012

Sirius had – as planned – handed himself over to Dumbledore three days before the trial, after which the Headmaster, Chief Warlock and more had accompanied him to the Ministry.

As Harry was Sirius's godson, he'd gotten the day off to go to the trial, and Delphini came along as she was now Sirius's official heir already, and in the morning they left through McGonagall's floo. At the Ministry, they gave their wands over for inspection, then made their way to the courtroom downstairs. Part of the way through, they ran into Dumbledore.

"Headmaster," Harry greeted.

"Harry, good to meet you. And you must be Heiress Black."

"That is correct, headmaster," Delphini said with a curtsy.

"Why don't the two of you walk along with me?" Dumbledore proposed. Once they had accepted, he spoke up again.

"Harry, is there anything you need to tell me about that article from Skeeter?"

Harry put on his best innocent face. "I have absolutely no idea, professor."

"Curious. Very curious, considering you were quoted in that article."

"Now, that was just because she approached me," Harry said. "I just do not see what I could possibly have to do with setting her on the trail of investigating this."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "You seem to have embraced your other side, Lord Slytherin."

Harry chuckled. "I'll make sure to rub it into Sirius's face that it was a Slytherin move that got him acquitted."

Dumbledore's face grew more grave at that. "Do not take the outcome of the trial for guaranteed, Harry."

"Professor, the only one who has reason to influence the trial is Lucius Malfoy, and if he does so we'd have to form a line to deal with him. And Lyra would be standing in front. Also, public perception is on Sirius's side, and Malfoy is having his every action here examined."

Dumbledore nodded. "We will see. Now, Harry, I heard you had signed two more marriage contracts?"

"Yes," Harry said. "Lavender Brown, to be Lady Potter, and Millicent Bulstrode, to be Lady Gaunt. Which means that I'm now there – I have a future wife for every title and the Malfoy contract is taken care of."

"Yes," Dumbledore said, stroking his beard. "Seven wives. Quite impressive, Harry. I suspect it may be some sort of record." He looked at Harry over his glasses, a different twinkle than usual in his eyes. "Or are you looking for even more?"

Harry laughed. "Sir, while there is of course the innate tendency for men to always say 'of course I want more girls', I'm not sure how many more I can handle – or even if I can handle seven."

"And what do you say, Miss Black?"

She smirked. "Harry handles me very well, headmaster."

Dumbledore's eyebrows rose as he understood the implication. "I should remind you that significant punishment will be handed out to those who are found in… inappropriate positions at Hogwarts."

"Sir," Harry said, "I am certain you won't be able to find us in those positions. We know the rules."

By now, they were standing in front of the doors to the courtroom – the trial would only start in half an hour from now – with many other lords and ladies present.

"If you'll excuse me," Dumbledore said, "there are other people I also wish to speak to. It was a pleasure, Lord Potter."

"Mutually so, Lord Dumbledore," Harry said, nodding in farewell. Strange, he thought, how they had started their conversation in their roles as teacher and student, during the discussion Dumbledore had informally used Harry's first name, and then at the end they parted as Lords.

Etiquette was complicated, and it was ridiculous how something as simple as your location or people being able to overhear you might influence it.

"Well, Delph, I propose we get some place to sit, or we won't be able to stand anymore by the time we get to enter."

They quickly located one of the waiting rooms, where they sat down on a bench, discussing the trial to come.

Several Lords briefly came by – it was Harry's first appearance as Lord, after all, even if he wouldn't be officially introduced to the Wizengamot today – but all in all the time passed quickly and then they were called into the courtroom.

Amelia Bones was leading the trial, it appeared as Harry and Delphini sat down. They'd picked the Black seats for this occasion, even though those would in the future be occupied by Sirius.

"Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot," regent Bones spoke. "Today it is time for the long overdue trial of Sirius Orion Black, suspected for the betrayal of Lord James Potter and Lady Lily Potter to You-Know-Who, who were attacked and killed by him on October 31st 1981, and the murder of twelve muggles and the wizard Peter Pettigrew two days later, on November 2nd 1981.

"Sirius Orion Black was incarcerated in Azkaban later that same November second, however through a grave oversight of the government at the time, he was never tried. Because of this, he is still a suspect, and not a convict. In addition, as he was incarcerated in Azkaban for far longer than is allowed for someone awaiting trial, his escape from the prison was in fact legal, and he will face no charges for doing so, independent of the verdict of this trial.

"Bring in the accused."

Two aurors brought in Sirius, who was unable to keep a grin off his face. When he spotted Harry in the stands, he winked. He sat down in the chair, and the chains locked around his ankles and wrists.

Madam Bones repeated the charges brought against Sirius. "How do you plead?"

"Not guilty."

"Do you consent to the use of veritaserum during questioning?"

"Yes."

Bones nodded to one of the aurors. Sirius happily extended his tongue for the auror to drip the veritaserum on.

"First question. What is your full name?"

"Sirius Orion Black."

"What is your date of birth?"

"November third, 1959."

"Identity verified. Mister Black, are you, or have you ever been, a follower of the Dark Lord commonly referred to as You-Know-Who or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"No."

"Did you betray Lord James Charlus Potter and his family to the previously mentioned Dark Lord?"

"No."

"Do you know who did?"

"Yes."

"Who betrayed Lord James Charlus Potter and his family to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

"Was Peter Pettigrew the Secret Keeper of the Fidelius charm protecting the Potter family at the time they were killed?"

"Yes."

"Did you kill Peter Pettigrew?"

"No."

"Did you kill the muggles near the site where you were arrested?"

"No."

"Who caused the explosion near the site where you were arrested?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

"What was the sequence of events before you were arrested?"

"I was chasing Peter because he had betrayed James and Lily. When I caught up to him, he screamed that I had been the one who betrayed James and Lily, then he hit the street with a bombardment curse, igniting a gas line and causing a bigger explosion. He cut off his finger, then transformed into his animagus form of a rat and fled into the sewers. Soon after, the aurors arrived and arrested me."

"According to the record of your arrest, you claimed that you killed the Potters. Is this true?"

"Yes."

Even as the question was being answered, Dumbledore already stood up. "Objection! Madam Bones, this question was vague, and could be interpreted in two ways. Either that Mister Black killed the Potters, or only that he claimed at the time to have done so."

"Objection recognized. Mister Black, did you claim you had killed the Potters when you were arrested?"

"Yes."

"Had you killed the Potters?"

"No."

"Why did you claim you had killed the Potters?"

"Because I felt responsible for their deaths."

"Why did you feel responsible for the deaths of the Potters?"

"Because it was my idea to make Peter Pettigrew Secret Keeper."

"Very well, that is everything. Aurors, administer the antidote."

They did so.

"Unless someone has something to add, I would like to proceed to the vote."

Harry made a split-second decision and stood up. Fudge was going to hate him for this.

"Lord Potter, you may speak."

"Thank you, Madam Bones. About one year ago, I happened to learn that now-Minister Fudge was present when Mister Black was originally arrested.

"Now, I do not wish to imply that Minister Fudge should have known of his lack of trial at the time – after all, he was not himself part of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. However, his proximity to the situation should mean that he was well aware of how hectic a time this was, just after the downfall of Voldemort.

"About six months ago, I met with Mister Black, and he convinced me of his innocence. When I brought this information to the very same Minister Fudge, the Minister claimed I had been confounded by Mister Black, and could not possibly be speaking the truth. I would like to ask Minister Fudge why he was not willing to entertain the possibility of Mister Black's innocence despite his previously established connection to the case.

"As for the relevance to today's trial, I would like to point out that Minister Fudge was seeking to have Mister Black Kissed that same evening, and it was only Mister Black's escape from Hogwarts that saved his soul."

"Question accepted," Madam Bones said. "Minister Fudge, you may speak."

The minister looked extremely nervous, playing with his trademark hat, which he held in his hands. "I had faith in my predecessors that they would have handled the case correctly," he said. "I presumed that Mister Black's guilt had been confirmed by them back in 1981."

Harry stood again, receiving a nod from Madam Bones. "Minister Fudge, how does this relate to your previously established proximity to the case in that time?"

The man started sweating some more. "I was only there for the catastrophe, I was not involved in the prosecution."

Leave it to the politician to not give any real answers. Harry doubted he was going to get anywhere with this, so he sat down again. Most people already knew Fudge was being bribed by Malfoy anyway. Still, it fanned the fires under their incompetent Minister just a little more.

"Anyone else?" Madam Bones asked.

It remained silent.

"Then I wish to move on to the vote. Please write 'guilty' or 'innocent' on the parchment provided in front of you, then tap it with your wand. The votes will be tallied automatically."

Harry wrote 'innocent' on his five ballots – Black wasn't allowed to vote – and tapped each of them. Ridiculous, really, that every title got it's own vote. With a total of under fifty houses, Harry held more than ten percent of the votes all by himself.

"The final tally," Bones proclaimed, "is thirty-four innocent, seven guilty, and three abstained. Lord Sirius Orion Black, you have been acquitted from all charges. The Ministry wishes to apologize for your unlawful incarceration and will seek reimbursement. You will be informed of the details in the near future."

The chains fell off of Sirius's arms and legs. With some last words from Madam Bones, the trial was officially concluded, and as soon as they were allowed to leave their seats, Sirius turned to Harry and raced up the stairs to grab him in an embrace.

"You are the best godson I could wish for," he told Harry.

Harry grinned. "I wish I had thought of this the first time around, Padfoot. Come, we have something to celebrate."

Sirius laughed. "That we do. Hey, do you know where Remus is?"

Harry frowned. "Not a clue, actually. Maybe Dumbledore knows?"

The headmaster in question just walked over. "My congratulations Sirius, and Harry as well of course."

Sirius repeated his question about Remus.

"He wasn't allowed at the trial," Dumbledore said, "but he's waiting outside."

Indeed, as soon as they left the courtroom, they were confronted with a very nervous-looking Remus who very quickly broke out in a huge grin upon seeing the happy faces. "You actually got free!" he exclaimed, hugging Sirius tightly. "I can't believe that Skeeter woman was good for something!"

"Shh!" Harry said. "I bet she's somewhere nearby, wouldn't want to get on her bad side. She's much more useful this way."

"Harry?" Remus said. "Harry! Good to see you again. And who is the lovely lady with you?"

"This is Delphini Black. Delph, this is Remus Lupin, last year's Defense teacher. She's one of my future wives and the future Lady Black, Remus."

As soon as Harry said the words, he realized that the last time he'd seen Remus before this, he had still been a professor. Hopefully, the minor slip of the tongue would remain unnoticed.

"Pleased to meet you, Mr Lupin."

"Pleased to meet you as well." He turned back to Harry. "Future wives?"

Harry chuckled. "I take it you haven't been reading the nobility section of the Daily Prophet? I found out I am the Lord of no less than five different titles this summer, and on top of that I was Heir Black and I had a last marriage contract with Malfoy that was unbreakable."

Remus furrowed his brow. "But there aren't any female Malfoys?"

Harry snorted. "Good thing I found in my mother's notes that she'd created a genderswap potion. Draco Malfoy is now Lyra Malfoy, another future wife."

"Him?" Lupin exclaimed. "That must be a disaster!"

Harry laughed. "It's working out better than I'd have dared dream during the summer. The contract might have forced us together, but we get along quite well now. We made a fresh start out of it and it worked out." He grinned. "I am also betrothed to Pansy and Millicent."

Remus' jaw dropped. "What happened to you?"

Harry shrugged. "Grew up, I think? There's also some Gryffindors I'm betrothed to, so it's not all Slytherins. Oh, that reminds me Padfoot, I wanted to point out that it was my Slytherin tactics, namely getting the press to write about you, that got you a trial."

Sirius barked a laugh. "And now I have to feel thankful to Slytherins?"

"And Lord Slytherin."

"Your ego is growing too big for you, pup."

"Sure, whatever. Shall we go for lunch together? I'll pay."

"Uh, Harry, you're the youngest here," Sirius pointed out.

"And the richest," Harry countered. "Sit and eat like the obedient dog you are."

"It's great to be free," Sirius mused, rather than reply to that.

Harry had trouble not letting his jaw drop to the floor when Lyra ascended the stairs from the dungeons. Her hair was expertly done up, and she was wearing an emerald green dress that hugged her figure, though it fanned out below her hips, reaching almost to the floor. Under that, he could just barely see her feet, much of them kept bare by the heels she was wearing.

"You are gorgeous," he managed to say, taking her hand and kissing her full on the lips. She also seemed to be wearing more make-up than normally, expertly applied of course.

"You look very handsome as well," she replied, raking her eyes over his body.

"Please, let me guide the way to our private room," Harry said, as she took his arm. Slowly, they made their way up through the stairs and corridors.

"Have you ever actually worn heels before?" Harry asked, glancing down at them for a moment.

"Only to practice for tonight," Lyra admitted. "But I need to get more comfortable in them for the Yule Ball."

"I feel very flattered that you're practicing them for me, Lyra," Harry said.

"Well, I do want to be able to look and act the part of a lady."

"You really do not regret anything, do you?"

"No," Lyra said decisively. "I was used to being a boy and doing boy things, but I've never felt like I should be either a boy or a girl, you know. Now that I am a girl, I'm learning girl things, and that in itself is not better or worse for me. And as it allows me to marry a boy, and in particular one as handsome as you… Well, I'm not complaining."

"I'm glad to be of service," Harry said. "Please, wait here for a moment while I call the right Room." He paced back and forth, and when the door appeared, Harry led Lyra into a beautifully decorated room that seemed to come from a five-star restaurant. One of the walls had been changed to show the London skyline.

Harry led Lyra to her seat and, after a chaste kiss on her lips, helped her sit down and pushed her chair under her before sitting down himself.

He'd considered using Dobby for this, however he both didn't want to deal with such an overexcited waiter, and didn't want this to be the first time Dobby and Lyra saw each other again, so in the end it was a Hogwarts elf that he called to serve them.

They ate their meals at a relaxed pace, talking about many different subjects. After almost two hours, when they had finished their plates, Harry stood and led Lyra to a side room, where he guided them to a comfortable couch.

What followed was an extended snogging session, and about half an hour in Harry ended up topless with Lyra admiring his abs.

"I'm lucky to have you as a boyfriend," she told him.

"The luck is mutual," Harry replied, feeling up her chest. The bad thing about a dress, he thought off-handedly, was that it could only be removed all at once.

Lyra moved forward to kiss him once again. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I love you, Potter."

Harry grinned. "Again, it's mutual. I love you, Lyra." He brought his arms around her neck and pulled her into another deep kiss.

About twenty seconds in, her hands went down to his belt and unclasped it.

"Adventurous, are we?" he teased.

In reply, she slipped a hand inside his pants and gasped as she felt his length.

"Merlin," she whispered.

Harry stood up, letting his pants fall down as he grasped the hem of Lyra's dress and pulled it up. He paused when she gasped, and leant forward to kiss her once more. "If you get that close to mine, I get that close to yours," he said.

Lyra blushed red, but helped him in pulling her dress up further. Soon, she sat on the couch in only a bra and knickers – matching white – and Harry stepped out of his pants to pretty much climb on top of her, his erection – covered only by his underpants – rubbing against her privates as they continued their snogging and groping session.

He wasn't sure which of them called for the bed that appeared about fifteen minutes later, but he wasn't going to complain as they took off the last bits of clothing and spent the rest of the night practicing to ensure the survival of the Malfoy line.

The next morning, Harry woke up curled around Lyra's naked body, a hand on her breast. The moment he wanted to check the time, a clock appeared near the wall, showing breakfast was already being served in the Great Hall.

He nuzzled Lyra's neck, slowly waking her from her slumber.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

She turned her head to look at him. "I love you."

They exchanged a brief kiss.

"I'm a little sore down there," she said, "but it feels like the good kind of sore. What time is it?"

"Almost nine," Harry replied. "So it's a good thing today is Sunday."

"Don't you think they'll notice we weren't in our dorms last night?"

"I'm sure we can convince Pansy and Milly to keep it silent. As for the Gryffindors, well, do you think any boy would tattle if their dorm mate has spent the night with a girl?"

She chuckled. "Probably not."

Harry kissed her once more. "Time to get out and be productive