(Disclaimer: J.K Rowling Owns All of Harry Potter, (Including Sirius Sob,
Sob).
Chapter 26: The Ministry of Magic..
"Remus can you give us a moment" Dumbledore asked giving him an odd glance.
"Come on Nicole, Harry I'll shout you's a drink upstairs" Lupin said as Dumbledore settled himself on the edge of the bed.
He watched as the three of them left the room, when Lupin closed the door he reached into his robe retrieving another letter, this one was an official letter from the Ministry of Magic.
He looked over to her, small cuts marked her face, and large purple bandage covered the gash to her forehead, she grimaced in pain as she pulled herself up as he handed her the letter.
Dumbledore sat silent as Jessica looked over the letter before looking back up to him, "Two charges" she uttered leaning back into the pillow.
Dumbledore lowered his head, "One for the misappropriation of Magic in front of Muggles" he stopped and cleared his throat, "The second for the use of an illegal curse causing death," he said lifting his head to look at her.
"So they're going to send me to Azkaban" Jessica said as she tried to suppress her rising fears.
"I've already spoken with Cornelius this morning, you have to appear before a Ministry panel on Wednesday, due to the extenuating circumstances of what happened we should be able to work out something, but no matter what you won't be going to Azkaban, Cornelius knows that sending you to Azkaban would be just handing you over to Lord Voldemort with him having most of the Dementors support now " Dumbledore said quietly as he looked over his glasses at her.
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"Why did Professor Dumbledore lie?".
Lupin lifted his head from gazing sleepily into his tea, as they sat in the quiet tea room, "What do you mean?" he asked as he looked intently into Nicole's eyes.
"He said mum was hurt doing a job for the Order, but she wasn't was she?" she questioned.
"She killed Pettigrew didn't she?" Harry added hesitantly, both of them staring at Lupin awaiting his answer.
He looked across at their inquiring eyes weighing up the best way to answer their questions, "She did what she felt she had to do and we were there with her" he said glancing down to his tea again.
"What's going to happen to her?" Harry said as he pushed Lupin for more answers.
"She, ." He stopped and looked over at Harry. "We don't know yet. Now if your both finished your drinks we better head back down stairs".
When they arrived back in the ward, Dumbledore stood looking out the window as the Healer helped Jessica out of bed, "This is going to hurt at first, so just put your weight on me till the pain eases" said the stocky built dark headed woman.
Jessica slipped to the very edge of the bed her feet an inch from the floor, Lupin stepped around placing his hand under her arm giving her support as Nicole and Harry looked on, as she stood every nerve in her body seemed to react with shooting pain, Jessica's knees buckled under her as she cried out in agony.
"Stop it, your hurting her" Nicole yelled at them distressed at seeing her mother in such pain.
Dumbledore walked calmly over to her his hand gently resting on Nicole's shoulder as Lupin and the Healer helped Jessica to her feet again, "They're not hurting her Nicole, they are moving her around to remove the remnants of the curse, the pain should only last for a few moments".
Harry glanced up at Dumbledore slightly confused, "Why has it remained in her for so long, I mean when Voldemort"-.
"Ah you see Harry when Voldemort hit you with the Cruciatus curse you were able to move after a few minutes, but Jessica was knock unconscious she hadn't move around properly so her nerves are still raw from the effects, thus the need to move her around" Dumbledore said smiling softly to him.
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Late that Sunday afternoon they arrived back at Grimmauld place by the floo network, Tonks was in the drawing room to greet them, Harry and Dumbledore said there good-byes at the hospital, Dumbledore reminding her he would meet her at the Ministry of Magic on Wednesday Morning at Eleven O'clock sharp .
"We will be down stairs in a minute" Lupin said to Tonks and Nicole before closing the door to the drawing room, he leaned back against the door looking at Jessica as she stood before him.
"How's your head feeling" he asked .
"I've still got a headache" Jessica uttered hoping to deter him from yelling at her.
"Good, I hope it damn well hurts" Lupin said calmly .
Jessica kept her head lowered as she waited for him to explode at her, she knew what ever he dished out to her was nothing more than she deserved, she had abused their friendship, but as the minutes passed without a word she lifted her head, tears began to well in her eyes as she looked at him, "I sorry Remus for what I've put you through".
"What are you trying to do Jess?" he said, his tone softened as he stepped over to her, "Ever since Sirius died you're doing everything in your power to destroy yourself, it's got to stop Jess".
"I can't live without him Remus" she sobbed as he pulled her into his embrace, "He was my life, I don't know how to live without him anymore, I don't want to live without him, GOD I wish Bellatrix had killed me last night, I really do" she said lifting her head to look at him.
"You're not alone in this Jess, you've got Nicole and a baby on the way and you know I'm here for you".
" I know I keep telling myself that but,.. but I just have this gapping hole inside me and I don't know how to fill it, I don't know what I'm suppose to do anymore", she said, as his fingers gently stroked across her checks brushing away her tears as he looked at her.
"You're suppose to go on with your life, no one ever said it was going to easy, but you've got to try" he said as she lowered her head nodding slightly.
As he opened the door he looked at her again giving her a smirking smile, "It's nice to know that something Sirius and I taught you sunk in through that thick skull of yours".
"What was that?" she asked frowning.
"To carry two wands when you're going into a battle" he said smiling.
"That and how to hold my alcohol" she grinned softly.
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That night as she lay in bed the door slowly creaked opened and Nicole poked her head in, "Mum you asleep?" she whispered.
"No, come in" Jessica said pulling back the blankets.
Jessica wrapped her arms around Nicole as she settled in the bed next to her mother, "Do we have to stay here, I mean in this house can't we go back to our place?" Nicole asked in an almost painful tone.
"I know it hard, but, we have to stay here we just have to help each other through this and in a few weeks Harry will be here, I guess it's not going to be easy for him either coming back here" Jessica softly uttered.
A long silence followed as Nicole lay there thinking about everything her mother and Lupin had told her, she shifted turning to look at her mother in the dark, "It's going to be alright, isn't it?" She asked apprehensively.
"Yeah it will be alright" Jessica said holding her tighter.
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Nicole stood in the drawing room with Molly as they watched Jessica then Lupin enter the fireplace and disappear as they headed to the Ministry of Magic.
Jessica stepped out of the fireplace at The Ministry of Magic to be greeted by Kingsley, Tonks, and Moody, "Come on hurry up" Moody grumbled looking at his watch as Lupin stepped out of the fireplace brushing himself off.
"What are you all doing here?" Jessica asked as they left the floo room.
"We're here as witnesses" Tonks said smiling as she fiddled with her hair, "Do you think the colour is a bit off putting" she asked.
"Stop fussing with your bloody hair, damn foolish girl" Moody snapped before taking a drink from his hip flask as they entered the lift.
"I think it looks very fetching" Kingsley said looking down at her light green hair, " Just ignore Alastor he tends to get a little edgy whenever he comes in here".
"Why what did he say?" Tonks asked innocently, Lupin looked across at her smiling as the doors open to the ninth floor.
Jessica looked down the corridor at the end stood the door to the Mysteries department, a hand touched her back urging her to keep moving, Kingsley moved across to walk with her his hand rested on the small of her back as they neared the door, "Have you been to a hearing before?" he asked, Jessica shook her head as her eyes stayed focused on the Mysteries Department door.
"Well they'll take us in one at a time and take each of our statements, then last they will call for you, all you have to do is tell them exactly what Remus told you" Kingsley told her as they descended the stairs just near the entrance to the Mysteries department , at the bottom Dumbledore stood talking to Cornelius Fudge who moved off into a room next to the old courtroom as they arrived.
Dumbledore looked to Lupin who nodded to him before he turned to Jessica, the others sat down on the over sized chairs that lined the narrow dimly lit corridor, "Alright" Dumbledore said as he took her hand, "You know what to say?".
Jessica nodded smiling nervously "Yeah I've just got to lie through my teeth and hold my temper" she said looking at Remus.
"Just like you do to me" He said raising his eyebrow to her.
"I've never, well maybe once" she said smiling .
"Once?, Lets see, I didn't know Tonks was here, or I don't have my wand with me and my favorite, you could really do with a shower, and that's just recently" Lupin said smiling as Jessica gave a little laugh.
"That last one wasn't a lie, you really." Jessica stopped talking as the door open and a diminutive well dress wizard stepped out into the corridor "Alastor Moody" He called before moving back into the room.
Moody got to his feet and glanced over to Jessica, "Damn waste of time if you ask me" he grumbled as he entered the room.
Jessica sat watching as one by one they were called in until there was only her and Dumbledore left , Tonks had been the last one called for and hers had been the longest it had been over an hour since she went in.
Finally the door opened again and the wizard stepped out "Jessathena Black", Dumbledore patted her hand as they both got to their feet and headed into the hearing room.
Jessica walked through the door into a large oval room, to her left against the tapestry cover wall sat the members of the order that had come to bear witness for her, Remus lifted his head glancing over to her his expression giving Jessica a very unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Dumbledore grabbed her arm and leaned over to her as his eyes looked across the other side of the room, "Be careful of what you say" he warned before taking his seat.
Jessica looked over to her right, the clerk sat fiddling with his parchment and quill next to him was a women, her blonde hair turned up in an elegant French twist, she was immaculately dressed with an expensive Kilcher's red velvet robe draping her shoulders, Jessica's head darted back across to look at Lupin her mouth dropping opened as she realized who the women was, the scantily clad barmaid from the Devils arms.
Jessica pulled off her robe and stepped forward to the front of the room where a chair awaited her in front of an arched bench. Sitting at the bench was four wizards, Percy Weasley sat just to her right next to him was Merrick Larsen the principle judicial officer and a member of Wizengamot. To his right a sat Warwick Slater a lanky looking Wizard his long fingers rifling through the parchments in front of him, he lifted his head looking over to Jessica his piercing green eyes reminding her of Harry.
"You may sit" Cornelius Fudge said as he took his seat next to Slater.
Jessica glanced over to Dumbledore before moving around the chair and sitting down. The clerk stood pulling out his wand, pointing it at his quill he mumbled a charm and the quill readied it's self to write everything Jessica said.
"State your full name" the clerk ordered as he sat back into his seat.
Jessica clenched her fist in her lap as she looked over to the clerk, "Jessathena Mara Kallixena Black" she stated resentfully.
"Now Jessathena we'll start with the first charge 'Disapparating in front of a large group of Muggles'" Larsen said lifting a parchment to his view.
"You were in the Muggle town of Duns is that correct?" Larsen asked without looking up at her.
"Yes, I was at a Muggle coffee shop".
"Pearsons is that right?" he asked.
"Yes".
"And why were you in Duns".
"I needed some time to myself".
"So you were sitting in the coffee shop when, Nymphadora Tonks and Oliver Wood approached you".
"Yes, that's correct".
"Right" he said shuffling with another piece of parchment, "And several minutes later Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shaklebolt also joined you".
"Yes, they had come to take me home,". She uttered softly.
"Jessica was very upset over the recent death of her husband and her mind was not quite her own, she panicked, there's nothing sinister in what she did, she used poor judgement and she's remorseful for that " Dumbledore said as he stepped over to the bench and then whispered to Larsen who nodded several times.
Dumbledore walked back over patting Jessica on the shoulder before taking his seat, as the four wizards put there heads together talking, Larsen again shuffled through his parchments before looking over to Jessica. "Alright, the second charge, the use of an illegal curse causing death, that took place at the Devils Arms again in Duns" Larsen said looking at her.
"Yes" Jessica answered glancing back to Lupin.
"And your reason for being there on that Saturday night?" Percy asked.
Jessica looked over to the barmaid before shrugging her shoulders, "I went to apologize to Remus for what I had put him through recently".
Lupin leaned forward running his hand over his face as he watched her, the defense they had concocted had gone straight out the window once they knew the barmaid was there, Jessica was on her own.
"And how did you know they were going to be there?" Slater asked.
"I had over heard a conversation earlier in the week where they were making plans to meet up there".
"Did you have anything to drink when you arrived at the Devils Arms that night?" Slater asked raising his eyebrow to her.
"Yes I had four firewhisky's".
"So you were fairly intoxicated then?" he muttered.
"I had several drinks but I was in no way drunk" Jessica said as she fiddled with her fingers nervously.
Slater looked over at her for a couple of moments before asking his next question, "So who were these four Deatheaters that were present at the Devils Arms that night?" he asked casually leaning back in his chair.
Jessica glanced to Dumbledore who nodded slightly to her, "There was Bellatrix Lestrange, Basteon Holmes, ...Severus Snape and Peter Pettigrew".
"Hmm Severus Snape did he not approach you while you were standing at the bar" Larsen asked.
"Y-Yes" She said hesitantly.
"And were you not seen in his arms" Slater stopped and looked down at his notes, "I believe the statement from Miss McLeish was you were seen giggling and being rather intimate with this so-called Deatheater ".
"I- He, he took me by surprise I wasn't expecting him to, to come over to me, but I was in no way intimate with him or giggling, he was threatening to take me to Voldemort", she said regaining her composure.
"He- who-must-not-be-named, Jessathena" Cornelius corrected her.
"So are you stating that Miss McLeish lied?" Slater snarled.
"Well what exactly did she claim to see?" Jessica asked.
"Lets see" Slater hissed as he looked over his notes "Ah here, Severus Snape was seen to approach you and then proceeded to pull you into his arms where upon he began intimately kissing you, which Miss McLeish claims you seemed to have no objections to".
Jessica raised her eyebrow as she looked across the room to Miss McLeish "Quite an imagination you have there" she said smiling.
"Please Jessathena just answer the question, were you intimate with Severus Snape?" Cornelius repeated.
" I believe I have already answered that question, but did any of you bother to ask her how many drinks she had that night?" Jessica snapped as there line of questioning started to annoy her.
"She is not the one whose accused of using an illegal curse you are" Larsen said.
"Well then ask me about the damn curse not all this other bullshit" Jessica yelled as her patience with there questioning abandon her.
"Please control your language Jessathena" Cornelius warned her.
"Did you accompany Snape and Lestrange back over to the table where Pettigrew was sitting" Percy asked as the other two scribbled out notes.
" Yes, I mean No, they forced me go over with them" She said as she stood with her arms folded.
"And your friends they just sat back and let this happen?" Larsen asked as he continued to write.
"I don't know what they were thinking, why don't you ask Miss McLeish she seems to know everything that went on" she answered sarcastically.
All four of them looked over at her, Dumbledore got to his feet and stepped over to her, "Just take a deep breath and calm yourself" he whispered putting his arm around her.
Jessica looked up at him "I'm alright Albus" she said softly.
When Dumbledore sat back down Slater started his next question, "Did you lean on the table and take a drink Pettigrew had just poured".
Jessica stood with her head lowered she glanced over to Lupin an encouraging smile passed between them as his words rang in her ears, 'lie through your teeth if you have too', she lifted her head looking straight at Slater.
"Oh Yes I was just having the time of my life, I was standing with four Deatheaters one that had killed my husband and the other that had sent him to prison and they were about to take me to Voldemort, so I thought oh I'll just share a drink with the man that sent my innocent husband to Azkaban for twelve years, Isn't that right Ms McLeish," Jessica snapped as she stepped over to her.
"Jessathena Black! you will confine your answers to us not to the witness", Larsen said rising to his feet.
"And I have warned you once all ready about using that name in here I won't tell you again and put a lid on that attitude thank you Jessathena" Cornelius snarled at her.
"Fine, but what sort of statement do you expect from her, she works in a pub well known for its links to Vold. to him and she had more to drink than I did that night and your relying on what she's told you" Jessica said walking back over to stand in front of Larsen "Would you stand having a drink with a man that had ripped your life to pieces".
" No one is relying on anyone's statements yet, we are just simply here to find out what happened and if there is reasonable cause to continue to a trial, so please just take your seat Jessathena" Larsen said softly before glancing over to Miss McLeish.
Jessica sat herself back down Dumbledore looked over his glasses at her a sly smile curling his lips as he realized she was using everything she had in her to discredit Miss McLeish.
"Alright Jessathena what happened after Bellatrix took your wand and Holmes bound your hands" Larsen said running his hand across his forehead as he read from one of the orders statements .
"Shots came from across the room I was pushed to the floor near the bar as the Deatheaters returned the curses," Jessica said.
"You mean to tell me one of the Deatheaters pushed you to the floor to protect you from the shots?, Who?" Slater asked as he glared at her.
"I , I don't know, it all happened so quick I was just shoved out of there way so they could return the shots that were coming at them".
"Please continue", Cornelius said without waiting to see if Slater had another question.
" I lifted my hands above my head and called out to Tonks, I mean Nymphadora and she sent a shot across the room releasing the ropes, I grabbed my other wand and tried to get to my feet that's when I seen Pettigrew, he was standing near the corner about to shape shift"-.
"So now your telling us Pettigrew was an unregistered Animagus" Slater questioned disbelievingly.
"Arh yeah I guess I am" Her sarcasm cutting across the room as her frustrations with Slater grew, "That's how he had you's all believing that Sirius had killed him".
"What happened after you seen Pettigrew?" Larsen asked as he looked up from his notes.
"I called out to him as I made my way across the room towards him, he looked over at me as I raised my wand I then hit him with the killing curse" Jessica said lowering her head.
"And where was Pettigrews wand?" Larsen asked.
"He had it raised at me".
"Why is it you used that curse and not just a stun?" Slater questioned.
"Pettigrew was not someone to play around with, he had already shown to what lengths he would go to escape, he had killed twelve Muggles and sold his best friends out to Voldemort and"- .
"No" Slater snapped as Cornelius glared at her for mentioning Voldemort again, "Sirius Black was responsible for the deaths of the twelve Muggles".
"Sirius never killed anybody!" Jessica yelled as she quickly rose to her feet and stormed over to Slater, behind her she heard several chairs move as Lupin and Kingsley got to there feet, "He went after Pettigrew for leading Voldemort to Lily and James Potter and it was Pettigrew that killed the Muggles when Sirius cornered him, but you were all to stupid to listen to what Sirius was trying to tell you's, you just threw him in Azkaban without even hearing his side of the story" she bellowed as Dumbledore grabbed her shoulders pulling her back.
Slater looked at her smiling smugly as he found her ultimate weakness and was about to use it to his advantage, "You have no remorse for killing Pettigrew do you Jessathena, not after what you believe he did to your husband".
Jessica looked at Dumbledore as his grip tightened on her shoulder, "No I have no remorse for killing him I would gladly do it again, Pettigrew was nothing but a slimy coward that sold out his friends to Voldemort and left Sirius to rot in prison" she snapped as Dumbledore kept a tight hold on her.
Larsen looked over at her as Slater sat back satisfied with his work, "Just a couple more questions Jessathena, when you discharged your wand where was Pettigrew standing" .
"He was about twenty or so feet from me, facing me" Jessica said softly having calmed herself under Dumbledore's orders.
" You're sure he was facing you" he inquired.
"Yes".
"And where exactly did your shot hit him" he asked frowning at her.
"I don't know I never seen it hit him, I was hit from behind with a Cruciatus curse I fell hitting my head on the table, I only realized I killed him when I came to and seen his body lying on the floor".
"Alright Jessathena", Larsen said as they all got to there feet collecting there notes, "Take a seat this shouldn't take long".
Jessica watched as Dumbledore and the clerk followed them into a side room.
Lupin's hand slipped around her shoulder as the others came over to her, "You did alright up until that Slater started in on you", he said as he crouched down next to her.
"Well it looks like you'll be visiting me in Azkaban" She said trying to smile at them.
"I say we just get her out of here now" Moody growled.
"No thanks Alastor, I'll take what's coming after all I did it" She uttered as Kingsley frowned at Moody.
"He was a Deatheaters for Merlin sake what the hell does it matter, it's not like he was an innocent person" he grumbled as the door suddenly open and they all filed back into the room.
"This can't be good, them coming to a decision so quickly" Kingsley said.
When everyone was seated Jessica stood before them, Larsen looked over at her his gazing giving her no clue as to what he was about to say to her.
"For the first charge of the use of Magic in front of Muggles, we understand the strains you were under having just suffered such a loss and your state of mind at that time must be taken into account as Albus pointed out to us, so you shall just receive a warning, as for the second charge , The use of an illegal curse causing death, the charge is dropped ".
Jessica stood for a moment totally Dumbfounded as around her the others breathed a collective sigh of relief loudly, "But I don't understand how can that be I".
"Everyone's statements of what transpired that night varied greatly" Larsen said as he glanced cynically over to everyone, "But the one consistency was that Pettigrew was facing you when you discharged your wand".
Jessica looked at him now utterly bewildered, "The shot that killed Pettigrew hit him to the back of his head, from what we understand your shot would have hit him in the chest or lower, obviously it did not hit it's mark" he said raising his eyebrow to her. "The shot would have to either come from the right side of the room or behind him not from in front of him".
Dumbledore stepped over to Larsen shaking his hand as the other three got up leaving the room, Jessica stood glued to the ground reeling in the fact that she didn't kill Pettigrew.
Tonks grabbed her robe as Lupin picked her up hugging her, " It was never in doubt that she was innocent" Moody said a rare smile touching his lips.
That night after enjoying a fine roast dinner Molly had prepared for her she sat up in the drawing room sipping on the one goblet of wine Remus allowed her, her thoughts going over and over who was in a position to kill Pettigrew and the only person that kept coming to her mind was Severus Snape..
(A.N. This chapter was going to be Sirius's return, but then it was brought to my attention that Jessica would be in some sort of trouble for what she had done so that's why I had to explain what happened to her Sorry , but next chapt sorry can't type any more huge star now totally obscuring my vision *********LUV NIK***********************))_
Chapter 26: The Ministry of Magic..
"Remus can you give us a moment" Dumbledore asked giving him an odd glance.
"Come on Nicole, Harry I'll shout you's a drink upstairs" Lupin said as Dumbledore settled himself on the edge of the bed.
He watched as the three of them left the room, when Lupin closed the door he reached into his robe retrieving another letter, this one was an official letter from the Ministry of Magic.
He looked over to her, small cuts marked her face, and large purple bandage covered the gash to her forehead, she grimaced in pain as she pulled herself up as he handed her the letter.
Dumbledore sat silent as Jessica looked over the letter before looking back up to him, "Two charges" she uttered leaning back into the pillow.
Dumbledore lowered his head, "One for the misappropriation of Magic in front of Muggles" he stopped and cleared his throat, "The second for the use of an illegal curse causing death," he said lifting his head to look at her.
"So they're going to send me to Azkaban" Jessica said as she tried to suppress her rising fears.
"I've already spoken with Cornelius this morning, you have to appear before a Ministry panel on Wednesday, due to the extenuating circumstances of what happened we should be able to work out something, but no matter what you won't be going to Azkaban, Cornelius knows that sending you to Azkaban would be just handing you over to Lord Voldemort with him having most of the Dementors support now " Dumbledore said quietly as he looked over his glasses at her.
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"Why did Professor Dumbledore lie?".
Lupin lifted his head from gazing sleepily into his tea, as they sat in the quiet tea room, "What do you mean?" he asked as he looked intently into Nicole's eyes.
"He said mum was hurt doing a job for the Order, but she wasn't was she?" she questioned.
"She killed Pettigrew didn't she?" Harry added hesitantly, both of them staring at Lupin awaiting his answer.
He looked across at their inquiring eyes weighing up the best way to answer their questions, "She did what she felt she had to do and we were there with her" he said glancing down to his tea again.
"What's going to happen to her?" Harry said as he pushed Lupin for more answers.
"She, ." He stopped and looked over at Harry. "We don't know yet. Now if your both finished your drinks we better head back down stairs".
When they arrived back in the ward, Dumbledore stood looking out the window as the Healer helped Jessica out of bed, "This is going to hurt at first, so just put your weight on me till the pain eases" said the stocky built dark headed woman.
Jessica slipped to the very edge of the bed her feet an inch from the floor, Lupin stepped around placing his hand under her arm giving her support as Nicole and Harry looked on, as she stood every nerve in her body seemed to react with shooting pain, Jessica's knees buckled under her as she cried out in agony.
"Stop it, your hurting her" Nicole yelled at them distressed at seeing her mother in such pain.
Dumbledore walked calmly over to her his hand gently resting on Nicole's shoulder as Lupin and the Healer helped Jessica to her feet again, "They're not hurting her Nicole, they are moving her around to remove the remnants of the curse, the pain should only last for a few moments".
Harry glanced up at Dumbledore slightly confused, "Why has it remained in her for so long, I mean when Voldemort"-.
"Ah you see Harry when Voldemort hit you with the Cruciatus curse you were able to move after a few minutes, but Jessica was knock unconscious she hadn't move around properly so her nerves are still raw from the effects, thus the need to move her around" Dumbledore said smiling softly to him.
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Late that Sunday afternoon they arrived back at Grimmauld place by the floo network, Tonks was in the drawing room to greet them, Harry and Dumbledore said there good-byes at the hospital, Dumbledore reminding her he would meet her at the Ministry of Magic on Wednesday Morning at Eleven O'clock sharp .
"We will be down stairs in a minute" Lupin said to Tonks and Nicole before closing the door to the drawing room, he leaned back against the door looking at Jessica as she stood before him.
"How's your head feeling" he asked .
"I've still got a headache" Jessica uttered hoping to deter him from yelling at her.
"Good, I hope it damn well hurts" Lupin said calmly .
Jessica kept her head lowered as she waited for him to explode at her, she knew what ever he dished out to her was nothing more than she deserved, she had abused their friendship, but as the minutes passed without a word she lifted her head, tears began to well in her eyes as she looked at him, "I sorry Remus for what I've put you through".
"What are you trying to do Jess?" he said, his tone softened as he stepped over to her, "Ever since Sirius died you're doing everything in your power to destroy yourself, it's got to stop Jess".
"I can't live without him Remus" she sobbed as he pulled her into his embrace, "He was my life, I don't know how to live without him anymore, I don't want to live without him, GOD I wish Bellatrix had killed me last night, I really do" she said lifting her head to look at him.
"You're not alone in this Jess, you've got Nicole and a baby on the way and you know I'm here for you".
" I know I keep telling myself that but,.. but I just have this gapping hole inside me and I don't know how to fill it, I don't know what I'm suppose to do anymore", she said, as his fingers gently stroked across her checks brushing away her tears as he looked at her.
"You're suppose to go on with your life, no one ever said it was going to easy, but you've got to try" he said as she lowered her head nodding slightly.
As he opened the door he looked at her again giving her a smirking smile, "It's nice to know that something Sirius and I taught you sunk in through that thick skull of yours".
"What was that?" she asked frowning.
"To carry two wands when you're going into a battle" he said smiling.
"That and how to hold my alcohol" she grinned softly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That night as she lay in bed the door slowly creaked opened and Nicole poked her head in, "Mum you asleep?" she whispered.
"No, come in" Jessica said pulling back the blankets.
Jessica wrapped her arms around Nicole as she settled in the bed next to her mother, "Do we have to stay here, I mean in this house can't we go back to our place?" Nicole asked in an almost painful tone.
"I know it hard, but, we have to stay here we just have to help each other through this and in a few weeks Harry will be here, I guess it's not going to be easy for him either coming back here" Jessica softly uttered.
A long silence followed as Nicole lay there thinking about everything her mother and Lupin had told her, she shifted turning to look at her mother in the dark, "It's going to be alright, isn't it?" She asked apprehensively.
"Yeah it will be alright" Jessica said holding her tighter.
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Nicole stood in the drawing room with Molly as they watched Jessica then Lupin enter the fireplace and disappear as they headed to the Ministry of Magic.
Jessica stepped out of the fireplace at The Ministry of Magic to be greeted by Kingsley, Tonks, and Moody, "Come on hurry up" Moody grumbled looking at his watch as Lupin stepped out of the fireplace brushing himself off.
"What are you all doing here?" Jessica asked as they left the floo room.
"We're here as witnesses" Tonks said smiling as she fiddled with her hair, "Do you think the colour is a bit off putting" she asked.
"Stop fussing with your bloody hair, damn foolish girl" Moody snapped before taking a drink from his hip flask as they entered the lift.
"I think it looks very fetching" Kingsley said looking down at her light green hair, " Just ignore Alastor he tends to get a little edgy whenever he comes in here".
"Why what did he say?" Tonks asked innocently, Lupin looked across at her smiling as the doors open to the ninth floor.
Jessica looked down the corridor at the end stood the door to the Mysteries department, a hand touched her back urging her to keep moving, Kingsley moved across to walk with her his hand rested on the small of her back as they neared the door, "Have you been to a hearing before?" he asked, Jessica shook her head as her eyes stayed focused on the Mysteries Department door.
"Well they'll take us in one at a time and take each of our statements, then last they will call for you, all you have to do is tell them exactly what Remus told you" Kingsley told her as they descended the stairs just near the entrance to the Mysteries department , at the bottom Dumbledore stood talking to Cornelius Fudge who moved off into a room next to the old courtroom as they arrived.
Dumbledore looked to Lupin who nodded to him before he turned to Jessica, the others sat down on the over sized chairs that lined the narrow dimly lit corridor, "Alright" Dumbledore said as he took her hand, "You know what to say?".
Jessica nodded smiling nervously "Yeah I've just got to lie through my teeth and hold my temper" she said looking at Remus.
"Just like you do to me" He said raising his eyebrow to her.
"I've never, well maybe once" she said smiling .
"Once?, Lets see, I didn't know Tonks was here, or I don't have my wand with me and my favorite, you could really do with a shower, and that's just recently" Lupin said smiling as Jessica gave a little laugh.
"That last one wasn't a lie, you really." Jessica stopped talking as the door open and a diminutive well dress wizard stepped out into the corridor "Alastor Moody" He called before moving back into the room.
Moody got to his feet and glanced over to Jessica, "Damn waste of time if you ask me" he grumbled as he entered the room.
Jessica sat watching as one by one they were called in until there was only her and Dumbledore left , Tonks had been the last one called for and hers had been the longest it had been over an hour since she went in.
Finally the door opened again and the wizard stepped out "Jessathena Black", Dumbledore patted her hand as they both got to their feet and headed into the hearing room.
Jessica walked through the door into a large oval room, to her left against the tapestry cover wall sat the members of the order that had come to bear witness for her, Remus lifted his head glancing over to her his expression giving Jessica a very unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Dumbledore grabbed her arm and leaned over to her as his eyes looked across the other side of the room, "Be careful of what you say" he warned before taking his seat.
Jessica looked over to her right, the clerk sat fiddling with his parchment and quill next to him was a women, her blonde hair turned up in an elegant French twist, she was immaculately dressed with an expensive Kilcher's red velvet robe draping her shoulders, Jessica's head darted back across to look at Lupin her mouth dropping opened as she realized who the women was, the scantily clad barmaid from the Devils arms.
Jessica pulled off her robe and stepped forward to the front of the room where a chair awaited her in front of an arched bench. Sitting at the bench was four wizards, Percy Weasley sat just to her right next to him was Merrick Larsen the principle judicial officer and a member of Wizengamot. To his right a sat Warwick Slater a lanky looking Wizard his long fingers rifling through the parchments in front of him, he lifted his head looking over to Jessica his piercing green eyes reminding her of Harry.
"You may sit" Cornelius Fudge said as he took his seat next to Slater.
Jessica glanced over to Dumbledore before moving around the chair and sitting down. The clerk stood pulling out his wand, pointing it at his quill he mumbled a charm and the quill readied it's self to write everything Jessica said.
"State your full name" the clerk ordered as he sat back into his seat.
Jessica clenched her fist in her lap as she looked over to the clerk, "Jessathena Mara Kallixena Black" she stated resentfully.
"Now Jessathena we'll start with the first charge 'Disapparating in front of a large group of Muggles'" Larsen said lifting a parchment to his view.
"You were in the Muggle town of Duns is that correct?" Larsen asked without looking up at her.
"Yes, I was at a Muggle coffee shop".
"Pearsons is that right?" he asked.
"Yes".
"And why were you in Duns".
"I needed some time to myself".
"So you were sitting in the coffee shop when, Nymphadora Tonks and Oliver Wood approached you".
"Yes, that's correct".
"Right" he said shuffling with another piece of parchment, "And several minutes later Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shaklebolt also joined you".
"Yes, they had come to take me home,". She uttered softly.
"Jessica was very upset over the recent death of her husband and her mind was not quite her own, she panicked, there's nothing sinister in what she did, she used poor judgement and she's remorseful for that " Dumbledore said as he stepped over to the bench and then whispered to Larsen who nodded several times.
Dumbledore walked back over patting Jessica on the shoulder before taking his seat, as the four wizards put there heads together talking, Larsen again shuffled through his parchments before looking over to Jessica. "Alright, the second charge, the use of an illegal curse causing death, that took place at the Devils Arms again in Duns" Larsen said looking at her.
"Yes" Jessica answered glancing back to Lupin.
"And your reason for being there on that Saturday night?" Percy asked.
Jessica looked over to the barmaid before shrugging her shoulders, "I went to apologize to Remus for what I had put him through recently".
Lupin leaned forward running his hand over his face as he watched her, the defense they had concocted had gone straight out the window once they knew the barmaid was there, Jessica was on her own.
"And how did you know they were going to be there?" Slater asked.
"I had over heard a conversation earlier in the week where they were making plans to meet up there".
"Did you have anything to drink when you arrived at the Devils Arms that night?" Slater asked raising his eyebrow to her.
"Yes I had four firewhisky's".
"So you were fairly intoxicated then?" he muttered.
"I had several drinks but I was in no way drunk" Jessica said as she fiddled with her fingers nervously.
Slater looked over at her for a couple of moments before asking his next question, "So who were these four Deatheaters that were present at the Devils Arms that night?" he asked casually leaning back in his chair.
Jessica glanced to Dumbledore who nodded slightly to her, "There was Bellatrix Lestrange, Basteon Holmes, ...Severus Snape and Peter Pettigrew".
"Hmm Severus Snape did he not approach you while you were standing at the bar" Larsen asked.
"Y-Yes" She said hesitantly.
"And were you not seen in his arms" Slater stopped and looked down at his notes, "I believe the statement from Miss McLeish was you were seen giggling and being rather intimate with this so-called Deatheater ".
"I- He, he took me by surprise I wasn't expecting him to, to come over to me, but I was in no way intimate with him or giggling, he was threatening to take me to Voldemort", she said regaining her composure.
"He- who-must-not-be-named, Jessathena" Cornelius corrected her.
"So are you stating that Miss McLeish lied?" Slater snarled.
"Well what exactly did she claim to see?" Jessica asked.
"Lets see" Slater hissed as he looked over his notes "Ah here, Severus Snape was seen to approach you and then proceeded to pull you into his arms where upon he began intimately kissing you, which Miss McLeish claims you seemed to have no objections to".
Jessica raised her eyebrow as she looked across the room to Miss McLeish "Quite an imagination you have there" she said smiling.
"Please Jessathena just answer the question, were you intimate with Severus Snape?" Cornelius repeated.
" I believe I have already answered that question, but did any of you bother to ask her how many drinks she had that night?" Jessica snapped as there line of questioning started to annoy her.
"She is not the one whose accused of using an illegal curse you are" Larsen said.
"Well then ask me about the damn curse not all this other bullshit" Jessica yelled as her patience with there questioning abandon her.
"Please control your language Jessathena" Cornelius warned her.
"Did you accompany Snape and Lestrange back over to the table where Pettigrew was sitting" Percy asked as the other two scribbled out notes.
" Yes, I mean No, they forced me go over with them" She said as she stood with her arms folded.
"And your friends they just sat back and let this happen?" Larsen asked as he continued to write.
"I don't know what they were thinking, why don't you ask Miss McLeish she seems to know everything that went on" she answered sarcastically.
All four of them looked over at her, Dumbledore got to his feet and stepped over to her, "Just take a deep breath and calm yourself" he whispered putting his arm around her.
Jessica looked up at him "I'm alright Albus" she said softly.
When Dumbledore sat back down Slater started his next question, "Did you lean on the table and take a drink Pettigrew had just poured".
Jessica stood with her head lowered she glanced over to Lupin an encouraging smile passed between them as his words rang in her ears, 'lie through your teeth if you have too', she lifted her head looking straight at Slater.
"Oh Yes I was just having the time of my life, I was standing with four Deatheaters one that had killed my husband and the other that had sent him to prison and they were about to take me to Voldemort, so I thought oh I'll just share a drink with the man that sent my innocent husband to Azkaban for twelve years, Isn't that right Ms McLeish," Jessica snapped as she stepped over to her.
"Jessathena Black! you will confine your answers to us not to the witness", Larsen said rising to his feet.
"And I have warned you once all ready about using that name in here I won't tell you again and put a lid on that attitude thank you Jessathena" Cornelius snarled at her.
"Fine, but what sort of statement do you expect from her, she works in a pub well known for its links to Vold. to him and she had more to drink than I did that night and your relying on what she's told you" Jessica said walking back over to stand in front of Larsen "Would you stand having a drink with a man that had ripped your life to pieces".
" No one is relying on anyone's statements yet, we are just simply here to find out what happened and if there is reasonable cause to continue to a trial, so please just take your seat Jessathena" Larsen said softly before glancing over to Miss McLeish.
Jessica sat herself back down Dumbledore looked over his glasses at her a sly smile curling his lips as he realized she was using everything she had in her to discredit Miss McLeish.
"Alright Jessathena what happened after Bellatrix took your wand and Holmes bound your hands" Larsen said running his hand across his forehead as he read from one of the orders statements .
"Shots came from across the room I was pushed to the floor near the bar as the Deatheaters returned the curses," Jessica said.
"You mean to tell me one of the Deatheaters pushed you to the floor to protect you from the shots?, Who?" Slater asked as he glared at her.
"I , I don't know, it all happened so quick I was just shoved out of there way so they could return the shots that were coming at them".
"Please continue", Cornelius said without waiting to see if Slater had another question.
" I lifted my hands above my head and called out to Tonks, I mean Nymphadora and she sent a shot across the room releasing the ropes, I grabbed my other wand and tried to get to my feet that's when I seen Pettigrew, he was standing near the corner about to shape shift"-.
"So now your telling us Pettigrew was an unregistered Animagus" Slater questioned disbelievingly.
"Arh yeah I guess I am" Her sarcasm cutting across the room as her frustrations with Slater grew, "That's how he had you's all believing that Sirius had killed him".
"What happened after you seen Pettigrew?" Larsen asked as he looked up from his notes.
"I called out to him as I made my way across the room towards him, he looked over at me as I raised my wand I then hit him with the killing curse" Jessica said lowering her head.
"And where was Pettigrews wand?" Larsen asked.
"He had it raised at me".
"Why is it you used that curse and not just a stun?" Slater questioned.
"Pettigrew was not someone to play around with, he had already shown to what lengths he would go to escape, he had killed twelve Muggles and sold his best friends out to Voldemort and"- .
"No" Slater snapped as Cornelius glared at her for mentioning Voldemort again, "Sirius Black was responsible for the deaths of the twelve Muggles".
"Sirius never killed anybody!" Jessica yelled as she quickly rose to her feet and stormed over to Slater, behind her she heard several chairs move as Lupin and Kingsley got to there feet, "He went after Pettigrew for leading Voldemort to Lily and James Potter and it was Pettigrew that killed the Muggles when Sirius cornered him, but you were all to stupid to listen to what Sirius was trying to tell you's, you just threw him in Azkaban without even hearing his side of the story" she bellowed as Dumbledore grabbed her shoulders pulling her back.
Slater looked at her smiling smugly as he found her ultimate weakness and was about to use it to his advantage, "You have no remorse for killing Pettigrew do you Jessathena, not after what you believe he did to your husband".
Jessica looked at Dumbledore as his grip tightened on her shoulder, "No I have no remorse for killing him I would gladly do it again, Pettigrew was nothing but a slimy coward that sold out his friends to Voldemort and left Sirius to rot in prison" she snapped as Dumbledore kept a tight hold on her.
Larsen looked over at her as Slater sat back satisfied with his work, "Just a couple more questions Jessathena, when you discharged your wand where was Pettigrew standing" .
"He was about twenty or so feet from me, facing me" Jessica said softly having calmed herself under Dumbledore's orders.
" You're sure he was facing you" he inquired.
"Yes".
"And where exactly did your shot hit him" he asked frowning at her.
"I don't know I never seen it hit him, I was hit from behind with a Cruciatus curse I fell hitting my head on the table, I only realized I killed him when I came to and seen his body lying on the floor".
"Alright Jessathena", Larsen said as they all got to there feet collecting there notes, "Take a seat this shouldn't take long".
Jessica watched as Dumbledore and the clerk followed them into a side room.
Lupin's hand slipped around her shoulder as the others came over to her, "You did alright up until that Slater started in on you", he said as he crouched down next to her.
"Well it looks like you'll be visiting me in Azkaban" She said trying to smile at them.
"I say we just get her out of here now" Moody growled.
"No thanks Alastor, I'll take what's coming after all I did it" She uttered as Kingsley frowned at Moody.
"He was a Deatheaters for Merlin sake what the hell does it matter, it's not like he was an innocent person" he grumbled as the door suddenly open and they all filed back into the room.
"This can't be good, them coming to a decision so quickly" Kingsley said.
When everyone was seated Jessica stood before them, Larsen looked over at her his gazing giving her no clue as to what he was about to say to her.
"For the first charge of the use of Magic in front of Muggles, we understand the strains you were under having just suffered such a loss and your state of mind at that time must be taken into account as Albus pointed out to us, so you shall just receive a warning, as for the second charge , The use of an illegal curse causing death, the charge is dropped ".
Jessica stood for a moment totally Dumbfounded as around her the others breathed a collective sigh of relief loudly, "But I don't understand how can that be I".
"Everyone's statements of what transpired that night varied greatly" Larsen said as he glanced cynically over to everyone, "But the one consistency was that Pettigrew was facing you when you discharged your wand".
Jessica looked at him now utterly bewildered, "The shot that killed Pettigrew hit him to the back of his head, from what we understand your shot would have hit him in the chest or lower, obviously it did not hit it's mark" he said raising his eyebrow to her. "The shot would have to either come from the right side of the room or behind him not from in front of him".
Dumbledore stepped over to Larsen shaking his hand as the other three got up leaving the room, Jessica stood glued to the ground reeling in the fact that she didn't kill Pettigrew.
Tonks grabbed her robe as Lupin picked her up hugging her, " It was never in doubt that she was innocent" Moody said a rare smile touching his lips.
That night after enjoying a fine roast dinner Molly had prepared for her she sat up in the drawing room sipping on the one goblet of wine Remus allowed her, her thoughts going over and over who was in a position to kill Pettigrew and the only person that kept coming to her mind was Severus Snape..
(A.N. This chapter was going to be Sirius's return, but then it was brought to my attention that Jessica would be in some sort of trouble for what she had done so that's why I had to explain what happened to her Sorry , but next chapt sorry can't type any more huge star now totally obscuring my vision *********LUV NIK***********************))_