A/N: As always, thank you, everyone who has left a review and/or added my story or me to one of your lists. I deeply appreciate it. Again, if I have failed to reply to your review, please forgive me. I do try, but with too many balls in the air, I inevitably drop a few. Please keep reviewing anyway; as every writer knows, reviews really help us stay motivated and get the next chapter out. There was one reviewer who advised I drop all the romance in this; to her I simply say thank you, and I do appreciate your opinion, but I'll be keeping the romance in. I hope the plot itself keeps your interest anyway.
I was re-reading "Turning Tides" by slayer of destiny and realized that Chapter 1 of this fic, in terms of atmosphere, was inspired by Chapter 1 of that story. Do drop by her page; anyone who loves an HP slash romance and can appreciate well-done OCs will enjoy any and all of her stories. And yes, for the record, both Gabriel Zabini and Charles Ogden are my own OCs. I hope you like them.
As always, thank you Pikachumomma! Also, kudos to Potterphile for noting the error that has bugged the hell out of me since sneaking into Chapter 3. I saw it 60 seconds after I posted it, and was too exhausted to fix it. Yes, it is 18, not 15. I'll fix it and the other errors soon; I promise. Harry's ode to the errors of writers during his explanation of the Book of Names came from real life, as anyone who has ever written anything can attest!
On with the story.
oooooooooooooooooooo
End of prior chapter:
At this, Lord Harrison Potter rose to his feet and swept a piercing, emerald gaze across the Hall before settling a cold, murderous glare upon Albus Percy. "Yes, Lord Malfoy. It was only almost perfect – because unknown to the brothers, Ariana had gotten married a few months before they left for Hogwarts. She was widowed before they left, but she was pregnant. She had the child while Albus and Aberforth were at school. They were only vassals; there was no reason for them to know the family's business. The house elves, although bound to Albus and Aberforth due to the blood adoption, still saved the child. They brought the baby boy to his father's surviving family – a family of squibs descended from the Chaparral family. The baby was renamed 'Kavin Wolfgang Evans.'"
"He was my great-grandfather."
Oooooooooooooooooooo
CHAPTER 5: Is Any of This Real?
And once again, silence gripped the Hall of Government.
Council Leader Amelia Bones finally understood what it meant when people said "the Silence was deafening." It really was. This silence was ominous, heavy, alive. It seemed to have each occupant of the Hall in a stranglehold, and pressed down upon the stunned Lords and gallery in the way an avalanche buried and overwhelmed its victims. Amelia's fixed gaze was eventually freed by a series of rapid blinks, and she began to slowly peruse the seated Lords. Taking stock of as many individuals as she could, watching as the gathered Lords began to assimilate the true extent of what this Session would reveal about the formerly-revered Albus Dumbledore, now known to all as Line-thief, con man and murderer Albus Percy, the experienced politician and auror in Amelia saw the same look settle on the face of each Lord. Over two-hundred Lords and High Lords and well-over one hundred observers in the Gallery fixed a glare of pure, unmitigated condemnation on the smug but cringing form of Albus Percy.
The always-proper Council Leader found no irony at all in the statement echoing through her mind as she, too, glared at the evil old bastard. 'He is utterly fucked.'
The vulgarity seemed entirely fitting.
Watching the pride glow in Percy's disturbingly-twinkling blue eyes, Amelia knew she was going to greatly enjoy watching him ripped to shreds. Turning her gaze to handsome young High Lord Harrison Potter, standing tall and proud with emerald eyes burning in an expressionless face, the Council Leader realized in that moment that this was a brilliant, motivated, savvy, exceptionally dangerous wizard. It was so hard to accept that this man was only eighteen years old. Her glance fell to the powerful Lord Malfoy, next to Lord Potter, who even as she watched was rising to his feet and placing a supportive hand on Potter's back and leaning in a bit to look directly at the young man's face. She watched him say something in low tones to the dark-haired wizard, and saw how the younger man's jaw suddenly clenched as he turned his gaze to Malfoy's.
The Council Leader briefly stepped aside for the woman within Amelia as she spared a moment to wish the burgeoning relationship well, before she regained her vaunted self-control and rapped sharply on the table to Call to Order. It was no surprise to her that very few people took their deadly glares off of Albus Percy as she began to speak.
Oooooooooooooooooooo
Harry was frozen, by his own choice. If he moved at all, he would move to kill; of this, he was certain. But although none would hold him guilty, not with the proof he had to present, it was much too kind a fate for Albus Percy. So he held his muscles rigid, his magic tightly leashed, and his gaze locked on the man that he hated more than any other on the planet, including Voldemort. As the twinkling blue gaze clashed with his own green glare, he sent a legilimentic attack directly into the old man's mind.
The smug pride on the Headmaster's face rapidly faded along with his complexion as he clearly saw, in vivid detail, what Harry was going to do to him. He could not repress the shudder of mortal terror as his lost weapon tore through his mental shields like tissue paper and the cold, emotionless voice spoke clearly into his now-defenseless mind, 'Your 'next great adventure', old man, won't begin for a very, very, very long time. I promise.'
The fact that Harry wanted to keep him alive was, quite frankly, chilling.
Harry blinked in reaction as a now-familiar warm hand pressed on his back and a concerned set of silver eyes peered into his own. He clenched his jaw and scowled slightly, trying to hold onto his control, only to close his eyes and sigh in defeat as the Malfoy Lord placed his other hand lightly on the side of Harry's face. "Lucius…" he whispered helplessly. "Please."
Honestly, he didn't know what he was asking for. Luckily for him, it seemed that Lucius did. The older man slid both hands to Harry's shoulders, holding him firmly and forcing him by sheer will to look up at him. As he looked up into the devastatingly handsome, aristocratic face of his once-enemy, Harry wondered in the back of his mind how silver eyes could look so warm.
From his perspective, Lucius was fighting his instincts, which were presently demanding that he pull the young man close and not let go. 'Later,' he promised himself. 'This is not the time. But soon.' As his muttering instincts grudgingly subsided, Lucius looked with compassion at the young man who was clearly struggling with and beginning to buckle beneath the strength of his own emotions. Lowering his face slightly to get a closer look into the emerald eyes, Lucius tightened the hands he held on Harry's overburdened shoulders. He spoke with quiet intensity, "Harrison, you have clearly worked very hard to get to this moment. I will not allow you to be betrayed by your feelings. Use them. They should empower you, not overpower you."
He willingly held the tortured gaze, nodding approval at Harry's impassive mask. Only the eyes betrayed the truth. Only those wounded, furious eyes. Lucius held Harry's shoulders, held Harry's gaze, and willed some of his own, impressive control into the young man who was finding that, this time, his own was not enough. Seeing the keen intelligence seep back as the animalistic pain that had been in Harry's eyes retreated, Lucius squeezed the strong shoulders encouragingly before stepping back and returning to his seat.
For a few moments there, Harry had been very afraid that he would not have enough self-discipline to contain the rage he was feeling. To look at the old man who had once meant safety and honor and love to Harry, who had in truth cold-bloodedly destroyed his family on both sides of the tree and orchestrated and controlled every awful moment of Harry's life up until age 14….! Goddess bless, the force of his own emotions had once destroyed the entire Dursley residence when it triggered his accidental magic, and compared to this moment, that incident had been mere playground stuff. He had not expected to lose control, he thought he was fully prepared for what was to happen this night. But he had not expected to look at Albus and see, not remorse, not regret, but pride. The son of a bitch was actually proud of himself. Feeling his rage rise again, Harry ruthlessly forced it down and sent a brief, grateful smile to Lucius. If the man had not been here and correctly read the signs and acted accordingly, it was likely that Albus Percy would right this moment be dripping down from the ceiling and some of the walls, along with a good portion of the Hall of Government. He wondered briefly in macabre amusement if several of the Lords seated closest to Albus Percy now owed Lucius Malfoy a life debt. 'Hmmmm, have to look into that,' he mused, finding the concept wonderfully ironic.
Focusing his attention forward again as Council Leader Bones rapped another "Call to Order", Harry squared his shoulders and visibly became, once again, Lord Harrison Potter.
oooooooooooooooooooo
Council Leader Bones paused a moment to collect her thoughts as the Lords turned their attention to her. Reaching a decision, she turned to address the Hall. "It is increasingly evident that this Session will not be resolved in a single day. It is also a factor, however, that this is a complex Petition for Judgment and that the evidence, witnesses and confidentiality of this Session must be preserved throughout the full course of the Session, howsoever long that may be. Is this much in Agreement?" Nodding at the host of glowing blue lights, she continued. "Therefore, as Council Leader of this Session of the Hall of Government, I propose to enact Servo Verum, so that we can address the preliminary needs tonight and get some time to rest and assimilate what we have learned thus far. All in favor?"
Many of those watching the vote saw the normally jovial Lord Charles Ogden send a look of clear command across the room at Lord Adams, who was seated to the left of Lord Augustus Arndstrom III, whose wand was just beginning to cast an objection to the proposal. With an acknowledging nod, Adams promptly turned and slapped Arndstrom in the back of the head – hard. Gasping in outrage, Arndstrom tore his gaze from the old man in the witness stand and turned upon Adams with indignation, only to pale in shame when Adams hissed loudly, "You fool! Have you learned nothing? That old bastard was drawing you in – again! I told you not to meet his eyes; have you no will of your own at all?" Shaken, Arndstrom registered his 'aye' and kept his lowered, refusing to look at any of his peers.
Those who witnessed the event turned grim faces toward Albus Percy, who had reeled backward when his mind was abruptly ripped from Arndstrom's. There was no mistaking the evidence before them: Albus Percy was attempting to employ Legilimency to influence and control certain members of the Hall of Government. Was there no end to this wizard's crimes? Had he no honor at all?
Immediately after Council Leader Bones announced, "Motion carried," Lord Charles Ogden was on his feet, yellow light blazing. At Bones' acknowledgment, he spoke in ringing tones, "It has just this moment become evident that Albus Percy is employing the mind arts upon certain members of this Hall. I recommend that, in addition to Servo Verum, we also scan each Lord and participating employees of the Hall for existing compulsions and additional invasions upon an individual's will, correct any found, and place Albus Percy in Numerus Frenum cuffs immediately." Ogden nodded in emphatic agreement to the surrounding gasps of outrage and watched as Albus Percy glared at him. He fearlessly met Percy's eyes, and took great pleasure in answering the old man's furious legilimentic attack with one of his own, self-designed, terrifying mind traps. He smirked in satisfaction as the old bastard reeled at the pain of having the magickal tendril he had extended into Ogden's mind filleted and hurled back into his own mind in raw, rare pieces. "Stupid old sod," he muttered to the curious Lords seated nearby. "Did he really think that the Lord of Ogden, makers of Ogden's Firewhiskey and Spirits, wouldn't have the ability to protect my family's secrets? Right arrogant bastard, isn't he?"
Amelia felt her jaw clench as she witnessed the incident between Lord Ogden and Albus. She almost wished, just for a moment, that she was here in her capacity as Head of the DMLE. She would dearly love to be the one to slap the total magickal restraint cuffs on the arrogant wizard sitting insufferably smug and self-confident in the Witness Chair. Still, being Council Leader didn't preclude all of her opportunities for entertainment, did it? "Witnesses to the incident noted by Lord Ogden, please register." She counted all of the amethyst lights that suddenly glowed over many of the Lords seated by Lord Ogden, and took special note of Albus's sneer at a pinch-faced Augustus Arndstrom and his own amethyst light. With a single knock, she intoned, "Recommendation to place Albus Percy in Numerus Frenumrestraints and to scan attendees for invasion of the will is accepted. Aurors and Bailiffs, if you please."
As a stolid-faced auror removed the amber wrist cuffs, which in truth looked more like simple bracelets, from the locked cabinet behind his small counter, two bailiffs moved to the Lord's Approach doorway and tapped their wands upon the appropriate runes etched into the fine mahogany frame. Over by the Gallery, two additional bailiffs were doing the same to that entrance, as an additional precaution. A series of thin walls of translucent light appeared in the doorway, each of which searched for and destroyed a specific class of will-controlling compulsions, potions, spells and charms. The bailiffs checked to ensure that the parchment rolls were in place and ready to receive all of the information relayed to the dictaquill attached to the runes. Amelia could not resist a smirk at Albus Percy's paling complexion and pinched expression; she didn't need to lift the Silencio to know that he was considerably more worried than he had been before Ogden stood up. She almost laughed aloud at the old man's pinched face when the auror slid the amber cuffs over the wrinkled hands and caused the amber to constrict. It was never a nice feeling, to have one's magic forcibly restrained, but in her opinion, it couldn't happen to a more deserving person.
Clearing her throat, she continued, "Once again, please. All in favor of activating Servo Verum?" An unblemished sea of blue lights glowed in row after row around the great Hall. "All opposed?" Not a single red light appeared anywhere. The motion was carried. Amelia nodded in satisfaction.
"Now, to elaborate. For those who do not know our procedures in this rare event, a Servo Verum is a procedure followed by which we ensure and protect – literally – the truth. We will have Lord Potter briefly identify vital witnesses and items of evidentiary importance, and we will secure them so that nothing can influence or destroy that evidence. Every person attending any Session of the Hall of Government has already agreed to be subject to the rulings cast during a Session and, by that agreement, have accepted certain spells be cast upon your person. With the enacting of an Order, the appropriate spells are activated. In this case, they are spells and protections of secrecy. No person who is in attendance here during this Session will be able to communication any of the events in any way to a person who was not in attendance. This includes preventing eavesdropping: attendees who are freely speaking about these events cannot have their words or intentions heard, read or mindread, in any way, by those who would eavesdrop. This is the combined old magic of hundreds of generations of Noble Houses working here, people; you would do well to understand and willingly comply. The magick will detect those with poor intentions and will take appropriate action. Information will be available as you exit later this evening. The Order will not be rescinded until the Session is concluded in full." She paid no attention to the rush of excited chatter that sprang up amongst the observers in the Gallery and turned her gaze to Lord Potter, once again seated next to Malfoy and Zabini.
"High Lord Potter?" As the bright, gemlike gaze snapped to her and caught her own, Amelia found herself momentarily floundering before she quickly regained her dignity and control of her vocal chords. She steadfastly ignored Lord Malfoy's knowing smirk and Lord Zabini's cheerful wink, and addressed her remarks specifically to the clueless Lord Potter. "Lord Potter, I realize that your case must be laid before this Session in a specific order. I do not wish to undermine the impact of the upcoming points in any way; however, if we are going to be able to grant any of us adequate rest to Hear this properly, we must enact Servo Verum. To do so, however, requires that you state at least some of the main upcoming points of your case, and identify all witnesses, pieces of evidence, and other people or items whose attendance is mandatory to your Petition but whose safety is uncertain. Because you have the right to decide whether offering up this information will damage your Petition, you also have the right to Refuse the Servo Verum order. High Lord Harrison Potter, in the matter of Servo Verum before this Session, how do you Rule?"
All eyes turned to the contemplative young man as he folded his arms and considered. He did not let the attention distract him, a fact which further raised the respect many had already formed for the handsome Lord. Raising his eyes to Bones, he asked, "May I have a moment to consult with my peers?" At her nod, everyone watched as he effortlessly placed a wandless, wordless privacy screen around himself and the two handsome lords to his right, and many wondered why the screen seemed to extend a bit to cover the empty space behind him. It's not like anyone was sitting there, after all.
Lucius once again was treated to Harry's subtle cologne as the young man leaned in to speak with Zabini and himself. He found himself thinking wryly that this was probably another photo-op in the making, then focused on the brief, intense byplay of the man he considered a dear friend and the young man he was beginning to believe would be much, much more.
Harry met Zabini's eyes in a moment of tense query and spoke rapidly. "We have most of what we need here already. Yeah, we lose some of the shock value, but we gain a lot more in the long run by winning the appreciation of the other Lords and letting Albus stew in his own poison. Your opinion?"
Gabriel Zabini nodded in agreement and simply said, "Harrison, my friend, you know what you're doing. Your team has spent two years putting all of this together. Introduce our two friends, put Minerva and Tavin up in a suite at the Castillo, and let the rat bastard fry."
The two turned to Lucius, who suddenly found himself the singular focus of two disturbingly close, intoxicatingly handsome men. Starting to speak, he had to stop and clear his throat a moment, casting a quick, playful glare at a snickering Zabini, before he offered, "Clearly, I am not privy to the details, but I have pledged my support and I stand by it – vintage Chaparral or no! Nevertheless, I can see that the advantages of allowing this Order far outweigh the disadvantages of an early reveal of certain details." As the two Lords started to turn back to face Amelia, he placed an admonishing hand on Harry's arm, "HOWEVER, Harrison, I must insist that we still have our dinner this evening. I am not enjoying being less-informed than Gabriel, rare as such an occasion may be." As Harry turned away, Lucius and Gabriel both heard him mutter, "Fear not, Lucius. Gabriel doesn't know about all of my tricks and traps. He's due for a surprise or two himself."
Choosing to ignore that tempting comment for the moment, Gabriel flashed a handsome, white-toothed smile at Lucius while Harrison turned back to face front and removed the privacy screen. As the young Lord rose to his feet to address the Session, Gabriel leaned slightly into Lucius' personal space and murmured lowly, "You already lost me one bet, you lecherous bastard." At Lucius sharply raised eyebrows, he nodded meaningfully at Harry and stated, "I bet Ogden you'd at least wait til dinner, but you seem to have more testosterone than even I credit you with." He shook his head ruefully at the look of pleased pride on his friend's face. 'Malfoys!' he scoffed to himself. 'They always get what they want.'
Amelia watched as Lord Potter easily removed the privacy shield and turned to face her. She was fairly certain she was not alone in her recently developed fascination with watching the three handsome Lords interact. Harrison offered a half-grin as he gave his Ruling, "Council Leader Bones and my fellow Lords and High Lords, I Rule in favor of Servo Verum so long as certain agreements and allowances are made by this Hall." At Amelia's slow nod, he continued, "I am afraid that the nature of what I require is fairly sensitive. I must first obtain your agreement to what I require without my specifying precisely what that is." At the immediate dissent, he raised a calming hand, "To reassure my peers, I will offer this Wizard's Oath." He raised the now-famous holly wand before him and firmly intoned, "I, High Lord Harrison James Potter, do hereby swear on my life and my magick that the requirements I seek are honorable, will harm none save those who deserve punishment through the authority of this Session, and will be deemed by the Council Leader in all of her roles to be fitting and right. So I swear it; so mote it be." When the flash of the vow faded, he wandlessly cast lumos, the glare of which was too bright to look directly at with the naked eye. Cancelling the lumos, he met Amelia's gaze levelly and said, "Your judgment?"
Amelia didn't even need to cast her eyes around the Hall to know that she would only see blue lights glowing. This young Lord fairly radiated honor and strength; none would doubt him. She nodded in agreement and said, "Order is enacted. Servo Verum. Ago iam!" Even those accustomed to the bright flash of a Wizarding Oath were surprised as the entire Hall seemed to go momentarily nova. The older and more knowledgeable wizards and witches had hastily shielded their eyes when they heard the spell begin, leaving the hapless few to sit blinking in shock and watching phantom images float in and out of their vision for a few moments. Lord Ogden momentarily forgot where he was as he shouted a deeply annoyed, "Amelia Adella Bones, what the hell were you thinking?"
The outraged chatter abruptly ceased as everyone suddenly focused on an aggravated Lord Ogden and a taken-aback Council Leader Bones. Those who still couldn't see clearly were frantically whispering to their neighbors to determine who said what. Lucius briefly wondered why it seemed Harry had leaned to his left, toward the vacant space next to his seat, as he muttered, "What I wouldn't give for some popcorn right now, eh?" Together, they watched as Amelia Bones faced a Lord Ogden who suddenly wasn't nearly as jovial as he normally was. Lucius and Gabriel both snickered to themselves; they both knew that Lord Ogden wasn't actually the teddy bear most people saw. Having had numerous business dealing with the man, they had long ago decided that the portly whiskeymaker was not so much a teddy bear as he was a grizzly bear, with issues.
As for Amelia, she was truly chagrined. She hadn't even hesitated or stopped to think at all, she had just raised her wand and cast. Cautiously looking at all of the blinking, teary-eyed lords and observers, she winced a little in embarrassment. She couldn't repress a truly mortifying snort of amusement when her eye fell upon the weeping, angry, brightly glowing figure of Albus Percy, still bound in his chair, who was desperately trying not to look at his own luminescent robes. Everyone now knew exactly how Albus managed to wear such eye-searing colors; apparently, he chose fabrics that were enhanced by the magic around him. At the moment, given the strength of the Servo Verum Amelia had just activated, Albus looked something like a solar version of himself. Catching Ogden's eye, they reached an unvoiced agreement and in unison cast a "nox" at Albus's robes. It was amusing, yes, but not if everyone in the room went blind. That done, Amelia raised reluctant eyes and met the secretly-amused glare of one Charles Ogden. Shrugging one shoulder, she offered an apologetic, "Sorry?" to the room at large.
She took the ensuing laughter with equanimity. After all, she certainly deserved it.
Shaking her head ruefully, she issued three more knocks to calm the room, then turned back to a smirking Lord Potter. Rolling her eyes at him, she said, "Yes, yes, we all have these moments, don't we, Lord I-swallowed-a-snitch-and-won-the-game?" Once the laughter died down, she continued, "All right, back to the issue at hand. Lord Potter, please submit your requirements, your evidence, and your witnesses for protection."
Taking a moment to center himself back into his primary purpose this evening, Harry decided first to address the most immediate issues and work from there. "To begin, I wish to state that Lady Minerva McGonogall and High Chieftain Tavin McGonogall are to be sequestered at my expense in the Lord's Suite at the Castillo. I require an assistant to escort her and aurors who are NOT sworn to the Order of the Phoenix, all of whom have passed through the Lord's Approach upon exiting this Hall this evening."
Seeing that Bones and his peers were all simply nodding in understanding as the Clerk recorded his words, he pressed on. "Next, I require that all three living members of the Percy family be arrested and placed in separate isolation cells, with all security precautions in place." He paused expectantly and waited for the inquisition. It didn't take long.
"Lord Potter? THREE members of the Percy family? Albus Percy is here, in custody. I issued the arrest order for Aberforth as soon as Tavin gave testimony, seeing as the Runes for truth remained steady. I gather from your wording that there is a third living Percy somewhere?" Amelia watched Albus closely, as did many others in the Hall, and the Daily Prophet took great delight in placing a special little blurb on the back page of the newspaper explaining the photo of Albus Percy clenching and unclenching his fists as the color receded from his face again.
Lucius was lost in admiration of the young man on his left. Harrison Potter had truly come into his own. Glancing briefly at Gabriel, he saw his friend run a hand through bronze hair as he peered speculatively at Harry. Clearly, this was one of those points of which Gabriel was not yet apprised. He turned back to Harry as the young Lord raised an amused eyebrow and said sardonically, "Yes, Council Leader Bones. This is one of those things that will explain why I had such vague requirements. I want Albus Percy's son arrested and confined under close guard." Here, Harry paused purely to torture Albus Percy, and, he secretly admitted to himself, maybe also to torture Lucius and Gabriel just a tiny bit.
"His name, Council Leader, is Peter Pettigrew Percy."
It occurred to Lucius Malfoy, in the next few moments, that he should have taken out a bet on how many times this evening Harrison Potter would be able to reduce the population of the Hall of Government to shocked silence. Really, it was just getting a little bit silly now. He ran a gloved hand over his face, then tilted his head to peek past his hand at Gabriel. He couldn't stop the bark of laughter that erupted from him. Gabriel looked like he couldn't decide whether to be delighted, shocked, or pissed off. He would have used a word like 'angered' or 'furious', but one look at Zabini made it clear that the Lord was, in fact, just plain pissed.
Harry sneaked a glance at Gabriel when Lucius laughed. Damn, that was a bet he just lost. He was sure the Italian Lord would have been entirely ticked off, but he looked like he was vacillating between laughing and growling. The man was deceptively large, somehow misleading people with his debonair charm, but Harry had seen Gabriel enraged. That was the moment Harry's blinders came off and he saw the real Gabriel Zabini, the huge, muscular, powerful wizard. Remus would have called him an alpha wolf. Wrenching his somewhat disturbing thoughts back on track, he winked impudently at Gabriel, then focused back on Amelia, who seemed to be recovering, if her resigned look and exhausted huff were any indication. He grinned at her when she quirked an eyebrow at him and said, "And we can find him – alive – where, exactly?"
"He would be right here with me, Council Leader Bones. On my left, with a second reason for my special requirements of the Servo Verum." He turned to his left and watched, grinning, as the air seemed to ripple and somehow fold-back on itself, revealing a dapper, well-dressed, healthy and wildly grinning Lord Sirius Black – who seemed to be holding a caged, unconscious rat with one hand as he handed a silvery, slippery cloak to Harry.
At the eruption of shocked shouts and panicked bystanders, the devilishly handsome Lord Black tipped his head back and laughed heartily. Frozen in shock – again! – Lucius Malfoy wildly noted to himself that the man's laughter didn't seem nearly as insane as his infamous capture-photo of sixteen years ago.
Harry sat down and let his godfather enjoy the moment by himself. He looked around, grinning, to see all of the reactions he could, and watched with delight as Albus's eyes rolled into the back of his head and the man slumped in his chair, robes still glowing faintly. Glancing at Amelia Bones, Harry couldn't help but pout, a little, at the fact that she didn't even look surprised. He wondered if it was possible to burn out someone's capacity for surprise in a single night. Turning to look at Gabriel and Lucius, he laughed joyfully as he realized that they, at least, were more than capable of being shocked stupid again and again and again. Merlin, he hadn't had so much fun – ever!
Lucius' eyes suddenly focused on him, and he gave him a reproving look as he raised a gloved hand and smacked Harry on the back of the head. He smirked at Harry's feigned indignation, but when the younger man whined, "Who do you think I am? Arndstrom?" the silver eyes narrowed warningly and the gloved hand closed in his raven hair. He then took the young man's breath away when he swooped forward like the predator he was and stopped just inches from Harry's face. Gripping the silky, black hair firmly, his smile was all teeth and danger as he whispered intently, "You and I, young man, will be having an up-close, very personal discussion, very, very soon." He noted Harry's widening pupils and hitching breath with arrogant satisfaction, and decided to push things just a little bit farther. He closed the last few inches between them and pressed his mouth firmly to Harry's, forcing apart the lips which had parted slightly in surprise. 'Really, now,' he purred in his mind, 'what kind of a Malfoy would I be if I didn't take advantage of that?' He slipped his tongue just barely between Harry's parted lips and ran a line of liquid fire along the tender skin. Ending the kiss with skilled deliberation, he pulled back and observed Harry's heavy-lidded, flushed arousal at the sudden onslaught. Briefly tightening his grip on Harry's hair, he recaptured the darkening green gaze and gave a shark's smile, "And you, my exquisite young man, are going to savor every moment of it. And I am going to savor you." With that, he slowly released his grip on Harry's hair and sat back in his chair. Glancing at Gabriel, he saw the man smiling in vicious satisfaction. It seemed that the Lord Zabini felt Harry's current complete inability to access his own higher brain functions was an adequate payback for keeping such earthshattering secrets from him.
Harry sank onto his chair and blinked a couple times, trying to summon motor skills, and scowled halfheartedly at a deeply-amused Gabriel. Carefully avoiding Lucius' eyes, he turned in his seat to look hopefully at Sirius. Damn. Hope dashed. Sirius had seen it all. Harry was bracing himself for the explosion, wincing in trepidation as his godfather's expression darkened, only to watch in shock as the light gray eyes abruptly veered from him and focused on something over his right shoulder. Turning in confusion, Harry saw Gabriel Zabini standing tall and intimidating, midnight eyes locked with Sirius' stormy glare, suddenly looking very much like the alpha male he actually was. Harry's senses, greatly enhanced since his successful animagus transformation last year, easily detected his godfather's subvocal whine.
All four men found their photo on page four of the next day's Daily Prophet to be completely hilarious. On the far left was Lord Sirius Black, darkly exotic, beautifully dressed, long, healthy black hair flowing unconfined down the man's slim, toned back, trimmed goatee making him seem equally devilish and dapper, dark grey eyes challenging those of the other standing Lord. On the far right was Lord Gabriel Zabini, at six and a half feet of solid muscle seeming to tower over Lord Black's respectable 5'11", bronze, tawny, classically handsome, with every line of his powerfully masculine body declaring his dominance, midnight-black gaze locked on Sirius and staring him down. Seated side by side between the two were Lord Harrison Potter and Lord Lucius Malfoy in identical postures, handsome heads moving in unison as they looked back and forth between the standing men as if they were at a tennis match. And fluttering in his seat a few rows behind them was the effeminate Lord Timothy Parkinson, eagerly watching the action and sighing like a fangirl.
Although he found the interaction between his beloved godfather and his longtime friend fascinating, Harry was quite relieved to hear – yet again – Amelia Bones issue a "Call to Order." As the last knocked finished echoing through the Great Hall and the people began to settle a bit, Harry rose to his feet again to answer the Council Leader's questions. He saw through his peripheral vision as Gabriel grudgingly took a step back, and decided he was going to have a lot of fun teasing Sirius, who was at the moment not looking at him with great concentration. Suppressing his grin, he focused his full attention on the matters at hand.
During their little interlude, the aurors and bailiffs had exerted control over the panicking sheeple while Amelia herself seized the opportunity to slap Albus Percy back to consciousness. If she was perhaps too enthusiastic in her efforts, no one present was going to comment. If anything, the observing Lords were cheering her on. Regrettably, he came to with little effort required, and Amelia returned to seat herself at her table. She decided she was definitely going to have to pensieve the vast majority of this evening after the Servo Verum was lifted, and she might even send out copies of her moments slapping Albus as Yule gifts this year. She could think of a number of people who would appreciate such a gift.
Turning her head, she took a moment to scan the Gallery in search of Rodney Skeeter. Finally finding him, she returned the man's broad smile and wave with a nod of her head, and couldn't repress a smile when he excitedly held up his wizard's camera and his reporter's pad with dictaquill still busily writing on it. They exchanged a smirk, each thinking uncharitably of Rita's reaction come the morrow. With a last grin, she turned back to a waiting Lord Potter and a beaming, shockingly-healthy looking fugitive from the best her own department had to offer. She startled herself when her initial attempt to speak was interrupted by her own, unexpected ripple of laughter. Hand to her chest, she waved her other hand in rueful acknowledgment of the sympathetic grins and laughs around the Hall, then began again.
"Well, Lord Potter, if nothing else you have confirmed for us that none of us present seem to have advanced heart trouble of any kind, have you not? All right, so, clearly that gentleman," pointing an elegant finger at Sirius, "is Lord Sirius Black, who until now has been an escaped convict, fugitive from justice, and convicted mass murder. Am I right so far?" She almost repeated Albus's mistake of continuing on without waiting, but forced her mouth to remain closed when she saw Lord Potter and Lord Black shake their heads in concert. Closing her eyes briefly, she said tiredly, "Explain, please."
Looking sympathetic, Lord Potter clarified the matter. "No, Council Leader… um, first, let me remind everyone that I, like everyone else in the Hall including Lord Black, am subject to the truth compulsions and spells cast on the Hall as well as the additional Truth spells cast specifically on me as the Petitioner and on anyone who speaks during the course of this Session. That means that Lord Black is also unable to speak anything but the truth." He glanced around to be sure that even the panicky people understood that fact. He looked to the Council Leader, to see that she was nodding in calm agreement. Her poise seemed to soothe some of the twitchier types in the Hall. Taking a deep breath, he placed a hand on his godfather's arm and spoke with controlled intensity. "This is my godfather, Lord Sirius Black. He was never my parents' secret keeper; that was the rat here. He did not murder those people; that was also the rat. Even IF he had done those things, he is still not a convicted felon, because – courtesy of our 'Chief Warlock' and 'Supreme Mugwump' here," gesturing scornfully at Albus Percy, "he did not receive a trial of any type. Nothing. Therefore, he was imprisoned illegally, and cannot be considered an 'escaped criminal' or a 'fugitive from justice', as he was never legally a criminal nor did he ever obtain justice."
Again, the Hall was rendered silent as everyone watched the glow of truth hold steady and strong. There were no alerts, no alarms, no warning flares. But it was inconceivable. Slowly, very slowly, the reality of the young lord's words began to sink in. He was speaking the truth. The Hall of Government confirmed it.
Sirius Black was an innocent man.
oooooooooooooooooooo
Shaking her head in horrified denial, Amelia looked upon Sirius Black and felt deep, painful regret. This poor man had been imprisoned in the darkest, cruelest cells of Azkaban, surrounded by and subjected to fifteen years' worth of hourly torture by the most sadistic creatures known to wizardkind, and not only was he innocent, but he had been denied his chance to speak – to anyone, ever. She knew for a fact that occupants of the lower cells were denied all visitors, with the single exception of an annual, five-minute visit by the Minister of Magic to establish proof of life. She swallowed a sob of horror at the thought of this man's torment, and then took a moment to feel awe at the clear evidence of Lord Black's sanity and good health. She knew without doubt the man was sane. He would not have gotten past any of the entrances into the Hall if he were insane. The Hall of Government would allow no insane person into its depths, for they had no place here, not even being charged with a crime. Wizardkind did not try insane people; they institutionalized them in hospitals and care centers, in extreme cases they euthanized them, but they did not subject them to trial. But he was here in the Hall; ergo, Lord Sirius Black, despite all expectations to the contrary, was really healthy, sane and apparently happy.
Amelia was not alone in either her regard or her sorrow for the gray-eyed man. Gabriel's hands were tightly clenched in an effort to contain his own emotions. The minute … no, the second, the instant his eyes fell on the revealed Sirius Black, Gabriel had been on full alert. Every fiber of his being, every cell in his body, everything was entirely focused on one Sirius Black. He knew what this was; he had seen the same happen to his own brother and had heard his father's stories. It seemed to be a Zabini trait, some distant echo of a long-lost creature inheritance well-back in their family tree. The Zabini men did not just fall in love. They mated. They did not just marry; they bonded. Their mates were male and female, pureblood and halfblood and there was even a single muggleborn witch mated to a distant cousin. But they were always powerful, always somewhat Dark, and always submissive to the Zabini men. Looking back on his confrontation with Sirius, it seemed that his little mate didn't entirely agree with that. Gabriel smiled darkly and reflected on how much he was anticipating teaching the smaller man the difference between being a powerful wizard and being a Zabini Alpha. He hoped his little mate didn't learn too quickly. His thoughts darkened considerably when he reflected on the ordeal that had been his mate's life so far. He was deeply enraged. That a Zabini mate had been so misused, that HIS mate had been tortured and imprisoned for a decade and a half…! Biting down on a fierce growl, he knew his eyes were glowing slightly as he considered who was going to pay… and how.
Gabriel sensed, more than he saw, Sirius flinching and leaning away from his rage, and made a conscious effort to control and contain it. He knew that his mate was deeply confused at the moment; the Zabini mate bond was instant, always. There was no record of any of his family's mates who were not initially shocked and even traumatized by the sudden power of the bond snapping into place, locking them forever to a person they didn't even know. The bond was a channel connecting the two mates; through it, emotions and sometimes even thoughts passed freely. He knew that Sirius had to be able to focus on the Petition, and he also knew that the man would be unable to concentrate unless he, Gabriel, took immediate action.
Standing suddenly, he stepped behind Lucius and Harry and stopped on Sirius' far side. He knew his mate had tracked his progress, as much by the tensing of his shoulders and flinching of his posture as by the emotions rippling through the bond. Casting a quick but powerful privacy shield, he placed his hand on Sirius' back and soothingly rubbed against the man's deep shudders. He concentrated on sending comfort and love through the bond, and, placing a large hand on Sirius' face, forced his mate to meet his warm gaze. Sirius drew a deep, shocked breath, a look of fear in his eyes, and tried to back away; Gabriel would not let him. Locking eyes, he spoke with confidence and love. "I know. Sirius, I know you're confused and frightened, and that this is not the time to address this. Just understand and accept this much; the bond is real and is permanent. What you feel is real; what you sense from me is real. You now have more than Harry on your side; you have me, and with me, you have the entire Zabini network. I swear to you, my mate, you are now safe. No matter what happens here tonight, you are safe, you are treasured, you are wanted, you are loved. Hold tight to that for a little while longer, va bene, amato? We'll finish this Session, and go find a quiet place with Harry and Lucius to talk and settle down. Can you do that?" He stayed pressed tightly up to his smaller mate's side as he spoke, one hand pressed to the man's face and the other continuing to rub soothing circles on his toned back. He felt the shudders ease; he felt his mate calm and his fear recede.
Sirius stared deeply into his eyes for a few moments after he stopped talking. Although Gabriel lowered his mental shields to allow the man access, Sirius never entered his mind. Rather, he seemed to be – absorbing – Gabriel's intent. It was as if the bigger man could feel his little mate brushing up against the very essence of what made Gabriel - Gabriel. It was deeply intimate, sensual, and perhaps the most honest moments Gabriel had ever experienced. Whatever the smaller man was doing, he seemed content with the results, as finally he drew a deep, shuddering sigh and lowered his gaze. Shaking his head in confusion, he again raised troubled gray eyes to Gabriel and said quietly, "I don't understand. But I'll trust you – for now." He added the caveat with a clear warning and challenge in his smoky eyes, and Gabriel's arousal rose with his need to establish dominance. He exerted self-control with an iron will and promised the smaller man darkly, "That will suffice – for now." He felt Sirius shiver at the unspoken promise. Releasing his mate's face reluctantly, he turned Sirius to face forward as he remained standing by his side. He ignored the questioning looks aimed at him. He had found his mate, and the man needed him. He wasn't going anywhere.
Sirius offered a reassuring, slightly tremulous smile at his godson and then tried to turn his attention back to the whole, original point of this night. As 'melia spoke from the front of the Hall, his thoughts abruptly clarified and he straightened his spine, both ignoring and welcoming the strong, warm presence on his left. He remembered 'melia from his auror training and knew she was a formidable woman, forever labeled in his mind with a great big, flashing 'Do Not Cross' sign. He hoped she would employ that incredible will of hers in his behalf. He was doing his best, he really was, but honestly, he was just so tired of fighting. As if in response to his thoughts, his big mate's hand on his back moved to his waist for a moment and squeezed reassuringly before returning to the constant, soothing, utterly addicting rubbing on his back. Closing his eyes briefly in denial, he realized that he had already mentally labeled the man 'his big mate.' 'That can't be good!' he thought dryly. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to concentrate on the Session.
"Lord Black …. Although we all understand that the greater body of details will emerge in later days of this Petition, the nature of the Hall of Governments, as well as Lord Potter's Wizarding Oath, have clearly established that he has spoken the truth and you are, in fact, not only innocent of all charges but a victim of fifteen years of illegal imprisonment and torture." At this, the listeners shifted restlessly. Although it was a common fact, none of them really liked to consider that they were part of a system that routinely tortured its prisoners. There was no denying the effects of Dementors, however.
Ignoring their queasy reaction, the Council Leader continued, "For the Record, Lord Black, please declare your innocence for the crimes thought of you."
One could have heard a feather as it floated through the air as the Lords and Gallery listened for Sirius Blacks first, trembling words to the Hall. "I, Lord Sirius Orion Black, swear on my life and my magick that I was not the Potters' Secret Keeper. I have never murdered anyone. I did not receive a trial or even an explanation before I was given to Azkaban. I witnessed Albus Percy perform the Fidelius that made his son, Peter Pettigrew Percy, the Potters' Secret Keeper. James and Lily died, when Albus ordered Hagrid to take Harry from me, I went hunting a rat. I saw Peter's Dark Mark that night. I witnessed Peter murder those poor people." His hushed voice broke on the last word. Gabriel leaned in and murmured softly in his ear for a moment, then Sirius drew a quavering breath and continued, "I am innocent, but nobody ever asked! So I swear it; so mote it be." The magick of the vow flared around him. He stood, silent and trembling, struggling for control. Losing the battle, a tear rolled slowly down his face, briefly witnessed by the grieving Lords and a stony-faced Harry, before the now-fearsomely scowling Lord Zabini turned the smaller man and pulled him protectively into his arms. The witnesses watched, reluctantly, truly not wanting to further intrude on the trembling man and Lord who was comforting him. They could not look away; they had to see the completion of the vow. Gabriel Zabini murmured a quiet direction into Sirius' ear, and without pulling away or even turning his head, Sirius raised his wand and cast lumos. As soon as the wand tip lit, Sirius cancelled the spell and returned to clutching Gabriel's robes. He couldn't stand that everyone was watching him. He had known he had to do this, but Merlin, this was just so hard. Clinging to his mate, he let himself acknowledge that the big, protective man holding him made the public scrutiny infinitely more bearable. As he re-claimed his control, he turned his face to look at Amelia, but he did not step out of his mate's sheltering arms. He refused to care about the proprieties. With very few exceptions, most notably his godson and Gabriel, who he knew through talking with Harry had only recently come to England from his villa in Italy, these people had all betrayed them; he owed them nothing.
Amelia respectfully redirected her gaze to the Lords at large and started the first of many efforts she would make on behalf of Lord Sirius Black. "First, let's take care of the most pressing business. I move to immediately formally confirm Sirius Black's innocence and status as a free person, and to broadcast this information in such a manner as to educate the public and ensure Lord Black's continuing safety and welcome within our world." Her troubled gaze travelled over the sea of blue lights, and she knocked once. "So moved; Motion is carried. Clerk, take action." She turned abruptly and looked over to the Gallery. "Rodney Skeeter, please stand." As the startled reporter rose to his feet, she stated without pause, "Mr. Skeeter, I wish to meet with you immediately after this day's portion of the Session is concluded. I am assigning you the task and authority of publishing this information and disseminating it in every possible way. Do you accept this trust?" As Skeeter stammered out an affirmative, she gestured him back into his seat and then turned back the still-standing Lords Black and Potter … and Zabini. Deep in her thoughts, she mused 'We should have Malfoy stand up, too, then we'd all have a view we can really appreciate.'
"Lord Potter and Lord Black, you have requested the arrest and imprisonment of the wizard Peter Pettigrew Percy, whom you have stated under weight of Truth Spell and Vow is the son of Albus Percy, being tried under Lord Potter's Petition for Judgment. You have each referred to him as 'a rat'; you also provided the rat encaged on the table in front of you and implied that said rat is, in fact, Peter Pettigrew Percy. Is this assumption fact?"
Harry and Sirius replied as one voice, "Yes."
The Council Leader gestured to the approaching aurors and spoke with confident authority, "Take the rat into custody. Cast Hominum Revelio on him and place him in Numerus Frenumrestraints, then place him in a maximum-security isolation cell. Place Albus Percy in a maximum-security isolation cell. Upon retrieval of Aberforth Percy, arrest him, place him in Numerus Frenum restraints, and then place him in a maximum-security isolation cell." She looked around with a slightly exhausted expression, and then asked tartly, "Anyone else?"
At the sympathetic laughter from the equally shell-shocked Lords and Gallery, she offered a tired smile and then turned to look briefly at the still-seated and patiently observing Minerva and Tavin McGonogall. Looking to Lord Potter, Amelia asked, "Lord Potter, is there any reason why I cannot release these two and send them to a much-needed rest as you specified earlier?"
Harry sent the woman a warm, deeply appreciative smile that seemed to go right into her overwhelmed soul. "Council Leader Bones, I see no reason why you should not do so and I would be grateful if you would. With all due respect for my elders," with a teasing, sideways grin at the two, "I think they could use the rest and the privacy…. and maybe a nice glass of Ogden's, eh, Minerva?" The quiet laughter became more vigorous at Lord Ogden's jovial, "I'll send over a barrel; based on today, you'll need it!"
Amelia sent a clerk over to accompany the aging Deputy Headmistress and assist her in carrying the Book of Names and Tavin the Sorting Hat. As a former student of the formidable Transfiguration Master, the clerk was understandably hesitant, but relaxed at the older woman's warm smile and lightly amused smirk. "We cannot cast magic on the Book, lad, so I will entrust you to carry it for me. Damage it in any way and I will transfigure you into a wand and send you into Albus's sweaty grasp," Minerva said. At the clerk's look of disgusted horror, she offered a trill of laughter and then placed Tavin on the hapless clerk's head. Her only explanation was, "You're taller than me and Tavin likes a good view." Deciding to simply endure with dignity, the clerk picked up the heavy book and escorted the straightbacked older woman out of the Hall through the Lord's Approach, old Tavin rambling on as they passed through the shields that scanned them for signs of mental tampering. They were watched with fondness by most of those seated in the Hall, who broke into laughter at Minerva's tart, "If he dared even consider setting a single magical finger in my mind, I'll give him a Wellington straight up his withered, old arse!"
As decorum returned, Amelia raised a hand briefly to halt the Aurors who had approached Albus Percy. "Wait a moment, please. Lord Potter? As Percy is the subject of Petition for Judgment, he has the right to hear anything further you have to say this night. Are there any more items or persons of evidence to apprehend or protect?"
Harry could almost feel everyone in the room holding their collective breath. He wondered if they were hoping that he would add something, or would not. Probably half and half. Stifling a half-laugh, he cast an amused, emerald gaze around the vast room and said, "While there are definitely more twists and turns to go through in the coming days, I believe that the remaining witnesses are entirely safe and that the additional evidence is very well-protected. I return the floor to you, Council Leader." He sat down with a sigh of relief, and welcomed Lucius' hand on his lower back. 'Really, why is it so hard to just stand in one place?' he mused.
His sigh of relief was echoed throughout the Hall of Government as Amelia Bones waved the Aurors back to their task of removing and incarcerating a glaring, pathetically defiant, infuriatingly smug former-Headmaster. His progress out of the Hall was followed by a large number of hateful glances. He kept his head high and minced a bit from the effects of sitting still for such a long time.
He looked constipated, actually.
Three loud, echoing knocks reverberated through the Hall of Government. "All persons presently within this Hall shall be dismissed momentarily, under the constraints and parameters earlier set forth within this Petition, and shall return to this Hall and be seated within for this Session to re-commence promptly at eleven o'clock tomorrow morning. The time now is seven p.m. This session has lasted four hours. All Witnesses and Participants thus far are recorded in the Files of Record and will be granted all amenities and tithes as required by the established standards of this body. This concludes Day One of High Lord Harrison James Potter's Petition for Judgment against Albus Percy and the Percy Family. This Twenty-Four-Hundred-and-Thirty-Second Session, Day One, of the Hall of Government is now concluded and the Lords and Gallery released. So Mote It Be." Three more knocks echoed through the room, and the doors on either side of the massive Hall slowly opened. Both doorways were glittering with the rune-activated scanning spells.
Harry wanted nothing more than to drop his head forward onto the table in sheer relief, but managed to maintain his 'lordly demeanor', as Sirius called it, with will power alone. As he turned to glance at Lucius, he found himself almost nose to neck with the man. Damn, the Malfoy Lord was quiet! His attempt to take a step back was thwarted as Lucius wrapped strong around him and tugged him firmly into a warm, immensely comfortable embrace. "Really, Harry," Lucius purred into his ear, "you only ever had to ask." If anyone noticed that, despite the half-hearted head-butt Harry delivered to the broad chest on which he was resting, Harry stayed snugly encased in Lucius' arms, they were kind enough not to mention it.
Sirius couldn't have mentioned it, even if he had noticed. But, as he was presently wrapped in a strong, warm embrace of his own, he remained blissfully unaware of the Malfoy Lord's conquest. Since he had escaped Azkaban, there had been hours, sometimes even whole days, when he felt reasonably safe, somewhat whole, kind of okay. But here, held closely against Lord Gabriel Zabini's fairly massive chest (if Sirius did say so himself) and listening to the strong heart that the handsome Lord claimed now belonged entirely to him, Sirius was undone by the all-encompassing sense of safety and love and acceptance he was experiencing. It was wrapped firmly around him and was pulsing through this brand-new bond that had sprung to life so quickly he was left utterly bewildered. One moment he was Sirius Black, survivor of Azkaban, finding his greatest happiness in the paternal love he felt for his incredible godson. The very next moment, he was whole. Rendered complete as the open spaces in his soul were healed and filled through this bizarrely perfect bond with his dominating, all-encompassing, incredibly, passionately sexy and handsome – oh, my Merlin – MATE, Lord Gabriel Zabini.
As the four Lords moved slowly through the Lord's Approach, on their way to a dinner and a night none of them would ever forget, their progress was tracked avidly by a now-devoted group of Lord Watchers. The 'four handsome lords', as many would call them, had no idea one, specific thought was being uttered in the mind of literally dozens of people departing the Hall of Government, including themselves.
At one point or another, almost every person who had attended had a single, simple thought. "Is any of this real?"
For the four, handsome Lords who answered a shivery, happy 'Yes!", it was a very happy thought indeed.