Disclaimer: Still don't own it. Nope.
Author's Note: Thank you so much for the incredible reviews. I'm so glad you enjoyed that chapter. Believe me, it was extremely satisfying to write the prosecution of Fudge as well. Yes, it's definitely going to be interesting to write about how Voldemort's war differs from here. And I've never before seen a story where Lucius and the others Voldemort addressed directly are captured this early. I'm sure there are stories like that out there, it's just that I haven't seen them.
Sturgis ... like I said in the last author's note, he's absolutely incredible. The human being he's based on is one of the most amazing people I've ever come across in my entire lifetime. Everyone needs a Sturgis Podmore in their world. He's changed my outlook on life, and made things so much clearer. I suffer from a generalized anxiety disorder and have done my entire life. It's because of who Sturgis is based on that I am truly, for the first time, beginning to really work on myself, and am seeing some actual results. He will never, ever know what he truly means to me. I could rave about him for pages and pages and pages, but instead, I'll bring his personality to life through Sturgis.
To my one reviewer, thank you for telling me about the Dumbledore typo. I fixed it, and I apologize for not noticing it before putting the chapter up. You're right about people who lie like that as well - they don't like the truth, and they try and manipulate people into believing their version of events. Yes, there are people who fall for it, and it's hard to fathom. I'm just glad that most of us are able to see it for what it is, especially when we saw those events with our own eyes.
And that's okay that you didn't respond to my PM. I'm just glad you're saying it now, and that Cho spin-off story sounds amazing! I can't wait to read it when it comes out! Again, thank you soooo much!
I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
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Sirius sat with Harry in the drawing room. There was music playing on the stereo - they were listening to another of the tapes he had bought for Harry's birthday. They both did this a lot, and it gave them a chance to completely relax.
After all, their thoughts had been chaotic lately. Remus's visit had thrown them into a whirlwind, and what had happened in the subsequent days had forced Harry to relive the Third Task all over again. He knew how important it was to provide the memory of Cedric's murder and Voldemort's resurrection for the trial, and he had done so.
Sirius knew exactly how a Pensieve worked, because his family owned one. They were rare, but his family had been an old, rich, spoiled one that boasted about owning everything they could get their grubby little hands on. But in this case, it was to his benefit, and for once, he felt a bitter sort of gratitude towards the foul people who had raised him. They would roll over in their graves if they knew what he was using it for.
And Harry ... the boy was exceptional, in more ways than one. They'd come so far in their trust of one another, but he hadn't thought that Harry would be willing to share such a horrendous moment with him. He couldn't believe it when the boy had told him that if he wanted to, he could see the memory of what Harry had been through. "It's horrible, and you don't have to if you don't want to," he had told his godfather as he stared into his gray eyes. "But I trust you. If you ..." He had hesitated, his eyes looking so old in that moment that it made Sirius incredibly sad. "If you don't want to, I completely understand. You know what happened that night."
It was true - Sirius knew exactly what had occurred, and dread seized him at the prospect of witnessing it all. But at the same time, he needed to know. He needed to truly understand what his godson had been through that night. Harry was offering him the chance to find out, and he knew that he was going to take it.
And a part of him, a selfish part of him that he knew existed but wanted desperately to deny, needed to see Lily and James's faces, to hear their voices one last time. He remembered hearing about Priori Incantatem and feeling that knife of jealousy slice into his gut. It might have only been for a minute, but Harry had gotten the chance to see Lily and James. They might have just been ghostly figures coming out of Voldemort's wand, but for one, precious moment, they had been there. They were within reach again - they had come back to be with their son. And Sirius needed to see them with his own eyes.
And when Sirius had said yes, the way Harry had looked at him broke his heart. There was far too much understanding in that gaze, and he was not judging Sirius for it, when the man knew he should have. True, it was mostly for Harry's sake that Sirius was choosing to take the plunge, but that selfish part of him was not to be denied this time. He had to see Lily and James for himself.
And when he came out of the Pensieve after the memory ended, the emotions buffeted him from all sides. He thought he would keel over from the sheer force of the feelings that blasted through him. Peter, killing Cedric without even a second of hesitation. Peter, cutting off his hand in service of a brutal, malicious monster. Peter, a man Sirius had thought of as one of his brothers once, hurting his kiddo, cutting his arm open with a knife. The disgusting, skeletal Lord Voldemort, slithering out of the cauldron. The Death Eaters, Apparating to his side, laughing at Harry's torture. Harry standing, bravely facing Voldemort, coming to terms with the fact that he would die there. Harry, looking at Cedric's lifeless body with an endless amount of guilt in his emerald eyes. Harry, casting Expelliarmus in an act of pure desperation as Voldemort cast Avada Kedavra.
And Lily and James, looking just as they had the last time Sirius had seen them alive. Sirius hadn't broken down and sobbed in quite some time, but he did then, when he saw them come out of Voldemort's wand. Their voices, echoing on the wind, telling Harry to keep holding on, that they would help him. Cedric, looking at Harry with heartbreak, telling him to take his body back to Hogwarts. Harry, shaking and numb and shell-shocked, finding the strength within him to do what must be done.
Sirius was still crying as he came out of the Pensieve, and Harry was right there, ready to comfort him. "I'm so sorry, Harry. I'm so sorry." Sirius had choked out the words as he held Harry tight in his arms, truly realizing all that Harry had endured. He battled with the fury at Peter, the helplessness at watching Harry suffer, and the complete and utter heartache at seeing Lily and James again. He held Harry, and it was another step in their journey together. It brought them even closer.
That night, Harry hadn't slept in his room. He'd known that Sirius needed him, and therefore, they'd slept on the couch in the drawing room, Sirius transforming into the big black dog and Harry curling up beside him. They had sought solace and comfort in each other, Harry helping Sirius through the trauma just as Sirius had helped him.
The next day, Sirius had placed the memory in a vial and sent it by owl to Amelia Bones, along with the Pensieve. He had written her a note of explanation, but he had not said who he was. He honestly wondered if any of the Order members had revealed to her that Sirius was innocent, and that he was in hiding with Harry. If not, this memory would certainly show her that Peter Pettigrew was alive. He wondered if she remembered what he had looked like - after all, Sirius had found out that his and Peter's faces had been all over the Prophet in the days after Sirius's arrest. Even though Amelia might not know it was Sirius who had sent the memory, she would see that it was genuine.
But Sirius received his answer the day after he had sent the memory. Hedwig had returned to Grimmauld Place with a simple reply note that told Sirius all he needed to know, and that he could trust Amelia Bones.
Thank you for sending this, Sirius. I know it will be very helpful. Keep Harry safe, and I assure you that your chance will come soon.
Yours,
Amelia Bones
She knew. She knew he was innocent - she had indeed been told by an Order member. Both Sirius and Harry speculated about it in the days leading up to Fudge's trial. Things felt rather surreal as they wondered how long it would be before they could come out of hiding.
The prospect of having his innocence known was both amazing and terrifying to Sirius. Amazing, because after fourteen years, he would finally be able to tell his story. Amazing, because it meant that he could finally show who he truly was. He could finally reveal how he truly felt about Harry, and he could fight for custody of him. Because he was never going to let his godson step one foot inside the Dursleys' house again. He might not know everything, but he knew enough. Those monsters were certainly not Harry's family.
But freedom was also terrifying. Terrifying because it meant that he would have to answer a whole barrage of questions about what had truly happened on Halloween 1981, and the part he had played in it. Terrifying because everyone would see the guilt that churned inside him, the rage that still swallowed him up whenever he heard Peter's name. Terrifying because the whole world would open up before him, feeling more real than ever. A world without Lily and James in it, a world where people would look at him with pity and sympathy that he couldn't bear.
But it would be a world where he wouldn't have to fear his recapture anymore. He wouldn't have to fear being taken away from Harry because the Ministry wouldn't show mercy. A world where those fools would truly get to understand the ramifications of throwing him in Azkaban without a trial. A world where, hopefully, his story would teach them that even if someone looked guilty, that person still should have the chance to tell their side of the story.
All the feelings of joy and doubt and fear and anticipation bubbled inside him, and trying to navigate the days before the trial was very difficult. But Harry was there with him, and it helped. It never stopped helping. He saw in the boy's eyes that he was experiencing the same emotions. How were you supposed to forgive a world that had accused you of horrific things without even letting you explain yourself? After all, Harry had gone through the same ordeal as Sirius had, but Sirius knew Harry's situation had been even worse. On the surface, it had certainly looked like Sirius was guilty. He'd been standing there in the middle of the street, laughing hysterically as Muggles screamed around him, with a dozen lifeless bodies, a bloody pile of robes, and a finger lying on the ground. What other conclusion could the authorities come to? It had seemed so obvious.
When Sirius had said that to Harry, the boy said, "I suppose that in their minds, I looked guilty too. I came back with Cedric's body, being the only witness to his death who was willing to talk about it, and said that Voldemort had returned. Many in the school already thought I was dangerous. As much as I hate it, it makes sense why they'd accuse me."
But Sirius knew that Harry was trying to put a brave face on things. Even while he was speaking, Sirius realized how much those accusations hurt. Those people had been at school with Harry for the past four years, and the boy had given no indication that he would ever do such a thing.
Needless to say, on the day of Fudge's trial, both godfather and godson were twitchy and anxious, and they tried to do everything they could to make time pass. They worked on Harry's schoolwork, talked over their love of Quidditch, and listened to music on the stereo. And that was what they were doing now as afternoon turned into evening.
And it was at precisely that moment when the fireplace turned green. Immediately, Sirius was on high alert, and he walked over to the stereo and switched off the tape. Looking over at Harry, he saw his own expression reflected back at him. They exchanged a brief look, each reassuring the other with their eyes that everything would be okay.
It was Arthur Weasley's head in the fireplace, and he looked so ... so drained. There was exhaustion in every line of his face, as though he had been through a horrible ordeal. It reminded Sirius of how he felt when he'd come out of the Pensieve. Instantly, Sirius knew that the memory had been shown. He glanced at Harry, and saw that he realized it, too.
Sirius's pride and love for Harry had known no bounds as the boy had realized how important it was that this memory be shown in court. He hated the thought of everyone, especially his friends, seeing the terror he had endured. But just like with Sirius, he'd known what it would mean to have the memory shown. The one thing Sirius knew he didn't want, though, was for his friends to look at him differently, to feel sorry for him. This was his burden to bear, and no one else should have to experience that trauma.
But above all, he had worried about the effect it would have on Cedric's loved ones. Sirius had reassured him that Amelia would warn everyone about the contents of the memory before it began. But still, Sirius knew it preyed on Harry's mind, and he still worried about it despite knowing how important it was that others see that Voldemort had indeed returned.
"It's over," Mr. Weasley said, his voice sounding just as exhausted as Sirius had expected it to. "Can we ... can we come through? The children ... they want to see Harry."
"Harry?" Sirius asked, seeing the range of emotions flicker through his godson's eyes. "Is that okay?"
Harry looked at Mr. Weasley with a deep understanding, and Sirius was once again struck with the heartbreaking realization that Harry looked way too old for someone who was only fifteen. "Yeah," he said quietly. "All of you can come."
And within seconds, they were all there. They were all very quiet as they came through - even the twins looked solemn as they slowly made their way over to Harry, who stood up to greet them.
"Harry, mate." Ron stood next to him, and Sirius had never seen him look so vulnerable, not even the day after the Third Task. "I ..." He was speechless, unable to find the words that would express how he felt. "You were so brave," he finally burst out. "I couldn't have done it. I'd have fallen apart. I ... I'm falling apart now, and I didn't go through that. I just watched it."
"No, you wouldn't," Harry said quietly, reaching his hand out to his best friend. "Don't be stupid," he added, giving him a small smile.
"Harry," Hermione said, unable to hold back anymore as she threw her arms around her best friend, her sobs breaking Sirius's heart. "We are ... we are so sorry."
"Don't, Hermione." Harry said softly, embracing her for several seconds and then letting her go. "It's over now. It's all right, I'm all right. I'm ... I'm sorry you had to see any of it."
Fred and George pounded Harry on the back, but their expressions were still too serious on their usually mischief-filled faces. "Don't be," Fred said, his voice gruffer than usual as he fought the emotions inside of him. "You lived it, mate. The least we can do is understand what happened."
"And let's just say, after seeing that, Fudge confessed everything," George said. "He couldn't handle it. He's earned himself a one-way ticket to Azkaban."
As Harry embraced Mrs. Weasley, who was crying too hard to say anything at all, he said, "That fast? Fudge is in Azkaban? What did he say?"
It was then that Sirius and Harry learned everything that had happened during the trial. As Kreacher served everyone tea and cake, they all sat in the drawing room while everything was explained to them.
"It's over, Harry." The look on Bill Weasley's face was one of equal joy and sorrow as he spread out a special evening edition of the Daily Prophet. He looked the boy squarely in the eye and said quietly, "The murder accusations against you have been dropped. You can now come out of hiding. It's over."
"And now, the Prophet is all over themselves, apologizing for every nasty thing they said about you," said Ron in a disgusted tone.
"And we're not about to accept their apology anytime soon," said Ginny, who looked white-faced and shaken. She, after all, had been the one who volunteered to explain the false memory that Healers Shaddock and Pollander had attempted to implant into Dumbledore's mind. The description of the man's screams as his mind's defenses had tried to fight had been heartwrenching, and as angry as Sirius had been with Dumbledore concerning his treatment of Harry, it was almost unbearable to hear about his old mentor's suffering. Merlin, he hoped the man was able to recover.
The look on Harry's face after Bill's proclamation was one that Sirius would never forget. He'd watched the horror, guilt, and grief sweep over the boy as the entire day's ordeal was told to him, and his quiet words would never leave Sirius's mind after Ginny had explained about the false memory. "Please let Dumbledore be okay," he'd whispered, his guilt-ridden voice cutting Sirius's heart to ribbons. "And the fake me, killing Cedric ... I ... I hope I never, ever see that," he'd choked, his emerald eyes glazed over.
And Merlin, Sirius hoped he'd never see it either. An uncontrollable rage roared to life inside him at the realization of exactly what those men had tried to do to Dumbledore and Harry. Sirius could imagine what that memory had looked like, and he saw the horror and sickness on the Weasleys' and Hermione's faces while it was being explained.
"That wasn't you, mate," Ron had said, his blue eyes haunted as they gazed at Harry, as if trying to memorize the boy sitting before him. "You'd never speak to Dumbledore like that, and you'd never hurt Diggory like that. That wasn't you."
But I can't get it off of my mind, Ron wasn't saying, but Sirius could see it in his eyes. Looking at the others, it was plain to see that it would remain in their nightmares for ages to come.
Harry had gazed at all those who loved him with the same heartbreaking understanding that he had looked at Sirius with when he'd said yes to going into the Pensieve. Harry realized that his loved ones knew it wasn't him who had done such evil, but they were wrestling with the fact that they had seen a Harry who had done so. It was an image of him they wished they could purge out of their minds, but they could not. But as they'd sat around him, both Sirius and Harry could see that their need to be with him now was to reassure him, as well as themselves, that they would never think that of him. The boy before them now was their Harry, who they had grown to cherish and love, not the boy Healers Pollander and Shaddock had created.
And now, with the news of all murder accusations against Harry having been dropped, it was a huge step in the healing process. "It's over, mate," Ron repeated his brother's words. "Everyone knows the truth now."
"And look here," George said, pointing to a line in the Prophet article. "The Aurors got Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and all the other Death Eaters You-Know-Who named."
Sirius knew his grin was vicious and vindictive, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "They got them?" he asked. "Where are they?"
"In holding cells, awaiting trial," Molly said, having finally stopped crying. "Thank Merlin."
Harry looked incredibly relieved. "So Voldemort's down several followers now," he said, causing involuntary flinches at the name, but Harry ignored them and plunged on. "He's not going to be happy," he said with a small, fragile smile.
"Who's going to be the new Minister?" Sirius asked, honestly curious.
"There is to be an election in a month. All British witches and wizards who are of age can vote," Arthur said, looking at Harry apologetically. Harry wasn't of age yet, as he was only fifteen.
"But Voldemort's back, and everyone knows it now," Harry said. "I know the election is only a month away, but we can't go without a Minister during times like this, right?"
Arthur smiled. "Yes, that's true. For now, Rufus Scrimgeour has agreed to take over the position. He is the current Head of the Auror Department, and Kingsley Shacklebolt is standing in for him during this time. It may very well be that he is the only candidate running for the position, as it will be very frightening to be Minister during wartime."
"What's Scrimgeour like?" asked Harry, who still looked like his entire world was spinning after being told he was free to move throughout the wizarding world again. There was an indescribable look in his eyes as he stared at Sirius. Knowing that his godson was rather overwhelmed and feeling very much the same way, Sirius put his arm around him. He could barely think straight as his own emotions threatened to suffocate him. Above all, there was this sense of profound amazement that for once in his life, he had done something right. He, Sirius Black, the world's worst screw-up, had managed to keep Harry safe.
"He's very different from Fudge, I assure you," Arthur said, and Sirius tried to concentrate on the words. "He's spent many years hunting down dark wizards, so I'm very hopeful that he'll know how to handle this war."
"Merlin, I hope so," whispered Ginny. "I really do."
It was Harry who asked the next question, and it caused Sirius's heart to skip a beat. "Peter Pettigrew," he said, his eyes locking with his godfather's. "Did Madam Bones say anything ... anything about ... Sirius?"
In response, Ron pointed to the paragraph at the very end of the Daily Prophet article.
Another bombshell during today's trial was that the wizard who murdered Cedric Diggory, who cut off his own hand to assist in You-Know-Who's resurrection, and who was rewarded a silver hand for his efforts, is none other than Peter Pettigrew, who was supposedly killed by Sirius Black in the middle of a Muggle street the day after You-Know-Who's first downfall. But since Pettigrew has been found to be very much alive, this poses many unanswered questions regarding Sirius Black.
"I think we in Law Enforcement have made some terrible mistakes," Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, said in a statement. "And it is our responsibility to rectify the terrible wrongs done. Therefore, I think it is finally time that Sirius Black receives a fair trial, the one he did not get fourteen years ago. If Black ever decides to come forward, we will finally hear his side of the story."
Sirius's breath caught in his chest, and his arm tightened around Harry as he saw the boy's eyes fill with tears. He held him close through the profound silence that filled the room.
If Black ever decides to come forward ...
"Sirius," Harry said, his whisper breaking the silence. "Madam Bones knows of your innocence. An Order member told her," he explained for the Weasleys' and Hermione's benefit, then turned back to Sirius. "I think that's her way of telling you to turn yourself in. If you do that, you can finally be free."
Free. Sirius could be free. If he left Grimmauld Place by his own choice and turned himself in to the Ministry, he could finally get a trial, and prove his innocence to the wizarding world once and for all. Just like Harry, all accusations of murder would be dropped, and he could live his life as a free man again. He could gain custody of Harry legally, and they could leave this place and find a true home of their own. Sirius could prove himself, not only to Harry, but to Lily and James, that he could be the man that he was always supposed to be.
Part of Sirius was screaming to go now. That reckless side of him that had always been part of his character was rearing its head again after a long, long time, telling him that the time was ripe. It was time that the rest of the world understand just what his innocence being proven would mean to him and Harry.
But he reigned himself in, knowing that the reason his innocence was so precious was clinging to him, joy and love and fear radiating from him. The world was changing so quickly and Harry was struggling to adapt, just as much as he was.
"If I ... when I ..." Sirius stopped, taking a deep breath. "If I turn myself in, how long would it take for me to have a trial?" He looked desperately at Hermione and the Weasleys. "What about Harry?"
For the first time that Sirius had seen, Molly's eyes softened when she looked at him. Sirius had always known that Molly had some kind of issue with him, though she had never voiced it. But now, the cloak of disapproval she'd worn around him seemed to have been removed as she observed Sirius and Harry's special bond. "He'll come to us," she said at once. "You know that wouldn't be a problem, Sirius."
"Exactly," Arthur agreed without hesitation.
Harry turned to them. "You mean, I'd come to the Burrow?" he asked softly.
"Of course, honey," Molly said quietly. "You'd be very much welcome."
"I don't think it would take too long, Sirius," Bill said. "I think that's the last thing the Ministry would want to do, when they're trying to make up for everything they've done wrong."
"He ..." Harry suddenly shuddered, his face pale. "He wouldn't go back to Azkaban again while waiting for the trial, would he?"
"No." Arthur shook his head. "He'd be in one of the holding cells until his trial."
Sirius remembered those cells well. When he'd been taken into custody on November 1, 1981, he'd been held there for less than twelve hours before being transferred to Azkaban. He vividly recalled waking up there, after being Stunned by Auror Sturgis Podmore in the street. He remembered how dark it was, how cold. But that had been nothing, absolutely nothing, compared to when he'd arrived at Azkaban. He could bear being in a holding cell for several days if it was going to mean that he was finally vindicated. He almost laughed - he could have a lovely conversation with Lucius Malfoy while he waited.
But Harry ... the thought of being away from Harry sliced through him, and for a second it was hard to breathe. It wasn't that he doubted the Weasleys - in fact, he trusted them more than they knew. It was just that ... Merlin, he couldn't deny it. He was scared. Not just scared, bloody terrified. To be back in the Ministry's custody ... maybe he was being a coward, but the prospect was really, really frightening.
And he could see in Harry's eyes that the boy was desperately scared, too. To suddenly be catapulted out of hiding and into the real wizarding world again, at the same time facing the uncertainty of not knowing what was happening to Sirius ... there was fear clouding Harry's emerald eyes, too, even though that astounding bravery Sirius had seen all too clearly in that Godforsaken graveyard was shining out from them. And his next words couldn't have displayed that courage more, if they tried.
"I want you to be free, Sirius," the boy said quietly, having no problem expressing these sentiments in front of all his friends. "You deserve it. The world deserves to know that you're innocent. You've been wonderful, being stuck in hiding with me for so long. I'm free, now. And I want you to be, too."
His eyes filled with tears again, and he blinked them back. But his voice trembled when he spoke again. "I'll be okay," he said, his shiny green eyes meeting Sirius's clouded gray ones. "I'll be with my friends. I think Bill's right - the Ministry knows they'll have hell to pay if they do anything to you now. And whenever the trial is ..." He took a deep breath. "I'll be there. I'll speak for you, in your defense."
"Oh, kiddo," Sirius croaked. "You don't have to. You don't have to put yourself through that."
Harry smiled at Sirius, over a month's worth of memories passing between them. "I'll speak in your defense," he repeated stubbornly, not giving an inch, and Sirius knew he couldn't convince him not to do so. His heart was fit to bursting with love as he felt Harry's promise all around him.
And it was then, in spite of his fear and doubt and terror, that Sirius made a decision that he hoped would change his and Harry's lives forever. "Tomorrow," he said definitively, and he felt Harry nod against him. "We'll have one more night here tonight, Harry. Tomorrow morning, I'll turn myself in to the Ministry."
There, in the presence of the Weasleys and Hermione, Sirius and Harry locked eyes, knowing that a brand new chapter in their lives was about to begin.