Chapter 8: Let Freedom Ring
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The rest of the week went by without much happening. There were a few arguments, but nothing spectacular. Molly was at war with the house elves, and the elves were winning. She was also locking horns with Harry, and he was winning as well. Sirius was having a grand ole time watching from the sidelines. She had even set off Mrs. Black a few times, which made Harry happy. It had been great watching the two harpies go at each other.
Then the letter came that Sirius and Harry had been waiting for.
"It's here," Harry said, coming into the kitchen on Friday morning with a letter clutched in his hand. He had been spending the morning with Hedwig, who he spent most mornings with, when the letter came. He loved his owl and would get up early every morning just visit her before breakfast. They would talk, well he would, and she listened, like any good friend would. She was the best listener he could ask for. He loved her for it.
"What is it?" Hermione obliged him by asking. She was dying of curiosity. The look on his face said it was good news. The boy was radiating happiness.
"It's a letter from Waters," Harry said, going to his chair between her and Sirius. He was beaming at his godfather.
"Why is he writing to you?" Sirius wondered, looking at the letter with trepidation. He was dreading that the man didn't pull off the maneuver he promised. He was not hopeful. Too many years of disappointment and living with misery. He just wasn't used to good news or hope.
"I asked him to. I am sure yours is on its way," Harry said, patting his godfather's arm. "Don't worry so much, I'm sure it's fine," he said, getting ready to open the missive and put his godfather out of his misery.
"Shouldn't there be client confidentiality?" Hermione asked, wrinkling her nose. She wasn't sure how it worked here in the wizarding world, but she was positive it was not done in the muggle world.
"I'm the one who hired him," Harry informed her with a laugh.
"Oh, right," she said, blushing a bit. She had forgotten that part.
"Well, open it," Sirius said, making the whole table, who had been listening to them lean forward. They wanted to know what was going on. They were all hopeful that Sirius was a free man. Then he could leave the house, and then he wouldn't press Molly into fights so much.
"Do you want everyone to know?" Harry asked, waving his hand to indicate the Weasley clan, Remus and Hermione. Tonks had not joined them this morning. Neither were Bill or Fleur there. They all had the grace to blush or look away.
"Yeah, it's okay if they know," the dogman said, winking at his godson. Even if it was bad news, there was no keeping it a secret here in such close quarters. Everything had a way of getting out, even if you whispered it to the walls in a tight corner with no one around. Somehow, someway, it was heard.
"Alright," Harry said, opening the letter and reading the contents. He was quiet for a few moments and then he got a huge grin on his face. "You're free," he said, turning and hugging Sirius. "Did you hear me, Sirius? You're a free man."
The other man sat there completely dumbfounded for a few moments then jumped up from his chair and started whooping and hollering. "I'm free! Merlin, love you, Harry. I'm free!" he shouted to the ceiling. He jumped up and down and yelled excitedly. Everyone was happy to see him happy.
"That you are, Sirius. That you are," Harry said, getting up and joining his godfather in a hug.
The twins also got up, celebrating with them, slapping Sirius on the back and giving words of encouragement. They danced a little jig and broke out a set of small fireworks, which got Molly to start in on them.
"That's great, Sirius," Fred said sincerely.
"Yeah, mate, fantastic news," George added, hugging Sirius heartily.
Even Ron joined in, clapping Sirius on the shoulders and grinning widely.
Hermione jumped up, gave Sirius a huge hug, and beamed at him from ear to ear.
Arthur got up and went to the sidebar and got Sirius a firewhiskey. He gave it to the man and smiled.
Everyone was so happy to hear that he was free that they decided to have an impromptu party. Dobby baked a cake, and the booze was brought out for the older folk and butterbeer for the younger. They called Bill and Fleur to help them celebrate, who were more than happy to join them. They tried to call in others, but they had to work, or it was just too short a notice. Still there were a few people who joined them.
"What are you going to do now, Sirius? I mean now that you are free?" Hermione asked, looking at the overwhelmed man as he drank his firewhiskey.
There were around ten more people in the house now, drinking and celebrating. They were all members of the Order or Hogwarts staff. Each and everyone of them knew Sirius's circumstances.
"I think that I will join Bill and his little group on destroying the horcruxes, and then take a vacation," Sirius said, toasting Bill and Arthur, who were both sitting near him drinking their own firewhiskeys. Remus was nearby, drinking his own butterbeer, but he wasn't part of that group of people, so he didn't join in the toast.
"I know we could use someone of your caliber," Bill stated, lifting his glass to him. They still needed to get the one in Little Hangleton. Moody was getting the one in Hogwarts. According to him, he was going to get it soon. It was tricky and hiding from him behind a wall that had a trick to get to it. He was talking to the Ravenclaw ghost at the moment, and she was being vague and mysterious. Mad-eye was sure that she was going to crack soon though.
"Anytime," Sirius stated, downing his glass. He was more than willing to help. Anything to keep Harry out of the fight. He wanted to do something to help with the war. And he was just as mad at Albus for keeping the information away from the rest of the Order.
"Great, get with us tomorrow. Tonight, we party," the redhead said, drinking his drink and kissing his fiancé. Fleur giggled and kissed him back. The laughter and music filled the room as everyone relaxed, celebrating not just Sirius's freedom but also the small victories they had achieved along the way.
As the night grew older, the group shared stories of their recent adventures and reminisced about the past. The camaraderie in the room was palpable, a reminder of the bonds forged in the fires of their shared struggles. Even Molly kept her mouth shut on this night, mostly due to her husband's interference.
Harry looked around at the faces of his friends and family, feeling a deep sense of gratitude and hope for the future. "Here's to many more nights like this," he said, raising his butterbeer in a toast. The others joined in, clinking glasses and echoing his sentiment. The warmth of the evening enveloped them.
"To freedom," said Sirius, making the final toast of the evening.
"To freedom," everyone echoed, lifting their glasses in sentiment. It was shortly after that the party broke up, but they all left with a sense of fulfillment and happiness.
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The next morning Molly was back in true form and yelling at her family. She left Sirius and Harry alone. When she tried to boss Hermione around, the witch simply left the room. Dobby and Kreacher cleaned up after the party, so there wasn't anything for them to do with that.
"Well, now that you're free, will you be suing the ministry?" Harry asked Sirius. He wondered if the man would. He knew if it was up to him, he'd sue the pants off the government.
"Yes, I will," the other man replied. "They took away years of my life, and it's time they are held accountable for their actions." His voice was steady, but the underlying anger was unmistakable. He still had nightmares nightly about his time in Azkaban, and it was due to the negligence of the ministry that he did. If they had done their job correctly, he would never have spent a single night in that hellhole.
Thank Merlin, Harry corrected the physical side effects from his time there. Now he could find a woman and have an heir. Not that he didn't want Harry to inherit his estate, but he always wanted a son. Now that he was free, he wanted one even more. Last night he dreamed of just that, meeting a woman, marrying her and having many children. It was the first time he hadn't dreamt of Azkaban in years. And it was all thanks to Harry.
Harry nodded, understanding the gravity of Sirius's decision. "I think it's the right thing to do. You deserve justice." He put his hand on Sirius's shoulder to show his support. He could see that it was something that meant a lot to Sirius, and he would support him all the way. He knew that the law firm that Waters belonged to would do the deed. They were a cutthroat bunch and Gringotts recommended them.
Sirius's eyes softened as he looked at Harry. "Thank you, Harry. Your support means a lot to me." He was so glad to be a part of Harry's small family. He still needed to talk to Remus, but the other man was being elusive. It was as if he had a sixth sense that Sirius was going to confront him. Just then Remus walked in, and Sirius decided to take the time to talk to him. "Excuse us," he said, taking the werewolf by the arm and leaving the room.
"Sirius, what?" Remus said, trying to yank his arm away from his friend's grasp. He could, but he didn't want to hurt Sirius in the process. Being a werewolf did give him a bit of extra strength. Not as much as some would have you believe, but enough to get away from the average man.
"We need to talk," Sirius said, taking him to the nearest study. "I have a few questions I want to ask you." He guided him to a chair in front of a fireplace. It was unlit, but it was a comfortable setting.
"Oh, like what?"
"Like where you've been these last thirteen years? Why didn't you check in on Harry? You know what Petunia is like. You knew he would be treated poorly. Why didn't you check in on him?" the irate godfather wanted to know.
Remus sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Sirius, it's more complicated than that. After you were sent to Azkaban, I was a mess. I could barely take care of myself, let alone a child. Dumbledore assured me that Harry would be safe and well-cared for. I trusted him." He had barely made a living for himself. He wallowed in self-pity for so long that he didn't come up for many years. By the time that he did, he was so far under the headmaster's thumb that he didn't know how he was going to get out from under it. He wasn't even sure he wanted to. It was comfortable to let someone else guide his life for him.
Sirius's expression softened slightly, but the anger was still there. "You should have known better, Remus. You knew how the Dursleys treated him. You know that Petunia was useless as a guardian," he stated, giving him a knowing look.
"I didn't know the extent of it," Remus said, his voice filled with regret. "By the time I realized how bad it was, it was already too late. Dumbledore insisted that Harry stay with them for his own protection." The headmaster had made such a convincing argument that Remus just went with the flow. What harm could the woman do? Dumbledore assured him that Harry wasn't physically being harmed.
Sirius shook his head, frustration etched on his face. "You failed him, Remus. You should have done more." He would take Remus at his word, but he wasn't going to let him off the hook quite that easily. He was going to keep an eye on his friend. He knew that Remus was a lapdog for Dumbledore. He would run to the man at the first provocation.
Remus placed a hand on Sirius's shoulder. "I can't change the past, but I can be here for him now. And I will be." He said the words, and in some ways, he meant them. He liked Harry and he loved Sirius. He wanted to be part of the family, but he owed so much to Dumbledore. The man had been there for him in the last thirteen years when no one else had.
Sirius nodded, a sense of determination replacing his anger. Well, not completely replacing it, but enough that it wasn't overwhelming him anymore. "Okay, I'll hold you to your word. We'll make sure Harry never has to face anything like that again. He's faced so much alone, I won't let him do that again," he said, clasping his hand to Remus's. If the man did what he said, then he'd let him stay nearby. If he turned on them, then that would be the end of their friendship.
The two friends stood in silence for a moment, the weight of their shared guilt and resolve hanging in the air. They had both made mistakes, but they were determined to make things right for Harry. Each in their own way.
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It was dinnertime when Dumbledore showed up and he was not a happy camper. He was warned by his monitors that something had happened to Harry, but he didn't know what. Only that something had changed. It was like the magic around the boy had changed. Fluctuated.
"Harry, my boy, can you tell me what you have been up to these last few days?" he asked as he came into the kitchen. He could see they were eating, but he didn't care. He needed answers and he needed them now. "Forgive my intrusion," he said, coming into the room. "I need to talk to young Harry."
Everyone was eating dinner and they all stopped when the man appeared in the doorway. Half of the room was willing to forgive him, the other half wanted to curse him. It was quite rude of the old man not to wait until they were done eating to ask his questions.
"None of your business. This isn't school time, and you are not my guardian," Harry said, scooping up some of his Beef Wellington and placing it in his mouth. He loved that the house elves were cooking now. They loved to experiment with new recipes. "We have had this talk before," he pointed out, taking another bite of his dinner and pointedly ignoring the old man.
"Ah, yes, but I know that you have done something to affect your health," the old man said, taking a seat near Ron. It was the only open chair at the table.
"Still not your concern," Harry stated, not stopping his eating.
Dumbledore's gaze hardened slightly, but he maintained his composure. "I am responsible for your well-being, Harry, whether you like it or not. The magical fluctuations around you have been... unsettling." The monitors in his office had gone off a few days ago, but he had been running tests to see if they were malfunctioning. They had not been, so he was here to see what the boy had done.
"And just how would you know about any 'fluctuations' on my magic, sir?" Harry asked, angrily. He was upset that the man had been monitoring him. He knew about them, but he wanted Dumbledore to confess to them. Then he could call him out in front of everyone here.
Dumbledore sighed, his expression growing more serious. "Harry, I've placed protective wards around you, designed to monitor any significant changes in your magical aura. These wards are crucial for your safety." He was going to go with the 'I'm your magical guardian' route. Everyone there knew he wasn't, but he still liked to think that he was everyone's guardian.
Harry's eyes flared with indignation. "So, you're spying on me?" he retorted, the anger in his voice unmistakable. "I should have known. Well, I did know. My mum and dad told me in the grey space." He smirked at the man. He did want he wanted and had the man out himself.
"When are you going to tell me what happened in the grey space, Harry?" Dumbledore asked, knowing that the young man had met his parents there. Though he didn't know what they had said to him, what else he had done there, or what he had learned. It seemed that he had learned much, and that was troubling. Harry was far too knowledgeable.
"When you've earned my trust, so probably never," Harry said, finishing off his meal. He cracked his neck to ease the tension there and when he did so, Dumbledore noted his scar and how faint it was.
"Harry, what happened to your scar?" he asked, sounding alarmed. Was the horcrux gone? That was not good.
"I got rid of the nastiness that was in it," Harry said with a shrug, still using the code around Ron and Ginny.
"How could you do such a thing without asking me first? I had plans that needed to be considered before you did this," the old man said, fretting with his beard. He was very upset that this had happened. Years of planning were now for naught.
Harry leaned back, crossing his arms. "Plans for my scar, Dumbledore? This is about my life and choices." He refused to feel guilty for removing Voldemort's remnant. As a teenager, he wanted no part in the war; that was for the adults.
Dumbledore's eyes softened slightly, though the tension remained. "Harry, you must understand. Every action you take has repercussions. You carried a piece of Voldemort's soul in that scar. Removing it without understanding the full consequences could be dangerous."
At the mention of the soul, both Ron and Ginny's ears perked up. This was the first time they heard about it. The adults had kept it from them, and Harry and Hermione had buttoned their lips as well. It had been beyond frustrating to get any information as to what had been in Harry's scar.
"I understand more than you think," Harry replied coldly. "I've seen things, learned things, that you wouldn't believe. It's not just about the scar; it's about taking control of my own destiny. And that is not the destiny that you planned for me," he added, folding his arms in defiance.
"We did it together," Bill said, reminding the two that they were sitting among other people. He looked around the table and could see that everyone was watching the two of them and taking sides. The twins, Arthur, Hermione, Fleur and Sirius, were on Harry's side. The rest of the table was on Dumbledore's, which didn't bode well for the headmaster.
"William, you did this?" Albus asked, turning his ire to the oldest Weasley child. He knew he should have tried harder to keep this secret. William Weasley has ruined years of planning.
"I did. I told you I would rid the world of these," Bill said, not the least bit worried about the headmaster's anger. Sure, the old man could beat him in a duel, but he would lose a lot of face doing it.
"Have you found any others?" Dumbledore asked, looking around the room and noting there were still underage magicals at the table. Everyone was hanging on his every word, bar Harry and Sirius, who were doing their very best to ignore him. The two of them were sitting there talking to one another about Sirius's freedom.
"Yes, I just got word from Moody this afternoon, he found the one in the school and I found one at the bank. We got the one in Harry. That leaves one in Little Hangleton and the snake. I have the group coming together tomorrow to discuss it," Bill said, pushing his plate to the middle of the table.
"May I join you?" the old man asked, folding his hands to appear patient. He really wanted to be in on this hunt. He needed to see what Voldemort used as his horcruxes. He had heard rumors that he used the Deathly Hallows, but so far, he hadn't heard anything about them being found. Only Founder items.
"No," Bill and Sirius said, looking at each other when they did.
"Whyever not?" the headmaster asked, shocked that they would both say it so easily.
"You had your chance. You decided to withhold this information from us. Now you want in on the glory when we're almost done? No, you stay the hell away from it," Sirius said, pointing his finger at the old man's chest. He wasn't going to let the old man take the credit for Bill's hard work.
"I want no part of glory," the headmaster denied. Which was true. He just wanted to find the Deathly Hallows. He still needed to get Harry's cloak, but that was a problem for another day. He really wanted the Resurrection Ring.
"I still say no," Sirius said, shaking his head. The old man was too eager to join with something he had no business joining. If he wanted to destroy the horcruxes, he should have done it years ago, when he first found out about them.
"Me too," Bill said, looking at his father, who also had a say.
"I don't believe you are welcome by anyone there," Arthur stated, looking at his friend with sad eyes.
"Arthur, don't speak to Albus that way," Molly said, ready to strike her husband. Not that she ever would. Arthur would leave her if she ever laid her hands on him. She was sure of it.
"It is okay, Molly. I do understand why they feel this way," Dumbledore stated, sitting there and looking for all the world like a tortured soul. The only ones that felt sorry for him were Molly, Ginny, Ron, Remus and Arthur. Everyone else thought he brought it on himself.
"Well, I'm done," Harry said, getting up from the table, like Dumbledore hadn't just been shot down. "I'm going to my room. If any other busybodies come by asking questions, they have no business asking, tell them to bugger off for me, will you?" he said, going to the door.
"Harry, you know I only have your safety in mind, do you not?" Dumbledore asked, trying to redeem himself in the boy's eyes.
"I know that you are a manipulative old man that pushes yourself into places you don't belong. I know you've been here for twenty minutes and have yet to congratulate Sirius on his freedom," Harry said, glaring at the man.
"What if I did not know about his freedom?" Albus asked, looking to the left, giving away that he did indeed know that Sirius was exonerated.
"You are part of the government, Albus. Well, you were. I am sure you still have connections there. I know you know people," Arthur stated, shocking everyone there. "Don't tell me that you didn't hear the news before we did," he said, his face set with disappointment.
"You are correct. I have been remiss. I am sorry, Sirius. I am of course very happy to hear of your exoneration," the headmaster said, trying to save some face that he had lost here this evening. Harry's willfulness had made him once again look like a fool. He was going to have to do something about that.
"Thank you, Albus," was all Sirius said as he watched Harry leave the room. "Harry," he called.
"Yeah, Sirius?" Harry said, leaning back into the doorway.
"What are you doing tomorrow?" he asked, wondering what the boy had up his sleeve now that he had secured his freedom and rid himself of the horcrux.
"Oh, I can think of a thing or two to do," was all the Boy-Who-Lived said as he left the room.
Sirius smirked and grinned. He couldn't wait to see what the boy had planned.