ron was standing again. "You wouldn't trust Snape if he broke down sobbing in front of you." She sniffed haughtily, and did a quick trade with him. "He's done some good things you know."
"I think I'm right to distrust him, thank you." Ron said,trading one with Harry. "That man's got to be a good actor. If he cried in front of anybody, it'd be because he secretly wanted something from them. He'll only do something good for the same reasons. The second Voldemort offers him something better than what we can give him, he'll be spying for the otherside, you take my word for it."
"And Fudge says he'll look into Sirius' incarceration in Azkaban." Harry interrupted.
"Really Harry? That's great news!" Hermoine enthused, as she passed him a bean bag from her lot, and he passed one back.
The DA were doing quite nicely with juggling now, and in throwing and aim, all of them could hit the targets bang-on with very little effort. Many of them, including Harry, could use either hand. Harry thought this could be useful if he wanted to throw a bluebell flame with his left, while also sending a spell with his wand, which had always preferred his right. He'd done it properly a few times, but most of the time, his aim was often off. It was something to work on anyhow.
They had worked a little on warping spells, and catching charms, which both required more dexterity and hand-eye coordination than any of them had started off with, but the juggling was sort of complimenting those studies. It was easier to catch a spellwith the tip of your wand when you were able to anticipate where the spell would be, and move with it.
The younger students were happily joined with the older group for most of this, but any time one of them wanted to learn a new charm, Harry or his assistant teachers would gladly help them. They were all quite far ahead now, and Mark had even told him once that Trelawney often picked on him for knowing too many defensive maneovers ahead of time. Apparently Mark was 'much to knowledgeable for a muggleborn, and could be dangerous.' Harry had laughed, and told him about the many death omens of Harry Potter.
A few feet away from where Harry was catching, throwing and pondering, Mark and Hannah collided rather painfully back to back when both of them went to catch an errant toss.
"Ooh." Said Ron, wincing. "That's got to hurt."
Then his eyes glazed over, and Harry knew he'd just gotten an idea.
"Ron?" He asked, "What are you thinking?"
"Oh," Ron said, suddenly taking notice of the six bean bags at his feet which both Harry and Hermione had been passing to him.
"I've just had an idea." He said, sounding excited. "Harry, you said we needed to learn how to move so that we don't rely on having something to shield us?"
Harry nodded.
"Can I teach that lesson?"
Harry's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Sure. What did you have in mind?"
Ron looked at his watch. "We still have another fourty-five minutes until curfew, do you think I could teach everybody at once?"
"All right. Hey everyone! Ron wants to show us something he's thought up! Gather round!"
Slowly the DA stopped what they were doing, and moved to face the trio.
"Gin, I'm going to need your help." Ron said, tagging his sister by the shoulder, and dragging her over to stand near the bookshelf.
"All right," she said uncertainly.
"Hermione, you stand just here." He positioned her so that he and Harry were in the middle, and each girl was about ten feet away from them to either side.
"This is a sort of game I've just made up to practice our movement. What Harry and I are going to do, is stand back to back, and try to feel each other's movements. Ginny and Hermione are going to try and take turns to disarm us silently. We are not allowed to look back over each other's shoulders, and we have to rely completely on the feel of the other's movements. We shouldn't have to use our wands, but it will be necessary to have them out so that the attackers can disarm us properly. The younger group don't have to do this soundless. It'll probably work pretty well either way. You all know how to measure the distance of your shots now, so the opposite attacker shouldn't really be in danger."
Harry's eyes widened. This was perfect. He couldn't have asked for a better strategy.
"We'll demonstrate." Ron said, taking out his wand.
Harry, Hermione, and Ginny all took out their wands too, and took up their assigned positions. Harry facing Ginny, and Ron facing Hermione. Ron and Harry stood back to back with their school robes brushing each other.
Harry felt Ron tense, and he prepared to step to the side.
However instead of stepping to the side, Ron ducked, and Harry dropped low just in time to see a bolt of gold light shoot over his head.
Harry saw Ginny swish her wand, and he leapt away to the right from the low shot she let off. Ron followed Harry's movements, and leapt with him.
"Speed it up." Said Ron, and they did.
Hermione would shoot, then Ginny, then Hermione again. Each time they missed, because Harry and Ron were getting so attuned to each other's movements that they almost saw it coming from behind them. Harry kept his eyes glued to Ginny, keeping his body movements connected to her wand.
The end of the game came when Ginny pretended to take a shot, and Harry jumped away. Ron jumped too, and Hermione got them immediately. Both of their wands flew into the air.
Ron was breathing heavily. "All right, our mistake that time was thinking that Ginny and Hermione would continue to take turns. We didn't imagine that they would stop doing that after awhile." He explained this to the entire DA.
Harry nodded. "Always be prepared for the attackers to do something different when you least expect it."
"Switch!" Ginny called excitedly. "Our turn now!"
"All right." Ron said, trading their places for those of the attackers.
Ginny and Hermione did quite well too, and were able to dance and leap out of the way of Harry and Ron's attacks. They had learned from Ron and Harry's experience, and when Harry shot twice without waiting for Ron's turn, they dodged both easily at Ginny's insistence.
Harry had an idea to confuse them though, and the next time Ron took a shot, he leapt towards the bolt, catching it before it dissipated, and yelled "Protego!"
The charm bounced off his shield, andhurtledtowards Ginny. She looked panicked for a second, and ducked to avoid it.
Hermione's hair must have singed a little, it wasthat close to her head.
Harry took another shot, and it went towards a grinning Ron, who gladly warped the spell directly back into Hermione. "Cambre!"
She lost her wand.
"All right, everyone else take a try!" Harry called. "I think this is a great way of practicing strategy as well as movement. Do you want to give this game a name?" He asked Ron.
Ron looked confused for a moment, then thoughtful. "Evasion." He said.
"All right, we'll all play 'Evasion' for the next thirty minutes, then you can go off and practice it on your free time. We don't have to keep doing this in DA. It's fun enough that you'll want to keep playing it later."
Ron grinned.
0 0 0 0 0
"Yes, Kettleburn? What is it?" professor Snape snapped at the young girl who stood trembling in the potions dungeon door. She had interrupted a particularily interesting class on the properties of horned toads, and even though Snape didn't look to be in the best of spirits or health, he had been having a very pleasant time making jibes about horned owls being something of a relation to them. Hermione was looking furious. Snape was having a go at her expense, and there was nothing she could do about it, since no one was supposed to know about her talents as an animagus. No one else could figure out why Snape was telling them something so obviously incorrect.
"I've been asked to summon Harry Potter to the Headmaster's office." Sarah Kettleburn stuttered.
Snape looked very much like hewanted to launch into the useful magical properties of lion claws, but he was able to refrain from casting his eyes in Harry's direction.
"Take him, and be off." He coughed raspily, and waved at Harry's desk. "Take your things with you. Class will be dismissed early today, and I don't want to see you here again today."
Harry didn't need to be asked twice. He grabbed his books, shoved them into his bag and ran out of the class, following Sarah Kettleburn towards the gargoyle.
Dumbledore was waiting for him outside his office.
"Ah Harry. Just the one I wanted to see. We have a guest."
"A guest?" Harry asked. "Who?"
"Zoology Toffees." Dumbledore said. The gargoyle leapt aside and allowed them to pass. "Someone that doesn't understand the significance of the news he brings."
"Er…" He broke off when he saw Cornelius Fudge standing in the middleof the office. He was much improved since Harry saw him last, though the bruise on his cheek had turned yellow inthe few days he'd had to heal.
"Mister Potter!" Minister Fudge called exhuberantly, and leapt to attentionat the sight of the pair in the doorway to the office. "How delighted I am to see you!" He shook Harry's hand, and Harry felt very much like he was shaking the hand of a writhing maggott. He nearly pulled his hand away in disgust, but recalled Dumbledore's words that Fudge was bringing him important news.
"What can I do for you minister?" Harry asked politely, trying to shake off the feeling of disgust.
"Nothing at all, my dear boy, except listen to what I have to say."
The Minister took a seat, and Harry conjured one for himself. It was something they had been learning in transfiguration, and Harry was quite proud of the sturdy desk chair he was able to produce. It was quite comfortable, but not overly showy. Apparently magical chairs came in all sorts of brands for different people. Dumbledore usually conjured a sort of chintz armchair. Ron's version even came with plastic rollers on the bottom.
"I'll leave you two to discuss things." Dumbledore said, admiring Harry's chair with a smile. He nodded once, then moved up the stairs and out of the room.
"Right, on to business." Fudge said. "I know all of this will be in the prophet tomorrow, but I wanted to tell you about it personally. It's been kept surprisingly quiet up to now." He said, raising his eyebrows thoughtfully. "Anyhow, I wanted to let you know that Sirius Black has finally been given a full trial posthumously, and has been found innocent."
"What?!" Harry spluttered. "Already?"
"Yes. The Order of Merlin award that had been previously given to Peter Pettigrew will be revoked and in place given to Mister Black."
"But…" Harry felt relieved, but he was also feeling a little cheated. "Didn't you need me at the trial? To testify or something?"
"Absolutely not." Fudge shook his head politely. I'm very sorry to say this, but we could not allow the testimony of an underage wizard. I hope it isn't too frustrating to hear that, but it's part of wizard law that unless the young witch or wizard is directly accused of something, then we can not allow statements from them. Unless of course, we desperately need them to, and even then, the statements are usually stricken from the records for theprotection of the minor."
Harry shook his head, but remained silent. That was entirely unfair. He'd wanted to be there. As far as he was concerned, witches and wizards should be considered to be of age when they were fourteen.
"The trial was held solely on collected Pensieve memories, and for some amazing reason, Professor Dumbledore had collected plenty of them for us to go on. Black was found not guilty of all charges, and the court decided that based on collective memory, that there could be no denying his inoocence or death, so they issued a permanent death certificate as well."
Harry slumped in his chair.
That made it sound so final.
"Mister Potter?" Fudge asked, sounding concerned and hopeful.
Harry sighed. "It's all right Minister. I just thought that people knowing about it might change things. I really don't think it did."
"Oh, but of course it did!" Fudge assured him. "With only a death certificate, the will and property of a deceased convict is to be confiscated by the ministry for jailing expenses. When that convict is exhonerated of all charges, the property is usually given back to the next of kin at whatever request of the will with the final amount doubled at the ministry's expense for loss and pains."
"What?" Harry asked. "How is that good?"
"Don't you see dear boy?" Fudge asked, gleefully. "You were his next of kin!"
"Does it say that on his will?" Harry asked feeling a bit angry. Wasn't Remus supposed to be getting everything?
"What else would it say? Were you not his godson?"
"Yes, I was. But I will not be getting anything from him. Sirius was too intelligent to have done something like that. He would more likely have left things to the people who really needed it."
"Well, I thought you should know about the result of the trial, no matter what the information of his will contains. Just keep in mind that anything stated herin is doubled at the ministry's expense." He promptly handed Harry an official looking envelope.
Harry took it tentatively, unsure of what Fudge meant by that. He opened the letter, keeping his suspicious eyes gluedon the minister.
When he finally looked down, the letterhead of Gringotts Wizarding bank stared up at him from the parchment.
Dear Mr. Potter,
We at Gringotts Wizarding Bank and Loan are very sorry to hear of the recent passing of your godfather, Sirius Black. He and his family were valued customers of our firm for many hundreds of years.
A formal reading of his will has not been requested, but certain stipulations regarding his trust were given to us in will form by mister Black before his death to be carried out only upon his exhoneration. We have been asked to relay a total of 20 000G from his bank vault to yours, as your formal inheritance, as well as the necessary paperwork and spells to give you permanent posession of the property at No. 12 Grimmauld Place, London. 3000G have been set aside as upkeep for said property with a monthly stipend of 100G to be used only for repairs and maintenance until you are of age to do with the property as you wish.
The rest of the inheritance has been divided evenly between the personal account of Mr. Remus Lupin, and an unnamed active business account.
Due to the extended incarceration of Mister Black in Azkaban fortress, the financial department of the Ministry (UK) has asked that I notify you of the unprovoked incarceration clause. This entitles you to doubled benefits at the ministry's expense, including the equal value of the property at No. 12 Grimmauld Place, which (when last evaluated) was stated at 485 000G.
According to the will of Mr. Black, you already have a permanent residence with muggle relatives, but he has asked that a wizarding spokesperson should be allowed to deal with any matters of a magical nature for you. He has requested this service of his long time friend, Remus Lupin. You may consider Mr. Lupin your official 'wizarding guardian' if both parties agree. Mr. Lupin has been sent an owl to officiate this development, and you may wish to discuss any matter of your rights as a minor with him before signing the bottom of this form.
All transfers will be made upon the placement of your new guardian's signature in the given field, as well as your own. If you do not accept, then formal inquiries can be made at Gringotts Wizarding bank, London, UK.
A one year time limit has been put on these stipulations, to give you plenty of time to make the necessary arrangements. Your allotted limit for a response expires the 15th of March, 2000.
With my utmost sypathies,
Prootfop,
Goblin in Charge of Family Inheritances
Beware the ides of March. Harry thought bitterly.
"And you thought I would be happy about this?" He asked Fudge, brandishing the letter under the minister's nose.
"Well I hear that it's a lot of money." Fudge explained. "It's not something to scoff at."
"I don't need money." Harry rebuked. He was thinking that maybe he could donate quite a bit of Sirius' money to the Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore would like that. Or else he could try and give it to Remus. Remus would appreciate it, and Harry could just say that it was something he was entitled to, as his new wizarding guardian. He couldn't believe Sirius would do such a thing, and he felt guilty for even considering accepting the whole lot.
"Well, then," Fudge said, sounding much more understandingthan Harry had come to expect. "What do you need, if not money?"
Harry stared at him. Had he got the manner of this man wrong? Why was he being so nice all of a sudden, while all Harry had done was bite and snap at him?
"What I need," Harry said carefully, trying to avoid the issue of parental love, "is battle experience without the danger element." He looked up at Fudge with uncertainty. "Every year so far, since I discovered that I was a wizard, I've come face to face with Voldemort or his Death-Eaters, and every time, I've just barely come out of it. And usually, it was only by luck that I escaped at all. What I need is someone to teach me to duel and battle the way I've seen Aurors do. Teach me, rather than force battle experience upon me."
"You want to be an Auror then?"
"Maybe. Actually, my friends and I were discussing it, and we thought we might want to try out a more investigative slant."
"Detective work?"
"Yes. We've been doing research, but we still don't know what we need to get into that field."
"We have an investigations departmentwithin the Aurors at the ministry…" Fudge sounded hopeful.
Harry tried not to be insulting as he answered. "We were hoping to be independent." Translation, we don't like you. Harry thought sadistically.
Fudge nodded, looking thoughtful. "I've met a bloke who did that once. Nice fellow. Very smart. From what I remember, he went through the Auror Academy, and graduated in the top thirtieth percent of his class. He was an Auror for a full year before they let him go off into private business. People trust him quite well, you see, since he's got all of those credentials. I think he's properly liscenced and everything."
"So you have to become an Auror before you're allowed to go into the business of detection?" Harry asked.
"I'll have to look it up, and get back to you. I'll send an owl off to Rudolph Abercrombie. He's the lad who's done it before, so he'll know. I'll go and see him this afternoon."
Harry gave him a much more truthful looking smile. Fudge had been very helpful, even though Harry didn't really want to admit it. He looked fleetingly at the letter in his hand. I can give it away to the people who really need it. He thought.It won't matter that much.
"Thank you minister."
The minister puffed out his chest with pride.
