Chapter 113

Severus looked down on the captured Sirius Black with satisfaction. Harry though, was confused. Black had been screaming that Peter Pettigrew was alive – that he had been the secret keeper – that he'd been the betrayer and had killed the muggles.

Harry would have ignored the ravings, but he and Draco had seen the rat turn into a man and back again … and he knew that Pettigrew had been a rat animagus.

Before Harry could say anything he felt a wave of freezing cold and saw Severus turn quickly around in a circle looking at the circle of dementors that were approaching them from all sides.

"They've surrounded us." Tom exclaimed and quickly conjured his cheetah patronus. It was quickly joined by Dora's cheetah patronus, as well. The patronus' circled the wizards along with Severus' hastily conjured doe, but they were vastly outnumbered by the 25 dementors who swarmed over the small group.

The stupefy wore off Black quickly with the dementors there and the bound wizard started screaming, adding to the chaos. Tom and Dora tried to wedge Draco and Harry between them and Severus, but Severus was having difficulty with the proximity of the dementors as well and the doe quickly dissipated as Severus' ability to maintain any feeling of hope or happiness left him.

Yvane quickly spoke to the hyperventilating Harry, he could reach Harry's mind without difficulty – especially since Tom and Harry had been practicing with the crystals. "Harry – cast your patronus … the wand with my heartstring is meant to protect you. Cast … I will help you with it."

Harry backed away from the group enough to do the spell. He could make a very large shield and even get it to start to make a form. Tom said he was trying too hard and Remus felt that Harry was far too sure it would be an osprey and it was hindering the spell.

Harry gathered his magic and focused it on the spell, trying to empty his mind of expectations of what form it would take. He could usually only hear Yvane's voice – when Yvane wanted him to, of course. Now he could feel the touch of alien magic gently running through him, directing the spell.

Harry yelled "Expecto Patronum!" and watched the white mist pour out of the end of his wand. He could hear Draco and Severus' yells mingle with Black's screams in the background. The blindingly white mist coalesced into a huge shape – a great dragon … Yvane, though only half the size he had been in life.

The dementors halted their attack, frozen in shock. The patronus Yvane circled the huddled group of wizards - seemed to draw in a breath – and then belched out a flame of slivery mist. The flame touched two of the dementors and they drew back … but too late, as they crumbled into dust.

There seemed to be collective flinch from the other 23 dementors but scurrying away was no longer an option. Hazelette had been alerted by Yvane and she winged her way over as fast as her aging body would go. She was delighted to see the patronus Yvane and roared a welcome, and then got down to business, flaming as many dementors as she could before they could flee the grounds.

Auror trainees, teachers and students were flooding out of the school toward the small group. Colin Creevey raced frantically ahead of everyone to snap a picture that would grace the front page of the Daily Prophet the next morning … He caught Hazelette as she was raised on her haunches, front claws resting on the arched gate with wings spread … leaning forward – flames pouring out after dementors that were streaming away out one side of the picture – Yvane the patronus winging in and out of the other side of the picture.

The Headmaster didn't try to get rid of the enormous crowd – instead he simply waved for the Aurors and trainees to bring Severus, Tom and Dora, along with Draco and Harry … herding Remus in the middle of the group and he hovered the restrained Black behind them.

The group likely to be in on sorting out the madness was rather large, so instead of going to his office, Albus led them to a large antechamber off the Great Hall. Minerva firmly shooed everyone else away. Hugo, followed by Madame Bone, Minister Fudge and Rufus Scrimgeour were hard on the group's heels, having been summoned by a panicked Pomona and Filius.

Rufus dismissed all but Dora of the Aurors and trainees , "Go round up whatever is left of the dementors and return them to Azkaban. They are no longer needed here."

The leader of the group that had been guarding the school looked at Rufus doubtfully. Rufus glared at him.

"Do you think that Auror Hugo Savage and I can't handle an already subdued escapee?" Rufus asked sarcastically.

The Auror flushed and shook his head apologetically. He scurried out with the others to gaze at the eighteen piles of ash that had once been the fearsome dementors of Azkaban. Hazelette was lounging triumphantly nearby, surrounded by adoring students and being fed by a beaming Hagrid who was extolling the virtues of dragons … just as the sun was rising.

The group in the anteroom was just getting settled to decide who would get to take Black to the ministry and who would have to stay to take statements when loud and very upset sounding whining came from Remus' corner of the room.

Tom and Dora had needed to say "He's with us … he's had wolfsbane …" about a hundred times, but Remus had been ultimately left alone. Now though, the sun was rising … and Remus was about to change back … into a very naked human, and that thought had just occurred to him. Luckily it also occurred to Severus as well, who conjured a cloak to throw over the werewolf just in time to protect his modesty.

Remus had heard a fair amount of Black's ranting and remembered thinking he had smelled Peter. He pushed aside his embarrassment …. which was rather acute - what with Severus' smirking at his clutching at the front of the cloak to keep it well closed.

Before anyone could ask him questions, Black leaped in. "Pettigrew is alive … I was chasing him. He was the secret keeper …" He panted it out before they could stop him.

Rufus and Severus donned identical sneers, and Albus looked angry.

Remus clutched the cloak tightly. Moony warred with his more sensible self. Had he really smelled Peter, or did he just want Padfoot back guilty or not? Was he just clutching at straws to save his old friend?

"I did smell Peter at one point …" Remus said hesitantly, unhappily aware of Severus' immediate glare and look of betrayal. "… but I never actually saw him."

Severus fumed. Black had betray Lily to her death … along with James Potter – the only reason Harry survived was Lily's sacrifice, and Harry was now possibly doomed with a Horcrux in his scar … and it all could be laid at Sirius Black's feet – the bullying swine who had tormented him for years.

"I think Draco and I did see him …" Harry added, also aware of Severus' likely ire at Harry saying anything.

"You saw Peter Pettigrew?" Rufus sneered in derision. What were these Slytherins and their henchmen up to now? Trying to get another Death Eater freed? He glared at Severus. A reckless plot … trying to absolve Sirius Black of guilt.

"We saw Ron's rat being chased but when we went to rescue it, it turned into a man … and then Black in his dog form was chasing him. The man disappeared when they got to the wall." Harry added firmly, with Draco nodding in agreement.

"Black and Pettigrew could have been accomplices who had a falling out." Rufus objected angrily, causing Severus to frown. He hated that Rufus was the only one saying anything that he wanted to hear.

"If you weren't the secret keeper, why didn't you say so during your trial?" Madame Bones demanded of Sirius Black.

"There was no trial." Sirius answered dully, surprising Amelia.

"No trial?" Harry broke in, aghast.

"He confessed." Albus said, seeing Harry's look of horror at the thought of someone locked up with no trial, "I'm not sure how it works in muggle society, but here if someone confesses - they don't hold a trial. If they plead guilty, they are sentenced immediately." Albus looked at Sirius with renewed disgust. "You were quite loud in your insistence that you were responsible for the Potter's deaths and laughed quite a bit about having betrayed them. When you repeated your ravings about betraying the Potters to their deaths before Bartemius Crouch – who was head of the Wizengamot at the time – it was taken as a plea of guilty and you were sentenced."

Rufus snorted in derision. "He was sent to Azkaban very quickly … as I recall James Potter's friends in the Auror Corp were on the verge of lynching Black if they had to hear his laughter and boasting over the Potter's deaths for much longer."

Harry and Remus watched, both feeling torn – was Sirius guilty or not? Did Pettigrew's return mean he was not guilty, or just a pair of criminals having a falling out?

Fudge frowned, he wasn't sure where this was going, but Albus and Severus … and definitely Rufus were not buying the fugitive's ravings. He held back, waiting to see which way the wind blew. He was perfectly willing to let them figure out the mysteries in this particular case.

Sirius shook his head frantically. "I felt very guilty … I had persuaded them to switch secret keepers – it was my fault they trusted Peter to keep them safe … in a way I am guilty." Sirius explained desperately. "I wasn't laughing because I was happy about what happened … I was simply hysterical … and more than a little insane at the time."

Sirius looked frantically around at the dubious faces regarding him. He looked at Harry desperately … pleading silently for him to believe him … even a little.

Severus watched the scene with anger … it was just like when he'd been a student – Sirius standing before the Headmaster … clearly guilty of heinous acts, but somehow managing to excuse it all – explaining it all away. He watched in dread as Harry came over to his side.

"Dad," Harry whispered apologetically, but firmly. "I need to know … I need to be sure the right one is punished."

Severus' lips twisted sourly while the other adults bickered in the background and Remus desperately conjured himself clothing. There was no help for it, he could tell. Harry's uncertain eyes said it all. The seeds of doubt had been sown and the uncertainty would drive Harry mad over time … wondering if Sirius had been telling the truth or not. In the end, Severus would lose Harry's trust and possibly his love over it if he didn't play this right. Severus didn't really believe Black innocent … but that must now be shown clearly to Harry – and the whole issue of Pettigrew – Harry had seen a rat turn into a man – that needed clearing up as well.

Decision made, Severus strode over to the scowling Minister Fudge. "My apologies, Minister, but I'm afraid I will need to impose on your good nature to ask a favor for Harry." Severus inwardly smiled as the Minister turned to him in interest. Fudge trusted Lucius Malfoy's political savvy and by extension trusted that Severus wouldn't do anything to cause total chaos.

Severus could feel the Headmaster's eyes on him and he had the feeling he was being tested. Would Severus dig for the facts … or would he bury Black under the 'facts' that were already known. He had enough leverage to persuade Fudge to have Black kissed immediately … he might even be able to manufacture enough 'new evidence' for Harry to satisfy him of Black's guilt – if Severus didn't mind lying to him.

The others from the ministry in the room watched him with varying degrees of suspicion or wariness. Black started to spit out insults, until silenced with a spell by Madame Bones.

Severus donned a 'long-suffering parent with a naïve son' look. "As you can see, Harry now has concerns about exactly what happened regarding the fidelus charm that was protecting he and his family. Before unreasonable – and unwelcome - rumors start over all of this it should be put to rest with a few drops of veritaserum." Severus said gravely. "Not to mention, since there obviously was an animagus hiding as a child's pet in the school – and Black seems to know something about it … a great many questions should be answered."

Tom inched forward, followed by a curious Dora. "There's no way to lose with this Minister." Tom whispered quietly. At Fudge's look of curiosity, he continued. "If he is proven – again - to be guilty – you've been easing Harry Potter's anxiety from Black's lies as well as digging for more information about Pettigrew. If found innocent, you've saved an innocent man who someone else sentenced wrongly."

Fudge looked happy at this and at last leaped into action now that a clear path was pointed out that couldn't possibly harm him.

"Well, Madame Bones, why don't you floo over and get veritaserum … Hugo, you and Rufus should have no difficulty getting answers from Black. With Albus here to witness this, as well as I - we should have things cleared up in no time." Minister Fudge beamed. One way or another the issue of the escaped Sirius Black would finally be over.

Albus nodded as well. He was starting to have the sinking feeling that he should have dug deeper when Black had been brought in all those years ago … but Sirius had been raving about his guilt … or had he merely been raving out of madness brought on by the shock of his friends deaths?

Sirius took the potion with remarkable alacrity. Harry clutched Severus' arm tightly as he listened. Severus was soon appalled to hear the whole shoddy tale of Sirius being sent to Azkaban when he was only guilty of foolishly talking James into making Pettigrew the secret keeper. The fracture that occurred in Black's mind over his friend's deaths due to this had condemned him to twelve years in the prison.

Severus looked at Black with a bit of pity over that. He'd hated Black for too long to have a great deal of sympathy, but he supposed Black had suffered long enough.

Harry could barely believe it. Black was innocent – or at least only guilty of trusting the wrong person. His mind could barely make the shift from hating Sirius to pity. Harry glanced over at Draco – his friend's jaw was slack and he was staring at Black in shock. Remus sighed in bewilderment and shook his head, feeling guilt … but how could he have known?

Albus shook himself into action. "We should get Sirius to St Mungo's for treatment while the ministry arranges for his being cleared of charges." He sent a meaningful look to the bug-eyed with shock Minister. Fudge immediately became serious and nodded. He and his staff needed to come up with a very good press release for the papers, he ran to the floo, followed by a frowning Rufus.

Hugo and Albus marched the protesting Sirius to the floo, followed by Madame Bones. "But I need to talk to Remus … I need to see Harry …" Further protests by Sirius were drowned out by the roar of the floo.

The rest of the room's occupants were left to shake their heads. The world had once again been turned upside down. Draco recovered enough to ask plaintively, "What will all this mean?"

Severus grimaced, "A very good question, Draco. In the meantime I would guess we have some chaos to attend to. Draco … find your father and inform him of what has occurred. If there were indeed injuries in the Gryffindor tower he is likely in the infirmary."

Severus walked out of the antechamber and into a Great Hall awash with loud voices shouting their theories of what had happened. Silence swept across the Hall as they saw Severus and the others re-entering the Hall. Minerva was at the Head table and looked relieved at their appearance. Severus gripped Harry's shoulder and they shared a moment of mutual commiseration … they would both need time to come to grips with all of this. He waved Harry over to the Slytherin table and walked to the head table, trailed by Tom, Dora and a pensive Remus.

Severus waved a sonorous and spoke to the gathered students, explaining the switched secret keepers, how Sirius had felt such remorse that he'd essentially confessed his guilt after he'd been caught, "… Pettigrew has been hiding as a rat – Black has been trying to catch him … this is why he entered the Gryffindor tower … to capture the real traitor."

Severus held up his hand to halt the immediate barrage of questions. "You will get the full story as soon as we have it, ourselves." He waved the Auror that was leading the trainees up to the front of the Hall – the Auror had returned after rescuing the seven dementors that had survived Hazelette and the patronus of Yvane. "Pettigrew may still be in the vicinity … I would recommend an immediate search of the area." The Auror's face cleared – having a clearly defined job reassured him and he immediately summoned his trainees and they – along with Dora – swept out of the Hall.

A distant roar made everyone turn. "Perhaps you should go calm Hazelette." Minerva said sourly. "She is still quite eager to track down more dementors … and Hagrid seems to only be encouraging her." Tom nodded and took off at a run.

Remus collapsed in a chair, slumping in his conjured clothing; exhausted from the full moon, the confrontation and the emotional pain … realizing Sirius was innocent. Minerva patted his arm; "You could not have possibly guessed …" Remus nodded, but did not feel much comfort.

Noise in the Hall settled to a dull roar as students discussed the latest turn of events. Lucius, trailed by Draco, Dudley, Dean and Seamus, then entered the Hall. Ron brought up the rear, wearing a horrified look. Dudley sat down to breakfast, carefully cradling a pitifully meowing Seti.

The Gryffindor boys had taken Seti to the infirmary quickly, while Dudley's bear raced to summon Lucius … roaring that death, dismemberment and despair were occurring and for Lucius to come to their aid quickly. Lucius had run behind the bear to the infirmary, dreading what he might find … only to come upon the bruised boys huddled around a bed containing the injured cat.

He'd nearly hexed them in his relief.

Lucius had been treated to the tale of Seti vs. Black, all of them insisting he had saved their lives. Seti did have broken ribs and a concussion from being flung against the wall, but these were healed quickly by Poppy. She had almost finished with the various bruises on the boys when Draco burst in and told them the news regarding Black and Pettigrew.

While Lucius had stood in stunned shock the boys latched onto the part that mattered to them. "We've been living with Pettigrew in our dorm?" Ron had shouted in shock. The boys had grimaced and looked at each other in distaste.

Draco had then rubbed salt into their mental wounds, "You've been undressing in front of Pettigrew!" He'd added gleefully.

The Gryffindors had all blanched in collective disgust. "Ewwwww!" They'd said in chorus before heading to the Great Hall.

Seti was now holding court with the third years of all houses cooing over him and offering tidbits. In spite of Black's 'innocence', they felt Seti had been brave and that it had been a dirty trick to harm the cat.

Seti settled in to be made much of for as long as he could milk it.

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Peter hustled as fast as his little rat feet could run. He needed to keep to the rat form until far enough away from the dementors to not be caught. This bit of ill luck was forcing him into action. He'd hoped that some chance event would place Harry Potter in his clutches … but that wouldn't work unless he could take the boy straight to the Dark Lord … and he didn't know where the Dark Lord was.

It was midday by the time he reached Hogsmeade. He squirmed through a crack and into the back of the Hogshead Pub and chewed on some discarded biscuits, trying hard to come up with a plan. He could hear the patrons talking … the gossip network already had the tale of Sirius Black being caught … and was somehow being exonerated. There was also the news that Peter Pettigrew was alive … and a rat in more ways than one.

His heart sank … they would be looking hard for him, now. He needed to remember where the Dark Lord had kept Nagini – he'd taken great delight in making Peter feed the snake, knowing how much Peter had feared the snake. Voldemort had apparated him there, and Peter had been too terrified to remember much … if he could figure it out, he would go there. If … no, when … the Dark Lord returned, he was sure to go there.

Peter didn't have Harry Potter to present to him, but he did have the Dark Lord's wand. He hoped it would be enough to earn approval.

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The next day had the Great Hall was a sea of newspapers being poured over by the students. Colin Creevey's picture of Hazelette was in the middle of the front paper and Colin was grinning happily. The Daily Prophet had managed to get the story of Black breaking into Hogwarts and his subsequent capture correct. The information they reported that had been found with the veritaserum was also correct. From there, of course, speculation was rife.

Rita Skeeter, though, managed to hone in on Severus' deepest held fear. Would Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, try for custody of The Boy Who Lived?

Once the articles had been read, eyes were now on Professor Snape and Harry … were they worried about this?

Harry cornered Severus at their usual Friday lunch after potions. "Is there a way he could try for that? He may be innocent, but he's clearly a bit unhinged … they wouldn't give me to him, would they?"

Severus shook his head. "There is no legal way that anyone could remove you from your family … and we are your family – by magic as well as by law you are my son as well as Rosmerta's … Tom is your brother and Elizabeth your sister. If we bothered with one of those overblown family tapestries it would reflect all those relationships. You belong with us and that is that."

Harry relaxed in relief and Severus hated to cause another worry. "However …" Harry's eyes flew to Severus' face. "… my fear is that when he realizes there is no legal recourse he will try illegal means. He could snatch you and make a run to a country that we couldn't demand your return from … or he might just hide away somewhere with you."

Harry immediately looked fierce and determined. "He'll not get far with me if he tries that."

Severus smirked happily, yes, Harry would not allow Sirius to take him away. He just needed to be on his guard.

"Black is your godfather … and was James' closest friend." Severus decided to be gracious … at least a little … in victory. "He can provide you with better memories of your father than anyone else can. Just be careful, that's all I want."

Harry nodded, and pulled out a letter. "I got this today from that Auror in charge of the dementors … he seems a little pissy about my patronus vaporizing a bunch of dementors along with Hazelette."

Severus grabbed the letter … yes the Auror was more than a little pissy. Likely because he couldn't send a similar letter to Hazelette, he was pouring all his frustration on Harry.

Well, too bad, Severus thought. They would just have to do with fewer of the cloaked horrors … wasn't like they'd been of much use anyway. He crumpled the letter into a ball and tossed it over his shoulder where it burst into flames, making Harry grin.

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