Amelia Bones sat in her office reading the old reports about the capture of Sirius Black. It really irked her how easily all the people in positions of power had dismissed Black as the culprit and decided to send him to Azkaban without a trial. Admittedly he had seemed like the one who betrayed the Potters but there had been no proof that he really did it, except for Dumbledore's word that he was their secret keeper. But the incident with Pettigrew and the muggles was never really investigated. It all was based on assumptions.
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No eye witnesses were heard. The muggles who had seen anything were obliviated before taking their statements. This was ridiculous. An incident like that should have been thoroughly checked if there were other parties involved. Sometimes she asked herself if the methods of the aurors were sufficient. And Crouch should have known not to ignore the law, but then again he had done that permanently in those days. He had done it to get control back, to stop the death eaters. Really questionable methods had been authorized.
Discover moreDownload FanFiction appFanfiction writing toolsAnime fanfiction storiesBooks & LiteratureTV fanfiction storiesSome aurors had become as ruthless as the death eaters. No it wasn't a time to look back upon with pride. As an ex-auror herself she knew the death eaters couldn't be stopped with normal methods but to stoop so low using unforgivables? No never had she done it and the best auror of the time, Alastor Moody also didn't need them.
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But she would need allies to even get the trial to take place. If it got started, they could prove Black's innocence. Then suddenly a co-worker from the department of magical maintenance stormed into her office.
"Amelia, Harry Potter has turned up in Diagon Alley. Bradley from the Department of Magical Games and Sports has seen him when he was at Quality for Quidditch."
Discover moreFan fiction mobileMovies fanfiction storiesMobile app developmentWriter collaboration platformFiction writing resources"That's good news. How did he look? Was something wrong with him Gabriel?"
"No, he seemed fine from what Bradley told me. A healer of St. Mungo's offered him to do a health check, when he and his companion arrived at the Leaky Cauldron via the Floo network. He politely declined telling his uncle had already seen to it that he was checked by a friend of this uncle who was a healer." The Wizard was reporting.
"His uncle? As far as I know he only has these muggle relatives who hate magic. I can't imagine they would know a healer. And more let him evaluate Harry's health." Amelia doubted.
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Discover moreCartoons fanfiction storiesBooksCookiesAnime & MangaFan merchandise"No not the muggle idiot, Harry called the man a Comte de something. I don't really know the name as I wasn't there. But they seemed to get along really well."
"Well these probably are good news. Does Minister Fudge know?" She asked.
"I think Bradley went to tell him. Do you think he will go there?"
"Probably but I don't know if the two of them will still be there when he arrives. At least we have one problem less. If Harry Potter is well and will go to Hogwarts on the 1st September we have more possibilities to find Black."
Another wizard stormed into Amelia's office.
"Amelia, Fudge is going insane. He has signed an order for dementors being stationed at the entrances to Hogwarts" he shouted.
"He did what? I will go up immediately. How could he put these foul creatures around a school?"
Discover moreFanFictionScience Fiction & Fantasy FilmsFan FictionScience Fiction & FantasyChildren's BooksShe stood up of her chair and hurried to the elevators. When she arrived at the 1st floor she stormed into Fudge's office to find him startled at her behavior.
"Have you gone completely insane Cornelius?" She yelled at the top of her lungs.
"Amelia what are you speaking about?" Fudge asked startled.
"Dementors at Hogwarts. That is what I am speaking about. They are some of the foulest things ever to walk the earth. How could you place those things that suck the life out of powerful wizards around children who are not even aware how to defend against a dementor?"
Discover moreFan fiction booksCartoonsComicsCrossover fiction guidesPlays fanfiction stories"Amelia, I'm just doing what is right for the safety of Harry Potter. As you know from my visiting report of Azkaban that Black was obsessed in his dreams with and I quote literally "He is at Hogwarts". How could I not ensure the safety of Mr. Potter and the other students when a mass murderer is on the loose?"
"You call this safety? I would have agreed with you full heartedly if you had ordered the department of magical wards to check on all the wards at Hogwarts to ensure there were no loopholes where he could slip in. If you had ordered a dozen aurors to do guard duties around the school even better, but I protest on behalf of the students that these things are let near the school."
"You are overreacting Amelia." Fudge said.
"I am overreacting? You are completely out of bounds. The only place where dementors are allowed at all times is Azkaban. A place where the most evil wizards are imprisoned. And most of them deserve their stay there. But I have also noticed that you are only looking for what the public says Cornelius. Last year you sent the gamekeeper of Hogwarts there on suspicions alone. Turned out he was innocent. You didn't even check the evidence. And why? Because he is an easy target. Beware of echo of your actions. What do you think will happen if Harry Potter decides to speak about the things that happen at Hogwarts? Who will the public believe? Him or you? Do you want the boy as your enemy?"
"Why would the boy do something like that?" Fudge asked.
"Oh I don't know, perhaps because the man you sent to Azkaban last year is a personal friend of him?" Bradley, who had listened to the shouting of Amelia really amused pointed out.
"When he and his uncle Orion were at the Leaky cauldron, he told all the people that he was afraid the Ministry would send him to Azkaban because of what happened to Hagrid the gamekeeper last year. Turned out that Hagrid was the first real friend in the magical world Harry made and he got his first birthday present from him. It also were Harry Potter and his friends who found the true culprit. Do you think he will take it kindly if you send the prison guards to his school when he is obviously relieved to not have had to meet them?"
"My decision stays." Fudge stubbornly stated.
Both the Ministry workers glared at him.
"I will make sure the public will get to know who was responsible for this decision Cornelius. If there are any accidents with the dementors I will move heaven and hell to punish those responsible for it. And I won't stay quiet. I will tell everybody the truth and you know very well that I am known for telling things as they are, not as the Ministry likes them to be seen." Amelia promised and left the office slamming the door behind her.
"You have made an unnecessary enemy Minister. If you go on like this, many more will follow." Bradley said and followed Amelia but without a slamming door.
Amelia knew what she had to do. Her destination was Diagon Alley in the hope to meet Harry Potter to warn him to stay out of the way of the dementors. Fudge had died for her. He wasn't a suitable Minister in her eyes. If he was set on placing dementors around a school she would do everything she could to stop the worst from happening. And that was Harry Potter going after Sirius Black without knowing the truth.
Harry, Ron and Hermione went to the Leaky Cauldron to meet with Ron's parents. Harry had agreed that his uncle would turn up there sooner or later anyway so he would spend a bit of time with the Weasleys. He got a big surprise when he saw Sirius talking with Mr. Weasley, sitting together at a table, some bottles between them, Mrs. Weasley sitting next to them, sometimes shaking her head.
"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley suddenly shouted.
Every head turned towards him. She came over to them and hugged Harry.
"Harry dear, we were so concerned about your disappearing when we returned to Britain. How could you do something so reckless?"
"I couldn't stand staying at the Dursleys' any longer Mrs. Weasley. I had to get out of there and after I accidentally blew up Aunt Marge I completely lost it. She tortured me for the whole week she was staying there. But the final straw was her insulting my parents. I just exploded. I tried to put up with everything she threw at me because Uncle Vernon said he would sign my Hogsmeade form if I behaved like a muggle all the time. And she liked nothing better than ridiculing me and comparing me to my good for nothing bully of a cousin. I couldn't even stay out of her way."
"That's over now Harry dear. We already met your uncle Orion and he told us how he came to take you in. I'm glad that you found him and that he wants to take care of you. A much better choice than those muggles."
"Thank you Mrs. Weasley and I'm sorry to have made you worry for me." Harry answered smiling.
"It's okay. Know that you are always welcome at the Burrow." Harry nodded relieved.
Sirius agreed to have lunch with the Weasleys at the Leaky Cauldron before everybody parted their ways. Sirius took an instant liking to the twins and asked them about their pranks at school. He found some of them really entertaining. After lunch Harry bid his friends and the other Weasleys goodbye and he and Sirius went to the Floo out of the Leaky Cauldron. Shortly before they could go, somebody called for Harry.
"Mr. Potter, do you have a moment?" A witch called.
Harry turned to see a witch with short gray hair and a monocle in her eye.
"How can I help you Madam?" He asked.
"My name is Amelia Bones and I am the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic. I wanted to speak to you privately if this would be possible."
"Excuse me Madam Bones. Harry is under my protection at the moment, so I would like to participate in this meeting." Sirius said with a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"Excuse me sir, would it be a problem to introduce yourself?" She asked.
"Of course, how impolite of me. My name is Orion de Jarjais, current Comte de Jarjais. I have been the one who found young Harry when he was wandering in some muggle city. I happened to know his parents Lily and James from a holiday and we became friends and had contact with each other via owl post until they went into hiding from Voldemort."
Amelia flinched slightly.
"Are you still afraid of hearing his name? A witch of your standing and power?" Sirius asked.
"Old habits die hard I fear." She answered.
"That's true."
"Well, I suppose if Harry agrees you can stay during the meeting." She said. Harry immediately nodded.
She asked Tom the innkeeper for a private room and he let them use one of the free rooms. They went to the first floor and sat down on some armchairs which Sirius conjured with his wand.
"What did you want to talk with me about Madam Bones?" Harry asked.
His whole appearance screamed pureblood to her, but she knew he was raised by muggles. So how could he have taken the attitude in the short time he had been missing? Another riddle to solve. Perhaps Susan could help her out, she was in his year, even if she was in Hufflepuff and he in Gryffindor.
"While I would very much like to learn where you have been staying, I know that for safety reasons some things are better kept secret. You will probably have read the articles about the escaped prisoner of Azkaban Sirius Black."
"Indeed. I also read he was supposedly a close friend of my parents and that he betrayed them." Harry answered not giving away anything at his face.
"You don't seem very touched by this? How comes? I would have thought you would like to see the man responsible for the deaths of your parents punished."
"I do, but I have learned something that makes me doubt the truth of Sirius Black being the traitor."
She now mustered his face closer. He was perfectly collected. He must have received at least basic training in emotional control, perhaps even started learning occlumency. Another riddle. The boy brought up too many of them for her liking.
"Would you tell me what kind of source you have for this assumption? I am currently reinvestigating the case as I find it unbearable to have the Ministry be open for any attack because of a flaw in the law enforcement. I personally dislike being open to attacks. Nasty memories from the war, you understand?"
Harry liked the woman in front of him. Direct but still sneaky. And a good sense of justice. The goblins were right to send Sirius memories to her.
"Would you believe me, that I have been to Diagon Alley before today this summer?" He asked.
"How would you have managed this? You are still underage so all magic you do would be spotted by the Ministry and we have lots of people looking out for you and Sirius Black."
"I had some business to do with the goblins. They provided me with a portkey. Imagine my surprise when I found out, that I have been denied crucial information for two years."
"What do you mean? What have you not been told?"
"Do you know the pamphlets muggleborn children receive when they are visited by one of the heads of houses after they get the Hogwarts letter? Well, I never got one of those. I was never told which books would be important for me to read. I was kept in the dark about the most basic laws of the magical world. As Uncle Orion told me, the witch or wizard who was supposed to explain things about the magical world I was born into, would have taken care of that. And that is only the part every muggleborn receives. I am the heir of an old pureblood house and have responsibilities in this world I hadn't even known about until Uncle Orion told me about them. I never was visited by the head of a house, my guide was Hagrid, the gamekeeper who also had the job to get the Flamels' philosophers stone from Gringotts to protect it."
Amelia was dumbfounded. What had Dumbledore been thinking to let a man like Hagrid who was no doubt nice enough but hardly up to the challenge to introduce somebody like Harry Potter into the wizarding world?
"While I really like Hagrid and liked the tour of Diagon Alley he gave me, I have learned that he was the wrong person to tell me about things that distinguish muggles and wizards and certain laws I would have to follow. I suppose Hagrid thought my so called relatives had told me about me being a wizard. He was terribly wrong. They hate magic with a passion and made my life with them living hell. I'm really surprised that none of the muggle children institutions looked into the matter, because some of my teachers would have seen that I was abused. Physically only my cousin was involved, but emotionally they all were. You can tell Minister Fudge that I will never return there and that I officially ask for a real investigation in the matter."
Harry's eyes were hard at this, but she could see pain in his green eyes. This boy truly had suffered. Not for the first time she cursed in her mind. Why did all the authorities concerning Harry Potter's well-being have to be ignorant idiots? She dreaded his reaction when she told him about the dementors that would have to be expected at Hogwarts.
"Well,..." Harry continued "...not only did I find out about this, but the goblins had a copy of my parent's will. I read with my own eyes that they had named a man called Peter Pettigrew their secret keeper. After asking Snowcack, the goblin who was attending the meeting on behalf of Gringotts, what the term secret keeper meant, I was told that it is a term connected to the Fidelius charm. The person a secret is hidden in. Only the secret keeper is able to reveal the secret to others.
"I ask you, why hasn't this man been brought to justice if my parent's will was proof enough? Why was my godfather Sirius Black, who was supposed to take care of me, sent to Azkaban if it was known that he was innocent? Why did everybody ignore the clearly stated will of my parents that I was under no circumstances to live with the supposed relatives of my mother? There were two witnesses to the last will of my parents. Lord Ironfork of the goblins and Professor Dumbledore.
"My mother was only adopted into that family. Whatever crap Dumbledore has told everybody is nonsense, as there is no blood relation. I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he didn't know this piece of information, but he bloody well knew that Sirius Black was innocent. I suspect the whole incident of Black murdering the muggles was somehow staked. After learning about my parents will, I also investigated the list of possible guardians for me in case of their deaths.
"Fist was my godfather Sirius Black, second Alice and Frank Longbottom, my friend Neville Longbottom's parents, third was Remus Lupin, fourth Andromeda and Ted Tonks, fifth were the Weasleys. My best friend's family could have taken me in. Do you know how hard it is telling you that, remembering myself that you are not at fault and it would be wrong to yell at you because I would really like to yell at the one responsible for the hell of a childhood I had.
"Growing up with no friends at all because they were afraid of my cousin. They feared if they befriended me, they would become targets of his gang like me. Being called a freak every day. Having to live in the cupboard under the stairs for ten years when my whale of a cousin had two rooms for himself and they had a big guestroom too. Only getting enough food that they wouldn't be called upon it by the neighbors. Having to wear my cousin's way to big clothes.
"And now that I am going to Hogwarts, the things they do to me have only gotten worse. After that damn warning last year, when a house elf levitated a pudding at their home during an important business dinner, they found out that I can't do magic during the summer. They put bars at my window and installed a cat flap in the door to feed me. I was held prisoner at my supposed home until the Weasley twins and my best friend Ron rescued me.
"They told the whole neighborhood, that I go to a school for incurably criminal boys and want me to pretend that this is the truth. Do you know how I feel?"
Amelia was shocked. Never would she have suspected something like this happening to this boy. The savior of the wizarding world. The one responsible for You-Know-Who's fall. How could Dumbledore do something like that? He was supposed to be the good one. But he had condemned Harry to a living hell. What were his reasons? She would find this out. She was the one in the best position for it. She promised herself. Harry would receive justice.
"I'm really sorry Harry. I didn't have a clue that you were forced to live such a horrible life. I fully understand why you ran away. I will do everything in my power to prove your godfather's innocence. I have also received evidence that could prove his innocence but the Minister is a pompous fool who only cares about the public response of things. He fears the Ministry would look bad if they admitted a mistake. But there is more. He decided sending dementors to guard Hogwarts this year so they will protect you from Sirius Black."
"What?" Sirius shouted. "How could he? Those things suck all the happiness out of a person and let them dwell only on their worst memories. They also affect their surroundings. The students will fall ill if they are in their range too long. Not even the seventh years are able to defend themselves. Patroni are far too advanced magic to be really taught at Hogwarts. They are stuff aurors learn in their training." Sirius ranted.
Harry blanched. He hadn't experienced the feeling a dementor gave you personally yet but it was an experience he wanted to avoid as long as he could. He began shivering.
Sirius saw the signs of some sort of panic attack and quickly sank to a knee in front of Harry.
"Harry, look at me. Look in my eyes." He commanded.
Harry didn't but began babbling.
"Why? Why can't I have a normal year at Hogwarts? Just learning stuff, have fun with my friends, compete for the Quidditch cup? I want to be normal. Why are they doing this to me? Wasn't taking my abilities from me for years enough? Wasn't making me live in misery in my childhood enough? Why do they have to torture me again?" Tears began streaming from Harry's eyes. Sirius pulled him into a hug and let him cry.
Amelia wanted to kill Fudge. What did the boy mean by taking away his abilities? She had to do something. But what? Then a thought hit her. Augusta Longbottom. She could be the political powerhouse she needed. The Lady of Longbottom house had a good head on her shoulders and was an intimidating person. Additionally Minerva McGonagall, oh yes that would do nicely. Who else could support her? Arthur Weasley would help, but was seen as a shame for a pureblood wizard due to his love for muggles and had no political standing. But he was father of five children at Hogwarts age. That would count.
Marcus Greengrass perhaps. He was a well-known pureblood wizard and his oldest daughter Daphne was Harry's age and attended Hogwarts. Wasn't the younger one Astoria starting this year too? Amos Diggory would help, a fellow Hufflepuff through and through. His son Cedric was also at Hogwarts. Nothing better than enraged parents to get Cornelius of his rocker. She also needed public outrage. Oh yes she had just the reporter for this.
"I will need some time, at the moment there is little I can do. Cornelius is too stubborn to move from his position if he thinks it will let him look good in the public opinion. I have to get some serious political backing to get him see reason. If there was an incident at Hogwarts where the dementors attacked a student it wouldn't be a problem at all, but I don't want to let it get there. As I told you the Minister changes his colors with the wind. If there was enough protest from the general public, he would cave in. When I have the backing I need, would you also support me to get rid of those foul things?" She asked.
Sirius nodded. He was interested what she had planned. But if anybody was willing to openly oppose the Minister he wouldn't miss it for the world.
Minerva McGonagall was surprised when Amelia Bones came out of her fireplace in her office at Hogwarts.
"Amelia, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"
"Cornelius being an ignorant, self-pompous fool of the worst kind. He has signed an order to place dementors around Hogwarts to keep Harry Potter safe. Problem, Harry is terrified of the thought of being in the company of dementors, especially after what happened to Hagrid last year."
"Has Cornelius gone insane? Just because one man managed to escape Azkaban he can't transform the school into a similar place. Albus would never let this happen. Even if he is a bit weird lastly, never would he allow this."
"I doubt he could do anything to change Cornelius mind, I intend to put Cornelius under public outrage. I already have Rita Skeeter at my call. She even promised to let her poison quill at home to get this story. My next stops are Longbottom manor to get Augusta on the case, the Burrow to get Arthur and Molly Weasley on board, Diggory's house and Greengrass manor. Do you have any ideas who I could also ask? I already have organized to have Comte de Jarjais, Harry's current guardian of sorts to help with this as soon as the support for this is irresistible."
"Harry's new guardian is a noble?" Minerva asked surprised.
"Yes I was surprised myself. A very nice and well-mannered man. He already taught Harry some pureblood manners. Before the topic went to his relatives he was really calm and collected. I intend to prevent to let him ever return there Minerva. We have failed Harry terribly. If James and Lily were to see what has happened to their son, they would rotate in their graves. He was abused Minerva. Physically by his so called cousin and mentally by his aunt and uncle. He told me some things today." Amelia let her head drop.
"I should have done more. I should have persuaded Albus to not place the boy with these muggles. I was there when he left Harry at their doorstep. I knew they were the worst kind of muggles as I observed them the whole day, but Albus insisted that Harry would only there be completely safe because of the blood wards Lily conjured with her sacrifice. Only where her blood lived the protection would be."
"And Petunia Dursley is no blood relative of Lily. Lily was adopted. Harry told me today."
"Yes, I found out some days ago, when he sent me a letter asking to change his choice for new subjects from Divination to Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. I can't really talk about it, the letter was enchanted. I want to help him. I have the duty as his head of house to look out for him like all my little lions."
"There is more. I don't think we should tell Dumbledore any secrets. He is responsible for sending Sirius Black to Azkaban while the man is innocent. I have proof but I need to get the real traitor, Peter Pettigrew to get the trial for Sirius. Otherwise Cornelius will just wing it away as fantasies."
"Sirius is innocent? How did you find out?" Minerva asked.
"Memories were sent to me anonymously via Gringotts. I suspect they are his. They are authentic, I checked it twice. The secret keeper of Lily and James was Peter Pettigrew. After Hagrid took Harry away from Sirius, Sirius went after Peter to punish him for his betrayal. Peter blasted the alley away, killing the muggles, called Sirius a traitor and cut his own finger. Then he transformed into a rat and disappeared into the gutters.
"The second piece of evidence I got today from Harry. In his parents will, the goblins obviously have a copy of it, even if the Ministry sealed the original, is stated that Pettigrew was the secret keeper for Lily and James. And Dumbledore signed as witness."
"No, why would he do something like that? Sirius was in the order. He was fighting at our side. If he knew the true traitor, why did he send the wrong man into Azkaban?"
"I don't know yet but I intend to find out. As chief warlock of the Wizengamot he is obliged to uphold the law, not sending innocents to Azkaban. While I know Barty Crouch is massively to blame for this mess, Dumbledore just had to say a word and nothing of this mess would have happened. Even the muggles would laugh at us and if the Queen ever found out about this, I don't want to think about the consequences."
"Yes, she really is aware of our world, right?" Minerva asked.
"How could she not? Once in a while there appears a wizard or witch from the royal family. They all have enough magic for some passive abilities like seeing dementors or a sixth sense for danger. The younger prince, Harry nearly has enough to be considered a wizard. He won't get a Hogwarts letter but it was a close one. The Spencers also had squibs in their ancestry. It was quite possible that a child of Prince Charles and Princess Diana could become a wizard. But thankfully it didn't happen. Imagine the public backlash if this got out."
"Thank you, I like my peace as long as I can get it. Well, I will be at your side in this. No way will I let the students be in the presence of these monsters any longer than unavoidable."
"Thank you Minerva. Cornelius should be rightfully cowed if you turned up in his office. You have this don't mess with me aura around you. By the way, did you recognize something strange with Harry's abilities? When he had his nervous breakdown, he mentioned that somebody had taken his abilities away from him."
"No, well I always wondered a bit why he didn't show any special talents as his parents were really gifted in their personal areas. Lily was a genius at Charms and Potions, while James excelled at Transfiguration and defense. Harry is an average student. And sometimes he seems to really struggle to get the spells right."
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"It would be good to further investigate this. I don't want to fail Lily's and James' son more than we already have."
"Neither do I Amelia. Until later then."
Amelia nodded and left though the fireplace.