Chapter 72

Zara was cowering in the corner, not able to feel anything. She couldn't even cry anymore because had run out of tears hours ago.

Before Malfoy had left, he had promised her to come back and provide her with some essentials, but by now she doubted that she would see him anytime soon.

When she heard somebody at the door again, she just peeked through her fingers.

It wasn't Malfoy. The person in front of her was smaller and definitely female.

She only knew one woman among her capturers and that was Lestrange.

"Hello poppet"

A cold, high-pitched voice pierced her brain. Zara sighed and wondered when this nightmare would finally find an end.

"I trust you remember me"

Zara nodded mutely. She was scared beyond believe. Since the attack in Gryffindor Tower, she had heard enough horror stories about Bellatrix Lestrange to give her nightmares until eternity.

"So my dear, I wanted to tell you that we have contacted your father. If he is cooperating, you will be out of here in only a few days, but if he isn't then..."

She didn't finish the sentence, but the mad sparkle in her eyes made Zara shudder.

The Ravenclaw knew that even if Snape would cooperate, she would still kill her. Just for the fun of it.

She had to get out of here somehow.

Too bad I don't have my wand, she thought while she watched the witch closely.

Bellatrix Lestrange had sat down on the chair that Malfoy had drawn earlier and smirked.

"Now I would like to hear what you can tell me about the events in my cousin's home"

Zara just looked at her confusedly and shrugged her shoulders.

"What? The cat got your tongue? Speak girl, or I will stop playing nicely"

"There is nothing I can tell you. You seem to know more than me already"

"Don't give me that rubbish" Bellatrix hissed. "I know there's something going on and you're going to tell me what"

Zara just stared at her without saying a word.

"Kreacher, who was providing me with useful informations, disappeared yesterday afternoon. So what happened in this house?"

"How could I tell you that, when you abducted me before lunch?" Zara retorted with a slightly triumphant tone in her voice.

Bellatrix didn't tolerate that and crossed the distance between her and the girl with two strides.

"That will teach you not to be cheeky" she hissed and hit Zara hard in the face.

Zara glared at her in fury and wiped the blood off her busted lip.

She knew if she, against all odds, would survive this nightmare, she would hunt this witch down and take revenge. All the lonely hours she had spent in this dump, she hadn't done anything else but think what she would do to Malfoy and Lestrange.

Somehow it gave her the strength to hold on. Even the dementors, which still guarded the cells, didn't have that much affect on her anymore.

Bellatrix was still towering over her with her hand raised.

"Now tell me who is living at my cousin's house?"

The Ravenclaw had no idea if the deatheaters knew about James and Lily's return, but she doubted it.

"Oh..." she said slowly. "There are Sirius and the Weasleys with Ron, Ginny, Fred and George, Harry, Kayla and Kelsey. The students will all return to Hogwarts next week. Yes and sometimes there also come a few teachers to visit, just as Professor Lupin, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape"

Bellatrix frowned when Zara referred to her father as Professor Snape, but continued with her interrogation.

"I think I have to make sure that you understand the urgency of this matter" she said with a dangerously low voice.

"CRUCIO"

Zara instantly doubled over in pain. Wave after waved raged through her body and she whimpered terribly.

Bellatrix released the curse after a minute and Zara thought for the thousandth time what she had done to deserve all this.

"Now is there anything you would like to tell me?" Bellatrix said with an insincere smile on her face.

Zara closed her eyes and remained silent.

Even after she had endured the Cruciatus curse once more she didn't give away any information of Harry's parents.

Finally the pain was to strong and she lost conscience.

Bellatrix knew she had gone to far and wouldn't get any information today. Disappointed that she could finish her off, she kicked the limp body on the floor beneath her and stormed off.

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Severus had apparated to Voldemort's mansion. He didn't care what the old meddling fool told him to do. He wanted to find his daughter.

After he had received a note from Bellatrix this morning giving him detailed instructions what he had to do to get Zara back.

For some reason he had the feeling that all this was not an order of the Dark Lord. On the other hand, Bella wouldn't even breathe without his permission.

So he had decided to do a little spying on his own accord and see if he could find a hint where his daughter was held captive.

Hidden under the invisibility cloak, which he had borrowed earlier today from James, he made towards the entrance door.

Fortunately the security spells that guarded the estate recognized his deatheater status and he could enter without being noticed.

He knew that the Dark Lord was meeting with his allies today, so he hoped that he would be able to eavesdrop on some interesting conversations.

After he had passed the entrance hall, he carefully proceeded to the chambers further back.

Severus wasn't sure where exactly the Dark Lord was holding his meeting, but he assumed it would be in his private chambers. No deatheater was allowed to be present when the most important decisions were made.

Just when he thought it was already too late, he heard voices in the distance.

Instantly he slipped behind a tapestry and listened.

The deatheaters couldn't see through an invisibility cloak, but I didn't want to take any chances with the Dark Lord.

"My Lord, unfortunately we couldn't find any proof if what that healer said under the Cruciatus curse is true. The girl didn't say anything along those lines." he heard Bellatrix say.

"You're tailing off, my dear. I expected better results. The statement of this healer who tested that muggleborn sounded convincing. If James Potter is still alive, I have to correct this mistake immediately. Snape's girl lived in that house, so she has to know. Do what is necessary to break her resistance, but don't kill her just yet"

Severus' pinched his eyes together when he heard the Dark Lord talking about Zara. He didn't want her dead for now, but Severus knew what Bellatrix was capable off. He had to find her as soon as possible or she would never be the same as before.

"I will do everything in my power to retrieve the requested information for you my Lord" Bellatrix said smarmy and Severus could her that the Dark Lord and his favourite sycophant were moving away from the tapestry.

After a minute, he peeked out of his hideout and then carefully followed his former master.

"My dear Bellatrix, I trust that you return to Miss Snape and see for me if Lucius has received any kind of informations so far. The dementors I have sent on his request should give him some assistance"

Severus now walked a little faster to decrease the distance.

Then Bellatrix said scornfully "My dear Lord, Malfoy unfortunately is not interested in retrieving any kind of information. All he is interested in is his own pleasure." The Dark Lord stopped short and faced the witch next to him, while Severus glared at them in shock and ducked behind a stone statue.

"Malfoy can have his way with the girl, but when I find out that he doesn't give my interests top priority, then he will have to face severe consequences."

Bellatrix nodded acquiescently.

"Try to be nice with the girl, for a change; make her comfortable. Be a true Slytherin. Maybe she's easier to persuade to give us information if she believes we're going to let her go. But make sure that she's not recognizing her environment. You may go"

"Yes my Lord"

Severus knew that he wouldn't get anymore information today, so he slowly followed Lestrange, making sure he was keeping the proper distance.

Back at Hogwarts he was pondering over the things he had just found out.

Nervously he was pacing in front of the fireplace in his sitting room. There had to be a clue to where she was; he knew it.

He banged his fist against the wall in frustration and caused Salazar Slytherin to frown at him from his portrait.

"You have to solve this with logic, Severus" he said.

Snape spun around and glared at the painting that had never said a word before.

"Tell me what you have heard today"

Then the potion master repeated the facts he had found out during his visit at Voldemort's estate.

"There is sentence, you should pay attention to. But make sure that she's not recognizing her environment. This is the clue" Slytherin said and then closed his eyes.

Severus frowned and started to pace again.

Why didn't he want her to recognize her environment?

Think like a deatheater. Think! What would be the place anyone would expect her to be least; he thought and slapped his palm against his forehead.

Then an interesting thought formed in his mind and he wondered if the Dark Lord would be so bold.

Confident that he had drawn the right conclusion, he decided to leave early in the morning. No matter how bad he wanted to go for his child now, he had to take care of some things first.

He knew he had no chance to do anything at night and he wanted to prepare some special potions in case she was in bad condition. Furthermore he wanted to inform Dumbledore, in case something happened to him and ask him for a phoenix feather.

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Albus arrived at headquarters early the next morning to accompany Sirius to the ministry. The black-haired wizard was still very uneasy about the plan they had made the day before.

"Don't worry Sirius, all will be just fine" James tried to calm his friend.

"I hope it does, Prongs; because if they sentence me to life in Azkaban again or even worse, the dementors kiss, I won't do it"

"I can assure you Sirius that the dementors will not be present during your trial. I had a long conversation with Severus yesterday and now we have proof that the dementors are not under the control of the ministry anymore. I even doubt that the prison is guarded at all right now." Dumbledore said. "Our plan will work out, my boy, trust me"

"If Fudge sends me back to Azkaban, I will take my own life before they can even get to me." Sirius said gloomily and played secretly with a pocket- knife, he had in his robes.

Sirius said good bye to James and Lily and flooed to the ministry together with Dumbledore.

They proceeded to the lift and stepped in. Not too many people were working that day, so the lift was empty. Dumbledore pushed the number 9 button and the lift started to descent.

Sirius felt extremely uncomfortable, although this had been his place of work so many years ago. The building still looked the same, but the black- haired wizard had changed a lot.

"Department of Mysteries" said a cool female voice as the lift stopped. The doors rattled open and the two wizards exited.

The deserted look of the corridor, the bare walls without any windows or doors, apart from a black one on the end of the corridor, matched pretty much Sirius lost and desperate feelings and the sinister echo of their footsteps did definitely not lighten his mood.

They proceeded to the end of the corridor and stepped through an opening at the left, which led to a flight of steps.

At the end of the steps, they followed another corridor that very much resembled the dungeons at Hogwarts. The rough stone walls and the torch light provided a rather gloomy atmosphere.

When they reached a heavy wooden door with the number 11, they stopped and Dumbledore faced the younger wizard.

"Sirius, don't worry. Justice is on your side and Fudge cannot proof that you provided Voldemort with the information because you weren't the secret keeper. Keep your head up and don't lose it. We will succeed."

Sirius just nodded and Dumbledore opened the door.

The wizards stepped into the courtroom number 11 and Sirius shuddered. He had testified against others in this courtroom plenty of times, but this was the first time he was here as the accused.

He slowly moved down the stairs as his eyes fell on the chair in the center of the room.

When he reached the bottom of the steps, he could see the faces of the members of the Wizengamot. The 50 witches and wizards in their plum-colored robes were staring at him mostly with a scared or disgusted expression on their faces.

Sirius took a deep breath and held his head high while his heart was beating like a drum.

"Sirius Black" now echoed the cold voice of Cornelius Fudge through the dimly lit courtroom.

Sirius just nodded although he already was annoyed by the arrogant voice of the so-called minister.

"Sit down so we can begin" Fudge said and Sirius seated himself on the chair in the center.

Instantly the chains on the armrests wrapped around Sirius arms and strapped him firmly to the chair.

Albus, who was standing next to Sirius frowned disapprovingly and scolded "Do you think this is necessary, Cornelius. I doubt that Sirius Black would be here if he wasn't willing. Remove those chains."

Fudge stared down his nose at him and said coldly "Sirius Black broke out of Azkaban before and we're not taking any chances with him today"

"Well let's begin, are you ready?"

The witches and wizards around him nodded and then Fudge rose from his chair and called "Trial of the 31st of December against Sirius Black. The defendant is accused of the murder of Peter Pettigrew, furthermore of the betrayal of James and Lily Potter. Sirius Black has given out the information of the whereabouts of the afore mentioned to the Dark Lord which led to their death.

Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the minister. Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley. Who are the witnesses for the defence?"

Dumbledore rose from the chair next to Sirius which he had drawn and said "Witness for the defence, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore"

"Very well then" Fudge said and sat down again.

"You are Sirius Black?"

Sirius glared at Fudge with disgust and said loud and clearly "Yes"

"What do you have to say for your defence?"

Sirius struggled against his chains for a moment and then replied coldly "I have not killed Peter Pettigrew nor have I betrayed the Potters in anyway. I have not been the secret keeper. Shortly before the Fidelius charm has been performed I persuaded James to take Pettigrew as the secret keeper. I thought it would be the perfect bluff. Nobody would have expected a weak and untalented midget to be the secret keeper. Unfortunately by this time Peter had already been in the hands of Voldemort"

Most of the members of the Wizengamot flinched terribly by the mentioning of the enemy's name.

"In the night James and Lily were attacked, I found Peter's hideout deserted and then I sensed that something terrible must have happened. When I reached the Potters, the house was destroyed. I knew then that Peter had betrayed them and started to look for him. I hunted him down and wanted to take him to task, but he accused me in front of all those muggles of all the things he had down, cut of his own finger, blew up the whole street behind him and disappeared in the sewer as the rat that he is"

The members of the Wizengamot had followed Sirius' narrative curiously and were now muttering.

"You do not actually think that we believe this nonsense, do you?" Fudge said and smirked.

"May I bring to your attention that we have a written note of Mr James Potter that states that Sirius Black was not the secret keeper. He couldn't betray the Potters, so this charge is void. Furthermore, I have a statement of Severus Snape which proves that Sirius Black was not in the close circle around Voldemort. So if he didn't betray the Potters and wasn't working for the enemy, he hunted Pettigrew not for low motives, but to revenge the attack on his friends." Dumbledore said coolly and smiled.

"I also would like to mention, that you have sworn evidence of Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, who have seen Peter Pettigrew alive just two years ago. This all tells me that, as Sirius has just stated, Pettigrew faked his own death to escape the punishment and blamed it on Sirius."

Fudge raised his eyebrows in mock interest and tilted his head.

"I remember very well in what state the three students had been when they made that statement, so it is void. They were not in the state to make a convincing statement" the minister said gruffly. "Besides all your efforts to make this so-called note from James Potter as real as possible, I sincerely doubt its authenticity."

Sirius looked between the minister and Dumbledore in shock. All their plans had failed and the outcome was inevitable.

"When you have no other evidence for your innocence, then I think we can proceed to the verdict" Fudge said, while Sirius stared at Dumbledore in disbelieve. The old wizard was sitting in his chair, smiling calmly and winked at Sirius. The minister looked up and down the row of approval and most of the members nodded.

"Has every member made a decision?" Fudge asked impatiently and this time all the members nodded.

"Well then, those in favour of conviction?" said Madam Bones and Sirius stared in horror at the many hands that were in the air.

Fudge had a broad grin on his face and said to Sirius "I think this result is unequivocal"

Sirius grip around the little knife in his hand became firmer when Fudge rose from his chair to announce the verdict.

Several aurors now stepped out of the shadows and gathered around Sirius in a semicircle.

Then the chains released Sirius and Fudge ordered him to get up.

With a haunted look, the black-haired wizard focused on Dumbledore again, but the old wizard didn't give any signs of uneasiness.

"The Wizengamot has decided that the accused Sirius Black is issued with a final sentenced to life imprisonment based on the presented evidence"

While Fudge announced the verdict, Sirius flipped the pocket-knife open. The whole time he had hoped that the evidence they had presented would be enough to convince the Wizengamot, but all his hopes were now shattered to pieces.

He had sworn that he wouldn't go back to Azkaban for something he didn't do.

"Arrest him!" Umbridge commanded and Sirius glared at her with blatant hate.

The aurors closed in on him and Sirius' hands began to shake when he moved the blade up.