A/N: Here is an update. Thank you for reading and reviewing this fic. I normally don't like to write and read author notes that can reveal potential storylines, but here it goes.
One reviewer said something about the good guy getting harassed and the bad guy getting away with everything. It's just a start. Are you sure James and Lily are good guys? You can't tell who is a good guy and a bad guy by reading 3, 4 chapters. If you make everything well, justice being well served, people behaving nicely, everyone is good, then how are you going to make a villain? How are you going to write a dark fanfic? Go and read J.K. Rowling's 4th, 5th, and 6th books, forgetting anything you have read from 1 to 3. I am sure you will be more disappointed there. This contains a lot of tragedy and revenge, so be sure to keep an open mind while reading. If you can't afford to have an atleast open mind, don't read this from now on.
Previous:
"Performing an unknown ritual mentioned in my family's grimoire," James answered truthfully. That's what the truth serum is for, isn't it?
Sirius also looked strangely at Lily, raising his eyebrow. Lily silently muttered, "It's not like that; we just performed a Halloween ritual." Sirius didn't look convinced by this but he glanced at James's chair.
"What kind of ritual? And who was present at that time?" Amelia asked James.
"Halloween ritual. Lily and I performed it in our backyard."
"What did it do? Is it a ritual to control someone?"
"No, it's not about controlling people." James seemed to be struggling to say something, but he eventually replied, "It calls dead people back to the mortal realm for 30 seconds."
Everyone held their breath at the last sentence. Calling dead people back to the mortal world is not something anyone could do. It is the darkest of dark rituals.
"What? You tried to practice necromancy? In wizarding Britain?" The Minister was outraged.
"No, we didn't practice anything; we didn't know the consequences. We just did a Halloween ritual mentioned in the family Grimoire," James answered, panicking. James started to feel the effects of the truth serum wearing off.
"But that's a dark art; anyone who practices dark rituals and necromancy should be punished accordingly," someone shouted from the Lord's gallery. Nods and agreeing murmurs could be seen among the other members.
"Says the person who has a whole house filled with cursed objects. Do you think I don't know you have a cellar beneath the drawing-room floor which contains most of your dark objects?" Sirius retorted to Lucius Malfoy, whose mouth was hanging open in shock.
"Behave yourself, Lord Malfoy; you can't talk during the interrogation without permission. You are not an interrogator here in the court."
Upon hearing Madam Bones's threatening tone, Malfoy closed his mouth, keeping silent for the remainder of the meeting.
"How did you know?" Merlene whispered to Sirius, who was still smirking toward Lucius.
"My cousin was muttering something about ' taking mudbloods to the cellar beneath Malfoy's drawing room'; I just guessed."
Lily, who was not listening to any of the conversation happening around her, was deep in thought. Lily kept glancing toward James. Albus Dumbledore, the Minister, and Madam Bones were all whispering to each other. After some time, Amelia Bones asked one last final question bluntly.
"Are you, James Potter, saying that you have no direct or indirect relation to controlling Peter Pettigrew and killing Severus Snape?"
"No, I have no direct or indirect relations with controlling Wormtail and killing Severus Snape." James answered directly. The effect of Veritaserum had long finished in his body.
Amelia silently nodded toward the Minister and Dumbledore. And finally, Dumbledore said, "Auror, administer him the antidote."
Kingsley didn't know that the effect of Veritaserum had finished long ago, which is why he administered the antidote. James took it happily. Lily was finally relieved to think that they finished his interrogation . But also she knew the punishment against practicing dark rituals. This time, she was ready to stand up if they tried to do any more damage.
"James Potter, you are cleared of all the charges you have been accused of. However, due to practicing long-banned dark rituals, you will be subjected to giving 1 million Galleons as a fine to the British Wizarding-"
"Stop it right there, old meddling goat"
Lily stood up from her seat and went to the podium of the Wizengamot. Addressing the hall, she thundered, "You, Ministry people, are leeches. You, lords and ladies, are sheep. You people aren't satisfied with feeding off the Potter family vaults. You are asking for a fine again? You took two innocent people to Azkaban for 63 days without even giving a proper trial. Haven't you got no shame? Release the whole detail of the money you have used from our vault. Where is my 45 million Galleons? Where have you used them in this Ministry? Now you don't have any proof that my husband did anything to your precious Ministry building, you should return our money to us."
Cornelius Fudge seemed to try to say something, but he again kept his mouth closed. Minister Bugnald also sat motionless in her chair.
Wide-eyed Amelia Bones stared back and forth between Lily and Dumbledore like a tennis match. Dumbledore hadn't said anything after he was interrupted; he looked like he was thinking very deeply.
Seeing no one was going to answer Lily Potter's questions, Amelia Bones, looking perplexed, finally spoke up, "Mrs. Potter, we understand your concerns, and we will investigate the use of the funds from your family vault . However, we must clarify that the charges against your husband were based on credible information."
Lily's eyes blazed with anger as she faced Amelia Bones. "Credible information? You call this credible information? You imprisoned my husband with forged documents Claiming he admitted his guilt. Now you are accusing him of practicing dark magic because all we did was a Halloween ritual created by one of his ancestors."
Dumbledore, who seemed to finish his deep thinking, made his voice calm and authoritative as he responded, "Mrs. Potter, we acted out of concern for the safety of the wizarding world. Dark rituals have dire consequences, and we must take precautions."
Lily, refusing to back down, shouted back, "Precautions? You are ruining our lives! And now you want to fine us? Release our family's money and prove that you haven't used it for your own dark purposes!"
Dumbledore's tone turned somber as he attempted to manipulate the situation, "Lily, we understand your frustration. But we must ensure that the wizarding world remains safe. Your family's vaults have contributed to our cause, and we have already used them for the greater good. You can see where your money has been used in your Gringott's ledger."
"In my ledger, there is a mention of taking 10 million just for the renovation of one floor. What did you do with that much? I didn't see anything useful when I was coming here."
Amelia Bones, torn between Lily's fury and Dumbledore's words, tried to mediate, "Let me investigate the use of the funds, Mrs. Potter. I will ensure transparency and justice. I will personally check all things at Gringotts myself."
Lily, her voice piercing, replied, "Transparency?, Justice?, You speak of these ideals while you've imprisoned my innocent husband while I was in a coma. You people in power gave my son to a magic-hating sister, even though his godmother tried to take his guardianship. You people drained our family's wealth by 45 million. I haven't complained directly to the ICW because you all have created documents that make it look like James has done it. And these proceedings are legally verified."
She silently added ' Also I don't want to visit the Court of the ICW for my whole life just to regain wealth which they have no intention of returning.There are other methods to regain that'
Fudge, trying to defend, retorted, "Mrs. Potter, we had reason to believe that your husband was involved in destroying the Ministry Building. Our actions were meant to rebuild the Ministry of Magic."
Lily, undeterred, shot back, "You know what, Fudge? I don't need you or anyone in the government to return my money. Consider it a parting gift. I know how you all will pay back. We will see each other in due time. Me and my husband are going to leave the wizarding world, but I have one last wish: release my husband as a free man and also release Remus from his house isolation. I will personally make sure he doesn't harm anyone."
"Mrs. Potter, we can't do that. There must be consequences for practicing dark magic and being a werewolf, what message this will send to public." the Minister finally said after a long pause.
Lily had had enough. These people seemed oblivious to basic human rights. They couldn't seem to grasp that what they had done was essentially a crime in the Muggle world. She returned to her seat and muttered, "Just do your works, you idiots."
When Lily sat down in the nearby chair, Dumbledore seemed to have some new idea. Lily didn't know what his motives were, but he said unexpectedly,
"Let Wizengamot decide what our course of action"
Albus motioned toward Amelia to continue with the remaining proceedings.
She address the hall "those who are not in favor of granting the demand of Lily Potter to make James Potter and Remus Lupin free men."
Lily looked up toward the gallery of sheep; there were many hands raised. She couldn't count them, but she knew the registrar in the hand of the Old Goat had all the names of those who raised their hands written magically.
"Those who are in favor of granting the demand of Lily Potter to make James Potter and Remus Lupin as free men?"
Many hands were raised this time. Again, before she could count how many there were, they lowered their hands. Dumbledore's voice boomed around the hall.
"This Court has decided to free James Potter and Remus Lupin. With this, I announce that the Wizengamot meeting has been adjourned."
January 10,1982
"Look who we have here," James exclaimed with a playful grin, gazing at his wife. "Our very own Drama Queen, Lily Potter."
"James, cease your teasing," Lily responded, her cheeks tinged with faint embarrassment. "I did all this for you, you know. A token of appreciation here and there wouldn't hurt. But you, James, can't resist making fun of me, can you?"
Azkaban had been incredibly tough on James, leaving scars in the form of restless nights and tormenting nightmares. To regain control of his thoughts, he sought the guidance of a skilled mind healer. Thanks to their interventions, he was doing much better, and Lily could sleep soundly beside him.
Sirius, on the other hand, appeared to be handling things better than James. No one knew if he had lost his sanity or not. He had been insane even before his time in Azkaban.
One reason Sirius was faring better was that he hadn't witnessed as many terrible things as James had. James had seen his parents die from a sickness, and those memories haunted him even three months after their deaths. James's ultimate fear, his Boggart, took the shape of a lifeless Hadrian in a crib. Once, Lily discovered him weeping silently in the middle of the floor, clutching the Boggart in the form of a lifeless Hadrian. It took hours for Lily to convince him that Hadrian was safe and sound.
"Smash the boiled potatoes like this, you idiot. Do you even possess the basic knowledge of mixing them?" James mimicked Lily's earlier, more authoritative tone from the Ministry.
"Stop this immediately, or I will force you to eat this entire plate of bacon," Lily threatened, a sly grin adorning her face.
James's earlier jovial expression vanished, replaced by an expression of disbelief. "You wouldn't dare, would you?"
"We'll see after you've finished making your own meal," Lily declared with a chuckle, taking her food and departing the kitchen with laughter trailing behind her.
Since his release from Azkaban, James had been suffering from severe stomach issues. He struggled to digest even the simplest of foods. Yet, being a Gryffindor, he couldn't back down from a challenge, could he? He ended up eating an entire plate of bacon. As a result, he found himself running to the washroom 29 times in a single day. Unfortunately, Lily couldn't administer any potions to relieve his discomfort, as his body constantly refused to cooperate.
January 12,1981
It's been 10 days since James and Sirius were freed from Azkaban. They haven't had a chance to meet Remus yet. The Ministry has said they will meet him today.
Even though they are free, they can't go out in public due to Rita Skeeter and her scandal, which has made their lives less favorable among wizarding people. Not that they care about what wizarding people think about them, but due to their immature thinking, James and Sirius couldn't go out anytime they want. People constantly start whispering and pointing toward them when they go out in public.
Lily's and Marlene's conditions are the same. They have also given Lily some terrifying name. Now, they don't want to work at the Ministry or Hogwarts. Besides that, there are no other jobs in the wizarding world. Lily has been constantly visiting Muggle London lately, but she hasn't said anything about it to anyone besides James.
Today, they will discuss what they are going to do next. Lily wants to leave the magical world behind her. She has plans for her son. She wants Hadrian to be educated in all the Hogwarts curriculum before he goes to Hogwarts.
They are waiting for Remus in Godric's Hollow. James is playing with Hadrian. Hadrian is constantly giggling and poking his small hand on his father's nose. He has been subjected to more trauma than others. Hadrian now always wants to sleep beside his mom. Even if anyone tries to place him in his crib, he will vanish it and go toward his mother in the middle of the night. Nowadays, both Potter males cling to Lily in their sleep. Though Lily has no complaints about it since she always keeps one hand around both of them.
Sirius is lying down on the couch, his head on Marlene's lap. Her fingers absentmindedly run through Sirius' hair. They are content in their own thoughts. Sirius is -
'knock knock'
Everyone stops what they're doing and glances toward the door. Lily stands from her seat and opens the door. It seems Remus is accompanied by two guests from the Ministry.
"Hello, Remus. I think you have come with two guests," Lily says.
Remus starts to reply but then looks at his companions. They are two newly recruited Ministry employees working in the Department of Magical Beast Regulations. They are eyeing Lily, their eyes widen slightly in a terrified manner. Lily raises her eyebrows at them. They don't say anything and leave as fast as they could. Remus looks at Lily strangely. Why are they terrified of her?
"Yes, but they seem terrified by seeing you."
Before Lily can reply, James Potter's voice interrupts from behind.
"They should be terrified because she is my Lioness. If you had seen her on the Ministry floor, your Moony version could have been terrified too."
"Shut up, James. I am not that terrifying," Lily tries to hide her embarrassment. "And that's because I am so angry with them."
"Yes, you looked terrifying, Red. That's why the Daily Prophet is calling you the Emerald Enchantress," Marlene also adds to show she was also present in the group.
Sirius is rolling on the floor with laughter.
"You mutt, shut up. And, Mr. Potter, stop laughing," Lily tries to threaten them, but it's not working because she is embarrassed enough.
"You guys have to fill in the gaps on what I missed," Remus says, hugging James tightly.
After a long talk and many laughs later, James adds, "Lily and I want to leave the magical world behind. I can't raise my son among these hideous people." After a pause, he adds, "And we want the three of you guys to come with us."
Everyone goes silent upon hearing that. After a moment, Remus solemnly adds, "I don't have any problem living in the Muggle world. I will be less discriminated there, but after the accident in the forest, I don't think I can forgive myself if the same thing happens again."
"I have found a house with a large basement, completely soundproof. You can lock yourself in there during the full moon with Wolfsbane. There is also a small private forest behind the house. We can ward the whole area if you want to go there during the full moon," Lily says to Remus hopefully.
Remus doesn't say anything; he nods his head.
And then Sirius adds, "I don't know any Muggle work there. I don't even know how things work there. I am useless without magic. How about jobs?"
"I have thought about it. You, James, and Remus can open a clothing brand. You guys can do that. You don't have to use any difficult Muggle technologies. Even if you need anything, Remus can help you there. Clothes are the things that Muggles change the most. They want new fashion with each passing generation," Lily says. Remus and Sirius seem to understand that. They nod.
"And what about me?" Marlene asks.
"I am opening a large bookstore. We both can work there. No pressure from anyone. Just be your own boss."
"That's a good idea, Lily." After a while she added "Where is this house located?"
"In the middle of London, Hampstead Lane," Lily replies to Marlene.
"Okay, I am ready. Yes, I am in," Remus says.
Eyes turn toward Sirius. He nods and says, "I am also in. But if Marlene wants me to stay in magical London, I will stay."
"Why would I stop you? I am also coming with you guys. What would I do here alone?" Marlene says, leaning into Sirius' chest.