Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling and I do not own Harry Potter. I make no money from the writing of this fan fiction.

Chapter Nineteen

Deep inside Gringotts, in a large room filled with weaponry and targets, the Account Manager for the Potter family, Krogund, stood throwing various weapons. He didn't often make use of the training rooms below the bank, yet with everything that had been happening recently, Krogund needed a purely physical activity to clear his mind.

After he finished with his workout, he returned to his office to go over the ledgers and other parchments once more. It was on the third parchment, which detailed the rules of Harry Potter's trust vault that he found what he was looking for.

The trust vault for the Heir shall be increased by 2,500 Galleons each year on the Heir's birthdate after the initial 25,000 Galleons have been deposited for opening. No one but the Heir, or the Heir's authorized Guardian, i.e. Parent, Grandparent, Godparent, may withdraw any funds from the vault. The Principal amount of 25,000 Galleons may only be accessed by the Heir upon attaining majority.

Opening the ledger concerning the trust vault, Krogund ran a single claw down the page. The trust vault had been opened for Harry Potter in August of 1980, within two weeks of his birth as per the Potter family traditions. If anyone wanted to question him how he knew about the birth of the Heir while James and Lily Potter were in hiding, he still had the letter James Potter had sent with one of the Potter house elves.

Snarling, Krogund noted that the trust vault only contained a fraction of what it should. Harry Potter's birthday had just passed, so the vault should contain 47,500 Galleons, as well as a few heirlooms designated for the Heir's use. The balance only read an amount of 27,500 Galleons. He needed to investigate where the money had gone, and which of the bank employees had allowed it to happen.

OOO

Sirius walked next to his Grandfather and solicitor, once more a free man. He felt weak physically, and mentally drained. He had finally been able to leave the prison and clear his name, but his time in that prison had taxed every mental defense he had at his disposal.

"Grandfather, where was Albus Dumbledore? Doesn't he usually oversee trials?"

"I don't know, Sirius. According to the Scribe he did receive the notice of your trial. Why he wasn't in the chamber today is something I can only guess about."

"Where will I be staying, Grandfather? I don't think I still have the flat I lived in before Azkaban."

"As I told Griselda Marchbanks, you'll be staying in a Black property. However, you'll be going under the care of a qualified Healer to recover your health for a time first. Whether that care is with you as a patient inside a hospital, clinic, or at home with daily checks will be up to the Healer."

"Will we be getting something to eat before I see the Healer? I'm a bit hungry, because I was too nervous to eat this morning when the Aurors brought my breakfast. And the prisoners inside Azkaban are only given thin gruel to eat."

"I want to see what the Healer recommends for you first. If you eat too much before you're ready, you might make yourself ill. Don't worry, I believe the Healer should be here soon."

Sirius nodded, and sat down on one of the many chairs in the hall, which were set aside for potential witnesses in various trials. After a moment, he looked up at his grandfather.

"But why wasn't Dumbledore in the chamber? I would have thought he would be there as Chief Warlock. Also, I'm concerned about Harry."

"I honestly don't know, Sirius. I've never heard of Albus Dumbledore missing a session of the Wizengamot, especially for a trial. It is something I will be looking into, however. But that's not something I want you to worry about. You're a free man again, and right now I want you to concentrate on recovering from your stay in the prison. Understand?"

"And Harry?" Sirius persisted.

"Is safe. I imagine that right now he's playing with the elflings instead of completing his lessons from the tutor at Black Moor."

"I was worried when Hagrid took him to Dumbledore when James and Lily were killed. At least he's been able to grow up knowing his heritage and being taught how to manage what his parents left him."

"We can discuss that at a later time. But not here. There are things regarding young Mr. Potter that you don't know, and I won't have you exhausting yourself further by discussing it now. It should be enough for you to know he's safe."

Arcturus was also concerned about Albus Dumbledore's absence. It wouldn't be anything good for either his grandson or young Mr. Potter.

Earlier that Day, Office of the Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

After opening the summons for the emergency Wizengamot session, Albus Dumbledore sat back in shock. There could only be one reason for another emergency session so soon after Peter Pettigrew's trial and sentencing; bringing Sirius Black to trial. If that happened, it could be disastrous; Harry Potter needed to be returned to, and remain with, his Muggle relatives. If Sirius was brought to trial and exonerated, he could then immediately demand custody of Harry Potter. Leaving the opened Wizengamot notice on his desk, he sent a message to his Deputy that he would be away from the castle; he had to get the Dursleys released and back into their house on Privet Drive and quickly, so Harry could be returned to their care once Albus was able to locate the boy.

After all, it was for the Greater Good that Harry live with them.

OoOoOoO

The guard at the desk looked up on hearing the door to the jail open, and stared openly at the outlandishly dressed old man entering. He glanced over at his desk calendar to verify that he hadn't somehow missed Halloween, because if it weren't for the fact the old man's clothing was covered in a pattern of stars and planets, he would be certain he was looking at Gandalf. Exhaling in a long drawn out sigh, the guard waited for the old man to reach the desk.

"May I help you?"

"Yes, you can," Albus began, eyes twinkling, "I'm here to retrieve Petunia and Vernon Dursley and take them home. They are to be released into my custody, so if you would please bring them to me it would be appreciated."

The guard looked at the old man and turned to his computer, opening the file that listed the prisoners and the various statuses.

"Petunia and Vernon Dursley you said?" he asked, typing in the names to bring up the correct files.

"Yes, they are to be released to my custody so I can take them home," Albus said confidently.

"Sir, according to this, they are supposed to be going on trial for child abuse and child neglect soon. There is no mention anywhere of either prisoner being released. However, since it sometimes takes a few minutes for files to update, may I have your name? I can check with my superiors to verify whether or not they are due to be released. Once that's verified, I can expedite your request."

"My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. If you would bring the Dursleys to me quickly please, I need to make certain they get home soon before going to my next appointment."

"Wait here please," the guard said, before standing and walking through a door behind his desk.

A few minutes later, the guard came back, with two other officers in tow. They glanced briefly at the guard behind the desk before focusing once more on the elderly man in front of them.

"You say that Vernon and Petunia Dursley are supposed to be released into your care, is that correct?"

"Certainly it's correct. Please, could we move this along? I have another appointment later this morning."

"If you could come with us, sir? We have a room where you may wait for them, if in fact they are to be released."

"Thank you, that's most kind," Albus said, pulling a lemon drop from his pocket and putting it in his mouth.

"Excuse me, but what was that?" one of the officers asked.

"Oh, it was a lemon drop, my favorite candy. Would you like one?"

"Sure," the officer said, warily. Neither had seen any sort of wrapper on the candy, if candy it was.

Albus handed one of the sweets to the officer, who turned and went back through the door. The other officer put his hand under Albus' elbow and began walking toward the door.

"I'll take you to the room where you may wait. My colleague has more than likely gone to check on your request."

Albus smiled and followed the officer into a room, while not large, wouldn't be too uncomfortable to wait in while the Dursleys were found and released. He smiled at the officer, eyes twinkling.

"I noticed that you didn't remove a wrapping from your lemon drop. I've never seen lemon drops being sold unwrapped in a shop. I assume you unwrap them yourself and then carry a few with you?"

"Oh no, young man. My lemon drops aren't bought from a shop. A friend and colleague of mine makes them for me. A special favor, you might say."

"I see. If you'll excuse me please, I need to get back to my desk. You don't need to worry about your safety while here. If you look into the corner just above the door, you'll see the security camera. No one will be able to come in or leave without us knowing."

A short time later, after the officer who had taken Albus to a room had gone to his desk, the officer who had been handed the lemon drop was looking at a small field drug test, in which a small bit of the lemon drop Albus Dumbledore had given him rested. He took an eye dropper and placed a small amount of liquid into some of the compartments of the test, and watched as the liquid changed color. Making notes on both the sweet and the test results, he went to his superior with his findings.

After reading the notes and examining the test himself, the officer's superior looked up.

"Where is this man now?"

"Sir, Constable Warren took him to one of the interrogation rooms to wait. I believe he was letting the man think he was being allowed to wait there while we left to bring the Dursleys to him. He's been here before, insisting we release the Dursleys to him."

"Please escort the man to a different accommodation. Attempting to drug a Constable is serious, and charge him for that. He may be delusional, since he obviously believes we'll release two prisoners to him without proper paperwork just because he wants us to do so, so make sure it's a cell that is frequently checked, both by camera monitoring, and someone who will look into the cell. Also make sure he doesn't have anything else that could be used to harm anyone, including himself. Given the fact he's obviously elderly, there's a good chance he could be suffering from either senility or dementia, so I also want a physician to come in to check his health."

"Understood, sir. I'll take care of it myself."

Thirty minutes after Albus had gone to the jail to have the Dursleys released, he was escorted into yet another room. Despite his protests, a pair of officers went through his pockets, removing his wand, his lemon drops, and numerous other things, and then instructed him to change into the bundle of clothing they laid on the table.

"You don't understand. I have an important appointment to go to, and need to see the Dursleys home before going to that appointment. I don't have time to change into this clothing, and have no reason to do so. Please return my belongings and then stand aside so I may leave, gentlemen."

"I don't think so, sir. That lemon drop you gave the other officer was tainted. There is also some concern about your health, so we've contacted a physician to make sure you're in good health, but due to the candy being tainted, you're going to be our guest for at least a few days, if not more, until a Magistrate is able to decide what happens. Until then, we'll keep your belongings safe, but they won't be in your possession. And to further put your mind at ease, there will be security cameras to ensure no one is able to harass you, and that no one is able to enter or leave the room where you'll be without someone knowing. Now please change clothing sir, as you're under arrest. If the Magistrate decides to release you later, that's fine, but until then, you're staying here."

Reluctantly, Albus changed into the clothing provided, before being taken to a different room where his photograph and fingerprints were taken. He was then given a short exam by a physician, before being taken to another room and led inside. He noted the security camera just outside the room when it was pointed out, and sat down on the thin cot, trying to figure out how he was going to get to the Wizengamot before Sirius' trial. After being told repeatedly these muggles had ways to watch everyone coming and going, he couldn't risk calling Fawkes, and without his wand, he couldn't Apparate or create a portkey. It wouldn't do to have the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the ICW, and Leader of the Light to be accused of a violation of the Statute of Secrecy. So he did his best to think of a way to convince the people here a mistake had been made so he could be set free.

A/N: This chapter would have been longer, but I felt the Dursleys' trial deserves a chapter all it's own.