Debts Master Post
Debts 1/3
Debts 2/3
Debts 3/3
Monday, December 15, 2014
Debts (3/3)
Title: Debts
Author: Genna Gray
Fandom/Genre: Harry Potter
Relationship[s]: Gen, Pre-slash [Maybe]
Content Rating: MA [Just in-case]
Warnings: Swearing, Flashbacks, Violence
Disclaimer: I will not or plan to make any money off of this, this was written in fun for fun and nothing more.
Summary: Since the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament Harry has had a lot of time on his hands – between being banished back to the Dursley’s, no contact with his friends of Godfather, and pretty much ignored – Harry stumbles across a key piece of information that could change his entire world.
And piss of most of the Wizarding world.
AN: This was for Rough Trade, June 2014, Boot Camp
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
As Sirius took to the stand, swore his Oaths, and calmly breathed as the court-room fell silent.
And he tried, very hard, to not freak out on the stand and ruin whatever it took for Harry to set this trial up.
He was afraid, deathly so, of returning to Azkaban – Shelton said it wasn’t possible, that Harry’s testimony alone prevented it – but Sirius had spent just shy of half his life in that horrible place and he doubted, privately where no-one could get access to, if he would ever not feel like he was still back in Azkaban and the Dementor’s were only a few corridor’s down on patrol.
It was a feeling he had yet to shake since leaving Azkaban, the feeling of being there and the entire prison breathing down his neck; Sirius still shocked himself when he would look in a mirror and see himself, not as healthy or whole as before he went to prison but not that gaunt and skeletal figure he was when Sirius emerged from it.
That morning Sirius made sure to take the time, extra hours even, to ensure that when the trial started he would look nice and presentable – if he was going back to prison Sirius at least wanted to look nice while doing it. His outer robes were a deep purple-black that matched the hair-thin strips of his muggle-suit – and he blamed Harry for getting him into muggle fashion – which was a rather pale gray.
[No-one had to know about the razor-thin dragon-hide inner lining of both the robe and the suit - it wouldn't stop a physical attack but it would turn aside most spells. Sirius had wanted to wear full dragon-hide armor but his Barrister said that it might not be a good idea showing up to court looking dressed for a fight - it was utter tosh to Sirius's mind but he was willing to go along with it.]
“Please state your name for the record.”
“Sirius Orion Black, Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Black, Earl of Blackmoor, and Baron of Potter.” Sirius said clearly and crossed his legs before drawing on all the legacy the Black’s gave him – he might have hated his family with a burning passion but Sirius could, with little effort, make grown wizard’s cry verbally.
Sirius had full plans to doing so today.
“We are here today due to your conviction, wrongful as some claim and deserved other’s say, this Court body is here to see a verdict proclaiming one to be true – what say you Convict?”
“I will speak the truth and nothing but to any and all questions asked to me on this day,” Sirius raised his chin, much like his Godson did, and stared down the Wizengamont in challenge. “I will vow on my magic, take Veritaserum, and give my entire fortune away if it means the truth will be found out.”
“Very well,” Amelia – and when had little Amy grown up? – cleared her throat and unseal a roll of parchment. “Let the questioning begin – please state your actions on the night of 31st of October fourteen years ago.”
Sirius exhaled shakily, he knew this question was coming, Shelton had warned him that it would but Sirius hadn’t talked about that night since it happened – not even to Harry or Remus, and while Harry, with more understanding in his eyes than most adult’s hadn’t pushed it, Remus had taken to trying to beg Sirius to talk about it or at least some parts of it.
What Remus couldn’t understand was that Sirius couldn’t, it was a burden to carry the knowledge and sight of that night and it was one that wouldn’t lessen or be spared even spoken of – and Sirius didn’t want anyone else to carry it, not Harry, not Remus, and certainly not most of the Wizarding world but if it meant his freedom than Sirius was willing to tell all.
“It was a last-minute mission,” Sirius said after a few minutes, the court-room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. “A missing person, and everyone else was so busy…I wasn’t even suppose to have been in the Auror office, you see, but I was finishing up some paperwork for a previous case and was about to grab some cold-cases for James to work on – he was going stir-crazy being cooped up at Godric’s Hallow – and I thought it would give him something else to focus on.
“Auror Peabody told me as I was leaving that he just needed me to check a few things out, in and out real quick, and I would be done in an hour or two – as much as I wanted to leave and go back to the Hallow it was a direct order and I couldn’t shirk it. So I sent the casework ahead with a note to James and Lily that I was going to be late, to not hold dinner for me but wait before giving Harry his bedtime story.
“It was actually pretty easy,” Sirius shook his head. “In hindsight I could see the case was a diversion to distract and slow me down – the two witness’s had already told me they had been interviewed that day, by Peabody, so I assumed he wanted me to follow-up in-case he missed something. It didn’t occur to me afterwards it was rather strange for him to seek me out but…I assumed since the office was so busy that I was the only free Auror he had on duty at the time.
“But once back at the Ministry did I start to realize something was wrong, the Flooing system was down and the line to the Portkey office’s – there was a problem there, I’ve forgotten what is was to be frank – and the Apparition Point was overloaded as a result so I didn’t get out of there for hours.
“By the time I went through all the check-points to reach the safe-house where James and Lily were it was…I could instantly when I arrived it was already too late.” Sirius’s voice shook and he forced the tremble in his hands to stop. “The house was…it looked like a bomb had gone off, walls missing – the front door alone was a hole…I found James at the foot of the stairs. He was…his body looked it like had been through utter hell – I’ve dueled James before so I known that the duel must have lasted at least an hour or more before he fell.
“The upstairs…it was neat and tidy, like it always was, like Voldemort simply didn’t have to bother to look for Lily and Harry once he was past James – he knew where exactly the nursery was. It…Harry’s nursery looked the same as it ever did but I already knew that it was too late – I could hear Harry half-down the hall crying in his crib.” Sirius laughed shakily and the tears he would shed in his voice. “I wasn’t sure what I would find – either Voldemort waiting for me or dead by Lily’s hand before she died, since if Lily was still alive Harry would have already been soothed.
“L-lily was lying in front of Harry’s crib, I didn’t even- there was nothing I could do for her.” Sirius took a deep breath. “I picked up Harry, he was so upset, and I started to calm him down – Voldemort wasn’t in the room, there was a pile of black robes which I assumed was his. I didn’t- I was leaving, it wasn’t safe to stay there any longer, and I saw-
“I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, it was Peter and he saw me see him and he was Portkeyed away – and-and I knew then, what had happened.” Sirius took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “I knew what happened and when Hagrid come to the scene I passed Harry over to him, told him to take Harry to Alice or even Minerva, and then I took off after Peter.
“Because Peter, that disgusting excuse for a wizard and betrayed our friends to Voldemort – and I was going to kill him for it.”
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
After that Sirius detailed his race after Pettigrew and what went wrong in the back alley near the Leaky Cauldron, it was…difficult, Harry could plainly see, for Sirius to talk about what happened after his parents were murdered but it wasn’t as bad as when Sirius talked about finding his parents.
Harry didn’t even know that – he had always assumed Hagrid or someone in Dumbledore’s pocket found him and Sirius came on the scene afterwards – it didn’t occur to Harry that Sirius had been the one to find him.
It made what Sirius suffered, twelve years in a hell-hole manned by demon’s, even more upsetting – the fact that if anyone had thought to do their jobs than Sirius would never have been there that long, would never have spent a day on that cursed island and it infuriated Harry that the only time justice was used or involved if it was against Harry and who cared for him.
Any other time it didn’t occur or was brushed under the rug.
“I see,” Bones cleared her throat. “And how exactly did you know that Peter Pettigrew III was the one to betray Lord and Lady Potter to He-Shall-Not-Be-Named?”
“Because he was the Secret Keeper for Godric’s Hallow,” Sirius licked his lips. “We thought about using Remy, Remus Lupin, but he was on sabbatical and had been for several months and frequently out of contact – James seriously considered me but I told him to use someone else, that it wouldn’t work out with me.”
“And why did you say that? It must have been an honor, you were Lord Potter’s closest of friends and Godfather to his only son and Heir.”
“I was too visible, if you already assumed I was the Secret Keeper it was easy to say Voldemort would guess – I know I’m good, that I could shake any tails and fight my way out of an ambush but I couldn’t be on my guard all the time and- as my mentor once told me, “Every one has a breaking point, true fact and nothing to be ashamed of, but you needed to know what it was so you’ll know how long you’ll last.”
“I know I could last weeks, if not months under Voldemort’s attentions and probably die from my wounds before I reveled the location but I knew if I didn’t die I would – I knew my breaking points and if Voldemort didn’t lose his temper and kill me before I would tell.” Sirius exhaled shakily and Harry’s fists bailed up – he hated that Sirius had to be put on like this, for the world to see. “So I suggested several people and we decided on Peter – I personally wanted Albus Dumbledore to be the Secret Keeper but I was told that it wasn’t possible for various reasons.
“That was the biggest mistake in my life in not pushing the issue a little more otherwise we would have discovered what a traitor Peter was.”
Harry watched, nerves snapping and crackling, as Sirius was questioned by Finnegan and by Bones, both having several feet of parchment and Sirius answer the questions calmly – but Harry could see his temper glittering along his edges as his Godfather was pushed to his limit’s and held there. It was only Shelton’s hand on Harry’s leg under the table that kept Harry in his seat and not jumping to his feet and shouting.
By the time the questioning was done and over with Sirius looked the worse for wear, several dozen member’s of the public had to be escorted out and a wide-range Silencio had been cast onto the Wizengamont after Sirius spoke of the events of Third year – including what Harry said all along about how Fudge ignored his eye-witness testimony about Peter being alive and admitting to betraying his parents.
It was a nice feeling to know the rest of the magical world would know Harry wasn’t a liar.
By the time they closed the questioning, Shelton couldn’t ask pressing questions since – technically – he was Sirius’s lawyer as well as Harry’s and as such couldn’t try to deviate from what they were in court for; and since it seemed to be going well, Shelton had said if it was going in their favor he wouldn’t ask any questions, it would only cause a circular argument and testimony that would drag out and they would lose their momentum.
Harry pushed his thoughts away and focused on Bones when she paused and tapped the large crystal that sat before her; Bones frowned briefly, only once, before standing. “This body in Court requests that, to verify of what Lord Black has said, to be proven True that he be given Veritaserum and re-questioned.”
Harry’s stomach fell out between his feet and Shelton exhaled a hiss of shook – they had hoped for Veritaserum but didn’t plan on it, it had to come either from Pettigrew’s Barrister or from the Wizengamont it’s self for it to be believed.
Harry flicked his eyes up and scanned the assembled Wizengamont – Dumbledore was up there but not clad in his Wizengamont robes since he was, however slight, involved in the proceedings that day, but the look of utter shock on the man’s face, however stifled afterwards made Harry dismiss the old Wizard since if Dumbledore or anyone of his fan’s had been behind it they would have let him know.
Harry’s eyes stopped on a man, a tall one at that, with blonde hair and piercing blue-eyes – he had the look that Malfoy, Draco that was, but not…exactly. Harry assumed a relative or something but something about him…Harry had a good feeling that, despite sitting next to Malfoy’s Dad, that he had been the one to request the use of Veritaserum on Sirius.
The man seemed to feel Harry’s eyes on him as he looked over and, surprisingly, gave Harry slight nod of acknowledgement before looking away. Harry felt his face flush and also turned his eyes from the man to focus on his Godfather – who looked like someone slapped him with a fish right across the face. It was an amusing sight and one Harry didn’t think he would see much of since it was hard to sneak up or surprise Sirius on a good day.
Shelton’s breathing hitched when Sirius was give the Veritaserum and the classical glazed over-eyes of the potion-drinker formed – Harry knew, knew, that after this Sirius was going to walk free today while Pettigrew would be going to prison and Voldemort’s return would be confirmed and the Wizarding World could prepare for him.
Everything was finally coming together and going Harry’s way for a change.
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
“This is a good thing,” Shelton told Harry afterwards as the trial was dismissed for the day. “With Sirius’s testimony under Veritaserum today I can argue for Pettigrew to be given it as well – from there, I think – we can prove that Voldemort has returned and in that I can start filing charges against everyone you saw at his re-birth. We’re going to tie his followers up in the court-system for months if I can’t get away with it – years if I can get Bones behind it as well.”
“I think she will,” Harry murmured. “I think she’s on our side, I got that feeling during my testimony today that Bones was sympathetic.”
“That’s good then,” Shelton nodded. “Bones is a fair Auror and a great Head Auror after she took over from Moody – if she believes the evidence than Bones will do her best to get Sirius freed and Pettigrew a trial.”
“Ah!” A voice interrupted the duo’s conversation and Harry barely hid his wince. “Harry, my boy! I was wondering if I could speak to you in private-”
“I am sorry Headmaster Dumbledore but I have need of my client for the rest of the evening – going over tomorrow preparations you understand,” Shelton interrupted Dumbledore before he could start and Harry felt like grinning widely when the twinkle in Dumbledore’s eye faded slightly. “Come along Scion Potter – we have much to do before morning.”
And with that Shelton swept Harry along and into a private Floo that led directly to Shelton’s own home – due to Shelton’s work as a Barrister and the level of confidentiality that was required he maintained two set’s of Goblin War-Wards, one on his home and one on his public office’s – and Harry knew Voldemort himself could spend all day trying to get around or through those wards and it wouldn’t happen.
Hell, Shelton could drop dead and as long as Harry stayed behind the Wards they would stay up and he would be safe from harm from pretty much everything.
And what Shelton said was true, they did have things they needed to go over but by the time supper rolled around at seven they were done and Harry and Shelton went they’re suppurate ways – Harry to the room he had been given to use and Shelton to his office to work a little on his other cases. Settling into his room, just off the second-floor landing, Harry sat on the full-sized bed with a sigh before collapsing on his back.
Harry was glad, so glad, that Ragnarok had taken the time to explain what his titles were and what exactly they meant for Harry – and what Harry could do with them back at the start of summer. [Harry had spent too long ignorant of what exactly his family was to the wizarding world and what they expected back from Harry. It made Harry re-think his future, the time alone Harry spent dealing with what little of his estates he had access to look up a lot of free-time – Harry had full plans on once Sirius was free was dumping the lot onto his Godfather to manage while he himself finished school.
After that, well, Harry would decide then on what he was going to do.
But, Harry grinned up at the ceiling, life was better than it had ever been right now – Sirius was getting his trial, Pettigrew was going to pay for what he did, and if all went well Harry just might not have to return to the Dursley’s ever again. [And if Harry had his way Shelton and he would pick off Voldemort's followers, tying them up legally in court - because most of them were only free because of what they swore to under questioning.
And from Shelton said they were very clearly violating it.]
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
Harry was incredibly nervous, this was the moment he had been waiting for, for weeks, and it came out of the blue – the Court had requested a private questioning with Pettigrew with the only additions being Finnegan and Shelton, and while Shelton hadn’t said anything the fairly estatic grin on the Barrister’s face said it all.
They had the case in the bag and Sirius was going to walk free from the court-room without having to worry about being captured and sent back to that hell-hole that was Azkaban.
He was doing all he can to not scream or shout in the hushed court-room as the Wizengamont filed in, and instead of sitting stood in the stands. Which was unusual and Harry was worried, scared for a brief second that they were going to condemn Sirius and send him back and let Pettigrew walk free, but Harry shoved that down and back into the back of his thoughts so he could focus.
“The Court today has come to a verdict in regards to the convicted Lord Black and the accused Baron Pettigrew III – and as such we will give our verdicts now.” Bones said and everyone barring the Wizengamont shifted in place – Harry doubted he could have – it felt like he had turned to stone where he stood. “We have come to the conclusion due to evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Lord Black was wrongly accused and due to miscommunication was convicted without a trial while the true accused walked free for over thirteen years.
“And during those years caused an untold and an unforseen amount of damage to our Lady Magic with his actions. Therefore this court-body has decreed that the accused, Peter Pettigrew III, is convicted of the murder of Lady Lily Potter, Lord James Potter and attempted murder of Scion Harold Potter on the 31st of October in 1980.” Bones took a deep breath. “And in three months time this body will bring forth a trial against Baron Pettigrew in his actions in regards to Scion Cedric Diggory’s murder, He-Shall-Not-Be-Named’s resurrection, and a list of other charges.
“But that is for another time and place – Lord Sirius Orion Black you have been granted your freedom, hence force you are a free man and as such free to go from this court with a pardon of being wrongly convicted.”
The court-room erupted into a thunderous storm of noise as Sirius put his face into his hands and wept.
Author: Genna Gray
Fandom/Genre: Harry Potter
Relationship[s]: Gen, Pre-slash [Maybe]
Content Rating: MA [Just in-case]
Warnings: Swearing, Flashbacks, Violence
Disclaimer: I will not or plan to make any money off of this, this was written in fun for fun and nothing more.
Summary: Since the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament Harry has had a lot of time on his hands – between being banished back to the Dursley’s, no contact with his friends of Godfather, and pretty much ignored – Harry stumbles across a key piece of information that could change his entire world.
And piss of most of the Wizarding world.
AN: This was for Rough Trade, June 2014, Boot Camp
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
As Sirius took to the stand, swore his Oaths, and calmly breathed as the court-room fell silent.
And he tried, very hard, to not freak out on the stand and ruin whatever it took for Harry to set this trial up.
He was afraid, deathly so, of returning to Azkaban – Shelton said it wasn’t possible, that Harry’s testimony alone prevented it – but Sirius had spent just shy of half his life in that horrible place and he doubted, privately where no-one could get access to, if he would ever not feel like he was still back in Azkaban and the Dementor’s were only a few corridor’s down on patrol.
It was a feeling he had yet to shake since leaving Azkaban, the feeling of being there and the entire prison breathing down his neck; Sirius still shocked himself when he would look in a mirror and see himself, not as healthy or whole as before he went to prison but not that gaunt and skeletal figure he was when Sirius emerged from it.
That morning Sirius made sure to take the time, extra hours even, to ensure that when the trial started he would look nice and presentable – if he was going back to prison Sirius at least wanted to look nice while doing it. His outer robes were a deep purple-black that matched the hair-thin strips of his muggle-suit – and he blamed Harry for getting him into muggle fashion – which was a rather pale gray.
[No-one had to know about the razor-thin dragon-hide inner lining of both the robe and the suit - it wouldn't stop a physical attack but it would turn aside most spells. Sirius had wanted to wear full dragon-hide armor but his Barrister said that it might not be a good idea showing up to court looking dressed for a fight - it was utter tosh to Sirius's mind but he was willing to go along with it.]
“Please state your name for the record.”
“Sirius Orion Black, Lord of the Ancient and Noble House of Black, Earl of Blackmoor, and Baron of Potter.” Sirius said clearly and crossed his legs before drawing on all the legacy the Black’s gave him – he might have hated his family with a burning passion but Sirius could, with little effort, make grown wizard’s cry verbally.
Sirius had full plans to doing so today.
“We are here today due to your conviction, wrongful as some claim and deserved other’s say, this Court body is here to see a verdict proclaiming one to be true – what say you Convict?”
“I will speak the truth and nothing but to any and all questions asked to me on this day,” Sirius raised his chin, much like his Godson did, and stared down the Wizengamont in challenge. “I will vow on my magic, take Veritaserum, and give my entire fortune away if it means the truth will be found out.”
“Very well,” Amelia – and when had little Amy grown up? – cleared her throat and unseal a roll of parchment. “Let the questioning begin – please state your actions on the night of 31st of October fourteen years ago.”
Sirius exhaled shakily, he knew this question was coming, Shelton had warned him that it would but Sirius hadn’t talked about that night since it happened – not even to Harry or Remus, and while Harry, with more understanding in his eyes than most adult’s hadn’t pushed it, Remus had taken to trying to beg Sirius to talk about it or at least some parts of it.
What Remus couldn’t understand was that Sirius couldn’t, it was a burden to carry the knowledge and sight of that night and it was one that wouldn’t lessen or be spared even spoken of – and Sirius didn’t want anyone else to carry it, not Harry, not Remus, and certainly not most of the Wizarding world but if it meant his freedom than Sirius was willing to tell all.
“It was a last-minute mission,” Sirius said after a few minutes, the court-room was so silent you could hear a pin drop. “A missing person, and everyone else was so busy…I wasn’t even suppose to have been in the Auror office, you see, but I was finishing up some paperwork for a previous case and was about to grab some cold-cases for James to work on – he was going stir-crazy being cooped up at Godric’s Hallow – and I thought it would give him something else to focus on.
“Auror Peabody told me as I was leaving that he just needed me to check a few things out, in and out real quick, and I would be done in an hour or two – as much as I wanted to leave and go back to the Hallow it was a direct order and I couldn’t shirk it. So I sent the casework ahead with a note to James and Lily that I was going to be late, to not hold dinner for me but wait before giving Harry his bedtime story.
“It was actually pretty easy,” Sirius shook his head. “In hindsight I could see the case was a diversion to distract and slow me down – the two witness’s had already told me they had been interviewed that day, by Peabody, so I assumed he wanted me to follow-up in-case he missed something. It didn’t occur to me afterwards it was rather strange for him to seek me out but…I assumed since the office was so busy that I was the only free Auror he had on duty at the time.
“But once back at the Ministry did I start to realize something was wrong, the Flooing system was down and the line to the Portkey office’s – there was a problem there, I’ve forgotten what is was to be frank – and the Apparition Point was overloaded as a result so I didn’t get out of there for hours.
“By the time I went through all the check-points to reach the safe-house where James and Lily were it was…I could instantly when I arrived it was already too late.” Sirius’s voice shook and he forced the tremble in his hands to stop. “The house was…it looked like a bomb had gone off, walls missing – the front door alone was a hole…I found James at the foot of the stairs. He was…his body looked it like had been through utter hell – I’ve dueled James before so I known that the duel must have lasted at least an hour or more before he fell.
“The upstairs…it was neat and tidy, like it always was, like Voldemort simply didn’t have to bother to look for Lily and Harry once he was past James – he knew where exactly the nursery was. It…Harry’s nursery looked the same as it ever did but I already knew that it was too late – I could hear Harry half-down the hall crying in his crib.” Sirius laughed shakily and the tears he would shed in his voice. “I wasn’t sure what I would find – either Voldemort waiting for me or dead by Lily’s hand before she died, since if Lily was still alive Harry would have already been soothed.
“L-lily was lying in front of Harry’s crib, I didn’t even- there was nothing I could do for her.” Sirius took a deep breath. “I picked up Harry, he was so upset, and I started to calm him down – Voldemort wasn’t in the room, there was a pile of black robes which I assumed was his. I didn’t- I was leaving, it wasn’t safe to stay there any longer, and I saw-
“I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, it was Peter and he saw me see him and he was Portkeyed away – and-and I knew then, what had happened.” Sirius took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “I knew what happened and when Hagrid come to the scene I passed Harry over to him, told him to take Harry to Alice or even Minerva, and then I took off after Peter.
“Because Peter, that disgusting excuse for a wizard and betrayed our friends to Voldemort – and I was going to kill him for it.”
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
After that Sirius detailed his race after Pettigrew and what went wrong in the back alley near the Leaky Cauldron, it was…difficult, Harry could plainly see, for Sirius to talk about what happened after his parents were murdered but it wasn’t as bad as when Sirius talked about finding his parents.
Harry didn’t even know that – he had always assumed Hagrid or someone in Dumbledore’s pocket found him and Sirius came on the scene afterwards – it didn’t occur to Harry that Sirius had been the one to find him.
It made what Sirius suffered, twelve years in a hell-hole manned by demon’s, even more upsetting – the fact that if anyone had thought to do their jobs than Sirius would never have been there that long, would never have spent a day on that cursed island and it infuriated Harry that the only time justice was used or involved if it was against Harry and who cared for him.
Any other time it didn’t occur or was brushed under the rug.
“I see,” Bones cleared her throat. “And how exactly did you know that Peter Pettigrew III was the one to betray Lord and Lady Potter to He-Shall-Not-Be-Named?”
“Because he was the Secret Keeper for Godric’s Hallow,” Sirius licked his lips. “We thought about using Remy, Remus Lupin, but he was on sabbatical and had been for several months and frequently out of contact – James seriously considered me but I told him to use someone else, that it wouldn’t work out with me.”
“And why did you say that? It must have been an honor, you were Lord Potter’s closest of friends and Godfather to his only son and Heir.”
“I was too visible, if you already assumed I was the Secret Keeper it was easy to say Voldemort would guess – I know I’m good, that I could shake any tails and fight my way out of an ambush but I couldn’t be on my guard all the time and- as my mentor once told me, “Every one has a breaking point, true fact and nothing to be ashamed of, but you needed to know what it was so you’ll know how long you’ll last.”
“I know I could last weeks, if not months under Voldemort’s attentions and probably die from my wounds before I reveled the location but I knew if I didn’t die I would – I knew my breaking points and if Voldemort didn’t lose his temper and kill me before I would tell.” Sirius exhaled shakily and Harry’s fists bailed up – he hated that Sirius had to be put on like this, for the world to see. “So I suggested several people and we decided on Peter – I personally wanted Albus Dumbledore to be the Secret Keeper but I was told that it wasn’t possible for various reasons.
“That was the biggest mistake in my life in not pushing the issue a little more otherwise we would have discovered what a traitor Peter was.”
Harry watched, nerves snapping and crackling, as Sirius was questioned by Finnegan and by Bones, both having several feet of parchment and Sirius answer the questions calmly – but Harry could see his temper glittering along his edges as his Godfather was pushed to his limit’s and held there. It was only Shelton’s hand on Harry’s leg under the table that kept Harry in his seat and not jumping to his feet and shouting.
By the time the questioning was done and over with Sirius looked the worse for wear, several dozen member’s of the public had to be escorted out and a wide-range Silencio had been cast onto the Wizengamont after Sirius spoke of the events of Third year – including what Harry said all along about how Fudge ignored his eye-witness testimony about Peter being alive and admitting to betraying his parents.
It was a nice feeling to know the rest of the magical world would know Harry wasn’t a liar.
By the time they closed the questioning, Shelton couldn’t ask pressing questions since – technically – he was Sirius’s lawyer as well as Harry’s and as such couldn’t try to deviate from what they were in court for; and since it seemed to be going well, Shelton had said if it was going in their favor he wouldn’t ask any questions, it would only cause a circular argument and testimony that would drag out and they would lose their momentum.
Harry pushed his thoughts away and focused on Bones when she paused and tapped the large crystal that sat before her; Bones frowned briefly, only once, before standing. “This body in Court requests that, to verify of what Lord Black has said, to be proven True that he be given Veritaserum and re-questioned.”
Harry’s stomach fell out between his feet and Shelton exhaled a hiss of shook – they had hoped for Veritaserum but didn’t plan on it, it had to come either from Pettigrew’s Barrister or from the Wizengamont it’s self for it to be believed.
Harry flicked his eyes up and scanned the assembled Wizengamont – Dumbledore was up there but not clad in his Wizengamont robes since he was, however slight, involved in the proceedings that day, but the look of utter shock on the man’s face, however stifled afterwards made Harry dismiss the old Wizard since if Dumbledore or anyone of his fan’s had been behind it they would have let him know.
Harry’s eyes stopped on a man, a tall one at that, with blonde hair and piercing blue-eyes – he had the look that Malfoy, Draco that was, but not…exactly. Harry assumed a relative or something but something about him…Harry had a good feeling that, despite sitting next to Malfoy’s Dad, that he had been the one to request the use of Veritaserum on Sirius.
The man seemed to feel Harry’s eyes on him as he looked over and, surprisingly, gave Harry slight nod of acknowledgement before looking away. Harry felt his face flush and also turned his eyes from the man to focus on his Godfather – who looked like someone slapped him with a fish right across the face. It was an amusing sight and one Harry didn’t think he would see much of since it was hard to sneak up or surprise Sirius on a good day.
Shelton’s breathing hitched when Sirius was give the Veritaserum and the classical glazed over-eyes of the potion-drinker formed – Harry knew, knew, that after this Sirius was going to walk free today while Pettigrew would be going to prison and Voldemort’s return would be confirmed and the Wizarding World could prepare for him.
Everything was finally coming together and going Harry’s way for a change.
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
“This is a good thing,” Shelton told Harry afterwards as the trial was dismissed for the day. “With Sirius’s testimony under Veritaserum today I can argue for Pettigrew to be given it as well – from there, I think – we can prove that Voldemort has returned and in that I can start filing charges against everyone you saw at his re-birth. We’re going to tie his followers up in the court-system for months if I can’t get away with it – years if I can get Bones behind it as well.”
“I think she will,” Harry murmured. “I think she’s on our side, I got that feeling during my testimony today that Bones was sympathetic.”
“That’s good then,” Shelton nodded. “Bones is a fair Auror and a great Head Auror after she took over from Moody – if she believes the evidence than Bones will do her best to get Sirius freed and Pettigrew a trial.”
“Ah!” A voice interrupted the duo’s conversation and Harry barely hid his wince. “Harry, my boy! I was wondering if I could speak to you in private-”
“I am sorry Headmaster Dumbledore but I have need of my client for the rest of the evening – going over tomorrow preparations you understand,” Shelton interrupted Dumbledore before he could start and Harry felt like grinning widely when the twinkle in Dumbledore’s eye faded slightly. “Come along Scion Potter – we have much to do before morning.”
And with that Shelton swept Harry along and into a private Floo that led directly to Shelton’s own home – due to Shelton’s work as a Barrister and the level of confidentiality that was required he maintained two set’s of Goblin War-Wards, one on his home and one on his public office’s – and Harry knew Voldemort himself could spend all day trying to get around or through those wards and it wouldn’t happen.
Hell, Shelton could drop dead and as long as Harry stayed behind the Wards they would stay up and he would be safe from harm from pretty much everything.
And what Shelton said was true, they did have things they needed to go over but by the time supper rolled around at seven they were done and Harry and Shelton went they’re suppurate ways – Harry to the room he had been given to use and Shelton to his office to work a little on his other cases. Settling into his room, just off the second-floor landing, Harry sat on the full-sized bed with a sigh before collapsing on his back.
Harry was glad, so glad, that Ragnarok had taken the time to explain what his titles were and what exactly they meant for Harry – and what Harry could do with them back at the start of summer. [Harry had spent too long ignorant of what exactly his family was to the wizarding world and what they expected back from Harry. It made Harry re-think his future, the time alone Harry spent dealing with what little of his estates he had access to look up a lot of free-time – Harry had full plans on once Sirius was free was dumping the lot onto his Godfather to manage while he himself finished school.
After that, well, Harry would decide then on what he was going to do.
But, Harry grinned up at the ceiling, life was better than it had ever been right now – Sirius was getting his trial, Pettigrew was going to pay for what he did, and if all went well Harry just might not have to return to the Dursley’s ever again. [And if Harry had his way Shelton and he would pick off Voldemort's followers, tying them up legally in court - because most of them were only free because of what they swore to under questioning.
And from Shelton said they were very clearly violating it.]
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
Harry was incredibly nervous, this was the moment he had been waiting for, for weeks, and it came out of the blue – the Court had requested a private questioning with Pettigrew with the only additions being Finnegan and Shelton, and while Shelton hadn’t said anything the fairly estatic grin on the Barrister’s face said it all.
They had the case in the bag and Sirius was going to walk free from the court-room without having to worry about being captured and sent back to that hell-hole that was Azkaban.
He was doing all he can to not scream or shout in the hushed court-room as the Wizengamont filed in, and instead of sitting stood in the stands. Which was unusual and Harry was worried, scared for a brief second that they were going to condemn Sirius and send him back and let Pettigrew walk free, but Harry shoved that down and back into the back of his thoughts so he could focus.
“The Court today has come to a verdict in regards to the convicted Lord Black and the accused Baron Pettigrew III – and as such we will give our verdicts now.” Bones said and everyone barring the Wizengamont shifted in place – Harry doubted he could have – it felt like he had turned to stone where he stood. “We have come to the conclusion due to evidence beyond a reasonable doubt that Lord Black was wrongly accused and due to miscommunication was convicted without a trial while the true accused walked free for over thirteen years.
“And during those years caused an untold and an unforseen amount of damage to our Lady Magic with his actions. Therefore this court-body has decreed that the accused, Peter Pettigrew III, is convicted of the murder of Lady Lily Potter, Lord James Potter and attempted murder of Scion Harold Potter on the 31st of October in 1980.” Bones took a deep breath. “And in three months time this body will bring forth a trial against Baron Pettigrew in his actions in regards to Scion Cedric Diggory’s murder, He-Shall-Not-Be-Named’s resurrection, and a list of other charges.
“But that is for another time and place – Lord Sirius Orion Black you have been granted your freedom, hence force you are a free man and as such free to go from this court with a pardon of being wrongly convicted.”
The court-room erupted into a thunderous storm of noise as Sirius put his face into his hands and wept.
Debts (2)
Title: Debts
Author: Genna Gray
Fandom/Genre: Harry Potter
Relationship[s]: Gen, Pre-slash [Maybe]
Content Rating: MA [Just in-case]
Warnings: Swearing, Flashbacks, Violence
Disclaimer: I will not or plan to make any money off of this, this was written in fun for fun and nothing more.
Summary: Since the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament Harry has had a lot of time on his hands – between being banished back to the Dursley’s, no contact with his friends of Godfather, and pretty much ignored – Harry stumbles across a key piece of information that could change his entire world.
And piss of most of the Wizarding world.
AN: This was for Rough Trade, June 2014, Boot Camp
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
“Thank you Mister Potter,” Bones said gently after Harry was finished speaking about the events’ only a few months prior in the graveyard and how exactly Harry ended up there in the first place – namely Crouch Jr. pretending to be Moody. “I understand that this must be hard for you to speak of, considering, but I thank you for speaking today before the Court on such a difficult subject.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Harry nodded and licked his lips’ – he really wanted to have a sip of water but Harry didn’t dare ask for it. “After that I haven’t seen either one of them until this trial.”
“I see,” There was rustling in the large Court-room as the various witches and wizards shifted. “As much as I have questions I seek to be answered about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named this is not the time nor the place for that – as such I thank you for your time and to please step down Mister Potter.”
And the Court-room exploded into shouting and shrieks about what Harry said about the last time Harry saw Pettigrew – when he helped raised Voldemort from the dead. Bones looked annoyed by that and tried to reign in the court but it didn’t work and, if anything, it got louder and the shouting became just pure noise.
For a brief moment Harry did feel sorry but not enough to stop – Shelton didn’t have an opinion one way or another but he had advised Harry that if he wanted the truth from that night to be known that Harry needed to be in court and under either the strongest of Truth-spell’s or dosed with Veritaserum.
Since Harry doubted he would be back in court for any reason after freeing Sirius and sentencing Pettigrew Harry decided to let slip about Voldemort being back – in the interest’s of the court so that they knew what type of a Wizard Pettigrew was, helping raise a Dark Lord from the dead.
The look on Dumbledore’s face when Harry began speaking of the Tri-Wizard Tournament was priceless – the old Wizard knew where exactly Harry’s testamony was going and it wasn’t going as where Dumbledore wanted.
Anything that pissed Dumbledore off was good in Harry’s books, as petty as it seemed, but Harry couldn’t do much currently against Dumbledore – not as a Scion and Heir Apperent – but what little Harry could do Harry was going to do and enjoy every moment of it. That stealing old bastard would get what was coming to him once Harry was officially a Lord of an Ancient and Noble House – Sirius, once he was free and finally got the medical attention he needed, would probably join in.
What little Ragnarok had on Dumbledore, at least in regards to Harry, only made Harry privately think that this wasn’t the first time the old Wizard had done this – to hide orphans away or give them away and then steal from them after placing himself as “guardian”. In Harry’s case alone it was too smooth, to neat, to not have been done before – at least as practice for Harry.
Ragnarok, angry and wrathful, could do no more than flag all accounts that Dumbledore’s name was attached to and observe the old Wizard more closely than a nesting dragonness with her first clutch – which is to say, very close.
Harry was perfectly willing to wage war on two sides if it meant that the enemy’s of his House were punished or dead by the time he was of Age so Harry could live his life fully and without worry from that point forward until he was old or whenever he died.
Frankly both Voldemort and Dumbledore wouldn’t be that hard to beat – they both had different weakness’s that Harry knew and knew how to hit hard. Dumbledore’s image of a leader, Leader of the Light, was his biggest weakness and strength – freeing Sirius meant it would take a hit because, in the interview Harry already set up after the court-trial, Harry had full plans to do the woe-is-me angle in regards to Sirius.
Because if Dumbledore was willing to bend all the rules to see Death Eater’s given a trial but did nothing when one of his key fighter’s were accused and stood by as Sirius’s rights as a basic Wizard were denied to him?
That would get tongues talking and the doubts to start, the rumors alone that would fly made Harry’s little Slytherin heart beat fast – it wouldn’t take much after that, a few statements here or there a few weeks after that initial interview, before Dumbledore would be investigated himself.
[Harry had high hopes that Dumbledore wouldn't even be Headmaster by the time Christmas break was over - Harry would have prefered sooner but Shelton said to not get his hopes up and for Harry to plan for the worst case senario.]
Voldemort wouldn’t be a problem by the time summer rolled around next year if Harry had anything to do it – Shelton was sure that if Sirius could get his freedom from this court-case and Pettigrew sentenced to Azkaban, and if Harry could knock out some of Voldemort’s key player’s through the court-system, then Shelton was sure that the remaining Death Eater’s would either jump ship and flee to other countries or turn themselves in for a lesser punishment.
Because Oath-Breakers were the worst sort and Magic Herself had a way of punishing them even worse ways the Wizarding world could ever think of – Harry was hoping once that little rumor circled through Voldemort’s ranks that they would start to break down so Voldemort would be left with as little aid as he could get as possible from his servent’s.
Voldemort would still be a problem of course, Shelton had warned – as had Ragnarok when Harry told them of what he planned – but Harry wasn’t stupid, Voldemort would always be a problem until the day he died – again – and stayed dead this time with no take-back’s and re-do’s like Pettigrew gave Voldemort a few months ago.
Which Harry had plans for but as long as his Death Eater’s were being put back into prison, properly this time, Harry could bide his time and train until he could face Voldemort when he was older and better equipped this time to deal with Voldemort.
Harry wasn’t stupid – he had always known since First Year it would always come down to him or Voldemort in the end.
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
“I will have order in this court!” Bones shouted after she cast a Silencio onto the jam-packed court-room and the silence was deafening. “Order! The first witch or wizard to break this spell and speak when I have not speak to you will be cast into the Auror holding cells for two months! Do I make myself clear?”
No-one spoke up – either as a result from the spell or the result of the rather impressive threat.
“Good,” Bones nodded and flicked her wand. “Now, it’s gone past lunch as is and I for one am calling for a recess at this time and to resume in two hours – aye or nay?”
Harry was rather surprised to see that most of the Wizengamont voted for the break – he would have thought they wanted to hurry Sirius’s trial up so…Harry wasn’t sure where he stood now but he hoped it was good. Bones nodded and stood up, the Wizengamont followed suit and followed Bones out of the private chambers through their entrances in the back of the boxes.
“This is a good thing,” Shelton told Harry quietly as they waited for the public stands to empty, they also watched as both Sirius and Pettigrew were taken back into custody – Harry was grateful to see that Moody was in-charge of Sirius. [As much as it unnerved Harry to have been taught for possibly a year by a Death Eater, Moody was the best of the best for a reason.] “It gives me more time to prepare for what Pettigrew’s attorney will say or try to turn back onto Lord Black – I think we have a chance here.”
“Good,” Harry nodded. “Is there anyone they will call to the stand?”
“Some of the Weasley’s maybe – possibly you again but I don’t think so.” Shelton smiled at Harry. “You’ve already proven truthful under some of the strongest Truth-spells available that the MInistry uses – they wouldn’t dare, not if they want to win.”
“And if they did?”
“Ask for Veritaserum – the strongest truth-potion out there and there is no way around it – it would make them back off.”
“Are you sure?” Harry asked doubtfully – he really did doubt that a simple potion would make much of a difference.
“Yes,” Shelton told Harry. “Because if they force the issue and use Veritaserum on you then you have the right to ask that both Lord Black and Pettigrew to also be given it as well.”
“Oh.” Harry bit his lip as Shelton stood and herded him out of the court-room. “Can’t you request it or something? It would solved all of our problems.”
“With you, no. With Lord Black…” Shelton hummed. “Maybe, I will think that over during the recess and if Lord Black is called to the stand to give testimony than I will request Veritaserum be used.”
“Bones would do it.” Harry said as he thought about the older woman. “I think she’s on our side.”
“She was friends with Sirius back in school,” Remus said quietly and nodded at Shelton. “Leon.”
“Remus,” Shelton nodded back before stepping away. “I leave Harry in your care until the recess is over – there’s some things I need to go over for the remaining part of the trial. Just make sure he’s back here on time before the recess is over.”
“We won’t be leaving the Ministry,” Remus reassured Shelton as Harry tucked himself into the werewolf’s side. “We’re only going up to the cafe-level were the food-stalls are stationed before coming right back down.”
Shelton nodded and disappeared into the crowd as Remus led Harry down a side corridor to an elevator. The ride was bumpy and jarring and Harry doubted he would ever get used to it – frankly Harry didn’t want to ever set foot back inside of the Ministry again.
[It was for both personal reasons and a little bit of professional - Ragnarok had said that, although they couldn't prove anything, that it was more than likely the Ministry had looked the other way when Dumbledore didn't even force the issue about Sirius's trial. They, Shelton and Ragnarok, couldn't actually prove or verify that Dumbledore pushed to not have a trial but the connections could be made.
Not to mention how useless the MInistry actually was - Harry had years worth of law and estate books and tax regulation update's to go over and so far Harry had found that the Ministry was an actually useless government that was run by pureblood's as their own private club. One of the reasons, Shelton had said when Harry raised his concerns, was why most of the Death Eater's walked free - unless it was a public trial, which the Ministry was required by law to do with a select number of cases each term, the Ministry held private ones and on "extraordinary" new evidence the Death Eater walked free.
And promptly donated quite the bit of gold to the Ministry - an obvious fee paid for services rendered.]
“She was in Hufflepuff, our year.” Remus told Harry once they got off and picked a stall to wait in line at. “She was Sirius’s partner in Runes – never tolerated his games and pranks, always caught him at it and made him pay for it.”
“I didn’t know Sirius took Runes.”
“Runes and Arithmancy – Sirius couldn’t stand Divination and hated most animals so Creatures were out, and we spent so much time in the muggle-world each summer that Muggle Studies never appealed.” Remus said with a soft smile. “I shared Runes with him and Lily, I would have taken Creatures but…”
“They could sense it, couldn’t they? Your wolf?” Harry asked discretely and Remus nodded briefly. “Yes, and I have always been interested in the theory’s behind Divination…”
“What about Mum? And Dad?”
“Let’s see – James took Creatures of course, along with Muggle-Studies, he said it would be an easy course and that was James, always looking for an easier way of things.” Remus hummed under his breath. “Lily…Lily was always an over archiver – took as many courses she could get away with and did the rest as independent studies.”
“Like Hermione?” Harry asked curiously and Remus laughed softly. “No, not exactly. Lily took both Runes and Arithmancy – but took the rest on her own time outside of school. Which, considering she was both Prefect and Head Girl during her school years – as well as running several clubs – was quite a feat.”
“I didn’t know that…” Harry frowned slightly as their turn was called. After ordering fish and chips, Harry was hungry but didn’t want anything too heavy, Remus and Harry took a seat off to the side of the large food-court and tucked in. “Not many people talk to me about Mum – only Dad.”
“Well,” Remus looked uncomfortable as he fiddled with his tea. “Not many of Lily’s friends survived the First War – she was very close to Artemus Heartsong and Alice Diggory as well as Colleen Daivs and Edith Abbot.”
“Luna and Neville’s Mum’s.” Harry said as he recognized the some of the names. “I think there’s an Abbot in Hufflepuff and a David is Slytherin.”
“Yes, Tracey Davis is Colleen’s daughter and Hannah is Edie’s daughter.” Remus sighed. “Artemus and Edie died – a potion accident oddly enough shortly after the War ended. Colleen died during birth, Tracey’s youngest brother I think, and Alice…”
“Neville’s told me.” Harry said softly as he picked at his meal. “Did you know Mum very well?”
“Not so much,” Remus smiled wryly. “I was all wrapped up in your Dad and Sirius, I rarely interacted with Lily until after she married James but that was when the war picked up so we kind of…”
“Lost contact.” Harry continued softly.
Both men let the subject drop and turned their attention back to their meals. Before long Remus was herding Harry back down to the court-room and the milled outside of it; Remus spent the time messing around with his pockets while Harry stared at the wall and mentally prepared himself for the second half of the trial – Shelton had said it all went well with Harry’s testimony he would put Sirius up the stand, from there the case would pretty much be over and Sirius would be a free man.
Whether or not Pettigrew would get the kiss or life in Azkaban was something different.
[Harry personally wanted Pettigrew, that traitorous rat, to get the Kiss - it might be a bit cold or blood-thirsty but Harry had studied a lot when it came time to prep for Sirius's trial and knew that Pettigrew would probably get life in Azkaban but would be right back out on the street when Voldemort freed him - through legal activities via Malfoy's Dad.
Shelton had said he would push for the Kiss but for Harry to not get his hopes up.]
“There you are,” Shelton said once the two hours were nearly up and guided Harry back into the court-room. “As soon as Bones and the rest of the Wizengamont comes back I’m going to push to get Lord Black up on the stand – it should nip this straight in the bud.”
“What about Pettigrew?”
Shelton hesitated and sighed. “Honestly Harry? I don’t think that’s going to happen, not unless the court or Bones pushes for it – I know his Barrister won’t put him on the stand, Finnegan knows full well that I or Bones would shove Veritaserum down his throat and then the trial would be over.”
“So Pettigrew won’t be able to testify about what happened in the graveyard?” Harry asked and Shelton shook his head. Harry sighed, frustrated and pissed off, but understood. “Thanks.”
Shelton and Harry had agreed that the goal was to get Sirius free and Pettigrew either Kissed or put into Azkaban – getting testimony outside of Harry’s about Voldemort’s return would be a bonus and a long-shot at best. Shelton had believed Harry, point-blank, when Harry told him what happened, and agreed that the knowledge that Voldemort returned needed to be widely known and collaborated by at least one if not three Death Eaters.
And Pettigrew would be a good place to start – if they could get him up on the stand.
“Order!” Bones banged her gavel and glared out at the stands, both of the Wizangamont and at the public’s, before clearing her throat. “We are back from are recess and, after speaking with my colleague’s have decided that it would suit the Court’s interest if we were to get a first hand account of that tragic night-”
Harry held his breath and clenched his hands tightly under the table. Maybe…
“-the Court will call Lord Sirius Orion Black to the stand!”
Author: Genna Gray
Fandom/Genre: Harry Potter
Relationship[s]: Gen, Pre-slash [Maybe]
Content Rating: MA [Just in-case]
Warnings: Swearing, Flashbacks, Violence
Disclaimer: I will not or plan to make any money off of this, this was written in fun for fun and nothing more.
Summary: Since the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament Harry has had a lot of time on his hands – between being banished back to the Dursley’s, no contact with his friends of Godfather, and pretty much ignored – Harry stumbles across a key piece of information that could change his entire world.
And piss of most of the Wizarding world.
AN: This was for Rough Trade, June 2014, Boot Camp
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
“Thank you Mister Potter,” Bones said gently after Harry was finished speaking about the events’ only a few months prior in the graveyard and how exactly Harry ended up there in the first place – namely Crouch Jr. pretending to be Moody. “I understand that this must be hard for you to speak of, considering, but I thank you for speaking today before the Court on such a difficult subject.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Harry nodded and licked his lips’ – he really wanted to have a sip of water but Harry didn’t dare ask for it. “After that I haven’t seen either one of them until this trial.”
“I see,” There was rustling in the large Court-room as the various witches and wizards shifted. “As much as I have questions I seek to be answered about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named this is not the time nor the place for that – as such I thank you for your time and to please step down Mister Potter.”
And the Court-room exploded into shouting and shrieks about what Harry said about the last time Harry saw Pettigrew – when he helped raised Voldemort from the dead. Bones looked annoyed by that and tried to reign in the court but it didn’t work and, if anything, it got louder and the shouting became just pure noise.
For a brief moment Harry did feel sorry but not enough to stop – Shelton didn’t have an opinion one way or another but he had advised Harry that if he wanted the truth from that night to be known that Harry needed to be in court and under either the strongest of Truth-spell’s or dosed with Veritaserum.
Since Harry doubted he would be back in court for any reason after freeing Sirius and sentencing Pettigrew Harry decided to let slip about Voldemort being back – in the interest’s of the court so that they knew what type of a Wizard Pettigrew was, helping raise a Dark Lord from the dead.
The look on Dumbledore’s face when Harry began speaking of the Tri-Wizard Tournament was priceless – the old Wizard knew where exactly Harry’s testamony was going and it wasn’t going as where Dumbledore wanted.
Anything that pissed Dumbledore off was good in Harry’s books, as petty as it seemed, but Harry couldn’t do much currently against Dumbledore – not as a Scion and Heir Apperent – but what little Harry could do Harry was going to do and enjoy every moment of it. That stealing old bastard would get what was coming to him once Harry was officially a Lord of an Ancient and Noble House – Sirius, once he was free and finally got the medical attention he needed, would probably join in.
What little Ragnarok had on Dumbledore, at least in regards to Harry, only made Harry privately think that this wasn’t the first time the old Wizard had done this – to hide orphans away or give them away and then steal from them after placing himself as “guardian”. In Harry’s case alone it was too smooth, to neat, to not have been done before – at least as practice for Harry.
Ragnarok, angry and wrathful, could do no more than flag all accounts that Dumbledore’s name was attached to and observe the old Wizard more closely than a nesting dragonness with her first clutch – which is to say, very close.
Harry was perfectly willing to wage war on two sides if it meant that the enemy’s of his House were punished or dead by the time he was of Age so Harry could live his life fully and without worry from that point forward until he was old or whenever he died.
Frankly both Voldemort and Dumbledore wouldn’t be that hard to beat – they both had different weakness’s that Harry knew and knew how to hit hard. Dumbledore’s image of a leader, Leader of the Light, was his biggest weakness and strength – freeing Sirius meant it would take a hit because, in the interview Harry already set up after the court-trial, Harry had full plans to do the woe-is-me angle in regards to Sirius.
Because if Dumbledore was willing to bend all the rules to see Death Eater’s given a trial but did nothing when one of his key fighter’s were accused and stood by as Sirius’s rights as a basic Wizard were denied to him?
That would get tongues talking and the doubts to start, the rumors alone that would fly made Harry’s little Slytherin heart beat fast – it wouldn’t take much after that, a few statements here or there a few weeks after that initial interview, before Dumbledore would be investigated himself.
[Harry had high hopes that Dumbledore wouldn't even be Headmaster by the time Christmas break was over - Harry would have prefered sooner but Shelton said to not get his hopes up and for Harry to plan for the worst case senario.]
Voldemort wouldn’t be a problem by the time summer rolled around next year if Harry had anything to do it – Shelton was sure that if Sirius could get his freedom from this court-case and Pettigrew sentenced to Azkaban, and if Harry could knock out some of Voldemort’s key player’s through the court-system, then Shelton was sure that the remaining Death Eater’s would either jump ship and flee to other countries or turn themselves in for a lesser punishment.
Because Oath-Breakers were the worst sort and Magic Herself had a way of punishing them even worse ways the Wizarding world could ever think of – Harry was hoping once that little rumor circled through Voldemort’s ranks that they would start to break down so Voldemort would be left with as little aid as he could get as possible from his servent’s.
Voldemort would still be a problem of course, Shelton had warned – as had Ragnarok when Harry told them of what he planned – but Harry wasn’t stupid, Voldemort would always be a problem until the day he died – again – and stayed dead this time with no take-back’s and re-do’s like Pettigrew gave Voldemort a few months ago.
Which Harry had plans for but as long as his Death Eater’s were being put back into prison, properly this time, Harry could bide his time and train until he could face Voldemort when he was older and better equipped this time to deal with Voldemort.
Harry wasn’t stupid – he had always known since First Year it would always come down to him or Voldemort in the end.
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
“I will have order in this court!” Bones shouted after she cast a Silencio onto the jam-packed court-room and the silence was deafening. “Order! The first witch or wizard to break this spell and speak when I have not speak to you will be cast into the Auror holding cells for two months! Do I make myself clear?”
No-one spoke up – either as a result from the spell or the result of the rather impressive threat.
“Good,” Bones nodded and flicked her wand. “Now, it’s gone past lunch as is and I for one am calling for a recess at this time and to resume in two hours – aye or nay?”
Harry was rather surprised to see that most of the Wizengamont voted for the break – he would have thought they wanted to hurry Sirius’s trial up so…Harry wasn’t sure where he stood now but he hoped it was good. Bones nodded and stood up, the Wizengamont followed suit and followed Bones out of the private chambers through their entrances in the back of the boxes.
“This is a good thing,” Shelton told Harry quietly as they waited for the public stands to empty, they also watched as both Sirius and Pettigrew were taken back into custody – Harry was grateful to see that Moody was in-charge of Sirius. [As much as it unnerved Harry to have been taught for possibly a year by a Death Eater, Moody was the best of the best for a reason.] “It gives me more time to prepare for what Pettigrew’s attorney will say or try to turn back onto Lord Black – I think we have a chance here.”
“Good,” Harry nodded. “Is there anyone they will call to the stand?”
“Some of the Weasley’s maybe – possibly you again but I don’t think so.” Shelton smiled at Harry. “You’ve already proven truthful under some of the strongest Truth-spells available that the MInistry uses – they wouldn’t dare, not if they want to win.”
“And if they did?”
“Ask for Veritaserum – the strongest truth-potion out there and there is no way around it – it would make them back off.”
“Are you sure?” Harry asked doubtfully – he really did doubt that a simple potion would make much of a difference.
“Yes,” Shelton told Harry. “Because if they force the issue and use Veritaserum on you then you have the right to ask that both Lord Black and Pettigrew to also be given it as well.”
“Oh.” Harry bit his lip as Shelton stood and herded him out of the court-room. “Can’t you request it or something? It would solved all of our problems.”
“With you, no. With Lord Black…” Shelton hummed. “Maybe, I will think that over during the recess and if Lord Black is called to the stand to give testimony than I will request Veritaserum be used.”
“Bones would do it.” Harry said as he thought about the older woman. “I think she’s on our side.”
“She was friends with Sirius back in school,” Remus said quietly and nodded at Shelton. “Leon.”
“Remus,” Shelton nodded back before stepping away. “I leave Harry in your care until the recess is over – there’s some things I need to go over for the remaining part of the trial. Just make sure he’s back here on time before the recess is over.”
“We won’t be leaving the Ministry,” Remus reassured Shelton as Harry tucked himself into the werewolf’s side. “We’re only going up to the cafe-level were the food-stalls are stationed before coming right back down.”
Shelton nodded and disappeared into the crowd as Remus led Harry down a side corridor to an elevator. The ride was bumpy and jarring and Harry doubted he would ever get used to it – frankly Harry didn’t want to ever set foot back inside of the Ministry again.
[It was for both personal reasons and a little bit of professional - Ragnarok had said that, although they couldn't prove anything, that it was more than likely the Ministry had looked the other way when Dumbledore didn't even force the issue about Sirius's trial. They, Shelton and Ragnarok, couldn't actually prove or verify that Dumbledore pushed to not have a trial but the connections could be made.
Not to mention how useless the MInistry actually was - Harry had years worth of law and estate books and tax regulation update's to go over and so far Harry had found that the Ministry was an actually useless government that was run by pureblood's as their own private club. One of the reasons, Shelton had said when Harry raised his concerns, was why most of the Death Eater's walked free - unless it was a public trial, which the Ministry was required by law to do with a select number of cases each term, the Ministry held private ones and on "extraordinary" new evidence the Death Eater walked free.
And promptly donated quite the bit of gold to the Ministry - an obvious fee paid for services rendered.]
“She was in Hufflepuff, our year.” Remus told Harry once they got off and picked a stall to wait in line at. “She was Sirius’s partner in Runes – never tolerated his games and pranks, always caught him at it and made him pay for it.”
“I didn’t know Sirius took Runes.”
“Runes and Arithmancy – Sirius couldn’t stand Divination and hated most animals so Creatures were out, and we spent so much time in the muggle-world each summer that Muggle Studies never appealed.” Remus said with a soft smile. “I shared Runes with him and Lily, I would have taken Creatures but…”
“They could sense it, couldn’t they? Your wolf?” Harry asked discretely and Remus nodded briefly. “Yes, and I have always been interested in the theory’s behind Divination…”
“What about Mum? And Dad?”
“Let’s see – James took Creatures of course, along with Muggle-Studies, he said it would be an easy course and that was James, always looking for an easier way of things.” Remus hummed under his breath. “Lily…Lily was always an over archiver – took as many courses she could get away with and did the rest as independent studies.”
“Like Hermione?” Harry asked curiously and Remus laughed softly. “No, not exactly. Lily took both Runes and Arithmancy – but took the rest on her own time outside of school. Which, considering she was both Prefect and Head Girl during her school years – as well as running several clubs – was quite a feat.”
“I didn’t know that…” Harry frowned slightly as their turn was called. After ordering fish and chips, Harry was hungry but didn’t want anything too heavy, Remus and Harry took a seat off to the side of the large food-court and tucked in. “Not many people talk to me about Mum – only Dad.”
“Well,” Remus looked uncomfortable as he fiddled with his tea. “Not many of Lily’s friends survived the First War – she was very close to Artemus Heartsong and Alice Diggory as well as Colleen Daivs and Edith Abbot.”
“Luna and Neville’s Mum’s.” Harry said as he recognized the some of the names. “I think there’s an Abbot in Hufflepuff and a David is Slytherin.”
“Yes, Tracey Davis is Colleen’s daughter and Hannah is Edie’s daughter.” Remus sighed. “Artemus and Edie died – a potion accident oddly enough shortly after the War ended. Colleen died during birth, Tracey’s youngest brother I think, and Alice…”
“Neville’s told me.” Harry said softly as he picked at his meal. “Did you know Mum very well?”
“Not so much,” Remus smiled wryly. “I was all wrapped up in your Dad and Sirius, I rarely interacted with Lily until after she married James but that was when the war picked up so we kind of…”
“Lost contact.” Harry continued softly.
Both men let the subject drop and turned their attention back to their meals. Before long Remus was herding Harry back down to the court-room and the milled outside of it; Remus spent the time messing around with his pockets while Harry stared at the wall and mentally prepared himself for the second half of the trial – Shelton had said it all went well with Harry’s testimony he would put Sirius up the stand, from there the case would pretty much be over and Sirius would be a free man.
Whether or not Pettigrew would get the kiss or life in Azkaban was something different.
[Harry personally wanted Pettigrew, that traitorous rat, to get the Kiss - it might be a bit cold or blood-thirsty but Harry had studied a lot when it came time to prep for Sirius's trial and knew that Pettigrew would probably get life in Azkaban but would be right back out on the street when Voldemort freed him - through legal activities via Malfoy's Dad.
Shelton had said he would push for the Kiss but for Harry to not get his hopes up.]
“There you are,” Shelton said once the two hours were nearly up and guided Harry back into the court-room. “As soon as Bones and the rest of the Wizengamont comes back I’m going to push to get Lord Black up on the stand – it should nip this straight in the bud.”
“What about Pettigrew?”
Shelton hesitated and sighed. “Honestly Harry? I don’t think that’s going to happen, not unless the court or Bones pushes for it – I know his Barrister won’t put him on the stand, Finnegan knows full well that I or Bones would shove Veritaserum down his throat and then the trial would be over.”
“So Pettigrew won’t be able to testify about what happened in the graveyard?” Harry asked and Shelton shook his head. Harry sighed, frustrated and pissed off, but understood. “Thanks.”
Shelton and Harry had agreed that the goal was to get Sirius free and Pettigrew either Kissed or put into Azkaban – getting testimony outside of Harry’s about Voldemort’s return would be a bonus and a long-shot at best. Shelton had believed Harry, point-blank, when Harry told him what happened, and agreed that the knowledge that Voldemort returned needed to be widely known and collaborated by at least one if not three Death Eaters.
And Pettigrew would be a good place to start – if they could get him up on the stand.
“Order!” Bones banged her gavel and glared out at the stands, both of the Wizangamont and at the public’s, before clearing her throat. “We are back from are recess and, after speaking with my colleague’s have decided that it would suit the Court’s interest if we were to get a first hand account of that tragic night-”
Harry held his breath and clenched his hands tightly under the table. Maybe…
“-the Court will call Lord Sirius Orion Black to the stand!”
Debts (1)
Title: Debts
Author: Genna Gray
Fandom/Genre: Harry Potter
Relationship[s]: Gen, Pre-slash [Maybe]
Content Rating: MA [Just in-case]
Warnings: Swearing, Flashbacks, Violence
Disclaimer: I will not or plan to make any money off of this, this was written in fun for fun and nothing more.
Summary: Since the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament Harry has had a lot of time on his hands – between being banished back to the Dursley’s, no contact with his friends of Godfather, and pretty much ignored – Harry stumbles across a key piece of information that could change his entire world.
And piss of most of the Wizarding world.
AN: This was for Rough Trade, June 2014, Boot Camp
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
“We are here today,” Amelia Bones, Head Auror, said solemnly in the packed and deathly silent court-room. “Is to over-see and judge two men – no-more and no-less. And I will have quiet in my court-room or I will force to expel you – is this understood?”
The entire auditorium was dead silence despite the fact that there were a few hundred witches and wizards in attendance. Harry swallowed nervously and wiped the palms of his hands against his jeans to get rid of the sweat – everything was riding on this one moment, this one trial, and Harry couldn’t afford to have it all screwed up because of nerves.
Taking a deep breath Harry focused on his breathing, shutting everything else out until it faded away, only when the shaking in his hands stopped did Harry let everything tune back in. Feeling better, still shaky and somewhat scared – which was silly considering what Harry had faced in his life, Harry focused on the judge, Bones, and started to pay attention.
They were still at the announcement phase of things, Harry didn’t need to pay attention to that since it wasn’t that important in the long run – he already knew what was being said any-way since Harry had been the one to hand over all the other information he had. So, instead, Harry focused on the people around him and their reactions.
Most of the people in the court-room Harry didn’t recognize but he could easily divide the room into three camps from who they were sitting with alone. Anyone sitting with Malfoy and his cronies, the adult versions of Harry’s own class-mates, Harry knew were here on Voldemort’s orders to spy and report what exactly was going on and how Harry acted. [Harry couldn't resist shooting Malfoy a challenging look - because if this went the way Harry hoped then it was going to be Malfoy's turn next.]
The second camp was obviously those sitting next to Dumbledore and those next to the Weasley’s – Harry flashed a nervous looking Ginny a smile and she tentatively smiled back at him – and Harry outright ignored Dumbledore’s sad and disapproving frown. What was happening now was utterly and completely Dumbledore’s fault – he couldn’t be rat-arsed enough to insist on a trial in the first place but raised all sorts of hell for Voldemort’s flunky’s.
Harry was going to clean up Dumbledore’s mess’ and it was going to start with Sirius first.
“I have looked over all the evidence, talked with all the parties involved, and have come to my own conclusion,” Bones began after rattling her gavel. “But according to Ministry law the accused and convicted deserve to have a trial judged by their peer’s – thus we have assembled the Wizengamot for this purpose. We will begin with our first witness – Harry Potter.”
Harry closed his eyes briefly before opening them and made his way to the stand, an overly large chair with chains that were faintly rattling when he approached it and sat down. Harry took out his wand and laid it down in front of him, the Potter Athame and the Potter Scion ring joined his wand – it was an old but pointless ritual in Harry’s mind but to anyone in attendance it showed that Harry was leaving himself bare of all things important – magic, life, and honor – so that the truth could be told and only the truth.
Feeling all the truth-spells settle on him, like a slimy slick pond-scrum, Harry resisted the urge to fidget as he was sworn in. Harry raised his chin when Bones leaned forward to look at him over her glasses before speaking, “This is a serious matter that you have brought before the court – as such it is taken seriously, as is you, and I will not allow any games to be played here in any form or fashion.”
“Yes ma’am,” Harry said softly and nodded. “I’m not playing games and I understand that this is a serious matter – I wouldn’t waste this court, any court’s time if I wasn’t.”
“See that you do,” Bones shuffled some parchment around before clearing her throat. “Explain to us, to the court how you know both of the accused and convicted?”
Harry knew this was coming and mentally sorted his thoughts out briefly before speaking of his third year and the circumstances that went on – everything from being warned about Sirius Black by Mister Weasley up to when the Dementor’s tried to take his Godfather’s soul and the Patronus that he called forth. Harry left nothing out, he couldn’t, and it was one of the key pieces of information that Barrister Shelton had told Harry – to tell the truth and nothing but even if it hurt or was embarrassing, to not dodge or dance around a question verbally, and to not lose his temper.
If Harry could do all three things that Barrister Shelton said that they had a chance.
Harry only stopped talking when he was done describing the escape of Sirius from Hogwarts – his full and total involvement, as well as Hermione’s – and while Harry felt a little bit bad for it, he didn’t care. Not really. Not since none of his friends had been bothered to contact or write to him up until yesterday when the notices for the trials came out – and while Harry could excuse Ron for not trying, Harry couldn’t give Hermione the same. The girl was born and raised in the muggle-world, just like Harry was, and she knew his physical address – it wouldn’t have taken much to mail a letter through muggle-post.
“Order! I will have order!” Bones shouted to calm the mutters and mumbles that had started nearly soon as Harry first started speaking and continued through his entire testimony. “Is this how you became aware of the accused Mister Potter?”
“Yes ma’am,” Harry nodded and held his hands tightly in his lap to hide how the shakes had started up again. “That’s when I first learned more about the circumstances surrounding my parents death and who caused it – but I met them both later on the next year, last year.”
“And what exactly were those circumstances?” Bones arched a brow and something in Harry’s stomach relaxed. He didn’t know how or why but Harry just knew that Bones was on his side of things and was trying her best to give Sirius a fair trial. “Can you tell the court of all the interactions you have had with the accused and convicted since then? Up until this court-session today?”
Harry nodded, he licked his lips and pushed the court-room from his mind and began speaking again.
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
Harry wanted to be clear about this, extremely clear, that it wasn’t Hermione’s idea in any way, shape or form – that this was something Harry had come up with on his own without any help whatsoever from anybody.
It was just- Harry had a lot of time on his hands after the end of Forth year, between nightmares about Cedric’s death and then what happened during the ritual afterwards that allowed Voldemort to rise again…after the third time his uncle smacked him around for waking up Number 4 with his screams Harry learned to doze during what little sleep he did get and spent the rest of the time awake.
And there was only so many times Harry could do and re-do his homework when he wasn’t being worked to the bone with summer chores. So Harry spent most of his nights reading his textbooks – at first skimming them, looking for something interesting to read, but then in-depth from cover to cover and that was where Harry stumbled across something that was very interesting.
Harry might not have been allowed to contact his friends but that didn’t mean Harry couldn’t send a few letter’s off. A few days later the faint idea that had taken root in Harry’s mind came together and Harry had to plan what he was about to do very carefully since one mistake, one wrong move would ruin anything and Harry would never have the same chance again.
So Harry waited, and waited, and waited some more until he had memorized his watcher’s schedule down to nearly the exact second they switched off – Mundungus Fletcher always showed up for shift but always left ten minutes afterwards for the rest of it. He didn’t show back up again until ten minutes before the switch had to occur again and Tonks took over – who was always a bit late to her shift. This little break only granted Harry four hours all told – from the time Fletcher disappeared until he reappeared again – and Harry needed to make those hours count.
The hours leading up to his escape Harry did nothing differently – he did his chores, ate his extremely meager meal, and read a book. But that didn’t mean Harry wasn’t prepared; his Invisibility Cloak was stuffed under his pillow along with the make-shift rope-ladder Harry had constructed out of old sheet’s, and his key to his vault was stuffed into his pocket. As soon as Fletcher was gone Harry was going out the window and making a run for the playground several blocks over – it was the only way to get out of range in-case he was being monitored for magic use.
Harry had been sure if summoning the Knight Bus would have been considered using magic or which alarms would be set off if it was so Harry wasn’t about to risk it.
Hearing the back-firing of a car, Harry flicked his eyes up to stare at the side-walk across from Number 4 in time to get a glimpse of two shimmer’s before another back-fire. Harry looked back down at his book hurriedly as he waited for Fletcher to leave, his heart pounding away in his chest, and his muscles locked up tight like a slowly tightening coil of tension.
If he was wrong, if Fletcher switched shift’s…
The sound of the back-fire wasn’t even as loud as before but it still made Harry jump in his seat anyway and have his heart skip a beat.
“Merlin,” Harry cursed softly under his breath and rubbed at his chest to calm his heart down. Knowing he was wasting time Harry threw his book onto his bed and leaned forward to push open his bedroom window; Harry reached under his pillow and secured the end of the rope to his be before tossing the end of it out the window. His cloak was tossed over his shoulder and Harry was climbing out the window before he could talk himself out of it.
It was only twenty-feet, Harry told himself as he gripped the rope, he had fallen from father off his broom with no problems. Telling himself that didn’t make the twenty-feet seem any closer so Harry took a deep breath, held the rope even tighter and pushed off from the sill. It was like flying, for a brief moment when Harry felt weightless, before gravity kicked in and he slide down the rope. Landing in a sprawl along the base of the house Harry was winded enough it took a couple of seconds to get his breath back.
But once Harry did he was up on his feet and jogging for the playground – he was on a time-table and he was a bit behind.
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
Harry kept the Invisibility Cloak on his entire journey to Diagon Alley – he didn’t want to run the risk of anyone looking at him and taking a closer look. Harry slipped off the Knight Bus and hurriedly went into the Leaky Cauldron, it was easy to slip through the thick crowds’ of people until he reached the back alley where he pulled out his wand and tapped the third brick above the bins.
Even before the bricks were pulling fully away Harry was slipping through between them and rushing down the deserted cobble-way. His mental time-table showed that Harry was behind, like really behind, schedule and Harry needed to make up the difference somehow in someway. The large marbled doors of Gringott’s was easy to spot and slip into for Harry, he made sure to glance around to see how crowded it was before pulling off his Invisibility Cloak – it seemed rude to do banking invisble regardless of how much Harry needed to not be seen but with how deserted the bank was Harry was willing to risk it.
“Hello,” Harry told the Goblin teller when he was called up. “I need to visit my vault please and than place an order for specialty parchment-paper that Gringott’s provides.”
“Key.”
Harry slide his key across the desk and the teller, a pale fleshy-colored goblin, examined the key before looking Harry over with a nod. Soon they were down at his vault and Harry opened the small sack Harry had and piled in as much Galleon’s as it could carry – Harry wasn’t about to do this half-assed and get himself into trouble if he couldn’t afford to fund this venture. When the sack was buldging did Harry stop and leave his vault; the goblin, Riptide, escorted Harry back up to the main-floor where they settled in front of his desk.
“Which type of parchment-paper can Gringott’s provide for you today Master Potter? Be warned – it’s very costly and the price is for one sheet and only one sheet.” Riptide warned and Harry nodded. “Yes sir. I need Portkey-paper and an Entrapment Envelop.”
Riptide arched a brow and folded his hands on his desk. “I see. Might I ask for what use are you putting these enchantment’s to? It will not help you catch your enemy Master Potter – Scion Slytherin is much too sly for that.”
“Not him,” Harry exhaled slowly and knew he had to tell part of his plan otherwise he wasn’t going to be able to walk out of Gringott’s with what he needed. “One of his minions – Peter Pettigrew III. I need him to clear my Godfather’s name and if it goes well…Voldemort won’t have many minions left to him by the time I’m done.”
“Peter Pettigrew III is a dead-wizard Master Potter,” Riptide said. “ANd Necromancy is highly illigal here in Britain.”
“No, he’s not.” Harry corrected. “I saw him, Pettigrew, at the end of my third year, last year, and again when Voldemort was reborn again just two months ago.”
Riptide stilled and frowned at Harry. “Will you be willing to swear this under magic Master Potter? Swear that what you speak of is true?”
“I know it’s true and I will swear under or on anything you would like.” Harry raised his chin. “I saw something foul and evil in that graveyard – I’ve been unable to do anything about it and if what I think is true I believe, I know, I can cut Voldemort off at the knee’s before he can cause problems for the wizarding-world again.”
Riptide cocked his head and nodded before standing up. “Follow me Master Potter – I do think you can answer some questions for us, that had been plaguing us for quite some time now.”
Harry was confused and twitchy with the mental cloak inside of his head ticking down but followed after the goblin – Harry wasn’t sure what was going on or what was going to happen but if it helped his plans to get Sirius pardoned then Harry was willing to risk being not found at the Dursley’s, willing to risk all kinds of trouble he was going to get into if it meant his Godfather’s freedom. Harry was led down a maze of twisting halls and corridor’s until Harry was completely and utterly lost – he doubted he could find his way back out again – when they finally came to a large golden-door guarded by two of the most armed goblins Harry had ever seen before in his life.
Riptide said something in their langauge, vagually German-ish to Harry’s ears, before the doors opened and they were shown into a large office. It was currently empty but the duo crossed the room and waited in front of the desk; Harry wanted to say something or sit down but something warned Harry it would be a bad idea to do either one so he stood there, fidgeting slightly, until a side door opened and one of the most odd goblins entered the room. He looked to be both the oldest and the youngest goblin Harry had ever seen before and there was something…Harry couldn’t put his finger on it but the goblin seemed different to Riptide.
Riptide and the unknown goblin spoke quietly but quickly before the other goblin nodded and clearly dismissed Riptide from the room.
“Master Potter,” The goblin said as he looked over his glasses at Harry. “Take a seat – Riptide say’s you hold key information that will benefit us.”
“Um, yes sir?” Harry said as he sat down. “That is, I’m not sure, I just-”
“Yes, Riptide has explained on why you came to our bank in the middle of the night, carrying the Invisiblity Cloak, and seeking items that are highly illigal for a boy your age to pocess.” The goblin lifted a brow. “And you seek to summon a dead-man to free the murderer of your parents – is this so far correct?”
“Ah, yes sir.” Harry quietly said as he rubbed his fingers together nervously. “But it’s true!”
“Yes, so you’ve said before.” The goblin gave Harry a serious look. “If you are telling the truth then swear to me on your magic, under penalty of loosing it for as long as you live, and tell me what you told my teller.”
Harry, not seeing any other option, took out his wand and swore on his magic before repeating what he told Riptide. Afterwards the goblin leaned back in his heat and folded his hands on his desk, “I see.”
Harry wasn’t exactly sure what he was expecting but an “I see” wasn’t it – to be frank he was getting a little angry that his time was being wasted like this – Harry still had a few things left to do before getting back to the Dursley’s before anyone noticed he was missing and that time-frame was rapidly desolving. Harry opened his mouth; to swear, say something, even shout – but the goblin simply held up a hand and rang this tiny little bell on his desk. Immeadately an armed goblin entered and the goblin spoke to him briefly before the armored goblin left.
Soon after a thick file appeared on the goblins desk and the goblin cleared his throat. “I am sure you have many questions Master Potter but I have one question I need to ask you before the remaining time of your sworn-magic runs out – have you ever been contacted by Gringott’s and/or contacted Gringott’s yourself either personally or by letter since your conception nearly fifteen years ago?”
“No,” Harry said slowly. “No, I wasn’t even aware of magic until I was eleven years-old and I’ve only been able to visit the bank twice – initially before my first year and then right before my third year when I spent the summer in the Alley.”
The goblin nodded calmly and then proceded to swear in what Harry was privately calling Goblish for several minutes – Harry was also sure if it had been in English he would have blushed. The goblin snapped his fingers and a tea-set appeared, gleaming brass and bronze, and poured two cups of steaming tea – an heavy crystal decanter was also opened and the goblin liberally topped off his own cup before speaking.
“I am Ragnarok, Head of this bank, and I fear that we both have been duped.” The goblin, Ragnarok, said as Harry took his cup and sipped on the tea – which tasted like dirty socks but Harry was to polite to spit it back out and vowed to only sip every once in a while as not to poison himself. “Tell me Master Potter, do you have any idea of your family history?”
“Urm,” Harry paused in lowering his cup. “Killing…Voldemort when I was a baby?”
Ragnarok sighed and bared his sharp teeth at Harry – who hoped it was a goblin version of a smile – before placing his own cup aside and opening up the thick file in front of him. “Since it is clear that your guardian’s have completely and utterly failed to instruct you in the proper way of things it falls to me to give you a rough overview of things – I fear we will not have much time before your magical guardian discovers you missing and try’s to take you forceable from my bank.”
“Right,” Harry nodded before pausing. “Wait, isn’t the Dursley’s my guardians? For both the muggle and the magical stuff?”
“Not quite.” Ragnarok snarled softly. “Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is your magical guardian and he had assured us – with extensive proof – that you had no interest in your family estate’s and money’s, as well as the Lordship titles, otherwise I would have gained an audience with you at eleven years ago and strightened this all out.”
“Titles?!"
Author: Genna Gray
Fandom/Genre: Harry Potter
Relationship[s]: Gen, Pre-slash [Maybe]
Content Rating: MA [Just in-case]
Warnings: Swearing, Flashbacks, Violence
Disclaimer: I will not or plan to make any money off of this, this was written in fun for fun and nothing more.
Summary: Since the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament Harry has had a lot of time on his hands – between being banished back to the Dursley’s, no contact with his friends of Godfather, and pretty much ignored – Harry stumbles across a key piece of information that could change his entire world.
And piss of most of the Wizarding world.
AN: This was for Rough Trade, June 2014, Boot Camp
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
“We are here today,” Amelia Bones, Head Auror, said solemnly in the packed and deathly silent court-room. “Is to over-see and judge two men – no-more and no-less. And I will have quiet in my court-room or I will force to expel you – is this understood?”
The entire auditorium was dead silence despite the fact that there were a few hundred witches and wizards in attendance. Harry swallowed nervously and wiped the palms of his hands against his jeans to get rid of the sweat – everything was riding on this one moment, this one trial, and Harry couldn’t afford to have it all screwed up because of nerves.
Taking a deep breath Harry focused on his breathing, shutting everything else out until it faded away, only when the shaking in his hands stopped did Harry let everything tune back in. Feeling better, still shaky and somewhat scared – which was silly considering what Harry had faced in his life, Harry focused on the judge, Bones, and started to pay attention.
They were still at the announcement phase of things, Harry didn’t need to pay attention to that since it wasn’t that important in the long run – he already knew what was being said any-way since Harry had been the one to hand over all the other information he had. So, instead, Harry focused on the people around him and their reactions.
Most of the people in the court-room Harry didn’t recognize but he could easily divide the room into three camps from who they were sitting with alone. Anyone sitting with Malfoy and his cronies, the adult versions of Harry’s own class-mates, Harry knew were here on Voldemort’s orders to spy and report what exactly was going on and how Harry acted. [Harry couldn't resist shooting Malfoy a challenging look - because if this went the way Harry hoped then it was going to be Malfoy's turn next.]
The second camp was obviously those sitting next to Dumbledore and those next to the Weasley’s – Harry flashed a nervous looking Ginny a smile and she tentatively smiled back at him – and Harry outright ignored Dumbledore’s sad and disapproving frown. What was happening now was utterly and completely Dumbledore’s fault – he couldn’t be rat-arsed enough to insist on a trial in the first place but raised all sorts of hell for Voldemort’s flunky’s.
Harry was going to clean up Dumbledore’s mess’ and it was going to start with Sirius first.
“I have looked over all the evidence, talked with all the parties involved, and have come to my own conclusion,” Bones began after rattling her gavel. “But according to Ministry law the accused and convicted deserve to have a trial judged by their peer’s – thus we have assembled the Wizengamot for this purpose. We will begin with our first witness – Harry Potter.”
Harry closed his eyes briefly before opening them and made his way to the stand, an overly large chair with chains that were faintly rattling when he approached it and sat down. Harry took out his wand and laid it down in front of him, the Potter Athame and the Potter Scion ring joined his wand – it was an old but pointless ritual in Harry’s mind but to anyone in attendance it showed that Harry was leaving himself bare of all things important – magic, life, and honor – so that the truth could be told and only the truth.
Feeling all the truth-spells settle on him, like a slimy slick pond-scrum, Harry resisted the urge to fidget as he was sworn in. Harry raised his chin when Bones leaned forward to look at him over her glasses before speaking, “This is a serious matter that you have brought before the court – as such it is taken seriously, as is you, and I will not allow any games to be played here in any form or fashion.”
“Yes ma’am,” Harry said softly and nodded. “I’m not playing games and I understand that this is a serious matter – I wouldn’t waste this court, any court’s time if I wasn’t.”
“See that you do,” Bones shuffled some parchment around before clearing her throat. “Explain to us, to the court how you know both of the accused and convicted?”
Harry knew this was coming and mentally sorted his thoughts out briefly before speaking of his third year and the circumstances that went on – everything from being warned about Sirius Black by Mister Weasley up to when the Dementor’s tried to take his Godfather’s soul and the Patronus that he called forth. Harry left nothing out, he couldn’t, and it was one of the key pieces of information that Barrister Shelton had told Harry – to tell the truth and nothing but even if it hurt or was embarrassing, to not dodge or dance around a question verbally, and to not lose his temper.
If Harry could do all three things that Barrister Shelton said that they had a chance.
Harry only stopped talking when he was done describing the escape of Sirius from Hogwarts – his full and total involvement, as well as Hermione’s – and while Harry felt a little bit bad for it, he didn’t care. Not really. Not since none of his friends had been bothered to contact or write to him up until yesterday when the notices for the trials came out – and while Harry could excuse Ron for not trying, Harry couldn’t give Hermione the same. The girl was born and raised in the muggle-world, just like Harry was, and she knew his physical address – it wouldn’t have taken much to mail a letter through muggle-post.
“Order! I will have order!” Bones shouted to calm the mutters and mumbles that had started nearly soon as Harry first started speaking and continued through his entire testimony. “Is this how you became aware of the accused Mister Potter?”
“Yes ma’am,” Harry nodded and held his hands tightly in his lap to hide how the shakes had started up again. “That’s when I first learned more about the circumstances surrounding my parents death and who caused it – but I met them both later on the next year, last year.”
“And what exactly were those circumstances?” Bones arched a brow and something in Harry’s stomach relaxed. He didn’t know how or why but Harry just knew that Bones was on his side of things and was trying her best to give Sirius a fair trial. “Can you tell the court of all the interactions you have had with the accused and convicted since then? Up until this court-session today?”
Harry nodded, he licked his lips and pushed the court-room from his mind and began speaking again.
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
Harry wanted to be clear about this, extremely clear, that it wasn’t Hermione’s idea in any way, shape or form – that this was something Harry had come up with on his own without any help whatsoever from anybody.
It was just- Harry had a lot of time on his hands after the end of Forth year, between nightmares about Cedric’s death and then what happened during the ritual afterwards that allowed Voldemort to rise again…after the third time his uncle smacked him around for waking up Number 4 with his screams Harry learned to doze during what little sleep he did get and spent the rest of the time awake.
And there was only so many times Harry could do and re-do his homework when he wasn’t being worked to the bone with summer chores. So Harry spent most of his nights reading his textbooks – at first skimming them, looking for something interesting to read, but then in-depth from cover to cover and that was where Harry stumbled across something that was very interesting.
Harry might not have been allowed to contact his friends but that didn’t mean Harry couldn’t send a few letter’s off. A few days later the faint idea that had taken root in Harry’s mind came together and Harry had to plan what he was about to do very carefully since one mistake, one wrong move would ruin anything and Harry would never have the same chance again.
So Harry waited, and waited, and waited some more until he had memorized his watcher’s schedule down to nearly the exact second they switched off – Mundungus Fletcher always showed up for shift but always left ten minutes afterwards for the rest of it. He didn’t show back up again until ten minutes before the switch had to occur again and Tonks took over – who was always a bit late to her shift. This little break only granted Harry four hours all told – from the time Fletcher disappeared until he reappeared again – and Harry needed to make those hours count.
The hours leading up to his escape Harry did nothing differently – he did his chores, ate his extremely meager meal, and read a book. But that didn’t mean Harry wasn’t prepared; his Invisibility Cloak was stuffed under his pillow along with the make-shift rope-ladder Harry had constructed out of old sheet’s, and his key to his vault was stuffed into his pocket. As soon as Fletcher was gone Harry was going out the window and making a run for the playground several blocks over – it was the only way to get out of range in-case he was being monitored for magic use.
Harry had been sure if summoning the Knight Bus would have been considered using magic or which alarms would be set off if it was so Harry wasn’t about to risk it.
Hearing the back-firing of a car, Harry flicked his eyes up to stare at the side-walk across from Number 4 in time to get a glimpse of two shimmer’s before another back-fire. Harry looked back down at his book hurriedly as he waited for Fletcher to leave, his heart pounding away in his chest, and his muscles locked up tight like a slowly tightening coil of tension.
If he was wrong, if Fletcher switched shift’s…
The sound of the back-fire wasn’t even as loud as before but it still made Harry jump in his seat anyway and have his heart skip a beat.
“Merlin,” Harry cursed softly under his breath and rubbed at his chest to calm his heart down. Knowing he was wasting time Harry threw his book onto his bed and leaned forward to push open his bedroom window; Harry reached under his pillow and secured the end of the rope to his be before tossing the end of it out the window. His cloak was tossed over his shoulder and Harry was climbing out the window before he could talk himself out of it.
It was only twenty-feet, Harry told himself as he gripped the rope, he had fallen from father off his broom with no problems. Telling himself that didn’t make the twenty-feet seem any closer so Harry took a deep breath, held the rope even tighter and pushed off from the sill. It was like flying, for a brief moment when Harry felt weightless, before gravity kicked in and he slide down the rope. Landing in a sprawl along the base of the house Harry was winded enough it took a couple of seconds to get his breath back.
But once Harry did he was up on his feet and jogging for the playground – he was on a time-table and he was a bit behind.
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
Harry kept the Invisibility Cloak on his entire journey to Diagon Alley – he didn’t want to run the risk of anyone looking at him and taking a closer look. Harry slipped off the Knight Bus and hurriedly went into the Leaky Cauldron, it was easy to slip through the thick crowds’ of people until he reached the back alley where he pulled out his wand and tapped the third brick above the bins.
Even before the bricks were pulling fully away Harry was slipping through between them and rushing down the deserted cobble-way. His mental time-table showed that Harry was behind, like really behind, schedule and Harry needed to make up the difference somehow in someway. The large marbled doors of Gringott’s was easy to spot and slip into for Harry, he made sure to glance around to see how crowded it was before pulling off his Invisibility Cloak – it seemed rude to do banking invisble regardless of how much Harry needed to not be seen but with how deserted the bank was Harry was willing to risk it.
“Hello,” Harry told the Goblin teller when he was called up. “I need to visit my vault please and than place an order for specialty parchment-paper that Gringott’s provides.”
“Key.”
Harry slide his key across the desk and the teller, a pale fleshy-colored goblin, examined the key before looking Harry over with a nod. Soon they were down at his vault and Harry opened the small sack Harry had and piled in as much Galleon’s as it could carry – Harry wasn’t about to do this half-assed and get himself into trouble if he couldn’t afford to fund this venture. When the sack was buldging did Harry stop and leave his vault; the goblin, Riptide, escorted Harry back up to the main-floor where they settled in front of his desk.
“Which type of parchment-paper can Gringott’s provide for you today Master Potter? Be warned – it’s very costly and the price is for one sheet and only one sheet.” Riptide warned and Harry nodded. “Yes sir. I need Portkey-paper and an Entrapment Envelop.”
Riptide arched a brow and folded his hands on his desk. “I see. Might I ask for what use are you putting these enchantment’s to? It will not help you catch your enemy Master Potter – Scion Slytherin is much too sly for that.”
“Not him,” Harry exhaled slowly and knew he had to tell part of his plan otherwise he wasn’t going to be able to walk out of Gringott’s with what he needed. “One of his minions – Peter Pettigrew III. I need him to clear my Godfather’s name and if it goes well…Voldemort won’t have many minions left to him by the time I’m done.”
“Peter Pettigrew III is a dead-wizard Master Potter,” Riptide said. “ANd Necromancy is highly illigal here in Britain.”
“No, he’s not.” Harry corrected. “I saw him, Pettigrew, at the end of my third year, last year, and again when Voldemort was reborn again just two months ago.”
Riptide stilled and frowned at Harry. “Will you be willing to swear this under magic Master Potter? Swear that what you speak of is true?”
“I know it’s true and I will swear under or on anything you would like.” Harry raised his chin. “I saw something foul and evil in that graveyard – I’ve been unable to do anything about it and if what I think is true I believe, I know, I can cut Voldemort off at the knee’s before he can cause problems for the wizarding-world again.”
Riptide cocked his head and nodded before standing up. “Follow me Master Potter – I do think you can answer some questions for us, that had been plaguing us for quite some time now.”
Harry was confused and twitchy with the mental cloak inside of his head ticking down but followed after the goblin – Harry wasn’t sure what was going on or what was going to happen but if it helped his plans to get Sirius pardoned then Harry was willing to risk being not found at the Dursley’s, willing to risk all kinds of trouble he was going to get into if it meant his Godfather’s freedom. Harry was led down a maze of twisting halls and corridor’s until Harry was completely and utterly lost – he doubted he could find his way back out again – when they finally came to a large golden-door guarded by two of the most armed goblins Harry had ever seen before in his life.
Riptide said something in their langauge, vagually German-ish to Harry’s ears, before the doors opened and they were shown into a large office. It was currently empty but the duo crossed the room and waited in front of the desk; Harry wanted to say something or sit down but something warned Harry it would be a bad idea to do either one so he stood there, fidgeting slightly, until a side door opened and one of the most odd goblins entered the room. He looked to be both the oldest and the youngest goblin Harry had ever seen before and there was something…Harry couldn’t put his finger on it but the goblin seemed different to Riptide.
Riptide and the unknown goblin spoke quietly but quickly before the other goblin nodded and clearly dismissed Riptide from the room.
“Master Potter,” The goblin said as he looked over his glasses at Harry. “Take a seat – Riptide say’s you hold key information that will benefit us.”
“Um, yes sir?” Harry said as he sat down. “That is, I’m not sure, I just-”
“Yes, Riptide has explained on why you came to our bank in the middle of the night, carrying the Invisiblity Cloak, and seeking items that are highly illigal for a boy your age to pocess.” The goblin lifted a brow. “And you seek to summon a dead-man to free the murderer of your parents – is this so far correct?”
“Ah, yes sir.” Harry quietly said as he rubbed his fingers together nervously. “But it’s true!”
“Yes, so you’ve said before.” The goblin gave Harry a serious look. “If you are telling the truth then swear to me on your magic, under penalty of loosing it for as long as you live, and tell me what you told my teller.”
Harry, not seeing any other option, took out his wand and swore on his magic before repeating what he told Riptide. Afterwards the goblin leaned back in his heat and folded his hands on his desk, “I see.”
Harry wasn’t exactly sure what he was expecting but an “I see” wasn’t it – to be frank he was getting a little angry that his time was being wasted like this – Harry still had a few things left to do before getting back to the Dursley’s before anyone noticed he was missing and that time-frame was rapidly desolving. Harry opened his mouth; to swear, say something, even shout – but the goblin simply held up a hand and rang this tiny little bell on his desk. Immeadately an armed goblin entered and the goblin spoke to him briefly before the armored goblin left.
Soon after a thick file appeared on the goblins desk and the goblin cleared his throat. “I am sure you have many questions Master Potter but I have one question I need to ask you before the remaining time of your sworn-magic runs out – have you ever been contacted by Gringott’s and/or contacted Gringott’s yourself either personally or by letter since your conception nearly fifteen years ago?”
“No,” Harry said slowly. “No, I wasn’t even aware of magic until I was eleven years-old and I’ve only been able to visit the bank twice – initially before my first year and then right before my third year when I spent the summer in the Alley.”
The goblin nodded calmly and then proceded to swear in what Harry was privately calling Goblish for several minutes – Harry was also sure if it had been in English he would have blushed. The goblin snapped his fingers and a tea-set appeared, gleaming brass and bronze, and poured two cups of steaming tea – an heavy crystal decanter was also opened and the goblin liberally topped off his own cup before speaking.
“I am Ragnarok, Head of this bank, and I fear that we both have been duped.” The goblin, Ragnarok, said as Harry took his cup and sipped on the tea – which tasted like dirty socks but Harry was to polite to spit it back out and vowed to only sip every once in a while as not to poison himself. “Tell me Master Potter, do you have any idea of your family history?”
“Urm,” Harry paused in lowering his cup. “Killing…Voldemort when I was a baby?”
Ragnarok sighed and bared his sharp teeth at Harry – who hoped it was a goblin version of a smile – before placing his own cup aside and opening up the thick file in front of him. “Since it is clear that your guardian’s have completely and utterly failed to instruct you in the proper way of things it falls to me to give you a rough overview of things – I fear we will not have much time before your magical guardian discovers you missing and try’s to take you forceable from my bank.”
“Right,” Harry nodded before pausing. “Wait, isn’t the Dursley’s my guardians? For both the muggle and the magical stuff?”
“Not quite.” Ragnarok snarled softly. “Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is your magical guardian and he had assured us – with extensive proof – that you had no interest in your family estate’s and money’s, as well as the Lordship titles, otherwise I would have gained an audience with you at eleven years ago and strightened this all out.”
“Titles?!"
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