Ashes of Betrayal
"The betrayal of trust carries a heavy taboo."
–Aldrich Ames
Chapter One-Fateful Day
Sitting in his room, Harry stared gloomily out of the window from Number Four Privet Drive. It was just another day in August. He decided to go downstairs and watch the television yet again. It was not the first time he'd been paying close attention to the news. The August heat wave drew many people to the news, looking for a finish to the blistering weather. However, it was not the weather that had drawn Harry to the newspapers and television. He had been on the watch-out for no one other than the Dark Lord, or Lord Voldemort.
The sun was setting and Harry grew restless. Deciding to finally go and stomp out his troubles, Harry left after a farewell to his aunt, who just said to be back before nighttime came. Harry rolled his eyes as he closed the door behind him. He put his hands in his pockets while making sure his wand was in his pocket with his right hand.
Walking to the park right by his house, he was wrapped up in his thoughts mostly revolving around Hogwarts and what had happened just couple months ago. No matter what he did, all he saw were flashes of the scene that took place after the third task. Remorse, guilt, and a tinge of fear coursed through him.
Cedric's dead…and it's my entire fault. Voldemort returned from MY blood, making him even stronger now…if I hadn't let Pettigrew live that day, he would have never had any help and Voldemort wouldn't have risen once again…
No matter what he did, matters always came back to the incident in the graveyard during the third task. Harry could still feel the knife dig into his vein forcibly…the cauldron bubbling and frothing furiously…and the cruel, eerie green flash of light before Cedric fell to the ground lifelessly.
Harry kicked a pebble as he walked down a dark alley towards Number Four Privet Drive. He decided to take the longest way there as possible so he wouldn't have to deal with the Dursleys any more than necessary. Looking down, Harry paused when he heard something shift in the ground.
He turned around quickly before seeing his monstrously large cousin.
"Well if it isn't the little freak! What are you doing here freak!" he sneered while stepping closer threateningly.
Rapidly, Harry took out his wand and pointed it at Dudley's rapidly paling face.
"Yo-you aren't al-low to d-d-do ma-a-gic!" he stammered out finally while eyeing the wand in fear.
"Just try me Dudley; have I told you that a mad murderer is after my blood and he was basically resurrected from the dead two months ago? Do you think the law matters anymore with him wanting me dead!" Harry said quietly.
Harry walked towards Dudley while still pointing his wand at his face, causing Dudley to sprint in the opposite direction of the alley. Harry's eyes followed Dudley's retreating back and widened in fear at what he saw at the end of the alley. A chill overtook his skin as the effects of a Dementor took place.
"Dudley! Get back! There's a monster there!" he screamed at his cousin's back.
Dudley, who had heard but ignored Harry's warning suddenly tripped over a piece of trash and looked around frantically. Like Harry, he felt the effects of the Dementor but he couldn't see it. Memories started flashing before his eyes. They were his worst recollections of his life and they drew shivers of fear down his spine.
Harry, who had been watching all this, saw the black hooded figure close in on his trembling cousin, raised his wand and bellowed, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" He concentrated on the happy image of seeing Sirius again and held onto that blissful thought.
A bright silvery stag emerged from the tip of his wand and charged towards the black cloaked figure leaning over Dudley. His patronus charged and forced the Dementor back but still the familiar chill would not leave. Looking behind him, Harry cursed as he saw another Dementor behind him approaching.
"This way!" he said pointing his hand in the direction of the other Dementor as it approached.
Making his way over to his cousin, Harry was scared slightly at the thought of a soulless cousin. How would he explain that to his aunt and uncle? Letting out a sigh of relief at the pale, but otherwise soulful cousin, Harry tried to help the bigger boy up. The task was not easy as Dudley was easily five times larger than him and Harry was restricted to using one hand as the other one was holding his wand in case something else came back.
The Dementors had been forced to retreat and Prongs disappeared when he was no longer needed. Deciding that another spell wouldn't hurt as he had already broken the law for Underage Wizardry, Harry lit some light with a quick, "Lumos!"
"Well, well, Mister Potter… how nice to meet you," said a girlish and high voice behind him. Leaving his unconscious cousin on the ground, Harry turned to meet a short and plump old woman. Under the light from his wand, Harry could see that he face reminded him of a beady looking frog while her fake sweet voice made him want to gag. Immediately, Harry could tell that he would not like her, if not by the wand pointed at him.
"You've caused much ruckus at the Ministry nowadays Mister Potter, so I think I shall give the Minister some help and simply get rid of you! I think the Cruciatus will loosen your tongue! Crucio!" the Toad woman said in her annoyingly high voice.
From personal experience, Harry knew that there was no way to counter an Unforgivable so he threw himself out of the way. The curse hit the spot he occupied just moments before.
"REDUCTOR!" yelled Harry while the strong jet of red shot at his stout attacker. The woman easily conjured a shield that ate away at the Blasting Curse while retaliating with another Cruciatus.
This time Harry was not as lucky. Just as he was about to dodge it, he slipped on the gravel and felt the curse hit him. The pain similar to a thousand knives piercing his body caused Harry to scream in pain. Through the pain, Harry had one last coherent thought as he stammered out a Reductor at the unsuspecting woman.
He was vaguely aware of the Cruciatus lifting off him, only to succumb to the darkness as all coherent thought left him.
Groggily Harry came into consciousness. He expected to see the familiar white of the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts, or maybe even the rooms at St. Mungo's, but he never expected to wake up in a courtroom.
"Wha––" was all Harry got before he was cut off.
"We are here for the trial against one Harry James Potter," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Rapidly Harry blinked in confusion. How did he get here and what did he do that was worthy of getting a trial? Surely Underage Wizardry doesn't require a trial? After all, he had supposedly done the same thing in his summer after his first year. They had not done anything then so what was so bad this time?
Looking around, Harry was aware for the first time of the other people besides the Minister. Various people were scattered around, but it was the front row that drew and kept his attention. There, in broad daylight was his godfather along with his best friends. Right next to them was Dumbledore and Remus sat on the other side of Sirius. What's Sirius doing out in the open? Is he free? But those thoughts left him as he gazed into their reproachful eyes. Hatred, disappointment, disgust, and sadness were in all their eyes.
"We are here for persecution of Harry James Potter for torturing and killing Vernon Dursley, Petunia Dursley, Dudley Dursley, and my Senior Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge. You are further accused of joining You-Know-Who. How do you plead?" the Minister finished rather gleefully.
Harry looked confused as he saw all the hatred in the inhabitants' eyes. This is some big joke right?
"Not guilty?" he asked uncertainly, still confused as to why he was here. If anything, Fudge looked ecstatic at his denying the "truth."
"Auror Shacklebolt, please shot us evidence number one!"
A sturdy built black man stepped forward, who Harry guessed as being Shacklebolt, with something in a long thin box. The man was bald and had a golden earring while wearing the traditional robes of an Auror.
Immediately Harry recognized what was in the case. It was his want. Briefly, he wondered what his wand had to do with anything.
"Prior Incantato!" said the Auror as he touched the tip of his own wand with Harry's. Instantly, four flashes of the eerie green of an Avada Kedavra emitted from Harry's wand. Right after the four flashes came, the familiar red of the Reductors that Harry sent at the woman.
Harry was surprised. After the Blasting Curse he had fainted from the Cruciatus. So where and what caused those flashes of green. Wrapped up in his thoughts, didn't notice that everyone in the room gasped at the display and, if possible, even more hatred was directed at him.
Finally sparing a look over at his friends, godfather, and mentor Harry only saw discussed and disappointment.
"I didn't do that!" Harry exclaimed when all eyes left his incriminating wand.
"So you're saying that someone used your wand to curse those people?" asked Fudge without containing his happiness. He looked as if Christmas had come early for him. "Well how do you explain this memory we had of a muggle?" he asked.
Another person lifted a familiar object and placed it in the every center of the chamber and whispered a spell causing the memory to project itself rather than draw the person in.
Harry saw himself talking with his aunt and uncle in their house. Actually, the three people seem as if they were arguing rather aggressively. Whoever had seen this had evidently been spying on the Dursleys through their window as the kitchen curtains could be seen.
Suddenly there was a flash of the Killing Curse green followed by another. Harry blinked. That was not him! Someone was impersonating him! After he murdered his aunt and uncle, Dudley sprinted out of the home as fast as his large weight could carry him.
Just after Harry left the Number Four Privet drive, he cornered Dudley in a dark alley. A curse that left Dudley writhing and screaming on the ground left no doubt that it was the Cruciatus. Then it was over with a flash of green, but not before another figure coming. It was the woman that he had met for real so he guessed that it was this Umbridge woman that he had been hearing so much about.
The pair dueled until a final exchange in spells. She shot him the flash of red signaling a stunner while Harry hit her with another Avada Kedavra green.
Finally, the memory ended. How could this happen? Scanning his memories, Harry couldn't figure it out while people broke out in whispers of what they just witnessed.
"Do you still plead not guilty?" the Minister asked.
"YES! THAT'S NOT ME BUT SOME IMPOSTER!"
"Very well, Griley bring in the Veritaserum," ordered Fudge. From a corner, a brown haired, brown eyed man came forward holding the bottle of filled with the familiar clear liquid.
Just as he was in front of Harry, he flashed Harry a feral grin of triumph. In that one moment Harry knew what was happening. Voldemort! Voldemort was framing Harry. After all, if you can't deal with them, why not let their own allies get rid of him?
As the man measured the correct dosage, Harry noted with growing fear and apprehension that the Veritaserum was not the crystal clear liquid that he was so familiar with, due to the many times Snape had threatened him, but it was murkier and cloudier. From a distance, there was no difference but up close it was unmistakable.
Harry opened his mouth in an attempt to warn the room of the man's treachery when the potion was forced into his mouth. Instantly, Harry felt the pull on his consciousness and control has his face took on an emotionless dazed appearance.
"What is your name?" asked Fudge.
"Harry James Potter," he replied. Deep inside, Harry was well aware of what he said but he had no control over it.
"Were you responsible for the death of the Dursley family and Dolores Umbridge?"
"Yes," Harry said even though internally, he was screaming "No!" over and over again. Deeply wrapped in his mind, Harry was slightly aware of the ruckus caused by that one word as cries of outrage took place in the courtroom.
Once the noise settled down, Fudge continued with the interrogation.
"Have you joined forces with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"
"Yes."
"YOU TRAITOR!" yelled Ronald Weasley while jumping up. Hermione was pulling him down with disappointment and hatred in her eyes directed at him. In the outburst, Griley gave him the antidote.
It seemed that Ron's outbreak caused a torrent of anger directed at him.
"You traitor!" yelled Sirius, "YOU ARE NO GODSON OF MINE! JAMES AND LILY WOULD BE DISGUSTED WITH YOU! YOU DISGRACE THEIR MEMORY! I REVOKE ANY CLAIM TO YOU, TRAITOR…AND TO THINK, I USED TO CALL YOU MY GODSON!" spat Sirius venomously.
Finally, Fudge called the room to order but Harry never noticed. How could they think that? Sirius knows that I would never do that! So do Ron and Hermione!
"The prosecution has one more display. Will Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger please come down for to testify," the Minister said. Harry was numb as Ron and Hermione came down and swore to tell the truth under an oath.
"Potter," spat Ron, "has always hated his relatives. Also, last year You-Know-Who came back during the Triwizard tournament and I think they joined forces during the third task. He's always been really strong at Defense and would get top grades with a competent teacher. Also, he can't be under the Imperius since he could fight that off. The imposter Moody taught us and he was the only one that could throw it off."
"Also," continued Hermione, "Harry's always been really secretive. He likes being at the center of attention. I think that's why he put his name in the Goblet of Fire. He likes the publicity and I think that he likes the power. That's why he joined You-Know-Who," finished Hermione.
Harry was stunned. How could they think that about him? After four years with him, that's what they thought. After all the things they've done together… getting the stone from Quirrel… getting past the basilisk… freeing Sirius… the tournament… they were throwing it all away?
"Very well," said a simply delighted Fudge, "all in favor of sending Mister Potter to Azkaban for life raise your hand!" Every single hand in the jury rose with abhorrence in their faces.
The Aurors dragged him away. One was at each side of him, holding his arm to prevent his escape. The door leading out to the portkey that would take them to Azkaban passed the front row. Seeing Dumbledore, Harry gripped the wooden stand in front of him to prevent them from dragging him away as he pleaded with the Headmaster.
"Please Professor! I didn't do it!" he begged as tears fell from his face.
Dumbledore shook his head. "Oh Harry, where did we go wrong?" he asked sadly with an absent twinkle in his eyes. Harry was shocked. Even Dumbledore didn't believe him?
His thoughts were interrupted as Snape leaned forward from his seat behind Dumbledore.
"Headmaster, if I may… I think you should subject Potter to a different Veritaserum," he suggested quietly. With wide eyes, Harry stared at his Potions Professor. Snape believed him when no one else would? All hell must have frozen over!
"Shut up you! You're only lucky that Dumbledore's got you on a leash or you would be joining him in Azkaban!" snarled Fudge from behind.
Harry vaguely remembered being dragged from the courtroom and deposited in a cold cell in Azkaban. The coldness tore at him but it was not as bad as the feeling eating him up. Despair and sadness along with guilt came up from the moment he stepped through the threshold into the prison. Dementors flocked around his room, wanting a taste of the newest addition to their hell.
Two years passed from the trial that went down in history as one of the most important trials ever. During a regular Order meeting at Number Twelve Grimmauld place, an unexpected black owl came through the wards and landed in front of Dumbledore.
After scanning it, the Headmaster for spells and enchantments with it coming up clean, Dumbledore took the envelope. His eyes widened with the seal of the Dark Mark. The Dark Lord had never written to him before so what was this about!
Opening the letter, his face paled with every word. After he finished the letter, Dumbledore sank into his chair while covering his face with his hands. Only the slight shake of the shoulders told that the normally composed man was doing the one thing that no one had ever seen him do. He was crying.
The shaken Order took up the fallen letter as McGonagall took the letter shakily to read to the rest of the assembled.
My Dearest Headmaster,
Ah yes, it's been about two years since Potter was put into Azkaban hasn't it? What a long two years it's been, don't you agree! Well as I'm sure you're in good health let me get to the root of what I am going to say.
Potter was innocent. He never killed his relatives, though he had good reason to, nor that Umbridge toad. No, it was I that did the task. Ah you're wondering how Veritaserum showed that he was guilty along with Legilimency? It was rather simple really. Legilimency was rather simiple really. To redirect your probing to my own was not that hard considering the connection between Potter and me.
As to the "Veritaserum," I had a special Potions Master that specialized in Ministry potions create one that told the truth in sentences but answers with a 'yes' or 'no' would be answered as the opposite. Delightfully intelligent if I must say so myself! Do tell Potter I said hellowon't you? It has been a dreadfully long two years!
The Dark Lord
P.S. Hmm…I wonder… how IS Potter's sanity nowadays? I send my best regards.
Minerva McGonagall was well aware of the fact that tears stained her face. She was also well aware of the anguish and sobs all across the chamber as well.
A/N–Sorry for the long update (but I did warn you!)…Anyways, now you know what happened. Thanks for all the reviews! They were delightful! (Grins) Now how can you be a delightful reader and click that "review" button and send me one?
Oh yes, the next chapter will be basically the turning point in the story where it will be very different from other "Betrayed" stories but I'm still working on the plot so…ANYWAYS REVIEW!
Thanks to: Lilith Kayden, Gryffindor, Laura, DivineDarkness, jka1, athenakitty, Anaelisa, red rose of love, spacecatdet, Frog1, Weirkat, Harry Draco Malfoy, Laura, ShadowCub, michaelccurtis, Quilian, shadowwalker2, I-Y-T-Y, DJ Rodriguez, Sakya, Laura, alwaysariyana, LadyMegsie, Dreamer of Destiny, jenn for reviewing! MUCH THANXXX!
Disclaimer–J.K.R. owns everything as usual. I do not.
