A boy called Harry Potter was perched on the windowsill in the Gryffindor third year boys dorms, his jade green eyes almost blank as he stared out across the grounds and a single piece of parchment griped tightly in his clenched fist. For half an hour, for one wonderful half an hour he had believed he would be able to leave the Dursleys and live with Sirius. His lips quirked upwards in a small half smile as he thought of his godfather, even though he had believed him to be the betrayer of his parents and had hated him for the better part of a year after he had found out the truth he couldn't hold onto that hate. The revelation Sirius was innocent had completely changed his mind. The man had broken out of Azkaban to find the real traitor and for him, Harry Potter.
Sirius had wanted him, he cared for him, even offering a home to him. Harry couldn't help the tears that pricked at the edges of his eyes, he couldn't remember a time when someone had actually wanted him, before nobody had actually cared what happened to him provided he behaved, did his chores and stayed out from underfoot, even at Hogwarts. Sure the teachers here were kind to him and didn't want to see him hurt but they were like that for every single student; Professor Lupin had been the first adult he could remember who had taken the time to do something as simple as sit and talk to him, the first adult who gave an inkling that they would actually mind maybe even worry if he simply disappeared one day.
Within the space of a single hour Sirius Black had shown him more affection than any adult had previously. He had offered him a home despite the fact he was still a convict and then he had protected Harry even though he was putting himself at risk doing so. He had had a chance, he had been offered a chance for a new life, somebody who actually cared for him, something he had longed for ever since he had realised as a small child that he would never be the same as Dudley in his Aunt and Uncle's eyes, that their affection and love would forever be denied to him. Ever since that day he had longed for a family of his own, somebody, anybody who would give a love starved little boy even a fraction of the affection the Dursleys showered on Dudley. And up until a few nights ago that dream had seemed all but impossible.
Harry blinked hard to stop the angry tears falling. A few short days ago he had been on the brink of gaining the one thing that he craved above all others only to have those dreams snatched away the moment they came within reach. If only Pettigrew hadn't escaped, if only, if only.
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Harry glanced down at the single piece of parchment he clutched in his fist unable to stop his eyes blurring, Sirius had written to him, reassuring him, thanking him and offering words of comfort. It was such a small gesture but Harry clung to it tightly, an adult had taken the time to write and with that single act had shown the boy volumes of kindness he had never experienced before just by being there.
"Mr Potter," the stern voice of his head of house broke into his thoughts. Startled Harry spun round to face her and in doing so managed to propel himself off the window ledge hitting the dormitory floor with a thud. Sheepishly he picked himself up with a muttered, "Sorry Professor," as he turned to face his head of house. The flash of worry that had passed over the Transfiguration Mistress's features quickly evaporated as she saw the boy had not appeared to sustain any damage from the accident.
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"Mr Potter an Auror has come to take the statements of you and your friends following your encounter with Black. You are to come to my office immediately." Harry had almost protested Sirius's innocence when Professor McGonagall had mentioned him but stopped himself just in time as she remembered that she like the rest of the Wizarding World still believed in his guilt. Quickly he followed the Professor, perhaps there was a chance he could convince the Auror that Sirius was actually innocent. For a moment he allowed himself to entertain the thought but he banished it just as quickly, hope would only make it so much harder when he had to return to number 4 Privet Drive.
Alastor Moody sat thoughtfully in Minerva's office, so far the statements he had received from both the Granger girl and the Weasley boy were surprising to say the least. Both agreed completely and both were adamant on the fact that they had seen Pettigrew transform and on his animagus form, furthermore they were both completely convinced on the fact that Black was innocent. His magic eye spun madly as he reviewed the last two interviews mentally, the accounts matched far too closely and they both had too high a level of clarity to even raise the possibility of a confundus. He was still slightly sceptical on the subject of Black's innocence, he came from one of the darkest families in the Wizarding World after all but the two certainly gave a convincing story. Looking at it honestly Moody knew he would have suspected Pettigrew over Black, if he had ever thought such a choice existed.
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His gaze swivelled to the two vials of memory that sat on the desk in front of him, both the boy and the girl had consented to providing the memories immediately, the girl had even gone so far as to say, "Maybe now the Ministry could actually do something instead of pursuing an innocent man." So far Moody hadn't looked through the memories, he could do that later with the boss, now he had to get the most important testimony of all, Potter's.
A swift knock came on the door before it was pushed open and Minerva McGonagall ushered Potter in. With a swift glance across the room she nodded once to Moody before sweeping out of her office, presumably to deal with some of her lions.
Moody narrowed his eye as he surveyed the boy before him. Potter's eyes were sweeping the room, probing it and also analysing Moody. Mad-Eye noticed that Potter's wand was held securely in his hand which the boy had positioned slightly behind him. Not enough to properly conceal the wand of course, but enough to hide it so that if the person in front of him wasn't paying attention he would be able to have his wand up and ready the instant he was threatened. Moody found himself almost nodding approval, only thirteen and the boy already had the markings of a good Auror, situation awareness, alterness, battle readiness and an overall wariness that could save his life in a battle.
Abruptly Moody spoke, "Siddown Potter. I've got a few questions." Instantly the boy responded, slipping down onto the chair although Moody noticed with approval that his eyes continued to dart around the room seeking potential traps.
"Tell me what happened."
Again the exact same story poured out of the boy but Moody noticed every time the boy spoke about Pettigrew his eyes would grow flinty and his voice cold and by the same note every time he spoke of Black there was a note to his voice which despite the years he had served on the front line Moody could not quite identify, almost a hint of longing perhaps or maybe hope that the boy couldn't quite bring himself to believe in.
Soon the interview was winding to a close, "Would you consent to provide me with the memory?"
Potter just looked confused for a moment, "My memory sir?" Moody rolled his eyes, both normal and magical,
"You can provide a memory to back up your testimony," he gestured to the vials on the table, "Both your friends already have done so." The boy still looked indecisive,
"Will I lose the memory completely?" he blurted out suddenly, "You see it's the only memory I have of him really and," the boy's voice fell almost to a whisper and try as he might Moody was unable to make out any of the words but he could make out the tone of desperation that came behind them. Moody regarded him steadily for a moment, noticing how the boy avoided his eyes, his cheeks tinged slightly from embarrassment and maybe a touch of fear. There was something slightly wrong about Potter, Moody's senses were screaming at him, Alastor paused considering, when Potter first came in he had seen how he was excellent Auror material and he could still see that now but the boy also seemed much younger now and much more vulnerable, there had been something almost childlike in his posture and voice, something he wouldn't expect in a teenager.
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"Normally you would lose it until you returned it to yourself but it is possible to make a copy and return the memory almost immediately." Moody said gruffly. Instantly the light was back in the boy's eyes. "Can we do that please sir? I want to help Sirius but I can't lose that memory, not now..." he trailed off and Moody got the distinct impression he had said more than he wanted to. Setting the thought aside for a moment Moody showed the boy how to withdraw the memory and then he muttered the spell to copy it before bottling the copy securely. "Normally we wouldn't do this. It's too easy to alter a copy but seeing this is only a review it won't hurt."
With a single motion and his battle-cry "Constant Vigilance," he shooed the boy out of the office and returned it to its owner before heading back to the Ministry of Magic, with a very interesting tale to tell Amelia.
Kingsley's search had also borne fruit. After detailed searching of the evidence boxes dating back to the fall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named he had finally located Black's wand, thankfully it was still in one piece and twelve years would not have any effect on the Priori Incantatem spell. The other interesting facts he had discovered was the complete lack of reports, transcripts or even witness statements and he was beginning to suspect it was only because of an oversight on somebody's part that the wand was still around. All the potential evidence that surrounded the Black case had completely vanished.
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Kingsley was beginning to suspect not all was what it seemed here. Someone had obviously gone to a great deal of trouble to hide or destroy all the pertinent evidence in the case and combined with the lack of a trial, heck even the Lestranges had been given trials it was beginning to look like somebody wanted the truth on Black to stay buried.