Chapter 6: Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore couldn't believe what he had just read. It was so shocking he reread it several times to be sure he didn't misread any part of the letter.

Headmaster,

Sirius Black and his family somehow managed to bypass the protective wards you set for the Boy-Who-Lived and tricked our saviors' muggle relatives into believing they don't intend to harm him.

With no hesitation, he went to the Ministry to meet the witch who sent him the letter and she confirmed to him that the Dursleys were tricked into acknowledging Sirius Black's rights as Harry's Godfather and thinking he's innocent of all crimes. The Headmaster saw himself with no choice but to head back to Number 4, Privet Drive to set things straight.

"Who's there?" Petunia asked.

"It's Albus Dumbledore, Petunia." Dumbledore answered.

"How do I know you're not an impostor?" Petunia asked.

"When your sister was accepted at Hogwarts, you sent me a letter asking me to accept you as well." Dumbledore replied.

"It's really you." She said as she opened the door. "What do you want?"

Dumbledore looked around and saw Sirius and Regulus were there as well. "Petunia, I must object to the presence of Sirius Black and his relatives anywhere near Harry." He warned her. "I don't know what they told you but Sirius Black betrayed the Potters to Voldemort."

"We are aware of the crimes he was wrongfully arrested for, Headmaster." Vernon intervened. "We also know that the Ministry had to release him for lack of solid evidence."

"You also told the Dursleys that any wizards and witches with harmful intentions towards my godson wouldn't be able to reach this home, Headmaster." Sirius commented. "Doesn't it tell you that I'm innocent?"

Dumbledore had none of his eye twinkle. "Black, the best I can ever hope is that you regret betraying James and Lily." The Headmaster stated. "And I still would rather believe you somehow managed to bypass my protections."

"In that case, we should take Harry away from here and keep him under Black Manor's safety measures." Regulus commented. "Don't you think, Sirius?"

Sirius quickly caught on to Regulus' plan. "I'm afraid so, dear brother. Don't take it the wrong way, I have no objections to my godson living with muggles but, if the wizard who set the protections that are supposed to keep him safe with them isn't certain said protections cannot be broken, I believe we have no other choice."

Dumbledore didn't like the way that conversation was going.

"Can't Harry live at Hogwarts?" Vernon suggested.

"I'm afraid it's not a safe option." Regulus answered. "A Death Eater took Professor Slughorn's place as Hogwarts' Potions Master."

"Severus is no longer a Death Eater, Regulus." Dumbledore defended his newest faculty member other than the current Defense teacher.

"I find it easier to believe that Sirius is innocent." Petunia commented.

"Black ordered the deaths of his own wife and daughter." Dumbledore pleaded.

"Or so says the man who inherited a fortune because of those deaths." Vernon argued.

"Vernon, you cannot be thinking Alastor Moody is behind the deaths of Athena and Acquila." Dumbledore pleaded.

"It'd explain why he took over the case in spite of the obvious conflict of interest and why he won't tell his supposed reason to believe Sirius Black is behind their deaths." Vernon argued.

"Black's other crimes…" Dumbledore tried to argue.

"Even if they could somehow convince me that Sirius would do something like ordering the deaths of his own wife and daughter, it'd take more than that to convince me that he did it." Vernon stated.

"Alastor is an experienced Auror." Dumbledore argued.

"So is Sirius to a lesser degree but you wouldn't hold it as a reason to doubt his supposed guilt." Regulus stated.

"To be fair, I don't imagine Moody being behind those deaths with or without the inheritance at stake." Sirius admitted. "Of course, the notion that he'd think I'm guilty is even harder to believe. Maybe the Death Eaters who killed them did so as a way to punish me for refusing to join them."

"Or maybe Pettigrew killed them so Athena wouldn't denounce him as the real Secret-Keeper." Regulus suggested, having been told by his brother than Athena already knew the truth.

"No!" Sirius protested. "That sniveling rat wouldn't appear in front of anyone so soon after faking his death. I chose the wrong Death Eater to call 'Snivellus' but it's too late to change it."

"Also, had Athena been killed by someone who did so to prevent her from revealing any secrets, why would they kill Acquila as well?" Petunia asked.

"Maybe they didn't and Moody just took advantage of the occasion to kill her before someone else saw her alive." Regulus suggested and then everyone looked at him. "Still easier to believe than the notion that my brother would want his own wife and daughter killed."

"Petunia, I expected to make you see reason but I see the Blacks made a throughout work deceiving you." Dumbledore sadly commented. "However, I will find a way to rescue Harry and make sure your family won't be harmed even after the Blacks see no reason not to harm you."

Meanwhile, the Longbottoms were also discussing Harry. "Mother, we cannot leave Harry Potter under the influence of his parents' traitor!" Frank Longbottom pleaded.

"Honestly, Frank, the more I think it over the more I doubt Sirius Black really betrayed us." Augusta stated.

"Augusta, the tale concocted to get Black out consisted on Moody killing Athena and Acquila and Pettigrew faking his death and framing Black." Alice Longbottom pleaded to her mother-in-law.

"Alice, while it's easier for us to believe that a Black would do all those things, we mustn't turn a blind eye to the reasons to doubt." Augusta argued. "And besides, can we really offer Harry a safe place? You're still hiding because of that prophecy in spite of what happened when You-Know-Who tried to kill Harry."

"Hopefully Dumbledore will figure out a way to rescue Harry." Frank declared.

Meanwhile, the Headmaster was discussing the matter with the Professors. "Just bring the boy here, Albus." Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall suggested. "I never liked the idea of leaving him with the Dursleys anyway."

"Absolutely NOT, Headmaster!" Snape objected to the idea. "The brat has no place here until it's time for him to attend classes."

"It's not a viable idea anyway." Dumbledore replied. "Sirius Black is Harry's Godfather and the charges were dropped."

"Andromeda refused to help Black once she understood the evidence left no grounds to doubt his guilt." McGonagall commented. "She could take Harry from him."

"Sirius Black didn't kill the brat and the muggles." Snape pointed out. "Doesn't that tell you anything?"

"What are you suggesting, Severus?" Professor Filius Flitwick asked.

"That maybe Sirius Black is really innocent." That answer made everyone look at Snape like he grew a second head. "I hate to admit it, but Black would never betray Potter, kill muggles, or order the deaths of his own wife and their brat. I just liked the idea of Black rotting in prison but I can't imagine Black doing any of those things unless it was really Pettigrew who betrayed Potter and Black was too furious to care about collateral damages when he made Pettigrew pay."

"Severus, I understand Black's crimes don't match the image he spent his life cultivating but the evidence is clear." Dumbledore stated. "That he won't kill Harry just suggests he wants to raise him into the Dark Side."

"Can't Remus Lupin use his past friendship with James Potter to gain the Boy-Who-Lived's guardianship?" The Defense Professor suggested.

"Remus isn't in condition to raise any children, unfortunately." Dumbledore answered, not wanting to tell anyone about Remus' "furry little trouble".

Meanwhile, the aforementioned werewolf was receiving an unusual visitor. "Malfoy?" He asked.

"Lupin, I need your help against a common enemy." Lucius Malfoy said.

"Common enemy?" Lupin asked in confusion. "I can't think of anyone the both of us hate."

"Sirius Orion Black." Malfoy replied.

"Black is in Azkaban where he belongs." Remus grunted.

"Not anymore." Malfoy stated, calling Remus' attention. "Lord Black talked the Wizengamot into releasing him."

"Of course." Remus frowned but the fact didn't surprise him. "Imperius?"

"No, it wouldn't work for Black." Malfoy explained. "The Imperius Curse cannot be used to force people to reveal Fidelius-protected secrets and the Dark Lord was no longer around when Pettigrew and the muggles were killed."

"What about the deaths of Athena and Acquila, Malfoy?" Remus asked while accepting the reasons the Imperius excuse wouldn't work this time.

"Regardless of who Sirius Black would accuse of using the Imperius on him for this purpose, I don't think someone would believe that whoever wanted them killed would imperiuse somebody into ordering others to do it." Malfoy commented. "Even Lord Black's theory sounds more plausible than that."

"What story did he make up?" Remus angrily asked.

"He suggested that Alastor Moody was the real mastermind behind those deaths." Malfoy told him.

"And you call that more plausible?" Remus asked.

"Moody inherited a fortune from those two deaths and yet was named lead investigator." Malfoy stated. "The Ministry practically begged the Blacks to use that excuse to defend Sirius Black."

"And the Wizengamot really believed Moody would kill innocent people?" Remus asked.

"The Blacks passed his refusal to divulge his motives to believe Sirius Black ordered their deaths as a way to hide the fact he didn't have motives that strong, Lupin." Malfoy explained.

"What about Black's other crimes?" Remus asked. "His family couldn't have blamed them all on Moody."

"They blamed it on Pettigrew." Malfoy fearfully said.

"Remus angrily grabbed his visitor. "Peter Pettigrew gave his life so Sirius Black could be captured! Nobody can be stupid enough to believe he killed himself!"

"Don't blame the messenger, Lupin." Malfoy told him. "They said Pettigrew caused that explosion to fake his death."

"THERE WAS ONLY A FINGER LEFT OF PETER!" Remus shouted.

"And the Blacks took it as a reason to believe the rest of him escaped and is alive somewhere." Malfoy explained.

"And what do you get by telling me this?" Remus asked, not trusting Malfoy.

"Sirius Black is an obstacle between my family and the Black fortune, and he has access to Harry Potter." Malfoy explained. "For different reasons, the both of us want him out of the way."

"Headmaster Dumbledore wouldn't allow any Death Eaters near Harry!" Remus bravely declared.

"The boy's muggle relatives already did." Malfoy replied. "The believe Black's pleas of innocence."

"I don't believe you, Malfoy." Remus said.

"You don't have to, Lupin." Malfoy stated. "Just go see the muggles yourself or ask the Headmaster about Harry."

"You can bet your money and your Dark Mark that I will." Remus proudly declared.

"Good." Malfoy replied. "I'll take my leave."

Meanwhile, Dumbledore was meeting the Tonkses to get their help. "Headmaster, how could you just assume the Blacks wouldn't approach the Dursleys and lie to them?" Andromeda Tonks asked him.

"I didn't expect them to be able to break the protections, Andromeda." Dumbledore sadly explained. "I thought there'd be no need to tell the Dursleys about the Blacks."

"I'll talk to them, Headmaster." Andromeda declared. "If I cannot make them understand, I'll talk the Wizengamot into giving Harry to me so he'll be safe from my former family's influence."

"Thank you, Andromeda." Dumbledore replied. "I'll expect your response in a couple of days."

End chapter.