Planning Sirius' Defense

"You look rather debonair yourself."

"What's this?" he said pulling at her left hand. "Who's the lucky fellow who captured my darling sister?"

"That's one of the things I need to talk to you about. But don't we need to get to the concert?"

Nic checked his watch."Indeed we do."

"Everyone if you would be so kind. Beth and I will be ten seconds behind you." Nic handed her the royal blue velvet cloak and offered his arm. Beth took it in a tight grip as they apparated to the concert hall's apparition point.

Once they made their way to the first balcony box stage left. Nic said, "We're here it won't start without us. So spill, I've heard too much about the trouble you ditching your security caused and Mother and Dad's worries while you were gone and how uncooperative you've been since you got back."

"Read this." she said handing him the file. After tapping it with his wand to re-size it, he read until the concert started. During the intermission he sent Winry to get something for all of them to drink. She came back with water for the detail and something that from a distance looked like champagne but wasn't that she gave to Beth and Nic. He absently mindedly sipped it most of his attention on the file. He suddenly looked up "What the...?"

"Sparkling cider, safe for the baby." Winry said only loud enough for the three of them to hear.

Beth gave her a smile while Nic got an oh my god look on his face. "Beth? You're ?" She nodded then gestured back at the file. He frowned as he read the first ICW alert then the transcript of Sirius' trial had him positively scowling. The second half of the concert started. Following the concert they apparated to Antonio's where his face became a study of puzzlement as he read through the Indonesian information. "So which man is he?" The Dark wizard or the honest auror and victim of one hell of a smear campaign?" He asked before they ordered.

"The auror. I haven't added this but Sirius and Harry lost everyone they had in Bali two days ago and I want to get them here by Christmas."

"What do you want me to do?'

"Will you take his case?"

"Of course, I won't even charge him full price because he'll be my brother in law. It will be easy though the Brits case has holes big enough to drive a semi through. As clear a case of trying to railroad someone as I've ever seen. MY only question is why and who benefited."

"Who else do you think needs to read this?"

"Matthais Beckley...hmmn...Silverton Richards, Bettina Rosemont."

"Bettina?" Beth asked surprised.

"Bettina may be many things but she is an honest journalist and since public opinion is one of the things that got him convicted in the UK we need to use it in the fight for his freedom. The last person who I would say needs to read this is Dad."

"My team has tried. Dad actually blew up the decanters in his office. Poor Roy was almost shaking when he came to tell me."

"Roy? As in Roy Mustang hit wizard extraordinaire that isn't afraid of his boss Chambers and may, if rumors currently circulating are true, may eventually be the first non-pureblood Director of WIS."

"Yes. Daddy is furious with me. And he's even unhappier about my choice of fiance. But Sirius fell in love with me it truly doesn't matter to him I'm a squib. What's really funny is if Daddy were to meet Sirius like I did, he'd like him. They have similar views about what's important and about the direction the magical world should move in."

"I see what I can do, where's Mother in all this?"

"I don't know, coming around hopefully. She doesn't know about the baby yet but she does know about the engagement."

"Yeah that is quite the ring. So I want details of how you felt about where you went other than a beach somewhere, met a man our parents won't approve of , and screwed like rabbits."

Beth grinned at her brother's deliberate slur. Of all her brothers he was her favorite and it wasn't just he was the same age. Michael was a professor of history at a magic school in California, Andrew was a veterinarian at a rare magical species reserve, Fredrick was a healer in New York, Thomas a was a businessman, Carson was working on a Potions Mastery, and Benjamin was an Apprentice to a spell crafter.

"Come to the castle sunday I'll show you pictures to go with the story you read." She tapped the file near his plate. "How do we do this? Sirius needs assurances of Harry's safety and that he'll get a fair trial before he come here. He fears summarily being extradited to England, and he fears Albus Dumbledore getting control of Harry."

"That first part is easy I'll file a stay of extradition because of irregularities in his trial and the extreme sentence that's been given Monday. The second is a little harder, in England Dumbledore is the Guardian of Record. Do you think Sirius would be willing to temporarily sign guardianship over to you, or better Dad and Mother until the irregularities have been investigated by an independent third party in other words until we get someone over there to look at the sealed wills?"

"Maybe. Here's our dinner and Nic thanks. How long do you think?"

"My pleasure sister. Three or four days probably week at most. Now what was this about you needing the name of a reputable real estate agent?"

.....

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