The owls arrived during breakfast.
At first, nothing felt unusual about the morning. The Great Hall remained filled with ordinary noise as students passed plates around, argued over homework, and complained about upcoming assignments. Someone at the Ravenclaw table laughed loudly while a group of Hufflepuffs tried unsuccessfully to keep a stack of toast from floating away after a miscast charm.
Then the newspapers landed.
And within seconds—
The entire Great Hall fell into stunned silence.
Even Helios froze when he saw the headline spread across the front page of the Daily Prophet.
SIRIUS BLACK IS FREE
The paper nearly slipped from Rose's hands as she grabbed it from Hermione so quickly she almost tore the pages.
Around the Hall, students immediately began shouting over one another.
"What?!"
"That's impossible!"
At the Ravenclaw table, a student looked horrified. "They released Sirius Black?"
Another frowned deeply while leaning closer to the article. "Wait… why would they do that?"
Hermione was already reading faster than everyone else at Griffindor table. Her eyes moved rapidly across the paragraphs while the noise around her grew louder and louder.
Then slowly—
Her expression changed.
"This is clever," she murmured quietly.
Ron blinked at her. "What?"
Hermione pointed toward the article. "They never declared him innocent."
Rose looked back down at the newspaper more carefully now while Hermione explained.
According to ancient Wizengamot law, no witch or wizard could legally remain imprisoned in Azkaban longer than thirty days without formal trial proceedings. The law had existed for centuries because even the Ministry acknowledged Azkaban itself was inhumane.
Therefore, any prisoner denied proper trial within that period had to be released immediately.
And Sirius Black—
Had never received a trial at all.
He was imprisoned in Azkaban for twelve years.
"So they legally had to free him," Hermione said quietly.
"But…" Rose whispered while rereading the article carefully, "…they're making it sound like some legal loophole."
And that was exactly what the Ministry had done.
The wording of the article was almost disturbingly careful. Every sentence had been crafted perfectly to manipulate public opinion without technically lying.
The Prophet never once called Sirius innocent.
Never acknowledged wrongful imprisonment.
Instead, the article repeatedly referred to him as the alleged mass murderer Sirius Black, former supporter of You-Know-Who, and a dangerous prisoner released due to legal complications.
The message was obvious.
Not innocence.
Technical escape.
Helios slowly lowered his newspaper.
For the first time in weeks, his expression darkened seriously.
"…That was smart."
Rose looked sharply toward him. "Smart?"
Helios nodded once. "They redirected the public."
And immediately he understood exactly what Cornelius Fudge had done.
The Ministry had sacrificed Sirius Black all over again.
Until now, public anger had focused on Fudge, Umbridge, and Ministry corruption. The scandals surrounding the Ministry had dominated conversations across Britain for weeks.
But now?
Everything had changed overnight.
Now the public had something far more frightening to focus on.
Sirius Black.
The supposed right hand of Voldemort.
The mass murderer.
The escaped Azkaban prisoner who was now legally free during a time when whispers of Voldemort's return were already spreading through the country.
That timing terrified people.
Because strange things had already begun happening across Britain. There were disappearances in Muggle areas, rumors of attacks, whispers about Dark Marks appearing briefly in remote villages before vanishing again.
Older witches and wizards remembered the first war.
And this—
This felt painfully familiar.
The Great Hall exploded into arguments almost immediately.
"They can't just let him walk free!"
"He murdered thirteen people!"
"The Ministry's completely useless!"
At the Slytherin table, even several pure-blood students looked unsettled. Draco Malfoy stared down at his paper with an unusually pale expression while Pansy Parkinson whispered anxiously beside him.
Regardless of politics—
A free Sirius Black frightened people.
At the staff table, Professor McGonagall looked furious enough to crack stone while Professor Flitwick appeared deeply disturbed by the entire situation. Snape remained unreadable as always, though his eyes lingered on the newspaper longer than usual.
And Dumbledore—
Dumbledore simply watched the Hall in silence.
Observing reactions.
By noon, the wizarding world outside Hogwarts had already descended into chaos.
Crowds gathered outside the Ministry demanding explanations. Protesters filled the streets carrying signs while reporters swarmed the entrances trying to question Ministry officials.
KEEP BLACK IN AZKABAN
NO MERCY FOR DEATH EATERS
But Fudge now possessed the perfect shield.
The law itself.
Ancient constitutional law that even the Ministry could not openly ignore without destroying its own authority.
Which meant Fudge could pretend his hands were tied.
"It is unfortunate," the Minister stated publicly through the Prophet, "but the Ministry must obey wizarding law."
And just like that—
The pressure shifted away from him.
Back inside Hogwarts, Helios leaned back slowly in his chair while the chaos around him continued growing louder.
Rose studied him carefully.
"You didn't expect this."
It wasn't really a question.
Helios shook his head once. "No."
Ron still looked confused by the entire situation. "But Sirius is free now, right?"
Helios gave him a flat look. "Legally free."
"There's a difference."
Hermione immediately understood what he meant.
"He'll never be accepted publicly," she said quietly.
Helios nodded once. "Exactly."
And that was the true cruelty of what the Ministry had done.
Sirius Black had finally escaped Azkaban.
But not the prison built around his name.
Even if he walked openly through Diagon Alley tomorrow, people would still fear him. Parents would pull children away from him. Shopkeepers would close doors. Aurors would watch his every movement.
To Britain—
He remained a monster.
The Ministry had ensured that.
The moment breakfast ended, he rose from the Griffindor table and walked straight out of the Great Hall without another word. Conversations followed him immediately. Students whispered behind raised newspapers while others openly pointed toward him as he passed between the tables.
But Helios ignored all of them.
Rose stood only seconds later and hurried after him without hesitation.
"Where are you going?" she asked while catching up beside him.
"To see my father."
The answer came almost casually, but Rose still quickened her pace immediately.
"I'm coming too."
Helios glanced toward her briefly before nodding once. Neither of them bothered asking permission from professors. They simply headed directly toward the Headmaster's office while students watched them disappear into the corridors.
The gargoyle moved aside after Dumbledore's password, and moments later the two teenagers stepped into the circular office.
Albus Dumbledore looked up from behind his desk immediately. Unlike most people that morning, he seemed entirely unsurprised to see them.
"You wish to visit Sirius."
It was not phrased as a question.
Helios nodded once while Rose stepped slightly closer.
"And you?" Dumbledore asked gently.
"He's my godfather," Rose answered instantly.
Dumbledore's expression softened faintly at that.
"You may use the Floo."
Rose brightened immediately. "Thank you, Professor."
Dumbledore inclined his head once, but before either of them stepped into the fireplace, he spoke again.
"Helios."
The boy paused and looked back.
Dumbledore's blue eyes remained fixed on him carefully. "How is Sirius taking the news?"
For a moment Helios said nothing.
"I don't know yet."
A second later green flames swallowed both teenagers, and they vanished from Hogwarts.
They emerged inside Grimmauld Place almost instantly.
Order members moved through the hallways carrying potions, parchment, and medical supplies while exhausted witches and wizards rested wherever space allowed. One man sat in the sitting room with glowing bandages wrapped around his arm while another looked pale from blood loss near the fireplace.
The war had already begun.
Even if the Ministry refused to admit it openly.
At the far side of the room, Madam Pomfrey was aggressively forcing a wounded wizard to swallow potion.
"If you spit that out again," she snapped sharply, "I'll pour it down your throat myself."
The injured man obeyed immediately.
Rose blinked in surprise. "I didn't know Madam Pomfrey worked with the Order."
A tired witch nearby let out a weak laugh. "She patched up half the original Order during the first war. Everyone's terrified of her."
"I heard that," Madam Pomfrey called instantly without turning around.
The entire room became quiet.
Helios almost smiled.
Then he and Rose continued deeper into the house searching for Sirius.
They found him sitting comfortably inside the drawing room.
Sirius lounged in an armchair with a newspaper in his hands and his feet crossed casually before him. Sunlight filtered faintly through the dark curtains, catching the silver streaks beginning to form in his dark hair.
He looked relaxed.
The moment Sirius saw them, his face lit up completely.
"Helios!"
Rose laughed as Sirius immediately pulled both teenagers into a crushing hug.
"You should've seen the minister this morning!" Sirius barked out laughing. "He looked like someone poisoned him!"
Helios studied him carefully while Sirius continued laughing at the newspaper headlines.
There was no bitterness in his eyes.
And slowly, Helios himself relaxed slightly.
Rose, however, looked confused. "You're… happy?"
Sirius looked genuinely baffled by the question.
"Of course I'm happy!"
"But the paper still didn't say you were innocent."
That made Sirius snort loudly. He waved the newspaper dismissively.
"Innocent?" he repeated. "Rose, I stopped caring what the public thinks of me years ago."
Then his expression softened slightly as he looked toward her.
"The only person I ever wanted to believe me…" he said quietly, "…was you."
Rose froze.
"And now you do."
Sirius smiled faintly. "That's enough."
The room became quieter after that.
Even Helios looked away briefly.
Because he remembered another Sirius.
A broken Sirius.
A dead Sirius.
And seeing this version alive, free, and still capable of smiling felt strangely painful.
Then Sirius suddenly grinned again and raised one hand dramatically.
"And besides…"
A black ring gleamed on his finger.
The ancient signet ring of House Black reflected the dim light proudly.
"As Lord Black," Sirius declared smugly, "people won't dare attack me openly."
Rose stared at the ring in surprise. "You're really using the title?"
"Absolutely." Sirius smirked. "If society insists on respecting ancient bloodlines and ridiculous titles, I may as well enjoy the benefits."
Helios actually laughed softly at that.
"That sounds dangerously Slytherin."
"Living with you is corrupting me."
"You were already corrupted."
"Fair point."
For a while things almost felt normal.
Almost peaceful.
Rose eventually checked the clock on the wall and groaned dramatically.
"We have classes."
Sirius immediately looked offended. "You're choosing school over your illegally imprisoned godfather?"
"Yes."
"Heartless."
Rose laughed and hugged him again anyway before preparing to leave.
But before stepping toward the Floo, Helios looked toward Sirius seriously.
"I can still help."
Sirius' smile faded slightly.
"I can stay and fight," Helios continued quietly.
That made Sirius go still.
For several long moments he said nothing at all.
Then finally he sat back down slowly into the armchair.
"Even I'm not fighting this war."
Rose blinked in surprise. "Padfoot…"
Sirius shook his head quietly.
"No."
His voice wasn't angry.
"If they want to survive," Sirius muttered bitterly. "Let them fight."
Sirius stared down at the newspaper in his hands without truly seeing it anymore.
"I fought my entire life," he said quietly.
"Against my family. Against pure-blood ideals. Against Voldemort. Against everything they wanted me to become."
His voice lowered further.
"And when peace finally came…" Sirius laughed hollowly. "…they forgot me."
Rose's expression fell immediately.
Helios remained silent because he understood far too well.
"They threw me into Azkaban without trial," Sirius continued. "Twelve years."
He shook his head slowly.
"Twelve years for people who claimed we were fighting for the right side."
No one spoke after that.
Eventually Sirius looked back toward them and managed a faint smile again.
"I'm done dying for people who won't even remember my name once the war ends."
Helios watched him carefully for several seconds.
Then slowly nodded.
For now—
He would let his father rest.
Helios and Rose arrived in Hogsmeade through green flames instead of returning directly to Hogwarts.
The moment they stepped out of the fireplace inside The Three Broomsticks, Rose paused and looked around the village curiously.
Usually the village overflowed with Hogwarts students. There would be shouting from every direction, students running through the streets, arguments outside Honeydukes, and crowds gathering around every interesting shop window.
But during class days, Hogsmeade looked almost peaceful.
An elderly wizard sat outside a café slowly reading the Daily Prophet while sipping tea. A witch cleaned the windows of her apothecary shop with lazy wand movements. Owls perched silently atop snow-covered rooftops while thin smoke drifted from chimneys into the cold afternoon sky.
Rose smiled faintly as she watched the sleepy little village.
"I've never seen Hogsmeade this quiet before."
Helios adjusted his dark coat casually before beginning to walk beside her.
"That's because you usually arrive with three hundred screaming students."
Rose snorted softly. "Fair point."
Neither of them seemed eager to return to Hogwarts immediately.
Technically they still had classes. They were absolutely supposed to be back at the castle already.
But after everything involving Sirius, neither of them wanted to throw themselves straight back into gossip, politics, and the endless tension hanging over Hogwarts lately.
So instead—
They wandered slowly through the narrow magical streets together, passing enchanted storefronts glowing softly beneath the winter sky. The smell of fresh pastries drifted from a nearby bakery while charmed quills danced in the windows of a stationery shop.
People recognized them immediately.
Rose had never truly been capable of anonymity, and Black had become infamous across Britain over the past several weeks.
Surprisingly though—
The reactions were warm.
An old witch standing outside a bakery waved cheerfully toward Rose the moment she noticed her.
"So good to see you healthy again, dear!"
Rose smiled politely. "Thank you."
No one questioned why two Hogwarts students were casually wandering through Hogsmeade during class hours. Most people simply assumed they had permission.
And honestly—
Neither of them looked remotely guilty.
Eventually they stopped at a small café tucked beside a bookstore.
Rose stared suspiciously at the dark drink placed in front of her.
"This is coffee?"
Helios looked genuinely offended by the question.
"You've never had coffee?"
"I'm fifteen."
"So?"
Rose cautiously took a sip.
Then immediately coughed.
"That's horrible!"
Helios nearly laughed watching her expression twist in betrayal.
"You get used to it."
Rose narrowed her eyes at him. "No wonder you're emotionally damaged."
"That's not the coffee."
That finally made her laugh properly.
After leaving the café, they wandered through several more shops. Rose bought sweets from Honeydukes with alarming enthusiasm while Helios watched with visible concern.
"You do realize you cannot possibly eat all of that."
"I absolutely can."
"You bought enough sugar to kill Ron."
"That's called multitasking."
Helios actually laughed at that one.
Later they stepped into a quiet bookstore, and Rose watched curiously while Helios moved directly toward several shelves without hesitation.
He selected books quickly and efficiently.
"Advanced Rune Structures."
"Arithmancy and Dimensional Theory."
"Magical Wards of Northern Europe."
Rose stared at the stack in disbelief.
"You read these for fun?"
"Yes."
"That's deeply concerning."
Helios ignored her completely while continuing through the shelves.
Then Rose noticed him pick several entirely different books.
Modern magical theory. Historical essays. A collection of magical poetry.
"These are for Hermione," he said casually.
Rose immediately narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Oh?"
Helios completely ignored the tone in her voice.
"She'll like them."
Of course he knew exactly what Hermione would enjoy reading.
And unfortunately—
That bothered Rose far more than she wanted it to.
Still, she said nothing.
Eventually they bought parchment, ink, enchanted quills, and far too much hot chocolate before finally beginning the walk back toward Hogwarts.
And halfway back toward the castle—
They encountered pink.
Immediately both their moods worsened.
Dolores Umbridge stopped the moment she spotted them approaching from the road. Her small eyes narrowed sharply behind her decorative glasses.
"You were both absent from today's classes."
Her voice carried that familiar sickeningly sweet tone, though now there was bitterness hidden underneath it.
"And yet here you are…" she continued while glancing around pointedly. "…coming back from Hogsmeade."
Her gaze settled particularly on Helios.
"You seem remarkably comfortable ignoring school rules, Mr. Black."
Helios smiled pleasantly.
It was the exact smile Umbridge hated most.
"Well," he said lightly, "I had the Headmaster's permission."
One of Umbridge's eyes twitched visibly.
"And now that there's no High Inquisitor," Helios continued calmly, "all I really require is the Headmaster's permission."
Rose almost smiled seeing the woman's face tighten.
Because that title—
That power—
Had been ripped away.
And Helios knew exactly where to press the knife.
Umbridge inhaled sharply through her nose, clearly struggling to maintain control.
Finally she stepped past them stiffly without another word.
But before she could fully leave—
Helios spoke loudly behind her.
"Going to meet the Minister while there are no students around, Professor?"
The effect was immediate.
Umbridge stopped dead in the middle of the road.
She turned around.
The murderous look on her face genuinely startled Rose for a moment.
For several long seconds nobody spoke.
Then without saying a single word, Umbridge turned again and marched toward Hogsmeade with rigid fury radiating from every step.
Rose stared after her for only a second before bursting into laughter.
"You are absolutely impossible."
Helios smirked faintly.
Author's Note:
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