Peter Pettigrew; sorted into Gryffindor. Friends with James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Graduated along with his friends, with barely passing grades. No work history, last address of residence also unknown. Was awarded Order of Merlin, First Class, post-mortem for his confrontation with Black, as he was declared murdered by Black. The only evidence to prove that: the cut finger.
Resisting the urge to face palm as he read the report, Toshiro cursed wizards' stupidity. Trust those idiotic humans to mess up even the easiest of jobs. Continue reading, Master.
Parents still alive, living in a remote mountain in Wales, moved after their son's death for fear of retaliation. Nothing ever happened to them. His last description when alive: short for his age, slightly fat, with mousy brown hair, small watery eyes and pointed nose. Known for being cowardly, never rushing into danger, and seeking protection from those more powerful than him.
And that is all… no medical records, only his date of birth and death, and school records only show his OWLS and NEWT. Address unknown, job unknown, marital status also unknown. Is this some type of joke? Not even Hyorinmaru could remain calm, shaking his head in exasperation. No wonder they cannot govern their people properly, this information is laughable.
Have to agree. At least we know the appearance of the man. Even if twelve years later, he shouldn't have changed that much. Unless there are unknown consequences of staying in his animal form for such a long time.
A possibility we shall have to take in account I am afraid. It would be no good if we started researching about it now, not with our plans on the move. Nodding in agreement, the Captain closed the report, sealing it once again to ensure no child would read it. When will you return to Black for more information, Master?
I have asked lieutenant Ise from the first division to take care of the forged letters, I won't be trusting Matsumoto with that, but it will take a while. But, I'll go there tomorrow. I still need to bring the man food, and the nutritional potions have finally arrived. He was beginning to get invested in Black's health, especially since his little plan had been approved by Captain-Commander. When he had sent the report he had half prayed for the old man to shoot it down, but as always, luck hadn't been on his side.
Master, master, you are hilarious, do you know it? Hyorinmaru laughed amused. Having those thoughts, and yet, the potions were bought before your report even reached the old Captain. Why lie to yourself, my wonderful master?
Biting down on the retort, using his will alone to keep the flush from his face, Toshiro focused on the problem. Shush you. Hopefully the talk we had made Black see reason. It would be hundred times easier if we caught Pettigrew and used him to prove Black's innocence.
It is, however, the man's choice I am afraid. As long as Potter is unaware of the identity of the real betrayer, Black is the only one who has the right to choose the rat's future. That was the only thing neither were willing to change, only nudge the man into the direction that best suited them.
Revenge is such a sweet trap, isn't it? Self-deprecating thoughts filled his head, past rushing forward unbound.
A plate appeared in front of him out of nowhere, Toshiro blinking in surprise as his gaze finally focused on the table. Rice? With nuggets? Looking up, he stared at the young wizard. The child, however, wasn't paying him attention, talking to an older student sitting close. Nothing unusual, they rarely talked while in the Great Hall. The child's action, however, baffled him.
The child was putting food in Toshiro's plate, adding some of the vegetables he tended to eat. It was… deconcentrating, and Toshiro just stared at the child in wonder. That is, until the child snapped.
"Eat, you aren't leaving until you finish."
Smiling bemused, actually having to force himself not to laugh, not that Hyorinmaru's hysterical laughter at the back of his head was helping, Toshiro just nodded. The child was so bizarre. Always projecting the air of superiority and indifference, sometimes even when just among the two of them, and yet always so ready to take care of another. Taking a little bit of his food, feeling his hunger for the first time that day, Toshiro decided to think about the wizard boy another time. He had the matter of the rat to solve.
It was a shame Black hadn't said more during their last meeting, Toshiro actually was having some free time lately, most of the research done. It was the perfect time to hunt for a rat, waiting for the wizards to relax their watch. He knew Pettigrew was at Hogwarts, hidden as a rat, probably as someone's pet…
As he thought about pets, a patch of vivid red hair caught his attention. A memory rose unbidden of something he had heard during Christmas lunch. An almost thirteen years old rat… an uncomfortable feeling of wrongness…
Stopping mid bite, aquamarine eyes narrowed, as he went over everything he knew, everything he heard.
Coincidence?
Shame he didn't believe in those.
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Ron hadn't exactly apologized for the broom incident, and Hermione hadn't said a sorry either, but at least the fighting had stopped. The two of them had even started talking normally to each other, even if remaining cold and distant. But at least there was some progress, Neville reflected, feeling happy for Harry. The green-eyed wizard had tried not to show it, but having his best friends fight had taken its toll on him.
"Ginger roots." Hitsugaya, his potion partner, ordered, completely focused. Not missing a beat, the wizard immediately handed the ingredient, still marvelling at the fact that someone was willing to work with him, and teach him when he messed up.
Over the last month, his potion's ability had sky rocketed, along with his confidence, and destroyed caldrons disappeared almost completely. Neville was ready to worship the ground Hitsugaya walked on, overwhelmingly grateful for his help.
"Is it done?" Looking at the potion, he had to admit it looked as perfect as always.
"Yes. You see the difference between our potions?" At the start of the class, Hitsugaya had deemed that there was enough time to make two potions with time to space, ordering Neville to make one by himself first. Miraculously enough, he had actually succeeded. The potion wasn't perfect, far from it, but compared to his previous work, it was life heaven and earth.
"Yours is lighter and more transparent." Neville commented examining both caldrons, frowning. "Mine has a stronger smell too. Slightly floral? I probably didn't crush the rose petals well enough…"
"You are right on the last part. Also, you should have left the sea salt longer in the vinegar, it didn't dissolve well enough." Quickly taking notes, the wizard listened attentively, hopping to keep improving. Hitsugaya was as always patient with him, calmly explaining his errors, nothing like Snape. "What about the ginger root?"
"I sliced it too thinly, it dissolved too quickly in the end. Is that why my potion finished earlier than yours?"
"Yes, by almost two minutes. That extra time would have eliminated the vinegar excess and allowed a final mix of all ingredients." Time managing was something Neville hadn't quite gasped yet sadly. "But generally speaking it is a good potion. There shouldn't be any bad reactions with any type of surface, and the floral scent may even be a benefit. Good job."
Neville visibly brightened at those words, never growing tired of hearing them. As agreed, he bottled his own potion even though Hitsugaya's was better and they were supposedly working in pairs. The wizard wanted to be judged by his own work, for the final grade to show his progress.
As he submitted their potions and returned to clean the station, he could feel envious glares from the rest of the class, few actually still struggling with their second, or third, attempt. Neville understood them quite well, extremely aware that his progress was all thanks to Hitsugaya. In a way, his lab partner was a personal, real-time tutor. And who wouldn't want one? Joke on them, they shouldn't have alienated and insulted him.
"Potion as perfect as ever I see." Almost jumping at the new voice, Neville looked behind, being greeted by a glaring Malfoy. Immediately he turned around, pretending to be busy, well versed in the art of attempting to disappear into the air. "Are you secretly practicing somewhere?"
"Very funny Malfoy." The way Hitsugaya said it, however, contradicted the statement. "Have you finished yours?"
"Yes, Nott is taking care of bottling it. Are you going to skip lunch today too?" Ski – oh, so that's why he hadn't spotted any white hair in the hall during lunch for the last week. "I understand they are annoying, trust me, but someone is starting to annoy me. And I do not like being annoyed."
"I already put up with them during breakfast and dinner; must I really suffer during lunch too?" It felt weird to hear Hitsugaya's thought on his fellow Slytherin in such manner, but it made him feel good. At least when they were together, the transfer didn't sound as irritated. "Besides, I do not skip lunch. I simply choose to eat it somewhere else."
"Then you better inform professor Snape and Madame Pomfrey, because I refuse to be treated as your babysitter."
And what an image would that make, Malfoy dressed in an uniform singing a lullaby to a child… Neville just couldn't stop himself from laughing. Suddenly realizing what he did, all colour left his face as he slowly turned around. Malfoy looked down right murderous, hand heading towards his wand, probably ready to end Neville's pathetic life at any moment. Feeling a deer caught in the highlights, the poor Gryffindor didn't dare to move, least it trigger the rich boy.
"I'll inform them, Malfoy. Now stop threatening Longbottom and return to your station and clean up, the class is about to end." Surprisingly enough, Hitsugaya actually looked amused at the situation, lips slightly turned upwards. With one last glare that promised retaliation, Malfoy walked away, head held up high. "Children."
I probably should watch my back for the next few weeks. Neville thought as he focused on the caldron, trying to remember the defensive spells he knew. He should brush up on that. Better be safe than sorry.
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Ron was rather enjoying the interrupted break from studying, finding it easier to relax without a certain bushy haired witch glaring at him. Hermione had disappeared somewhere with her books, busy with some project she had been reluctant to talk about, not that the teen complained. He might have stopped with his thoughtless remarks, refraining from actually insulting the girl, but it didn't mean that he forgave her.
"Ron, come on, you can't keep doing this." Harry had said after the Quidditch game, having pulled him to the side, far from the celebrations. Gryffindor had won, even if it had been close. Diggory, Harry had said, was a worthy opponent. "Look at her. She is miserable, always alone and studying… Can you please stop? I think she understood already. So, stop, okay?"
Ron had agreed, if only for Harry, suddenly aware it might have been hard for him to deal with their fights. He was, however, still furious with her, and not only because of the broom. If anything, half through their fight he had forgotten all about the broom, only remembering when Quidditch talk picked up. No, the real reason he was angry was that stupid, orange menace.
Hermione still insisted on letting her stupid cat roam freely. Despite his pleas to stop it, to control the dammed cat, she chose to ignore him. Once again, the genius witch was listening to no one, dead certain that her opinion was the right one.
Scowling, Ron turned around to adjust his position on the large sofa chair. The cat was after Scabbers, often trying to break into their dorm rooms, and Ron seriously feared that one day he would return only to find the rat missing.
To be honest, Ron had never quite liked that rat. He wasn't close to it, not like Harry was with Hedwig, mostly just tolerating its presence. He hadn't wanted it in the first place, and it was a pain to take care of Scabbers, the rat as useless as a toad. Had it been any other rat, Ron would have disposed of it himself, probably releasing it to the nature or something.
Sadly, Scabbers wasn't any other rat. He was Percy's rat!
Percy had never liked him that much. To the older boy, Ron was just another brother to take care of, another mouth to feed and clothe in their already poor family. Not that the young wizard didn't understand him, often wishing himself his parents had less children, overwhelmed in the crowded house.
During their childhood, Percy had often hid in his room, refusing to participate in any of the childish games the twins, and by extension Ron, played. Instead, he had spent his time studying, reading, planning to become something more. To leave their family and make a name for himself. Secretly, Ron had always admired and looked up to him, but lacking both the brains and the patience, had long given up trying to get along with his older brother.
And that's why Scabbers was so bloody important! It had been Percy's, Percy's, and his brother had given it to him. Choosing little, stupid Ron to take care of his pet, instead of the funny, if slightly annoying, twins, or their adorable little sister. While the childhood admiration had died down slightly, the Perfect Percy with his stupid rules more often than not getting on Ron's nerves, it didn't mean that it had been forgotten. Ron didn't want to disappoint Percy, didn't want to anger him.
And yet, Hermione didn't seem to get it! Didn't understand how important that stupid, annoying, fat rat was! Maybe he should have explained it all, but he wasn't that good with emotion and mushy talk, and he certainly wasn't about to admit that he had in the past (and in the present) admired the snotty Perfect. Plus, if that woman expected him to understand other people's bloody feelings just by looking at them, shouldn't it work the other way around too? Ahh, so bloody annoying!
Huffing, the teen crossed his arms, trying to keep those thoughts out of his head. He was supposed to be resting, enjoying the free time, not psychoanalysing himself. And certainly not remembering long, stupid words Hermione tended to use!
Maybe he was hungry. Yes, hungry. His thoughts often went dark when he was lacking food, so it had to be that. Some food would be heavenly; he was famished.
"Weasley." Startled, Ron jumped on his seat, hand blindly reaching for a wand that wasn't in its place. "Were you sleeping?"
Stopping himself in the middle of a rant about foolishness and wand safety, Ron was met with the amused face of a certain white haired student when he finally looked up. For a second there, he simply stared in shock, mind not following the events. Hitsugaya never approached him. Unless…
"Are you looking for Harry? He's not here, he had Quidditch practice. Probably won't be free until dinner, Wood – the Captain, I mean, is driving them all mad with the new routine."
To his surprise, Hitsugaya just shook his head, those cold eyes focused all on him. Which, honestly, were bloody creepy. Had they always been that vivid, or was it just him? "I was actually looking for you. You have a rat, right? I saw it during Christmas lunch." Snapping out of it, Ron just nodded, staring to wish he wasn't alone. "Heard he has lived for thirteen years, which I find fascinating. Domestic rats do not live that long. If you don't mind, I would like to take a look at it."
Shivering slightly, Ron looked furtively around, praying Hermione hurried. "Not that I mind, but why do you want to see Scabbers?"
"I've been reading a lot about magical creatures." Hitsugaya admitted with a shrug, looking unconcerned. "There's a possibility you have a type of a magical rat, they often live much longer than the common rat. Just want to check it."
That was… quite a surprising and logical reason, Ron though for some reason, nodding mystified. "Alright then. Not like he has a busy life. He's not with me now, I tend to leave him in my room. I think the age is starting to get to him."
"Really? Why do say so?"
"He's been losing weight lately, ever since we returned from Egypt. And his skin is a mess; the tonic I bought is hardly working." Not that the cat was helping either, just stressing out the poor rat even more. "How about I bring it to Care Monday morning? It would do good for him to get some fresh air."
"That would be exelle-."
"Ron, sorry, I am ba – Hitsugaya?" Hermione appeared from a corner, holding a terrifying amount of books.
"Granger." The transfer acknowledged her with a nod, though immediately his attention returned to Ron. "Then I shall get going, I have class. Have a nice day everyone."
Blinking at the hasty retreat, Ron almost started laughing, quickly realizing the problem. As always, Hermione had been looking at him with predatory eyes, questions certainly ready to be asked. Honestly, the woman really needed to learn some self-control, probably having scarred Hitsugaya for life.
"That was strange. Was he looking for Harry?"
"No, actually, he was looking for me." Ron replayed with a small smirk, feeling rather smug. He had a hunch Hitsugaya would never look for Hermione, not willingly at least.
"You? Why?"
Ron tired not to feel offended, having thought the same thing, but damn it! The pure confusion in her words made him furious. So Ron wasn't important enough for Hitsugaya to approach him, was it? Of course he wasn't, not when compared with Harry bloody Potter- stop!
"Yes, me. He wanted to see Scabbers." Looking away, Ron buried the jealousy deep inside, ignoring the burning in his stomach. "Apparently Scabbers might be a magical species, so Hitsugaya wants to check it. Hopefully, your cat doesn't eat him until then."
The last part had been unnecessary, Hermione's eyes darkening and lips tightening, but Ron was feeling vicious. Why should he be the only one feeling like crap? The witch took her books to another table without a word, and he said nothing to stop her.
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That dammed brat was still leaving the dorm after midnight!
Sitting in a comfortable chair in his room, slipping slowly a glass of firewisky, Severus watched impassively as the name appeared once again on the list. Toshiro Hitsugaya, 12:30. Disregarding his warnings, and the school rules, the dammed boy left twice a week way past curfew, only to return extremely late. At least there wasn't a repeat of the last incident, the boy was always back before Draco woke up.
Severus had tailed the boy few times, or at least tried to, since the boy was at least regular. Fridays, for example, were one of those days the boy always used for his little night disappearances. Therefore, he had waited few times hopping to catch the boy in the act, or follow him to understand what he did at night. Infuriatingly enough, the boy always managed to escape. Not even once had he seen the young wizard leave the common room, even though at some point he had, against all rules, taken the book with him and watched as the name updated in real time. Without spotting the child.
It was infuriating, enraging, and yet at the same time filled him with some sense of pride. Hitsugaya was one of his snakes, showing off exactly what being a Slytherin was actually about, cunningness. It was a pity he couldn't exactly share such accomplishment, he wasn't willing to share the book, and he had no other proof otherwise.
Sighing in annoyance, Severus took another gulp of his drink, enjoying how it burned his throat slightly. He was already used to it, but the fact the boy's outing seemed to have increased slightly worried him.
Lately, it wasn't unusual for him to leave at least four times a week, and the house elves had reported that every time he requested a basket of food. Nutritional food, especially high in calcium and essential proteins, clearly human food. And while Severus would have liked to believe it was for the boy, he had seen the pitiful amounts Hitsugaya tended to eat at meals. There was no way the boy could consume the amount of food he request every time.
"I am getting too old for this…" The potion's master mumbled as he massaged his head, feeling a headache coming. Not only was he in charge of looking after Potter, that dammed boy having proved already that he was a master at getting in trouble, now he had the mystery of Hitsugaya to add to his worries. Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, Severus wished to have a calm year. "At least Potter has been behaving lately, Hitsugaya's bad enough. The boy probably knows some disguise charms, he's known for reading ahead…"
Annoying, little children… even if Hitsugaya, unsettlingly enough, didn't act like a child. At all. Severus couldn't put out of his mind the strangeness of the transfer, how he held himself and talked. Always so serious, always so composed. It worried him, much more than he liked to admit.
There was, however, one thing good about the whole situation: the boy's friendship with Draco.
Putting them together in the same room had been a rushed decision, Severus understood quite well his godson's need for privacy and a place to relax, but in hindsight, perhaps it had been a stroke of genius. Draco had started to change after becoming friends with Hitsugaya, relaxing slightly and showing a part of himself he had kept hidden for long. And he was doing it in a Slytherin way, much to Severus pleasure.
It was the future, however, that worried him. Dumbledore was convinced Voldemort hadn't disappeared for good, and sadly, Severus had to agree with it. Lucius, that dammed pureblood fanatic, would certainly follow the Dark Lord, and expect Draco to do the same. And Hitsugaya too, probably pressuring Draco to use their friendship to sway the young wizard to their side. Hitsugaya was a powerful wizard, a genius rarely seen in thousand years, and Dark Lord would want him without a doubt. Nevertheless, Severus knew Hitsugaya would not follow them, having seen the boy stand up for anyone in need, be it a Slytherin or a Gryffindor. And that would put Draco is a dangerous situation…
Had it really been a good decision? Was it a good idea to allow the boys to become closer, being well aware of the dark future that awaited?
Severus didn't know, couldn't predict the outcome, and it angered him. It was bad enough Potter was in the middle of it all, the boy fated to fight the Dark Lord; Severus didn't want Draco to be caught in the middle too.
"I think I need something stronger." He grumbled as he stood up, not liking the thoughts filling his head. He would need to meditate and Occlude that night, to organize his thoughts and keep them in control. Slipping on his training just because he was safe would come biting him back in the future. He just knew it. "I do have to wonder though, if I can get away with putting a permanent tracking spell on Hitsugaya. There are few that are hard to notice; maybe that is the answer to half of my problems…"
Just as he was considering the legal ramifications, a call from the headmaster's office came in, demanding his immediate presence. Frowning, recalling the last time he had been called, Severus quickly summoned his robes, hurrying without a thought. What he found, however, wasn't exactly what he had been expecting.
The room was full, all the head of house reunited, waiting in heavy silence. In a chair next to the fireplace sat Lupin, looking even paler than usual, the full moon quickly approaching. Headmaster sat on his chair, staring absentmindedly at something in front of him. But what surprised Severus the most was the presence of Madame Bones herself.
"Severus, thank you for coming so quickly." Dumbledore didn't even look at him, clearly preoccupied with whatever he was reading. "I am afraid we have a situation at hand."
"I have been told you went with Black to school at the same year." Madame Bones stated all of sudden, ignoring that the headmaster wanted to say something more.
"Unfortunately yes." Confused, Severus hid it behind a sneer, not linking how the conversation started. "We were in different houses though."
"I want a second opinion from someone who was not Black's friend." The woman explained sharply. "I assume there is no love lost between the two of you, as far as I understand."
"Yes, Black has always hated me and liked to play… pranks on me along with his friends. As you guessed, not something I enjoyed." Nor wanted to remember.
"Knowing him from school, ignoring the last twelve years, do you believe Black would be capable of betraying the Potter's?" Now that question caught him of guard, wide eyes immediately seeking those around him. Lupin's posture tensed even more at those words, while the older generation just looked away, conflicted in their own way. "Just taking in account what you knew about Black, and not what happened after his arrest."
It was hard to follow Bone's request, the knowledge that Black caused his beautiful Lily's death too vivid even after all those years, but Severus did his best. He recalled those memories of Potter and Black's friendship, how the two bullies seemed to always look out for each other, be it in good or bad times. How Black moved with Potter, how Black was the one to manage the wedding… how Black was named Harry Potter's godfather.
"Had the arrest not happened – "Severus found himself saying " – I wouldn't have suspected Black at all. He had always been close to Potter and cared for him. The two were like brothers, much to my eternal displeasure, and tended to look out for each other. Black betraying Potter… I would have never believed it before the arrest."
Bones nodded in appreciation, signalling her underling to bring something forward. "What I am about to tell you must not leave this room, understood? This is a rather delicate situation that must be threated though carefully."
"As you are probably aware, within the Defence department there is a small initiative to help people who are afraid to report crimes personally, either because they fear they may be attacked or they are unable to leave their home for some reason." The group nodded, waiting patiently. "Last week, the department has received a rather peculiar letter from an unknown sender. Dawlish, read it."
Good afternoon to whomever is reading this,
For security purposes, I won't say my name, for I am afraid something horrible may happen to me if it becomes known I send you this letter. However, I have some important information and questions that I am dying to get answered, and I fear that if I do not do this, I shall not be able to live with my consciousness intact.
I do not believe that Sirius Black is a murderer. If anything, I believe the man is innocent, and being framed by the very man many think of as a hero, Peter Pettigrew."
"This letter is clear nonsense." McGonagall suddenly interrupted in annoyance, making her displeasure heard.
"Professor, listen until the end." The Auror just said, giving her a small smile. "Trust us; we wouldn't be here if it was really just nonsense.
I know it is hard to believe, so please let me explain my reasoning, and then the reason why I started looking into it in the first place.
Through some connection I won't reveal, I tried to find the post-script of Black's trial, as I wanted to know what the man said. However, no matter how my contact has looked, there was no trial. There is a record of the man's capture, his three-day confinement in the holding cells and then an order to transfer to Azkaban. There wasn't a trial, Black wasn't judged by competent individuals, nor was he interrogated. That in itself send red flags. According to the Article 10 of Universal Declaration of Rights, which the magical community recognizes, and Article 7 of International Confederation of Wizards, every being, be it a wizard, a squib, a muggle or a creature, has the right to a fair trial, even caught in the act. In Britain, to be considered a fair trial, there must be a public hearing, heard by an independent and impartial court or tribunal, within a reasonable time. The International Law also states that in case of murder charges, the accused must be interrogated both with and without veritaserum. As such, since Black hadn't had a trial, it is a violation of the articles stated above.
Furthermore, since this basic right was violated, under the British Magical Law, Article 5, subsection 3, the Ministry is prohibited from taking any legal actions against Black for the stated crime, and instead must pay compensation for the unlawful imprisonment.
Moving on from the judicial aspects, I might have gotten a little too enthusiastic, let's focus on the crime itself, more importantly, the person who threw him in.
While the one in charge of the Department of Law Enforcement at that time was Crouch, all papers regarding Black's fate were signed by Mucliber. And this man has been known for saving plenty suspected Death Eaters from their fate until the day he had been revealed as being a Death Eater himself. If Black was indeed a Death Eater, why hasn't Mucliber tried to help him? It would have been easy, seeing as there was no one else left alive to contradict Black's statement. And everyone knew how close Black was to the Potter's, certainly everyone would have believed him if he said that someone else did it. Perhaps saying that they changed their secret keeper at the last minute, it wouldn't be that hard to believe. And yet, Black was thrown into prison without a chance to defend himself, and Mucliber walked away from the supposed right-hand of You-know-who.
And there's even more proof that something is wrong in the whole picture. Because Black has been thrown in prison, all Black assets have been frozen. It means that all the shares the family had had effectively stopped counting, since the Black family inheritance laws clearly state that the title cannot be passed to the next in line unless the current head dies. Black after running away from home was not, unlike the rumours, disinherited. As such, he was legally Lord Black since the death of his mother, and because he was alive, even if in jail, continued being considered as the Head. With this Mucliber family and few of his associates have gained quite a profit over the last twelve years, profits that would have been lost had Black been deemed as innocent.
Not to mention the power shift in the Wizengamot council. With the Potter seat frozen, since little Harry was just a baby unable to name a regent, and Black seat frozen holding three votes, some dubious laws have been passed that usually would have failed. And as you suspected, it was Mucliber's family and company that gained the most from those new laws.
This leads me to fear that the unlawful imprisonment has actually been just a way to keep Black far away from his rightful place in business and society. Of course, it doesn't make him innocent, which I will be explaining next.
"This is one long heavy handed letter…" Flitwick mumbled almost distracted, while the Auror took the time to drink some water.
"Tell me about it. I've read it about ten times before I understood everything." Bones mumbled back, sighing.
Let us begin with the simplest, yet so difficult question. How did Black kill all those people?
The official reports stated that Black used a Blasting Curse to blow up the street, killing in the process twelve Muggles and Pettigrew. However, the first scene report contradicts the story. It clearly states that Black was standing on the far side from the suspected centre of the curse. The radius of the blast does not corroborate with Black's position. Even if he assume that Black moved for some reason seconds prior to Aurors arrival, which in itself is hard enough, there is still the issue with Pettigrew.
His only remain found on the crime scene was a finger. The official report states that Black hit him in blank range with the Blasting Curse. However, if it were true, then there would be more pieces left on the crime scene of the dead man, not only a finger. As far as I have researched, there exists no spell capable to evaporating completely a body. Which begs the question, where did the rest of the body go?
By the way, isn't the finger suspicious in the first place? The report clearly states the cut on the finger was clear and sharp, certainly not something that would be left after being blasted off by an explosion. If anything, wouldn't it be more logical to assume that someone cut off the finger? Black's wand had been collected, but it had never been tested for proof of the spell, once again violating the laws of this country. Luckily, it has not been disposed of, so maybe it is still possible to check it.
But then, returning to the question, who cut the finger? Black? Unless there was a third person on the scene, which has been disproven by the initial report since only two magic residues were found, this means only one thing: Pettigrew cut off his own finger. And why would he do it, unless he wanted to frame Black?
Furthermore, the finger has been found at the epicentre of the Blast. Quite possibly, Pettigrew was the one to that cast the spell that killed the Muggles, probably hopping to kill Black too. Yet when he noticed that Black survived, he cut his finger and disappeared, hopping to gain himself enough time to escape and hide. Now, I do not know how he managed to escape in time not to be caught by the arriving Aurors, but I believe it sounds more plausible than the official theory, and has less holes in it.
As for why I stated looking into it… I truly hope this is information will never be tracked back to me. I recently found out that a close family member of mine had been a Death Eater during You-know-who's regime, and he and his friends still meet up sometimes to "talk about the good old days" as they like to say. I overheard them talking one night by accident, few weeks after Black's escape. And the content of the conversation…
One of them admitted proposedly influencing the Minister to keep Black locked up without a trial, to the point he ordered people to keep the information well-hidden and away from righteous eyes. But more importantly, they laughed at the situation, at the simple thought that anyone would believe Black to be a Death Eater. Curious I stayed, and one of them admitted that he was there when Peter Pettigrew bowed before their Lord and gave them the information on Potters. He was there during the initiation, when Pettigrew took the mark and swore to follow You-Know-Who…
I probably should have started with this information, but I hardly could believe it myself, certainly, others would believe me crazy and ignore my letter. I just hope that the information I wrote so far will be enough to make the righteous people look into this matter and help Black. The fact that someone spend twelve years in Azkaban without a trial is bad enough, if those words were indeed true and Black was innocent… I cannot imagine the repercussions it will have. Please, look into it, and find the truth.
Sincerely,
Someone who cares
Oppressing silence was ruling in the room, as everyone tried to digest the letter in their own way. Steadying himself against the nearby chair, Severus mind reeled from the information, absorbing the presented facts like a sponge. It shouldn't be possible, it shouldn't make sense… and yet, infuriatingly enough, it did. He recalled his own disbelief at the news that Black had been arrested for the treason of Potters, and then the rage that had followed.
"The information presented in the letter has been confirmed." Bones admitted, taking the drink Dumbledore had summoned to everyone. Not even thinking, Severus took a bit gulp of his, anything to steady himself. "Legally, the Ministry cannot continue perusing Black on the charges of breaking out of Azkaban, nor murder. Legally that is."
"The Minister is against it?" McGonagall guessed with a twisted smile.
"I haven't told him yet." The whole room looked at her in shock and confusion. "I am not blind to the machinations of our Minister. He will do everything to burry this situation. No, we need to figure out the truth first before reaching for the Minister, or else the truth will be hidden forever."
"Still, I cannot believe that little Peter would betray his friends." Flitwick interrupted, sitting down looking his age for once. "He was always so shy, and he seemed to adore James."
"Pettigrew was a coward." Severus suddenly found himself saying, venom in his voice. "But I have to say, he wasn't dumb. He knew that only being friends with Potter and Black would guarantee his safety in the school."
"An opportunist then. If he took advantage of the situation and tried to frame Black…"
"Peter wouldn't… could have never…" Lupin mumbled looking half-dead, certainly clinging to his memories like a child.
"It doesn't matter if he could or not." One of the Auror suddenly interrupted, shaking his head. "Everything in the letter checks out, but there is one important factor we must remember. The Auror Force arrived just few seconds after the blast, and no one saw Pettigrew there, dead or alive. Unless you know how he could have escaped so quickly without apparating, then this discussion is pointless."
Lupin winced loudly, curling into himself. "I know one." His voice was barely more than a whisper, as pathetic as the man himself was. "There is one way he could have pulled it off…"
"Then out with it!" McGonagall ordered annoyed, obviously not liking the situation.
"Peter was a rat." At the blank looks he received, Lupin smiled wryly, some colour finally returning to his face. "An animagus. Peter was an unregistered animagus. They all were. James, Peter and… and Sirius. And Peter was a rat."
Lifting his eye brow at that, wondering how fitting should the sender's suspicious turn out right, Severus tried to analyse the situation logically. At least the bastards being animagus explained why he had never managed to catch them in the act when they had been younger.
"If he turned into a rat after cutting his finger, he would certainly escape undetected. The Aurors are expecting humans, not rats." Bones mumbled almost to herself, before recomposing herself. "It's probably how Black escaped Azkaban too. Do you know what his animal form is?"
"I…" Lupin hesitated for a second, before shaking his head sadly. "I don't know. James and Sirius wanted to keep it a secret, just in case. Peter, however, couldn't stop bragging about it and trying to show off. Had it not been for James and Sirius, Peter would have revealed himself on the first day."
A clear lie, Severus thought critically, but chose not to call out the man on the lie. Clearly, Lupin already believed Black to be innocent, and maybe he could use it to his advantage in the future.
"This changes the situation." McGonagall concluded displeased, holding her head in pain. Wordlessly the potion master passed her a headache relief potion, for which she was grateful. "It becomes possible for Peter to kill those muggles and escape without anyone being none the wiser."
"And with Black never receiving a trial nor being interrogated, Pettigrew managed to escape being punished for twelve years."
Once again, the room fell silent, each digesting the information carefully in their own way. Severus wished he could forget his standing and get drunk that night, memories of Black too close to his consciousness to be comfortable. Yet, he had responsibility to his students; getting drunk was not an option. At all.
"This situation is a mess…" Adjusting her robes, Madame Bones stood straighter, turning her attention to her subordinated. "Today, I evoke my power as the Head of the Department of Law Enforcement, and revoke Minister's order. Black is to be caught alive, and only alive. Any disregard for this order will be met with highest order of penalty."
"Yes Mam!" The Aurors said as one, the seriousness of the situation clear to everyone.
"Dawlish, you work on investigating everyone related to the Black case, start building a case against them. Their actions must be brought to light. Robards, start looking for Pettigrew. Assume worst-case scenario, that Pettigrew was the traitor, and work from there. Investigate everything you can, if he is alive, we must find him. Shacklebolt, you take two more Aurors you trust and start investigating every current resident of Azkaban. We cannot allow innocent people to be incarcerated."
"Mam, if we assume that Black is innocent – "Shacklebolt suddenly chipped in frowning slightly "– doesn't it mean that since he escaped now, he somehow found where Pettigrew is hiding?"
Narrowing her eyes, Bones considered the situation carefully. "Remind me the exact circumstanced around Black's escape."
The crazy man was obviously at Hogwarts, had tried to get into the Gryffindor dorm… Did Black believe Pettigrew to be at Hogwarts? It was a scary possibility, Severus thought detachedly.
"Well, he escaped about a week after the last inspection the Minister conducted on Azkaban. According to the Minister, Black was unnaturally lucid and even asked for the latest journal, which the Minister leant to him. After that, the patrol reported that he was mumbling daily, repeating He's there, he is at Hogwarts."
That part of the story was quite known, the reason why everyone believed Black to have come after Potter. However, the current situation was painting a completely different picture. "Which edition did the Minister give him?" It was the only thing that could have triggered the escape.
"If I recall correctly, it was the issue with the Weasley's in it. I was accompanying the Minister half the way, so I am certain I remember correctly."
"I have a copy here." It was the first time the Headmaster said anything, and Severus almost jumped in fright having forgotten him. The twinkle in his old eyes was gone, replaced by a heaviness and solemnity he had seen only in the darkest days during the war. "A copy for everyone."
The group accepted the papers in good will, eyes immediately drawn to the pages. They didn't have to look for long though, as Severus immediately spotted it. The reason why Black broke out and was on the run.
"Check the front page." He somehow managed to croak out as his thoughts ran wild, hatred for the man that almost costed his life battling with the knowledge of his unlawful imprisonment. Severus despised Sirius Black, would gladly taunt him and hurt him and probably even torture if given a chance. But not even in his all-consuming hatred did he believe that the man deserved to suffer twelve years in Azkaban, subjected to his worst memories. Not if he truly didn't betray Lily.
All eyes focused on the front page, taking in the smiling family, their red hair almost overwhelming everything else. However, for once, the family wasn't the target of everyone's focus. No, the whole room was staring at only one thing: the small rat on Ron Weasley, missing a finger.
.
.
.
The child was late. Standing in front of the castle as they had agreed, Toshiro tapped his foot impatiently, counting the seconds. Master, calm down. Hyorinmaru recommended, trying to hide his own apprehension.
He should have already arrived. It might be that Weasley just forgot about it, but I cannot help but imagine other situations. His mind was running through all the possible scenarios, each worse than the one before. If the rat was actually Pettigrew and realized he was being suspected…
That's impossible. We have shown no reasons for him to suspect anything. But perhaps its better if we checked on the boy, worrying won't help during the lesson. As always, Hyorinmaru had a point. There were still five minutes until the beginning of the class, if he hurried, he should make it in time. Unless the child got somehow lost… Considering about whom he was thinking, it was quite possible. Be nice.
"Malfoy, I need to take care of something. I shall be back before class." Warning the child, already used to it, Toshiro hurried away. There were few hidden passages that would lead directly to the tower.
And just to make sure… He called a nearby ghost, asking him to check for the child in the rest of the castle. Through the many months he had been there, the souls had finally calmed down once they realized he wasn't going to forcefully send them away. It had morphed into an almost amicable relationship, most ghosts willingly doing what he asked. If Weasley got lost somehow, I am charming a map to follow him until he learns.
Hurrying through the corridors, he arrived at the tower in record time, not even the bit winded. The entrance, strangely enough, was opened, and he could hear familiar yelling from inside. Frowning, not liking the situation one bit, he bravely walked in.
There was a large crowd in the common room, watching something happening in the middle. Toshiro shivered displeased at the warmth, guessing correctly that the fireplace was burning. The colours were the second thing his mind captured, barely keeping a grimace of his face at the brightness on the room. Red and gold, whoever decided on such decoration needed to have his eyes checked.
Neither of those details, however, mattered, as he noticed the couple fighting in the middle. A certain pair of children that had been fighting for weeks, rather loudly sometimes, annoying both professors and other students. Weasley and Granger were at it again.
"It killed him! Killed! I told you, why didn't you listen!" The young man was holding a sheet, his posture tense. "I asked you to be careful!"
"It wasn't Crookshanks." The girl yelled back, her eyes ablaze, though the uneasiness in her posture betrayed her fear.
"Then how do you explain the hair? Cat hair, next to my bed!"
"It may have fallen long ago! That proves nothing!" The girl shot back, clenching her trembling hands. Toshiro noticed Potter watching from the side, obviously unsure whom to defend, helpless.
"Oh yes, then what about this?" Finally, Weasley showed the sheet he was holding, glaring at her viciously. "There's blood! Blood, and it's not mine. It's Scabbers, left when the monster you call pet attacked him and killed him!"
The witch just stared at it in horror, unable to argue back any longer. The so called proof, however, didn't make much sense to Toshiro. Cats were rather excellent hunters, and extremely territorial and careful. Without a doubt it would have grabbed the rat and ran away immediately, to finish the small animal in a safe place. Not to mention that he had seen the cat called Crookshanks himself, and honestly, had it chosen to eat the rat, there certainly would be no blood left. It would have been swallowed immediately.
"Enough." Toshiro called as Weasley began another tirade, disliking how nobody came to the child's defence. While Granger could be hard to deal with, she didn't deserve to be scolded and humiliated in front of the whole house. "Weasley, you are late."
"Hitsugaya…" The child looked at him in confusion, before sneering at the girl. "There's no more Scabbers left. Her cat ate him, and she can't even admit it."
"What happened?"
"I came to get Scabbers as promised, and found him gone, and a bloody sheet the only thing left." The child explained venomously. "That dammed cat has been after my rat all this time, but no, of course Miss Perfect does-"
"Ron." Potter suddenly interrupted, giving him a pointed glare. The red head shut up with a huff, but it pleased Toshiro to see at least someone stand up for the child. Angry or not, with reason or not, Weasley was behaving terribly.
"Are you certain the rat was eaten? As far as I have understood, I do not see why you immediately accuse Granger's cat."
"Of course it was that dammed cat! That beast has been after Scabbers since day one, always trying to catch and eat him."
"I am not dismissing your statement, Weasley." Toshiro stated giving him a pointed glare. "I am simply trying to make you understand that without clear proof, you cannot accuse her cat of anything. All you have is circumstantial evidence and blood on the sheet, which could have many explanations. Have you or anyone else seen the cat sneak into the room today?"
The boy just stared at him with his mouth open, as if he was some kind of alien. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Toshiro focused on the audience. "I believe I asked a question. Has anyone seen the cat sneak into the boys' dorm today?"
A small first year boy slowly raised his hand, looking extremely uncomfortable. "I-I saw the cat today, b-but it wasn't in the dorm." Prompting him to continue with a nod, the Captain waited patiently. "T-the cat has spent the whole morning near t-the lake, enjoying the sun. It even allowed me to pet him."
"And when did it leave?"
"I don't think it left." The boy admitted looking away as Weasley glared at him. "When I left for my class, an hour ago, it was still there, sleeping."
Murmurs followed, as the audience began to discuss the case among themselves. Funny how this situation suddenly became some sort of detective novel. Toshiro almost rolled his eyes at Hyorinmaru's remark, though he had to agree.
"That proves nothing!" As if to prove his zanpakuto's point, Weasley acted out, taking the role of the accuser. "The cat still had some time to reach Scabbers and eat him!"
"Perhaps. But you must accept that it's possible that the cat had nothing to do with it too. Unless you find someone who saw the cat enter the room, you can´t keep blaming it. We have a witness that saw the cat outside. If you want to continue perusing your point, I suggest you find a witness of your own too."
"On whose side are you?" The child was angry, furious, but Toshiro noted that his words had managed to shake the child.
"No ones, Weasley. I am on the side of truth." Even if sometimes truth hurt more than the lies. "Now, I need to return, my class is about to start. If you manage to find the rat, I would be grateful if you called me."
The crowd parted ways as he began to walk out, aware he had little time to return. It was funny though, how the children looked at him, with respect and few with badly concealed fear. Of course then there were the Weasley twins, whose gazes were creepy in their own way, smiles too large for their faces. Making a mental note to stay away from those two, Toshiro stopped at the entrance, considering the situation for a second.
"And Weasley – "The child turned around face red and conflicted "- I would advise you to think twice about how you treat your friends. If you continue this way, one day you might find yourself without them."
.
.
.
"The rat. Was he hanging around the young red headed male from the Weasley family?"
Toshiro had dropped the bombshell on the poor wizard without a thought, watching detachedly as the man almost gave himself a whiplash. It would have been amused, had he been in a better mood.
"How did- Who told-" The man tried to find something to say, but clearly gave up mid-way, lying down on the bed. "Yes, yes he is. Why?"
"Because he ran away, that's why." Now that was enough for the man to actually hurt himself, as Black tried to stand up too fast for his frail body to follow. Wincing as he hurt his back, and his legs, the man fell back on the bed. "I believe he's still at Hogwarts, but he ran away from the Weasley boy. Left some bloody sheets trying to frame a cat, trying to make everyone believe he's dead."
"That bloody…" Whatever he called the rat Toshiro didn't hear, the words too muffled by the hisses of pain, but he suspected it wasn't anything good.
"It seems he likes to frame other people. No matter, I have someone on the lookout for him. The moment he appears, I'll catch him." Mumbling a quick healing charm, Toshiro made a mental note to either acquire or brew some pain relief potions, as the normal medicine didn't seem to be working for the man.
"You CANT!" The man, stupidly enough, tried to move again, panicking out of nowhere. Not in the mood to deal with another mental break down, or broken bones, Toshiro gently but decisively held the man down.
"Stop moving, injuring yourself further won't help anyone." For once, the man seemed to listen, stopping his pointless fight. "I do not plan to approach the rat rashly, I am not an idiot. But we need to catch him before he runs away or hurts someone. I am planning on securing a cage to keep him while we work on getting you a fair trial."
Black considered his words for a second, eyes darkening and expression growing serious. "You still want me not to kill the rat."
"Yes. I know it is your choice and you have the right to kill him if you want, but I hope you think of the future for a moment before making your decision." Running a diagnostic charm he had learned, Toshiro frowned at the results, deciding he needed to bring the man more food in the future. And perhaps look into those nutrient potions the book talked about. "You have a godson waiting for you, believing you killed his parents. Don't you think Potter has the right to know the truth?"
That's dirty. Hyorinmaru's remark fell on deaf years as Toshiro continued. "I cannot tell you everything, but Potter needs someone to take care of him. I am afraid that if nothing is done, he'll develop some dangerous habits in the future."
"Harry…" The man mumbled sadly, shoulders shaking from repressed tears. It was unsettling how Black's emotions fluctuated from one side of the spectrum to another in a matter of seconds; it could be dangerous if it happened around the wrong people. "D-does he really need me?"
"Potter almost knows nothing about his parents. No memories and no one willing to tell him about it." To the point that he is willing to put himself in danger, Toshiro thought sadly, knowing better than to voice it. "You may actually be his last link to his parents."
The man said nothing, lost in whatever thoughts polluted his mind, as Toshiro slowly worked on improving his condition. Kido wouldn't be useful for the current situation, as Black wasn't suffering from a wound, so he had to rely on magic. At least it was better than to wait for the man to recover naturally, but honestly, Toshiro´s knowledge of magical healing was almost none-existent. He would have to check some books soon.
"If… If I am free, do you think Harry will move in with me?" Black's voice was just a whisper, broken and childish. Hopeful even.
"Maybe not right away. You are weak and sick; it would be unfair for the child to have to take care of you." Seeing the man deflate, he hurried to add. "But I am sure once you are healthy again, it might change."
"Then… then I won't do it. I won't… won't kill that bastard. If it means that I get Harry back…"
"Understood. You rest and recover; I shall take care of the traitor." It happened quicker than Toshiro had projected, having been ready to wear down the man until the last second. This certainly makes things easier.
Indeed it does, Master.
.
.
.
"Why again am I helping you?" Harry asked bored holding the increasingly heavier pile of books.
"Because you are my friend." The bushy haired teen answered without missing a beat. "And because you own me one. Now, stop complaining, you said you would help."
"Yes, mam." Harry would have saluted had it not been for the burden in his arms. All he could do was hope Hermione would hurry, he was starting to lose feeling of his arms. And no doubt the librarian would not be happy if he let those books fall, accidentally or otherwise. "What are you even researching this time?"
For a second there the girl froze, her arm clutching another book. Harry had almost missed the hesitation on her face, how her fingers shook slightly, but he had always been too observant for his own good. "You know you can tell me, I won't judge."
"It's not like that..." Sighing, Hermione retracted her arm, putting it over her midsection for comfort. "I want to... find a way to locate Scabbers." Her voice was low, little more than a whisper, but he heard it clearly. "If Hitsugaya is right, then Scabbers is out there somewhere, probably afraid and lost and..."
"And you felt responsible?" He guessed, fighting against the need to give her a hug.
"I... a little." She admitted with a shrug, looking away. "Croc is not a monster, but it's true that he has been trying to catch Scabbers since the beginning. I wanted to think the best of him but even I can't ignore the reality before me. Something has happened to Ron's rat, and my cat is the most likely culprit. If I continue to ignore what is logical, can I really consider myself smart?"
Harry wanted to reassure her somehow, but knew it would be just pointless words she didn't need to hear. It was refreshing, however, to see her take responsibility for her actions, and realize that perhaps she had been wrong somehow. "I have to agree with your decision, but I have to ask. What made you change your mind? Usually you would have just continued acting like you are always right. No offense."
"None taken." The girl laughed a little, pulling the book and asking to return to their table. "I may have... had some time to reflect on my actions. What Ron said to me during holidays, I've been thinking about it. A lot. And I realized that he was right. I am so used to being right, to just following my own convictions that I might have grown arrogant."
"You aren't arrogant." Harry quickly interfered, finally putting down the books, always ready to defend his friends. Even if it was from themselves, apparently.
"No, I was... I am arrogant. And bossy. Just look at what happened last year. I was so certain that making that potion was the only way to interrogate Malfoy that I put all of your in danger. There were other ways, less dangerous too. We could have been caught, the potion could have been a disaster... and I wouldn't have known. You don't realise how lucky we were Harry." Sitting down, the girl shook her head in despair, fist clenching. "That's why I'll try and own up to my mistakes, and try to be less bossy... even though the two of you always make it so hard."
Grinning, Harry had to admit that was true. Both Ron and he were so used to relying on Hermione that more often than not they just went along with her plans. "How about a compromise? We will try to be more self-sufficient, or at least I will, and you'll talk to us first before deciding to do anything? Especially if it's something behind our backs."
"Deal." Hermione smiled warmly, looking away embarrassed. "And Harry? I am sorry for going behind your back. I swear, I shall never do it again. No matter what happens, good or back, I'll always talk with you first."
"I don't ask for anything else. You are forgiven." Those simple words seemed to have lifted a weight from her shoulders that the wizard hadn't noticed before, as the girl visibly relaxed. Even though he had interacted with her since that incident, and hadn't been cold nor mean to her, their relationship hadn't exactly been the same. Hopefully they would be back to their usual interaction from that day on, he had missed their easy friendship.
Conversation died as each took one book to read, Harry offering his help readily as always. Ron wouldn't be talking to Hermione any time soon, and she was already overworked with all the classes she had to take. Neither Ron nor he had yet to figure out how she did it, as she always talked about all her classes as if she had attended them, but Harry was starting to suspect that perhaps being in two places at the same time wasn't as impossible as Ron had claimed to be. Then again, he didn't want to pry too much, there had to be a reason why she hadn't told them in the first place. Scowling at his thoughts, he focused on the book. He was supposed to be helping, right?
Declaimer: I don't own Harry Potter nor Bleach
A/N: Hello, hello. I am back! After a lot of contemplation, soul searching and crying, I decided to change my approach to this story. Usually I write the chapters in my free time, and if I finish it before the next update is supposed to happen, I just wait for the next month. This, however, leads to one important problem: usually the following month I don't have free time, and as I re-read what I wrote before posting, I find myself wanting to change parts. This of course becomes a problem because I don't have the time to change things, and so the chapter arrives extremely late.
After considering this problem, I thought: Why don't I just post the chapter immediately after I finish it and find myself happy with it? Makes things easier, and I don't forget why I wrote it that way in the first place. For example, this month, I'm feeling extremely inspired. (probably because I saw the new Fantastic Beast movie - 10/10 would watch again). Next month I will be swarmed with presentations and won't even want to look at the story, forget editing it.
And so, I decided to change my approach. This of course means that updates will be more erratic, but hey, not like I was updating regularly anyway (cries in a corner). Though a quick warning, I won't be writing anything for a while, my uni work is starting to catch up. Fast.
Warning: I took some liberties with some characters we do not have much information about, Mucliber for example, and probably will do the same in the future. The same with some laws, but the fair trial is real, in case you are wondering.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter! A wonderful 10k chapter. I must say, I was proud of myself XD.
Thank you for reading :)