A Fresh Start

After returning to Grimmauld Place, Mr. Weasley wasted no time heading back home to inform Mrs. Weasley and Ginny about the good news. Before leaving, he invited Sirius to the Burrow for a dinner party in honor of his newfound freedom.

"We'll throw a proper celebration," Mr. Weasley said with a grin. "You deserve it, Sirius."

Fred, George, and Ron quickly followed him, already discussing plans to help their mother prepare for the party.

"Mum's going to be thrilled," Fred said as they rushed out the door. "Probably cook a feast for the whole Ministery."

"Wouldn't be surprised if she ropes us into doing all the work," George added with a wink at Rose.

Lupin was the next to leave, excusing himself. "I need to run an errand before the party," he said. "But I'll see you all there."

Once everyone was gone, it was just me, Rose, and Sirius left in the living room. The air was lighter, and Sirius was beaming with excitement. It was like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

I looked at him and asked, "So, what's the first thing you want to do now that you're a free man?"

Sirius paused for a moment, then let out a hearty laugh. "Honestly? I don't even know. I've been dreaming about this moment for so long, and now… I want to do everything."

Rose chuckled. "Well, you don't have to do it all today. But, maybe we can start with something small, like a new look?"

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "A new look?"

Rose nodded, smiling. "Yeah! A fresh start calls for a fresh appearance."

Sirius scratched his chin. "I suppose I could use a bit of a trim."

I took out my phone and opened the chat group. I hadn't been keeping everyone updated about Sirius' situation in the past few days, but now seemed like the right time.

[@Blade]: Sirius is free. Heading out for a celebration soon.

Almost immediately, responses popped up.

[@Web_Slinger]: Congrats! That must've been tough to pull off.

[@Billionare_Playboy]: Well done. Any further trouble on your end?

[@Byakugan_Princess]: I'm so glad everything went well! Sirius deserves to live a free life after all he's been through.

I smiled at the messages. From the chat, it seemed like everything was calm on their end—Bruce was still researching, and the others were focused on training.

I looked up at Sirius and Rose. "So, what do you say we go give Sirius his new look?"

Rose clapped her hands excitedly. "Let's do it!"

The three of us got into my Pagani Huayra Roadster, Sirius' eyes practically popping out of his head when he saw it. "Merlin's beard, Shiro! Where on Earth did you get this thing?"

I grinned. "Let's just say it's a custom job."

Sirius ran his hands over the sleek design, clearly impressed. "When this is all over, you'll have to get me one."

"Consider it done," I replied. "It'll be my gift to you for your freedom."

Sirius took the Passenger seat, while Rose climbed and sat on the space between the gap of the seats Head rest.

As we cruised through London, Sirius couldn't stop marveling at everything. The freedom to just drive around the city, seeing the sights—it was all new to him after so many years in Azkaban.

Rose directed us to a tailor's shop, and we spent the next few hours there while she picked out outfits for Sirius. He grumbled the entire time, but in the end, he couldn't deny that she had a good eye for style. By the time we left, Sirius looked completely refreshed—his tired, gaunt appearance replaced with a sharp, dashing look.

"Well, what do you think?" Rose asked, giving him a once-over.

Sirius smiled at her. "I feel like I've finally left that miserable place behind."

"You look great," I added. "Rose knows what she's doing."

Sirius winked at her. "Guess I'll have to trust you on this one."

As night fell, we made our way to the Burrow for the dinner party. The house was already buzzing with people when we arrived. The entire Weasley family was there, of course, along with Lupin, Hagrid, and several professors from Hogwarts, including McGonagall, Sprout, Slughorn, and Flitwick. Even Snape had shown up, though he mostly kept to himself in the corner.

Hermione arrived with us so Rose introduced us. But we didn't get to talk as soon as we arrived the Weasley's rushed us inside.

I noticed Hermione chatting with Ron and Ginny, and when she spotted us, she waved enthusiastically. "Rose! Shiro!"

Rose waved back, and we made our way over to the group. "Hi, Hermione! It's good to see you again, didn't get to talk at the front door."

Hermione smiled brightly. "You too! I heard about the trial—Sirius is free now, isn't he? That's wonderful!"

I nodded. "Yeah, it's all thanks to the testimonies and the evidence we gathered. Madam Bones took everything seriously, and she acted quickly."

Hermione looked intrigued. "I've always admired Madam Bones. She's one of the few people in the Ministry who actually upholds justice."

As we chatted, Sirius was making his rounds, greeting everyone and receiving congratulations. At one point, he approached Snape and, to my surprise, offered a hand. "Sni... Snape… I owe you an apology for the way I treated you at Hogwarts."

Snape looked taken aback but eventually shook Sirius' hand. "Black," he said curtly. "Let's just say we're even."

The tension between them seemed to ease slightly, though I could tell Snape wasn't entirely comfortable. Still, it was a step in the right direction.

As the evening went on, the topic of Quidditch came up while I was talking with Fred, George, and Ron. They were all buzzing with excitement about the upcoming World Cup.

"You're going to stay for the World Cup, right?" Ron asked eagerly. "It's going to be incredible!"

Fred and George nodded in agreement. "You've got to see it, Shiro. The finals are going to be Ireland versus Bulgaria, and Viktor Krum is playing!"

Sirius overheard and jumped into the conversation. "Shiro, you've done so much for me—consider this your reward. Stay for the Quidditch World Cup."

I hesitated. "I don't know. I have responsibilities back home, and—"

Rose cut in. "You should stay, Shiro. It's not every day you get invited to something like this. Besides, I know you're curious about how the British Wizarding World looks like."

She was right. The Sports Festival wasn't until June, and I still had some time. Plus, this would give me a chance to explore more of this world.

"Alright," I said with a smile. "I'll stay for the World Cup."

Rose grinned. "Brilliant! And tomorrow, I'll give you a proper tour of Diagon Alley. There are some shops I think you'll find interesting."

Sirius raised his glass. "To freedom, Quidditch, and good friends."

The night continued with laughter and conversations, and as I sat there surrounded by these people, I felt a sense of belonging that I hadn't expected. Despite being from another world, they had welcomed me without question, and that was more than I could have asked for.