Eulogizing Memoirs
Amelie Rae Lanhoss
[A/N-This took a lot longer than I expected. Sorry! Review responses; in my bio as usual. Shockingly enough, it's already been a month since I started this fic. Doesn't seem that long…granted I was gone for almost two weeks…anyways, I need opinions…I'm having the hardest time deciding whether or not I should have a short 6th chapter for Siri's Ball or my original plan…so, let me know what you think. Completely off-topic…I have a new cat! He's three months old, extremely energetic, playful, and his name is D.J. and he's teething, unfortunately. On that note this chapter is dedicated to D.J., who's sitting in my lap, and Mai Gamit, who asked questions, and, as always, in loving memory, to K.M.L.
-C.R.C.]
Chapter 5-Daily Prophet Headline: Pettigrew, Alive And Caught!
Clabbert
XX
This arboreal creature resembles a cross between a monkey and a frog. Its smooth skin is mottled green. The Clabbert has short horns and a wide grinning mouth. Its long arms and webbed hands and feet allow it to move gracefully through the trees. On the Clabbert's forehead is a large pustule which flashes red when-
"Hermione!"
I looked up from Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them to see Harry running straight at me from the Great Hall doors. Don't know why he looks so…excited. I wonder what's happened.
I opened my mouth to ask him what was going on when he slammed me back against the table (thank god I already finished my cereal) and crushed me in something that somewhat resembled a suffocating-Mrs.-Weasley-like hug.
"Harry!" I managed to choke out with the small amount of breath still in me.
He released me and I let myself breathe a sigh of relief. Too soon. He wrapped his arms around my waist and squeezed just as hard again.
"They found him! He's going to be put on trial! They finally caught him!"
I watched, somewhat amused, as my previously sane best friend let go of me to jump up and do a little jig.
I need more caffeine to deal with this.
The thought ran unbidden through my head, strangely sounding a bit like Sirius.
"La de da! La de da! Life's so grand!"
"Harry sit down, you're becoming an embarrassment to the entire human race."
I tried to pull him back down to sit next to me, instead, I ended up being pulled out of my seat and spun around in circles.
"It's a beautiful morning! It's a lovely day! It's a wonderful week! It's a gorgeous-looking month! It's-"
"Harry!"
He ignored me and kept up with his singing.
"-a fun-filled year! It's a delicious decade!"
Breathe in, breathe out, do not strangle Harry.
"It's a culinary century!"
Culinary century?
"HARRY!" I immediately took advantage of his pause between 'culinary century' and god knows what else, to yell his name. I'm definitely not worried about attracting attention since he already has everybody in the Hall staring at us. Deep breath in, don't whack him on the head.
"What happened?" I asked him in a more normal tone.
"They caught Pettigrew!"
The silence took on a more stunned feel and I can feel myself start to smile.
They caught Pettigrew.
"'They' who, Harry? 'They' the Ministry?" I can honestly, literally, feel myself trembling.
Harry nodded excitedly, "'They' the Ministry!"
"Pettigrew's dead, Potty! Even someone with a brain of your size should now that!"
I am extremely tempted, at the moment, to turn around and either give Malfoy the finger, or, hold up three fingers and tell him to read between the lines. But, right now, nothing can make me feel less than ecstatic.
Sirius is free.
"They caught him?" I can barely contain my giddiness and I'm sure Harry would be able to tell if he wasn't acting like someone told him he didn't have to finish school, he had just been offered a permanent position on the English Quidditch team, and his parents were alive again, all at the same time. I'm pretty sure everyone else in the Hall can tell I'm on the verge of hysterics like Harry.
Behind me I heard the doors bang open again and feet running towards us. I can't make myself care though. Harry's nodding!
"He's free!"
I spun around after I heard Ron to see him running towards us, a huge smile on his face and holding a newspaper.
"Look! Look, look, look!"
I grabbed the Daily Prophet from him while he was still panting loudly and smoothed it out in front of the three of us.
Peter Pettigrew: Alive And Caught!
Aurors Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks were walking back to the Ministry at approximately 12:51 yesterday afternoon, when they happened to walk past a Muggle park.
Aurors Shacklebolt and Tonks regularly pass by this park when returning from Wanda's Wizardly Watering Hole (a small café famous for it's special Woot's, located behind the Muggle beanery on Williamson), however, this time they noticed a 'small, shuffley, sneaky-looking, rat of a man', said Auror Tonks, sitting on a park bench in front of the big fountain at the park gates. Auror Shacklebolt said he noticed him because he was 'gnawing at something and looked like he was begging an invisible someone to not hurt him', 'he was crying and shaking his head a lot' added Auror Tonks. After noticing that he had a wand sticking out of a coat pocket the Auror's went over to see if they could help him.
When he continued 'gibbering', said Auror Tonks, Auror Shacklebolt preformed an 'Ostendo Nomen', better known as the Name-Revealing Spell. 'When PETER PETTIGREW was spelled out Tonks and I figured something was wrong' said Auror Shacklebolt, they proceeded to cast the spell two more times each, continuously yielding the same results. Knowing that the famed murderer and Azkaban escapee, Sirius Black, had supposedly killed Peter Pettigrew the two Aurors quickly agreed to bring him back to the Ministry to see if a mistake had been made.
Further tests from multiple experts of their fields showed the same outcome. As a last test Madam Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Law Enforcement, gave the go-ahead to administer Veritaserum to Pettigrew. After questioning it was clear that the 'trembling little man' of the Muggle park Aurors Shacklebolt and Tonks frequently pass, was, in fact, Peter Pettigrew.
After in-depth questioning Auror Dawlish, who interrogated Pettigrew, gave the transcript of questions and answers to the Minister who has announced that, after all this time Sirius Black is not the murderer he was widely believed to be. The Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, would like to issue a formal, public apology to Mr. Sirius Black.
Pettigrew's trial is scheduled to happen at 3 o'clock this afternoon. Pettigrew will be tried on numerous counts of Using An Unforgivable, being an Unregistered Animagus, Illegal Dark Arts Activity, Concealment Of Information, Lying To Chief Warlock (Of The Wizengamot), and Secret-Keeper Betrayal (Leading To A Death Or Deaths), among many others. Mr. Black is urged to attend this hearing so that he may testify against Pettigrew as are many others who are 'to be contacted personally by the Wizengamot' said Minister Fudge. Mr. Black is also guaranteed his freedom and will be cleared of all charges.
Plans are supposedly being made for the Ministry to host a ball in Mr. Black's honor as a form of asking for forgiveness.
When records were brought up it was shown that Mr. Black did not receive a trial, many others, along with myself, were appalled. Outcries from-
This article continued on pages 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, and 14
Harry, Ron, and I grinned even wider at each other after I had finished reading aloud. Something in the back of my mind registered that the whole of the Great Hall was still staring at us and had heard me read the article before I hurriedly flipped to the next page. Owls flew in with mail a second before I finished flattening the paper again. Harry shoved a note towards Ron and I.
Harry Potter
Gryffindor Table, Great Hall
Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry
I'm FREE!!!!!!
My smile grew even bigger when I saw Sirius' messy handwriting on the torn piece of paper.
And I'm getting a ball!!!!!!
I was ready to laugh out loud at that I was that giddy.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, I hope that I am not bothering you in any way."
"Of course not, sir, not at all," I answered the Headmaster automatically before looking up and seeing his eyes twinkling a bit more than usual.
"Excellent!" he declared before sitting down across from us, I must admit I'm a little surprised, I don't think I've ever seen the Headmaster sit at a House table before.
"Now, since Miss Granger was so kind as to read to us all about the Daily Prophet's cover story you will know that a member of the Wizengamot will personally contact anyone whom the Wizengamot believes will testify strongly against Mr. Pettigrew. As Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot I am personally contacting you three and requesting that you speak at the trial."
"We'll do it!" Harry answered immediately.
"Wonderful, wonderful, you will all be excused from your fourth class of the day and I will meet you in the Entrance Hall at that time. We will than portkey directly to the Ministry and go to Courtroom Ten were the trial is to be held. Funny how everything seems to happen there, isn't it? Well have a nice day children, I shall see you again in about five hours."
We grinned at each other stupidly for another few minutes before Ron let out a gleeful squeal. Harry and I exchanged a glance (Ron squealing!) before looking strangely at Ron who simply shrugged his shoulders.
"It just came out."
I thanked Professor Vector for giving me the Arithmancy homework before almost running back down to the front doors of the castle.
I can't believe he's free!
I grinned to myself and sped up a bit.
I can't believe he's free!
"Hermione!"
I looked at the bottom of the stairs to see Harry waving me down impatiently.
"Come on!"
"I'm coming."
I ran down the stairs and almost directly into the Headmaster.
"Ah, Miss Granger, I am glad you are so eager to leave, I believe we are only awaiting on Mr. Weasley to finish relieving himself…and there he is…"
Harry and I spun around to see Ron coming from the corridor behind us, wiping his hands on his pants.
"Come on Ron! Even Hermione's here and girls are supposed to be the one's who take forever!"
"Hey!" I exclaimed frowningly, I understand that Harry's extremely happy, really I do, I am too, but still.
"Alright, let's go," spoke Professor Dumbledore from the side, pulling out feather from one of his robe pockets, "everyone touch this, only a finger, and we should portkey to the Ministry in about 5…4…3…2…"
I prepared myself for the unsettling feeling of being jerked by your navel through space.
"1…"
I felt my feet fly out from under me and saw colors whizzing pass.
"And…here we are now."
I slowly blinked into view a long stone corridor on either side of the huge wooden doors we had appeared in front of.
"Courtroom Ten, this way."
A small sign next to the door confirmed his proclamation.
The Headmaster easily pushed open the large doors and led the three of us through. The inside looked a lot like Harry had described it. Against the far wall a long stone desk rose to a towering height. Behind it sat the entire (or what I'm guessing is the entire Wizengamot, judging on the number of people there) Wizengamot, minus of course-
"Albus! Excellent! You have the last three scheduled to testify?"
"I do, Amelia; Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, if you would all be so kind as to take a seat."
He motioned to a section of seats behind a wooden railing that separated us from Sirius. We all grinned at Sirius as we sat down next to Professor Lupin, Remus, who was in front of Professor Snape, who isn't looking all that happy to be here. Sirius grinned back at us before jumping and turning around at the sound of Fudge's booming Sonorus voice.
"Witches and Wizards of the Wizengamot! The public and I thank you for donating your time in our search for the true perpetrator in recent and past events!" here Fudge seemed to lose some of his passion and started speaking in a normal tone of voice again, "On the first of November in the year 1981 it was believed that Sirius Orion Black was in league with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and that he had been spying on Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore's war efforts against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
"It was further believed that Mr. Black had been entrusted with the position of Secret-Keeper for James Harold Potter, Lily Rose Evans Potter, and Harry James Potter.
"It was also widely believed that Mr. Black had betrayed the location of the three aforementioned Potters to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, resulting in the late Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Potter's deaths and the attempted murder of Mr. Harry J. Potter.
"On the day of the first of November of that year Mr. Black encountered a Mr. Peter Timothy Pettigrew, recently revoked Order of Merlin 1st Class, on a Muggle street. Multiple eyewitnesses have claimed that Mr. Pettigrew cornered Mr. Black on this street and was sobbing, quote, 'Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?' Our eye-witnesses then informed us that they assumed Mr. Black had taken out his wand and cast a variation of the Blasting Hex, creating a large crater in the middle of the Muggle street, killing twelve Muggles and one Wizard. It was also assumed that another curse was used on Mr. Pettigrew which, and I quote again, 'blew him to smithereens' The biggest tangible piece of Mr. Pettigrew found, at that time, was a sole finger, and Mr. Pettigrew was presumed dead.
"Recent uncovered evidence has effectively shaken these assumptions. I would now like to call on Auror Dawlish, who has a transcript of an interrogation session, occurring earlier today, during which Mr. Pettigrew was under the influence of Veritaserum. Auror Dawlish, if you please," Fudge motioned for a tough, middle-aged wizard with short, wiry, gray hair to stand up.
"Thank you, Minister," the man said quietly before clearing his throat and, recalling Fudge's earlier charm, also casting Sonorus on himself, "The following conversation took place between myself and a Veritaserum-induced Mr. Peter Timothy Pettigrew. As is tradition when Veritaserum-uncovered evidence is used in a trial allow me to remind the Wizengamot that all Veritaserum-uncovered evidence is to be viewed as truthful fact," Dawlish cleared his throat a second time, "I first asked Mr. Pettigrew what his full name was, to which he responded 'Peter Timothy Pettigrew'. I then asked Mr. Pettigrew how he had survived Mr. Black's attack on the first of November 1981, and why he hadn't contacted anyone at the Ministry. Mr. Pettigrew replied, 'Sirius never attacked me'. I would now like to proceed by reading the full transcript aloud," another clear of the throat, "State your full name.
"'Peter Timothy Pettigrew'.
"Mr. Pettigrew, how did you survive the attack by Mr. Sirius Black on November 1st, 1981?
"'Sirius never attacked me, there was no attack to survive'.
"Mr. Pettigrew, why did you not contact a Ministry official?
"'I needed everyone to believe that Sirius was the traitor and that I was dead'.
"Mr. Pettigrew, why did you need people to believe Mr. Black was a traitor and that he had killed you?
"'I didn't want to go to Azkaban. I couldn't have lived in Azkaban, many of My Lord's supporters blamed me for his downfall, they would have killed me'.
"Mr. Pettigrew, who do you consider your 'Lord'?" here the Auror gulped noticeably and looked nervously up at the Wizengamot that lined the back wall, "'Lord V-Vol-Voldemort'."
There was a sharp intake of breath from almost every occupant of the chamber, Dawlish gulped again, looking more relieved than anxious, this time, "Mr. Pettigrew, you-do you consider He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named your 'Master'?
"'Yes'.
There was a second collective intake of breath.
"Mr. Pettigrew, what, in detail, occurred on the night of the 31st of October, 1981?
"'I had been waiting for days, for six days, for My Lord to call me to his side. I had more precious information on James, Harry, and Lily's whereabouts than ever before. It was on the 31st that my Master called all of his loyal servants to him. He asked me to report and I was finally able to give him what he wanted so badly, Harry Potter! The Potter's had made me their Secret-Keeper and I was the only one who knew of their location! I informed the Dark Lord of what happened and he was pleased, my Master was ever so pleased with me, he told me he would grant me my heart's deepest desire once he had returned from the Potter's. I do not know more about what happened next than most people, only that My Lord was able to ruin their house, kill Lily and James, and attempt to kill Harry, however, the curse meant to take Harry's life rebounded and killed My Lord instead'.
"Mr. Pettigrew, what, in detail, occurred between yourself and Mr. Sirius Black on the morning of the 1st of November, 1981?
"'Nobody knew Sirius and I had switched places at the last minute, nobody knew that I had been the Potter's Secret-Keeper instead of Sirius. I knew I had to make sure everybody believed Sirius was the criminal. I had to make sure everybody thought I was dead too, if I didn't all of My Lord's faithful followers would torture me, for most of them believed I was the reason he had died as he met his death following my information. On November 1st I cornered Sirius on a Muggle street. I yelled for the whole street to hear that he had betrayed Lily and James before, holding my wand behind my back, I blasted a crater in the road behind me. While it was still smoky and hard to see I cut my one of my fingers off with a knife I had brought and transformed into my Animagus form before I fled into the sewers'.
"Mr. Pettigrew, what is you're Animagus form?
"'I am a rat'.
"Mr. Pettigrew, are you a registered Animagus?
"'No'.
And so the transcript went on, under Veritaserum Wormtail had admitted to all sorts of crimes, nursing Voldemort back to health, performing the ritual that granted Voldemort a new body, casting hundreds of Unforgivable's in the name of 'his Lord', attacking Alastor Moody in the summer of 1994, stealing from the Weasley's when he was a rat so he would have money when he became human again, hiding out in Hagrid's hut and also stealing from him, the list went on and on. Finally the tough looking Auror thanked the Wizengamot for their time and sat down again. The Headmaster rose from his seat as Chief Warlock.
"I, personally, have heard more than enough to convict Mr. Pettigrew to multiple life sentences in Azkaban. However, by law we are required to hear all the evidence and testimonies. Minister Fudge, as prosecutor, your first witness, please."
Fudge nodded his head in thanks, "Thank you, Mr. Sirius Orion Black, if you would be so kind as to stand up as you speak."
Sirius stood and looked Fudge straight in the eye, making Fudge waver a bit before clearing his throat, "Mr. Black, will you agree to taking Veritaserum?"
Sirius seemed to consider it a minute before, "Yes."
A hand motion by Fudge and a younger wizard was jogging across the chamber and handing a vial to Sirius. Fudge waited the customary thirty seconds to let the potion enter his bloodstream before he started his questioning.
"Following tradition I am first required to ask you to state your name please."
"Sirius Orion Black."
"Mr. Black, were you, or have you ever been, allied with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"
"No."
"Mr. Black, did you cast any spells, charms, curses, jinxes, hexes, enchantments, etc., on November the 1st, 1981?"
"No."
"Mr. Black, did you see a Mr. Peter Pettigrew after the 1st of November, 1981?"
"Yes."
This answer seemed to startle Fudge because he opened his mouth and closed it before asking, "You saw Pettigrew after November 1st, 1981?"
"Yes."
"When?"
"On the newspaper you gave me during the summer of 1993 and again near the end of Harry's third year, in the Shrieking Shack."
"In what form did you see him on the newspaper?"
"In his rat Animagus form."
"In what form did you see him in the Shrieking Shack in 1994?"
"In his rat Animagus form, at first, then in his human form, then, last, in his rat Animagus form again."
"Who did you tell that Mr. Pettigrew was still alive? And use first and last names, please."
"Cornelius Fudge, Severus Snape, and Albus Dumbledore."
"Were there any others with you and Pettigrew in the Shrieking Shack? First and last names again, please."
"Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger."
"Did they all see Pettigrew in human form?"
"No."
"Who did not see him in human form?"
"Severus Snape."
"Why not?"
"He got knocked out," Sirius grinned at, presumably, the memory.
"Thank you Mr. Black, you may sit down."
Sirius started sitting back down before-
"Oh!" Fudge spun back around to look at him again, "Out of personal curiosity, are you an unregistered Animagus as well? And if so, what is your Animagus form?"
"Yes, I'm an unregistered Animagus, and I'm a big, black dog," Sirius grinned again, "I've been told I look a lot like a Grim."
The trial continued, a bit dully for something 15 years in the making, with more questions asked by Fudge and answers from various people. Professor Snape was called on to say that yes, when he got to the Shrieking Shack everyone was going on about Pettigrew being a rat and, yes, he had been knocked out for an undetermined amount of time. Harry, Ron, and I all had to stand up and say that we had seen Pettigrew in the Shrieking Shack, Harry and I also had to admit that we'd rescued Sirius, which led to a discussion on how 'trustworthy' I had truly been to get the Time-Turner and use it to help convicted murders, Fudge stopped after I pointed out that I had only used it to help an innocent, convicted murderer. Remus had to say he did know about Sirius' Animagus abilities, which caused an avalanche of questions on why he didn't tell the Headmaster, and that he had also seen Pettigrew in the Shrieking Shack.
It was a few hours after Fudge had finished questioning Sirius before Wormtail was brought out, flanked by Dementors, ironically probably the only two left on our side, and seated and strapped into a chair in the middle of the chamber.
"Mr. Peter Timothy Pettigrew," Fudge started, he looked like he was gaining more of his passion from earlier, "you have heard the evidence and the testimonies of those against you, by law I am required to ask you what you now have to say in your defense. Let the records show that Mr. Pettigrew has again been given a hefty dose of Veritaserum and is, therefore, unable to lie. Mr. Pettigrew, the floor is yours."
The pale man, who looked even worse than that night in the Shrieking Shack, immediately started to grovel and beg. I think that if he hadn't been tied up he would have probably been on his knees.
"Please! No! You can't do anything to hurt me! You don't understand! I never wan-want-wanted t-to-" Wormtail looked like he was literally choking on the words. Behind us I heard Professor Snape sneer, "Fool, only a complete moron would try to tell a blatant lie under Veritaserum."
"Let the record show that Mr. Pettigrew is fighting the effects of Veritaserum," Fudge spoke, "I believe that if he's already fighting the effects he cannot have anything truthful to say in his defense. Witches and Wizards of the Wizengamot I invite you to deliberate on Mr. Pettigrew's verdict," with that Fudge sat down again.
Immediately everyone along the far wall leaned closer to each other and started whispering urgently between themselves. After the Headmaster cast a strong Silencio around their seats the talking seemed to grow louder. On my left Ron reached over and grabbed my hand. I smiled at him before using my other hand to take Harry's. Harry turned to look at us both and grin thankfully. I closed my eyes and tried to will the Wizengamot to vote against Wormtail. It only took a few minutes before I heard someone at the front clearing their throat and I opened my eyes again. The Headmaster was standing up. He motioned with a hand and Fudge, Wormtail, and Sirius all stood up with him.
"The Wizengamot and I have come to a decision. We charge Mr. Peter Timothy Pettigrew with 736 counts of Using an Unforgivable, undetermined multiple counts of Illegal Dark Arts Activity, I believe we said 500 counts?" he directed the question at the rest of the Wizengamot, most of who nodded, "Yes, 500 counts of Illegal Dark Activity, 29 counts of Robbery, 305 counts of Attack Another Wizard With Mal-intentions, 4 counts of Concealment Of Information from Chief Warlock, 3 counts of Secret-Keeper Betrayal, 2 counts of Misleading Public On Purpose, and one count of Unregistered Animagus." Here Professor Dumbledore paused again and shuffled a few sheets of parchment.
"Oh yes, we have also decided to clear all charges from under the name of Mr. Sirius Orion Black, including one count of Unregistered Animagus, under the condition that he becomes registered by the end of next week," he looked at Sirius over the top of his papers with a twinkle in his eyes before turning serious again and clearing his throat, "Mr. Pettigrew should have 1,237 Life Terms, 255 Years, and 1 Month in Azkaban Prison. However, as that would be impossible, we charge Mr. Pettigrew with A Life Term in Azkaban Prison, to be started immediately. All charges filed against Mr. Sirius Orion Black as of October 31, 1981, are to be cleared immediately. It is also my duty," the Headmaster let a happy twinkle into his eyes again, "to inform Mr. Black that as a godfather without any criminal offenses against him he is also immediately awarded full custody of Mr. Harry James Potter."
I can tell Sirius is grinning just as widely as Harry.
Wormtail broke down into hysterical sobs in the middle of the chamber, causing most people to look on him in disgust and a few in pity.
"No! You can't! Harry!" Wormtail turned his head toward us, "Harry! James would have never-James would have under-un-understood-" he fell into a choking fit again as both Sirius and Remus stood and started yelling at him, something about being a traitorous rat and not having the right to even kiss Harry's shoes.
"Gentlemen!"
It was Fudge's bark that quieted them; Fudge seemed shocked that they would behave that way. The Headmaster snapped his fingers and the two Dementors came back in and escorted a trembling and screaming Wormtail out through the small door at the back that he had come through.
"No! No! Someone! Please, help!"
The room stayed silent for a few minutes after Wormtail's pitiful exit before-
"Well then Cornelius," Headmaster Dumbledore started, the twinkle back in his eye, "I trust I will receive in invitation to the ball being thrown in honor of Mr. Black that we at Hogwarts all heard about this morning?"
"Oh yes, yes, yes-of course you will Dumbledore, of course you will, and, of course, anyone else Mr. Black wishes to invite, actually," Fudge cleared his throat nervously, apparently the idea of Sirius being innocent will take some getting used to on his part, "I was hoping to speak with Mr. Black about his-er-ball." He looked at Sirius expectantly who shrugged, "Sure, Fudge."
"Minister Fudge."
"Minister Fudge," Sirius mimicked him before turning to us and wrapping first Pr-Remus in a hug, and then Harry, and, finally, me.
"Yay!" I whispered excitedly in his ear, feeling this morning's emotions come back.
Sirius' really free now!
I felt more than heard him chuckle quietly and I let myself giggle into his shoulder happily before he stepped back to shake Ron's hand.