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In the Wizarding World, a muggle cannot defend the most notorious mass-murderer without several scandalized wizards reacting. The first occasion, after Crouch himself, was when Crouch called Aurors Frank and Alice Longbottom. "You wanted to see us, Director Crouch?" Frank Longbottom asked.

"Yes, Auror Longbottom." Bartemius Crouch sadly answered. "The both of you are hereby assigned to guard duty. You'll scout me as I go to Azkaban to inform inmate Sirius Black about his trial date."

"What?" Both Longbottoms shouted and then Frank Longbottom spoke. "Director Crouch, I thought we all agreed a traitor like him didn't deserve a trial."

"And he doesn't." Crouch agreed. "Unfortunately, I now have no choice but to give him a trial or release him as Bagnold did to Malfoy and all those other Death Eaters who claimed the Imperius Curse as an excuse for their crimes."

"Did anyone bribe Minister Bagnold into allowing Black a chance to lie his way out of Azkaban?" Alice Longbottom asked.

"No, Minister Bagnold is not the one forcing me to allow Black a trial." Crouch explained.

"Is Dumbledore in another forgiving mood?" An annoyed Frank Longbottom asked. "It was already bad enough he talked the Wizengamot into pardoning Snape."

"Chief Warlock Dumbledore has nothing to do with this." Crouch replied. "A relative of the Potters expressed doubts regarding Black's guilt."

"I thought James and Lily's infant son was the only Potter left!" Alice Longbottom exclaimed. "Who's this relative you speak of?"

"Harry Potter's uncle by marriage."

"Uncle by marriage?" Frank Longbottom asked.

"The man who married Lily Potter's muggle sister." Crouch answered. "Vernon Dursley signed a goblin-certified document stating he doubts Black was the Secret-Keeper; that Black caused the explosion that killed Peter Pettigrew and those twelve Muggles; or even that Peter Pettigrew died from that explosion."

"Preposterous!" Alice Longbottom shouted. "Everybody knows Black killed Peter Pettigrew and that nothing but a finger remains from poor Peter."

"As far as Wizarding Law is concerned, Mr. Dursley's reasons, if any, to doubt Sirius Black is indeed guilty don't matter." Bartemius Crouch solemnly stated. "A relative of non-surviving victims of crimes Sirius Black has been sent to Azkaban for doubts his guilt, therefore Sirius Black must be allowed a trial."

"But this Vernon Dursley is a muggle!" Frank exclaimed. "Not that I have any problem with that."

"There's no law stating the relative to express doubts must be magical, Auror Longbottom." Crouch explained. "No matter how bigoted blood purists might be against muggles, the family values they uphold will outweigh their prejudices. Especially when it helps You-Know-Who's right-hand-man to cheat justice."

Accepting there's no way to prevent the trial, Crouch and the Longbottom couple took a ferry to Azkaban to inform Black of the news. Sirius Black was quite happy to see Frank and Alice Longbottom. "Hi, Frank. Hi, Alice. How's Neville?" Sirius asked.

"Don't you ever dare to speak the name of our son, you traitor!" Alice demanded.

"And it's Auror Longbottom for you, Black!" Frank added. "You lost the right to call us by our given names when you betrayed James and Lily."

"I'm innocent!" Sirius pleaded. "Just give me a trial and I'll prove it."

"That's what we came here for, Black." Crouch replied. "While you're so obviously guilty a trial will be a waste of time, someone stupid enough to believe you might be innocent found a technicality so you'll have a trial."

"Really?" Sirius dared to hope. "When will it happen?"

"The 2nd of January, 1982, Black." Crouch answered. "It's all I could delay the trial. The longer it takes for you to be taken to the Wizengamot to answer for your crimes, the longer the time you spend with the Dementors, making it less likely for you to remember whatever tale you might have fabricated. And don't expect your defender to be able to get you acquitted, Black. His theory of your innocence includes a ludicrous scenario."

"Does it include Pettigrew having faked his death?" Sirius asked, shocking Crouch and the Longbottoms.

"Don't you dare tarnish your victims' memories, Black!" Crouch ordered. "If we ever have to use Veritaserum to prevent you from lying your way out of your deserved punishment, it'll be the Dementor's kiss for you!"

"Peter Pettigrew was the Secret-Keeper, killed those muggles with that explosion and left a finger behind to fake his own death." Sirius Black stated. "That's my defense and I'll stick to it."

Deciding to humor the prisoner, Frank Longbottom decided to ask: "How could Peter Pettigrew leave the crime scene alive without people noticing it?"

"He assumed his Animagus form and left." Sirius answered. "He's a Rat Animagus and you can ask Remus Lupin to confirm it."

"Werewolves aren't reliable witnesses, Black." Crouch stated. "If that's all you have to say, I'm leaving."

Bartemius Crouch's next destination was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Headmaster Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was in a meeting with the professors. The teaching staff was shocked their meeting was interrupted by the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and two Aurors. "Any problem, Barty?"

"Yes, Albus." Crouch answered. "Sirius Black will have a trial and there's nothing that can be done to prevent it."

"Impossible!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "The both of us checked all legal scenarios where the Ministry couldn't be forced to give Black a trial. Millicent wouldn't commit political suicide by allowing him a trial; I have no doubts about his guilt; there aren't enough Wizengamot members to vote for a trial; Harry is too young to voice doubts; and the Dursleys don't even know about Sirius Black and are too ignorant of our world to ever find out."

"That's where you're mistaken, Professor Dumbledore." Crouch replied. "Vernon Dursley knows about Black's betrayal and expressed doubts about his guilt."

"I told you it was a bad idea leaving Harry to be raised by those muggles!" Deputy Headmistress McGonagall shouted. "They hate Harry so much they'd get Sirius Black out of Azkaban just to get rid of him."

"Minerva, I'm sure there's another reason somebody would defend Sirius Black." Dumbledore replied with a grandfatherly smile.

"And there is." Muggle Studies Professor Quirinus Quirrell replied. "Muggles abhor the idea of convicting someone without a trial. They fear anyone who does it might convict innocent people despite any precautions people might take to avoid this kind of mistake."

"Everyone in the Wizarding World knows Sirius Black is guilty." Crouch said and then pointed at Dumbledore. "You should have told the Dursleys about him so they'd not have any doubts."

"A mistake I intend to rectify, Barty." Dumbledore replied.

"What for, Albus?" Minerva McGonagall asked. "They don't care. All they want is someone who takes Harry away from them."

"Minerva, I'm sure they care about Harry's well-being and that they just want to believe the best about people." Dumbledore calmly stated. "Sure, they're misplacing their faith in this case but a good virtue in general."

"Aside Professor McGonagall's opinions regarding those muggles' character, she raised a valid point." Crouch commented. "As Harry Potter's godfather, Sirius Black will be allowed to claim full custody of him."

"I'm sure no amount of anti-muggle bigotry will be enough to prevent the Minister from declaring muggles as better guardians than Sirius Black." Snape said.

"Wizarding Law is quite clear about that, Snape." Crouch stated. "No orphan of magical parents must be left in the care of muggles for as long as a magical guardian remains available. If Black somehow worms his way out of Azkaban, his mere availability will disqualify the Dursleys as Harry Potter's guardians."

"It'll cost a lot of favors, but I'm afraid we'll have to push for Veritaserum in Black's trial." Dumbledore suggested. "As the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, I'll persuade the Wizengamot."

"No, you won't." Crouch replied, shocking everyone present. "As a witness, you can't act as Chief Warlock during Black's trial."

"Certainly." Dumbledore conceded.

After that meeting, Bartemius Crouch went to Longbottom Manor, where he, Frank and Alice were welcomed by Frank's mother Augusta Longbottom. "Frank, why didn't you tell me the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement would come for a visit?"

"Lady Longbottom, I'm afraid this is not a social call." Crouch replied. "A muggle relative of the Boy-Who-Lived expressed doubts regarding Sirius Black's guilt. Because of that, Wizarding Law requires me to allow Black a trial. Since Albus Dumbledore is already a witness, he can't act as Chief Warlock. You're hereby required to be Acting Chief Witch of the Wizengamot during Black's trial."

"I'll do my duty for justice." She replied.

"Good." Crouch commented. "You'll be notified of the trial date." He then handed her a file. "Here are the doubts the muggle has about Black's guilt."

Meanwhile, Vernon and Petunia were discussing the case. "Vernon, are you sure this Sirius Black wasn't responsible for my sister's death?" Petunia asked, not sure having Sirius back on the streets was a good idea.

"All I'm sure is that there's no evidence to confirm his guilt of any crime he's been charged with." Vernon answered. "But this Crouch fellow who wanted Black to rot in prison without a trial will probably do anything to discredit us so we'd better not to treat the boy like the freak he really is until Black is acquitted."

"And when will the trial take place?" Petunia Dursley asked.

"The 2nd of January, 1982."

"What?" She asked in outrage. "We'll have to endure the freak for two whole months?"

"It takes long to prepare a trial, Petunia." He explained. "Especially a mass-murder one."

"A case that serious and there was a chance the main suspect was left to rot without a trial?" Petunia asked. "And to think I used to envy my sister for being a part of that world. Black would have been allowed a trial here. And our prisons don't have those dementors I've heard about."

Vernon Dursley would have replied to his wife's comment but he heard the door bell and went to answer it. He got the shock of his life when he saw a man that was, for some reason he couldn't fathom, dressed in a way that reminded him of how Merlin is usually portrayed in fiction other than that series from when Merlin was too young to have that famous beard. The Merlin-like character then said "Good evening, Mr. Dursley. I'm Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"Oh, you finally learned how to use the doorbell." Vernon sarcastically commented but then became serious. "What do we owe your presence here, Headmaster? Any problem with Harry's registration?"

"No, Vernon." Dumbledore replied while smiling. "While I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts, this has nothing to do with my presence here. Look, I think we should get inside before the neighbors notice me."

Not wanting to let the neighbors see anything freak associated to him, Vernon Dursley invited Dumbledore in. It didn't take long until Petunia noticed him. "What's he doing here?" She angrily asked.

"I presume Headmaster Dumbledore is here to talk about Sirius Black, Petunia." Vernon answered. "Am I right, Headmaster?"

"Indeed you are, Vernon." Dumbledore replied. "While I'm touched you have inherent faith on people's goodness, I'm afraid you shouldn't waste any of it on Sirius Black. The evidence against him is too strong."

"I disagree, Headmaster." Vernon replied. "I've read the records myself and found out the evidence is circumstantial."

"If you read the records, you must know I've provided testimony confirming Black as the Secret-Keeper and therefore the only one who could have told Voldemort where the Potters were hidden." Dumbledore stated.

"While your testimony does suggest Sirius Black was the Secret-Keeper, it doesn't prove nobody else was eventually chosen over him."

"Several witnesses heard Peter Pettigrew shouting at Black about it."

"All their testimony might prove is that Peter Pettigrew either believed Sirius Black was the Secret-Keeper or wanted people to believe it." Vernon replied.

Dumbledore was appalled someone might suspect Peter Pettigrew might have been a Death Eater when the whole Wizarding World knows Pettigrew died as a hero by preventing Black from escaping. "It's hard to believe Sirius might be innocent after he killed Peter Pettigrew and twelve muggles with a single Blasting Hex." He commented.

"There's no proof that Sirius Black caused the explosion or that Peter Pettigrew died from it." Vernon continued his defense of Sirius Black. "For all one can learn from the records, Peter Pettigrew might have caused the explosion and left that finger behind to fake his death."

Dumbledore was really shocked this time. He was prepared for either Quirinus Quirrell or Minerva McGonagall being right but not that someone could believe Sirius Black might be innocent. Less even that Peter might have been the real culprit. "Vernon, I find this theory unlikely to be true."

"And I find it not impossible." Vernon replied. After that, Albus Dumbledore was sure there was no way other than using a Confundus Charm to convince Vernon to take back his doubts and doing so, even if for the greater good, would have reminded Dumbledore of when he used to believe Gellert Grindewald's ideals.

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