As a disclaimer, I do not know Sirius's middle name, and have given him the name of his father as a likely scenario.

"Sirius Orion Black III, son of Walburga and Orion Black, brother of Regulus Arcturus Black, you care called to the stand on one count of wizarding murder and 12 counts of Muggle murder in the first degree. Over two dozen witnesses, Muggle and magic alike, place you at the scene. Magical witnesses claim that you cast a powerful Blasting spell that destroyed a large portion of the street and resulting in the aforementioned deaths. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty, Minister." His voice cracked, as though rusty from recent lack of use. His head hung close to his chest, and he winced as he spoke, as though he wished he hadn't said what he had. Oddly enough, he seemed to be smiling, though why he would be happy to be there she hadn't the faintest idea.

Minister of Magic Millicent Bagnold sighed, having anticipated his answer but silently hoping that he wouldn't say it. While Black had seemed to lose him mind when they found him at the scene of the crime, he had since calmed and withdrawn, talking to no one and refusing to meet with her after the hearing that placed him in a guarded cell in the depths of the Ministry to give an official statement. His only company since his arrest was that of a pair of Dementors stationed outside of his door day and night, preventing escape. A charm had been cast on the cell to ward the foul creatures from entering it, but Black was subjected to their dark presence since the day of the crime. They were further from him now thanks to the laws of the court proceedings, and he couldn't feel even a slight trace of their effects – for now.

"What evidence do you have to support your claim, Mr. Black?"

He sat before the jury, chained to a chair and grinning like a madman, wide eyes trained hauntingly on the floor. Of the two dozen wizards and witches in the room, he seemed to be the only one that wanted to be there – in fact, he seemed thrilled to be sat before them in accusation. His hair, greasier than normal because of the week he had spent in the underground holding unit, hung in his face and covered one of his eyes. He glanced around the room, noting one of his best friends as the only member of the public at the proceedings, desperately trying not to think about the fact that this man was all he had left – and all he had left no longer believed in him. The youngest remaining Potter had been taking under the care of Rubeus Hagrid that night and was to live with his aunt and uncle until he finished school. The dejected werewolf, allowed in the room thanks only to the power of Albus Dumbledore, sat alone in the shadows at the back of the room, with dark bags under his eyes and a look of skepticism showing plainly across his face. Looking away from his lone remaining friend, Sirius looked into the eyes of the jury members before him. Most shifted uncomfortably, feeling as though he was trying to read their souls through their eyes.

"Veritaserum, ma'am."

A murmur went up, and his grin grew as the Minister was drowned out by the rustle of parchment and moving of robes as the Jurors turned to talk to one another, not believing what he had said. Minister Bagnold banged her gavel lightly against the block on the table in front of her and soon regained the attention of the room. Her Patronuses, a trio of shimmering silver cats, glowed faintly from around the chamber, keeping the pair of Dementors at bay along the walls. At the moment, the room's occupants, including the man in question, were free from the dark creatures' effects, but one brush of her wand could set them loose upon the criminal in the chair. The Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures sat to the left of the Minister, wand poised and ready in case of rebellion from the guards of Azkaban.

"Veritaserum, Mr. Black?"

He straightened in the chains and looked at her in the eyes from the first time. "The truth, Minister, will set me free."

Nodding at the young witch standing by the door, Bagnold turned to the nervous Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement sitting on her right. "Mr. Crouch, please find Mr. Black a goblet – anything less than firewhisky will do."

Less than a minute later, Bartemius Crouch Sr. passed the goblet of water down to the witch that had come back from the door. The witch, accepting the cup, held it up for the entire room to see and carefully tipped in exactly two drops of clear liquid into it from a small container in her hand. Securing the cap back on the tiny bottle, she set it on table and moved toward the prisoner in the middle of the room. The Minister, accepting the small bottle of rare potion from the witch, and addressed the accused criminal in front of her once more.

"Do you, Sirius Orion Black III, agree to take this Veritaserum, brewed by the advanced and highly qualified witches and wizards of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, of your own free will and decision?"

He nodded his head. "I do, Minister."

"And do you understand the full and complete effects that this potion will have for the next hour, Mr. Black? I will list them now in accordance with the law, to ensure that you understand." She pulled out a piece of parchment from the stack in front of her and waited for a nod from the black-haired man in the chair before continuing.

"This potion, today mixed with plain water, taken at the time of 2:27pm on the date of the 8th of November, 1981, will remain in effect for exactly one hour after consumption." ("Won't the water dilute the potion?" one of the youngest jurors asked another. "Nothing can dilute it," her senior partner answered. "The water simply makes the truth easier to swallow.")

The Minister continued. "During this hour, you will only be capable of telling the truth in response to all questions asked. As this potion will reveal only what the drinker believes to be true, a Pensieve will be used to collect memories pertaining only to the memories that you describe while under the influence of the Veritaserum. These memories will be reviewed by three members of the jury, including myself, Head Bartemius Crouch Sr., and Senior Auror Amelia Bones of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. If these memories are found to align with spoken statements, a second trial will be held later this week to review final information and compare your responses with those given from witnesses at the scene of the crime." Minister Bagnold set down the piece of parchment and straightened the glasses on the bridge of her nose. "Do you understand these terms and effects as I have explained them to you today?"

"I do."

The Minister of Magic took a deep breath, catching the eyes of the man in the chair and accepting his stare in return. "Finally, Mr. Black, do you understand that if you are found to have somehow lied under the effects of this potion, intentionally provided misleading or falsely generalized responses, or are found to have tampered with any memories that are under review by the board, that a life sentence in Azkaban will begin immediately, with no further trial or hearing, for the remainder of your life?"

Remus Lupin, unseen by the man in chains, felt his breath catch, and held it unconsciously, his clenched hands turning white at the knuckles.

"I do, Minister."

A slight twitch of the Minister's wand loosened the chains around Sirius's left hand, giving him room to accept the goblet and drink, downing its contents in one go. Handing the gold-colored cup back to the witch, who returned it to the Minister's table, the black-haired man let his eyes close and his head drop, feeling the chains tighten once more around his arm. After giving him a moment to let the Veritaserum begin to take effect, Minister Bagnold cleared her throat in the complete silence of the room.

"Are you ready and willing of your own free will to begin questioning, Mr. Black?"

The man in chains raised his head slowly at the sound of her voice, leaning it against the back of the chair and leaving his eyes closed. He breathed deeply several times, thinking only of his friends and the man they had all thought they had known. He nodded silently.

"Verbal confirmation please, Mr. Black, for the records."

With a final steadying breath, he opened his eyes to find his mind the clearest it had been since the night that his world has fallen apart.

"Yes, Minister. I am ready to tell you the truth."