A/N: Hey People! If anyone is reading this, I just had to finish this, so I can move my mind on to new stories! (As in a sequel to Heart of Stone…) I'm so sorry for delaying this: I couldn't figure out how to end it, plus I had so much going on over the summer! This was originally meant to be five parts—oh, well! Special thanks to Kelly the Reviewer for forcing me to get my act together! =) Also, thanks to Ninamazing, who is awesome!, everyone who reviewed part 2, and my PotterPal Jenni (In the chamber.. !). Thanks! Now, just read on!
Illusions of the Mind, Part 3
Sophie was in love with Hogwarts after her first day. As she told Hermione, "This place rocks!" Professor McGonagall sorted her separately from the first years, since she was older, and, to no surprise, she was sorted into Gryffindor.
Professor Graham was also enjoying her time at Hogwarts, aside from anxiety about Sirius's trail, which was scheduled to occur on September 3rd. After the first day, she had won both the love and the respect from the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws, along with a couple of Slytherins following a lesson on unblockable curses. ("Remember, they're illegal!")
*
During the first day back…
Draco Malfoy, after trying to set Hermione's hair on fire, received three detentions with Hagrid.
Ron had beaten every person in Gryffindor house at chess, and was out of formidable opponents.
Hermione got nine out of ten on one of Professor Snape's pop quizzes. ("The material wasn't even in the book!") She declared that her life was ruined and her chances of being Head Girl were totally destroyed.
Fred and George Weasley successfully turned Professor McGonagall into a large, yellow bird. ("Canary Creams, on sale now!")
Hagrid gave a lesson on poisonous snakes.
Madam Pomfrey gave out twenty-five snakebite antidotes.
Alicia Spinnet was made Gryffindor Quidditch Captain. She proceeded to announce tryouts for Keeper. (September 15th, don't forget!)
Colin Creevey gave each first year a picture of Harry. ("He's the coolest!")
Harry had a boring, normal, uneventful day. ("How come everything good happened to everyone else?")
*
Professor Severus Snape hated Sirius Black. He always had.
That's why he hated Laura Graham. She didn't have any right to come back to Hogwarts.
She'd be sorry, after her fiancée was sentenced to death. Oh yes, she'd be sorry…
*
During Transfiguration on the second day back at Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore summoned Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Sophie to his office. All four of them collected their books and left the room.
They found Professor Dumbledore in his office, seated behind his desk, with Professor Graham in one of the red plush chairs on the opposite side of him.
Professor Dumbledore began. "Harry, Ron, Hermione, Sophie. Would you four be interested in going to the trial of Sirius Black? Harry and Hermione are wanted to testify, but I would consider letting Ron and Sophie accompany them."
"Okay," said Ron.
"Sure," said Sophie.
"Wait," said Hermione. "Are you going, Professor?"
"Yes," said Dumbledore. "So is Professor Graham. Now, to make the arrangements. You five will be sent to the Ministry offices by portkey tomorrow morning at eight AM. Sirius will turn up about then, due to the deal he made with the Ministry and me. Remember, Harry, how I told you that he said he'd turn up if he got a fair trial?"
"No," said Harry.
"Darn," said Professor Dumbledore, "I knew I forgot to tell you something. I talked to Sirius, and he said that as long as Cornelia Fudge promised him a fair trial, he would come out of hiding. Good thing for the Fudge, too- his popularity rating is the lowest it's ever been."
Laura Graham's face turned white. "Oh, my goodness. He said that!"
Professor Dumbledore looked serious. "Yes."
"But he won't get a fair trial! And he knows it!"
"He's doing it for Harry. If he thought there wasn't any chance…"
Harry and his friends got up to leave the office.
*
"I never thought I'd feel this guilty…"
"It's not your fault," said Ron.
"Harry," said Hermione, "He thinks that there's a chance."
"And there is," said Sophie. "There's always a chance."
"Yeah, but not much of one," said Harry. "I just wish… never mind, I'm going to bed."
"So am I," said Hermione.
Each of them headed for their respective dormitories, leaving Ron and Sophie alone in the common room.
"We've got to do something," said Ron.
"I know," said Sophie. "But what can we do?"
"We've got to find Pettigrew," sad Ron.
"Wait," said Sophie. "I've got an idea."
She leaned over to whisper something in Ron's ear, and watched as a grin slowly spread across his face.
*
At seven fifty, September the 3rd, six people gathered around a textbook in the office of Professor Dumbledore. An old man with a bead as white as snow and half-moon glasses; a thirtysomething woman with dark, curly hair; a tall, freckled, red-headed boy; a short girl with bushy brown hair and straight white teeth; another girl, this one taller than the other, with honey-blonde hair and blue eyes; and a boy with messy black hair, green eyes, and a lightning scar-- the Boy who Lived.
As each placed a hand on the large text, all was quiet. Because each of them knew that the fate of another rested in their hands.
*
Sophie, who had never used a portkey before, was the most surprised at the feeling of a large hook gripping her stomach and pulling her through space until she felt a jolt that left her on the ground, gasping for breath. A bored man called "Hogwarts, eight o' clock."
"Why is he calling times?" asked Sophie in a whisper to Ron.
"This trial is a big event," said Ron. "Sirius has been in jail for thirteen years before he escaped, terrorizing the countryside." He scowled. "The wizarding community is divided half and half--half think he's innocent, the other half… well…"
Ron's whisper faded into oblivion as the group entered the courtroom. There they saw a man sitting in a wooden chair staring into space. Harry ran over to him. "Sirius!"
"Hey, Harry." Sirius sounded tired. "Hey, Ron, Hermione, Professor Dumbledore…" His voice faded as he saw the next person. A woman with dark, curly hair… "Laura…"
Laura smiled.
Sirius stood up. "Well." His voice sounded hoarse. "Long time no see."
Laura ran over and hugged him. She was crying. So was he.
Sophie grinned.
Harry grinned.
Hermione grinned.
Ron grinned.
It was hard not to be happy.
Until you thought of what was coming.
*
Gordon Gregory, Ministry judge, slammed the gavel down onto the wooden desk. "Order! Order in the court!"
Isaac Browning, his assistant, read off of a parchment. "Case 74582. The people vs. Sirius Black. Mr. Black, how do you plead?"
"Not guilty." Sirius's words were charged with a force Harry couldn't recognize.
The prosecution lawyer got up. "The people call Severus Snape to the stand." The eyes of the courtroom turned and focused on the man in the black robes with the hate in his eyes. No one noticed the tall boy with red hair and his friend get up and sneak out of the room.
*
Sophie and Ron, after sneaking out of the crowded courtroom, made a run for the huge wooden doors. Since most of the Ministry officials were in the courtroom for the most publicized trial since the Death Eater trials after the fall of You-Know-Who, it wasn't hard to escape the Ministry building. After they were out on the street, Sophie grabbed Ron's hand, muttered a few words, and the two disappeared.
They reappeared in a dense wood, somewhere to the northeast of Hogwarts. Sophie let go of Ron's hand and started to push brush out of the way.
"How'd you do that?" asked Ron. "We weren't even splinched!"
"I learned at my old school. Come on."
They worked hard, pushing their way through the thick trees until they came to a clearing. Sophie pulled Ron into a bush.
"Ow! What was…"
"Shh!"
Both of them watched intently as a group of people, each wearing a black hooded robe, entered the clearing. One of the men, however, was different. His robe was a brilliant blood red.
Sophie swore under her breath. Ron stared. He was positive that he saw something on the shoulder of the man in red robes… a rat… missing a toe…
*
The judge gave everyone a recess to stretch their legs. Sirius, holding Laura's hand, looked at Dumbledore. "So? What do you think?"
Dumbledore sighed. "Not good. Without Peter…"
"There's not much we can do." Laura finished the sentence. Harry's face turned pale.
"I'm sorry, Harry." Sirius simply said it out loud, like he knew what the result of the trial would be.
And he did--guilty. The Dementor's Kiss.
*
"Sophie! There his is!" Ron whispered.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes! He's on the shoulder of the guy in red robes. Right over there!"
"Ron," said Sophie, "Do you know who that man in red robes is?"
"Just another death eater?"
"No, he's Lord Voldemort."
Now it was Ron's turn to swear.
"We've got to get Peter," said Sophie.
"Well, what if…" Ron proceeded to whisper in Sophie's ear. She grinned.
*
Hermione Granger sat at the stand.
Isaac Browning spoke. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"
"I do."
The prosecution lawyer came forward. A tall man by the name of Timothy McNutt, he was one of the best wizard prosecutors in the world. His sister, Alyssa McKinnon, had been killed by Voldemort, making him ruthless in prosecuting the alleged death eaters. He thought that he sensed something different about Black, but maybe he was just a good actor.
"Ms. Granger, why do you believe Sirius Black is innocent?"
*
"Soph, what time is it?"
"Ten thirty. We'd better get started."
Ron and Sophie tiptoed back into the woods. They made sure to make a lot of noise.
Their plan went just as planned. Sophie faintly heard Voldemort say "Wormtail, go find out what that racket is. If it's an animal, kill it--I'm hungry."
"Ron, get ready…"
They both pulled out their wands.
"Get set…"
They watched as a man stumbled into the woods near them.
"Stupefy!" They were sure to be quiet, since they had to make themselves unknown to Voldemort.
They each ran over to Peter, Sophie grabbed Ron's hand, they each took one of his hands, and Sophie Apparated them away.
*
"So, Mr. Black, you're telling us that Peter Pettigrew killed all those people thirteen years ago, despite the obvious handicap of being dead?"
"Yes! How many times do I have to tell you?"
"Mr. McNutt? That's enough." Gordon Gregory was tired of listening to Sirius Black. "Jury, you may recess to the chambers. The testimonies are finished."
*
Ron and Sophie were tired. The Ministry building had at least a hundred steps, and dragging an unconscious, chubby man up them wasn't exactly amusing.
"Hang on," said Sophie. She turned Peter into his Animagus form.
"I don't see why you didn't do that before."
"I don't know."
"Anyhow, come on!"
Ron grabbed Sophie's free hand (She was gripping Pettigrew the rat) and dragged her up the steps. "Hurry!"
*
"Jury, have you reached a verdict?"
"Yes, your honor."
"What say you?"
"On the charge of murder, we say… guilty."
The courtroom exploded.
Gordon Gregory slammed down his gavel. "Mr. Black, you have fifteen minutes in which to say your goodbyes. The dementor's Kiss will take place at 12:00."
Hermione had tears running down her cheeks.
Harry was whiter than Nearly Headless Nick.
Dumbledore's eyes were sad.
Sirius walked over to Harry and hugged him. "I'm so sorry."
"So am I."
Harry started to cry. "You're the only father I remember. I love you."
Sirius was crying too. "I love you too."
Hermione hugged Sirius. "They're making an awful mistake."
"I know."
Dumbledore walked up to Sirius. "The world will never be the same without you."
Sirius grinned. "I know. I'll miss you."
Sirius turned to Laura. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"If it weren't for this…"
"I know."
"Take care of Harry for me."
"I will. I promise."
"Take care of me for me."
Laura hugged him. "I love you."
"I love you too."
"Bye."
"Bye."
"Black! It's time…"
*
Ron and Sophie ran through the hall, Sophie holding Pettigrew the rat in her left hand. Her right hand was in Ron's left.
The two of them ran into the corridor that they had left almost five hours ago. Unfortunately, each door was tall, heavy, and wooden. "Which one?" asked Sophie.
"It's one of those two," said Ron, who had a better memory than Sophie did. "Pick one."
"There," said Sophie. She ran over and pulled on the knob. It swung open to a neat office.
"The other one," she said. She pulled the door open. I opened to a large, crowded courtroom.
"Bingo," Ron said.
"Stop," screamed Sophie, as he saw a man leading a cuffed Sirius to a tiny chamber off the courtroom. "We've got Pettigrew!"
Hermione remembered thinking how odd they looked, Sophie holding Ron's hand in her right and a rat in her left.
Harry remembered exactly why Ron was his best friend.
"Oh, my God," said Timothy McNutt.
"Um… That's a rat," said Isaac Browning.
"He's an Animagus," said Sophie.
"Unregistered," said Ron.
"But, how…" said Laura.
"I saw something from the common room window," said Sophie, "and I didn't realize what it was."
"Until I told her about how Peter ran off into the forest after our third year," said Ron.
"So we apparated into the Forbidden Forest."
"That's where we were?"
"Yeah. Anyway, we saw Voldemort and some death eaters. So we made a lot of noise and got Peter to come find us."
"So we stunned him and brought him here."
"Oh, my," said Dumbledore.
"But that's a rat!" Isaac Browning was going crazy.
"No he's not! Watch!" Sophie cast a spell on him and a man appeared where the rat once was.
"All right," said Isaac.
Gordon Gregory stood up and whammed his gavel on the bench, making the entire crowd look towards him. "In light of the current circumstances, I extend an apology to Mr. Sirius Black. You are now welcome to leave. All charges are dropped."
"Thank you sir." Sirius let out a whoop of joy and kissed Laura. She turned red.
"That's the Sirius I know," said Dumbledore.
Harry ran over to Ron and Sophie. "You have to tell me the entire story. From when you left to… Why are you holding hands?"
Ron's ears turned pink.
Sophie grinned. "Happy belated birthday."
Hermione was watching. "You two broke so many rules!"
"Aw, Hermione, stop it." Harry looked at her like she was crazy. "Just five minutes ago, you were crying. Now that they've cleared Sirius you're accusing them of breaking the rules?!"
"I'm glad you did, too," said Hermione.
Ron snorted. "I never thought I'd hear Hermione say that."
"Neither did I," said Sophie.
"Come on," said Sirius, sounding happy and gripping Laura's hand. "Let's go home to Hogwarts."
"Yes, let's," said Dumbledore. "I think a feast is in order."
"Mmm, feast…" said Ron, who was holding Sophie's hand again.
Sophie grinned. "A Hogwarts feast, hmm?"
"What about Peter?"
"Oh, let the courts deal with him," said Laura. "Let's go."
As the happy group proceeded through the exit, the six had an extra person. Aside from the others, there was a man, tall, with dark hair and coppery eyes. A man who hadn't been free for thirteen years. And the six were taking him to begin his new life… Free.
"And this love,
Is like nothing I have ever known
Take my hand, Love,
I'm taking you home…"
--Don Henley, "Taking you Home"
A/N: Please Review! If you use a signed review, I'll go out, read, and review your stories! If you want to comment e-mail me at [email protected]! Thanks!