Chapter 4
The Next Day, 6:00 A.M.
"What the Bloody Hell?" asked John Dawlish as he, Nymphadora Tonks, and Anna Dolohov came across an unusual and, quite frankly disturbing sight.
Bound and gagged in front of the entrance to the Auror Department was a beaten and bloodied Peter Pettigrew.
Nymphadora looked at Pettigrew's eyes and could instantly see fear, sleep deprivation, and malnutrition.
"What the Hell is a dead man doing on our doorstep?" demanded John. He had worked on the original murder case of Peter Pettigrew in 1981, had personally seen the finger the rat left behind and was more than convinced that Peter Pettigrew was dead. To say he was surprised would have been a gross understatement.
"No clue. Let's get him to the infirmary. After we confirm that he's not going to die on us, he gets put up in a holding cell," ordered Anna as she looked over the wounds on Wormtail's body. Over her twenty-six year career as an Auror, she had seen many wounds inflicted by curses. The wounds on his body were obviously left from the Cruciatus Curse, as well as one that she knew beyond any doubt was the work of her older brother, Antonin.
The Dolohov family specialized in creating and using Dark Curses. The one in particular that Wormtail had experienced was known as the Eveto Curse, a curse known to inflict massive organ damage to the victim.
As John left to get a medic, Tonks asked, "Anna, you alright?"
"I think my brother was responsible for this."
"Which one?"
"The one John Dawlish put away for life in Azkaban for double murder and who escaped recently."
"Do you know where he is or where we can find him?" Tonks said, knowing that vigilantism was not endorsed or tolerated by the Ministry of Magic.
"No, Tonks. Besides, I only think he could have done it. Never said anything of him having done it with absolute certainty." Anna said, knowing that Tonks had no reservations against arresting criminals, even ones she was related to.
"Are you talking to me as an Auror or as Antonin Dolohov's sister?" Tonks asked.
"I'm talking to you as both, Tonks. I have absolutely no idea where Antonin is. If I did, do you think I would hesitate for a single second from going there, beating the living shit out of him and then dragging him back to Azkaban myself?"
"Sometimes people do strange things for family, Anna." Tonks said. The unspoken suspicion and subtle accusation was not unnoticed by Anna, who had to use all the patience she had at her disposal to keep from lashing out verbally or magically.
"Junior Auror Tonks, watch this prisoner while I get the Truth Serum." Anna said curtly before going to fetch the Veritaserum.
Soon after making sure Wormtail was not going to die on them, they took him into a Ministry Interrogation Room to question him.
The interrogation room was fairly plain as the only décor inside in it was a table and chairs on both sides of it with an observation room behind the left hand chair where Peter Pettigrew sat, his wrists and ankles bound by shackles. Three drops of Veritaserum were applied to Pettigrew by the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones.
Anna then asked the standard question of, "What is your name?"
"Peter Pettigrew."
John Dawlish didn't let his face show that his fears had come true. If Peter Pettigrew was alive, to him that meant that he might have put an innocent man in Azkaban.
If that were true, how many others had he placed in Azkaban who didn't deserve to be there?
Amelia Bones then asked, "Why have you been hiding all of these years when Sirius Black confronted you in Diagon Alley that day and supposedly killed you?"
"He wanted revenge. He was going to kill me."
"Why would he want to kill you?" asked Anna.
"Because I was the Secret-Keeper for the Potters and Longbottoms and I betrayed them all to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
"Did Sirius Black kill those 12 Muggles fifteen years ago?" asked Tonks.
"No. I did. Sirius Black is innocent of all the crimes he's been accused of."
That silenced the room instantly. Though Tonks already knew that Sirius was innocent, to hear it come from the mouth of the man who framed him sent her soul upwards as she inwardly celebrated the confession.
John Dawlish, however, was not so joyful. In his twenty-four year career as an Auror, he had put away over two hundred Dark Wizards, Witches, and Criminals. Until just now, he had always known in his gut the people he sent away to Azkaban deserved it.
Now, having heard that Sirius Black, the man who had supposedly given up the Potters and the Longbottoms to Lord Voldemort in 1981 and murdered twelve Muggles in broad daylight with a single curse, was innocent, he began to doubt himself.
Who else had he sent away who was innocent? How many people whose lives had been wasted because he made a simple mistake?
Amelia then turned to Anna and said, "Senior Auror Dolohov, go get the Minister of Magic. He needs to hear this."
About thirty minutes later, Anna walked back into the room with the Minister of Magic himself, Cornelius Fudge, who, upon seeing Pettigrew, demanded, "What is this trickery, Auror Dolohov?"
"This is no trickery, Minister. We found him on our doorstep this morning. He is Peter Pettigrew. We've questioned him under Veritaserum."
Cornelius Fudge felt a cold chill grip his stomach. If Pettigrew was alive, then that meant his worst fears could come to fruition.
The Dark Lord may be on the rise again.
Senior Aurors Dolohov and Dawlish forced Fudge to listen to Wormtail's entire testimony. Though Fudge refused to believe that Voldemort was back, he did, however, believe that Sirius Black was innocent.
After hearing all that he had, Fudge immediately repealed the order for Sirius Black to receive the Dementor's Kiss and sent out an order to the Daily Prophet to make known on the front page article of the day that Sirius Black was innocent of the crimes he stood accused of.
Then he ordered that Wormtail be sent directly, without fail, to Azkaban, where he would be held until his trial, where he would answer for every single one of his crimes against wizarding society.
Once Fudge had left, Anna looked to Amelia and said, "He may be a benevolent figure but he's a foolish moron to purposefully turn a blind eye to danger."
"You have no idea." Amelia said in accordance. "He's well mannered but he's utterly useless when it comes to facing opposition. What the Ministry needs is someone who can wear the silk glove and the iron gauntlet at the same time and Fudge is not that man."
"Do I hear some ambition for the highest seat of authority in you, Amelia?" Anna asked.
"I don't know if I can suffer the politicians." Amelia said.
"Who says you couldn't? I think you can. In fact, you might even teach them a thing or two about what it means to run the Ministry of Magic."
"Thanks, Anna."
A few minutes of silence passed as they walked out of the room before Anna remarked, "5 Galleons says he's going to cover up the Dark Lord's return somehow."
"You're on." Amelia said.
The Next Day
"Is this real, Albus?" asked Sirius Black as he stared at the Daily Prophet with disbelief.
The Daily Prophet in question spoke the truth for a change. It reported that Sirius Black was innocent of the crimes he was reported to have committed. The Dementor Kiss order had been revoked. On top of that, it had said that if he was reading the paper, he was to report to the Ministry of Magic to be formally cleared of all charges by the Wizengamot.
Even better news. It had reported that Peter Pettigrew had indeed been alive and, much to his surprise, had been left on the doorstep of the Auror Department.
It must have broken Mrs. Pettigrew's heart when the Ministry had shown up and had taken the Order of Merlin that Wormtail had 'earned'.
Though Sirius had leaped for joy when he saw the headline, it worried him. What if it were a trick to lure him there? As Chief Warlock, Albus Dumbledore would know if it were true or a trap.
"Yes, it is indeed real, Sirius. You will not have to worry about it being a trap. As Chief Warlock, I give you my word on this matter. All you have to do is go there and your charges will be abolished." replied Albus, a twinkle sparkling in his eyes.
Sirius looked Albus in the eyes and said, "In that case, Chief Warlock, I'm turning myself in to you right after I get myself presentable."
Following a shower and shave, Sirius dressed himself in a black button up shirt and trousers, with a brown blazer to complete it. After coming back down, he and Albus used a portkey to go to the Ministry of Magic.
Ministry of Magic
Though Sirius had nerves of steel, he couldn't deny he was nervous, especially since he was facing the entire Wizengamot, the High Court of Wizarding Britain. Sitting directly in front him was Cornelius Fudge, in his court robes, with every seat surrounding filled with the members of the court, including Amelia Bones, Albus Dumbledore, Augusta Longbottom and Amos Diggory.
He felt nothing special as the Veritaserum was administered to him by Anna Dolohov and he was strapped to the chair in the middle of the room.
"Sirius Orion Black, you stand accused of being a Death Eater during the First Wizarding War. Is this true or not?" started off Fudge, looking at Sirius as though he were something to be scraped off the bottom of a shoe.
"No. I was never a Death Eater and I still am not one."
Several shocked gasps went through the crowd as Albus asked, "Did you betray Lilly and James Potter as well as Frank and Alice Longbottom to Lord Voldemort in 1981?"
"No, I did not." Sirius said adamantly.
"Who did then?" asked Augusta Longbottom.
"Peter Pettigrew." Sirius spoke, relishing the looks and reactions of everyone who thought the worst of him.
"Which is why you killed him. For revenge, correct?" asked Fudge, determined not to make a fool of himself.
"No. I never killed Peter Pettigrew. I wish I had but I didn't."
"Have you ever killed anyone in your life?" asked Amelia.
"No. I have never killed anyone."
"Then who killed those twelve Muggles in 1981?" asked Albus, knowing now that Fudge wouldn't be able to use Sirius as a scapegoat anymore.
"Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, killed them and set me up to take the blame."
Everyone then turned to Cornelius who, after seeing the clear evidence before him, declared, "If there are no more inquiries, as Minister of Magic, I hereby clear Sirius Orion Black of all charges against him and pardon him for his unlawful stay in Azkaban."
Administering the antidote and untying him, Anna returned Sirius' old wand back after he got up from his chair.
Number 12 Grimmauld Place
"Congratulations to you getting your freedom back, Sirius." declared Moody as he raised his flask, along with every other member of the Order of the Phoenix as they toasted to Sirius Black.
"Thank you all. It feels good to be free again." replied Sirius as he downed his own shot of Fire-Whiskey.
Suddenly, Molly came in with a letter and said, "It's to Sirius from the Ministry."
Sirius took it, opened it up and read it silently. His face turned cold. Looking up, he said, "At approximately 4 o'clock this afternoon, Peter 'Wormtail' Pettigrew was given the Dementors Kiss."
Though Sirius despised his former friend, in his opinion, no one deserved that fate. Personally, he would have preferred death than ever to be kissed by one of those demons.
Changing the subject quickly, Ted Tonks asked, "Guys, where's my daughter?"
"She went out for a drink. Didn't say where." replied Moody.
Wyvern's Tavern, 8:00 P.M.
Anna Dolohov walked into the old pub and took a seat at the bar. It was a slow night since nobody but her was there. Hopefully, her brother and sister were there somewhere.
She often came there to cool down after work. Though her relationship with Anfis and Alexander was strained, they did enjoy one another's company. After all, they were siblings.
Anfis walked out of the back room, saw her older sister and ran over to give her a bear hug, which Anna returned with great enthusiasm.
Breaking off the hug and pouring her a drink, Anfis asked, "How's your day been, Sis?"
"It's been good. I suppose you've heard the news about Black?"
"Yes I have. Hard to believe he's innocent." replied Anfis, before she decided to take a chance. She asked, "Anna, how'd you like to see your brother?"
"Sure. Send him out," replied Anna, thinking about Alex.
Footsteps came behind Anna, and a voice she never expected to hear said, "Hi Anna."
Whipping around, Anna Dolohov came face to face with a brother she hadn't seen free in 14 years, Antonin Dolohov. Instantly, she hugged him and yelled "It's so good to see you, Tony!"
"It's good to see you while breathing fresh air as a free man outside of Azkaban." Antonin said in reply, hugging her with all his might before continuing, "It's been too long, Anna."
The reason for their intensive hugging was, though Anna had made it a point to visit him in Azkaban, they didn't allow visitors to give hugs to the prisoners. The last time they had hugged was 14 years ago.
Finally breaking the hug, Anna finally asked, "Tony, what are you doing here though? I thought you'd be with the Dark Lord."
"I've left him, Anna. He's not my Master anymore. You need to be extra careful now as well. He's more than likely going to target you," replied Antonin in a voice that left no room for conversation on the matter.
"Don't worry about me, Big Brother. I can handle myself. And no. I'm not going to arrest you. Just make sure we don't cross paths while I'm on duty." Said Anna before downing a shot.
"I'll make sure me and friends don't then." remarked Antonin.
"Others left the Dark Lord as well?"
"Why yes we did, Anna Dolohov," cackled a voice.
Spinning around, wand up and at the ready, Anna Dolohov was staring right at Bellatrix Lestrange, as well as Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange.
Rodolphus made no comment about the wand in her hand, pointed directly at his heart, and asked, "Does that 'No Arresting While Off Duty' rule apply to us as well, Ms. Dolohov?"
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't arrest you three right here and now." replied Anna before Tony placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "If you do that, Anna, you'd have to arrest me as well."
"He's right, Anna." said Anfis before continuing, "As much as I don't want Tony to go back to prison, if you arrest one, you'll have to arrest all of them."
Anna slowly lowered her wand before saying to Bellatrix, "Why should I believe that you, of all people, would willingly leave the Dark Lord? You're supposed to be his most loyal servant!"
Rabastan then stepped forward and told Anna the story. It took all of about 45 minutes to do so, but it was told, and just as Anna was about to comment, the door opened and Nymphadora Tonks walked in.
When the bubblegum-pink haired metamorphmagus saw Bellatrix, her wand was in her hand faster than a heartbeat. She said, "You must be my Aunt Bellatrix."
"So I finally get to meet my Half-Blood niece. Hello, Nymphadora." replied Bellatrix with a wicked smile as her right hand fingered her own wand.
"Never call me Nymphadora." growled Tonks before Rodolphus stepped between the two witches and asked, "You must be my Niece. What can we do for you, Ms. Tonks? I'm also curious as to how you found us."
"I came here because I wanted to ask Anfis and Alexander a few questions. But since you're here, I might as well give you a message, Uncle Rodolphus." Tonks replied awkwardly. It was the first time she had ever met her Uncles and Aunt. It was almost overwhelming.
"What message would that be, Tonks?" asked Rabastan, while Anna had gotten up from her seat and was standing by her brother.
"Narcissa Black was attacked two days ago and was dropped on my Mum's doorstep. She was near death but she's alive and well now thanks to my Mum. The only reasons I'm not arresting you three and Dolohov right now is because I don't have any backup and I don't want to get my friend in trouble," explained Nymphadora, staring intently at the former Death Eaters.
"I'm going to fucking rip his head off!" declared Bellatrix. Before she could do anything, Rodolphus placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Bella, as much as I would like to help you do that, charging in with wands blazing is not going to help you, us or your sister."
Once she got herself calm enough, Bellatrix looked at Tonks and said, "Thank you for letting us know about Narcissa's well-being. I'm grateful that I don't have to bury my sister."
With a curt nod, Tonks left the tavern with Anna Dolohov not far behind her.
When they were outside and a good distance away, Tonks turned to Anna, her best friend in the Auror Department, and the first person she had ever met in her job.
Anna Dolohov, when Tonks first started her career, had helped her adjust to the fact the Auror Department was a mainly male workforce. Had helped her learn to emotionally deal with some of the prejudice that a few members, including one John Dawlish, had against females working along side them.
Nymphadora Tonks, at that moment, didn't know what to say, except, "Anna, you're my boss and you know I respect you highly. But those are the most wanted fugitives in the Wizarding World, including your brother. Why didn't you arrest them?"
"Two reasons. Dolohov's my brother. If I arrested Bellatrix and her family, I'd have to arrest him as well. Second, I could ask you why you didn't go and arrest them as well. The answer would be the same as mine." Anna replied in an even tone to the younger woman.
"How can you be so lenient to Antonin Dolohov, Anna? I know he's your brother. He's also a murderer and a criminal. Did you even see the crime scene photos of what he and those others did to the Prewitt Brothers?" demanded Tonks, staring at her incredulously.
"I did see those photos. I also know that Tony stuck his neck out more times than I can count just so we could be family and not just an asset to the Dark Lord. He never betrayed me and I never turned my back on him. Even when he was in Azkaban, I visited him so he would not lose himself." Scoffed Anna in reply.
Silence came upon the two women for a moment before Tonks said, "Sometimes, Anna, I wonder what it'd be like if I had that kind of relationship with my Aunts and Uncles. But I don't. I never met them as a child and I never visited them in Azkaban. It's my duty as an Auror to bring them to justice."
"Are you going to turn them in?"
"If I do, then we lose a group who could help us fight the Dark Lord. I don't want to arrest people who are doing that."
"It seems that we both are in similar situations, Tonks. Turn in that lot and we end up losing a valuable ally. I don't want that either." Anna said.
"I won't do it if you won't."
So what do you think?