There were various huddles around the different house tables. They all seemed to be looking at newspapers and were shouting with uproar.
"What the hell happened?" A boy asked his friend.
"I don't know we need to ask, there's Ally." the entire hall spun around and stared before running over to me.
I started to run away from the stampede, but Seamus appeared from nowhere and flung his arms around me.
"Thank God you're ok," He said leading me over to the Gryffindor table. "There's so many rumours going around, I didn't know what to believe."
He was hinting very heavily, but I chose to ignore him. I sat down at the table and began to help myself to Lunch as though nothing had happened. They continued to stare, but I acted as though no one was there.
After a while Dean huffed loudly and shoved The Sunday Prophet in my face.
HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED RETURNS
In a brief statement on Friday night, Minister for Magic Cornelius confirmed that He Who Must Not Be Named has returned to the country and is once more...
"No, read that." Dean pointed to a small head line on the corner of the page.
Mystery at the Ministry. The truth about the capture of notorious killer Sirius Black and other escaped Death Eaters. Page 9
I quickly flicked through the paper until I reached page nine. On half of the page were pictures of the escaped Death Eaters and a very large picture of Sirius. At the bottom of the page lay a picture of Harry next to one of Bellatrix. My blood began to boil as soon as I saw her.
On Friday night, the Ministry of Magic was invaded by Death Eaters, and their leader He Who Must Not Be Named.
Mass Murderer Sirius Black was also present in the bid to gain information about Harry Potter, the boy who lived (far left). Harry, a student at Hogwarts and his friends, Donald and Jenny Weasley, Hermione Ranger, Lisa Lovegood, Neville Longbottom and Alyssa Tonks went to the Ministry to fight off the Death Eaters.
Sources say Tonks, the niece of Death Eaters Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy, actually defended Black in the attempt to capture him.
Fourteen years ago, Lestrange brutally tortured Frank and Alice...
I threw the newspaper down, knowing very well what it would go on to say. "Ally is friends with Neville, but is really a Death Eater. She's evil like Sirius Black. Blah, Blah, Blah"
I stared at my fellow Gryffindor's blankly. "And..." I asked. They all looked down sheepishly. "Well?"
"Erm... What actually happened?" Rachel asked bravely. "There's so many rumours going around, we just want to know the truth."
I sighed heavily. "Ok. We were captured by Slytherins, went to the Forbidden Forest with Umbridge who got abducted by Centaurs and Giants. We then flew on Thestrals to the Ministry and took on ten escaped Death Eaters. I was hit with a killing curse, Harry was possessed. Sirius Black is really innocent and yes I defended him. Voldemort then came. Fought Harry and Dumbledore then flew off into the Moonlight with Bellatrix Lestrange."
They all stared at me with half amused looks.
"I told you she would come up with some wild, sarcastic story," Collin huffed.
"Fine, then don't believe me."
I looked up to the Teachers table and saw Dumbledore's chair absent. He was still at the hearing. Darn it.
"Are you really Bellatrix Lestrange's neice?" Seamus asked with wide eyes. I nodded and they all gasped. Imagine how they would react if they found out I was her daughter. I shuddered. I would not be related to that evil cow.
"Has anybody seen Hermione?" I asked. She was at the exchange between Lucius, Bellatrix and I; she must be confused. I wanted to keep the fact that Bellatrix was my mother to as little people as possible. But if someone figured it out (Hermione must have) then I wouldn't lie.
"Isn't she in the hospital wing?"
"I don't think so, I was there like an hour ago, so she might have gone up by now."
I dodged the other houses trying to ask me questions and ran up to the Hospital Wing.
Luckily, I met Hermione on the way there.
"Hey," I called, jogging up to meet her. "Can I have a word?" She nodded awkwardly.
I led her into an empty class room and stood in silence.
"So..." I said. I really didn't know how to begin. Do I just go straight into it or shall I make idle small talk and work it into the conversation. Ugh, I wish I had tact.
"How are you?" I asked.
"I'm ok," she said quietly. I sighed heavily and braced myself.
"What happened with Malfoy and Bellatrix, it's not what you think."
"And what do I think." she said strongly, but still looking sad. "They said you were family, but you're not really, it's all a lie. And you look just like Bellatrix and you were talking like..."
"She's my mother," I butted in. "But I didn't know until Friday night, I had no idea. And I want nothing to do with her. I hate her, I hate them. I thought she was gone. Dead. I thought I would never see her again." She put her arm around me as my voice quivered. "Sorry it's just - "
"Don't apologise. I should be sorry," Hermione said. "I shouldn't have made assumptions."
"I need a favour. Could you please keep this to yourself? I don't want anyone to know; not yet."
"Of course," she nodded. "But you know, the longer you leave it, the worse it'll get."
"I know."
We made our way back to the hospital wing making idle chat.
When we arrived, everyone was thankfully awake.
Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna were all gathered around a bed reading The Sunday Prophet.
They all looked up when we entered.
"Where have you been?" Ginny asked.
"Just out and about," I grinned, trying to sound normal. "Word of advice, don't go to The Great Hall."
"Oh I forgot to tell you earlier. It's manic in there, isn't it?"
I nodded solemnly and then caught sight of my least favourite teacher in a bed on the opposite side of the room. Her hair was completely dishevelled and her clothes were mud baked. She was staring blankly up at the ceiling and muttering madly to herself.
"I see Umbridge has returned; what's wrong with her?" I asked.
"Sulking," Ron said, laughing slightly. "She's been 'let go' from the Hogwarts staff after a 'student mutiny in the forbidden forest'; Quoted from page eleven of The Prophet."
She looked over to us when hearing her name and stared at us constantly.
"You alright Professor?" Ginny called over. She looked back up at the ceiling and started muttering to herself.
"I think she may have gone slightly mad," Luna said dreamily.
"She was crackers anyway," Neville answered. He glared bitterly at Umbridge and then turned to page 9.
"Hey Harry, you're the boy who lived again," Ron said, pointing to the Mystery at the Ministry article from earlier. Harry looked down sadly at the picture of Sirius.
"Any word?"
He shook his head. "None yet, but it's only been four hours. Dumbledore thinks the trial will go on for a few days."
I sighed. "At least he's getting a trial this time."
"It's hardly fair though," Hermione butted in. "Who are the witnesses? A bunch of Death Eaters who hate him, and Dumbledore who's been portrayed as old and delusional for the past year."
"I thought you'd be a witness Harry," Neville said.
I did too. It would make a lot more sense to talk to Harry who was there the night Peter Pettigrew escaped. I hadn't realized it was just Death Eaters testifying for him. If I had I would have grabbed a thesteral and flew back to London.
"Maybe someone will say 'Hey this is unfair' and then they might call Harry to the stand."
"I doubt that, Sirius is still one of the most hated men in Britain."
However, the next morning at breakfast, four shiny black owls came sweeping down to the Griffindor table.
One of them landed in front of me and snobbishly held out it's leg. I untied the letter and the bird swooped away. I looked at the others and saw Harry, Ron and Hermione had letters too.
Dear Miss Tonks,
You have been summoned to the Wizengamot on the 5th of July to present a character reference for Sirius Orion Black.
It is essential that you attend the hearing and absence could result in imprisonment or fine.
Please be present at 10am in Court Room One.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Amelia Bones
Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
"What have you been called in for?" Hermione asked as soon as I had finished reading.
"Character Reference." I rolled my eyes. Only Sirius would suggest me as a character reference. What would he want me to say? 'Oh yes, he's very efficient when giving me alcohol and He's really supportive when I do underage magic.' I could imagine how that would go down.
"Are you guys witnesses?" I asked. They nodded. "I don't know what to wear; I don't actually have any demure courtroom clothes."
"Just show up in whatever. As long as it's black, they don't really care." Seamus said, stuffing his face with bacon. After I had given a modified explanation of the Sirius situation, he seemed more on board. He actually stood up for me when people brought up the article. But due to past events, I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.
I woke up the next morning and put on the tight tube i brought in London, as I skirt. I teamed it with a White blouse and a blazer. I added loads of necklace's for accessories. I had to admit, I did look quite nice. The outfit wasn't really 'Court Appropriate,' but at least it was smart. Sort of.
Tonks borrowed me her only pair of heels: black courts. No pun intended.
As I walked into breakfast, a few people wolf whistled. I sat down next to Seamus and his eyes went wide.
"Wow, You look - Erm - great," he spluttered.
"Very smooth Casanova." I rolled my eyes. No one else was down yet, so it looked like the only conversation I would get was "erm... erm..."
"You want smooth? Well, I have just been stupefied because you are stunning," he said cornily. I rolled my eyes. Two could play at this game.
"Are you in Flitwick's class, because you are charming."
"Did you just use obliviate, or are you naturally mind blowing?" he grinned.
"Did you - " I began, but I was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny.
"You two are actually sickening," she commented, plonking herself down between us.
"You're just upset that I am leaving for the day and you are stuck in lessons. Don't cry too much honey," I said soppily.
I looked to the others to see how they were doing. Harry looked sick with nerves, as did Ron. Hermione still had a cocky, but extremely likeable, air about her. I took in her outfit and almost laughed aloud. Not in a mean way, it was just that we were so different. She was covered up in a long skirt and jumper; I was wearing a teeny skirt. She belonged in a court; I belonged on a street corner. Oh well, hopefully it would work to my advantage. Hopefully.
Tonks arrived at nine to escort us to the trial. Dumbledore was Sirius' defence and had already been there a while.
As he kissed me on the cheek goodbye, Seamus passed me a note to meet him in 'our broom cupboard.'
"How long until we have to leave?" I asked.
Tonks checked her watch. "Fifteen minutes."
I made an excuse about needing the bathroom and ran to the cupboard. It was near the kitchens and was in a very convenient location. However, no one knew it was there, and we were never interrupted.
I checked that the coast was clear and opened the door. It was quite large. Seamus was already there and waiting on a chair in the corner.
I stepped over to him and kissed his hard on the lips. When it started to get a bit too intense I pulled back. I would not do it in a broom closet. Me and Seamus had been there, but not in a public place like a cupboard. Make outs were ok, but not sex. Especially just before a hearing.
"Did you just cast Lumos, because your lighting up my world," he whispered, holding my face in his hands.
"Darn it that was my next one."
Seamus chuckled. "Ha, I love you Ally," he muttered absent minded.
"What?" I asked hysterically, pulling back.
"I don't - I - who am I kidding; I love you." I stared at him in shock. "There i said it. You don't have you say it back, I'm pretty content with an 'I love spending time with you.' I just want to know I'm not wasting my time."
It wasn't that I didn't really, really like him, it was just I wasn't the 'fall in love' type. This was my longest relationship, and I had never made it to the 'I Love You's' before.
I smiled at him slightly. "You're not. I love spending time with you."
He laughed again and then brought my lips to his.
After ten minutes I reluctantly pulled away and went back to The Great Hall.
"Sorry, there was a line," I told Tonks. She nodded grinning, as did Hermione. They must have known where I really was; Girls intuition. Harry and Ron however were oblivious and decided to use the bathroom when we got to the ministry.
After they went, Tonks took us straight down to the Court Room One waiting room. We were all made to take an oath as we entered.
"I'm in the Gallery, so i won't see you until you're on the stand. Just tell the truth and you'll do fine."
Tonks gave us all a lingering smile before leaving us alone. We weren't really alone though. The room was filled with about twenty other people. If the waiting room was this huge, I couldn't wait to see the court room.
At five minutes to ten, a very familiar face entered the room.
"Remus!" I greeted happily. It would be nice to have someone to talk to while I waited. Character references went last, so I would be here for a long time.
He smiled at us sweetly. "Hello. Nervous?"
"Not in the slightest," I grinned. "What are you in for?"
"Recommended Character reference."
"Snap!" I held up my hand for a high five and he reluctantly hit it, shaking his head and grinning.
"I really don't understand how all this works," Hermione said.
"Neither do I. I don't even think the assembly know. Just go with it," he advised. We all laughed.
"I think though, there are lots of different types of witnesses. Event Witnesses, like you three, go first. And then the officials who present the facts and evidence. Then we break for Lunch and then the volunteer witnesses go. Then finally it's the recommended character witnesses, us two, and the summoned character witnesses. This is just today; imagine how it was for the rest of the week."
"How come we're last, but had to be here at Ten?" I asked. It seemed like a complete waste of time. I was a student; I should be partaking in my studies. He shrugged.
"What's the difference in the character witnesses?" Hermione asked. I could see in her eyes that she was taking it all in.
"Sirius picks two. And then one is summoned by the courts. The lucky man who is joining us is..." he pointed across the room to Snape sitting in the corner with his head down. I hadn't even noticed he was there.
"Snape!" Harry said disgusted. "He's just going to moan about how he was bullied twenty five years ago."
Half a minute later, a man dressed in black robes can in through a hidden door. On the other side I could see a crowd. It must lead directly to the courtroom.
The man cleared his throat. "The Wizengamot calls Harry James Potter to the stand."
Harry stood up nervously and went through the door. Ten minutes later a little old witch went through. Then Ron, then Hermione, and then a young man, and then an old one.
After an hour I just gave up keeping track and focused on my conversation with Remus.
Despite the fact his best friend was on trial, he seemed a lot more cheery and happier in himself. I wonder if it had anything to do with my pink haired 'sister.'
After what felt like a life time, it was finally lunch. We weren't allowed to leave the room as "our evidence could be tainted," but they did bring us food. Some incredibly disgusting food. I made a tower out of mine, and a village out of Remus'.
At 2:30, four and a half hours after I entered the room, I was called to the stand.
The court room was huge; easily the size of The Great Hall if not bigger. Bleacher like seats surrounded the perimeter, leaving a hockey pitched sized space in the middle. A large chair lay in the centre of the room.
I slowly walked over to the chair, my heels tapping annoyingly on the marble floor and sat down.
The chair faced the Wizengamot and beside them, near the minister, sat Sirius in a cage. He looked extremely pissed off, but his expression lifted slightly when he saw me.
"Are you Alyssa Tonks born 1st September 1980?" Fudge asked me.
"Yes, sir," I smiled politely. Manners got you everywhere.
"Daughter of Ted Tonks and Andromeda Black. Resident of 23 Snaresbrook Lane, Cheshire?" Out the corner of my eye I could see Tonks pink hair discreetly nodding.
"Yes, Sir."
"It's funny Miss Tonks," Fudge said standing up. "There is no real record of you until about a year ago. No recorded birth certificate, nobody had heard of you..."
"With all due respect minister," I butted in. "This is Sirius' trial, not mine."
A disapproving and amused chatter surrounded me. Two people laughed loudly only to be shushed by a woman. It was the twins; I knew it.
"Miss Tonks," a youngish woman asked, taking over from a very embarrassed Fudge. "What is your relationship to Mr Black?"
"He's my Cousin, and one of my best friends." I smiled at Sirius warmly.
"And in three words, how would you sum Sirius up."
I thought hard. I would need a thousand words to sum Sirius up, and even then that would only cover the introduction.
"Sirius is… Generous," I said, thinking back to how kind he was in the summer. "Loyal and Fun." Fun probably wasn't the best choice of words, but it was what it was, and I think it did best describe him.
"Have you ever known Mr Black to be violent or have anger issues? Remember Miss Tonks you are under oath."
"No I haven't," I said thoughtfully. He was a bit of a loose cannon, but never violent. He seemed to get mad easily in the books, but i never witnessed it. "He does get a bit mad when his mother's portrait starts screaming. But even then he only calls her an old bat or something."
Sirius grinned at me from his cage and actually looked like he was quite enjoying my interview. I felt bad for him, so I decided to make it as entertaining as possible for him.
"Could you please describe a time when you thought Sirius was showing a good quality eg. Kindness or Generosity."
I thought hard, and couldn't really think of a time. I decided just to speak my thoughts.
"There was no particular time. Sirius doesn't go out and give money to nuns or something. He is just generally a good person. From looking after someone having a hard time, to looking after his friends he's had for years. Oh, I gave a good example," I said remembering suddenly. "It's kind of a metaphor is that ok?" The woman nodded kindly.
"Ok, so there's this Hippogriff. Let's call him Hippy." I couldn't say Buckbeak, or Sirius would suffer more charges. "Sirius used Hippy as a getaway once, and then he wasn't needed. But for all this time he has looked after and cares for him. Hippy never did anything for Sirius; in fact he drained Sirius' time and resources. But Sirius kept him as the hippogriff had nowhere else to go. Would a mean murderer do that? This behaviour is also a reflection on how he treated Remus Lupin, who you're interviewing in a bit, so you can just ask him all of the details."
Sirius looked like he wanted to laugh, and I could hear the snickers from the Weasley Twins.
"Miss Tonks, how long have you known Sirius for?" Fudge cut back in.
"A year, sir."
"Do you realise you have known the whereabouts' of an escaped convict for a year. If Mr Black goes back to Azkaban, you too could be convicted."
I shrugged nonchalantly, knowing exactly how to work my way out of this one.
"You see Minister, I believe in all my heart that Sirius, is a good man. He won't go back to Azkaban. I'm certain of it. Sirius is innocent, your jury is extremely competent; he won't go back to jail. And if he does, I shall stand up for him again and again. Because Sirius is a good man."
A few of the spectators began to clap at my little speech while Fudge glared at me.
"Miss Tonks why would a troublesome school girl like you be believed over hard evidence? I hear stories of you..."
"Again Minister, not my trial. But I stand by my statement, Sirius is innocent. Unless there is something you would like to add minister?" I asked, referring to his negative behaviour.
He spluttered. "That will be all Miss Tonks, thank you for your time."
I smiled at them all politely before hopping off the chair and going up the steps to the gallery. There was a seat beside Mad-Eye, so I plonked myself down next to him.
"That was some good work there girly," he whispered. "Some real hidden stuff that the jury wouldn't miss. Like the Fudge comment, Sirius will gain some favour due to that."
"I liked the comedy value too," Fred's voice came from behind me. I turned around and saw that all of the Weasleys, plus Harry and Hermione were sat there. Well Ginny wasn't there, she was suffering in school. Or Percy who was sitting behind the Minister staring over to us. He looked at me with curiosity before turning back to his notes.
Remus slowly walked through the door and sat down on the chair.
They asked him similar questions, but more about what Sirius was like as a teen, his behaviour as a young adult and the night Sirius escaped. I must say, it did look very good on Sirius, if it wasn't for Snape that is.
After Remus had finished, Snape sauntered in through the door looking extremely bored.
"Are you Severus Snape, born 9th January 1960?"
"I am," He drawled.
"Son of Tobias Snape and Eileen Prince, resident at 5 Spinner's End?"
"Yes," he was staring intently at the minister. He looked as though he really didn't want to be there. It would be a gift to all of us if he left.
"Now, Professor Snape, where did you first meet Mr Black?" The woman asked him. I had a feeling she was that Amelia Bones woman, but I wasn't too sure.
"I met him on the train going to Hogwarts," Snape answered.
"And what did you think of him?"
"I didn't care for him much. He was rude, just like his friends, and tried to bully myself and Miss Lily Evans."
"That's a lie," Sirius shouted, finally speaking up. "Yeah, ok, I wasn't the nicest person to Sniv - I mean Snape, but I never did anything to Lily."
"Thank you for the outburst Black," Fudge butted in. "Continue."
"From that day onward he and Potter were complete swine's. He almost killed me one day in fifth year when he sent me down to The Shrieking Shack where the werewolf was residing."
A gasp when around the room and Sirius hung his head in shame.
"Please tell me why you didn't knock him out and prevent him from coming?" I asked Remus. A few men in front of us snickered.
"Trust me, we tried," Fred whispered holding up an empty skiving snack box. His breath tickled on my neck, making my squirm and giggle slightly.
"Do you believe that Sirius Black sold James and Lily Potter to He Who Must Not Be Named?" the woman asked.
There was an excruciating pause. "No, I do not." he answered finally. I let out a breath of air.
"Thank you Professor Snape, that shall be all."
Snape nodded at her and then stood up. However, unlike the rest of us, he didn't join the stands. He just casually swept out as though he had a million other better things to do.
Fudge banged the table with that little wooden thingy.
"The jury and Wizengamot shall make a decision. One Hour Recess."
Sirius' cage sunk into the ground.
It was a very long hour. We left the court room to stretch our legs, and stood idly outside.
After the worry and tension became too much, I excused myself and went outside for some air.
I sank to the ground up against the wall.
What if he was convicted? He was innocent, he did nothing wrong. Fudge was definitely against him. It would damage him and the ministry even further if he was set free. It would show what complete idiots they were for capturing him all those years ago.
If he went back to Azkaban, I don't know what I'd do. I saved him so he could live a free life. I know i shouldn't have done it, but Sirius deserved to live. My efforts would be wasted if he was captured.
"You alright?" a man asked. It was the group of men who sat in front of us in the courtroom. He was very handsome and spoke in a cockney accent.
"Yeah, I'm fine." I sighed and stood up. "Actually, could I have a smoke please?"
They seemed a bit sceptical about giving a kid a cigarette, but I think they saw from my face that I needed it. I took a long drag, relaxing slightly. I rarely smoked, it was bad for you. But sometimes when the stress became too much, you kind of had to.
It tasted quite sweet in my mouth. Then i remember the dangers of taking cigarettes of strangers.
"What is this?" I asked the man.
"Pixie sticks." he showed me the packet. They looked fairly normal...
"You were at the trial, right?" I asked them.
One nodded. "Yeah, we're trainees, told to come and watch the trial."
I nodded. "Do you think he'll get off?" I needed to hear an unbiased opinion.
The other man shrugged. "I don't know. It's a hard case. There's no real evidence, just a bunch of witnesses. But you weren't here yesterday were you?" I shook my head. "They had Death Eaters in, had them under veritiserum. They told a tale or two?"
"What did they say?" I asked, my head spinning slightly.
"Said the Pettigrew story. But said some other stuff too. Loads of secrets to help the aurors. Gave hideouts, inside information. And get this, they have loads of links with giants and vampires. And this is the good bit, Apparently, Bellatrix Lestrange has a vampire daughter. " I went pale.
"Scab, you can't tell her that." one of them scolded. I had finished my cigarette now and took another one.
"You're not going to tell anyone, are you darling?" he asked slinging an arm around my shoulder.
"No," I said, sounded slightly stoned. They all laughed at me loudly until the door flung open.
"Ally, there you are, the trial - "
Fred and George stopped when they saw I was in company. Fred came over and took the 'Pixie Stick' out my mouth and threw it on the ground.
"Let's go," he muttered, leading me away. It wasn't until we were well into the ministry that they spoke.
"Are you insane? Taking them?" Fred asked, sounding slightly hysterical.
"Awww, you're cute when you're angry," I grinned, tickling his chin. George stiffed a giggle, but Fred remained Stony. He grabbed my wrists. He smelled a lot like chocolate. It smelt good.
"They were Death Eaters."
"No they weren't," I said sloppily. "They were trainees."
I wiggled free of his hold and began to wonder back to the courtroom. They stopped me.
"The one guy he was George Albert, the other was Xesparticus Scaboir. They were spies."
"Scaboir! I know that name!" I said, holding up my index finger matter of factly. They were both laughing now. "He was a Snatcher."
"I don't know what one of those is, but he is a wannabe Death Eater." George said. I suddenly flopped on to Fred, feeling very tired.
"Can I sleep on you?" I asked. My legs were suddenly swept from under me and I felt weightless. What did they give me?
But it was just Fred who had picked me up bridal style.
"We can't take her back in," Fred muttered to George.
"She kind of has too. I have an idea. Ally, you need to act normal, because if not, Sirius will go to Azkaban." I sat up quickly. I couldn't let that happen to Sirius.
"I'm fine!" I shouted, jumping up off Fred.
"Normal," George warned.
"Don't worry, she's weird and eccentric anyway." Fred grabbed my arm and took me down to the court room. I had to act normal. For Sirius' sake.
Everyone was already there and as soon as we sat down, Fudge came in.
He began to mess with his notes for dramatic effect. I wished he would just get on with it.
I noticed the 'Death Eaters' from outside sneak in.
"Whey!" I called pointing to them. They winked and waved. I noticed everyone staring at me funny so I sat back down. Act normal. Act normal. I recited. I felt my heart rate decrease slightly. Hopefully the effects were wearing off.
"The Jury and the Wizengamot have come to a conclusion," Fudge said, finally standing up. "After taking into account the evidence and statements. A vote of 134 to 16 are in favour of the release of Sirius Orion Black."
"Yes," I called shooting out of my seat and hugging the person next to me. It happened to be Mad Eye. He smiled slightly and hugged me back awkwardly. I hugged Remus too and practically dived on Fred and George in excitement.
"Order!" Fudge called. I stopped and saw it was just our little group who were practically dancing around. The other members of the hall just grinned in amusement, except for Fudge. I had a feeling he was one of the 'Sixteen.'
"Due to the fact there was no trial in 1981 and he was wrongly convicted," He paused. His faced looked pained. "Sirius Black shall be rewarded 250,000 Galleons in compensation."
The hall all murmured as we laughed with joy. Finally justice was being served.
"However," Fudge said, sounding slightly happier. "Harry James Potter, Ronald Billius Weasley, Hermione Jean Granger, Albus Dumbledore, William Arthur Weasley, George Septimus Weasley, Alastor Moody, Alyssa Tonks and Remus John Lupin have all admitted to knowing the whereabouts of Mr Black when he was still a wanted convict. Each shall be required to pay 1,000 Galleons by the 31st of July or shall be sent to Azkaban."
"You can deduct it from my bill," Sirius said loudly. Tears of joy were brimming down his eyes.
"Sirius Orion Black," Fudge muttered unenthusiastically. "You are free to go."
The cage Sirius was in suddenly became smoke and disappeared.
We all ran down the stairs; Remus reached him first. They fell into a huge hug, I could hear Sirius sobbing.
He pulled back of Remus and engulfed me in a huge hug.
"Thank you so much," he whispered happily. "You have no idea how much I needed your testament after such a long and boring day. My favourite part was when you started to compare Moony to Buckbeak."
"What?" Remus asked. I was glad to see he was talking happily with Tonks.
"Nothing to worry your pretty little head about Moon," Sirius grinned.
He hugged and thanked Harry, Ron and Hermione before Dumbledore came over, ready to take us back to Hogwarts.
"But there's a party," I whined.
"We can have two. One when you guys are all back from Hogwarts."
I huffed loudly before grabbing hold of Dumbledore's arm and disapperating back to Hogwarts.
He's free! And only a few more chapters until Christmas. I actually cannot wait to write that chapter, I've been eager since I started writing this.
Sorry this is insanely long, but i needed to get it all in. Its 6000 words, they're normall half that : )
I just want to thank everyone because… 80 reviews! This chapter is dedicated to Prong and Lily Flower who was number 80 ;) Thanks to Georgie Monsoon, (all will be explained properly in a few chapters), FredandGeorge'sAwesomeness, TheDoctorRowanaRisska, ChaygraceDaya, Fruityloops156, 2featherbraids (the long lost, mystery anonymous reviewer!) Sensula and PossimpiblyPossimpible.
Thanks so much for reading, let me know what you think : )