The Anger .

"You think he could be that vindictive?" she asked. "Yeah, I do," he replied.

"Well, it's running now," she said. "I'd be demanding answers and his reasoning if he blocked it now. Besides, we'll also be leaving the castle for the afternoon tomorrow for the trial. And that's something he can't refuse us."

"Yeah, and it gets me out of History of Magic," chuckled Harry. "Double win!"

After Charms the next morning Harry met Daphne in the Entrance Hall. She was already waiting for him with Cygnus.

"Ready to go?" asked Cygnus.

"Yep," replied Harry.

Side-by-side they walked out the front doors of the castle and up the drive towards Hogsmeade. After a couple minutes of silence in their walk, Harry looked at Cygnus and asked, "Any hints on what we can expect?"

"Dumbledore has a canny political mind," replied Cygnus. "He has perfected the art of answering questions with only as much information as he's willing to give. Amelia is aware of this and has been working on the exact wording of the questions she wants to ask him once she has him on the stand.

"But, I'm not sure we're going to hear everything we need to hear. Dumbledore's been keeping everything close to his own chest for years. A little court case like this isn't going to pry those secrets out of him any time soon."

Harry thought for a few moments before he said, "Then the counter to his taciturnity is to carefully listen to his answers to any question asked. And to consider basing your next question on his previous response as a form of confirmation. Also, don't assume that what he states is in direct response to the question asked; or, even if it is, is the entire answer."

Cygnus cast a long look at Harry before he said, "Points well made, Harry. We'll keep them in mind."

In an almost abrupt change of subject, Harry asked, "How's Sirius getting on? He's aware we were forbidden to leave Hogwarts over the weekend?"

"He's doing quite well; and, yes," replied Cygnus. "He wasn't happy to learn you were refused leave to visit, but he knows it wasn't your fault. He wanted to come along to pick you up today, but I convinced him not to. I did not want to risk a confrontation between him and members of Hogwarts's staff over such a petty issue. "However, he'll be waiting for us at the Ministry. I suspect I'd have had to have the elves chain him to the floor of his room if I refused him to at least meet us there."

"It would have been unfair not to allow him to attend," said Harry. "He's been unlawfully incarcerated for ten years. To deny him his freedom, even for his own good, would have been cruel. Besides, I'm looking forward to seeing him again. He may not be my immediate family, but he's the closest thing I've got to my parents, at the moment."

After thinking about how that might have sounded, he said, "Sorry; that may have come off as being insulting or, at least, insensitive. I did not mean it to be."

"I understand, Harry," said Cygnus gently. "I take it you have memories of him, too?" "Oh, yes," replied Harry with a wide smile. "He used to get Dad in trouble with Mum all the time. In Dad's letter where it states he had to sleep on the couch for a couple of weeks because of the betrothal contract was only one of many times my dear godfather got either or both of them in trouble with Mum."

With a shrug, he said, "I remember she loved it, though. She'd yell at both of them like they were naughty school boys for a while before she'd pick me up, if I was in the room, and walked away from them. I don't think she had any idea I would remember exactly what she said to me all these years later, even if I didn't understand a word of it then. She would just talk to me because I happened to be there." "What sort of things would she say to you, Harry?" asked Daphne. "I don't mean to be so personal, it's just..."

"I don't mind," replied Harry. "She would tell me of how she was happy that they could still have fun together with the war on. That the - shenanigans - they got up to both showed they still retained their fun-loving natures and acted as stress relievers.

"She was worried that the brutality of the war would cause them to change; to become people other than what they were while still at school; that they would change so much they would lose their friendship; their love for one another."

Harry noticed that the initial pace Cygnus had set walking towards the gates of Hogwarts had considerably slowed. They were now barely trudging along. Cygnus said, "A very smart woman, was your mother. And not just book smart, either. She could see how things were headed. What the likely consequences of an action would lead to. And acted accordingly."

They had just reached the gates, so Cygnus led Harry and Daphne through before leading them to the Three Broomsticks. From there it was a quick trip to the Ministry.

Harry found Cygnus had led him and Daphne back to Courtroom Five again. They were sitting in almost the same seats. This time there were quite a few others sitting in the visitors' gallery with them. Plus, the same two journalists from the week before.

One of those particular muckrakers came over and sat behind Harry and Daphne before he leaned forward and quietly said, "Lord Potter, I wonder if I might be able to ask you a few questions before the trial starts."

Harry gave Daphne a glance who returned an almost miniscule shrug in return.

He turned to look at the journalist and said, "Normally, I would not care to comment. However, I read your articles last week in the Daily Prophet and found them to be factual and non-compromising. For that reason I'll do my best to answer what of your questions I care to with honesty.

"However, show me you are not to be trusted in future, and you'll never receive a true quote from me again. Deal?"

The journalist thought for a moment before replying, "I am not Rita Skeeter, My Lord. I will always write the facts. Therefore, it is no bother for me to agree. Deal!" Giving a short nod, Harry said, "In that case, Sir; ask away."

The man grabbed a notebook and quill from one of the deep pockets of his robes. Allowing the notebook and quill to hover he said, "It's a dicta-quill, My Lord. And, for your information, if you see something like this and the quill has a lime green ostrich feather, it's a quik-quotes quill. They're nasty things and write whatever nonsense the owner of it wants it to write."

"Thank you for the heads up," replied Harry.

Setting the dicta-quill going the journalist said, "Thank you for speaking with me today, My Lord."

"You're welcome."

"Is it true you were unaware of the wizarding world until your eleventh birthday?"

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