"We are here today to set trial for one Peter Pettigrew; I will be presiding this tribunal along with the warlock in chief Albus Dumbledore and the newly appointed head of the magical Law and Justice Department, Amelia Bones. The accused has waived his right to legal counsel; nevertheless, this court will remind him that he still has the right to remain silent." Crouch declared to the assemble.
"Mr. Pettigrew, let's start with the first charge held against you. Did you at any moment work for the Dark Wizard, Lord Voldemort?"
"Yes," Pettigrew croaked, "Yes, I was a death-eater." His words made chatter erupt in the room until Dumbledore silenced it, rising a hand, before asking.
"When did you become a follower of Lord Voldemort? And how did you become a Death-eater?"
Pettigrew remained silent for a long moment, looking scared of the assemble gathered in front of him, looking down at him with profound disgust and hate, as if they were a second away from jumping from their seats and charge at him. Then, he swallowed slowly and answered.
"I became a death-eater approximately a year before Harry was born. However, I have been approached by other death-eaters while I was cursing my last year at Hogwarts. At the time the entire dark Lord's followers were from Slytherin's house, they were asked to identify students that could be attracted by what our Lord had to offer and his views of how society should be, and recruit them."
"You said before that you became a death-eater a year before Harry Potter was born, yet now, you say that you made contact with them while you were still studying at Hogwarts. What should we believe? "Asked Amelia Bones, frowning at him.
"That It…" Pettigrew started before Crouch Inturrepted him.
"None of it I'm Afraid … The charges held against the accused themselves tell us enough about the level of liability his answers carry.
I want to seek the court members the authorization to administrate Veritaserum to the accused. Those in favor?"
All the members of the winzengamot, with no exception, raised their hands simultaneously, approving Crouch's request. The president of the court nodded at Scrimgeour, and the other Aurors posted around the cage Pettigrew was restrained, then Savage took out a flask from the pocket of his robe and handed it to Scrimgeour, who forced Pettigrew to drink it. A brief moment after, Pettigrew's face relaxed, an expression of submission appeared on it.
"Peter Pettigrew, the court asks you to clarify your previous declarations." Crouch Asked.
"What I meant earlier is that it didn't happen overnight. I became a death-eater one year before Harry was born, but the process that led me to that started way long before." Pettigrew answered.
"Who approached you in Hogwart's? Give us the names." Dumbledore asked, making all the eyes locked on Pettigrew turn to him. Kingsley knew that even if the Headmaster's face didn't show any emotion, he was livid about learning that such an operation was taking place just under his nose.
"Antonin Dolohov, a Slytherin who attended the school in the same year I was," Pettigrew answered.
"Well…Dolohov is serving a life sentence in Azkaban…Anyone else?" Bones asked.
"I was only in contact with him while I was still at school, but I know that the Lestrange brothers were working on another student, much younger."
"What student?" Dumbledore asked sharply.
"Bartemius Crouch Jr.," Pettigrew answered, plunging the room into a heavy silence, embarrassed glances towards the president of the court, expecting the man to burst. However, when Crouch retook the floor, it was with a calm voice.
"The man died shortly after arriving in prison…All right, tell us about how Dolohov approached you and how it led you to join their ranks after school."
"It happened during the summer before my seventh year at Hogwarts. I was in wales visiting my grandparents on their farm, near Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire. While I was in the city for some groceries, we ran into each other. He was volunteering in a muggle elderly care home…"
"Dolohov was volunteering in a muggle care home?" Crouch asked, frowning at him.
"Yes…He invited me to visit, which I did the next day…He introduced me to the staff, the people he was taking care of as well, and I joined him. We spent the entire months of July and August together." Answered Pettigrew.
"Taking care of muggles?" Asked Bones.
"Yes…But we spent countless hours talking about everything… Hogwarts, Newt's, after school plans and also about all what was wrong with the world."
"Give us more details about the topics you covered during your "countless hours," Crouch ordered him.
"The statue of secrecy revolted Antonin…The place we were volunteering in was crowded with people suffering, and not far there was a hospital with a pediatric service I couldn't sleep for days after visiting those kids," Pettigrew answered.
"What does it have to do with the statute of secrecy?" Asked Bones.
"The hospital we went to was filled with kids, younger than ten years old, suffering from a decease muggles call "cancer." It was the most heartbreaking experience I had in my life, and also the most infuriating. I agreed with Antonin; wizards didn't hide to protect themselves from muggles, but because they refused to share their knowledge with them. The kids and the older adults we saw could easily survive using potions an OWL student can brew in an afternoon. I agreed with him. Wizards shouldn't hide but make the world a better place. Blessed by magic, we must use it for the greater good. He fumed about how much he hated not being allowed to help more, that he had to go there in secret because people wouldn't understand. He made me promise not to tell my friends at school, that they would not believe that a Slytherin could be friendly toward muggles and would get him into trouble."
Classic, Kingsley thought. Dolohov wasn't there to volunteer. He was there for you. To win your trust and work on your case slowly, while also clearing himself from any suspicions. After all, dedicating an entire summer break to take care of old muggles and kids while Voldemort was rising in power would have made him a "blood-traitor" unless he was there under Voldemort's orders.
"Then, in September, you went back to Hogwarts. Did you keep in touch with Dolohov?" Bones Asked.
"Yes. By December the first, he became my best friend secretly."
Pettigrew said." Since September, James started dating Lily, Sirius was obsessed by his brother Regulus, and Remus only had time for his NEWT'S. We barely spent time all the four together. James and Sirius always found time to hangout, flying on their brooms, or find Remus in the library. I was left alone."
"So I went to the friend I made during the summer. The animosity between Gryffindors and Slytherin was at its higher, so we met in secret. Mostly in the dungeons, I was allowed to go inside Slytherins common room. He introduced me to his friends, who accepted me very fast. Spending time with them made me realize how quick I had been to judge them before getting to know them; I was ashamed of myself. Then Christmas came."
"What happened at Christmas?" Crouch asked.
"Antonin invited me to dinner at Dolohov's mansion. There he introduced me to powerful people."
"Names!" Crouch ordered.
"Augustus Rookwood and Evan Rosier. They were both highly ranked in the ministry of magic. They invited me to follow them in a private living-room where they complimented me about the maturity I exposed our society's sickness. They heard so much good about me from Slytherin students that they couldn't waste the opportunity to meet me. They asked me to tell them more about my thoughts and the solutions I propose to solve various situations. I talked a lot, and they listened. For the first time, no one made fun of what I had to say. Before leaving, they assured me that a job at the ministry was waiting for me after my graduation."
"That's how you got your job here? They gave you a 'boost'?" Bones Asked.
"Yes."
"So…After Hogwarts, you started working in the ministry of magic. If I understand what you said, you've found new friends and stopped seeing James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin. Is that so? So How do you explain…" Started Crouch before Pettigrew interrupted him.
"No. I maintained good relations with them, I was angry at them, Jealous of them, but I stayed friendly with them. We stayed friends even after leaving school. I was invited to James and Lily's wedding, to their house plenty of times and also was present at St mungos the day Harry was born."
"Alright…Please go straight to the moment you officially joined the dark lord." Said Bones.
"It happened a year before Harry was born. I had become very close to the Dolohovs entourage; I admit that I agreed with many of the dark Lord's ideas but not with his violence. However, straight after school, I joined a group…"
"Irrelevant…Please answer the question," Interrupted
sharply Dumbledore.
"On September 1979, I have been invited to a reception held in Bunratty Castle, house Rookwood's stronghold. As usual, everything went fine. However, after sunset and the departure of the guests, Rookwood came to find me to tell that an important personality wished to have a world with me in his office before Leaving."
"Rookwood walked beside me until his study's door and opened it for me before leaving."
"Who was waiting for you?" Asked Crouch, even if everyone listening had certainly guessed the answer.
"The Dark Lord. He was standing in the middle of the room; a giant snake rolled over his body, head resting on his shoulder." Pettigrew answered, causing the room to shiver.
"What was your reaction when you saw Lord Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked.
"I froze. I was terrified." Answered Pettigrew.
"What did he say to you," Dumbledore Asked.
"At first nothing…As soon his eyes met mines, I felt like got inside my mind, I couldn't say for sure how much time I stayed there immobile, but I felt like I watch all my life again as if all my memories were moving inside my head, like a tornado…When I woke up, I was laying on a black leather divan, the dark lord sitting at my side," Pettigrew said.
"What happened next?" Crouch asked.
"He smiled at me and apologized for scaring me…That it wasn't his intention. I didn't say anything, I wanted to run towards the door, but my legs refuse to move."
"Were you restrained?" Crouch Asked.
"No. I was terrified enough to piss myself." Pettigrew said. Kingsley noticed Malfoy and Avery sitting at a distance one from another exchange an amused look.
"Then?" Asked Crouch.
"He starts talking to me; he was very calm. He said that many wizards he held in high esteem had told him a lot of good about me that he couldn't meet me at last once. He offered to help me with my career in the ministry that I only had to ask, and he would get me any job I wanted." Pettigrew answered.
"Keep on…"
"I told him that I wanted nothing from him… That I was disgusted by him, that he could kill me if he wished, I won't change my mind," said Pettigrew. "He laughed at me, dismissed the snake from the room, and told me that he couldn't believe how much wrong I was about him, that he wasn't the monster I thought he was. "
"And then, what happened?" Crouch asked.
"He assured me that if I let him expose to me his vision, I would change my mind. I knew that I didn't have a word in it, so I just nodded, and he began talking… He talked for what seemed an hour about everything. And in the end, I didn't know what to believe anymore."
"Give us more details about the content," Crouch ordered.
"He wanted to reform our society; he wanted to rebuild it and create one where everyone would be free and equal. Where we wouldn't hide from muggles but work with them, that werewolves and other magical beings won't have to hide or marginalized. He said that he never harmed anyone, that all that was said about him were lies. The ministry was corrupted, filled with people who took advantage of the Laws they crafted themselves, seeking more gold and power. That they were afraid of him because he represented the voice of those whom the powerful wanted to shut and oppress. He said that it saddened him that someone like me had to ask Rookwood and Rosier for help to get a job, that in the world he wanted to build, everyone would have a chance." Pettigrew said, then took a deep breath before continuing.
"I replied to him that what he was saying was noble, but yet, his followers came from rich ancient pureblood houses, the same powerful people he wanted to confront… He laughed again and told me that I had no idea what real power is. Then, he told me that he enjoyed talking with me and that he wished we could meet and debate about it again another day, very soon, before disappearing."
"That was all? When did you meet again?" Bones asked.
"I returned to my apartment. I avoided everyone for the next two weeks, pretexting I was sick, tired of the war, and needed to rest; I was allowed to rest the month. I told my friends and family that I was going abroad; they didn't try to find more about it. After two weeks, Dolohov came to find me and told me that the dark Lord wanted to meet with me again. I declined."
"What did Dolohov said?" Bones asked.
"He tried to convince me, he didn't take it well…He said that I should be honored that the dark Lord reached a hand to me. That I had an opportunity to be part of something bigger than myself."
"I said that I didn't believe him. I am not particularly smart, but since I was eleven, even my best friend treated me like an idiot, so I can tell when someone is bullshitting me. After that first meeting, I had time to think… "
"Think about what?" Crouch Asked.
"About how I met Dolohov, how fast the other Slytherin that became death-eaters included me in their group, how I, a nobody from a low-income family, start associating with the high society…I deduced that it was part of a plan. I was being used. I confronted Dolohov about it."
"What happened then?"
"Before I could reach my wand, he stunned me, and I woke up later, in a cold cell. Completely naked, hanging upside down, chained by the ankles."
"Were you tortured?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes...The dark Lord was there when I woke up. Bellatrix Lestrange and the snake, beside him." Said Pettigrew." The dark Lord gave me the last chance to join him, to do it as long as I could do it out of my free will, to take the mark… I still refused."
"He nodded at Bellatrix Lestrange, and then it was Hell," Pettigrew said.
"What did she do to you?" Crouch Asked.
"The first day, she took a whip sprinkled with nails and small fangs and started whipping me…Each time, the nails and fangs stuck on my flesh, tearing it off each time she brought the whip back to her. The pain was so intense, I fainted. She kept reanimating me and hitting me for the rest of the day. She stopped at sunset, and the snake took over."
"What did the snake do?" Bones asked.
"Bellatrix petrified me, the snake swallowed me alive, leaving only my head sticking out…For the next two weeks, I spend all my nights like that. Breathing a little bit too hard or crying made the snake press me tighter, keeping me awake."
"The second day, Bellatrix came back at sunrise with a big hammer, she compelled me to lay on the floor and start breaking my bones, my screams made her laugh…I begged for James, Sirius and Remus to come to save me. I prayed so Dumbledore would blast the cell's door to rescue me… No one came… She kept crushing my bones when only my skull remained, she forced me to drink a potion that tasted like Blood, and two hours later, my bones grew back; the process itself was so painful that I asked for the hammer. But I resisted, I refused to join them."
"The third day, she skinned me. That day I wished I was dead… On the fourth and fifth days, Bellatrix didn't show up, but they made me stay with a dementor. Its presence made me relieve the torture again, for two days… On the sixth day, Bellatrix came back. She transfigurated a big cauldron where she boiled water and made me jump inside… When I was close to dying, she levitated me and made me drink a potion that regenerated my skin; then, she boiled me again. That day I begged her to stop, that I would do whatever they wanted me to."
"Did she put an end to it?" Crouch asked.
"No, she said that the dark lord ordered her to keep it going until the month ends." Said Pettigrew.
"The seventh day, they decided to feed me…With the use of the imperius curse, they made me eat their excrements and drink their urine. They did it in front of me…Two death eaters, face masked, defecated and made eat it. Then they made me keep my mouth open and pissed inside."
"Please advance straight ahead to the last day," Dumbledore Asked when noticing some of the people attending the trial vomit.
"The last day was the worst," Pettigrew said.
"What happened?" Crouch asked.
"That day…." Pettigrew started but stopped talking suddenly, a sparkle appearing in his eyes. The influence of the veritaserum was vanishing, letting him regain his senses.
Scrimgeour administrated him another dose, and shortly after, Pettigrew resumed talking.
"That day, they took me upstairs to a big hall where the dark Lord was sitting, on a throne carved in the rock wall. At least fifty men were present. They held me down in front of him and raped me. They took turns… All-day. I cried, screamed, begged them to stop. They only did when the dark Lord called them to."
"The darl lord left his throne and came to me. He stepped on my face with his bare foot and asked what I learned from the last two weeks. I stayed silent. I was dead inside."
"He said that what he wanted to prove to me that he was almighty, that he had the power of life or death over me. He said that I belonged to him, that the two last weeks were nothing comparing with what he could do. However, he was still open to the idea of taking me among his followers. He threw pictures at me. They were photos of my mother sitting in her living-room, smiling at the camera; beside her was Bellatrix Lestrange, hugging her."
"The Dark Lord told me I could take the dark mark now and be rewarded beyond imagination, or my mother would soon leave the same torture I endured. He said that he would make me…"
"All right…We heard enough." Dumbledore interrupted him.
"So, you were forced to become a death eater…" Said Crouch.
"Yes…At that moment, I understood that there was no hope… He was going to win the war, no one could stop him, and I took the dark mark." Pettigrew said.
Crouch exchanged a concerned look with Dumbledore and Bones, then stood up and addressed to members of the wizengamot, surprising them as Pettigrew's story has absorbed everyone.
"Is anyone want to ask Mr. Pettigrew any question, or shall we move on to the next charges?"
Receiving no answer, he sat back on his chair, then the moment he would address himself to Pettigrew, Dumbledore stood up and took the floor.
"Mr. Pettigrew, before we move to the next charges, we would like to tell us more about the tasks Lord Voldemort assigned you to."
"I had two missions. The first was to inform the dark Lord about two families. The Potters and Longbottoms. He wanted to know absolutely everything, their movements, their entourage, assets… Informing him about the potters was particularly easy since I had access to their private life. The Longbottoms were difficult, but I eventually managed to get close to them through Lily, who was a good friend of Alice."
"What was the second task?" Dumbledore asked.
"Spying on you, Professor, and your friend that were members of the order."
"What order?" Bones asked but did insist after Crouch leaned toward her and whispered something in her ear.
"What informations did you provide Lord Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked.
"The names of all the members and where to find them. I reported to him after each reunion."
"Did any of the information you passed to him ended up used in the murder of someone?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes, the first one was Dorcas Meadows, who worked in the department of mysteries. The dark Lord killed her himself; I went with him. Killing her wasn't his first intention; he asked her questions about the Potters and the Longbottom's, promised to spare her if she gave him what he wanted. She refused, tried to duel him but failed."
"Four months after, The dark Lord was only interested in the potters. He sent me with Bellatrix and five other death-eaters to interrogate Edgar Bones. The bones and potters have always been close for centuries. Bellatrix tortured him, his wife, and kids but didn't reveal anything, so we killed them."
"YOU MURDERED MY UNCLE?" Bones screamed at Pettigrew, jumping out of her chair.
"PLEASE CALM DOWN, MISS BONES!" Crouch intervened.
"DID YOU HEAR WHAT…"
"Yes, we did…Please, Miss Bones, we understand that you want justice to be made; we all want the same as you, and remember that it is precisely what we are doing right now," Dumbledore said calmly.
"I apologize to the members of the wizengamot and the attendance for my behavior; we will now resume." Amelia Bones said, sitting back.
"Thank you, Miss Bones. Please resume Mr. Pettigrew, who came next?"
"The Prewett brothers," Pettigrew answered. "This time, the mission was trusted to Dolohov, Rosier, Rookwood, Rabastan Lestrange, and me. My part was to lure them to a trap. When they arrived, they got immediately surrounded by us. They fought well, nearly killed us. The orders were to bring them alive, but they were too strong; we would never have succeeded, so we killed them."
"After that, the dark lord entrusted me one last mission, the last one before he got destroyed."
"What was that mission ?"
"To turn Sirius Black and Remus Lupin one against another. He said that the Potters were more likely to hide under the fidelius charm after Lily gives birth. The dark Lord was sure that Sirius Black was the one James would choose as a secret keeper, but there was also a small chance they choose Remus instead. My mission was to find a way to become their secret keeper."
"Did you succeed? Did the Potters choose you instead of Sirius Black?" Crouch Asked.
"Yes, two days after Harry was born. It took months, but I did it. It was tough; they didn't want to consider the possibility that one of the four of us could be a traitor. However, I slowly have been able to slip into the mind of Sirius the idea that Remus was the traitor and vice-versa, coming very close to expose myself a few times, but thanks to their contempt towards me, they didn't."
"The potters were murdered on October the 31th of 1981, yet you became their secret keeper on August of 1980…Why did you wait so long before revealing the secret to the dark lord?" Crouch asked.
"I didn't wait; I went straight to him after I became the secret keeper."
"Lord Voldemort waited more than a year…" Dumbledore said. "Do you know why?"
"No…that was the last time I have seen or received any order from him. I know that I wasn't the only one in that situation."
"What do you mean? Countless murders, dementors, werewolves, and giant attacks were registered between the end of 1980 and October 1981!" exclaimed Amelia Bones.
"The Dark Lord vanished for months; no one knew where he was or saw him until July the 30 of 1981. No one except the seven first death-eaters. They're the ones who commissioned the murders and supervised the operations during his absence."
"The seven first death-eaters? Give us their names!" Ordered Crouch.
"I don't know their identities; no one does except our master."
"I see…"
"Why did you betray James and Lily Potter?" Dumbledore asked.
"Because I hated them. Because they deserved to die." Answered Pettigrew.
The words caused cries of indignation to erupt from the far right of the room. A man, his face deformed by rage, had just leaped to his seat and thrown himself forward to land in front of the cage where the Aurors had Peter Pettigrew held. The prisoner's eyes widened in terror as he recognized the man who had raised his wand. Luckily, before the Aurors could retaliate and the man executed the spell, Dumbledore neutralized him.
"Please escort Mr. Lupin out of the room. "Dumbledore kindly asked Scrimgeour.
"ORDER!" Crouch shouted at the attendance, who was loudly chatting, commenting what just happened.
After a few minutes and various calls for Order from Crouch and Bones, the courtroom went silent again, and the trial resumed.
"If everyone could behave, we would like to continue to interrogate Mr. Pettigrew about his motives to betray the Potters and wanting them dead," Crouch said to the attendance before looking down at Pettigrew. "Mr. Pettigrew, Why did you consider that they deserved it? What made you hate them?"
"I hated James and Sirius because they were arrogant, bullies, and show-offs. The only reason they liked having me around is so they could have a stooge. They never respected me…" Said Pettigrew before He got interrupted by Professor McGonagall, who stood up, shouting angrily at Pettigrew.
"DOBBER! HOW MANY NIGHTS HAVE THEY SPENT HELPING YOU WITH PASS YOUR OWLS? HOW MANY DETENTIONS DID THEY EARNED FOR DEFENDING YOU?"
"PROFESSOR MC GONAGALL!...Minerva, please calm down, or I will be obliged to ask you to leave." Dumbledore told McGonagall, gesturing his hand towards her to calm down.
"You won't have to, Professor; I'm leaving on my own." Mc Gonagall said sharply, heading toward the door. She was followed closely by Augustina Longbottom, who seemed to have briefly considered reaching her wand when she arrived near Pettigrew.
After the two women left the room, slamming the door loudly behind their backs. Dumbledore and Crouch gave a few minutes to the attendance to be quiet again before Bones took the floor.
"Mr. Pettigrew, even under the veritaserum's influence, your testimony is incoherent. You said that you held a grudge against James Potter, but how would that make you want him, his wife and child dead?"
"Because James and Lily were the only obstacles that separated him from killing Harry."
"Are you saying that Harry was the Dark Lord's target? Not his parents?" Crouch asked, frowning at Pettigrew, earning a furious look from Dumbledore, who seemed to want to stop him from further investigating the matter.
"Yes. Harry was the only thing to keep the dark Lord from reaching his goal, the only thing depriving us to be free, not to live subject to fear, to live in daylight without hiding from muggles who were inferior to us. It was the price to pay…Dorcas Meadows, Edgar Bones, the Prewetts brothers died for the potters, and I went through hell because of them, and yet they were too selfish to make one small sacrifice, for the good of the entire world. I would have gladly sliced his throat if he was my son."
"Tell what happened the night they died… Did the dark Lord request your presence?"
"No…I was in Chesterfield; Sirius found me a house where to hide. Bellatrix came to find me to pass a message from the Dark Lord. It said that it would happen the same night and that I had to expect a visit from him, that I would be rewarded beyond imagination. But, around 8 pm, my mark suddenly burned my skin like never before, then fade. I understood that something went wrong and that it was just a matter of time before Bellatrix would come back, so I ran away. When I got far enough from the anti-apparition wards set around the house, I noticed Sirius motorbike and a man beside it who I took from him. I turned to my animal form, sneaked behind him, and as soon he turned back toward me, I killed him and disapparated."
"That was Steven Blakeley, right?" Bones asked. "A muggle."
"Maybe…I took him for Sirius; if I had killed him, no one would have known that I was the secret keeper, and I would have gone to seek Dumbledore for protection. Perhaps I could have had an opportunity to deal with Harry myself… After all, with Sirius's death, Remus far away and unfit to raise a child, I would have ended being his guardian."
"Tell about the next morning, did you murder all those muggles in London, or was it Black?" Asked Crouch.
"It was me…I stayed hidden all night, trying to get more know more about what happened in Godric's Hollow. Then I went to my mother's; I had to check if she hadn't been harmed by the death-eaters who knew that I sent the Dark Lord to his doom. But, before I could, Sirius found me. I stood no chance against him, so I started to yell that he killed James and Lily, making sure that the people around could hear, then I blasted the entire street and took advantage of the chaos to cut off one of my fingers, transform to a rat and slip away."
"I see…Before we any further, you confess that you murdered thirteen muggles and framed Sirius Black, sending him to Azkaban for crimes you committed?" Asked Crouch.
"Yes, I do."
Crouch nodded." Now the last charge, you are accused of taking advantage of your status of non-registered animagus to hide from the court and justice. How did you manage to do that?"
"It was effortless, I stayed in the sewers with the other rats for a few days, and then while I roamed near a muggle village in Devon, a kid grabbed me and took me with him. He adopted me and soon later gave me to his younger brother. I won the jackpot; I was safe, fed, and well informed about all that was happening in the wizarding community. All was going perfectly well until Christmas."
"That's the moment your true identity was discovered, and you got arrested, right?" Bones Asked.
"That's right."
"Tell us how it came to happen." Bones said.
Pettigrew remained silent for a moment, looking confused, then said with a small voice." I don't remember."
"You don't remember?" Bones Asked.
"I remember that I felt like if the roof fell over my head." Answered Pettigrew, making many laughs erupt in the room followed by a standing ovation in favor of someone not far from Kingsley, a man Kingsley couldn't see because of the people standing up, those near him shaking his hand or patting him in the back.
This time there was no immediate call for order. While the room slowly got silent again, Dumbledore, Crouch, and Bones consulted each other for a while, then Crouch stood up and declared.
"Please bring back Mr. Pettigrew to the dungeons. Fifteen minutes recess before we hear our last witnesses."
The Aurors took Pettigrew out of his cage, chained him up, and dragged him out of the courtroom. As soon as Pettigrew left, the gloomy tension that had plagued the courtroom throughout Pettigrew's story began to dissipate, disappearing completely fifteen minutes later when, under the presiding judge's instructions, two children entered the courtroom. A red-haired boy, his hair previously straightened and combed, dressed in full costume and wearing a bow tie, and a slightly older girl, with pink hair, also elegantly dressed for the event.
They stood immobile at the foot of the door, gazing in amazement at the room and the disdainful faces in front of them, then when the cage disappeared to make way for two comfortable armchairs, they came forward with their heads down and climbed up to take the seats placed at their disposal. This time it was Dumbledore who stood in front of the desk of the president of the court. He was about to speak with a kind smile for the two children, but they were quicker.
"Good morning Professor Dumbledore!" Both kids said in unison.
"Good Morning Mr. Weasly, Miss Tonks…"
"Funny you are here; we just ran into professor Mc Gonagall; she looked pretty pissed…" Said the Weasley kid.
"Yes, but she gave us five points each for nothing… And the year hasn't started yet!" Said the girl.
"And she did well! Anyway, you must have guessed the reason why we asked for both of you to come this morning, right?" Dumbledore asked them kindly.
Both kids nodded, then the boy said. "You want to hear about our heroic achievement during the Easter holidays."
"OUR heroic achievement?" The girl asked the boy, smirking.
"You both have been very brave! If you could now tell us what happened from your perspective, we would be grateful. And please, don't feel embarrassed if you want to stop at any moment." Dumbledore told them kindly.
"Thank you, professor; it's very nice of you…No wonder why everyone says you are the best headmaster Hogwarts has ever had." Said the girl.
"Thank you very much, Miss Tonks." Said Dumbledore to her.
"Mr. Weasly, for the last two years, you have been fostering Peter Pettigrew, right?" Crouch asked sharply.
"Who's Patrick Perigow?" Charles Weasley asked Crouch, frowning.
"PETER PETTIGREW! The rat… "Crouch answered with an annoyed voice.
"Oh, yes! You mean Scrabbers! Yes, I found him two years ago near the village, took him home but later, I gave him as a gift to my baby brother Percy."
"Charlie…You don't mind if I call you Charlie?" Dumbledore asked.
"It would be an honor, sir!" answered proudly, Charlie. "You may also call her Nymphadora."
"Please don't…" The girl said, rolling her eyes.
"Alright, Charlie, Miss Tonks, could you tell us what happened during easter?"
"Yes, sir! As you must know, even if we don't belong to the same house, Dora and I are best friends at school, so during holidays, we meet at the Burrow or her home to hang out or do homework."
"Two days after coming back from school, we met at my place to start that torture professor snape gave us… And Charlie showed up with Scrabbers."
"Yes, we finished our potion assignment very quickly, and we still had at least three hours before I had to floo back home, so we decided to review some of what we had done in transfiguration that year…"
"To review some charms?" Crouch asked.
"Yes, your highness!" answered Charlie.
"It's your honor…" Crouch corrected him.
"No, it's OUR honor, sir!" Nymphadora, Tonks replied.
"NYMPHADORA, STOP IT! AND APOLOGIZE NOW!" Shouted at her Andromeda Tonks, while some of the people attending started to laugh.
"Oh! Hi Mum!" said the girl waving a hand to her mom. "yes, please accept my apologies, your honor."
"I would like to remind you that even if this is only a formality, to respect the procedure and not to intervene without having been invited to do so…Fine, Mr. Weasly, Miss Tonks…Go on." Said Crouch.
"So, you were saying that you decided to study some transfiguration," Dumbledore said.
"Yes…We tried to change Scrabbers color to Yellow, but whatever the way we tried, the hand movement or the incantation…It just didn't work." Charlie Weasley said.
"So I suspected…Because I'm myself an amateur detective..." Tonks said, nodding at the Aurors who came back to the room. "…That something was wrong with Scrabbers, so I performed the revelio charm on him."
"Did you just both confessed in front of the complete panel of the wizengamot that you used magic outside school?" Amelia Bones Asked them, frowning.
The two kids glanced furtively at each other, then quickly tried to correct their mistake.
"No…You are going to laugh…Dora is very clumsy, she tripped on a carpet fold, and during her fall, her hand landed on her wand, she panicked and cast the spell… That's what happened, right, Dora?" Charlie said, turning toward Tonks.
"Yes! Exactly, it happened very fast… Magic right?" he asked, looking at the wizengamot, who were shaking their heads no.
"Let's forget about that…Then? What happened?" Dumbledore asked.
"Scrabbers started the shake very hard, so much we thought he was going to explode, but he turned to a man."
"He looked terrified and dirty…We tried to make a run for it and go find Mr tonks for help, but he grabbed me and threatened to break my neck if Dora screamed or tried to call her dad." Said Charlie.
"I am sorry to hear that; I can only imagine how scared you must have been," Dumbledore said to him kindly.
"Yes…To be honest, I am still under shock…I keep having nightmares about it, the healers say I'm going to be like this for the rest of my life…But I would feel way much better if you sign this permit so I could adopt a dr…" Said Charlie with a small voice while unfolding a parchment which he had taken out of his pocket.
"CHARLES I SWEAR! JUST WAIT UNTIL ARE BACK HOME!" Shouted at him, Molly Weasly, who stood up, waving her fist towards her son.
The face of the child froze, while a frightened expression replaced his mischievous look. "Mum? What are you doing here? I thought dad was coming alone …"
"Please, Mrs. Weasly, we have already warned the room not to interrupt," Dumbledore said calmly to the woman, who apologized before sitting back next to her husband, looking darkly at her son, who seemed to melt in his place.
"Did Pettigrew harmed you, Charlie?" Dumbledore asked softly.
"He was probably going to, sir, but there is something he didn't know…" Said the boy smiling.
"What didn't he know?" Bones asked, curious.
"He didn't know that he was dealing with the Tonks/Weasly duo, not regular kids." Said Dora Tonks, grinning, giving a high five to her friend.
"I bit his hand; then I punched him in the balls…" Said Charlie ferociously, punching an invisible target.
"And I hit him with a flipendo!" added Tonks.
"He crashed on the piano, that alerted Mr. Tonks who came running," said Charlie.
"And that's how he got neutralized?" Crouch asked.
"Neutralized? No, your honor… Handcuffing him would have been "neutralizing him." Mr. Tonk beat the hell out of him! It was wicked, Scrabbers cried like a baby… Blood everywhere!"
"It was wicked! But also terrifying, so I stunned them both, and we sent an owl to the ministry asking for help." Said Tonks." Five minutes after, the living room was crowded with Aurors, and they took him with them."
"All right…I believe we have everything. Thank you both for your time. On behalf of the ministry of magic, the wizengamot, and the entire British wizarding community, I would like to thank you for the service you rendered. You may go sit next to your parent for the rest of the trial."
"Thank you, your honors, thank you, Professor Dumbledore!" Said both kids before leaving their armchairs and join their parents in the stands.
Dumbledore, Bones, and Crouch talked briefly to each other before joining the rest of the wizengamot. They listened to some of the members' comments, then Dumbledore went back to the pulpit and announced to the room.
"The wizengamot will now retire to debate in private. We propose a two-hour break before returning to render a verdict. Thank you to all of you."
Slowly, everyone stood up and headed toward the exit. Dawlish pocked him,
"Come Kings … Let's take a break to eat something."
They slowly moved out of the courtroom, took the elevator to get back to the atrium, and left the ministry of magic, and rushed to the muggle side of the street. They walked in quietly side by side on the sidewalk until they found the fast-food where the Aurors frequently ate. They sat down, ordered, and after the waitress brought them their drinks, Dawlish broke the silence.
"So, you must be happy, right?"
"About what?" Kingsley asked.
"C'mon… You're the one who reopened the case, got the evidence that Pettigrew killed that muggle, convinced both Moody and Crouch that Black was more likely framed. I bet you 100 hundred Galleons that tomorrow, you're going to be my superior," Dawlish answered." And also everything is over now!
"It's not over…" Kingsley said.
"Yeah, we still have to hear their verdict, but the big part of the trial is!"
"No…I wasn't referring to the trial. I was talking about Voldemort." Kingsley specified, his last word making Dawlish choke on his drink.
"Don't say his name! What's wrong with you?!"
"C'mon, John! You can't believe that he's dead…You heard what Pettigrew said, just like me!" Kingsley said.
"He didn't say anything about him being dead or alive," Dawlish said, shaking his head.
"Gosh, I wonder how did you become an Auror…" Kingsley said, rolling his eyes.
"Piss off…"
"Sure after lunch…What did you deduce from his testimony?" Kingsley asked him.
"That you-know-he is way more mental that we knew?" Asked Dawlish.
"We already knew that…No…What we learn is how much precise and early he anticipates what people are going to do…He doesn't leave anything to luck, he was already working on Pettigrew before he was even in seventh year, and who knows how many others…So when the potters, like he predicted, went into hiding, he already had the perfect man for the job. Voldemort knew where they were hiding for an entire year before he went to kill them. He proved to us that he doesn't kill when he has the opportunity, but when he decides to. He is always in control."
Dawlish stared at him in silence, incredulous. "You deduced all this?".
"Yes…"
"Okay…It makes sense, you are right. But, he is dead, know! "
"Is he? Did we found his body in the Godric's Hollow? Remember when Pettigrew said that Voldemort disappeared for months before killing the potters?"
"You think he is hiding somewhere? That he is planning something?" Dawlish asked.
"Yes…Definitely; I refuse to believe that he went to the Potter's house without a plan B," Kingsley said.
Dawlish sighed, closing his eyes." Merlin... You are Moody the second…"
"John…Just think about it for a moment…"
"I don't want to think about it! It's been three years that he's gone! All I want to think about is the Burger the hot waitress is bringing me and ask her out!" Kingsley said, angry, before smiling at the blonde girl that arrived with their food, ignoring Kinsley to chat with her.
They ate in silence, and then Kingsley headed back to the ministry alone. He went straight to the Auror office, passed near Moody's office talking inside with, if his ears didn't mislead him, Dumbledore. He sat in his box, put his feet on his desk, and closed his eyes. He was sure about all what he said earlier to the other Auror; he had no proof but was convinced that sooner or later, Voldemort was going to come back from wherever he was hiding, and they won't be ready. One hour and a half after, he left his box and headed back to the courtroom. Kingsley sat next to Dawlish. Soon later, the wizengamot, Dumbledore, Crouch, and Bones entered the room, and the Aurors brought back Pettigrew from the dungeons where he waited to know his destiny.
Bartemius Crouch cleared his throat.
"At this moment, which each one of you is aware of its significance for our justice and us, I first want to thank the members of the wizengamot and to the magical community of Great Britain because you have understood the spirit of the task presented to you. I would like to thank all those, irrespective of their political affiliation, who have worked together to save our world and preserve our freedom over the challenging past years. This communion of spirit, this community of thought across political divides, clearly shows that the debate that was open before us today was first and foremost a discussion of conscience. The choice that each of us has made commits us personally.
M. Peter Pettigrew. After a long debate, during which your testimonies and the evidence against you were carefully reviewed, the wizengamot has reached the following conclusions:
- Your enrolment in the death-eaters ranks did not occur out of your free will but due to torture and blackmail. This court finds you not guilty of this charge.
- Regarding the charges related to providing secret information to the dark Lord regarding the Potters location, leading to their murder and attempted murder on their son, you confessed that you don't feel any regret about it and that you actively contributed, so it happened. The court declares you guilty and thereby sentences you to fifty years in Azkaban.
- You confessed to the murders of Dorcas Meadowes, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, and Edgar Bones and his family. You gave additional details about their murders corroborated by other testimonies delivered by other death-eaters previously arrested and judged. The court declares you guilty and Sentences you to one hundred years in Azkaban for each murder.
- You have been found guilty for being an unregistered animagus and taking advantage of it to hide from justice—the court sentences you to spend ten years in Azkaban.
- You confessed to the muggle mass murder that occurred on November the first of 1981. For that crime, the court sentences you to spend fifty years I Azkaban for each murder.
- And at last, for framing Sirius Black for the crimes yourself have committed, you are sentenced to twenty years in Azkaban.
I will now address the wizengamot members; raise your hands if the verdict corresponds to the one you agreed upon during your deliberations."
All the wizengamot members raised their hands, and the case was closed. One hour after, Pettigrew was locked at the maximum security level in Azkaban.
Later, Hogwarts headmaster's office.
Remus and Dumbledore were sat one across the other. At the end of Peter's trial, Remus and Dumbledore locked themselves in the director's office. The whole of the afternoon was devoted to reviewing all their memories relating to the Order of the Phoenix; a task made much easier by the director's pensive. A study made much easier by the director's pensive thoughts. After carefully analyzing Peter's meetings, they were ashamed and shocked not to have noticed the hateful glances he cast at James, Lily, and Sirius. They were even more amazed at his habit of always keeping his forearm under the table, constantly pulling on the sleeve of his jumper to keep it at wrist length. They went back to their school days, and Peter's resentment was already evident at that time.
"I can't believe we didn't see anything coming…He was a rat," Remus said, stunned.
"Remus…What happened to him in that cell and the way Voldemort started to tempt him while he was still at school is my fault. As Headmaster, I should have paid more attention to my students. I have been so absorbed by the war that I forgot that my first duty was to take care of our children." Dumbledore said calmly, scratching Fawkes's head, who was resting on his lap.
"No, professor, I should have noticed something was wrong with him…I had no clue he spent time in the Slytherin's common room, with the Lestrange's, Dolohov and co…" Remus argued.
"No. You were I kid yourself! You were focused on your prefect duties and NEWT student. James and lily deserved to fall in love and have time for each other, and Sirius… What did Sirius use to do in his free time if you would be kind to remind me?" Asked Dumbledore.
"You don't want to know…" Remus answered, blushing.
"One time I saw him past curfew entering a classroom with…" said one of the portraits behind Dumbledore's head
"Thank you, Phineas!" Dumbledore cut him. "However, even after taking the mark, he could have come to me, I would have protected him and his mother, and he knew that. He knew that I would understand but still choose to murder and betray."
"The things they did to him…What Bellatrix made him endure…I know he confessed under veritaserum, but I still can't believe it…" Remus said.
"He didn't lie… My spy told me that during those two weeks, Peter was his prisoner, Voldemort requested a variety of powerful healing potions… The kind of potions dark magic produces." Dumbledore said.
Remus sighed, closing his eyes." He said he hated us…I remember our first night here, me, James and Sirius became friends the moment we mate on the train, then we included him when we saw him in our dorm… We didn't want to let him alone, then all the years we spent here, we helped him…"
"A jealous person suffers from four evils: feeling excluded, being aggressive, thinking to be crazy and common," Dumbledore said to him kindly.
Remus nodded. "Let's talk about Sirius…"
"Sure! The ministry has cleared him for all charges, but he will still have a hearing soon. The Auror Office has canceled his search warrant and made sure to inform the rest of the world." Dumbledore said, smiling.
"Sirius is the most incredible man I have ever met…After you, of course," Remus said.
"Thank you, Remus, but I think the same as you," Dumbledore said.
"What kind of man escapes from prison, and with all the European Aurors after him, picks a fight with a dark wizard, saves a village, then crosses two countries, train a kid, and saves another village from a monster we thought extinct for centuries?" Remus asked, amazed.
"A marauder ?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes sparkling, making Remus laugh.
"I was pretty afraid I could have hurt him that day I chased him in Hambourg … He panicked when he saw me and ran away. That's when I decided to believe he was innocent, the Sirius I know would never hurt a friend." Remus said, smiling.
"I guess you are soon going to track him again, right?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes, I am going back on the road tomorrow morning; I am going to find Sirius and bring him back home," Remus said.
"First, I want you to take care of some formalities on my behalf," Dumbledore said.
"Sure, what can I do?" Remus asked.
"First, I would like you to go to Paris and meet with the French minister of magic, then to the village where he took De Rais down to meet its mayor. After, I would like you to deliver these letters to Miss Acker." Dumbledore said, handing his two letters, one of them stamped with Hogwarts seal.
"Sure…When is my appointment with the French minister?" Remus asked.
"Anytime you want! Just identify yourself when you'll arrive. You are representing two heroes, after all!" Dumbledore said, smiling.