Disclaimer: Tenth verse, same as the first… Not mine. Harry Potter belongs to a rich woman in the UK, I'm just a working class guy in the US.

Chapter 10: Minister and Wizengamot

Previously:

"That whiskered old goat!"

"What's the problem, Minerva?"

Minerva handed the will to Sherman who began reading.

Last Will and Testament

We, James Michael Potter and Lily Marie Potter nee Evans, do declare this to be our last will and testament. If this document is being read then we have been betrayed and Voldemort has killed us. It is widely believed that Sirius Black is our Secret Keeper, this is false. Our Secret Keeper is Peter Pettigrew. In the event of our deaths, all of our assets shall fall to our son Harry and custody shall fall to one of the following:

Sirius Black, godfather
Alice Longbottom, godmother
Minerva McGonagall, our favorite Professor
Amelia Bones, friend of the family

Should none of these people be available, our good friend Remus Lupin shall be responsible for choosing an appropriate guardian. Sorry Mooney, but the law won't allow you to take him, though we want you in his life. Under no circumstances is custody to be given to Petunia and Vernon Dursley as they have a virulent hatred of magic.

Witnesses
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock
Jerome Howard, Potter Family solicitor

"I guess we have a few additional things to discuss with the Minister," said Sherman. He turned to McGonagall. "While I'm sure he would have been well cared for had you been given custody, I am glad that he has found a happy home with my family. What ever happened to the other folks mentioned here?"

Minerva frowned as she replied, "Lily and James were in hiding, hidden by a Fidelius Charm and everyone believing that Sirius was their Secret Keeper. When that… night… happened, Sirius was taken into custody and sent to Azkaban. Two days later, the Longbottoms were attacked by Death Eaters searching for information on their fallen master. Frank and Alice were tortured and sent to St. Mungo's."

Harry's face fell and his eyes filled with tears. "Were those Neville's parents?"

"Yes, Harry. He lives with his grandmother now," said McGonagall.

"Poor Neville," said Harry, wiping his eyes.

"Who're Remus Lupin and Amelia Bones?"

"Amelia is the current Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Her niece Susan is a first year Hufflepuff at Hogwarts. Remus Lupin was a good friend of the Potters. He has a… medical condition that is monitored by the Ministry."

"He's a werewolf? No wonder they call him Mooney," said Harry.

"Yes, well, Mr. Howard died of a stroke a week after the will was written."

Sherman looked at his watch. "We'd best get going if we're going to get to our meeting on time." He rolled up the will and put it in the pocket of his robes. "I think we'll also pay a visit to Ms. Bones to file some charges against Mr. Dumbledore." The three of them walked to the lobby of the bank and Floo'ed to the Ministry. After passing through security an Auror escorted them to the Minister's office.

Fudge looked up in confusion as they entered. "I was only expecting Mr. Sherman Potter."

"There have been some interesting developments, Minister," said McGonagall. "I had taken Harry to Gringotts concerning certain issues that had arisen at Hogwarts. We didn't expect to see Mr. Potter there."

"I see," said Fudge, waving them to sit down. "Now, it is my understanding, that as Harry's adopted parents are Squibs you are claiming to be young Harry's magical guardian? And as such you wish to claim the proxy for the Potter seat on the Wizengamot?"

"That is correct though incomplete. I understand that Dumbledore never officially registered his claim to Harry's guardianship, even though he used that claim to take the proxies for the seats that our family holds. It is my understanding of your law that if an heir is under age, guardianship and so on falls to the nearest blood relation unless there is a will stating otherwise." He handed Fudge a copy of the results of the Heritage test.

"Yes, well, Dumbledore had the Potter will sealed."

Sherman took the will from his pocket. "He apparently didn't know that they kept a copy in their vault at Gringotts. Harry retrieved it from there this morning and we discovered some interesting things. For instance, you have an innocent man in Azkaban."

Fudge scoffed, "Who?"

"Sirius Black," replied Harry.

"Black?! Impossible! He betrayed your parents to You-Know-Who! He blew up a street and killed Peter Pettigrew and thirteen Muggles!"

"I don't know about Pettigrew and the Muggles, but Mr. Black did not betray the Potters," replied Sherman. He unrolled the will and cleared his throat. "Quote, 'It is widely believed that Sirius Black is our Secret Keeper, this is false. Our Secret Keeper is Peter Pettigrew.' Unquote."

"But… but…," Fudge sputtered. "I know you wanted Dumbledore kept out of the Wizengamot session today, but it was him and Barty Crouch that sent him to Azkaban, saying that a trial was unnecessary since Black was the Potter's Secret Keeper." He scribbled a note and placed it in a box on his desk. "I just sent a message to Madam Bones to have Black brought from Azkaban. I'm going to call for a full session of the Wizengamot so we can get to the bottom of this. Dumbledore is going to have some hard questions to answer. Crouch as well." He led the Potters to an antechamber to wait for the session to start and had an Auror escort McGonagall to the visitor's gallery.

-000-

Sirius Black was brought to the Ministry where he was permitted to shower and shave and was given clean robes. He tried to ask the Aurors escorting what was happening, but all he was told was that he was going before the Wizengamot.

'I wonder what happened to Harry?'

-000-

Fudge called the Wizengamot session to order. "We have several pieces of business to take care of today. First, it has come to the Ministry's attention that the minor heir of an Ancient and Noble house wishes to assign a new proxy for their house seat. The Ministry calls Harry James Potter to appear before the Wizengamot." A murmur passed through the assembled Wizengamot and the visitor's gallery as Harry and Sherman entered the chamber.

Before anyone could say anything else, Dumbledore burst into the chamber and moved to take the position of Chief Warlock. "Many apologies for my tardiness but I received notice of this session just a few minutes ago."

"You will not be serving as Chief Warlock for this session Dumbledore, due to a conflict of interest. Mr. Potter has business before this body first. Now wait in the antechamber until you are called," said Fudge.

It finally registered that Harry was standing before the Wizengamot, accompanied by an older gentleman he did not recognize. "Harry, my boy, you need to return to school. There is no need for you to be before the Wizengamot, nor do you have permission to be off school grounds. Come, I will have an Auror escort you back to school."

"I'm not going anywhere Headmaster," replied Harry. "I am part of the reason for this session and Professor McGonagall gave me permission and escorted me here." He turned his back on Dumbledore and addressed Fudge. "Shall we continue Minister?"

Fudge smiled at Harry. "Certainly Mr. Potter. Harry James Potter, what business do you bring before the Wizengamot?"

Harry looked at Sherman and smiled before replying. "I, Harry James Potter, heir to the Ancient and Noble houses of Potter, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, wish to name a proxy to the seats that are my right by blood and magic. I understand that by law of Wizarding Britain my proxy should be of blood relation…"

Dumbledore interrupted him saying, "You are the sole surviving member of the Potter family Harry. That is why I as Chief Warlock hold the proxy for your family until you come of age."

"You obviously did not look very hard Mr. Dumbledore," said Sherman, speaking for the first time. He handed the parchment with the results of Gringotts' heritage test to Fudge after duplicating it, handing the copy to Dumbledore. "I am Col. Sherman T. Potter, United States Army (ret.) and I have been verified by Gringotts as Harry's blood relative. The precise term gets a bit wordy, but my great grandpa was the younger brother of one of Harry's Potter ancestors."

Fudge read the test results before looking to Harry. "I assume that you wish to remove Chief Warlock Dumbledore and for Col. Potter to serve as proxy for your family seats Harry?"

"I do, Minister," replied Harry.

Dumbledore looked like he had just bitten into a particularly disgusting Bertie Botts bean as Fudge called for a vote and was the only vote against the appointment of Col. Potter as Harry's proxy. He stood and tried to grab Harry. "Now that that is finished I really must insist that you return to Hogwarts."

"Not so fast, Dumbledore," said Fudge as Harry evaded Dumbledore's grasp, aided by Sherman stepping between them. "The Potters have brought other matters to my attention that may result in charges against you." He looked over at a grey haired woman with a monocle in one eye. "Madam Bones, has Sirius Black been brought from Azkaban?"

"Yes minister."

"Black? He was sent to Azkaban for betraying the Potters to Voldemort. Everyone knows he was their Secret Keeper," said Dumbledore scathingly.

"Not according to their will," said Sherman. "A will that you witnessed, I might add."

"But… but… The Potters' will was sealed by order of the Wizengamot!"

"By your order is more likely," said Sherman. "They left a copy in the care of the goblins at Gringotts."

"Enough!" shouted Bones. "Cornelius, as Minister you can order the will to be unsealed and we can compare the will filed with the Ministry with the on the Potters retrieved from Gringotts." Fudge agreed and Bones sent a runner to the Records department for both the will and a transcript of Sirius Black's trial. He took about 5 minutes to return while Dumbledore continued to try to talk to Harry, but was firmly rebuffed by Sherman. When the runner returned, he handed the will to Amelia and told her that there was no record of a trial for Sirius Black. She glared at Dumbledore and asked, "Just what possessed you to allow an innocent man to be sent to Azkaban without trial?"

"It was for the Greater Good. Lily's sacrifice allowed me to place powerful wards to protect Harry if he lived where his mother's blood dwelt, namely with her sister Petunia. Black would have insisted on taking custody of Harry and would not allow him to live with his family," replied Dumbledore.

Sherman looked at Dumbledore incredulously. "Mule fritters! Had you bothered to ask Mrs. Dursley if she would even be willing to take Harry in, you would have known she didn't want anything to do with raising Harry. I know Harry showed you the letter she wrote when they sent him to the orphanage, saying she wanted nothing to do with, quote 'my freakish sister or her freakish brat,' unquote. I've served in three wars and imagining how she would have treated Harry turns my stomach."

"Black will have the trial he should have had ten years ago, though it appears that it will be just a formality," said Bones. "Bring him it!"

Sirius was led in by a pair of Aurors. He looked a bit haggard from his stay in Azkaban, but he had been allowed to shower, shave and was provided with clean robes. He was led to a chair in front of the Wizengamot but wasn't chained to it as he was expecting. He noticed Harry standing off to one side with an older man that he didn't recognize who was handing a parchment scroll to Madam Bones. He was surprised to see that Dumbledore was not seated with the Wizengamot and that the Minister was seated in the Chief Warlock's chair. He was brought out of his musings when Bones began to speak.

"It appears that Col. Potter is correct in his assertions concerning Mr. Black, Minister. However I would like to question him under Veritaserum to make sure." Fudge readily agreed and ordered one of the Aurors to administer the truth serum. After waiting for a minute for it to take effect, Bones began the questioning.

"State your full name and date of birth."

"Sirius Orion Black. May 15th, 1970."

"Were you the Potter's Secret Keeper?

"No, I was just a decoy."

"Who was the Secret Keeper?

"Peter Pettigrew."

"Did you kill Pettigrew and thirteen Muggles on the morning of November first?"

"No. I knew Peter had to have betrayed James and Lily so after Hagrid told me that Dumbledore had ordered him to bring Harry to Hogwarts I gave him my motorcycle and went to find Peter. I caught up with him in Cambridge but the rat cut off his finger yelling that I had betrayed Lily and James before blowing up the street. He transformed and scarpered into the sewer."

"Transformed?"

"He's an Animagus, a rat to be exact. Peter, James and I all became Animagi in our fifth year."

"Did any of you ever register?"

"James did. His form was a magnificent stag. When we joined the Aurors the recruiter told him to register as his form wasn't useful but I was told not to officially register as my form could be very useful. I don't know about the rat, he didn't make the cut as an Auror."

Fudge had the antidote administered and called for a verdict. The vote was nearly unanimous. Dumbledore abstained, sulking. Fudge looked at Sirius and said, "You have my sincere apologies for the miscarriage of justice perpetrated by Dumbledore and the previous administration Mr. Black." Fudge made a few more comments regarding compensation for his wrongful imprisonment and informed Sirius of the deaths of his parents, for which Sirius did not shed a tear. He then had an Auror release him from his cuffs before having him take his family seat on the Wizengamot, depriving Dumbledore of yet another proxy vote. Dumbledore continued to sulk but did not raise an objection, realizing that he didn't have a leg to stand on. Madam Bones made a motion to have Dumbledore forced to face a hearing before the Wizengamot concerning the sealing of the Potter's will, the illegal incarceration of Sirius and his attempt to have Harry placed with the Dursleys. After the motion was unanimously passed and the session ended, Sirius approached Harry and Sherman.

"Hello Harry. I'm Sirius Black, your godfather."

A/N: So Harry has claimed his seats and gotten Sirius freed, pulling some of Dumbles political clout away from him. What will happen now? Stay tuned!