I do not own Harry Potter, only my OC

Hello guys, Badger here. I have something to admit. This chapter was supposed to be written and published days ago, however the site decided to be a pain in the ass and not actually load. I don't know if there were server connections, but no matter what I tried I couldn't get the site to work, so I thought 'Fuck ' and out of spite, refused to write anything until the site decided to work for me again. I admit, I may have overreacted just a little bit, but I already have a lot going on in my personal life that the site not working was just the final nail in the coffin for me, but hey the chapter is up now, so that's all that matters.

Anyway, you know the drill. New chapter, I'll let you read on, enjoy and I will see you at the end.

Chapter 10

Trust, Once Broken, Can Never Be Earned Again

Harry found himself sitting in the Great Hall, along with the rest of Gryffindor House. The Great Hall was empty, save for a large gramophone, where the Professors Table previously stood. Beside it, the caretaker, Filch stood ready, with Mrs Norris ever present beside his feet. A few students whispered to one another, wondering what they were doing here, before Professor McGonagall entered the Great Hall, her voice gaining everyone's attention.

"Good afternoon, students" She said "I am glad to see you are all here, like I asked…the rest of your lessons for the day have been cancelled, for the Headmaster believes it is necessary for each House to know how to dance…something I am in agreement with…as you will be representing, not only Gryffindor House, but Hogwarts as a whole, I cannot have you stumbling around the dance floor, like a group a babbling, bumbling, band of baboons"

"Try saying that, five times fast" Ron muttered, to Seamus Finnegan who was sat beside him

Having heard Ron speak, McGonagall turned on her heel and approached him, making Ron slightly nervous at the stern look in her eyes. As McGonagall stopped in front of him, there were a few seconds of silence, before she held out her hand.

"Thank you for volunteering Mr Weasley" She said

"What?" Ron asked

"I believe you were just volunteering to show the rest of our House how to dance" McGonagall said, before grabbing his hand and leading him to the centre of the Great Hall "Filch, start the music please"

There was a crackling sound, as the gramophone came to life, before a soft gentle tune began to play, the music echoing across the Great Hall, bouncing off of the walls. Meanwhile, much to the amusement of everyone else in the Great Hall, McGonagall placed Ron's hand on her waist, before taking the lead and the two began dancing across the floor, Ron's nervous demeanour and sloppy footwork causing the rest of Gryffindor House, besides Hermione, to laugh at the red heads misfortune. Even Harry couldn't help but laugh as Ron practically flailed about the place, his dancing skills just as mediocre as his homework essays. Harry wouldn't be surprised if word about Ron's misfortune spread to the rest of the school, before the day ends.

"Hey" He said to Fred and George, who were behind him, gaining their attention "You aren't going to let him forget this, are you?"

"Never!" The Twins said in unison, with equally identical, toothy grins on their faces

"Come on, boys, come on girls" McGonagall spoke up "Grab a partner and get dancing, you won't learn anything simply sitting there"

There was a moment where no one moved, as the boys looked at one another, slightly uncertain, before one by one, each boy got off of their seat and shuffled their way towards the girls, to try and find a dancing partner.

As Harry looked around, to try and find a partner, when he saw a group of girls standing a few feet away. Each one of them looking at him, longingly, waiting for him to ask one of them to be his dancing partner. Harry looked at each one of them, uncertain and nervous. Before the Tournament, he already had to deal with people, girls especially, staring at him because he was the Boy-Who-Lived, the Saviour of the Wizarding World and whatever other names they called him nowadays. However now, after going up against a dragon and stealing a Golden Egg from its nest, the attention he recieved was a lot worse now. It was at that moment, when Harry felt someone grab his arm. It was Katie Bell.

"Hey Harry, feel like being my dancing partner?" She asked

"Uh…yeah" Harry said

With a smile, Katie led Harry to the centre of the dance floor, either not noticing, or ignoring the glares the other girls were giving her. Harry awkwardly placed his hand against her waist, as he tried to not step on her feet, as they danced around. Despite how awkward he was feeling, Harry couldn't help but let out a soft sigh of relief.

"Thank you Katie" He said

"You don't need to thank me Harry" Katie smiled "Someone had to save you from those girls and, as Fred and George asked Angelina and Alicia to dance, I figured it might as well be me to do so"

"Which is reason enough to thank you" Harry replied, "Though, I apologise beforehand, if I step on your toes"

"Well you're doing a good job at avoiding them so far" Katie shrugged "Though, what's gotten you so nervous…you look more nervous then you did when you first entered the arena to go up against that Hungarian Horntail…do you think dancing is more scary then dragons?"

"No, of course not" Harry chuckled slightly "It's just…I don't really know how to dance and Daphne offered to teach me, so we're ready for our dance during the Yule Ball"

"You've already got a date for the Ball?" Katie asked

"Yeah, as I'm a Champion, I will need a dance partner, as the Champions are the ones who begin the opening dance" Harry explained

"Yikes" Katie muttered "Well, if you can go up against a Hungarian Horntail and make it out alive, I'm sure you can handle a few dances"

Harry had a small smile on his face, as he continued to dance with Katie. As time went on, he found himself relaxing more, though he still kept looking down to make sure he didn't step on Katie's toes. Eventually, McGonagall called out to everyone in the Great Hall, declaring the lesson to be over, much to Ron's relief, who's complexion was now as red as his hair. As Harry parted ways with Katie, who ruffled his hair before she left, Harry was about to get ready to leave, when he was stopped by McGonagall, who placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Mr Potter, Dumbledore had requested that, after the dancing lessons, you head up to his office" McGonagall said "He wishes to speak to you"

"Okay, thank you Professor" Harry nodded "Did the Headmaster say why he wanted to speak with me?"

"I'm afraid not" McGonagall replied "However, whatever the reason is, it seemed urgent, so I won't keep you any longer"

Harry nodded, before he made his way out of the Great Hall, and started heading towards the Headmasters Office. Harry wasn't sure why Dumbledore wanted to speak with him. The Headmaster hasn't even said a word to him, nor tried to make any kind of contact, since the day the Champions were selected. It made him wonder why, now of all things, why he would be summoned to his office, especially when, according to Sirius, Dumbledore believes that Harry being placed in the Tournament was a part of some plot, Harry would've thought the Headmaster would've checked up on him, at least once. Admittedly though, Harry was, in a way, glad Dumbledore hasn't tried to speak with him, until now. Harry's faith in the Headmaster has been slightly rocky since Harry was made a Champion in the Triwizard Tournament. Every year since coming to Hogwarts, Harry had found his life on the line, so he would've hoped Dumbledore would set up necessary precautions to make sure, not just himself, but any underage student would end up in his current situation. Then again he should've known better.

Harry chose to shake those thoughts for the time being, as he approached the Griffin Statue that guarded the entrance to the Headmasters Office. As soon as he stopped in front of the statue, the Griffins eyes blinked, before its head moved, looking down at him, waiting for the password to gain entrance to the Headmasters Office. Harry opened his mouth, but stopped when he realised he didn't know this years password to gain entry and hadn't taken a second to ask McGonagall.

"Umm…I don't know the password" Harry said "However, the Headmaster summoned me to his office…apparently he wants to speak with me about something"

There was a moment of silence as the metallic, beady, eyes of the Griffin Statue continued to stare at Harry, before he felt a soft rumbling below his feet, almost like the whole castle was shaking. The rumbling continued, as the Griffin Statue moved, revealing the grand staircase to the Headmasters Office. As soon as the rumbling stopped, Harry made his way up the staircase and opened the door at the top. As he was expected, he didn't bother knocking. As always, Dumbledore was sat at his desk. The Headmaster was looking through some pieces of parchment, but looked up when he heard the door open and a small smile crossed his face when he saw Harry standing there.

"Ah, Harry my boy" He said, in his usual, soothing, gentle tone "I'm glad you received my summons, please take a seat"

"Thank you sir" Harry said, grateful to be sitting down after spending the past hour or so, on his feet as he danced around the Great Hall "Forgive me for asking sir, but, why have you summoned me"

"I merely wish to talk, my boy, regarding some concerns I have" Dumbledore said "You see, Miss Granger and Mr Weasley came to see me after the First Task…I was sad to hear that you refused to accept their apology…I am even more sad to hear that you haven't made amends with the two…Harry, I know that you may be hurt by their actions but please don't throw away the last three years of friendship because of it"

"I'm not the one who's throwing anything away, sir!" Harry replied, irritated that Dumbledore had brought up his two previous best friends "They are the ones who threw away that friendship, when my name came out of that damned Goblet…I thought…no, I hoped that they would be by my side…after being my, supposed, friend for three years, I would've hoped they would know me well enough by now that they would know I wouldn't want to partake in this damned tournament and the two would do anything they could to help me make it out alive…but they didn't, they turned their backs on me like, almost, everyone else in this damned school…and I'm almost sure I saw both of them wearing those damned 'Potter Stinks' badges!"

"I understand that their actions hurt Harry, but everyone deserves forgiveness" Dumbledore replied "And, you say that with their help, you would get out of the Tournament alive…yet, you completed the First Task, relatively unscathed…may I ask, did Miss Weasley and Mr Longbottom help you?"

"No" Harry shook his head "Admittedly, Ginny and Neville have proven to be better friends then Ron and Hermione…same goes for the Twins, Angelina, Alicia and Katie…they all believed me, when everyone else turned their backs on me"

"So, who helped you, if not them?" Dumbledore asked

"I'll tell you who, sir" Harry said, now feeling more agitated then he was before "James Badger and Daphne Greengrass…not only are they Slytherins, they were also complete strangers to me…I never even knew, nor exchanged any words with me until recently, however they believed my innocence and offered to help me in any way I can…two complete strangers have been helping me with this Tournament, teaching me anything and everything possible, to guarantee that I will make it out the other side of the Tasks in, ideally, one piece…compare the actions of strangers to the actions of my, supposed, best friends and…well…when I first met James he said that I have clearly chosen the wrong friends…and he's right…James and Daphne, in just a few short months, have proven to be better friends then Ron and Hermione have ever been, in three years!"

Dumbledore leant back in his seat, the situation worse then he thought. He, of course, knew who James Badger and Daphne Greengrass were. The Badgers and Greengrass's were two of the biggest names in the Wizarding World. The two families held a lot of power financially, politically and magically. The Greengrass's have remained neutral, ever since the Wizarding War against Voldemort and the Badgers have, for the last few generations, fought for the light. However both families have history with dark magic. Even though neither family were supporters of Voldemort, they weren't people Dumbledore would want to be influencing Harry's decisions in life. And that seemed to already be happening.

"Whilst I am glad to hear that you have been receiving help Harry, you shouldn't throw away your friendship with Miss Granger and Mr Weasley" He said "They understand that they were wrong, all they ask is for your trust and forgiveness"

"Trust cannot be earned again, once it's broken sir!" Harry said, bitterly "One day, maybe, I will be able to forgive them, but even if I do, I can guarantee that they will never be my friends again…clearly the past three years meant nothing to them…good day, sir!"

Dumbledore put his head in his hands, as Harry made his way out of his office, slamming the door as he did so. Dumbledore hoped that, by talking to the boy, he would be able to get Harry to see reason and forgive his friends. Everyone deserves a second chance. However, it was clear the influence from James Badger and Daphne Greengrass had already affected Harry, somewhat. He could see it, clear as day. This could prove to be bad, for the future. Harry needed to forgive his friends. Dumbledore hoped that he could get a firmer grasp on the boy and regain, some kind of, control over his life and get Harry, to not only to forgive his friends, but also place the boy on the correct path, towards his destiny.

After all, it was all for the Greater Good.

…

Harry was feeling more then irate, by the time he entered the Gryffindor Common Room. To say he was irate, would be an understatement. He was fuming. Thankfully, the Common Room was completely empty, meaning he wasn't going to be bothered by anyone and he could vent out his frustrations in peace. For a brief moment, he had hoped that the Headmaster wanted to check up on him and make sure Harry was doing okay after going up against a bloody Hungarian Horntail. Instead, the old fool practically ordered him to forgive Ron and Hermione and to become friends again, and act like Harry was the one throwing it all away!

"Those two don't deserve my forgiveness!" Harry growled out, as he sat on one of the sofa's staring at the crackling flames in the fireplace "Screw them, and screw that bloody, old fool too!"

Putting his head in his hands, Harry took a few deep breaths to calm himself down and lower his heart rate, which had spiked as his temper grew inside the Headmasters Office. As he sat there, his head in his hands, Harry heard a familiar voice calling his names. Looking up, Harry saw the flames in the fireplace morphing into a face. A face he knew well.

"Sirius!" He said, kneeling down in front of the flames

"Harry, thank god!" Sirius said "I've tried using the Floo to contact you twice but each time, I saw only an empty Common Room"

"Sirius, what are you doing!" Harry hissed "This is dangerous, someone could walk in and see us communicating"

"I know, and I'll be quick!" Sirius replied "I have news Harry…"

"News that you couldn't put in a letter?" Harry asked

"No, this is big news Harry" Sirius replied "I'm getting a trial"

"You're what!" Harry exclaimed, before lowering his voice, just in case there was someone up in the dorms "You're getting a trial, how?"

"I spoke with the Emiel de Coster, the Minister for Belgium's Ministry of Magic" Sirius explained

"That's great, but, why the Belgium Ministry?" Harry asked

"Britain wasn't the only country involved in the Wizarding War" Sirius replied "A few other countries found themselves involved and affected by the war…however there were many countries that kept themselves out of the affair…Belgium was one of those countries, the Minister for the Belgian Ministry had said that, unless the war entered Belgian soil, their country would remain out of the whole ordeal…thankfully that never happened and they remained out of the whole affair…as Belgian Ministry is a neutral party, even though it's risky, I went to speak with them…and they agreed to give me a fair trial for me to prove my innocence…the Minister of Magic seemed quite disgusted with what happened, when I told them"

"When is your trial?" Harry asked

"A week before Christmas" Sirius said "The Ministry in Belgium has quite a lot on it's plate at the moment, so that was the earliest time they had available…Remus will be there with me when the trial takes place…if everything goes correctly, I'll be a free man before Christmas day!"

"I hope so" Harry said, eagerly "The sooner I get out of the Dursleys care, the better…and we can be a proper family…"

"We will pup, we will" Sirius said "And I promise you that, once I'm free, you'll never have to step foot in that monstrous place again…not whilst I'm still living…now, I have to go pup, before someone comes and sees us talking…but I'll be in touch"

Harry watched as the face of his Godfather disappeared and the flames returned to normal, once more, gently cracking and snapping on the wooden logs. Harry was shaking as he sat back down on the sofa. He was giddy. Sirius was getting a trial. He couldn't believe it. Harry didn't expect it to happen so soon. After Pettigrew got away the previous year, Harry didn't expect Sirius would be able to get his name cleared until the rat was found, but now he was getting a fair trial, in a country that had remained neutral throughout the Wizarding War. It did make Harry wonder, however, how the British Ministry and Wizarding Britain in general, would react. No doubt the news of the trial would reach British soil. Whatever happened, Harry imagined heads were going to roll and, political blood was going to be spilt over the whole ordeal. As Harry sat there, for the first time since returning from the Headmasters office, he found himself relaxing, as he let out a sigh of relief.

There was now, one less thing to worry about during the Triwizard Tournament.

…

Ooh boy. This was painful to write. Just having to bounce from one section to the next, left my brain fuzzy, but it's done now. What did you think?

First off, yes I added the dancing lesson where McGonagall makes Ron demonstrate a dance with her. It's just such a great moment, in my opinion, it would be a shame to not include it. Though, of course, a simple dance is nothing compared to Harry's talk with Dumbledore. Dumbledore telling Harry that he needs to forgive Ron and Hermione and that everyone deserves a second chance is something Dumbledore would do. Whether it was to guilt trip Harry, or not, into doing his bidding is for you to decide. However, this Harry isn't having any of it. With two certain Slytherins by his side, he no longer needs those two.

However, the biggest part of this whole chapter, is Sirius getting a trial. I hope Sirius' explanation of why he's gone abroad to get a trial makes sense to you all. As Belgium wasn't involved in the war, at least in this story, Sirius figured it would be safer approaching their Ministry to get a fair trial, considering Fudge would probably have Sirius be given the Dementors Kiss as soon as he stepped into the Ministry. Will Sirius be able to get a trial, though? We'll just have to wait and see.

That is all for now though. I hope you enjoyed and I will see you next time, in whatever story I see you in.

Badger Out