Chapter 3: Lord Arcturus Black

While Regulus Black was trying to come up with an excuse to convince his mother to let him talk to his Grandfather so he could ask for Lord Black's help regarding Sirius when he was spared the trouble by a letter sent by Lord Arcturus Black himself.

Regulus Arcturus Black,

I, Lord Arcturus Black, on my authority as your Grandfather and Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, request your presence at our family's winter retreat for a very important discussion. Arrive at your earliest convenience.

Formally,

Lord Arcturus Black III

O.M. First Class

Head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

After showing the letter to his mother, Regulus quickly stepped outside his home and, upon making sure there were no muggles watching him, disapparated from Grimmauld Place and reapparated at the front of the Black Family's winter retreat, where he knocked on the door. An elf apparacted next to him. "Master Regulus, you was being expected." The elf formally said and then opened the door.

"Thank you, Tippy." Regulus thanked the elf as he entered.

"Master Regulus thanked Tippy!" She happily exclaimed. "Master Regulus is so nice!" She then noticed Arcturus' presence. "Lord Black, Master Regulus has arrived." She said and then locked the door.

"Good." Arcturus replied. "Now get back to whatever chores you were handling when my grandson knocked."

"Yes, Milord!" She eagerly said and left.

"Regulus, you must be wondering what I summoned you here for." Arcturus commented.

"Yes, Grandfather." Regulus formally nodded.

"Regulus, as you must remember, your Grandfather Pollux and I opposed to you getting involved with the war was because, aside from your brother, you are our family's only hope to see our name and the male line going past your generation." Arcturus commented. "Unfortunately, your brother's crimes damaged our family's reputation to the point it destroyed the negotiations Pollux and I had with your potential in-laws."

"Nothing a fair trial cannot solve, Grandfather." Regulus replied hoping his Grandfather would help Sirius out.

"What do you mean by that, Regulus?" Arcturus asked in surprise.

"My brother is innocent and, unlike what the Ministry claims, is too weak to get him convicted in a fair trial, which is likely the reason Crouch and Bagnold won't allow him his day in court."

"They what?" Arcturus was outraged. Blood traitor or not, Sirius was the Black Heir and shouldn't be treated as something lower than a Muggleborn. Regulus then told his Grandfather about his visit to the Ministry. "No wonder you believe Sirius to be innocent and Crouch and Bagnold to have ulterior motives to keep him in Azkaban. The real surprise was the blood traitor Tonks falling for their excuses. Then again, she did leave our family to marry a Mudblood."

"If at least Albus Dumbledore wasn't so obsessed with making Harry Potter live with muggles." Regulus muttered to get that part of the case to his Grandfather.

"Care to elaborate?" Arcturus asked his grandson.

"With Sirius in prison and his wife dead, their godson has no available family other than Lily Potter's relatives." Regulus explained. "The Boy-Who-Lived is bound to grow up as a Muggleborn whose parents already know about the Wizarding World, Grandfather."

"I doubt Muggles, even those who are allowed to know about our world, would know the laws that could be used to interfere with whatever plans Dumbledore has to place Harry Potter with guardians of his choice, Regulus." Arcturus argued. "Yes, he's a muggle-loving fool but it'd take more than that to leave Harry Potter with muggle relatives."

Regulus then explained his experience with the Dursleys. "Oh, so the fool believes a Mudblood was the key to the Dark Lord's demise and Harry Potter needs to live with relatives of hers to keep her protection from wearing off before he becomes an adult? All for the better. Good working getting in the way, Regulus. However, as much as I'd love the idea of converting the Potter Heir to the Dark as payback for one of us being tricked into joining the Light, I still need to clear Sirius Black's name."

"Yes but please don't let the rest of the family know I have access to Harry Potter." Regulus pleaded. "Especially the Malfoys, the Lestranges, and my mother."

"Go see those Dubleys or Dursleys or whatever names those muggles have while I get the Ministry to release your brother." Arcturus ordered. "I'll make those morons wish the blood traitor Tonks had been smart enough to see the reasonable doubts by herself. I'll cover up and say you're doing a secret task for me."

"Yes, Grandfather." Regulus obeyed. He then put on some muggle clothes and returned to Privet Drive.

"Regulus?" Petunia asked while looking at him and becoming relived he's "normally" dressed this time. "Welcome, and I'm glad you're showing a better taste for clothes."

"Where's Vernon?" Regulus asked after entering the Dursley residence.

"He's at work." Petunia said like it was obvious. "I assume you know what happened to your brother and his wife."

"Yes." Regulus sadly answered. "Athena Black was killed along with my niece Acquila and my brother is in Azkaban."

"The wizarding prison?" She asked in shock. "What did he do?"

Rather than taking offense over the fact Petunia is automatically assuming Sirius was guilty, Regulus decided to explain. "The proper question is what he was accused of doing since no trial has been held yet."

"And what was Sirius Black accused of doing?" Petunia asked.

"First, it's said You-Know-Who only knew where to find the Potters because my brother told him where they were hidden." Regulus said and then noticed Petunia's face. "The Wizengamot has yet to evaluate the evidence and listen to Sirius' pleas of innocence. Also, he supposedly killed Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggle bystanders with a Blasting Hex. I find it suspicious since the Aurors who arrested my brother didn't check his wand or Pettigrew's and, while the bystanders left enough of their bodies to confirm their deaths, Peter Pettigrew left nothing more than a finger."

"I recall Peter Pettigrew as being from the same group of friends as your brother and James Potter." Petunia commented.

"Yes, Petunia, it's the same Peter Pettigrew." Regulus confirmed.

"What happened to him if he didn't die at the explosion?" Petunia asked.

"I believe he faked his death to avoid being punished for betraying the Potters, Petunia." Regulus explained. "He was also accused of ordering the deaths of my niece and her mother."

"Why would anyone think he's behind the deaths of his own wife and daughter?" Petunia asked in horror.

"Because several people are biased against my family and the fact he was arrested before they were killed saves him from being accused of doing the deed himself." Regulus explained.

"Someone at the Ministry must have some sort of reason, even if it doesn't eliminate all chances of your brother being innocent, to believe him guilty." Petunia commented.

"The Ministry put Alastor Moody in charge of the investigation." Regulus explained and, by Petunia's reaction, realized she had no clue to who Alastor Moody was. "He was my brother's mentor among the Aurors and became the next in line to inherit the McKinnon fortune after the deaths of my niece Aquila and her mother Athena."

"What?" Petunia asked in shock. "Has your lot never heard of conflict of interest?"

"I am not familiar with the expression but the context suggests it's about the fact Alastor Moody was trusted with investigating a crime that made him wealthy." Regulus replied. "The worst part is that Millicent Bagnold, our Minister of Magic, doesn't even demand him to come up with a better excuse to deem him guilty of this than the notion he's guilty of the crimes he was arrested for."

"Something like this cannot survive a trial." Petunia commented.

"True." Regulus agreed. "That's why the Ministry is doing their best to prevent my brother from being allowed a trial."

"What?" Petunia was outraged. "Are they witch hunters or something like that?"

"No." Regulus was confused by Petunia's question. "We are wizards and witches. There are the occasional squibs but there's no need to worry about them."

Petunia then explained the metaphor. "Oh, that makes sense. I still can't help but feel offended by some of my fellow wizards and witches being compared to witch hunters but Crouch and Bagnold deserve it as well as any figures of authority who condone the decision to deny my brother a trial. They wouldn't even question him with Veritaserum."

"By context, I assume Veritaserum is a truth serum." Petunia commented. "Does your lot have a truth serum that really works?"

"Yes but its use is regulated to avoid privacy issues and minimize contaminations." Regulus explained. "It cannot be used on you muggles because you have no magic to negate nasty side effects."

"Our world also had some attempts to make a truth serum but our best result is being questioned as to if it really makes people tell the truth or just makes them say whatever their interrogators want them to so answers induced by it aren't accepted as evidence in our courts of law." Petunia explained. "But what can we do about your brother?"

"Don't worry." Regulus reassured his godnephew's aunt. "My Grandfather Arcturus Black is handling this at the Ministry as we speak. The Ministry cannot deny him so easily. If at least Andromeda wasn't so stupid."

"Who's Andromeda?" Petunia asked.

"She's a cousin of mine who intended to become a professional law practitioner and knows Wizarding Law almost as well as my Grandfather does." Regulus explained. "She could have made the Ministry honor my brother's right to a trial but fell for their excuses to deny him one."

"No wonder she…" Petunia's comment was interrupted by a crying baby. She and Regulus went to the nearby crib and found out the crying came from Dudley. "I'm sorry but the babies need me."

Regulus thought about calling Kreacher to help but decided it was too soon to see how Petunia would react to elves or to let any Black elves to know Harry's location. "I have to see how Grandfather is doing so, goodbye."

After returning to his Grandfather's winter retreat, Regulus found out Arcturus was back there as well. "How did it go, Grandfather?" Regulus asked.

"Bagnold insisted on denying your brother a trial so I requested a hearing for the Wizengamot to dismiss the pending charges against him for lack of solid proof, Regulus." Arcturus explained. "The clerk in charge of handling requests tried to question the fact I believe him innocent but I reminded her it wasn't in her place to question the motives behind the requests."

"Some people don't know how to treat their betters, Grandfather." Regulus commented.

Meanwhile, at Headmaster Dumbledore's office, Albus Dumbledore was digesting the latest development. "What's wrong, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Arcturus Black is trying to get Sirius Black out of Azkaban." Dumbledore sadly answered.

"No surprises here." Professor Snape sneered. "Not ever since Black's true colors were revealed. Which legal trick is Lord Black trying to use?"

"Probably the Imperius." Professor McGonagall suggested with disdain. Too many Death Eaters have used that excuse as far as she's concerned.

"Impossible." Professor Snape dismissed. "The Imperius Curse cannot be used to force people to reveal Fidelius-protected secrets and the Dark Lord was already gone by the time Black killed Pettigrew and those muggle bystanders. I won't dare to make any guesses regarding how Black can get away with ordering the deaths of his own wife and daughter because I wasn't trusted with Moody's reasons to accuse him of this specific crime."

"Your reasoning is correct, Severus." Professor Filius Flitwick complimented his student-turned-colleague.

"Arcturus is plotting to convince the Wizengamot to release Black under the belief the evidence against him is insufficient." Dumbledore commented.

"Would you have an idea of how he plans to trick the Wizengamot, Phineas?" McGonagall asked Headmaster Black's portrait.

Because the question was asked by Hogwarts' Deputy Headmistress instead of the Headmaster himself, Phineas Nigellus Black hoped that, by ignoring the question, he could avoid it. "Answer the question, Phineas." Dumbledore asked.

Knowing the other past Headmasters and Headmistresses wouldn't let him get away with not doing something the current Headmaster asked of him, he answered. "I don't know what Regulus and my grandson discussed because it took place inside a property with no portraits of mine but I know Regulus and Walburga entertained the notion of accusing Alastor Moody of being the real culprit behind the deaths of Athena and Acquila so he would be distracted from hunting Death Eaters and the two of them aren't really interested on getting Sirius out since they believe he's innocent."

"What?" McGonagall asked in shock. "I knew Walburga was insane but I expected better from Regulus."

"Actually, it makes sense to suspect Moody." Snape commented, drawing glares from the other professors. "Moody inherited a fortune from the deaths of Black's brat and her mother. That and his refusal to reveal his reason to accuse Black are things Lord Black could easily hold as grounds to question Moody's reliability as a witness."

"Spoken like a true Slytherin." Headmaster Black said in approval. "I'll be disappointed in Minister Bagnold if she didn't take a good percentage of the fortune as compensation for overlooking it as a reason to keep Moody out of the investigation."

"Surely you jest, Phineas." Dumbledore suggested.

"Not at all, Headmaster Dumbledore." The last Slytherin to ever become Headmaster replied.

"You said two of them, Phineas." Dumbledore mentioned. "What about Arcturus?"

"I don't know what my grandson believes regarding Sirius' guilt or innocence but I know him well enough to believe outrage over a member of our family being denied such a basic right as a trial, which is supposed to be everyone's right, is enough of a motive for his actions."

"What can I do to keep Black in prison?" Dumbledore asked.

"Ask for the Malfoy upstart's help." Headmaster Black suggested with a grunt. "He'll gladly help with getting rid of obstacles between his son and the Headship of my family."

"Thanks for nothing, Phineas." Dumbledore replied.

End chapter. It took place a few days after the previous chapter.