To Be Saved

To be Free

Previously: Harry and Severus set out to the ministry to attend Sirius's trial.
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Severus apparated with Harry in front of the Ministry's visitors entrance. Harry's body twisted and turned. It felt like he had been sucked into a tube and thrown on the other side. He crouched down to his knees to catch his breath. He felt a hand rest on his back, rubbing it soothingly. Severus. He had forgotten he was there too. "You ok Harry?" Sev asked, concern pouring out of his voice.
"Yeah fine." "Good then. Let's go."

Harry looked around confused. "Go where? Where's the Ministry?" "We are going through the visitors entrance."
He got into the telephone booth. Harry looked at the man as if he had gone crazy. "That...That's a telephone booth sir.." "I know. Now c'mon in we're gonna be late!" Harry was still confused but followed anyways. As soon as he got in Severus put a coin inside the coin receiver and a female voice said out of nowhere "Welcome to Ministry of magic. To enter the ministry's main entrance, press 5. To enter the courtrooms, press 2. Thank you."

Severus pressed two and the booth started to go down like an elevator. They reached level two and got out of the booth. Harry looked around. The place was eerily quite. To quite. Harry noted mentally. "What now?" He asked Severus. "Now we go to waiting room 9." Came the reply. They both went to the waiting room which was beside courtroom 9. This is probably where the trial would take place. Harry thought.

As they went inside Harry noticed that the room was cold. Probably a temperature charm. The room wasn't very big, but it was big enough. The room had matte black walls and a fireplace in the middle. There was a mahogany desk with a high backed chair in front of what looked like the only window in the room. There was a comfy sofa set in front of the fire place. Bookshelves full of interesting looking books lined the walls opposite to the desk. All in all it was a complete living room.

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Harry went and sat on a sofa and tried to relax and rehearse the things he was going to say in the trial while Severus picked a book titled 'Unfair imprisonment and law enforcement: Part 4'. Harry looked at him questioningly, Severus just smiled at him and sat on the Mahogany desk to read it.

A few minutes later Albus Dumbledore along with Minerva McGonagall and Remus Lupin walked into the room. Severus greeted them and Harry stood up.

"Harry, my boy, how are you?" Asked Dumbledore.
"I'm fine sir, you?"
"Splendid. Have you rehearsed everything you are going to say?"
"Yes sir."
"Good Good. Now we'll give you and Sirius some time alone to talk before the trial."

Harry nodded at him. Remus looked at Harry and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry Harry, everything will be
alright." Harry returned the smile.

They all made to leave. Albus was the last one to leave, he saw two aurors coming with Sirius while his hands were cuffed behind his back. "Aurors I assure you that there's no need to cuff Mr.Black." "The Minister ordered us to cuff him for Mr. Potter's safety." "And I'm ordering not to. Mr. Potter is safe."
The aurors looked at them warily and let Sirius go. "Harry is waiting inside for you dear boy." Sirius nodded at Albus and walked inside.

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Sirius saw Harry standing in front of the desk and looking out the window. He smiled to himself remembering the baby Harry he used to cradle in his arms and put to sleep. Now he is thirteen and wearing a suit and a lopsided tie, looking dramatically out of the window. He chuckled merrily.

That caught Harry's attention and his head snapped towards Sirius. Sirius gave him a big, bright smile. Harry gave a small smile of his own.

"You know.." started Sirius " whatever happens out there, don't ever dwell on it." "But you are innocent!" "And you know it. The ones who love us never really leave us, they stay right here inside our hearts." Sirius strode forward and ruffled Harry's hair.

"But if I'm free, my offer still stands."
"Offer?"
"If you'd..only if you want to that is...come and live with me?"

Ah. He remembered and still wants me to live with him. This is surreal. He probably wants that because he doesn't know what a worthless freak I am. Once he sees the scars on my back, he would hate me and once he knows that I cut myself, he'll start beating me too. He doesn't love me. No one can.

"-rry! Harry!"
"Sorry sir" Harry said, not wanting to get into trouble.

Sirius frowned at the unnecessary honorific but kept quite about it. He had always found the boy's behavior a bit disconcerting. Not that he knew him for a long time but ever since he did, he noticed. He noticed everything. Like how quite he was for a normal thirteen year old. He only spoke when spoken to and never bothered anyone. He was way too polite and very jumpy. He flinched at the slightest touch and backed away. Earlier he had dismissed it as shyness but events made it clear that there was more to it.

"So? Do you still want to live with me?"
"Yes! Yes of course." Anywhere's better than the Dursleys. Harry mentally added that. Sirius smiled and pulled the boy into a comforting hug.

Harry stiffened immediately. Never had he been hugged before. It was not a 2 second hug from Mrs. Weasley or the half-strangleing from Hermione. It was loving and comforting. Like he cared. He cared. One of Sirius's hand was on his back and the other was going through his messy black hair. He hugged back and buried his head in the crook of Sirius's neck.

Sirius pulled back and gave an encouraging pat on his back. "Everything is going to be alright."
"I know."
"You don't know how to wear a tie though, do you?"
Harry chuckled and let Sirius fix his tie.

Then they went in the courtroom for the trial.

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