Disclaimer: We all know how these work, I acknowledge that J., Warner Bros. and Scholastic own Harry Potter and all other characters and settings from cannon, and I get to write whatever I please and even add in characters of my own as long as I don't get any money. The no money sucks but there you go, at least I don't get lawyers knocking on my door.

Addendum: If you recognize a character name from elsewhere it isn't mine.

A/N: Gomen nasai, If I made you cry last chapter. It was necessary

Sirius' Savior

Chapter 23 What's Wrong

December 16,1988

Beth was puzzled when Sirius didn't call her that day. She couldn't wait to tell him that her mother had apologized and she wondered why he didn't call. But she had a busy day anyway with the monthly NATO talks. She didn't worry though because one, she was busy and two, she was tired she had stayed up way too late the night before to talk with her mother.

Maryanne Stevens went to the office she knew was used by Beth's security detail. "I would like to read the report your team has complied on my daughter's fiance." she told Radar. She sat at one of the two desks in the room as he pulled the file from the drawer. She wanted to read the report because she trusted the security team to be objective in their assessment. Beth's track record with men spoke for itself. She skimmed Beth's account of her vacation already familiar with it because of the six hour talk she had had last night. She the read the ICW alert that had gone out in November 1981 judging him as highly dangerous. She read the British trial transcripts from March 1982 and frowned. There was nothing until else in the ICW file until July of this year when there was a description of a workshop being taught by Sirius O. Black muggle police techniques and their practical application by aurors which was very curious by itself then she started the reports on what Indonesia had told them through general security reports and lastly the phone interview with Secretary of Security Budiono. "Can I get a copy of this."

Radar wasn't about to tell the first lady no; so he pulled out a stack of paper equivalent to the file and performed a duplication spell handing the new papers to her.

Maryanne left the office thinking. Wondering when she should confront her husband.

December 17, 1988 Bali Indonesia

Sirius hated this. Even though he was officially retired, because he was highest ranked officer and knew many of the victims he got recruited to do notifications this was in addition to making all the decisions about the belongings of Sri's entire family and making arrangements for the funeral. At least a mass funeral wasn't an unheard of thing in Bali.

It was 8 p.m. and he was just getting home. Harry had been alone almost all day and he probably shouldn't have been. But what was Sirius to do, everyone he would normally leave Harry with was dead. The only two people that weren't were working overtime like he himself was, trying to get things together in the aftermath of yesterday's tragedy. Crap he was so tired he was quoting the bloody news agencies. He found Harry sitting in the living room looking bewildered and sad.

"Hey kiddo."

"I didn't do anything today. I couldn't, I never do things by myself here it's always me and Hadi, with Liana telling us what to do."

Sirius pressed his lips together and blinked back the tears he'd been fighting all day. "Get ready for bed except your teeth I'll make soup and sandwiches. We'll eat and go to bed."

"Can I sleep in your room again?"

"Sure, I don't think I'm ready to be by myself yet either."

Sirius had pulled the first of the two grilled cheese sandwiches out of the skillet and the microwave beeped to say soup was hot when Sirius' cell phone rang. Exhausted he barely kept from snarling when he answered "Black."

"Sirius?" Beth's soothing voice reached through the phone to calm him. Beth didn't know why but Sirius' voice was so upset but something was obviously wrong.

"Beth, oh god . Tell me about your day or anything I need... I need you."

"Sirius you're scaring me, did something happen? Is Harry okay?"

"Merlin, what to say..." he inhaled sharply then blew out hard. "A drunk driver crashed his enhanced muscle car into the building that was being used for the party the other night. There was an explosion... seventy-five people died..." Sirius lost the fight and a sob broke free. "Harry is physically unharmed but neither of us is doing well at the moment."

Beth inhaled sharply. No wonder Sirius had been sharp when he answered. That party would have included all those that Sirius and Harry counted as family or close friends, seventy-five people dead. In that moment she made a decision. "How long would it take you and Harry to pack up lock stock and barrel have everything there squared away and get to Andersen Air Force Base in Guam?"

"Four maybe five days." Sirius took the second sandwich from the pan. and put it on a plate.

Harry trailed into the kitchen and sat at the counter Sirius gave him the second sandwich and a mug of tomato soup.

"Get started by the time you're there I'll have diplomatic papers naming you a courier and giving you permission to bypass customs."

"Do you want to talk to Harry?" Sirius asked.

"I'm not sure what to say but yes."

"Kiddo," Sirius nudged Harry then handed him the phone, "It's Beth."

A faint spark of life shot through his emerald eyes and he brought the phone to his ear.

"Hey Harry, Sirius told me what happened and I'm very sorry about it. I wanted to thank you for all the lovely pictures. Roy the head of my security detail thought they looked professional. And my mom loved the engagement location you picked as did my detail."

"I miss you Beth."

"I miss you too. I'm hoping to get everything worked out so you and Sirius can be here for Christmas but you have to do your part there okay?"

"Yes ma'am."

"I need to talk to Sirius again okay." Beth felt almost ready to weep because she could hear how sad Harry was. "Feel better kiddo. You'll get through this. See you soon."

A second later she heard Sirius' voice. "Eat your supper then go brush your teeth. I follow you in a bit. Why Guam, Beth?"

"I have a cousin he's a in the Air Force there. I'll have him meet you and escort you to your flight. You and he have a fair amount in common. You're both considered renegades by your families."

Sirius remembered one of his old jokes with the Marauders. "How'd you know I was the white sheep of the Black family?"

"It makes sense, you said your family was the Blackest in England. Yet you are the lightest wizard I know."

"So do you have those guarantees yet?"

"No but I will, if I don't have them when you get to Guam you can delay there until I do."

"Okay tell me about this cousin of yours."

"Jack is an interesting character he's smart as a whip but likes to play the country hick. His father wanted him to go to Cornell and study business, Jack applied to the Air Force Academy and got in he and I don't talk much but he's family. He'll do as I ask."

"All right as much as I wish we could talk all night I have an eight year old to comfort and he's already spent too much of today taking a backseat."

"Give him a hug from me, I can only imagine what you two are feeling right now. Goodnight."

Beth ended her call.

Rachel knocked and stuck her head around the door. "You get him?" She noticed Beth's expression "You okay?"

"I got a hold of him, but...he and Harry just lost the closest thing they had to family. I'm almost ready to go. Could you ask Radar for five copies of the file on Sirius for say by lunch. I need to get them pronto."

"Sure." A short time later they left the castle to take Beth to work. Once at work Beth sat at her desk and typed a couple of memos and made a phone call to her brother Nicholas. "Hey Nic, it's Beth I need to consult with you."

"What laws have you broken?"

"I haven't broken any, yet. If Dad doesn't lay off the overprotective father act soon though... Actually the consult is for a friend."

"I'm free this evening Della and I came to a parting of the ways. She tried a little to hard to use me to get to Dad and I've got two tickets to the symphony at seven and reservations at Antonio's at ten. It was going to be Della until two nights ago, I just hadn't gotten around to canceling them yet."

"Ouch."Beth had a great deal of sympathy for her brother. Nic was the same age as her and was a very successful criminal defense lawyer for a firm that represented both worlds here in Washington DC. He actually lived in a condo half way between Baltimore and D.C. "Sounds good though. Also can you give me the name of a reputable real estate agent."

"Tonight. My next appointment is here. Gotta go."

Beth went to her assigned meetings and did her usual through job of finding the middle ground in the dispute and working for a win win situation. She called the castle and asked Bess to pull her sky blue satin evening gown, her marquise diamond choker and the diamond chandelier earrings, and the royal blue velvet cloak together and send it with the courier that was bringing the files she'd asked Radar for. She called Radar directly and asked him to let the team know about the change in plans for the evening. She knew it wouldn't be a huge adjustment for two reasons both locations were well know to the security forces and Nic's security would have already put plans in place. Midday she was surprised to see Roy doing courier duty. She was on the phone when he came in. she smiled then finished her conversation.

After she hung up the phone, Roy started talking, "Beth here's the file you requested copies of and I'll let you have it this time but these files are not for your use their meant to be internal for risk assessment. And here's your dress and Bess sent this along too."

"Roy I appreciate you helping me and I appreciate even more you letting me use this file. Until this morning I would have been somewhat content to wait until Daddy took his head out of his ass. But when I called Sirius this morning I found out he and Harry lost everyone they mentioned to me in this. She slid the article the main paper on Bali had run about the tragic accident and it's aftermath, and it's translation that she asked the asian pacific research department to pull. I want to have them stateside by Christmas. To do that I'm willing to use this," she tapped the file," every favor I'm owed, and every dirty secret I know that I have to make that happen."

Roy half wanted to cringe, he had learned that Beth always spoke her mind if she trusted you. She didn't open her mouth and say everything, she did have an excellent sense of discretion. He knew that the his team had been given her trust for reasons, he didn't understand. It seemed she was warning him so he could be prepared to defend her from danger should it materialize.

At five Beth went to an appointment she had made that morning with the Secretary of State, she nervously entered his office. "Good evening Miss O'Neill"

"Good evening sir. I know this is very out of the norm, but I know you have the clearance to help me. I have a file I'd like you to read; the pertinent facts are in the sections labeled ICW and Indonesia." Beth waited patiently while he read.

Twenty minutes later the Secretary spoke "If I remember my original briefing on this topic the ICW is equivalent to the UN it almost seems as if the file from the British is about a different man. Why bring this to my attention?"

"I would like to bring him and his godson Harry here under diplomatic credentials so he's not automatically extradited to the UK. I would like to if it's possible to grant them asylum until the ICW can force the Brits to retry Sirius in the international court."

"This is a magical matter I don't see how it falls in my purview."

"It will be easier to slip him in as a non-magical."

"Humph. Why should I? How is this in the best Interest of the U.S."

"First simple justice sir. Second in the magical world the name Harry Potter has a great weight, helping Sirius helps Harry. Third Sirius is a genius he is developing technology that will bridge the differences between our worlds, thus increasing the likely hood of peaceful interaction between those worlds and world peace is what we are supposed to be about. The final reason I would give you is personal I met him in Palau on my vacation and I fell in love with him. The first part of that file is my account of our time together." Beth blushed lightly.

"I will consider your request. Who compiled the report?"

Roy who had unobtrusively followed Beth into the office, stepped forward. "That would be me sir. Roy Mustang security officer for Miss O'Neill's detail. I complied that report because when she first mentioned his name all I knew of him was the 1981 ICW communique. It is as through as I have been able to make it.

"Thank you, if I have questions?"

"You can contact me on my cell phone 410-555-5555 or Miss O'Neill's 410-555-1122."

"I thought wizards short out cell phones."

"Sirius figured out a way around that problem he gave me and my security team cell phones so they could better protect me,it's just one of the examples of his brilliance. I should go. I'm supposed to go to the symphony tonight with my brother. Thank you for listening Mr, Secretary."

"Enjoy your evening, Miss O'Neill."

Beth and her team went to her brothers condo. She changed into the simple but elegant greecian style sheath evening gown. She smiled when she noticed that in addition to the jewelry she requested. Bess had included the rhinestone studded comb she sometimes use to put her hair up with and three pave white gold and CZ bangle bracelets and her makeup. She heard her brother come in and head to his bedroom to change. She exited the guest bedroom and asked Winry if she would shrink her other clothes and briefcase and keeping one copy of Roy's report out also asked her to shrink that before tucking everything into her evening purse. Her brother's security team gave her looks of mingled disgust, pity, and scorn. Her brother exited his bedroom in his tuxedo and gave his security team a glare as they looked at Beth. "Beth, you look ravishing!"

"You look rather debonair yourself."

"What's this?" he said pulling at her left hand. "Who's the lucky fellow who captured my darling sister?"
"That's one of the things I need to talk to you about. But don't we need to get to the concert?"

Nic checked his watch."Indeed we do." Everyone if you would be so kind. Beth and I will be ten seconds behind you." Nic handed her the royal blue velvet cloak and offered his arm. Beth took it in a tight grip as they apparated to the concert hall's apparition point. Once they made their way to the first balcony box stage left. Nic said, "We're here it won't start without us. So spill, I've heard too much about the trouble you ditching your security caused and Mother and Dad's worries while you were gone and how uncooperative you've been since you got back."

"Read this." she said handing him the file. After tapping it with his wand to re-size it, he read until the concert started. During the intermission he sent Winry to get something for all of them to drink. She came back with water for the detail and something that from a distance looked like champagne but wasn't that she gave to Beth and Nic. He absently mindedly sipped it most of his attention on the file. He suddenly looked up "What the...?"

"Sparkling cider, safe for the baby." Winry said only loud enough for the three of them to hear.

Beth gave her a smile while Nic got an oh my god look on his face. "Beth? You're ?" She nodded then gestured back at the file. He frowned as he read the first ICW alert then the transcript of Sirius' trial had him positively scowling. The second half of the concert started. Following the concert they apparated to Antonio's where his face became a study of puzzlement as he read through the Indonesian information. "So which man is he?" The Dark wizard or the honest auror and victim of one hell of a smear campaign?" He asked before they ordered.

"The auror. I haven't added this but Sirius and Harry lost everyone they had in Bali two days ago and I want to get them here by Christmas."

"What do you want me to do?'

"Will you take his case?"

"Of course, I won't even charge him full price because he'll be my brother in law. It will be easy though the Brits case has holes big enough to drive a semi through. As clear a case of trying to railroad someone as I've ever seen. MY only question is why and who benefited."

"Who else do you think needs to read this?"

"Matthais Beckley....hmmn...Silverton Richards, Bettina Rosemont."

"Bettina?" Beth asked surprised.

"Bettina may be many things but she is an honest journalist and since public opinion is one of the things that got him convicted in the UK we need to use it in the fight for his freedom. The last person who I would say needs to read this is Dad."

"My team has tried. Dad actually blew up the decanters in his office. Poor Roy was almost shaking when he came to tell me."

"Roy? As in Roy Mustang hit wizard extraordinaire that isn't afraid of his boss Chambers and may, if rumors currently circulating are true, may eventually be the first non-pureblood Director of WIS."

"Yes. Daddy is furious with me. And he's even unhappier about my choice of fiance. But Sirius fell in love with me it truly doesn't matter to him I'm a squib. What's really funny is if Daddy were to meet Sirius like I did, he'd like him. They have similar views about what's important and about the direction the magical world should move in."

"I see what I can do, where's Mother in all this?"

"I don't know, coming around hopefully. She doesn't know about the baby yet but she does know about the engagement."

"Yeah that is quite the ring. So I want details of how you felt about where you went other than a beach somewhere, met a man our parents won't approve of , and screwed like rabbits."

Beth grinned at her brother's deliberate slur. Of all her brothers he was her favorite and it wasn't just he was the same age. Michael was a professor of history at a magic school in California, Andrew was a veterinarian at a rare magical species reserve, Fredrick was a healer in New York, Thomas a was a businessman, Carson was working on a Potions Mastery, and Benjamin was an Apprentice to a spell crafter. "Come to the castle sunday I'll show you pictures to go with the story you read." She tapped the file near his plate. "How do we do this? Sirius needs assurances of Harry's safety and that he'll get a fair trial before he come here. He fears summarily being extradited to England, and he fears Albus Dumbledore getting control of Harry."

"That first part is easy I'll file a stay of extradition because of irregularities in his trial and the extreme sentence that's been given Monday. The second is a little harder, in England Dumbledore is the Guardian of Record. Do you think Sirius would be willing to temporarily sign guardianship over to you, or better Dad and Mother until the irregularities have been investigated by an independent third party in other words until we get someone over there to look at the sealed wills?"

"Maybe. Here's our dinner and Nic thanks. How long do you think?"

"My pleasure sister. Three or four days probably week at most. Now what was this about you needing the name of a reputable real estate agent?"