Harry Potter and The Force of Magic Chapter 28 (The Mark of Sacrifice) (Patreon)

"Sirius?"

Poking his head out of the undergrowth, Padfoot listened intently, smelling the scents mingling around him. He stepped out of the undergrowth, padding forward as Harry and Professor McGonagall became visible through the darkness.

Transforming back into a man, Sirius stepped forward, hands behind his back. He was about to ask the inevitable question when Harry answered it for him.

"As well as the meeting went, it could've gone better," shrugged Harry.

Fear wormed its way into Sirius' gut. "What happened?"

"Cornelius Fudge displayed his wonderful talents of stupidity. He flat-out refused to believe Pettigrew was alive despite the fact that the evidence was right in front of him! Finally, Professor Dumbledore got him to question Pettigrew under a truth potion - Veri something -"

"Veritaserum?" asked Sirius.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, that's the one. Needless to say, Fudge didn't seem pleased with the result. He wants you guilty, Sirius."

"Of course, he would. It would damage his reputation as Minister knowing that someone was put in Azkaban without a trial," snorted Sirius. "It's going to take a lot of convincing to get people to accept me back into the community."

"Professor Dumbledore has put you under his protection. He won't let anything happen to you," said Professor McGonagall. "And neither will I."

"Professor," began Sirius hesitantly.

"Don't Sirius. We should have realized long ago that you would never betray James and Lily. We all made a terrible mistake; ensuring that Harry has his godfather in his life goes towards atoning our actions twelve years ago."

"I was the one stupid enough not to tell Dumbledore that I had swapped with Pettigrew. In the end, it was my stupid idea that got them killed. If I'd done what James wished, Harry would have grown up with his parents."

"But he has you now," smiled McGonagall.

"Not until I'm officially freed by the Ministry."

"They will," replied Harry. "How can they convict you with Pettigrew in custody?"

"It's Fudge. He'd find a way," growled Sirius. He shook his head. "I suppose I'll have to sit through a trial?"

"Cornelius has agreed to a trial - he will send word to Dumbledore. I'm certain the Minister would have ordered you taken into custody if Professor Dumbledore hadn't stepped in and placed you under his protection. You're free to go into the Castle if you want. He'll set up some quarters for you. As long as you remain there, you'll be safe," explained Professor McGonagall.

Sirius nodded. It sounded reasonable enough. He glanced at Harry to see the boy looking at his feet. Sirius allowed a small smile. "I was wondering..." he started, but then stopped, chewing his lip, considering what to say. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Professor McGonagall back away, leaving them alone.

"What?" Harry looked up, his emerald eyes shining in the darkness.

"Well, I thought if I was released officially, would you like to come and live with me?" He saw Harry's eyes widen, and he hastily added, "I can understand if you don't want to...I just thought...I mean, we barely know each other..."

"Are you mad?" asked Harry, looking slightly bewildered.

Sirius was taken aback. "I thought you might want to."

"You really mean it? Come and live with you?"

Sirius nodded.

Harry's face lit into a smile. "Are you mad? I'd do anything to leave the Dursleys!"

Sirius couldn't help smiling. Before he knew what he was doing, he had pulled his Godson into a hug. Sirius couldn't help but feel happy. He knew there was still a lot left to do, but he wanted to ensure Harry would live a long, happy life.

Harry Potter - Later

"I take it is good news?" Hermione asked as Harry flopped himself into an armchair by the fire in the room back at Tonks. Hermione sat opposite him and Ron to the left.

"Yeah," Harry grinned. "How'd you guess?"

Hermione laughed. "I can tell from your face, Harry." She had a beautiful smile on her face that Harry quite liked. Hermione was tempted to sit on his lap, but she knew Ron was with them, so she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable.

Harry sighed, a look of contentment settling across his features. He was going to live with his Godfather. He could have a proper home for once, someone who loved him, someone who wanted him, someone who didn't detest him because of what and who he was.

A second chance had presented itself.

I wonder what the Dursleys will think when they hear I'm going to live with the convict they saw on television? He wondered, a chuckle escaping his lips. He could already imagine it. Not that Harry would ever agree to sleeping in the same house as them ever again. If Dumbledore had told him to stay there anyway, Harry had planned to use his Holy Magic to either leave the house right away or perhaps do something to make sure the Dursleys would play nice.

The following day, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were bone tired, having stayed up until the early morning hours. They trouped into the common room, where Tonks greeted them. She told them her parents had left very early in the morning because they were needed.

Harry knew he couldn't do much but simply wait for now until Sirius was free. As they ate breakfast, Tonks would often look at Harry lustfully; Harry couldn't help but remember what happened between them. That has been something new for him, a feeling he wanted to feel again.

A brown owl delivered the Daily Prophet into Hermione's lap. Unfolding it, the three of them read the article that followed the headline:

SIRIUS BLACK APPREHENDED AT HOGWARTS!

PETER PETTIGREW DISCOVERED ALIVE!

By Charles Smith

Last night, Sirius Black was apprehended at the house of Ted Tonks by Amelia Bones. However, the Dementor's Kiss was not given, which Cornelius Fudge authorized if Black was found. Black has been placed under the protection of Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, for the simple reason: he is innocent of all charges against him.

How is this possible? Even this reporter finds this turn of events extraordinary. Not all details have been released by the Ministry, but it is known that Peter Pettigrew, the Wizard that was killed by Black on 1st November 1981, along with twelve Muggles, was brought into custody. How Pettigrew is alive, no one knows, and that is just one of the many questions that the public needs the answer to.

Black is currently being kept in a secure location while the Aurors deal with it. The Ministry released a statement last night: "It appears that Sirius Black is innocent of the crimes of which he was charged with. He was never given a trial but sent to Azkaban by Bartemius Crouch, the then head of Magical Law Enforcement. Until a trial has been arranged, no harm will come to either Black or Pettigrew until the truth of 1981 can be solved."

The Daily Prophet can exclusively reveal that an investigation is being launched into Bartemius Crouch and why he didn't give Black a trial before he was sent to Azkaban.

"They don't have all the details yet," Hermione folded up the paper, laying it down beside her. "This turn of events is going to send the Ministry into chaos. Sending someone to Azkaban without a trial, isn't that against the law?"

"It is," Ron explained, "but from what I know, it was bad back then. There must have been so much evidence against Sirius that warranted him to be sent without a trial."

"He was the only survivor of that blast on that street, and they all believed he was your parent's Secret Keeper. It stands to reason they wouldn't need to take him to trial, but it is still wrong," frowned Hermione. "Wouldn't they have at least considered his background before sending him down?"

Harry shrugged. "Voldemort had just fallen then. Hagrid told me that people were still scared. Enough damage was done that made people think Sirius had done it. No one knew they had swapped. Faced with that, Sirius had no chance."

Ron shook his head. "I may be wrong in this, but I'm pretty certain that Black is one of the oldest Wizarding Families, much like Malfoy is. I think the majority of the Blacks supported You-Know-Who. If they based their evidence on that as well...then there would be no reason for Sirius to get a trial. Most Wizarding Families follow the same path. It's rare when one does not."

"Then what made Sirius so different from the rest of his family?" wondered Harry.

That evening, Harry visited Sirius in the quarters he had been assigned. Harry had dwelled on the information Ron had told him about during breakfast. Whether or not Sirius' family was a dark one didn't matter to Harry. He knew Sirius was different...he could see the goodness in the man's eyes. The fact that he had offered him a proper home proved that his Godfather was different. He knew his Godfather was a good person, someone who had been mistreated badly by the Ministry of Magic.

"Have you heard?" Sirius asked as Harry made himself comfortable. His Godfather was looking much neater now, wearing clean wizard clothes. His hair had been cut to just above his shoulders. His beard had been trimmed as well. He looked much younger than he had been looking only the night before.

"Heard what?" Harry shook his head.

"They've set a date for the trial."

"When is it?"

"Monday 29th December. It starts at ten in the morning and will probably go on for a few days. I'll be kept in a holding cell at the Ministry until it ends," explained Sirius.

Harry nodded. "Do you think I could come?" He wanted to show his support, after all.

"You can't," Sirius replied sadly. "It's a closed courtroom case. No reporters, no members of the public either. The Ministry can't risk the chaos it may cause."

"Then why release the article saying you're getting a trial?" Harry asked. "Surely it would have been best to keep quiet about Pettigrew and you?"

"They would have done, but unfortunately, one of the Daily Prophet's sensationalist seeking reporters heard rumors, did a bit of digging, got it confirmed, and then printed it. The Minister couldn't stop it," explained Sirius. "It might be best if the public knew what was happening in advance. It gives them a chance to get used to the idea that I'll be rejoining society. It will not be an easy road."

They fell into silence. Harry bit his lip, dropping his gaze. Their relationship was still new, and the silence was uncomfortable to bear. Finally, Harry brought up the courage to ask the question that had been nagging at him since Ron had mentioned Sirius' family.

"What if the public doesn't want me to live with you? My friend Ron said..." he trailed off, unsure how to continue.

Sirius leaned forward in his chair, a mixture of fear and worry embedded in his features. "What do you know about my family, Harry?"

Swallowing, he took a deep breath. "Ron mentioned that the Blacks are an old dark Wizarding Family. Is that true?"

Sirius hung his head. "It is. I am not like them. I never have been. I have no desire to associate myself with them. To me, the Blacks are not my family. You are." Sirius ran his fingers through his hair. "I ran away from home when I was sixteen. I'd had enough of their pure-blood mania."

"Was it bad then?" enquired Harry. He had to know the truth and the answer to the burning question in his mind: What made Sirius Black different? "Why did you not follow their beliefs?"

Sirius snorted. He folded his arms over his chest. "My parents believed that the only suitable career for a Black was to purify the Wizarding World and join Voldemort's ranks and help him exterminate all half-bloods, Muggle-borns, and Muggles. They hated me because I disagreed with them. It just felt wrong to me." He shrugged. "But James always understood. His parents supported me when my own could not."

Sirius leaned back in his chair, keeping his gaze on Harry. "But that doesn't matter now. My only priority is you, Harry. I promised James I'd look after you if anything ever happened to him. I haven't done an excellent job of it for the last twelve years. It's time I made good on that promise."

"Thanks," smiled Harry. It would take a while for him to get used to the fact that he had a family. But for now, he would have to wait for that day to arrive. It was not assured yet.

A few days more, and then we'll know...

The weekend passed in a blur, and Monday, 29th December, came round quickly. Harry found himself awake in the early hours of the morning, dreading the coming day. Though he, Ron, and Hermione had submitted written statements for the trial, he could not be there to support Sirius.

Professor Lupin was also attending the trial. Harry had heard that corpse-looking Snape was also attending the trial.

Harry had been concerned that Snape would definitely try to justify against Sirius. Still, Hermione had reassured him that Dumbledore wouldn't allow him to do what he wanted since Sirius was under his protection. Harry understood that Hermione was right, and the only thing left to do was wait.

Harry spent the day in a slow dream, trying to get through the day without worrying too much. He hated waiting, not knowing what was happening.

Tuesday passed in the same fashion. Tension was tight, and Harry began to wonder if everything was going the way it should be, finally, on Thursday afternoon. As he was practicing his Holy Spells, he felt the familiar magic that came from Sirius. It didn't take long for Tonks to inform him that someone was awaiting him at the door.

Wasting no time, Harry jumped from the second floor to the kitchen on the first floor, landing with a loud thud. Tonks looked at him as if he was a madman, but Harry ignored her as he ran towards the door with joy.

As he opened the door, he was enveloped in a hug. Pulling away, he looked up into his Godfather's grinning face. Harry returned the hug, smiling happily.

"I take it you are free." Harry teased with a wide smile on his face; Sirius chuckled in amusement, enveloping his godson in a big hug.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Harry. You have to endure me for a bit longer." Sirius teased, both sharing a burst of laughter, but as they all walked inside.

Dumbledore couldn't help but look at Harry with a hint of wariness. When they had checked Peter's body for any mark, it hadn't taken long for them to find the mark on his back. The mark seemed like a Sword piercing a Star. No one knew what to make of it. Amelia Bones tried to see if the mark would react to any sort of spell, but the mark never reacted.

Trying to see what it was, they even tried to see if they could even remove it from his flesh, but the mark absorbed any offensive spell. No one knew what to make it, and eventually, they decided not to bother with it since it seemed like it was doing nothing, at least to Fudge, but Amelia and Dumbledore knew that Mark wasn't there for decoration.

But unlike Lady Amelia, Dumbledore had seen that mark before, and Arthur had been the one to have that mark behind his neck. Dumbledore wasn't sure what that mark could do, but he hoped Harry wouldn't try to do anything... reckless.

' "What about the burst of magic? Anything from it?" Amelia demanded from her Aurors, who had just arrived to report, her eyes making all of them uncomfortable, but they all shook their heads.

"I'm afraid not. All we have done since yesterday is make sure no Muggle remembers what they saw." Tonks explained to her boss with her head down. Amelia sighed deeply before looking at Professor Dumbledore, who was unusually quiet.

"Professor Dumbledore has something like this happened before." She questioned carefully, trying to read his expression, but Dumbledore's expression gave out nothing to her.

"Well, I remember a book mentioning something similar, but if it was true, it happened a long time ago." The Professor answered as he sat down.

"What was written in the book?" She asked right away with intrigue, knowing there was a chance that this was nothing that important, but Amelia could still feel the raw power she had felt in the air that night. That kind of magical power was something that frightened her, and she wanted to make sure that whoever did that wasn't another Voldemort.

"It was said that a young witch had a burst of magic that spread in the entire London, thousands of people fell unconscious, and the air was hard to breathe in for weeks." Professor Dumbledore explained calmly, taking by surprise all the Aurors who were present in the room.

"What was her name?"

"Her name was removed from history, I'm afraid, but it is said that she had long red hair like blood."

Well, Book 3 is Over. The next Chapter will be a Chapter about Harry finally being happy and having fun and spending the New Year with all his friends, including Sirius.

Chapter 30 will skip to Book 4, where the biggest changes from the Canon will Start. Harry's magical power will make quite a few turn their heads, including a certain Veela.

At the end of this Chapter, the witch that Dumbledore brought up is Venefecia Potter from Chapter 9. Her role in the Story will be revealed later.

I hope you enjoyed this Chapter