Chapter 27

Disclaimer: Harry Potter etc still belongs to JK Rowling, plot still belongs to me.

Author's Note: I can't think what to write, so I'm just going to sit here and look useless for a few minutes, if that's OK with you.

…

(she tries to look thoughtful)

…

hmm…

…

I know! Eureka, I've got it! (Damn you Archimedes, didn't you realise how stupid that sounded!)

A/N2: Hiatus for everything else is still on, I'm afraid. The back catalogue for this fic won't last much longer either. Uh-oh. I have exams every day this week, but I have four days off next week, so I'll try and get some other stuff up then. For now, this is all I've got for you. Thanks for your continued interest (saying this to my audience of about two people, probably).

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Harry, Ron and Hermione had a day of relaxation planned for the day before the Quidditch match, but this was quickly disrupted. They were about to leave the common room, having come back to Gryffindor tower briefly after breakfast, when a piece of parchment appeared with a flash of light. Harry, who had grown quite used to this method of communication in the past week or two, picked it up and read it.

'Harry, really urgent that you come to Dumbledore's study right now. They're coming for me. Sirius.'

Harry did not fully understand this message, but the basic command was there. He dashed out of the portrait hole immediately, with Ron and Hermione at his heels. It did not take them long to reach Dumbledore's study. The door opened for them, seemingly of its own accord. They hurried through it and began rapidly ascending the staircase.

They entered to find Lupin, Dumbledore and Sirius already there. Dumbledore looked his usual imperturbable self, which contrasted greatly with the other two, who both looked totally on edge.

"Sirius, what's going on?" Harry asked as soon as he got his breath back. "Who's coming?"

"Ministry of Magic," Sirius replied, looking utterly hopeless. "Someone tipped them off that I'm here."

"We're done for," Lupin said quietly. Harry saw him steal a glance at Sirius. In that brief moment he knew that Hermione was right. Friends do not look at each other like that.

The six of them sat in silence for what seemed like an age. At long last, there was a knock on the door. Sirius buried his face in his hands. Dumbledore showed the first sign of emotion he had all the time they had been there; his face twitched slightly as he called: "Come in."

The first person to enter was the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge. This was no different to what they had expected, but the person who followed Fudge in was the last person they would have expected. The man behind Fudge had greasy black hair, dark eyes, pale skin and a hooked nose. He wore black robes and his customary scowl. It was Severus Snape.

Lupin jumped up like he'd been shot. "What are you doing here?"

"I contacted the Minister and said I had some information for him," Snape said in his oily voice. "And I hardly think you're in any position to be asking questions, Lupin."

Lupin sat down, his left eye twitching involuntarily.

"And what information would that be, Severus?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

"Information about Sirius Black," Snape replied equally calmly. At this, Sirius raised his head and glared at Snape with a look that would have frozen Hell. "I have reached an agreement with the Minister here. He has given me his word that I may give Black Veritaserum. What Black then says will be taken as the truth, and may either clear or convict him."

Fudge looked delighted. He took a piece of paper from the pocket of his robes and put it on Dumbledore's desk. "Here is my written consent for this to go ahead," he said imperiously. "When you're ready, Severus."

Snape reached into his own pocket and drew out a small bottle. He took a few steps towards Sirius and opened the bottle. Sirius hesitated, then decided that the Veritaserum was probably the lesser of two evils, and opened his mouth. Snape, looking more demonic than ever, poured three drops into his mouth.

Harry glanced around the room. Ron, Hermione and Lupin all looked as worried as he did. Dumbledore's face betrayed no emotion at all. Snape looked sullen, as usual. Fudge looked eager and expectant.

Fudge cleared his throat and asked: "Are you a follower of the Dark Lord, Mr Black?"

"No," Sirius's voice did not sound like it usually did; instead it rang hollow. "I have fought him all my life."

Fudge gaped. "Well I… What occurred on Halloween night, fifteen years ago?"

"I heard that Lily and James had been killed by He Who Must Not Be Named. I went to Godric's Hollow as fast as I could. When I got there I found that my godson was still alive. I met Rubeus Hagrid and I begged him to let me take Harry, to let me look after him, but he had his orders and would not give in."

"What… what occurred the next time you saw Peter Pettigrew?" Fudge's face was beginning to turn a rather nasty shade of puce.

"I met him in the street," Sirius said, his voice still sounding hollow. "He was crying. I was furious; the little traitor was trying to pretend it had been my fault. It was he who betrayed Lily and James. He was their secret-keeper, not me. I knew now that he had turned to the Dark side. He went for his wand, and he blew up half the street with a curse. He turned into a rat and escaped – he was an Animagus – and the curse killed a load of Muggles. I was left there until the Ministry came to arrest me. I only managed to stay sane in Azkaban because I knew I was innocent. Pettigrew is still alive and at large."

"Well, there you have it, Cornelius." Dumbledore's calm voice penetrated the sudden silence. "You have had your way, and Sirius is clearly innocent."

Fudge said nothing, just stood there, his face steadily turning white, twirling his bowler hat in his hands.

"I have a few questions for Black myself, Minister," Snape said suddenly. "It is quite unorthodox, I know, but it was I who made this possible, after all…"

"Yes," Fudge croaked faintly, "of course, go ahead…" He returned to his stupor.

Snape turned to Sirius, a look of malice on his face. "Black… what was your relationship with Lily Evans?"

Harry looked at Snape, caught by surprise and a sudden sense of foreboding. What was this about?

"We spent some time together, when we were at school," said Sirius in his hollow, dead-sounding voice. "Before she and James began dating."

Harry's stomach began threatening to leave the room; whether he came with it or not did not matter.

Snape's mouth curled into a nasty smile. "Would you care to elaborate?"

"We were a couple. In secret, of course, it would have destroyed James. We were not in love, not really, it was just fun. It didn't last long, anyway. Soon she realised that she wanted James. They got together, and it was then that I realised my own true feelings. I hid them for years. It's only now that I've admitted them."

"And what are those, then?" Snape asked.

Everyone else was too shocked at this turn of events to protest this intrusion into Sirius's mind.

At last, Sirius spoke. "That I love Remus Lupin."

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Author's Note: I got there in the end. Unfortunately, I think I've used up all my A-material already. Where do I go from here?

A/N2: Ugh, that implies really OOC Lily. Damn. Oh well.