To Tide the Carousel Again

Chapter 25

Disclaimer: The Duchess of the Harry Potter Universe dispenses
her copyrights usage as she wants.

Sadly, I am not a recipient.

Are we getting serious here?

TuxedoMac last review talked about chapter 24 seeming 'choppy'. I agree. It is a consequence of me grabbing my deserting muse, clubbing her on the head, dragging her back to the cave, and tying her to the keyboard until he/she/it produced something. I read a comment once that "It's better to write something that can be fixed rather than write nothing at all".

Without self-imposed deadlines, my production would be abysmal.

Chapter 26 will be published when I finish Chapter 27 which at the moment is not going well. And going to, and having fun at Origins Game Fair and the World Boardgaming Championship convention, will crimp my writing until mid-August.

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Approx. 5,500 words.

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Monday, September 23, 1992

He was taken to the same chain-equiped chair Pettigrew had just left. As he sat, the chains loosely fell around him and the chair.

At that point, Madame Bones strode up to him and said, "I have already talked with you about the criminal charges against you. How do you plead, Sirius Black?"

He managed to say the words just before the courtroom exploded with sound.

"Why, innocent of course."

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The secret had held. The DMLE had not released the name of who was having an evidentiary hearing and had waited until the last possible moment before committing Sirius' name to Ministry parchmentwork. This had kept the chances of Malfoy finding out what was happening low and had kept Dumbledore from personally rallying his Wizengamot supporters to block the hearing.

Harry would never be able to prove it, but he would have bet Dumbledore and Malfoy would have made a devil's alliance to make the true Heir Black disappear.

Remus had told Harry as part of a history lesson that several Lords who opposed Voldemort, or were neutral, had died under mysterious circumstances when it turned out their heirs were rabid blood purists, who after they became House Lords, did support Voldemort with wands and/or money.

Longtime rumour had it that Voldemort had planned and Malfoy had executed those plans that had brought more supporters and gold their way.

The Chief Warlock let the shouting and general mayhem continue until cooler heads prevailed and the stupidity ran out of steam.

As the noise abated, a Lord stood and demanded, "Why are you demanding a trial for a monster who was convicted of betraying the Potters over a decade ago?"

"Do you remember sitting in this chamber, at his trial, and then convicting him, Lord Restrum?" Madame Bones replied.

"YES! He killed Peter Pettigrew and a dozen mug . . ." Lord Restrum's brain finally caught up with his suddenly gaping mouth. A very alive Pettigrew had confessed to leading He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to the Potters and later blowing up the street that had killed the muggles less than an hour ago. The man reading the mood of the room, shrank back down into his seat.

The Head of the DMLE let the embarrassing silence stretch out for many long moments.

"Very well," she said. "Instead of a trial, this will become a simple evidentiary hearing as the defendant has agreed to the taking of Veratiserum for his testimony."

"Auror Shacklebolt, the Department Veratiserum case please."

"I am now removing Department of Magical Law Enforcement Veratiserum vial labeled number two zero eight from the case. The seal is intact."

She made a show of cracking the seal. "I hereby invoke the Y'sselq Interrogation Strictures. Anyone who questions the defendant except me will be judged by the magic of the Strictures and their House will find their power penalized."

THAT sent a wave of shocked whispers throughout the chamber.

"Damnit. Something else to remember to ask Neville or Hermione about," Harry thought

Sirius' smirk, brought on by how she was handling the Wizengamot, managed to grow as he perused the tiered boxes. He suddenly froze as his eyes were caught by the brilliant green eyes of some rather small Lord looking intensely at him.

The shock of realizing those eyes he had last seen on Lily Potter were sitting in the Wizengamot stuttered his brain to a halt. "Is that little Harry? How did he get to sit in the 'Mot?

He became so wrapped in trying to understand why little Harry was sitting in what he knew was the Potter box that he missed all the preliminary preparation for his hearing.

"Defendant Black, answer the following for the court record. Do you freely allow the use of veratiserum upon you during your giving of testimony at your hearing for giving aid to the terrorist known as Lord Voldemort before his murder of James and Lily Potter?"

He suddenly realized Amelia was speaking to him.

"Yes," he said raising his head up to imperiously gaze at the assembled Wizengamot members.

"Extend your tongue . . "

"How do we know the prisoner has not taken an antidote to the veratiserum?" came a smooth, oily voice Sirius did not recognize.

"He has been in a cell in Azkaban or in DMLE custody for the last two days. The antidote only lasts about twelve hours. Are you accusing my aurors of taking bribes or other such corruption, Lord Malfoy?" Bones' voice was polite but hard. Sirius smirked wider at hearing the scumball he now knew was Malfoy getting reamed for stupidity in public.

"I was merely trying to make sure all proper procedures had been followed, Madame," the disgruntled Malfoy defended.

"Lord Malfoy, if you are such a stickler for procedure, why don't we bring you down here to the chair and remove all the questions about you not having a trial after you raised the Imperious Curse defense about your being forced to into Voldemort's service a dozen years ago," she replied archly.

The shrieks of terror reminded Sirius he had forgotten how most wizards and witches reacted at hearing that Dark Lord's name. Malfoy neither gasped nor shrieked. He had not even twitched.

A short spate of banging by Dumbledore reasserted control of the court. With a disgruntled look, he intoned, "Proceed, Madame Bones."

"Extend your tongue, Mr. Black."

After the three drops were applied to his tongue, his awareness of the courtroom vanished. All he had left was a strong, impossible-to-ignore urge to tell the truth. He confirmed he had taken the Godfather's Oath to baby Harry six days after his birth.

As the questions led him, he talked about how the four friends thought Sirius's idea was brilliant. It would be a great prank. They would be cunning and 'accidently' let slip that he, Sirius Black, was the Fidelius Charm Secret Keeper when the actual keeper was Peter Pettigrew.

"Mr. Black, then why when you were arrested, you were laughing, yet crying and saying it was all your fault?" Madame Bones asked in a quiet voice that never the less carried to the entire chamber.

Tears were streaming down Sirius' face. "Because it was my fault. My brother and sister in-all-but-blood had been murdered most foul. The plan I had thought up, led to Peter being the Secret Keeper! And it was he who betrayed them. And as the final irony, I couldn't even get revenge. He had bested me in a wand duel and escaped. I think I went crazy with grief and guilt."

The Head of the DMLE raised her eyes and voice. "We heard in the earlier trial that Peter Pettigrew led He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to the Potter's hiding place. He also testified to later casting the blasting curse that resulted in killing the thirteen muggles around him."

Her voice changed and now became harsh with temper. "We have just been shown how easy it is to become a nation that does not follow its own laws. And how easy it is to be led astray by following the loudest voice that cries 'He must be guilty. He doesn't need a trial!' Lock him away, set the dementors on him, and let's leave him there to rot.

For Merlin's sake! We even gave the Lestrange's a trial! And we all know, from their own testimonies, how fanatically they followed Voldemort! Do I have to remind this court of the final crime that they were convicted of?"

The usual gasps and squeals came from the members and spectators of her use again of that word. Other members glared at her in hatred.

"Chief Warlock, I call for a vote by the Wizengamot to declare Sirius Orion Black innocent of any charges that he was accused of in the deaths of James and Lily Potter and the supposed death of Peter Pettigrew," Madame Bones stated strongly.

"And that the Ministry pay the sum of two thousand galleons per year as compensation for his loss of wages and his false incarceration. (£70,000.00/yr.)

"But we haven't even had a trial," Dumbledore's voice came back, petulant and reedy. "If only he had more notice of a hearing for Black he could have had his allies block everything." he thought.

"We do not need one," came Bones' riposte. "This was a hearing to determine if there was enough evidence to hold a trial for Black. There is not, and he has rotted in Azkaban for eleven years because of slipshod work by the Ministry. We owe him. Call the vote."

"Second the call for a vote," came another voice from the member's box area.

Dumbledore managed to look so-o-o disappointed at the seemingly unruly children he was trying to lead at the moment. "All those who believe there is insufficient evidence to hold a trial for the defendant and to compensate Sirius Orion Black, vote with green wands. Those who want a full trial, raise red wands."

Almost every wand was green, with only two red and a large mass of abstentions too many for Harry to count in time.

Without even trying to cover his being upset with the vote, Dumbledore gaveled the evidentiary hearing closed and immediately closed the Wizengamot session.

Harry had a quick word with Proxy Wiltson, looked surprised at his answer, bowed slightly to him, turned and hurried down to the floor.

("Those who claimed the Imperious curse made them join the Death Eaters don't want their cases reopened," had been the surprising answer Wiltson had given Harry.)

Sirius saw Harry coming down to the floor with hope in his eyes. Harry did not delay running up to his godfather and to his surprise, hugging him fiercely.

He froze for a second at the surprise gesture of affection from the boy he thought of as his pup before returning the embrace just as fiercely.

The pair ignored the almost fireworks of wizarding cameras taking dozens of pictures that would make the front page of every newspaper that ran them.

When Harry finally pulled back a bit, Sirius could see he had two faint tracks where tears had run but his robe had absorbed most of the moisture.

Their "Harry, Sirius" moment was broken by Madame Bones holding out a box to the ex-prisoner with a faint smile on her face.

He looked back confused.

"These are your effects from when you were arrested, Mr. Black," she said

With moderately surprised raised eyebrows, he opened the box and started digging through it. Coin bag, some cards, a set of keys, and finally his wand.

Picking it up, Sirius could feel a feeling of warmth and a greeting from an old friend. His grin was infectious and set off answering grins in Harry, Bones, and Madam Tonks.

Catching himself, Harry remembered he had a question for Madame Bones. "Director, could you tell me what potions were in the vials The Rat had on him? I think he may have been dosing his purported owner."

At her look of questioning, he continued, "That's what he was doing the night I saw him change from his rat form. He gave my sleeping dormmate something from a potions vial."

He could see she did not want to give out any information on an ongoing investigation. Especially with listeners nearby.

He pushed a little harder. "The twelve-year-old boy I'm talking about was my friend last year. The way he has acted since the start of school has been awful. He has managed to drive away everyone he was friendly with last year. It's so bad we don't even want to talk to him anymore."

He could tell when she stiffened her resolve not to tell him now. "I am sorry, Lord Potter, but I cannot speak about a minor involved in an ongoing investigation."

Harry deliberately looked disappointed.

Right then, Sirius asked, "What about Pettigrew? How long was his Azkaban sentence?"

It startled Harry but then he remembered Sirius had been out of the chamber during The Rat's trial and did not know he was being sent to whatever the Veil was.

Harry checked his watch, and said, "He is supposed to be put through the Veil in about twenty minutes. What's the Veil anyway?"

Instead of replying, Sirius turned to Madame Bones. "Amelia, I want to go see the rat get tossed through the Veil. That sniveling, little coward is the reason I lost James and Lily. And then my stupidity lost me Harry. I want to watch him as he grovels in his fear of the unknown."

Sirius's voice had become lower and more graveled as he spoke. The almost manic look in his eye worried Harry. He could see Sirius was trying to seem rational and not show the world his fiery hatred towards the person who had taken so much away from them.

Harry could see Madame Bones about to refuse Sirius' request when the scenes of Pettigrew in the graveyard flashed into his mind. Killing 'the Spare', 'flesh of the servant', and stabbing his arm to gather the 'blood of your enemy'. "Robe me."

"Me too!"

The other two looked at him in astonishment.

"They may have been your friends, your brother and sister, but they were my parents. I wanted to kill him during the trial for what he did to me."

"Now I want to see him die."

"AND I will back that statement up by saying this is an official request by the Lord of a Most Ancient and Most Noble House."

The two real adults both goggled at Harry. Madame Bones in surprise, Sirius in shock. "How in Hades name has been teaching him how to act like a Lord Potter at his age?"

After a moment Sirius shook himself like a dog, stepped sideways towards Harry, and said in a level voice, "What Lord Potter said, Director Bones."

She glared at both of them. "Lord Potter, you are twelve-years-old. You should not . . ."

"Harry raised his hand. "Legally I am an adult and the Lord of House Potter. That RAT has done more harm to me than even Albus Dumbledore. I want to watch his finish."

Both Sirius and Madame Bones both goggled briefly at the casual venom in the boys' voice when he mentioned Dumbledore

Director Bones stood there for long moments, looking back and forth between the two. One looking so emaciated and weak that she had doubts he could make his way to the Veil room. The other was a young, small, scrawny-looking boy whose almost glowing green eyes told her this was non-negotiable.

Yet, both were looking as though they were prophesied to be the avatars of the Gods of Justice in this case. She thought back to the letters her niece had sent her trying to describe the new Lord Potter. Suzy had vastly understated his ability to be a presence.

She closed her eyes briefly, massaged her temples with her fingers, then looked up and over to her right, and with a head twitch called an auror over to her.

"Senior Auror Robards, for the next hour you are on guard duty for these two gentlemen. Escort them wherever they wish to go. After that, take Lord Black to St. Mungo's where he will undergo his court-mandated Azkaban recovery period. Then return to my office."

Sirius was opening his mouth to object when she said, "It's the law that after spending more than fifteen days in the high-security part of Azkaban, ex-prisoners must be sent to St. Mungo's for a mental fitness examination and rehabilitation. No exceptions."

Sirius snapped his mouth closed, pondered for a moment, then turned to the auror. "Auror Robards, as neither Lord Potter nor I have ever been to this Veil room, you will have to guide us there."

Robards made a slight gesture with his left hand and started plowing through the crowd with his two charges following in his wake.

OoooovvvvvoooooO

Harry sat on a sofa staring at the flickering flames in one of the Gryffindor common room fireplaces. He was finally alone. Everyone else, including Hermione, had gone to bed. Harry knew he should follow soon as tomorrow was a school day and this Dursley- weakened twelve-year-old body did not have the energy reserves to make it through tomorrow's classes without sleep.

Besides, when tomorrow's Prophet arrived, the school would go nuts trying to force him to answer all their questions, despite that most of their answers would be in the paper.

Even as those thoughts flickered across his mind, his brain fell back into tonight's well-worn memories groove.

When the three of them had won free of the crowd, Harry was able to grab the faltering Sirius around his waist with his left arm as they slowly made their way along several corridors.

Just as his Godfather was about to collapse, Robards led them through on last door.

Harry stiffened immediately. The room felt of death. It was cold, and the air was dry and smelt musty, with something else he could not define. It was unpleasant though.

Upon entering, they turned left. The Auror had them stay on the top walking level until they came to a low wall that allowed Harry to lower the exhausted Sirius into a sitting position on.

In an infinitely weary voice, Sirius said, "Sorry, pup. Guess my ego is in a lot better shape than my body."

Harry merely patted his back as he looked around. The room was a half-bowl like some ruined Greek amphitheater he had seen pictures of. He could see four paths of steps going down to a raised dais with a stone arch, where he could see a ragged dark grey veil suspended from it that seemed to ripple in the wind.

The wind was silent, and he could feel no breeze, but as the veil rippled, it seemed to let whispered, almost unheard, voices loose. Harry found himself trying to concentrate on hearing those voices. They were just out of his perception.

Without meaning to he was on his feet so he could get closer so he could understand.

Suddenly, he was jerked down by his robes to roughly land hard on the stone wall.

"Don't," said Sirius sharply. "That thing is as seductive as a nymph but even more deadly."

Harry looked at him as though he was unhinged.

"He is not kidding, Lord Potter," broke in the voice of Auror Robards. "It makes you want to come closer. It makes you feel that if you just get close enough, maybe put your head into it, you'll be able to understand them, the ones that are calling to you, the ones that want you to understand."

The slight nodding of Sirius' head caught Harry's attention.

"He has the right of it, Harry. If I remember rightly, even the Department of Mysteries seems to know little about it."

Robards frowned while looking down at it.

"What we do know is that whatever goes through the arch, never returns back to us."

The Auror looked as though he might say more when a mixed group of Ministry people, a couple of plum-coloured robes, a blonde Rita Skeeter, Madame Bones, and four Aurors levitating a bound, and apparently silenced, Peter Pettigrew entered through the same door they had entered.

He saw the quick glance the Department Head flicked their way before the group gathered in front of the arch.

Seeing The Rat left Harry with decidedly mixed feelings. Pettigrew was in obvious terror, writhing frantically against his bonds, screaming his head off into the silence around him.

The rest of the group, less the Aurors, were acting fidgety and nervous. One middling man, with plum robes, pulled out a scroll and in a somewhat shaky rushed voice read off the crimes he had been convicted of, and his sentence for those crimes by the Wizengamot.

There were no last words granted to the prisoner. The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement raised her wand, and the still writhing and crying man flew into the rippling veil, and with no fuss and no mess, he disappeared.

Harry did not know quite what to think. Nothing had been like he thought it would be. He sat there lost in his thoughts.

The Ministry group hurried out of the room except for one auror who at Madame Bones' head tilt peeled of and came over to stand beside Robards.

Sirius nudged him with his shoulder. "Well, pup?"

Harry turned, looked at him, but said nothing.

"Personally," he continued. "I'm kind of relieved it was non-dramatic. I hate his guts and am more than pleased the Rat is gone. At the same time, I just watched someone who once upon a time was a friend who I laughed with, planned pranks with, and helped get through his school years, just go away."

Harry had nothing to say to that.

The pair struggled to their feet and shuffled out the door. Auror Robards made sure he locked it, and they started down a hallway.

"Mr. Black, Lord Potter. I am under orders to take Mr. Black to St. Mungo's. I have to leave you Lord Potter. Auror Smythe will help you get to wherever you need in the Ministry building."

Harry nodded in acceptance, turned, and wrapped his Godfather in a hug. "You work hard and get out of that place

Deciding on pulling a minor prank, Harry continued. "I'll try to find Remus Lupin and tell where you are and maybe he'll come visit."

Harry could literally feel the old dog brighten at those words.

"Yeah, that would be good. I figure we both have a lot of apologizing to the other," Sirius' voice tailed off at the end.

With that Auror Robards led Sirius down a hall other than that the three had arrived by. Harry now turned to the tall sandy-haired auror next to him, "Auror Smythe? I need two things. One, how to quickly get a message to another Wizengamot member. Two, can you show me how to get to my office? I'm completely turned around."

Smythe looked at him for a moment in thought. Robards had given him the tip that he thought the kid was alright.

"I need a Ministry elf, please," he said in a normal tone of voice.

In a few seconds, an elf who looked different than the one whom had served breakfast to him two days ago popped into visibility in front of him.

Harry goggled a bit. He was not used to getting something he wanted so quickly.

"Can you take a message to Lord Greengrass for me?"

"I's can," the elf said.

Harry rummaged into a robe pocket and produced a bit of parchment and a quill.

Lord Greengrass,
I attended the execution of the traitor.
If you still want to meet, I will be in my office in fifteen minutes.
Lord Harry James Potter

He folded the parchment and handed it to the elf who popped away.

"Let's go, Auror."

After a few seconds Harry broke the silence between them, saying "Among other things Madame Bones niece, Susan, told me that when aurors are on an assignment like being a bodyguard, they are required to keep silent about what they have seen and heard while doing that work."

Smythe frowned slightly. "That is true, Lord Potter."

"Good, replied Harry. "However, I give you, uh . . permission to tell Madame Bones about anything you see or hear."

Harry actually smiled at the auror. "Her niece says she is, quote, "one of the good guys," unquote."

In less than ten minutes, despite some attempts to accost them, all quailed with a stern look from Auror Smythe, he was delivered to the Lord Potter office.

Inside were Madam Tonks, Neville, and surprisingly, his grandmother.

After the appropriate introductions, the three waited until he had two sips of tea before his solicitor politely asked where he had disappeared to? She had managed to grab Bones who said he was on his way to the execution. His answer to her question had the other two giving Harry some disbelieving looks.

"Yes, Mrs. Tonks, I went with my godfather to the execution. I do apologize in not getting word to you, but we were in a hurry and the floor was a mob scene."

"Before you ask, yes, the execution was unpleasant. However, it was fitting that I was there."

Harry took another sip of tea before looking up to see the expected reactions. Which were not there. Both Neville and Mrs. Tonks looked approving. Not happy, but approving. The plum-clad Regent Longbottom, who had leaned forward, was the one looking astonished.

She looked at him shrewdly for a moment, nodded in apparent approval, then leaned back into her chair, and busied herself with her tea.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

"Oh, damn. That's probably Greengrass. Hope he didn't want total privacy."

Harry jumped up and headed for the door. He pulled it open just enough to look out. Seeing it was the tall, cold-eyed man Mrs. Tonks had pointed out, Harry slipped out and closed the door.

They stood looking at each other for a moment. Harry figured Greengrass was wondering at his action of closing the door. Then following protocol, the junior House made the first introduction.

"Lord Potter, I am Fairfield Greengrass, Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Greengrass."

"I am Harry James Potter, Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter. I am pleased to meet you. Your daughter spoke most highly of you. My apologies for being unprepared to see you, but I just returned from the execution of the Rat."

At this point, Harry was thanking God that Neville and Susan had given him his deportment lessons. His mouth was running on auto-point-me as his brain was being intimidated by what he was attempting to do with a man as powerful and experienced as Lord Greengrass.

With a small hesitation Harry then said, "My Lord, at the moment my office has three other occupants. My Solicitor, Madam Tonks, the Regent Longbottom and Heir Longbottom. If you are uncomfortable with their presence, we can meet at different time. I assume you know Heir Longbottom was there when Heiress Greengrass contacted me, so to him, this meeting would not be a surprise to him."

Greengrass must be over six tall. He looked down on Harry from what seemed to be a great height. Harry knew what he saw. After all, he saw it every day. Thin, scrawny, and short.

Harry inwardly cursed his twelve-year-old stature and then had to hide a grimace as he truthfully thought about the fact that at fourteen, he had still been thin, scrawny, and short.

After a few moments, a very deep-voiced Greengrass said, "I know Solicitor Tonks can keep a closed mouth. I believe that two members of the Potter-Longbottom Alliance can be suitably closed mouth also."

"So, shall we?" he finished with a gesture towards the door.

The others already in the office were not surprised by Harry entering with another. Tonks and Madam Longbottom were surprised by who he entered with and promptly stood. Neville's confusion was soon erased by Harry introducing Lord Greengrass around before offering a chair across from him at the low table the tea service was sitting on.

As soon as tea was reserved, Harry let Greengrass get one sip in before asking, "Talking with your daughter gave me the impression you prefer to speak direct and to the point. So, would you share why you sent the Heiress Greengrass to test the waters, so to speak?"

It took all of Lord Greengrass' hard-won skills to not react to Harry's question. He owed Daphne ten sickles because she had wagered that Lord Potter would not 'beat around the bush' at any meeting. She said he was raised by muggles and had not learned the Pureblood ways of circular talking, hinting, and hidden agendas meetings like this were to be a mere preliminary for.

"Alright, blunt back it will be," he thought. "Lord Potter, around Yule there were wizards who believed their fondest desires for the return of their lost Lord had been answered. It seems the reason for all their joy was their Dark Marks had started to darken and become more animated in its movements."

"They felt free to talk about it when they were in their cups. They were looking forward to happy times once again," he said with a bitter twist to his lips.

"Their feelings built through spring until it all went away just before Hogwarts went on holiday. Something had happened that had most ex-Death Eaters cursing fate and swearing vengeance on something."

Harry was working hard on not showing how that bit of previously unknown news was affecting him. The Death Eaters had known Voldemort was not really dead?

Now, Harry was scared that if the DE's found out he had "killed" Voldy again, his status would change from "plotting to kill Potter" to "kill him, make all efforts to kill him now!"

Greengrass took a throat-moistening sip of tea. "My daughter has informed me that since her meeting with you, she is convinced that your ex-DADA professor did not voluntarily leave to save himself from, nor did he disappear due to the long-standing curse on the position."

"She has also convinced me that not all the gossip and stories heard at Hogwarts are useless drivel, and that you, a Weasley and a muggleborn did something that had your headmaster awarding you and your friends more House Points in one cast, than any students have ever received in the history of the school ."

A hint of humour appeared on his face. "Whatever you did, disappointed the Slytherins immensely."

Greengrass took another sip of tea to allow him to regather his thoughts, especially as regards revealing or hiding how Daphne had come by some of what she had passed on to him.

"It was not until she arrived home, that she told me about the last-minute house points, the professor's disappearance, or a large multi-headed dog, probably a Cerberus, guarding something in a room."

Harry could not stop himself from reacting to the last of the man's comments.

Pretending not to see Harry's reaction, Greengrass continued on, "Daphne told me there were other things to stop any, exploring? that students might do? A trap of Devil's Snare, killer keys, a place to play, quote, the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years,' unquote."

Now, Lord Greengrass did smile faintly. "Even though she tells me the point system is terribly abused by her Head of House, even she was upset by what she saw as blatant favoritism in the literally last-minute points awarded by Headmaster Dumbledore."

It took Harry a moment to realize that Greengrass had left off the last three obstacles, the unconscious troll, the fire and poison, and the mirror in the last room.

Ron had not seen the last challenges, but he and Hermione had told him about them, so why . . . Then the flash of insight hit him.

"Because they didn't involve the redhead. I'd wager galleons that he was making himself the hero of all the early traps. He could not lie well if people were suspicious and he would have had to practically make up any part he had played at the last." Harry reasoned. "That meant Ron had been bragging, and Daphne had overheard. Damn the braggart."

Harry had only been mentally gone for a few seconds. He returned looking at Lord Greengrass.

"What is it you want me to tell you, Lord Greengrass? I mean, it is a wonderfully thrilling tale, and Heiress Greengrass went over her suspicion of what the ending of it caused to happen. However, I do not see what telling the House of Greengrass the actual, and frightening true story does for us."

Harry paused for a moment trying to give his words weight and gravity. "What do you, and more importantly, what do we get from telling you, our secrets?"

"After all, I think your daughter has already told you her source of information is fatally . . flawed.

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A/N:

Yay! Sirius is free! The threat of Durzkaban is now doubly gone.
Which side is Greengrass on? Which side is Daphne on?

Surprised no one noted Malfoy reached for his sleeve, not his cane, last chapter during the Pettigrew trial.

Next, we will venture back to the wider world with some of the consequences due to this new Harry.