Prince Consort

Big thank you to Peya_Luna who prevented me from royally screwing up the story by informing me that I had already dealt with the Dursley's. I had been so sure that I had edited anything to do with the Dursley's deaths out of the story when it underwent significant editing. Yet it's apparent that I did not, so the parts where the Dursley's were discussed in the previous chapter are now edited also, I much prefer doing it quickly so that I remember and it's fixed and sorted I'm not overly fond of big mistakes! So Thank you for those who informed me of my little mistakes in the last chapter!

Chapter 33

Harry burrowed further into Severus, who had wrapped his arm around him, a smug smirk twitching at his lips as Dumbledore's blue eyes bored into his own from around that comforting arm, filled with fury and fire that he evidently could not suppress. Yes, Dumbledore had thought to make him miserable, all for a few vampires to participate in the Order. He was far from miserable that it that it was almost laughable. Sure they hadn't had the best start, but now? Harry was happy, he missed Severus when he wasn't with him, that was surely a sign that he wanted to be there, right? Of course, it was.

"Mr. Black, calm down, otherwise you will be removed from the courtroom," an Auror who was not Smith Harry noticed, was whispering to the wizard. Holding him back, preventing him from flinging himself at Dumbledore and trying to cause him bodily harm. "The best thing you can do now, is tell your story, make the Wizengamot feel sorry for you so that Dumbledore ends up in Azkaban for a long time." his grip on Sirius tight enough to cause Black to wince, before marginally calming down when he registered the words. Giving a grim nod, the Auror did not release his grip until Black was sitting in the witness box Harry had been in five minutes prior. Then proceeded to stand just behind the witness box, keeping his eye on the quick-tempered wizard. Everyone knew Sirius Black was born with a raw nerve, easily angered and very sensitive to certain subjects.

"Please state your full name for the purpose of the court," Jason stood, stalking towards Sirius Black waiting patiently for a reply a few feet from him.

"Lord Sirius Orion Black," Sirius replied, forcefully trying to make himself relax, he could feel Auror Stevens just behind him. It was making him edgier if that was even remotely possible.

"Age and Date of Birth?"

"November third, nineteen fifty-nine," Sirius rasped out, "Thirty-seven years old," directly avoiding Dumbledore, hoping it would prevent him from losing control over himself. Even ignoring him the urge to lash out was overwhelming. He wanted to climb over the witness box and smash Dumbledore's head against the marble floor, repeatedly, until the old fool was dead.

"Can you tell us what happened on the night of all hallows eve - October 31st nineteen eighty-one, fifteen years ago?" Jason inquired, "From the moment you realized something was wrong."

Everyone quietened down, barely breathing as they listened attentively to find out what had happened from his point of view.

"I figured something was wrong when I went to Pettigrew's hideout, the place was a mess, it was clear that some sort of battle had taken place…or rather made to look like one." Sirius clenched his hands tightly, almost grinding his teeth as he spoke of the traitor who hadn't been seen since that night. Except for when Harry had seen him at Voldemort's side that night. "I took off immediately on my bike, trying to get to Godric's Hollow as soon as possible. I learned from the neighbors that Harry had been taken out of the house by Dumbledore. When I saw my best friends…" Sirius choked up unable to speak past the lump in his throat.

"Take your time," Jason said quietly, feeling sorry for the wizard, with the potion in his system he hadn't been able to grieve for them. It would strengthen his case, for the others to see him so desolate without even getting to the heart of the matter. Truthfully it did not need strengthening, for it was a pretty open and shut case. He was only now trying to get the toughest sentence he could.

"When I saw them…" Sirius choked off once again, his voice raw, every feeling he had on the subject of his best friends showing clearly for all to see.

Dumbledore meanwhile shrank into the chair at the looks he was getting from all directions. The case was not going well at all, his lawyer wasn't doing a very impressive job. He could have done it better himself, should he have the ability to do so. Unfortunately, getting out of the chair would have proved mighty difficult. It had nothing to do with the chains either. He had spent months in Azkaban with the Dementors, feeling what his own father had for years before he died. Azkaban was cold and draughty, not good on his ailing old body, added with the Dementors, he felt extremely frail and looked it too probably. Much to his consternation, he did not like looking weak.

Not that Black was the focus of much of his attention, no it was Potter and Snape. He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Severus Snape was a Vampire Lord. Home to the biggest coven of vampires in existence, with perhaps only one or two bigger. There was just no way of knowing, since they very much preferred remaining in the shadows, barely on the fringes of society. Everything that was happening was a result of his lies. He thought with fury, he had kept the truth from him. Everything would have been different if that were the case, he would have made the boy his priority, not Black.

"After…after I got angry, I was going to hunt Pettigrew down and kill him for what he did," Sirius said, blue eyes bleak and dead. Showing that he was deadly serious, he'd had every intention of killing Peter Pettigrew. "I was just about to leave Godric's Hollow when I got Dumbledore's letter. He asked to meet me at Hogwarts. I thought it was so I could get my godson." a wave of fresh grief sliding over Sirius' face, tears sliding down in droves and dripping down his chin.

Harry leaned further into Severus, accepting the comfort being readily offered to him. He was ready to have this trial over with and to go home. He didn't want to hear this, he had sort of forgiven Black for what happened, so this was just making him feel very antsy. Seeing Sirius like this months ago would have brought him nothing but glee. Now though, it saddened him to a degree, not something he was used to feeling where it concerned this wizard. "I see why Remus hasn't come," Harry said quietly, Remus would have been in just a bad a state, unable to do anything to help. The fact his own mate was feeling this way would have had Remus trying to make it better. How he would have done so…nobody knew least of all Remus. Hence his very wise decision to stay clear of the trial.

Harry was glad for it too, he was no good to his dad like this, he'd felt so bad for him. When he'd regaled him of tales of his mum and dad after bringing everything from Godric's Hollow. It had been as painful as it had been cathartic.

Severus shifted so he could pull Harry closer to him, "It would have done them both no good to be here together," he agreed softly. Eyes latching onto Dumbledore's a sneer planting itself across his face, how he loathed the old fool. Even more so due to the fact that he had so gleefully given Harry to him without due care or caution. Don't get him wrong, he was glad for it, it enabled him to keep his mate safe. Truly fearing that if Dumbledore found out, he wouldn't have been able to get Harry to safety. Such as shutting him into a property with the Fidelius Charm, there was a lot he could have done. He hadn't wished to see his mate turned into a weapon for the old fool.

"Then what happened?" Jason asked after a moment of silence, letting Sirius recover somewhat.

"I accepted a cup of coffee from him," Sirius admitted, closing his eyes in despair, he would never trust like that again. Never trust blindly. "That's how he drugged me."

"Do you remember everything from when you were under the potion?" Jason questioned.

"I remember everything, I…it was like I was in the back seat of my own body," Sirius choked out, "I lost everything that night," absolutely everything and he couldn't even express his own horror and feelings over what had happened.

"You tried repeatedly to get help?" Jason questioned.

"Yes, the potion had been in my system so long I began to be able to fight it. It was usually when it was just about to wear off. But what Dumbledore was doing to my godson…" again Sirius choked off, feeling overwhelmed. "I fought it like crazy, it wasn't until my own godson said he hated me that it flipped a switch in me. I was furious, I hated Dumbledore even more than before…and I fought it, despite the fact I had just been drugged again I managed to overcome it and beg Shacklebolt for help before it swallowed me under again."

"So it was Shacklebolt that sought aid for you?" Jason queried.

"He got me to St. Mungo's after my system had been flushed of all and any potions," Sirius revealed, gratitude unhidden. He was very grateful that Shacklebolt hadn't just written it off as a joke and helped him. Now he was living his life again for the first time in over a decade. He had his mate back, not that he had known it at the time. Although mate meant more to Remus than it did to him, due to his wolfy nature. It didn't mean he didn't care about Remus, he loved him, more than his own life.

"We, of course, have the results of the scans and blood results on page three," Jason called out to the members of the Wizengamot. "They are yours for your perusal," folders floated towards each member, who opened the files and began to read through the results that were very genuine and by one of St. Mungo's best healers.

There was no doubting the results they had came directly from the wand, the wand signature of that particular healer was recorded.

Irrefutable proof that would see Dumbledore going down.

"What were Dumbledore's instructions when he gave you the potion?" Jason asked, continuing to ask questions despite the fact the Wizengamot was currently immersed in the paperwork brought moments previously before them. Also a sworn affidavit by Professor Helbert, who was also a healer and wrote pieces for the Daily Prophet, very well respected.

"To forget about my godson, to do everything I could to bring in the Death Eaters, my job," Sirius words were whispered, croaking at the end. His goddamned bloody job, as if that was the most important thing that mattered! Well, it wasn't, his godson meant more than anything else in this godforsaken bloody world. Yet they looked at each other like strangers! He knew nothing about his own Godson, not really, hearing about it and experiencing life with him are two very different things. He'd never get that back NEVER! And he could do nothing more than he already was, by making Dumbledore pay for his crimes. Not in the way he daydreamed out, no, those were exceedingly more violent. The plucking of his blue eyes kind, and that's just to start with.

"Every time?" Jason pushed.

"No, there was one instance where the instructions weren't the same. Despite the potion, I retained custody of Harry in a legal sense, I was his magical guardian and godfather." Sirius said weakly, rubbing his eyes, feeling more like seventy than just in his thirties. "I fought him, I was fighting the potion, but he hit me with an additional spell that pulled me back under."

Harry was startled to hear that, while Sirius had apologized profusely, he didn't know everything. To know that he had fought the potion even for a moment, to stop Dumbledore, to protect him, it meant more than Sirius would ever know.

"And what were those instructions?" Jason asked, raising his hand for silence from the Wizengamot who were all rapidly whispering to one another.

"To sign over custody, to Dumbledore himself," Sirius informed them with a grimace.

"That is not all, that Dumbledore has ever done to you is it?" Jason asked, getting onto the next titbit.

"No, when I was checked over, the blood test results uncovered something…just as bad," Sirius hissed out through gritted teeth, he couldn't say it was worse since there was nothing worse than what Dumbledore had done.

"Which was?" Jason questioned seriously.

"I had the Anima Ligaveris spell cast upon me when I was just eleven years old," Sirius confessed, slumping upon himself feeling so very drained and tired. He and Remus had spoken about this particular fear coming to light, that the public would find out about him being a werewolf. Yet when compared to everything, it didn't seem to matter. Remus admitted that he wouldn't have gone down this route a few years ago. However, being with Harry had strengthened him in a way that being with him and James had not.

The response was immediately after they heard Sirius' words, fury and anger went rampant over the room. In fact there were even a few death threats issued to Dumbledore, but by whom, nobody in law enforcement actually knew. Not that they particularly cared, the Auror's merely tightened their hold on their wands, watching everyone carefully. They did not do it to protect Dumbledore, per se, but to ensure justice was served. To them, Azkaban was their justice system and a fair one. They paid for their crimes there.

Jason nodded, refraining from asking any questions, waiting for the outcry to die down. Eyeing Dumbledore who had paled drastically and looked very green around the gills. Oh, yes, they had kept that quiet, adding it in, only this morning so Dumbledore didn't know about it. So they could see his raw genuine reaction for themselves. Admittedly they'd only gained permission from Black himself last week anyway.

"Can you tell us your symptoms you carried of this spell?" Jason asked once the noise level died down a little.

As soon as he spoke though, everyone quietened down, trying to remain professional and failing.

"I was eleven, I had always been that way, part of me missing, no matter what I did, I…never figured it out," Sirius confessed, gaze still resolutely staying clear of Dumbledore just to be on the safe side. "Now I know," he said reverently touching his chest, "The warmth, the connection, and happiness."

Dumbledore's lip curled, so the disgusting filthy mutt had bonded to Black, how disgusting.

"Thank you, Lord Black, for your honesty," Jason said giving a short curt bow. "If there are no more questions, you may step down."

Michael stood, brow wet with sweat, "I have no questions," he informed them before reclaiming his seat, unobtrusively wiping his brow. Quite frankly he just wanted to leave the court, leave Dumbledore to it. Unfortunately, he believed it would see him killed sooner, due to the fact it would call off the case for now. Due to the fact, Dumbledore did legally have the right to representation. He had no doubt that Dumbledore would request a continuance while they found someone else. So to say he felt like he was teetering on the knives edge was putting it mildly. He was grateful for Jason's words don't get him wrong, but he wished he didn't know.

Dumbledore stared indignantly at his lawyer, eyes flashing angrily, he was not impressed. He was supposed to be defending him, weakening the case with the questions he had given him to ask. Yet he had made no attempt, bar one question, to do so. What the hell had this Jason lawyer said to Michael to make him so terrified? Given him money to screw up the case further? Money was always a good opener, nine times out of ten people accept the bribes. He should know he had given over his fair share of them over the past decades of his life.

"I bring to your attention, ladies, and gentlemen of the Wizengamot, written confessions by Evan Doge, who agreed to the terms in what he thought was protecting Lord Black," Jason said, and with a flick of his wand, paperwork shot off his desk and landed in the lap of each fifty members of the Wizengamot. "As you know, you cannot be on active duty if you take potions to help with depression. Evan Doge was under that impression and agreed to hide it, he never tested Sirius Black's blood."

Sirius was startled to hear that!

"This was all confessed under Veritaserum which he willingly agreed to." he continued, "He is in Azkaban for his part in this travesty of justice, and will serve one year, which everyone agreed was enough." not all Wizengamot members had been there, not that he knew this, but had to do so just to be on the safe side. Plus, all had to be revealed during what had been quite a lengthy investigation. They had not been able to tie Elphias Doge to any of this, despite the fact they felt for sure he was. He had been benched for the duration of the trials, both his sons and Dumbledore's to maintain some sense of neutrality. Unfortunately, it wasn't as easy as one would expect, especially with a man like Dumbledore. He was too well known, too well liked, hence the vows to ensure impartiality.

While the Wizengamot members maintained some friendships, Dumbledore and Doge had always been as thick as thieves. It was for the best that he was no here.

"You may step down, Lord Black," Jason informed the wizard, Auror Stevens aiding Black in stepping down.

"Do you wish to wait for the verdict? Or go back to the witness room for some quiet?" Stevens asked Sirius, his tone sympathetic.

"Here," Sirius was shaking his head immediately, he wanted to see the old fool go down.

"Shouldn't be long now," Cenric stated, "An hour at most, but I think they'll come to an agreement much more quickly."

"I agree," Severus nodded grimly, "There is absolutely no doubt about his guilt, it's just a matter of how long he gets."

Harry stood up and made his way over to the railing, getting as close to Dumbledore as he could, without the Auror's resorting to removing him.

"I told you I would find a way to bring you down," Harry stated victoriously, "Many have tried you said, but none of these people were me. You're done you disgusting old bastard. I win." unable to help rubbing salt in the wound like any Slytherin would.

Course I just had to have Harry getting the last word in ;) I hope you're still enjoying it! Will Voldemort attack the Ministry or will that fight happen later, way down the line after Harry's perfected dueling etc... and perhaps married properly to his mate? :P Read and Review, please!