Harry Potter sat through the entire trial, a smug smile on his face. He couldn't turn the situation more in his favor even if he tried to. He had Amelia Bones, one of the highest-ranked witches in the country defending his case, he would get his godfather free, avenge the betrayal of his parents and deal an important blow to the headmaster's reputation.
He watched as Pettigrew was interrogated, having already heard the answers the rat faced man was spewing out.
But like every other wizard in attendance, he wasn't ready for what would happen next. He watched, completely stunned, as the man who had betrayed his parents died in front of the entire Wizengamot.
All his plans had crumbled to dust, and when Dumbledore refused to open his father's will, he wanted to stand up and order it to be open using his power as Lord Potter. Two things prevented him from doing so. The first was the fact that he wanted to keep his lordship a secret for a little longer. He didn't want the powers around him to know he was of age and already the Lord of his house. The second was that Dumbledore was, in a way, right about house secrets. Who knew what the will would contain?
So, he turned to Sirius and convinced the man to come forward. His godfather was reticent in doing so, believing he would just be arrested on the spot. But the insistence from his godson forced him to reveal himself.
"Why don't you put me under Veritaserum?" he said in his loud deep voice, attracting the attention of everyone in the room. Heads turned, but not finding anyone in his seat, as he was under the invisibility cloak, they turned to Harry.
Sirius took the invisibility cloak and the gasps from the audience filled the room, for the tenth time in that session.
"Aurors, please arrest that fugitive!" The voice of Cornelius Fudge was heard across the entire room, but no auror made a single step in his direction.
"No one will do such a thing, Minister. Mister Black, I, Amelia Bones, Regent of house Bones and the head of the Department of Magical and Law Enforcement give you immunity from persecution for the duration of this trial, as your innocence will be determined."
"Thank you, Madame Bones. Now, as I said before, I will submit myself to Veritaserum questioning, with the condition that no questions involving my house or his secrets to be done while under the effects of the potion."
A knowing look was share between the lords present in the chamber. They all knew the importance of their own house secrets, not wanting to see them exposed.
"We accept your request, Mister Black. Please, take the chair."
As Sirius sat on the chair in the middle of the chamber, Harry couldn't avoid noticing that Amelia Bones made no effort to put chains on him. That alone, transmitted a sign that he wasn't guilty nor dangerous.
Upon request, Auror Scrimgeour once again came forward, another small sealed vial of Veritaserum in his hand.
"Let the record show that vial number six hundred and eighty-seven from the department of mystery's archives will be now opened and given to the witness.
The loud sound from the unsealing of the vial was heard once again and three drops fell in Sirius' mouth.
"What is your full name?"
"Sirius Orion Black."
"How old are you?"
"Thirty-six years old."
"What house were you in at Hogwarts?"
"Gryffindor."
Harry found it curious how the three questions were the same as Pettigrew's.
"Were you one of the servants of Voldemort, mostly known as death eaters?"
"No"
"Were you the Potter Secret Keeper?"
"No"
"Was it you that told the secret of the Potter's location to Voldemort?"
"No, that was Peter Pettigrew."
"Are you innocent from the crimes you're being charged with today?"
"I escaped Azkaban, which is a crime on itself. But for the rest of it, I am innocent"
The audience laughed, wondering how the man could still make a sort of joke while under the influence of Veritaserum and after twelve years surrounded by dementors.
"Very well, Mister Black. Scrimgeour, the antidote please."
The senior auror once again limped forward and gave a small vial to Sirius. He gulped it like a shot, making a frown at the distaste of the potion.
"Anything else you'd like to add in your defense, Mister Black?" She asked.
"Yes," answered Sirius, the conversation he had with Harry a few minutes ago still fresh in his mind. "I want to call for the attention of the Wizengamot to the fact that the Fidelius charm is a very difficult charm to perform, with only the strongest wizards being able to do so. The wizard that performed the Fidelius for the Potters was Albus Dumbledore, meaning he knew who the secret keeper was."
Dumbledore's eyes opened wide, flames dancing in his orbits. Harry was happy, as Sirius had performed brilliantly.
"We will now call for a vote on Mister Black's innocence, those in favor of his release?" Dumbledore hoped the confusion around the vote would distract everyone from the statement Sirius had just done.
Almost all the wands present were raised, as the evidence provided by the Veritaserum interrogation were considered definitive, but still a few Wizards and Witches voted against Sirius' release. Harry made sure to take note of everyone who voted against his godfather. It was with a heavy look that he noticed that Daphne's father, Lord Greengrass, voted against Sirius' freedom. He needed to solve that problem soon.
He noticed Lucius Malfoy and Umbridge also voted against Sirius. Harry decided to make them a priority for his plans. Malfoy would be a huge blow in Voldemort's finances.
"By an overwhelming majority, Sirius Black is now declared not guilty for the all crimes in question in this session. A compensation for the wrongful imprisonment will later be discussed between Mister Black and the DMLE. This session has ended." Proclaimed Dumbledore, with shadows on his eyes.
A lot of important people were trying to speak with Sirius after his innocence had been declared. But the former prisoner made his excuses and left the room, grabbing Harry by the arm, as the boy was making is way back to Hogwarts.
"Harry, I - I don't even know what to say. To know you were the one snatching Pettigrew, making it possible for me to even have a trial… I will be forever in your debt, more than I already am for failing to raise you. I will always be by your side, no matter against who or when."
Harry looked at Sirius, head to toes. "Sirius, you are my godfather. I would always help you the best I can. I might take you up on that offer for help later, Merlin knows I will need wands in the future. For now, what I ask from you is get your health in order, focus on shaking the effects that Azkaban did on you. Take the Lordship of house Black. Get their affairs in order. We will need all the gold and political influence that house Black can offer. Most important, enjoy a little of the life that has been denied to you on these last years."
Harry knew he had won an ally. And a very important one, if Sirius really dedicated himself to the task. The Black family was another one of the seven Ancient and Noble houses, and together with house Potter, represented a considerable political force. Sirius also had some experience in dealing with the high-class of the wizarding world. Once he became Lord Black, we would be a big player in the political theatre.
"I will. And now that I'm free, I can be more present as a godfather. You can count on seeing me at the tasks, Harry."
The older man hugged the younger, and they parted ways. Sirius went to St. Mungo's, while Harry went to Hogwarts.
But before he reached the apparition area, that would allow him to apparate to the chamber of secrets, he was once again interrupted.
"Harry, a word? I have some important issues we need to discuss."
Harry turned around, seeing who was calling him.
"Ah, Rita! Of course! Where do you wish to speak?"
"Can you come to my office?" She asked. "I can side-apparate you there."
"That would be acceptable." He said, taking her arm.
A second later, he felt he was being forced through a very tight tube.
"I have to say, Harry, I find it impressive how you, a fourteen-year-old student, managed to free a man who was considered one of the most dangerous criminals in our country. Maybe associating myself to you was not such a bad idea."
"What can I say, Rita? Things tend to happen around me." A smile graced his lips.
"I'm really looking for the story of how you managed to find Pettigrew. The man escapes the aurors for more than a decade and you simply find him out of the blue?"
"I have my ways, and I won't show any mercy for the followers of Voldemort. I'm not Dumbledore."
"Of that, I have no doubts. The prophet will probably do a second issue today just to cover what happened in there."
"Then you should probably get to work, Rita. I want your take on the matter to be published, and of course, you know to portrait Dumbledore in the worst image possible."
"I haven't forgot about our deal, don't worry Harry." She answered promptly.
"I'm not worried at all. Now, tell me the news about my relatives."
"Yes, we were able to locate the house with the memory you provided but let me tell you the place is very well warded. Your relative's memories on the other hand… They don't even remember your existence. They have been cleaned from all the traces of your existence."
"That's a first. Dumbledore never resorted to such methods. Can the memories be recovered?"
"They can, but it will be lengthy and costly. A lot of time with mind healers will be needed. And they would have to agree to it."
"I can provide the gold, that's not a problem. We could maybe use the Imperius curse to make them obey?"
"The Imperius curse?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Please Rita, don't try to push morality on me. We both know you'll do anything for a story, the Imperius is just a tool."
"I still don't like it. And using the Imperius can mess up with their minds even more and ruin any chance of salvaging anything."
"Just find a way, Rita. You know I can't be involved openly, and you know this can be the biggest story of your life. Make it work."
"I will Harry, I will."
"Good. Owl me the amount of gold you will need, I'll make sure the goblins open a new vault that you can access."
They made their goodbyes and Harry apparated into the chamber.
"You had something to do with it, didn't you?" asked Blaise, happy to know Sirius was now a free man.
"I won't say anything about that, not that I could." Answered Harry, but he found himself unable to give his friends a wink.
Blaise and Tracey had met Sirius in the end of their third year, when they helped him escape from Fudge and his intentions to give Sirius a dementor's kiss. Both his friends knew the man was innocent but couldn't do a lot to help.
"It really makes you worry about your safety when an innocent man can be locked up for twelve years, doesn't it?" Daphne's question made them all think a little bit about the topic.
"It was a time of war, it was different." defended Tracey.
"Times of war are coming again, we can't allow ourselves to commit the same mistakes. And there were a lot of interests in Sirius being locked up, it wasn't just bad luck and confusing times."
The mood was not more tense, as the four Slytherins out themselves in Sirius shoes.
Trying to lighten up the mood, Tracey decided to ask.
"So, do you guys already have dates for the Yule Ball?"
Harry's clenched his fists, as that was not a question he wanted to answer. Daphne looked up to him, and their eyes crossed for a few moments. He knew what she was thinking, what she wanted.
"I don't!" Said Blaise "And I don't even know who to ask!"
"You better hurry, otherwise all the good girls will be gone!" Mocked Tracey "I said yes to Nott, so we will be going together."
"What about you two? Are you going to invite Daphne, mate?"
Both Harry and Daphne blushed madly at their friend's question.
"Well I wanted to, but with Daphne's father… I don't know id it's the better option."
The girl looked sad, her eyes were dark and harry felt she would burst into tears at any second.
"I don't even know if I'm going to be here. Harry and I can't go together, and I don't want to end up going with Malfoy or alone. So, I may just skip the entire event."
They were tense and awkward, not at all how they should be spending a day that should be of celebration for Sirius.
Harry was in a crossroad, he knew who he wanted to invite if Daphne was not available, but he didn't know how to approach the topic.
They finished eating, his friends went to their classes, and Harry made his way to the Come and go room, choosing to vent his frustration on the training dummies.
Fleur woke up feeling excited and anxious. Today was the day she would join Harry for a run, today was the day she was going to do something forward with the boy.
She made his way to the lake and found him already there, warming up in the cold weather.
"Harry! Hi, what a surprise to find you here. You run in the morning often?" She asked, pretending to frame the encounter as casual.
"Hello Fleur, how are you? Yes, I usually run here in the early morning. But you know that, right? I've seen you watch me a couple of times."
She blushed. She had been caught and didn't have an excuse for it.
"I did, a few times, yes. Who doesn't like to watch such a good-looking young man working out?" She had changed the spotlight, and know it was Harry's time to blush. Fleur pressed on it and winked at him.
"I- I- do you want to join me?" he asked on a blur.
"Thought you'd never ask!" was the answer.
Both students ran across the lake for more than an hour, Harry was impressed with Fleur's physical form and resistance.
When they finished, all pink and sweaty, she made her move.
"So, Harry, who's the lucky girl that going to take you to the Yule Ball?"
"Hum- err- Idonthaveadateyet" he answered
"What? What did you say?" she asked, not being able to understand what he'd said, but guessing what the answer would be.
"I don't have a date yet. The girl I wanted to take can't go, so I don't know who to take."
"I'm sure there's a long line of girls that would kill for you to take them" she teased. Seeing him blush madly repeatedly made her feel good.
"I don't think so but thank you. I really have to choose someone soon. I've heard we, the champions, are going to have to open the Ball, and I don't even know how to dance!"
"Well, I'll just let you know that I still don't have a date, and that I'm a good dance teacher." She paused for a second, watching him look at his feet in embarrassment. "I'm going to go take a shower. Bye Harry!"
She blew him a kiss and made her way to the Beauxbatons carriages.
She wanted Harry to invite her. For some reason, she felt attracted to him, even despite the age gap between them. She didn't like being the second option, and he had made clear that there was a girl he wanted to invite first, but she knew what mattered was the end, and she was going to get him at the end. Who could resist her?
'That red-head certainly couldn't.' she thought, amused. The boy had caused a scene trying to invite her to the dance, his eyes filled with adoration and his mouth almost drooling. She had been quick to dismiss him, but he kept screaming after her, as she left the hall. It had been uncomfortable.
Harry arrived at the chamber to see an owl waiting for him. The letter had the Gringotts seal, so he knew it was something official to do with the goblins.
Opening the envelope, he read that he was being summoned to take a second inheritance test, as the goblins claimed the previous one was outdated. Harry had an idea of what had changed but decided to wait for a better time to go to Diagon alley.
"Salazar? I need your help."
"Child, what can I help you with? Any magic you want to know?"
Harry smiled, hearing the voice of a man who had become a mentor, almost like a father figure to him, was always comforting.
"No, this time it's with matters of the heart…"
AN: A few of you spoke about Pettigrew's death in the trial. I just want to point out that I consulted an actual lawyer and it was confirmed that if a witness dies before the examination and cross-examination are over, the judge can choose to disregard the testimony. Of course, a magical judiciary system is different, but I went for that. Hope the cliffhanger wasn't too bad.
Thanks to my Beta Arthur for his review of this chapter. On this chapter in particular, without his feedback I would have published it with a lot of inconsistencies.
I remember that we are looking for a second Beta, to cross-examine his work. Volunteers are welcome.
Thank you for the follows and reviews. Keep them coming.
Hope the start of the year has been good for everyone.