20 chapter 19

Harry took a deep breath, feeling the air sour at the presence of Dumbledore. He turned around and there he was, waltzing over to them in a bright purpled robe with neon green stars on them. I may not be a fashion icon, but even I know that's hideous. "Is there something, Professor?" Harry asked, with his "I am an innocent 3-year-old" mask firmly on.

"Yes actually, my boy," Dumbledore began when he got close enough, "Why have you left home? You have to remember that the only reason nothing has happened to you yet is because of the blood wards over your home." Dumbledore continued to spout nonsense for a good five more minutes, and Harry stands not listening.

When Dumbledore is finally finished talking and looking at Harry with that "you know I'm right" poorly hidden behind "concern grandfather", Harry began talking. "The blood wards are connected to my aunt and cousin, who you can clearly see I am with. Aunt Petunia had just had enough of Vernon's abuse and decided to take Dudley and me away from him," Harry said innocently, like he actually believed the "concern grandfather" act.

"Harry, my boy. Your uncle was obliviated, that is not something we of the light do," Dumbledore said, you know, like a hypocrite.

"We may have overreacted with that, but if we didn't obliviate him he would come after us," Aunt Petunia said from beside Harry, "I was scared that he would kill us the next time he found us if he remembered."

By now most people had left the hall, but the remaining people were avidly watching the back and forth. "Surly it couldn't be that bad," Dumbledore tried, and Harry could see that most of their audience did not agree with him. Magic is always moving, even when not in use, and that can be said for the magical signatures surrounding every magical being, but at what Dumbledore said it was as if the magic in the air stopped for a second. The magic in the air that had been nervous, but calm, suddenly became slightly aggressive, it was fascinating to watch.

"It doesn't matter now anyways, what's done is done," Remus said, and Harry could almost hear the growl between the words, "Harry is still living with his aunt and cousin, so the blood wards are a non-issue." Remus doesn't say where, nor mention who else lives in the house.

Dumbledore's face does something equal to having just eaten a lemon, Harry thinks it's unintentional, before going back to his grandfatherly smile. It looks like a grimace. "Well then, my boy. I have some important business to attend to, so if you will excuse me," Dumbledore said before practically running out of the room, no more waltz in his steps. The audience they gathered watch him leave, their admiration for the man knocked down a peg or two.

"Well, that was something. Without the blindfold on he really isn't all that good at manipulation," Sirius said lowly to the rest of the group as they make their way out. It grants him some laughs as they enter the elevator. After a few seconds the doors opened again, and they were back in the gigantic entrance hall.

Right in front of them were some commotions and when Harry looked closer, he could see cameras. Oh fuck… "The reporters are here," was all Harry manage to say before one of the said reporters saw them. The reporter pointed and yelled and suddenly every one of them were practically running at them. Just as Harry, who had raised his arms in a bid to protect himself, though the first of the reporters would slam him to the floor the man ran into something. The reporters behind him just managed to stop before they trampled the fallen man.

"What the hell!" the man said from where he sat on the floor, looking up at them. Harry slowly lowered his arms to see what had happened. Between Harry and the reporters was air. The reported that had fallen slowly made his way back on his feet before reaching out a hand to touch what he had run into. Slowly he inched his hand closer to Harry, but suddenly stopped, like he couldn't move his hand further. Which he probably couldn't now that Harry though about it. "What is this!?" the reporter yelled as his hand laid flat against the wall of air.

He man didn't get a response, because, like the hive mind that the reporters were, they began asking questions at Harry and his group. "Is it true that Sirius Black is innocent!?", "What really happened that fateful night?", and "Why did this happened now, and not 13 years ago?" were three among many questions. Everything was being shouted at the same time, and the light from the cameras was making Harry see spots.

Remus' hand was suddenly on Harry's shoulder, lightly shaking him, thankfully knocking Harry out of the daze he had been in. "The Wizengamot and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will come out with their statements," Harry heard Remus say, "We will not answer any questions." He then began steering Harry past the crowd, with Sirius, Aunt Petunia, and Dudley following after. Luckily, the wall of solid air moved with them, and became a kind of ward around the group as they made their way to the fireplaces. They were quickly out of the Ministry of Magical Britain and back in the Potter townhouse's floo room. The wall of solid air disappeared as the last of their group walked into the green flames, all too late for anyone to catch them.

"Harry!" three excited voices said as Harry came down the stairs. Harry had heard the first people had come through the floo and had begun making his way down from his room on the third floor. Fred, George, and Ron smiled at him as they met in the middle of the entrance hall. Harry could just see Arthur and Lucius make their way through the arch in the wall towards the dining room. They waited for me?

"Hey, guys," Harry smiled at all three of them, "I'm glad you could make it!" Harry began as they began making their way to the dining room, where all the other people were already gathered.

"Wouldn't miss -"

"-it for the world," Fred finished George's sentence as they once again positioned themselves on either side of him.

"Of course, we would make it! it's not every day that your best mate's godfather is acquitted!" Ron said excitedly, smiling at Harry. The smile turned smug, however, when Ron glanced pointedly at the way Fred and George were pressed up against him.

Before anyone could say anything more, be it Harry's protested or Ron's smug remarks, they had arrived. The room had been decorated for the occasion and the food stood ready on the long table. For now, everyone had been standing around talking, probably waiting for everyone to come. Sirius was in the center of the attention, happy as could be.

The celebrations continued into the evening, food was eaten, drinks were drunken, and conversations were talked. Arthur and Lucius, after a few shots of fire whiskey, sang some songs. Harry sat on one of the sofas along the wall, squeezed between Fred and George, enjoying the show. If only for a moment, everything was great.

Elsewhere everything was not so great. Dumbledore's office was a mess of his own making. After hours of chaos Dumbledore had finally sat back down at his (somehow intact) desk. He was still mad with rage, but he felt much better after destroying everything in his office.

"How dare that boy!" the fire in his eyes blazed as he began ranting out loud to himself, "How dare that boy not do as I say. I need him to be cooperative, his uncle did wonders with crushing that innate defiance and confidence!" He didn't stop for a long while, and when he finally stopped it was only to wave his wand, fixing the office, and to floo-call Molly. With a sickeningly sweet tone he began talking to her, "Molly dear, do you have time to come over here? There is something important you must know."

Molly came through the fireplace as Dumbledore sat back down in his chair, "Dumbledore!" she almost shouted as she made her way over to the smaller chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. "You said there was something important you had to tell me?"

Dumbledore smiled down at the red-headed chubby woman, "Yes, Molly," he began, "something very important. Have you heard about the court case that happened today?" Dumbledore asked and sighed when Molly shook her head, "Sirius Black was acquitted." When Molly didn't react other that tilting her head to the right Dumbledore sighed again, "He was cleared of all charges." Finally, Molly understood, and her reaction was instant.

"WHAT!!?" she launched of her chair making it fall backwards. She slammed her hands down on the desk separating her and Dumbledore, "You mean to tell me that dark man is freely roaming around!?"

"Yes, Molly. But that is not what I wanted to tell you," Dumbledore said calmly. Dumbledore waved his wand, making the chair Molly knocked over spring back up again. Molly sat down again and waited for Dumbledore to continue talking. "Harry was there."

Once again, Molly's reaction was over the top. Again, the chair fell and the banging of her hands against his desk was heard. "HOW? Why was he there!?" she shouted at Dumbledore.

"I do not know, they said Petunia left with Harry and his cousin. Which means that the compulsions on Petunia must have broken somehow…" Dumbledore began mulling over the implication of that. "Could the compulsions on Harry have broken too…?" he asked quietly to himself.

"Don't worry, Dumbledore. We have been reapplying the compulsions on Harry regularly. The compulsions on her might have been too weak to affect her," Molly began reasoning. Dumbledore had to agree with her on that, he had put weaker compulsions on her, as she was a muggle, and hadn't reapplied them often.

"This is still not a good situation," he continued, "I will have to have Severus watch over Harry more closely this year," as he said that a glowing phoenix shot out of his wand. "Severus, could you come to my office for a minute," he said for the Patronus, who flew away to deliver the message.

It didn't take long for Severus to come into the office, he glanced at Molly before directing his attention to Dumbledore, "You called for me, Headmaster," he said.

"Yes, my boy," Dumbledore began talking, "I did. You understand, I want you to take extra care to look after Harry. He seems to be going through his rebellious phase." When Severus gave him no response but a blank face that screamed "really…?" Dumbledore continued, "Do it for Lily, for her sake."

Dumbledore could see Severus clenching his teeth while answering, "Yes, Headmaster."

Molly, who had been silent since Severus came in finally broke, "I will look after him until school starts up again! Arthur managed to get enough tickets to the quidditch world cup," she said excitedly.

Dumbledore smiled at Molly, "Yes, do that, Molly. Make sure that Harry is right at home with you and try to find out why they suddenly moved like that." Finally settled, Dumbledore offered both Molly and Severus a Lemon Drop before "kindly hinting" for them to leave.