Back at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place that evening, the atmosphere was considerably more festive than it had been in decades. Kreacher had outdone himself with what he called a "proper celebration feast for the Noble House's triumph over systematic injustice and governmental incompetence," which involved enough food to feed a small army and probably violated several basic principles of nutrition through sheer enthusiasm.
"I have to admit," Sirius said, settling into his chair with the satisfaction of someone whose name had just been cleared after nine years of wrongful imprisonment, "watching Lucius Malfoy's face when we presented the marriage contract evidence was almost worth the decade in Azkaban."
"Almost?" Bellatrix asked, raising an eyebrow with the kind of aristocratic skepticism that had survived fifteen years of magical enslavement and nine years of prison. "I thought his expression when he realized his own contract was about to be scrutinized was absolutely priceless."
"Fair point," Sirius conceded, his gray eyes twinkling with the kind of mischief that suggested he was already planning the next phase of their systematic reform campaign. "Though I'm particularly looking forward to the conversation we're going to have with him about Narcissa's situation."
Harry looked up from the chocolate cake that Kreacher had insisted was "essential for maintaining proper cosmic entity nutrition during periods of systematic justice reform." His emerald eyes held the otherworldly gleam that suggested Drakor was never entirely absent and had been taking detailed notes about everyone who'd been complicit in systematic oppression.
*"Speaking of conversations with Lucius Malfoy,"* Drakor said, his mental voice carrying the satisfied tone of someone who'd just figured out an elegant solution to a complex problem, *"I've been reviewing the memories I absorbed from Tom Riddle's soul fragments, and I have some very interesting information about our platinum-haired friend's activities during and after the war."*
"Interesting how?" Ted asked, though his legal mind was already cataloguing the potential implications of cosmic entity intelligence gathering about prominent pure-blood families and their questionable legal practices.
Harry's expression shifted slightly as Drakor assumed more direct control of the conversation, his features taking on that ancient quality that suggested something considerably older and more experienced was looking out through his green eyes.
"Lucius Malfoy," Drakor said, his voice carrying harmonics that made the air itself seem to vibrate with cosmic authority, "has been systematically using his wife's magically enslaved condition to maintain political influence, conduct illegal business operations, and eliminate rivals through methods that would make professional assassins take notes for future reference."
"Specifically?" Bellatrix asked, her voice carrying the focused intensity of someone who'd been magically compelled to serve these people and was really looking forward to systematic accountability for their actions.
"Narcissa has been used as an unwilling spy in dozens of pure-blood households," Drakor continued, his otherworldly voice providing clinical details about systematic abuse that had been hidden behind aristocratic respectability. "Her intelligence, social connections, and magical abilities have been exploited to gather information, manipulate political outcomes, and conduct what can only be described as systematic blackmail operations against prominent wizarding families."
"She's been compelled to participate in financial crimes, political conspiracies, and at least seventeen different operations that would require new categories in international magical law if anyone bothered to investigate them properly."
Ted was taking very detailed notes with the focused attention of someone who'd just been handed enough evidence to fundamentally restructure pure-blood family law and possibly several prominent political careers.
"And the diary?" he asked, because when you're dealing with fragmented dark wizard souls hidden in magical artifacts, it's important to prioritize the elimination of existential threats before moving on to systematic governmental reform.
"Currently secured in Lucius's personal study," Harry said, Drakor's ancient knowledge providing precise intelligence about the location of magical artifacts that posed ongoing threats to public safety. "Protected by enough dark magic to kill anyone who attempts unauthorized access, and surrounded by security measures that would make Gringotts reconsider their approach to vault protection."
"So we need to free Narcissa from her magical enslavement before she can retrieve it," Sirius said, his strategic thinking already working through the practical implications of liberating someone who was currently under the complete magical control of someone who definitely wasn't going to cooperate with justice reform initiatives.
"Actually," Drakor said with the satisfied tone of someone who'd just figured out how to solve multiple problems through a single, elegant application of cosmic justice, "I have a much more direct approach in mind."
His smile, wearing Harry's features, was sharp enough to cut through several dimensions and probably violate international treaties about interdimensional weapons.
"Lucius Malfoy has spent years treating his wife as property, using her enslavement to commit crimes, and maintaining his political influence through systematic abuse and manipulation. He's exactly the sort of person who deserves very comprehensive educational experiences about proper human rights and ethical behavior."
*"Oh, I see where this is going,"* Sirius thought with the kind of anticipation that suggested he was really looking forward to watching cosmic justice applied to someone who'd spent decades thinking himself above consequences and basic human decency.
"The same educational approach you used with the Lestrange brothers?" Bellatrix asked, her voice carrying the satisfaction of someone who'd watched her abusers get converted into cosmic enhancement supplements and was looking forward to similar justice for other systematic oppressors.
"Exactly," Drakor confirmed cheerfully, his mental voice carrying the anticipation of someone who was really looking forward to providing very memorable lessons about the inadvisability of treating people like property. "Very thorough education about cosmic justice, human rights, and why magical slavery is both morally reprehensible and practically inadvisable when cosmic entities are available to provide alternative perspectives."
"What about Fudge?" Ted asked, his legal training reminding him that Lucius Malfoy's political influence was backed by systematic corruption that probably included several high-ranking government officials who'd been accepting bribes, favors, and possibly magical compulsion in exchange for ignoring obvious crimes.
"Minister Fudge," Drakor said with the clinical precision of someone who'd absorbed decades of political intelligence and was prepared to provide very detailed accountability for governmental failures, "has been receiving regular payments from the Malfoy family in exchange for favorable policy decisions, regulatory exemptions, and what can only be described as willful blindness to systematic human rights violations."
"Complete documentation of financial transactions, political favors, and what appears to be magical compulsion designed to ensure his compliance with Malfoy family interests."
The silence that followed was the kind of heavy quiet that usually preceded either systematic governmental reform or complete political revolution, depending on how much patience people had for gradual change versus immediate justice.
"Magical compulsion on the Minister of Magic," Ted said slowly, his legal mind already cataloguing the implications of what amounted to systematic governmental control by private citizens with questionable ethics and definitely illegal methods. "That would be... that would be treason. Against the entire magical government."
"It would indeed," Drakor agreed with cosmic satisfaction. "Along with systematic violation of international magical law, abuse of political office for personal gain, and what appears to be conspiracy to maintain illegal slavery through governmental protection."
"So when you say comprehensive educational experiences," Sirius said with the kind of anticipation that suggested he was really looking forward to watching systematic justice applied to people who'd spent years thinking themselves above consequences, "you're talking about both Lucius and Fudge."
"Among others," Drakor confirmed cheerfully. "The Malfoy operation has been quite extensive. Multiple government officials, several prominent business leaders, and at least a dozen pure-blood families who've been complicit in maintaining systematic oppression through willful participation and strategic ignorance."
*"This is going to be beautiful,"* he added with cosmic satisfaction. *"Systematic educational experiences for everyone who's been treating people like property or ignoring obvious crimes for personal convenience. Very comprehensive lessons about proper ethics and the inadvisability of systematic oppression."*
Before anyone could respond to this cheerful promise of systematic cosmic justice, there was a knock at the front door. Not the urgent pounding of law enforcement or the dramatic entrance of cosmic entities, but the careful, professional knock of someone who had official business and was trying to approach it with proper respect for privacy and possibly personal safety.
"Expecting anyone?" Ted asked, though his legal instincts were already suggesting this was probably someone from the Ministry who had uncomfortable questions about prison breaks, missing Dementors, and systematic governmental reform initiatives.
"Kreacher," Sirius called, his voice echoing through the house like someone summoning either assistance or intelligence about potentially problematic visitors.
The house-elf appeared with his usual dramatic timing, but his expression carried the careful assessment of someone who'd been dealing with unexpected visitors for decades and had developed strong opinions about which ones were worth bothering the family about.
"Director Bones requests audience with Master Sirius," Kreacher announced with the formal precision of someone delivering potentially important news about law enforcement officials who might have either arrest warrants or apologies, depending on current political circumstances.
"Says the matter is personal and urgent, and relates to previous... misunderstandings about Master Sirius's legal situation and moral character."
Sirius went very still, which was somehow more alarming than if he'd started pacing or throwing things around the library. When Sirius Black went completely motionless, it usually meant he was processing information that was either very good or very bad, and the people around him weren't going to like either option.
"Amelia," he said quietly, his voice carrying the weight of someone who'd just been reminded of relationships that had been destroyed by wrongful conviction and systematic failure to investigate obvious inconsistencies in criminal cases.
"You know her personally?" Bellatrix asked, her voice carrying the curiosity of someone who'd spent nine years in the same prison as her cousin but had never heard him mention romantic attachments or personal relationships that predated their mutual incarceration.
"We were... involved," Sirius said carefully, his voice carrying the complicated emotional weight of someone discussing relationships that had been destroyed by systematic injustice and misplaced trust in governmental competence.
"Before the war, during the early days of my wrongful imprisonment saga. She believed I was guilty of betraying James and Lily, never bothered to investigate whether the evidence actually supported that conclusion, and apparently decided that systematic avoidance was preferable to asking uncomfortable questions about her boyfriend's alleged transformation into a mass-murdering traitor."
His gray eyes held the kind of controlled hurt that suggested nine years in prison had given him plenty of time to think about relationships that had been destroyed by other people's assumptions and his own inability to prove his innocence through conventional legal channels.
"And now?" Harry asked, his voice carrying the practical concern of someone who'd learned that adult relationships were complicated and that people from Sirius's past might have very strong opinions about his current association with cosmic entities and systematic justice reform.
"Now she's probably here to either apologize for nine years of systematic abandonment, or arrest me for prison breaks involving cosmic entities and creative applications of interdimensional law enforcement," Sirius said with the kind of bitter humor that had gotten him through nearly a decade of wrongful imprisonment.
"Either way, it's going to be an interesting conversation."
*"Want me to provide educational support?"* Drakor asked with the cheerful tone of someone who was always ready to demonstrate cosmic justice to people who'd failed to support innocent individuals during their time of greatest need.
"Not yet," Harry said quickly, his practical ten-year-old mind already working through the implications of cosmic entities providing relationship counseling through methods that might involve reality alteration and definitely weren't covered in any standard therapy manual.
"Let's see what she wants before we start educating law enforcement officials about proper investigative procedures and personal loyalty standards."
Sirius stood up with the fluid grace that had survived nine years in Azkaban and made even simple movements look like they belonged in an action movie where he was definitely the romantic lead who'd been wrongfully accused and was now vindicated but still emotionally unavailable due to systematic trauma.
"Right," he said, his voice taking on the controlled authority that came from years of learning to manage impossible situations with dignity and strategic planning. "Let's see what Director Bones has to say about nine years of systematic failure to investigate obvious inconsistencies in high-profile criminal cases."
As they prepared for what was probably going to be either a very awkward apology or a very complicated law enforcement consultation involving cosmic entities and systematic governmental reform, Harry couldn't help but feel that his life was becoming more complex by the day.
But at least now the complications involved systematic justice reform and cosmic accountability for people who deserved it, rather than just surviving until tomorrow while avoiding relatives who thought his existence was a personal insult to their way of life.
*"This is going to be fun to watch,"* Drakor observed with cosmic anticipation. *"Nothing quite like romantic reunions complicated by wrongful imprisonment, systematic governmental failure, and interdimensional justice entities with strong opinions about proper relationship dynamics."*
"Please don't provide relationship advice," Harry said quietly. "I'm ten years old and I really don't need to know about adult relationship problems involving cosmic commentary and possibly reality alteration."
*"Fair point,"* Drakor agreed cheerfully. *"Though if she gives him any grief about the prison break, I might have some educational observations about law enforcement officers who ignore obvious evidence and abandon innocent people during their time of greatest need."*
As Sirius headed toward the front door to face the first personal relationship consequence of his vindication and systematic justice campaign, everyone settled in to wait for what was probably going to be either reconciliation, professional consultation, or the beginning of very complicated law enforcement negotiations involving cosmic entities with strong opinions about governmental competence.
Either way, it was definitely going to be interesting for everyone involved.
---
The front door of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place opened to reveal Amelia Bones standing on the doorstep like someone who'd spent the entire walk from the Ministry trying to figure out how to apologize for nine years of systematic relationship failure while maintaining her professional dignity and possibly her career prospects.
Director Bones looked exactly like what you'd expect from someone who'd built a career on being the most competent law enforcement official in a government full of people who treated competence as more of a suggestion than a requirement. Her auburn hair was pulled back in a style that suggested both professionalism and the kind of practical efficiency that came from years of dealing with complicated cases and probably several interdimensional crises that weren't officially classified but definitely required creative problem-solving.
Her green eyes held the sharp intelligence that had made her legendary in magical law enforcement, but tonight they also carried something that might have been guilt if she'd allowed herself to feel normal emotions about systematic failure to investigate obvious inconsistencies in high-profile criminal cases.
"Sirius," she said, her voice carrying the controlled professionalism of someone who'd practiced this conversation seventeen different times on the way over and still wasn't sure she'd chosen the right approach to apologizing for nearly a decade of systematic abandonment.
"Amelia," Sirius replied, his voice carrying the kind of polite distance that suggested he was prepared to be civil but wasn't particularly interested in pretending that nine years of imprisonment hadn't fundamentally changed his perspective on relationships and trust.
He leaned against the doorframe with the casual grace that made even simple movements look effortless, but his gray eyes held the kind of controlled assessment that suggested he was cataloguing every detail of this interaction for future reference and possibly strategic planning.
"I suppose congratulations are in order," Amelia continued, her professional composure admirably intact despite circumstances that would have made most law enforcement officials consider career changes in fields that didn't involve explaining systematic failure to investigate obvious evidence.
"Complete exoneration, restoration of rights, and what I'm told was quite the systematic destruction of our justice system's credibility. Well done."
"Thank you," Sirius said with the kind of dangerous courtesy that suggested he was being polite because it was strategically advantageous rather than because he felt particularly charitable toward people who'd spent nine years assuming his guilt without investigation.
"Though I have to say, the exoneration might have been more satisfying if it hadn't taken a cosmic entity with reality-altering abilities and an international scandal to convince people to perform basic forensic analysis."
Amelia's professional composure flickered slightly, like someone who'd just been reminded that their systematic failure had required outside intervention to correct and that the implications for their professional reputation were going to be both immediate and long-lasting.
"About that," she said carefully, her voice carrying the tone of someone who was about to address something uncomfortable but necessary. "I owe you an apology. Several apologies, actually."
"Do you?" Sirius asked with conversational interest that suggested he was genuinely curious about which specific failures she was planning to acknowledge and whether her apologies were going to be comprehensive enough to address systematic abandonment and professional negligence.
"I should have investigated," Amelia said, her voice taking on the kind of controlled regret that suggested she'd been thinking about this conversation for years and had finally worked up the courage to acknowledge systematic failure.
"I should have questioned the evidence, demanded proper forensic analysis, insisted on a trial. I should have known that you weren't capable of betraying James and Lily, regardless of what the scene looked like or how convenient the official explanation seemed."
Her green eyes met his gray ones with the kind of direct acknowledgment that suggested she was prepared to face the consequences of her failures without trying to minimize or excuse them.
"Instead, I believed the worst about someone I claimed to care about, without bothering to conduct the kind of investigation that should have been automatic for any law enforcement professional with basic competence and ethical standards."
"And personally?" Sirius asked, his voice carrying the weight of someone who was interested in whether her regrets extended beyond professional failure to actual personal responsibility for systematic relationship abandonment.
"Personally," Amelia said quietly, her professional mask slipping slightly to reveal someone who'd been carrying guilt about personal failure for nearly a decade, "I abandoned you when you needed support most. I let my professional assumptions override my personal knowledge of your character, and I convinced myself that systematic avoidance was easier than facing the possibility that I'd been wrong about everything."
She paused, taking a breath that suggested she was about to address the most difficult part of this apology.
"I told myself that it was better to believe you were guilty than to risk finding out that our justice system had failed so spectacularly. It was selfish, cowardly, and completely inexcusable behavior from someone who claimed to care about both you and proper law enforcement."
The silence that stretched between them was the kind of heavy quiet that usually preceded either forgiveness, complete relationship breakdown, or systematic discussion of exactly how much damage had been done by years of systematic abandonment and willful blindness to obvious injustices.
"Nine years, Amelia," Sirius said finally, his voice carrying the weight of someone who'd had plenty of time to think about the relationships that had been destroyed by other people's assumptions and systematic failure to provide basic support during impossible circumstances.
"Nine years in Azkaban, being tortured by Dementors, while the people I'd trusted to know me well enough to question obvious inconsistencies decided it was more convenient to believe the worst."
His gray eyes held the kind of controlled hurt that suggested those nine years had included plenty of time to think about systematic abandonment by people who'd claimed to care about him.
"Nine years of wondering if anyone was going to bother investigating whether the evidence actually supported the charges, or if everyone was just going to accept that Sirius Black had somehow transformed overnight from loyal friend to mass-murdering traitor without any explanation for how or why that transformation had occurred."
Amelia's professional composure was beginning to crack under the weight of having her systematic failure laid out in precise detail by someone who'd had nearly a decade to think about exactly how thoroughly he'd been abandoned by the people who should have supported him.
"I know," she said quietly, her voice carrying the kind of regret that suggested she'd been thinking about exactly these failures for years without finding adequate ways to address or excuse them.
"I know how badly I failed you, both professionally and personally. I know that apologies can't give you back nine years of your life, or undo the trauma you suffered, or repair the trust that I destroyed through systematic cowardice and willful ignorance."
"But I also know," she continued, her voice taking on the kind of determined authority that had made her legendary in law enforcement, "that I need to acknowledge those failures publicly and comprehensively, regardless of what it costs my career or reputation."
It was at that exact moment—because the universe apparently had a subscription service to Murphy's Law and really enjoyed making simple conversations as complicated as possible—that Harry appeared in the doorway behind Sirius like someone who'd been quietly observing this interaction and had decided it required cosmic commentary.
"Excuse me," Harry said politely, his ten-year-old voice carrying that careful courtesy that came from growing up with relatives who'd taught him to be polite to everyone because you never knew when someone might decide to make your life more difficult than it already was.
"I don't mean to interrupt what seems like a very important conversation about systematic relationship failure and professional accountability, but I thought Director Bones should probably know who she's dealing with before this discussion goes any further."
Amelia's sharp green eyes immediately focused on Harry with the kind of professional assessment that had made her legendary for identifying important details that other people missed. Her law enforcement instincts were clearly cataloguing everything about his appearance, demeanor, and the way he carried himself with confidence that seemed too large for his small frame.
"You must be Harry Potter," she said carefully, her voice carrying the controlled professionalism of someone who'd just realized she was in the presence of the most famous child in wizarding Britain and probably needed to adjust her approach to this entire situation.
"I am indeed," Harry confirmed cheerfully, his voice carrying harmonics that suggested his cosmic partner was never entirely absent and was currently taking detailed notes about this law enforcement consultation.
"Though I should probably mention that I'm currently bonded to an ancient cosmic entity named Drakor, who has very strong opinions about systematic injustice, governmental incompetence, and people who abandon innocent individuals during their time of greatest need."
Amelia blinked slowly, processing this information with the careful consideration of someone whose professional experience had prepared her for many impossible situations but not necessarily ten-year-old children with cosmic partners who specialized in systematic justice reform.
"Cosmic entity," she repeated, her voice carrying the tone of someone who was trying to figure out if this was metaphorical, literal, or some combination that would require entirely new categories in her incident reports.
"Ancient, interdimensional, and currently serving as my partner in what we like to call 'systematic education about proper ethics and human rights,'" Harry confirmed with the matter-of-fact tone that children use when explaining things that adults find impossible to believe.
"He's the one responsible for the prison break, the missing Dementors, and what happened to the Lestrange brothers. Very thorough approach to cosmic justice and creative problem-solving."
The silence that followed was the kind of profound quiet that usually preceded either great revelations, complete nervous breakdowns, or someone asking very pointed questions about interdimensional law enforcement and its compliance with existing legal frameworks.
"Missing Dementors?" Amelia asked, though her tone suggested she already suspected the answer and was definitely not going to like it.
"Eighteen of them," Harry said helpfully. "Drakor found them quite nutritious. High in magical essence, apparently, with complex flavor profiles that included notes of concentrated despair and vanilla. He's been very complimentary about their nutritional value."
"The cosmic entity... ate... eighteen Dementors," Amelia said slowly, her law enforcement training struggling to create appropriate incident classification for information that definitely wasn't covered in any standard manual for supernatural crime investigation.
"And two Death Eaters who'd been systematically abusing Bellatrix through magical slavery," Sirius added with the satisfaction of someone who'd watched cosmic justice applied to people who'd spent years thinking themselves above consequences.
"Very educational experiences for everyone involved. Drakor has quite creative approaches to teaching people about proper human rights and the inadvisability of treating people like property."
Amelia looked between Sirius and Harry with the expression of someone who'd just realized that her apology conversation had become significantly more complex due to the addition of cosmic entities, interdimensional justice, and what sounded like systematic governmental reform through methods that probably required their own legal classification.
"And the two of you are planning...?" she asked, though her tone suggested she already suspected the answer and was trying to figure out how to approach law enforcement consultation involving cosmic entities with strong opinions about systematic reform.
*"Oh, we have quite comprehensive plans,"* Drakor said, his voice emerging through Harry's transformed features with harmonics that made the air itself seem to vibrate with cosmic authority.
*"Systematic education for everyone who's been complicit in maintaining oppression, ignoring obvious injustices, or abandoning innocent people during their time of greatest need."*
His smile, wearing Harry's features, was sharp enough to cut through several dimensions and probably violate international treaties about interdimensional weapons.
*"Very thorough educational experiences that ensure long-term retention of proper ethical behavior and significantly improved understanding of why systematic abandonment is both morally reprehensible and practically inadvisable when cosmic justice is available as an alternative."*
Amelia's professional composure was holding admirably under circumstances that would have made most law enforcement officials consider immediate career changes in fields that didn't involve cosmic entities or systematic governmental reform.
"And if I were to ask, hypothetically," she said carefully, her voice carrying the tone of someone conducting delicate negotiations with potentially dangerous individuals who happened to be technically on the same side as law and order, "what these educational experiences might involve?"
"That would depend," Drakor replied cheerfully, his cosmic voice carrying the satisfaction of someone who'd just been asked about his favorite hobby, "on how receptive people are to learning about proper behavior through conventional methods versus how much creative instruction they require to achieve meaningful understanding of basic human decency."
"For instance," Harry added, his own voice mixing with Drakor's in a harmony that somehow sounded completely natural, "people who acknowledge their mistakes, take responsibility for their failures, and demonstrate genuine commitment to reform tend to require much less intensive education than those who resist change or attempt to minimize their culpability."
His emerald eyes, now holding that otherworldly gleam that suggested his cosmic partner was never entirely absent, fixed on Amelia with the kind of assessment that suggested he was cataloguing her responses for future reference.
"It's really quite reasonable, when you think about it systematically."
Amelia found herself in the unusual position of being evaluated by a ten-year-old boy bonded to something that could apparently rewrite reality and had already demonstrated its approach to justice through methods that violated several fundamental laws of physics.
"And my... systematic abandonment of Sirius during his imprisonment," she said carefully, "would that require educational intervention?"
"That," Sirius said, his voice carrying the authority of someone who'd just realized he was in a position to make decisions about accountability and systematic justice, "depends entirely on whether your apology extends to concrete actions that demonstrate genuine commitment to reform, or whether it's just words designed to assuage guilt without actually changing behavior."
His gray eyes held the kind of focused intensity that suggested nine years in prison had given him very clear perspectives on the difference between genuine accountability and convenient performance of regret.
"What kind of concrete actions?" Amelia asked, though her tone suggested she was prepared for comprehensive requirements and possibly systemic reform that would affect her entire professional approach to law enforcement and personal relationships.
"Complete investigation into every case that was handled with the same systematic negligence that characterized my wrongful imprisonment," Sirius said, counting off requirements on his fingers like someone who'd been planning this conversation for years.
"Public acknowledgment of the failures that led to systematic injustice, with specific recommendations for reform that ensure these mistakes are never repeated. Personal commitment to supporting ongoing efforts to identify and correct similar failures throughout our legal system."
"And," Harry added cheerfully, his voice carrying information that was probably going to make Director Bones's professional life significantly more complex, "cooperation with our ongoing campaign to eliminate systematic oppression throughout pure-blood society, including investigation of marriage contracts that amount to magical slavery and prosecution of everyone who's been complicit in maintaining these practices."
"Plus," Drakor's cosmic voice added with satisfaction, "recognition that cosmic justice operates according to principles that prioritize actual ethical behavior over bureaucratic convenience or social respectability."
Amelia was quiet for a long moment, processing the implications of what amounted to a comprehensive reform program that would probably require restructuring her entire department and definitely wasn't going to make her popular with colleagues who preferred the status quo to systematic accountability.
"That's... quite extensive," she said finally, her voice carrying the weight of someone who'd just realized that genuine reform was going to be considerably more complex than apologizing and hoping everyone moved on to other topics.
"Systematic problems require systematic solutions," Sirius replied with the authority of someone who'd had nine years to think about exactly what kind of reform would be necessary to prevent future injustices.
"And cosmic justice," Harry added with the cheerful tone of someone who was really looking forward to comprehensive educational experiences for people who'd been resistant to change, "tends to be very thorough in its approach to ensuring meaningful behavioral modification."
*"Very comprehensive,"* Drakor agreed with cosmic satisfaction. *"The kind of education that really sticks with you. Possibly permanently."*
Amelia found herself looking at two individuals who were offering her a choice between genuine accountability and systematic reform, versus whatever consequences came from cosmic entities who specialized in creative justice and had already demonstrated their approach through methods that made missing persons cases extremely straightforward to resolve.
"Right," she said, her voice taking on the determined tone of someone who'd just decided that career complications were preferable to interdimensional educational experiences involving reality alteration and possible consumption by cosmic entities.
"Where do we start?"
The smile that spread across Sirius's face was sharp enough to cut diamond and suggested he'd been waiting nine years for exactly this question.
"With Lucius Malfoy," he said with satisfaction. "And systematic investigation into exactly how many government officials have been accepting bribes, magical compulsion, and other forms of influence in exchange for ignoring systematic human rights violations."
"Starting with Minister Fudge?" Amelia asked, though her tone suggested she already knew the answer and was preparing for political consequences that would probably require her to update her résumé and possibly consider career opportunities in other countries.
*"Oh, Minister Fudge is definitely going to require very comprehensive educational experiences,"* Drakor said cheerfully, his cosmic voice carrying the anticipation of someone who was really looking forward to teaching government officials about proper ethics and the inadvisability of accepting bribes from families who practiced systematic slavery.
*"Along with everyone else who's been complicit in maintaining these injustices through willful ignorance, strategic blindness, or simple failure to perform their basic professional responsibilities."*
As Amelia Bones realized that her evening had just become the beginning of either the most important reform campaign of her career or the most spectacular way to end it through systematic investigation of governmental corruption, she found herself oddly relieved that someone was finally taking comprehensive action against injustices that should have been addressed decades ago.
Even if that someone happened to be a ten-year-old boy bonded to a cosmic entity with very creative approaches to education and systematic reform.
"Right then," she said, her voice taking on the brisk efficiency that had made her legendary in law enforcement, "I suppose we'd better get started. These systematic reforms aren't going to implement themselves."
*"Oh, this is going to be beautiful,"* Drakor said with cosmic satisfaction. *"Systematic justice, comprehensive reform, and educational experiences that ensure long-term retention of proper ethical behavior. My favorite kind of collaborative project."*
As they prepared to begin what would probably be the most extensive reform campaign in wizarding history, involving law enforcement cooperation with cosmic entities and systematic investigation of pure-blood family practices that should have been eliminated centuries ago, Harry couldn't help but feel that maybe, finally, the wizarding world was about to become the kind of place where systematic oppression was met with immediate and comprehensive consequences.
And if certain people required very creative educational experiences to understand why treating people like property was inadvisable, well, Drakor was really looking forward to providing those lessons.
It was going to be spectacular.
---
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