Author's Notes:

Guess what guys? SURPRISE UPDATE! My goal is to have two chapters done per week. This gives me the weekly update plus a stored chapter to be able to continue weekly posting during the bar exam. HOWEVER! Whenever I'm able to write 3 or more chapters in a week, you guys will be given a SURPRISE UPDATE! And since I'm already half way through chapter five (which would have been my second chapter as described above) I know I'll get through at least chapter 5 and 6 this week. Therefore…..you get a special update! Yay!

First off, I know that there's a real Duke of Roxburghe but I wanted to make sure James had a title that makes sense. I feel that the magical and muggle world intermixes more than we would think and that many of the heads of the pure blood families would have important titles like that so I just picked a cool sounding one from Scotland.

I just want to take a minute to give a special shout out to midnitewanderer and smallwjl for reading and reviewing my story so far! I really struggled with deciding to post this story because I wasn't sure how people were going to enjoy it or if I would receive negative reviews on my work. However, these two wonderful reviews (and everyone who has favored and followed this series!) have definitely increased my drive to continue this story!

Midnitewanderer I'm glad you liked the story and thank you again for pointing out McGonagall! I'm terrible at spelling so I'm not surprised something escaped my review!

Smallwjl thank you for your understanding! The bar exam won't be easy and I empathize with your brother. I hope he does well and got a good bar prep course! I'm both looking forward to and dreading May because 1. Graduation, yay! And 2. Bar prep, boo! I hope he finds, or has, an awesome attorney job soon!

Now that you've all been subjected to my ramblings; I hope you enjoy this chapter and don't hate me too much for the cliffhanger I'm dropping on you 😊.

Chapter Four: Ministry Adventures

A week later James finally stepped out of Saint Mungos and into Muggle London. The busy street seemed odd to him; all the noises and sights that he was unaccustomed to anymore.

James looked at Remus who was walking next to him as they headed to a pub down the street. They had a lot of things to figure out before James could even think about heading back to Potter Manor. Sirius, Harry, Peter, Lily. So much had happened that James was unaware of until just a week ago, so many things that he needed to fix before everything got worse. And then there was the issue of Voldemort—would he ever come back?

Remus and James entered the pub and were quickly seated by the host at the stand. They both slid into a booth, looking at the menu. When the waitress came by, both men ordered a Guinness and a burger with fries. The waitress scurried off to enter their order, quickly returning with their pints.

James finally looked across the table at Remus, sipping on his beer, and began, "How do we get him out. He didn't do what everyone is claiming he did. Sirius would never betray Lily and I. I mean, there's no way he could have! He wasn't even our secret keeper!"

"I don't know, James. The evidence was overwhelmingly against him. Even I wondered if he had actually done it, Prongs. I'm ashamed to admit that. Until you woke up and told me that he wasn't the secret keeper—James I'm beyond ashamed. I haven't been there for him; what he must think of me," Remus replied, running his fingers through his hair.

"Remus," James said, clasping his hand on his friend's shoulder, "I'm sure Sirius understands. Or he will, anyway. How could you have known? We kept it a secret, even from you, because the less people who knew, the easier it would be to hide the switch. We thought we were being smart, pulling one over on Voldemort. I guess we really didn't, did we? Didn't they give him a trial? Surely his memories or—"

Remus cut James off, holding up his hand, "Kingsley explained to Dumbledore that none of Sirius' memories, or even a truth potion would show his innocence. If he was in league with You-Know-Who, he could have figured out a way to alter those memories or prevent the effects of a truth potion. And, he's right. And since Peter—"

"Yeah what about Peter. Where the hell is he?"

Frowning, Remus continued, "We don't know. Peter has been missing since a few days before Halloween 1981. No one has seen any trace of him. Some people suspect that he was tortured and is now dead somewhere. I think he's in hiding because he really was the spy. But I can't prove that."

James rubbed his chin before continuing, "And what about my memories of using Peter as our secret keeper rather than Sirius? Do you think that would be enough to get him out of jail?"

"I don't know. We would have to talk to the auror department at the ministry. Don't you think you want to get settled at home before bursting into the ministry?" Remus replied.

"Moony, Sirius has already been sitting in Azkaban for over 2 years. Are we really going to make him sit there any longer?"

"I suppose not. However, they're closed for the day so maybe we should get you home and wait until the morning," Remus said while looking at his watch.

James sighed, "I suppose that's true. I just don't know if I'm ready to go back to Potter Manor without—without Lily."

Remus looked at James, his eyes down cast as he slowly sipped on his beer, "Prongs, you're always welcome to come stay at my flat. I know I don't have much room, or the luxuries that you're used to, but it's a warm bed—couch really—and a toilet. Until you're ready to go back home, anyway."

James looked into Remus' golden eyes and smiled, "Thanks Moony, that means a lot. I think I'll take you up on that offer for tonight and then see about after that. I just, I want to get everything back to normal, you know?"

"I can understand that. Why don't we finish up here and head back to my house?"

"Yeah, that sounds good," James said as he pulled out his wallet, "I have enough muggle money to get this. Think of it as a thank you," James said, preempting Remus' opposition to him paying.

"I guess I can't really argue with that. Thank you."

James quickly paid the waitress and then he and Remus stood up and exited the pub before disapparating back to Remus' house.

Upon arriving, James surveyed the space before him. The flat was sparsely furnished with a couch, small table, and a tv as well as some small kitchen amenities. The walls were bare and slightly worn from time and water damage. The couch itself looked well-worn and frayed. It seemed like the only new thing in Remus' flat were the well-loved books on his coffee table.

Remus moved into the little kitchenette and put his keys down on the counter before saying, "Well, it's not much, but it's home and you're welcome to it. The couch is all yours and the toilet is just down the hall."

James simply sprawled out on the couch, putting his arms behind his head. It wasn't more than a few minutes before the long, deep snores escaped James' lips. When Remus, prompted by the sudden noise, looked back over at James he smiled and remembered James' ability to sleep anywhere at any time with little effort. If only it was that easy for him to do.

Remus turned and walked down the hall to his sparsely decorated bedroom. This was the only room in the flat that had any decoration outside of the necessitated furniture. Along the wall that faces the bed were four framed, moving photographs. The first photo depicted a group of four boys: one tall and lanky with jet black hair; another who was slightly less tall but very handsome and also sporting long black hair; a short, watery-eyed man with mouse brown hair; and finally, a younger Remus. This Remus looked less aged and scarred; his golden-brown hair falling in short ringlets around his smiling face. The Remus in this photo looked happy and at home with his mates.

The next photo was of a wedding. The man with the jet-black hair from the first photo was wearing a tux and dancing with a redheaded woman who was wearing a white gown. Both were smiling at each other and kissing intermittently. Love enveloped the couple and seemed to radiate between the two.

The third photo contained four people; the man with the jet-black hair, the redheaded woman, the handsome man from the first photo, and a small, red baby with a tuft of black hair. The two men were standing near the woman while the handsome man was holding the baby up in the air and the tall one laughed. The woman was laying in the hospital bed with her head in her hand and sighing and sometimes laughing.

The last photo contained only one occupant. A smiling baby with bright green eyes and a large tuft of black hair. The same baby from the picture before it. The baby laughed and gurgled and made little bubbles with his spit, entertaining himself.

Remus admired these pictures for a moment, taking in what had once been his life, before moving to the bed. Exhaustion had taken over his body as he began to undress and lay down and tried to go to sleep. He tossed and turned for what felt like an eternity before he finally fell asleep.

James awoke with a start the next morning as the light from the sun began to make its way into the dingy living room. He opened his eyes and looked around, suddenly confused about his surroundings before he remembered where he was and sighed. He threw an arm over his eyes and tried to roll over on the too small couch and when that didn't work, he simply lay there and stared at the ceiling. His mind was racing; his thoughts constantly shifting between Lily, Harry, Sirius and Peter, and Remus.

The grief that consumed him from the thoughts about Lily was beyond anything he wanted to know or feel, now or ever. The thought of him never being able to see her, to hold or touch her ever again was beyond comprehension. And not something he was ready to deal with. Maybe he would never be ready to deal with it.

James steered his thoughts to Harry. He wanted Harry home. He was the last piece of Lily he had left; the last piece of what was. Harry is his son and he loved him more than anything in the world, even more than he had loved Lily, and he deserved to be home with his father, to know who he is. James knew that the Dursleys would never tell Harry who he was or where he came from. Those two people are the least magical, least openminded people he had ever met in his life. He had never understood why Lily had kept up communication with her sister after everything with the wedding, after everything their first year, even. Petunia's constant reminders that Lily was nothing like her or their parents had always set James off the edge. He had never understood people's notions that others were different because of what they could or couldn't do or because of where they came from.

His thoughts moved on to Sirius. How were he and Remus going to get him out of Azkaban? And how did he end up there to begin with? What happened to Peter after everything that night? No one has seen him since, no one has found a body. Could it be that Peter had really been the spy?

A door down the hall opened and James hear Remus walking down the hall towards the living room. He groaned and sat up, his head spinning as he did so. He still wasn't completely 100% but he was definitely getting there. James looked up just as Remus came into the room looking just as disheveled as James felt. "Morning," James said.

"Morning to you. I was going to make some breakfast. Did you want some?" Remus asked as he began pulling a pan out of the cupboard.

James stomach protested, he was feeling a bit queasy, "No thank you. Maybe later. I'm still not feeling quite right since waking up and it's worse in the mornings. I'll get some lunch later."

Remus shrugged and continued to make some eggs and bacon. He quickly ate and cleaned up before taking a seat next to James.

"Are we headed to the ministry?" Remus asked.

James nodded and stood up, "Yeah, I'll see you there?"

Remus nodded. Both men turned on the spot and disapparated, reappearing at the Ministry of Magic. They had appeared next to the fountain in the atrium and watched as people bustled around the room headed towards lifts and offices. James and Remus walked towards the guest entrance.

"Visiting?" the ministry worker asked.

Remus nodded and presented his wand, "Yes. We were hoping to speak to Kingsley in the auror department. Is he in today?"

The ministry worker took James and Remus' wands and measured them while saying, "I think I saw him go up earlier today. The auror department is on level two. Everything appears to be in order," he said as he handed the wands back along with name badges, "Please be sure to head straight to your destination and then leave upon the completion of your business. Thank you and have a nice day."

James and Remus nodded and affixed the badges to the fronts of their robes before walking to the lifts at the end of the hall. The both entered and watched as the gates slid closed and the lift began to move. When the lift came to a stop a soft, female voice chimed, "Level Two; Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services."

The gate slid open and James and Remus stepped off and into the corridor. Both men began walking down the corridor, looking at the doors trying to find the auror office. Finally, about half way down, they found it and entered.

The room inside was filled with cubicles and offices. People were sitting around at the desks or moving briskly throughout the room. Immediately to their right was a large desk where a wizard sat writing documents and using his wand to file them away upon completion. The wizard looked up at James and Remus and held up a finger as he finished whatever he was working on.

Once he was finished, the wizard looked up and said, "Good morning, gentlemen, how can I help you today?"

James spoke before Remus could and said, "We're looking for Kingsley. I wanted to speak to him about the false imprisonment of Sirius Black; I have evidence that will prove he is innocent of all charges against him and he should be released immediately."

The wizard paled, shock written across his face as he nodded and said, "He's three doors down to your left. I believe he has some time now if you would like to go on in."

"Thank you," James said as he began to walk that direction. He held his head high, knowing what he was probably going to have to do and he didn't like it.

Remus and James reached the door the wizard had indicated. The door had "Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt: Deputy Head Auror" emblazoned upon it in golden script. James knocked on the door and opened it once he had heard someone behind it say, "Come in."

James pushed the door open and walked inside the office, Remus following behind him. Kingsley was sitting behind his desk, his head down as he read over the open file on his desk. James and Remus stood there watching Kinsley, waiting for him to look up. After some time, Kinglsey glanced up, his eyes widening, and looked at the two men before him.

James put both hands on Kingsley's desk and leaned towards him and stated, "We need to discuss Sirius Black."

Kingsley looked back down at the file on his desk and sighed before closing it and carefully putting it aside, "I wondered how long it would take for you to show up here. I heard you'd finally recovered. What about Black, Potter?"

"I have all the evidence you need to release him. You and I both know he didn't do what he's in Azkaban for. I'll give you anything that you need to prove that innocence."

Sighing, Kingsley leaned back in his chair and touched the tips of his fingers together and held them over his mouth while he thought. Then he said, "Potter, now I understand that this is all hard for you to wrap your head around but Sirius betrayed you. He sold out Peter to You-Know-Who so that he could get your location from Peter. We've got it all worked out. No amount of evidence is going to be able to overcome that presumption. I'm sorry, James."

James leaned over the desk further, getting as close to Kinglsey as he dared, "Kingsley, you and I both know that's not what happened. Dumbledore knows that's not what happened. I don't want to have to pull rank on your office but I will if need be. Sirius should not be in Azkaban."

Kingsley avoided eye contact with James as he continued, "I understand that you feel that way, but no evidence you could give us that would show that Black didn't, beyond reasonable doubt, inform You-Know-Who of Peter's involvement with you and then lead him to Peter to gain access to your location. Unless you can provide us with Peter, unfortunately there's no way of knowing what's true and what isn't."

"Except maybe, you know, the trial he never got?" James asked sarcastically, "There's no way a trial would give any indication as to whether Sirius is guilty or innocent of that crime. And I'm willing to offer evidence that we, Lily and I, had wanted Sirius to be our secret keeper and he was going to be up until the last minute. That's when Peter showed up and Sirius got the idea to use him instead. We didn't even tell Remus that we switched secret keepers to give Peter better protection."

"Potter, it would take a lot of sway within the ministry to reopen Black's case and get him a trial. I'm not saying he shouldn't or should have had one; I wasn't in charge during that time nor am I now. You would have to discuss that with Scrimgeour and Fudge. They're the only ones who could bring him back in for a trial. If you want to have that conversation with them, by all means, do so. They're both right next door having a meeting regarding Azkaban as we speak."

James straightened and looked Kingsley in the eye, "It's Lord Potter; Lord James Potter Duke of Roxburghe. You and I both know that I do not and won't use my title for anything less than necessary. Thank you for the information, Kingsley, but we will be getting Sirius a trial and it will occur by the end of the week. Thank you."

James turned on his heel and left Kingsley's office, Remus following him close behind as they headed down the hall to the next office. James knocked one, brisk knock before entering the room.

Rufus Scrimgeour and Cornelius Fudge, alarmed by the sudden opening of the door, looked up at James and Remus just as James was closing the door. Then James said, "Well, gentlemen. It seems we have some matters to discuss this morning."

End Notes:

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