Fate's Chosen (Harry Potter Fanfiction)

Chapter 18: Early Christmas

Ministry of Magic, Whitehall, London

"It is settled then. The full custody and guardianship of Elizabeth Ashley Potter goes to Lord Sirius Orion Black and Remus John Lupin."

Relief flooded Sirius and Remus' veins as they sunk into their seats. They'd done it; their Bambi would be coming home with them. They hadn't been sure they would succeed. Halfway through the trial, Dumbledore already had almost the entire Wizengamot firmly on his side, especially so when he revealed that Remus, as a werewolf, was a credible liability to Ashley's safety. Moony nearly came out at that (how dare the old coot say that he would ever hurt his cub?), but Remus held him back. Remus couldn't jeopardize the goal of gaining the Wizengamot's favor even though the odds were dauntingly low for him and Sirius. But then, Amelia requested the use of a Pensieve. Using the magical artifact, she presented the replications of Ashley's memories.

While watching the memories play out, nearly everyone in the room had turned a sickly pale. Some were forced into tears as the horrific truth was laid bare. Right in front of them was solid proof that the Dursleys, and additionally Dumbledore, were not to be trusted with the safety of the Wizarding World's Savior. Outraged, they watched the Chosen One be treated with animalistic cruelty. Beaten, starved, neglected, the girl was left to fend for herself amongst her abusive relatives whom considered her as a slave and not part of their disgusting family. For Merlin's sake, she slept in a cupboard!

The room had fallen into a troubled silence after that. Nobody knew what to say, but they did know what had to be done. The Dursleys looked absolutely terrified, while Dumbledore remained calm on the outside, at least. The anxiety in his eyes betrayed his true emotions. Sirius and Remus were already aware that their Bambi hadn't been cared for like Dumbledore had heavily implied. But that didn't stop the immense hatred and rage they felt when they saw what she had actually been through. They didn't know it had been that bad. How could people do that to a child? Their niece, nonetheless! The revelation of what had happened to Ashley was sure to have made Lily and James rolling in their graves.

With their eyes opened, the Wizengamot changed their minds in a flash. The first to take a stand against Dumbledore was, surprisingly enough, Lucius Malfoy. For that, the two Marauders were thankful. The wizards and witches spoke up and cast their votes, ultimately deciding where Ashley was to be placed. And that was with Sirius and Remus, where she ought to have been in the first place.

The trial was adjourned with Sirius smirking as the Dursleys were dragged away. Petunia and her whale-of-a-husband were destined for Azkaban, while their son was to be Obliviate'd and sent to a Muggle orphanage. It was only fair; the child still had a chance of growing into a better person. After all, it wasn't his fault that his parents were the horrible people they were. It only mattered that Ashley was no longer with them.

Dumbledore had to stay behind to have a little chat with the Minister and Amelia. The Hogwarts Headmaster was thrown dirty looks by the members of the Wizengamot as they disapparated one by one. Sirius and Remus refused to even look at him, let alone talk to him so they left without a single interaction. But before they could apparate away, they were approached by Lucius. Sirius acted properly enough. Remus thought it was a miracle that the two Lords were able to act civil towards each other, considering their less-than-friendly past. Hexes and jinxes usually started flying the moment they were in the same area.

He and Sirius side-apparated back to the mansion. Sirius ordered Kreacher to fetch them a bottle of Firewhisky and two glasses, which the house-elf begrudgingly obeyed. They were getting their Bambi back; it was high time for a small celebration. Getting drunk seemed like a good idea, but as Kreacher came back with the Firewhisky, Sirius thought of an even better one. Remus barely had enough time to register before the Animagus grabbed him by the waist and claimed his lips. They headed for their shared bedroom, leaving their drinks untouched.