The Girl Who Lived
Chapter Eighteen:
Padfoot's Release
They sat together for a moment, catching their breath and letting what had just happened subside. Tears ran down Daisy's face onto the back of Harry's robes, but he didn't move. At last, they pulled away from each other.
Daisy looked down at the dark pavement she was kneeling on. Somehow, she couldn't look Harry in the eye. She felt naked and ashamed. Sobbing, she felt like dirt. All of this was her fault. Harry would never forgive her. No one would.
"Daisy?" Harry said, confused. "Why are you crying?"
"Because," she cried, "I lied to everyone except a rat and it almost killed you."
"You saved my life back there," Harry said assuring. He put his hand on her shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong."
Daisy sniffed. There was a long pause.
"So it's true," Harry said. "You're my sister."
"Yeah," Daisy whispered. "We're twins."
"How did you find out?" Harry asked quietly.
"Sirius told me. I knew about him a long time before you told me about him. Oh, I've kept so much from all of you," she moaned.
"He never gave me a clue," Harry said. Daisy thought she heard a hint of bitterness in voice.
"He was our parents' Secret-Keeper," Daisy explained. "They knew I was a squib and they thought that no one should know about me because Voldemort would come after us."
Harry made a noise that could have been a laugh.
"Well you see where that got us. I was adopted by muggles and I didn't even know about magic until this summer. Sirius met me at my parent's funeral and later wrote me a letter telling me the truth. He thought that we shouldn't tell anyone for the same reason as before. But I know it's true. Look." Daisy took off her locket and opened it.
Harry stared at the picture and recognized the face of his mother.
"That was with me when the Muggles found me. That's how they knew my name."
"I believe it," Harry said solemnly. "That's the reason it hurts him when you touch him. You must have been there, too, when he came for us. Mum died to save us and left protection. Last year, you know at the Triwizard Tournament, he took my blood so he can touch me. But you still have it, it saved us both."
Daisy's head swam. She was getting tired again. "Are you getting sleepy again?"
Harry yawned. "Actually I am. But, I'm usually dead beat after a go with Voldemort."
Daisy looked at him and saw he wasn't afraid. He was quite relaxed really.
"I think that this was the best one though," he said. "We got Wormtail out of the mess, and I'm betting he'll clear Sirius's name in court under vertaserum."
"That would be great," Daisy said. "As Sirius is my legal guardian and I officially have no where to go when term is over."
"We should get back to Diagon Alley. No doubt Voldemort will have someone looking for us soon and we can't leave Dumbledore for long."
"That's right," Daisy said. She stood up and grabbed Wormtail's arm. She could have carried him by the ear, but she felt such an overflowing relief that she didn't feel like hurting anyone.
Harry grabbed his other arm not at all gently and they set off at a comfortable pace towards the Leaky Cauldron.
"So," Harry said, "who do you think was born first, you or me?"
An hour later, they sat with Dumbledore in a booth in the Leaky Cauldron sipping mugs of butterbeer. Wormtail had been bound and locked in a room heavily guarded by goblins brought in from Gringotts.
They explained to Dumbledore all that had happened and the truth about Daisy.
I remember it now," Dumbledore said. "The day you were born. It was at Hogwarts. When we learned that you were a squib..." He paused. "The Fidelus Charm makes you forget these things, even if they are the clearest memory. But I wonder now, how things would be different if I hadn't suggested keeping you from the world."
"Now that Voldemort knows your identity, I think it won't be long before all the world knows, too. Do you know what that means, Daisy?"
"I'm not sure," Daisy replied.
"It means you will be famous. But as Harry will tell you, fame isn't everything. It will bring you enemies." Daisy nodded in comprehension.
"With Wormtail it should be a possibility for Sirius to be cleared. Both of you are willing to testify at the trial?"
"Yes," Daisy said.
"Of course," Harry insisted.
"Good, because that will be soon. So Voldemort is in London?" he asked calmly.
"In a manor a mile or so away," Daisy told him. "Something went wrong with the Portkey."
"I should have known," Dumbledore said. "Voldemort has ways of using the same tricks over and over again."
"There's something new," Harry said. "The spell over Muggle London to make people fall asleep was his. The more magic you have and the closer you are to Voldemort makes you fall asleep faster. That's why it doesn't affect muggles."
"That's why I can stay awake longer," Daisy said quietly. There was an awkward pause.
"And you say the missing students were there?" Dumbledore continued.
"Yes," Daisy said.
"All five of them?" Dumbledore asked.
"What do you mean?" Daisy asked. "There were only three."
"The Malfoys went missing a few days ago," Harry said gravely.
Dumbledore nodded, "We should send someone for them before the night is over. Voldemort will be on the move as soon as he is able. I'll contact the Order. They have squib and muggle allies. They will be key in this stage."
Daisy smiled at the old man. She'd been feeling useless, but he was right. Even squibs would be needed to fight Voldemort.
"Are you both sure that you are all right?" Dumbledore asked. They nodded.
"Then to bed with us all. Sleep is a magnificent factor in recovery."
Daisy and Harry were put in a room together and both of them lay awake that night. Daisy thought of what was going to happen now and at last, she thought of Fred. She couldn't remember when they had actually made up, but she knew that things were all right.
"Daisy," Harry whispered. "Are you still awake?"
"How could I sleep?" Daisy asked.
"Were you the one who sent the message from Sirius a while ago?"
"Yes," Daisy replied. "I'm the friend."
Neither Harry nor Daisy was ready to return to Hogwarts the next day. Dumbledore agreed to let them stay in Diagon Alley until Wormtail's trial was over. Minister Fudge would not believe that Wormtail was alive until he showed up unexpectedly one day. He arrived in disbelief and left, as Daisy understood it, feeling dazed and shocked, with a still subdued Wormtail in custody.
Sirius allowed the Ministry officials to take him back to Azkaban, but he knew he would only be there for a few days. No one else had been known to smile on their way to Azkaban, but he did. For him it was a sign of freedom rather than imprisonment.
Two days later, Dumbledore led Daisy and Harry to the fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron. They were going to Judgment Isle, a small island near Azkaban, the place where trials took place.
Generally, Portkeys were used to get to the Isle, but Dumbledore strongly discouraged any Portkey travel for a while. Instead, they would use Floo powder.
Daisy had never traveled by Floo Powder before and Harry wasn't helping her get over her nerves. Apparently, he had had a bad first experience with Floo Powder. Daisy was just going to try to make it to the right chimney.
"You go first, Harry," Dumbledore said. Harry nodded and stepped into the hearth. He took a handful of purple powder from a flower pot on the floor. He threw it at his feet and it burst into a brilliant green flame, surrounding him.
"Judgment Isle!" he said clearly. The flame grew higher, engulfing his body and then he was gone.
"You next," Dumbledore said. Daisy gulped and inched into the fireplace.
"It's best to close your mouth and eyes," Dumbledore suggested, eyes twinkling. "And keep your elbows in."
Daisy grabbed a pinch of the powder and stared at it a moment before dropping it beside her shoe. She braced herself for the burning flame, ready to be scorched. The emerald fire rose to her waist, but it didn't burn, rather it tickled a little bit.
"Judgment Isle!" she said. At once, she shot upward and out the chimney. She opened her eyes for just a second and saw she was thousands of feet above the ground. She clamped them shut soon after.
Only a moment later, she tumbled out of another fireplace. She stood and brushed soot from her arms.
Harry was standing near the door, waiting for her. They were in a small cave like room with bumpy, tan walls. There were no windows, but the room was lit by two torches mounted on the wall.
"Wild, isn't it?" Harry asked.
Daisy scowled at her spotless brother and brushed more soot from her hair.
"What should we do now?" she asked, finally presentable.
"We will enter the courtroom," Dumbledore said from behind them, walking out of the fireplace.
He took the brass door handle and pulled the door open. As they entered, they saw a vast room constructed the same way as the smaller room. It was lit by forty or fifty strategically placed torches. Rows and rows of benches rose nearly to the ceiling. On the ground floor, there was a chair with chains on the arms.
Harry looked at them warily. "I've been here before," he said. "I went here in Dumbledore's memory once." Daisy nodded. "They had to sit in the chair and the chains."
Dumbledore led them to a bench near the front. Other witches and wizards were filing in. They were discussing in a rushed and confused manner, as if arguing. No one was quite sure what was going on.
There were no other kids in the room and people keep eyeing Daisy and Harry strangely. Minutes passed and finally it seemed that everyone had settled.
A tall, bald man with a thick, brown mustache entered from a door on the right.
"Order!" he said sternly. A slow hush fell over the room like a blanket. No whispers could be heard, only deep, baited breathing. "Members of the Magical Council of Law, you have been called here on this day to pass judgment on Peter Pettigrew for the crimes of murdering twelve muggles, serving as a Death Eater to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named now and in the past, and framing Sirius Black for his crimes for fourteen years."
People began to sit up straighter in their seats and look intently at the man.
"That's Robert Platt, he's the new prosecutor for the Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore whispered.
Platt looked down his long nose towards Dumbledore. Daisy bit her lip. She knew what was going to happen next. Either Harry or she would be asked to testify.
"As evidence against Pettigrew, I call Daisy Peterson to give testimony," Platt said smoothly.
Daisy took a deep breath and stood. She walked toward the chair, but it seemed to be moving farther and farther away. Whispers and stares followed her. They didn't know who she was, why should they? She kept her eyes forward and continued toward the chair. The chains were ever more foreboding.
At last, she reached the chair and she sat down heavily on it. Her hands felt cold and clammy. The chains were still.
"Daisy Peterson, you have been brought here to present evidence to the Ministry of Magic about Peter Pettigrew," Platt said gently. It seemed he wasn't very intimidated by her. He paused and looked at her expectantly as though he wanted a response.
"Yes," Daisy said quietly. She tried to keep her heart from beating so fast. She didn't know why she was so scared. Maybe it was the hundreds of eyes staring at her.
"I see," he said. "Tell us, when was the first time you met Pettigrew?"
Daisy reddened. The truth was she had met him when he was a rat, and she had started pouring out her soul to him.
"When I was at St. Mungo's Hospital," she said. "He was, er, posing as someone else, well something else really."
"Continue," Platt said interestedly.
"Well, he was a rat," Daisy spat out. People's stares widened. "An animagus, I mean."
"Unregistered," Platt commented. "Very good. But how did you know that this rat was Pettigrew?"
"Well, the rat had a silver paw. I noticed it, and thought it was very strange. The day I was supposed to go back to Hogwarts from the hospital, the rat jumped into my pocket. I was going to take him back to Hogwarts to be my pet or something. It turned out that he rigged the Portkey to go to Voldemort's house in London instead of Hogwarts. When we got there, he jumped out of my pocket and ran out of the room. When he came back, he was a person. I saw that his hand was made of silver. I had heard that Pettigrew could turn into a rat, but I didn't know it was him until I saw him there with Voldemort. "
Several people in the crowd gasped and many others cried out in outrage.
"You mean to say," Platt asked slowly, "that Voldemort is alive?"
"Yes, but Peter," she insisted. She wanted to get back to him. He was the one on trial. "He was there too."
"Yes, yes," Platt said quietly. What Daisy had just said was sinking in. She couldn't see why it was such a shock, though. Who else could have been controlling London all this time?
"What did Pettigrew do?" Platt asked.
"He did whatever Voldemort told him to," Daisy said bitterly.
"You're sure he was doing it voluntarily. He didn't seem to be under a spell or something like that."
"No," Daisy told him surely. "He was doing it all by himself. He kept calling Voldemort 'Master.'"
"Yes," Platt murmured intently. "Where does Harry Potter come into this?"
The crowd gasped again, realizing that the skinny boy next to Dumbledore was Harry and many spun to look him. Daisy knew that Platt had spoken with Dumbledore so he knew the general story, but she wasn't sure if he knew the truth about her.
"Voldemort told me to summon him, and," Daisy looked at her shoes. "I did."
The witches and wizards in the seats stared hatefully at her. Of course they would. She'd given up their savior. But Platt didn't care about that. He was thinking about something more relevant.
"Why you?" he asked. "He already had Hogwarts students, even another from Harry's year, I've heard. Why did Voldemort want you to summon Harry?" He did know.
Daisy knew that now was the time to tell the world who she was. She had wanted this for so long. So why did she freeze up about it now?
"Because..." she paused, wondering what to do. She looked at Dumbledore. His expression was encouraging and reassuring. Harry was nodding vigorously. His green eyes pleaded with her to tell them. The eyes that they shared.
"Because I'm his sister," she blurted. The room burst into chaos. She heard cries, shouts, and even laughter. Everyone was and looking over their shoulder at Dumbledore, who nodded confidently, at Harry who was grinning sheepishly at his thumbs, or at Daisy who was sure they all thought she was crazy.
"Order!" yelled Platt. After several moments, the room was silent enough to begin again. He looked at Daisy carefully.
Daisy didn't know what to say. She was sure that no one believed her. A bright flash blinded her for a moment. She saw through purple smoke that it was a camera. Still, no one said a thing.
"Miss Peterson," Platt said finally. "How is this possible?"
"The, the Fidelus Charm," Daisy stuttered. "We're twins, but they didn't want anyone to know about me be-because I'm a squib and Voldemort is anti-squib."
Again, people began to chatter. Dumbledore rose from his seat. "What she says is true!" he cried. The room was still. "I was there when they were born, there is no doubt."
"Very well," Platt said. "Is there anything else you'd like to add to your testimony?"
"No," said Daisy shakily. She had quite enough of being questioned.
"Then you may be seated." Daisy walked as fast as she could back to her seat. She knew it wasn't finished yet, but she felt that somehow, things were about to get better.
Harry was called up to testify next. He told of several meetings with Pettigrew since his third year at Hogwarts. His telling of his most recent meeting was similar to Daisy's except he credited Daisy with saving his life and told about knocking Peter out and bringing him back to Diagon Alley.
The last words of his testimony were, "I hope he pays for what he did."
"Peter Pettigrew, you have been brought here before the Council of Magical Law," said Platt disdainfully, "so that we may pass judgment on you."
Wormtail was whimpering pitifully in the chair, his arms bound by the snakelike chains. He knew it was all over and so did everyone else in the room. Today Daisy, Harry, and Dumbledore were joined by Sirius, newly cleared by the Council of Magical Law. He had an expression of joy mangled by the fulfillment of revenge on his face. Harry watched Wormtail with loathing, but Dumbledore looked at him in disappointment
"We have heard the evidence against you. You stand accused of being a Death Eater, helping Voldemort return to power, and murdering twelve muggles."
Wormtail moaned, but couldn't say a word.
"Now I ask the jury," Platt continued, "to raise their hands if they believe that these crimes deserve a life sentence in Azkaban." The entire right side of the dungeon raised their hands.
"Then take him away!" Two towering hooded figures glided forward and seized Wormtail. He stood precariously and stumbled towards the door. Applause broke out throughout the room, hailing the capture of Voldemort's true servant, but it was nothing to the noise they had made yesterday when Sirius was declared free.
Daisy would never forget how happy Harry had been. She was overjoyed herself. They would be going to live with him this summer. Finally, they had a home.
They sat together for a moment, catching their breath and letting what had just happened subside. Tears ran down Daisy's face onto the back of Harry's robes, but he didn't move. At last, they pulled away from each other.
Daisy looked down at the dark pavement she was kneeling on. Somehow, she couldn't look Harry in the eye. She felt naked and ashamed. Sobbing, she felt like dirt. All of this was her fault. Harry would never forgive her. No one would.
"Daisy?" Harry said, confused. "Why are you crying?"
"Because," she cried, "I lied to everyone except a rat and it almost killed you."
"You saved my life back there," Harry said assuring. He put his hand on her shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong."
Daisy sniffed. There was a long pause.
"So it's true," Harry said. "You're my sister."
"Yeah," Daisy whispered. "We're twins."
"How did you find out?" Harry asked quietly.
"Sirius told me. I knew about him a long time before you told me about him. Oh, I've kept so much from all of you," she moaned.
"He never gave me a clue," Harry said. Daisy thought she heard a hint of bitterness in voice.
"He was our parents' Secret-Keeper," Daisy explained. "They knew I was a squib and they thought that no one should know about me because Voldemort would come after us."
Harry made a noise that could have been a laugh.
"Well you see where that got us. I was adopted by muggles and I didn't even know about magic until this summer. Sirius met me at my parent's funeral and later wrote me a letter telling me the truth. He thought that we shouldn't tell anyone for the same reason as before. But I know it's true. Look." Daisy took off her locket and opened it.
Harry stared at the picture and recognized the face of his mother.
"That was with me when the Muggles found me. That's how they knew my name."
"I believe it," Harry said solemnly. "That's the reason it hurts him when you touch him. You must have been there, too, when he came for us. Mum died to save us and left protection. Last year, you know at the Triwizard Tournament, he took my blood so he can touch me. But you still have it, it saved us both."
Daisy's head swam. She was getting tired again. "Are you getting sleepy again?"
Harry yawned. "Actually I am. But, I'm usually dead beat after a go with Voldemort."
Daisy looked at him and saw he wasn't afraid. He was quite relaxed really.
"I think that this was the best one though," he said. "We got Wormtail out of the mess, and I'm betting he'll clear Sirius's name in court under vertaserum."
"That would be great," Daisy said. "As Sirius is my legal guardian and I officially have no where to go when term is over."
"We should get back to Diagon Alley. No doubt Voldemort will have someone looking for us soon and we can't leave Dumbledore for long."
"That's right," Daisy said. She stood up and grabbed Wormtail's arm. She could have carried him by the ear, but she felt such an overflowing relief that she didn't feel like hurting anyone.
Harry grabbed his other arm not at all gently and they set off at a comfortable pace towards the Leaky Cauldron.
"So," Harry said, "who do you think was born first, you or me?"
An hour later, they sat with Dumbledore in a booth in the Leaky Cauldron sipping mugs of butterbeer. Wormtail had been bound and locked in a room heavily guarded by goblins brought in from Gringotts.
They explained to Dumbledore all that had happened and the truth about Daisy.
I remember it now," Dumbledore said. "The day you were born. It was at Hogwarts. When we learned that you were a squib..." He paused. "The Fidelus Charm makes you forget these things, even if they are the clearest memory. But I wonder now, how things would be different if I hadn't suggested keeping you from the world."
"Now that Voldemort knows your identity, I think it won't be long before all the world knows, too. Do you know what that means, Daisy?"
"I'm not sure," Daisy replied.
"It means you will be famous. But as Harry will tell you, fame isn't everything. It will bring you enemies." Daisy nodded in comprehension.
"With Wormtail it should be a possibility for Sirius to be cleared. Both of you are willing to testify at the trial?"
"Yes," Daisy said.
"Of course," Harry insisted.
"Good, because that will be soon. So Voldemort is in London?" he asked calmly.
"In a manor a mile or so away," Daisy told him. "Something went wrong with the Portkey."
"I should have known," Dumbledore said. "Voldemort has ways of using the same tricks over and over again."
"There's something new," Harry said. "The spell over Muggle London to make people fall asleep was his. The more magic you have and the closer you are to Voldemort makes you fall asleep faster. That's why it doesn't affect muggles."
"That's why I can stay awake longer," Daisy said quietly. There was an awkward pause.
"And you say the missing students were there?" Dumbledore continued.
"Yes," Daisy said.
"All five of them?" Dumbledore asked.
"What do you mean?" Daisy asked. "There were only three."
"The Malfoys went missing a few days ago," Harry said gravely.
Dumbledore nodded, "We should send someone for them before the night is over. Voldemort will be on the move as soon as he is able. I'll contact the Order. They have squib and muggle allies. They will be key in this stage."
Daisy smiled at the old man. She'd been feeling useless, but he was right. Even squibs would be needed to fight Voldemort.
"Are you both sure that you are all right?" Dumbledore asked. They nodded.
"Then to bed with us all. Sleep is a magnificent factor in recovery."
Daisy and Harry were put in a room together and both of them lay awake that night. Daisy thought of what was going to happen now and at last, she thought of Fred. She couldn't remember when they had actually made up, but she knew that things were all right.
"Daisy," Harry whispered. "Are you still awake?"
"How could I sleep?" Daisy asked.
"Were you the one who sent the message from Sirius a while ago?"
"Yes," Daisy replied. "I'm the friend."
Neither Harry nor Daisy was ready to return to Hogwarts the next day. Dumbledore agreed to let them stay in Diagon Alley until Wormtail's trial was over. Minister Fudge would not believe that Wormtail was alive until he showed up unexpectedly one day. He arrived in disbelief and left, as Daisy understood it, feeling dazed and shocked, with a still subdued Wormtail in custody.
Sirius allowed the Ministry officials to take him back to Azkaban, but he knew he would only be there for a few days. No one else had been known to smile on their way to Azkaban, but he did. For him it was a sign of freedom rather than imprisonment.
Two days later, Dumbledore led Daisy and Harry to the fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron. They were going to Judgment Isle, a small island near Azkaban, the place where trials took place.
Generally, Portkeys were used to get to the Isle, but Dumbledore strongly discouraged any Portkey travel for a while. Instead, they would use Floo powder.
Daisy had never traveled by Floo Powder before and Harry wasn't helping her get over her nerves. Apparently, he had had a bad first experience with Floo Powder. Daisy was just going to try to make it to the right chimney.
"You go first, Harry," Dumbledore said. Harry nodded and stepped into the hearth. He took a handful of purple powder from a flower pot on the floor. He threw it at his feet and it burst into a brilliant green flame, surrounding him.
"Judgment Isle!" he said clearly. The flame grew higher, engulfing his body and then he was gone.
"You next," Dumbledore said. Daisy gulped and inched into the fireplace.
"It's best to close your mouth and eyes," Dumbledore suggested, eyes twinkling. "And keep your elbows in."
Daisy grabbed a pinch of the powder and stared at it a moment before dropping it beside her shoe. She braced herself for the burning flame, ready to be scorched. The emerald fire rose to her waist, but it didn't burn, rather it tickled a little bit.
"Judgment Isle!" she said. At once, she shot upward and out the chimney. She opened her eyes for just a second and saw she was thousands of feet above the ground. She clamped them shut soon after.
Only a moment later, she tumbled out of another fireplace. She stood and brushed soot from her arms.
Harry was standing near the door, waiting for her. They were in a small cave like room with bumpy, tan walls. There were no windows, but the room was lit by two torches mounted on the wall.
"Wild, isn't it?" Harry asked.
Daisy scowled at her spotless brother and brushed more soot from her hair.
"What should we do now?" she asked, finally presentable.
"We will enter the courtroom," Dumbledore said from behind them, walking out of the fireplace.
He took the brass door handle and pulled the door open. As they entered, they saw a vast room constructed the same way as the smaller room. It was lit by forty or fifty strategically placed torches. Rows and rows of benches rose nearly to the ceiling. On the ground floor, there was a chair with chains on the arms.
Harry looked at them warily. "I've been here before," he said. "I went here in Dumbledore's memory once." Daisy nodded. "They had to sit in the chair and the chains."
Dumbledore led them to a bench near the front. Other witches and wizards were filing in. They were discussing in a rushed and confused manner, as if arguing. No one was quite sure what was going on.
There were no other kids in the room and people keep eyeing Daisy and Harry strangely. Minutes passed and finally it seemed that everyone had settled.
A tall, bald man with a thick, brown mustache entered from a door on the right.
"Order!" he said sternly. A slow hush fell over the room like a blanket. No whispers could be heard, only deep, baited breathing. "Members of the Magical Council of Law, you have been called here on this day to pass judgment on Peter Pettigrew for the crimes of murdering twelve muggles, serving as a Death Eater to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named now and in the past, and framing Sirius Black for his crimes for fourteen years."
People began to sit up straighter in their seats and look intently at the man.
"That's Robert Platt, he's the new prosecutor for the Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore whispered.
Platt looked down his long nose towards Dumbledore. Daisy bit her lip. She knew what was going to happen next. Either Harry or she would be asked to testify.
"As evidence against Pettigrew, I call Daisy Peterson to give testimony," Platt said smoothly.
Daisy took a deep breath and stood. She walked toward the chair, but it seemed to be moving farther and farther away. Whispers and stares followed her. They didn't know who she was, why should they? She kept her eyes forward and continued toward the chair. The chains were ever more foreboding.
At last, she reached the chair and she sat down heavily on it. Her hands felt cold and clammy. The chains were still.
"Daisy Peterson, you have been brought here to present evidence to the Ministry of Magic about Peter Pettigrew," Platt said gently. It seemed he wasn't very intimidated by her. He paused and looked at her expectantly as though he wanted a response.
"Yes," Daisy said quietly. She tried to keep her heart from beating so fast. She didn't know why she was so scared. Maybe it was the hundreds of eyes staring at her.
"I see," he said. "Tell us, when was the first time you met Pettigrew?"
Daisy reddened. The truth was she had met him when he was a rat, and she had started pouring out her soul to him.
"When I was at St. Mungo's Hospital," she said. "He was, er, posing as someone else, well something else really."
"Continue," Platt said interestedly.
"Well, he was a rat," Daisy spat out. People's stares widened. "An animagus, I mean."
"Unregistered," Platt commented. "Very good. But how did you know that this rat was Pettigrew?"
"Well, the rat had a silver paw. I noticed it, and thought it was very strange. The day I was supposed to go back to Hogwarts from the hospital, the rat jumped into my pocket. I was going to take him back to Hogwarts to be my pet or something. It turned out that he rigged the Portkey to go to Voldemort's house in London instead of Hogwarts. When we got there, he jumped out of my pocket and ran out of the room. When he came back, he was a person. I saw that his hand was made of silver. I had heard that Pettigrew could turn into a rat, but I didn't know it was him until I saw him there with Voldemort. "
Several people in the crowd gasped and many others cried out in outrage.
"You mean to say," Platt asked slowly, "that Voldemort is alive?"
"Yes, but Peter," she insisted. She wanted to get back to him. He was the one on trial. "He was there too."
"Yes, yes," Platt said quietly. What Daisy had just said was sinking in. She couldn't see why it was such a shock, though. Who else could have been controlling London all this time?
"What did Pettigrew do?" Platt asked.
"He did whatever Voldemort told him to," Daisy said bitterly.
"You're sure he was doing it voluntarily. He didn't seem to be under a spell or something like that."
"No," Daisy told him surely. "He was doing it all by himself. He kept calling Voldemort 'Master.'"
"Yes," Platt murmured intently. "Where does Harry Potter come into this?"
The crowd gasped again, realizing that the skinny boy next to Dumbledore was Harry and many spun to look him. Daisy knew that Platt had spoken with Dumbledore so he knew the general story, but she wasn't sure if he knew the truth about her.
"Voldemort told me to summon him, and," Daisy looked at her shoes. "I did."
The witches and wizards in the seats stared hatefully at her. Of course they would. She'd given up their savior. But Platt didn't care about that. He was thinking about something more relevant.
"Why you?" he asked. "He already had Hogwarts students, even another from Harry's year, I've heard. Why did Voldemort want you to summon Harry?" He did know.
Daisy knew that now was the time to tell the world who she was. She had wanted this for so long. So why did she freeze up about it now?
"Because..." she paused, wondering what to do. She looked at Dumbledore. His expression was encouraging and reassuring. Harry was nodding vigorously. His green eyes pleaded with her to tell them. The eyes that they shared.
"Because I'm his sister," she blurted. The room burst into chaos. She heard cries, shouts, and even laughter. Everyone was and looking over their shoulder at Dumbledore, who nodded confidently, at Harry who was grinning sheepishly at his thumbs, or at Daisy who was sure they all thought she was crazy.
"Order!" yelled Platt. After several moments, the room was silent enough to begin again. He looked at Daisy carefully.
Daisy didn't know what to say. She was sure that no one believed her. A bright flash blinded her for a moment. She saw through purple smoke that it was a camera. Still, no one said a thing.
"Miss Peterson," Platt said finally. "How is this possible?"
"The, the Fidelus Charm," Daisy stuttered. "We're twins, but they didn't want anyone to know about me be-because I'm a squib and Voldemort is anti-squib."
Again, people began to chatter. Dumbledore rose from his seat. "What she says is true!" he cried. The room was still. "I was there when they were born, there is no doubt."
"Very well," Platt said. "Is there anything else you'd like to add to your testimony?"
"No," said Daisy shakily. She had quite enough of being questioned.
"Then you may be seated." Daisy walked as fast as she could back to her seat. She knew it wasn't finished yet, but she felt that somehow, things were about to get better.
Harry was called up to testify next. He told of several meetings with Pettigrew since his third year at Hogwarts. His telling of his most recent meeting was similar to Daisy's except he credited Daisy with saving his life and told about knocking Peter out and bringing him back to Diagon Alley.
The last words of his testimony were, "I hope he pays for what he did."
"Peter Pettigrew, you have been brought here before the Council of Magical Law," said Platt disdainfully, "so that we may pass judgment on you."
Wormtail was whimpering pitifully in the chair, his arms bound by the snakelike chains. He knew it was all over and so did everyone else in the room. Today Daisy, Harry, and Dumbledore were joined by Sirius, newly cleared by the Council of Magical Law. He had an expression of joy mangled by the fulfillment of revenge on his face. Harry watched Wormtail with loathing, but Dumbledore looked at him in disappointment
"We have heard the evidence against you. You stand accused of being a Death Eater, helping Voldemort return to power, and murdering twelve muggles."
Wormtail moaned, but couldn't say a word.
"Now I ask the jury," Platt continued, "to raise their hands if they believe that these crimes deserve a life sentence in Azkaban." The entire right side of the dungeon raised their hands.
"Then take him away!" Two towering hooded figures glided forward and seized Wormtail. He stood precariously and stumbled towards the door. Applause broke out throughout the room, hailing the capture of Voldemort's true servant, but it was nothing to the noise they had made yesterday when Sirius was declared free.
Daisy would never forget how happy Harry had been. She was overjoyed herself. They would be going to live with him this summer. Finally, they had a home.
