Chapter 15: The Trial
The next few months passed quickly. Soon it was the day of Sirius's trial. Harry, Katelyn, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were waiting in the entry way to Hogwarts for Lily, James, and Mary to take them to the Ministry of Magic.
"I'm so nervous," said Katelyn, "What if they do not believe us?"
"They will have to believe us," said Harry, "Don't worry."
"But we were not able to catch Peter. We have no proof that he is alive," said Katelyn.
"They will just have to take our word that we saw him," said Ron.
"Besides, Mom and Dad will tell them that Sirius was not their secret keeper. Peter was," said Harry.
"But, what does that have to do with Dad killing Peter?" asked Katelyn.
"According to the witnesses, Peter had cornered Sirius and accused him of betraying Lily and James. If Peter was the secret keeper why would he have tried to corner Sirius," said Hermione.
"So, dad cornered Peter?" asked Katelyn.
"Yes," said Hermione.
"So, how does that prove Dad innocent?" asked Katelyn.
"Well, it really doesn't," said Harry, "but, it will prove that the witnesses do not know the whole story. Possible some of their information will get thrown out. That will make it easier to prove our point."
"I still think it would have been better if we would have caught Peter," said Katelyn.
"It would have been," said Harry.
"What do you think the chance is that his curiosity will get the best of him and he will show up before the trial?" asked Ron.
"Not very good," said Hermione.
"What about the crystal ball? It said that Harry was going to catch Peter," said Ron.
"Haven't you learned not to trust stuff like that?" asked Hermione.
"I have learned not to trust the stuff I make up, but this was different," said Ron.
Hermione just rolled her eyes at him.
"Hey, are you guys ready to go?" asked James walking through the front door followed by Lily and Mary.
"Yeah," Harry said.
"Dumbledore said we could use the fireplace in his office," said Lily.
James led them to the headmaster's office. He took a pot from the mantel of the fireplace. They each took some floo powder. One by one they walked up to the fireplace. They through the powder in, and said "Ministry of Magic." They appeared in the hall at the Ministry of Magic.
"Ok, now where do we go?" asked James. Then he turned to Harry and said, "Dumbledore told me you would know where the courtrooms are."
"Sure," said Harry rolling his eyes as he remembered the beginning of his fifth year. He led them to the courtrooms in the lowest level of the Ministry. The rest of the Weasley's were already there. Harry recognized the people at the front of the room from his trial. Most of the people were exactly the same. This time however Dumbledore was also there. McMillan had replaced Fudge. Kinsley Shacklebolts had replace Umbridge.
Harry sat next to Fred Weasley. "Hi, Harry," said Fred.
"Hi," said Harry, "how's business going?"
"Good, How about school?"
"Alright, I guess," Harry answered.
After a few minutes the dementors brought Sirius in. He looked pale from being with the dementors for so long. Harry thought he look like when he first met him. Sirius sat in the chair in the center of the room. The chains did not try to tie him to the chair. He breathed a sigh of relief. Harry knew of no one that had been found guilty that had not been tied down by the chair. Mr. Weasley went over to Sirius. He conjured up a chair and sat down next to him. He was going to speak on Sirius's behalf as Dumbledore had done for Harry.
"Mr. Black," said McMillan, "Will you please tell us in your own words what happened on the night that Peter Pettigrew died?"
"I saw him in the street," Sirius began, "I tried to corner him. He started yelling that I had betrayed Lily and James. I pulled my wand on him, but he must have had his wand behind his back. He said something. There was a big explosion. When the smoke cleared Peter was gone. He had turned into a rat."
"How did he turn into a rat?" asked McMillan.
"He was an illegal animangus," said Sirius. McMillan gave him a suspicious look, but did not ask any further questions.
"Why did you try to corner Pettigrew?" asked Shacklebolts.
"He is the one that betrayed Lily and James to Voldemort," answered Sirius.
"Are you saying that he was a deatheater, and not you?" asked Dumbledore.
"Yes," said Sirius.
"Mr. McMillan," said Mr. Weasley, "I would like to call the first witness."
"Go ahead," said the Minister of Magic.
"James Potter," said Mr. Weasley.
James walked down to the center of the room. "Would you please tell us who you had chosen for a secret keeper?"
"Peter Pettigrew," said James.
"Why didn't you choose Mr. Black?" asked a witch in the wizengamot.
"Because, Sirius had said that would be too obvious. Voldemort would suspect him. He would not suspect Peter as being our secret keeper," answered James.
After James had testified, Mr. Weasley called Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Lupin up to tell them what they had seen in their first year. He also called Mary and Katelyn to testify that they had seen Peter alive.
After all of the witnesses were called it was time for the wizengamot to come to a decision.
"Innocent?" asked McMillan. He, Dumbledore and Shacklebolts raised their hands.
"Guilty?" asked McMillan. Everyone else raised their hands. Dumbledore closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Black, but we find you guilty," said McMillan, "You will have to be given the dementor's kiss."
"No," Katelyn screamed, and she ran out of the room. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Thank you for reviewing. I love hearing from you. Please review. I'm sorry for taking so long. Please don't get mad at me for the ending to this chapter. Just keep reading. Thank you to: Titanic-HarryPotter-lvr-2-thanks Myung Black-We'll have to wait and see godric1-thanks makya -thanks Kevin-McKay-thanks Lady Lily3-I'll try to make them longer
The next few months passed quickly. Soon it was the day of Sirius's trial. Harry, Katelyn, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were waiting in the entry way to Hogwarts for Lily, James, and Mary to take them to the Ministry of Magic.
"I'm so nervous," said Katelyn, "What if they do not believe us?"
"They will have to believe us," said Harry, "Don't worry."
"But we were not able to catch Peter. We have no proof that he is alive," said Katelyn.
"They will just have to take our word that we saw him," said Ron.
"Besides, Mom and Dad will tell them that Sirius was not their secret keeper. Peter was," said Harry.
"But, what does that have to do with Dad killing Peter?" asked Katelyn.
"According to the witnesses, Peter had cornered Sirius and accused him of betraying Lily and James. If Peter was the secret keeper why would he have tried to corner Sirius," said Hermione.
"So, dad cornered Peter?" asked Katelyn.
"Yes," said Hermione.
"So, how does that prove Dad innocent?" asked Katelyn.
"Well, it really doesn't," said Harry, "but, it will prove that the witnesses do not know the whole story. Possible some of their information will get thrown out. That will make it easier to prove our point."
"I still think it would have been better if we would have caught Peter," said Katelyn.
"It would have been," said Harry.
"What do you think the chance is that his curiosity will get the best of him and he will show up before the trial?" asked Ron.
"Not very good," said Hermione.
"What about the crystal ball? It said that Harry was going to catch Peter," said Ron.
"Haven't you learned not to trust stuff like that?" asked Hermione.
"I have learned not to trust the stuff I make up, but this was different," said Ron.
Hermione just rolled her eyes at him.
"Hey, are you guys ready to go?" asked James walking through the front door followed by Lily and Mary.
"Yeah," Harry said.
"Dumbledore said we could use the fireplace in his office," said Lily.
James led them to the headmaster's office. He took a pot from the mantel of the fireplace. They each took some floo powder. One by one they walked up to the fireplace. They through the powder in, and said "Ministry of Magic." They appeared in the hall at the Ministry of Magic.
"Ok, now where do we go?" asked James. Then he turned to Harry and said, "Dumbledore told me you would know where the courtrooms are."
"Sure," said Harry rolling his eyes as he remembered the beginning of his fifth year. He led them to the courtrooms in the lowest level of the Ministry. The rest of the Weasley's were already there. Harry recognized the people at the front of the room from his trial. Most of the people were exactly the same. This time however Dumbledore was also there. McMillan had replaced Fudge. Kinsley Shacklebolts had replace Umbridge.
Harry sat next to Fred Weasley. "Hi, Harry," said Fred.
"Hi," said Harry, "how's business going?"
"Good, How about school?"
"Alright, I guess," Harry answered.
After a few minutes the dementors brought Sirius in. He looked pale from being with the dementors for so long. Harry thought he look like when he first met him. Sirius sat in the chair in the center of the room. The chains did not try to tie him to the chair. He breathed a sigh of relief. Harry knew of no one that had been found guilty that had not been tied down by the chair. Mr. Weasley went over to Sirius. He conjured up a chair and sat down next to him. He was going to speak on Sirius's behalf as Dumbledore had done for Harry.
"Mr. Black," said McMillan, "Will you please tell us in your own words what happened on the night that Peter Pettigrew died?"
"I saw him in the street," Sirius began, "I tried to corner him. He started yelling that I had betrayed Lily and James. I pulled my wand on him, but he must have had his wand behind his back. He said something. There was a big explosion. When the smoke cleared Peter was gone. He had turned into a rat."
"How did he turn into a rat?" asked McMillan.
"He was an illegal animangus," said Sirius. McMillan gave him a suspicious look, but did not ask any further questions.
"Why did you try to corner Pettigrew?" asked Shacklebolts.
"He is the one that betrayed Lily and James to Voldemort," answered Sirius.
"Are you saying that he was a deatheater, and not you?" asked Dumbledore.
"Yes," said Sirius.
"Mr. McMillan," said Mr. Weasley, "I would like to call the first witness."
"Go ahead," said the Minister of Magic.
"James Potter," said Mr. Weasley.
James walked down to the center of the room. "Would you please tell us who you had chosen for a secret keeper?"
"Peter Pettigrew," said James.
"Why didn't you choose Mr. Black?" asked a witch in the wizengamot.
"Because, Sirius had said that would be too obvious. Voldemort would suspect him. He would not suspect Peter as being our secret keeper," answered James.
After James had testified, Mr. Weasley called Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Lupin up to tell them what they had seen in their first year. He also called Mary and Katelyn to testify that they had seen Peter alive.
After all of the witnesses were called it was time for the wizengamot to come to a decision.
"Innocent?" asked McMillan. He, Dumbledore and Shacklebolts raised their hands.
"Guilty?" asked McMillan. Everyone else raised their hands. Dumbledore closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Black, but we find you guilty," said McMillan, "You will have to be given the dementor's kiss."
"No," Katelyn screamed, and she ran out of the room. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Thank you for reviewing. I love hearing from you. Please review. I'm sorry for taking so long. Please don't get mad at me for the ending to this chapter. Just keep reading. Thank you to: Titanic-HarryPotter-lvr-2-thanks Myung Black-We'll have to wait and see godric1-thanks makya -thanks Kevin-McKay-thanks Lady Lily3-I'll try to make them longer