Part One
08:00 A.M. BST
The Atrium (L8), Ministry of Magic, London
3rd June, 1985.
Heir Potter and Unspeakable Patel walked into the Ministry of Magic. They were standing at one end of a very long and splendid hall with a highly polished, dark wood floor. The peacock-blue ceiling was inlaid with gleaming golden symbols that were continually moving and changing like some enormous heavenly notice board. The walls on each side were panelled in shiny dark wood and had many gilded fireplaces set into them. Every few seconds a witch or wizard would emerge from one of the left-hand fireplaces with a soft whoosh; on the right-hand side, short queues of wizards were forming before each fireplace, waiting to depart.
The guard at the gate asked, "Name and wands please?"
"Heir Potter, of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter", replied Hadrian and submitted his wand.
"Unspeakable Patel, of the Department of Mysteries", replied Dhiraj.
The guard looked wide-eyed at the Boy Who Lived. Hadrian noticed this and spoke, "We would like to request you not to spread my identity here. We have come for an important task and it requires discretion. I hope you could comply?"
The guard shook himself out of his stupor and replied, "Of course, Heir Potter and Unspeakable Patel. Which level are you going for?"
"Level Two, DMLE Office."
"Well then, here are your tokens."
Hadrian and Dhiraj both pocketed their tokens and with a nod, they walked off. They were in the Atrium, Level Eight and their destination was Level Two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement. They went to the lift to arrive at their destination.
08:10 A.M. BST
Department of Magical Law Enforcement (L2), Ministry of Magic, London
3rd June, 1985.
They arrived at Level Two and walked past the cubicles of the respective aurors to the head auror's office. With a knock on the door, they waited. Hearing a clear "Enter", they walked in. Inside they found a regal looking, square jawed witch with close cropped nearly grey hair and a monocle. On her uniform, her DMLE insignia was fastened. She was the head of DMLE, Amelia Susan Bones, of the Ancient and Noble House of Bones.
Amelia Bones was an impartial auror and head and a witch who was firm and unshakable. They knew they would a step closer to proving Sirius' innocence if they talked to her.
Amelia looked up from her work and asked, "What is the purpose of your visit, gentlemen?"
Hadrian and Dhiraj looked at each other and cancelled the concealment charms on themselves. Their dress changed to the uniform of an Unspeakable in Dhiraj's case and formal robes for Hadrian.
Amelia was confused to see an Unspeakable with a child. Then she noticed the family crest on the child's robes. 'Dragon with a sword?! Potter family crest?! This is Harry James Potter!'
"Unspeakable Patel and Heir Potter?"
Both of them nodded and Hadrian started to speak, "We are pleased to make your acquaintance Madam Bones. We have come here to discuss a matter of importance and delicacy."
"Go on."
Hadrian took out his father's will and then brandished his wand and spoke, "I, Hadrian James Potter, heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, hereby give Amelia Susan Bones, regent of Ancient and Noble House of Bones, the permission to only view parts of the last will of my father, Lord James Fleamont Potter, in my presence. So mote it be." With that, the will glowed golden and he handed it to Madam Bones. "Please go through the writings that are unobscured."
Amelia started reading the parts that she was supposed to and with each statement, her eyebrows disappeared into the hairline. 'Sirius Black was not the secret keeper?! It was Peter Pettigrew?!!' Amelia looked up to them wide-eyed.
Dhiraj spoke, "I suppose you understand Madam Bones, the purpose of our visit. You see, that a grave mistake had been made by the previous head, Barty Crouch Sr. along with Minister Bagnold. A innocent man is locked up in Azkaban while the true betrayer runs free. We have come to request a trial for Sirius Black. No member of the Most Ancient and Noble Houses could be thrown in prison without a trial."
"But didn't Black's trial already take place? I am sure we have a record of that." With that, Amelia went into the trial archives and spoke, "Trails in November, 1981. Search keyword, Sirius Black." After five minutes, to her shock, no record came forth. 'What?! There was no trial?!' She went back to address her visitors.
"There is no record of a trail! How is this possible?! Black was thrown in without a trial?!"
This was news to both Hadrian and Dhiraj. Dhiraj quickly spoke, "All the more reason to give him a trial, Madam Bones. Sirius Black needs to be out of Azkaban at the earliest possible."
"What about the twelve murders? What can we do about that?"
"I strongly believe Sirius had no hand in it. I suspect it to be Pettigrew. Three drops of Veritaserum can prove that. Please, could you help us get Sirius a hearing?"
Amelia sighed and told, "Well then, I will be needing a copy of the will proving that Black had no hands in the betrayal. With the proof, I can get a better holding over Fudge."
Hadrian thought about it for a moment and spoke, "Very well. I, Hadrian James Potter, heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, hereby give Amelia Susan Bones, regent of Ancient and Noble House of Bones, the permission to only show the parts of the last will of my father, Lord James Fleamont Potter to Minister Cornelius Fudge. So mote it be. I also request you Madam Bones to please see that Minister Fudge only reads it and nothing else."
Amelia nodded and replied, "You can count on me, Heir Potter."
With a nod, Hadrian and Dhiraj took their leave.
09:00 A.M. BST
Office of Minister of Magic (L1), Ministry of Magic, London
3rd June, 1985.
"What did you say Amelia?!" shouted Fudge. Fudge was sweating bullets. To throw a supposedly innocent man and that too, the member of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black to boot, into a hell hole such as Azkaban, was political suicide. He would have never believed Bones if not for the records of the wills. Hell, he did not even know Black never received a trial.
Amelia was looking at Fudge with a sense of pity. He is still bit of a rookie in the political department, at least in the matters of Minister for Magic. She could cajole and stroke his ego, she thought.
"It is just as I said, Minister Fudge. Sirius Black was thrown in without a trial. Our previous minister and head of DMLE saw to it. But you are our new minister. You could rise from their shortcomings and bring justice to a man wrongly accused by your predecessors. This could rally support of the public towards you in your coming years. Think of it minister."
Fudge perked up at the mention of public support and thought excitedly. Of course, a newbie Minister looks for support the most. He replied, "You may be right Amelia. Very well then, Amelia. I accept your request of a trial. The Wizengamot hearing will be taking place tomorrow. In the meantime, prepare Black for his trial. It would be pointless if he is incoherent. I would notify the Lords and Ladies about this."
"At once, Minister. I would take your leave now." Saying that Amelia left the office to prepare to bring Black from Azkaban.
09:30 A.M. BST
Azkaban, Island in the North Sea
3rd June, 1985.
Despair, utter despair and hopeless was all he felt. The sailor knew of the warnings about this side of the North Sea. He was thoroughly warned that to go through this area would mean you die, either of unforeseen circumstances or by drowning. He, in jest, had decided to travel the roundabout way. Now it seemed like a bad idea.
There was a chill in the air that he quite could not understand. The sea was roaring, with ice cold water and strong, huge waves. And the most abnormal thing of all, there was a dark fog all over the place. He decided to head back. He had enough of experience to last him a lifetime. He rowed his boat towards the direction he supposedly came from.
However with every meter in the direction, it seemed that the chill was somehow increasing. He noticed his breath had turned into droplets now. His compass was getting cracked from the sheer amount of cold. 'What the hell is with the coldness?! It is unnatural'.
And then, he almost felt it. Felt as if remorse, despair and hopeless was striding towards him. The feeling grasped him with unseen hands and he felt he was slowly ebbing away, his consciousness and ability to feel forcibly taken away. And his mind was reduced to mush, his body dropped on the boat, his eyes lifeless, colourless and dilated and his lips ice blue.
Forever unknown to him now, the feeling had a form. A wraith, covered in pitch black robes with wisps of smoke around them, with long skeletal grey hands and big nails. It glided over the sea to return to the hive it came from. It never knew anything else other than hunger. A hunger for souls. A hunger for emotions. It was a dementor, the guards of Azkaban. The foulest creature known to wizardkind. The devourer of souls.
It returned to a great triangular monolith on a barren island. The monolith was the dreaded prison of Azkaban. Hell on earth. A place of horrors and nightmares. In the deepest floors, sat an inmate of the prison.
His eyes a haunting black, his hair wild and unkept, his robes tattered and his teeth yellow. His name was Sirius Black and his mind was only filled with two relaying images: a rat and a green eyed child. Sanity was a luxury in this place. The only reasons he still has his left because his mind was filled with vengeance and protection, something a dementor cannot feed on and lastly, he was a Black, a family renowned for their mastery in Mind Arts.
He was still thinking about all these when a voice spoke, "Sirius Black?"
He was shocked. No one had talked to him in four years, save for his psychopathic cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. With his voice raspy and his speech broken from four years of unuse, he replied, "W-Wh-Who i-ss it?"
"We have come to take you away from Azkaban. You will be getting a trial in front of the whole Wizengamot tomorrow."
"T-Take me-e aw-way? No-o mor-e of A-Azka-aban?"
"Yes"
"D-Do it, th-then."
The next moment, he felt a red light hitting him and he knew no more.
12:00 Noon BST
Wizengamot Chambers (L10), Ministry of Magic, London
4th June, 1985.
In a circular room with long benches in levels, sat a group of regally dressed individuals in plum coloured robes. On one end of it, were two tapering seats, one marked "Minister for Magic" and the other marked "Chief Warlock". Hadrian looked at the benches. He could see three groups of people. He had been told about the three factions in the Wizengamot; the Conservatives, the Neutralists and the Revolutionaries, roughly translated to Dark, Grey and Light factions, respectively. The Conservatives rallied behind Lord Lucius Malfoy, the Neutralists elected Lord Cyrus Greengrass and the Revolutionaries were leaded by Albus Dumbledore.
In the centre of the room was a chair kept where no one was seated, though Sirius was to be seated there.
After ten minutes, all had arrived and the guards announced, "All the Wizengamot members have been accounted for! The doors will be sealed!" With the bang of a gravel from Minister Fudge, the doors were sealed.
Then Minister Fudge got up and started to speak, "Dear Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot, we have gathered here today to witness the trial of a wizard, someone who had been wrongly accused of an act. However before that, I will talk about the contents of a will, the validity of which has been proven by Gringotts." Saying that, he produced a scroll and started to speak, "This is the last will of Lord James Fleamont Potter and-"
At once, murmurs began in the Wizengamot when they heard the late Lord Potter's name. Hadrian saw that the Conservatives were looking with a slight distaste, though an almost unrecognisable look of apprehension was there on Lord Malfoy's face. The Neutralists were indifferent and the Revolutionaries were confused. But all three factions showed intrigue as to why the will of James Potter was going to be read. Dumbledore sat up sharply at the mention of James Potter.
Minister Fudge banged his gravel once again and spoke, "Order! Order in the Wizengamot! As I was speaking, this is the last will of Lord James Fleamont Potter and I will now be reciting a part of the will-" He saw that Dumbledore stood up and he stopped to address Dumbledore, "Yes Chief Warlock? Do you have anything to speak?"
Dumbledore said, "Forgive me Minister, but weren't the Ministerial records of the Potter Wills sealed by me? How would you have the permission to unseal them and reveal its contents?"
"This is not the Ministerial record, Chief Warlock. This is the Gringotts record and I have been permitted to read a part of it"
"Who gave you the permission to do so, might I ask?"
"That would be me," At this Unspeakable Patel stood up and addressed the Wizengamot, "Dear Lord and Ladies of the Wizengamot, I am Unspeakable Patel and you will find shortly after that I have been named a legal guardian of Heir Potter and thus I have the authority to allow someone else to recite the wills after permission from Heir Potter."
The Wizengamot had a unified reaction on this. They all had one thought in mind. Heir Potter was a legal ward of an Unspeakable. This means Heir Potter is being trained in magic extensively. Combined with today's meeting, it means he also had some connections in the political field as well. So, a new player has entered the political arena.
Minister Fudge picked up from where Unspeakable Patel has left and told, "I have the permission here with me, signed by Heir Potter. So without further ado, I will recite this specific statement from the will of Lord James Fleamont Potter. The statement is, as I quote:
"Third, I will reveal a sensitive information about our situation in the War. Due to an unavoidable reason, we are going into hiding by use of a fidelius charm. The secret keeper of the charm was initially selected to be Sirius Orion Black, but will be switched to Peter Pettigrew. Should this will be read before Hadrian James Potter reaches the age of seventeen, this would mean we have been betrayed. I hope immediate actions would be taken against Peter Pettigrew for the same."
The Wizengamot broke into shouts at this. Peter Pettigrew was the true betrayer?! What?! The man whom they had posthumously awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class? Utter blasphemy!
Minister Fudge banged his gravel even louder and said, "Order! Please! Order in the Wizengamot! I am aware it is a grave injustice. Hence we will be rectifying it in a manner of speaking."
The Wizengamot quitened down to murmurs and absorbed all Fudge has to say and each was hanging on his next word.
Fudge then announced, "We are hereby gathered to witness the trial of Sirius Black."