Chapter 19: A Black Christmas
Albus Dumbledore was worried. Voldemort already made an attempt to return to full power and Harry Potter was still on the hands of Sirius Black. Dumbledore was also worried that it was no mere coincidence that Voldemort's accomplice looked like Peter Pettigrew. He suspected the Blacks made a deal on that matter and would hand Harry over in exchange.
"Albus, can't you tell the Dursleys not to authorize Harry to attend the Blacks' Yule Celebrations?" Professor McGonagall suggested.
"They don't hold guardianship rights in the Wizarding World, Minerva." Dumbledore sadly explained. "They just have physical custody to preserve the protection Lily left behind."
"Regulus would never play along with murder." Snape said. "The Blacks probably wouldn't harm the boy with so many high-class witnesses."
Later on, it was Christmas time and the Blacks tried not to think of the chances it'd be the last Christmas Lord Arcturus Black would be alive to see. "Lord Black, I'd like to thank you for inviting my family to this party." Cornelius Fudge said.
"And I'd like to thank you for not bringing Alastor Moody as part of your protection detail." Arcturus replied. "I'm still worried he might be the one who's behind the death of Sirius' wife."
"Sirius, we should make arrangements for your daughter and my son getting married." Narcissa suggested.
"Not in your life, Cissy." Sirius replied.
"You should reconsider, Sirius." Lucius Malfoy intervened. "You never know who she'll need to protect her from biased Ministry officers trying to make her rot in Azkaban without a trial."
"Andromeda already learned her lesson, Lucy." Sirius stated.
The Malfoys left and Kingsley Shacklebolt approached him. "Are you really innocent or just a good actor, Black?"
"Auror Shacklebolt, are you here as the Minister's protection detail or just as Dumbledore's spy?" Sirius maliciously asked in reply.
"I'm serious." Kingsley stated.
"No, I am." Sirius replied.
Kingsley groaned. "Black, I'm trying to keep an open mind but it's not easy to accept that Peter Pettigrew, Alastor Moody and Albus Dumbledore would do what your family accuses them of doing."
"I don't blame you about Moody and Dumbledore but it was Pettigrew who betrayed the Potters and killed those muggles." Sirius pleaded.
"Accusing dead people doesn't make you seem innocent." Kingsley said.
"Prove that he's really dead." Sirius dared him.
"Shacklebolt, don't provoke our hosts." Fudge admonished Kingsley.
"Minister, you were a witness to Black's confession." Kingsley pleaded.
"A confession that was explained away as Sirius Black being mad with grief and blaming himself for what Pettigrew did." Fudge argued.
"Sirius Black got away with ordering his own wife's death." Kingsley argued.
"My predecessor practically asked for it by having her death being investigated by someone who had a motive to kill her." Fudge counter-argued.
"Gentlemen, it's a time for celebration, not arguing." Lord Black said and they stopped.
"I'm just glad to see Harry Potter is okay in spite of the circumstances." Kingsley commented upon seeing Harry with Acquila and the Malfoys.
"Lucius Malfoy wouldn't harm the Boy-Who-Lived without You-Know-Who around to coerce him." Lord Black commented.
'It'll be a long Christmas.' Several people thought.
End chapter. I'd have written this chapter on time for Christmas but I've been busy.