Chapter 20: Fall Out Boy

October 3rd, 2011

The European wizard known as Remus Lupin was currently observing his flock of sheep in the plains of the Sudan (1). He has spent the last decade living there in what can only be described as imposed solitude and exile. In all fairness, he could have lived near Uagadou School of Magic in Uganda, as they were more accepting of werewolves and their misfortune in life. Instead, he chose to let his guilt and pain swallow him and force himself away from other wizards and witches.

The irony of a werewolf raising a flock of sheep to sell and live off is also something Remus didn't want any wizard questioning. Despite most magic folk lacking common sense and logic – something he managed to regain due to his interactions with Lily – even they can still understand irony.

To be fair though, it was a good living: sheep were an important commodity in these regions and him being an alpha predator kept other animals away from snatching his livelihood for his monthly Wolfsbane Potions. Plus, after a decade of treating the locals of their maladies with his healing spells free of charge, they overlooked the occasional times when he killed an animal or two during his transformations.

The fact that he also brought weapons for them to kill him if he ever lost control didn't deter them from reminding Remus what could happen.

In any case, Remus daily cycle has remained consistent for some time now. You can imagine his surprise, however, when an owl arrived at his hut carrying a letter and a copy of the Daily Prophet, a paper he no longer subscribed to.

Especially since no one actually read the British paper out here in the middle of Africa.

Shrugging his shoulders in acceptance of the situation, Remus put the items away to read at a later time, as he didn't want to leave his lunch unfinished. Noting, however, that the owl wouldn't leave, Remus realized that it must be waiting for a reply to the letter. As he reached out, the owl hopped onto his arm and dragged it to the paper he folded over, preventing him from seeing the front page.

"Alright already, I'll check the paper first. Honestly though, what can possibly… be…"

Remus dropped his meal in shock as he went over each headline twice before reading the articles in question as to what has transpired in the Ministry only a day before.

This… this can't be… Sirius was innocent… Oh, sweet Merlin, thank the magics! He is innocent! And Harry is alive and well! Don't know how the Prongslet got himself in the position as Lord Black but who cares, he got to Lucius and Narcissa. And he managed to get a call of no confidence on Fudge. But his hatred of Albus… The article doesn't specify why he hates him though… who is the aunt he mentioned, however? Wait… Lily had a sister... Petunia I believe… I swear I read that something happened to her… I'll check it later. I haven't really kept in touch with anyone since James and Lily died, and I was denied guardianship of Harry… In any case, what happened to Draco? All it says is that he is in 's, but it doesn't specify for what. Plus, why to throw such a topic into this article – it doesn't relate to it as a whole. Plus, what was in the Potter Will? I understand no details were published likely due to a Secrecy Spell placed during the reading but still…

Remus noted that the owl handed over the letter he delivered alongside the paper, one that Remus quickly realized contained the official Gringotts logo and the mailing address of one Ted Tonks.

Tonks? Isn't he the Muggle-born lawyer husband of Andromeda? Why is he messaging me on official Gringott's business?

As Remus ripped the string that tied the parchment, he started to read it through. By the time he was done, he was doing his best to hold back the tears going down his face.

James… Lily… oh, bless you both… you gave me too much…

Something that most Muggle-born and Muggle-raised half-bloods don't realize about wizards as a whole is how much exactly everything costs in their society. When they are first introduced to Diagon Alley, the items they buy for school aren't that expensive. Granted, a wand does cost 7 galleons, but to most, it's a one time purchase. There is also the fact that magic covers are a lot of tasks and necessities that Muggles need tools to accomplish. Who needs a vacuum cleaner and a gas oven when you have a spell to clean up the entire house or heat up your casserole with a wave of a wand? What most don't realize, however, is the big jump in demands of living that crop up when they become adults and decide to live anywhere in the wizarding world. Ignoring the required taxes that each wizard must pay based on both actual earnings and house standings – with older and more respected houses paying the expected heftier galleon sums – there are also other factors to consider. Some things include clothing made of magical ingredients has to be done by hand, or that edible necessity has to be grown without magic (unlike magical ingredients whose growth rates can be accelerated without risks to the eater), or a plethora of other reasons. (2)

In short summation, to someone like Remus Lupin, who came from a family of no high standing who literally lived off of less than 100 galleons a year happily with money left over… the sum he got from the Potters was staggering. To the Nobel and Ancient House of Potter, the money he received could probably last for less than a few years just to pay for taxes to the Ministry and on the Potter Manor. This isn't even considering their other land holdings, business holdings, investment, and Gringott's dues. But to someone like Remus, who had nothing and barely paid anything to the Ministry to begin with when he did live in Europe… suffice to say, he would never have to work again – nor would his grandkids, if he had any.

Wondering what exactly the owl wanted from him, Remus quickly noted that Sirius was expected to get a trial by the end of next week. Realizing his presence was most likely required as a character witness or for Sirius's well being, Remus quickly drafted his reply.

Wait, when is it… October 12th… a little tricky with my condition but not impossible. I can probably ask for Amelia Bones to set up a cage for me at the DMLE for those nights since I am going to attend the trial and need protection...

After finishing his reply and reminding Tonks of his condition, he quickly tied the message to the owl's legs. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

Nodding in understanding, the owl took off.

Remus looked at his flock for what would probably be the last time, he laughed at the absurdity of the situation.

Well Remus, despite your 'furry' problem, you now have a cottage in Ayr and more money than you will ever need... Guess I can just give away the sheep to the village as thanks for allowing me to live near them… hope they don't build a shrine to me or anything…

Neville didn't expect that day to start off in such a fashion as it did, nor did he ever think it would escalate to such a degree. First, the fact that Dumbledore was not in his usual seat at the Teacher's Table. Then, there was the news revealing just what could be the most politically monumental shift in direction anyone has ever seen in the last century of wizard politics. Finally, he didn't expect that the Potter's would leave him a sizable addition to his trust and a house in Galway of all places.

He was so focused on the letter his Grandmother send him regarding what happened at the hearing that he didn't hear a Hufflepuff run up to him.

"Neville. NEVILLE! Snap out of it!"

Neville finally realized what was happening as Susan started to shake him. "Oh, Susan. I am sorry… I was just reading the news, and then there was the letter…"

"From your gran, yes I know. Did you get anything from the Potter's?"

"They left a home in Galaway for my parents and twenty-five thousand galleons for my trust," nodded Neville.

"Makes sense, the Longbottom's and Potter's have always been close. They left my aunt ten thousand galleons for whatever she wants."

"Close? Turns out that Lily Potter was my godmother! Harry and I were practically raised in the same crib if the will was any indication!"

This shocked Susan, "Blimey… are you serious? But why wasn't it read at the hearing?"

"It's actually more due to my grandmother. Since she accepted everything on my parent's behalf, she was allowed to read the rest of the will. She knew that my parents were close with the Potters since they went to Hogwarts together, but she never knew that our parents were each other godmothers. I don't think James Potter was my godfather but still…"

Susan nodded, "If it makes you feel any better, I don't think Sirius Black was your godfather."

Neville chuckled nervously, "That wasn't really my concern but thanks. Was he Harry's godfather under the ritual?"

Susan nodded, "My aunt says he apparently was, which is why he is getting a hearing as soon as possible. They will test him to make sure, but it won't really matter."

"What do you mean?"

"While the Godfather and Godmother Ritual ensures that the recipient of the title can never harm the subject of their well-being directly or indirectly without forfeiting their life – hence why it is such a good indicator of character – there is also a little-known fact about it that my aunt told me about. Turns out, due to the nature of the ritual to ensure the subject's well-being in all circumstances and situations, the recipient is not able to become a subject of other roles or rituals that would interfere with that role. As such, IF Sirius was already Harry's Godfather…"

Neville caught on, "Then he couldn't have been the Secret Keeper of Godric's Hollow since Sirius wouldn't be able to know if whoever he had told the secret would harm Harry or not."

Susan nodded, "Exactly."

Neville shook his head trying to accepting everything that has been dropped on the unsuspecting wizard populace, "But wait, why wasn't…"

"No one knew that Sirius was Harry's godfather via the ritual. If they did, then they would know he wasn't the Secret Keeper. So in any case, even if for some reason we find out that he isn't a godfather via the ritual but just in name, then he is still free since the Potter Will revealed that Peter Pettigrew was the real Secret Keeper."

Neville nodded, understanding the logic of the explanation. "Did your Aunt Amelia tell you why Peter was even the Secret Keeper rather than Sirius?"

Susan shook her head, "No. She will most likely ask Sirius today when she gets to Azkaban to remove him for treatment at 's before his trial."

It was at this particular moment that Hermione walked up to the two from the Ravenclaw's table, "Hey Neville, did you finish reading…"

"I did, Hermione. And honestly… it was shocking."

Hermione nodded, "But can you explain to me why it's such a big deal?"

"What do you mean?"

Hermione looked at the Hufflepuff, "I am sorry, but you are…"

Susan put out her hand, "Susan Bones."

Hermione raised her eyebrow, "Any relation to Amelia Bones?"

"She is my aunt and caretaker."

Hermione nodded and shook her hand, "Well met. I am Hermione Granger." She sat down on Neville's left while Susan on his right. "I am a Muggle-born, so I don't really understand wizard politics all that much. Can you tell me why everyone is reacting like… this?"

"Oh, I see. Sorry Hermione, sometimes forget that you are Muggle-born and all..."

"Neville," Hermione said calmly, "just because I happen to understand magic better than you at the moment does not make you a worse wizard. You just got your new wand… it will take time to get acclimated to it."

"I know, Hermione, I know…"

Susan watched curiously at the conversation that seemed to have existed for some time now between the two. Does Neville really have that much trouble with magic? Wasn't he trained by Dumbledore or something? Something to write Amelia about… (3)

"But anyway Neville, can you explain this article point by point?"

Neville slowly gained back his confidence as he took out his own paper, "Well… let's start from the top."

Hermione nodded, "Right – Sirius Black and the Potter Will. Why is such a big deal?"

"You've heard about Sirius right?" inquired Susan.

"Yes. I've come across his name in the books that talked about Harry Potter."

"Then clearly, you need to forget everything you read from them like I told you on the train."

The three kids finally registered MacLeod sitting opposite of them, enjoying his eggs and bacon.

"Hi Harry."

"Hello Neville, Hermione. It is nice to meet you, Susan."

Bones stared in confusion, "How do you…"

Neville sighed, "Susan, meet Harry MacLeod – the biggest enigma of this schools since… ever. He has a habit of… knowing things."

Harry sighed, "It is only prudence to know all the future heirs in your year even if you are unlikely to ever become friends with them. In any case, it's nice to finally meet you. I have heard great things about your aunt. I hope you are of similar constitution as well."

Susan smiled, "What, you want access to a 'get out of jail' card in the future or something?"

Harry and Hermione laughed at the reference while Neville stared in confusion.

"It's a muggle thing, Neville. Although, the fact you know the reference is interesting."

"Not all of us wizard raised are ignorant of Muggle culture. My aunt, for example, made sure I was aware of at least some Muggle nomenclature."

Harry paused his meal, glaring at Susan, thinking, causing her to start panicking. "You Aunt was born in London in 1978, was she not?"

"Yes?" She asked worryingly.

Harry smiled, "When you get the chance, ask her if she ever saw Queen in concert or if she was just a fan."

Susan eyes bulged, "How did you…"

Harry looked up smiling, "You just told me."

Before Susan got a chance to close her mouth in shock, Hermione and Neville couldn't help but snicker. "In any case Hermione, let's start with the Potter Will, the keystone of this entire article."

Harry finished his plate before putting it to the side, "Neville and Susan may correct me if I am wrong since they have family who were at its hearing and have written to them about things not mentioned in the Daily Prophet, but I believe I got the gist of it."

As the three leaned closer to hear him out, they failed to notice others at the Gryffindor table listening in.

"The Potter Will was something that everyone thought didn't exist. Now, since everyone now knows that it was in Gringotts all this time and was only accessible by Sirius Black, even the most adamant must realize that someone was responsible for making sure that he was sent to Azkaban as quickly as possible and stayed there. Granted, he did make it easier when he fought Peter Pettigrew in the open and ended up being blamed for the death of all those Muggles, but that is neither here nor there."

"Still not seeing the big picture. I mean, I get that it was to make sure that Harry Potter had no one…"

Harry chuckled, "Potter was never the intended target in this power move, Hermione."

"He wasn't?" Susan asked a little too worryingly.

"Despite what others think, the Wizarding World doesn't revolve around Harry Potter. No, I can only assume that the jailing of Sirius Black was a family matter."

Neville pondered, "Lucius and Narcissa? Or are you referring to Draco?"

Harry waved his hand, "A little of both, more so the Malfoy half than the Black part."

Hermione dawned in realization, "Is that why Harry divorced the two as he got the Black title?"

Harry nodded, "Indeed. While Draco is still technically a Black by blood, the Malfoy line of succession overrules the Black line of succession since the two are divorced. Granted, Draco can choose to be a Black if he goes with his mother and Lord Black takes him in, but…"

Susan nodded, "But Draco is currently in 's – which is why it is mentioned in the article."

"Exactly. Despite Rita Skeeter being more of a tabloid writer who… 'exaggerates'… facts from time to time… even she is capable enough to point this out to the more informed masses. Such as the Sacred Twenty-Eight and the like."

"Sacred Twenty-Eight?"

"Ask Susan about it, Hermione – she will give you the non-bigoted version. In any case, the significant part of this will fall on Lucius."

"How so?" asked Neville, more so for Hermione since he was already connecting the dots so to speak.

"Draco, son of Lucius, was the expected future Lord Black when Sirius dies and he becomes of age. Lucius, a former Death Eater by 'Imperius Curse,' had the money and connections with other former Death Eaters, is the most likely candidate to be responsible for ensuring that Sirius ended up in Azkaban without a trial. Millicent Bagnold and Barty Crouch Senior will also experience some fallout from this since they should have prevented this. Fudge is definitely screwed since he should look into it, ESPECIALLY since he visited Sirius on more than one occasion in Azkaban to either rub it in or interrogate him for information about his expected Death Eater connections."

"What would visiting him in Azkaban have anything to do with his incarceration?"

"Why, it's elementary my dear Susan," Harry said jokingly while holding an imaginary pipe to the others amusement, "Fudge would always go with an Auror or two to visits Sirius. After every meeting, someone would have to add the visit to Sirius's file in the DMLE, which means that they would have to either notice the lack of his trial or add in the fact that Sirius kept telling them he was innocent or the like. In any case, someone should have noticed that something didn't add up. Only two people should have had the power to make sure it never came to that – Amelia Bones or…"

"Cornelius Fudge." This realization dawned on many other than the three staring directly at Harry.

"Correct. Now, do you expect an individual – one who clearly lacks a backbone and cares more about appearances than actually doing anything – to do so without something in return? Here's a hint: Ministry earnings are public record, and Daily Prophet has posted pictures of Fudge's MANSION on more than one occasion."

A girl at the Hufflepuff's table who was listening in banged her fist on the table as her hair turned bloody red, "That bloody sack of s*** took bribes from Lucius Malfoy?!"

Luckily, only Flitwick and Hagrid were currently at the Teacher's Table and made no comments.

Harry turned around smiling as everyone else was in shock. "Now, now, language Miss Nymphadora Tonks." Before the girl got a chance to correct him in anger, Harry continues, "Or should it be Nymphadora 'call me Tonks' Black by now?"

This finally got the attention of Hagrid as he looked up from his meal – although only Harry noticed this.

"What are you talking about, Harry?"

"Well, Hermione, the girl who gave us a very succinct explanation of what will be the conclusion of Fudge's trial, is the daughter of Ted Tonks and Andromeda Tonks née Black, currently disowned a member of the House of Black."

"Currently?"

"Yes Hermione, currently. With Harry Potter's upbringing," - words that made everyone listening cringe since everyone was aware of what happened to him and the Dursley's – "I seriously doubt that he, as Lord Black, would allow something as little as bigotry to break apart families."

"But what about Narcissa and Lucius?"

"That I am not so sure about that, Susan. Maybe Neville's grandmother knows, but I believe there is a bigger back story there that no one is aware of."

Hermione nodded as she finally put it all together, "But what about the last three points?"

Harry rechecked the paper, "Hmmm… that seems more like something Rita would exaggerate…"

"No, it was Harry. Gran tells me he send a letter through the goblin representative of Gringott's to the Wizengamot. He didn't say that he will actively search for Death Eaters but… all evidence points to him making a very direct challenge and attack on Lucius Malfoy, a known Death Eater."

Harry nodded, "So she took the message to a 'logical' conclusion so to speak."

"Maybe," pondered Hermione. "I may not understand how politics works, but this seems like she is bantering to the masses, almost like she is defending the Death Eaters still out there or something."

"You are not far off, Hermione, since the Death Eaters who got away scot-free with the 'Imperius Curse' defense make up a big chunk of the more influential families in Britain. Heck, all their heirs are over there in Slytherin," pointed Susan. (4)

"Except for Draco."

"Except for Draco. The other heirs or children of supporters have either already graduated or are joining us for the next two years or so."

Pondering for the last time, Hermione finally asked, "But what about this hatred of Dumbledore that Rita mentioned?"

Harry sighed, "That I do not know. I can only assume it had something to do with the letter Neville mentioned. I am personally leaning toward the idea that Albus was responsible for Harry's placement at his Aunt's home. But I can't make a conjecture without more data to work with. Although it does make sense in a certain way."

"But… he is Albus Dumbledore," pleaded Hermione.

"Hermione… he is still a man. A powerful man, but still a man – he is going to make mistakes in his life. Personally, I am surprised he hasn't made more with his positions. I mean seriously, he holds the three most powerful positions in Britain, each requiring a person's full dedication and commitment. It's not like he can delegate his tasks to others but NO, the masses only think of him as the Great and Powerful Albus Dumbledore - he can do everything with his mighty power that defeated Grindelwald."

The three kids looked at Harry as realization struck them, almost akin as if a lightbulb went off in their heads. Others joined soon after.

Susan started off worryingly, "Harry is right… I mean Headmaster of Hogwarts, Supreme Mugwump, and Chief Warlock are all full-time positions…" (5)

Harry raised his finger, "Don't forget being the magical guardian of every Muggle-born witch and wizard in these halls – that a job all in itself."

Hermione opened her mouth in shock, "How does he do it all?"

Harry shrugged, "Well, unless he uses a time turner, I can only extrapolate that he gives most of his responsibilities regarding Hogwarts to McGonagall, which combined with her teaching position, Head of Gryffindor, AND Deputy Headmistress, means that things fall through the cracks for her." (6)

"But what does Dumbledore do then?" finally asked Hermione – filing the mention of a time turner to look up later - as the Gryffindor House started to realize why their supposed 'Mother' of their 'Gryffindor family' has never done anything regarding their complaints for the last few years.

"Politics," said Neville as his clenched hands became red from his suppressed rage, "the old bastard has been playing politics in Wizengamot and ICW while our Head of House has been busy doing his work for him."

"Yup. Why do you think the other houses have no problem talking to their Head while we in Gryffindor always get in trouble when we try to solve problems on our own? It's Gryffindor courage, bravery, and nerve that keep getting our points removed when they take matters into their own hands, rather than the hands of the Head of the House."

While Harry said this nonchalantly as he finished his coffee, the rest of Gryffindor was being weighted down by their guilt since they realized their actions in the last few years have only put McGonagall in the worst position since it kept giving her more work.

'We have to apologize somehow to her,' was a thought that went through everyone in one iteration or another.

"Well, I hope I answered all your questions because I have to get ready for class."

"Daddy."

"What is Luna?"

"Have you read the Daily Prophet today?"

"Not really, I am busy planning our winter trip to the Amazon Rainforest to look for Aquavirus Maggots and Gulping Plimpies. Why?"

"It's nothing. I just talked to Ginny, and she said something big happened in Wizengamot yesterday regarding Stubby Boardman."

"Really? Sirius Black? I'll look into it later when I have the time."

"Okay. I'll go look for Nargels then. See you later, Daddy."

"Be back by dinner, sweetheart."

On an island in the middle of the North Sea stood a structure. Surrounding this triangle shaped structure and its towers were hordes of Dementors, flying either above the structure or near the structure itself, particularly in the top most parts, reserved for the worst of the criminals.

At the very top of one of the towers was one solitary cell, separated from the rest. Some would argue it was to keep a prisoner away from others. In truth, however, that particular tower was used to kill off its inhabitant as quickly as possible as the Dementors passed through it more often than the other parts of Azkaban.

At that particular moment, the cell was occupied by a dog that looked like a Grim. It was currently waking up as it was almost time for lunch.

Damn it, sighed Sirius. Another day, another breakfast not delivered by Luciu's men.

While Lucius did pay off Fudge to quickly send Sirius off to Azkaban, he expected him to die much earlier. When the months transitioned to years, Lucius started to slowly pay off the Aurors working in Azkaban to make his stay even more unbearable. Unfortunately, Lucius didn't know that Sirius was an Animagius, which made him less susceptible to the Dementors emotional drain. That and the fact he knew he was innocent of his convicted crime combined with his will and determination ensured that he was mostly immune from the wraiths influence and the efforts of his guards.

Mostly.

A decade of exposure still adds up.

As he heard footsteps from the twisting staircase that led up to his cell, Sirius quickly morphed back.

Sounds like a lot of them coming up – did Fudge decide to visit again?

Two Aurors walked up to his cell, noting his condition. "Sirius Black, your presence is required."

"Really?" Looked up Sirius in faked amusement, "Little Ole' me has visitors?"

One Auror took out his wand as another took out a pair of magic-suppressing cuffs as started opening up his cell, "Please put these on before we take you downstairs for your meal and visit."

This caught Sirius off-guard. Odd, their acting… considerate and nice. These guys aren't new – are they from the DMLE? But why are they…?

Weighing his options, Sirius considered going with the lesser of two evils as he cuffed himself and allowed the Auror to check them. After making sure they worked and were tight, the two slowly led Sirius to the visiting room on the lower levels of Azkaban, the only place Dementors were unable to reach. It was ironic really when Sirius pondered it; Muggles like to believe that going higher and higher gets them closer to Heaven in their oddly religious minds – in Azkaban, it got them closer to Hell due to the Dementors.

It took some time for the trio to reach the lower levels, more so due to Sirius weakness and the fact they took the long way to avoid passing by the other prisoners, something Sirius noted.

Okay, seriously, what is going on?

That question was quickly answered when Sirius entered the visiting room and saw the last person he expected to see.

"Andromeda?"

People always liked to joke that Andromeda closely resembled her older sister Bellatrix, which Sirius always found insulting. Granted, they were both tall and bore the patrician beauty commonly associated with the Black family. However, unlike her sister, Andromeda had light brown hair and genuinely caring eyes that showed none of her sister's arrogance and insanity.

Sirius then quickly noted the other big surprise in the room with her.

"AMELIA BONES?"

Honestly, seeing the Head of the DMLE in the one place, she despised was in fact in surprise. Sirius quickly noted her appearance: the same square-jaw, her blond hair slowly graying hair yet a face free of wrinkles – a clear sign of stress aging. The monocle is new.

"What, am I chopped liver or something?" (7)

Sirius finally noted the other person in the room. Took him a while to remember the name of the fair-haired man with the mellow and pleasant voice. "Ted? Is that you?"

The man smiled, "At the moment, it's Edward Tonks, the lawyer representing you at Wizengamot in a little over a week."

Sirius' brain stopped.

Took him a good thirty seconds to reboot before anyone got a chance to ask if he was okay.

"Come again now?"

Amelia sighed in resignation, "Boys, un-cuff the man and bring in his meal."

While Sirius rubbed his wrists and tried to register what he heard, the two Aurors brought in a light meal for him to eat. Amelia looked up at the Aurors after Sirius finally sat down and slowly started to eat, "That will be all for now. Please go back to the boat and wait for us."

Both Aurors quickly nodded before leaving the four in the visiting room.

Took Sirius a good five minutes to finish his meal before finally asking the question he dreaded hearing the answer to.

"So… what happened?"

Ted looked at Amelia, getting a nod from her before continuing, "You want the short version or the long version?"

"I'll get the details on the trip out of this Merlin-forsaken place, so give me the highlights."

Ted smiled, "Okay, since you asked." He took out a bottle of Firewhiskey and a shot glass which he quickly poured and gave to Sirius. "You're going to need it in a second."

Seriously blanched. What the hell happened out there? War? Revolution? The Statute of Secrecy shattered?... Did I sire a bastard who did something? (8)

"Harry Potter became Lord Black and called a trial for your illegal imprisonment."

Sirius' brain stopped again.

He quickly put down the shot glass and started drinking directly from the bottle before anyone got a chance to stop him. Took a good four gulps to finally calm his nerves.

"Harry… Prongslet is alive? He is back?"

Amelia gazed, "So you are aware of what was happening in the world?"

"Fudge would occasionally come to taunt me, leaving behind newspapers for significant events – always had the same two Aurors with him. Don't remember their names, never bothered learning them – I already knew that they were in his pocket."

She nodded in understanding, "Explains why you stopped complaining to them that you never got a trial."

"After the first year or so. Didn't take long to figure out that Lucius was behind it." (9)

Andromeda chuckled, "Was it that obvious?"

Sirius smirked, "I knew Fudge when we were in Hogwarts. Sometimes I wondered if he felt bad cutting up the slugs for Potions class. I mean, they were practically related."

He took another swig of the bottle while Ted wrote something down, "The worst is when he came in the paper reporting that those freaks home burned down, and Harry was most likely dead. He tried torturing me for information on how I got the Death Eaters to kill him on my master's behalf in revenge. Not even shifting into my Animagius form prevented the Dementors from affecting me."

Ted looked up from his notes, "Unregistered?"

"Yeah. Doesn't really matter at this point – I spent the last decade in here, I doubt they will put me back again for that."

Amelia nodded, "Just you?"

"No. It was me, James, and Peter when we were in Hogwarts." He took a sip this time, clearly finally getting tipsy from his last six gulps. "Remember our friend Remus?"

Andromeda nodded, "Yeah. Sickly looking kid, but smart as they came. Didn't he want to be a healer or something? What happened to him?"

Sirius shrugged, "Probably hiding out somewhere being crushed by his guilt."

"Ah, yes, because of his disease," realized Amelia, "the goblin mentioned he wasn't able to adopt Harry because of it."

"James used to call it his 'furry little problem,'" smiled Sirius as he remembered a fond memory. "Once we found out about it, we spend the next few years trying to become Animagius to help him out during the full moon."

Ted looked up quizzically, "Why?"

"Animagius in their animal form can't be affected by Lycanthropy. Add that to the fact that Slughorn started making the Wolfsbane potion for Remus in the later years and his condition actually became tolerable to him."

Andromeda pushed on, "What were your forms?"

"As you can guess from my nickname for Harry, James was a stag, I was a Grim, and Peter was a rat… The irony is not lost on me in hindsight." (10)

Ted wrote something down on another paper, "We will register your form later. For now, describe Peter's form."

Sirius shrugged, "Not much to tell really. Standard looking rat, brown-black coloring, tail was a little twisted like a worm… He is missing his right index finger if that helps – can't replace that."

Amelia sighed, "We will post a notice regarding that in the Daily Prophet if that helps. The goblins say he is still alive, but that's all they are able to tell us."

Sirius looked at Amelia in shock, "They could do that?"

"They have special blood magic that allows them to track the status of its bank's customers. It was them who told us that Harry was still alive somewhere," answered Ted without looking up from his notes.

"So… he is still in hiding somewhere," spoke Sirius dejectedly.

Sensing her cousin's pain, Andromeda spoke out. "If it helps, Harry is still alive and in contact with the British branch of Gringott's."

"He is?"

"Yes," spoke Amelia, "it's how he got his letter to the Wizengamot – he gave it to Griphook who was representing the institution in Lucius's final bid to get the Potter Vaults."

Hope appeared in Sirius' eyes. "Prongslet…"

Andromeda sensed the ember that needed fanning, "You haven't even heard the best news yet."

"Better than finding out my godson is alive and is directly responsible for my future release?"

Andromeda leaned closer, "Harry – or acting Lord Black until after your trial – annulled Narcissa's and Lucius's marriage. He even took back the dowry."

Sirius almost smiled before reconsidering, "What does that have to do with me?"

Ted looked up with a wicked smirk, "Who do you think is paying for my services?"

Sirius had pondered for a moment before his eyes widened in shock, "No…"

"As soon as she received notice from Gringotts's of her 'divorce,' she immediately gathered everything of personal value and importance, grabbed the house elf – I believe his name was Dobby – and ported to us seeking sanctuary from Lucius. If she could, she would have grabbed Draco, but he was at St. Mungo's for treatment. Managed to get some money out as well along with the dowry. She used a chunk of that to pay for my continued services to the Black family – and that was before we got a letter from Lord Black saying that Andromeda was once again part of the Black family. Once this is all over, we are changing our names to Black for business benefits."

Andromeda glared at her husband while Sirius tried to register what he heard as his brain froze for the third time in the last few minutes. Noticing his wife's glare, Ted back peddled, "And because it's the right thing to do – family is important."

Andromeda nodded, "Good – you are finally learning."

Sirius sat there, staring at the trio in front of him. "But… didn't Narcissa hate me? I was the family white sheep."

Amelia raised her brow, "White sheep?"

Sirius smiled, "We were the Black's – can't get a black sheep from that family."

Andromeda smiled as Amelia tried her best not to snicker, "Nissa never hated you. If anything, she was too young to ever understand why you were kicked out of the family to go live with Dorea."

"Nissa?"

"Her nickname – she preferred to go by it since she hated being associated with the Greek myth of Narcissus."

"Ah," nodded Sirius in understanding, "Continue."

Andromeda gathered her breath, centering herself, "You know our father was a bastard of the highest caliber right?"

Sirius chuckled, "Don't remind me. There is a reason why Arcturus made me the next head instead of Cygnus. Guess third time isn't the charm."

"Right… Bad jokes regarding names aside… Our dad was also stupid and short-sighted as they come. I never understood what my mother Druella saw in him."

"She was a Rosier, Andromeda. They may have been lower class, but she was a pure-blood who was fancied by him. The family had no choice when a wedding offer was made."

"Well, in any case, around the time that Voldemort started gathering allies, Daddy dearest thought it was an excellent opportunity to solidify some alliances. And lo and behold, all three of his daughters were married off to the highest bidder via marriage contracts."

Sirius nodded, "Who were you supposed to marry?"

"Don't remember – I didn't care. The minute I heard the deal was about to be made, I pissed off Walburga and got myself disowned from the Black family when I married Ted."

Ted smiled, "I still believe that it was the best day of my life when she showed up at my door, wet from the rain, carrying her bags, asking me if she could stay."

Sirius did some quick math, "Wait, was that when…"

"Yes, that was the day I believe Nymphadora was conceived."

Sirius put out his fist as he smiled, "Wait, are fist bumps still a thing?"

Ted bumped his fist, "They never died."

Amelia and Andromeda sighed, "Boys. All of you men are boys in adult bodies."

"Hey, remembering my childhood is what kept me sane here," defended Sirius.

"Oh," smirked Amelia, "It wasn't your Animagius form?"

"Same difference."

"Anyway," interrupted Andromeda. "Suffice to say, Dad left some rather loose terms in the marriage contracts in return for greater inclusions in Voldemort little Death Eaters club."

Sirius nodded, "That would explain why Bellatrix never gave birth to the next Lestrange – Rodolphus could only keep it up for Rabastan. Why else did he allow Bella to basically be Voldemort's sex slave?"

Ted stared in shock after hearing that little nugget of information, "Oh sweet Merlin, its House Lannister in real life."

Amelia and Sirius looked at Ted in confusion. "You ever get some time, I am introducing you both to a Muggle writer by the name of George R. R. Martin. Be warned – he toys with the reader's heart."

"He's not lying," said Andromeda dejectedly – she was introduced to the series by Ted – but continued, "In any case, it was slightly better for Nissa as she only had to give Lucius an heir. After that, she only kept up appearances."

Amelia looked in confusion, "But… her behavior, her support for blood-purity…"

"Think long and hard, Amelia. She was never a Death Eater, she rarely appeared in public, and when she did, she always wore long sleeves. You think it was just house-elves that Lucius mistreated? There's a reason why 'Malfoy' means 'Bad Faith' in French," spoke Ted in a dangerous and threatening tone for the first time, "I am surprised there aren't any Malfoy bastards running around the red-light district after all these years – unless of course, he killed them off…"

That left a sour taste in everyone's mouth. "You think we could use it against him?"

"Don't bother," spoke Sirius after finishing the bottle. "Lucius was always good with mind magics – I wouldn't be surprised that Narcissa was only aware of the beatings because of the bruises he never bothered to heal."

Sirius sighed in resignation, "In any case, we can only thank Merlin that Narcissa is finally free from that monster – probably another reason why he kept me in here. So… all the Blacks that matter are back on the family tree."

Amelia nodded, "All except Draco, but I doubt he will ever be sane again. Could probably add the Weasley's back in through Arthur, but I heard nothing about that. Should probably look into that."

Sirius smiled viciously, "Good. Don't know what happened to Draco but karma seemed to have caught up to Lucius. So besides being named Harry's guardian, was anything else left to me in the will?"

"One-hundred thousand galleons and property in Italy by Lake Trasimeno."

"Good – I'll need some start off capital to set the Black financial affairs back in order."

"Actually," spoke Amelia, "Griphook informed me that the acting Lord Black is already looking into it and correcting the oversights made since the passing of the former Lord. Apparently, they are allowing it since the goblins own him a favor."

"Are you serious?" asked Ted and Amelia in unison.

"No, I am Sirius."

The three had looked at a smirking Sirius before they started laughing from his bad joke.

When they finally stopped, Amelia asked, "Anything you need to get off your chest before we get you to 's for treatment, Sirius?"

Sirius started to ponder, "There is one thing I have to ask before we continue."

Sirius turned to Amelia, "Can we reschedule our date since I missed the last one? I mean, I was incarcerated for the last decade."

Amelia's eyes started to tear up, "Sirius… If I had known, I would have done anything… I mean, I was told..."

"Don't punish yourself Amelia – there is a very good chance that a spell and a potion or two was involved in initially convincing you that I was responsible for what I supposedly did. Even if you had known, Lucius would have done everything in his power to either get you fired or killed, and that would have left Susan all alone at the mercy of the other Houses. You have to understand, this was most likely the biggest wizard machination that occurred since Roanoke Colony in the 16th century."

Amelia looked in shock, "The Black's were involved in that?"

Sirius shrugged, "It was actually the Prewett's. A big chunk of them ran off to the colonies after the head at the time incurred a debt of some sort to us. Why do you think they died off? The few that were left in Britain sold off what they could. I mean, they recovered financially after some time, but their numbers never recovered – kept having only girls for heirs."

"Huh," spoke Ted without thinking, "That explains why they married into other families. You learn something new every day."

Night has fallen upon Hogwarts as certain teachers met up in the Headmaster's office for an emergency meeting.

"So it's true Albus? There was, in fact, a Potter Will?"

"Indeed there was, Minerva. It seems that only Sirius Black could have accessed it as he was the boy's Godfather."

"Godfather? But we were never told…"

"I can only deduce that it happened in private without the rest of us knowing. We only assumed he wasn't Godfather by ritual since he was supposedly their Secret Keeper."

"But Flitwick… We were so close…" Hagrid spoke horridly as he tried to prevent the tears from coming.

"I assumed so as well," spoke Flitwick as he glared daggers at Dumbledore, "but even the Great and Powerful Albus Dumbledore couldn't be informed of the eligibility of those who could have become Harry's guardian."

"FLITWICK!" shouted McGonagall in shock at her friend's words.

"You weren't at the hearing Minerva – I heard what James wrote regarding Albus. And guess what? The fact that he came back a day after me proves that he keeps secrets and does things behind our backs…"

Albus stared at his Charms Professor in shock, "Flitwick, please, I was only…"

"Save it, Albus. I warned you years ago that you were too soft-handed in your efforts in equality for all magical kind. Half of Harry's possible guardians were removed because we were halflings! Even Snape was considered as a potential guardian!"

Snape was not present at the reading of the will, unlike Flitwick, so hearing that he was actually considered as Harry's guardian - despite his history with Lily and James - actually cracked through his Occlumency strengthened emotional walls. "I…was?"

"Indeed you were, Severus. In fact, the only friends and family not written as possible guardians were Minerva because Lily thought she was busy enough as it is and Albus because James thought he kept too many secrets. And seeing as how someone requested we set up those traps on the third floor, I am starting to suspect that as well. You prepared the Fidelius Charm for them, Albus, how did you not know…"

"I only made the ritual for the spell," interrupted Dumbledore with a raised voice, "I was not involved in the actual choosing of the Secret Keeper. I was convinced that it was Sirius just like the rest of you."

"You were the Chief Warlock at the time, Albus," spoke Minerva in anger, her nerve regained, "You could have called for a trial."

"I THOUGHT A TRIAL TOOK PLACE!" shouted Albus. "We were still recovering, Minerva. It was Barty who led the trials against the Death Eaters – I was at the IWC ensuring that no one interfered or took in any Death Eater who tried to escape from our borders. I never looked too deeply into it afterward since I thought he was responsible."

"But Albus, he was James's closest friend – they were brothers in all but blood! How could you even consider that?"

Albus sighed, "I assumed the worst, Hagrid. Voldemort knew the foulest of magics and his proficiency in the Unforgivable Curses was well-documented. Sirius was strong Hagrid, but all men have their breaking point. I thought he was driven to insanity and willingly joined Voldemort's side."

Minerva anger rose up again, "Then you are a worse judge of character than I recalled Albus."

Before Albus had the chance to rebuttal, Minerva turned to Flitwick, "Was anything left to us in the Potter Will?"

Flitwick regained his nerve as he sat back down in his specialty conjured chair, "Yes, yes… To you, Minerva, they left one hundred thousand galleons, copies of their Transfiguration Grimoires, and a gift certificate to Mythos Tomes. Lily also left you a loving message as an Apprentice to her Mistress."

A smile appeared on McGonagall's face as Flitwick turned to Hagrid, "To you, they left one hundred and fifty thousand galleons as well as copies of their Magical Creature guides and tomes. James also left you a message reminding you that you were sturdier than most in handling creatures. So, just… be careful when you do become a teacher."

Hagrid chuckled, "James… He always said that I kept forgetting my strength… the number of times I cracked one of Sirius's ribs when I hugged him…"

Flitwick smiled as he turned to Severus, "To you, they left two hundred thousand galleons and a copy of their Potion Grimoire. There was also a message of forgiveness from James and Lily that I think you should read in private," Flitwick reached into his pocket and took out a sealed letter, "This is the copy of the Will – figured you would want to read it in is full when you get the chance."

Severus, after regaining his known stoic composure, carefully pocketed the letter as Flitwick regained his anger, "And for you Albus, they left nothing. For me, they left the same things as Minerva but with copies of their Charms collection. Which if you don't mind, I have to go and organize in my office."

Albus started getting up, "Flitwick…"

"Be quiet, Albus. I am currently not in the mood to talk with you. Give me a few days to think about what happened at that hearing."

As Flitwick left the Headmaster's office, Hagrid followed in turn, "Let me talk with him – maybe I can get him to calm down."

Albus nodded as the giant of a man left. He turned to his Headmistress, "Minerva…"

"I really don't care anymore. The past is in the past – there is nothing we can do to change it. We can only accept it and move on. Now, if you don't mind, I too have to go and organize what was left behind to me by the Potters."

Snape waited for Minerva to exit the room before turning to the Headmaster, "You really didn't know?"

"No," spoke Albus in pain as he put his head into his hands in shame. "I spent all day yesterday making inquiries and trying to figure out how this was buried so well and how Harry got to the will."

"Yes… the missing Potter…" pondered Snape worryingly.

"Something the matter, Severus?"

"More like a nagging feeling in the back of my mind."

Albus looked up, "That is not like you, Severus. You were never one for gut-feelings."

"Not much of a feeling, but more like I am overlooking something… I feel like I am part of a spider-web which has finally begun making waves by a very patient spider in its center."

"This worries you?"

"Yes. It should worry you as well – Harry Potter managed to destroy the balance of power within the Wizengamot in one swift move, one that may have literally been in the making for months, maybe even years."

"Years?"

Severus nodded, "Griphook only mentioned that Harry laid claim to his vaults a few months back through the main branch. He never said if it was the first time if he was at that branch of even that bank. Harry could have know about the will for years and simply waited for an opportunity to present itself."

Albus finally gazed in worry at Severus, "You heard something."

"On the contrary, Albus. I have heard NOTHING. Not from Lucius, not from the underground… everyone has gone silent."

"Then they have felt it."

Severus tilted his head, "Felt it? Felt what, Albus?"

"A void in the balance of power, if it were. The silence was the players of Britain testing the new waters, deciding when to fill in the power vacuum."

"Backroom politics?"

Albus nodded, "More or less. Even after spending a day exploring the turbulent waters, I was no closer to figuring out the shifts that were to come. I can only wait till Sirius get's his hearing and claims back the title of Lord Black."

Severus frowned at that – despite his efforts, he still can't forgive Sirius – and pushed on, "And Fudge?"

"Fudge will most likely be removed from power. It all depends whether or not he gets backing from the Dark Families, but seeing as how Lucius has been – and pardon my language – declawed as it were due to the removal of the Black dowry, he has less to work with."

"Indeed," agreed Severus in turn, "then there's the fact he has most likely lost his heir – another factor that worries me. This all came out all too neat and tidy for my tastes, however; everything went wrong for Lucius, all on the same day?"

"True. Griphook mentioned that Harry modified his plans only a week ago, right around the time that Draco fell ill. Do you think that Harry is in this school or has a spy informing him of what is going on in these walls?"

Severus considered that for a moment, but his thought seemed to return to the same person every time. MacLeod…

"I can't speak with certainty. The heirs have been trained in Occlumency, meaning that I have to catch them off-guard to get anything out of them. The half-bloods and Muggle-born don't seem to be hiding anything. I need more time to go through the 1st years before I recheck the older years."

Albus nodded, "That is fair. The year has only started, so we have time to go through them all."

Severus looked up in his version of shock, "You will scan the students?"

Albus raised his hand, "Passively, of course. I still don't know how Voldemort plans to get to the stone."

"Do you still think that the vision Sybill had before the year started has any merit?"

"While I still do doubt Divination as a branch of magic, you have no choice to accept the fact that all her visions have come true. Then there is her prophecy…"

"Right," chuffed Severus, "the only vision she had that didn't require her being piss-drunk that still hasn't passed."

Albus sighed in defeat, "I recommended to you time and again to make a potion that will allow her to enter her subconscious without the aid of alcohol…"

"And I told you, time and time again, that her grasp of reality is weak enough as it is – no need to accelerate it with the addition of half-baked concoctions, even if they are made by me."

"Too true. In any case, we will have to wait for something to happen before making a move."

Severus pondered for a moment, "The trial?"

"Yes… as my Muggle-born students were fond of saying, we have wait and see where the cards will fall."

Severus agreed as he started to leave the office, he turned one last time, "When is the trial?"

"The 12th."

An eyebrow raised, "Full moon? Would that hinder Remus as a character witness – if he decides to come?"

"We can only wait and see. We have an odd month this time around – four days of the full moon starting on the 10th."

"Yes… we shall see…" whispered Severus as he left the office to go organize his new acquisitions.

The shouting and chaos that was heard from the Malfoy Mansion were something the neighbors would recall for some time.

The spells that were shot out the windows didn't help.

The fury that felt on this day was beyond anything he has ever left in his life.

He had lost much on this day: his wife, his son, his money, the Black fortune.

No… The Black estate is still within my grasp… Bellatrix is already out of the way… I just have to kill Sirius, and the fortune would still go to Draco if I correctly manipulate Wizengamot… I mean, Harry Potter hasn't been seen in years; how can the fortunes of the Noble and Ancient House of Black be passed on without even seeing who would get them? And if Harry does choose to reveal himself, well… he can be finally eliminated… but what about the trial? I still doubt that Sirius's has enough votes to avoid being sent back to Azkaban… Not unless he gets Dumbledore as a witness to get him off… Unless Albus can be eliminated… the trial is on the 12th… ahh, the full moon comes on the 10th… Draco is already out of the school and in St. Mungo's… I need to message Fenrir and his pack to get them to the Highlands as soon as possible…

What Lucius didn't know at the time nor until long after the trial, was that the acting Lord Black took Andromeda back into the family and disowned Bellatrix instead. Since this was done in private – with only the family and Amelia Bones being aware of it – Lucius didn't know that he would have had to kill Andromeda as well to ensure that Draco had a chance at the fortune through Narcissa. He was also not aware that Sirius, as the future returning Lord Black, could also ensure that the title would pass on to Harry since he was a Black and he was his Godfather via ritual.

Unfortunately, rage has a way of clouding even the most logical and coherent of minds in times of high stress.

Things always fall through the cracks…

The dominoes always fall in the most unexpected of ways…

Professor McGonagall was still fuming from her talk with Albus. She knew that leaving Harry with his relatives was a bad idea, but in all fairness, she couldn't recall how he managed to convince her that there were no other options. Granted, he claimed that he warded the home to keep them safe.

And yet he still didn't know that Harry was being tortured by his aunt and uncle. Of all the arrogance! Even if someone managed to hijack those words, he should have felted if they had stopped working properly. I mean, of all the incompetence…

McGonagall's train of thought stopped when she saw a pile of letters on the floor in front of her office.

What in Merlin?

After performing a quick scan for poisons and hexes – expecting it to be some sort of prank from the twins – she quickly levitated the pile on her desk. Not sure what to make of it, she picked one at random, opened it up, and began reading it. Her eyes bulged at what was written.

It took her over an hour to go through them all. All letters contained a message along the same vein: apologies from the Gryffindor House. It wasn't all of them, but it was a significant chunk of them, more so from the later years. Some talked about their faults in losing house points over their poor choices. Others talked about how they had misjudged her due to her 'inattentiveness.' Another chunk apologized of not understanding the amount of responsibilities she had in total as a teacher, Head of House, a Deputy Headmistress, and - to her shock – as some put it, Albus's personal assistant. All letters, however, contained the sentiment that she was overworking herself by taking over responsibilities that Albus should be doing as Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Of all the things… If it weren't for the suddenness of it all, this would be considered sweet. But why today?... THE DAILY PROPHET! It said that Harry Potter hated Albus for leaving him with his relatives. They don't know what was said at the hearing, but they know it was bad… But why do they think Albus is dumping work off on me? I mean, yes, he asks me to do things sometimes, but he is a busy man. He has to be, as the Headmaster, Supreme Mugwump, and Chief Warlock of… Oh… I guess he is stretched a little thin… But what can he do, he IS Albus Dumbledore, it's not like anything can really change… If he abandons the posts, they will quickly be filled by possible supporters of blood-purity… or even worse – former Death Eaters or their supporters…

Some legends are told

Some turn to dust or to gold

But you will remember me

Remember me for centuries

And just one mistake

Is all it will take

We'll go down in history

Remember me for centuries… (11)

Harry hummed to himself as he enjoyed a book discussing the limitations of certain charms. He wasn't really into it, as he spends most of the time observing the magical energies in Gryffindor Tower ebb and web from their norm. He couldn't help but chuckle at the seeds of doubt he had placed within the minds of the students. Who knew it would be so easy to tumble the great legacy of Albus Dumbledore by simply saying he hated the man? Honestly, how could anyone hate a man they never met? He put the Dursley's and everything relating to them behind him a long time ago. He didn't know if Albus did, in fact, leave a letter for his aunt – may she burn in Hell – but logic dictated that he must have when he dropped him off at their home all those years ago.

In all honesty, Harry targeted Albus because he believed he had been in a high position of power too long with nothing to show for it. Being the so called "Boy-Who-Lived" made it easier. The fact he managed to free his godfather, restore the Black name, get rid of the Minister, AND screw over Draco's father made it SO much sweeter.

That made it… six birds with one stone? Doesn't really matter – Gabriel and Crowley would be proud of him.

Now all he had to do was wait for the outcome of the trial on the 12th. After smiling at everything he managed to accomplish within these school walls, he went back to quietly humming within the Gryffindor Common Room.

I'm in the de-details with the devil

So now the world can never get me on my level

I just gotta get you out of the cage

I'm a young lover's rage

Gonna need a spark to ignite

My songs know what you did in the dark… (11)