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"Leo! Ara! Why am I touching the ceiling!?" Remus exclaimed as his alarm clock blared, rousing him from sleep. Two snickers followed his bewildered question.
"Good morning!!!" echoed from his doorway. Glancing around, he quickly realized that all of his furniture was floating toward the ceiling as well. "Kids! Put me down!" Remus declared, feeling a mixture of amusement and mild irritation.
"Okay!" Leo smirked, swiftly waving his wand while whispering a spell. Suddenly, everything dropped to the floor, and Remus plopped back onto his bed. "Why!?" he groaned, prompting another round of snickers from Leo and Adhara.
"We found the spell in the library! We wanted to try it out!" Leo grinned. Remus reluctantly gave a thumbs up. "You did good," he conceded, before adding, "But no more using that spell in my room."
"What if you need our help with something!?" Adhara asked.
"Yeah, what if you drop a sickle behind your table?" Leo added.
"Or drop a comb behind your dresser?" Adhara chimed in.
Remus cut Leo off with a small snort as he sat up. "Why don't you let me worry about that, while you two go finish packing for tomorrow."
"Butโ" Leo began, only for Remus to interject, "I'll call you when breakfast is ready."
"Okay..." echoed the two before leaving to complete their packing.
Adhara quickly ran back into his room and gave him a kiss on the cheek before running back out to go finish packing. Remus smiled as he shook his head.
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"Kreacher, would you mind setting the table while I start breakfast?" He hollered out as he made his way to the kitchen.
"Very well, half-breed. Kreacher will set the table for breakfast," Kreacher grumbled in response.
"Well, at least you removed the words 'filthy' and 'm-blood lover'... baby steps," Remus whispered under his breath.
"All done!" Adhara cheered entering the kitchen. "Need any help, Remy?"
Remus turned around and smiled at her. "No, thank you. I've got it handled. Why don't you go get Leo, it's almost ready."
Adhara quickly ran off to Leo's room. "Letter came for half-breed, Kreacher collected it, here," Kreacher stated, placing the letter in front of him.
"Letter? From who?" Leo asked as he and Adhara entered the kitchen.
"Throgar," Remus stated, "Giving me a heads up about the Daily Prophet headlines for this morning." And right on cue, Tawny flew in carrying the latest Daily Prophet and dropping it on the table.
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The Daily Prophet - Special Edition
EXTRA! EXTRA! EXTRA!
Ministry of Magic Unveils Shocking Revelation: Pettigrew Unmasked! Black Proclaimed Innocent!
By Rita Skeeter
In a stunning turn of events, the Ministry of Magic has been thrust into a whirlwind of chaos and revelation that has left the wizarding community in shock and disbelief. The supposed demise of Sirius Black in Azkaban has been overturned, and the true orchestrator of the Pettigrew affair has been unveiled.
Late yesterday evening, Ministry officials received an anonymous tip that led to the apprehension of a seemingly unremarkable rat found wandering the premises. However, upon closer inspection, it was discovered that this seemingly innocent creature was none other than Peter Pettigrew, the traitorous wizard believed to have perished over a decade ago!
It appears that Pettigrew had been living in an illegal Animagus form, cunningly disguised as a rat, and had successfully avoided detection for years. Sources within the Ministry suggest that Pettigrew's capture was a result of an intensive investigation prompted by the mysterious tip. Once Pettigrew was unmasked and taken into custody, an even more shocking revelation emerged.
During questioning, Pettigrew confessed to orchestrating the events that led to Sirius Black's imprisonment in Azkaban. Black, who had been presumed guilty of heinous crimes, was, in fact, innocent all along. Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, held an emergency press conference to address the public and confirm the startling developments.
"It is with a heavy heart and a sense of disbelief that I stand before you today to announce that Sirius Black, who was wrongly accused and sentenced to Azkaban, is innocent. The true culprit, Peter Pettigrew, has been apprehended and will face justice for his crimes."
The Ministry is now working tirelessly to review the evidence and revisit the legal proceedings surrounding Sirius Black's case. Steps are being taken to formally exonerate him and rectify the injustice that has plagued him for so many years. This unexpected twist has sent shockwaves through the wizarding world, with many questioning the competence of the Ministry and the accuracy of past investigations.
As the truth unfolds, one can only wonder how this revelation will impact the delicate balance within the wizarding community.
The late-night edition of the Daily Prophet will continue to provide updates on this unprecedented turn of events. Stay tuned as we bring you the latest details on the Pettigrew revelation and the exoneration of Sirius Black.
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"A tip? A tip! I bloody delivered him to the Ministry myself!" Leo grumbled under his breath, annoyed, then noticed Kreacher's look before smiling sheepishly at him. "I meant you," he whispered. Kreacher nodded slightly, pleased with his acknowledgement.
Adhara turned to Leo. "This is good news, right? Your father's name is being cleared!" Adhara smiled and hugged him. Remus, however, looked at Leo and Kreacher confused... Did he hear that correctly? Or was he imagining things?
Leo hugged Adhara back happily. "It's great news!" Then a Ministry owl arrived with a letter stating the formal apology on behalf of the Ministry of Magic, along with compensation for Leo Alphard Black I.
"You have a rich boy name..." Adhara mumbled. Leo gasped dramatically. "I do not!"
Remus snorted. "Actually... she's not wrong." Leo gasped even more dramatically, causing Adhara to burst out laughing. "All right, you two. Now let's hurry up and eat, so we can enjoy our last day together before you go to Hogwarts," Remus smiled.
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And so they did. They went to the Muggle world and went shopping, to the movies, they even went bowling before eating at a Muggle restaurant. Finally, after a long and eventful day, they returned home to Mors Cottage. Adhara then read "Peter Pan" to them all as they sat in the living room. Surprisingly, Kreacher loved being read to by Adharaโit was one of his favorite things.
As Adhara continued reading "Peter Pan" aloud, Leo and Remus listened attentively while Kreacher sat in a corner, seemingly absorbed in the story. The warmth of the moment filled the room, a cozy contrast to the earlier chaos surrounding Leo's father's name being cleared. As the final pages of the book were turned, Adhara closed it with a satisfied smile.
Remus glanced at Leo and Adhara with a soft smile. "Well, Leo, Ara, tomorrow is the big day," he said, a mixture of excitement and nostalgia in his voice. "Off to Hogwarts you go." Adhara grinned, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes.
"Yeah, but we'll still see each other during holidays, right?" Remus nodded reassuringly. "Absolutely. And don't forget, you'll make new friends and have incredible adventures. Hogwarts is a magical place, in more ways than one."
"What if... we don't get put in the same house?" Adhara whispered, worriedly. Remus chuckled. "Ah, the Sorting Hat has a way of surprising us, doesn't it? But houses won't change the fact that you two are best friends, no matter where you end up. And who knows, maybe you'll end up in the same house after all."
Leo grinned, adding, "Yeah, and even if we're in different houses, we can still sneak out at night and have our own little adventures. Just like the Marauders." Remus gave Leo a look, Adhara giggled, feeling reassured.
"True, we'll make it work. And no matter what, we'll always have each other's backs," Remus said with a chuckle. "That's the spirit. Now, get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day, indeed."
As Leo and Adhara headed to their rooms, Remus exchanged a glance with Kreacher, who was still sitting contentedly in the corner. As the night wore on, they lay in their beds, feeling a mix of anticipation and apprehension for the coming day. The next morning, the air was charged with excitement as they prepared to leave for King's Cross Station. Remus, Leo, Adhara, and even Kreacher all played a part in ensuring everything was ready. The journey to Hogwarts awaited them, and the adventures that lay beyond would shape their destinies in ways they couldn't yet imagine.
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