Life Sucks, Then You Die: The Trial of Sirius Black – Rating T
Part 01 – Sirius's Pre Trial Thoughts
Summary – Based on themes and characters introduced in Life Sucks, Then You Die by Radaslab, Sirius Black finally faces trial for the events of Halloween 1981 where HarryPotter was left orphaned by the murder of his parents, James and Lily Potter by LordVoldemort.
Pairings – Harry/Hermione/Multi, Sirius/OC
Warnings – Contains some Malfoy, Umbridge, Dumbledore and Crouch bashing throughout. Contains some mild language and a little bit of violence.
-LSTYD: The Trial of Sirius Black-
South Wing, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scotland
13th May 1995
The current Lord Black, Sirius Orion Black was the son of Orion and Walburga Black, born on November 3rd, 1959. A member of Gryffindor house at Hogwarts, he became part of a group called the Marauders, four classmates formed of Remus Lupin, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black. The four of them had a knack for rule breaking and mischief making, which had a detention record that was second to none, even the Weasley Twins, who claimed to be the 'heir to the Marauders', could not beat their detention record.
By the Marauders fifth year, Black, Potter and Pettigrew secretly became unregistered Animagi in order to help their friend, Remus Lupin, who suffered from Lycanthropy, having been bitten by rouge Werewolf, Fenrir Greyback, a Death Eater who was under the control of Lord Voldemort.
Upon leaving Hogwarts in June 1978, Sirius and James Potter joined the Ministry of Magic as Aurors, working under Alastor 'Mad Eye' Moody, a Senior Auror in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
In 1980, Sybil Trelawney made a prophecy, a Seer, which referred to one of two children, both of them being born at the end of July. In order to protect them, James Potter, who married Lily Evans, upon leaving Hogwarts, in August 1978 and fellow Auror, Frank Longbottom, who married his girlfriend of four years, Alice Smith, went into hiding in houses protected by the Fidelius Charm. James and Lily chose Sirius to be their Secret Keeper, whereas Frank and Alice chose fellow Auror, and family friend, Fabian Prewitt, brother of Molly (Prewitt) Weasley.
Days before Halloween 1981, Fabian Prewitt, along with his twin brother Gideon, was murdered as they took part in an Auror raid. Fabians wife, Marline (McKinnon), and his son, Jonathan, were murdered by Death Eaters mere days before. Gideon, however, was a bachelor and did not leave any wife or children behind. Upon the recommendations made by Albus Dumbledore, both the Longbottom and Potter families changed their Secret Keepers. Peter Pettigrew became the Potters Secret Keeper and Barty Crouch, Junior, son of then head of the DMLE. Unbeknownst to both families, both Secret Keepers were in the employ of Lord Voldemort.
On Halloween 1981 Lord Voldemort visited the Potter family, in order to eliminate their son, Harry James Potter made a stand in order to allow his wife to escape with his son, getting killed in the process. Voldemort then went upstairs, where Lily was protecting Harry. Voldemort murdered Lily, who sacrificed herself to protect her son. He then turned to Harry and cast the Killing Curse, which reflected back, destroying the Dark Lords body.
Sirius arrived on the scene and, noticed his godson was alive, grabbed him, intent on taking him to the house that he lived in to protect him. However Rubeus Hagrid, Gamekeeper at Hogwarts, was outside the cottage where the Potters were staying. Hagrid had arrived to take Harry to the Dursley family, who was his Aunt and Uncle, following the orders given to him by Dumbledore. Dumbledore did this, contrary to the Will made by James Potter in September 1981, which stated that if Lily and he were dead, Harry should reside under the care of Sirius, the Longbottom family, or Abbot family.
Upon leaving Harry to the care of Hagrid, despite attempts by Sirius to retain him, Sirius took off, heading to hunt down the Potters Secret Keeper, Peter Pettigrew, acting on a hunch that Pettigrew had defected to the Death Eaters. One gas explosion later, Black was given a one-way ticket to Azkaban, without a trial as he was arrested under the Emergency Acts of 1980.
Everyone had assumed Peter Pettigrew had been dead until Sirius saw a photograph of Pettigrew, in his rat Animagus form, in the Daily Prophet, on the shoulder of the youngest son of the Weasley family, who had won a competition to visit Egypt in the summer of 1993. Black decided at that time that he would release himself from Azkaban upon his own recognizance, heading to Hogwarts to try to get hold of Pettigrew.
In July 1994, after waiting around Hogwarts in his Animagus form, Padfoot, Sirius spotted Pettigrew, however he as being known to the Weasley as Scabbers, a rat who was the pet of Ronald Weasley. Black approached as Padfoot, dragging Weasley and Pettigrew to the Shrieking Shack. After a heated confrontation, which was joined by Black's childhood friend, Remus Lupin, his godson, Harry Potter, and Harry's friend, Hermione Granger, Pettigrew was revealed as the true Secret Keeper.
Pettigrew, unfortunately for Sirius, Remus and Harry, managed to get away, leaving Dementors to almost Kiss both Sirius and Harry. However, thanks to the efforts of Harry and Hermione, and the use of a time tuner, Sirius managed to get away, riding on the back of a condemned Hippogriff, Buckbeak.
In April 1995, during the events of the TriWizard Tournament, Sirius remained on the run, until he was invited by Harry, Hermione, Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley, along with their friends, and in Harry and Neville's case, their wives, to spend some time in the South Wing of Hogwarts. There, while in the South Wing, he met widow Marilyn Abbot, an officer at the DMLE who worked for Amelia Bones. During his time in the South Wing, some of which was spent under Time Compression, Sirius married Marilyn Abbot, and together they had a son who they named James Black, named after the father of his godson, and best friend.
Sirius was sitting on the balcony in the South Wings, watching the early morning sunrise come through the window. 'I hope that it isn't my last sunrise that get to see' he thought, looking over his wife, Marilyn, who was sitting next to him, and his son James Black, who was asleep.
"Are you alright dear?" Marilyn asked, worried about her husband. "Is the trial getting you down?"
"I'm just a little bit worried. What if the Wizengamot don't find me innocent? What if Dumbledore or Fudge tries to screw me over?" Sirius said, worried about the trial ahead. "I can't do this. I just can't."
"Listen to me Sirius. The evidence that Harry, Hermione and the ladies of the two families have found is incontrovertible. The Wizengamot cannot even deny your freedom with it in play. That is for sure." Marilyn told her husband, trying to reassure him. "Both James, Harry, Hannah and I have faith in you winning your case. Hell, Harry and the Weasley twins have a surprise for you when you get back here after the win."
"Just think Padfoot," Remus said, walking into the balcony. "Prongslet will be glad to see you walk out of that courtroom, a free man. Hell, we all will be glad to. If James can cover for you when Professor Slughorn 'lost' some Veritaserum which 'accidentally' found its way into the Slytherin House pumpkin juice in Third Year, surely you can man up and attend that trial of yours!"
"Thanks Moony. I could kill Crouch though, sending me to Azkaban without a trial." Sirius said, straightening himself up. "To think his son was a Death Eater shows that Barty has lost it completely."
Marilyn walked inside, Sirius taking hold of his son and Remus following him. Once they placed little James back into the arms of Marilyn, they headed for breakfast, then the trial.
Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Ministry of Magic, London, England
13th May 1995
A memo entered the office of Madam Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She grabbed it as it hovered over her desk. She began to read it:
'Madam Bones,
Do you know what time is it? It is nearly eight-o-clock in the morning. Nearly three hours until Sirius Black's trial. Black has not been seen at the Ministry at all! I gave him an offer, via the Daily Prophet, to turn himself in voluntarily for his own safety and assurance that he would be at the trial!
If he does not show up at the trial, I will send Dementors, Aurors and Hit-Wizards out again to track him down and kill him on sight. Because not showing up is a sign that he is guilty of the crimes he is imprisoned with!
You promised me he would show up. He had better be there, or it will be on your head!
I will see you at the trial,
Cornelius Fudge
Minister of Magic'
Amelia rolled her eyes as she binned the letter. Fudge truly believed that Sirius would turn himself in early. He simply didn't understand Sirius, nor did he understand the positive side of Sirius not turning himself in early. Temporary freedom, and the hope of being declared innocent, was good for Sirius. It would help him heal enough for him to be presentable at his trial. Even one day in Ministry custody would surely remind him of his time in Azkaban, which might hinder everything he had been working toward in order to heal.
"Samantha!" Amelia called out to her secretary.
Samantha stepped into the office a moment later.
"Yes, ma'am?" she asked.
"I need you to personally go to the office of Rufus Scrimgeour and give him this message," Amelia said, as she wrote a note down on a memo, "Sirius Black is not – I repeat – not to be apprehended on sight by Aurors when he arrives in the Ministry Atrium. If Black arrives, an Auror should only make sure that he is headed for the Courtroom for his trial, then allow him to go under his own power. If Black wants to be escorted by the Auror, that is his choice. If Rufus has any issues with this, he can come to me with it post haste. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am," Samantha said.
Wizengamot Chambers, Ministry of Magic, London, England
13th May 1995
In the Wizengamot chambers, Chief Warlock, Albus Dumbledore, stood from his seat. The clerk of the Wizengamot stood as well, ready to address the members. Across the room, in the reporters pit, seated in a group like vultures gathered in waiting for their next juicy meal, were the various media representatives. As he glanced at the Daily Prophet reporter, Rita Skeeter, she caught his eye and a large smile crossed her lips, and she gave a dainty little wave toward him. Dumbledore rolled his eyes and looked away.
"Here ye, here ye. General Session of the Wizengamot on the thirteenth of May in the year Nineteen Ninety Five is now in session. All those who have business before this body, speak now and ye shall be heard," the clerk announced, taking his cue from the Chief Warlock.
'It's time'' Dumbledore thought. 'All for the Greater Good.'
- LSTYD: The Trial of Sirius Black-
Yes, I'm evil enough not to give you trial just yet!
- LSTYD: The Trial of Sirius Black-
A/N – Story based on characters and themes introduced in JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Life Sucks, Then You Die by Radaslab. All rights to their various owners/creators. Some of the text was adapted from The Vanishing Cabinet of Time by Vance McGill, Life Sucks, Then You Die: The Next Generation and The Best Month and The Worst Month. Text used with permission.
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Coming Up in Chapter 2 – The Trial Commences!