Disclaimer: Still no response from Rowling. It's possible it went to her spam folder. If she keeps playing hard to get, I'll have to throw in my Derek Jeter rookie card. But I really don't want to do that.
Also, just a heads up, it's a pretty plot-heavy, fluff-light chapter. Sorry if that disappoints you, but, as the great J. Cole once said: "I write what's in my heart don't give a fuck who's fucking with it." I think many of you will still find this chapter quite enjoyable, though, even if Harmony fluff takes a backseat. It's certainly a feel-good chapter, just not romantically fluffy.
Chapter 46
A lot of weird things had happened to Harry Potter in a very short amount of time. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that stealing a hippogriff on death row was the sanest thing he'd done in the last twelve hours. He had willingly followed a mass-murderer that wanted him dead into the Shrieking Shack, he decided to attack a teacher, then he ended up agreeing to spend the summer with the most wanted man in Britain, which he followed up with fending off a hundred dementors at once. Then, of course, he helped Sirius Black, the man he'd been angry at for almost an entire year, escape into the night. It was all just…weird.
But, mercifully, it was over. Harry was standing on the roof of the Astronomy Tower contentedly, his fingers intertwined with Hermione's. Ron had been transported to the Hospital Wing and was probably choking down Skele-Gro and cracking jokes to a very unamused Madam Pomfrey. Lupin had snuck back to his office, most likely to undergo his lycanthropic transformation in peace. Now, the two teenagers were staring at the stars and letting the weirdness wash away into the night like tears in the rain.
"Mister Potter, Miss Granger, I believe the two of you have quite a bit of explaining to do." A familiar voice suddenly called from the staircase of the Astronomy Tower. The two students turned and saw Albus Dumbledore standing with a small smile on his face, his purple cloak billowing behind him in the light breeze. "As scenic as this location is, would the two of you join me in my office for a quick chat?"
"With pleasure." Harry exhaled, taking one last look at the stars before walking with Hermione towards Dumbledore. They followed the Headmaster through the Hogwarts corridors in silence until they reached a familiar stone gargoyle.
"Ice Mice." Dumbledore said nonchalantly before leading Harry and Hermione up the winding staircase to his office. He took a seat and drummed his fingers on his desk pensively. "I have just had the most unique conversation with one Severus Snape."
Harry's stomach plummeted. Snape hadn't been with Ron and Lupin when they returned from the lake, and he had completely forgotten about his role in what had transpired over the last few hours. He had probably gone straight to Dumbledore, demanding their expulsion, possibly their arrest. His refusal to accept Sirius's innocence came rushing back through Harry's mind and his blood boiled all over again. If it weren't for Snape, Pettigrew would be in custody right now, awaiting trial.
"And I must say, it was a rather eye-opening interaction. I've never seen my colleague look so…enraged." Dumbledore continued before snapping his fingers. Two chintz armchairs materialized out of thin air and Harry and Hermione took their seats.
"Harry. Miss Granger."
"Sir." They said in unison.
"Do I have reason to believe what Professor Snape had to say?"
"What did he say?" Hermione's voice was quaking, her leg bouncing up and down with nervous energy.
"Did the two of you assist Sirius Black tonight, rather than allow him to be apprehended?"
"We did." Harry said resolutely. "Because he's innocent."
"Professor, please listen to us." Hermione pleaded, leaning forward in her chair. "Sirius Black really is innocent. He didn't kill Peter Pettigrew, he didn't kill all those Muggles, and he didn't betray Harry's parents to You-Know-Who."
"How can you be certain?" Dumbledore's tone wasn't accusatory, but intrigued.
"We witnessed Peter Pettigrew confess to killing those Muggles, and to selling my parents out to Voldemort." Harry leaned forward in his seat too, trying to convey his honesty and urgency. "You need to listen to us, sir. Sirius is innocent."
"I was under the impression that Peter Pettigrew has been deceased. Is he not?" Again, Dumbledore seemed more captivated than anything, asking questions like an eager student in the classroom. It was a bit jarring to be the ones answering questions, but Harry and Hermione did the best they could.
"He faked his own death. Sirius realized that he had betrayed Harry's parents and cornered him in a public street. Pettigrew cut off his finger to give the appearance of being obliterated by a Blasting Curse before casting one himself. That's how all those Muggles were killed, it wasn't Sirius. Pettigrew is an Animagus and has been posing as the Weasley family rat, Scabbers, for the last twelve years." Hermione was wringing her hands as she explained. "Professor, please, you have to listen to us." She said again.
"I'm listening now." The Headmaster drummed his fingers on his desk again. "What you want, is for me to believe you." Harry and Hermione nodded anxiously. "Well, I do believe you."
The two teenagers sighed in relief. Harry's heart was beating like a jackhammer against his ribs, but hearing those two words was an enormous weight off of his shoulders.
"Is Mister Pettigrew in custody?" Dumbledore continued his line of questioning. "With a confession from him, he'd be placed behind bars for his crimes rather quickly, I believe. That would make Sirius Black a free and officially innocent man, would it not?"
"Pettigrew escaped, sir." Harry mumbled, his voice cracking as he recalled his decision to protect Sirius and Hermione rather than pursue the rat.
"Ah." Dumbledore nodded, reflecting on what he'd just heard. "And Sirius Black? You say you helped him escape tonight?"
"Yes, sir, we did. He flew away just a few minutes before you found us." Hermione explained before clapping a hand over her mouth to avoid elaborating. They had yet to confess to freeing Buckbeak, and had already broken an innumerable amount of school rules.
"Flew? Harry, surely you didn't give up your Firebolt?" The Headmaster seemed more amused than anything. Harry shook his head, keeping his mouth shut. "Well, then what other entity capable of flight was readily available tonight of all nights for Sirius Black to make his escape?"
"It seems you know the answer to that, Professor." Harry answered noncommittally. Dumbledore gave a light chuckle.
"I suppose Buckbeak is another innocent life who escaped tonight?"
"Yes sir."
"With help from a certain pair of students?" Dumbledore held up a hand before either one of them could offer a sheepish answer. "No need to confirm or deny. Color me impressed."
"Thank you, sir." Harry said awkwardly, and Hermione nodded in agreement.
"So it is my understanding that Sirius Black is innocent, and you wish to convince the Wizarding World as you have done so with me?" Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, stroking his beard.
"Yes, sir." Harry nodded eagerly. "He deserves a proper trial, and there were plenty of witnesses to Pettigrew's confession. Even if we can't have the real culprit arrested, surely we can clear Sirius's name? That way he won't have to be a fugitive."
"An intriguing thought." Dumbledore hummed to himself for a bit, as if mulling Harry's words over. "Very, very intriguing."
"Professor," Hermione began in a small voice, "with Veritaserum, everyone who was in the room for Pettigrew's admission can testify. They'll all tell the truth, and confirm that Sirius is innocent. It will be too much evidence to ignore, right?"
"How many witnesses?"
"Including Sirius, six." Harry answered.
"Six? It wasn't just the two of you along with Mister Pettigrew?"
"Professor Lupin was there, along with Professor Snape. Plus Ron was there, and Sirius Black."
"Ron Weasley? The two of you finally dragged him into one of your adventures, did you?" Dumbledore chuckled, and the two teenagers blushed. "Well, six witnesses affirming Sirius's innocence would certainly be enough to convince the Wizengamot. A high court of law for which I happen to serve as Chief Warlock."
"Really?" Harry's stomach jumped up and down in excitement. "Do you think you could have a hearing organized? A trial?"
"Being me has its privileges." Dumbledore winked. "It would be a shame to be presented with evidence, such as I have been courtesy of you and Miss Granger, and not act on it, correct?" He asked as he flicked his hand. Several rolls of parchment flew onto his desk, along with a phoenix-feather quill and a bottle of dark blue ink.
"I...I suppose." Harry said uncertainly. "So you'll do it, sir? You'll help Sirius?"
"You two have already done the hard part." Dumbledore chuckled. "All I have to do is write some letters. Now, it is my understanding that it is well past curfew, and the two of you are not in Gryffindor Tower." He motioned towards the door, and the two students stood up uneasily.
"Thank you, sir." Harry nodded awkwardly.
"If all goes well, you two, along with Mister Weasley, can each expect a letter from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement within the next couple of days. It will be a summons to give testimony." The Headmaster said as he began to write. "Now off to bed. The two of you have had quite a night."
"Yes, sir." They said in unison before exiting the office. Hermione's hand slipped into Harry's the moment the door closed behind him and gave a celebratory squeeze.
"I think we did it." She whispered as they descended the staircase.
"I'll see you in court." Harry smirked.
Three Days Later
Harry stumbled out of a fireplace, almost wiping out on the smooth marble tiles of the Ministry of Magic atrium. He coughed several times, and with each hack a cloud of ash burst from his mouth, lingering in the air. He whirled around and took in his surroundings uneasily.
There were a few dozen smartly-dressed witches and wizards walking with purpose throughout the atrium. Most were unfazed by the sight of a thirteen year-old boy staggering out of one of the many ornate fireplaces that lined the walls. Harry turned to look at the spot from which he had emerged just in time for a sudden burst of green flame to erupt. Out came Remus Lupin, ash-free and looking like he had enjoyed his trip.
"First time with Floo?" He asked with a small smile. Harry nodded and coughed again. "You'll get used to it." He sighed, standing next to Harry and watching their fireplace with great interest. Hermione appeared next, her entrance only slightly more graceful than Harry's as she teetered over, looking like she'd just gotten off of a roller-coaster. Harry smirked as she ran her hands through her hair, furiously trying to rid her locks of soot.
Ron was next, strolling out much like Lupin, looking perfectly relaxed. He took one look at Harry and Hermione and snorted at their discomfort and ashen appearance. "Harry, you've got a little something there." The redhead gestured to Harry's entire body. The bespectacled wizard rolled his eyes and Lupin chuckled to himself, extracting his wand and muttering something. The soot on their clothes and faces vanished, and they each gave grateful smiles.
"I still can't believe Snape isn't testifying." Harry mumbled in vexation as they began walking towards the row of elevators at the end of the atrium.
"Professor Snape, Harry. And I'm told he had urgent business today. But don't worry, five witnesses under Veritaserum will be irrefutable." Lupin appeased him, guiding the students towards the elevators.
"Urgent business." Ron snorted. "He's probably still lobbying for our expulsion."
"Professor Snape was convinced by Headmaster Dumbledore and myself that the three of you do not deserve expulsion." Lupin said calmly as they entered an otherwise empty elevator.
"How did you manage to persuade him? He looked ready to murder all of us just before Pettigrew escaped." Hermione scrunched her eyebrows together in confusion.
"Ah, well, it was on one condition." Lupin's usually neutral expression faltered for a bit, and Harry's stomach plummeted.
"Don't tell me – "
"It's for the best, Harry."
"Professor, you can't – "
"Harry, it really is for the best. A Headmaster as brilliant and influential as Professor Dumbledore will be able to find my replacement in no time at all. And if all goes well today, you and Sirius will still be seeing me quite a bit this summer."
"Replacement?" Ron's face contorted into an ugly mixture of shock and rage. "You're stepping down?"
"By stepping down, Ron, I keep the story on my terms." Lupin's calming voice returned, and the redhead's anger subsided for the most part. "Severus Snape has been displeased all year that someone like myself held the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and we reached an agreement to prevent any tensions from escalating further. I step down, and Severus will not out me to the school, nor will he continue to urge the Headmaster to punish you three for what you did."
"That's rubbish!" Ron shook his head.
"Ron, you have grown up in the Wizarding World. Surely you know that some parents do not want someone like me teaching their children." Ron nodded reluctantly, any trace of frustration he still held melting into dejection.
"But that's horribly prejudiced, not to mention closed-minded!" Hermione gasped as the elevator screeched to a halt at the second-lowest level of the Ministry, the Department of Mysteries according to the cool female voice that announced every floor the lift passed. "You're a brilliant professor, you – "
"You may think so. But it is reality that I would not be welcomed back next year with open arms by the magical community." Lupin gestured for everyone to get out of the elevator, and they begrudgingly did so. Harry tried his hardest to compartmentalize, and temporarily pushed Lupin's resignation to the side as he concentrated on the hearing that was about to begin. The four of them descended a flight of steps in silence until they reached a corridor almost identical to the one above it. They came to a stop in front of an ebony door emblazoned with a silver W, presumably for Wizengamot. The black tiles that adorned the floor and the walls seemed rather intimidating, and Harry audibly gulped.
"It's going to be fine, Harry." The young professor reassured him. "Dumbledore is going to ask us each a few questions, that's all. The only thing you have to worry about is the Veritaserum. I've heard it's a far cry from pumpkin juice." Harry cracked a smile at that and nodded. Ron and Hermione looked equally assuaged by their professor's words. "The truth is on our side. And the truth will come out."
At that moment, the door opened magically, and the four of them entered. Harry paused and took in his surroundings, feeling a tad overwhelmed. A quick glance at his two friends told him they felt something similar. The room reminded Harry of the pictures Hermione had shown him of the Roman Coliseum. In the middle of the dungeon was a circular area with nothing but a single chair. Surrounding it was a series of benches organized in concentric circles and increasing in height the further they went. The farthest bench must have towered forty feet over the chair.
Lining the benches were dozens of witches and wizards in plum-colored robes, all looking very formal and very stern. Harry turned and saw a judge's bench with a black chair, and sitting in that very seat was a perfectly-relaxed looking Albus Dumbledore. The Chief Warlock flashed Harry a wink so fast and so subtle he thought he imagined it, but it alleviated any nervousness he had nonetheless. He took a seat on a bench just to the side of the witness chair, between Lupin and Hermione.
Harry spotted a door opposite the one they'd entered open, and Sirius Black strolled in nonchalantly, much to the Wizengamot's shock. Several gasps and a few shrieks rang out, but Sirius seemed unfazed as he took a seat on the bench on the opposite side of the room from Harry and the others. He threw Harry a thumbs-up, and if it weren't for the familiar twinkle in his eyes Harry wasn't sure if he would recognize his godfather. He'd gotten a haircut and his skin was much healthier – he no longer resembled the walking corpse Harry had met in the Shrieking Shack. He was still thin and a bit ragged, but Lupin's descriptions of a handsome and happy-go-lucky wizard with long black hair started to make sense to Harry.
"I," Dumbledore began in a very professorial voice, and the members of the Wizengamot sat ramrod straight, "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of this Wizengamot, hereby commence this hearing on June the tenth, year nineteen-ninety-four, with the purpose of clarifying the innocence of one Sirius Black."
"Second." A woman sitting in one of the front benches said in a clear voice.
"Madam Amelia Bones seconds the commencement." Dumbledore continued. "The witnesses summoned here today will be called for questioning by juniority." Harry's heart skipped a beat, but he remained mostly calm. "I hereby call Harry James Potter to the witness stand."
Harry hadn't even noticed he'd been holding Hermione's hand, but once his fingers slipped away from hers his entire arm suddenly felt cold. He stood up and marched to the chair, keeping his expression neutral as Lupin had encouraged him, and sat down. He gazed up at Dumbledore, who also looked quite stoic – save for the knowing twinkle in his eye.
"Mister Potter, you have agreed to consume Veritaserum ahead of your questioning, am I correct?"
"Yes, sir." Harry answered, his voice surprisingly steady considering the number of eyes on him.
"Very well. If you would please." Dumbledore picked up one of six bottles on the bench and flicked his wand. It hovered across the chamber until it was just in front of Harry's face. He took it with a slightly shaky hand and examined the small copper bottle for a moment. Just as he moved to unscrew the cap and down the contents, a voice rang out.
"Hem hem?" All eyes turned onto a member of the Wizengamot who had stood up. Dumbledore blinked in surprise, but his ascetic demeanor returned.
"Madam Dolores Umbridge, a question I presume?" He said calmly, drumming his fingers on the bench.
"Yes, just one teensy little question if I may?" Harry stared in a mixture of repugnance and unease at the toad-like woman a few benches behind where Amelia Bones sat. His stomach churned at the very sight of the woman, but he couldn't quite explain why. It felt rude to call her ugly, but he was struggling to find any other word to describe her. Unpleasant sprang up in his mind, along with repulsive and unlikeable. "How can we be certain that the contents of those bottles are in fact Veritaserum, and not, say, dyed water? Or perhaps a placebo designed to give these testimonies the false appearance of truth? A clever ruse designed by someone determined to make Sirius Black appear innocent?"
Harry saw red for a moment, and if Dumbledore hadn't shot him a look he would have leapt out of his chair in rage. The vindictiveness that oozed off of the Umbridge woman set Harry's teeth on edge, and he clenched the armrests of his silver chair so tightly he expected them to break.
"Perhaps Madam Bones would like to answer." Dumbledore said calmly, but Harry picked up on an uncharacteristic trace of malice in the Headmaster's tone.
"These are Ministry-standard doses of Veritaserum collected by my office this very morning, Dolores." Amelia Bones said, sounding offended at the Umbridge woman's insinuation. Harry relaxed a bit at the determination in Amelia's tone, and he found himself wondering if she was related to his classmate Susan Bones. If she was, Harry decided it would be a good idea to get on Susan's good side and stay there.
"Hmph." Umbridge pursed her lips, which only made her look even more toad-like to Harry, before taking her seat. Harry glanced at Dumbledore, who nodded. Slowly, Harry opened the bottle. It wasn't that much bigger than the antidote he'd consumed just before facing Quirrell back in his first year, which felt like a lifetime ago. The memory of that night also brought back the memory of the first time Hermione kissed him on the cheek, and he found himself smiling even as he drank the Veritaserum, which tasted like swamp water.
"Mister Potter." Dumbledore said calmly. "Please describe the events of the night of June seventh, three days prior to today."
So Harry described them. The words spilled from his mouth like water from a faucet as the potion worked its wonders. He revealed smuggling Buckbeak out of Hagrid's pumpkin patch, but under the truth serum he insisted that the hippogriff was not a dangerous creature worthy of execution, and Dumbledore nodded reassuringly.
There was, however, a downside to the Veritaserum.
"And what happened when you landed Buckbeak on the Astronomy Tower?" The Chief Warlock prodded encouragingly.
"I kissed Hermione Granger, my girlfriend, for a few minutes." The moment he said those words his face grew incredibly hot, and he inadvertently slumped in his seat. A few chuckles echoed off the walls of the dungeon, but they were quickly followed by the most awkward silence Harry could ever remember. He reluctantly glanced over at Hermione, who had buried her face in her hands and curled in on herself. He looked to the other side of the chamber and saw Sirius holding his sides, shaking with silent laughter. Harry's blush deepened as he turned back to Dumbledore.
"And…after that?" The Headmaster tried hard to sound unamused but wasn't entirely successful. Harry continued with the rest of the story, most importantly witnessing the confession of Peter Pettigrew. Several gasps were heard once again, but Harry pressed on with the story, reaffirming Sirius's innocence and detailing Wormtail's escape as Harry opted to protect Sirius and Hermione from the dementors rather than pursue Pettigrew, blushing again as he recounted kissing Hermione for the second time that night. He concluded with his recapitulation of guiding Sirius up to the Astronomy Tower so he could escape via Buckbeak.
"To clarify, Mister Potter, you overheard Peter Pettigrew himself confess to the murder of a dozen Muggles?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes, sir, I did."
"And you heard Peter Pettigrew confess to betraying your parents' whereabouts to Lord Voldemort?"
"Yes, sir, I did."
"No further questions, Mister Potter." Dumbledore threw Harry another wink. "The Veritaserum will wear off within the hour."
"Thank you, sir." Harry gave a triumphant smile as he practically leapt out of his chair and back towards the bench. He turned and saw Sirius give him another thumbs-up.
"I hereby call Ronald Bilius Weasley to the witness stand." Dumbledore announced. The redhead blanched a bit.
"You got this, mate." Harry whispered, nudging his friend with his foot as he stood up. Ron gave a slow nod before sauntering over and taking a seat. "I hope I didn't embarrass you too much." Harry said in a low voice to Hermione. Neither of them had stopped blushing, but she gave his hand a comforting squeeze and shook her head.
Dumbledore repeated the process of distributing the Veritaserum and Ron launched into his recollection of the bizarre sequence of events from a few nights ago, including the witnessing of Peter Pettigrew's admission to his crimes.
Ron concluded with the same two questions regarding Pettigrew's confession that Harry had faced, and before long he was back on the edge of the bench next to Hermione. Harry gave him a quick fist-bump and Hermione gave a proud smile before she was called to the witness stand. Harry couldn't stop himself from giving her a quick kiss on the cheek for luck – eliciting a wolf whistle from Sirius – as she got up. She blushed again but mumbled a quiet "Thank you" as she walked over.
"Hey, Harry!" Ron whispered, sliding over on the bench. "What's the best birthday gift I can give you this year?"
"I'm running low on Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish, so a new supply of that would be perfect." Harry answered immediately, surprised at the peculiar question. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I know it's what you really want." Ron grinned. "Veritaserum, and what not."
Harry couldn't help but smile in surprise at Ron's thoughtfulness. He had thought that if the redhead were to exploit the Veritaserum currently in his system, it would be to get Harry to spill embarrassing secrets or something like that, not something as good-hearted as this. Speaking of embarrassing secrets…
"Thanks, Ron." Harry finally said, and the redhead winked. "Say, who do you fancy right now?"
"Katie Bell." Ron said quickly, before clapping a hand over his mouth. "You're a rotten little git, you know that?" His face flushed, but Harry just snickered. Lupin gave a gentle nudge to Harry's side, wordlessly telling him to keep quiet, but even he had an amused smile at the exchange between his two students.
Harry sat up straight, still chuckling at Ron's admission as he focused on Hermione's testimony. She sounded as diligent and meticulous as ever as she recounted her side of the story, and Harry found himself enthralled by her confident tone.
"And after Harry landed Buckbeak on the Astronomy Tower, we took a minute to catch our breath before we started snogging each other." It was her turn to blush in the witness chair, squeaking incoherently and darting her eyes to the ground, clearly mortified at her unintentional admission. Another uncomfortable silence ensued. Harry glanced over to see Sirius barely stifling his laughter.
"I believe that's been covered, Miss Granger." Dumbledore said matter-of-factly. "After that?"
Hermione continued with her side of the story, including an unnecessarily vivid retelling of their kiss by the lake, which had both her and Harry looking flustered all over again. Mercifully, she wrapped up with the same two questions about Pettigrew's actions that Harry and Ron had been given. She hopped off the chair and practically sprinted back to the bench, plopping down next to Harry and taking his hand.
"Nice job." He whispered.
"That was humiliating." She hissed, her face still red.
"Don't tell me you're embarrassed of me?"
"Of course I'm not. But shut up." She huffed, turning back to face the witness stand. Sirius Black was called next, and he recounted the night of June seventh as well as answering several questions about transferring the secret of the Potters' location to Peter Pettigrew. The entirety of the Wizengamot seemed stunned at the revelations, but most seemed to accept his words nonetheless. Dumbledore proceeded to ask explicitly clear questions, receiving explicitly clear answers that reaffirmed Black's innocence.
Harry couldn't help but lean forward with interest, his eyes flickering between Dumbledore and Sirius like they were locked in an intense game of tennis. Every time Sirius presented undeniable evidence the members of the Wizengamot seemed more and more convinced, and Harry's stomach was doing somersaults in excitement. After gracefully answering a myriad of questions, Sirius was dismissed from the witness stand, throwing Harry a knowing wink before returning to his seat opposite the chamber.
Professor Lupin was called last, and gave a detailed and informative testimony in his usual relaxed voice. Even as he was being interrogated in a hearing, Harry felt as if it was Lupin who was in control, commanding the room with his calm tone and demeanor in a way only the best professors were capable of. He felt a twinge of sadness in his stomach as his thoughts returned to Lupin's resignation over his lycanthropy, and clearly his expression reflected it because Hermione scooted closer to him and leaned into his side.
"It's going to be alright, Harry." She whispered in a comforting voice. He nodded, not taking his eyes off of Lupin and Dumbledore. Mercifully, not one question came up during Lupin's, or any of their testaments, about him being a werewolf. The Chief Warlock seemed silently determined to not bring up anything unrelated to the case of Sirius Black's innocence, and Lupin's lycanthropy was clearly irrelevant.
"No further questions, Mister Lupin." Dumbledore concluded. The former professor stood from the witness chair and returned to his seat next to Harry, who gave him a thumbs-up. "After hearing the testimonies of no less than five witnesses whom, under the most powerful truth serum in the Wizarding World, have verified the innocence of one Sirius Black, I see fit to vote now." His eloquent and captivating voice returned, and once again the members of the Wizengamot stiffened. "Those in favor of deeming Black guilty, and sending him back to Azkaban?"
Harry's heart slowed to a standstill as a few hands creeped up, the Umbridge woman among them. Thankfully, the total number of raised hands couldn't have exceeded ten, and Harry was grinning triumphantly even before Dumbledore finished his next sentence.
"Those in favor of clearing all charges against Mister Black?"
At least forty hands were raised confidently, and it took all of Harry's willpower not to start cheering. He caught Sirius's eye, and his heart soared. His godfather was grinning from ear to ear, but his eyes were sparkling with grateful tears. There was no doubt about it. Sirius Black was a free man, an innocent man.
"Sirius Black," Dumbledore began, his eyes twinkling with excitement, "I hereby nullify any and all charges that have been presented against you in the past. This hearing is adjourned."
Harry was on his feet immediately, sprinting across the chamber and throwing his arms around Sirius, who hugged him back with an equal ferocity. "You're free!" Harry's voice was muffled against his godfather's leather jacket. "You're free!"
"I wouldn't get too excited yet, kid." Sirius pulled back, still grinning. "You and I have a lot of work ahead of us. I don't think anyone's cleaned my house in twelve years."
"When do we start?" Harry asked, his heart thumping in sheer joy. Before Sirius could answer, he was on the receiving end of another hug, this one from Hermione, who crashed into him much like Harry had.
"Christ, Harry, how long did it take you to get used to these hugs?" Sirius gasped out as the bushy-haired witch squeezed him as tight as she could, beaming.
"Still working on it." Harry smirked as he stepped back, sporting a gigantic smile at the sight of his girlfriend and godfather embracing. Soon, Lupin and Ron were hugging Sirius from either side, each looking ecstatic at the results of the hearing. Hermione suddenly pulled one arm out from Sirius and snaked it around Harry's waist, tugging him in and completing the group hug.
"Thank you all. So much." Sirius's voice was muffled in the throng of bodies, but it was brimming with enough emotion to make Harry's heart swell. "Thank you."
"Anything for family." Harry said quietly, still smiling.
A/N: So, as I said at the beginning of the chapter, this is going to be different. It's been a long stretch of very fluffy chapters, and this featured significantly less Harmony fluff. It's not like it's angsty or dark, it just had a different focus. But, regardless of what you think, I had the time of my life writing this. Courtroom scenes are my shit, and I blame Aaron Sorkin for that, but I digress. I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't to your liking because it shifted the focus away from Harmony, but I had the time of my life writing it. Sirius Black is a free man! Dumbledore was convinced by a determined Harry and Hermione to hold a proper hearing! Harry is going to live with Sirius this summer! Ah, it's all so heartwarming to me. I hope you all enjoyed this, but I can understand if you didn't like it. But I hope you did. But it's cool if you didn't. But I still hope you did.
To my incredibly faithful reviewers, followers, and favorite-rs, you guys are amazing. You are still incredibly inspiring and motivating just by clicking that button, or writing out a short comment on my writing. You all mean so much to me right now, and I thank you all for everything you've done to help make writing this story such an enjoyable experience. Thank you, and stay safe!