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Manipulations to War
By Mutt N Feathers

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Category: Pre-OotP
Characters:Sirius Black
Genres: Drama
Warnings: Death
Story is Complete
Rating: R
Reviews: 19
Summary: Sequel to Harry's second Christmas. James and Lily are dead, and Sirius, Remus and Anwen are living in the Potter keep with Harry. They want him to have a well balanced childhood, but the need to keep him safe is greater. Sirius is working to unravel where the Potter money went while Anwen wants to discover why they were in Godric's Hollow and not safely in the Potter's home.
Hitcount: Story Total: 18818; Chapter Total: 528





Author's Notes:
Thanks to Arnel for her amazing beta work and to my hubby for helping me not scream as I repost the whole story. MNF




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Chapter 11:
Trial

April 17, 1983


"You're very quiet tonight," Sirius said as he came into the master bath. Anwen was soaking in a bubble bath while he had put Harry to bed. Harry would be headed to the Longbottoms house while Anwen, Sirius, and Remus were slated to give testimony at Peter Pettigrew's trial the following day. It was the only place she felt he was safe. Anwen had nightmares about Harry being kidnapped and taken from them. Sirius had begun undressing as soon as he'd come into the room, and he slid himself into the warm water. Anwen moved a bit forward, so she was now between his long legs, her back pressed up against his chest.

“I’ve been going over those years in my head, trying to figure out when he stopped idolizing you three and started thinking Voldemort was right,” she said softly. “I know you and Remus think it was in early nineteen-eighty, but I think it was earlier.”

“What do you mean? When do you think he started slipping over to the Dark side?”

“Do you remember your leaving night from Hogwarts?”

“Anwen, he might have acted strange sometimes, but he wasn’t friends with Slytherins or anything,” Sirius quickly said. When she was silent, he added: “Yes, I remember my leaving night. I also remember leaving you alone to go “”

“Yes, you were in the middle of your springtime of love, but we don’t discuss that anymore,” she said with a finality in her voice. They didn’t become a couple until the next spring, and it was often a challenging time for Anwen to remember. Sirius had snogged or whatever at least half of the female population of Hogwarts above the fourth year that spring.

"Anyway, it was early, not too long after we'd come in from the bonfire, and you and James had slipped out to go set up your fireworks,” she explained.

“Yeah, all three of you girls and Remus were in the dorm room, just chatting and talking about grades. I seem to remember you were quite proud of OWL’s.”

“I was, but that isn’t relevant to the story. I had to use the loo, and I never used the one off your room because it was manky.”

"Yeah, you were afraid the hair was going to jump up from the drains and attack you," he said, and Anwen laughed. "We all had long hair, even James."

"Right, I can't imagine the joy the house-elf who had cleaned your room for seven years felt when you all left with your long, luscious hair. Anyway, I had run over to the girls' side to use the loo, and when I came back, Peter was just coming back into the common room. He looked at me with such disdain, and he whispered, 'Next year, you’re going to be brought down where you belong.’ He turned and left again, and I decided it wasn’t worth upsetting you since I wasn’t going to be seeing much of him. He never came over to our house, probably because I was there.”

“I wish you would have told me,” Sirius said, wrapping his arms around his wife. “He can’t hurt you.”

"Oh, I know, and I've testified at enough trials to not be worried about a prisoner getting lose; I just hate that I have to face him. I'd rather have never seen him again in my life."

“After tomorrow, you won’t. He’s going to be Kissed. He aided in the murder of James and Lily, and since Voldemort isn't here to be held accountable, the rat is going to be the fall guy.”

“Sirius, I’m so sorry you lost your friend,” Anwen said as she turned to look at her husband. “I’m sorry you lost both of them.”

"I am too, but one of them was murdered, and the other gave help to the murderer, and I refuse to miss the second. Now is there anything else I can do to help you relax?" Sirius moved his hands, and Anwen sighed, knowing she'd sleep well when he was done.


Anwen was sandwiched between Sirius and Remus, all three friends feeling slightly on edge as they sat waiting for the Wizengamot trial to begin. Sirius was getting used to these trials; there had been enough of them since he took the Black family seat. Once the paperwork was done, and Harry was their son, Anwen would be sitting in the Potter family seat as steward until Harry was ready to take on his legacy. Several old family seats worked this way. Anwen was looking at the door when both Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy walked in. She elbowed Sirius in the ribs just before they stopped to speak with the pair.

"Sirius, I was hoping to talk with you about the family stipend," Narcissa said, and Sirius shook his head at her.

"Cissy, I studied what funds were available, how much any one person would need to live on, and created the allowances from that. You're not getting any more money." Cissy had written to him twice seeking an increase in her monthly stipend. Sirius refused to budge. If he didn't control the spending, the Black family would be insolvent in another generation or two.

"But, with Lucius' vault frozen, we are “"

“His vault is frozen because he’s been brought up on Class A felony charges,” Anwen said. “His solicitors and attorneys keep requesting delays. The longer he asks to delay, the longer the vault remains frozen. Once he’s convicted, you’ll be able to get a living wage from it, Narcissa.”

“What makes you think I’m going to be convicted?” he seethed at the former Auror.

"Because I know what evidence for murder, torture, sexual assault, and sexual misconduct with a minor is hidden away in the Auror department. When you finally do go to trial, I will come out of retirement to tell the world what you did to those girls." Anwen's voice was uncharacteristically cold and tight. Sirius grabbed her hand. "Does your wife know what you like to do to them, or was she the first of your victims?”

“How dare you?” Lucius lunged for Anwen, but her hand was faster, freezing him on the spot.

“Narcissa, I would remove your husband from these proceedings. If you are truly in a dire situation, write to me. I don’t want to see you or Draco suffer because you were married off to him,” Sirius said, and his cousin nodded anxiously. Anwen released Lucius and Cissy pulled him from the large room.

“You shouldn’t provoke him,” Sirius gently chastised his wife. “He’s dangerous.”

"Sirius, of all the people in this building, who knows the most about just how dangerous Lucius Malfoy is? Anyway, he never did the kidnapping or the initial torture; that was Barty Crouch, Jr, and Bellatrix. Lucius took over once the girls were broken. He doesn't have the nerve to attack on his own."

Just then, Dumbledore walked in and climbed into his high seat as Chief Warlock and called the trial to order. Other members of the DMLE who were either serving on the Wizengamot, like Amelia Bones, or would be giving testimony, like her former partner Kingsley Shacklebolt and Frank, filed in. When everyone was seated, Dumbledore called for the accused. Peter was brought in, magical shackles on his wrists and ankles, causing him to shuffle. He was surrounded by Hit Wizards, who were far more likely to curse and ask questions after. When he saw the three of them, he hissed. After he was put into his magical cage and the enchantments protecting from Animagus transformations to an anti-spitting charm were cast, Dumbledore began.

The opening statements were short; everyone knew what Peter had done; it was in all the papers. He really didn't have a defence either. He'd admitted he'd given Voldemort the information. The prosecution began the trial with a viewing of the memories taken from Peter when he was arrested. It showed his being made the Secret Keeper, bowing before Voldemort, giving him the information, and watching from the bushes. Then Tom Riddle entered the house, and the green light illuminated the windows as James was murdered. Anwen had tears in her eyes, Sirius was seething, and Remus was quietly unnerved. Anwen was grateful the full moon was over a week away; if it was closer, Remus might not be able to control his anger.

The Aurors were called to the stand; first, Kingsley and Frank had been on the team, along with Alice, who was still on maternity leave, and they gave their detailed, impartial recounting of the arrest. The defence attorney's cross-examination was designed to enrage the two men, but in Auror training, you were taught to stick to the facts; opinions and emotions were left at the door. These two men were incredibly cool under pressure, and the litigators quickly gave up.

Remus was called first and gave testimony regarding how and when he’d met Peter. All information concerning why Peter had become an Animagus was banned by the DMLE from the trial to protect Remus' secret. Remus shared how Peter had often struggled in school and how he and his other roommates “ including James “ always made sure Peter had his assignments appropriately done and that he was prepared for exams.

“And for the record, what sort of student was the defendant?”

Remus sighed before answering. “Pete was an average student, but he was in a room with two boys who needed little studying to score Outstanding on their work. James and Sirius were probably the most naturally talented wizards in Hogwarts. I’ve always been studious and put in the work to succeed. Peter wasn’t going to reach their level, ever. I think it made him envious. That we were all in steady relationships and Peter couldn’t even talk to girls caused conflict as well.”

“So, Peter didn’t like Lily?”

“Peter disliked all three of the girls, Lily Evans who became Lily Potter, Anwen Hodgson who recently became Anwen Black, and my steady girlfriend, Eva. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it were Peter who told Voldemort that Eva's mother was a siren."

“What happened to them?” the attorney further questioned.

“Eva’s father was murdered, and the two women fled,” Remus explained. “We’ve tried to locate them, but it’s like they vanished.”

The defence tried to pry apart Remus' story, but since there was no maleficence in it, there was nothing for Remus to amend. He was thankful that his lycanthropy wasn't brought up, and he returned to his seat. Sirius was called up next, and he squeezed his wife's hand before stepping away from her.

Sirius picked up the story of the Marauders, Lily, and Anwen in his questioning. He explained how the Potter keep was their primary place of gathering until James and Lily moved into their own flat. Then they were there mostly unless Anwen was home from school, then the house he and Remus shared with her was the gathering hub. Unlike James and Lily, who would just drop by, Peter had to be invited and would only come if it would be a group thing.

"He was getting harder and harder to reach, and when we did see him, he was preoccupied with his father's company," Sirius explained. "Apparently, there was a cash flow issue, and James and I both offered to invest in the small cheese business; everyone eats cheese," he added as an aside. "Peter wouldn't even take the idea to his father, so privately, we wondered if that was really the truth."

“Can you tell me about an incident which occurred in April nineteen-seventy-nine, please?” Sirius nodded and took a deep breath.

"My wife," he said, looking at her, "was turning sixteen, and Lily had decided to throw a huge party at the Potter's place. James' parents had died the summer before, just after their wedding, so the big place was all theirs. Lils invited not only all of us but Anwen’s family from Wales. Peter was unhappy that this was how we spent our Easter weekend, hosting her family and preparing for a party. He then made some insulting statements about Anwen, to which I took offence. He then called her a gruesome name for someone who is Muggle-born, Anwen, and Lily both. Had James not been with me, I probably would have hit him. Remus ushered him out of the house, and he didn't come to her party, which was probably for the best."

“Did he often use slurs like this?”

"When we were young “ eleven, twelve “ we would all use some names we'd never repeat now, but Peter always took it too far. There was one classmate we really disliked, and we came up with a horrible nickname for him. We used it until the end of the fifth-year when we pranked him and made him the school's laughingstock. After that, James and I realized we had better things to do than seriously embarrass folks. Remus was always concerned about going along with us, so he was happy we were moving on. Pete, however, used the name even after we left Hogwarts."

“Tell us about the night you decided not to become the Secret Keeper, please.”

"It wasn't that I was unwilling to do it. I was willing to lay down my life to protect James, Lily, and Harry; it's just that it was so obvious. James and I went to school already being friends. His parents took me in when mine had beaten me half to death and thrown me out. James was my brother in every way that mattered. Once the house disappeared, it would have been obvious it was under the Fidelius Charm. Tom and his sycophants would go after me regardless, but if they succeeded in killing me, the charm would collapse, and the house would have been visible again. Peter made so much more sense since, honestly, no one would have expected it to be him. Dumbledore did the charm, and then Peter told Remus, Anwen, and me where the Potters were. There were only six of us who knew. That was a deadly mistake I will never completely forgive myself for."

"Can you tell us about what you found when you arrived at their home Hallowe'en night?"

"The door was blown off the hinges. James was dead, sprawled out over the bottom of the stairs and staring at the ceiling. When I got upstairs, the left-back roof was blown out, as were most of Harry's room's exterior walls. Lily was laying on the floor," he said, his voice becoming ragged, "dead as well. Harry was in his cot, screaming. His face was covered in blood from a cut on his forehead. I gathered what I could fit in his changing bag and decided he needed to be somewhere safe. It wasn't until I spoke with Anwen the next day did I realize I stood on the Dork Lord's robes." The last bit received a chuckle from the room and cut the tension.

The prosecution ended their questioning, and Sirius prepared himself for cross-examination.

“So, you’re not above using silly nicknames, are you Mr Black?” the attorney began.

“Yes, I’m willing to call a dead psychopath by a silly name, but if it makes you happy, I'll call him by his birth name, Tom Riddle."

“Isn’t it true that you and your friends pulled away from the defendant, leaving him friendless?”

"It wasn't a conscious decision. We all had girlfriends or wives, and then when James and Lily went into hiding, the war was being waged all around us. Dumbledore had us running missions, and Anwen was an Auror. We were spread so thin in those last days before James and Lily were murdered that we were thankful for sleep. There wasn't time to socialize."

“Isn’t it true that you noticed a change in the defendant’s behaviour in the days before the Potters died?” the attorney asked.

"That is true; he became even more nervous than he was before, which I didn't think was possible. James and I thought it was because he was Secret Keeper. We found out he wasn't even going home anymore."

“This didn’t make you wonder if he was the right choice?”

"Of course, it made me wonder, but Remus wasn't with us for that last week, and Anwen and I weren't speaking because we'd broken up. Peter was the only choice, besides me, and I'd already made the argument that I wasn't the best choice. With perfect hindsight, I can see now I should have taken the risk, or I should have talked with Anwen and had her do it.”

"You feel regret over this?" Sirius was frustrated with the question, and he physically bristled against it.

"I have regrets," Sirius confessed. "I regret not being man enough to speak with Anwen and have her check the protections on the house in Godric's Hollow. I regret not being the Secret Keeper. I regret trusting Peter when my gut was saying something was wrong with him. I regretted not being in that house when Voldemort arrived because maybe we could have protected Lily and Harry with the two of us. I regret that Harry will grow up not knowing his mum and dad. Those are my regrets, and I'm going to live with them for the remainder of my life."

Sirius was excused, and the prosecution called Anwen. As she walked by, Peter yelled out "Slag Mudblood" at her, but she just walked by, being schooled like the other Aurors. Both Hit Wizards shocked Peter with a strong charm, not liking what he said or to whom he'd said it.

“Mrs Black, you are trained as an Auror, correct?” the prosecutor, a young woman who Anwen knew quite well, asked.

"I am; I left my position about a year ago so that I could be home to raise Harry Potter."

“You and your husband are Harry’s godparent and legal guardians?”

“We are.”

“How long have you known the defendant?”

“Since I first started at Hogwarts. I met him on the train my first day.”

“What was your first impression of the defendant?”

“My initial impression was that they, the four guys, they were all a bit full of themselves and probably not people that I would want to be friends with. I met Lily the same day, and within weeks she was like my big sister. She was the dearest friend that I've ever had."

“I take it things changed with the rest of the boys your husband roomed with?”

"Yes, Sirius and I became instant friends, even though we had little in common. James taught me to fly, and Remus and I shared a passion for study. I tried to be friends with Peter, but he didn't seem too keen on the prospect."

“Liar!” he yelled from his chamber. He was again struck with a Stinging Hex.

“Can you tell me about an incident in your seventh year?”

"Yes," Anwen said sadly. "It was the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year, and everyone came to meet me and spend the day. I didn't know it at the time, but they were all there as part of the Order of the Phoenix, the resistance organization. After we'd had lunch, there was an explosion behind one of the buildings. Everyone ran off, leaving me on a corner. I had my back turned to the alley beside the coffee shop, where we'd just been, and I didn't see someone come up and grab me. I was pulled down the alleyway and attacked. The first thing they did was break my collar bone and tear the rotator cuff, thus rendering my left arm useless.”

“Why was this important?”

"I became a registered Animagus when I was thirteen. I become a kestrel falcon. In my fourth year, I had a Quidditch accident where I sustained the same injuries. I discovered, because of the injuries, I was unable to transform. Outside of Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey, the only people who knew that I couldn't change were the four boys, Lily and Eva."

“Why do you think that is significant?”

"When my arm was snapped, it was whispered in my ear, 'now you can't fly away, muddy bird.' The only way the Death Eaters could have known was if someone in my circle of friends had said something."

“You believe that was Peter Pettigrew?”

“I do.”

“What conclusions, as someone who was close to the defendant and who is trained in gathering and processing information perpetrating crimes, have you developed?” Anwen sighed, even though she knew the question was coming.

"I think that Peter Pettigrew was friendly with students who were already Death Eaters while at Hogwarts. I believe that is when he began passing information about his friends and other students as well. I think that Peter was initially driven by jealously of all that his mates had accomplished, but then he was driven by the fear of what would happen if he stopped. I believe that he was at the Potter's house on the night of thirty October nineteen-eighty-one playing with Harry and enjoying Lily’s home cooking as much as I was. I believe that he gave Tom Riddle and his henchmen and women the information the next day, leading to their deaths. I believe he was so used to passing information he never considered the ramifications of his actions. I also believe that if he had confessed what he had been doing to his friends, they would have protected him with their lives because they loved him that much."

The prosecution rested with Anwen’s testimony. The defence attorney looked at her and rose to cross-examine.

“What would have you done if Pettigrew had confessed to you on the night before James and Lily Potter died?”

"James and Lily didn't die; they were murdered. If the defendant had confessed to me, I would have done two things; I would have sent James, Lily, and Harry away and told them not to contact me. Then I would have taken Pettigrew to Dumbledore and let him decide how to protect the man. Being an Auror would have put me into an uncomfortable position, so I would have passed the problem on to Dumbledore."

“You wouldn’t have brought him into the DMLE for questioning?”

"Honestly, no. At the time, we had Death Eaters among us. We were all suspicious of each other and of those in other departments. If he was going to be safe, it would need to be Albus Dumbledore who protected him." Anwen's voice was brittle, and she was looking away from everyone, staring at the floor.

"You don't like the defendant, do you? You'll be happy when judgment is passed on him?"

Anwen looked up and made eye contact with the attorney. "He is responsible for the death of two of my best friends. They were my family, and they trusted me enough to be the godmother to their little boy. So, no, I don't particularly like your client right now, and I probably won't ever again. He committed these crimes, and he needs to live with the consequences of them.” Anwen was on the verge of tears, and when he released her, she went back to her seat and collapsed into Sirius’ side.

The defence chose not to put Peter on the stand after his outburst at Anwen.

The Wizengamot convicted him by a two-thirds majority on the first vote. Peter was taken away to be Kissed at Azkaban. His body would remain there until it passed naturally. The three friends used the private DMLE Floo connection to go to the Longbottom’s home. When they stepped out, the hallway was decorated with a sign reading "Happy Birthday Winnie-Mummy."

Anwen looked at it, smiled, and threw her arms around Harry. "That is exactly the perfect thing I needed today."

"I knows. It your birthday!" Harry said, taking her face between his chubby hands. "I wove you, Winnie-Mummy."

"I love you, too, Harry. Every day of my life, I will love you a little bit more."

“You wove Unca Siri too?”

“I love him, too. We are a family, and we love each other.” Sirius knelt and wrapped his arms around both.

“Absolutely,” he said.

“You know what, we’re going to love our baby, too,” Anwen said, surprising Alice, Remus, and Frank, who had just arrived.

“Where de baby?” Harry said excitedly.

“Not here yet,” Anwen said happily. “But in the fall, you’re going to be a big brother.”

“Really, Anwen?” her husband asked.

"Really, Sirius. It's a good thing we were faithful with the charms and potions because I think we got pregnant while on our honeymoon." Sirius threw his head back and barked a laugh. Of course, they did. They were overachievers in every way. The pair stood, Sirius bringing Harry up with him and the trio received congratulations from Remus and then Alice, Frank, and Neville. They might not have been close blood relations or not blood-related at all, but they were a family. Anwen became noticeably quiet.

“Sweetheart?” Sirius asked.

"I'm just thinking about Peter. He could have had this, all this love and closeness and happiness, and he chose to turn his back. It hurts my heart to think about it.”

“Then don’t. Think about it being your birthday and how much chocolate I’ve bought you. What kind do you think our baby likes?”

“Oh,” Anwen said, putting a hand to her mouth. “I don’t think the baby likes chocolate at all.” She turned and ran for the loo.
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