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Hallowe’en—and the following Samhain—was always a busy time of year for Tricksters but their God, Loki, had not been expecting it to be this busy. This year seemed to be exceptionally busy, he’d already visited sixty-four houses, thirty bonfires, and two hospital rooms tonight—several duplications of himself had been necessary to get this all done but he’d done it—but the next two prayers coming at the same time put him in a bit of a bind.
Lord Loki! Save them please!
Archangel Gabriel, who art in Heaven’s Halls, I call to thee to hear my pleas! I will soon no longer remain on this plane, but my son needs your guidance and protection. Archangel Gabriel, protector of Messengers, God’s Justice, and Children’s protection, I call to you to protect my son! Am—
There had been a time that the Being now known as Loki had answered to another name. Once he’d been known as the Archangel Gabriel, a Being of Light as tall as the CN Tower. He’d given that name up after his older brother and mate was shoved from Heaven and his following escape from the rigidity of Heaven to join the freer Pagan Gods of Asgard. He’d taken the name Fiðri, meaning feathers, and joined the Asgardian Royal Family as a mage and friend to the youngest Prince, Loki. Eventually, Loki had needed to step back from taking Prayers, so Gabriel stepped into his place.So, for these two prayers to come at the same time, and to come for each side of the Trickster God’s persona, he was caught between a rock and a hard place. At this point, he couldn’t split himself between Loki and Gabriel to go to the prayer for Gabriel without giving himself away, and he refused to do so because he knew that he would be forced back to Heaven by his remaining family if he was found out. And he didn’t want to return.Due to that fact, he called to the Original Loki for help. The other Being was dressed in his usual Visiting clothes, but he looked exhausted, which didn’t surprise Gabriel in any way. The Dark-haired Trickster was coming up to the final part of his latest pregnancy and it was exhausting him—which was part of the reason that Gabriel had taken up the title of Loki in the first place—but he still enjoyed coming out for a few prayers every Holiday.Gabriel reached out to touch Loki’s wrist, so he could transfer the pull of the Loki-prayer from his Center to the other’s. After a second, Loki nodded and then snapped his fingers, disappearing from sight to follow after the pull.Gabriel took a quick moment to just breathe before he also snapped his fingers and disappeared to follow after the Gabriel-prayer’s pull.The house he appeared in front of would have looked like a normal family home on a normal Hallowe’en with the jack-o-lanterns on the steps and the cut outs of bats and cats pasted to the walls and windows, but this wasn’t a normal Hallowe’en. Instead, the house he appeared in front of visibly looked fine from the front, but he could feel the magic in the air—the Death Magic in the air.He headed inside, invisibly taking in the sight of the broken door, and the body of a young man sprawled just before the stairs. He could see Loki’s magic on the man, and knew that whoever had called for Gabriel, it hadn’t been him and that there was someone else inside this house somewhere else.He took only a short moment to lean down over the young man and touch his forehead. “Blessings unto you,” He whispered, watching as a soft glowing ring of light appeared through the man’s shirt over his heart before it faded away again.Gabriel then headed up the stairs, knowing that if the man had met whoever head on at the door that there was someone upstairs he was protecting. He followed the feel of Loki’s magic to one of the back rooms in the upstairs portion of the house, which also had the door blown off, and when he stepped into the room, most of it was gone and the remaining portions of the walls, roof, and the floor were all dyed a sickly green.Loki was standing over a crib, cooing quietly at a small baby who looked much like he did. On the floor behind him, a young woman with red hair lay sprawled across the small round carpet before the crib.Gabriel sighed quietly at the youth of the two adults. Why did the young always have to die? And why always so violently? He settled himself down next to the young woman, lightly tugging at the silver chain around her neck which revealed a St. Gabriel medal and a simple crucifix.“Well sweetheart,” Gabriel greeted the young woman quietly. “I’m sorry I can’t take you to Heaven myself, but I’m sure that your Reaper has explained why.” Reapers seemed to know everything about everyone, there was no escaping it. He carefully petted his fingers through her hair, cleaning up the bit of blood and cuts on her head from the explosion as he did so. “I give you my blessing however. May you have the knowledge to go between the Afterworlds.” He leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead, leaving behind a small freckle that was barely noticeable amongst the ones she already had.Gabriel then rolled to his feet and moved up to Loki’s side. “How is he?” He asked, looking down at the tiny toddler before him who was blinking sleepily up at the two Beings. The soft forest green of Loki’s magic was visibly wrapping around the babe, most likely the cause of his sleepiness.“Physically fine, but you will need to do something about the little soul shard in his head.” Loki lightly tapped his finger against the small newly healed sowilo-rune-shaped scar on the babe’s forehead.Gabriel was just about to answer when they heard the banging footsteps and loud cry of someone downstairs. Gabriel spun around to face the door, a short silver-appearing foot-long sword dropping from his sleeve.“Harry! Lily!” An anguished voice shouted as hurried footsteps stormed up the stairs.The young man that popped into the doorway had a wand clutched in his hand and he immediately pointed it at the Beings before him. His curly black hair was left wild around his face and his gray eyes were full of unshed tears with a wild look like a caged animal gracing his aristocratic features.“Put that stick away Mortal, your magic is nothing next to ours,” Loki drawled, turning back to the baby.“Lord- Lord Loki?” The young man questioned hesitantly, lowering his wand but keeping it in his hand.“Yes, we are,” Gabriel replied, carefully shoving his blade back up his sleeve.“There are two of you‽”“It’s a long story that we don’t have time for,” Gabriel responded, searching the young man’s soul. “How can we help you, Sirius Orion Black the Third, son of Orion Renard and Walburga Artemis Black?”“I–” Sirius was cut off by the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. He spun, turning his wand to the top of the stairs, leaving the Beings to wonder who was coming. “Snape,” the word was nearly a growl as the Wizard pointed his wand at whoever had come up.“Put that wand away, mutt,” An acidic voice snapped from the hall and the two Beings shared a look, rolling their eyes at each other before turning their attentions back to the two in the hallway.“Both of you get your asses in here,” Gabriel ordered, shifting himself around and moving to settle the young woman into a more dignified position. “Mortals and their pissing contests,” He muttered under his breath, adding in a few more words that weren’t so nice.Sirius kept watch as the other man who’d entered the house came into the room in front of him before the Black Heir followed him inside. Their second visitor came to a stop just before the body of Lily Potter with a wince before he looked away at the two Beings before them.Gabriel stared at the new man’s soul, surprised by the ties to it, and the purity of one who, from what he assumed, should have a soul destined for his mate’s domain.“Severus Alexander Tobias Snape-Prince, son of Eileen Ophelia Prince, and Tobias Gregory Snape,” Loki drawled, stepping lightly around Lily’s body to come toe to toe with the dour looking man. “What could possibly have brought you here? It is quite obvious what brought Devoted Heir Black here, the wards have been brought down, and as the Binder for the recast Fidelius he was connected to them. But what brought you…? That is the question, isn’t it?”Severus flushed slightly, just barely a flare of color to his pale cheeks coming up. “Lily and I made up,” Severus croaked. “After Harrison was born. She and Potter Senior couldn’t agree on how to protect Harrison, so she cajoled Senior into agreeing to adding on another godparent…” He paused for a moment, a hand coming up to rub at the center of his chest. “And she initiated a Vow.”Loki and Gabriel shared a look before snickering slightly, both being abruptly cut off when a shift in their magic from their arrivals registered a newcomer.“What is it?” Sirius asked quietly, looking between the two Beings nervously.“Someone just arrived from the edge of the street,” Loki murmured, eyes turning to the direction where the newcomer was coming from.“You two have to make a decision now. Right now. About the safety of your godson. Can either of you protect him?” Gabriel asked, shifting from foot to foot as he strained his senses to see how long they would have.Severus shook his head sadly, “I cannot. I have sold my soul to the evil I know, metaphorically speaking.”Gabriel turned his attention to Severus’ soul at those words, searching out who he was connected to. There were faint threads to his deceased parents. Cushy ropes of friendship—some fading or faded—to his housemates, and Lily. A wide ribbon leading off to his romantic partner. And two thick pulsing chains that tied him to his ‘evils’: the disappeared Dark Lord Voldemort, and the ‘Light’ Lord Dumbledore.“Dumbledore!” Gabriel hissed, eyes flaring bright gold as Severus nodded. “Interfering old fool!”Loki raised a sardonic eyebrow at the Black Heir, waiting for his response as he focused his seiðr on keeping their visitor back until they had this finished.Sirius shook his head, “I cannot either. I may not have sold my soul to the ‘devil’ that is Dumbledore, but because of the actions of my family members, I will end up with my custody being contested at every turn.” He shared a look with Severus before adding, “You two have more power than either of us could ever have. It would be best if you took him. And adopted him to keep him in your hands.” Sirius rolled his eyes at Severus’ look of shock, muttering to himself, “Lords only know what will happen otherwise.”“What are your plans now? We wouldn’t want you to do anything foolish and get yourselves killed, now would we?” Loki questioned, glancing between the two young mortals. “And what were you doing before coming here?”Severus shuffled slightly before he answered, “I will be going home to my partner, who I had spent the night waiting for at said home while he was out.”Sirius narrowed his eyes at the other man before turning to the Beings, “I spent the evening before the alarms tripped with a family member. I have to go find Remus Lupin, he deserves to know what has happened.”Loki and Gabriel shared a look before dipping their heads. Loki waved a hand, and when he turned it up to the men, two gold and silver-looking pendants dangled from his fingers on thin pieces of leather.“We’ll see you and your others in a week, unless other circumstances come up.” Loki handed the two pendants over, watching as they were pulled over both men’s dark-haired heads. “The pendants are Ward Keys. I’m sure you know how they work.”“One minute,” Gabriel interrupted, staring out at the street through the destroyed portion of the room. He walked over to Harrison’s crib, picking up the tiny toddler who’d been sent to and kept asleep by Loki’s magic.“We will see you,” Gabriel told them, brushing a hand down Harrison’s back lightly.Both mortals dipped their heads to the two Beings. Severus and Sirius shared a look before Severus spun on his heels and disappeared with a barely audible pop. Sirius cast one last long look at Harrison before he disappeared out of the room and down the stairs to greet the visitor.Gabriel and Loki shared a look before together, they disappeared.———Gabriel helped Loki down onto a bench when they landed at their destination. The other Being gave him a shallow smile as he rested heavily back against the wall, dropping a hand to the heavy bump that was revealed when he dropped his Glamours.Gabriel held Harrison close to him as he looked around the room. He could remember when his mate had first shown him this place that he’d had commissioned. He’d stepped into a room that seemed to glow like the Halls of Heaven or at least as close as Earth could get.White marble, black steel, gold paper. All added up to a glorious entry way that brought Gabriel back to more pleasant times in Heaven sitting at his Father’s knee with his siblings. He sighed quietly as he glanced around, his free hand coming up to grasp at the star pendant around his neck.The bell-shaped room was meticulous, from floor to ceiling, and Gabriel had a feeling that it was recently cleaned because it was almost never this well put together around Hallowe’en. Usually there would be bowls of candy everywhere, or some kind of decorations hanging from the railing of the stairs and landing, or even just some kind of muddy footprints on the floor, but there was nothing out of place, it looked exactly like it had when Gabriel had first come here, though with a few things he’d added over the years.The eleven tables around the room were neat and tidied. Ten of the tables, set out two, hall, one, stairs, two, on each side of the room were carefully straightened under their respective Portrait or tapestry with their vases or sculptures carefully set out so they were no longer feared to fall and break. The long waist-high table which took up a space at the center of the room, had its altar of flowers carefully set out with an arch of black, red, and violet roses for Samhain and it was clean, not a flower out of place for petals to fall into the candles or ritual circles set out.The gold and black brocade running carpets were clean and in their proper place on the elm wood stairs (probably with Sticking Charms, knowing the Elves). The marble floors had been washed and polished, and practically gleamed. The pale cream walls were cleaned and every decoration – tapestry, portrait, sculpture, etc. – was straight and in its proper place.Even the ice crystal chandelier with its white-blue flames was cleaned, and that almost never happened, as there was always too much going on in the foyer for the Elves to feel safe cleaning it.“Faðir!”The two men looked up at the top of the stairs where a young man stood. He climbed up onto the railing before sliding his way down and jumping off at the bottom to land perfectly on his feet.“Riss, what have we told you about sliding down the railing‽” Gabriel scolded quietly, holding Harrison close to his chest.“Sorry, Uncle.” The teen hurried over from the stairs and leaned in to study the child in the Archangel’s arms. “Who is this? Where did he come from?”“Call your siblings and we will explain,” Loki told his son, relaxed again and sipping gracefully at a cup of water a house-elf had brought him.The teen narrowed his eyes at his father for a moment before he spun on his heels to face the stairs again. He took a step away before tipping his head back and letting out a low, rumbling wolf howl. The sound echoed through the room and continued for a long time before petering out and leaving silence behind.Three pops and the rustling of wings sounded before six others appeared in front of them. Two young women, two young men, and two boys stood before them.“Fenris, what– Uncle why do you have a child?” The eldest of the young men asked, pushing his fingers through chestnut brown hair to pull it back from golden-brown eyes as he came to stand next to his brother.The two young women came over at the words, and it was the older of the two who spoke first, blue and green eyes wide in shock.“Harrison James Potter.”“Hela?” Loki questioned, looking at his daughter.“Harrison is the youngest of the Potentials for Death for the decade last,” Hela whispered, reaching out a spotted hand and brushing her fingers lightly over the tot’s cheek. At the contact between her skin and his, she stiffened and her eyes flared white as something reached out to her.Her trance only lasted a minute at most, but the effect on her made it seem like it had lasted much longer. Which it had. In the mindscape between them, time moved much quicker than it did outside, so while it only seemed a minute on the outside, on the inside it was almost an hour that passed.Hela gasped upon being released, her eyes returning to their natural colors as she stared down at the sleeping tot in Gabriel’s arms. “Do not destroy the soul shard,” She told the two men, shifting her gaze to the scar on Harrison’s head. “The Host did not make his Soul-ties willingly, and he deserves a proper chance.”Gabriel narrowed golden eyes at her before nodding, “I won’t destroy it, but you will explain what you saw later.” At Hela’s nod, he looked down at Harrison before continuing, “We will be doing an Additive Blood Adoption at his godfathers’ behest.”He’d barely finished his sentence before a knock sounded at the door, causing the group as a whole to turn and face the heavy oak. The other young woman shifted on her feet for a moment before she marched over to the door and threw it open.Four men, a young woman, and a young girl stood at the door. Three of the men, and the young woman all had dark hair, but the girl had fire red hair and the remaining man had hair the color of silver.“Come in, Aunts, Uncles.” Gabriel smiled at the politeness of his daughter’s tone as she stepped aside to let the five inside.“We came as soon as we heard!” The woman exclaimed, purple eyes wide as she hurried over from the door to stand at Gabriel’s side.“Hello, Hecate,” Gabriel greeted, tipping the sleeping tot so that she could see him. She leaned in and gently brushed a light finger down the bridge of his nose.“Hello, little fawn,” Hecate murmured to the babe after a nod of acknowledgement to Gabriel. “Your mother and father loved you very much, and we will make sure that you remember that. Everything in our power will be done, so that you can see that.” She brushed a finger down Harrison’s tiny cheek, and the group watching in fascination as her wheel flared to life over his head in the violet of her colors at the same time that a similar image blossomed to life on the inside of his left wrist.“Well that solves Hecate then,” The silver-haired man joked as he blinked red-black eyes at the tiny black mark.“Thanatos!” Hecate gasped, reaching out to swat at the Primordial, who only smirked and sidestepped her reach.“Well, you are the one who claimed him,” Thanatos chortled as he rounded to Gabriel’s other side, the others of their group coming over from the door. He reached out a gentle hand to touch Harrison’s fingers, grinning slightly when the tot’s fingers opened and curled around his touch, the boy’s green eyes sleepily opening to look up at him.“Hello, little Death,” Thanatos murmured, brushing his thumb over the backs of Harrison’s fingers as the tot blinked at him again.“Well,” Gabriel murmured, watching as the others came to check on his new charge. “Shall we continue with our night before we run out of time?”“Yes, of course,” The youngest of the females in the group, the little red-head who had arrived with Thanatos, Hecate and their companions, murmured as she twisted around, her floaty red dress swishing as she started to the stairs. She paused at the bottom and raised an eyebrow at the group, “Are we going or not?”“Calm, Hestia. We still have plenty of time,” The eldest of the group remarked, dark hair falling into black eyes as he stepped close. A gloved hand came up to touch Harrison’s chest as the man seemed to begin listening to something within the child. “We must be quick,” The man murmured, head still tipped to the side like he was listening. “The shard is weak, and any longer threatens that Harrison’s magic will engulf it, not that it would do much to harm the Host as it is a small piece. Already the Gifts of the Host have been given to and reawakened in Harrison.”“What do you mean, Uncle?” Gabriel questioned, following after Hestia. He paused next to her, watching as the others joined them; Fenris and Hela helping their father to his feet as the others crossed the room around the shrine.“Lillian Colette Evans was a daughter of a cadet branch of Slytherin, much like Thomas Marvolo Riddle the Third is of the main line,” Death replied, pausing at the altar to touch one of the violet roses lightly before he followed the others over to the stairs."I really hate this," Loki breathed, leaning on Fenris' shoulder as the wolf-born helped him up the stairs, Sleipnir having taken his sister's place on Loki's other side. The pregnant Pagan sighed softly when his sons hiked him up higher against their sides and wrapped their arms more firmly around his back."I know you do, Lokes," Gabriel replied, turning his head to look at the other over his shoulder. "But for things like this, it's best if we use the Familial Ritual Room, not the main one. Especially considering the type of magic we have to do before the adoption."The ritual room both were referencing was most definitely a pain to reach. One had to go up onto the second floor and the all the way to the back of the hallway, before opening the hidden doorway behind the portrait of Lucifer's eldest Magi-Nephilim, Eniah. Down three flights of stairs to the basement and through another door before down a short hallway and through another door. The ritual room itself hid Morningstar Manor's wardroom, only to be opened by the Lord or Consort rings that Gabriel wore."Thankfully, Luce thought of everything," Gabriel murmured, coming to a stop before Eniah's portrait."Papi, going down?" Eniah questioned, tipping her head to the side as she studied the group for a moment."Yes, Eniah."She smiled at them before the portrait swung open and revealed the spiral staircase down to the hidden portion of the basement. As soon as the door swung open wide enough, the silver sconces on the walls sprung into life, white-blue flames like in the foyer chandelier springing to life in the basins. The white hue of the lights brought out the rivers of quartz in the stone of the stairway, the different colors blooming amongst the creme of the stone as the group went down and down and down."Pyre, can you grab one of my loose feathers please?" Gabriel requested, thinking himself a fool for not remembering the key to getting inside.Pyriel rolled her eyes at her father's forgetfulness before with a snap she had a handful of burnished gold and bronze feathers. Visibly they looked like the metals they were colored like, but physically they were like every other feather on any bird. Angel feathers may look harmless but threatened or at war, and an angel's feathers turned to steel.Gabriel reached out and plucked one from her hand, pressing the feather quill first to a tiny notch in the wall. A flash of gold and the feather disappeared into the stone, the stones parting to make a doorway into the ritual room."In we go," Gabriel murmured to Harrison as the stones stopped grinding and the doorway stayed open. "Shit, what are we going to use as a vessel?"Hela hummed quietly, digging through the pockets of her dress for something. A grin on her face, she pulled out a short length of silver chain and a small silver coin pendant engraved with a winged candy skull in the center and a wolf and snake chasing each other around the rim."This should do," She murmured, brushing her thumb over the relief. "Harrison can keep it with him. He is already tied to it, so it won't harm him to have it like it would others." With deft fingers, she put the pendant on the chain before handing it over to him.Gabriel hummed quietly, studying the runes carved into the room, walls and floors and ceiling and altar all covered in carefully carved marks. He stepped into the circle, the runes behind him lighting up with golden light as he moved across them and his invisible wings touched them.Gabriel hummed soothingly as Harrison murmured quietly, "Maman et Baba?""Fyrirgefðu, lítið gróft," Gabriel murmured, brushing a hand over the tot's hair. That would be something they'd have to continue, Harrison's language lessons in – from what he could glean from the tot's memories – French, Arabic and a form of Magical Egyptian that was mostly written rather than spoken. There would, of course, be others added to the list like Parseltongue, Enochian, and the Icelandic that they all spoke now. Latin would be a good idea too, Gabriel mused as he settled Harrison into the heat-treated basin of the altar which would generally be used for burning mass herbs and the like. He placed the necklace next to the basin.As Harrison squirmed his way out of the blankets around him, Gabriel full-body stretched - wings and all. Gabriel sighed quietly at the relief of moving mostly unused muscles before he curled his wings around the altar."Malak?" Harrison questioned, green eyes wide as he looked over Gabriel's shoulder."How can you..." Gabriel narrowed his eyes at the tot before holding his hand out to him. It was hard to get permission from children, but this was the best he could do.Harrison reached out, fingers curling around Gabriel's palm and Gabriel's wings flared out as he pushed in to look at the boy's soul.
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To say Gabriel wasn't surprised at what he found, would be like saying the sky was green. A total and complete lie.Gabriel found many things in his glimpse into Harrison's soul. It was an Old Soul, but still young and full of power. Extremely full of power—almost enough to be on the same level as a Fledgling Angel.Harrison's soul, a delicate little thing the color of his eyes, was a bit of a mess, but considering the trauma he'd undergone just hours before, it wasn't as bad as Gabriel had originally feared it would be. Like the Thrones they were based off, souls were made up of a main 'eye' and then the rings of connection that curled around them. Harrison's soul had dozens of connections, mostly to family and some to friends of his parents, and of course, the blooming connections to Harrison's soul mates and the new connection to Hecate.What had surprised the Being was the connections to himself and other Beings that the tot's soul contained. In fact, a large portion of the young Scion's soul was made up of Divinity, and Divinity from all areas. There was a portion of his Grace—which where had that come from?—and Loki's bloodline many times over, several Greek lines, some blood of the New World, and some Hindu and Egyptian too.He petted lightly over his Grace in the boy, the Grace piece giving him its memories, which revealed how the Grace had gotten within the tot.When he left Heaven, he'd cut out a large portion of his Grace – just enough to make it sentient and regenerative but not to kill or harm him – and left it to do his duties for Humanity on its own. Harrison's grandfather on Lily's side, Garrett, was a Mail Carrier, and he'd gotten into an accident shortly before he married Rose, Lily's mother, which was not in his cards, so apparently, the Grace had reached out and helped keep him alive. When Garrett died in 1986, the Grace passed to Lily, and then from Lily to Harrison when she died.The other Divinity, Gabriel found was born and bred in Harrison, not added later. The Potter line started in Ancient Egypt as a bastard son of a Pharaoh by the Goddess Wadjet while she hid in the guise of a Potterer's daughter. At some point, before they moved north, Medusa fell in love with a blinded member of the family and they had children. The Potter family then moved north and began co-mingling with various lineages and Divines which eventually led to Harrison, and his mess of abilities and bloodlines."Well, Harrison, let's get this show on the road." Gabriel smiled at the tiny being in front of him before he began the process of unwinding the soul shard from around Harrison's.It didn't take Gabriel long to get it unwound from Harrison, maybe a minute or two, but it took twice as long to coax the shard into twining around the necklace. The shard was afraid, which was understandable, it had almost been engulfed by its accidental Host and was now in the presence of one of the only Beings in the entire known world—which was a vast space if it was based on Angels who were there when the world was created—that could smite it into nothing. He did eventually get it to wrap itself around the necklace, and once it was settled he fed it a portion of Wild Magic to strengthen it before he wrapped it in a protective bubble of Pagan Magics to hide it from detection—especially by wards such as the ones of Hogwarts, as Gabriel had a feeling that Harrison's keeping of this Tie would be for many years.With the Tie settled, Gabriel undid the magnetic clasp before hanging the necklace around Harrison's neck. The pendant bounced off the tot's pudgy stomach and he cooed quietly as he reached out and patted it.Gabriel grinned, ducking in to press a kiss to Harrison's head before he folded his wings back and took a step away.Death stepped into the circle first, gloved hands coming up to rest on the Archangel's shoulders. "Well done, Nephew," He praised, squeezing lightly."The Shard is a mouthy little shit," Gabriel admitted, watched the pendant for a moment before looking at the Elder over his shoulder."Thomas has always been that way from my understanding," Death agreed with a small smirk."Have you decided which adoption we're going to use?" Hestia questioned, pushing her way between the two men. She curled her fingers around the edge of the altar's edge, pushing up onto her toes to look at Harrison over the lip of the table.The tot looked down at her, blinking and leaning forward, nearly falling over until Gabriel pressed a hand to his chest to keep him up. A snap of the Archangel's fingers and a larger fluffy fleece blanket wrapped itself around the tot to keep him in place."Yes," Gabriel replied. "I thought the Aster Adoption."Hecate laughed from her place at the door. "Wonderful choice!" She cooed, purple sparks popping off from her hands as they came together.The Aster Adoption was one of the more complicated ones. Named for a Queen from Magical Babylon after its Non-Magical counterpart fell, the Adoption was created to integrate new with old. Astera, the Queen, was the Blood-Child (Godchild) of the previous Queen, Hara, who'd been injured as an adult with no Heiress, and when Astera's parents died, Hara had her advisors come up with an adoption ritual that wouldn't erase the original blood and magic but would interweave the new magic and blood together with the old.It seemed fitting to use as it would mean that Harrison would be able to keep all the gifts that his parents gave him while getting more from every person who added themselves into the ritual. And with the different Divines gathered in this room, his new gifts could be anything."It would be most fitting," Death agreed, reaching out to lightly pet Harrison's head. "And with what day it is, it would also call his parents and grandparents here for the ritual. They would give their blessing and add to the exchange.""I'm pretty sure that I have everything," Gabriel murmured as he moved from the ritual circle to a wooden door off to the right side from the entrance. He pulled the door open, stepping inside to find everything necessary for the ritual and its potion.While Gabriel was gone, Hecate began directing the others around the room to their places, which was dependant on their power and closeness to both Harrison and the Lokis.In a semi-circle, she positioned the others around Harrison and the altar. Hela, then Thanatos and Anubis, a space for herself, then Sleipnir, Fenris and Jormungandr next to each other, then Hermes, Hestia, and then Vali and Nari together with Pyriel bracketing them. Death was pushed behind the Altar to preside over the Adoption, and Loki settled into a conjured chair before the altar. Thankfully the parental part of the adoption was minimal as Loki was still feeding a large portion of his magic to the new Being he carried.Gabriel exited the storage room with his arms full. He had a small bronze bowl; a short matching bronze anthame with amber and tiger's eye in the hilt-guard; a tray with a cup of water, some sugar cubes, and a vial with a small amount of something that glowed gold in the bottom; and a piece of white ribbon. He carefully set it all down on the altar, gently pushing Harrison's hands away as the tyke reached for the sugar."Shall we get started?" Death questioned, running a gentle gloved hand over the top of Harrison's head."Yes," Loki responded, shifting in his seat with a wince.Death nodded his head before he began to pull his gloves off, finger by finger. He shoved them into the pocket of his suit jacket before resting his hands on the top of the altar.“On this night, the eve of Samhain—the day when the Veil is the thinnest—I, Mortimer Sephtis, the Pale Horseman and the End of All, stand as officiant and call forth the spirits of those we have lost.” With the opening spoken, Death raised his hands and clapped them together just in front of his face. The sound rang through the stone room for a moment before fading into silence.The room began to chill as six wisps of light bloomed behind Gabriel and Loki between them and the others and another bloomed into being at Gabriel’s side. The chill grew as the lights did until the forms of James and Lily Potter, Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, Garrett and Rose Evans and Heylel Morningstar stood inside the ritual circle.Looking at the spirits, it was obvious where certain traits had passed along the line.In life, and even in death, Rose Evans was a beautiful woman. With no true old age in death, Rose appeared before them as a woman in her late forties. She looked like the perfect 50s housewife. Her strawberry-blonde hair was pulled back into a carefully crafted bun. Her pale blue dress was carefully pressed and hugged her in all the right places while a string of gray pearls accented the collar, peeking out between the hem of her white knee-length cardigan. A pair of white heels brought her 5ft 4in frame up another three inches bringing her eye line up to just over her husband, Garrett's shoulder. Her pale skin was flawless with her freckles left out to be seen which brought out the hazel of her eyes.Garrett too looked to be in his forties. His brown hair was just beginning to bleach, a few sections barely starting to turn white along his temples. He was dressed for comfort in a plaid shirt with a pair of jeans. He had a dark gray canvas jacket pulled on over top, and a pair of light tan work boots on his feet which added an inch to his already tall 6ft 3in frame. His eyes were a dark blue and the crow’s feet at the corners drew people to them. He had an arm around Rose's waist, his hand tucked against her hip.Lily looked very similar to her parents. She had Garrett's almond eyes and high cheekbones. Rose had given her plush lips and a button nose. Lily had Garrett's rosy skin tone rather than Rose's peaches and creme skin. She'd gotten Rose's freckles; however, they seem to have multiplied, covering Lily basically from head to toe.Thankfully, due to the time difference between the Afterworld and the Mortal plane, Lily—and James as well—had had plenty of time to come to terms with the fact that they'd died. It had also given them time to settle.She was standing next to James, head resting back against his shoulder. Her fire red hair was pulled back into a simple half-up ponytail, held back by a large blue jeweled butterfly clip whose wings fluttered occasionally as was custom with Magical jewelry items. Her green eyes didn't stray at all from Harrison, the lighter gem-toned eyes catching the light slightly. Her crucifix stood out sharply against the black background of the turtleneck sweater she was wearing. She had her hands in the pockets of her dark wash jeans as she leaned hip to hip with James. Unlike her mother, she had foregone the heels and wore a pair of simple black flats with a plush sole, bringing her to about 5ft 7in.James too couldn't keep his eyes off Harrison. From behind thin framed square glasses, sad mocha brown eyes remained focused solely on the child that he would never get to see grow up in person. He reached his free hand up, brushing scarred tanned fingers through thick wild dark brown hair. The sunspots and natural freckles that dotted around his face stood out as the eyes were drawn along the path of his fingers. The dark green hooded sweatshirt hugged his body in all the right places, and him having the sleeves rolled up drew the eye to the strength in his arms as he tucked his free hand into the back pocket of his own dark wash jeans. The gray converse on his feet left him at his natural height of 6ft 2in.It was quite obvious where James and Harrison had gotten their coloring from. Fleamont Potter was a bit darker in coloring, but it was obvious that he was where the coloring in both his son and grandson had come from. Dark sepia skin had been passed down but lightened in his son and grandson thanks to their mothers, with James’ skin only a few shades lighter than his father's but still a few shades darker than Harrison's and Harrison's skin bronzed instead of dark. Fleamont was where James had gotten his brown eyes from, though like everything else, the eldest Potter's eyes were much darker, more the color of black coffee than the mocha of his son. There was no way of knowing whether the man had the signature Potter hair, as he had his left long and tied back into a tail at the base of his skull. He looked very smart, dressed in a dove gray three-piece suit with a white shirt and silvery tie. Black leather shoes left him at eye level with his son, the younger sharing his father's height. Though it was unnecessary in death, Fleamont still held a cane in his hand—which from a quick read of his soul by Gabriel was a remnant from the man's Auror career ending injury to his right knee—though he didn't lean on it as much as he had when alive. His free hand was out to his side, entwined with the fingers of his wife as she stood next to him.Euphemia looked the staple of an aristocrat's wife. Her flaxen blond hair was pulled back from the peak of her forehead to the back in a pair of braids, clipped with several different cuffs before it was spun up into a perfectly set bun. Her pale violet eyes were clear as crystal, a single spot of dark blue the only flaw in otherwise perfect amethyst. The violet of her v-neck knee-length half-bell-sleeved dress matched her eyes almost exactly. The black pumps on her feet brought her usually 5ft 5in frame up three inches, making her of similar height to her daughter-in-law.Heylel had an arm curled around Gabriel’s shoulders, the ghostly image of the raven-haired Archangel seven inches taller than his 5’ 8” mate. Red eyes met Gabriel’s gold for a moment before he turned his attention back to Death. The silver and white feathers of his wings looked bedraggled, but he held himself straight, showing no sign of the pain he must be in. He was dressed in a charcoal gray mandarin collared tunic with a pair of black slacks and bare feet. He looked very well put together for someone who’d been in a prison for several millennia.None of them looked surprised to have been summoned; all of them were relaxed, sad, but relaxed as they waited for Death to continue the ritual, so they could take their turns and speak.Death studied the group before him for a moment before he spoke again, “We are gathered here to bring Harrison James Potter, son of James and Lillian Potter, into the Judicium-Morningstar and Lokason families. Spirits of our lost ones, do you consent to this joining?”One by one the mortal spirits vocalized their consent, a thin strand of their souls unravelling from around various parts of them and moving to Death’s hand as they did so. Fleamont and Garrett both looked please as strands unwound from their throats. Euphemia was dabbing at her eyes with a white handkerchief as her strand separated from her fingers. Rose had her rosary clutched in her hand, dainty fingers vigorously working the beads as a single strand of her ghostly hair separated from her head. James and Lily looked fierce as strands unwound from around their wrists, clearly remembering who exactly was running the game that had brought the Dark Lord into their home, and obviously having learned more in the Afterworld.“You give your kin Charisma, Knowledge, Strength, and Creativity, a blessing for a favoured son,” Death announced as he tied the strands together into a wreath before he placed it into the bowl. “Do you have words for the men who strive to continue your work?”“Protect him,” The spirits intoned simultaneously.James stepped forward to add, “Find my cousins, Marianna Hill, Andrius Potter the Fourth and Bryndyn Potter, they can help you with what you have planned, and the issues in your future.”Lily stepped forward once her husband returned to her side, “Find my siblings. Holly and Rowan need the protection of a powerful archangel.”Gabriel blinked, unsure what the spirits could be referencing—what could he be planning that they know, and he doesn’t? And what did he need to protect the younger Evans children from?—but knowing that whatever it was, it must have been important for them to have even mentioned it. He nodded his head in agreement, memorising the names for later on.The corner of Death’s mouth quirked, a small almost unnoticeable smile crossing his face. “Heylel Morningstar, Gabriel Judicium, and Loki Frigguson-Laufeyson, you come to bring Harrison James Potter into your families. What do you give?”Loki brought his hands up, the fabric of his sweater pushed away from his palms as he cupped his hands together. The space between his hands slowly began to glow green with his seidr. The magic pulsed for a moment before it slowly began to fade again, disappearing entirely. He opened his hands, holding out a small dark green emerald to the Embodiment.Death took the outheld gem, tossing it between his hands for a moment before setting it inside the bowl with the wreath.Heylel and Gabriel shared a look as they turned to face each other. In a practiced simultaneous movement, they reached for each other’s wings. As a spirit Heylel was capable of touching Gabriel’s wings, but to remove a feather from his own, only someone living could do it. Together, the two Archangels removed one gold and bronze, and one silver and white feather (though Heylel’s feather was still spiritual, not corporeal) from each other’s wings.Death took the two feathers when they were held out to him, gently coaxing them into twining around each other until it was a spiral of gold, white, bronze, silver, over and over.“You give Power and Might to the newest member of your families. Who do you choose to guide this child through all walks of life?” Death questioned, settling the feathers into the bowl with the rest.Gabriel shared a look with his mate and Blood-brother before answering, “We agree that the godparents and Protectors set by his original parents will remain. We name Sirius Orion Black the Third, Severus Alexander Tobias Snape-Prince, Amelia Gretchen Bones, and Alice Windsdae Longbottom nee Bones as continuing godparents. We also name Anubis Almwat Ma’at, Thanatos d’Morte, Hermes Freeman, and Hestia Pyrkaia as godparents. We keep Remus Johnathon Lupin, son of Fenrir as Protector but add Thor Odinson, Castiel Thursday, Hela Lokadottir, and Pyriel Judicium-Morningstar as well.”Death nodded to those in the room at the declaration, all watching as they brought their hands together and created their gifts. Anubis’ hands opened to reveal a black lotus flower which floated over to the Embodiment on a soft puff of dark smoke. Thanatos plucked a black feather from his wings and floated it over. Hestia’s gift ended up being a piece of obsidian, the black stone being thrown over to the Embodiment. Hermes smirked, pulling from one of the pouches on the belt across his chest, a short length of rainbow snake skin and a small red feather which he wound together before sending it over held by a small brown and white sparrow that returned to him upon completing its task.Death closed his eyes for a moment, holding his hands out before him. He opened his eyes and snapped the fingers of both hands which brought two more objects to him. A small ball of glass containing a spark that constantly struck at the glass appeared in one and the other held a galaxy patterned feather. He placed both into the bowl before looking to Hela and Pyriel.Hela smiled as she crossed the floor to hand him a black dragon scale from one of her tiny companions. She dipped her head before returning to her place.Pyriel took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment before holding out her hands, which contained a long silver and gold banded feather, most likely one of her flight feathers. She reached up and twisted one her dark hairs around the feather, her fingers beginning to glow before the two items fused and the feather gained the image of an infinity symbol along the length of it. She walked over to the altar and handed it over, watching as Death twirled it around in his fingers before putting it into the bowl with the rest.“Your eternal protection is promised, and gifts will be granted,” Death murmured as he raised the bowl and swirled it. He turned his attention to Loki’s sons as he finished. “We have yet to hear from the Sons of Loki. What say you, Sons of Loki?”Sleipnir stepped forward after a long look between himself and his brothers. “We agree and welcome Harrison James Potter into the conjoined families of Lokason and Judicium-Morningstar.” He stepped forward to give his gift with the conclusion of his statement and his brothers followed after him.Sleipnir handed over a short braid of the hair from his mane in his shifted form. It was tied together with a simple piece of black leather. Fenrir handed over one of his old teeth – being the oldest wolf in the world that constantly replaced his teeth. Jor handed over one of his scales, the shiny black and green piece almost as big as Nari’s head. Nari and Vali handed over one of their baby wolf teeth, Fenrir picking them up, so they could reach the altar.“I give the final gift.” Death smiled slightly as he made a pulling motion with his right hand at his left wrist. He pulled from his wrist a similar substance to the soul-strings from Harrison’s birth family, except for the fact that it was a dark light-sucking black and looked like ink in water rather than the hair that the others had. He snapped his fingers and a glass egg appeared. He pressed the inky strand to the egg and as they combined until the ink had formed the image of a triangle bisected by a line with a circle in the center touching all three segments of the triangle. He set it inside the bowl, mixing it again before settling the bowl before the new parents.“Spill your blood and welcome this child to his new home,” Death intoned, handing the anthame over to Loki. The dark-haired Pagan cut carefully across the base of his hand, dripping a small amount of green streaked blood into the ritual bowl with the gifts. He cleaned the blade with the cloth handed over by Death before passing the knife to Gabriel. The Archangel’s blood glowed gold and when the anthame was cleaned and passed to the ghostly image of Lucifer, the blood that exited the other was the same as would come from a unicorn—silvery with an opal sheen, though the Morningstar’s had a bit more of blue sheen to it than silver like a unicorn’s blood did.With the final drop of Lucifer’s blood, the contents of the bowl burst into bright white flames. The flames flared higher and higher until just as suddenly as the fire appeared, it disappeared. All that remained in the bowl was a clear liquid in the bottom of the bowl. Death reached for the vial, uncorking it before he began to pour the clear liquid into the vial by the spout of the bowl. The two liquids mixed together, clear and gold until it looked like golden glitter cased in resin. It was beautiful, and when the last of the clear was poured out and the contents entirely gone, Death set the bowl away and recorked the vial before shaking the vial rapidly for a moment.When he was finished the liquid looked like the original golden liquid but much diluted. He then handed the vial over to Gabriel before he began to mix the sugar and water together.Gabriel stepped in front of Harrison. “Harry,” he cooed, attempting to get the child’s attention.“Malak!” Harrison cooed in reply, reaching out towards him.“Can you take them for me, sweet?” He asked, holding out the potion to the boy once he’d pulled the cork back out.“Good?” Harrison asked, peering up at him through his hair.“Yes, it’s a good one,” Gabriel assured him, using his free hand to pet down the boy’s fly-away hair.Harrison wrinkled his nose but reached out for the potion, making grabby hands when it wasn’t immediately handed over. Gabriel chuckled quietly, handing the vial over before watching as the boy sucked the potion down like a fish. Harrison wrinkled his nose as he handed the vial back, obviously he hadn’t liked the potion too much, but it was definitely better than some of the other potions he’d have taken.Death handed the goblet of sugared water over, watching in amusement as the tot gulped down the water. “In the eyes of Magic, Death, and Creation, what will this child’s new name be?”“Hávarðr Eiriel James Regulus Lokason-Morningstar-Judicium,” Loki replied quietly. “But we will call him Hávarðr Regulus Lokason.”Death nodded quietly, turning slightly to pick up the ribbon. “The ritual will be completed with the final blessing. Your offerings?” He turned his attention to those gathered as he spread the ribbon out across the front of the altar.One by one, each of them gathered their final blessings for the newly adopted child. It went around the circle, starting with Hela. She sent over a small burst of ice and snow that whirled around itself as she pushed it over the space where it floated to a stop just above the ribbon where it bobbed in place. Thanatos went next, sending over one of his few silver feathers. Anubis conjured a sprig of black fire that sparked green at the top as the fire whipped around and sent it over. Hecate sent over a ball of purple light. Sleipnir’s gift was a small piece of rainbow colored stone-like material. Fenris’ gift was a small carving of a wolf made out of a dark wood with white veins. Jor handed over one of his old fangs that had been carved with runes and designs stained with his dark green blood to set off the carvings. Hermes sent over a small piece of a tortoise shell, shined and buffed to almost a mirror-like sheen. Hestia sent over a piece of fire-born red agate that was striped with black. Vali and Nari together gave a small piece of matte black stone that had been shaped into a wolf fang. Pyriel sent over a wisp of what looked like blue smoke but was actually a tiny portion of her Grace. Loki placed a small red rose along the ribbon while Gabriel set a fire lily and Lucifer a silver blossom born from his blood spilt in The Cage. Finally, Death placed a tiny blackwood effigy of a bat on the ribbon.The items and the ribbon began to float, the ribbon remaining stationary while the items began to float around the ribbon in circles that got closer and closer. A white light began to emit from the ribbon as the items got closer and closer, one by one being swallowed up by the growing sphere. The light grew and grew until with a soft pop, it imploded leaving the final blessing behind.A bracelet appeared from the light, thin chained and covered in charms, it was tiny but the feel of it made them all realize that it would grow with their tiny new family member. It was made of a dark metal, most likely tungsten, and all of the charms made of various materials, mostly metals and stones.Gabriel smiled to himself before slipping it onto Hávarðr’s arm. “Welcome to your new home, Harth.” He picked the toddler up, blankets and all and cuddled him against his chest, cooing quietly.
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“And that concludes our scheduled business,” Lord-Speaker Tiberius Ogden remarked as he flipped through the pages on his clipboard. “Regent Bones, Lord Weasley, and Lady Greengrass all have outstanding business that has been brought to my attention, but is there anyone else?”When no one made a move to speak, Lord Ogden ceded the floor to Regent Bones, with an elegant wave of his hand and a spoken, “Amelia, if you would,” before he sat down in his seat and waited to find what she had to say.The imposing Regent Bones was a tall woman, just over 6 feet. She looked particularly severe as she rose from her seat; blank face, mourning robes and ribbons, tightly wound hair. Her shaking hands were the only takeaway from the image, but she didn’t seem to notice. She’d become Regent a mere month before after the neighbourhood where her younger brother Edgar—who had been the Lord—and his family were living amongst other Wizarding families had burnt to the ground, killing most of the occupants, and leaving Amelia as the guardian of her youngest niece Susanna and Regent until the girl came of the appropriate age.“I received an interesting letter over the weekend,” She began, leaning a bit heavily on the railing before her as she spoke. “It would seem that the title of Lords Morningstar, Judicium and Liesmith have been filled once again as the letter was signed by said Lords.” Gasps sound throughout the room from all sides.Those three houses, among a few others—Peverell and the Founders, for additional examples—were basically fairy tales to the Purebloods of Great Britain. Families of fantastic power and abilities that most other families had but one or two of, they were the boogeymen of the Great Islands—they existed and didn’t all at the same time. Lorded long before the creation of the Ministry or the Wizard’s Council, so long ago in fact that most couldn’t give an answer when asked why they were Lorded, the High families had power, a lot of power, enough power to disband the Ministry in fact.So, for the Head Auror to receive a letter from them, especially with the way it sounds a joint letter, it was a time to shut up and listen to what she had to say.“I will keep it simple,” Amelia commented after the noise died down. “To summarise, the High Lords wrote to voice their concerns when their scheduled meeting with Heir Sirius Black and Apprentice Severus Snape came and went without the men’s arrival.”“What?!” seemed to be the resounding response to that information. Both men were in Azkaban, Death Eaters as far as anyone knew, so what were they doing with the High Lords.Amelia snorted, having known that it would be the answer to her remark.Lady Cassandra Greengrass rose from her seat. Her bleaching golden-brown hair was carefully piled on the top of her head, pulling it back from bronzed skin to reveal amethyst eyes that were narrowed in thought. Her robes were a softer plum than the usual Wizengamot colors but still dark enough to be appropriate.“I received a similar letter,” she added. “The High Lords admitted that Apprentice Snape was their Spy in the Death Eaters, and that they would vouch for him if it came to it.”Lord Septimus Weasley too rose from his seat. Long graying russet hair swished around his head, the majority pulled back into a thin half-tie, but the few strands left free moved as he did. He too was in mourning robes, black fabric pooling down from his shoulders to cover him carefully. A pair of thick framed black rectangular glasses perched on the end of his nose and he pushed them back to the bridge of his nose with an index finger as he leaned against the railing.“I too received a letter from the High Lords. More specifically, it was addressed to my wife as a Daughter of the House of Black,” Septimus added. He turned his attention to the Lord Black who sat across the room from him, speaking clearly to the man, “It contained an apology to you, Arcturus. The High Lords apologize for not writing directly, but they didn’t think the letter would get through the wards of the Manse.” He smoothed at a wrinkle in his sleeve before continuing, “We all know how the Fidelius works, correct?” He paused for a moment to watch as the other members of the Wizengamot nodded before continuing, “A Secret Keeper keeps the secret and must give out the secret through Magic or Presence.”“What does that have to do with anything?!” One of the elected officials called from the space near the Minister.“It means, you fool,” Arcturus said scathingly, “That a Secret can only be passed by magically creating a Secret-Paper or by physically being there to tell the Secret.”“Sirius was at a dinner supervised by Lord Judicium,” Septimus deadpanned. “And do you really think that the Dark Lord would trust a piece of paper?”Gasps sounded through the room again. Variations of “He’s innocent?” and “They’re innocent?!” and “Impossible!” began to make the rounds.The Minister of Magic stood then. Millicent Bagnold was a middle-aged African-British witch. Red-tinted brown twists swung about her head as she stood from her seat abruptly, nearly black eyes narrowed. She straightened her red robes before barking out, “Williams, bring me the transcripts for every trial in the week I was away and the week after that.”The runner at the door, a young woman with green tipped blonde hair saluted her before exiting the room and heading to the archives.The room dropped into silence for a moment before Lord Ogden stood to speak, “This meeting will go into a short recess. It will resume in two hours at 1400 hours.” He clapped his hands before settling all his things into the small cabinet next to his seat.The other members did the same before exiting the room, most headed for the upstairs cafes and food vendors to get lunch. The thunderous look on Minister Bagnold’s face when the Wizengamot resumed did not bode well, nor did the four Aurors who’d been stationed in the valley of the chamber around a pair of chairs typically used in trials as the defendant’s seat. Her long red-painted nails clicked against the railing before her loud enough for the whole chamber to hear without magic.Tension in the room grew and grew as Minister Bagnold’s magic roiled and flickered, almost becoming truly visible rather than just looking like heat haze as it slashed its way around the room. It didn’t touch anyone, but the heavy nature of it was oppressive as her jaw clenched and she continued tapping until everyone had been seated.Once the last had been seated, she drew her wand from the holster at her waist and with a downward slash, signaled the Aurors to do what they had been tasked with. Quicker than most would be able to, the four drew their wands and threw petrifying and restraining spells at two men on opposite sides of the chamber.The magic of the chamber, which would usually prevent magic from being cast upon others, ignored this occurrence and allowed for the two spells to hit each of the men. They dropped with a thud each, falling from their seats before being levitated over the railings of their levels and down into one of the chairs, where they were immediately wrapped in chains by the magic of the chairs.“Former-Head Lord Bartemius Crouch. Former-Undersecretary Cornelius Fudge. Consider yourselves lucky that the High Lords actually follow the letter of the law,” Minister Bagnold hissed, leaning forward over the railing before her. “Otherwise it would be your heads!”She straightened up, casting a true Sonorous on herself before speaking again, “Esteemed members of the Wizengamot, before you sit two men who have decided that they are above the law. Left ‘alone’ for two weeks, and they decided to hold the most influential trials of the decade as the most prejudiced trials of the century. Due process not being followed, shoddy following of due process, lack of trial, improper trials, lax trials; all things that took place the week I was away in Germany and the following week of international meetings, facilitated and headed by these two, who I trusted to leave in charge in my place. Hence, they are now being charged with malicious imprisonment, abuse of process, abuse of power, and anything else that comes up, while we are now charged with going over every trial that occurred under their management now and previously.”She paused a moment to smooth a wrinkle in her open robes before continuing, “If I had my way, you would both be stripped of everything—titles, Bonds, Names—and thrown into the same space as the men and women you sentenced to Azkaban on prejudice and hearsay, but the High Lords have spoken. Lord Judicium wishes for justice, true justice. The indignity of trial and charge is enough for the High Lords.” She turned to the Aurors, waving her hand towards the doors in dismissal. “Take them away. Proper protocol will be followed, but for now, secure them and start the paperwork for the proper process.”The Aurors bowed to the Wizengamot, before the two chairs were levitated from the room, their occupants still frozen and bound.The entire room watched them leave before turning their attention back to the Minister as she picked up a packet of parchments that she rifled through for a moment before speaking, “Everyone sentenced to Azkaban or other prisons improperly or suddenly—being those who weren’t scheduled before I left—have been ordered returned to the Ministry holding cells. Petty crimes will be first, followed by High crimes, and finally Major crimes, as punishment exposure will need to be taken care of.” She closed her packet, folding her hands before her. “Notices will go out when trials are to take place. In the interim, Regent Bones will take over as Head of the DMLE and Miss Walters will take over as Senior Undersecretary.” With her piece finished, she sat down, tension leaving her body as she settled down.A wand lit on the Neutral side of the room, a few rows up from where Lady Greengrass sat. When called upon, the young man stood and asked, “What is going to happen with the trials were nothing was done for the first one? I mean, there’s no evidence or witness statements or anything, so how are we to judge on nothing?”Amelia lit her wand, she knew the answer to this question, as it was something the Bones family had created. “It’s quite simple, Lord Kysz. There is a simple ritual for gathering such information used specifically for trials where information is missing, or we wouldn’t know where to look. The ritual sends out subpoenas that are magically enforced upon opening. The subpoena attaches itself to the receiver on the day of the trial, forcibly Portkeys them, and only disintegrates upon arrival in the courtroom.”“When will the ritual be done?” Another member asked.“As soon as each folder is gone through. It is a simple enough ritual with very little magic consumption that one person could cast several of them a day without needing respite.” Madam Bones assured him, “We make sure to limit the number to ten every four hours with three-hour breaks between.”“We’re going to get started as soon as the next Head Auror has been decided,” Minister Bagnold announced. “Madam Bones, who would you like?”“I name Thaddeus Scamander as Head Auror until a decision has been made,” Madam Bones responded.Lord Ogden clapped his hands as he stood up. He looked around the room. “Anyone have anything else?” When the room was silent, he nodded his head. “Well then, dismissed. We will reconvene upon notice unless otherwise needed.” A gong sounded through the room and the other members began cleaning up before exiting in pairs and groups.
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Even though it had only been two weeks, Sirius felt as if he would never be happy ever again. He felt like the gray and cold had seeped into his bones and would never leave. He wasn’t as bad as some of the others, thanks to Padfoot, but still, it felt like he would never be happy again.Today was a better day, the dementors were only peripheral, not right up in their hallways but still close enough for the breath of all in the area to cloud out into mist. He was human for once, curled up in the back of his cell with his arms around his pulled-up legs, watching just over the top of his crossed arms as his cousin lost her mind in the cell across from him.His head shot off to the side when a spike in magic picked up from the Tower’s entrance and started getting closer and closer. He blinked in surprise when the silvery forms of a badger, lynx, Kodiak bear, and two birds came floating into the hallway preceding their Casters, a contingent of men and women in red robes headed by a woman in black robes that mounted the stairs with clacking boots.She was the one who spoke, “Prisoners of the Tower, you are being removed from Azkaban to a ward in St Mungo’s until your proper trials are carried out. You will be checked over by the Healers before your trial date will be secured and announced. Up with you, to the bars! Aurors shackle them.”Sirius shuffled his way to the front of his cell, shoving his hands through the hole in the middle of the door so that the Auror who had come up to his door, one he recognized, could slap magic suppressing cuffs on him.“Kingsley,” Sirius croaked, his voice hoarse from both disuse and the screaming the Dementors caused as they made the prisoners relive their worst memories.“Sirius,” the other man greeted in return with a soft smile on his face.The dark-skinned man reached out and patted his arm before taking the ring of keys and unlocking Sirius’ cell. He watched through black eyes as the younger man exited the small gray-stoned room. He soon began to explain, which Sirius could hear happening between other Aurors and their assigned prisoners, even if it fell on deaf ears in some cases.“The false or irresponsible trials performed by Crouch Senior and Fudge were brought to the Minister’s attention by a letter from the High Lords in regard to yourself and Apprentice Snape, which brought a whole host of false trials to light. Minister Bagnold ordered a full audit of the past three weeks and if necessary, any others that they oversaw with no one else.“All of the prisoners of this Tower are going to be put into a heavily warded ward of St Mungo’s. Until the trials have gone through, you’ll be cuffed to a bed, unfortunately. You’ll be allowed visitors, but only a select few from a list that I’ll help you draw up after your first treatment. You will, of course, have your own room, so you will have no worries about others overhearing.“We’ve already done a few of the trials, mostly the Petty Crimes. To get through them as quickly as possible, the panels have been the bare minimum needed for a proper trial, so an interrogator, three members of the Wizengamot, two Ministry officials, and a member of the Department of Finance for tiebreaking and reparations.”Sirius blinked, tipping his head. “Been necessary?”“A couple of times,” Kingsley admitted, helping him down the stairs of the tower. “Crouch put a few people away for petty crimes that were committed by family members but not that person in specific.”Sirius barked out a hoarse laugh, “Close but not the snitch.”Kingsley chuckled, nodding his head. “Yeah, that’s about the sum of it.” Kingsley gently helped Sirius down a few of the steps before speaking again, “As for your trial, you will be required—by order of the High Lords—to take Veritaserum for the whole of the trial. The Lords’ Council will be in charge of the ‘Death Eater’ Trials, no matter the status of the person here. The full Court will probably show though to find out the results before it comes out in the papers as these trials will also be public.”They fell into silence as they walked down, the Patroni leading the way through the prison as they moved to the portkey departure room, and then from there, it was pairs of Aurors and their prisoners leaving duo by duo to the arrivals lounge of St Mungo’s.———It was a few days later that the prisoners were finally allowed to see the people from their lists.Sirius’ first visitor was the Black Family Solicitor, David Blackcassel, who sat with him for almost three hours going over everything for his trial. They went over where he’d been, and the witnesses that were subpoenaed by the ritual. They talked over everything, piece by piece until there was nothing but general gossip to be shared. The man was a distant relative, so his company had another benefit, other than preparing him for explaining everything before the Panel.In 1756, Abigail Pomphrey, one of the best healers in the UK found that family was the best medicine. Sirius couldn’t remember the exact findings, but something about the Family Magix, no matter how distant the relationship, aided in healing.After David left, Sirius’ next visitor was his Grandfather. Arcturus arrived quietly, slipping into the room so quietly that Sirius nearly flew off the bed when he noticed the man in the chair next to him.“Hello, Sirius,” Arcturus greeted, a small amused smile on his face.“Grandfather,” Sirius greeted warily. He had put his grandfather on the list, not really expecting the man to visit, or if he did visit for it not be a nice one.“Calm, Bright Star,” Arcturus told him, leaning forward and resting one weathered hand on Sirius’. “I’m not angry you know.”“You’re not?” Sirius was incredulous. He thought that the whole family—or at least the majority of it—hated him for being the ‘white sheep’ of the family.Arcturus chuckled at the look on his face, before answering, “As much as I loved the man the Dark Lord was, after your father brought him home, something in him changed just before he graduated, not enough for me to protest your father’s closeness with him, but enough to make me wary. When he came to me at the start of the war, I told him that the only way he could get my generation, or those older, was if he got all of the younger generations. By that time, you and your brother were well established as Neutral, and not wanting to fight respectively. I knew that it would never happen, so really I have to thank you for keeping our family from being entirely tied to the madman the Dark Lord became.”“You’re welcome, I guess?”Arcturus laughed again. He settled back in his seat, “Now, I know your trial isn’t until the third of December but did David go through everything with you?”Sirius nodded before launching into an explanation of what David had gone through with him, clarifying when Arcturus asked and having his grandfather write out any additional suggestions that Arcturus had to suggest as his hands still shook too much to hold a quill for any major length of time.They were just winding down when a Mediwitch entered the room. “Visiting hours are now up, Lord Black. Heir Black needs to rest and take his pre-dinner potions,” she announced, turning her attention to the elder Black.“That’s alright, madam, we were just finishing,” Arcturus told her, using his cane to push himself up from the chair. He leaned over Sirius’ bed, pressing a light kiss to the young man’s forehead. “I’ll be back again, Bright Star. Let them take care of you, and I’ll make sure that everything goes smoothly on the outside.”“Thank you, Grandfather,” Sirius whispered, pressing up into the touch as much as he could while attached to his bed. “I’ll see you later, Grandfather.”Arcturus smiled at him before exiting the room, leaving his grandson at the mercy of the mediwitch and her plethora of gross tasting potions. The next day brought his next visitors; his mate, and his cousin Andromeda.Andromeda came early in the day, just after breakfast. She was obviously free from work as she wasn’t wearing her hair up, nor was there a shred of lime fabric anywhere near her person. Instead, her soft brown hair was left free to hang down around her shoulders, the slight ringlets it naturally fell into swinging around her head as she moved. And in the place of the lime robes of a Healer, she was in a wine-red off-shoulder dress that hugged her figure until her waist where it fell out in a riot of fabric to her knees. She had a wand holster on her right arm, but somehow it didn’t appear out of place.“Sirius!” she cried, hurrying over and hugging the emaciated form of her cousin.“Andy,” Sirius grunted, the air knocked out of him at the squeezing hug the normally most reserved of the Black sisters gave him. “Andy, pull back a bit.”She sniffled, squeezing him once more before pulling away to compose herself. She flicked her wrist, pulling her wand from the holster enough to only need a motion with her hand to reset her makeup back to pristine condition. She flicked her hand again to return it back before she somehow gracefully dropped into the chair at Sirius’ bedside.“Siri, I’m so sorry!” she whispered urgently, leaning forward to clasp his hand between hers. “I’m so sorry I believed you guilty enough that I didn’t protest when it came out in the Prophet that you were in Azkaban. Or that I didn’t go digging any further. Or that—”“Andy, you don’t need to be sorry,” Sirius interrupted, squeezing her hand lightly. He went to move his offhand, forgetting that it was cuffed to the bed which left it to move only so far and caused the cuffs to rattle against the railing they were wrapped around. “I’m sure that the Prophet spun it so that everyone would have thought me guilty if it came to it. There were very few who knew the truth, and half of them are in this ward. So it is no fault of yours that I ended up in Azkaban. And as for you not doing any double-checking, well, half of our family was put there or went through similar things, not just me. It was a blow that we really shouldn’t have had to deal with.”When her anguished look diminished slightly, Sirius had the sudden thought of whether he should tell her that Regulus was alive. After a moment, however, he decided no, that if the Baby of the Black Family wanted everyone else to know, he’d do it in typical Black fashion: dramatic as all hells, so Sirius turned his attention to more important things.“How’s Nymphie?” he asked, wanting to know everything about his little cousin and what mischief the Metamorphmagus was getting up to.Andromeda launched into a tale of the shenanigans that her daughter had gotten up to in the small greenhouse behind their home in the past few weeks. His mate came before dinner. He almost looked worse than Sirius did.His hair was longer than Sirius had seen in years (there was that time in third year, but that was something that Remus hated to discuss) but at the same time it had been months since Sirius had seen the man in person during the day and not just in the darkness of their apartment after long days of working before they fell asleep, and his wolf made pretty much everything—hair, nails, skin, bones—grow faster than usual. The dark circles under his eyes gave Sirius the impression that Remus hadn’t slept in the weeks since he was incarcerated. He was hunched more, drawn into himself as if cold or hiding something as he clutched his sweater close to his body. His clothes too made him both look older and more haggard than usual; a threadbare brown sweater, some ratty old jeans, a too-big appearing canvas coat, and a pair of old canvas boat shoes.“Remy,” Sirius whispered, gray eyes wide as he took in the form of his mate.“Siri,” Remus croaked as stood just in the doorway, the door clicking closed behind him.“Come sit down, Mouse, you look like shit,” Sirius told him, an unhappy tick to his lip as he studied the other man.Remus laughed weakly, crossing the room and settling down in the chair next to his bed. He curled his legs beneath the chair, leaning forward to wrap his hands around the railing on the bed, his forehead dropping to the top rail.Sirius moved as well as he could, shifting closer before dropping his hand to the top of Remus’ head. He dug long fingers into Remus’ tawny tresses, pulling lightly and dragging his fingers against Remus’ scalp. He couldn’t keep the smile down as a rumbling noise started up in Remus’ chest at the touch, the younger man finally untensing and going boneless against the bed.“You need to take better care of yourself, Mouse,” Sirius chided quietly, tugging lightly at a strand of Remus’ hair before going back to petting through his hair.Remus snorted, rolling his head so they could meet eye to eye before he replied, “Pot meet kettle.”Sirius poked his tongue out at the other, settling back against the pillows on his bed. He rolled his head back against the pillows, keeping Remus in his sight. “How have you been, Rem?” He asked quietly, running his hand down to rub his thumb against the thin trail of hair that ran along the tendons at the back of Remus’ neck.“I didn’t get back until the week you were sent in,” Remus admitted, sneaking his hand through the bars and curling it around Sirius’ thigh that was much less muscled than he was used to. “I found your letter on the kitchen table in the apartment. I hadn’t known that you were in Azkaban, so I left it until I’d gotten the rest of the mail from downstairs. I got the mail and came back up, made myself a cup of tea, and then settled down at the table to go through it all. I was a bit surprised to see it so piled up, ‘cause you always seemed to get it, so excited to go down and interact with whatever neighbours might be at the boxes but I told myself that you might have been sleeping at the dorms, and thought nothing more.”Remus swallowed audibly, a single tear escaping his eye. “I saw the newspaper first,” Remus whispered. “You were on the front page. It was a Mundane one, and there you were sprawled out on the front page. ‘Crazed Terrorist Blows Up North-End Street!’ I could barely believe it, and I nearly ripped the rest of the mail digging out your letter.“I knew immediately what happened after reading the first few lines. I knew Peter was involved, but I didn’t know where he’d have gone, and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to know why he’d done it.“I thought that maybe I’d just missed out on the trial, but I knew that no matter the fuss I made, it wouldn’t matter. I was registered as a child by my parents, and anyone would know that if they ever looked.”Sirius grumbled to himself, knowing the whole story or at least as much of the story as Remus himself knew. Lyall Lupin mouthed off to the wrong person, they sent Greyback to visit on a full moon; Greyback bit Remus who was sleeping in his tent outside; Lyall as an ‘upstanding’ citizen and member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures signs his son up in the Werewolf Registration Act, which everyone knows is basically a list of To-Be-Killed humans that are unfortunately affected by Lycanthropy; no one knows though because Lyall hides Remus’ file in the recesses of his office until he retired the year that they graduated and his office was cleaned out. All it would take was someone going looking through the WRA file room and Remus would be totally exposed.Remus reached up to tug lightly at his hair, and it was then that Sirius noticed the strands of golden magic that wrapped around Remus’ wrist. Sirius reached out to pluck at the magic, listening to the nearly inaudible twang.“Subpoena magic,” Remus told him quietly, turning gold eyes to the golden magic. “It scared the shite out of Mum when it came.”“Is that where you went after?”Remus nodded, shifting in his chair with a grimace before speaking, “After I got through the mail, I packed up a few things and went home to see Mum. She didn’t believe it either, but you know, no magic, so what could she do?“I just didn’t know what to do, so I stayed with Mum and worked around town until the subpoena came screaming in through the window on the eighteenth. Then I got word from Kingsley that you wanted to see me, and here I am.”“Here you are, Mouse,” Sirius murmured, gently squeezing the back of Remus’ neck. “It’s alright, darling. Everything will be alright. I’m here now.”Remus’ bottom lip quivered, and he pressed his head against the bed more firmly. He clenched his hand around Sirius’, pulling it down to press a kiss to the scarred back of the older man’s hand.“It’s alright love, let it all out,” Sirius cooed, gray eyes soft on the form of his mate. Remus let out a harsh sob, and Sirius kept his hands on his mate as they waited it out.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Garrison Ollivander sat himself down in the Arbitrator’s seat at the peak of the Lords’ Council’s Judiciary Panel seating. He was taking his brother’s place for this, Garrick, instead sitting in the Ollivander Seat for the proceedings. He settled into the plush chair comfortably, pulling his robes from places they’d gotten caught before starting to set up the layout of his desk. Out came a self-rolling roll of parchment, a fountain pen with a steel nib rather than a quill to avoid needing to stop and sharpen it, and a large inkwell full of black ink. As he settled everything into place, a cup of tea popped into existence on the designated coaster, filled to the brim with his preferred apple-cinnamon tea. He was ready.“Everyone ready?” he questioned, looking to his fellows, two to each side of him. He was in charge, but the others were needed as witnesses and to ask other questions he may miss.On his left, Dame Jillian Abbott—sister to Lord David Abbott—and Sir Marshall Ogden—nephew of Lord Tiberius Ogden and the proprietor of the Golden Fleece, a well-to-do restaurant in Regal Alley—signalled their readiness. To his right, Elizabeth Runcorn—sister of Albert Runcorn, a member of the Department of Internal Investigations—and Jasper Malkin—son of Greta Malkin, the proprietress of Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions—did the same.Garrison took a deep breath before nodding to the Auror standing in the valley of the courtroom. The young man pulled his wand from the holster on his thigh before opening the valley doors to allow for the barristers to enter. Young David Blackcassel came from the entrance on Garrison’s left, his briefcase in hand and a file box floating along behind him. From Garrison’s right, even younger Yasmina Delhaven entered, several boxes floating along behind her.Neither barrister was strictly necessary with the magic of the subpoena, but tradition and simplicity allowed for them. David and Yasmina were to oversee the flow of the trial, making sure that everything went smoothly by calling witnesses and presenting the case, but the need for them to argue was nil. The truth will out, and there was nothing to stand in its way, Magic would make sure of that. The two young adults oversaw the preliminary questions, the basics and the surface questions that the accused and each witness were required to answer before the Council asked their own.Upon the two completing their set up, Garrison again turned to the Auror in the valley. He waved his wand again, opening the gallery doors allowing for the spectators to enter. Several other Aurors stepped inside first—their mission was to keep the peace—before the gallery levels began to fill.Jostling and shoving took place for almost twenty minutes as everyone got settled into the various tiers of seating dependant on their relation to the case. Level one was filled with the witnesses, level two had relatives and friends. Level three was the press, levels four and five were filled by Untitled high-level members of the public, and the final two levels were filled by the general public. The balconies were filled by the other Noble members who’d come to spectate one of the most critical retrials of the century.Once everyone was settled, Garrison stood from his seat, ushering in silence from the room. He raised his left hand, magic sparking at his fingertips, and waved at the Aurors in the gallery who settled into parade rest, the heels of their boots clicking together audibly. The doors slammed shut at the touch of his magic, heavy chains bursting from the stone doorframe to block off the doorways as magic flared between the gallery and the valley. He then turned his attention to the Auror in the valley once more.“Bring in the Prisoner,” he ordered, his voice carrying unaided through the large room. He retook his seat as the young man strode across the room and knocked slowly on the door beneath the Panel’s seats.The doors creaked open, and out they came: three red leather robed Aurors surrounding a dark-haired man in black cotton weighed down by chains and cuffs and a heavy metal collar. The dark-haired man’s gray eyes searched the crowd as he was led over to the single chair in the center of the valley.He obviously found whoever he’d been looking for before he was forced into the chair as his whole body seemed to relax, even as the chains snapped into place and pinned him into the chair. He turned his attention up to the Panel as the chains and chair glowed briefly to signal their activation.Garrison stood slowly, staring down at the man bound and the guards standing in parade rest at the points of the chair. “Heir Sirius Orion Black, you sit before this Panel and its council to determine whether a great injustice has occurred through the actions of Bartemius Crouch Senior and Cornelius Fudge. If it has, you will be released and compensated. If it hasn’t…” He paused for a moment to make sure that the young man was listening and understanding. “If it hasn’t, you will be returned to Azkaban with the appropriate sentencing.” He turned his attention to the barristers and spoke again, “Barristers if you would start with the preliminary questions after the administering of the Veritaserum. For the full truth, but leaving some protections, you will have five drops instead of three or seven.”Yasmina rose from her seat and stepped forward, coming to stand between Sirius and the Panel with a parchment board in her hands as one of the Aurors pulled a vial from his pocket. He held up the bottle so that the Panel could see that it was still sealed before he popped the seal and dropped five drops onto Sirius’ outstretched tongue. Three drops would have simply been the truth while still leaving leeway for others’ secrets to remain concealed, and seven drops would have Sirius spilling everything but those secrets that he wasn’t physically capable of spilling.Yasmina watched for the signs of the potion working—glassy eyes, swaying, placidness—before she spoke the first question. “What is your name and titles?”“Sirius Orion Black the Third, Heir Apparent to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black,” Sirius responded, his voice holding an almost sleepy quality to it.Yasmina jotted down the affirmative to the question before asking the next one, “You are twenty-one years of age, yes?”“No, my birthday was a month ago. I am twenty-two.”“Your birthday is November fourth, nineteen-seventy-nine, correct?”“Yes.”“What is your home address?”“Nineteen Pencil Court.”“Your wand is ten inches, hawthorn and thunderbird tail feather?”“Yes.”“Your occupation?”“Hitwizard, answering only to Regent Amelia Bones.”“You were educated at Durmstrang Academy?”“No. I am an alumnus of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I graduated in nineteen-eighty-eight.”Yasmina wrote down the last of her affirmations before pulling her scroll from the board and rolling it up. She turned her head up to the panel and nodded sharply, “He’s ready, your Honors.”Garrison stood again as she returned to her seat, staring down at the placidly waiting Sirius. “Sirius Black, you sit before this court charged with thirteen counts of murder for the deaths of twelve muggles and Peter Pettigrew on the night of November Fourth. How do you plead?”“Not guilty.”Garrison nodded, jotting down his answer before continuing, “You are also charged with breaking a sacred Oath. How do you plead?”“Not guilty.”“You also stand charged as being a member of the association known as the Death Eaters, led by the Dark Lord Voldemort. How do you plead?”“Not guilty.”Out of the corner of his eye, Garrison saw the clamour rising in the silenced gallery, but he continued, “Finally, you are charged with Treason for acts of Betrayal against the Ancient and Loyal House of Potter. How do you plead?”“Guilty.” There was a small break in the placidness of Sirius’ face as it briefly contorted into an anguished look—the same one he’d sported in the photo taken on the night of his arrest—before returning to neutrality.Garrison narrowed his eyes at Sirius as he noted down the man’s answer. He watched as Sirius’ face continued to contort in the wait before he began the next line of questioning.“Were you the secret keeper for the Potters?”“No.”“Then why are you guilty of betraying them?”“I was the one who suggested the rat!” A very dog-like snarl crossed Sirius’ face briefly at the words. “Peter seemed like the best plan: he was unassuming and a paper pusher in the Department of Finance. What could there possibly be to go wrong? But he was a traitor, a spy, a Death Eater!”Garrison knew the signs. Sirius was acting very much like an angry dog backed into a corner, the snarl still flashing across his face periodically as he continued to mutter various epithets against Pettigrew. That would be the closing question he decided, and made a small notation on his parchment, before turning his attention back to the seething young man before him. He asked his next question, “Start at the beginning, Heir Black. What happened when you got to work on October thirty-first?”Sirius’ features smoothed again, but his eyes darted back and forth as the potion brought up the events of the day that changed everything for him. He shifted briefly before beginning to speak, “I hung up my things and sat down at my desk after I arrived at nine that morning. I had some paperwork left from the day before about the O’Malley case and my apprehension of Norman O’Malley for the assault on his youngest daughter’s fiancé, Reese Roche. I finished the final report and sealed the file, with nothing else to do, I went to deliver it to Regent Bones in person.“We talked briefly about how she was coping with caring for little Susie now that her parents and siblings were gone. She mentioned feeling like she wasn’t doing enough, and that Susan was unhappy, so I recommended that she get a set of Mermilon Connecting Stones like I had done with my godson.”Hearing those words, caused a visible tittering to start in the silenced galleries. Sirius standing as Harry Potter’s godfather cemented in the minds of the viewers what the Veritaserum was already telling them; there was no way he could have betrayed the Potters. If he had, he wouldn’t be sitting before them, he would have died hours after doing so.“We were interrupted about half an hour after I sat down by Cornelius Fudge,” Sirius sneered the name, the potion being overtaken by his dislike for the man, “he had a bunch of files for Madam Bones to sign off on before he sent them to Minister Bagnold. I got up from my seat before her desk, taking the new file for Jason Marchamp before leaving her to her signing and returning to my office.“Around one, an owl came in through the window. It carried an invitation to a private dinner at the Green Dragon. It was unsigned, but whoever wrote it knew that I would come if only to assuage my curiosity. Dinner wasn’t until seven, so I finished out my day, making out a plan for my investigation into Mr. Marchamp before returning home.“With my Bonded gone, I let things get away from me,” Sirius admitted, a small wry grin on his face through the potion. Garrison noted a young tawny-haired man in the gallery visibly rolling his eyes and shaking his head, and with amusement figured that that must be the Heir-Consort Black. “So, I spent the hours between getting home and going to dinner cleaning up the flat. Dishes were washed by hand, and the books and records all put away. I got the laundry together to take to Lynx’s Laundry the next day.”“What happened when you arrived at dinner, Heir Black?” Garrison questioned.“The maître d’ didn’t even ask for my reservation before taking me back to a private room. Lord Judicium was sitting at the small table in the back of the room set up for chaperones, but I didn’t really notice, too taken in with my dinner partner.”“Who was your dinner partner?”“My brother, Regulus.”The silencing magic of the galleries flashed as it strengthened to keep the cacophony of noise at the revelation of the youngest Black’s continued living inside the space. One of the few cloaked persons sitting in the first few rows reached up with a lightly tanned hand and pulled their hood back, revealing features almost identical to those in the Heir of the House of Black who sat before the council. The only difference between them being the lack of tattoos visible on Regulus Black’s skin, which were replaced by piercings in several places that glinted in the light of the courtroom.“What happened at dinner?” Garrison asked, returning harmony to the room with his voice’s stern direction.“We talked,” Sirius told the room, pulling lightly at the chains as he moved to get comfortable. “About why Reg disappeared, and what happened after I ran away to Potter Manor to stay with Aunt Dorea.”“When did the dinner end?”“We talked until eleven when the Green Dragon closed. We said good-bye outside, made promises to see each other in a few days and then I apparated home.”“What happened when you got home, Heir Black?”“I set up a small Circle in the sitting room as is tradition, even if I don’t live at a Black property anymore.”“What made you go to the Potters?” Garrison asked after a moment of silence, the admittance shocking several people in the audience who had expected him to have thrown away the traditions based on his emphatic hate for his “mother.”“I was about to get ready for bed when a Pull started. At first, I was confused, I thought I had been disowned so there shouldn’t have been any wards Pulling on me, and even if I wasn’t disowned, both Da and Gran-Da still live, so I wouldn’t be tied to the Black Wards. Then the realization hit, I had served as the Binder for the Fidelus on Lion’s Cottage in Godric’s Hollow. It was the only place other than the flat that I was tied to, so considering I was standing in the flat, that meant it could only be there. I went immediately, didn’t even lock the door, just slammed it closed.”Garrison took a deep breath before asking the question that was sure to set the most tears flowing in the galleries, “What did you find upon arriving in Godric’s Hollow?”“I arrived at the apparition point just after midnight, and after casting both warming and strengthening charms on my jumper, I exited the shelter and ran for number fourteen. No one was around, but the last wisps of the wards were fluttering about, lashing out. As soon as I stepped over the ward line, they disappeared. I had to stop to take a breath before I could enter, afraid of what I might find.” Sirius paused, very obviously fighting the weakening Veritaserum.Garrison knew that Sirius didn't want to continue. There was no other option, this traumatic question—and the new item that had just come up—was the last of Garrison's line of questioning for round one. They’d take a short break and bring up a few of the witnesses before having Sirius retake the stand and tell the events of the Fourth of November.“What did you find inside?” Garrison prodded gently, staring down at the young man before him. Only twenty-two years old… The amount of loss this young man had seen.“The door was blasted off its hinges, barely hanging on as it rested against the wall behind it haphazardly. I didn’t notice him when I first stepped inside, more focused on clearing the ground floor before going upstairs. I found Jamie’s wand on the coffee table in the sitting room and desperately hoping that he’d only left it behind, I went to the stairs. And that’s where I found him.” Sirius’ face screwed up into the same look of anguish from before, and he took a deep breath and continued, “James was sprawled across the bottom of the stairs, a smear of blood on the bottom step where his head had hit as he hit the ground and a small pool beneath his head where it lay on the floor. His glasses were cracked, and his eyes were fixed on the ceiling. His body was still warm, but I knew he was dead, the Bond between us gone, something I only noticed as I bent down to check on him.“There was a noise upstairs, and I rushed to see what it was, leaving James’ body behind. The other rooms were empty, I checked before coming to the nursery. It was in the nursery that I found what had made the noise. Snape was in the nursery, knelt before Harry’s crib with Lily’s body in his lap and Harry’s hand in his hair. I was so close to hexing him, but Harry’s magic was all over the place, making it very easy to see the Bond between him and Snape. Snape and I argued for a few minutes about what to do, but a noise in the street interrupted before we could come to hexes or yelling. I sent Harry with Snape, knowing that of anyone, his other Godfather was the best person to protect him.”“What was happening outside?” Garrison asked, a frown on his face. There were no mentions in any of the limited files on that night in Godric's Hollow about anyone other than Sirius Black and Severus Snape entering or leaving that property before the Aurors arrived to seal it. “Hagrid was just coming in the garden gate when I exited the house after moving James’ body into the sitting room. I wasn’t really listening to what he was saying, but it had something to do with the Headmaster having left some kind of monitor in the house and having heard the alarm. It was only when he said that the Headmaster had sent him for Harry that I tuned in. He was adamant that I hand Harry over, not listening when I told him that Harry wasn’t in Godric’s Hollow anymore. Tired of fighting with him, I told him to check for himself and then left. I needed to go check on Peter, see if perhaps a struggle had happened.”“What did you find when you arrived at Mister Pettigrew’s home?”“Nothing. Everything was in its place. It looked like it always did, so I knew that he was the traitor. He couldn’t have been grabbed from the Ministry; those apparition points are some of the most secure and Peter’s flat wasn’t connected to the Floo, and after an experience when we were third years with the Knight Bus, Peter refused to ride it ever again. There was only one option; he’d gone willingly.”“How could you know for sure that Mister Pettigrew had gone willingly?” Jillian questioned with her eyes narrowed as she wondered. It was always something she’d wondered; how the Department of Magical Law Enforcement knew that type of thing.“The Anising Diagnostic showed no levels of magic high enough to have been a large-scale repair or a duel clean-up,” Sirius replied, shifting again. “Not to mention, the apparition point was in the lobby, and unless he was grabbed in the stairs, it would mean that whatever happened had to have happened in his flat.”“Where did you go after you were finished at Mister Pettigrew’s?” Garrison asked.“I went to find him,” Sirius told him.Garrison nodded silently, noting down Sirius’ answer. He stared at Sirius for a long moment before opening his mouth to ask the final question of this round. “How long have you been an Animagus, Heir Black?”“Eight years.” It was apparent that Sirius was reluctant to answer, but the Veritaserum forced it out of him.Genuinely entertained by the shocked and awed looks that crossed the faces of the gallery, Garrison huffed a snicker to himself. Those looks, even if—in the case of the balcony occupants—they were quickly masked over, would be imprinted into his mind for months. It just went to show the power in not only this young man but his family and the others of his friend group as Garrison got the feeling that it wasn’t just Heir Black who had been an Animagus.“What is your form?” Garrison asked.“A Grim.”“A Grim? An actual Grim?” Jasper questioned, a gobsmacked look on his face.Sirius nodded, signalling that the Veritaserum was wearing off, as he’d told the truth. Still, it wasn’t the compulsive audible answer that it should have been if the Vertiaserum was working at full strength.“Alright, that’s enough for this first round. This trial will take a short recess. It will resume in an hour and a half. Discussions will turn to Witnesses and the events of November fourth.” Garrison hammered his gavel on the desktop before setting it aside and locking down his station so he could go get some lunch.———“This trial now resumes. Miss Delhaven, please call the first witness.”Yasmina stood from her desk. She rounded to stand in front of it with her parchment board and looked up into the stands. “The Ministry calls Sir Regulus Black the Second to the stand.”Regulus Black stood from his place beside the Heir-Consort, making his way out to the aisle and downstairs as directed by the Auror stationed in his section. The gate between the Galleries and the Floor was opened by the Auror assigned to the Valley who immediately shut it after Regulus passed through to sit in the seat off to the Council’s right where called Witnesses were to sit in the same type of enchantments the defendant did, barring the heavy chains.As soon as he sat down, some of the golden bands wrapped around him disappeared in a burst of golden sparks. He settled himself more comfortably on the seat, crossing his ankles and tucking them underneath the chair.“Are you ready, Sir Black?” Yasmina questioned as the Veritaserum was brought over.Regulus dipped his head before sticking out his tongue for the Veritaserum. Three drops onto his tongue, and he blinked a few times as the potion took effect. He settled back against the chair as it finished coursing through him, staring at her with placidity in his face but lucidity in his eyes.“Please state your name and titles.” Yasmina hovered her quill over the parchment.“Regulus Arcturus Black the Second; Heir to the Headship of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black, Apprentice Enchanter.” Regulus reached up to his collar and pulled at a chain, revealing his mark of Apprenticeship to the room. A ball comparative to a time turner hung from the chain, but rather than an hourglass inside the clear glass ball, the centrepiece was a smaller ball of dragon-fired wood circled by evermoving rings of something silver-coloured, runes carved into each ring.Yasmina wrote down the answers before asking her next question, “What is your current age?”“Twenty, to be twenty-one in two months.”“What is your current address?”“The White Room of Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England.”“What is your relation to the accused?”“He is my elder brother, the future Lord of my House.”“He’s ready, Council,” Yasmina announced, rolling her parchment up and returning to her seat behind her table.“Sir Black, how would you describe your brother?” Jasper questioned, leaning forward over his desk. He’d gone to school with the Brothers Black, but he’d been a first-year to their third/second and a Hufflepuff nonetheless, so he’d rarely if ever interacted with either.“Impulsive,” Regulus started, dropping his chin into his hand as he rested his elbow on the chair’s arm. “Loyal. Protective. Brave, occasionally to the point of stupid. Powerful.”“Dark?” Jasper pushed.“That depends on how you define Dark. If you mean Death Eater, then absolutely not. If you mean Dark in affinity or mindset, then absolutely. The same could be said for any member of the Black Family, it comes with the territory, and our upbringing.” Regulus blinked slowly at the council. “We were the King’s Shadows, his spies in the dark. It’s how we were raised and how we will always be raised until the Throne lets us go. We do what’s necessary, no matter the consequences. That’s our purpose, our nature, and our calling. It’s what bearing the Black name and magic means. It’s what draws us to danger or thrills.”Garrison knew Regulus wasn’t being malicious. It was merely a history lesson for those who’d either never learned or those who’d forgotten. It was something all the families closest to the now extant, but uncrowned Monarchy knew and, most importantly, remembered for when the crown was once again picked up and donned the head of a Royal.“How would you describe Heir Black’s relationship with Lord Potter?” Jillian asked.A small smirk crossed Regulus’ face, and Garrison sighed internally at that look. He’d seen it before, it was the look of a Black about to have some fun at the expense of someone else. Regulus’ grandfather, Arcturus, had had that same look on his face when he went at Nigel Parkinson for coming onto his sister Lycoris fifty years before.“Doting. Adoring. Loving,” Regulus listed, ticking things off on his fingers. “He’s Bound to him, and it reflects in his behaviour.” The smirk ticked up again before he continued, “But what do you expect from a Godfather to his godson.”Garrison dropped his head into his hands with a sigh, staring down at the young man smirking up at them. “Yes. Yes,” he agreed. “However, I am sure that is not what Miss Abbott meant. How would you describe your brother’s relationship with the Late Lord James Potter, Sir Black?”“Immediate. Extreme. Close,” Regulus replied. “It started before we went to school at a dinner party held by Aunt Dorea, and they were more entangled as soon as or even before the train left for Hogwarts. Sirius has always held relationships in the extreme; he would die for those he’s closest to and kill those he’s not if it came to it. He would have died for James if it had come to that, so there’s no way that he was the Secret Keeper or that he gave up James and Lily Potter, he would have died first, taking that Secret to his Grave and the Beyond.”“And how easy would it be for Heir Black to have fallen into the Black Madness at the betrayal without the anchor of his Godson’s care to impede him?” Garrison asked, quirking an eyebrow.“Extremely. Unlike Bellatrix, who had all the pressure of being an unwanted—and frankly improper—child pushing her into madness, Sirius and I have the pleasure of being children of bloodlines that make vengeance a part of our very being. Blacks are the King's Vengence for a reason, after all,” Regulus replied, tipping his head and jangling the chains hanging from his ears. “And with his Blood Brother and Heart Sister both dead, his Godson’s care assured with someone that he may not trust with himself but sure as all hells can with the Child of his Soul, and his Bonded out of the country, there was no one to stop him. If it had been me, I would have done the same, in all honesty.”“Do you think your brother could have killed Mister Pettigrew, one of his closest friends?” Elizabeth questioned.“Oh absolutely,” Regulus replied with a truly wicked smile on his face. “Pettigrew may have started as a close friend, but by the time the Marauders graduated, he was little more than a hanger-on they couldn’t chuck off. He was barely around, and they’d all moved on to other things.”Garrison hummed under his breath, thinking of all the interactions he’d ever had with a member of the Black family. It was honestly not that far a reach that Sirius Black would have done away with the betrayer of who he saw as a member of his family in the explosive fashion that he supposedly had done so, other Blacks had done the same for less. He nodded his head slowly before speaking, “That should be enough, Sir Black. Thank you for your time.”Regulus nodded, the Auror with the Veritaserum coming over to add a drop of the antidote to his tongue before he was allowed to get up from the chair and return to the gate to be let back in and resume his place in the gallery. “Next, we call Lady Minerva McGonagall,” Yasmina announced. She had changed the docket during the break, wanting to have a more outside perspective in between the two that were most important in the making out of Sirius Black’s character.A stern-looking middle-aged witch rose from the end of the row, smoothing the skirt of her dress with a clean motion before she made her way to the gate. Her dark hair was pulled up in an intricate weave of braids that jingled slightly due to the jewelry clipped, hanging, and woven into it. She had bands of subpoena magic almost all the way to her shoulders, a true mark to her trustworthiness if she was going to be called that many times to speak before the council. And only a few of those bands finally disappeared when she sat down on the chair and settled in.“Lady McGonagall?” The Auror questioned as he held the vial in his hands. She tipped her head to allow it, and he made sure he was quick about adding the dose before standing back so that the questioning could commence.Yasmina took a single step closer before beginning the questioning, “Please state your name and titles.”“Lady Minerva Annalyne McGonagall, Lady of the Aged and Intelligent House of Urquart, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and Transfiguration Mistress.”“Please state your age.”“I am sixty-three years of age.”“Your address?”“I spend much of my year in my quarters of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but the remaining time is spent at Urquart House, Oxfordshire.”“And your relation to the accused?”“I was his Head of House for the duration of his tutelage.”Yasmina dipped her head to the older woman before crossing back to her table with the answer sheet in hand.Garrison shuffled forward in his seat, leaning over his desk to look at her more closely. He’d been graduated for nearly a half-decade by the time Minerva McGonagall-Ross entered Hogwarts in the class of 1940, but he’d been well appraised of her talents by his nephew who was a year older and his niece who was a year younger. He hadn’t been too surprised to hear that she had left the Ministry after only two and a half years. Though he honestly expected her to travel and get her Mastery proper before taking any of the positions he’d heard had been offered to the talented witch. Still, he had been surprised that she’d gone straight to Hogwarts from the Ministry with plans to study for her Mastery at the same time. He thought she deserved better, in all honesty, with how talented she was, but that was how her life had turned out, and there was no changing it.“Lady McGonagall, could you please describe the relationship between Heir Black and his friends, starting with how it came to be?” Garrison requested.McGonagall nodded sharply, a stray lock of her hair falling into her eyes at the motion. She tucked it back as she began to speak, “The relationship between Sirius and James was apparent from the moment the class of nineteen-eighty-one stepped through the doors of the Great Hall. They stood together in the middle of the group, and it was occasionally visible that they were clutching at each other’s sleeves. They looked nowhere but the stool at the front of the room, not even at the other members of their families already sorted and seated elsewhere.“Remus was brought into their brotherhood just before Samhain when the first projects were handed out, and three were assigned together. It was fairly easy to see that they got closer over the two months of project work. When the three returned from visiting home for Yule Break, they continued to work together even though the projects were completed and new projects weren’t due to be started until towards the end of the year.”When she didn’t appear to be ready to continue, Garrison prompted her, “And Mr. Pettigrew?”McGonagall wrinkled her nose, “Mr. Pettigrew had been home educated for his first year, at least theory-wise. Just before September first nineteen-eighty-one, he contracted a weaker strain of Dragon Pox and was confined to the Pox Ward of St Mungo’s. When he was healed enough the year following, he arrived and was sorted into Gryffindor as well. When that happened, I requested that James, Sirius, and Remus help him catch up in the physical portions of their classes. They weren’t entirely happy with my request, but he was their new roommate, and they followed my directive.“By the time they reached third year, it became obvious that they had each fallen into a set of roles. James was the leader of the group with Sirius as his second. Remus had fallen into being the researcher in the background. Mr. Pettigrew had taken the task of being the sounding board, though he came up with plenty of ideas on his own, including many of the more unpleasant ones.” She pursed her lips, making her look very severe. “Many of Mr. Pettigrew’s ideas ended up injurious and on one occasion, near-fatal.”“Near-fatal?” Jillian questioned with a raised eyebrow. They'd heard nothing of this, but then again, Hogwarts rarely featured in the news. “Quite,” McGonagall responded, shifting in her seat with displeasure plainly written on her face. “In nineteen-eighty-five, a prank planned out by the so-named Marauders was set up by Mr. Pettigrew near a railing for the fourth-floor landing. I must be adamant, where Mr. Pettigrew set up this prank was not the intended location, according to Remus and James, who reported the incident after it happened. The prank was supposed to be set up in the halls leading to the Entranceway and the Great Hall due to tripping the affected as a distraction for the Color Changing Charms set to transform the robes of those involved. Mr. Pettigrew set the prank too close to the edge of the landing, and when several Ravenclaws stepped through it, they were propelled over the railing to the next available landing down, a drop of nearly six meters. Remus escorting James and Sirius to my classroom for detention were witnesses to the whole event, only stopping due to an argument between the three, which allowed them a clear view of the Ravenclaws stepping through the prank on the floor above. Sirius stayed behind to help while Remus and James hurried to my classroom to report the incident.”“Was there a reason for this?” Marshall asked, a frown on his face.“Mr. Pettigrew was not looked on kindly by the others of their year for a multitude of reasons. Three of the five Ravenclaws involved had snubbed him several times and were the true targets.” McGonagall smoothed her sleeve before crossing her arms, “His pettiness was always a carefully handled flaw… but perhaps not as handled as we had thought.”Garrison frowned at that information, eyes narrowing. If that was Mr. Pettigrew acting as a child, how had his actions changed when he became an adult? With that type of personality, it left no doubt in Garrison’s mind that it was likely Mr. Pettigrew had joined the Death Eaters and had probably revelled in it like so many of the others who had been caught and sentenced to Azkaban during and just after the war.“Do you feel that it is possible Mr. Pettigrew was the true betrayer of the late Lord and Lady Potter?” Garrison asked after writing down his observations.McGonagall seemed to struggle for a moment before answering, “Absolutely. If it was to his benefit in any way, shape or form, Mr. Pettigrew probably would have sold his own mother. Something that became more and more obvious the older the boys got as Mr. Pettigrew often threw his friends before the charging erumpent so he could have time with his girlfriend or time to himself.”“And Heir Black? Would he have betrayed the late Lord and Lady Potter?”Her answer this time was immediate. “Absolutely not. It wasn’t commonly known, but Sirius and James underwent a Blood Brother bonding the Yule of nineteen-eighty-five.”When the entire room turned to Heir Black, he shifted as much as he could and held his left-hand palm up, openly displaying the pale gray scar across the length of his palm. It was just one more reminder that James Potter was dead because if he wasn’t, that line across Sirius Black’s palm would be as dark in colour as the other tattoos visible on the young man’s skin.That was just the last piece of the puzzle. There was no way possible that Sirius Black III could have had anything to do with the deaths of James and Lily Potter. The Blood Brother Bond, the Godfather Bond, his personality, the fixation element of the Black Madness, all came together to make it so that Sirius Black couldn't have had anything to do with the Potters’ deaths. Magic or his own mind would have killed him either before it happened or shortly after it happened otherwise. The question then became: would he have murdered Peter Pettigrew? And how much culpability could be placed on his head if he had?“The final question, Lady McGonagall. Would Heir Black have killed Mr. Pettigrew?” Garrison continued.McGonagall thought about it for a moment before nodding sharply, explaining, “I do believe that Sirius would have very eagerly killed Mr. Pettigrew if he’d gotten his hands on him. It wouldn’t be the first time that a Black had killed a traitor to their Connections, and it won’t be the last time either.”“Thank you, Lady McGonagall,” Garrison told her, waving to the Auror to administer the antidote. “You may stand down now.”The Auror administered the antidote before she climbed down from the Witness’ seat and made her way back to the Gallery entrance. She retook her place, gently touching both Regulus and Heir-Consort Black before sitting down in her chair again.Yasmina looked up into the gallery, her eyes meeting Heir-Consort Black’s as she spoke, “Finally, we call Heir-Consort Remus Lupin-Black to the stand.”Heir-Consort Black rose from his seat, carefully making his way around Regulus, who gently pressed a hand to his side to steady him as he rose and passed him. He was careful as he made his way down the stairs to the Gallery entrance. He was equally cautious in crossing to the Witness’ bench, pausing only once to give Sirius Black a reassuring look before he continued on and up into the booth.Oddly, when he sat down, none of his subpoena magic strands disappeared. Garrison could see his compatriots straightening, and he turned his attention to looking into the balconies for Regent Bones.The warding on the closest box flashed green in the signal for the occupants wanting to speak, and Garrison tapped his wand to the Ward Rune for the box, the warding dropping to reveal Regent Bones and her companions.Regent Bones was standing at the balcony railing, and she cast a quick Sonorous on herself before she spoke, “It means nothing but that he is allergic or unable to take the Veritaserum itself. However, the subpoena magics will work the same as long as they are on him.”“And removing them?” Garrison asked.“They will dissipate themselves once the dismissal is announced,” Regent Bones assured him.“Very well then,” Garrison waved a hand to Yasmina, “Continue, Miss Delhaven.”Yasmina nodded before making the first request, “Please state your name and titles for the records.”“Remus Iohannis Lupin-Black; Heir-Consort Black, Defence Master Apprentice.”“Your age?”“Twenty-one.”“Your current residence?”“Nineteen Pencil Court.”“Your relation to the accused?”“He is my Bonded of four years.”“He’s ready,” Yasmina announced before taking her leave.“You were away during the events of October thirty-first and November fourth, correct?” Garrison asked. He wanted to make sure that all of the facts were clearly lined out.“Correct, I was in Greece studying with the Agéli tou Lycaon at the behest of my Defence Master William Hyde,” Remus responded.“When did you leave for this trip to Greece?”“October first.”“And when did you return?”“I was originally to return on the sixth of November, but I…” Remus squeezed his fists around the arms of the chair. “I felt that something was wrong on the first, so I tried to get home earlier. Unfortunately, there were no Portkeys until my scheduled date, so I had to wait. Then when the day did come, there was an issue with the portkeys, so they were cancelled and rescheduled for two days after when the magic could be checked. By the time it was all said and done, I didn’t return to British soil until November the tenth. Then I was required to sit with my Master for a day to discuss what I had learned, so even though every part of me was screaming to put it off, I knew that Master Hyde would come to drag me back by the ear, so I went to Hyde Park and sat with him for a day and a half before returning home.”“And what did you find when you returned home?”“A mostly clean flat, and an envelope on the table. I thought nothing of it; Sirius often left letters behind when he was going on assignments or would be spending long nights at the office, so I just went about my routine. It wasn’t until I got the Evening Standard out that I found out anything had happened.”“What did you do afterwards?”“I packed a bag and went to stay with my mother,” Remus admitted, not a bit of shame on his face as he dropped his chin to his hand. “I couldn’t stay in the flat, so I went home.”“Why didn’t you come forward to the Ministry after you found out about what happened?” Elizabeth questioned.“I was afraid. Afraid of what the truth would be or that I would be refused.”“Why would you have been refused?” Jasper asked.“I wasn’t sure that our Bonding was recognized, honestly. We were Bonded at Gringotts with only James, Lily, and the Black Accounts Manager as Witnesses. It wasn’t until Lord Black congratulated me that I understood that the Bonding was recognized.”Garrison smiled slightly at the sheepish look on Remus’ face. Ah, young love and impulsiveness. “Heir-Consort Black, what is your opinion of Mr. Pettigrew?”A sneer crossed Remus’ face before he answered, “He’s a rat, which should have been our first clue.”“Literally?” Garrison asked.“Yes! After the Magical Brother Bond between the four of us, Peter was finally able to achieve his Animagus form.” Remus shuffled in his seat unhappily, tapping his foot against the floor loudly. “We should have seen it then, but we were young and stupid and ignored it.”“Do you believe that your Bonded would have gone after Pettigrew if he was free to after the events of October thirty-first?” Marshall asked. “And if he did, do you believe that it could have happened how it was reported?”“Sirius would have absolutely gone after the rat if he was free too. I would have stopped him, made him get back up first and probably gone with him, but yes, he would have absolutely gone after Pettigrew for the deaths of James and Lily and his forced separation from Harry.” Remus reached up to tug his fingers through his hair before continuing, “And would it have happened the way it was reported? The only way it could have happened how it was reported was if Pettigrew had surprised him or caught him off guard somehow. Sirius would have snapped him like a twig if it had come down to sheer magical strength and battle prowess. It would have been the dog catching the rat if the rat hadn’t surprised him somehow.”“What would you have done if you were involved?” Marshall asked in genuine intrigue.“I would have torn him apart.” Remus’ reply was a matter of fact, and his face was carefully blank.Garrison studied him for a moment before nodding and telling him, “Consort-Heir Black, you are free to stand down, your role in this trial is now complete.”Remus breathed a deep sigh before standing, half of his subpoena bands disappearing as he got off the seat. As he left to return to his place, many wondered who else he was going to speak for.“Alright, Heir Black,” Garrison stated, waving a hand to the Auror in charge of the Veritaserum. “We will redo your dosing and go over the events leading up to and of November fourth.”Sirius winced but opened his mouth and held out his tongue for the dosage. He didn’t really want to speak on what happened that got him into this spot of trouble, but he would if it would get him off this seat and out to see his Godson.When the potion appeared to be working, Garrison asked the first question, “Where did you go after you finished searching Mr. Pettigrew’s flat?”“I… I didn’t really want to believe that he’d done it from his own volition, that maybe he’d been threatened or something, so I started going to safehouses we’d had set up. Hoping that maybe he was there, in one of them hiding from the Death Eaters or the Dark Lord,” Sirius started, staring at the wall in front of him rather than anyone. “I started with the East London flat, but it was empty, and I was tired, so I stayed there for the morning of the First. The next morning, when it was still empty, I left the flat behind and made my way as Padfoot through the city to the North London Bedsit. It was also abandoned, appearing unused for a few weeks, so I moved on again to try the Catacomb Room, which is where I spent the night of the Second. Next was the Whitechapel flat, which was also empty, so I didn’t stay longer than necessary.“I picked up a trace of him down the street, so I slipped down an alley and changed to follow it. It went all over the place, and occasionally I lost it next to the sewer drains, so I had to do a grid search until I found the trail again. I spent the night of the Third in an alley next to a drain where I lost the scent just before midnight.”“Did you spend all day of the Fourth searching that way?” Jasper asked, interrupting while Sirius took a pause to breathe.“Yes,” Sirius responded.“What happened when you did catch up to Mr. Pettigrew?” Garrison asked.“I followed the trail into Clerkenwell and found him scurrying around on the sidewalk with his head down and his coat drawn close to him,” Sirius replied. “I slipped down an alley and changed back and went to go grab him when he noticed me and started shouting.“Most of the other people around started backing away when he started shouting. I’m sure they thought he was crazy, so I paid them no mind.”“What tipped you off that he’d done it from his own power?” Elizabeth questioned.“His sleeve rolled up,” Sirius answered. “Just for a minute, but I saw it. The Mark. Regulus told me—and it had long been suspected—that it could only be given voluntarily, that it couldn’t be forced because it would kill the recipient, so I knew. I was furious and so ready to kill him.” “And what did you do?” Garrison asked. “After you found out the truth?”“I know a few spells wandlessly, and I wasn’t going to just bring my wand out when there were non-magicals everywhere, so I was running through what would be a good idea to use when it all suddenly exploded.” Sirius blinked rapidly like he was seeing spots in his vision. “I was dazed and slightly confused, and when my vision came back, I was staring up at the sky. It took me a minute to push myself up from the ground, and when I looked around, it was like I was on a battlefield from the Great Wars. The street and buildings were scorched, there was blood and viscera everywhere and screaming and crying, and I could barely hear it over the ringing in my ears.“I just got some of my hearing back when the pops of apparition started sounding, and Obliviators and Aurors and Field Medics started pouring out of the alleys around us. I didn’t even get to say a word before I was stunned. I could only watch as the Medics went through sealing wounds and helping those who needed it until the Response teams could arrive from the non-magical side. I could only watch as without even so much as a Medic speaking to them, the Obliviators started going through and removing memories from the able-bodied witnesses.”Garrison frowned at that information. He suspected the charges against not only Fudge but also Crouch, who ran the squads of those response teams, were about to go up. Interfering with non-magicals, interfering with Medical care; it would be a lot of Interference charges of varying bits and pieces. Gritting his teeth, he wrote down all of the additional charges he felt would be prudent to add to everyone they found was involved because he suspected it wasn’t just Fudge and Crouch anymore.“Did anyone check you over?” Jillian asked with a frown.“No, I watched as the Aurors did another sweep before the sound of sirens got close. There was a barked order that my swimming hearing missed parts of, and two of the Junior Aurors grabbed me by the arms and apparated. My mind swam at the spinning, and the next time I came to, I was surrounded by black bricks and iron bars, and there was a slimy gray hand reaching through the bars at me.”It was evident that the whole room was outraged, from the pulsing wards on the gallery and the balconies to the expressions of the judges. Sirius didn’t see or acknowledge any of it, his mind still on that final image of the Dementor reaching through at him. He shuddered in his seat, that image bringing a phantom feeling of that bone-deep cold.Garrison motioned for the antidote to be administered, a frown crossing his face at the shivering form of the Heir of the House of Black. Clearing his throat, he stood and spoke, “This courtroom will go into a brief recess while the council comes to a decision.” He took the knife off his desk and cut the parchment, collecting the written-on piece before stepping away from his desk with his tea in hand. Waiting for the others, he watched as the rest of the courtroom was cleared out, people pouring out of the room through the various doors.Leading the way, Garrison stepped into the anteroom set aside for them to discuss in. He made his way to the head of the table, settling into the plush chair there. He sat his parchment in front of him before draining his cup, setting it on the table and watching it disappear to be refilled.“Let’s get started, shall we?” he requested as a new cuppa appeared in front of him. Garrison watched the room fill again as he stood behind his desk. His hands folded in front of him he waited for the courtroom to be seated again and for Heir Black to be brought back in. Garrison gave the room a minute to settle before he stepped out to the lectern set up for this purpose. He set his hands on the top, his eyes flicking between the people before settling on Heir Black.“We have come to a decision,” Garrison announced. “In the case of Heir Sirius Orion Black the Third of the House of Black, the council finds you—” he made sure that the whole room was listening before continuing, “Not guilty!”The chains holding Sirius began to unclick, one by one the chains dropped from his person to either go back into the floor where they’d come from or to hit the floor with a clank that rang through the room. He stood from the chair but didn’t move further than a few feet away to hear the rest of what Garrison had to say.“Those truly culpable in this crime are Peter Pettigrew, Former Undersecretary Fudge, and the to-be ex-Lord Crouch. Peter Pettigrew is henceforth labelled as Fugitive Number One with a reward of six hundred galleons on his head. The trials of Crouch and Fudge have been set for later this month.” After a moment of visible chatter in the galleries, he signalled for silence again. He continued, “Restitution is as follows: the Ministry—for its part in your confinement—will pay one hundred galleons for every day you were in Azkaban, the Ministry will also pay for your first year of total healing. I have spoken to Regent Bones as well, she assures me that your job, if you wish to take it back up, will be open to you for the next five years. After those five years, you will be required to return to the academy and go through the whole hiring process again. Currently, however, you are required to return to St. Mungo’s until such a time that the Healers release you.”Stepping back from the lectern, he headed down to the valley floor. Coming to stand in front of Heir Black, he held out his hand to shake the other man’s hand. “Congratulations, Heir Black.”“Thank you, Sir Ollivander,” Sirius told him, shaking his hand happily before stepping back and turning his attention up to the gallery where his Bonded was watching.Garrison watched as Heir Black crossed to the gallery entrance, where his Bonded and brother were waiting for him. A soft smile crossed his face as he watched the reunion, Heir Black being wrapped up in a hug by both of the other men before his Bonded wrapped an arm around his waist and led him out of the courtroom.A soft touch to his elbow drew Garrison from his thoughts, and he turned to look at Elizabeth, who was standing next to him. “We did good today,” Garrison explained at the questioning look on her face. “That is a young man who is now free to go home to his Bonded, his brother, and the Godson he sent away.”Elizabeth smiled, patting his arm. “Of course, we did, and it’s no less than he deserves after everything he’s gone through. Now, we’re going out to celebrate our success, would you care to join us?” She waved at the others of the council, who were quietly talking at the base of the stairs up to the council seating.“That is an excellent idea,” Garrison agreed, holding his elbow for her to take. “Shall we?”She wrapped her hand through his elbow, and they walked over to the others, plans being laid out for a lively dinner between the five of them to celebrate a successful clearing of a man who never should have been in the place he was in.