CHAPTER FIVE- Wormtail's Trial
Sure enough at ten-fifteen, Sirius appeared driving a flying motorcycle. "Hop in." He said.
Ron and Jasmine sat in the side-car while I got on the motorcycle behind Sirius. We picked Hermione up (she looked rather distressed at the motorcycle) and we were flying through the air.
After a while we arrived at a large building. When we went in, we headed down a flight of steps and into a crowded, dungeon-like square room. I recognized it right away. It was a dimly lit, underground room. There were crowded benches rising in level. In the center of the room was a chair with chains at the arms for someone to be tied there.
"Hello, Harry." Professor Albus Dumbledore walked over. "Ron, great to see you alive."
And Dumbledore gave Ron a hug. Ron looked as shocked as Hermione did.
Then Ron frowned. 'Who is this man?" He asked nervously.
"Its okay, its our Headmaster." I said.
"You're weird." Ron told Dumbledore. "Wait, no I remember- oh my God I am sorry Professor I didn't mean to call you weird!"
But Dumbledore was grinning. "Its okay, for indeed I am. Hermione, Jasmine." He greeted them and led us over to a main bench where a bunch of official looking wizards were, including Arthur.
Mr. Weasley looked fairly surprised to see us here. "Ron? Harry? Hermione? Jasmine?" He asked.
"We're witnesses." Ron mumbled as we sat down with Sirius, Remus and Emerin.
"Oh my gosh!" Hermione gasped. I followed her gaze.
Two teens had just entered the room. The boy was as tall as Ron with wavy red-brown hair, a long, tanned face with sharpish features, hazel eyes and a slender body. He wore a scowl and his hands were stuck in the pockets of his baggy jeans. He wore a black button-up shirt and boots.
But it was the girl walking with him that made Hermione, as well as Ron, Jasmine and me, gasp.
Her face, identical to the boy's only feminine, was long and her features rather sharp. Her hair was extremely long and the first couple of inches was straight then the rest was very curly. It was a darkish red-brown. The bangs had been grown out down to her shoulders, and the rest of it ended a few inches past her hips She had very tan skin and her eyes were sparkling hazel. She was about a few inches shorter then Ron and quite lean and lanky.
"Peggy?" Ron asked.
The teens walked over to the room and sat with them. "Peggy?" Harry asked.
"Are you addressing me?" The girl asked.
"Uh.. . yeah.. ." I said. "My name is Alexia." She said, tossing back her curls then turned to the middle of the room.
I stared at her.. . it had to of been Peggy! It HAD to of been!
Suddenly the crowd stopped whispering as the doors burst open. Two wizards dressed all in black were dragging Wormtail into the room.
He was hardly taller then me and had a shrunken appearance. His thin, colorless hair was messy, and had a large bald spot on his head. Even larger then it had been before. He had a ratty-like face and was crying.
The two wizards pushed him in the chair and the chains glowed gold and wrapped tightly around his wrists. "Please!" Wormtail's voice cried out, hushing the whispers that had started again. "I-I-I've done nothing wrong!!!" He cried.
Beside me, Sirius snorted. "I can't wait to see what he says to try and get out of this." And he, Remus and Emerin laughed.
"Wait, let me guess. he'll admit to being an unregistered Animagus and say he managed to escape that way, losing his finger in the process." Emerin said.
"Then he'll say he was captured by me and I tried to kill him again but he managed to escape." Sirius chuckled.
"Then say he was put under the Imperius curse by Voldemort." Remus finished.
"Peter Pettigrew.. . you are hereby charged in the following accounts!" A man had stood up and was reading from a parchment. He was a medium height wizard, muscular with silver streaks in his shoulder-length black hair. He wore sweeping black robes, and a silver suit underneath. "You were a Death Eater, killed many, and were a traitor to those you trusted you. You betrayed James and Lily Potter and resulted in their death. You killed twelve Muggles and put the blame on another wizard, sending him to Azkaban. And.. ." The wizard trailed off and let the parchment roll up by itself by letting the bottom part go. "brought Voldemort back to full power."
The crowd began whispering and pointing at the shivering Wormtail. "I-I-I-I didn't!" And then begun the tale that Sirius, Remus and Emerin had predicted. "I'm innocent." He whispered after finishing.
"Well why don't we ask a few witnesses, shall we?" The silver and black haired man asked. "Mr. Sirius Black?" Everyone began whispering and someone even screamed as Sirius rose to his feet.
"Yes Mr. Martin?"
"15 years ago you were accused of murdering twelve Muggles. and the wizard you see before you. You were sent to Azkaban without a trial. Is this or is this not true?"
"It is true, Mr. Martin." Sirius said, arms folded.
"And did you do that?"
"No, Mr. Martin."
"Would you please regale us with your story?" Mr. Martin said.
"Ofcourse, Mr. Martin." Sirius cleared his throat and turned back towards the room. "Fifteen years ago, I was asked to be Secret Keeper for James, Lily and Harry Potter. being the thick-headed dolt I was, I ask for it to be changed to someone else without informing anyone. This wizard you see before you, Mr. Peter Pettigrew, was the Secret Keeper. He told his Master, lord Voldemort-"
"He was never m-m-m-m-my master!" Wormtail cried out but Sirius continued.
"And Voldemort attacked. I realized my mistake too late and returned to the home to find." Sirius stopped and took a deep breath. "to find James and Lily dead.. ." he continued with his voice cracking slightly. "and Harry with his scar. I put together all the pieces, handed Harry over to Mr. Rubeus Hagrid, and searched out for Pettigrew to get my revenge.. .
"I found Pettigrew in a Muggle village. He blamed me for betraying the Potters. I pulled my wand out to kill him- yes I do not deny I wanted to kill the murdering son of a.. . er, anyway." Sirius cleared his throat while Remus and Emerin snickered. "Pettigrew pulled his wand out, blasted apart the street killing twelve Muggles. He was dead as well, with only his finger left. I thought he was dead. I thought he had gone insane. well, more insane then he was, and killed himself.
"The Ministry came and found me laughing. I was laughing because I thought Pettigrew had killed himself. I was sent to Azkaban.
"Three years ago I found out Pettigrew was alive with this photo."
I blinked at the farthest wall as a projection of the photo of the Weasleys appeared. suddenly Scabbers on Ron's shoulder took over the whole wall.
"Pettigrew did not lie when he told you all he was an unregistered Animagus. He was hiding out as an innocent house pet."
On my other side, Ron was mumbling swear words under his breath.
"I recognized Pettigrew, and knew I had to get my revenge. I escaped Azkaban, and tried getting him from Mr. Ronald Weasley." Sirius continued his story of my Third year. well, actually the meeting in the Shrieking Shack (not mentioning the name of the shack).
"And since he escaped, and I had no way to prove my story I went into hiding. Pettigrew rejoined Voldemort, and last year brought him back to full power." Sirius nodded his head and sat down.
"Thank you Mr. Black. Have you anything to say to this story, Mr. Pettigrew?"
"I-I-I-I-I'm innocent!" Wormtail sobbed.
"Mr. Remus Lupin?" Remus stood up. "is the story you just heard from Mr. Sirius Black true?"
"Yes, sir, it is." Remus said and sat down.
"They're lying!" Wormtail cried.
"Mr. Harry Potter?" Mr. Martin called. I shakily rose to my feet and felt hundreds of eyes on me. "Was the story from Mr. Sirius Black true?"
"Yes, sir." I said, my voice magnified magically so everyone could hear me.
"And did Peter Pettigrew bring Voldemort back?"
"Yes sir I witnessed it." I said, glaring at Wormtail who began shaking uncontrollably.
"Mr. Ronald Weasley?"
I sat down and Ron nervously stood up. "Yes sir?"
"Was the story true?"
"Yes sir." Ron said. Mr. Martin asked Hermione and she said it was true as well.
"Now then, I call Mr. Alexander and Miss Alexia Webs to witness." The two stood up. "Please tell us of what you know of this wizard you see before you."
"Mr. Peter Pettigrew is indeed a servant of Voldemort." Alexander sneered. "We have witnessed him in Voldemort's service."
"A few months ago, Voldemort tried to kill Harry by baiting him with Sirius. Pettigrew was with him. Voldemort, I mean." Alexia/Peggy said.
"Ask him where he got that hand." Alexander said.
"Where did you get that hand, Mr. Pettigrew?" Mr. Martin.
"I-I-I-I-I-"
"Voldemort gave it to him." Both teens chorused before sitting down.
"Have you anything to say, Pettigrew?" Mr. Martin sneered.
"I'M INNOCENT!" Wormtail said and began crying.
"Show us your Animagus form."
The chains bound around his wrists let go and the two wizards that brought him in, held their wands out. Wormtail nodded and began a rat. Then back human.
"Very well. Mr. Peter Pettigrew. I hereby charge you guilty of all accounts."
Wormtail let out a loud sob. I clenched my teeth, hoping they wouldn't kill him then and there. I had seen enough deaths to last me a lifetime. But I doubted they would.
"Your sentence will be." Mr. Martin began and everyone looked at him with bated breath. "to permanently be in your rat form."
Wormtail's eyes got wide at this. "P-p-p-permanently?"
"Yes. You will be kept in a cage protected by magic so if you try to turn human you will be crushed to death. And you will also be used to give some of our pet cats some exercise." Almost everyone laughed at this and Wormtail began shaking again. "and if they catch you well. what a shame." Mr. Martin raised his wand and said a spell. A largish clear plastic cage appeared with air holes in the top, wood chips for bedding and a hamster wheel. There were some tunnels twisting around but always came back to the main cage. He pointed his wand at Wormtail and in a flash of light, he was a rat and forced into the cage.
The cage was then taken from the room. But the trial wasn't done. "Mr. Sirius Black." Mr. Martin turned to Sirius who rose to his feet. "All charges against your name are cleared. You are hereby pronounced- innocent!"
Everyone was cheering but no one as loudly as me.
*** (Sirius's point of view)
"Sirius your name is cleared!" Harry flung himself at me and hugged me tightly. I hugged back then turned to Remus and Emerin.
"Let's have a wild party and get drunk." Remus suggested. Emerin smacked him in the head sharply.
"Remus you prat, Harry and the others are underage!" She shrieked.
"Emerin if I remind you, being underage never stopped US from getting drunk." I said with a grin.
"Shh, Padfoot." Remus hissed, glancing at Harry who was grinning.
"Too late, I heard."
"Too bad I don't have a house right now. and probably won't get one by the time you go back to school." I said.
"Its okay." He said with a shrug.
"But maybe we can have a nice Christmas at my house." I suggested.
"Just so long as you don't cook the dinner." Remus said.
"Just so long as YOU cook the dinner, too." Emerin told Remus.
"Sirius Black you have just been freed of the charge of murdering thirteen people! What are you going to do now?" Remus asked in a deep voice.
"Hit you then go eat lunch." I said and smacked Remus upside the head before going outside into the bright sun. It may of just been me, but the day seemed brighter and happier, and the sky clearer then ever before. My face broke into the widest grin I ever had before and could no longer hold it in. I leapt in the air "YES!"
Sure enough at ten-fifteen, Sirius appeared driving a flying motorcycle. "Hop in." He said.
Ron and Jasmine sat in the side-car while I got on the motorcycle behind Sirius. We picked Hermione up (she looked rather distressed at the motorcycle) and we were flying through the air.
After a while we arrived at a large building. When we went in, we headed down a flight of steps and into a crowded, dungeon-like square room. I recognized it right away. It was a dimly lit, underground room. There were crowded benches rising in level. In the center of the room was a chair with chains at the arms for someone to be tied there.
"Hello, Harry." Professor Albus Dumbledore walked over. "Ron, great to see you alive."
And Dumbledore gave Ron a hug. Ron looked as shocked as Hermione did.
Then Ron frowned. 'Who is this man?" He asked nervously.
"Its okay, its our Headmaster." I said.
"You're weird." Ron told Dumbledore. "Wait, no I remember- oh my God I am sorry Professor I didn't mean to call you weird!"
But Dumbledore was grinning. "Its okay, for indeed I am. Hermione, Jasmine." He greeted them and led us over to a main bench where a bunch of official looking wizards were, including Arthur.
Mr. Weasley looked fairly surprised to see us here. "Ron? Harry? Hermione? Jasmine?" He asked.
"We're witnesses." Ron mumbled as we sat down with Sirius, Remus and Emerin.
"Oh my gosh!" Hermione gasped. I followed her gaze.
Two teens had just entered the room. The boy was as tall as Ron with wavy red-brown hair, a long, tanned face with sharpish features, hazel eyes and a slender body. He wore a scowl and his hands were stuck in the pockets of his baggy jeans. He wore a black button-up shirt and boots.
But it was the girl walking with him that made Hermione, as well as Ron, Jasmine and me, gasp.
Her face, identical to the boy's only feminine, was long and her features rather sharp. Her hair was extremely long and the first couple of inches was straight then the rest was very curly. It was a darkish red-brown. The bangs had been grown out down to her shoulders, and the rest of it ended a few inches past her hips She had very tan skin and her eyes were sparkling hazel. She was about a few inches shorter then Ron and quite lean and lanky.
"Peggy?" Ron asked.
The teens walked over to the room and sat with them. "Peggy?" Harry asked.
"Are you addressing me?" The girl asked.
"Uh.. . yeah.. ." I said. "My name is Alexia." She said, tossing back her curls then turned to the middle of the room.
I stared at her.. . it had to of been Peggy! It HAD to of been!
Suddenly the crowd stopped whispering as the doors burst open. Two wizards dressed all in black were dragging Wormtail into the room.
He was hardly taller then me and had a shrunken appearance. His thin, colorless hair was messy, and had a large bald spot on his head. Even larger then it had been before. He had a ratty-like face and was crying.
The two wizards pushed him in the chair and the chains glowed gold and wrapped tightly around his wrists. "Please!" Wormtail's voice cried out, hushing the whispers that had started again. "I-I-I've done nothing wrong!!!" He cried.
Beside me, Sirius snorted. "I can't wait to see what he says to try and get out of this." And he, Remus and Emerin laughed.
"Wait, let me guess. he'll admit to being an unregistered Animagus and say he managed to escape that way, losing his finger in the process." Emerin said.
"Then he'll say he was captured by me and I tried to kill him again but he managed to escape." Sirius chuckled.
"Then say he was put under the Imperius curse by Voldemort." Remus finished.
"Peter Pettigrew.. . you are hereby charged in the following accounts!" A man had stood up and was reading from a parchment. He was a medium height wizard, muscular with silver streaks in his shoulder-length black hair. He wore sweeping black robes, and a silver suit underneath. "You were a Death Eater, killed many, and were a traitor to those you trusted you. You betrayed James and Lily Potter and resulted in their death. You killed twelve Muggles and put the blame on another wizard, sending him to Azkaban. And.. ." The wizard trailed off and let the parchment roll up by itself by letting the bottom part go. "brought Voldemort back to full power."
The crowd began whispering and pointing at the shivering Wormtail. "I-I-I-I didn't!" And then begun the tale that Sirius, Remus and Emerin had predicted. "I'm innocent." He whispered after finishing.
"Well why don't we ask a few witnesses, shall we?" The silver and black haired man asked. "Mr. Sirius Black?" Everyone began whispering and someone even screamed as Sirius rose to his feet.
"Yes Mr. Martin?"
"15 years ago you were accused of murdering twelve Muggles. and the wizard you see before you. You were sent to Azkaban without a trial. Is this or is this not true?"
"It is true, Mr. Martin." Sirius said, arms folded.
"And did you do that?"
"No, Mr. Martin."
"Would you please regale us with your story?" Mr. Martin said.
"Ofcourse, Mr. Martin." Sirius cleared his throat and turned back towards the room. "Fifteen years ago, I was asked to be Secret Keeper for James, Lily and Harry Potter. being the thick-headed dolt I was, I ask for it to be changed to someone else without informing anyone. This wizard you see before you, Mr. Peter Pettigrew, was the Secret Keeper. He told his Master, lord Voldemort-"
"He was never m-m-m-m-my master!" Wormtail cried out but Sirius continued.
"And Voldemort attacked. I realized my mistake too late and returned to the home to find." Sirius stopped and took a deep breath. "to find James and Lily dead.. ." he continued with his voice cracking slightly. "and Harry with his scar. I put together all the pieces, handed Harry over to Mr. Rubeus Hagrid, and searched out for Pettigrew to get my revenge.. .
"I found Pettigrew in a Muggle village. He blamed me for betraying the Potters. I pulled my wand out to kill him- yes I do not deny I wanted to kill the murdering son of a.. . er, anyway." Sirius cleared his throat while Remus and Emerin snickered. "Pettigrew pulled his wand out, blasted apart the street killing twelve Muggles. He was dead as well, with only his finger left. I thought he was dead. I thought he had gone insane. well, more insane then he was, and killed himself.
"The Ministry came and found me laughing. I was laughing because I thought Pettigrew had killed himself. I was sent to Azkaban.
"Three years ago I found out Pettigrew was alive with this photo."
I blinked at the farthest wall as a projection of the photo of the Weasleys appeared. suddenly Scabbers on Ron's shoulder took over the whole wall.
"Pettigrew did not lie when he told you all he was an unregistered Animagus. He was hiding out as an innocent house pet."
On my other side, Ron was mumbling swear words under his breath.
"I recognized Pettigrew, and knew I had to get my revenge. I escaped Azkaban, and tried getting him from Mr. Ronald Weasley." Sirius continued his story of my Third year. well, actually the meeting in the Shrieking Shack (not mentioning the name of the shack).
"And since he escaped, and I had no way to prove my story I went into hiding. Pettigrew rejoined Voldemort, and last year brought him back to full power." Sirius nodded his head and sat down.
"Thank you Mr. Black. Have you anything to say to this story, Mr. Pettigrew?"
"I-I-I-I-I'm innocent!" Wormtail sobbed.
"Mr. Remus Lupin?" Remus stood up. "is the story you just heard from Mr. Sirius Black true?"
"Yes, sir, it is." Remus said and sat down.
"They're lying!" Wormtail cried.
"Mr. Harry Potter?" Mr. Martin called. I shakily rose to my feet and felt hundreds of eyes on me. "Was the story from Mr. Sirius Black true?"
"Yes, sir." I said, my voice magnified magically so everyone could hear me.
"And did Peter Pettigrew bring Voldemort back?"
"Yes sir I witnessed it." I said, glaring at Wormtail who began shaking uncontrollably.
"Mr. Ronald Weasley?"
I sat down and Ron nervously stood up. "Yes sir?"
"Was the story true?"
"Yes sir." Ron said. Mr. Martin asked Hermione and she said it was true as well.
"Now then, I call Mr. Alexander and Miss Alexia Webs to witness." The two stood up. "Please tell us of what you know of this wizard you see before you."
"Mr. Peter Pettigrew is indeed a servant of Voldemort." Alexander sneered. "We have witnessed him in Voldemort's service."
"A few months ago, Voldemort tried to kill Harry by baiting him with Sirius. Pettigrew was with him. Voldemort, I mean." Alexia/Peggy said.
"Ask him where he got that hand." Alexander said.
"Where did you get that hand, Mr. Pettigrew?" Mr. Martin.
"I-I-I-I-I-"
"Voldemort gave it to him." Both teens chorused before sitting down.
"Have you anything to say, Pettigrew?" Mr. Martin sneered.
"I'M INNOCENT!" Wormtail said and began crying.
"Show us your Animagus form."
The chains bound around his wrists let go and the two wizards that brought him in, held their wands out. Wormtail nodded and began a rat. Then back human.
"Very well. Mr. Peter Pettigrew. I hereby charge you guilty of all accounts."
Wormtail let out a loud sob. I clenched my teeth, hoping they wouldn't kill him then and there. I had seen enough deaths to last me a lifetime. But I doubted they would.
"Your sentence will be." Mr. Martin began and everyone looked at him with bated breath. "to permanently be in your rat form."
Wormtail's eyes got wide at this. "P-p-p-permanently?"
"Yes. You will be kept in a cage protected by magic so if you try to turn human you will be crushed to death. And you will also be used to give some of our pet cats some exercise." Almost everyone laughed at this and Wormtail began shaking again. "and if they catch you well. what a shame." Mr. Martin raised his wand and said a spell. A largish clear plastic cage appeared with air holes in the top, wood chips for bedding and a hamster wheel. There were some tunnels twisting around but always came back to the main cage. He pointed his wand at Wormtail and in a flash of light, he was a rat and forced into the cage.
The cage was then taken from the room. But the trial wasn't done. "Mr. Sirius Black." Mr. Martin turned to Sirius who rose to his feet. "All charges against your name are cleared. You are hereby pronounced- innocent!"
Everyone was cheering but no one as loudly as me.
*** (Sirius's point of view)
"Sirius your name is cleared!" Harry flung himself at me and hugged me tightly. I hugged back then turned to Remus and Emerin.
"Let's have a wild party and get drunk." Remus suggested. Emerin smacked him in the head sharply.
"Remus you prat, Harry and the others are underage!" She shrieked.
"Emerin if I remind you, being underage never stopped US from getting drunk." I said with a grin.
"Shh, Padfoot." Remus hissed, glancing at Harry who was grinning.
"Too late, I heard."
"Too bad I don't have a house right now. and probably won't get one by the time you go back to school." I said.
"Its okay." He said with a shrug.
"But maybe we can have a nice Christmas at my house." I suggested.
"Just so long as you don't cook the dinner." Remus said.
"Just so long as YOU cook the dinner, too." Emerin told Remus.
"Sirius Black you have just been freed of the charge of murdering thirteen people! What are you going to do now?" Remus asked in a deep voice.
"Hit you then go eat lunch." I said and smacked Remus upside the head before going outside into the bright sun. It may of just been me, but the day seemed brighter and happier, and the sky clearer then ever before. My face broke into the widest grin I ever had before and could no longer hold it in. I leapt in the air "YES!"