Chapter 1: Prologue: Breaking News

****DISCLAIMER: This story contains implied and not so implied abuse, violence, character death, profanity, crude humor, potential triggers and occasional lapses in grammar. When I say abuse, I am referring to all kinds: drug abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse as examples. I expect the rating to jump to M around third year simply for violence but it may push to that sooner. Each chapter pertaining to particularly upsetting scenes will be tagged in the beginning. Outside of that, please consider yourself warned. I'd like to put forth an enjoyable non profit story that doesn't cause distress to anyone who looks at it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I sure as hell don't own HP but I love the mind that created it.***Update Oct 2017****

(A/N): Hello all! Trying my hand at an HP story. I can't seem to think of anything that will run short so get up for an adventure. Lady Black will be updated when I have inspiration but I have a few chapters already lined out. Let me know what you think.

**Update Mar 2017- This story has alot of pre-Hogwarts time. It's important to character development and story progression. The story focuses mainly on Sirius and an OC until Harry's first year. Harry doesn't even show up until Ch. 11. It is done purposefully and will not change. Enjoy if you'd like and no hard feelings if you don't.**

Thank you kindly,

~Yasha's Sis

Summary: In one world, Sirius Black remained in prison until Pettigrew showed himself in the Daily Prophet. In another, something else urged him to fight for amnesty. These changes, will lay the foundations of a Revolution.

Lady Black

Prologue:

Breaking News

In which Albus has a visitor

"ALBUS!"

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the Supreme Mugwump and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, cringed ever so slightly at the voice of his Deputy echoing up from the bottom of the rotating staircase. Only she had the witherall to temper the old man's serenity with one recitation of his name. The bellowed call was followed by Minerva McGonagall storming into his office with a look of absolute fury. The many trinkets littered across the centurion's desk rattled ominously as she slammed the door shut behind her.

"What have you done?!"

Aiming for dotty, amusedly knowing it would only add to her rage, Albus blinked innocently at her and smiled. "Whatever do you mean-?"

"I am in no mood for your games!" She snarled, throwing a stack of papers, crumpled in her rough treatment, onto the desk. "Explain!"

Bright blue eyes glanced at the proffered item only to continue smiling undaunted. "Sirius Black has been freed. I believe congratulations are in order."

Albus had to smother his budding grin as Minerva's eyes bulged and her neck tensed enough to display each and every tendon as she made a curious choking noise. "Have you gone MAD!? That murderous beast caused Lily and James' deaths! He betrayed his own godchild and slaughtered his best friend in addition to twelve muggles! Congratulations are the last thing that bastard shall have from me!" Her accent sharpening with each word, Albus discreetly edged his tea cup closer to himself as her magic sputtered briefly in the air between them.

Perhaps, he should explain, lest the woman run off and try to enact vengeance on the newly freed prisoner. He waited patiently as the woman ranted about his sanity- or lack thereof- in aiding the investigators and the subsequent reversal of Black's imprisonment. If his gaze drifted to the portrait behind her and exchanged a meaningful glance with one of the past headmasters, Minerva was too caught up in her ravings to notice. It was terribly amusing and the 9th headmaster shared his feelings if his snort was anything to go by.

Unfortunately, his Deputy had bat ears when she was in a particularly righteous mood and caught the slip. Her berating of the sorry sod to have distracted her wrath was enough to cause the portrait's occupant to flee.

Taking her pause to breath as an opening, Albus lifted a second cup from underneath the sprawled newspaper and offered it to Minerva.

"I assure you my sanity has not changed in all the years you've known me. Have a seat and I shall explain why Sirius needed to be freed. Tea?"

The woman's face remained sour. "Only the innocent should be released from that asylum. Black should have been given the Kiss the night they found him cackling like a maniac amongst those poor muggles' remains-"

Albus's eyes stopped twinkling at that. "It would be a shame then for him to have been Kissed when he is innocent of the crimes accused." Minerva gaped at him and felt herself sit into the conveniently placed chair across from the headmaster. Reading it in a newspaper, especially the Daily Prophet, was one thing. To hear it straight from Albus's mouth was another thing entirely!

"Innocent?" She sputtered. "He was found in the middle of the blast radius. He was the Secret Keeper! He had to have spoken of their whereabouts else the Dark Lord would never have found them."

"He was never the Secret Keeper, Minerva."

Silence answered him.

"I was as shocked as you to learn of it. The Potters switched the Secret Keeper the day of the Fidelus casting with only those involved aware. Sirius felt he would be the obvious choice and asked for another to take his place."

"Another Secret Keeper?" Minerva's deep green eyes calmed slightly as confusion took hold. "I don't understand, Albus. Where did you learn of this?" Minerva asked, accepting the cup from the headmaster and taking a long draw of the soothing mixture. She knew all of the Headmaster's blends were laced with a mild calming drought and, frankly, needed the dose.

"Sirius, of course." Tea spewed from the woman's mouth, soiling the upper half of Albus's pink and yellow striped robes much to his dismay. Dippet chuckled on the wall beside him.

"You're taking his word!?" Minerva managed to rasp after coughing violently for a minute or so.

"He had very compelling evidence, my dear." Albus returned as he dabbed at his showered beard with a green and orange spotted hanky. It was unfortunate that the proceedings protracted to four years to get him released, even with the highly compelling evidence. But, Albus mused, imprisoning one of the Ancient and Noble houses without trial was a foul that no one wished to have aired. They were lucky four years is all Sirius had to spend in the island prison.

The Transfiguration professor cleared her throat and determinedly sipped on her tea as he spoke again. "I couldn't in good conscious say he deserved Azkaban for murdering Peter Pettigrew when Arthur Weasley arrived at the Ministry with Mr. Pettigrew quite alive."

More tea rained on his freshly dried beard. "Pettigrew is alive!"

Albus looked down disappointingly at his now sodden hanky. "He was posing as a rat familiar in the Weasley household. Molly took exception to the man hiding amongst her children."

Minerva stared at him.

"Pettigrew with the Weasleys. Petttigrew an animagus! The boy was fairly inept when it came to more difficult Transfigurations. That he managed to complete the transformation…" The woman pressed a hand to her forehead to rub at her temples. "How perchance did the Weasley's discover his animagus abilities?"

Here Albus twinkled again. "It seems the young twins got a hand on their brother's wand and were trying out a spell. By the grace of fate, they accidentally ignited their brother's rat familiar. Much to their surprise, Pettigrew transformed in his fear and the twins managed to get away before Pettigrew could Obliviate them both."

Minerva wilted against her chair. "All these years, Albus. All these years Sirius Black hasn't said a word to anyone about that night. What on earth changed?"

Albus looked thoughtful. "I believe something forced him to reevaluate his responsibilities."

Sirius never explicitly stated what spurred the vehemence to clear himself of the charges. Albus's only clue was the boy's repeated mutterings to get back on his feet and make up for his mistakes.

(A/N): Not your typical Sirius is freed early story.

Thoughts, comments, concerns?

~Yasha's Sis