The Bonds That Tie
Harry knew the trouble it could cause for him to admit that he broke his godfather out of Azkaban back in 1994 during third year, but it was necessary. Harry had promised to tell the truth, so no matter what the consequences were, he would do just that. As of now, Amelia just wanted to know everything, then a decision on what happened beyond that would be made.
"When Sirius Black first escaped prison, it was because he saw the front page of the Daily Prophet when the Weasley's won that lottery to go to Egypt. A rat was in Ronald Weasley's hands, and that rat was Peter Pettigrew, in his animagus form. When Pettigrew framed Sirius, he had cut off his own finger and transformed…Going into hiding for twelve years, he hid out with the Weasley's all that time. Sirius went into his animagus form, a black dog, escaped the bars of his cell and then swam the sea to get to land and find me to keep me safe. I didn't know Sirius was my godfather until I overheard my teachers talking to Fudge in Hogsmead. I was under my invisibility cloak-," Harry began.
"Invisibility cloak?" Amelia arched a brow.
"I got it in first year. Dumbledore gave it to me for Christmas, he said my father left it in his possession before he died and that it was time to return it to me." Harry explained briefly. "In third year, my muggle uncle refused to sign my permission slip to go to Hogsmead. I used the cloak to go anyway…" He admitted. "But it was Minerva McGonagall who stated aloud while I was hidden under the cloak that Sirius Black was my godfather. I only thought he was a murderer, so I originally said I'd kill him if he came around me. But when we finally came face to face…Remus was there too and it got explained that Peter Pettigrew was my parents' secret keeper, and he betrayed them to Voldemort." Harry took a pause. "Remus had forgotten his potion, he transformed…Pettigrew got away, Sirius transformed into his animagus to protect me and my friends, along with Severus Snape, who had come to corner Sirius and take him back to prison."
"But that did not happen?" Amelia asked.
"No, because when Snape tried…I blasted him back, wanting to learn the truth Remus and Sirius were trying to explain about who really got my parents killed. I trusted Remus, Sirius after the fact…When they forced Pettigrew out of his rat form and made him confess. But Sirius and Remus fought in their animal forms, Sirius got hurt and I went after him. We ended up by pond in the forest and dementors came, started attacking both of us. I tried to keep them back with the Patronus charm, but it wasn't strong enough to handle all of them. Sirius's soul came out and a light appeared across the way. I saw a silvery-blue Stag there and a person behind it. I knew it was the Patronus charm, but didn't know who cast it. I thought, honestly…It had been my father. Either way, when the dementors were gone…Sirius's soul returned to his body and we both passed out. I woke up in the infirmary, heard Sirius was back in prison, awaiting the kiss…" Harry glanced down.
"And you decided that couldn't happen, so you set him free…?" Amelia inquired curiously.
"That year…Hermione Granger got a time turner, to be able to take all her extra classes…So when Dumbledore informed that Sirius would be kissed, he sort of hinted that three turns would do it to Hermione, also to mind the laws." Harry went on. "Ron Weasley was injured, but Hermione and I were okay, so…She put the necklace on both of us and we went back three hours to save Buckbeak, a Hippogriff who was supposed to be sentenced to death because Draco got in its face, and they're proud creatures…It attacked him, Lucius wanted it put down for what happened." Harry trailed off a bit. "We saved Buckbeak, then went on to follow the events of when Sirius was attacked by dementors. When no one showed up to save me and Sirius, cause I was watching from across the pond…I went out and cast the charm myself. Same thing I'd seen happen before. I was the one casting the Stag, the blast that drove dementors away…We grabbed Buckbeak and flew to Azkaban, I set Sirius free from the cell and we returned to Hogwarts." Harry explained calmly.
"And then he left with the Hippogriff, I assume?" Amelia wondered.
Harry nodded. "He told me I was so similar to my father, but my mother's eyes…" The vampire smiled a little. "But yes, Sirius left with Buckbeak and remained in hiding until his death during the end of my fifth year, when he went through the veil here at the ministry…"
"I am sorry for your loss, Harry." Amelia said gently.
"Thanks." Harry replied.
"Now, by all rights…The things you've done should have landed you in Azkaban yourself. I heard rumor you cast an unforgivable during your fifth year," Amelia folded her hands. "Is this true?"
"Yes," Harry nodded softly.
"At whom, and when?" Amelia pushed.
"Fifth year, June 18th. Bellatrix is the one who cast the killing curse at Sirius, and I was very upset and angry…I went after her. I cast the cruciatus curse when she was trying to run away. It failed, she just tripped and then Voldemort came, tried to egg me on about killing her for taking Sirius away. I refused, of course. Bellatrix got away and then Voldemort and Dumbledore dueled. I don't remember much of that day after Sirius died, to be honest…" Harry confessed.
"I suppose I can overlook your use of the cruciatus curse, as it failed and under a moment of extreme distress," Amelia remarked.
"Thank you…" Harry said. "It was still wrong of me, though."
"Yes, but you were upset and anyone would have reacted the same way." Amelia revealed. "If you please, I'd like you to explain your work with the death eaters, and Voldemort himself. You said it began just last year when you went to the manor to feed from Draco Malfoy?"
"We didn't really do…Work, per say, Madam Bones. As I said, Tom's vision was to fix the corruption and see Dumbledore's manipulations not only stopped, but revealed to the people who put all their faith in him." Harry informed. "Honestly, they've been laying quite low since that day I showed up and blasted him into a wall."
"Albus made a statement during interrogation that you claimed to have waltzed in and took over the group." Amelia stared at Harry.
"I kind of did. After seeing I was a vampire, had taken the killing curse to the heart and lived, then blasted Tom back…No one wanted to fight me. Tom saw a powerful ally, one to help him see his vision through. I had the status to get people to listen…" Harry enlightened. "I still didn't do much for him. I told him outright I wouldn't help him take over the world and if he hurt the people I cared about, I'd get rid of him." He paused.
"I have to agree that the death eater activity has been zero, except those two that got turned in." Amelia said.
"They weren't Voldemort's, Madam Bones. Albus put those two up kidnapping Remus to lure me out in anger, he wanted me to kill them, so the ministry would see me as a monster." Harry retorted respectfully. "Tom doesn't even go by Voldemort anymore; we all use Tom. He's taken up who he was born has, but I believe chosen to remain Tom Marvolo Gaunt, he still wants no connection to his muggle father." He added. "He's removed the dark mark from all his followers, allowed them their freedom to continue working for him or go their own way without consequence. It was even Tom who suggested we repair the Longbottom's."
"Yes, I'd like to hear more of this…You mentioned during trial, but I'm afraid I don't understand how this came to be." Amelia hoped. "To my understanding, they could not be saved…"
"Healers use Legilimency to heal the mind. I did not use this, and it was only theory that it would work. In order to have saved them, Astral Projection is required." Harry informed.
"Now, what is that?" Amelia asked.
"Astral Projection? It's basically known as an out of body experience. Soul leaves the body. So what I did was go into a deep meditation and allow my soul to leave me and enter the bodies of Alice and Frank Longbottom, but at separate times. I worked first with Alice and how things were done was that I had to heal her brain, the nerves that were fried from suffering Cruciatus so long. Once that was healed, I moved onto memories. I cast an Immobulus charm to get the pieces to stop moving and found what I'd call a locked door, so I went over and unlocked it with Alohomora. I found Alice herself, like the idea of being trapped within your own mind. I found her still being tortured by Bellatrix and Barty Crouch Jr. I knew it was just a memory, so I got rid of it and told her who I was. We returned to the main part of her mind, and together cast a charm to repair her memories, revert them back to before. It worked, and then I left and she woke up, remembered everything. I did the same with Frank the next day." Harry explained.
"Incredible." Amelia gasped.
"But it was all Tom's idea, Madam Bones. Trying to fix some of the damage done. Bellatrix even apologized to the entire Longbottom family, sincerely. They've forgiven her for what happened." Harry mentioned.
"I can see the good in things, but it still may not be enough to convince the public he or his followers aren't just playing you." Amelia sighed.
"I assure you they are not, Ma'am. Tom knows I can destroy him, all I have to do is remove the piece of his soul hidden inside me and I have vampire friends who can do that easily. I destroy that and he's entirely human again, can be killed the same as anyone else. And his followers won't challenge me; they know who is stronger for being just a boy. I know I'm a few days from my seventeenth birthday, but I stopped aging at fifteen when I was turned." Harry informed. "I promise you, there is no threat from any of them. There is no dark anymore, except the rogue vampires we're dealing with and that's being handled as we speak. Everyone just wants to start over…"
"I understand that, Harry…But it still might too much for others to forgive or believe things are different." Amelia told him.
"The vampires and werewolves too. Everyone just wants to live in peace, right? There needs to be some fairness to the dark creatures, more job opportunities. Any vampire could do what I did with healing the mind. The strides we'd made towards healing those like the Longbottom's. This is a chance to fix the world…" Harry informed. "They deserve a chance for all they've done. The death eaters protected students when Malfoy Manor was stormed. Even those who are over seventeen and could fight…And they didn't send anything deadly out. Shields and deflection, maybe some stunners and throwbacks."
"I was told it was rather tame." Amelia nodded. "Even so…Crimes were committed in the first way, and some of second. Some were serving life sentences, Harry…By rights, they should be back in prison. The people look to me to keep criminals locked up."
"I know they've done wrong, Amelia. I'm not defending their actions, but I am defending that they tried to do the right thing…When it came out I was a vampire, friends I had since I started at Hogwarts turned their backs on me. You know who was there? The Malfoy's, who adopted me as their own. Tom, the death eaters…All there to support me, help however they could. I'm not saying they are innocent from the past, but they tried to do better for the future. I think that should count for something." Harry remarked lightly. "I know I'm not innocent either, so if you're gonna lock them up, you might as well do it to me too."
"No, you are not innocent, Harry…" Amelia closed her eyes. "You should be in prison too for things you've done. But…What you did, and I hate saying it, was for the greater good. And I know you did not do it alone…" She added. "I will need to speak to the Wizengamot about this to reach a decision. For now, your friends who are students are safe. Even Draco. So are Remus Lupin, and Auror Nymphadora Tonks. As are the Longbottom parents. I will excuse Narcissa Malfoy, she's never been involved in anything other than allowing meetings into the home, but even then…It belonged to Lucius's family." Harry sighed in relief. "There is still decisions to be made regarding you, and the death eaters. That includes, Severus Snape."
"No, no. Severus isn't a death eater." Harry said quickly. "He used to be, yes…In the first war. But when he heard the prophecy and told Voldemort, he heard that he would be going after my mum. Severus and Lily were best friends in Hogwarts. My father, James, was Severus's bully, along with Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew. Remus was part of the group, but always tried to get them to stop." He continued. "Severus went to Albus when Voldemort said he'd kill me as a baby, and asked Albus to hide my family. Severus bearing the mark all these years was to hold his position as a spy for the Order of the Phoenix. Severus is not a death eater, and everything he did was to protect me."
"You seem quite defensive over Severus, even calling him by first name…Why is this?" Amelia asked.
Harry sighed. "Severus…Is my mate, Madam Bones."
"What?" Amelia's eyes widened some.
"It happened over Christmas Holiday last year…Dumbledore admitted to what he did, poisoning my friends and it connected their families to it. I couldn't feed from Draco, anyone really…Severus's blood had been calling to me since the day I showed up at the manor after my sixteenth birthday. Virgin blood to a vampire is…Like gold, Madam Bones. It's the strongest, tastes the best…It's a delicacy. Severus's blood called to me, no one else's ever had. I learned later on that it was because he's my soulmate. When Severus let me feed from him…It activated blood lust, which is more or less arousal brought on by virgin blood. Like an aphrodisiac." Harry told her. "We ended up sleeping together, it wasn't his fault. I came onto him, I didn't have any control. We didn't know his blood would do that to me…But it landed us bonded. It formed on its own. We're mates now, I-I turned him into a vampire. It's part of the mating rituals. Vampire mates lives as long as the other does, truly marking it a lifetime forever. He consented to this change, obviously…But yeah…Severus is my mate. I removed his mark myself."
"I see…" Amelia considered. "That constitutes him sleeping with a child, you know that, right?"
"It wasn't his fault, Madam Bones." Harry repeated. "We didn't know me feeding from him would get such a reaction considering I've had virgin human blood before. I came onto him, and as a vampire…I'm much stronger. He was human when we bonded, and has been up until a month ago. I turned him on the 5th of July. He did nothing wrong, don't punish him for what I did. It was me, he didn't really have a say; he didn't understand what was happening." Harry urged. "Please, don't punish him. I won't beg for the others, but I will for my soulmate. I'll take the punishment…"
Amelia sat quietly for a few moments. "As I said…Decisions still need to be made. However, for what you've said regarding Severus Snape…I will not punish him. It remains still, to be seen, for you, Tom, and the death eaters." She informed. "I'm sorry I can't give you a definite, Harry…But I do not have all the power. Those safe from punishment are those I've listed, proven to have no part in criminal activity." The woman stated. "I will speak to the Wizengamot, and we'll let you know when a choice is made. I assure it will be before school starts again."
"Thank you for your time," Harry rose from his seat and shook the woman's hand. When she nodded, Harry vanished from sight as she blinked, realizing that it was his apparition. True to his former words; it wasn't actual apparition. He really could just vanish at will.
. . .
Harry appeared back home in the great room. "Harry!" Hermione cheered.
"Hey," Harry greeted.
"Well, don't leave us in suspense…How did it go, sweetie?" Bellatrix asked. "Are we all being shipped off to Azkaban?"
"You in cheerful auntie mode is creepy. I just want that on the record, Aunt Bella," Harry rolled his eyes. "But to answer your question, it's undecided for death eaters, Tom, and myself."
"So anyone who served Voldemort isn't safe, that's all of us…" Ron mentioned.
"No, you never served him. Allied with, but not serving. I am leader of the Defense Association, you were technically serving me." Harry corrected.
"Then anyone who bore the mark isn't safe, and probably any of the death eater's children…" Blaise said.
"Anyone in Defense Association, Remus, Tonks, Alice, Frank, Severus, and Narcissa are safe. The rest, and myself are undecided." Harry informed.
"Why am I safe? I bore the mark too…" Severus questioned.
"Because I begged Amelia not to punish you. I explained your status as a spy in the Order after learning the prophecy. What she was going to nail you for was sleeping with a fifteen-year old, which was me. I told her it wasn't your fault and I came onto you." Harry said. "I explained the bonding, told her that you didn't have much say because you were human and I was a great deal stronger than you. I told her to punish me for it."
"Harry! It wasn't your fault. You warned me to leave, I stayed on my own. I consented. Why would you take the blame?!" Severus asked quickly.
"Silly, Severus." He smiled. "I love you. I had to protect you. Why else would I do it?" Harry told him as his eyes widened. Harry kissed him lightly. "Now, shush and let me do my job as your mate."
"So we're not out of the woods yet?" Remus inquired.
"I already said you were safe, Uncle Moony," Harry reminded. "You, Tonks, the students, Severus, Narcissa, and the Longbottom's. You're all free to leave and not get arrested and attacked on sight." He stated. "When you're ready to leave, I'll open the fireplaces for you to depart."
"When will you know what will happen to you and the others?" Draco frowned.
"Amelia said I'd know before school starts up. That's a month from now." Harry replied. "She said she had to discuss it with the Wizengamot, get everyone's opinion and vote. The rest of you who are safe can return to your homes."
"You'll keep us posted, right, Harry?" Neville asked.
"Of course," Harry nodded.
"How much did you tell her?" Voldemort wondered.
"Everything she asked about. I think the only think that didn't get brought up was where was Pettigrew…" Harry shrugged. "All we can do is wait and hope for the best."