Sorry for the long wait, here's the next chapter! I went through a big writer's block, so it's very late and slightly shorter than the last one :( But the story is moving forward! I hope you like it!

Thank you to my reviewers trispectrum, Guest, zeropolis79, TheSapphireGoddess The Lazy Princess, ArthurShade, The arithmancer, akasanta, sh777, PussySludge, cldiva and plums! Your support is very encouraging and I'll take your opinions into account :D

Also thank you to everyone who favorited/followed! I can't believe I have 200 follows and more than 100 favorites already, I never expected everyone to like this so much :)

To answer a few questions:

TheSapphireGoddess: Carmen gave Harry a portkey to make it to the appointments, it will be mentioned when he has his next session.

Also, about why Harry didn't also send the memories of Voldemort's return, it's because he still doesn't know that the ministry is denying it. In cannon he only found out about this when he made it to Grimmauld Place even though he had been getting the Daily Prophet, and now he isn't even getting it.

DISCLAIMER: Anything you recognize I don't own. I'm not making any profit from this story.

Chapter 9

Harry looked at the screen, not being able to take his eyes off it. Anto had flipped when he'd told her he'd never been to the movie theater, and she had promptly decided to spend their last afternoon in Madrid doing exactly that. It was incredibly realistic and exciting, so much more than the TV at the Dursleys'. He was glad he had a summer to enjoy all the muggle things he'd never been able to before and spend time like a normal teenager, it was like discovering the magical world all over again.

He suddenly felt Anto's hand gripping his tightly as William Wallace was tortured and felt a pleasant rush in his stomach. He had had an intense few days, with his two first sessions with Carmen and the sending of his memories of Sirius, so hadn't thought much about his feelings lately, but now they came back in full force. He wondered, for what seemed to be the thousandth time, what to do about them. It wasn't wise in a rational way to act on them, but at the same time he had a hard time imagining spending one month and a half more with Anto without doing anything. He felt his face heat up, and forced himself to focus on the movie. It really was great, he reflected, he had never known about the Scottish rebellion.

'I'm soo glad you came with us' told him Anto's friend Mari in a way that reminded him vaguely of the girls inviting him to the Yule Ball last year 'William Wallace was such a hero, don't you think?'

'Err, yes' he stuttered when she looked at him in the eye and smiled coyly. She was pretty, tall and wiry, with short, curly brown hair.

'Anto told me you leave Madrid tomorrow, but maybe when you guys come back from your trip you can join us for another movie' she suggested. He was surprised at the nice gesture and agreed, smiling.

'We must be going now' Anto interrupted. She sounded slightly upset, and he wondered what was up with her. Maybe Braveheart had really shaken her. They said their goodbyes and made their way to their bikes. She was quieter than usual.

'Is something wrong?' he asked her concernedly.

'Nah, everything's cool, just thinking about the movie' she replied, but he could tell she was lying. He put his arm around her hesitantly. He'd never done that to anyone before, but she'd done it when he was upset and he'd seen people at Hogwarts do it to their friends. She didn't lean into him, but she didn't shrug him off either, so he supposed it wasn't too terrible. He wondered what was wrong.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

'So, did you find the Dursleys' car?' Sirius asked Dedalus and Hestia that night as soon as everyone was seated for the meeting, ignoring Molly's disapproving look at his eagerness. Really, he couldn't care less that Dumbledore wanted to speak first; he wanted to know that his godson was abroad and safe.

'Yeah, we did, it was there all right' Dedalus said nervously looking at everyone. He was clearly leaving something out.

'And…?' asked Tonks impatiently.

'Dedalus got extra excited and confounded a clerk so he told us where they went' Hestia replied sighing embarrassedly 'The Dursleys' reservation was for the Canary Islands in Spain'. Sirius sighed in relief. He'd been briefly around the Canary Islands when he'd been hiding from the Ministry, and he could be sure it was the last place where Death Eaters would think of if they were to look for Harry. Now that he knew he was out of their hands, he could rest easily. Molly was going on a tirade of how they could be so irresponsible to take Harry so far away, but he continued ignoring her. Not that he liked the Dursleys at all, but he thought they were perfectly entitled to go on a holiday and take Harry whenever and wherever they wished without Molly's permission. The woman seemed to think she had to rule over everyone's lives. Merlin, they weren't all her children or mentally deficient. She was even telling him how to run his house.

'Given that Voldemort's right here, being far away is quite a good idea' he snapped at her. Molly was about to reply indignantly, but Dumbledore silenced her.

'Sirius is right, it won't be necessary to keep looking for Harry now, he will be safe in Spain' the elder man said in his usual knowing, serene tone. 'I have asked Mrs. Figg to inform me when he returns, so he can then spend three weeks at Privet Drive and then come here. I'm sorry Sirius, but if they take a long time to come back Harry won't be able to come here soon'. Dumbledore watched as Sirius sulked, secretly relieved Harry was away. This way he had a legitimate excuse for keeping him away from Grimmauld Place for longer than the necessary three weeks. He definitely did not want to explain his theory on Voldemort being able to spy on them through Harry to the rest of the order. That information could be very dangerous if it reached the wrong hands.

OoOoOoOoOo

'Your friends were really nice' Harry told Anto, not knowing what else to say to cheer her up. He had tried to talk about the movie and other mindless things to say since they had arrived home, and he could see she was making an effort to seem natural, but it wasn't really working.

'Yeah, you liked Mari, didn't you?' she asked directly, looking into his eyes.

'Yeah, she was very welcoming' he replied, surprised at the question.

'And pretty' she said coolly. He didn't know why she was bringing this up, though it was true. It seemed kind of pointless, and didn't really help him understand what was going through her mind.

'Yeah, she was pretty too' he replied confusedly. Anto avoided his eyes and trained them on her bedside table. She seemed to be struggling with saying something, which was quite weird on the Spanish girl, and frankly, it worried him. What could be so bad that his direct, to-the-point friend couldn't say?

'Anto, what's wrong?' Harry asked softly 'you've been acting weird since the theater'. He suddenly realized this was his first time ever attempting to find out what was wrong with someone he cared about. No wonder he was doing an abysmal job of it.

'You've never told me you like me' she said quietly, her eyes still trained on the bedside table. Harry didn't know what came over him, but before he realized it, he moved close to her and put his arm around her again.

'I do like you a lot, and I think you're very pretty' he whispered in her ear, surprised at his own boldness. She turned to him and he suddenly realized they were inches apart. His breath hitched as he looked into her eyes. This was the moment. He could either lean in or sit back. He panicked momentarily, wondering how things would change. He really wanted to kiss her right now, but the consequences could be disastrous. What if this wasn't what she wanted? She looked like she did though. He would do it anyway, he decided, damn the consequences; and leaned in.

Suddenly, they heard a car engine and Anto jumped apart from him, startled. Tía Ana was back, and Harry cursed to himself. He should have kissed her when he had the chance. Now all he felt was embarrassment, and he couldn't look his friend in the eye. She seemed to feel awkward too, and Harry wondered if she had known what was going through his mind right then.

'Ya empacaron todo para mañana? (Did you pack everything for tomorrow?)' Tía Ana came in smiling.

'Sí mama' said Anto, her voice back to normal. He thought she might have been blushing a little, but her cheeks were always rosy, so he couldn't be sure. The only thing he was sure of was that his own cheeks were burning.

'Lleven algo para leer, es un viaje largo (Take something to read, it's a long trip)' the woman instructed. She was talking a lot slower than usual for Harry's benefit, and he could thankfully understand what she was saying, having learnt a lot of basic verbs and vocabulary in the past two weeks. He agreed, smiling in what he hoped was a natural way, and she left, satisfied.

'I'm going to make sure I've packed everything' Harry told Anto, standing up awkwardly. The girl nodded, equally uncomfortable, and Harry berated himself for ruining their closeness. He wished her goodnight with a quick kiss on the cheek, which now seemed more polite than friendly, and left the room, wondering what he could do to make things right again. He definitely didn't want to spend the rest of the summer in this awkwardness.

He cursed himself all the way back to his room, and started shoving his last things into his suitcase. He was pretty sure Anto had wanted him to kiss her, so at least he didn't feel like a wanker. But she must have thought he was a loser, hesitating like that. He hoped he hadn't just caused an unwelcome change in their relationship. For the first time of his life, he really fancied a girl and he wanted a more-than-friends relationship with her. He wasn't so stupid as to believe his feelings for Cho had been of any depth beyond admiring her looks, even though as far as he had seen, she was a great person. But this time was different. He actually knew Anto, loved her personality and quirks and felt like he wanted to know everything about her. She made him happy when he was down, and he trusted her with some of his issues and feelings, something he had seldom done before even with Ron and Hermione.

He would kiss her the next chance he got, he encouraged himself, there was nothing stopping him anymore. This was something he really wanted, he knew she also did, and he had already resolved to take control of his life and fight for what he wished. It was time to start practicing it.

OoOoOoOoOo

3 days later

Amelia Bones conjured a memo and sent it to her secretary to ask for her second coffee cup of the day. Monday mornings were always stressful, but lately they had been even more so. Her department was painfully short on staff, and resources for training were scarce. Cornelius had been too wrapped up in his media fight with Dumbledore to pay attention to what the departments were doing, much less to allow them to have extra funds. Amelia found the whole 'you-know-who-is-back' thing a little far-fetched, especially without proof, but she didn't approve of the minister neglecting his job and stripping Dumbledore of his powers just to defend his own theory. There had been a couple mysterious muggle killings with magical residues, and the usual chasing of delinquents and illegal traders that needed urgent attention from the aurors, and she hadn't been able to investigate the matters properly due to lack of equipment.

She silently cursed the 1982 Wizengamot for choosing Cornelius Fudge as minister. He had never done a competent job, and he was much too concerned with his own image instead of with being fair and ensuring people had their rights respected.

An owl interrupted her inner rant and she promptly untied the letter, which came with a smaller note, a leaflet and a vial inside. It had the seal of what was apparently a Spanish memory saving company, and a leaflet of their services. Apparently, you could store any memory you wanted so you could view it again in something called a 'tape' without needing a pensieve. Interesting. Maybe it would make a nice Christmas present for Susan if she stored memories of her parents, she mused while wondering why a Spanish services company would contact her. She read the note and frowned at the untidy scrawl.

Dear Director,

I am writing because I went through a situation that questions the guilt of one of your prisoners in Azkaban, and believe he might have been sent there without a trial. I understand your department is in charge of these issues, so I hope you can investigate the matter properly. Enclosed is my memory of the event.

Sincerely,

Harry Potter

Amelia switched to alert mode, her day suddenly looking to be a lot more interesting. It wasn't every day a prisoner's guilt was questioned; she actually could never recall it happening. Thankfully she had a pensieve at hand as it was necessary for the department, so she immediately dumped the contents of the vial and dove in.

When she came out, she was shaking. Rationally, she knew that Black could have perfectly well confounded the kid without it being noticeable, and it was highly improbable that a case so well known would actually be a fluke. On the other hand, he couldn't help but wonder. It would take a highly skilled wizard to confound three students and a teacher without it being noticeable in a memory, and Black had spent twelve years in Azkaban, which usually stunted your magic as well as your mind. She wondered vaguely why Lupin hadn't requested an investigation to be opened, as a responsible adult who seemed to really believe his friend was innocent. Maybe he had realized later that Black was actually guilty. In any case, it was her duty to investigate the matter, no matter how improbable it was.

'Sarah, I need the file of Sirius Black as soon as possible. Including his arrest, trial, escape, everything you find' she told her secretary. She signed an official request so the information would get there quicker and gave it to the intern before going back to her regular paperwork. She was not going to be distracted by a confounded kid.

Her secretary came back forty minutes later, with a file that was a lot thinner than it should have been. Amelia promptly started reading about the arrest, raising her eyebrows when she read about the auror snapping Black's wand before bringing him in for questioning. She had also been an auror at the time, though she'd mostly been assigned to more low profile cases, as Crouch, for all his correctness, had always been somewhat chauvinistic. She recalled the period as a rough and confusing one, and she knew Crouch had given them permission to use unforgivables on Death Eaters, and also to send people temporarily to Azkaban while they awaited trial if the ministry holding cells were full. Nevertheless, she had never heard of permission to snap someone's wand before they even had a trial. The anonymous auror had definitely skipped protocol there. In any case, it looked like Black was guilty if he was laughing like a maniac and admitting he killed them, though it wasn't clear whether he referred to Pettigrew and the muggles, or to James and Lily Potter.

'Sarah, you forgot the trial file' she told her secretary a few minutes later kindly. The girl was only nineteen; it was understandable that she would make some mistakes.

'Err, Madam, there was no trial file. I looked everywhere' the girl said nervously. Amelia froze. Could the Potter kid be right? No, it wasn't possible. She went to the trial records cabinet and accioed the Sirius Black file. Nothing came flying, and she apologized to her secretary who looked annoyed. She had clearly already tried that.

'Go to the hall of records and ask for the original file please. Here's the authorization' she told Sarah, disguising her stress. The Department of Law Enforcement only had copies of the records, but they were supposed to duplicate automatically once they were made. Someone could have read the duplicate and stored it somewhere else or lost it though, a lot of people had access into that cabinet. Only the heads of department had access to the original files in the Hall of Records though, and they had one day to return them before a hundred memos came to remind you. It was unlikely that the original would be lost.

She returned to her desk and was stumped to find that the questioning part of the arrest was also missing. Who had been so sloppy? She knew that in those times a lot of people were being imprisoned, and could wait up to two weeks before being brought in for questioning, as with so many trials taking place there hadn't been time. But for someone not to be questioned at all… that definitely shouldn't have happened. All potential threats had to be questioned, if only for information. And no matter its result, there should have been a trial after to deliver the exact charges and penitence.

'Madam, in the Hall of Records there's no file for Mr. Black either' Sarah told her with wide eyes. It seemed she was catching on to what was happening. Amelia cursed again. This was very strange. Either the secretary hadn't turned in the original transcript to the Hall of Records, or, as the Potter kid had suggested, they had imprisoned a man without a trial.

'Okay, I'll ask someone for their memory of the trial then' Amelia decided, and Sarah nodded and left. It was dictated that every Wizengamot member had to be present at the post-war crimes trials, with no exceptions, so if she asked some of the old members for the memory the matter would be clear. She got out some floo powder and got to work.

After some heated conversations with Augusta Longbottom, Roderick Greengrass and Arnold Diggory, she resolved to fix the matter, still not believing it herself. None of them had ever been summoned to, much less attended Sirius Black's trial. Even though there was still a 99% chance that the man was guilty of what he did, the previous department had carried out a gross injustice, and it was her duty to fix it, if only to assuage a citizen's doubts. Luckily, Crouch had made sure the Department of Law Enforcement had the authority to summon the Wizengamot to a trial without anyone else's permission, one of the few good things he had done in her opinion.

'Sarah, I need you to write a trial compulsory summon for me' she ordered.

Half an hour later, Sirius paused momentarily from his conversation with Remus to untie the unknown owl's letter, and was surprised to find it was from Madam Bones.

Dear Mr. Black,

It has come to my attention that you have never received a trial as the law dictates. Due to this, you are officially summoned to your trial for your presumed war crimes on the 5th of August. It will be held in Courtroom 10 at 8:45 am. You may appoint a defendant and choose witnesses to give testimony on your behalf. Should you choose not to attend, you will be declared guilty and your persecution will resume as normal.

Yours sincerely,

Amelia Bones Director - Department of Law Enforcement

PS: The order for the dementors to apply the kiss-on-sight will be temporarily suspended until the veredict.

Sirius turned pale. Remus had the same shocked look. Could this be real?

So I hope you liked it! I made Augusta Longbottom, Amos Diggory's father and Daphne Greengrass' relative part of the 1981 Wizengamot, no idea if that's true, but I think it's plausible :)

Please review and tell me your thoughts and ideas, constructive criticism is also welcome :)