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"Still," Madam Longbottom said, "even if this does prove that Peter is still alive. You are still the one who is credited for betraying the Potters."
"And who said that?" Sirius asked as he leaned back in his seat.
"Dumbledore," the old lady simply answered.
"What if I said he speaks lies," Sirius stated, "after all he was the one who made the Fidelius Charm and should know better than anyone who the Secret Keeper was."
Loud gasps echoed in the chamber at the wizard's accusations. People begin to whisper to each other and chat with their partners nearby.
This was truly some sensational news.
Some people didn't really like it one bit as they saw this as an afront to Dumbledore's good name and tarnished his reputation as the Leader of Light and Protector of all whither it be muggle-born, magical beings, muggles, half-bloods, magical creatures, and other every downcast class.
That is when the shouting was added to the mix as Sirius was called everything that these old blood could come up with. Which wasn't really much since they never had anything to do with something dirty or seen as belittling of their status.
"Unless of course, he went senile," Sirius barked out, in a loud rasping noise that cut through the hubbub.
"Order, Order," Madam Longbottom shouted sticking down with her gavel making the all the chatter quite down. Turning to look at Sirius with a stern look as if she blamed him for all that, she said, "Now that is some very scandalous accusations. DO you have any proof to back it up or are you just making this up as you go."
"No I do," Sirius said, as he took out a very familiar golden plaque written on it was the Potter Will.
"Why do you have the Potter Will?" Madam Longbottom asked as she narrowed her eyes at the Black family wizard.
"O, this little thing," Sirius said as he gazed at it, "this is what will prove to you my innocence. All of you at the Wizengamot might have heard of some of the will during Dumbledore's hearing, but did you here this part?" Sirius asked as he begin to play it.
"I, Lord James Charlus Potter, Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter and I, Lily J Potter(née Evans), do of sound Mind and sound Body, declare this to be our Final Will and Testimony, voiding all previous filed Will and Testimony. This Will and Testimony is dated on 31 July, 1980."
"To Sirius Black, we leave you with 100,000 Galleons, thanking you for all the joy and laughter you have brought in our lives! Don't you dare spend all our money partying and chasing women," Harry's mother added in the end and he heard his father chuckling in the background. That got a laugh out of Sirius as he smiled sadly.
"To Remus Lupin, we leave you with 100,000 Galleons, thanking you for all the wisdom and cautiousness you have brought in our lives! Fuck this cruel system, you can life comfortably even if you are a werewolf," this time it was Harry's father who made the remark and felt more than heard an elbow hit him in the ribcage to silence him.
"To Peter Pettigrew, we leave you nothing if we are dead, let it be known that he must have betrayed us if we have been found. Peter Pettigrew was our secret keeper," Harry's mother tried to say until his father cut in, "I will be coming for you, you rat-tailed bastard even from beyond the grave!" However, he was quickly cut off as somebody seemed to have elbowed him and his mother continued, "Let the Auror force know that Peter Pettigrew is a Death Eater."
"To...." Harry's mother and father continued as they kept on listing more and more people that they wanted to bequest a fortune to. Each and every single one of them where good friends of his parents who've done them great favors and helped them along.
Sirius paused there, letting everyone process what they heard.
"So Peter really was the one who betrayed the Potters," Amos Diggory said with a shake of his head. "All this time we had the wrong man."
"You..." Lucius shouted as he had his finger pointed at Harry, "You are in cahoots with each other. How else could he get your parents will without you allowing it."
"I have no idea what you are talking about my lord," Harry denied, out right lying as a ghost of a smile spread across his face.
"You little conniving brat," the man continued as realization slowly spread across his face. "You had this all planned out from the very start. And you," he said as he pointed to Sirius, "you are him," he said, clearly speaking of Sirius's American disguise.
"You all had me suckered right from the very beginning," he said as his eyes went wild at just realizing the scope of everything that Harry and Sirius made him do.
"My lord," Harry said with an exasperated sigh, playing to the crowd to great enjoyment. "I only wanted to find out the truth like everyone else. Find the one who backstabbed my parents. Your baseless accusations of me is unbecoming of someone of your esteemed position."
"Hahaha," Cyrus laughed out loud, "You got played like a fiddle, Malfoy, by a kid your son's age. Man if I were you I would hide under a rock for the rest of my life. The shame must be unbearable."
"This can't be true, this can't be true," Fudge shook his head, still not believing this. Clearly, everything was crumbling right before his eyes.
"Oh, shut it, Fudge," Amelia said with a sneer of disgust. Then turning to the old lady, she asked, "What is your ruling, Madam."
Before Augusta Longbottom could answer, Corban Yaxley spoke up, "Why don't you call a vote on this?" he asked, trying to make one last effort to stop all this.
"What is there to make a vote on," the old woman spat, "this man is innocent, and had been wrongfully accused and locked up for years on end. And now you have the gull to come to me with that. Ha," she said as she shook her head.
Looking down at Sirius, she loudly declared, "Sirius Black, I have made my ruling.... You are innocent and excused of all charges that have been wrongfully laid at your feet." At her judgment, it was like thunder clamps filled the air, and Harry shivered not in fear but in true joy!
At long last, their dreams have become a reality.
Continuing, the woman added, "For wrongfully being accused, the Ministry should accord you 1 MILLION GALLEONS immediately to be paid out to your accounts. For your imprisonment, all your estates and lands will be tax-free for the next Decade. And any damage you suffered could be billed to the Ministry," she added, basically giving him a blank check and a favor owed by the Ministry.
"Also," she said, "your evidence does not prove that Albus Dumbledore was the one who made the Fidelius Charm. So in the future, Lord Black if you wish to join us in the Wizengamot, please avoid baseless accusation. Thought," she said making a pause.
"If you ever fine evidence of what you said today, please bring it to the Wizengamot and we shall act accordingly."
"Since I am a free man now," Sirius said, "I would like this court to recognize my guardianship over one named Harry Potter!"
"Mr. Potter do you accept," the old woman asked as she turned to him.
Nodding his head, there was no point really since Harry was emancipated so that he could run his family's lands, but this was just a defense against Dumbledore so that he couldn't try any of his tricks.
"Approved, then," the old woman said sticking down with her gavel.
"Also," Sirius added, "I would like my Casus Belli against House Malfoy and House Mort to be recognized. They have invaded my lands with force and impunity, stealing what was rightfully mine. So I am left with no choice but to seek immediate satisfaction."
"You... you," Lucius tried to say his voice quivered, this was just too much for him. Today he had to deal with too much surprises and turnabouts.
"I admit defeat, right now, right here," Lady Mort said getting up from her chair.
"I will be willing to hand back all estates taken from the Black family, and it shall all be prepared to their proper states. And I am willing to recompense the Black family with one of my own holds and give them, one of my Knightly vassals. Plus the proper amount of gold will be sent and plenty of treasures, gems, and magical items...." she added.
Shaking his head, Harry had to give it to the witch, that was indeed a very smart move. If she didn't give in now, then by the month's end she could have expected to be invaded by not just Sirius, but Harry as well offering some help.
Sirius seem to realize that as he shook his head, "Dear cousin, we both know that is just pennies compared to the bigger prize... Which is your land that I wanted to conquer all for my own. Not just one estate and vassal."
Eyes narrowing, the smile on her face disappeared as she growled, "Don't push it, cousin. This is more than what you will get from me."
"Or else what..." Sirius asked her, staring pointedly at her. "Remember, you are the one who decided to invade your own family that gave birth to you. Not me."
"Fine," she said closing her fan up, "let's discuss our arrangements. On a later date."
"What about you Lord Malfoy," Madam Longbottom asked as she turned her question to him.
"Let's see each other on the battlefield," he spat out, "unlike some I am not a coward fearful of some blood."
"Then Lord Black I shall grant you, Casus Belli, against House Malfoy for two years and a half. All territory conquered within that time frame shall fall into whoever hands took it, and in two year and a half time all hostility shall be ceased and all arms shall be put down immediately."
"Thank you, Madam," Sirius said with a nod of his head.
"And as my first act as newly rectified of House Black. I disown Bellatrix Lestrange née Black, Narcissa Malfoy née Black, and Amaryllis Mort née Black. Let it be known they are removed from the family tree," he said as a ghost of a smile spread across his face. "And I expect their dowry to be returned with interest."
Amaryllis Mort said nothing but just stayed silent in her seat, a part of her must be expecting it after what she had done. Narcissa was silent as well, and Bellatrix was already dead so she couldn't put up any protest for what Sirius did.
"You dare," Malfoy shouted as he got up from his chair with eyes blazing over in anger. "You dare add insult to everything you have done."
"Yes, I do," Sirius grinned, not perturbed in the least bit. Then to add insult to the wound just like he said, Sirius added, "I do not recognize your marriage to my cousin, Narcissa, I believe it was something out of haste and misjudgment as you Sir are someone way beneath her status and rank. If she were to seek separation. I would gladly welcome her back into the family. Other than that, enjoy having your little bastard, he has nothing to do with my family and shall never inherit anything that has to do with House Balck."
"Also, for some joyous news," Sirius finally concluded. "Let it be known that I will be welcoming back Andromeda Tonks née Black and her daughter - Nymphadora Black!"
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"We did it," Harry laughed out loud as he meet Sirius down on the ground floor of the chamber room.
Wizengamot session was over for today, and even though Harry wanted to continue with things such as Augustus Rookwood's testimony right then and there. There was so much that could be done in today.
If he made the request there would be outcries from each nad every lord.
So much has happened today, and no one could handle anymore.
That is why the testimony had to be delayed to another date.
"So how is it like to be finally free and have your name cleared?" Harry asked.
"I do not know," Sirius mused out loud.
"You don't?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well it has been so long that I really gave up at one point or the other. Now that it finally happened, I really don't know how I should feel; happy, angry, shocked, there really is so much to choice from."
"Well while you think about how you should feel, I am heading home," Harry chuckled with a shake of his head.
However just then a servant came up to him, "Lord Potter," he said as he held up an invitation from him.
"Yes," Harry said as he took the offered letter.
"You have been invited to the gathering of the Light Side," the little man said. Then with a bow, he was gone leaving Harry just standing there.
"Wonder what that was all about," Harry finally said.
"Well you could always open the letter to fine out," Sirius pointed out the obvious.
Just then he too got a welcome surprise as Amelia Bones came up to him. "Could we have a word," she said as she beckoned him over.
"Sure," the wizard said, then turning to look at him he gave Harry a wink, and mouth, "wish me luck!" as he held a thumb up.
Shaking his head, Harry was left all alone by himself. With nothing to do he tore into the invitation, getting the slip of paper out of the envelope.
Reading it to himself, it read;
'You are here by welcomed to the Light Side!'
'Please follow these instructions on the back to get to the location.'
'Meeting at 9:00 p.m tomorrow.'
'And once again, welcome to the Light; where we are the guardians of peace and order!'
Turning the slip of paper Harry saw some Latin words written on the back. With some sudden inspiration, he took his wand out and muttered the word under his breath.
Suddenly it was like that was the key to everything as the parchment started to glow lightly and words started to appear.
Now on the back of the invitation was an address to some were in downtown London.
Musing to himself, Harry thought, "Now this is getting interesting..."
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"Tobry," Harry said with out looking up from his paper work. It was the next morning after the Wizengamot session, Harry had yet to see Sirius after they parted in the court chamber.
"Yes, my lord, you called," the house-elf said as he walked into his office.
"Would you look over this and tell me what it is about?" Harry asked as he finally broke off from what he was doing and handed over the invitation he got yesterday.
Taking it in hand, the house-elf read it over and Harry could see the light go off in his head.
"You got invited to the gathering of the Light side, my lord?" the little magical being asked.
"Yes, do you want to tell me about it?"
"Well as you know there are three sides in Magical Britain; the Light, the Dark, and the Grey. You, my lord, have been formally invited to the Light Side which your family had been part of for centuries. Of course, if you do not count the brief stint into the Dark Side by your ancestor, Marcus Potter."
"So I have been invited into the big boys club, huh?" Harry reflected.
"You shouldn't think of it like that my lord," the house-elf said. "Being part of a large faction provides you more than some afternoon ball, little chatter, or secret meetings. The three faction act as large and very important parts of what goes on in Magical Britain."
"Interesting," Harry said as he toyed with the invitation.
"I would advise you go, my lord. Not only can you be part of the larger workings that go on behind the scene, but you can also strengthen old alliances, and weigh in on important matters."
"Well I always trust in your council Tobry, so if you say I should go, then I should go. Who knows what might happen."
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