For the entirety of the day, the Golden Trio and their decent-sized group of friends chose to sit with the Gryffindors this time, per Fred and George's request. Ashley now sat squished between the twins during lunch as they alternated between who distracted her while the other discretely piled food onto her plate. She was aware of what they were doing and she genuinely appreciated the kind gesture. They were only looking out for her well-being, after all. However, her thoughts were elsewhere. She was much too preoccupied with anxiously waiting for the mail to arrive. If everything was according to the set schedule, Sirius' trial had taken place earlier that morning. Ashley was waiting for the event's results that she was sure would make the front page of The Daily Prophet. She was also quite positive that Sirius was already enjoying his newfound freedom. However, things could have still gone wrong somehow. Ashley hoped Dumbledore hadn't meddled with things like he usually did. Until the news arrived assuring Sirius' trial had been a success, she was going to continue worrying with every fiber of her being.
Her friends sensed her distress and were all attempting to take her mind off of things, which she was thankful for. The ever comforting presence of her familiar wrapped around her arm was also immensely helpful in the deed of calming her down. Getting too worked up wasn't ideal, especially in a crowded place such as the great hall. Her magic wasn't the easiest to control when her emotions were out of whack. It was enough that she exceeded expectations in her classes. She didn't need the majority of people knowing the growing limits of her power. That would have been counterproductive, seeing as she was doing her best to refrain from gaining more of Dumbledore's unwanted attention.
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear...
The old wizard himself finally blessed the school population with his glorious presence. What pleased Ashley, though, was the fact that he looked far from smug. In fact, he seemed quite distressed. The usual merry twinkle in his eyes had disappeared, replaced with a silent kind of anger simmering beneath the surface. It washed away most of Ashley's worries. An unhappy Dumbledore was always good thing. At least, it was in Ashley's dictionary. It only could have meant that the trial had not gone his way.
Ashley didn't have to wait long for the reassurance of what she speculated had happened. A parliament made up of more than a thousand owls came flocking in, each one swooping down to their respective owner. Ashley greeted Hedwig with a doting pet, feeding the owl little bits of her favorite snack. Ashley shut her eyes, taking a deep breath, before she opened them again and glanced at the front page of the newspaper Hedwig had delivered. Her heart warmed, almost bursting with joy, upon reading what was written there.
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SIRIUS BLACK: WRONGFULLY ACCUSED!
On the night of the 31st of October 1981, Sirius Black was carted off to Azkaban for supposedly having killed twelve Muggles and Peter Pettigrew, a close friend of his, and for his betrayal of the Potters to You-Know-Who. Now, after almost ten years since his incarceration, we find out that we were all so very wrong! Due to an anonymous source, evidence regarding his case had been brought to light. This evidence had come in the form of Peter Pettigrew himself who had been alive all this time, hiding as an unregistered rat Animagus.
Lord Black's trial, a right he suspiciously never had the privilege to have, had taken place earlier this morning at precisely 7 AM. With the use of Veritaserum, he was easily declared innocent and a free man. Compensated for the unforgivable mistake, he was then admitted to St. Mungo's for the proper treatment needed to regain his health back. We can only imagine the unjust suffering he went through while within the walls of Azkaban.
I'm sure we all share the same questions-
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CITEȘTI
Fate's Chosen (Harry Potter Fanfiction)
FanfictionFate was absolutely tired of her plans being meddled with. She decided that it was time to set things straight. Her search led her to a young woman yearning for the adventure of a lifetime. That woman, filled with such fiery spirit, earned Fate's fa...
