I do not own the Harry Potter series or Pokémon.

Some scenes and dialogue are derived from Prisoner of Azkaban.

Chapter Thirty Three: Exchanges

It went as Dawn predicted; the Ministry had to concede to the fact that Sirius Black was innocent of the crimes he had been accused of.

They tried, desperately, to find a flaw in his story to exploit, but were unable to do so after an hour's worth of interrogation in the hospital wing. They withheld Veritaserum from him, saying that it couldn't be used to prove a person's innocence—too risky, as those who were well-versed in Mind Magic and Dark Arts were able to resist the potion's effects. They couldn't find a reason not to give Peter Pettigrew a dose of the Truth Potion, however, and were forced to do so at Dawn's suggestion. When the Sinnoh Champion revived him with a tap of a Lunar Wing, kept on a pendant underneath her dress, and the Aurors started interrogating him, the man confessed everything. Pettigrew admitted to being the Secret Keeper for the Potters, to being a spy for Voldemort, and to faking his own death. By the end of it, Cornelius Fudge was flustered, the Aurors had left to escort Pettigrew to a temporary warded cell at the Ministry, and the four of them—Sirius, Harry, Dawn, and Moon—were left sitting on four separate hospital beds with half-eaten chocolate bars.

"Not that it isn't fun watching you chasing your tails trying to find a reason to send Sirius to Azkaban again," Dawn said pleasantly, her leg now wrapped in bandages even though most of the damage had been healed by Madame Pomfrey, "but I think we can all agree that you have no case here, especially after Peter Pettigrew's confession."

Fudge was twisting his bowler hat in his hands, his face tinging pink. "Sirius Black is an illegal Animagus; that's a crime worth six months in Azkaban."

"He's already paid for that crime and then some," Dawn said.

"He—broke out of Azkaban, wasted Ministry resources…"

"Given that he's innocent and never had an official trial, it could be argued that he was perfectly within his rights to leave Azkaban," Moon said. "Besides, I think he would have been glad if the Ministry's resources hadn't been 'wasted' chasing after him."

"Would have made things easier," Sirius remarked. Fudge's face was now fully pink.

"The Daily Prophet is going to have a field day if he's pardoned… a man sent to Azkaban over a little mix-up…"

"Is that what it's called nowadays?" Moon said. "I could've sworn the term was 'gross miscarriage of justice.'"

"Now, now," Dawn said. "There's no need to get snippy, Moon. After all, Minister Fudge is correct; the press is going to be in a frenzy over this… but then again, they'd be out for blood if word got out that Sirius is sent back to prison just for show… and with so many witnesses who heard the true story…"

Dawn looked over at the teachers, who for the most part had been silent during the interrogation. "None of you wish to see the Ministry make such a colossal mistake a second time around, do you?"

"Absolutely not," McGonagall answered. Sprout and Flitwick had similar sentiments, but Snape only grimaced before exiting the hospital wing. He had been scowling throughout the interrogation, ready to snap at the slightest provocation. If it wasn't for the fact that Dumbledore was watching him, Snape would have hexed Sirius the minute he sat down.

"Now, on the other hand, if you act appropriately, Minister, this might reflect well on you," Dawn continued. "You weren't the one who sent an innocent man to Azkaban without a trial, after all. If you set one up for him now… show everyone that he is guiltless, give him an official pardon in front of the Wizengamot along with appropriate compensation, and sentence Pettigrew at the same time… why, I think that would be rather generous of you, fixing the Ministry's past mistakes. I don't think anyone could find fault with you then."

Fudge chuckled, his face losing its redness. "The press will find anything if they want it to be there."

Despite his remark, it was clear that Dawn was swaying him.

"We can work out the fine details in the morning," she said. "For now, I think we all need to rest."

Fudge bobbed his head in a nod and left the hospital wing.

"He bought into that without hardly a word of disagreement," Moon said, staring at Dawn with awe. "How do you do that?"

"Persuasive techniques I shall pass onto you one day," Dawn said. "I wasn't rushing the Minister, though; we all need to get some sleep."

"I understand that is has been a trying day for everyone involved," Dumbledore said, garnering the attention of everyone in the room, "but there are still a few matters I would like to go over with you, Sirius, and preferably with you as well, Dawn."

"And what about us?" Moon asked, breaking off a piece of chocolate with her fingers. She hadn't bothered to tell Madame Pomfrey that she felt fine; she wasn't going to turn down free chocolate.

"For the night, I would like you both to head to the Gryffindor common room," the headmaster answered. "I believe your other friends are still up and worried about where you've been."

Moon stayed on a couch in the Gryffindor common room that night, falling asleep shortly after she finished describing what had happened to Hermione and Ron, although Harry told most of the story himself; she just added her perspective when needed. Ron and Hermione had question after question to ask, and over time, their initial hesitance to the idea of Sirius Black being innocent was replaced as they realized what it meant for Harry; freedom from the Dursleys. Moon drifted off to sleep when they started imagining what house he'd move in to.

She woke up early the next morning. A blanket had been tucked around her shoulders, and another one had been rolled up and placed under her head. Moon got up, stretched, and went over to the entrance. She left the common room before anyone could find her sleeping there.

The Alola Champion wandered through the halls, taking in the sight of the empty castle. In the early morning, it was much like it had been when she was the only student, spending her days being tutored in preparation for the year and her nights wondering when she'd get to go home. With her departure approaching, she should have been ecstatic to be going home again. She was happy, but it was tainted by a lingering sense of gloom. She had liked learning about magic; she wouldn't be able to continue studying, not with her work as champion. She could learn from textbooks, but it wouldn't be the same.

Her wandering led her to the hospital wing. Its sole occupant, Dawn, was lying awake on the same bed as before, a book on magical law propped open in front of her.

"You are up early," Dawn said flatly, her eyes glued to the pages.

"Well, so are you," Moon said. She sat on the edge of Dawn's bed, careful to avoid her injured leg. "What's got you studying at this hour?"

"Dumbledore and Fudge," the Sinnoh Champion answered, flipping a few pages. "Dumbledore was wondering how the two of us managed to avoid the effects of the Dementors. I've been trying to come up with a working theory."

"And?"

"It's Mesprit's doing," Dawn said. "Back when I asked for your help investigating the abilities and limitations of the Spirit Trio, you were subjected to having your emotions manipulated, as was I."

"We were giggly and dizzy and exhausted for a week," Moon said.

"Mesprit's ability to control a person's emotions is similar to that of a Dementor, but it has a wider range and higher potency. I was testing the limits that week, and it might have, in a sense, numbed us to the Dementors."

"So we're practically immune?"

"Precisely."

Moon hummed. "Think I could herd them like sheep?"

"I wouldn't try it—you could still lose your soul," Dawn said, turning to another page.

Moon looked at the bed next to Dawn's, which had been occupied when she'd left during the night. "Where's Sirius?"

"He's been moved to a Ministry cell and put under Auror surveillance."

"Is that why you're reading some dusty old law book?"

Dawn nodded. "The trial is going on this evening, but the minister's already set out a list of things to give Sirius as reparations. There's a large sum of Galleons, naturally, as well as his record being wiped, but Fudge is planning on 'offering' him a month-long stay at St Mungo's."

"What? Why?"

"It's supposedly a part of the package," Dawn said with a sigh, pointing at a section in the book. "And I'm afraid there's little I can do to convince him otherwise; there's some older laws regarding overturned convictions that were put in place over a hundred years ago. Even if Sirius' case is unprecedented, it's still bound by whatever law the Ministry is aware of—and I don't think Fudge will retract it. Imagine the outcry if people heard someone who'd been exposed to Dementors for twelve years went unchecked. They want to make sure he's physically fit and able before he rejoins society… and I can't argue with that; he's in a poor state."

"What about Harry, then?" Moon asked. "He was so happy about getting to live with Sirius."

"Harry will return to his relatives until Sirius can retrieve him, Dumbledore was insistent on that," Dawn said. "There's some protection around the place involving blood. Harry is safe as long as he remains with his relatives for part of the year, every year."

"How long?"

"A minimum of seven days; one week out of an entire year. Dumbledore says that it's preferable that he stays there the entire summer, but circumstances usually dictate otherwise."

"One week only," Moon said. "And you are making trips here, yes?"

"A few, but—are you asking to take him with us?"

"Just until Sirius is set up here," Moon said.

"And Harry will agree to this?"

"He hates his relatives. I think he'll agree."

"What about Dumbledore? He has a lot of say when it comes to Harry's placement; it took him half the night to convince Sirius to have him stay there for one week over the summers."

"I don't think he'll be that hard to convince, either."

The twinkle that appeared in his eye when she told him her idea that morning after breakfast confirmed it.

"I have no objections if you're willing to invite Harry to stay with you for a portion of the summer; I do believe he'll be glad to go with you," Dumbledore said. "I must ask you to wait a week at the very least, but Dawn has explained that to you already."

She wondered how he came to that conclusion.

"There's one matter I'd like to run by you, given that you will no longer be a student after today," he said, pulling an envelope from his sleeve. "A competition between the three European wizarding schools has been set to take place during the next school year. There's a small rumour that you and the other champions will be involved—but that is still to be decided," he amended, nodding towards the envelope. "I've gathered some information on the competition. I want you to look through the letter when you return home, and preferably send a response when you're finished."

Moon took the envelope and put in in her bag. "Thanks, Professor."

"And thank you, Moon, for your help last night," he said. "I dare say that you helped save a number of lives last night. This is the sort of thing that would earn you points… but I suppose you'll—"

"Give the points to the Ravenclaws, sir," Moon said. "I've heard that I'm close to being one."

Moon found Harry resting near the lake along with Hermione and Ron. He had already heard that he needed to return to the Dursleys. When she told him her idea to bring him to Alola, his eyes lit up like stars. She didn't need to hear a verbal confirmation; she knew what his answer was.

Dawn had left the hospital wing to wrap up some of her dealings at the Ministry, leaving behind a message that Moon should begin packing, as they were going home that evening. Cleaning the guest room of her things took the better part of the morning. Rotom was of no help, as he pelted her with questions as to where she'd been the previous night. Saying she had been in the Gryffindor common room added fuel to the proverbial fire, and the pokédex did not cease chattering until she went over every detail of how she, Harry, and Dawn had brought a supposed mass murderer up to the castle along with his still-living victim. By the time the story ended, the room had been emptied of her belongings.

"It's been nearly a year since I arrived here," Moon said, looking around the room. It was supposed to be a temporary place to stay; it had eventually become a retreat in its own right, one she most likely wouldn't see for some time.

"It'zz been ten months, give or take," Rotom said.

"Thanks for the correction," Moon muttered, holding her bag towards the machine. "Are you riding with me or not?"

Rotom floated into the bag with minimal complaining.

Hogwarts was virtually empty of students. The few that hadn't gone to Hogsmeade to enjoy being free of their exams were spending the day outside in the warm summer sun. Moon found herself wandering through the halls aimlessly, soaking in the atmosphere of the old school before she had to leave. She decided that one of the first things she had to do when she got home, after seeing her mother and her friends, was write a letter to her father and ask him to explain, thoroughly, what had been going through his mind when he decided to not tell her about magic.

The sound of someone rummaging through a desk caught her attention. Moon stopped in front of Lupin's office and peered inside. The door had been left wide open, and the professor, looking frazzled, was opening and shutting the drawers of his desk. His suitcase was sitting on the top of the desk, newly patched and nearly full.

"Missing something, professor?" she called out. His eyes moved from the contents of the drawer to her, and a half-smile graced him.

"Moon," he said, his voice gravelly from being drugged for half a day. "I don't suppose you borrowed anything from my office the other day?"

"Just a spare piece of parchment."

He was fighting the urge to actually smile, she could see it from the far side of the room. "A regular piece of parchment. For what?"

"Harry asked to borrow some from me, and I was on my way to see him. I promise I'll return some later."

"I don't think that will be necessary," he said, closing the drawer slowly. "He'll find more use for it than I will."

There was a certain tiredness in his voice that made her pause.

"Something the matter, professor?" she asked hesitantly. He moved to shake his head, but then stopped, sighing heavily.

"You aren't obligated to call me professor anymore. I handed in my resignation to Dumbledore this morning."

"What?" she yelped. "Why? You like teaching, why give it up now?"

"An Auror informed me this morning that Sirius Black had been brought into Ministry custody after being found on Hogwarts' grounds… alongside Peter Pettigrew," he said, bitterness seeping into the last name. "After twelve and a half years of believing Sirius to be a traitor and Peter to be dead, all it takes is one visitor and two extraordinarily danger-prone students to overturn those convictions."

The back of her neck heated up; clearly the Auror had gone into more detail than others would have.

"So what? Everyone else is hearing the same story; I don't see Professor McGonagall quitting."

"No one else was as close to Sirius as I was," he said. "I should have said something earlier, should have looked into the situation more… but I was overwhelmed with grief at the deaths of my friends, and from his 'betrayal'. It was easier to try and keep my distance from anything having to do with my old life. I was wandering from place to place, barely making ends meet but refusing to return here so soon after that Halloween night. The only reason I took this job was because I felt responsible for Sirius' escape—I knew about his Animagus form and never said a word to Dumbledore."

"Sirius said that he, Peter and James all became Animagi for your sake," she said, closing the door behind her to hinder eavesdropping. The castle may have been close to empty, but she wasn't taking chances.

Lupin nodded in confirmation, fiddling with the latch of his suitcase. "It made things easier then, when I transformed. They were safe as animals, and they kept me from biting or scratching myself too much. We were reckless, and we went from staying in the Shrieking Shack, where I had been brought to transform, to wandering around the school grounds. I never attacked anyone, so I was able to justify it back then as harmless fun. But I didn't confess this to Dumbledore, not after he went out of his way to accommodate me. I couldn't justify breaking his trust twice, first by allowing my friends to become Animagi and then by disregarding the rules set for me. And so I kept my mouth shut. Even when Sirius broke out, I convinced myself that he did so using Dark Magic, and being an Animagus had nothing to do with it."

"Good thing you didn't," Moon said, drawing a surprised look from her brother. "Otherwise he might have been found and Kissed before Pettigrew got caught."

A thoughtful expression crossed his face before he shook his head again. "I can't excuse my behaviour with what might have happened."

"And you shouldn't condemn yourself with what you think you should have done," she said.

Lupin ran his fingers over the scratched handle of the suitcase, and then pulled it shut. "I understand that. But I can reflect on my actions and make judgements on them. Sirius will need some help after his trial, and I want to be there for him. Being a professor will take up too much of my time once September rolls around. And, thanks to the Nihilego Draught, I will be able to take on whatever job I please when he no longer needs me around. Staying here just because I like the job would be selfish on my part. I don't want to make the same mistakes I did twelve years ago and stay away to spare my own feelings rather than help my friend. Even if he wants nothing to do with me, I need to do something to apologize for what I left him to. I won't be able to forgive myself otherwise."

He hoisted the suitcase off the desk with both hands and went over to the door, passing by Moon. He stopped as he reached for the door handle, as if he had remembered something important.

"I almost forgot," he said, a small smirk appearing. "Thank you for dealing with Fenrir Greyback last summer. And Healer Fawley says thank you for your help."

Lupin exited the office, leaving Moon alone. She stood there for several seconds, turning her head towards the ceiling and releasing a slow sigh.

"I need to do something to apologize," she muttered under her breath. "Arceus, what a self-sacrificing dork."

The remainder of her time at Hogwarts was spent saying goodbye to the people she had met. Some like Draco only wished her well, with one or two of them offering her a handshake. Others like Lavender started crying, and Moon reassured them that she would be returning eventually. She met Harry, Ron, and Hermione just before she left for the Ministry, their goodbye consisting of a promise to see each other again before too long. She stepped into the carriage that would take her to Hogsmeade, where a Ministry car would be waiting for her. Moon watched the castle get smaller and smaller as the carriage headed towards the town.

She'd miss it.

The car ride was a blur, and when Dawn guided her down into the Ministry's atrium, Moon was too excited to take much notice of the swarms of people passing them by or the decorations of the grand building. They were flanked by guards that followed them down through the lesser-known corridors of the Ministry and into the room where the archway was.

It was as Rotom said; the arch was tall and entirely composed of metal, with Muggle wires attached to various places and hooked up to modified generators. A faint blue glow came from inside the arch, signalling that it was active and ready for transport.

"The gateway between worlds," Dawn said, gauging Moon's reacting. "Are you ready to test it?"

Moon nodded, her eyes never leaving the mechanical marvel. "Ready as I could be."

Dawn smiled gently, and went forward into the arch. She vanished the second she met the blue light. Moon took a deep breath and followed her, knowing that she was exchanging one home for another, and wished that one day she could live in-between them without worry.