Chapter 23: The Trial of Sirius Black

July 25, 2002

Sirius sat in front of the Wizengamot. He had only spent a week at Lupin's as Buffy fought for a trial. He looked at the faces of the witches and wizards that look at him as though he's guilty of everything they say.

His fingers clench into his palm and he felt the sting as his nails cut into his skin. He had been proud that Buffy fought for him. But he had heard from Lupin what the Daily Prophet had been printing about her, Harry and Dawn. He hoped that doing this didn't put her further in jeopardy.

"Sirius Orion Black, you've been summoned here today to be held accountable for the deaths of Peter Pettigrew, and—"

Sirius listened as they listed the names of the Muggles that he had been accused of killing.

"How do you plead?"

"Not guilty." Sirius said.

"Proceed," Fudge said.

"The charges brought up against Sirius Black are false," Buffy said. "Based on the memories viewed by myself, I can determine the events that actually took place and also events leading up to it. I would like to submit his memories as Defense exhibit A. But first let me start with my opening statement. Sirius Black was not the secret keeper for my parents, Lily and James Potter. That duty was actually bestowed upon Mr. Peter Pettigrew."

"No!"

Sirius' eyes darted towards the people watching. Pearl Pettigrew was standing up, clutching a lilac bag tightly in her hands. "No," she said again. "That makes no… that's wrong. My son…" She shook her head desperately, looking toward the Wizengamot pleadingly.

Sirius didn't want Pearl to be upset. Pearl had always been nice to him when he spent time at her house, but there was not much he could do. He could see the pain on her face. This woman believed her son was dead. He knew that she was another of Wormtail's victims, the woman mourning her son who was still alive, out there somewhere.

"He should be tested under Veritaserum," Pearl insists. "You can't trust him. What if he's… modified his memories?

"How do you think he went about that?" Buffy asked. "He was arrested moments after the incident that the Ministry originally charged him with. Tell me, Mrs. Pettigrew, at what point did he have the chance to modify his memories?"

"Right after the… the death of my son," Pearl stated, tears on her face.

"Again, I ask how?" Buffy said. "He was arrested moments after it happened. He wouldn't have had time." She looked at the members of the Wizengamot. "I ask that the court ask Mrs. Pettigrew to take her seat."

"Please take your seat," said Fudge.

"I bring attention to the statement in which Peter Pettigrew states that Sirius Black betrayed my parents, having been their secret keeper," Buffy continued. "Sirius' memories show that Sirius and James discussed being the secret keeper. Also, the meeting with Peter Pettigrew in regards to their plan. Sirius was set to be a decoy whilst Mr. Pettigrew kept the secret. These memories have all been confirmed as untampered with by specialists at St. Mungos."

"If the specialists at the hospital have confirmed the memories intact, they'll stand as evidence," Fudge stated. He glared at Buffy; he didn't want Sirius freed but back in Azkaban. "If we have the evidence that proves Mr. Black innocent then let us see it. Ready the pensieve."

Sirius didn't move in the slightest as he sat in the chair. Not that he could, they had made sure when Buffy had brought him in for the trial that he couldn't rush out and kill someone.

Eventually the Wizengamot returned to their seats.

"We've reviewed the evidence and find Sirius Black innocent of all crimes," Fudge said reluctantly. He couldn't deny that Sirius had been falsely accused. That Pettigrew had not only been the Potter's secret keeper, that he likely had faked his own death.

Sirius looked at his goddaughter, she had actually done it? He was actually free? He slowly stood.

"I thank you for finding my godfather innocent on all accounts," Buffy said. "I ask that this body review what happened fifteen years ago and ask why he did not get a trial back then. That he was sentenced to Azkaban without a trial."

"I will do a formal inquiry," Amelia Bones said, she had taken over the Magical Law Enforcement department after it been found out that Barty Crouch Jr. was alive and had killed his father.

Buffy and Sirius returned to Sunnydale with the news that Sirius was a free man. Both Harry and Dawn were ecstatic to learn that news.

July 28, 2002

When Buffy became Dawn's legal guardian after Joyce's death, she had not been prepared for all that had entailed. Within a couple weeks she had more headaches than she had to worry about. The first had been the school threatening reporting her to social services if she didn't make Dawn attend school that Dawn would be taken away from her. Then there had been social services worrying about Dawn's safety simply because they had found some of Willow's potion ingredients. She had a reprieve thankfully when she and Dawn left for England when they had found out Buffy had been adopted. Now that they were back in the U.S. though Buffy had found herself with the constant social service visits, especially when social services found out that Buffy now was the legal guardian of her brother.

The social worker had smiled in shock when she had learned that Buffy had decided that she would legally adopt both Dawn and Harry.

Buffy had asked the court due to Dawn and Harry's approaching birthday and the return to their boarding school in England not long after that, that the court date be pushed up from the original date in October. The court had granted the request and Buffy now sat in the court room three days before her siblings' birthday.

Buffy sat as she listened to Sirius, Xander, Faith, Dumbledore and McGonagall testify as character witnesses to her ability to take care and love her siblings.

"Is that all the witnesses?" The judge asked Buffy's attorney

"Yes, Your Honor."

The judge gave a nod, "Okay. Well court is adjourned while I retire to my chambers to make my decision."

Once the judge was out of his chair, Buffy had gone to her friends, Dumbledore and McGonagall and thanked them for coming and talking to the judge on her behalf.

When the judge returned, he had reached a verdict on the adoption proceedings…

July 29, 2002

Buffy, Sirius, Ginny and Faith all sat at the dining room table of the Summers' home. Buffy had persuaded her siblings to go out for a little bit so that they could talk about Harry and Dawn's upcoming birthday in two days.

"As we know," Ginny said. "Harry has NEVER had a real birthday party."

"Ginny's right," Buffy said. "Last year, we skipped Harry's birthday because he was busy getting to know me and Dawn. This year we need to give him not only what he missed last year but what he has missed every year since our parents died."

"What do you need?" Faith asked.

"Present ideas so we don't all end up getting either Harry or Dawn the same thing." Sirius listed. "I assume we will be having it here. So, we won't be needing a location. But everything else and we only have today and tomorrow to prepare."

"Now for presents." Ginny said knowing what her gift to her girlfriend would be. She knew it would be something that no one else would give Dawn.

Buffy smiled knowing what her gift for her brother and sister would be.

July 31, 2002

Dawn woke to the sound of her alarm. She smiled as she thought that today was the first day, she and Harry would have a real birthday together. Dawn looked next to her and saw Buffy was already awake, dressed and gone.

Since Sirius and Harry had joined the Summers household. It had gotten tight in regards to the sleeping arrangements. Dawn and Buffy had moved into their mother's old room. Sirius and Harry had taken Buffy's old room and Faith was in Dawn's old room.

Dawn jumped out of bed and got dressed. She saw Harry come out of his room and smiled. "Hey, Happy Birthday."

"Happy Birthday," Harry returned as he came up beside his sister and hugged her. "Did you see Buffy when you woke? I didn't see Sirius when I woke up."

"No," Dawn answered. "Probably downstairs. Probably planned a surprise party."

Harry and Dawn turned and went downstairs.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" Sirius, Buffy, Ginny and Faith chorused as Harry and Dawn entered the living room.

Harry smiled as he looked at those around him. "I can't thank you guys enough," he admitted.

"Wait until you see all of the presents for you and Dawn," Ginny said.

"You lot didn't have to get me anything." Harry said. "Just being here with all of you is enough."

"Don't you want to have cake?" Buffy asked.

"It's not essential." Harry told her.

"Not essential?" Sirius said. "You better bet it's essential. Buffy, Ginny, Faith and I went through a lot to give you your first real birthday."

Harry looked at Dawn who held tears in her eyes.

"I agree with them, Harry," Dawn said. "I want to celebrate our birthday with you."

"Before we go and have some cake and give Harry and Dawn their presents. There is one thing I would like to give Dawn now," Ginny said digging in her pocket. She pulled out a ring box.

Suddenly, Dawn felt her heart go into overdrive as Ginny opened the box and showed everyone the ring.

"I asked mum and dad's permission," Ginny explained. "As you all know just after Buffy saw You-Know-Who come back, I wrote mum and dad and asked if I could spend the week around Harry and Dawn's birthday in Sunnydale. They of course asked why. I said I wanted to give Dawn a special gift, a promise ring."

Dawn looked at Ginny shocked that Ginny was committing to their relationship like this after they had only been dating for six months and would not even graduate for a few more years. Then she looked at the ring, she recognized it. It was just like the one that Angel had given Buffy, a claddagh ring.

Buffy smiled as she had recognized the ring as well. She looked at her sister and nodded. "The point of the heart should be pointing inwards," she said. "It means that your heart belongs to another."

Ginny smiled as Dawn held out her hand and she slipped the ring onto Dawn's finger with the point of the heart pointing inwards.

"I too have a gift that I would like to give now," Sirius said. "My gift is for all three of you. In London I own a home, my family's home. It's been in the Black family for generations. Currently it's being used by Dumbledore as a headquarters for the fight against Voldemort. But I want you three to have it."

Buffy, Dawn and Harry all smiled as they hugged their godfather.

"My gift isn't so much for Harry and Dawn," Faith admitted, "as it's for Buffy. And I've been doing it for months now. So that she can spend time with the both of you during the year. When Giles got me released from prison, I wasn't sure I wanted to be doing this again. But I realized when I found out why Buffy wasn't here, that this would not only be a good thing for me. But a good thing for Buffy as well, so that she would not have to worry about the Hellmouth and could spend as much time as she wanted with the two of you."

Dawn and Harry smiled as they wrapped their arms around Faith, who for a moment stood stiffly being unaccustomed to the love she felt from them. She slowly wrapped her arms around them and returned the embrace.

Buffy smiled as watched her brother and sister. "My gift is this," she said as she handed Dawn and Harry each an envelope.

Harry and Dawn pulled paperwork from the envelope and read what it said, that Buffy Anne Summers was now their legal adopted mother through a type of adoption known as kinship adoption.

"That paperwork means no more social services visits," Buffy said. "It means legally speaking I am now your mother. That said I am still biologically your sister so I don't expect either of you to call me mom. Nor would I really want either of you to do that anyways as it would sound weird having my brother and sister call me mom when I am not much older than either of you."

Dawn and Harry looked at each other and then at Buffy as they pulled their big sister into the most loving embrace, they had ever given to anyone.

Author's Note: "Every child deserves a home and love. Period." — Dave Thomas