Disclaimer: The Harry Potter settings, characters, and magic do not belong to me. I'm just using them for now.

The Brotherhood

A/N - Guess what? When I wrote the last chapter, I went all out and wrote until I finished the story, and so now I actually know how long it'll be until it's complete. There's this chapter, then the next, and then an Epilogue. Yes, this story is very nearly done.

~~~ Chapter Forty Eight ~~~

Harry rubbed his forehead tiredly, wishing the headache that had been accumulating over the day to just go away. It didn't work, not that he really expected it to.

The door that led to the room where the row of waiting cells he was in opened and then closed. Harry heard footsteps, two pairs of them, come into the room. When they were in front of his cell, he looked up.

Sirius and Remus both stood there, looking down at him.

Harry clumsily climbed to his feet. "Have they decided yet?" he asked.

Sirius shook his head gloomily. After the long trial, mostly consisting of discussing Harry's first crime, was over, he had been brought back here while they deliberated over what the verdict would be.

"They're pretty sure you're innocent of the initial crime," Remus reported, "And they're upset at Fudge at not giving you a trial. However, you were a deatheater, even just to get to Voldemort, and that concerns them a great deal."

"Just before we left, Dumbledore was reminding them that you had stopped Voldemort," Sirius stated.

"Oh," Harry said.

There was a small silence before Sirius broke it. "We brought you some food," he announced, then pulled a bag of what looked like muggle fast food out from behind his back.

Harry accepted the bag and pulled it through the bars of his cell. "McDonald's? I didn't really know you were into muggle restaurants,"

"I worked there for a time," Remus said, grimacing slightly. "Plus, it was nearly across the street and we didn't exactly have time to get a home cooked meal."

Food was food, however, and Harry's stomach was empty, so he dug in with gusto, moving back to sit on the bunk as he did so. Remus and Sirius just watched him.

"When's the last time you ate?" Sirius asked, noticing the fast pace at which Harry practically inhaled the food.

Harry paused and thought back. "Um…I think before the whole thing with Dora escaping and Voldemort nearly killing me," he answered.

"Two days ago?" Remus responded, looking concerned. Harry merely shrugged.

"Black, Lupin! They want you back in there. Break is over," an auror said, standing in the doorway.

"We'll see you later," Sirius muttered, and Harry nodded goodbye, his mouth full. The two men left and Harry finished his meal before sitting back in his cell.

~~~TB~~~

Harry trudged back into the room where his trial had taken place, the usual chains around his wrist. He was set in the chair again and looked up at where Fudge was sitting.

Harry's eyes widened slightly at Fudge's expression. He looked incredibly smug.

Harry looked around the room looking for some hint as to why Fudge looked that way. Instead, he noticed that Sirius and Remus were missing, along with Ginny. Harry also noticed that Dumbledore was no where to be seen. Where were they?

"Harry James Potter," Fudge started. "We have found your innocent of the original crime of murdering one Ronald Weasley. Your life sentence in Azkaban for that crime has been lifted."

'What life sentence? I never got a trial,' Harry thought, trying to figure out what was going through Fudge's mind.

"However, the other crimes on the list are numerous. We find you guilty of all crimes," Fudge stated.

Harry sank down into his chair. Guilty. That meant either Azkaban or the Dementor's Kiss, for sure.

Amelia took over. "The downfall of You-Know-You was mostly due to you. Because of this, we lessened the sentence. We have decided to,"

Fudge interrupted her, seemingly wanting to be the one to give the final sentence.

"Your sentence is five life sentences in Azkaban, as

A/you are underage. If you had been older, than the Dementor's Kiss would have been your fate," Fudge looked positively delighted as he gave that sentence.

Harry immediately wished he had not eaten so fast earlier. He felt nauseous at the thought of going to Azkaban again. This time, he wouldn't even have Sirius with him.

"No. No, please," Harry begged softly, peering up at the group of people sitting in front of him. "Don't make me go back there. Please!"

They paid him no attention. Two aurors took him by the arms and led him out of the room, Harry struggling. Where were Sirius and Remus? Why weren't they stopping this?

The waiting cell that Harry was pushed into was different this time. It was in a higher place in the Ministry, near the apparation room that the aurors used. "You'll be leaving in the morning," one auror informed him, while unlocking the chains from his wrists.

Harry fell to his knees as the cell door closed. His head dropped into his hands. He knew that he wouldn't be able to survive the dementors for very long.

A/N - Review, please.