Chapter 25: The Article
Chapter Text
A/N: Rita's article proves to be everything Harry wanted it to be~
-x-X-x-
The story doesn't run in the next edition of the Daily Prophet. Or even the next one after that. But then, Harry isn't too worried. He'd told Rita to do her due diligence with this story and he expected her to follow his orders. In the end, it takes a few days… but finally the Daily Prophet's headline reads rather damningly.
SIRIUS BLACK INNOCENT?! INFAMOUS AZKABAN ESCAPEE AND HEIR TO BLACK FAMILY FORTUNE IMPRISONED WITHOUT TRIAL!
Sitting there reading the story, Harry remains stone-faced, not wanting to give anything away to those around him. Certain individuals knew Sirius was innocent of course. Dumbledore. Lupin. Him, Hermione, and Ron. Ugh, and Snape.
But the rest of Hogwarts, as they read Rita's article, are completely blindsided by the thought. As far as they're all aware, Sirius Black is the man who betrayed Harry's parents, escaped from Azkaban, and terrorized them all year long last year. In their eyes, Sirius is the reason Hogwarts was surrounded by Dementors all year long.
The article tears that all to pieces and paints a different set of individuals as the villains of this tale. Interestingly enough, Rita doesn't linger for very long on Sirius' betrayal of the Potters. She did, however, manage to get a quote from Lupin himself where Remus had said that IF Sirius wasn't the Potter Secret Keeper, it WOULD have been Peter and that might have explained why they fought just as easily as the opposite being true.
Harry wondered whether Remus had actually given that quote or not. It sounded like he was trying to defend Sirius after spending over a decade believing him a traitor, without exposing the fact that he was in contact with the escaped fugitive. It made sense, but Harry also wouldn't put it past Rita to just manufacture a quote from Remus without even contacting the poor werewolf. Given Lupin's status as a 'magical creature' in a wizard-dominant magical world, even if he tried to claim he hadn't said such things to her, no one would believe him over the Daily Prophet's most sensational reporter.
But that wasn't even the true meat of the article. Remus' quote and the idea of Sirius Black not even being the Potter Secret Keeper are barely mentioned before Rita launches into her true goal for the article… exposing a massive conspiracy within the Ministry itself to rob the Black Family of its fortune.
She does so first by exposing the fact that there are no records of Sirius Black receiving a trial. That in the aftermath of the Dark Lord's Fall, certain Ministry Officials decided there was no need for certain wizards and witches to receive due process. Rita cleverly compares the trials of Sirius' cousin Bellatrix Lestrange and her cohorts, among them being Barty Crouch Jr., to Sirius' lack of one. The fact that Bartemius Crouch Senior had been the one to decide Sirius' fate without a trial, but made sure his own son still got one, is spelled out quite clearly in the front page article.
Furthermore, it seemed Rita really has done her due diligence and research. Not only had she confirmed the lack of a trial or any relevant paperwork for one Sirius Black at the Ministry, but she'd also followed up with the goblins of Gringotts. As Harry had already known, Sirius was his grandfather's last living heir when the older wizard passed during Sirius' incarceration.
The moment that the old Lord Black passed; the Ministry had attempted to get at the Black Family Vaults. By Wizarding Law, they technically had a right to said vaults so long as Sirius had been properly convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. In fact, they had a right to Bellatrix's vaults under the same law if they could either get Lord Black's approval or prove Lord Black to be a criminal. Since they didn't have the old Lord Black's approval, they'd waited until he was dead to make their move.
The problem was, they couldn't prove Sirius Black was a criminal because he wasn't given a trial. And so the goblins had held the Ministry off, with Gringotts refusing to grant access to ANY vaults belonging to any members of the Black Family that might have been incarcerated in Azkaban Prison for as long as Lord Black did not sign off on the seizure.
It was the smoking gun, to borrow muggle parlance. It was 'proof' that the Ministry was corrupt and that Sirius Black had only been imprisoned because they wanted to eventually seize the Black Family's assets. An Ancient and Noble Family of Wizarding Britain, targeted by an aggressive and corrupt Ministry… a chilling picture to be sure, and one that would have all of the Purebloods up in arms, no doubt.
Never mind that Fudge probably had no idea that some minor official in his Ministry was carrying out their routine tasks by sending Gringotts repeated messages attempting to seize a criminal wizard's assets for Ministry use. As far as Rita's article was concerned, Fudge was the one behind it all and he and his Ministry hadn't just betrayed the public's trust, they'd endangered the Wizarding World's children by siccing Dementors on Hogwarts the entirety of last year.
Harry himself gets one single mention in the entire article. At the very end, as if to drive one final nail in the coffin, Rita points out that if Sirius Black really was innocent all along, then the Ministry didn't just try to steal the wealth of an Ancient and Noble Pureblood Family, they also robbed the Boy-Who-Lived of his godfather for over a decade of false imprisonment.
Rita makes it sound like she's been researching this for the past year and some change ever since Sirius escaped from Azkaban two Summers ago. She acts as though everything she's uncovered has come from either unnamed sources in the Ministry or amused goblins at Gringotts who find the Ministry's attempt to seize their clients' assets without following proper procedure to be the height of entertainment.
Of course, anyone who actually knows Rita would know that's a pile of shit. Sure, she can hold onto something if it means she's going to eventually use it in one of her hit pieces disguised as autobiographies. But spending almost a year and a half on one article for the Daily Prophet? She would never waste so much time with such things.
But her readers and the readers of the Daily Prophet… they were sure to eat this up. And depending on how the dust settled and the fallout from this article, Rita might very well win awards. Either that or the Ministry would try to come down on her rather hard. Hm, but that wasn't part of Harry's plans. Which meant his next steps were obvious.
"Harry…"
Pulled from his thoughts, Harry pauses as he looks over at Hermione. The Great Hall is jampacked by this point in the morning, and everyone has their nose buried in their copy of the Daily Prophet, all of them voraciously devouring the article that Harry had just read. Some have already finished it though and are beginning to talk among themselves. All around him, he can hear conversations about Rita's writing. Mostly, people are disgusted with the Ministry of Magic and questioning whether it could really be true or not.
No one is really talking about Sirius as though he might be innocent, but they also aren't really lambasting him either. In the end, Sirius is a small piece of what might be a wider conspiracy by the Ministry to seize more power for themselves and further marginalize the old Pureblood Families. Something none of them want, obviously.
Focusing on Hermione though, the brunette looks rather pale and wide-eyed at him. As one of the few people who is very aware of Sirius' innocence, it's clear that she's wondering how exactly Rita found out about it. Giving Hermione a reassuring smile, he takes hold of her hand under the table and offers it a comforting squeeze.
"We'll be okay Hermione. Hey… maybe this will lead to a trial happening after all."
He keeps his voice as quiet as he can of course, for Hermione's ears only. Still wide-eyed, she nods at his hopeful tone. Meanwhile, Harry is very specifically not looking at the Great Hall's High Table. He can practically feel eyes burning a hole in the side of his skull. And not just one set of eyes either. Dumbledore is definitely studying him right now… but the far more intense gaze comes not from the Headmaster, but from Hogwarts' resident Potions Master.
Severus Snape hates Sirius Black with every fiber of his being. He dislikes Harry quite a lot as well, but of course Harry is well aware that Snape loathes himself more than he loathes Harry. Harry just looks like James Potter. Snape, meanwhile, is the bastard who helped get his only friend in the whole wide world, Harry's mother, killed.
That said, it's obvious Snape thinks Harry had something to do with this. Whether that's just his bias talking or something else… it doesn't truly matter. Severus Snape doesn't matter. Fuck, Albus Dumbledore barely even matters.
In fact, Harry would go so far as to say that… as far as Rita's latest article was concerned, nobody at Hogwarts truly mattered. What mattered was what was happening at the Ministry right now. Cornelius Fudge's Ministry had honestly never been tested like this before, not really. Even last year when Sirius escaped, that had been small beans compared to this. Considering Fudge's overreaction then and the way the Ministry had sicced Dementors on Hogwarts… well, it stood to reason that Harry should keep a close eye on how Rita's article would shake things up at the Ministry over the next twenty-four hours.
With that in mind, while he does wait to make sure no one from the Faculty is going to seek him out over this or try to drag him into another meeting with Dumbledore, Harry ultimately slips out of Hogwarts again as soon as he can possibly get away without his absence being noticed. From there, it just makes sense to head straight back to Amelia Bones' office and see how the Director of the DMLE is doing.
However, when he first arrives in Amelia's office, he finds himself alone. The DMLE Director is nowhere to be seen and Harry has to admit he doesn't really feel like looking for her. Instead, making sure he's completely undetectable, he begins perusing through her desk and looking over the files she has out in the open.
Unlike the first three files he gave her, it would seem Amelia has been taking her time with these next three. That makes sense because while Harry has given her plenty of evidence to handle the newest set of Death Eaters, there's no denying that they're a little higher up on the food chain. 'Respectable' members of society, if you will. More than that, the lightning raid she'd pulled off against the first set of Death Eater scum could really only work once. This next time, she needed to have all of her ducks in a row before she moved.
Still, from the look of things she's well on her way. Harry finds himself nodding in approval as he looks over the work she's managed so far. Until finally the door to the office opens and a harried, exhausted Amelia Bones comes inside, closing it behind her with a loud sigh. Harry watches with a raised brow as she makes her way over to the desk… only to freeze up. He'd barely moved anything, but he HAD moved a few files. Still, surely she wouldn't…
"You're here, aren't you?"
The certainty in her voice has Harry cracking a grin. She really is quite an interesting individual, Director Amelia Bones. He likes her a lot. With a twist of his magic, Harry reveals himself as the same figure wreathed in shadow as before.
"Well done, Madam Bones. Most impressive."
Strangely enough, Amelia actually flushes a little bit at that. She straightens up as she looks at him, clenching her jaw for a moment before sighing.
"Did you have anything to do with this mess? Skeeter's article has the entire Ministry of Magic in an uproar. Fudge is trying to have my Aurors arrest Skeeter for her 'lies', but I've had my people doing some investigating instead and what I've found so far… it's chilling."
Humming, Harry just nods his shadowy head.
"Sirius Black is innocent. He was not the Potters' Secret Keeper. Peter Pettigrew was. Peter betrayed the Potters to the Dark Lord, causing the Fidelius Charm to fail that fateful evening. When Sirius realized what must have happened, he went after Peter, leading to the events that Cornelius Fudge bore witness to. Sirius didn't blow up the street, Peter did. Nor did Peter die in the resulting explosion. He cut off his finger and faked his own death before escaping in his illegal animagus form… that of a rat."
As Harry speaks, Amelia's eyes grow progressively wider and wider, until eventually she sinks down into her chair behind her desk, putting her head in her hands. Only for a moment though, with the Director showing her fortitude as she snaps up her head a second later with her eyes narrowed.
"So Sirius Black was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. Why did he wait over a decade to break out of Azkaban then?"
"He blamed himself for trusting Pettigrew and considered Azkaban a fitting place for his failure to protect his friends. But then it came to his attention that Peter Pettigrew had survived and been living as a pet rat at Hogwarts for the entire length of his imprisonment. Needless to say, Sirius Black's drive for vengeance overwhelmed his self-loathing and need for penance."
Amelia slowly nods at this, before fixing Harry with a pointed look.
"Are YOU Sirius Black? You certainly seem to know an awful lot about his headspace and these events that only he and Pettigrew were present for."
Heh, not a bad deduction, admittedly. With the information she had at hand, it certainly made sense for him to be Sirius, perhaps with some sort of magical artifact held by House of Black that allowed him to circumvent Ministry Wards. For a moment Harry even considers lying to her and letting her think he was Sirius. But… no.
"I am not Sirius Black."
It's interesting how easily Amelia believes him. She just nods, her shoulders slumping as she leans back in her chair with a sigh. The Director of the DMLE looks withdrawn and weary, and like she hasn't slept in days, perhaps ever since the night Harry made her sleep even. He wants to take her to task on that. But this is more important.
Right now is the perfect time to destroy Fudge's credibility once and for all and begin the process of replacing him with Amelia. But if Fudge fires Amelia first for insubordination, that would be annoying. Which means Harry should help out in some way. But what was the best way to help Amelia confirm the truth of Rita's article, exactly?
Chapter 26: Questioning
Chapter Text
A/N: Amelia and Harry finally meet properly~
-x-X-x-
"… You need to bring Harry Potter in for questioning."
His options are both limited and not. He could have promised to bring her Peter Pettigrew, but that would mess up his plans for dealing with Voldemort at the end of the year instead. He might as well turn in Barty Crouch Jr. while he was at it, if that was the way he decided to go. But no… not yet. It wasn't time just yet.
Likewise, he also could have brought her Sirius Black. But while Harry was confident in his abilities to secure Sirius' safety even if the wanted fugitive turned himself over to the Ministry, there was always the chance of things going haywire. Fudge, or someone in his camp, would almost certainly try to have Sirius killed the moment that they found out that Amelia had him in her custody. And while Harry could most definitely stop such an attempt, even the act would make things all the more complicated.
Which left… himself. With Peter and Sirius out, it was just Harry Potter that was available for blowing the lid off this entire conspiracy. After all, it wasn't as though he could count on Snape or Lupin to do it instead. Lupin was personally reliable but also a werewolf. Snape, meanwhile, was the man who'd lied to Fudge about what happened last year in the first place, all in an attempt to get Sirius killed.
No… Harry was the best option. Though Amelia doesn't think so at first. The Director of the DMLE's eyes widen at the name drop and she frowns in consternation.
"The Boy-Who-Lived? But he was only a babe when the crimes that Black was accused of took place. No… wait, you're talking about last year, aren't you?"
There's the clever witch that Harry is enjoying getting to know. His smile hidden behind the shadows covering his visage, Harry dips his head.
"That's exactly what I'm talking about. When the Minister usurped what should have been an Auror Investigation, sending soul-sucking jailers who'd already failed in their one job to a school filled with children, rather than the magical police trained for such things."
From the angry scowl that spreads across Amelia's face, it's clear that she agrees with him wholeheartedly. Her teeth grind together and her knuckles go white from how tightly clenched her fist becomes in remembrance. It takes her a moment to calm down, but finally she begins to nod.
"You're saying that Harry Potter knows something? Why didn't he say anything last year then?"
"Because Cornelius Fudge didn't want to hear school children tell him that he had been wrong and his heavy-handed actions with the Dementors were completely and utterly pointless. So instead he listened to the lies of Severus Snape, the Hogwarts Potions Master… and long time nemesis of Sirius Black."
Amelia's lips thin out at that and for a moment she almost looks to be reminiscing. Harry realizes then that her years at Hogwarts probably had some overlap with the Marauders and Severus Snape. She likely IS reminiscing and quite literally remembering the acrimonious relationship that Snape had with Sirius and James and the others.
Finally, she grimaces as something else occurs to her.
"Will he even talk to me? Due to his age, I'm not allowed to question him without the consent of him or his magical guardian… and I don't even know who the latter is."
At this point in time, Harry's magical guardian is almost certainly Dumbledore. Not that the old man had ever bothered to tell HIM that. But regardless, it's nothing to worry about because as Amelia said, they don't need Dumbledore to sign off on a questioning if Harry himself signs off on it.
"Consider the situation for a moment, Madam Bones. In what world would a young orphaned wizard not hope to either clear his godfather's name… or help catch the killer of his parents? He'll consent. All you have to do is reach out."
She hesitates for only a moment more before nodding finally.
"Alright. I will. Thank you for your assistance."
Smirking from behind the shadowy veil, Harry nods his head in return.
"Anytime, Madam Bones. Anytime."
Curiously, she almost seems to shiver a little bit at that. Harry's not sure why, but he also doesn't stick around much longer to investigate. After all, the DMLE's Director looks ready to act upon his suggestion right then and there… and that means he's needed back at Hogwarts as Harry Potter in order to be available when she comes calling.
-x-X-x-
"Mister Potter, you do not know me, but I'm Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Essentially, I'm in charge of the Wizarding World's Aurors."
The meeting had happened quite quickly. That very day, in fact. Amelia had shown up at Hogwarts with a group of Aurors in tow right at the start of dinner and wasted no time in asking Harry if he would answer some questions. She'd done so in front of everyone in the Great Hall, which had in turn led to Dumbledore trying to intervene… but before he could, Harry had given his consent right there on the spot.
This had then led into Dumbledore trying to insert McGonagall as Harry's Head of House into the questioning, but Amelia had pushed back on that. Unless Harry asked for it, she said it wasn't necessary and when they'd asked Harry what he thought, he'd said he didn't feel like he was unsafe or anything. The Headmaster was so reluctant to admit that he was Harry's magical guardian that he found himself completely forced out of the ensuing conversation. Just as Harry had planned.
Smiling softly, Harry gives Amelia a nod to show he understands.
"A pleasure to meet you, Director Bones."
She returns the smile with one of her own.
"And you as well, Mister Potter. I won't try to claim that you and you alone saved the Wizarding World at the age of one… but know that your parents' sacrifice and the defeat of Voldemort saved countless lives."
Harry hums for a moment before flashing a quick grin.
"I'm surprised you're willing to say the name, Director. Many refuse to call him anything but by his hyphenated titles."
Straightening up, Amelia rolls her shoulders.
"That is… not entirely their fault. Their insistence comes from a place of ignorance that has never been corrected. Back during the height of the war, the Dark Lord Voldemort put a magical curse called a Taboo on his name. Anyone heard to utter the name Voldemort risked not just their arrogance but also their location getting back to the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters."
The older witch grimaces here, glancing off to the side for a moment.
"… We lost a great many brave wizards and witches to the Taboo before we realized what had happened. At which point, it quickly became easier to just call him You-Know-Who. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was a bit more of a mouthful in my opinion, but I suppose it got the point across to those aware of the Taboo. Naming him was quite literally a death sentence in those days."
"But not anymore."
Harry's interjection causes Amelia to jolt free of her remembrance, causing her to look at him with a twinkle in her eye and a crooked smile on her lips.
"No, Mister Potter… not anymore. The Taboo was broken with Voldemort's death. We can say his name as much as we like. Alas, the terror of those dark years is hard baked into the majority of the Magical World's mind. Many still don't know the Taboo was ever even a thing… only that so much as a mention of the Dark Lord's name brought sorrow and despair down upon you."
Nodding slowly, Harry stays quiet this time around, merely raising an eyebrow at Amelia. It takes a moment but the Director finally flushes, realizing they've gotten rather off track.
"Ahem, my apologies. Let us get to the crux of this matter, Mister Potter. I am here to question you about Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew and what you might know about the circumstances surrounding their altercation."
Harry doesn't hesitate. What would be the point, really?
"Sirius is innocent. Peter was my parents' secret keeper and the one who betrayed them to Voldemort."
Amelia's eyes widen at the casual confidence with which Harry delivers this bombshell. To be fair, she'd likely already been leaning towards believing Sirius Black's innocence. Or at least believing there was a conspiracy at the Ministry. Still, it's obvious Harry has caught her off guard.
"You know this for a fact? Do you mind explaining how you know this? Did you speak with Sirius last year? Did he tell you all of this?"
Harry scoffs.
"I spoke with both of them, Director Bones. Sirius Black, my innocent godfather… and Peter Pettigrew, the Rat-Who-Lived. It was Peter who admitted it all to me. How he betrayed my parents to Voldemort. How he set Sirius up and exploded that street, killing all those muggles and cutting off his own fingers in order to fake his death."
Leaning back in her chair, Amelia looks… flummoxed. But she's a smart woman. She's quick to connect the dots.
"… He escaped, didn't he? And then Black escaped as well."
There's a note of frustration in her voice. She's seeing the well of information drying up right before her eyes. Humming again, Harry nods… and then flicks his wand out of its holster and presses the tip to his forehead before the DMLE Director can do more than jolt in surprise.
"Perhaps you would like my memories of the entire night in question, Director. Though in turn, I would have to ask for immunity from all crimes within… for both me and my friend Hermione Granger."
He's already pulling out the strand of silver representing his memories of that night, even as Amelia's eyes widen and then narrow in quick succession. She hastily pulls out a small vial from within her robes, something he knew she'd have on him. Still…
"Crimes?"
Smiling slightly, Harry bobs his head even as the silvery strand disconnects from his forehead. He doesn't actually wait for her response… he puts the memories in the vial before they can dissipate and be lost.
"Everything we did, I swear was in pursuit of justice. True Justice, not just what the Minister of Magic believed justice to be. I like to think you would understand that more than most, Director Bones."
Amelia's nostrils flare and she looks at the vial in her grasp for a long moment. Harry isn't too worried. This is, in and of itself, a leap of faith. Could Amelia nail him and Hermione to the wall for their illegal use of a Time Turner to save an escaped fugitive? Sure she could. But would she? Well, consider this a test to find out if she was truly the woman he thought she was.
"… I cannot offer immunity based solely on your word, Mister Potter."
She still holds the vial between them, as if offering to let him take it back. But Harry just smiles and shrugs.
"Then peruse the contents for yourself Director Bones. And make your decision from there about what you're going to do next."
Amelia narrows her eyes at the ease with which he gives in. Still, she retracts her hand, officially accepting his memories of that fucked up night and the day that had followed. He expects her to end the questioning there and to take his memories back to the DMLE so she could use a pensieve to view them for herself.
Instead, she manages to surprise him yet again.
"Auror Tonks!"
At hearing her name called, a certain metamorphmagus pokes her head in from the hallway outside.
"Yes Madam Bones?"
Harry tries not to smile too hard at how young Nymphadora Tonks looks here. Of course, it's easy to suppress said smile when he just remembers how she died in just a few more years. He wouldn't let that happen this time around. No matter what it took.
"Procure a pensieve for me from the faculty, please."
"A pensieve?"
Tonks' eyes are wide at that request, making Amelia scowl briefly.
"Was I not clear, Auror Tonks?"
Flushing at the sharp reprimand, the young witch rapidly nods her head.
"Yes ma'am, I-I mean no ma'am… I'll get right on that, ma'am!"
Hastily pulling back, Tonks disappears as Amelia just sighs and watches Harry. He doesn't squirm, though he does have to hold back his annoyance at this turn of events. He really hadn't expected the DMLE Director to stick around once he handed over his memories, but apparently he'd intrigued her enough that she wasn't letting him out of her sight until she had all the answers she wanted.
He's almost tempted to just tell her what the memories contain then and there after all, because he knows exactly what pensieve Tonks is going to wind up bringing back if she manages to get one at all… and if she DOES manage it, it will only be because of who she will bring back with the pensieve in the process. Alas, in for a penny, in for a pound Harry supposes.
Still, fifteen minutes of awkward silence pass before the door opens and it's exactly as Harry expected. Tonks comes in carrying a very old, very intricate pensieve… and behind her comes its owner, one Albus Dumbledore. The Hogwarts Headmaster has a grandfatherly smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye as Amelia scowls at his presence. Before she can raise issue with him, Dumbledore lifts a weathered hand to forestall her objections.
"My apologies, Director… but seeing as young Nymphadora here needed the use of my pensieve, I only thought it appropriate that I accompany her to see if there were any other ways I could be of assistance. It is a particularly old pensieve after all, passed down through my family for generations. I'll be happy to help you with its operation."
Now both Amelia and Tonks are scowling at Dumbledore. The former for him clearly using this opportunity to put himself where he's not wanted and the latter for using her first name. Anyone else and Tonks would get on them for calling her Nymphadora… but with Dumbledore, she just has to grimace and bear it.
Amelia Bones hesitates for a moment as she looks from Dumbledore to the pensieve and then glances over at Harry. Her lips thin out into a line and the older witch looks ready to throw down. Is she going to accept Dumbledore's presence? Harry finds himself too curious to really intervene here. To be fair, he doesn't see what else he can do in this case. This isn't about him anymore, it's about Dumbledore's pensieve and Amelia's desire to see Harry's memories right here, right now.
Finally, the Director of the DMLE makes a call and opens her mouth to respond.
Chapter 27: Arrest
Chapter Text
A/N: Dumbledore has made his move... Amelia puts her foot down.
-x-X-x-
"I assure you, I and my Aurors are well-versed in the operation of pensieves, Headmaster Dumbledore. I must insist that you vacate the room immediately."
Wow. Harry has to admit, he was already impressed with Amelia Bones… but now he's even more impressed. There aren't many people out there who are willing to stand up to Albus Dumbledore. Was it because the aged wizard had been part of the regime back when Sirius was thrown into Azkaban without a trial? Or was it because she'd sussed out that Dumbledore had played some part in the events of last year and she was worried he'd willfully try to contaminate the investigation now to make himself look good?
In the end, Amelia's reasoning remains a mystery… but ultimately it doesn't matter. She's said what she's said and though Dumbledore is clearly surprised for a moment at her audacity, he doesn't take it lying down. With a grandfatherly smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye, the Hogwarts Headmaster chuckles good-naturedly and shakes his head.
"I'm afraid I can't let such a priceless artifact out of my sight, my dear Amelia. My ancestors would roll over in their graves. Please, I promise I won't be a bother. If you'd rather I stay back and out of the way, I can certainly do that."
Amelia's eyes flash at his use of her first name, and while Dumbledore might have thought he was being subtle or sneaky in invoking their ancient teacher-student relationship by stripping away her titles and treating her like a child instead of the adult she was… he wasn't being subtle or sneaky in the slightest.
"That's Madam or Director to you, Headmaster Dumbledore. And no, I'd rather you leave the room entirely. But if you can't do that and you refuse to relinquish your family pensieve for our temporary use, then I suppose I'll just have to return to the DMLE and make use of our own pensieves after all."
Oh? Was Amelia giving in? Dumbledore certainly seems to think so given the way he remains all smiles as he folds his hands in the sleeves of his robes in front of him and inclines his head in a 'regretful' bow.
"If that is what you feel you must do, then very well. I shall make sure young Harry here makes it back to his dorm room and then I'll see you out."
And then the old man even has the audacity to glance over at Harry and wink at him. To be fair, Amelia doesn't see this. She's too busy looking at Harry as well. Still, it's such a hilarious moment, where Dumbledore clearly thinks he's getting the better of the Aurors on Harry's behalf and endearing himself further to the younger wizard in the process. That couldn't be further from the truth of course, but Albus didn't know that.
Still, Harry is just considering whether he should interject when Amelia… well, she takes the option right out of his hands.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible. You see, Mister Potter is under arrest."
Oh? The look on Dumbledore's face is worth it alone, Harry reflects, even as Amelia gestures sharply to Tonks. The young metamorph Auror goes wide-eyed for a moment before jolting forward when Amelia repeats the gesture. Suddenly, Tonks is at Harry's side and grabbing him by the arm, yanking him firmly but gently to his feet.
"U-Um… wotcher Harry… please come quietly…"
Young Tonks is so nervous and cute it's hilarious. Harry just gives her a reassuring smile and nod, making it clear he's not going to fight her on this. The relief that fills her gaze is downright adorable. Dumbledore, meanwhile, is now struggling to catch up. Poor man, in his old age he's not nearly as adaptable to new situations as he once was.
"What… I must protest quite strongly, Director! On what grounds are you arresting my student?!"
Looking faintly amused and increasingly smug, Amelia just shakes her head.
"Apologies, Headmaster… but you aren't entitled to that information. Harry Potter has confessed to committing several crimes. For that, I am well within my rights to make his arrest."
Raising himself up to his full height, Dumbledore lets a bit of his grandfatherly persona flake away and his authoritative presence leak free.
"I would remind you, Madam Bones… I am not just the Headmaster of this school, but also the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. I could order you to tell me what this is about."
Stiffening up again in response, Amelia narrows her eyes at Dumbledore, not backing down even slightly.
"You could, Chief Warlock… if you went through the proper channels first. You could do the same through your position as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, I suppose. Both would take time, however. Feel free to begin exploring those avenues if you like. For the time being, I am taking Mister Potter into custody whether you like it or not."
Well damn. Amelia looks torn between whether she regrets that last bit of technically unnecessary antagonistic language or not, but ultimately she seems quite pleased with herself all the same. Harry has to admit, he's pretty impressed with her as well. Dumbledore, meanwhile, is seemingly struck speechless as they begin leading Harry out of the room and towards the nearest floo. Until suddenly.
"I'm afraid that as Harry's Magical Guardian I cannot let you take him with you, Director!"
Oh-ho! At long last, the Headmaster was playing his trump card. Harry turns with Tonks as the young metamorphmagus' jaw drops at this latest bombshell. Amelia, meanwhile, slowly turns around to face Dumbledore again as well. For a moment, silence reigns. Is this where the Director of the DMLE's attempt at defying the Wizarding World's benevolent dictator crumbles?
"… His Magical Guardian, you say."
Smiling softly, Dumbledore inclines his head.
"Indeed. Young Harry did not have anyone else in the Wizarding World after his parents' death, so I took over. I've managed his magical affairs ever since."
Tilting her head to the side, Amelia looks far from defeated, Harry finds himself noting.
"I see. And if I were to look into this, if I were to check with the Ministry of Magic… would all of the proper paperwork be filed, Headmaster? Would the t's be crossed and the i's dotted? Did you go through the proper channels to name yourself Mister Potter's Magical Guardian, I wonder?"
Dumbledore furrows his brow but before he can respond, Amelia continues on.
"Because… somehow I doubt it. Somehow, I think that Harry's actual magical guardian should have been his official godfather, one Sirius Black. A man who I just found out today was never given a trial. A man who was sentenced to over a decade in Azkaban Prison without ever seeing the inside of a court room. I wonder what the Potter Will would say if I were to check it."
Now, Dumbledore's face is suspiciously blank.
"… The Potter Will was sealed, I'm afraid."
But Amelia's response to that is a wolfish grin.
"I am the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Headmaster Dumbledore. Not one of your students, or their parents. That won't work on me… I have the authority to unseal such documents."
Harry's mouth might be a little open right now. He might be staring with wide eyes as… as Albus Dumbledore backs down.
"… That won't be necessary, Madam Bones. I am only Mister Potter's magical guardian insofar as I am the defacto magical guardian of all muggleborn and muggle-raised wizards and witches who walk the halls of Hogwarts. I am afraid… I cannot stop you from taking him. I can merely say in his defense that Harry Potter is a good young man with a heart of gold. He is no criminal."
Now Dumbledore is looking at Harry apologetically, as if he's ashamed he's failed to 'save' him from the Aurors. To be honest, Harry is too astonished that Amelia managed to win this little war to properly react. He's pretty sure he's got a shocked look on his face, even as Amelia and Tonks escort him to the floo and leave Hogwarts behind.
Amelia Bones was more of a badass than Harry ever could have imagined. He definitely wanted her as Minister of Magic now. And more than that… he wanted her for himself. Working alongside him, tied and bound to him… they could do amazing things together. They could save the whole damn world.
-x-X-x-
Curiously enough, once they get back to the DMLE, Harry finds himself splitting off from Amelia, rather than going with her to one of the DMLE's actual pensieves. Instead of taking him along, she nods to Tonks.
"Put Mister Potter here in one of the interrogation rooms until I'm ready for him. Make sure he's comfortable… I'm expecting the memories he's given me to exonerate him, ultimately."
Tonks blinks dumbly at that for a moment.
"Err… ma'am? If that's the case, why didn't we let him stay at Hogwarts?"
Amelia's eyes flash as she throws Harry a glance.
"… Because we might need him in a bit."
Harry raises an eyebrow at that, but doesn't say a word. In the end, the Director of the DMLE shoots a piercing look in Tonks' direction.
"Can I count on you, Auror Tonks? Or do I need to find someone else?"
"Y-Yes Madam Bones! I-I mean… no Madam Bones, you can count on me!"
Nervous Young Tonks is so adorable. Harry hides his grin, even as Amelia nods and then turns and walks away. He suspects he knows why she might be splitting off from him now that they're back at the DMLE… she's hoping that if she's alone, she can expect another visit from her mysterious shadowy benefactor, since here in the heart of the Ministry is the only place he's shown up so far.
Of course, what she doesn't know is that HE is that very same shadowy benefactor… and she's just arrested him and stuck him with Tonks. Not that it's impossible for Harry to be in two places at once… especially when he has the magic of multiple people at his fingertips at this point.
As Tonks leads him into the last interrogation room in a hallway full of them, Harry barely pays her any mind as he takes a seat where she tells him to take a seat. At the same time, his shadow… doesn't come with them. The metamorphmagus doesn't notice this as she closes the door to the interrogation room and locks it shut. Nor does anyone else in the DMLE notice Harry's shadow moving across the floor, shifting through the natural shadows until it reaches Amelia Bones.
The DMLE Director moves with purpose through her own domain, eventually reaching a room with a pensieve in it. By that point, Harry's shadow has taken up residence in Amelia's shadow and his attention is split between the room with the pensieve and the interrogation room where he and Tonks are sat. As Amelia secures the pensieve room and then moves over to the bowl, she looks around for a moment hesitantly… and almost seems relieved when a now familiar shadowy figure rises up next to her.
"You've arrested the boy. I thought I sent you to talk to him, not take him into custody."
His voice is chiding but amused more than anything. He's expecting Amelia to snap back at him, seeing how she must be riding high on putting Dumbledore in his place like she did. But instead, much to his surprise, she actually flushes a little bit, ducking her head as though she's ashamed or something.
"… Apologies, but he admitted outright to committing crimes last year. If it wasn't for the Headmaster I might not have arrested him, but I wanted him close by depending on what the contents of these memories he gave me have in them. Watch them with me?"
Unfortunately, as Harry currently was, he couldn't take Amelia up on that offer. He was less 'here' than he'd ever been before, with his real body still back in the interrogation room with Tonks. Fortunately, he already knew exactly what was in those memories, given he was the one who had given them to her in the first place.
"I already know the contents of that vial. I was there too, after all."
Amelia's eyes widen at that revelation, and then narrow.
"… And you still insist you're not Sirius Black?"
"No, Madam Bones. I am not Sirius Black. Regardless, go ahead. Peruse Potter's memories at your leisure. See all there is to see in his recollection of last year's events. I will be waiting when you're done."
For a long moment she looks like she wants to talk back… but maybe she spent all of her defiance back with Dumbledore. Harry doesn't know, but either way she finally nods and pours the memories he gave her into the pensieve before diving in after them. Harry watches her for a moment through his shadow, waiting for her to finish up and come back out. But in the silence of the pensieve room, he suddenly realizes that the interrogation room is not so quiet.
Pulling some of his focus back to his real body, Harry blinks and glances over at Tonks who is blushing surprisingly red right now.
"Err, sorry… I got caught up in my own thoughts. What was that?"
Licking her lips, the young Auror squirms for a moment… before rising from her own seat and circling the table.
"I-I said… Director Bones told me to make sure you're comfortable, Harry. So I was asking if you were comfortable…"
Coming to his side of the table, Tonks leans back against it, her hands clutching at the edge as she looks down at him meaningfully. Harry looks up at her with a distracted smile and a nod.
"Yeah, I'm comfortable Auror Tonks. Thanks though."
He doesn't really think much about Tonks' request at first, and he's in fact preparing to focus his attention back on the pensieve room… when Tonks suddenly reaches up and tugs at her top a little bit.
"Ah… are you sure about that? Because I'm REALLY good at making people comfortable, Harry~"
Harry stares as Tonks' breasts expand quite a bit right before his eyes, making the way she's tugging at her top show off more and more cleavage that she didn't have mere moments ago.
… What was happening? Was Tonks… was this who Tonks was at this age? He hadn't truly met the metamorphmagus until after she'd joined the Order of the Phoenix and fallen head over heels for Remus Lupin. And admittedly, as much as Harry liked Lupin, he was a very serious sort of individual.
… Had Tonks really mellowed out that much in a few short years? There was no way, right? And yet here they were… with Tonks all but propositioning him right here and right now.