Harry Potter and the Twist in Time
Chapter 21: The Truth Is Out There
With a flash of light, the rat twisted in all directions. Then, in quick movement, the rat expanded into the human, Peter Pettigrew.
"Well hello, Peter," Lupin said, as if rats turned into old school friends all the time.
"Remus, my old friend," Pettigrew gasped, while looking around. "So good to see you."
"What we want to know, Peter, is why you have spent the last ten years hiding as a rat? What reason do you have to hide? You have been considered a hero. Yet you are hiding. Why?" Lupin asked.
"Because I am scared, Remus," Pettigrew squeaked. "I have sent one of the Dark Lord's greatest followers to Azkaban. So his followers will be after me. So I had to hide."
Lupin shook his head. "At the moment, I am finding that hard to believe," he commented. "Why would an innocent man hide? Unless he is hiding something. Did you know that Sirius kept pleading his innocence? He claimed that they changed the secret keeper. I always though he was either lying or mad. Now, I am not so sure. I mean, why do you need to hide from friends who could help you?"
"Remus, my friend," Pettigrew cried, almost pleadingly, "You can't possibly believe him. He's mad. He killed twelve people with a single curse, nearly killing me in the process. He tried to kill me!"
"By the way," Dumbledore finally spoke up, "How did you manage to escape the blast? It made quite a crater in the middle of the street. Then, for some reason, you left your finger behind, which made it look like you had died. I have to agree it's pretty suspicious. For now, I think we should lock you in a room here at Hogwarts. In the meantime, I will send an owl to the ministry about being able to question Mr. Black and possibly set up a trial for him. In the meantime, you two keep this quiet. Is there anything you might like to ask first, though?"
Harry and Ron, who had been in stunned silence through the whole conservation, shook their heads.
"NO!!!" Pettigrew cried. "I am innocent! You can't do this to me! I haven't done anything but live!"
Lupin, McGonagall and Dumbledore exchanged significant looks. Pettigrew was not acting like an innocent man.
"Mr. Pettigrew, no one is accusing you of anything yet," Dumbledore said calmly. "Since you are so afraid for your own safety, I thought it would be best if you were kept from the rest of the school population."
"Harry, Weasley," McGonagall said abruptly. "You two better go down to the kitchens and get some breakfast. Then join your classmates for class. I will let you off your first period. But I expect you to be prompt for your second period."
With that they all left.
000
"Dumbledore you can't possibly call for a trial for Black," exclaimed an exasperated Fudge. "He has already been sentenced to life in prison, case closed. He's in there for the rest of his life."
"And so you want to keep a possibly innocent man in for a crime that he might not have committed," Dumbledore said, trying to remain calm. "And, Black never went through a trial in the first place. Barty Crouch made sure of that. So all I am asking is that Black has a proper trial. Against the Wizengamot if you want. We have very good evidence that will bring light to what happened the night Voldemort disappeared as well as the murders of the Muggles."
"I will think about it. But can you at least tell me where this new evidence came from?" Fudge asked.
"From someone we all thought, including myself, to be dead. I will also need permission to use veratiserum on my witness. I have a feeling that he is hiding something."
"Fine," Fudge said giving in. "But as long as I, and a couple of other people, are there as well.
000
TRIAL FOR SIRIUS BLACK
There has been a call for a trial of Sirius Black, over an announcement of new evidence of his possible innocence.
Ten years ago, in 1981, Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban for the murder of thirteen people with a single curse. Black was sentenced to life in jail with no trial. At the time, no one thought that Black was anything but guilty of the deaths of twelve Muggles and one wizard.
However, Dumbledore yesterday announced that new evidence of the possible innocence of Black has come into light. Dumbledore will not release what this evidence is or where it came from. He will only reveal that this new information will bring new light into what happened on the night of Lord What's-His-Name's disappearance and the mass murder the next day.
Cornelius Fudge is currently trying to stop this happening, saying that Black has already been sentenced and there is nothing more that can be done. This has caused uproar among the supporters of Black.
The Daily Prophet will keep you up to date on this story.
Jane Oxford
"Well the story is out now," Ron commented, after they read the Daily Prophet, during breakfast that day. "Do you really think that Black is innocent? I still can't believe that Scabbers is really Peter Pettigrew."
Harry had been picking through his breakfast, his mind on other things. "I don't know. Mum always told me that Sirius had betrayed my parents and that he is the reason they are dead. But what if it was Peter who betrayed them? I mean, he's my Godfather, and all this time I thought he helped kill my parents. What am I going to say to him? I have hated him most of my life. More than I hate my relatives who abandoned me."
"Hey Potter," Wood's voice called from across the hall, "Quidditch practice tonight. Don't forget we have our first match coming up."
Harry groaned and turned back to Ron, "You'd think that the first match of the year is this weekend, the way Oliver keeps talking about it." And with all the business of Peter Pettigrew, he had forgotten all about the first match coming up, Harry added to himself.
Going up to McGonagall's suite Harry muttered the password "switches" and went straight to his old bedroom. Going through the bookcase, he pulled out an old photo album which he received on his second birthday.
Opening it up, Harry stared at the third page. On it, was a photo of his parents' wedding. The picture also included the wedding party and Sirius Black was there as his father's best man. Harry had looked at the picture a million times and was angry that Black had betrayed his parents. Now this time he was sad. What if he had been wrong? What if it was Peter Pettigrew who had been the betrayer?
000
Later that day.
Several people entered the room where Peter Pettigrew was staying. They included: Rufus Scrimgeor Amelia Bones, Albus Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge.
"Mr. Pettigrew," Scrimgeor started, "my name is Rufus Scimgeor. I am the Head of the Auror department. With me is Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic and Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and of course you know Albus Dumbledore. We are here to talk about what you know in the case of Sirius Black. We have also permission to use veratisirum on you."
"B… b… but I haven't done anything," Pettigrew stuttered. "All I did was hide to keep safe. And then, all of a sudden, people think I killed the Muggles."
"No one thinks you have killed the Muggles," Bones said reassuringly. "All we want to know is what happened that day and how you managed to survive. If you have something else you want to add then go ahead."
They administered the veratisirum to Pettigrew in spite of his protests. Then they started questioning him.
"What happened the day of the death of the twelve Muggles?" Bones started.
"I knew Sirius would be tracking me down so I went into a Muggle populated area," Pettigrew started. "When Sirius arrived I told the whole street of how Sirius could betray Lily and James. Then, with my wand behind my back, I blew the whole street up and transformed into a rat."
Everyone sat in silence. Pettigrew had given more than enough information to clear Black of the murders of the Muggles, and possibly, of the Potter's murder as well.
"Why would Black be after you if you had nothing to do with the Potter's death?" Scrimgeor asked after the silence that followed Pettigrew's earlier answer.
"Because I betrayed the Potter's to the Dark Lord," Pettigrew mumbled. "Sirius knew this so he went after me."
"Did the Potters make you their secret keeper?"
All Pettigrew could do was nod.
Standing up, Fudge announced, "I think there is enough evidence to take this matter to the courts, thank you Dumbledore. I will set the Trial date as soon as possible."
AN: Sorry for not writing for so long. I have been very ill. Then I was on holiday. But the good news is that I have written a couple of chapters while I was on holidays. So keep up the reviews and I will update soon.