If you could define Amelia Bones' office in the Department of Magical Security with one word, it would be efficient, a clear reflection of its owner. There were no unnecessary decorations, just shelves full of files and a solid mahogany desk behind which the Head of Department was reviewing a parchment with her monocle glinting in the magical light of the Ministry.
Opposite her, sitting in a chair much more comfortable than the one he had occupied in recent months, was Sirius Black. He was no longer wearing the rags of a prisoner; he had been provided with a dark gray velvet robe, clean and nobly cut, although it still fit him a little loosely due to his thinness. His hair had been trimmed and washed, his gray eyes had regained that characteristic spark that Azkaban had almost extinguished.
Cornelius Fudge stood by the window looking out at the Atrium with his hands behind his back, trying to project an image of calm authority, but Sirius could smell the nervousness in his sweat.
"Everything is in order," Amelia finally said, placing the pen on the desk. "The exoneration papers have been signed and sealed by the Wizengamot in an emergency session this morning. Sirius Orion Black, you are officially a free man." She smiled as she finished.
Sirius let out a long sigh, burying his head in his hands for a moment. The word "free" sounded strange, almost alien after so many years of hearing only the cries of prisoners tormented by Dementors.
"Thank you, Amelia," Sirius replied hoarsely, looking up. "Really, thank you."
Fudge turned, smiling broadly.
"And not just free, my dear Lord Black!" the Minister interjected, approaching him. "The Ministry recognizes the... unfortunate administrative error made by the previous administration. Bartemius Crouch acted without due process, and that is unforgivable. Therefore, we have authorized a substantial compensation package."
Sirius raised an eyebrow.
"Compensation?"
"Two hundred and fifty thousand Galleons, to be exact," Amelia said in a professional tone. "For the seven years of wrongful imprisonment."
Sirius frowned, quickly doing the math in his head.
"I was there for twelve years, Amelia. Not seven."
Amelia interlaced her fingers on the desk and looked at him sternly.
"We know that, Sirius. But we also know, thanks to your own statement and the evidence presented, that you have been an unregistered Animagus since your days at Hogwarts."
Sirius opened his mouth to protest, but Amelia raised a hand.
"The standard penalty for being an illegal Animagus and jeopardizing the Statute of Secrecy is five years in Azkaban. We have decided, as a gesture of goodwill given your situation, to commute that sentence to the first five years you have already served. Therefore, the Ministry will compensate you for the remaining seven years. It's only fair."
Sirius leaned back in his chair, letting out a short, humorless laugh.
"Politics... typical." He shrugged. "Keep the gold if you want. I don't care about the money, I already have enough in the family vault. What I care about is... Where is he?"
The atmosphere in the room immediately became tense. Fudge cleared his throat, extremely uncomfortable, and looked down at his dragon-skin shoes. Amelia sighed, her expression turning grim.
"Pettigrew escaped, Sirius," she said bluntly.
Sirius's face darkened. His hands clenched the armrests of his chair so tightly that the wood creaked.
"He escaped?" he repeated in a whisper. "He was drugged with Veritaserum, surrounded by Aurors... and he escaped?"
"It was an unfortunate incident during the transfer," Fudge hastened to say, waving his hands. "A faulty grille, an unexpected transformation, but I assure you we are doing everything we can! I have put every available Auror on the search! He won't get far as a rat!"
"He's a rat who fooled Dumbledore and his entire damn Ministry for twelve years!" Sirius roared, jumping to his feet. The chair fell backward with a crash. "They had him in their hands! Gaunt handed him to them on a silver platter!"
"Sit down, Black!" Amelia ordered, her hand moving toward her wand. "We understand your frustration, but yelling won't bring him back. Pettigrew is now the most wanted fugitive in the wizarding world. He has nowhere to hide in our society."
Sirius breathed heavily, pacing a few steps around the small office to control the beast inside him that wanted to come out and destroy the furniture. He closed his eyes, remembering Aurelian's words in the forest: "Quick revenge is not what matters now."
He was right, killing Peter could wait. There was something much more vital at stake. Sirius picked up the chair, straightened it, and sat back down with some effort, which made Fudge uneasy.
"It's okay," said Sirius, smoothing his clothes. "I'll have to live with that for now... there's something else I want. Something that's non-negotiable."
He stared at Fudge and then at Amelia.
"I want my godson."
Fudge blinked, confused.
"Harry Potter?"
"I'm his godfather," Sirius said firmly. "James and Lily named me his legal guardian in case anything happened to them. That right was never revoked, only suspended due to my imprisonment. Now that I'm innocent, I want custody of Harry. I want to get him out of that Muggle house where Dumbledore put him."
Amelia Bones searched through her papers, pulling out an old, yellowed parchment she had obtained in recent days in anticipation of this conversation: the Potters' last will and testament.
"Legally..." Amelia said, adjusting her monocle as she read, "...you are right. Custody belongs to you by priority. However, Dumbledore has insisted for years that the boy is safer with his aunt and uncle because of his mother's protections."
"To hell with Dumbledore!" Sirius snapped. "Lily would never have wanted her son to stay with her sister! She hates magic! I can protect him. I have a house, I can give him a real home."
Fudge rubbed his chin, seeing another political opportunity. Handing the "Boy Who Lived" over to the exonerated hero would be a touching story that would distract the media's attention even further from Pettigrew's escape.
"Well," the Minister began with a cautious smile, "Dumbledore is only the headmaster of his school, not his father. If the legal guardian is here, sane and free... I don't see why the Ministry should oppose reuniting a family."
Sirius felt a surge of hope so strong it almost hurt his chest.
"Well?" he asked, looking at Amelia.
The Head of Magical Security looked him in the eye, assessing his stability. Finally, she sighed.
"I'll prepare the custody transfer documents, Sirius. But you'll have to undergo a mandatory psychological evaluation before you can take him to live with you... You'll also have to talk to Dumbledore."
Sirius smiled, a real smile, one that lit up his face for the first time in years.
"Thank you... I'm going to get my son back."
The door to Amelia Bones' office opened without anyone knocking.
Albus Dumbledore entered silently. The atmosphere in the room changed instantly.
"I'm afraid, Cornelius... Amelia," Dumbledore began softly, "that this decision is not as simple as signing a piece of paper."
Sirius turned slowly, the smile disappearing from his face to be replaced by a defiant grimace.
"Albus," Sirius greeted him coldly, "you're too late. The Minister and Amelia have already agreed. Harry is coming with me."
Dumbledore walked to the center of the room, ignoring Fudge, who seemed to want to hide behind his own hat.
"Harry must return to Privet Drive, Sirius," said the Headmaster, looking him in the eye. "The protections his mother left behind when she died are the only thing keeping Voldemort's followers at bay. As long as he can call that place 'home,' he will be safe."
Sirius let out a harsh laugh, throwing his head back.
"Home?" Sirius spat, taking a step toward Dumbledore. "Don't talk to me about safety, old man! You know Lily's sister well. Harry's not going back there!"
"It's for the greater good," Dumbledore insisted, his tone hardening. "You're not in a position to look after him. You've just come out of Azkaban, and Harry needs stability, not to live with a man who is still healing his own mind."
"My mind is perfectly fine!" Sirius shouted, his pent-up anger exploding. "You're not his father! You have no right to decide about him! I'm taking him with me, and if you try to stop me..."
Sirius reached for the wand Amelia had temporarily given him.
Unfortunately, that was a mistake.
The air in the room disappeared and Albus Dumbledore's presence expanded.
It was as if gravity had multiplied a thousandfold. Cornelius Fudge let out a muffled groan, clutching the desk to keep from falling to his knees. Amelia Bones, a formidable witch in her own right, turned pale, feeling her lungs struggle for oxygen.
Sirius froze. The magical pressure hit him, forcing him to take two steps back, almost causing him to stumble.
Dumbledore did not shout. He did not need to. His normally kind eyes now burned with a cold, terrifying white fire. It was the power of an Archmage.
"Sirius," said Dumbledore. His voice resonated in the bones of everyone present. "I can be patient. I can be understanding. But I will not tolerate disrespect, much less threats to the safety of the child I have sworn to protect. Do not mistake my courtesy for weakness."
Magic vibrated in the walls, rattling the windowpanes. It was a brutal reminder that Albus Dumbledore was still the most powerful wizard in the world.
Sirius swallowed hard, feeling cold sweat run down his back. He had forgotten what it was like to stand before a titan. He slowly lowered his hand, moving it away from his wand, and bowed his head in submission.
"I'm sorry, Albus," Sirius murmured hoarsely. "I... got carried away. It won't happen again."
The pressure disappeared as quickly as it had come. The air filled the room again and Fudge sighed, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief.
Dumbledore relaxed his posture, returning to his usual benevolent self, although the warning remained latent in his gaze.
"Apology accepted, Sirius."
Sirius looked up now, pleadingly.
"Please, Albus... listen to me. Harry isn't happy there. You know that. I can give him a home. The Black House... Number 12, Grimmauld Place." Sirius hesitated for a second, thinking about the deal with Aurelian, but continued, "It's a fortress. It has protections you don't even know about. Very ancient magic. There is no safer place in Britain than that house if I am the Guardian."
Dumbledore watched him silently, stroking his beard. He knew Sirius was right. The Blacks' protections were legendary and dark, almost impenetrable to anyone... except him.
"Harry needs the love of a family, Albus," Sirius added softly.
The Headmaster sighed, closing his eyes for a moment.
"All right," Dumbledore finally conceded. "But Lily's protections must be recharged. It is vital."
He looked at Sirius seriously.
"This is the deal. Harry will return to Privet Drive... for one week. That will be enough to renew the enchantments for another year. After that week, you can come and get him and take him wherever you want."
Sirius blinked. One week? He could live with that. It was much better than losing him forever.
"It's a deal." Sirius smiled quickly, extending his hand. "Just one week. Not a day more."
Dumbledore shook his hand, sealing the agreement. Amelia Bones, regaining her composure, noted the arrangement in the file.
"Then it's settled," said the Headmaster.
Before leaving, Dumbledore paused and turned to Sirius. His eyes fixed on him sharply, as if trying to read his thoughts.
"There's something that intrigues me, Sirius. I hope you can answer my question," said Dumbledore casually. "Aurelian Gaunt."
Sirius felt a knot in his stomach, but kept a neutral expression.
"What about the boy?"
"He is a pragmatic young man. He does not usually involve himself in matters that do not directly benefit him... and yet he orchestrated your release with an efficiency that surprised even me." Dumbledore tilted his head. "How did you get his help, Sirius? What did you offer him in return?"
Sirius let out a nervous laugh, running a hand through his hair.
"Oh, that! Well, you know, Albus... the Black charm is irresistible. I guess the boy saw me as a misunderstood soul mate, or maybe he just liked me. I'm pretty nice when I'm not yelling, right?" He finished, waving his hands.
Sirius turned his head and winked at Fudge, trying to deflect attention with cheap humor.
"Besides, I think he liked my style. You know, rebel to rebel."
Dumbledore didn't smile. The explanation made no sense, it was absurd, and they both knew it. He knew Aurelian didn't do things "out of sympathy."
"I see," Dumbledore murmured. His gaze swept over Sirius, noticing the hidden tension in his shoulders, the way he avoided direct eye contact when talking about the boy. There was a secret there. A deal... if Aurelian was making deals with the House of Black, Dumbledore knew the price had not been cheap.
"Rest, Sirius," Dumbledore said finally, turning away. "We'll meet another time."
When the Headmaster left the office, Sirius slumped back in his chair, exhaling all the air from his lungs. He had dodged the bullet, though now Dumbledore's eyes would be on him.
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