Saturday morning, to Hermione's annoyance, confidential hearings or no, the Daily Prophet decided to publish information from Thursday's hearing. The headlines weren't exactly unexpected, but they were unwelcome nonetheless.
IS SIRIUS BLACK INNOCENT?
Secret Wizengamot session seems to think so!
The first story covered the frame of the Wizengamot session – there had been a secret session, and there was another confidential session scheduled, which meant the claims so far had been deemed to have some merit or support. The rest of the piece went on to theorize about what would happen if Sirius' claims, whatever they were, were determined to be true or false.
The article itself was massively devoid of any real information, but Hermione realized that was likely because a different article had already taken all the juicy bits:
HARRY POTTER ALLEGES SIRIUS BLACK DID NOT BETRAY HIS PARENTS
Perfectly-performed Blood-Debt ritual did not summon Black in January
That story had the details somehow, secret Wizengamot session or not. The article detailed the questions that Harry had been asked on the stand, his responses, as well as the currently-accepted backstory of Sirius Black and his crimes regarding his betrayal of the Potters and the Fidelius Charm.
Next to it was another story:
ARE YOUR CHILDREN PERFORMING FORBIDDEN RITUAL MAGIC?
School children forming covens to cast ancient magics!
"It's not as bad as you think," Blaise told her, seeing her blanch at the headline. "It's actually almost good. I wonder who bribed the press."
Surprised, Hermione leaned closer to read.
ARE YOUR CHILDREN PERFORMING FORBIDDEN RITUAL MAGIC?
School children forming covens to cast ancient magics!
By Rita Skeeter
Harry Potter revealed he is a member of a genuine coven during Thursday's confidential Wizengamot session. He and his covenmates formally bound their magic last spring.
"We bled and bound our magic together on Beltane," Potter told the Wizengamot, showing off his silver coven ring, worn on the third finger of his left hand. "My magic is their magic, and their magic is mine."
The Wizengamot was shocked by this unexpected pronouncement. Upon questioning, a further truth was revealed: "Though ritual magic has long since been removed from the Hogwarts curriculum, covens have never been forbidden at Hogwarts," said Dumbledore.
Forming a coven is not something to be taken lightly. It involves binding yourself and your magic to others, and once done, it cannot be easily undone. Coven members can call upon each others' magic in times of need, and during ritual magic, their power is amplified through their shared magical bond.
Wizards have long since turned to wands for most magical needs, with Potions covering most of the rest. Using a wand is a natural limiter, generally – truly terrible things cannot be done by one person, as they require more power than most people have.
With covens, that limitation is removed.
"Covens have long had a Dark undertone," said Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. "They perform rituals, and the fact is, a lot of Dark things can be done via ritual."
Bones holds that covens are misunderstood, however.
"Covens can do a lot of good, too," Bones said. "A protective enchantment cast by a coven instead of by one wizard is much more difficult to break. And You-Know-Who didn't have a coven, realize – he and his Death Eaters did their Dark rituals unbound."
One example of a coven doing non-Dark magic is Potter's.
"When I first heard Sirius Black was my godfather and he'd betrayed my parents, I was angry," Potter said. "I wanted to go after him. No one knew where he was, though. My coven and I decided to do a Blood Debt ritual, to call him to account for his crimes that way."
A Blood Debt ritual is an ancient ritual that summons a person who has betrayed someone and caused a grievous loss of life or limb. It was an ancient tool for justice when wizards could not use the court system the muggles had set up without risking a loss of life should they be discovered. Despite the name, a Blood Debt ritual is not Dark magic.
One member of Harry Potter's coven is Susan Bones, a 3rd year Hufflepuff at Hogwarts, niece to Amelia Bones.
"My mother was in a coven, as was her mother," the young Bones said. "Sharing your magic with those you trust allows for you to amplify your power and do magnificent things you couldn't do otherwise."
To the astonishment of the Wizengamot, this apparently includes Light necromancy rituals, which were thought not to exist.
"We did a ritual on Beltane to help ghosts pass on if they wanted. It opened up a path to the beyond," Bones said, sitting in the Wizengamot's Truth Circle. "A couple of them moved on. It was beautiful to see."
Other good works of magic are possibly coming still, though Bones was tight-lipped with the details.
"We've been trying to help someone conceive through fertility rituals lately," Bones said. "We've been altering [old rituals] to account for willing participants, to make them Light acts of creation. It's her private business though, so I don't want to name names."
Should such magic prove effective, it could shake the wizarding world to its core.
"Many families struggle with infertility," Rowan Greengrass said. "Ritual magic being able to fix that or work through it could reshape society. It could increase our birth rates immensely."
Such magic would not come cheaply, though, as ritual magic tends to be very time intensive and can only be performed at certain times of the year.
"Many people would pay, regardless of how high the cost," Rowan said. "To have a pregnancy stick and have a live, healthy child – there's no price in the world some of us wouldn't pay for that."
.
"They had a reporter in there," Hermione said, astonished. "They had a reporter. There's no way they got all those quotes second-hand. How did they get someone in there? It was a sealed session!"
"Maybe one of the Wizengamot works for the Daily Prophet?" Tracey suggested.
Hermione blinked. "I hadn't considered that."
"The article is slanted positively, though," Blaise pointed out. "It addresses the alarming parts of covens up front, and then it talks about all the good things we've done. It's definitely skewed to be pro-coven."
"And I'm glad of it," Hermione said honestly. "Though... I worry what the backlash will be."
Harry pulled Hermione aside after breakfast, taking her up to the 8th floor window seat. He brushed off a cushion before sitting, turning to Hermione, and taking a deep breath.
"I'm angry at you," he said, green eyes hard. "I realized yesterday – I'm furious. And I wanted to talk to you about it directly."
Hermione was surprised.
"You are?" she said. "I mean – alright, okay – but why?"
Harry took a deep breath.
"You didn't tell me about Sirius Black," he told her, meeting her eyes. "You knew he was innocent, and you said nothing to me for months."
Hermione bit her lip. "I mean—he's a fugitive, and the Wizengamot hasn't determined if he's innocent or guilty—"
"Don't give me that," Harry snapped. "You knew, Hermione. You knew, and you didn't say a word."
Hermione winced, and Harry glared at her.
"Why?" Harry wanted to know. "Why didn't you tell me, Hermione? You knew how I felt about Sirius Black."
Harry's eyes were hard as he glared at her. It was a new feeling – usually she and Harry were glaring at the same things. Being on this side of his acid-green death stare… guilt rose in her chest like bile as he looked at her. She didn't like it one bit.
"That was why I didn't tell you," Hermione admitted. "If I told you Sirius was innocent… well, I figured then you'd want to go see him and meet him. And… sneaking you out of the school to see him when he was on the run, as well as working on his legal case… it seemed kind of overwhelming."
Harry looked angry. "It seemed overwhelming? The prospect of having a conversation with me?"
"No, look, okay, I messed up," Hermione said, tugging at her hair. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize you'd want to know right away. I figured if I could get Sirius cleared and exonerated by the end of the year, then you could meet him over summer break and get to know your godfather." She exhaled hard, trying to get all the words in order. "I just—it felt incomplete, to tell you what I was working on in the middle of it. I wanted to present it as a fait accompli, once it was already done."
Harry's eyes were hard. Hermione bit her lip.
"I'm sorry, Harry," she said quietly. "I didn't realize what it meant to you. I didn't think."
Harry looked at her for a long moment, before he heaved a sigh.
"I forgive you, Hermione," he said, his voice tired. "Just—you're one of my best friends, y'know? We're in a coven together. You can come to me with anything you need."
"I know," Hermione said. "It's just—it's hard to ask people for help, or to tell them I'm doing something risky they might want me not to do."
Harry raised an eyebrow.
"I'm in Gryffindor," he said incredulously. He started to grin. "Do you really think I'm the one who'd tell you off for doing something risky?"
A smile crept onto Hermione's lips. "Depends what risk I'm taking, I suppose."
"Try me," Harry challenged, eyes sparkling. "What risks have you taken lately?"
Hermione grinned.
"I captured Sirius Black," she told him, meeting his challenge.
Harry's jaw dropped. "You did not."
"I did. I caught him in the secret tunnel to Hogsmeade after he fled the Gryffindor tower back in February," Hermione told him, grinning. "I kept him in the Chamber of Secrets as my prisoner for a while, before moving him to a cave. He's staying at the Malfoy's, now – he can claim sanctuary there with Narcissa Malfoy, who's his cousin – while his legal case proceeds."
"You caught a man wanted for twelve murders," Harry said incredulously, but he was grinning. "You're mad for trying."
"He didn't have a wand," Hermione protested. "And it was easy enough to disarm him of the knife."
Harry laughed.
"Only you," he said, shaking his head fondly. He looked up at her. "What's he like?"
Hermione blinked. "Who, Sirius?"
"Yeah. He's my godfather," Harry said. "And if he didn't do it… if he's not guilty, and he didn't betray them…" He shrugged, looking out the window. "He's my last link to my parents."
Hermione thought she understood what Harry was getting at.
"Well, he's crude," she said, wrinkling her nose. "He makes a lot of foul jokes, and he's very blunt. He offended the Malfoys like five times in five minutes, and I think he thinks it's funny to horrify and shock people."
Harry snickered. "Okay, but making the Malfoys mad does sound like fun."
"They're the ones helping clear his name," Hermione said, exasperated. "It's immature."
"Maybe a little," Harry admitted, grinning. "What else?"
"Well, he looks a lot better now," Hermione said. "They got him a bath and a haircut and a shave, and he looks much more like a proper wizard now, instead of a deranged homeless man."
Harry laughed.
"Do you like him?" he asked. "Do you think I will?"
Hermione considered.
"He… has a distinct bias against Slytherins," she said carefully. "I don't think he'll drop that prejudice easily. And he hates Snape, and Snape loathes him back. But I think you'll get along with him, once you two get to know each other."
Harry laughed.
"Considering Snape also hates me," Harry said, amused, "I suspect I'll be in good company."
Hermione rolled her eyes and huffed, and Harry laughed again. He pulled her into his side, wrapping an arm around her in a half-hug, and Hermione leaned into him, rolling her eyes with a smile.
"Just – if something's relevant to me like this again, please don't keep it a secret?" he asked plaintively.
"I'll try," Hermione promised. "I'll do my best."
