I don't own Harry Potter. I do own the story and any original characters that I create. I seek no profit from my writings in the Harry Potter Universe. The rights are owned by J K Rowling and whoever happens to own Warner Bros.
Harry Potter returns to 4 Privet Drive a broken boy. He's seen another boy callously cut down in front of him, he's been forced to duel Voldemort, seen the ghosts of his parents and been told how proud they are of him. Then Dumbledore makes him return to Durzkaban, instead of spending the Summer with Sirius. Harry is emotionally exhausted.
Harry was trying to sleep. It was the night of April 12th 1995. He was in a room in 12 Grimmauld Place. He was trying to come to terms with the fact that Mrs Figg - who had babysat him many times growing up - was, in fact, a squib, watching him on Albus Dumbledore's orders. Harry could barely concentrate, so loud was the snoring of Ron Weasley. Harry really was at the end of his tether. He heard something. He cast lumos and saw a page of parchment on his bedside table. He realised that it was his handwriting, the very neat kind.
Henry,
You're at the end of your tether. I know I was at this point in my life. Well, fortunately for you, you don't have to repeat my mistake of accepting everything that happened. It can be changed. Exactly how has kept me from sending you, me, this spell, when I first learnt the Potter family secret, when I turned 21. If I can keep us from marrying Ginny Weasley, the better. I know I never paid attention to the relationships that formed at Hogwarts. By the time we completed our fifth year, Ginny had already slept with 50 out of the 60 boys in Third thru Fifth years and 20 girls. Somehow, I do not believe she fully healed from being possessed by Tom. I'm not sure we ever did, either.
I have determined that our tenth birthday is when you should return to. You'll be able to get Amos Diggory elected instead of Fudge. I suggest you aim for Ravenclaw, so work really hard this coming year. You know the deaths to prevent. Well, I think you will. I came to learn that MI5 had us under surveillance. I don't know as I like that. You'll figure out a way to stop that.
Anything else that I can tell you before I send you, me, back? Ron Weasley is a spy. Mrs Figg is an unregistered kneazle breeder. The first meeting with the Weasleys is a set up. Ron lied about the other compartments being full. Sit with Neville and Hermione. Get your Wizengamot seats back, soonest. You'll retain full memories; at least, that's what Hermione thinks. She's usually right.
Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Back I go.
Harry.
Harry heard future Harry say a spell. He felt light headed. Next, he awoke 31 July 1990. He had a splitting headache and full memory. He was in his cupboard under the stairs. Should he change that? Harry thought the Order would be watching his house. If nothing had changed, the Dursleys would have already gone on holiday, leaving him free rein in the house.There was a trip to the attic coming up very, very soon. Harry would find £20 on the kitchen table that had to last a month. Harry had other ideas.
Harry got up, showered, trying his hardest not to look at his small and puny body that had marks and scars from past beatings, dressed and cooked himself a full English. He had bought thin bacon, by mistake and cooked 4 rashes instead of two. Oh well, they'd do for a sandwich or two at lunch.
Harry did his house chores next. He'd finished by 11. He'd noted down the address for the solicitor's in Cokeworth that he needed to visit. Then it was up into the attic. There were the trunks of his parents. He opened the trunk that had been his mother's. He pulled out a wand and cast lumos. His mother had left him a letter. He skipped over the parts that he'd read later. He wanted the shrinkage and enlargement spells. He noted that her wand was willow 101/4" with a thestral hair core. She'd said his dad's was mahogany 11" also with a thestral hair core and that they had cores from the same thestral. His mother had written that in the notes she had left for him.
Harry found the spells and shrunk both trunks and took them into Dudley's second bedroom, henceforth, Harry's room. He enlarged the trunks. He found the spells to make the house unplottable, untraceable and untrackable. He got those spells off just in time. He watched as aurors spent twenty minutes wandering around outside his house, unable to find him. He could now cast spells to his heart's content, here. Harry grinned, evilly. The Dursley reign of terror was over.
Harry completed his move into the bedroom. Dudley's toys were neatly stacked against one wall. Two stacks. One for intact, which was rather small and a much larger one of broken toys. Harry had moved in!
Harry found the messenger owl charm that summoned a post owl. You had to pay 5 knuts for using said owl. Harry found the knuts and then read the letter. Amelia Bones had been a friend of his parents. He decided to write to her and invite her over to chat. 7pm. That would give Harry the time to visit the solicitors and have supper.
Harry mentioned where he lived, that Sirius Black wasn't the secret keeper. Whatever one of those was. He told about Mrs Figg and the weird cats she bred. He summoned the owl and paid it the 5 knuts. The owl wanted the bacon, so it had that as well. The owl was snowy white. Could this be Hedwig? Harry dismissed such thoughts. There was no way.
Harry had lunch and then put on his ill-fitting anorak and outdoor shoes and took three bags of sickles for the Night Bus. Harry discovered that he had a £60000 education trust fund in the name of Henry Potter. That could now be transferred to the Godric Hollow's solicitor who handed all his other business, and Harry visited him next. He learnt he had a number of accounts, that he'd inherited Lily's share portfolio and three properties. One of which was intimately familiar to him. Repairs to the cottage would be started. Harry remembered what Sirius had said to him. Those stairs no longer existed, so what had happened and when. He had said the four spells. Boy did they take it out of him. He'd gone to the part and been visited by an old lady. She'd given him gifts. Plus a mission to kill her nephew, Gellert Grindelwald. He'd gone to Nurmengard, said the four spells and killed Gellert and removed the evidence. Gellert had wanted him to take a book and get it published: The Rise and Fall of Gellert Grindelwald. Harry had agreed. Gellert had smiled and said he was ready to die. Harry had killed him. He had portkeyed back to the cottage. Harry had wandered down to the church and visited the grave. He had asked who had buried them. He'd been told a man with a long white beard and a greasy haired man dressed in black.
Harry arrived back in time to make himself some beans on toast for supper. He'd made a treacle tart for desert and treated himself to one slice. He had drunk a cup of tea afterwards and wondered, if Amelia Bones would visit. He unpacked the trunks. There were a couple of shrunken portraits. Harry heard the frontdoor bell ring. Harry took the unshrunk portraits downstairs with him. He opened the door and found a woman with a monocle staring back at him.
"Amelia Bones?" Harry enquired.
"Yes," woman said.
"Please come in," Harry said. Amelia followed him in the lounge. She watched as Harry unshrank the portraits.
Harry, darling," portrait Lily said. "Where are we?"
"4 Privet Drive," Harry began.
"Isn't that Petunia's place?" portrait James asked.
Lily noticed Amelia. "Hello, Amelia. Harry, what are you doing at Petunia's? You were never to go there. Our Wills made that perfectly clear."
"Dumbledore had your Wills sealed on the order of the Wizengamot. Whilst you were in hiding your parents, Lily, were killed in a car crash and James your relatives all died from a Dragon Pox outbreak."
"What are you talking about, Amelia. My family invented the cure for dragon pox and never went anywhere without it," James looked non-plussed.
"Why are you not with Sirius?" Lily asked.
"Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban for betraying you to You-Know-Who, murdering Peter Pettigrew and a dozen muggles." Amelia said.
"Sirius was not our Secret Keeper. The Fidelius was erected 24 October 1981. Sirius was not even present."
"Who was?" Amelia asked.
"Peter Pettigrew," James growled. "I can say it."
"I ended the Fidelius today," Harry said. "You said Sirius was sent to Azkaban for betraying my parents and murdering Pettigrew and muggles. Is there any way to prove Pettigrew is dead and why wasn't he charged with attempted murder of Me?"
"I could bring Sirius up on attempted murder charges, Harry," Amelia said. "That's a good call."
"I thought Dumbledore could be trusted," James said.
"And are dead because of it," Harry said.
"How old are you, Harry?" Amelia asked.
"Ten, today."
"You look 8," Amelia said.
"I've been ill-fed and mis-treated, here," Harry responded. "I've ten files for you. My most severe beatings. Local law enforcement didn't even remember meeting me." He handed the files over. Amelia sat down to read them.
"How did you get here?" Amelia asked.
"Wait here, there's a letter." Harry dashed off to his aunt's room and brought down the letter that had been left with him, overnight November 1st to 2nd.
Amelia read the letter. Dumbledore. She asked about all the letters his well-wishers had written.
"I have never received any letters." Harry looked surprised that anyone would want to write to him. Even as older Harry, Harry was still surprised. He realised that he had self-esteem issues.
"What do you know of the wizarding world?" Amelia asked.
"Nothing. I found your name amongst a pile of letters that my Aunt had kept of my mother's. Given how my Aunt thinks of my mother, I am surprised she kept anything of hers."
"May I see your back, Harry?"
Harry turned and lifted up his shirt. Amelia let out a strong sigh. There was a flash of a magical camera. Harry lowered his shirt.
Amelia Bones had more than enough information for what she planned to do. She thanked Harry and left. She took a copy of the letter that had been left with 15-month-old Harry Potter, the little Lord. She took the ten files, Harry had made.
Amelia returned to her office. She took a detour via the Department of Mysteries' Wall of Life. There was indeed the name Peter Pettigrew. She removed all the spells that had a focus of 4 Privet Drive. She read the file of Sirius Orion Black. There was a page in which the arresting auror, Cornelius Oswald Fudge had noted that Sirius had said that he killed James and Lily and that was it. There was no arrest actually made. The other page was Barty Crouch Sr saying Black had been sent to Azkaban because Albus Dumbledore, Chief Warlock, believed he was the Secret Keeper for the Potters.
Amelia had checked the Wizengamot records. The Wizengamot had sealed the Potter Wills at the session 1 Nov 1981 and made Dumbledore Harry's magical guardian. She would need to check to see if the Wizengamot had the legal power to do those actions. Until Amelia could get them set aside, Dumbledore had legal protection for leaving Harry with the Dursleys. Amelia had taken care of Arabella Figg.
For Albus Dumbledore, 31 July 1990 had been like any other end of July. Harry was still ignorant of his position in Wizarding society and Neville was thought of as a squib. No surprises there. He found that he could no longer remember where Harry was. His two watchers also returned, somewhat confused. As the day wore on, Albus found he could no longer remember where Gellert Grindelwald was. Somebody had obviously ended the Fidelius on the Potter home and Gellert had been threatening to cut him off from access for years. Severus had moaned about how Lily's house should not be some national monument. There was no point berating the boy about it now. Albus would just have to accept it. There was the special ICW meeting in Ulan Bator brought by the Mongolians who were worried that the number of wild fire breathing carnivorous horses were posing a clear and present danger to their own horse population. They wanted hit wizards to cull the fire-breathers. Albus wanted the Mongolians to suffer to protect the breeders, in Arabia and Austria, of fine horses.
Dumbledore could not believe just how gullible Rubeus Hagrid was. The half giant believed Albus when he said there nothing he could do about getting him re-instated or get him a new wand. Rubeus also believed Albus, when he said there was no market for acromantula silk. The half-giant lived in a wooden hut. He could have a mansion half the size of Hogwarts with all the money Dumbledore had made from the silk.
Harry was happy. He had done all he could. He knew exactly where the Rat was going to be. He knew who the Death Eaters in the Ministry were. He could tell Madam Bones. Then he'd have to explain how he knew. That he was not keen on doing. Hermione had gone on at length about the perils of time travel in their third year. Harry knew with absolute certainty that the time turner Hermione had used was not a Ministry time turner. They were one use 5 hour back maximum. Hermione used hers everyday or a least once a week and the time jump they had done had been 12 hours. Dumbledore knew how to use it and must have used it many times to forestall bad things happening to him. His parents had not had the Cloak at the time they needed it most. Dumbledore had already taken it, to prevent just such an eventuality. As for Wormtail, his parents would expect him to kill the rat. Harry had been right that it wasn't Sirius' or Remus' job to kill the Rat. Yes, it was his. He would train for it.
The following day, Harry went to County Hall in Guildford to find out why the Dursleys had never received any money for him. If things went how Harry wanted, he'd get the money. He spent a day before finally securing payment into an account in the name of Harry Evans. He'd have to go back to Godric's Hollow to pick up the cheque book and bank card from the local branch of Barclays Bank.
Amelia Bones attended the Wizengamot. Dumbledore brought his gavel down. Amelia Bones rose.
"Chief Warlock, members of the Wizengamot I give notice that I shall be bringing Sirius Orion Black to trial at our next meeting on the charge of attempted murder of Harry James Potter, Lord and head of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter."
"I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IS NECESSARY," Dumbledore shouted.
"What you believe is not material, Chief Warlock. I have informed this chamber of a trial, as is my right. The trial will take place at our next meeting."
"As the magical guardian of Harry Potter I cannot allow this trial," Dumbledore said.
"Anyone would think you did not want young Potter to have justice," Minister Fudge said. "It does not matter what you want. Head of the DMLE, Regent Bones, is correct that a trial will be held.
"I cannot allow Harry, to be present." Dumbledore was now getting to the heart of his objection.
"If Lord Potter is required to be present, Aurors will bring him, as is the custom." Amelia was now certain of Dumbledore's next statement.
"I will not divulge where Harry is." Yes that was Dumbledore's position, Amelia thought. It was the same every year. Dumbledore never brought Lord Potter before them as he was demanded to. Amelia was, for one, sick of it. She moved her monocle. Dumbledore's time would come.
The Agenda was then progressed. Amelia was not surprised that the meeting reached its end time without getting to Any Other Business. Lord Arcturus Black was once more foiled in getting Sirius Black released. Lord Black took it out on Kreacher on his return to Grimmauld Place. Kreacher had to destroy the portrait of Mistress Walburga and obey Lord Black in all things. Kreacher did as he was told, even though there were tears in his eyes as his Mistress burned.
Harry booked himself in for a dental check-up. He almost freaked (get it?) out, when he saw that the Dursleys used the Grangers as their dentists. They went all the way to Crawley. He was being fitted in, just before the Grangers went on holiday. That was just fine. Harry made his way there the following day. He arrived in good time for his appointment. He filled in the details he was asked to. He made a point of telling the Grangers how mistreated he was. That was sure to raise flags. It turned out that he needed no work on his teeth. They just got a good clean, which hurt a bit. Harry met Hermione. She was reading. No real surprise there. She was reading War and Peace. It must be holiday reading. It was probably the only book other than the Bible that would keep Hermione occupied throughout the holiday.
Dr Granger, female, noticing him smiling, watching Hermione leave with her father.
"Hermione's not had a boy interested in her, before," Mrs Granger said.
"I was looking at the big book and thinking that was the only way to keep her occupied during your holiday."
"Okay, what I am about to say is going to freak you out. The Dursleys call me freak. On Hermione's birthday, you're going to get a visit. Don't say you know me. Do ask whoever provides information about the jobs Hermione will be able to get after she finishes her education. Then ask about the Dagworth-Grangers."
"My husband has mentioned them as being relatives."
"Make sure he goes with your daughter on her shopping trip and gets an inheritance test done. Tests to bring noble house out of abeyance matters to those who will be doing the tests. Should Hermione look like she is troubled by invisible not-friends, write a letter addressed to Amelia Bones Head of the DMLE. Have Hermione think about delivering a letter. The cost is 5 knuts. If any of that happens, you know where I live. You can always say you want to have another look at one of my teeth. You might actually want that, anyway."
"You are certainly a strange one, Henry. That's what you've signed your name as. Henry Potter. Oh, you'll certainly be hearing from me, again, don't you worry about that, young man."
Harry left the dentists. He liked Mrs Granger. Hermione did not talk much about her parents. Harry had kind of assumed they were douchebags like the Dursleys. He was pleased to see that they were not.
Harry had to admit that he was not looking forward to going to Godric's Hollow for an in-depth review of his finances in the Muggle world. He had only just turned 15 in the other timeline and was still suffering from a lack of information. He thought he was about to receive tmi or too much information than he could handle. Both Hermione and Ron were confident individuals. Harry was only confident when he was fighting or doing something active. Harry did not know that his confidence level was where it was due to the browbeating he'd suffered at the hands of the Dursleys. He did fall asleep thinking, 'Death, you're the best".
Now, Death was not used to mortals praising him. This required further study. He had wanted to have a conversation with Harry in the way station that appeared as King's Cross Station. Unfortunately, Dumbledore proved to be as big a pain in death as he was in life. Quite why he thought Harry would join him and the pair would go off hand in hand skipping gaily through the meadows, Death had no idea.
Death set up a meeting room and sat in the chair he'd created for himself. He brought Harry and dressed him in an outfit that would have set him back 3000 galleons at Twilfit and Tattings, the full Wizengamot ensemble. Death had provided a mirror for Harry to see himself in.
"Hello, Henry, please do be seated. You praised me and I don't get that from mortals, like ever. You are unique Lord Henry James Potter. You were actually sent back in time by yourself three decades from now."
"Oh, well, hello, Death, nice to meet you. I'm not actually dead, am I?"
"I like that. You get straight to the point. You're alive. The Department of Mysteries can generally detect a temporal incursion, such as yourself, and take steps to neutralise it. I did take steps to prevent them from realising that it was you, but Croaker is a real stubborn individual. I could not stop the fact that someone had come back, but not who.
Some background for you. It's all in the 13th Edition that Bagshot gave you. The 17th, the version you'll buy next year has been thoroughly Dumbledored. This relates to Eloise Mintumble who used a Potter time turner to go back to 1404. She stayed 4 days and came back. Unfortunately, she aged on her return. She turned to dust and the Ministry time-turners hired from your House, were set to a single use of 5 hours back, without the possibility of return. 15 people who had existed, flared out of existence on her return. The number of disappeared now numbers 25. If you reach 18 without killing Riddle, both of you cease to exist. In fact, you will never have existed. The pair of you. You are a Department of Mysteries creation, in a way. Your grandparents Fleamont and Euphemia were old even by wizarding standards and had failed to provide an heir for your family. They consulted the department and 9 months later James, your father, was born."
"Two sides fighting for control of time could be behind the missing people." Harry was quite pleased with that deductive reasoning.
"Yes, that would account for there being no rhyme or reason, now, for their removal. First do Riddle and his Death Eaters and you can start on the missing, after that."
"Working for you. It would seem to have its advantages," Harry laughed.
"The main point or topic for this dreamscape. In formal settings always use Henry, never Harry. Never shake someone's hand in the magical world. It means you are sealing a sealing. I'm giving you a boon. You'll know what someone wants, when they offer you, their hand. You've come back to save lives. Generally, for every life you save, someone else has to die. It's pretty much an iron law. Balance. Dumbledore created imbalance. That gives me and by extension, you, some leeway.
Until 1985, there was the Rappaport Act. Officially, it lasted from 1790 to 1965 in Magical USA. Muggles discovered Magicals and tried to wipe them out 1788-1790. The Act banned magical and non-magical marriages and ordered products of such Unions hunted down and killed. House Potter had quite an extensive branch over in the USA, so the Law applied to all Potters. When the Act was repealed, they forgot to remove the bit about Hit Wizards hunting down and killing products of such Unions. Somehow, your father was held to have married Petunia. Hit Wizards were sent after you. There were attacks made against you, which Dumbledore passed off as death Eater attacks, justifying keeping your location a secret. He knew they were American Hit Wizards. In 1985 a Law was passed removing the Hit Wizard provision. I have also changed all the documents back to Lily."
"You believe he was behind the mix up?" Harry asked.
"It's my working theory. Between 1832 and 1905, a Stephanie Potter held the Presidency of the MACUSA Congress for 63 years. There was a period of 10 years, where she laboured to remove the term limit on a President. Between 1905 and 1922 when Charlus Potter inherited the American Holdings of the Potter family, the Potter family in the US was wiped out. Gellert Grindelwald was the likely perpetrator. Letters your American attorneys have sent you have been affected by that mail redirect. They wonder why you or your representatives have sent them no instructions.
"I could use the solicitors in Godric's Hollow," Harry put forward, hesitantly.
"Good idea." Harry beamed. "You might suggest a family get together. They are Potter squibs."
"Oh."
"Oh. That's the best you can come up with," Death chuckled. "The notion you still have family might have gotten a better response than 'oh'."
"I was wondering why I did not get left with them," Harry said, struggling to come to terms with having family.
"Dumbledore did not and does not value squibs."
"I do know about that. Dumbledore does not value the safety of the pupils ostensibly in his care."
"You may be onto something." Death allowed himself a moment. "I'll be in touch, Lord Potter." Death watched as Harry faded from view. Peverells were always good for entertainment.
Harry awoke, ready for his ordeal at the bank. He used the train to Reading from Little Whinging. There was a train that he just caught going through to Godric's Hollow. He walked into the bank and met his contact, the assistant manager. His family was doing okay for itself, Harry thought.
Harry's checking account had grown by £26000 and would grow by £200 a month. Harry figured that since ten-year-olds did not carry a cheque book and bank card, the Dursleys would not suspect that he did. The man was a bit taken aback, when Harry suggested a family get together. He did agree and after a few phone calls, it was agreed that Harry would stay for a week.
Harry had a great time, re-connecting with his family. He expressed sadness at the money stopping on Charlus' death. He voiced the opinion that the accounts had been frozen to stop a certain someone from accessing them, but had the effect of stopping payments to them. They would not hear of Harry using his resources to restart payments.
Dumbledore had to appear as enthusiastic that Sirius Black would get what was coming to him at the trial. Dumbledore knew that that a trial would have the opposite effect. An exonerated free Sirius Black did not feature in Dumbledore's plans. His informants, Dumbledore did not like the term spy, even if that was what they were doing, reported that Amelia Bones was reviewing old Wizengamot Laws. Dumbledore could not see what she was looking for. There was nothing in there to free Sirius Black. Dumbledore was sure about that. Nothing to convict him either. Albus could not use Severus, either. As per usual, Severus was off doing what he usually did in July and August. Brewing potions for the blood supremacists, spying on them at Dumbledore's behest. Dumbledore's own faction was all for clearing Sirius' name.
Amelia Bones, holder of the Order of Merlin First Class, planned her counterstrike against the position of Albus Dumbledore on Friday 31 August 1990. She come across a stipulation that an award winner of the Order of Merlin had to be a British magical acting on magical British territory. Dumbledore's was not. She held a quorate meeting of the Order of Merlin and had Dumbledore's Order of Merlin award struck down. The meeting made her protem Grand Sorcerer. Amelia quashed Pettigrew's award. Dumbledore would not find out about these happenings until the morrow. Amelia replaced the entire representation of the Order of Merlin Holders. She appointed Lord Henry Potter, Lady Lily Potter and the three surviving members of the four horsemen of the apocalypse who had almost single handedly destroyed Grindelwald's Knights of Walpurgis in magical Britain. Notices and Agendas were sent to Arcturus Black, Minerva McGonagall and Abraxas Malfoy to attend the Wizengamot. Amelia would vote the two Potter awards. She would also vote the Potter and Gaunt seats, for the trials – Albus would not discover that until the Meeting commenced. She also summoned Charles Weasley to represent Hogwarts.
Albus as was his wont ignored the communication from the Order of Merlin. They usually requested his presence at the annual ball to give a speech. He would attend to it after the trial and meeting. He made his way to the Chamber and began the meeting at 2pm sharp. He vacated the chair to Amelia Bones as prosecutor. It was then that Albus noticed that Malfoy and Minerva were sitting in the Order of Merlin seats. Charles Weasley was sitting in the Hogwarts seat. His proxies in the Potter and Gaunt seats were removed. Albus was furious to learn that he'd been deposed as Grand Sorcerer. Amelia announced she, as prosecutor would be voting the Potter and Gaunt seats as well as the two Order of Merlin seats held by the Potters. With her own seat, Amelia controlled 5 seats.
Sirius Orion Black was dishevelled and looked very much the worse for ware as he was brought in to the accused's chair. He was to be tried for the attempted murder of Lord Henry James Potter. Veritaserum was administered.
"Your full name, please," Amelia asked.
"Sirius Orion Black."
"Please lie; you were a well-behaved student as Hogwarts."
"Ye – No." There were many titters of laughter. Even a smile from McGonagall.
"What was your House status 31 October 1981?"
"Heir." There were murmurs of disbelief.
"Did Albus Dumbledore know this?"
"Yes, of course he did. He was the Chief Warlock. He asked me not to tell people."
"You were the Potters Secret Keeper?"
"No. I just said I was to throw everyone off the scent. That was another of Dumbledore's ideas."
"Who was the Secret Keeper?"
"The Rat. Wormtail. Petter Pettigrew." Sirius broke into a broad smile as that meant either the Rat was dead or the Fidelius was down.
"How did you learn this?"
"The Fidelius was cast 24 October 1981. I was not present. I was celebrating a major victory over the Death Eaters with the rest of the Aurors. I spoke with Lily on 28 October 1981. It was as if she did not know about the death of her parents and 4 Potters. She did not mention setting up a Potter Regent whom Harry would need."
"Did Lily cast the Fidelius?"
"No Dumbledore did. Lily told me that Peter had been made Secret Keeper."
"What was your relation ship with little Lord Potter?"
"I was his godfather, sworn with oaths used for the Black family."
"Why the Black family oath?"
"I blood adopted Harry into House Black as my Heir." That was news to Arcturus.
"How do you plead to the charge?"
"Not Guilty."
"Who was the arresting Auror?"
"Cornelius Oswald Fudge would have been had he actually arrested me. The idiot. He's so incompetent." That did not sit well with Fudge, who looked like he was about to explode.
"Administer the antidote." The antidote was administered.
Lord Selwyn rose.
"Where is your evidence, Madam Bones?"
"Oh, Selwyn, do yourself a favour and sit down and shut up. Had Sirius attempted to betray Harry Potter, there would not be enough left to identify him. An oathsworn Black as godfather has to protect his charge with his life. Betraying that oath is explosive." Arcturus Black spoke, his voice firm, almost proud.
Sirius Black was cleared of the charge and exonerated. He was escorted away to get cleaned up. Dumbledore rose to retake his position as Chief Warlock.
"I have another 4 cases. As they are all against the Wizengamot, you, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, as Chief Warlock, are the defendant." Albus had not known that Sirius had blood adopted Harry and performed the oathsworn Black ritual.
The first case involved the 1919 Law forbidding wizards and witches getting involved in muggle wars. Amelia Bones demonstrated this was treason. The Keeper of the Laws agreed with her. Dumbledore attempted to make the case that the large losses of wizards and witches in the first war required said law. Grindelwald's involvement rendered the law null and void. Wizards and witches had to fight. The Law was repealed.
The second case was against the ruling that the Potters could no longer hold Wizengamot seats due to Charlus' son participating in the muggle second world war. After the vote to repeal the Law on which the ban was based, Dumbledore entered a no contest. This was the case that had marked his rise to power.
The third case against the Wizengamot was the vote to award magical guardianship of a Noble and Most Ancient House. Amelia made the case dispassionately. On first awarding, holder of Noble and Most Ancient titles could not have magical guardians appointed by any magical representative body. Other laws added in the years since stated that Noble and Most Ancient Houses could only have magical guardians drawn from other Noble and Most Ancient Houses. On these grounds the awarding of a magical guardianship in the Potter case was unlawful. In addition, there was validly appointed magical guardian in Sirius Orion Black. Dumbledore argued that the award was lawful, due to exigencies. Amelia countered by saying that the opinion of Keeper of the Laws was not consulted. Amelia won her case.
"The fourth case was that the Wizengamot had no power to Seal the Wills belonging to Noble and Most Ancient families. The Keeper of the Laws concurred with Amelia's position. The Potter Wills, without being mentioned, now became unsealed. The Wills were publicly read. In them there was no gift of the Potter home, as Dumbledore had claimed. Dumbledore was not even executor of the Wills. There was a 25000 galleon bequest to Remus Lupin, as well as permanent residence in a farm the Lupins had owned, that Charlus Potter had bought to get around the legislation preventing werewolves from owning property.
Dumbledore was weakened, but none of the cases was a direct attack on him, personally. Sirius Black took over voting the Potter and Gaunt seats during the Agenda part of the meeting. As was usual with Dumbledore's Agenda management, time expired before Any Other Business.
Both Amelia Bones and Albus Dumbledore checked the Wall of Life. Peter Pettigrew no longer appeared on the list. Amelia was pleased. Albus less so. He talked with Charles Weasley to determine the exact date of death. Charles said he found the body of Scabbers about two weeks earlier. That meant nothing, the rat often disappeared for the whole of August.
Albus checked that Tom Marvolo riddle was still on the Wall of Life. He was. Albus had seriously considered not allowing Quirrell's sabbatical to Albania. The Weasley twins had the Marauders Map and knew how to use it thanks to watching Scabbers transform into Pettigrew. Albus did not believe that Severus had killed Pettigrew, despite Peter being responsible for some of the most outrageous vicious pranks against him. Unfortunately, Albus could not rule it out. As far as Albus knew, Remus Lupin was still in Australia. The wolf would return, once news of his bequest reached Australia.
Harry had killed Pettigrew. A reducto had parted the rat's head from its body. He felt his parents would be pleased. The portraits of his parents agreed. Harry was happy that he had them, he just would have preferred having his parents, alive.