DISCLAIMER: I own no part of the Harry Potter books, films, etc. Everything belongs to JKR/Warner Bros.

All bits from the book(s)/film(s) are in bold

The Meaning Of Family

Chapter Thirteen

'Sirius Black, you are charged with passing information to He Who Must Not Be Named, and for conspiring against Lily and James Potter and passing information which led to their death on 31st October 1981. You are also suspected of the murder of Peter Pettigrew. How do you plead?'

The prosecutor's voice rang out, clear and sharp, across the Ministry courtroom. Its tone was confident, businesslike and above all accusatory, and it made Remus wince. Sirius had to be strong, he had to remain calm, or else all would be lost. He was silently willing Sirius to look at him, to acknowledge him or even notice he was there. His eyes flickered once to corner where Remus sat with Dumbledore, but other than that, Sirius gave no sign that he'd seen Remus. He sat nervously, chained to a chair, his hands visibly shaking, and his voice trembled when he spoke.

'N-not guilty.'

Remus knew at once that they were done for.

All through the trial he perched right on the edge of his seat, hoping, praying for some miracle that would get them out of this desperate situation. He rocked quietly back and forth as he watched Sirius's face grow paler and his eyes grow wilder; he trembled and fought the urge to throw up violently as he watched Lucius Malfoy – Lucius Malfoy, of all people, a Death Eater – give completely false evidence against Sirius, telling of how he had 'overheard' Sirius's plans to betray Lily and James. It was all nonsense, but somehow the jury swallowed every little made-up detail, every false accusation and every little lie, and he wanted to stand up and shout them down, tell them they were all wrong, that they'd got the wrong man, but somehow Dumbledore sensed his agitation and his burning desire to interrupt the trial and kept a firm hand on his arm and gave him several sharp looks that plainly told him not to move… and it was getting worse, the accusations wilder, the false information more and more absurd, and then the jury was deciding its verdict, and then it was over, and Sirius was being sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban. But it couldn't be over, not yet, it couldn't be true… They couldn't send him to Azkaban, he was Sirius Black, he was James Potter's best friend…

There were cheers and shouts of triumph from all sides of the courtroom; Remus felt sick. This couldn't be happening, it couldn't be real. Sirius was being dragged away by two Dementors, his face as ashen as Remus's, and as they neared the courtroom door, he turned his head in Remus's direction, his face fleetingly full of pain, fear and a terrible, gut-wrenching plea for help that made Remus's heart twist. Remus suddenly felt angrier and guiltier than ever before, and Dumbledore's firm grip on his arm suddenly held no sway over him. He stood, furious, and shouted across the courtroom:

'YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG MAN!'

The whole room stared. Sirius flashed him a wild look, half-terrified, half-confused. Dumbledore tugged at Remus's arm, but he resisted, repeating his pleading accusation to the echoing courtroom.

'Please sit down, sir,' the judge said briskly, gathering up his papers.

'No, I won't – you've got the wrong man, Sirius is innocent!' Remus shouted.

'Sir, please, sit down or we shall have to restrain you by force,' the judge replied angrily.

'Remus, please sit down,' Dumbledore muttered firmly. He looked angry too; Remus couldn't tell whether it was because of the verdict or because of his own outburst.

'But – but it's not fair!' Remus protested, sounding more like a child with every second that passed. The judge glared at him and swiftly exited the courtroom, motioning to the Dementors to follow him. They did so, dragging Sirius, who gave a half-cry, half-shout like a child in pain, with them. His cry tore at Remus's heart and conscience, and he couldn't help but stand up again and shout.

'You've got it wrong, HE'S NOT GUILTY!'

'Remus, sit down –'

'I WILL NOT SIT DOWN!' The last woman who remained in the room gave him a funny look before departing.

'Remus, I urge you to calm down!'

'NO! I won't! He hasn't done anything wrong!'

'Remus –'

'No, it's wrong and it's not fair!'

'LIFE ISN'T FAIR!' Dumbledore shouted. Remus was startled into silence, and Dumbledore seemed to realise the ferocity and venom in the tone of his frank words. He lowered his voice and said, 'Sometimes fate does not present us with the path we feel we ought to have to right to walk down, but a different one that we must take, just as willingly, instead. Sometimes life does not give us the opportunities we desire, but different opportunities, and we must deal with them dutifully and willingly, or else risk throwing ourselves into an abyss of bitterness and self-pity, and self-pity is arguably one of mankind's greatest flaws. If we are to continue our lives in order to good for others, we must seek ways round barriers and obstacles that are put in our path, rather than despairing of their presence, and we must remain optimistic to the best of our ability. Happiness can always be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light.'

'That's easy for you to say,' Remus muttered angrily. 'You didn't lose your parents at seventeen, the way I did I lost mine! You haven't seen someone you love carted off to Azkaban! You didn't lose someone as close to you as a sibling, did you? You weren't betrayed by someone you thought was a friend!'

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows coolly. 'Oh, really?'

His tone was still soft, but his words his Remus like a physical blow, as he realised he knew nothing about his former headmaster.

'What? What do you mean, Professor?'

'Never mind that now, Remus,' Dumbledore said a little impatiently. He seemed to regret his last words. 'We need to focus on helping Sirius.'

'Yes, of course,' Remus said hastily, looking eagerly at his headmaster and hoping to god that Dumbledore had a plan. 'What can we do?'

'Remus, I am trusting you to the highest degree now, do you understand? Whatever I ask you to do, you must do it, with no objections or deviations. Am I clear?'

Remus nodded. 'Whatever it is, if it helps Sirius I'll do it.'

Dumbledore looked solemn all of a sudden, and his blue eyes were more piercing than ever. 'Then listen very carefully, Remus,' he said. 'I want you to find and capture Peter Pettigrew.'

Remus could only gape. 'Peter?' he exclaimed in surprise when he finally found his voice. 'But I thought he was dead?'

'I thought you knew I didn't believe that, Remus, which is why I have had the Order out looking for him since the night Lily and James died. However, it seems that they have had little success. You, on the other hand, having spent over seven years in his near-constant company, know more about Peter than anybody else. I believe that you will have more success than the rest of the Order. Of course, you will have other members of the Order to back you up, but I believe that you have a better chance than anyone of finding him. Can you do that, Remus?'

Remus nodded quickly. 'Of course. I – I mean, I don't know if I'll manage it but I'll definitely try my hardest.' He tried to smile. 'For Sirius, right?'

Dumbledore smiled back half-heartedly. 'For Sirius,' he echoed. 'I trust you will not give up, Remus.'

'I won't, sir. I promise. I won't give up as long as there's breath in my body. Because… because I – I love him.'

His old headmaster did not seem surprised at his sudden proclamation. In fact, he smiled – properly this time, warmly – and said, 'I thought so. I'm glad.'

'Professor,' Remus said, a sudden thought striking him, 'what'll happen to Harry when –' he refused to say 'if' – 'Sirius's name's been cleared?'

'He will be put back into Sirius's care if I have any say in the matter,' Dumbledore replied swiftly. 'I trust his aunt will not protest much, she seemed to have no desire to take the boy in the first place… So all the more reason try your hardest, Remus.'

'Yes sir.'

Dumbledore turned and swept out of the courtroom without a backward glance, leaving Remus all alone and wondering where on earth he was going to begin his search for Wormtail.