Chapter 22
On Friday, Harry had his first class with the new DADA professor, Lupin. Sirius had told him that the man was a werewolf. Not that Harry actually cared.
What bothered him a lot more, was that the man had been one of his father's best friends and still had been absent from Harry's life. Why did he never check on his best mate's child?
Harry's father had literally become an Animagus for him and in return, he couldn't even show up once a year at Harry's relatives to see how the boy was doing? Not a single letter, not a single birthday or Christmas gift? Something was wrong.
Professor Lupin wasn't there when they arrived at his first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. They all sat down, took out their books, quills, and parchment, and were talking when he finally entered the room. Lupin smiled vaguely and placed his tatty old briefcase on the teacher's desk.
He told the class that he had prepared a practical lesson for today and guided them to the staff's room. On their way there, they encountered Peeves and Lupin showed them a cool prank spell that Harry couldn't wait to test on Weasley or Malfoy.
Snape left the staff's lounge after making fun of Longbottom and Lupin guided them towards an old wardrobe. Apparently, there was a boggart inside. A shapeshifter that took the form of whatever frightens people the most, as Granger so perfectly had recited from the book.
They all learned the incantation and the necessary mental preparations to repel a boggart. Then the students lined up in front of the wardrobe and confronted the boggart starting with Neville, whose greatest fear was apparently Professor Snape. The line in front of him got shorter and shorter, and it was almost Harry's turn.
Still, he had no idea what the boggart might turn into. He did not really fear anything. Only not being able to pursue his goals. But he was already on the right path there, wasn't he? What would the boggart show him?
Finally, it was his turn. But just as the boggart turned its attention on him and was about to transform, Lupin stepped in front of him and the boggart transformed into a crystal ball that looked remarkably like the moon.
Was Lupin afraid to transform? In any case, Harry was pissed. Especially when Lupin mentioned that the class was dismissed and gave them all homework.
Harry would not let the lesson finish like that. He remained with Lupin. As soon as everyone had stepped out of the room, he confronted the professor:
"Why did you not let me take on the boggart?" He asked the man, not bothering to hide his annoyance.
"I thought that was obvious, Harry. I did not want Lord Voldemort to appear during my class." Lupin replied calmly.
Harry was perplexed until he then started laughing
Lupin obviously had missed whatever could be so funny, so he asked the boy as much.
"You think I would be afraid of him? Someone who could not kill me as a baby and has failed twice more ever since? Someone, who hides in the shadows, because he is currently more than crippled and does not even have a body?
Someone, too scared to even use his own name? No, professor. Voldemort is definitely not whatever I am afraid of. Therefore, I would like to find out, if you would just let me, please."
Lupin eyed Harry for a minute. The boy was nothing like he would have expected. He was incredibly smart, as were James and Lily. But while James and Lily were outgoing and social, Harry preferred to remain to himself, study absurd magic, and was, according to the other professors, leagues ahead of his peers in most subjects.
"Very well Harry, step in front of the wardrobe and I will open it. You know the spell?"
Harry rolled his eyes and nodded: "I do pay attention in class, occasionally."
Lupin chuckled and opened up the wardrobe. A blur of colors appears as the boggart tries its best to transform into something that might frighten the person in front of him. Finally, he decided on something.
The blur of colors changed into a small familiar cupboard under the stairs. The thick lock at the tiny door swung open and faint light illuminated the inside of the cupboard. Inside was a small familiar-looking boy.
But this one still had his glasses. He looked even more fragile and skinny than how Harry remembered himself all those years ago. The boy was heavily bruised and bleeding from multiple wounds. His skin had an unnatural color to it.
The words "Harry's room" were carved into the wood above the boy. The child held a letter in his hand. The letter looked familiar too, there was the Hogwarts seal on it. However, when the boy opened up the envelope, the parchment inside was blank. There was no invitation to Hogwarts, no booklist, and most importantly no confirmation of Harry being a wizard.
Harry tore himself from the image. Was this his biggest fear? If things had gone differently and he never received a Hogwarts letter and wouldn't know about magic? If this was all the boggart was capable of, then it was pretty disappointing.
He imagined Draco Malfoy opening a prank letter that changed his pale blonde hair into an awful magenta. He loudly spoke the incantation and snorted as his mental imagine appeared in front of him.
Lupin hadn't said a word during all this. He was still staring at the cupboard and where the fragile, bloody, and broken boy had been laying on the dirty floor.
Harry noticed the man's shocked expression and the single tear that ran down his cheek.
"This is what you have missed because you didn't bother looking after your friend's son once in 12 years, Professor"
With that, Harry took his leave and walked out leaving behind the sobbing professor.
September 22nd, 1993
Three weeks of preparations had passed since Harry had his first talk with Sirius. They have been meeting almost every day since then and planning on how to free him. Harry started trusting Sirius more and more.
Flashback
At first, the man might seem like an overgrown child from the outside but was actually a highly intelligent individual that knew a lot about planning and strategy. He even was an Auror cadet before the events on that fateful Halloween night.
Harry also told Sirius about his upbringing and how Dumbledore had left him with the Dursleys who abused Harry for almost ten years.
"Lily and James were always too trusting of that meddling old fool. I am so sorry, Harry. If I had known what my actions would lead to, I would have never sought out Pettigrew. I played right into Dumbledore's hands by acting so recklessly."
"It's okay, Padfoot. I would have probably wanted revenge too. I will tell you a bit about my years at Hogwarts. I might look similar to my father, but I am certainly not him so please remember that."
Harry told the man about the summer before his first year. About going to Diagon Alley, getting his special wand, and doing his shopping. Next came the first year at Hogwarts, his sorting, the troll on Halloween. And finally, Quirrell and the confrontation with Voldemort.
"Awesome... so you've beat him a second time?" Sirius barked in laughter.
Harry continued with the prophecy, of which Sirius already knew, as James had told him.
"Are you not disappointed that I killed Quirrell?" Harry asked the man.
"No Harry, I'm proud of you! You did the right thing. It would have been either you or him. I've killed people, too. Well, I don't consider Death Eater and Voldemort sympathizers people, but anyway, you faced a threat and eliminated it. That's all there is to it."
Harry nodded his appreciation. They stopped for that night. He still had lots for Sirius to tell, but it was getting late, and he wanted to go down to Salazar before using the Time-Turner and getting some more reading on Animagi done.
At the beginning of his second week, Harry joined his first Arithmancy class. The class was even smaller. Arithmancy was perhaps the most difficult branch of magic. Well, one shouldn't really call it a branch. Arithmancy could be used to break down any branch of magic into its core components.
They started similarly to his runes class, with Professor Vector explaining the purpose and uses for Arithmancy. Next up they started with some simple calculations to break down the Lumos and Nox spells, in order to get a deeper understanding of them.
The spells were a really nice example to practice on since they perfectly countered each other. At the end of the class, only himself, Greengrass, and Granger came up with somewhat feasible results. All three earned some points for their houses and didn't get any homework.
With the weekend approaching, Harry and Sirius finally had more time to continue their planning and get to know each other better. So far, their plans were as follows:
Harry would analyze Pettigrew's movement patterns and see if there were certain times where the rat regularly left Gryffindor tower.
As soon as he found a reliable pattern, he would capture the rat in an unbreakable cage and notify Susan Bones to write to her aunt immediately and tell her that he had information about Sirius Black that might lead to his arrest. Harry would also tell Susan to make sure that her aunt brought the Minister with her to Hogwarts.
From there on he would wait for everyone to arrive in the Great Hall and expose Pettigrew in front of so many witnesses that Fudge could not ignore it and had to grant Sirius a fair trial.
Salazar agreed with their plan. While Susan wrote to her aunt, they also had anywhere from a couple of hours to a day to interrogate Pettigrew and learn as much about the Death Eaters as possible.
To actually catch Pettigrew, they would have to watch the Map for hours though. However, Sirius had a brilliant idea. He taught Harry a special charm that would record the movement of only Pettigrew's marker on the Map for a period of up to 12 hours.
Afterward, one could play out the replay and watch, if and also where, the person had moved during that time frame. The spell was a genius idea from Sirius and definitely something they would both try to permanently include in the Map as soon as they had the time.
For two weeks they started recording Pettigrew's movements and analyzing them, to find a pattern. Finally, something made sense: Pettigrew left the Gryffindor tower every other day for an hour starting either at midnight or at 2 am in the morning.
They couldn't find anything reliable that might indicate what days correlate with what times. So instead, tomorrow night Harry would simply wait at the passageway of the Gryffindor Tower that Pettigrew always used to sneak out and apprehend him.
Flashback End
It was showtime. Harry left the Ravenclaw common room under his cloak at 20 to midnight. Sirius advised him to silence his steps and mask his scent as Pettigrew had extremely good senses, so Harry did just according to plan.
Carrying the small cage he had enchanted to be unbreakable, he made his way to Gryffindor tower. He was just on time and had 10 minutes left.
Now he carved a couple of very simple runes into the hallway that would prevent Pettigrew from escaping in either direction unless he transformed back into a human. The ward would prevent him from crossing the threshold, like an invisible wall.
Its original use was to keep rats and other small animals from food storage, but it worked perfectly for Harry's situation. It was very simple and yet effective.
Harry cast a quick Tempus charm: Two more minutes. Adrenaline started kicking in, but Harry calmed his nerves and reinforced his mental shields. He needed to stay in control.
It was unlikely that Pettigrew would transform and fight him head-on. He would certainly flee and try to find a way to escape instead. Harry honestly had no idea how the man had ever got sorted into Gryffindor.
Just on time, Harry heard the small rat crawling through one of the pipes that led from Gryffindor Tower into the corridor. As soon as the rat left the pipe, Harry sealed the exit by conjuring a wooden plank in front of it.
The rat noticed that it was in danger and ran straight towards the edge of the ward to get away from its invisible attacker. He would definitely not enjoy this…
With a high squeak, Pettigrew ran face-first into the wards. He was so dizzy and disorientated from the impact that Harry easily connected a strong stunner, and the rat went down unconsciously. Harry unshrunk the cage he brought with him and levitated the rat inside. He did not want to touch it if possible.
Silently he made his way down into the Chamber. Unfortunately, Sirius would not participate in the interrogation. It was too much of a risk, to take the rat back outside on the grounds, too many things could go wrong.
Harry opened Salazar's study and walked in.
"Have you been successful?" Salazar instantly asked his heir.
"Of course," Harry replied grinning, showing the man the cage and the unconscious rat inside.
"Well done! Stun him again before taking him out of the cage. Then cast the Anti-Animagi wards you learned about and force him to reveal himself with the other spell. The wards won't allow him to transform back as soon as he regains his consciousness."
Harry did just as he was told. The Anti-Animagi ward was a bit more complex, but Harry had practiced the runes with Salazar over the last two weeks. He warded the entire room before re-stunning the rat and taking it out of his cage.
Dropping the rat on the stone tiles he prepared himself to finally see the piece of filth that betrayed his parents:
"Animagi Revelio!"
The rat slowly started changing into a human. In front of Harry now sat a fat, dirty, rat-like man. Harry checked him for a wand and removed it, once he found it inside the dirty, smelling robes.
Next, he bound the man in thick ropes, checking their tightness to make sure he could not escape. Satisfied with his work he took a final look at Salazar, who gave him a short nod in confirmation:
"You can do this, Harry. Squeeze as much information out of him as possible!"
Harry nodded: "Let's get this over with."
"Rennervate!"
Pettigrew slowly started to regain his consciousness and flattered his eyes open. The first thing he noticed was that his body had transformed. He squeezed his eyes shut and Harry could tell that he was trying to transform back into the rat.
"It won't work. The wards will not allow you to transform."
A small squeak of surprise left Pettigrew's mouth: "Harry? Is that you?... It is! It's so good to see you again, it has been so long."
"Stop wasting my time Pettigrew. Tell me why? Why did you betray my parents to Voldemort!"
The man shuddered at the mentioning of the Dark Lord's name.
"I-I don't know what you are talking about Harry. I was friends with Lily and James… It was Sirius who betrayed them… You have to believe me!" Pettigrew explained nervously surveying the room for an escape route.
Harry laughed: "You won't get out of here and you can stop with the lies. I know the entire story."
"Harry please I don't know what you are…"
"Diffindo!" Harry grew tired of this. Time to speed up the process. The cutting hex cut loose the robes around Pettigrew's left forearm, also cutting deep into his skin, drawing blood. The man screamed in pain and started sobbing.
"I told you to stop wasting my time. Let's see what we have here, shall we." Harry asked the man, lifting up the torn robes around Pettigrew's forearm, and revealing a fainted tattoo of a skull with a serpent coming out of its mouth.
"Well now, this is very interesting, isn't it?" Harry remarked. "Again, I don't have time to interrogate you all night and the Aurors might get suspicious if they see the results of obvious torture. I will just rip the information I want from your mind."
Pointing his wand at the man's temple Harry spoke the same incantation and forcefully entered Pettigrew's mind. The man had no shields whatsoever.
It was almost disappointing, but Harry started digging on any memory that had to do with Voldemort. From newspaper articles, a young Peter read while still in school, up until the point of his recruiting.
Finally, Harry found something interesting. Harry saw himself standing in a dark room. Pettigrew had been afraid of whatever might come next. He watched as a line was formed and one by one the new recruits received their Dark Mark. All of them wore their hood deep above their face. Harry could not identify anyone.
Finally, it was his, Pettigrew's, turn. The Dark Mark consisted of a simple oath of loyalty to Voldemort. Then the Dark Lord pointed his wand at Peter's left forearm and started hissing in Parseltongue.
Unfortunately, Peter screamed as soon as the first syllable left Voldemort's lips. The man was so loud, that Harry could not hear anything of the incantation.
He had learned a few things, however. Since a Loyalty Oath was involved, the Dark Mark could only be received by one's own free will and not under the influence of any sort of curse or potion. Also, the incarnation was in Parseltongue.
Over the next couple of memories, Harry found out more about the tattoo and its purpose. It acted like a Portkey and Voldemort could use it to summon any individual follower or all of them together.
Harry frowned. This must have been the spell Riddle had been working on. Harry still had his personal copies of the notes. Maybe in a couple of years and with a better understanding of Arithmancy he could break down the Dark Mark and use it to his advantage.
All in all, Harry spent about two hours delving through Pettigrew's memories until there was nothing of worth left. The Dark Lod barely used him on any raids or invited him to larger meetings. He was too valuable as a spy in Dumbledore's little resistance group that Harry learned about.
Still, he learned a lot about how Voldemort operates and a bit about the Death Eaters as an organization. At some point, Pettigrew had passed out from the forceful intrusion into his mind.
Even better for Harry. He had read all about the memory charm and was now about to perform it for the first time. He completely wiped Pettigrew's mind for the last 24 hours. Just to be on the safe side, he extracted every single memory and erased it, one by one.
It was an extremely hideous process. However, now only someone extremely gifted in the mind arts could restore them, and Harry did not think the Ministry would waste any effort on it.
It was now about five am in the morning. Harry used the reversal of the Animagi-Revelio spell to force Pettigrew back into his rat form and put him back into the cage after stunning him. Now he needed some sleep. Tomorrow was a big day.
September 23rd, 1993
Today, everything needed to go according to plan. Harry skipped his workout; he was too tired anyway and watched the Map to wait for Susan Bones to make her way down to breakfast.
Finally, she left the Hufflepuff common room and Harry quickly made his way there. He caught her right before she entered the Great Hall:
"Susan, could I have a word, please?"
Susan nodded and gestured for Hannah to start breakfast without her. Harry took the redhead with him down the corridor and cast a couple of privacy charms.
"Susan, I need you to write to your aunt as soon as possible and tell her I have information regarding Sirius Black's current hideout. I am absolutely certain that he is hiding here at Hogwarts, I even know where, but only the Aurors could capture him."
Harry lied to the girl. He felt a little bad about it but would make it up to her in time.
Susan's eyes widened further and further at every word:
"Yes, of course, Harry! I will write to my aunt immediately. But why don't we tell the teachers? Or ask to use the Floo to talk to her directly." Susan asked, thinking about the other options.
But Harry was prepared for those:
"The teachers will only mess everything up again. Remember how they let a troll inside the Castle and couldn't even stop the attacks in our second year .. They would only ruin the opportunity and allow Black to escape again. No… We need qualified Aurors, led by Madam Bones." Harry explained.
Susan nodded her understanding:
"You're right Harry! I will send her a letter right now. It should arrive around dinner time at the latest."
"Perfect!" Harry took Susan back to the great hall and watched as she asked for ink and parchment before tying the letter to her owl that just got her the Daily Prophet. So far, everything was going according to plan.
Harry could not wait for the day to come to an end. In his free period, he quickly let Dobby take him to Sirius to brief the man on the developments.
They decided that Sirius would still remain in the Shack until they could be certain that Fudge wouldn't act rashly for no reason.
Harry then let Dobby take him back to the Castle, took the elf down in the Chamber, and ordered him to remain with the cage and the rat until Harry would call him.
Harry went to his last class of the day but could hardly stay concentrated. If tonight went according to plan, Sirius would be free, and Harry finally would have a permanent place to stay over the summer.
The teachers and Harry's classmates took notice of his unease but did not bother him about it. Harry remained around the Great Hall the entire afternoon up until dinner, to make sure he would not miss the delegation from the Ministry, in case they arrived early.
Finally, it was time for dinner. Harry nervously took his seat at the Ravenclaw table. The entire Hall started filling with hungry students. He reluctantly took a couple of bites from his plate every so often... His eyes pretty much remained on the door.
He noticed that Susan Bones shot him a friendly smile and mouthed the word 'soon' over from the Hufflepuff table. Dinner was almost over when the doors to the Great Hall burst open and Cornelius Fudge strode in, followed by his pink toad, Madam bones a couple of Aurors, and to Harry's shock a Dementor… In the middle of the great hall.
Instantly several Patroni, including Dumbledore's phoenix, McGonagall's cat, and Flitwick's eagle, appeared and held the dementor at bay from the students.
"How dare you bring this foul creature into a school!" Harry had never seen McGonagall so angry: "Are you completely out of your mind, Minister?!"
Dumbledore stood up from his seat, his aura was swirling with magic and the entire hall noticed it:
"Explain yourself, Cornelius, what is the reason for this?" He asked in a calm voice, but his eyes betrayed him. They were furious.
"I am the Minister of Magic, Dumbledore. I don't have to explain myself to you! If I see a concern for my personal security, then I will take whatever measurements I see fit."
"Not in this school, you don't," Dumbledore replied. "You have one minute to explain yourself before I rid this Hall of the Dementor and any other you have stationed around Hogwarts. I have been more than lenient with you. Do not test my patience."
Fudge looked like he was about to bluster a retort when Madam Bones interrupted him:
"I am sorry for this Dumbledore. We received information concerning Sirius Black and believe he might be here at Hogwarts."
Her eyes finally found Harry at the Ravenclaw table.
"Mr. Potter, if you could accompany us somewhere private, please?"
This was it! Let's do this, Harry thought:
"That won't be necessary Madam Bones, I have everything I need right here... Dobby!"
The elf appeared with a POP next to Harry and handed him the box. Harry cast a Soronus on himself, which was almost unnecessary as the Great Hall was completely quiet. He took out the unconscious rat and levitated it on the floor in front of him:
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I present. Peter Pettigrew."
"Animagus Revelio!"
Shouts and shrieks could be heard from all over the Hall as the rat started growing and transformed into the fat dirty man. Every eye in the Great Hall, from the students to the professors and the delegation from the Ministry was staring at the man wide-eyed.
Harry explained:
"Peter Pettigrew never died in his duel with Sirius Black! He cut off his own finger as you can see here!"
He held up the man's hand with the missing finger.
"Sirius Black is innocent!" Harry shouted and a murmur went around the Hall.
"Pettigrew killed the thirteen muggles and betrayed my parents to Voldemort! The proof…" Harry pulled up the man's sleeve "…is the dark mark on his left arm!"
"I demand a fair trial and compensation for Sirius Black! My Godfather! That has been left to rot in Azkaban for 13 years!"
"What fairy tale is this!" Fudge roared.
"Sirius Black is a criminal and will receive the dementor's kiss on sight! I don't know who this man is, but we will take him into custody and continue looking for Black.
Peter Pettigrew is a national hero and has received an Order of Merlin! You will be charged with wasting Ministry resources, Potter, for lying and deceiving us into coming to Hogwarts!"
"You are a disgrace to this country, Fudge!" Harry shouted, his eyes glowing the familiar emerald green.
"You see a Death Eater with the Dark Mark laying on the floor and don't have an ounce of logic to question my Godfather's story? He never even received a trial! Professors, you taught this man! Could you please verify his identity."
McGonagall, Flitwick, and even Snape stepped down and walked over to the man. After only a minute Snape spoke up:
"Potter tells the truth. I went to school with him for seven years. I can also confirm the Dark Mark on his arm is indeed real!"
McGonagall and Flitwick nodded their approval.
"Fine, whatever. We will take him into custody and question him later this month. This does not disprove Black's story. The hunt for him will continue!" Fudge replied angrily.
"Cornelius, please see reason! All the facts point in the direction of the man's innocence." Dumbledore spoke up again.
"I do not care about you fairy tales, Dumbledore, especially not if they come from the Potter boy, to begin with. I have over one hundred dementors stationed around the school at this very moment and they will find Black! It is only a matter of…"
Fudge stopped his monologue and everyone else had gone very quiet as well. The dementor that so far had been held at bay by the Patroni started shifting and tried to exit the Great Hall.
"What is…", Fudge spoke up. "What is going on?"
"They have found him, Minister!" The pink toad, Umbridge, shrieked with a gleam in her eyes.
"They have found Black and he is responding to the call!"
"NO!" Harry shouted. "Leave him alone! He is innocent!"
It was too late… The delegation from the Ministry hurried out of the hall.
Dumbledore stepped down to Harry:
"Harry, where is he?"
"Dobby!" Harry shouted and the elf appeared with a POP:
"Take me to the Shrieking Shack, now!"
Dobby took his hand just as he saw Dumbledore nod to the other Professors who made their way out of the Great Hall.
Harry landed in the room at the Shack, but Sirius was gone already. He could feel the dementors around him. He doubled his mind shields and took a look out of the window to see a large black dog running to an open field. At the edge of the lake, over a hundred cloaked figures made their way towards him.
"Dobby take me down there, now!"
With another POP Harry appeared next to Sirius and placed himself protectively in front of the dementors. Sirius transformed back into his human form:
"Harry, what the hell are you doing, get out of here, now!" Sirius yelled at him.
"I won't leave you, Padfoot. We will hold them off."
The dementors slowly started approaching from the edge of the field. Just then a couple of other POPs could be heard all around them.
The Ministry delegation and the professors had both all apparated to them. Dumbledore must have lifted the Anti-apparition wards.
"Cornelius, call back your Dementors! There is a student here!" Dumbledore shouted as it grew colder and colder around them. From all around them the Dementors started approaching Sirius and Harry. The closets were only 50 meters away now.
"I can't control them anymore, Dumbledore! They have orders to kiss him and anyone that protects him on sight! Get Potter out of there!"
"Harry, please leave!" Dumbledore shouted over the field. He himself and the other professor had now conjured Patroni each, to protect themselves of the horrible effects of the Dementors.
The cold and hopelessness became overwhelming. Harry saw the Auros desperately trying to hold up their own Patroni. Only Madam Bones Leopard was still standing, keeping a couple of the Dementors at bay.
"I am not going to leave him!" Harry shouted back. Behind him, Sirius dropped to his knees, the effects of the approaching Dementors were too much for his fractured mind.
"You leave me no choice!" Harry roared as the closed Dementor was now only a couple of meters away. Dumbledore and the professor were holding off about 20 Dementors while Madam Bones was the only Ministry official still standing.
Harry reached deep into his magical core, deeper than ever before. Channeling his hate at everything that had made his life miserably, his hate for these foul creatures, and the ignorance and sheer incompetence of the Ministry.
His eyes now glow a vibrant green, visible through the night. The area around started getting even colder. But it was a different cold than what the Dementors emitted. This cold felt not like hopelessness but like pure death.
Channeling as much magic and hate as possible Harry roared:
"ELICIO TENEBRIS INIMICO"
A giant Thestral broke from the tip of his wand and charged toward the closest Dementor. The skeleton-like horse was larger than its real-life counterparts and consisted of a blackish flame-like texture. Its eyes were glowing in a similar green as Harry's.
The Thestral made contact with the first dementor and with a large bite ripped the creature's head clean off. The fallen Dementor's comrades roared and started floating towards the Thestral from all directions, but they were no match for the demonic animal.
One by one Harry's Inimicus picked them apart before they realized that they were hopelessly outmatched and fled from it.
The Thestral chased them further down the field, supporting the still standing professors and Madam Bones, who had so far repelled a couple of dementors all by themselves.
When no dementors were in sight, the horse-like creature flapped its wings and slowly trotted over to Harry. With a last look in its caster's eyes, the corporeal black flame vanished, and Harry dropped to the floor unconscious.
Chapter 23
He blinked his eyes open. Harry was surrounded by the color white: White ceiling, white walls. A white curtain surrounded him and he was laying under white sheets. Harry groaned. He was in the Hospital Wing again.
"Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty." A voice greeted him from his right.
Harry did not need to even look to know who it belonged to: "Shut up you dirty dog. I don't even know how they allowed something as unhygienic as you in a hospital wing."
Sirius barked his trademark laughter: "I will have you know that I am perhaps the cleanest dog you will ever come across. Besides, I managed to clean myself up nicely over the last two days."
Harry let out another groan. "Two days? That's how long I have been out? What happened after I passed out?"
"I don't know much about directly after, but apparently, Dumbledore stopped the Minister and his Undersecretary from taking you into custody for protection of a known criminal and… Well, killing the dementors. I don't even know how you did that. You got to teach me that spell, Harry.
Anyways, Madam Bones took your side and argued that even though my complete innocence was not yet proven, still, due to the new developments in my case, it will be reopened, and Pettigrew and I will receive a trial.
The dumb bitch of an Undersecretary tried to arrest you for killing the dementors, but technically that was thought to be impossible, so it's not really a crime?
I don't even know… It's probably in some legal gray area. Well, the good thing is that the press coverage turned out a lot more positive than after your little adventures in Paris." Sirius grinned and threw a copy of the Daily Prophet in his lap.
Harry stared at the title page and could barely contain his laughter:
Harry Potter, savior of the innocent?
By Rita Skeeter
One of Britain's most controversial celebrities has again found himself in a most peculiar situation two nights ago at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Harry Potter lured a couple of high-ranking Ministry officials to Hogwarts, under the pretense of having valuable information on the whereabouts of the presumed criminal, Sirius Black.
You have read correctly, dear readers: The presumed criminal.
In a shocking revelation, Harry Potter uncovered the identity of one Peter Pettigrew, who had been hiding in his illegal rat-Animagus form for over a decade.
His identity was confirmed by several of the man's former teachers and a classmate. He was also spotted harboring the infamous Dark Mark on his left arm.
Peter Pettigrew was thought to be dead along with 13 Muggles that lost their lives in an encounter between Black and Pettigrew almost 12 years ago. His appearance after so many years raises questions as to the actual role Black had played that night. Was it truly him that killed all those muggles? And why did Pettigrew hide in the first place?
An in-depth investigation in the case will be required, to shed light on the facts. However, that was not the only spectacular development that night.
For his personal protection and due to the presumed threat of Black, the Minister of Magic decided to let a Dementor accompany him to the Castle. When Sirius Black was spotted by the Dementor's comrades outside the Castle, the creature joined the hunt for Black and alerted the Professors and Ministry officials of the ongoing chase after Black.
Harry Potter was seen being side-along apparated by an elf out of the Great Hall. Soon after, he appeared next to Black, who at this point had already been chased by the Guardians of Azkaban.
Potter remained at Black's side and refused to follow any instructions, such as to get himself into safety. The Professor's and Ministry delegation were overwhelmed by the presence of over 100 Dementors. Even the combined Patroni of several highly accomplished Hogwarts Professors, the Aurors, and madam Bones were unable to keep all of them at bay. Not even Albus Dumbledore, Grand Sorcerer Supreme, could keep the foul creatures from interfering.
Harry Potter, therefore took measures into his own hands and used an unknown spell to not only repel the dementor's from his and Black's position but severely damage and even kill some of the guards while doing so.
Hogwarts Professor, Filius Flitwick, Charms and Dueling Master, had this to say:
"It was an unheard-of feat by Mr. Potter. It is certainly not a spell that I have taught him, let alone anything I know of myself. I assume it must be very old family magic."
This reporter also asked a specialist from the Department of Mysteries. The anonymous researcher had the following to say:
"There is only one known way to permanently damage Dementors or even kill them, which is Fiendfyre. The spell has not been seen since the war against You-Know-Who and the Grindelwald conflict on the continent a few decades ago. We analyzed the residual magic surrounding the area, last night's confrontation between Potter and the Dementor's took place.
We found traces of an unknown spell that shares only very few similarities to Fiendfyre. Unfortunately, our investigation was also distorted by the residual magic and traces of so many Patroni that had been cast that night. We were, therefore, unable to pinpoint the spell Mr. Potter has used. Our best guess goes along a similar line of thought as Professor Flitwick. We assume secret family magic had been involved."
Whatever spell is used, at the end of the day, all experts agree that it is unheard of and potentially dangerous for wizarding society. However, one must consider the life-threatening circumstances and the fact that Potter used the spell only in self-defense.
Sirius Black has been given political asylum at Hogwarts and remains with Mr. Potter until our Hero recovers from his endeavors. Due to enormous public pressure, the Ministry has agreed to hold a trial for Peter Pettigrew at the beginning of next week to progress the investigation.
We wish Mr. Potter a speedy recovery and thank our hero for potentially saving an innocent life.
For more information about Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew turn to page 4
For more information about the Potter's and the secrecy behind family magic turn to page 6
Harry chuckled and put the paper away. That was a lot better publicity than what he had received after his duel with Delacour:
"They make you look like a damsel in distress that had to be saved by me." Harry laughed.
"You should give an interview as soon as my name is cleared, Harry. It will improve your public image, which is something you desperately need."
"I don't care about my public image, Padfoot. Let them talk… That's all they can do."
"And this is where you're wrong, Harry. They have the power to make your life more difficult. There are not simply two opposite sides in any conflict. There are three major players in magical Britain right now. Each of them poses a threat to you and your plans for the future.
There is obviously Dumbledore, who has some hidden agenda for you that we don't yet know about. There is also Voldemort, who might be gone for now, but we know that he will return. Besides, his Death Eaters are still among us and impose a threat.
And finally, there is the Ministry and the political playing field. Why do you think Fudge was trying so hard to get me captured and not reopen my case? The answer is politics and gold, Harry."
At Harry's questioned look, Sirius continued:
"Fudge is swimming in gold from his biggest supporter and sponsor, Lucius Malfoy. Why do you think I pose a threat to Malfoy's plan, think Harry!"
Harry thought about everything he knew about Sirius and the Malfoys:
"You are the last in line to the Black fortune. Even though your mother cast you out, magic still recognizes you as the current heir. If you died, the next in line would be your cousin's son… Draco Malfoy, who is still a minor. Therefore, everything would go to his father."
"I see, you understand Harry, but actually, there would be a contestant for Draco Malfoy… You."
"How is that possible? My grandmother was a Black, my blood is therefore more diluted than Draco Malfoy's. I am also a half-blood."
Sirius chuckled:
"Your blood status does not matter for this, Harry. You are probably first in line after me, because you are my godson and I have named you my heir, should I die without kids. I don't think even Malfoy knows this, otherwise, he would be trying a lot harder to discredit you, than simply commenting on your dueling."
"I had no idea, you did that, Sirius. Do you still plan on having a family?"
"It was just a precaution should I die on duty or in the war. I'd like a family myself, but I honestly don't know if I still can. However, in case I can't produce an heir anymore, due to Azkaban, then it is only another opportunity for us.
Preventing me from conceiving an heir, even though I was innocent, could be recognized as line theft.
Therefore, we can squeeze every Knut out of the man that sent me to hell on earth in the first place… Bartemius Crouch."
Harry frowned, he had not heard that name before, but Sirius's explanation makes sense to him. Changing the subject, he asked:
"So, what is my current condition? Am I free to leave?"
Sirius chuckled: "Physically you are more than fine. Pomfrey even got suspicious that you were… Let's say, so 'developed' for a boy your age."
Sirius grinned, while Harry rolled his eyes.
"Don't worry, I am sure she was just referring to your bodily height and build. You do look quite fit, I've got to admit." Sirius eyed him appreciatively.
"If you can keep your mouth shut, I might even tell you why I look the way I do," Harry replied sarcastically.
"Alright pup, I will stop teasing you. Anyways, as I said, physically, you are fine. However, you completely drained your magical core. This morning it was already halfway up. Poppy almost flipped out and shouted that she had never seen something like that in a 13-year-old.
You are allowed to leave as soon as you wake up. Magical Britain and especially the students are really impressed with what you managed to do. You even received some fan mail." Sirius laughed.
"As you read in the Prophet, Dumbledore granted me sanctuary here at Hogwarts. It was nice to see Aunt Minni and Flitwick again, I must say." Sirius grinned.
"So, Pettigrew will have his trial at the beginning of next week?"
Sirius nodded. "Yes, hopefully, they will just pump him full of Veritaserum and the whole thing will be over quickly. I can't wait for this nightmare to be over with."
Harry nodded his understanding. "What will you do once you are free?"
"I honestly don't know yet. First and foremost, I need to recover from my stay in Azkaban. I will hire a mind healer and a specialist for the mind arts to repair whatever damage is possible. Next, I will have to get back in shape…
If Voldemort is truly still alive, then he will come back one day, and I have to be prepared. I'd join the Aurors again, but I don't want to work for the Ministry as of right now. Maybe I will become a Hit wizard for the ICW.
I was also thinking about stepping into my grandfathers' footsteps and taking on the mantle as Lord Black in the Wizengamot. We need to strengthen our political influence for the coming conflicts."
The two talked a bit longer until Harry felt well enough to leave. Using the Marauders' Map, he snuck down to the kitchens and let Dobby prepare a late brunch for them. Sirius loved telling godson all about his adventures using the Map.
Harry noticed how most of them seemed to be more of the romantic kind. Sirius must have been a womanizer and according to him, Harry would be following him on that path one day, as he was already flirting with Veela and turning heads left and right.
The next day Harry continued his normal routine and worked out in the morning. Sirius wanted to join him but was simply not fit enough to run for as long or as fast as Harry, yet. The two also did some light exercises in the ROR together.
Sirius was amazed at the room. He encountered it once during one of his endeavors with a pretty blond Slytherin back during his Hogwarts years. Apparently, she was now married to a man named Greengrass, who had been a couple of years older than Sirius.
Harry laughed at the thought of Daphne's expression if he were to tell her that his godfather hooked up with her mom. He told Sirius all about the pretty ice-cold Slytherin, who according to Sirius, was just like her mother from Harry's description.
Afterwards, they had lunch together and Harry took off for his final classes of the week, as it was Friday already. The weekend was spent together training in the ROR and planning the trial for Pettigrew and Sirius.
It was difficult to convince Sirius not to attack the rat during the trial. Harry understood him though, he wanted revenge. Revenge for the betrayal of his best friend and wife. Revenge for the years that were stolen from him during his stay in Azkaban and revenge for Harry having to grow up with magic-hating muggles, since Sirius could not be there for him.
Harry noticed that Sirius might act like the happy and pranking Marauder on the outside, but he must have changed a lot in Azkaban. How could he not? Being surrounded by those creatures for only a couple of minutes feels horrible already, let alone twelve long years.
It was a sensitive subject for Sirius, but Harry helped him overcome the worst of it, by talking about it. Harry wondered how he would have done himself in a place like Azkaban. His Occlumency shields were far beyond those of most adults, but how long could he withstand the dementors? Could he himself have found a way to break out, too?
Monday had finally arrived and with it the trial for Pettigrew. Since most of the professors were needed in the witness stands, no classes would take place today. Harry was also invited as a witness, so after breakfast, he made his way to Dumbledore's office to use the Floo.
Sirius had also been invited as a witness, but they could not trust the Ministry to keep their word as of yet. He was safer here at Hogwarts. Still, Harry and Sirius decided to let him take the Cloak and follow Harry into the courtroom.
As soon as Pettigrew had been declared guilty, he would reveal himself and finish his own trial. Sirius was tired of waiting to finally be declared innocent.
The Hogwarts delegation arrived at the Ministry and was instantly surrounded by reporters:
"Mr. Potter, who in your personal opinion has betrayed your parents? Pettigrew or Black?"
"Mr. Potter, as Sirius Black is your legal guardian, will you be leaving with him as soon as he is declared innocent?"
"Mr. Potter, do you know any other dark spells the Potter family has been keeping from the public?"
Harry just chuckled at the last one. He had prepared his full statement to the events already and would give one as soon as the main trial was over. The professors escorted him through the atrium to the elevators and down to the floors that held the criminal courtrooms.
The hall was full of people already. Harry could see the Wizengamot members in their deep purple robes. There was also a balcony for the reporters and dozens of camera flashes went through the chamber as soon as Harry entered.
The Hogwarts delegation made their way over to the witness stands. Madam Bones rose from her seat and the chamber went quiet instantly. Nobody wanted to anger the stern woman and be at risk of having to leave this historic trial.
"Ladies and gentlemen, members of the Wizengamot, dear witnesses and guests… Today we are here to right the wrongs of the past. We are here to do our very best to undo the injustice a member of our society had suffered for twelve years.
And we are here to finally serve justice and put on trial the real culprit that was responsible for an event that shattered Magical Britain like no other.
Bring in the accused!"
A large door to the side of the chamber was opened and Pettigrew was brought in accompanied by a tall wizard in smart robes.
"He was a famous lawyer for the Death Eaters that claimed to have been imperiused" Sirius whispered in his ear from underneath the invisibility cloak. Harry nodded.
Pettigrew was led to the middle of the chamber where a large chair stood. His hands were bound in special handcuffs that must hold some sort of anti-animagi wards on them.
He looked panicked and nervously sat down on the chair. His lawyer remained at his side, sitting behind a small table and pulling out pieces after pieces of parchment. Madam Bones continued:
"Please state your full name and year of birth, for the court."
"Peter Arnold Pettigrew, bo.. born 1960."
"Very well, let us begin. Peter Pettigrew you are being charged with the betrayal of James and Lily Potter, which led to their death, as well as taking part in an illegal organization, known as the Death Eaters, and the killing of 13 Muggles on November 1st, 1981. How do you plead?"
"Not guilty!"
A roan went through the hall. Everybody had heard of the events at Hogwarts and how Harry had exposed the rat.
"Very well. Let us continue. Please tell us, from your perspective, what happened the night of Halloween 1981 and the following day."
Peter told his story and Harry had to hold himself and Sirius back, as the little rat was lying through his teeth. Finally, he told the court about his confrontation with Sirius and how he escaped.
"So, according to you, Mr. Black had cast the Bombarda Maxima, you lost your finger due to some stray splinters, transformed into your Animagus form and hid, is that correct?"
Peter nodded.
"Mr. Pettigrew, why would you hide for over twelve years in your Animagus form? You were being hailed as a hero."
"I was afraid that Sirius Black or some of the followers of the Dark Lord might take revenge on me for leading a high-profile Death Eater into prison."
Funny that you mention the Death Eaters, Mr. Pettigrew. Do you know what tattoo we found on your left arm? We found the Dark Mark… Whereas Sirius Black did not have one when we cast him off to Azkaban twelve years ago."
Pettigrew started sweating profusely and looked over to his lawyer, who stood up.
"Objection your honor. Many of our most esteemed members of society have been branded with the Dark Mark against their will. My client, like so many others, has been under the Imperius curse when taking up the mark."
Harry growled again. The mark could not even be taken against one's free will.
"Objection overruled." Madam Bones calmly says. "Your client's story is an incoherent mess of lies, unlike anything we have heard in the courtroom before.
Mr. Pettigrew, after Harry Potter exposed you in Hogwarts, his personal elf also brought us your wand, that Mr. Potter took from you during your short time of captivity.
The wand was confirmed to be yours by Garrick Ollivander, who sold it to you in 1971. Our specialists from the departments of Mysteries were able to perform a Priori Incantatem.
You have not used the wand in twelve years, yet still, we found the trace of a strong Bombarda Maxima and a cutting curse.
Sirius Black's wand has been taken from him before he was cast-off to Azkaban. To my greatest regret, back then we never analyzed it. It still remained here and the last spells were a tracking charm, a stunner, and a disarming charm, as we found out over the last couple of days.
You have been lying to this court ever since you stepped foot in it. It could already pump you full of Veritaserum just for that, but we shall continue first and foremost. It is time for our first witness: I call Harry James Potter to the witness stand."
Harry stood up, reinforced his Occlumency shields, and made his way over to the small balcony and the witness stand.
"Mr. Potter, please describe the events that led to your capture of Peter Pettigrew on September 22nd, 1993."
"I have seen Mr. Pettigrew in his rat form at Hogwarts over the last two years. He was the pet, Scabbers, of Percy Weasley, before being passed down to his younger brother Ronald Weasley. The rat behaved, unlike any animal I have ever encountered before. Besides, the average lifespan for a common rat is two or three years.
How come this rat had been alive for so many years and even passed down in the Weasley family without anyone noticing? During my first class of Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall performed her Animagus transformation in front of the class and truly impressed me. I started reading up on the subject, during my first two years.
Finally, at the beginning of my third year, we began studying Animagi and the signs became too obvious. Professor McGonagall might remember, how only a couple of weeks ago I asked her specific questions after class on how to capture an Animagus and reverse the transformation."
At this everyone looked over to the Transfiguration Professor, who nodded and proudly looked at her student. Harry continued:
"I captured Pettigrew during the next best opportunity and kept him in a magically reinforced cage. The next morning, I asked Susan Bones to contact her aunt.
Had I told the girl that I captured a long-thought dead man, who had been hiding in Hogwarts as an Animagus, she and no one else would have believed me.
Therefore, I lied to her and told her I had information on the whereabouts of Sirius Black. Something that would definitely lure the Ministry to Hogwarts.
I am not sorry for deceiving you all and would do it again the exact way if I had to. I will personally apologize to Susan Bones, though." Harry finished his well-prepared witness statement.
"Hrmmm, Hrmmm." Came out of somewhere close to the Wizengamot seats. Harry groaned as the pink toad stood up:
"I think Mr. Potter is lying to us... He indeed knew the whereabouts of Sirius Black and failed to come forward to the Ministry. He also protected a known criminal and refused to obey the Minister's instructions.
In addition, he practiced Dark Magic so close to Hogwarts and even killed the Dementors, which some may consider Ministry property. I believe he should be expelled for his action and pay a fine for the damages he has dealt."
Shouts could be heard from all over the chamber. The outcry was far stronger than Harry would have imagined. I felt good, knowing that the majority was taking his side.
Harry stood up and the chamber went quiet:
"Madam Umbridge, whether or not I knew the whereabouts of Sirius Black is irrelevant, due to the fact that I myself personally knew of his innocence, after figuring out Pettigrew was an Animagus.
The spell I used is not dark, simply Potter family magic, something I will not, under any circumstances, be sharing, and certainly not with the likes of you. I acted in self-defense when protecting myself, Black, and even you from the Dementors that night.
You were with us on that field and went unconscious as soon as the first Dementor approached. I do not stand on trial here. I don't have to explain myself to you. You are a secretary, Madam Umbridge, how about you keep taking some notes for your boss and kindly shut up."
A lot of people started chuckling while the toad became red in the face and looked like she wanted Harry to die a most gruesome death. Madam Bones silenced the chamber with a bang from her wand:
"That is enough! Thank you, Mr. Potter, for your statement, you may return to your seat. The Wizengamot will now hold a vote:
All those that believe the accused innocent?"
No one was dumb enough to raise his wand. Supporting Pettigrew at this point was nothing short of political suicide.
"All those that hold the accused accountable for all crimes and declare him guilty"
Almost every single wand shot up in the air. Harry took a deep breath and a genuine smile appeared on his lips. He could feel the euphoria in Sirius next to him.
"Very well... Peter Pettigrew, you are hereby sentenced to life in Azkaban. Your order of Merlin will be revoked and you shall never see the light of the day again. Aurors, take him away!"
The crowd started cheering as Peetigrew's Lawyer ripped apart a couple of his documents and shot a frightened look towards Malfoy.
"Let's go, Sirius, you've got this! Big entrance!" Harry whispered to his side.
He could feel Sirius stand up. In one smooth motion, he pulled the cloak from himself and quickly handed it to Harry, before the first people around him noticed his presence. He cast a Soronus on himself and spoke up:
"Well, thank you for that, Madam, Bones. But I think we are not quite done here yet." He grinned.
"Sirius Black!" Fudge screamed. "Someone capture him!"
Chaos erupted in the chamber; a couple of people went screaming similar to Fudge. Harry and Sirius just started laughing, especially when none of the Aurors moved a finger.
When Fudge himself pulled his wand, Harry flicked his own into his palm and stood protectively in front of Sirius:
"Anyone who tries to lay a finger on my godfather will suffer a similar fate to the Dementors," Harry warned the hall, his eyes flashing their trademark emerald green.
"As much as we all loved seeing you in action, that won't be necessary, Mr. Potter. Cornelius, sit down. Do I have to remind you that I hold the authority in the courtroom?"
She turned her attention to Sirius, who flashed her a smile and quickly whispered to harry:
"Amelia was two years ahead of me at Hogwarts back then. I never had a chance with her." He grinned.
"Common, Padfoot, be serious just for once. And don't say it!" Harry added, realizing his mistake too late.
"What do you mean, Harry, I am always Sirius." The man chuckled and made his way to the middle of the courtroom.
"To speed up this whole process I would like to testify under Veritaserum." Sirius declared and as he cast a quick Scourgify on the chair Pettigrew just sat on before taking his seat.
"Very well, Aurors administer three drops of Veritaserum!"
Sirius opened his mouth and the full three drops dropped on his tongue.
"Please state your full name and year of birth."
"Sirius Orion Black, 1960."
"What was your relation to the Potters?"
"James, Peter, and I were good friends at Hogwarts. I was his best man when James married Lily and they named me the godfather of their son."
"Who betrayed the Potters on Halloween and what happened afterward?"
Sirius retold the entire story similar to how he first told Harry, back in Shack. It was still a traumatic experience and Harry could see watery eyes all around the courtroom by the time Sirius came to an end.
Bones continued:
"How did you escape Azkaban?"
Sirius took perhaps a tad longer, but he replied nevertheless:
"I knew I was innocent, that's what kept me sane. When Fudge gave me a copy of the Daily Prophet at the beginning of summer, I recognized Pettigrew and knew he would be returning to Hogwarts. I wanted to keep my godson safe from the rat that betrayed his parents.
I transformed into my Animagus form..." At this, a murmur went through the halls at the realization that a second illegal Animagus was revealed to the public. The reporters started taking even more pictures and writing their notes faster than ever before.
The fact that one could break out of Azkaban using an Animagus form was a shock to society. Rita Skeeter and her weird-looking quill could hardly control their excitement.
Sirius could finally continue after Madam Bones ensured peace and quiet in the chamber:
"and slipped through the bars of my cell. The Dementors could not sense me as an animal. Then I made my way to Hogwarts."
"That will do!" Madam Bones interrupted the silence that had followed Sirius' confession. The entire chamber was deeply moved by the man's genuine care for his godson.
"Please administer the antidote."
The Auror followed Bones' orders and a couple of seconds later Sirius trademark grin appeared on his face:
"I hope that was enough to prove my innocence, Madam Bones?"
"Indeed, it was, Mr. Black." The woman nodded. "I would also like to give you my sincere apology on behalf of the DMLE. A case, such as yours, shall never be repeated again. From now on, every suspect, no matter what crime, shall make use of his right for a fair trial."
"Your apology is accepted, Mr. Bones, however, I demand compensation for the years that have been taken from me," Sirius replied. Now it was time to play his cards right.
Madam Bones nodded. "You will receive a compensation of 1000 Galleons for every year that you have been wrongfully imprisoned, Mr. Black. Being an unregistered animagus carries a steep fine as you will be aware but I am willing to waive that as time served."
Sirius grinned, showtime:
"I expected nothing less, Madam Bones, however, I also seek compensation from another member of this chamber!"
Excited whispers went through the chamber. Sirius directed his cold gaze at Bartemius Crouch, the current head of the department for international Magical Cooperation:
"Bartemius Crouch, you wrongfully imprisoned me and never gave me a fair trial. I demand retribution! Due to the foul creatures of Azkaban and my time spent in their presence, the House of Black has been robbed of an heir! With your actions, you undertook Line-Theft and I demand compensation of 10000 Galleons from House Crouch!"
The chamber roared in either acknowledgment or anger at the absurdity of the retribution. Madam Bones had trouble silencing the Chamber:
"Mr. Black, you are hereby declared innocent. All your personal belongings that have been taken from you at your arrest will be handed over.
The Ministry will deposit the compensation in your account at Gringotts and also cover any expenses for a mind healer. You may discuss the retribution against House Crouch in private. The case is hereby closed!"
Sirius returned to the stands and gave Harry a bone crouching hug followed by embracing McGonagall similarly. Harry never thought he'd find his professor in such a position and had to hold back his laughter at the scene.
The pair made its way back into the atrium, where dozens of reporters were waiting for a statement:
"Mr. Potter!" It seemed Rita Skeeter was the first to break through to them: "How do you feel about Pettigrew's sentence and the trial in general, are you satisfied with the outcome?"
Harry took a couple of steps forwards. He had talked to Sirius about this statement. It was his first step into improving his public image and ensuring he could continue his dueling career after the fiasco in Paris.
"I am thrilled that my godfather has finally been proven innocent after his years of suffering. The trial went just as expected and I am glad that I will now be able to spend some well-deserved time with a man I already consider as close family."
"What about Pettigrew, Mr. Potter? Many students that were present in the great Hall described your obvious hate for the man. How come you do not seek justice in a fashion, similar to how you reacted during your duels in Paris?"
Many of the reporters went quiet at Skeeter's bold question. For Harry, however, it was the perfect transition to the next topic he wanted to address:
"Death is not enough punishment for the crimes Pettigrew committed. He should suffer in Azkaban for the rest of his life, just like my godfather would have, had he defeated all the odds and battled fate itself.
As for my actions during the Dueling Championship… My actions in Paris were those of a younger, less mature me. I am not proud of them. I fully acknowledge Ms. Delacour's victory during my last duel. I should never have let things get out of hand like that and will do my best to prevent them, should a similar situation ever occur in a duel again.
I am glad Ms. Delacour had a speedy recovery and wish her the best of luck, should we ever face each other again at opposite sides of a dueling platform."
"Does that mean you will be competing again, Mr. Potter?"
Harry flashed a charming smile for the cameras:
"I am looking forward to competing again next summer, as I hereby submit my name as a competitor in the Under-18 Championship in Moscow next year! Thank you for your questions."