Chapter five

Rosmerta got Harry and Susan's attention then pointed up the stairs. They joined hands then went to meet Susan's aunt.

'It's nice to meet you Mr Potter.'

'It's nice to meet you Madam Bones, and it's Harry,' Harry shook her hand but gave her a respectful bow.

'I've ordered lunch, let's sit down and get to know each other a little before we get onto more serious issues.'

Even though they spoke while they ate, Harry knew Madam Bones had noticed that he had been holding Susan's hands when they came in.

'I asked Susan if she would be my girlfriend, I hope you approve ma'am.'

'Susan is old enough to choose and she has a good head on her shoulders. But I have to say that yes, I do approve. Now that we've finished eating, let's get started. Susan said she never mentioned what she put in her letter. Well, thanks to my niece I was able to get some information that surprised me and it will probably surprise you. After hearing that you are with muggles, you're mother' sister, I had to do some checking. You see Harry, I was good friends with your mother, may she rest in peace, I became close to your father after he began dating Lily. I know how Lily and her sister felt about each other. So I was surprised you were placed with Petunia Evan's.'

'They don't like our kind ma'am, in fact they think we're freaks.'

'Yes, I remember Lily saying her sister called her that name quite often. Well, as head of the DMLE I decided to find out exactly what you're parents stipulated for you in the event of their deaths. I was able to read their wills.'

'I didn't know they made a will.'

'As Lord Potter, your father had to keep his affairs up to date, especially during that time.'

'Lord Potter, what do you mean ma'am?'

'Please call me Amelia Harry. As to what I mean, your family is one of the oldest in our world, your father, may he rest in peace, was Lord Potter. When he died that passed to you, yet you cannot officially take the title until you are seventeen. It is why you cannot touch any of the Potter vaults, only you're trust vault.'

'I only knew about my one vault, I didn't know I had more.'

'It seems you have been left uniformed. Let's get back to your parent's wills. Yes, Sirius Black was named godfather, I was named godmother. I did not know this Harry. But in their wills they stated that even though they loved Sirius, they did not believe he would make a great parental figure. Both their wills said that I was to become your guardian if they died.'

'Oh, what does that mean…Amelia?'

'It means that from now on you will reside at Bones manor. Now, it was also stated that you were not to be placed with Petunia, that she would not treat you as family, in fact she would not want you at all.'

'Dumbledore left me there, Petunia said he made them keep me, but she wouldn't tell me anymore. I don't want you to feel that you have to take me ma'am, I mean Amelia.'

'I wish to take you Harry, more so now that I know how you have been treated. In the will it states that I would be informed, by a visit or a letter written by both your parents. That was mainly down to the war and the fact they were in hiding. I never received a visit or a letter. There is more, Albus Dumbledore did not have the right to place you anywhere, he was not named by your parents and he is not a relative.'

'He said because of the danger, that he would use blood wards. My mother sacrificed herself for me which gave me a protection. He was going to use that protection which means placing me with her blood, her sister.'

'First, blood wards are illegal for anyone to cast other than an unspeakable, and wards are not allowed to be done on muggle homes. Second, it was not up to him where you were to go. Third, he knew exactly what your parents wrote, he witnessed their wills. What this means Harry is he broke the law, some would call it kidnapping. The moment he took you from the house without consent from me then he was breaking the law.'

'He had Hagrid get me that night, took me from the wrecked house then Sirius gave him his motorbike to get me to safety. Sirius asked Hagrid to hand me over, that he was my godfather. Hagrid refused because Dumbledore ordered him to take me to him. Sirius told me he never knew Dumbledore planned to leave me with Petunia. Did he know about you…Amelia?'

'Albus witnessed their wills so yes, he did. We will get back to Albus, just know that from now on you will be living with me. I expect you two to behave though.'

'Yes ma'am,' Harry said quickly blushing brightly.

'Yes, Aunt Amelia,' Susan also blushed.

'Good, now, Sirius Black. A letter was left with your parent's wills, it states that after much discussion, Sirius decided he would pretend to be the secret keeper that way if Voldemort tried to find you and you're parents, he could never give away the secret. At first they did think of Remus Lupin but realised with his problem it would be too difficult. They decided on Peter Pettigrew as he had an ability to quickly escape if it was needed, and again, Albus Dumbledore was the one who performed the fidelius charm that night.'

'He helped me rescue Sirius, so he could go into hiding.'

'How did you rescue him?'

'Hermione had been using a time turner all year, we had no idea. Well, Dumbledore said we could save two lives and three turns should do it. Hermione knew exactly what he meant, so she put the chain over my head and we went back three hours. She didn't know what the second life meant though, it was Buckbeak the hippogriff. That's how Sirius escaped, Hermione and I flew Buckbeak up to Flitwick's window, Sirius climbed out. Once Hermione and I were back on the ground, Sirius flew away. We only did that because the minister refused to believe us and was going to have Sirius kissed by a dementor. Sirius has been writing to me ever since, but I have no idea where he is. He didn't want to say in case his letters get intercepted.'

'Students are not allowed to use time turners, no matter what. If they were then half the Ravenclaw's would apply for one. Then think of this, the student would know what a teacher was going to test them on, go back take the test with more knowledge. If Miss Granger was given permission then the headmaster and her head of house must have organised it. That gave her unfair advantage over the other students, and it would be impossible to give every student a time turner. But as I said, some would misuse a time turner. It seems Albus Dumbledore is breaking a lot of our laws, along with Minerva McGonagall. The three involved will face some type of disciplinary action. Tell me, did he know how the muggles treated you?'

'Yeah, well, not everything, but I told him I was there slave, that my uncle hit me all the time.'

'What didn't you tell him?'

Harry sighed as he looked down at the table, 'Until the first letters from Hogwarts began to arrive when I was eleven they kept me in a cupboard. That was my room until then, they gave me one of the spare rooms because they thought witches and wizards were spying on them. I never got to see who those letters were from, except the first one which was taken from me, they kept destroying them. Hagrid ended up bringing me my letter on my birthday. The letter I did see before it was taken off me was addressed to my cupboard. Um…I didn't get a lot to eat, usually just a slice of toast in the morning. They ate everything I cooked but I wasn't allowed. I was only allowed to drink water from the tap. My cousin and his gang had a game, Harry hunting, I ended up in hospital a few times from how rough they got.'

'Oh Harry,' Susan threw her arms around him, 'I want to curse them.'

'If it wasn't illegal I would do the same. Before we get to the matter of your godfather I need to ask if you wish me file charges against Albus Dumbledore?'

Harry waited until Susan moved back, he gave her a small chaste kiss on the lips before facing her aunt, and his godmother.

'Um, I didn't know I could.'

'Yes, for violating your parent's last will and testament. Those wills are legal documents and must be followed to the letter. That is why they are signed using a blood quill, to make them binding. So he will be charged with abduction, I will need to see what he threatened them with. He will also be charged with casting blood wards and withholding vital evidence that could clear Sirius Black of being the secret keeper. That doesn't mean he did not kill those muggles Harry.'

'But he didn't, Pettigrew confessed, we heard him.'

'Yes, I will need to see that memory, before we go to trial everyone that heard that confession will be questioned under veritaserum. Since you are underage, only the adults will be at the trial to give evidence, but your memory will be vital.'

'Um, it was me, Sirius, Remus Lupin, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, we all heard it. Snape was out cold.'

'Who stunned Professor Snape?'

'Um, I did, he was going to give Sirius to the dementors. We tried to tell him Sirius was innocent, but he wouldn't listen, he never listens. But it wasn't just me, Ron and Hermione also stunned him just after I fired the spell, so it was the combination of our three spells that knocked him out.'

'Three stunners, yes that would do it alright. When I received your letter the first thing I did was head into the file room to get a copy of the transcripts from Sirius Black's trial. I found out then that he was not given a trial, he was sent straight to Azkaban. Now, I do know that there was a lot going on back then, maybe former Minister Bagnold and Bartemius Crouch planned to give them all trials, then they were just forgotten. I have been unable to get a hold of Crouch, and Bagnold retired before heading overseas. There were many mistakes made back then, too many and it does make me wonder if there are more people imprisoned who are innocent, but I will find out.'

Harry knew that Madam Bones would get to the truth, he had known it from the moment he met her. He might not get to live with Sirius and he didn't mind that, but he did want to help clear his name. Now he had to decide about Albus Dumbledore. He had lost his respect for that man during his second year, but to have him arrested, he just wasn't sure what to do there.