Disclaimer:

I solemnly swear that the literature and works of the Harry Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling, Bloomberg and Warner Bros. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...

Mischief Managed Damn It!

Title: Book 1, Chapter 15

Posted Date: January 1 2023 (Happy New Year!)

Updated: January 7 2023

(March 1988)

Pain.

That was the thing that woke the boy up from his drug induced slumber, making him wince from both that and the glare of the lights in front of him when he briefly opened his eyes. He withheld the urge to whimper, because a part of him knew that whimpering never helped him much in the past and only encouraged the whale and his son to beat him up more when no one would see them in the privacy of their house.

The next sensation he took in was the scent. It smelt sterilised, more so than his 'home' as Petunia was more or less a germaphobe in all but name. There was also the strong scent of chemicals that told the boy that he was not at the school infirmary or the house, as the Dursleys would never let him get treated if they could get away with it. They had to let him get the initial shots when entering school for the first time, but otherwise he would not be near a doctor to avoid "wasting hard-earned money on a degenerate freak" as they would often say.

Finally, there was the sound. There was a steady beeping near him that told him there was one of those heart monitors he had heard of from his health education class. Add all of that up and the boy had to guess that he was in a hospital. Only one way to find out.

With a deep breath, Harry Potter slowly opened his eyes to ease the glare of the light and then tried to turn his head.

While he had guessed it, Harry was still surprised to find himself in an actual hospital, and in a private room no less based on the fact the room was big enough for one person to stay in. It was rather sterile to say the least, with white walls and curtains with perhaps one grey-toned painting depicting some river landscape. Based on the amount and colour of light from the window, Harry wagered it was close to evening at the moment.

He tried to push himself up but the pain circulating through his body stopped that action, making him look at his body and stare at the casts that were covering his right arm and left leg. A quick check on his chest revealed bandages wrapped around it which explained the tightness and slight lack of breath. For the life of him, Harry could not recall why he was in the hospital and a part of him was wondering if he was better off not knowing so.

Sounds of a door opening drew his attention to the nurse who just walked in, her nose down on the clipboard that she was scribbling something. When she looked up, she was startled to find him awake before smiling.

"Ah, Mr. Potter! You are awake." The nurse came forward to check his vitals while continuing to speak. "You had us worried for a while."

"How long? And where am I?" While he would like to think it was a few hours, given the amount of pain he was feeling and the casts, odds were high that he was here for at least a day or two.

"You are currently at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, you were brought in roughly 4 days ago." The nurse answered as she went to update his chart, not noticing his wide eyes at that reply. "To be honest, with the level of injuries you have on you, we were not expecting you to wake up for another week at best."

"I… I see." Harry partially wondered if the suddenly dried throat was because of him not having any water for so long or that he had been unconscious for so long. His mind was certainly having trouble computing that.

"I will be calling in the doctor. If there is anything you require assistance for, you may press the blue button with this remote." The nurse indicated the item in question before leaving the room and Harry pondering his thoughts while he slowly used his free hand to test other parts of his body. Outside of the casts, he also had a bandage wrapped around his head with some sort of cloth beneath it with the scent of ointment. At least he could move his toes and feel something, so that was a plus, he had read that if one cannot do that, they were in big trouble.

It did not take long for the door to open again and for the nurse to be accompanied by a middle-aged doctor.

"Good evening, Mr. Potter. My name is Doctor Horatio Mallard. But if you want, you may call me Ducky." The doctor gave a gentle smile. "I will be running tests on you to ensure you are okay. How are you feeling, besides the obvious?" Harry took a moment to consider how he felt before giving the doctor the blunt answer.

"I now know how clothes feel in a tumble dryer set too high a spin cycle." Harry could not help the flat tone in his words.

"Ah yes, that does happen at times." The doctor nodded sagely as he prepared his stethoscope. "Right then, let us commence with the tests."

And so for the next or two, the doctor and nurse performed a series of tests to check his health and general motion. For the most part, Harry was able to move fine slowly, but was told to take it easy for the next couple of days. His arm and leg were not to be stressed until a week later for the casts to be removed.

"Now that we have done the physical tests, it is time for the less pleasant part of the checks." Doctor Mallard sat down on the nearby chair and looked to Harry solemnly. "What is the last thing you remember?" Harry frowned as he leaned back in the bed, his head lightly pounding with the effects wearing off whatever medicine he had taken.

"I remember going to school on that day, we were getting the results for our subjects. Because I was on the advanced side, I got results for me to go further with my studies." His frown became more pronounced as he tried to recall what happened. "I went about my day studying for the higher levels while Dudley was making noise about me being better. I stuck by the library to continue as he would never go in without making a racket that would get him thrown out. After lunch, I was heading back to the house by a different route and…" Harry grabbed his head with the free hand as his head started to get more painful.

"Easy there, Mr. Potter." Doctor Mallard moved forward to place a hand on his shoulder. "Allow me to explain. You suffered several injuries from a few attacks from Vernon Dursley and were brought in shortly after. Thankfully that man" - the doctor clearly wanted to say certain words that were not child friendly but restrained himself - "was immediately spotted by members of the public and they subdued him along with your aunt. Your cousin is currently in the juvenile penitentiary centre." Harry looked at the doctor with an odd feeling bubbling up inside. He knew that Vernon had been holding back a fair bit of rage due to Harry advancing further and people taking notice of Dudley's behaviour along with Harry's progress, but for the man to just snap and attack him, likely over the results with Dudley's complaints, that was a bit much even by their standards.

"In any case, it would appear that you are currently suffering some temporary amnesia from the attack, so we would not need to force the return of your memories, rather we just let it run the course." Doctor Mallard tried to ease Harry's thoughts. "There are a few matters to settle with this, but they can be touched on later." Harry nodded as the doctor and nurse rounded off the tests and prepared to leave the room. "Oh there is one thing."

"What is it, doctor?" Harry looked at him.

"There are some people who wish to see you. One of them claimed to be from the police, and another claimed to be the solicitor for you. Jeremiah Gothwald?" Doctor Mallard asked Harry for confirmation. It took a moment for Harry to recall the name before nodding slowly.

"Tall man with purple hair, roughly in his twenties, makes one think of a knight from the old tales?" The doctor now nodded with a smile at that description. "He must have gotten the news and rushed over from his work, last I heard he was working on a big case. I hope I did not disrupt his work too much."

"Young man, you need not blame yourself in this instance." The nurse assured him before she opened the door to let the two leave the room. He was alone for maybe a minute or two when the door opened again, this time to let a familiar face through along with two others that he did not recognize.

"Hello, Mr. Potter. I wish it was under better circumstances to meet you again." Jeremiah Gottwald greeted the young boy with a wry smile.

"Nice to meet you again, Mr. Gottwald." Harry bowed his head. "I would offer tea, but I am still getting used to the place."

"Want me to help you press charges on those people?" Jeremiah asked with a slight growl when addressing the Dursleys. Harry took a breath to calm himself and to steady his mind that was aching again.

"I will consider that when the police come for the interview."

Jeremiah nodded before he motioned with his hand to the other two guests. "Mr. Potter, I am sorry to bother you with this, but we have some guests that I need to introduce to you." Harry turned slightly to face the woman and elder gentleman, noting their postures and general appearance.

"Are they here in regards to what just happened or are they related to the contract?" Harry asked while maintaining some form of code in case someone was listening in.

"Both actually." Jeremiah proceeded to introduce the two to the young boy. "This is Madam Amelia Bones, Director for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, or the DMLE in short. And the gentleman is Arcturus Black, current Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black." Harry straightened as much as he could after hearing those titles. Something told him that this was going to be a big deal.

"Mr. Potter." The woman nodded her head respectfully. "While the muggle police would be interviewing you, I would need to get a statement from you to better handle your current situation for the magical side. I also need to ask you some questions regarding a different matter that has been sent my way a few months back by Mr. Gottwald."

"Understood, Madam Bones." Harry turned to the elder gentleman who had been looking at him with a keen eye.

"It is faint, but I can see it." Harry blinked at that statement.

"See what?"

"The fire that makes you the great grandson of Dorea." Arcturus answered as he looked him in the eye. "And by that extent, you could say that I am your grand uncle from a different family."

At that moment, Harry had the sudden urge to throw back his head and scream "NO!" in some deep voice while dressing in black with a helmet on his head. Instead, he said another word in a calm manner.

"Okay."

~ooOOoo~

(Present / 18 December 1991)

Harry sighed heavily as he waited along with a good number of young teens, his feet unconsciously tapping the floor while his eyes focused on the odd object that would catch his fancy before moving on to the next, ignoring the teens that were either reading or looking at him in confusion. His mind was churning with different types of information, and he had a good reason for that.

Harry was currently sitting in the corridor that led to the examination hall in the ICW Branch in France, waiting to take the exams for his advancement program. It might seem like an odd place to take his exams, but he had been taking a number of subjects from other foreign academies during his advancement program, with the added bonus that he could go to the examination halls of those countries instead of Britain. While normally this did not mean that he had to go to the actual country to do them, the situation he was in was not the normal case.

Let's backtrack a few weeks.

On the day that Hogwarts gained more power and sentience, a lot of matters came to light, mainly the sudden appearance of a wraith that had invaded the castle in hopes of stealing an artefact from Dumbledore. Said wraith was evidently the spirit of Voldemort, the Dark Lord that had terrorised Britain recently and the one that granted Harry that stupid title for his failure to take out a baby. Some people may have tried to disprove that part (cough ~ Fudge ~ cough), but with the Aurors, ICW officials and approved warders, along with recording crystals present at the Great Hall at that time, no one could refute that the dark lord from before had risen once again and had attempted to attack someone. As a compromise to keep the populace from panicking, the official story to the public was a wraith having invaded Hogwarts in an attempt to find the ancestor of the Founders who had banished it in the past, and were held off by a combination of British Aurors and ICW officials along with Harry Potter who had been stuck behind to aid them. In exchange for their silence, Cornelius was to boost the numbers of the Auror Squad along with an increase in budget to prepare for future attacks, signed with blood and sworn with oaths under the eye of the ICW. This was to ensure the Minister or other personnel could not attempt to go against their word without complications.

There was also the issue of the rat animagus that was caught in the craziness. He only got the news later that the animagus was a man who was related to the case involved with Sirius Black who was his oath-sworn godfather, and was currently awaiting trial by the ICW Court of Magic. This was being done since it was becoming clear to the ICW officials inspecting Hogwarts that certain matters appeared to be getting swept under the rug without anyone checking.

Then there was the mystery of Hogwarts deciding to regain control of her defences and taking over his experimental ward system to do so. When all matters were settled and the ICW ward teams heard about this, Harry had the impression of being the prize pony in front of several people wanting to buy him. He had to ask Hogwarts to allow temporary permission to let them see it as she was being very selective of who could see his wards, which currently consisted of Harry, Filius and Dudi. Anyone else would not find it because she had taken to moving the room containing the wards thanks to a feature that he had been experimenting to stop potential saboteurs from tempering the wards. Many of the warders were geeking out when they heard of that along with Hogwarts finally granting them limited access to see his experimental wards.

And he thought Professor Babbling was bad the first time, her eyes when looking at the ward system and him made Harry go behind a chuckling Filius in fear of his virtue for some reason.

Another related issue came from the Great Hall that now had the four cross-shaped pillars at all four sides and the giant cross of runes and Christian Symbols that were permanently etched to the ground and resisting attempts to restore the floor or transfigure the cross-shaped pillars. Professor McGonagall was most put off when her best attempts merely saw the pillars come back after a few minutes. When they asked Harry to try it, he was stopped by Dudi who said that Hogwarts wanted to keep the additions to purify the area and eventually the entire school. That was no more evident when a few students entered the Great Hall and dropped to the floor while dark mists came off of them and banished away. After reviving them, the students said they felt a lot better and their magic felt cleaner. It was quite telling when the majority of said students were from the Slytherin House, but quite surprising when the remainder were from other houses including Hufflepuff. They were also a lot happier to not feel contaminated as they put it.

The Unspeakables who had arrived after Amelia Bones on that day were most curious about the phenomenon. Harry would maintain that he had a good reason to keep running away from them for the next couple of days as they followed him to ask him about his ideas like piranhas scenting blood.

Of course, with all of that happening, a certain old wizard did not like being kept out of the loop.

For a full week after that incident, Harry kept getting summoned at irregular times to his office to answer questions, all the times having Filius accompanying him despite the old wizard's attempts to get him out. A couple of times, there were ICW warders or other officials wanting to confirm details to ensure they have the complete picture but otherwise Harry would be summoned to explain what he did and the old wizard tried to insist on telling him the magic which Harry claimed under Family Magic, and then tried to ban him from using them. He also insisted to be included in the new wards with the reasons that he was Headmaster who needed to protect the students.

Harry wanted to snort so badly but restrained it to a cough. Not helped when Dudi the house elf appeared at that moment to tell Dumbledore that, and he was quoting the elf on this, "Hogwarts does not want Head Whiskers messing with her cooties and unmentionables."

Filius was hard pressed to maintain his composure until they left the office, from which he burst out in loud laughter and rolled on the ground with his hands on his stomach from the exertion.

Still, Dumbledore kept insisting on calling him in, and Harry ended up rejecting the last call while telling Filius and Professor McGonagall that he was not going to any more meetings with the headmaster since they had nothing to do with school work as stated in his restraining order and Harry was too busy with his workload and preparing for the advancement exams in December. Filius made sure to help Harry on that part, especially when a missive came from the the goblins a couple of days later that Dumbledore had attempted to try and delay the date of the advancement exams with some excuse that he was not ready yet only to be rebuffed strongly by both Griselda and a member of the ICW education department, and then later attempted to force his exam to take place in Britain only.

Honestly, Dumbledore had way too much time if he was going about stopping him in this manner!

Still, at least he was able to get to the Portkey Transit in time while avoiding the old man and whoever he had sent to waylay him (he recalled hearing Madam Bones scolding someone for trying to hinder him) and entered the French Ministry a full 2 days before he was due to start his week long period of exams. He had since completed Transfiguration, Charms and Astronomy, and he was getting ready for the History exam. He was handling subjects that were done in academies all over the world, with the aim of getting the ones based from Hogwarts completed to get the primary subjects completed to let the examiners check through first while he handled other types of subjects such as Basic Healing and North American Shaman Projection.

Right now though, he was getting a little antsy from more than just nerves over exams. His oath-sworn godfather was currently in the main ICW HQ getting ready for his trial, and he would not be lying in saying he was a little nervous at the possibility of meeting his godfather again. He only met him briefly once 2 years ago under secrecy, and he did not have much of an opinion on the man who was supposedly a brother to James Potter in all but blood. He had gotten stories from Arcturus Black about him and his father in their youth, and Harry was a touch wary. He could not help thinking about Dudley and comparing them to his cousin in a few manners.

Harry shook his head from the wandering thoughts as the doors to the examination hall opened and one of the exam proctors came forward to usher them in. He had done what he could on his end to help his godfather get the chance he needed, and with the unexpected bonus of Pettigrew and the trials being done in the ICW courts, Sirius would have the best chance to be declared innocent. Doubly so since Dumbledore was no longer the Supreme Mugwump, even if the role was not really involved with the ICW Courts of Justice, the man would likely be able to enter the courts and try to influence the results, and he really did not need that at the moment.

For now, he had some exams and tests to take on.

~ooOOoo~

(ICW Pacific Branch, World Court of Justice and Magic)

"All rise for Grand Judge Orkenshield!" The sounds of chairs slightly moving and feet hitting the ground resounded briefly as a man entered from the side door and made his way to the throne-like chair at the very front of the amphitheatre styled courtroom. The man was someone who appeared to be approaching his late 50s with tinges of grey hair lining the sideburns of his dark hair, a sharp nose and a solid jaw that looked tough enough to break rock. He was dressed in a mix of modern clothing and a wizard's robe placed over his shoulders, a look that might look downright ridiculous for many, but on him, as many of the women in the room would attest, "looked damn good".

Granted, what was really being said would have scandalised mothers covering the ears of impressionable children and attempting to wash their mouths with the Mouth Cleansing Charm.

"Be seated." The judge spoke out with a deep baritone as he took the chair. He waited for all to be seated before continuing. "Today, we have been tasked to conduct a series of trials that are not our usual trials involving those who pass these halls. The first on the block is apparently a long overdue trial for one who has been denied his rights to have one and made to be stuck behind the cell walls for close to a decade. The second is supposedly related to the first." Those words created a great deal of sound like bees buzzing as the members whispered and muttered to one another. The man raised a hand to signal for silence, which he got after a few moments.

"Normally, this would been handled by the host country itself, but with the irregularities surrounding this case and the attorney for the defendant expressing concerns over the security and trust of the nation's court, the World Court of Magic has agreed to hold this trial to assure both sides that justice shall be served and enacted accordingly." Judge Orkenshield looked about the room sternly as the members nodded and gave their agreements. He then turned to the side where several ICW Aurors were standing.

"Bring forth the defendant." They nodded and moved through a door behind them, reappearing shortly to move a man dressed sharply in a dark shirt that showed off his arms and a pair of grey pants, his hair and beard neatly trimmed with grey eyes that shone with a light of slight hope as he walked to the defendant stand by the right side of the theatre. Voices started to get louder as the members looked upon the man with a few recognizing him only to have the judge raise a hand again to silence them and to get the man to stop next to the chair.

"Please take your place in the defendant stand," The man took a breath to fortify himself before entering the stand, a wall of light appearing around him in a circle as he took a seat in the chair provided. Several runes appeared in said wall briefly before the wood grains of the defendant stand started to glow green and the wall disappeared shortly after.

"Mr. Callaghan." The judge turned to the portly middle-aged man who could pass for Arthur Weasley's cousin with the red hair and general features if not for the stern expression on his face. "Please begin the procedures." The man nodded and began calling out the names of respective lawyers, defendants, law enforcements and selected members for the jury, all while Judge Orkenshield watched silently at the people around, with odd glance at the man standing before him and the group of people seated by the left side of the floor away from the others and more importantly, well away from the man. Their clothes stood out even among the array of colours and styles of the members, and their expressions varied from stern to scorn towards others, not to mention a bit of shock when looking at Black, specifically his arms.

'Bloody Britains.' Judge Orkenshield thought privately without letting his expression change a bit. When he first got word of this case, his initial reaction was to slap a palm to his face at the absolute mess this was going to throw up. Sure, he got that it was at a time of unrest and people were dropping like flies from both sides, and anyone suspicious would be incarcerated to be interviewed. But Sirius Black was literally thrown into that monstrosity of a prison with the key thrown away and forgotten while his name got dragged into the mud despite all he had done in his position as an Auror, and what documents were found on the case shed no light on the incident. Meetings with the director of Britain's DMLE only made the headaches he had from this case worse. The fact that she made sure the man was at least out of that madhouse and in the care of certified healers who had given oaths to not harm him directly or otherwise, at least granted her some respect that she was forward thinking enough to keep individuals from finding out.

Admittedly, much of the evidence was circumstantial and there were more holes in the supposed testimony than Swiss Cheese. It also did not help that the Aurors involved with that case appeared to drop to the ground like flies, a suspicious coincidence if you asked him. But Amelia Bones and the attorney had tied the matters together and considering the ICW courts insist on using different methods to get the truth no matter the case, this should be a true case to be dealt with.

"That is all." Judge Orkenshield nodded to acknowledge his aide and to clear his mind before looking at the man sitting in the defendant stand, the man's twitching clearly showing the man's nerves.

"Sirius Orion Black." The man in question looked him in the eye while standing up with his attorney coming next to him.

"You are hereby charged for the following offences:" The man glanced briefly at the docket before continuing.

"First charge: you served as a member of an illegal organisation known as the Death Eaters led by the Dark Lord called Voldemort. Second Charge: you willfully betrayed the location of James and Lily Potter whilst serving as their Secret-Keeper. Third Charge: you committed the murder of Peter Edmund Pettigrew. Final Charge: you murdered twelve unidentified No-Maj bystanders during your attempts on Peter Edmund Pettigrew." The judge looked the man hard in the eye. "How do you plead?"

"Not guilty on all charges, Your Honour." Sirius Black answered with a clear voice. Some of the members whispered to one another about the case while some from the British party sneered at the man. A raised hand from the judge silenced them all.

"Mr. Black, I understand your solicitor has told you before this trial, but allow me to reiterate what is to be expected. We do not stand on much ceremony, hence we do not address you with your true title of Lordship despite the fact you were not formally sentenced until we can determine your innocence. You are also informed that we will be using various methods to extract the truth other than Veritaserum. Do you concur?"

"Yes, Judge Orkenshield." Sirius answered firmly. "I have waited a long time to tell my side, and willing to undergo any and all forms of interrogation to prove my innocence." The judge looked at him for a few more seconds before nodding to let him sit back down. The judge knew at that point the man's innocence was likely true since he was insistent on having truth serums and the works to talk, a fact that the jury was noting based on their nods and gestures.

"Now, we have already conducted a preliminary interrogation on Mr. Black with Veritaserum and a Geass Testimony." The judge spoke out to all. "But for the sake of certain parties," while he did not turn his head or have any change in tone, a few in the audience turned to look at the British party of wizards, "we will be conducting this new interrogation with additional methods, including Baba Yaga's Cauldron." That got the courtroom sounding like a hive of busy bees from the few people in the audience muttering loudly to one another while the British Party were looking confused, a couple of whom having somewhat hopeful expressions, likely thinking that the method was hazardous to the one taking it. Orkenshield could understand the reactions since the Baba Yaga's Cauldron was one of the more extreme methods of obtaining the truth from the target. Originating from Russia, this could be best described as a mix of Veritaserum and Pensieve memories but targeting the soul, thus bypassing the issue of people trying to get around the truth potion or usage of memories. The soul cannot lie about the events and as part of the extraction, all would experience to a minor degree the events that the person was involved in. This was not done lightly as it has proven fatal in the past to both the recipient and some of the viewers, so the fact that he suggested this was quite unprecedented.

"For the time being, we will conduct the interrogation with Veritaserum and truth runes in accordance with ICW standards, and to the proper standards of the country Mr. Black has originated from." Again, there was no change in tone, but the manner he delivered those words made people look at the British party who looked insulted by their attention. "Furthermore, due to the countryman's issues with people not believing his conviction, from the time we started this trial, we are streaming this live to all ICW based countries, especially Britain, to ensure no matter the results of this trial, not one person tries to cast any aspirations on Mr. Black through the media." The audience nodded with some saying it was the right thing to do, while the British party were split between awe that such a feat could be done to some looking panicky at the idea that the trial was being shown live. If he were a betting man, Orkenshield would put good odds that those particular individuals had hoped to keep the results silent in hopes of messing with Sirius Black.

Well, sucked to be them.

"Without further ado, we will perform the trial. Officers, perform the pre-trial procedures." At his words, three cloaked figures appeared around the defendant chair and swung their wands to test him for any antidotes or potions that could affect Veritaserum along with any spells on him and the wards were working. The three figures had different country flags embroidered on their sides to show they were all Unspeakables from different countries to show no bias to the defendant. They stopped and turned to face the judge.

"None found. Truth Wards are working fine." All three said at the same time. At his nod, the three moved back to their original spots and seemingly blended into the surroundings with ease while a fourth appeared with a rack holding vials of clear liquid. The judge waited a moment before turning to the officer handling the case and Black's attorney. "Before Mr. Smith begins the interrogation, does Mr. Bayly have anything to say on behalf of Mr. Black?"

"I do, Your Honor." The young man with slicked brown hair and a proper suit stepped forward, a little nervous from all the attention but willing himself to stand tall in front of the court. "Certain events have led to evidence that proves my client is innocent of at least the charge for accessory to the murders of James and Lily Potter."

"Is that so?" The judge raised an eyebrow. "May we see the evidence?" The man nodded and went back to the table to grab a parchment along with a certificate.

"In my hands is the joint will of the late James and Lily Potter, with the Gringotts Seal of Authentication and verified by the Unspeakables. In addition to revealing that it was not Mr. Black who was the Secret-Keeper, it also sheds a great deal of light onto the guardianship of one Harrison James Potter." The whispers came again with some of the British party looking interested.

One did not like it though.

"I must protest!" One of the British representatives stood up to speak. "That will was sealed by Albus Dumbledore at the time of their passing under his orders of Chief Warlock. As a representative of the British Ministry, I cannot allow the contents of that document to be read."

"Mr. Bayly, can you please elaborate on why you have brought this up?" The judge asked, a little interested in the proceedings.

"Certainly, Your Honour." The attorney turned to the British party with a stern look. "You are forgetting, Representative, that the contents of a will may be used as evidence in a trial. Also, it should be noted by ICW standards for countries following the feudal system such as Britain, an heir of a Most Ancient and Noble House may access the contents of his or her parents' will if that person is either or over the age of eleven and is the last of the family line, irrespective of the notion that someone is already a guardian of said child. As it stands, the one supposedly sealed by Dumbledore was merely a copy granted to the Ministry at the time of the war. The one in my hand is the actual document with Pensieve memories of the time of the writing, thus superseding other copies. Furthermore, while we will not be going through the full details for the trial, this will also indicate that Albus Dumbledore had no grounds to claim guardianship for young Mr. Potter. I had also requested the right to read this document for the court from Mr. Potter himself. Here is the permission slip from the young man, along with the Pensieve memory of him granting the permission." Judge Orkenshield asked one of the Unspeakables to check the slip while pouring the memory into the Pensieve to view it, showing that the boy had granted it in presence of his attorney, his current guardian, a man named Arcturus Black (someone who evidently the British party knew based on their shocked and terrified expressions), Amelia Susan Bones and a goblin representative. After a quick vow by Black's attorney that he was being truthful and verification from the other Unspeakables that the documents were authentic, the judge let it go while making a note that Albus Dumbledore had evidently interfered with a will pertaining to a boy's lineage.

That just was not done.

The audience listened in closely as the relevant parts of the Potter Will was read out, particularly the portion that stated that Sirius Orion Black was the blood-sworn and oath-bound godfather for Harry Potter upon the boy's birth, and that he meant to act as a decoy since he was too obvious a person to act as a Secret Keeper, while Peter Edmund Pettigrew was selected as the true Secret Keeper for the location of the Potters. "That is all, Your Honour." Bayly bowed his head respectfully before taking a step back.

"Very good." With a gesture, the Unspeakable carrying the rack of Veritaserum asked a random individual from the audience to select a vial. A second random person, this time from the British party, chose the third vial from the right. Finally the Unspeakable asked the judge to choose a number from the selection. The Unspeakable pulled out the selected vial and waved a wand to show that it was genuine Veritaserum.

"Administer the Veritaserum to the defendant." The fourth Unspeakable turned to face Sirius Black who opened his mouth eagerly, likely happy at the chance to properly exonerate himself. From his seat, Judge Orkenshield could see the Veritaserum as the man's expression turned blank and the "lights" went out from the eyes.

"Please state your name and age for the record." The Unspeakable asked.

"Sirius Orion Black the third. Age 32." Sirius answered in a monotone voice.

"Place and year of education?"

"Hogwarts, Gryffindor House. 1971."

"Try telling me a lie. Did you wet your bed as a kid and into your teens?" A few sniggers came from the British side.

"Yes, until I was 13 years old." Sirius answered without hesitation under the influence of the truth serum.

"Name one secret during your time in Hogwarts."

"My friends and I started learning how to become Animagus in our third year to accompany another friend during his time in isolation on the full moon. We succeeded in our fifth year, but withheld ourselves from registering because of the war." A few turned to each other with surprised expressions at the fact that a few young teens were able to become Animagus at such a young age, nor the unspoken but easily inferred reason for it. The Unspeakable nodded before turning back to the judge.

"He is under Veritaserum and is showing no signs of rejection or signs of any antidotes." Judge Orkenshield nodded while the Unspeakable continued. "The Truth Wards are also operational and not detecting any falsehoods."

"Thank you for your aid." The Unspeakable nodded and did their usual vanishing trick. "We will commence with the trial. A reminder to all, I will not tolerate any interruptions from the audience and parties until the questioning is over." This time he did turn to face the British party with narrow eyes. "Is that clear?" A few looked insulted for the insinuation only to be stopped by those that had some common sense.

"You have the floor, Mr. Smith." The officer nodded and turned to the audience.

"We will be starting with standard questions of testing before we move on to more detailed enquiries." The officer then looked Sirius in the eye. "Mr. Black, are you a Death Eater or a supporter of the terrorist named Voldemort?" A good number leaned in with a few rolling their eyes at the British part shuddering at the name.

"No, I am not a Death Eater, and I never once supported that bastard." It was clear even under Veriterseum the man hated the idea of being associated with the man given the amount of venom being injected in his answer.

"Were you the designated keeper for the Fidelius that was used to protect the Potter Family from being discovered? If not, please state the actual keeper."

"No, I am not the one. I was the decoy while Peter Pettigrew was the true keeper of the secret." Sirius answered.

"That is a lie!" Judge Orkenshield held back a sigh at the predicted reaction from someone by the British party. "Pettigrew is a hero, and you are just a mongrel who is trying to get out of a Dementor's Kiss!"

"Silence!" The judge slammed the gavel that automatically sent the man in question back into his seat and silenced under a spell. "Need I remind you that you are to remain silent for the trial? Furthermore, he cannot lie since he is under Veritaserum and the Truth Wards, and they are not showing any falsehoods." He pointed his gravel at the defendant stand that showed it glowing a light green.

"It could be broken or tampered with!" Another one shouted only to be silenced by the gavel.

"Did you not see the Unspeakables having done checks on them a few moments ago? How about the Potter Will showing the actual details?" Judge Oakenshield was honestly curious if they were stupid enough to say no. Unfortunately the ones with actual senses stopped them again and did something to seal their mouths shut. One of the official Ministry officials was palming his face at their antics.

Damn it, now he lost 5 bucks to his fellow judge buddy for their interruption.

"Please continue." Mr. Smith nodded and turned to Sirius Black.

"Tell us in detail, the events that led to the night of 31st October 1981 and how you ended up in Azkaban." That got Sirius to start talking from the beginning, how he had gotten the role of being the decoy for the Potters, how he had gotten worried about the lack of contact from Pettigrew, how he came to check on him and the Potters, how he was forced to hand over his godson to a half-giant on orders of Albus Dumbledore, how he had chased Peter Pettigrew for three days, how he had confronted the traitor who proceeded to shout out to anyone in the area that Black killed the adult Potters before using a curse to blast the area and escaped with his Animagus form, and how he had ended up in Azkaban. It was harrowing to say the least, and the judge could see a few of the female members tearing up at the experience that was being told.

"Administer the antidote." The judge finally gave the order after twenty minutes of the description. The Unspeakable came forward to do so, and Sirius Black came back to himself, lightly coughing from the constant talking. He was offered some water while the audience brought themselves back from the interrogation.

"Now, as stated we will be giving Sirius Black the Baba Yaga's Cauldron to ensure that the facts are there and disprove any notions of him beating the Veritaserum." The judge motioned to the Unspeakables bringing forward a big cauldron big enough to fit a full-grown man crouching inside, a purple-coloured potion bubbling inside with steam coming off it rather ominously to make some of the audience shift back even though they were a few feet away from it. "For those who have not experienced this, be warned that while the effects are lessened for you, you will still feel and experience everything this man has to go through during those events. If any of you have a weak constitution or condition that could prove fatal, please leave the room or notify your respective counterparts on this. A 15 minute recess shall be granted while the Unspeakables set up the viewing." He watched as some shuffled out of the room with assistance of others, mostly those who have served the courts for many years. He could also see the reporters in their designated spot writing down all that has come about for this trial with a few using the recording crystals that had come out recently. He really loved those crystals as they helped so much with the cases where people tried to claim whatever excuse there was. If he ever met the one who made them, he would shake their hand.

He let his mind wander about briefly until his charmed alarm alerted him to get his act together. At a glance, a few had left their places, likely appeased with the Veritaserum and Truth Wards having done their jobs. He could spy a few of the younger members trying to steel themselves for the actual viewing, he wished them luck.

"Mister Black, you will now be subjected to Baba Yaga's Cauldron. Are you ready?" The man in question took a deep breath and nodded. "Begin." The Unspeakables did something with their wands to make the mist rise up and float towards Sirius Black. He breathed it in briefly and started to shake like he was going into seizure, not helped with his eyes rolling back and his mouth opened in a silent scream. His attorney clearly was disturbed only to be held back by the officer as Sirius's body started to glow before the light expanded to cover the entire courtroom while those not familiar with the procedure yelped in surprise and slight fear. After a while, the glow receded and everyone found themselves in what looked to be a hospital room with a woman holding a baby in bed and two men by her side, one who appeared to be a younger Sirius Black.

"We are testing the effectiveness of the Cauldron. This is the scene when Sirius Black becomes the godfather." Judge Orkenshield announced while inwardly chuckling at the jumpiness of those who have not felt this before. They calmed down and watched James Potter ask Sirius Black to be the godfather for Harry, with the scene switching smoothly to a room in someone's house and an old goblin helping to preside over the moment when Sirius drew blood from his hand and spoke the oath to protect Harry Potter as the blood flowed into a ritual bowl on an altar. The audience could feel the power of the oath, and the feeling of being happy to be the guardian for a child.

"Now, for the actual charges."

The images shifted then changed to a scene depicting a slightly harassed looking Sirius arriving at an apartment in his Auror uniform, looking around with confusion and consternation as he waved his wand to test for breaches. His frown grew more pronounced as he first knocked at the door, then tried to open it with surprising ease, looking at the relative cleanliness of the room before he changed into his dog form to sniff the residence. He transformed back after a while, clearly confused by what he was trying to find before he looked up in shock and apparate out of the room to a house that had the roof blown up. The man was shaking his head and practically begging as he moved through the broken down door, only to come up short at the sight of a dead James Potter looking back at him with blanked out eyes. Sirius let out a pained yell as he stumbled forward to check on the body, slightly shaking it in hopes that the man was asleep or stunned. He paused at the sounds of a baby crying, and with one last look at James Potter as he closed his eyes, Sirius stumbled up the upper levels to the source of the crying.

The audience watched as the man entered the remains of a child's room, the moonlight peaking through the broken ceiling casting a rather dreary image on the scene. The body of the late Lily Potter laid on the ground with a pained expression on her face and tears from her eyes, and next to her in the cradle was a young boy who cried his lungs out as the fresh scar on his head bled. Sirius paused to close the eyes of the woman before reaching into the cradle to take the baby into his arms and tried to console him. The audience watched on as the man slowly walked down the stairs and out of the house only to be stopped by the half-giant who was evidently sent by Dumbledore to take him elsewhere. He tried to argue but it was clear to the audience through the scene and the feelings they were getting that he was emotionally drained and unable to process properly to the point that Hagrid was able to take Harry away from him with the acknowledgement that he was to be kept safe until Sirius returned.

Once the half-giant left, the audience felt the moment when his grief turned to rage, accompanied by the scene changing to Sirius chasing down Peter Pettigrew down the streets. Despite the rage, he still stuck to his Auror training and did not use any combat spells, merely stunners to keep Pettigrew from running. It was when he managed to chase him into a deadend that the situation went bad; the audience shivered at the cold and maniacal smile Pettigrew showed as he raised his wand to his throat and evidently applied a Sonorous charm to call out to all who could hear him, the words that would doom Sirius to his fate.

"James and Lily, Sirius! How could you!"

He then fired off a few spells to distract Sirius before firing off a bombardment spell at a building that blew up spectacularly and collapsed onto the other side of the street where screams could be heard. The blast has knocked Sirius off his feet and into the wall where he hit his head. The last shot of a smirking Pettigrew waving his bloody hand with a missing finger at him before transforming into a rat to disappear down the sewer drain was what made Sirius Black snap, and the audience was grateful that the effects were lessened for them as they could feel the touch of mania and despair that filled Sirius as he started to laugh hysterically at the fact that his supposed friend had tricked him and the others to lead Voldemort to the Potters, along with Sirius having thought he was smart to tricking others into thinking he was the Secret Keeper. He was going on about how it was his fault when the scene flashed red and blacked out, and the audience found themselves in a stone room and what barely passed as a stone bed. The Unspeakables quickly rushed forward to stop the viewing, barely making it as the younger Sirius Black realised where he was at the cold chills and bad memories coming forth while a skeletal hand appeared between the iron bars on the door.

It took a couple of minutes to control himself before the judge called for a 45 minute recess, partly to allow the people to get food and drink but mostly to allow all to settle down from the viewing. A good number of the audience were crying from the memories and a couple kept jumping at shadows. Sirius Black definitely needed to calm down since he had to relive the memories again; despite having sessions with the mind Healers, he was clearly affected by the Baba Yaga's Cauldron and had to be granted a calming draught to get himself under control.

Judge Orkenshield really wanted some bourbon to calm his nerves, but had to keep himself sober for what would come later. He settled for some strong tea and popped his stiff joints before looking at the people before him as they came back to the courtroom, noting a good number had not returned due to the viewing. He would grant them a little leeway on this as long as the jury and primary personnel had returned.

"As you can see among you, there are some who have not returned. I understand the immersion experience of someone's memories can be very unsettling, more so for Mister Black." He took a deep breath and let out slowly. "As you have seen, this was all he had experienced. It cannot be faked as it is directly from the soul. We have also verified based on other statements and checks. What word of Sirius Black being dangerous or in support of Voldemort cannot be trusted, even more so when the people involved with the investigations have passed away under mysterious circumstances or attacked in a manner that would likely have been dismissed under normal situations."

"Thankfully, this miscarriage was found by both Harry Potter and Amelia Bones. And one very important piece of evidence that had appeared a few weeks ago in Hogwarts helps to clear the air on the charge regarding Peter Edmund Pettigrew." He turned to the Unspeakable and gave a nod. The Unspeakable moved to the empty spot a few to the right of the defendant stand and pulled out an amulet that they used to press against the ground. The audience heard the sounds of mechanisms as the floor opened up to allow a glass box to appear out of wherever it was below the courtroom. It was the contents of the box that made the noise level rise up considerably.

"Quiet!" The judge sounded out to all before looking at the British party. "Not a word." He raised his gavel while his eyes narrowed at the ones that clearly wanted to say something. The Ministry representative at least stayed quiet as he looked at a bound Peter Pettigrew with shock. The man in question was secured to the chair with clamps on his limbs and he was cringing from the attention of everyone. Any doubts of him being a fake were lessened with how he was trying to move away from the heated glare directed by Sirius Black, who the judge had no doubt would have tried to attack him if not for the glass, his own restraints and having the hands of the officer and attorney on his shoulders holding him in place.

"Yes, that is Peter Edmund Pettigrew, alive and captured at Hogwarts. And it was by total accident as well based on the recording." Judge Orkenshield spoke out to get everyone to listen. "To dissuade any doubts, we may perform a brief clarification. Administer the Veritaserum." The Unspeakable came back with a fresh rack of vials, performed the same routine, and then approached the box. Pettigrew's reaction was most telling with how he tried to keep his mouth shut compared to Sirius's eagerness for the same test, but the Unspeakable merely tapped his wand on the chair to keep him still, opened the mouth to pour in the potion before shutting it and holding his nose to make him swallow it.

"Please state your name and age for the record." The Unspeakable asked.

"Peter Edmund Pettigrew. Age 32." Pettigrew answered in a monotone voice.

"Place and year of education?"

"Hogwarts, Gryffindor House. 1971."

"Try telling me a lie. What were the worst crimes you did in Hogwarts?" A few leaned forward to hear this.

"Stealing the Galleons from the Hufflepuff students in 1974, and having some of the nicer looking girls play with me before I removed their memories in my sixth year. I also tricked Severus Snape into thinking that Sirius Black sent him to be attacked by Lupin." Even under the truth serum, there was a hint of maliciousness in his words and a cold smile briefly appeared on his face while speaking.

"Administer the antidote." It was only thanks to Occlumency that the judge kept his cool and prevented his disgust showing on his face or in his words. The Unspeakable administered the antidote and Pettigrew shook his head before his eyes widened at what he had answered.

"I believe we have established the identity of Peter Pettigrew. I can also tell you at this point that his trial will be after this." Judge Orkenshield spoke as the glass box went back down the hole in the floor, Pettigrew's wailing soon silenced as the floor covered up. The judge waited for all to settle down again and for Sirius Black to properly calm down from the sight of his traitor.

"We have seen the evidence and heard the testimonies, and we have the true suspect in hand. We will now go through with the judgement." The judge turned his attention to the jury panel made up of people from different countries. "Have the members come to a decision regarding all of these entries for Sirius Black?"

"We have, Your Honor." A single man stood up with a clipboard hovering next to him.

"Your verdict, Mr. Gandhi?" The man looked to all with a stern expression, his eyes briefly lingering on Sirius Black.

"On the charge of being a spy for the Dark Lord known as Voldemort, we find the defendant... Not Guilty!"

"On the charge of being an accessory to the murder of James Potter and Lily Potter, in light of new evidence and the actual keeper found, we find the defendant... Not Guilty!"

"On the charge of murdering Peter Edmund Pettigrew, in light of new evidence and the actual suspect found, we find the defendant... Not Guilty!"

"On the charge of murdering 12 unidentified No-Maj civilians, in light of new evidence and the actual suspect found, we find the defendant... Not Guilty!"

"On the newly discovered charge of being an unregistered Animagus, we find the defendant… Guilty. However!" The man raised his voice slightly to stop the murmurs and ensured the British party actually listened. "Due to the mitigating circumstances during the civil war and the fact that Mr. Black has spent more than the required number of days in prison for not registering his Animagus form, he shall be granted a leeway for the use on the condition that he pays the fine and registers his Animagus form within the next three days, effective after this trial." Sirius looked frightened at the beginning then slumped over in relief.

The judge nodded as he read through the list of charges and results. "Very well, Mr. Gandhi. Sirius Orion Black. Stand." The man gulped and stood up with his attorney standing next to him in support.

"In accordance with the charter and the reviewed evidence, Sirius Orion Black is henceforth declared innocent and is to be reimbursed for the years he has spent in Azkaban unfairly. If I understand it correctly, you were a full-time Auror and partially a Hit-Wizard in your previous employment and you were not officially dismissed from your duties, so we shall ensure the British Ministry is to repay you based on the annual salary of an Auror for the years you have spent in Azkaban along with the additional payments of a Hit-Wizard and damages payouts." The judge was focusing on his Occlumency to not smirk at the absolute despair by a good majority of the British party. With this trial being broadcasted everywhere with particular focus in Britain, they cannot sweep this under the rug. "Mr. Black, to mitigate any potential issues, you will be directed to the office to register your Animagus form immediately. Is that understood?"

"Perfectly, Your Honour." Sirius said with happy tears running down his face. "I would also like to request that the fine for an illegal Animagus be taken from my reimbursement and to go through the process of registering with the ICW and the respective Ministries if needed." Many people nodded approvingly at Sirius' statement. "I would also like to go on record offering my thanks to the ICW administration for overseeing that justice was done today." The judge nodded at the man while the attorney helped Sirius get settled now that he was certain he was truly free of his alleged crimes. The man was clearly overjoyed that he finally got his trial and was set free.

"Your Honour," another man stood from the jury panel, a man who looked ancient compared to some of the others but still held a stern look on his face. "Before we conclude, I would like to bring up a critical point that we are at risk of overlooking."

"The court recognizes Lord Antoinne Riviera of Italy." Judge Orkenshield announced while people looked at him.

"It is clear that Sirius Black has been railroaded by the previous administration to the point that he can't trust the current one, and forced to make contact with the ICW for protection and for the truth." Antoinne spoke firmly to all. "This is perhaps under the British purview, but it is best to state right here and now, in front of all in this courtroom and to those listening in, that Bartemius Crouch Senior and ex-Minister Millicent Bagnold be brought into trial to face their consequences. In addition, there is one other that was stated in the Potter Will that should be held accountable."

"Who would that be?" Orkenshield asked despite being able to guess whom the old man was talking about.

"Albus Dumbledore." That answer got a lot of people talking loudly, a few of Dumbledore's supporters being very vocal in their protest, predominantly from the British party.

"Silence!" A bang from the gavel got everyone settled. "Lord Riviera, for the record, are you stating that you wish to have Albus Dumbledore brought to trial?"

"In the Potter Will, it is clear that Albus Dumbledore had no right whatsoever to interfere with proper proceedings. He was not named the executor, merely one of 7 witnesses, six of whom, if I read correctly from the investigation reports done, were all indisposed rather suspiciously leading up to that night. It was also stated in the Will that the young man in question should not have been sent to the No-Maj family called the Dursleys on grounds of them being hostile to magic, yet Dumbledore evidently sent the one called Hagrid to take the boy to that location later, in the middle of the night. I do not know why he did it other than his usual excuse of keeping the boy safe, but given the miscarriage of justice as seen here, clearly something is not right." The old wizard replied clearly. From his seat, the judge could see many nodding in agreement on this, while a few were holding out to see the situation.

"That is a good point, and we shall see to it that this is answered properly, for all involved with Mister Black's case. For now, we will break for lunch before the next trial with Peter Edmund Pettigrew. Keep in mind that while the trial has been broadcasted, until the day is done and permission is granted, all involved are under secrecy regarding other details pertaining to the cases." The judge raised his gavel one final time for this trial. "This trial is now declared closed."

'BANG!'

~ooOOoo~

(Hogwarts / December 22, 1991)

"All right, students! That will be the end of the lesson. Remember that I want a foot long essay on the different charms used this term once you return from your holidays." Filius rolled his eyes at the groans of his students. "Now, now. You have plenty of time to do the assignment, and if you think this is a lot of homework, wait until you go into your third year. Now that would be groan worthy." That earned him more groans from the students as they kept their stuff. "Mr. Potter, a quick word before you head back to pack." Harry motioned to the others to carry on as he made his way to Filius.

"Ready for the holidays, Mr. Potter?" Filius asked as he waved his wand to stack the books neatly along with gathering the parchments together.

"Packed up and ready. Experiments are also secured with the usual portkey safety measures." Harry answered.

"I see." Filius turned to check the door before looking back. "I have not had the chance to ask, but how is Mr. Black handling his newfound freedom?" Harry scratched his head to consider the answer to give.

"I think a part of him is still stuck in Azkaban even though he was taken out of the prison a few years back for his protection. While he has been undergoing treatment all this time, he still tends to react badly to the cold and darkness. There was a brief relapse from that trial with that Baba Yaga's Cauldron." Harry answered honestly. "There is also the issue that there are still people in Britain who do not believe his innocence despite the broadcast of the trial by the ICW. Some of the higher echelons do not want the results to be true."

"Well, the House of Black still has a lot of infamy and a number of connections in society, not to mention lots of support from the darker houses. While your generation may not know it, the House of Black was, and still is, one of the major houses that has continued to survive all these years in Britain. With that many years, much wealth and power have been accumulated, some done in less legal manners." Filius gave his explanation with the usual stance of explaining a lesson. "I won't be surprised that certain people want to keep that type of fortune within certain circles, and I know that Lucius Malfoy has been gunning for that. He is trying to leverage his connection to the Blacks with Narcissa and young Draco."

"Narcissa, the sister of Bellatrix Lestrange, correct?" Harry mentally catalogued the different family maps that he managed to read through before coming to Hogwarts.

"The same. She was a Black before marrying Lucius." Filius clarified for him. "In a way, it is not without reasons. With Sirius being in Azkaban previously and the previous heir supposedly killed by You-Know-Who, the house has been in a bit of limbo since Arcturus Black, the current head of the Blacks, has gone missing for a few years now and we only know he is alive since the Goblins said so. Lucius has supposedly claimed the proxy rights to the political chair of Wizengamot and is trying to claim that young Draco is the heir since there is no stated heir, although I would say that the claim is rather weak since Narcissa was more from a side branch."

"Something tells me that might change in the upcoming Wizengamot session." Harry thought about the article that spoke of it after the live broadcast of the trial. Among other issues, the summons for the top members of the previous administration to be brought in for interrogation and the voting for the replacement of Albus Dumbledore who had finally lost his seat of Chief Warlock for the Wizengamot. The ICW officials were very thorough in going through the case with a fine comb and were prepared to drag in Bartemius Crouch Senior and ex-Minister Millicent Bagnold on charges of abuse of power and negligence, although they were still deciding whether to bring them to the ICW courts or to allow the Wizengamot to judge them with supervision from said officials. Dumbledore however was showing his years of experience, cunning, and favours from his supporters to hold off on his own trial, and it was honestly a little scary showing the amount of support he had from the populace despite the recent hits on his popularity.

Speaking of Dumbledore…

"Mister Potter, I should inform you that the Headmaster has requested once more that you stay in Hogwarts for your safety and to experience Christmas with the wonders of magic." In the privacy of the classroom with only the two of them there, Filius was able to show his thoughts on that request by rolling his eyes.

"Well too bad for him, I am not staying and he cannot stop me from leaving since he has no authority to do so." Harry sighed heavily. "While I would not mind experiencing Christmas in Hogwarts, I rather do it on my own terms and not by a man who clearly has agendas for me. Even more so at this time when he will likely be under investigation because of the trial, his 'request' could be along the lines of witness tampering."

"Indeed, and that is the reason your solicitor has been reminding him the past few times when he was pushing for it." Filius nodded while remembering the most recent summons of Harry after his return from the ICW examination branch. It got very heated to say the least, and the old wizard did not have any grounds to restrict Harry to Hogwarts, even the threat of detentions had them contesting the reasons for it.

"I will just need to make sure I can leave the castle, and make sure I don't get visitors on the train or the station." Harry shrugged before pausing.

"Hogwarts again?" Filius was familiar with his expression that had come on since that day with the wards.

"She is letting me know that Dumbledore is coming this way." Harry answered with a frown. "Permission to leave by a different route?"

"Okay?" Filius tilted his head with a question mark evident. His answer came in the form of Harry popping away, right as he felt his spells on the door getting removed and then the door opened to reveal Dumbledore.

"Ah, Filius. May I ask if you have seen Mister Potter? I wish to speak with him on his foolish idea of returning to a place not safe."

Damn it, he really wished Hogwarts would help him out as well. He wanted some rest and relaxation from this!

In another part of the castle, Harry appeared in an empty classroom nearest to the junction leading back to the Ravenclaw Tower and blinked as he looked around. "Wow, that was really different." Harry lightly shook his head. "Thank you, Hogwarts, for the warning and for the fast exit." The familiar pressure on his shoulders and a poke on his cheek was his answer. It was interesting to have a connection to a sentient castle and odd that he was starting to get a sense of what she wanted to convey even though she was not speaking actual words. He would have more time to consider after the holidays.

Harry felt out with his senses and devices to see if there was anyone in the area before he left the classroom and made his way to the tower, hoping to get into the sanctuary of his room before the headmaster decided to come after him again. It was at the point of the staircase that he got stopped by an unlikely individual.

"Heir Potter." He turned to find Draco calling out to him while Crabbe and Goyle were staying behind. "Can I have a quick word with you?" Harry felt out briefly to ensure they were alone before nodding, absentmindedly casting a silencing spell on the nearest portraits to keep their conversation silent.

"Is there something you need?" Draco hummed as he got closer.

"Are we still continuing our talks?" Harry blinked at that query.

"I would like to think so. Is there a problem?" Draco shook his head.

"No, I am just wondering given that you were moving your stuff to the supposed Union Corridor?" Draco trailed off at the last word.

"Wow, has it gotten to that point?" Harry snickered at that. "My friends wanted to have a room to conduct their experiments after they heard about mine. It grew to have one part of the corridor of unused classrooms for different purposes. I moved mine to that area partially because I had fulfilled certain requirements to be upgraded." Draco nodded at that. "Actually, given that we have several other classrooms that are empty, we can convert one into an actual meeting room that we can use for our discussions. We can even invite others if need be for those talks."

"Can we?" Draco looked interested in that option.

"Why not this? After the holidays, we can go and scope out the classrooms for our future meetings. Depending on the scale, we can approach our heads to get permission." Harry could see that Draco was very interested. In the three months they were in Hogwarts, Draco was getting active in his own manner to reach out to others, and not just in Slytherin; he had been tentatively talking with a few from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, mostly when Harry was around for assurance. He did not interact with the new-bloods like Hermione so far but it was still early days.

"How are they?" Harry motioned to the two behind Draco.

"It is weird not having them around early on, but I think they are quite happy in Hufflepuff." Draco answered before pausing. "I am a little worried about how their parents would react. The Crabbe and Goyle Families are normally housed in Slytherin, and while they might tolerate Ravenclaw the best, Hufflepuff is a little…" Draco waved a hand knowing the reputation of the supposed "trash house".

"Well, they could always spin it to their parents that Slytherin house is tapped out of connections and they wanted to see if they can get new contacts from other influential students in other houses." Harry knew a little about the whole political connection network going on in Slytherin thanks to questioning Blaize, Tracey and Theo about the house.

"That is a good excuse, one that is technically true since they are interacting with some like Bones." Draco mused at that thought. "Mind if I tell them that?"

"Be my guest. I have the feeling their parents would have very interesting reactions." Harry gave a cheeky smile.

"I would love to be a fly on the wall when that happens." Draco chuckled as he moved away. "See you next term." Harry waved his hand at Draco and the other two while removing the privacy ward before moving to the tower, helped by Hogwarts who gave him a path through a portrait that got him next to the door knocker in a few minutes.

The next day was a bit of a madhouse for students leaving Hogwarts for the holidays. They all had to pack up and prepare by 9am before making their way to Hogsmeade to the station to board the train and leave by 10am. Harry and by default most Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were responsible enough to pack the night before, so they got down by their designated spot along with the Slytherins and watched the Gryffindors acting like headless chickens as they rushed about getting their trunks down. Harry could see a Hufflepuff senior holding up a clock while a Slytherin and a Ravenclaw kept a tally on the timing, likely making bets on how long the Gryffindors took to get ready.

He was personally betting a galleon and 10 minutes before they left on the train.

Harry got his paper amulets out the moment he, Su, Terry and Hermione entered their selected carriage, making sure that no one attempted to enter the cabin. He had been lucky when they left as the old wizard tried to waylay him again only to be interrupted by the ICW Aurors on site to keep them moving. He just had to hope that no one tried to come after him in the train or after.

"I am so excited to see my parents again!" Hermione seemed to be vibrating in her seat as the train jolted and moved out of Hogsmeade. "It feels like I have not seen them in a long while."

"I can agree. I missed my parents and my baby sister." Su nodded her agreement.

"Three months, yet it feels like longer." Terry remarked. Harry could only give a smile that hid much of his sadness of not having parents to greet him back. Sure he had Albert Thornwood as his guardian, but it was not quite the same deal.

"Harry, I really want to thank you for letting me borrow Hedwig, she is a great help." Hermione then turned to the owl who was looking over them. "Thank you Hedwig for sending letters to my parents." She barked before flapping her wings and landing on her shoulder, cooing while playing with her hair that made Hermione giggle. "Oh, that tickles!"

"It is fine, she doesn't mind the work. I don't really have a lot of mail to send, so she gets bored after a while." Hedwig paused in her attempts to tidy Hermione's hair to bob her head at him like she was agreeing. "See?"

"She is a smart girl. Aren't you, you beautiful owl?" Su reached to lightly stroke her plumage. The owl in turn seemed to inflate with pride at that.

"Hedwig is popular." Terry mused.

"Of course she is." Harry chuckled, recalling how many girls in the tower kept praising the owl.

"I just wish I could show my parents magic in the house." Hermione sighed after a while. She paused before turning to Harry. "Didn't you say there was something you will show us about the magic loophole?"

"You will know it either tomorrow or on Christmas." Harry answered. "The foundation needed time to finish the setup and finalised the paperwork to ensure no one attempted to mess with them."

"Setup?" Terry asked.

"I will only say that with this, you guys will be able to showcase your magic to your parents very soon." Harry smirked playfully with a finger on his lips. "I will keep it a secret for now." The others playfully whined and talked about various matters as the train went on to London while the sun rose to the highest point and started to descend. Harry and Terry later left the cabin to let the girls change clothes while they interacted with the others to see what was going on, then they switched to do the same. Harry however did one more thing as the train was reaching for the platform.

"Are you really planning to do that?" Terry asked as he watched Harry put on a bracelet that briefly made his body flicker before his hair colour changed to an earth brown along with having a darker skin tone.

"Considering my involvement at Hogwarts in the papers for the past months, I rather avoid the possible paparazzis waiting for me at the station." The disguised Harry answered as he double-checked the bracelet before covering it with the sleeve and adjusting his clothes. "There is also the possibility that someone is going to try and catch me from going back."

"Someone like the headmaster?" Terry had observed the few interactions between him and Dumbledore, and even he felt it was a little weird for the older man trying to make some form of connection with Harry. It reminded him of what his mother had told him: "Never approach an old man when he offers candy! Stranger Danger!"

"He has been insistent about having me stay in Hogwarts despite having no reason to do so. He even attempted to give me detention but got stopped by Professor Flitwick." Harry finished checking himself and prepared to open the door. "Something tells me that our return will have him try that again."

"No offence, I do not envy your situation." Terry mused.

"None taken." Harry opened the door and enjoyed the reaction from the girls who were wondering who he was until they recognized his voice. They talked a little about his ability to change his appearance as the train came to a close and the other students started to make their way out. They waited a few minutes for the corridors to clear before they made their way out the carriage and out the door, and almost got rolled over by some plump red-haired woman with an outdated dress as she practically walked into them without consideration.

"Watch where you are going!" The woman snapped before moving on with her head moving back and forth, supposedly scanning the groups of children for someone.

"How rude!" Hermione frowned at the woman, having been slammed against the train cart. "Who on earth does she think she is?"

"Someone's relation I would gather based on her actions." Terry helped her get back on her feet and grabbed her luggage off the floor while Harry helped Su off the floor. "I pity whoever is related to her."

"Something tells me she might be related to the Weasleys. Her hair colour is the same shade as the twins and Ronald. But I don't think they have left the castle for the holidays." Harry looked back as the woman was moving about, her eyes briefly staying on him before moving on. He noted how she seemed to zoom in on boys with black hair before pausing and checking again, and knew at that moment it was a good thing he had his disguise on.

"Never mind her. Let's get out of here." Su thanked him for the aid and moved to the exit pillar where the trail of modern-raised students were at. Harry and the others followed suit and slowly got to the pillar as the woman came back and focused on the trail closely. Harry kept his expression clear as she got notably frustrated at not finding whoever she was looking for, and quickly walked through the barrier and away just to be sure.

"Kid, over here!" He turned to find Albert Thornwood waving at him in street casual clothes alongside a group of parents who were looking over Terry, Su and Hermione. He moved towards them while looking about like he was trying to find his guardians but checking for anyone looking for him. Luckily for him, no one was looking.

"Hey there kid." Albert greeted him with a hug as he got closer. "Haven't seen you in a long while." He raised an eyebrow as he looked at the disguise. "Someone looking for you on the other side?"

"Yes." Harry looked about. "We may need to take a detour briefly."

"Got it." He turned to the other adults who had finished with their administrations of care. "So I will be sending you the letters later, okay?"

"That would be nice." The woman who could be described as an older version of Hermione smiled while looking at Harry. "I understand you cannot show your face to us for now, I do hope to meet you properly in the near future."

"That might be sooner than you think, Mrs. Granger." Harry nodded to her.

"See you, Harry!" The children waved to him as he and Albert went to the car he came in and drove off. They took a while before pausing by the road and checked his body and luggage, and later the car, for tracking spells just in case. Once done, they continued on to a building that was an office and residence in one, privately owned by Albert for his work, where in the parking lot Harry had removed his disguise. They got out of the car and walked to the elevator to get to one of the top levels of the building that had some of the popular rooms overlooking parts of London. It was in one of the rooms that they made their way into, where Arcturus Black, an ICW representative and one very important looking person in a three piece suit were evidently waiting for them.

"Welcome back, Harry." Arcturus Black announced as he stood up to greet him. "How was Hogwarts?" Harry gave a smile at that.

"Good to be back, Grandfather. Boy, do I have a story to tell you?"

== (Authors Notes) ==

1st chapter for the new year! We have made it, people!

Now obviously I have no idea how court cases are done. I have written the part of the ICW trial based on crime dramas, other HP stories here, and a little knowledge of courts based on documentaries of known criminals. I did however want to change it up since other stories here have it standard with Veritaserum and Pensieve memories, and I figured if the ICW were to handle this, it would need to be in a manner that cannot be messed up or covered up. Baba Yaga's Cauldron comes from a semi-crack story called "Consequences" done by slytherinsal, involving Harry going to Karkaroff to get away from Dumbledore, I just expanded on it to suit the story.

Making the trial viewed by all countries seemed like a good idea to me if you want to stop people trying to make Sirius sound bad. Not sure how you guys feel?

Soon to enter the time skip period, until then stay safe out there!