86

Kathryn looked up at her Godfather, standing there tall and proud, and it was the only time in her life that she had not been happy to see him. He was a far cry from the man he had been five years ago, when she had arrived on the doorstep of Grimmauld Place. Back then he was only two years out of Azkaban, still a fugitive, and bore the signs of twelve years of neglect.

Now, however, it would be fair to say that he was back to his usual self, if the photos they had seen of him as a young man were anything to go by. His cheeks were no longer sunken and his frame no longer gaunt. Where once they had been dulled by years of torment, his eyes were bright and alive with energy. His hair was neat and his beard trimmed, nothing like the picture that had graced his wanted poster. Despite the fact that she was still cross with him, Kathryn was prepared to concede that he looked rather handsome.

"So, Mr. Black," the witch began once the formalities of formal identification were over, "you were the closest friend of the Potters, were you not?"

"I suppose you could say that," he shrugged, "I'd like to think that I was a good friend to them. They certainly were to me."

"You had known them since you started school?"

"Yes, but I'd heard of James before that. He was some distant cousin, but we'd never met." It was no hard task for Kathryn to divine that this was due to the difference in opinion of the Potter and Black families. Although her father's family had not been radical enough to merit being blasted off the family tree, there were many others who had fallen victim to the wand of Walburga Black.

"Why had you never met? Do you know?"

"I think my parents disapproved of the Potters," he suggested casually, "they were more open in their ideas about what made a person worthy of respect."

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"They didn't think that blood mattered." He drawled lazily. "After I ran away from home, they let me live there as long as I needed to. I don't think any of my other relatives would have done that, not if it risked the rest of the family disowning them."

"So, you were disowned?"

"Yes, because I didn't associate with the right people and didn't want some nut to tattoo my arm. My Mother literally blasted me off the family tree, like I had never existed."

"So James Potter became more like family to you?"

"He was everything I'd always wanted my brother to be, and Lily was one of the nicest people I have ever known."

"Is it safe to assume that they also held you in such high esteem?"

"Well, James asked me to be best man at his wedding, and they wanted me to be Godfather to their children. I think that was probably a sign of their trust."

"It certainly was." She nodded in agreement. "Now, from what we have learned since your escape from Azkaban, once the threat upon their lives became apparent, they asked you to be their Secret Keeper."

"Yes, that's right."

"They trusted you enough to place their lives in your hands, and yet you refused."

"I thought I was too obvious a choice."

"But you were a prodigiously skilled duellist, more than capable of keeping and defending their secret?"

"Yes, that's why it was too obvious. They needed someone that Voldemort would never consider a threat, so I persuaded them to secretly change."

"To whom?"

"To Peter Pettigrew." Sirius sighed. "He had little skill in anything and was therefore an unassuming choice. Voldemort could chase me all he wanted whilst the secret remained safe. At least, that was the theory." He explained. "I was probably foolish to think that he could have nothing to do with the Dark Lord, especially when you consider how easily he gravitated towards those with power. I urged my friends to choose Peter and in doing so I killed them. I wish I had just let them pick me, I would have at least taken the secret to my grave."

"Hindsight is quite cruel." She commented.

"As is twelve years in Azkaban." He shot back with a wry smile.

"Ah yes," she regarded him curiously, "how did you survive so many years of the Dementors' torment?"

"I knew that I was innocent," he shrugged, "they could not take that away from me. It helped keep me sane."

"I see, well, that clears up the background information." She shuffled through her notes. "I assume that you had no idea about your Goddaughter's relationship with Lucius Malfoy until they were found together?"

"Yes," he confirmed with a nod, "I had seen the pictures in the Prophet, but I put it off to coincidence. I wasn't informed of the frequency of their meetings at Hogwarts, and probably for good reason."

"How did their discovery make you feel?"

"I was put in Azkaban for a murder I had never committed," he explained slowly, "but at that point I was fully ready to commit cold-blooded murder."

"I see, but now that you know the full truth, has that changed your opinion?"

"I'm not entirely sure it has." He shook his head. "I still feel the same contempt for him that I did before I knew what had gone on. Actually, I feel my abhorrence of Mr. Malfoy has actually gone up a notch or two."

"But you live in the same house as your Goddaughter; surely there was time for discussion?"

"She does not live in my house anymore," Sirius corrected sharply, "she hasn't been home since the beginning of August." Obviously Harry had not let slip that she had been there on Sunday morning. "She has lived in Malfoy Manor since the Minister saw fit to confine her there, and she has given me no sign of wishing to return."

"So did you discuss anything with her?"

"Aside from her brief summary of events, no."

"Did you not pursue her on the subject?"

"I tried to talk to her, but she wasn't particularly forthcoming on the subject and I didn't want to push her." He explained, recalling those painful days in July. "She was quiet and withdrawn as it was and I didn't want to drive her further away."

"That is understandable," she nodded in assent, "so can I assume that you too have been supporting your Goddaughter through this testing time?"

"I was at first, but at the moment we do not see eye to eye." Kathryn sighed and hung her head, knowing that there would be no escaping a repeat of the weekend's argument.

"Why not?"

"I think of her like my own daughter," Sirius confessed honestly, "but no matter the arguments she has made, I cannot reconcile myself to her choice."

"Why not?"

"Because I cannot so easily forget what he has done."

"I'm not sure that your Goddaughter will forget that easily either." She pointed out, much to Kathryn's astonishment.

"I don't mean just that," Sirius shook his head, "I mean his entire past as a Death Eater, as a Malfoy, as something I have fought against all my life." His reasoning was impassioned and Kathryn could see by the faces of those around them that his words were having some resonance.

"Surely the happiness of your Goddaughter is more important to you than old rivalries?"

"It is important to me, but I would rather that she was happy with someone else." He responded curtly. "He has no place being with her."

"She does not appear to think so."

"That is her business, but for my part, I do not believe him fit to lay eyes upon her. Not after what he has done." That comment stung, but Kathryn willed herself to keep a straight face, despite wanting to pick up where their argument had left off on Saturday afternoon.

"Why do you think he saved their lives?" she asked bluntly.

"For his own selfish interests." Sirius replied quickly and confidently, earning a particularly dark glower from Lucius. "As a last, desperate act of self preservation. He knew that she would speak up on his behalf, if they both survived, and that it could be a means of avoiding Azkaban."

"What makes you so certain that you are right about this matter?"

"Thirty years of experience." He replied darkly; a grim expression marring his handsome features.

"I see," she made a quick note, "so, aside from the obvious reasons, why do you hold such exception to their relationship whilst others have drifted towards tentative acceptance?"

"Well, in my mind, my Goddaughter represents the future," Sirius explained slowly, "a future that is without the prejudices of the past."

"Surely the future must also involve some form of reconciliation with the views of the past?" she suggested quickly, a curious look in her eyes. "I am sure there are those who would argue that Miss Potter's relationship with Mr. Malfoy is a potent symbol of such a bridge?" Kathryn sat stunned for a moment when she realised that this woman appeared to be speaking in her favour. It was very subtle, and may have only been to counter Sirius' argument, but it gave her hope.

"I do not believe he can change." Kathryn considered this a bit rich, especially since his own brother had sacrificed his life in order to betray Voldemort.

"What we have heard from others seems to contradict your opinion."

"No matter what he may have become, he still belongs to the old world; his possessions and fortune are testament enough to that. It is a world to which she does not belong, for she was born to be something better."

"So how do you see the trappings of this old world, as you put it, impacting upon your Goddaughter?"

"I think their relationship jeopardises her future role in our society." Sirius was very quick to launch into his explanation. "There is no way she will be taken seriously if she works to implement change during the day, and then returns to her four thousand acres in the evening. It is hypocritical."

"Should such a thing matter, for surely her private life should have no bearing at all upon her chosen career?"

"It shouldn't," Sirius shook his head in agreement with the woman, "but I think she underestimates how much it will affect her future. She may shrug it off now, but the taint of scandal is not easily forgotten."

"I see," her quill hurried across parchment, "and finally, in your opinion, what has she done wrong?"

"She has lied to everyone who cares for her." Sirius was quick to answer. "She betrayed the trust of all those who were sworn to protect her, and her brother, and in doing so she put dozens of lives at risk. I cannot forget that, not that quickly."

"Did she betray your cause?"

"What she did was betrayal enough." Sirius snapped in reply.

"Did she?"

"No," he admitted, shaking his head, "on that count she is completely innocent."

"So do you not admire her for the pains she went through in order to protect such vital information?"

"I never said I did not admire her for what she sacrificed," he shot back quickly, "it's just that I do not care for the end result."

"Very well, thank you." She motioned with her hand for him to return to his seat. It was with sad eyes that Kathryn watched her Godfather as he walked away from twelve pairs of curious eyes. She knew that they had been thrown by Sirius' full-throated criticism of her actions, considering the positive comments made by all those who had gone before. Of anyone she cared for, aside from Harry, he was one from whom she most desired forgiveness. She knew that he was angry, and he had a right to be so, but she had hoped for something better than this.

"Would Harry Potter please approach the bench?" the final member of the Wizengamot, a witch with a plump face, thick auburn hair and thick glasses, took her turn to speak. Harry had been wondering when they were going to ask for his input, and it appeared that they had sought to save the best, and potentially most sensational, for last. From the look he saw on Rita Skeeter's face as he took his place, he could tell that she was hoping for some lurid tale of sibling rivalry that simmered beneath a veneer of unity.

"Your full name, for the record?" the witch asked, just like all those before had been asked.

"Harry James Potter," he obliged, "and, no, I am not currently employed."

"Thank you, now," she cast a quick glance at her noted, "can you confirm that it was Mr. Malfoy who lied to his Master about yours, and your sister's, survival?"

"Yes. I mean, I had my eyes closed, but I knew who it was."

"How could you tell if you could not see?"

"Over the past two years I have spent far longer in his company than I would ever have expected," Harry explained patiently, "it stands to reason that I would recognise his voice."

"Very well. Did you hear anything of what he aid to your sister?"

"If I had, our survival would have no longer been a secret."

"So you had no idea of what was going on?"

"No." Harry shook his head.

"Did it surprise you?"

"Lucius Malfoy had just told Voldemort that we were dead so, yeah, I think you could call me surprised." Harry raised an eyebrow at the woman, seemingly questioning the need for him to answer the most obvious of questions. "It was quite a feat not to react to that."

"What did you think was going on?"

"I didn't really know what to think, I mean, it could have all been an elaborate ploy, but I had no way of knowing." He explained, finding it quite difficult to articulate what he had felt at that moment in time. "I just decided to wait. It didn't make much sense to try something stupid then and there, but it gave us one more chance."

"At that point, did you trust him?"

"I suppose I had to," he shrugged, "there wasn't exactly an alternative."

"Quite," she scratched off a note, "had you seen Mr. Malfoy at any point during the fighting?"

"I caught a glimpse of him in the castle, but only briefly, and then I saw him duelling with my sister in the forest."

"They fought?"

"Well, just for show."

"What was it like to watch?"

"It was, well, amazing!" Harry admitted with a slight laugh. "I know that it was only for show, but they didn't hold back. Every curse and hex was real. We'd practised duelling, obviously, but I had never seen anything like that before."

"How do you mean?"

"They were equally matched," he started to explain after a short pause, "not what you would expect in a duel between a nineteen year old and a Death Eater with his kind of experience."

"You were impressed?"

"It was a sight to see," Harry shrugged, "and we all certainly thought it was real."

"Did you see him at any point after that?"

"I caught a glimpse of him when the fighting moved into the castle, but only for a moment."

"What was he doing?"

"Well, he was fighting, like the rest of the Death Eaters, but I'm sure I saw him block a curse that was heading for Hermione."

"Really?"

"It was chaos, so I couldn't be sure, but a curse heading for Hermione was deflected and the only one near enough to do that was Lucius Malfoy."

"I see," she shuffled to the next page of her notes, "now, going back to before the discovery of their relationship, why did you not raise the issue of the time she spent in his company to your Godfather, or Professor Dumbledore."

"I trusted her."

"Why?"

"Because she is my sister." Harry shrugged, not really knowing any better reason.

"Surely there must be more to it than that?"

"I can't think of any better reason."

"But even though you trusted her, why did you let her place herself so close to someone so dangerous? How did you not inform your Godfather, or any of your Professors?"

"Because I believed that she could do it," he smiled, "you know, get information out of him."

"What made you believe that?"

"She's always been better at this than me," he explained slowly, "at, well, I don't really know how to explain it!" he ran his hands through his hair, searching for the right words. "She knows how to capture someone's attention and, as I'm sure you're well aware, she can be very persuasive." Harry's smirk spoke volumes to those watching, indicating that there was much that was not known about the Wizengamot's dealings with his sister.

"Yes, we had noticed that particular talent." She remarked dryly, looking far from amused.

"She knows how to use her influence too," he went on, "and how to move in political circles, in a way that I have never really been able to."

"Why not?"

"She's more patient than me for one thing," he chuckled, "and far more cunning!"

"Has she always been cunning?"

"I'd say so, but she's got better at it over the past two years!"

"How so?"

"She's had a good teacher." Harry shrugged, inclining his head towards Lucius. "But whatever she may be; I believe that she had about as good a chance as anyone at getting information out of Lucius Malfoy. Besides, I saw the way he looked at her and it was obvious that she had some kind of hold over him. That's why I didn't tell anyone."

"Very well, now, moving on," she glanced at her notes, her many rings clicking together as she shuffled the pages, "am I right in assuming that you too felt considerably hurt by the revelation of their affair?"

"I think hurt is a bit of an understatement." He replied coolly, not meeting Kathryn's eye. "It was crushing, knowing that she had lied to us for that long."

"Does that knowledge still affect you as badly as it did two months ago?"

"When I think about it, yeah, I suppose it does."

"Does this mean you try not to think about it?" she asked, picking up on his wording.

"It's difficult to forget, and I can't exactly claim that we haven't fought over the issue, but I am trying my best to focus on the positives of the situation. We are both alive, and my sister is happy."

"There are those who would consider your sister's contentment to be far from a positive outcome." She commented, recalling the widespread coverage of the whole affair.

"My sister deserves happiness, no matter how she has chosen to conduct her private affairs." Harry's voice was sure and firm, leaving no one in any doubt as to his personal opinions. "Despite what you may consider it, her betrayal was personal and not political and she has punished herself enough."

"Does that distinction mean anything?" she asked sharply. "Considering that the political and social implications of your cause were inextricably linked with your own lives?"

"I still see a difference between the two, yes;" Harry nodded solemnly, "the personal nature of what she did means that she has no need to answer to this court for what she did. The only people she should have to answer to are her friends."

"So why is she here, if she has no need to answer for what she did?"

"She is here, firstly, because you want her to be and would accept nothing else. Secondly, it is because she realises that this is the only way to put an end to inaccurate journalism and malicious gossip." He shot a very pointed look towards Rita Skeeter as he spoke.

"Very well," although she did not appear totally satisfied, she moved on, "you mentioned before that you tried to focus on the positive when thinking about your sister's relationship, but can there really be a positive outcome?" she raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Like I said, she is happy," Harry shrugged, "and it is very obvious that he cares for her."

"It sounds like you approve of her relationship?"

"Well, I suppose I've gotten used to the idea over the past couple of months." He explained, running his fingers through his messy hair. "I always felt a bit guilty, you know; when we were at school, because we all paired off. She never complained, but I didn't want her to feel like she was alone. At this moment in time, I do not think that there is anyone who could respect or value her more." There was a significant pause after that particular statement; the entire room taking a minute or two to get to grips with the idea of Harry Potter being comfortable with the scandal that had enveloped his sister.

"Do you intend to infer that you have a high opinion of Mr. Malfoy?"

"Well, I think my opinion of him has certainly improved over the past two months." Harry sighed, searching for the right words. "Obviously I can't really say that I am ok with everything that happened, but I can't really see my sister changing her mind any time soon."

"Do you think that other people should also try to consider their relationship in a different light?" she suggested, her quill poised to make notes.

"I think that there is certainly more to Mr. Malfoy than meets the eye," he explained, "but it will take time for people to realise that. The bottom line is that people are afraid of something that they cannot understand."

"I think people are also afraid of the potential power such a relationship could have," she cut in quickly, "considering his past activity and your sister's undeniable influence."

"Their relationship is already powerful; there is no question of that." Harry replied dryly. "I though the past two weeks had made that fairly evident?"

"Well," she hesitated, realising that he was right, "the ends to which they could use that power are certainly a cause for concern."

"The only reason people are afraid is because it is different!" Harry snapped back, his voice rising slightly. "But we cannot go on living in fear, not again, and we have to accept that a person's character is never as clear-cut as you appear to wish Mr. Malfoy's to be."

At that point Kathryn did want to stand up and applaud the sense with which her brother was approaching the situation, however she was sure that it would not be considered appropriate, and so remained in her seat. Looking down the row and around the room, however, she could see several faces that seemed to be considering what he had said with real concentration.

"On that note, do you think that Mr. Malfoy should be punished for his actions?"

"Which ones?" Harry asked with raised eyebrows. "Being a Death Eater, or what he did to my sister?"

"Both."

"He was a Death Eater, yes," Harry conceded, "but his account of his actions has been backed up by Professor Snape and there is not enough there to warrant a long term in Azkaban." Down in his chair, Lucius could hardly believe that Harry Potter was arguing against his imprisonment. "His actions that night, however you wish to see them, made our victory possible and such a contribution should not go unrecognised."

"And your sister?"

"My sister does not wish to see him held to account for what he did. She has given you the details out of courtesy rather than a desire to see him punished and I hope that shall be taken into consideration when deliberating your verdict."

"But do you wish to see him punished?" she pushed her original question, her eyes willing him to say yes.

"No." the entire room gave a sudden gasp and then fell silent.

"Why not?"

"It was a private matter and it has been settled privately," he shrugged, "and everyone should be satisfied with that, even the Wizengamot."

"Thank you." She replied stiffly, shuffling her notes into a neat pile. "You may return to your seat." Relieved, and believing he had done the best he possibly could, Harry sighed and walked slowly back to his seat. He knew he had done well when he saw his sister's face. She wasn't beaming, but her face had an expression of contentment across it that he had not seen in a long while.

"Thank you." She whispered, squeezing his hand as he sat back down next to her. "You are a good brother."

"He saved my life," Harry whispered back, "I think I owe him the benefit of the doubt." A throaty cough from Fudge sounded through the muttering and they, along with the rest of the hall, looked towards where the Minister sat.

"Yes, well, that concludes today's session." He closed the purple file that lay before him. "We shall reconvene in," he glanced down at a sheet of parchment, "one week." Before Kathryn could raise any objection, the purple robed wizards and witches stood and exited the vast chamber.