Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling and I do not own Harry Potter. I am not making money from this story, it is purely for entertainment.
Chapter 1:
Albus Dumbledore appeared with barely a whisper of sound, pausing slightly to look around the deserted street. Whether because of his own prodigious skill or for some other reason unbeknownst to him, he saw no sign nor heard no sound since his departure from the Ministry mere hours ago. He had been followed religiously since his removal from the school, no doubt a plan spawned from Cornelius' ridiculous paranoia. The Minister's attempts to catch him in the act, so to speak would have been humorous if the situation had not been so dire. Nevertheless, Albus stood in silence, turning his head casually from side to side, his blue eyes closing behind his spectacles. To the outside world, he would simply appear as an old man enjoying the warmth of the sun rather than a wizard searching for signs of attack. His eyes opened.
All was quiet. The light of the clear autumn morning was now glowing and reflecting from the windows of the muggle residences. The noise of laughing children reached his ears from a distant street and the sound of birds singing brought a wholesome peace to the area. To Albus, Harry's arrest and the rumours of the darkness growing in the world outside already seemed only the memories of a troubled dream; but as he walked lightly across the road and entered Grimmauld Place, his face became grave.
With a sigh, Albus pushed open the door to the kitchen and entered only to find it empty, the fire burning low within the grate. With a flick of his wand, flames erupted in the fireplace, casting shadows throughout the empty room. From the corner of his eye, he saw a flicker of movement but on closer inspection he found it to be an article on Harry's arrest laying abandoned on the large dining table. A large photo of Harry covered most of the front page and for the first time in months, Albus allowed himself to look into the large, emerald eyes.
His heart clenched painfully within his chest at the sight.
No matter how he tried, Albus could no longer play the part of the stoic yet wise Headmaster of Hogwarts. Distantly, he wondered if the small, animated first year who had so timidly entered Hogwarts years ago had ever been just another student to him. He had vowed long ago that he would never become too attached to any student. It was a code that all professors must follow for, no sooner had they met, the young wizard and witches under their care would depart as adults and they in turn must embrace the new students who walked fearfully into the Great Hall. Some students, of course would be remembered more so than any others, such as the two men who occupied this house. Sirius and Remus had both suffered terribly as children, thrown head-first into the evil of this world before they could think freely for themselves. How easy it would be for them to abandon all hope and follow the wrong path and yet they had remained loyal and true, even during their darkest days.
Not unlike the young man in their care.
Albus had watched from afar as Harry struggled with more horrors than any other student who had walked the halls of Hogwarts and yet become a young man who Albus respected and admired above all others. No, he could no longer pretend to be the distant educator for Harry was no longer his student. He had become so much more than that. And he, Albus Dumbledore, was no longer the leader of the Order but a man; one who was as lost as they...
"Harry Potter, you have been brought before the Council of Magical Law so we can pass judgement on you for the murder of Cedric Diggory-"
"It wasn't me! It was Peter Pettigrew!"
"You wish to accuse a man who has been dead for over thirteen years; to tarnish the name of a hero who cannot be here to defend himself? You are despicable -"
"You have the testimony of one Remus J Lupin who willingly confirmed Mr Potter's side of events on the night Peter Pettigrew revelled himself."
"Do you expect me to take the testimony of a werewolf, who has connections to the convict Sirius Black, seriously?"
"Remus Lupin is a trustworthy man and has no reason to lie to the court-"
"I have heard the witness's defence regarding the night Sirius Black escaped, Dumbledore and his story gets more ridiculous every time I hear it. Do not waste the court's time on nonsense...Mr Potter, it has been well known within Hogwarts that yourself and Diggory had somewhat of a tense relationship throughout your school years."
"No, he was my friend..."
"Come now, Cornelius. If you believe that every school rivalry will end in murder then every cell in Azkaban would be occupied by now."
"...And yet, we have the testimony of a muggle who witnessed Mr Potter killing Diggory on the night when Barty Crouch Jr transported them from the grounds. To me, it seems Mr Potter took advantage of the situation that had fallen before him."
"Then bring them forth to testify before the court."
"Oh no, no...He is much too afraid for his safety, Dumbledore and rightly so considering the heinous crime he committed on his own aunt..."
"A case of accidental magic that Mr Potter was cleared of this summer! This is madness Cornelius! Mr Potter is an under-age wizard which according to the rules of the Wizengamot means he cannot be tried as an adult."
"That right falls to the Minister in extreme cases to decide and in this case if Mr Potter is capable of murder then he shall be tried as an adult...You are no longer one of us, Dumbledore...your presence has no place in this courtroom..."
"...All those in favour of imprisonment, raise your hands...well, it seems the vote is unanimous...take him away!"
"Professor..."
"Be strong, Harry. I promise...I will do everything in my power to see you released..."
"No, please...stay away from me..."
"...forgive me, Harry."
Albus was mildly surprised to feel his eyes begin to water. He had to blink for a few seconds before the bold words of the heading did not blur into one.
The-Boy-Who-Killed
No sooner had his sight returned to normal, he had to blink into surprise as the Daily Prophet burst into flames before his eyes and Harry's picture was engulfed in the flames. There was a long silence as Albus watched the fire flicker and die leaving nothing but a dusting of ash in its wake. Finally, he turned to the presence at his back and his eyes locked with the haunted grey of Sirius Black. They regarded each other silently for long moments and it was as if an invisible beam of understanding passed between them.
"You've been gone a long time." Sirius said finally, his voice slightly hoarse and strained. From the acceptance in his face, it seemed that the statement did not require an explanation but Albus nodded anyway.
"Indeed," He said grimly. "And it has been for nought, I'm afraid. There are a few who do not believe Harry's guilt despite what Cornelius has claimed but as long as he is Minister no one will dare speak out against him. I fear we will receive no help from the Ministry. "
Sirius laughed but it was without warmth and when he spoke his tone was bitter. "The day the Ministry proves valuable is the day I join their ranks myself."
"Despite Cornelius' actions the Ministry still has a purpose, Sirius."
Sirius did not reply but the hostility in his eyes spoke volumes of his view of the Ministry. After a moment, he spoke again.
"Get you a drink?" He asked calmly, motioning towards the table with the bottle of Firewhiskey in his hand.
"I believe it is a little early in the day for such refreshments." Albus responded lightly.
"Or a little late." Sirius responded with a wry smile as he took a seat at the table. Albus moved to sit at the chair to his left and took a good look at the younger man. Since he had informed the Order of Harry's arrest, the frightening anger that had overcome Sirius had disappeared. The colour had come back to his face and his eyes were clear and fully awake. He was smiling, and there seemed to be little wrong with him. But to the wizard's eye there was a faint change, one that did not require Legilimency to see: the barely leashed pain that Sirius had buried deep within. It was as if he had been thrown back into Azkaban with his godson.
"I don't believe I did enough during the trial but then again, hindsight is as much a burden as it is a blessing. I fear I have failed Harry once again." Albus said slowly, watching the younger man carefully. In the months that had past, Albus knew that Sirius had felt a great deal of anger towards him, particularly for keeping him within the house he despised so fiercely. He had never hesitated in speaking his mind when it came to the care that Albus had placed on his godson and such a comment would have not been left unanswered for long but now, Sirius remained lifeless. It was disconcerting.
"Yes, well...who hasn't?" Sirius said with a grim smile.
"You have risked everything to keep Harry safe. I can honestly say that you have never failed him." Albus replied sincerely. Sirius eyes clouded over and for the first time that night, he saw a glimmer of the man that had been forced within. Albus knew all too well what thoughts had crossed his mind. "You put your faith in the wrong person, Sirius. There is no crime in that."
Albus looked at him and saw with surprise that his face was drawn as if in pain, his hands clenched the arms of his chair. The room was very quiet and still and the light from the fire seemed to have grown dim. For a while Sirius sat with unseeing eyes as if walking in distant memory or listening to sounds beyond the solid walls.
"Not a day goes by that I don't wish I could undo that night." He said after a moment, drawing his hand across his brow softly as if he were pulling out the memory. "But...for the first time since then, I'm almost glad James and Lily aren't here to see this. It would destroy them."
Albus looked quickly at Sirius but he had closed his eyes. Silence fell between them once more, neither comfortable nor awkward but heavy, leaving both men to contemplate their own thoughts.
"There is something you must know, Sirius." Albus said finally and Sirius' eyes opened hesitantly. "I must beg your pardon for not divulging this sooner but I felt that it was not my burden to share. There is a reason why I have not spoken with Harry since last year, a reason that has caused me great concern. Please know that my actions, whether justified or not, have stemmed from wanting to protect Harry for as long as possible."
"Spit it out, Dumbledore." Sirius said impatiently.
Albus sighed. "You are, of course, aware of the connection between Voldemort's mind and Harry's. Harry himself has disclosed that information to you but since Voldemort's return that connection has grown stronger. For now, I believe that Voldemort is unaware that Harry can access his thoughts so easily but I fear that, should he discover it, he will not hesitate to possess him as a means to discover the contents of the Prophecy."
"But, Harry doesn't know..." He paused suddenly and Albus heard him take a sharp intake of breath. "You're not worried about the Prophecy. The longer Harry stays in Azkaban, the weaker his mind will get."
"Yes." Albus said softly.
"Voldemort won't just use this connection for knowledge...he'll t-torture him!" Sirius slammed the glass bottle on the table with such force, Albus was surprised it did not shatter. He forced himself to look into the furious grey eyes demanding his attention. "You knew this and you've done nothing to protect him-"
"There is nothing I could have done, Sirius." Albus said calmly. "I have avoided him so as not to tempt Voldemort to use him as a means of spying on the Order, to protect him."
"There are ways of protecting the mind from outside forces Dumbledore; you know that better than anyone."
"And such means can also weaken the mind. I have tried to avoid such a resort for as long as I could but now it is too late. I have made a grave mistake Sirius, I know this."
Sirius was breathing heavily and his eyes were wide and fearful. "You're telling me that my godson is locked away in the worst place imaginable with his mind, not only being attacked by Dementors but by Voldemort as well?"
Albus closed his eyes and said: "Yes."
The sound of a chair scraping across the wooden ground echoed throughout the silent room and Albus forced himself to open his eyes. Sirius stood over him, his hands clenched into fists at his side and his face drawn in fury. "You wanted time and I gave it but we've waited long enough. If you can't get my godson out of Azkaban then I will!"
"Sirius, be reasonable." Remus' voice reached them from the open kitchen door and both men turned in his direction. Albus couldn't prevent the small frown that formed between his eyes as he took in the younger man's appearance. His clothes and hair were ruffled from sleep, his amber eyes were sunken and tired, and fresh scars from the past full moon two nights before stood out in stark contrast to his pale skin. From the pained look on his worn face, it appeared that he had, unbeknownst to the two men, been present for some time. "Azkaban is one of the most protected structures in Britain. What would you have us do; walk in through the front door?"
"Precisely."
Albus smiled slightly when the two men turned towards him, surprise evident on their faces.
"I won't pretend that it will be easy." He continued calmly. "On the contrary, it will be immensely difficult. Forgive me, Sirius." Albus continued graciously with a nod in the man's direction. "Getting out is one thing, getting in is quite the other and the risk, should we be captured, will be unimaginable. Yet, I believe we have come to the point where we have no other option. I have tried every other route available to us and it has been fruitless. The time for diplomacy is passed. However, I cannot hope to do it alone. I will require some assistance...if you are willing and able, of course."
The only response in the darkened room was the sound of Sirius dropping to his seat once more, his anger fading into shock.
"Albus..." Remus responded, his voice barely above a whisper. "If all of us are caught by the Ministry, it will be the end of the Order-"
Albus shook his head. "You misunderstand me, Remus. I intend for this mission to be carried out by a select few, mainly the three who stand within this very room. Molly and Arthur have young children who will naturally come first, we cannot risk Kingsley or Nymphadora's position within the Ministry and there are few others I would trust with this task."
"But we have less to lose..." Remus said softly in agreement.
Albus shook his head slightly and smiled. "We have much more to gain, Remus."
Sirius turned his head sharply and stared at Albus intently, a curious gleam reflected in his eyes as he took in the implications of that simple statement. "We?"
"Yes, Sirius. We." Albus responded gently, lowering his head to peer over his spectacles. "I understand your hesitancy in leaving Harry there any longer, particularly now that you know the risk to Harry's mind." Albus continued, with a pointed look in Sirius' direction. He frowned slightly in annoyance but for the moment remained silent. "But it will take time and preparation. We will only get one chance to succeed and the odds are stacked against us. If it is some comfort to you, I believe Alastor will also accompany us."
"I'm sure we could use his help." Remus replied wryly, moving to sit at the table. He shook his head. "Four people breaking into Azkaban, it's certainly never been done."
Sirius gave a bark of laughter but for the first time that night, it was genuine. Albus smiled slightly in relief. Whatever prison Sirius had locked himself away in within his mind had crumbled. "Before me, no one had ever escaped Azkaban unaided either, Moony."