When they got to the Headmaster's office, Snape muttered the password and the gargoyle moved out of the way.
"What's this?" Dumbledore asked once the group was in his office.
"Sirius Black is innocent. Peter Pettigrew did it." Bree stated, pointing to the traitor in question.
"Oh dear." the Headmaster responded, popping a lemon drop into his mouth. "Is this true Severus?" he asked.
"Apparently." Snape replied.
"I'll contact the ministry right away." Dumbledore stated as he got up and made a floo call.
"They'll be here momentarily." Dumbledore stated when he was done. "Do any of you need to go to the hospital wing?" he asked.
"Later. I'm sure the Ministry will want to interview us." Bree answered. Almost as soon as she was finished several people came out of the floo, one after another. They were the Minister of Magic, a man and a woman Bree didn't recognize, a reporter, and… "Hi Tonks." Bree greeted brightly. Tonks waved.
"Where is he Dumbledore? Where is Sirius Black?" Fudge asked excitedly.
"Not here. But we have Peter Pettigrew. He killed people, framed his friend, and faked his death. I'm pretty sure those are all crimes." Bree answered. Fudge looked from Bree to Pettigrew, then to Dumbledore, back to Bree, then Pettigrew, then Bree, then Dumbledore.
"How?" he asked the Headmaster in a slightly strangled tone.
"I don't know. I was just sitting here in my office when they walked in. Perhaps we should ask them." Dumbledore answered. Fudge nodded dumbly. Dumbledore conjured up some extra chairs so that everyone could sit down, except for Pettigrew, who remained hanging limply in the air.
"Before we begin, I must tell you that I reserve the right to sue the paper for twisting my words and reporting anything that isn't fact." Bree stated. The reporter, who Bree had identified as Rita Skeeter, nodded.
And then the group told Fudge, Tonks, the man and woman that Bree learned were Kingsley Shacklebolt and Amelia Bones, Dumbledore, and Rita, everything.
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair when they were finished. "This is all very troubling." he stated wearily.
"This is what happens when you send a man to Azkaban without trial." Amelia snapped. "Black should have been given Veritaserum."
"This injustice must be corrected." Dumbledore stated.
"Yes, well it will take months to arrange a trial, until then Black will have to return to Azkaban." Fudge said.
Just about everyone one in the room, including Dumbledore's Phoenix and several of the portraits of former Headmasters and Headmistresses , turned to glare at him. It was Bree who spoke first.
"How are your political relations with America?" she asked.
"Fine." Fudge replied, not seeing were she was going with this.
"How do you think they would be if the American public found out that you kept an innocent man in Azkaban without trial and intended to send him back? They wouldn't like it. And I'm sure they would quickly tell inform every other country of the news." Bree said.
Fudge gulped. "You don't have any ties to America." he protested.
Bree stared at him. "Thank you for demonstrating your inability to recognized accents." she stated sarcastically.
"I'm a political headache waiting to happen. My Mom is an American citizen and my Dad is a British one. I was born in California and lived there 'til I was eleven, and I still make yearly visits there. Guess what that means for you." Bree said with a maniacal grin.
After this statement, in addition to pressure he received her Amelia and Dumbledore, Fudge agreed to arrange Sirius's trial ASAP.
173. I am not allowed to blackmail ministry officials.
When Bree, Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the hospital wing at noon the next day, it was to find an almost deserted castle. The sweltering, heat and the end of the exams meant that everyone was taking full advantage of another Hogsmeade visit. Ron, Bree, and Hermione didn't feel like going, however, so they and Harry wandered onto the grounds, still talking about the extraordinary events of the previous night. Sitting near the lake, watching the giant squid waving its tentacles lazily above the water.
They found out later that Professor Lupin was resigning. He wanted to help Sirius recover from his years in Azkaban. Before leaving he gave Harry the map back.
The next day the Headline in the Daily Prophet read : Sirius Black Innocent. Later an evening addition of the Prophet said: Peter Pettigrew escaped Ministry Custody.
"I can't believe he got away." Bree muttered. "We should have broken his legs." she declared. Hermione rolled her eyes while Harry frowned and Ron looked angry.
Sirius's innocence and Pettigrew's escape was all anyone could talk about as the end of term approached.
Percy Weasley had much to say on the subject. "If I manage to get into the Ministry, I'll have a lot of proposals to make about Magical Law Enforcement!" he said.
"I hope one of those changes is making sure people get a trial before getting sentenced to life in Azkaban." Bree commented.
Percy nodded. "Of course." he said. "Good ." Bree stated walked away.
The exam results came out on the last day of term. Bree had passed every subject. "Woo hoo! My Mom can't kill me now!"
Percy had got his top-grade N.E.W.T.s; Fred and George had scraped a handful of O.W.L.s each. Gryffindor House, meanwhile, largely thanks to their spectacular performance in the Quidditch Cup, had won the House championship for the third year running. This meant that the end of term feast took place amid decorations of scarlet and gold, and that the Gryffindor table was the noisiest of the lot, as everybody celebrated.
As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station the next morning, Hermione gave Harry and Ron some surprising news, that Bree overheard.
"I went to see Professor McGonagall this morning, just before breakfast. I've decided to drop Muggle Studies."
"Good. I've met the muggle studies Professor. She's a moron who wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a PDA and a MP3, even if they were both labeled." Bree stated.
269. Just because the Muggle Studies teacher teaches her students about outdated muggle technology doesn't mean I can call her a "Moron who wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a PDA and a MP3, even if they were both labeled."
"She's not that bad." Hermione said.
"What's a MP3 and a PDA?" Ron asked.
Bree glared at him. "Ron, stop saying things that make me want to hurt you." she said. Bree caught sight of Draco as she got onto the train and suddenly remembered something.
"Oh no." Bree murmured.
"What is it?" Ron asked
"I just remembered that I have to meet with the Malfoys this summer." Bree said.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Because she saved Draco from getting maimed by a Hippogriff." Fred answered from behind them.
"Now Draco owes her a debt." George explained.
"What does one wear to meet a muggle hating pureblood in order to discuss what kind of debt his son owes you?" Bree asked as she entered an empty compartment. NO one had an answer. Bree sighed.
"I don't know anything about proper etiquette either. What am I going to do?" Bree said in despair.
"Mum and Dad might be able to help." George suggested.
"We may not have much, but we are purebloods." Fred added.
Awhile later the conversation had turned elsewhere.
"Harry, you've got to come and stay with us. I'll fix it up with Mum and Dad, then I'll call you. I know how to use a fellytone now." Ron said.
"A telephone, Ron," said Hermione. "Honestly, you should take Muggle Studies next year…"
Ron ignored her.
"It's the Quidditch World Cup this summer! How about it, Harry? Come and stay, and we'll go and see it! Dad can usually get tickets from work."
"I thought Harry was going to stay with his Godfather." Bree stated.
"Not until the healers release him from ST. Mungo's." Harry replied.
"So you'll be staying with the Dursley's until then I take it?" Bree asked. Harry nodded.
"Harry," said Hermione suddenly, peering over his shoulder. "What's that thing outside your window?"
Harry turned to look outside. Something very small and gray was bobbing in and out of sight beyond the glass. He stood up for a better look and saw that it was a tiny owl, carrying a letter that was much too big for it. The owl was so small, in fact, that it kept tumbling over in the air, buffeted this way and that in the train's slipstream. Harry quickly pulled down the window, stretched out his arm, and caught it.
The owl dropped its letter onto Harry's seat and began zooming around their compartment, apparently very pleased with itself for accomplishing its task. Hedwig clicked her beak with a sort of dignified disapproval. Crookshanks sat up in his seat, following the owl with his great yellow eyes. Ron, noticing this, snatched the owl safely out of harm's way.
Harry picked up the letter. It was addressed to him. He ripped open the letter, and shouted, "It's from Sirius!"
"What?" said Ron and Hermione excitedly. "Read it aloud!"
Dear Harry,
I hope this finds you before you reach your aunt and uncle. I don't know whether they're used to owl post.
I meant to send you a letter sooner, instead of communicating through Remus, but the healers seem to think that I'll drop dead if I don't remain in bed.
There is something I never got around to telling you during our brief meeting. It was I who sent you the Firebolt —
"Ha!" said Hermione triumphantly. "See! I told you it was from him!"
"Yes, but he hadn't jinxed it, had he?" said Ron. "Ouch!" The tiny owl now hooting happily in his hand, had nibbled one of his fingers in what it seemed to think was an affectionate way.
– Crookshanks took the order to the Owl Office for me. I used your name but told them to take the gold from my own Gringotts vault. Please consider it as thirteen birthdays' worth of presents from your godfather.
I would also like to apologize for the fright I think I gave you that night last year when you left your uncle's house. I had only hoped to get a glimpse of you before starting my journey north, but I think the sight of me alarmed you.
I am enclosing something else for you, which I think will make your next year at Hogwarts more enjoyable.
I'll write again soon.
Sirius
Harry looked eagerly inside the envelope. There was another piece of parchment in there.
I, Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather, hereby give him permission to visit Hogsmeade on weekends, the note read.
Harry looked back at Sirius's letter. "Hang on, there's a PS…"
I thought your friend Ron might like to keep this owl, as it's my fault he no longer has a rat.
Ron's eyes widened. The minute owl was still hooting excitedly. "Keep him?" he said uncertainly. He looked closely at the owl for a moment; then, to everyone's great surprise, he held him out for Crookshanks to sniff.
"What do you reckon?" Ron asked the cat. "Definitely an owl?"
Crookshanks purred.
"That's good enough for me," said Ron happily. "He's mine."
"Do you think Pettigrew did anything to Ron while he was sleeping?" Bree asked suddenly. Ron choked.
391. Not allowed to wonder aloud if Peter Pettigrew did anything to Ron while he was sleeping.
Harry read and reread the letter from Sirius all the way back into King's Cross station. It was still clutched tightly in his hand as he, Ron, and Hermione stepped back through the barrier of platform nine and three-quarters. Harry spotted Uncle Vernon at once. He was standing a good distance from Bree's father and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, eyeing them suspiciously, and when Mrs. Weasley hugged Harry in greeting, his worst suspicions about them seemed confirmed.
"I'll call about the World Cup!" Ron yelled after Harry as Harry bid him and Hermione good-bye, then wheeled the trolley bearing his trunk and Hedwig's cage toward Uncle Vernon, who greeted him in his usual fashion.
"What's that?" he snarled, staring at the envelope Harry was still clutching in his hand. "If it's another form for me to sign, you've got another —"
"It's not," said Harry cheerfully. "It's a letter from my godfather."
"Godfather?" sputtered Uncle Vernon. "You haven't got a godfather!"
"Sure he has. Sirius Black? The escaped mass murderer? He's a wizard so dangerous that they decided to warn the non- magic folk. He loves Harry very much." Bree said to Vernon. A look of horror grew on his face.
"His Godfather's best friend is a werewolf." Bree added. Vernon no longer appeared to be breathing.
Bree hummed and followed her dad to the car.
61. I may not tell the Dursley's that Harry's Godfather is an escaped mass murderer that loves Harry very much, or that his Godfather's best friend is a werewolf.
And now I'm going to have to do a scene where Bree meets with the Malfoy's... Not sure what i'm going to do with that.
Review Please!
