Disclaimer: Still absolutely nope.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the fantastic reviews! I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter. It was incredibly intense to write.

Yes, I feel awful about the current events going on in the world. I won't talk about it too much here, but needless to say, I listen to several amazing people who keep me up to date on the news. I was inspired to write this particular plotline due to things that are going on right now. You can't rewrite history, and it makes me sick that some people try to do so.

To my one reviewer: I take your point about Umbridge. I wrote her that way because she was putting on a show for Fudge, but you're right. I definitely see her jumping ship and not staying loyal to him. This isn't the last we'll see of her in this story, although thankfully, she won't be coming to Hogwarts for fifth year. I figured I'd tell all of you now, so you won't have to worry about her torturing any students.

You also asked me whether it was okay to write a spin-off Cho one-shot based on this fic. If you didn't see my PM about this, I wanted to say that of course it's okay. I would be honored. That goes for all the rest of my readers, too. You don't have to ask for permission if you ever wish to write anything based on my work. My only condition is that you let me know when it's done so I can read and review! I have never thought my work was good enough for someone to want to do that, so I was stunned when I got the request. I love that so much!

Also, I wanted to let everyone know that Sturgis Podmore's personality is based off of someone real, and that I have come to care about so, so deeply. I have learned so many lessons from him, and I feel like he's literally saved me from myself at times. And the thing of it is, he doesn't even know it. He doesn't have a clue. Obviously, I've given him a much different backstory, as I am absolutely not making him the same as the real person. By the end of this story, I hope you care about him as much as I do. He's an absolutely incredible human being.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

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Amelia Bones watched in silent sympathy as several people, most notably the Weasley family and a bushy-haired girl she was positive was Hermione Granger, left the courtroom. The memory was still showing Dumbledore screaming in pain, and the Mind Healers were still taunting him.

If Amelia could have her way, she'd have left the courtroom too. Her neice had, right after she'd seen the murder of Cedric during the first part of the trial. Amelia had comforted her during the recess - she and her best friend, Hannah Abbott, had been inconsolable after seeing the death of their friend. Amelia had warned them that what they were about to see would be horrific, but even she wasn't prepared for the full effects of it. She understood perfectly why Susan and Hannah couldn't stay for the rest of the memory.

But now, they were back again, and their expressions were a blank, numb horror. They hadn't left the second time they'd seen Cedric murdered - instead, they looked furious at the blatant falsehood being displayed in front of them. Harry, grinning in a maniacal fashion, Harry saying simply, "Because I feel like it," when Cedric had asked him why he was hurting him. Harry, pointing his wand at the terrified boy and casting the Killing Curse. Harry, who would never do such a thing. The memory was so horrendously fabricated that it turned Amelia's stomach, and she had seen a lot in her time. This, however ... this was uncharted territory.

"Calm down, you stubborn bastard. We still have work to do," the man Amelia knew was Healer Shaddock told Dumbledore in a voice full of anger.

"Yeah. This whole thing would go a lot quicker if you'd just cooperate," Healer Pollander added, his sinister smirk making Amelia's gut clench. "Just relax."

He incanted the same spell he had before, the spell that Amelia knew was used very rarely. It would plant a false memory inside one's head, and Amelia realized Dumbledore had been screaming as his mind fought its effects. She knew that he was an expert at both Occlumency and Legilimency, so his mind's defenses were working to counter the spell. It was causing Dumbledore incredible pain. In these moments, none of Amelia's issues with Dumbledore mattered. The man was being tortured, and the men before him might as well be Death Eaters.

Amelia had realized, though, that any person who performed an evil deed didn't always follow a monster like Voldemort. Many had their own agenda, and they did what they wanted to do. Healers Pollander and Shaddock's hatred for Dumbledore was painfully visible, and they were clearly enjoying themselves as they did their so-called "work".

The image in the Pensieve now showed Dumbledore and Harry again. The old man was sitting behind his desk, and he was staring at the boy with both anger and sorrow. The memory had that surreal quality to it again, clearly displaying that it had been faked.

"Harry," the man sighed as he stared at the blank, emotionless boy in front of him. "How did things go so wrong? You have done something incredibly awful, my boy. I cannot condone your behavior - it was heinous and evil." He looked so painfully sad, like he would start shedding tears at any moment. "I am so sorry, Harry. I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

"I don't need help from the likes of you," Harry snarled, glaring at the Headmaster with pure hate in his emerald eyes. "Crouch did more for me than you ever could," the boy growled. "He helped me reach my potential."

Amelia didn't even see him raise his wand - it happened so quickly that you could have blinked and missed it. But the next thing Amelia saw was him pointing his wand straight at Dumbledore's head, catching the usually astute, prepared man by surprise. "Legilimens!" he cried.

The scene went eerily dark for a second, and when it returned to some semblance of normalcy, Dumbledore was saying, "Since you won't tell me the truth, Harry, I will have to look into your mind. I do not appreciate you tampering with my memories."

As Harry cried, "But I didn't! How dare you accuse me of such a thing!" Amelia knew exactly what was going on here. Judging by the faces of some of the others who remained in the courtroom, they knew it too.

The Mind Healers had tried to create a loop, so that Dumbledore would be utterly confused by what was real and what was not. The fake, fabricated Harry would keep tampering with Dumbledore's memory, the man would realize it, and look at the so-called truth in Harry's mind.

No wonder it hadn't worked properly. The Mind Healers had underestimated the effect this method would have on him, and his mind had broken under the ceaseless assault. Amelia couldn't imagine the work Healer Dixon had had to do in order to salvage anything at all.

Amelia knew one thing for sure - she would never be able to forget the sound of Dumbledore's screams. They were powerful and haunting, and the insane Healers seemed to revel in the sound. She looked out at the people in the room, and saw that many of them were crying, some covering their ears as Dumbledore's shrieks of pain once again filled the room.

Blessedly, a few seconds later, the memory ended. Amelia was incredibly shaken, but she knew she had to continue the proceedings. Her entire body felt like lead, like she'd just run a marathon and couldn't catch her breath. She thought she couldn't be shocked by anything anymore, because in her line of work, she'd seen witches and wizards commit abominable crimes. But today, she felt like her universe had shifted, and for the first time in years, she felt completely out of her element.

She had planned on questioning Fudge, but the man had confessed everything. There was nothing left to do but hope the Wizengamot convicted him, and he was sent to Azkaban for the rest of his life. Amelia had often thought that the prison was cruel and unusual punishment, but for people like Fudge who had condoned violence the likes of which she had never witnessed in such plain view before, she would make an exception. She could barely believe she was thinking these thoughts, but it was true.

The courtroom was silent, except for the sound of people sobbing. This was just like it had been right after the memory of Voldemort's return had ended. Many pairs of eyes stared at Fudge, who sat in the chained chair with a look on his face that plainly stated that his life was over.

"Those in the Wizengamot who wish to convict Cornelius Oswald Fudge, please raise your hand," she said, supremely glad that her voice did not tremble.

And every single Wizengamot member raised their hand, with no abstentions. Many of them were staring at Fudge with profound disgust, while others gazed at him with pity. A once promising politician had fallen from grace in such a spectacular fashion. Amelia thought of an expression she had heard rather frequently: "Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely".

Fudge's face went as white as snow, and he looked like he was having a panic attack as he started hyperventilating. Amelia felt no sympathy for him whatsoever. He was going to be punished for his horrendous crimes.

"And if you find Cornelius not guilty, please raise your hand," Amelia had to say, because it was protocol.

As expected, no one did. The vote was entirely unanimous.

"Cornelius Oswald Fudge, you will spend the rest of your life in Azkaban prison," Amelia intoned, keeping any emotion out of the verdict. "I hope that while you are there, you begin to understand the severity of what you have done."

Fudge didn't say or do anything, and when Amelia looked at him, he was shaking hard. Several Aurors left the room, returning about a minute later with the Dementors.

Amelia hated seeing these creatures, but in her line of work, she saw them way too often. She could hear her own sobs from years past as she saw the lifeless eyes of her family members who had been killed by Voldemort and his Death Eaters in the First War. It was the children who affected her the worst - they were so pure and innocent, and to be struck down in such a fashion was so brutal and evil that it made her rage spike every time she thought about it. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a piece of chocolate, seeing that almost everyone else in the courtroom was doing the same.

Fudge, however, did not have the luxury of having any chocolate in his vicinity. The man moaned piteously as the Aurors unbound him from the chained chair and brought him to his feet, and the Dementors seized him. The image of the man being dragged away crying out in fear would stay with her for the rest of her life.

Amelia looked out at everyone still in the courtroom, knowing that this day would be talked about and remembered for years to come. "This court now stands adjourned," she boomed, bringing the proceedings to an end.

As people began to file out, one wizard came over to speak to Amelia. He looked poised and put together, carrying an air of confidence about him. Amelia had no doubt that Auror Sturgis Podmore knew exactly what he was going to say.

There was something else in Sturgis's eyes, too, as well as the confidence he possessed. There was regret there, a deep, dark ocean of it that Amelia could get lost in if she looked for too long. Suspecting she knew what he wanted to talk about, she greeted him warmly. "Hello, Auror Podmore," she said quietly.

"Madam Bones," the man said, giving her a smile that didn't quite reach his haunted eyes. "I am sure you recognized the wizard who ... who helped Voldemort come back to power?"

Amelia appreciated the fact that Sturgis used Voldemort's name; he subscribed to the same philosophy as Dumbledore, that fear of a name only increased fear of the thing itself. "Yes, I did," she said quietly, "although many others did not. I think many have forgotten what he looked like fourteen years ago."

"Even though his face was splashed all over the Prophet for days," Sturgis said, his tone holding a well of emotion.

"I think some people remember, but they're waiting to see what happens," Amelia explained. "I know that wizard was Peter Pettigrew."

"And that means we now have the evidence to prove Sirius Black's innocence," Sturgis said, his voice quiet.

"Yes," Amelia agreed. "And Harry will finally be able to come out of hiding."

"I'm glad I could count on you," Sturgis said, "to keep it quiet that Sirius Black was the one to take Harry into hiding."

Amelia smiled, feeling confident about what she had done. Sturgis had come to her about a month ago, right when the Order had started meeting again. He'd made her aware of Sirius's innocence and that he had gone into hiding with Harry, but he didn't know where the two of them were.

Amelia felt honored that Sturgis had trusted her with this information. Being the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, she could have sent out a search party to look for them. But she knew, in her heart of hearts, that the wizarding world needed to realize that Voldemort was indeed back. And she knew that Sirius and Harry needed the chance to heal, and that they were both innocent of the horrible crimes they were accused of, and Sirius had been convicted of.

How did Amelia know this, especially about Sirius? It was because she listened to all that had been said, all the little things that most of the wizarding world didn't pay attention to. She understood the guilt that Sturgis felt - when Sirius had been convicted, the war was freshly over, and the wizarding world was hungry for vengeance. Anyone who had been a Death Eater or was in any way associated with them paid the price. Sirius Black had been caught in broad daylight, laughing maniacally over the corpses of twelve Muggles, and a pile of bloody robes and a finger that lay on the ground. He looked as guilty as sin, and he had been sent to Azkaban without a trial - the case seemed pretty damn cut and dry.

But the fact that there hadn't been a trial was the problem. Maybe she had thought about it too much over the years, but it continuously haunted her. Everyone, no matter what evil deeds they performed, deserved the right to a fair trial.

And now, the guilt clenched at her gut as she thought about what had truly happened the day after the war ended. When she thought about Sirius's laughter, she realized there might be another explanation for it. And as she stood with Sturgis, the only other person left in the courtroom besides herself, she could see the same regret and guilt reflected in his blue eyes.

Sturgis, after all, had been the one to Stun Sirius, stopping his deranged laughter abruptly. He had been the one in charge of bringing him to the Ministry so that he could be processed and sent to Azkaban. Amelia remembered the rage in Sturgis's eyes when he had brought Sirius in.

And now, Sturgis wanted to be the one to put it right. He had come to Amelia now, knowing that Sirius deserved his freedom.

"The Weasleys know where Sirius and Harry are," Sturgis said quietly. "I have no doubt they will be in touch with them to let them know what has happened."

"I'll make sure the word gets out, Sturgis," Amelia said just as quietly. "Harry will have his chance to speak, as will Sirius."

"Voldemort's back," Sturgis said, and for a moment, he looked incredibly sad and vulnerable. But in the next second, the emotion was gone and he looked bound and determined to do what he needed to. "The rest of the wizarding world will finally believe it, thanks to Healer Dixon and the stellar job he did at showing those memories." He sighed. "Of course, there will still be those who will not. But most of us will come together as a society and fight through this."

Amelia had always liked Sturgis - he seemed so world-wise, and he was always very reassuring. Even at the worst of times, there was something charismatic about him. He had a rather healthy ego, which could turn some people off, but Amelia saw past it. Sturgis Podmore was an incredible human being with insight into the world that few could match.

"This is a time in our history that will pass," Sturgis said as he and Amelia left the courtroom together. "But it is inevitable that we will face loss and sorrow along the way. I have been warning people that it was coming - I knew it the instant the Death Eaters attacked the Quidditch World Cup. Many did not listen."

Amelia nodded, not at all surprised that someone like him would have sensed it, and that others refused to believe.

"They said I was fear-mongering, but I was right," Sturgis continued. "And believe me, this is something I didn't want to be right about. I've previously been accused of gloating, because I'm right a lot of the time." Sturgis gave Amelia a small, sad smile, and she returned it. "But I dearly wish I was wrong now."

His eyes were bright with something undefinable. "You're planning something, aren't you?" Amelia asked, knowing that look he wore.

"Yes." Sturgis nodded resolutely. "I will spend much of my time, for as long as I need to, giving the people I care about joy. We need it, Amelia. We're facing something which is going to be traumatic, and tragic, and terrible." Suddenly, his eyes were blazing, and he looked like a soldier ready to go into battle, but it went deeper than that. In that moment, Amelia knew that he was wrestling with more demons than she was aware of. She'd heard rumblings about his past, but she had never asked about it - it was his business, and his alone. And from the way he spoke, from the rawness of the emotion in his voice, she knew he needed the joy as much as everyone else did.

"What are you planning to do?" asked Amelia, a deep respect for this man rising inside her.

"I've got a few ideas, and they're still in the works right now. It will certainly involve a lot of talking," he said with a quiet smile.

Talking. Amelia almost laughed. If there was one thing this man was good at, it was talking. She'd caught conversations between her Aurors that described Sturgis talking for hours upon hours upon hours about certain subjects. Amelia had no doubt that Sturgis would find a plethora of things to talk about.

And she hoped, for him as well as for everyone else, that he would be able to provide people with perspective during this difficult time.

"Optimism," Sturgis said. "Humor. Joy. Laughter. If we lose those things, we lose our humanity."

Amelia smiled. Sturgis was always giving tidbits of advice like this, and she appreciated it more than he knew.

"But before anything else, my first order of business is to make sure that Sirius Black is freed of all charges," Sturgis said, more than a decade's worth of guilt flashing in his exprssive eyes.

"Don't take that all upon yourself, Sturgis," Amelia told him, meaning every word. "It was on all of us in Law Enforcement. We all failed him."

Sturgis looked gratefully at her, but it was clear he didn't quite believe it. Looking at his eyes again, she knew he was determined to take responsibility for Sirius's freedom. "He is my greatest regret," Sturgis said almost inaudibly. But as he continued, his voice grew louder and more assured. "I've been told that you shouldn't live with regret, that it's something that will destroy you. I think that's rubbish, myself." He looked at her with a wisdom that never ceased to amaze her. "If you regret your past mistakes, you won't make the same ones again. I made a mistake when I Stunned Sirius without asking him why he did what he did. He was one of ours, and I wasn't interested in knowing the truth. I'd never been so angry in my entire life as I was when I saw him there, laughing at the carnage I thought he'd caused. I didn't think." He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.

Amelia placed a hand on Sturgis's shoulder as they entered the lifts, which were empty. Since they had been the last two people in the courtroom, everyone else had already left Level Ten. "Speak in his defense at his trial," she said quietly. "Your testimony will mean everything."

"The trial he should have had fourteen years ago," Sturgis said, the regret he plainly felt clear in his voice. "Believe me, I will."

"Good," Amelia said softly. "And don't forget everything you have done today. I am very proud of you and all the other Aurors who performed their duties admirably."

"Thank you," Sturgis said. "I'm very pleased we got all of them. That will reduce Voldemort's current number of followers by several."

"Indeed," Amelia said, very relieved that Lucius Malfoy, Theodore Nott, Sr., Vincent Crabbe, Sr., Gregory Goyle, Sr., William Avery, and several others were now in holding cells. Voldemort had addressed them all personally after he had come out of the cauldron, and the Aurors had wasted no time in capturing them and bringing them in for questioning.

"Voldemort is going to hate that," Sturgis said. They smiled at each other as the lift finally moved.

As Amelia went to the Ministry cafeteria, where she suspected Susan and Hannah would be, she thought of everything that had happened. The images swirled around and around in her mind: Cedric's body falling to the ground as Peter Pettigrew killed him. Harry, terrified and guilt-stricken, being tied to a gravestone, helpless to do anything as Voldemort was resurrected. The Death Eaters laughing as Harry writhed under the Cruciatus Curse. Harry, with a resilience and bravery Amelia knew she didn't possess herself, holding onto his shaking wand with all his strength as the echoey figures from Voldemort's wand, including Harry's parents and Cedric, begged him to hold on, to be strong, to fight. The horrible, fabricated memory of Harry doing something he would never do in reality.

Sturgis's wise words about finding joy in a dark, uncertain time, his proclamation that this was a period in their history that would pass, and his unfailing faith and optimism stayed in her mind as she entered the cafeteria and saw that many people were sitting there, some of them with eyes that were still glazed over with horror and disbelief, others crying their hearts out. Susan and Hannah were doing the latter, and Amelia rushed over to them, having an uncontrollable desire to be with her neice. She did not care if anyone thought her undignified for walking as fast as she could to get to her.

"Shhhh, I'm here now," the usually strict, no-nonsense woman soothed as she embraced both Susan and her very best friend, Hannah. "I'm here now."

She didn't tell them that everything would be okay, because it wasn't going to be for a long, long time. Today had had ramifications that would hit the wizarding world full-force, and they all needed to hold on tight to each other to deal with it. The foundations of their world would be shaken, but if they depended on each other for strength and hope, they would be able to survive the coming storm.