Wednesday, May 20 – 3:30 pm

The Ministry of Magic was busier than usual, much to Roarke's surprise. As far as she knew, the trial taking place today was supposed to be kept as quite as possible. The Ministry didn't want the general public to know about a possible concern with the Wolfsbane Potion, which was odd considering that most of the general public didn't even know what Wolfsbane Potion was, let alone what it was suppose to do. Even Roarke herself was surprised when Liam explained exactly what the ministry was after.

The only people Roarke felt should have been told about this trial were those it directly affected – lycanthropes. She recognizes a few faces from The Registry and various other meetings. She expected to see them, as most of them had been fighting against injustices since before Roarke was born. But what really bothered her was the number of protesters gathered in the hall outside the courtroom. It infuriated her to know that the Ministry leaked details to those people who believed the only form of justice befitting a werewolf was death.

She scowled as she passed the mob of angry people and made her way down the hall to the holding room Sirius told her about a few days ago. As promised, Sirius had given the guard at the door Roarke's name, and she was granted entrance. Liam turned to her the moment the door opened, and Roarke smiled warmly. Liam returned the smile weakly, a worried expression on his face.

"How are you doing?" she asked, taking his hand.

"I'm better now that you're here."

"Roarke," Sirius said from behind Liam, "I'm sorry but I can't let you stay very long. The Committee is watching us like a hawk. We don't need them to get suspicious about you or your purpose here."

"Committee?" Roarke questioned.

"Surely you noticed the protestors. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures put out word last night that the Ministry was trying a werewolf like a being through the Wizangamot rather than allow the Committee to handle him like a beast. Tanner tried to convince the gargoyles that in human form a werewolf should be tried by the Wizangamot, but they weren't persuaded. They've known about it for weeks now, but only issued a statement to the public at a time when the Ministry would have no opportunity to do damage control."

Roarke groaned. "I wondered what was going on."

"In fact, to hold back on protests, Tanner has agreed to let Quamar run the show today."

Roarke's eyes went wide. "What? No! He can't!"

"He can, and he did."

One of the things Sirius was counting on today was the fact that the trial would be led by Dexter Tanner, the current Minister of Magic. Tanner was reasonably close with Remus and was the first Minister to hold any sympathy towards werewolves at all. All the questions he had prepared Liam for, and the way the whole trial would be held, was based on this fact.

However, Quamar was a whole other story. As the current Head for the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creators, and a gargoyle, he was certain to lead the questioning in a different manner than Tanner would. Quamar was ruthless when it came to werewolves. It was his decision to open the Lupus Claustrum, and if he had his way, all werewolves would be placed in there. This was undeniably the worst news they could get.

Before Roarke could comment further, a tall gangly man announced that the trial would begin in a matter of moments and that all participants should take their places. Roarke looked up into Liam's troubled face. The grip he had on her hand tightened. He licked his lips and leaned in close to her, touching his forehead to hers. Releasing the breath he was holding, he whispered, "No matter how this thing ends today...I want you to know that I couldn't have made it this far without you."

She closed her eyes and tilted her chin up for a brief, but needful, kiss.

"We have to go, Liam," Sirius interrupted.

Liam nodded and squeezed her hand once more before releasing it and stepping away from her. Roarke held his gaze as long as she could, memorizing the features of his face in a desperate attempt to lock him into her thoughts. She forced a smile, then turned and left the room.

In the corridor, the noise of the protestors was overwhelmingly loud. She pushed and shoved her way through them, heading for the courtroom. She followed the stream of people into the large arena - like room, the sound dying down slowly. She made her way down the steps, wanting to get as close to the floor as possible. She wanted to sit where Liam could see her – where she could see Liam. It was vital to her that he have a friendly face to look at if the situation became dire. About five rows up from the floor, Roarke paused at her father's side.

Remus frowned. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't be here today."

"No, that was what you wanted. I never agreed to anything."

Their conversation the other night about her relationship with Liam had been brief and distressing. The only conclusion that had been reached between them was that they disagreed about Liam, which wasn't a surprise. Remus told Roarke he didn't want her seeing him anymore, and that he thought it would be best if she stayed away from the trial. Roarke only laughed, knowing that his request was ridiculous and it was pointless to discuss it further.

"You might as well sit down then," Remus said, indicating the seat next to him. "There is no point in fighting about it now."

Roarke did as he said, hesitantly. "Do you know what happened with Quamar?"

"Sirius told me as soon as he found out. How did you know?"

Roarke looked her father in the eyes. "I just spoke to Liam and Sirius."

"Ah," Remus said, watching as the interrogators took their places high above the central ground. "I thought only family was allowed in the holding area."

"Sirius pulled some strings."

Remus looked at her with intense eyes. Roarke resisted the almost overwhelming impulse to look away from her father's eyes, and held his gaze evenly. Suddenly, the sound of a mallet being pounded snapped them both out of the moment. Dexter Tanner spoke loudly. "Participants will take their seats."

On his cue, Sirius entered the room followed by a surprisingly calm looking Liam. They took their seats off to the side. One quick glance was all it took for Liam to find Roarke in the stands. She saw him take a deep breath, a firm expression on his face.

"Bring in the accused," Tanner said again.

From the opposite side of the room Oliver was lead in by two fierce looking guards. His clothes, through once very fine, were tattered and ripped in several places. He had the look of a man that owned the world, and suddenly lost everything. The guards immediately placed him on the chair in the center of the room, locking him into the seat with iron manacles.

Roarke's focus was again on Liam. She saw him shift uncomfortably and squint his eyes as the man who had changed his life forever. She could just imagine the curses Liam was running through in his mind – and she didn't blame him at all.

Tanner again spoke loudly, reading from a large scroll of parchment. "Conduct hearing of the twentieth of May covering offences committed under The Werewolf Act of 1783 and the International Statute of Secrecy by Oliver Kent, currently residing at The Lupus Claustrum."

"Interrogators: Dexter Tanner, Minister for Magic; Quamar: Head of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures; Dorcus Dowerby, Head of the Werewolf Capture Unit; Langston Ridge: Head of the Werewolf Support Services. Court Scribe, Evan Lightfoot."

"The charges against the accused are as follows; On or about the twelfth day of September, 2019, the Accused, a lycanthrope, did enter this country without a license. The Accused further was present in this country for eight months without having registered as a lycanthrope. During that time, on or about the eleventh of November, the Accused did fail to take adequate measure to restrain himself and as a result, the Accused did attack and curse one Liam Zetter, an offence under sections one and four of the Werewolf Act of 1783. Furthermore, the accused unsuccessfully attempted to infect or kill two Muggle children on the tenth of April constituting an offence under section three of the Werewolf Act of 1783. The former event happened in the presence of several Muggles, thus constituting an offence under section thirteen of the International Confederation of Wizard's Statute of Secrecy."

Tanner leaned back in his chair and glanced at the vicious gargoyle to his right. Quamar snarled and started in on the questioning, his voice gruff. "Accused, state your name."

"Oliver Kent," he said, his face showing no fear.

"How do you plead to these charges?"

Olive glared balefully at his audience. "The laws of this land do not govern me. I do not recognize this court's authority to request a response from me on these so-called charges."

There was murmur in the audience and on the stand. Quamar barred his teeth again in what Roarke could only believe was a grin. Tanner spoke next.

"We don't see a representative barrister on your behalf. Have you been advised of your right to be represented by council?" It was an attempt to be civil, but still Oliver refused.

"I am fully capable of speaking for myself."

Quamar, seizing the opportunity to take advantage of the situation, said, "So be it. Let the record show that the Accused refused council. Now, how do you plea?"

"As I said earlier, I do not recognize your laws or your judicial system as a governing body. I can not claim guilt for breaking laws I don't recognize."

Again the malicious grin spread over Quamar's face. "Very well. Enter a plea of Not Guilty for the Accused." The court scribe jotted down the information and the hearing resumed. "Explain to us why you came to England."

"I was chosen by the Maker to spread the glorious rewards of the change. My homeland is unspoilt and virginal, ripe for the picking. But finding those worthy of the change is a task not meant for only one. I was sent to England to find a partner for my cause."

There was another murmur from the audience. "By homeland," asked Tanner, "do you mean Australia?"

"Yes," Oliver replied with a small grin.

"Perhaps it would be best if we had the details surrounding Mr. Kent's own infection." The suggestion came from Langston Ridge, an elderly man who had spent his whole life fighting for the rights of lycanthropes.

"Very well," Quamar agreed. "Tell us, Mr. Kent, where and when you were infected."

Oliver looked proud. "I resent your referral to the change as an infection. It is the source of my strength and power. I was blessed with its effects while traveling in Romania during the spring of my twenty- second year. The Maker immediately saw my potential and welcomed me into his pack."

Roarke saw Liam lean into Sirius and whisper something to him. Sirius nodded. Roarke began tapping her foot in frustration. She wanted to know what was going on. She wanted to know what Liam whispered to Sirius. Had Oliver said something that sparked a memory for Liam? The anticipation was nerve wracking.

"Who is the Maker?" Quamar asked.

"The Maker is the one who shares his power. It is his cause we work to fulfill. One day, you will all stand in awe of his greatness."

Tanner and Quamar exchanged glances. "Is the Maker a man?" Tanner asked.

"None of us are men. We are changed. We are greater than the human."

Quamar pounced on the comment immediately. "Then you admit that you are not human!"

"Human in appearance for twenty-eight days. On the night of the full moon, we take our true form."

Quamar's eyes sparkled with delight. "Let the record state that the Accused has officially declared himself, and all others like him, to be non- human!"

"Objection!" Sirius said standing up. "Mr. Kent does not speak for all lycanthropes."

"Mr. Black, you do not represent Mr. Kent," Tanner said.

"No, but I do represent Mr. Zetter, who is a lycanthrope, and who is able to speak for himself. Mr. Kent's statement is his own opinion and should not reflect upon other individuals with his condition."

Roarke rubbed her hands nervously. Beside her, she noticed her father doing the same thing. Quamar squinted at Sirius, unwilling to give in and retract the statement. "Then we shall let the record state that it is the opinion of the Accused that all creatures with his condition are not human."

Sirius couldn't object to that, as it was a truthful statement. He sat back down and leaned over to Liam to whisper again. Roarke was certain he was giving Liam instructions to comment on his status as a human when given the opportunity.

Tanner resumed the questioning. "In plain English, Mr. Kent, you were bitten by a werewolf in Romania in the spring of last year. Is that correct?"

"If it is easier for your simple mind to understand those terms, then yes."

The courtroom buzzed with whispers. Several members of the Wizengamot murmured darkly to one another. "You should be advised," Quamar growled, "that it is not wise to insult those who have the ability to condemn you."

"You hold no power over me. Only the Maker can condemn me." Oliver's voice rose above the murmur of the crowd.

"Enough of this Maker business," Tanner said with a wave of his hand. "What is unclear to me is your reasoning behind coming to England. If you were sent on a mission to your homeland, why stop here first?"

Oliver rolled his eyes. "As I told you before, my homeland is large and vast. It would be better if I had a partner to work with. Together we would be able to spread the change faster."

"And that is why you enlisted the help of your partner?" Quamar asked, looking directly at Liam.

Oliver beamed at Liam, as if he were a favorite son. "Yes."

"Objection!" Sirius said again. "As you will hear from Mr. Zetter, he knew nothing of this mission. To suggest that he was helping with the cause Mr. Kent is referring to is false information."

"Your objection is overruled," Tanner said. "Mr. Zetter will be given fair opportunity to explain his version of the events. It is for the Wizengamot to decide which of these creatures, if either, speaks truly.

Sirius sat down and again said something to Liam, his hands and face very animated.

"Why did you chose Mr. Zetter for this mission?" Tanner asked.

"I have known Liam for many years. We were mates in school. I couldn't think of a better candidate to become my brother in more than just words. I invited him to join me for his birthday celebration. He agreed, and indeed, it was a glorious celebration for both of us!"

Roarke's eyes darted to Liam's face. His jaw was clenched, lips pursed, in a futile attempt to remain calm and focused. She knew what Oliver was saying would only enrage Liam, and wished with all her heart that she could hold him and tell him to not listen to the ramblings of this horrible man.

"Why did you not register yourself with the Ministry of Magic upon entering the country?" Tanner asked.

"As I have said several times, I do not recognize your laws as an authoritative power. I saw no need to do so."

"What, if any, precautions did you take to ensure that no one was harmed by your during the full moon?"

"Harmed?" Oliver looked genuinely confused. "I have never harmed anyone. What I do is provide them with the opportunity to live a new life – one free from human restraint."

"Are you aware of the Wolfsbane Potion and its effects?" Quamar asked pointedly.

Remus sat up straighter upon hearing the question. Roarke felt the tension thick around her.

"I am aware of it," Oliver asked smoothly.

"Have you ever used Wolfsbane to retain control of yourself at the time of transformation?"

"Yes. I have. It is a vile restraint of the Glorious One. It is a poison. However, it is, at times, necessary to carry out my work." Oliver showed teeth.

"Are you saying you were under the influence of the potion when you infected your friend? Quamar asked suddenly.

Ridge shot a furious glance at the gargoyle. "You are leading the witness – putting suggestions into his head!"

"I'm only trying to find the truth."

"Truth!" Oliver spat. "I have brought truth to this land and it has been ignored! You refuse to accept the wondrous cause and pass it off as a mere curiosity. I am here before you as the possessor of the only truth that can set you free, and yet you fear me and treat me as though I were a criminal!"

There was a silence in the room for a moment as everyone looked down at Oliver in various degrees of pity, fear, and revulsion.

"Might I make a suggestion, Gentlemen?" Dorcus Dowerby said bravely. "I think it is rather obvious that Mr. Kent is incapable of giving us a direct answer. Perhaps Mr. Zetter could provide us with a better, more accurate picture, of the events leading up to and involving his attack."

The gargoyle shifted his focus to Liam, sitting below him. "Yes, that might suit our needs more effectively. Werewolf, come forward."

Liam stood up and walked to the center of the room where Oliver sat chained to his chair. He smiled wickedly up at Liam. "Brother," he said just loud enough for those sitting in the first few rows to hear. "I trust you to explain to them the truth about your liberation."

Liam's eyes were fierce, and Roarke could imagine him wanting to tell Oliver to go to Hell. Luckily, Liam held his tongue. To Roarke's relief, Quamar gave a signal to the guards, and Oliver was taken to a bench opposite from Sirius, giving Liam the full attention of the judges.

"Now," Quamar asked in a smooth but biting tone. "Explain your relationship with Kent."

"I met Mr. Kent as a first year student at Karákul School for the Promotion of Wizardry located in the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney, Australia. We attended seven years of schooling together, and even spent a few of our holidays visiting one another. Upon leaving Karákul, Mr. Kent started an apprenticeship in the Outback, studying aboriginal curses. I moved to Melbourne where I studied at a design school to become an architect. In the following years, I didn't have much contact with Mr. Kent outside of a few social events during the holidays. I officially finished my schooling in July two years ago and moved back to Sydney to look for work. It was there that I met up with Mr. Kent again. He told me he would be doing some traveling for his work with dark curses – that he would be spending time in Eastern Europe. It was a year later that I heard from him again."

"And in that year, you had no contact with him at all?" Tanner asked.

"No. I was focused on getting full time work and earning a living. In all honesty, I was taken by surprise when his letter came in June."

"And what did the letter say?"

"He explained how his travels had led him to England and that he needed to stay here for a while. He suggested that if I had some free time, that I should come and visit the country. He mentioned the architecture and the sights that I could take in. He even supposed I could pass it off as a learning experience."

"Are you certain," Quamar asked, "that he never mentioned lycanthropy."

"Positive. Do you think I would have ever left Australia if he'd told me he planned to curse me?"

That wasn't the answer Quamar wanted. Roarke felt the first wave of triumph at this. Sirius had been right – the Ministry was hoping to make it look as if Liam were a willing participant in this whole mess. Fortunately, Sirius had warned Liam of this and had him prepare a long list of ready answers to those questions.

"When did you arrive in England?" Tanner asked.

"I arrived here on October twentieth. The plan was for me to stay through Halloween and my birthday in November. I needed to be back in Sydney by early December to start work on the redesign of Karákul." Liam shot a glance over at Oliver. "But now I realize that Mr. Kent had other plans."

"And when did you first become aware of those other plans," Quamar asked, suggestively.

"When I awoke in St. Mungo's on November twelfth, being treated for a werewolf bite."

There was a pause as the members of the Wizangamot and the Committee adjusted papers and considered what Liam had just said. Roarke felt nervous suddenly, as if Liam had said the wrong thing and opened the door to further suspicion. She rubbed her sweaty palms on her knees, hoping that her fears were unwarranted.

"Describe for us the events of November eleventh," Tanner said.

Liam nodded, took a deep breath, and began in on the well-rehearsed description of what he referred to as the worst day of his life. "November eleventh was a Monday. It was also my twenty-third birthday. I was scheduled to leave on Friday, November fifteenth. For that reason, Oliver suggested that we make the most of the day and celebrate to the fullest of our abilities. He said he had the whole day planned out for us and that I wasn't to ask questions. He assured me that I would enjoy the day, and that by nightfall, I would be a new man."

"And you weren't suspicious or alarmed by his choice of words?" Dowerby asked.

"Not really. I knew something was different about him. He had mentioned that he found a new purpose to his life – that he'd found his mission and was finally on the right course in life. I assumed he found religion. Since he didn't talk about it but a handful of times, I never really concerned myself with it. If he found something that made him happy, then that was fine with me. He'd never been particularly religious growing up, but people are known to change."

"And you never suspected that he intended to pass on the curse to you?" Quamar roared.

"You're assuming that I knew he was a werewolf in the first place. I had no idea that he had been bitten."

"And you expect us to believe that?" Quamar bellowed, his voice deep and rough. "You never noticed that your long time friend was acting strangely – that he had changed?"

Liam remained calm, much to Roarke's surprise. "As I explained previously, based on the odd things he occasionally said, I was under the assumption that he had found a church of some sort. As far as his behavior is concerned, yes, he did unusual things. But again, I thought it had to do with his new religion or his travels in the east. Most of the behavioral changes I saw concerned the way that he ate. Most of his meats were raw – he stayed away from vegetables. He was thinner and paler, but I never considered for one moment that he was a werewolf."

"And how is it that you, an educated wizard, failed to recognize these obvious signs of lycanthropy?" Quamar demanded.

"The fact is, there are no werewolves in Australia. They are touched on in our classes only briefly. I've had time to consider Mr. Kent's actions, and knowing what I know now about lycanthropy, I realize that he was displaying signs of being a werewolf. However, at that time, I didn't know what the symptoms were."

Quamar sat back in his seat and glowered at Liam. "Continue," he instructed.

"Mr. Kent took me to a Muggle restaurant called Rampage. They specialized in foods I wasn't familiar with, so I allowed Mr. Kent to order the food. When it arrived, I found that it was mostly raw meats. I didn't want to upset my friend, so I went ahead and ate a little bit of the food. Mr. Kent, however, devoured his meal and even finished up most of mine.

"After the meal, Mr. Kent expressed a desire to purchase a gift for me. We went into a shop that sold coats and such and he insisted on giving me a genuine fur stole. I tried to object—such a gift was expensive, and quite honestly, not something I could imagine wearing. But Oliver insisted strongly, and not wishing to be a prat when someone was trying to buy me a birthday gift, I let him do it.

"The next stop on Mr. Kent's itinerary for the evening was to visit a tattoo parlor. He showed me the one he chose while he was traveling earlier that year. He said it was a symbol of brotherhood and unity, and that he would like me to have one, as well. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"So you willing joined him in his cause?" Quamar said.

"Objection!" Sirius said from Liam's side. "Mr. Zetter has repeatedly stated that he knew nothing of Mr. Kent's plan to infect him. He is merely giving you a direct quote so that you can better understand the delusional mind of Mr. Kent."

"The werewolf has just admitted that he knew what the tattoo represented, and he willingly consented to being so marked."

"No, he didn't," Sirius replied. "He was misled to believe that he and friend would have matching tattoos, not that he would be joining a cult or lycanthropes."

"We are not a cult!" Oliver bellowed from the other side of the room. "A cult implies dishonesty. We speak the truth and provide man kind with the only honest way to achieve their highest potential!"

"Honesty?" Sirius nearly laughed at the word. "Had you been fully honest with Mr. Zetter, we wouldn't be here right now!"

"Mr. Black! You are out of line!" Tanner said. "You will refrain from questioning the Accused."

Roarke bit at her thumbnail, more nervous now that she had been a few moments ago. It didn't look good for Liam that his own solicitor was misbehaving. Beside her, she could hear her father mumble, "Just sit down, Sirius." Luckily, Sirius did so.

"Now then," Quamar said, "let's get back to the matter of this tattoo. You expect us to believe that you had no idea what it was?"

"That's correct," Liam replied, looking a bit paler than he had a few moments before.

"That you never considered how closely it resembled an Egyptian hieroglyph?"

Liam licked his lips. "Yes, I thought it looked like a dog. At the time I found it interesting and unusual. That's why I agreed to it; it wasn't like all the common tattoos I've seen around."

"And you willingly allowed yourself to be marked with the sign of Set?"

"I didn't know it was Set. I'd never even heard of him. My only interest in Egyptology up to this point was the magical theory behind the construction of the Pyramids."

Quamar thought for a moment. "Let us see this tattoo."

Liam looked to Sirius, who stood up as if on cue. "Your Honors," Sirius said, "I believe you have a photograph of the tattoo in your possession."

"So?" Quamar snapped.

"To ask Mr. Zetter to disrobe here is unsuitable. I cannot allow you to - "

"I didn't ask him to disrobe," Quamar interrupted. "I told him to."

Sirius blinked. "Sir?"

Quamar spoke very slowly. "The werewolf will remove his robe – now."

"You can not force a man to take his clothes off in a public forum, such as this, against his will."

"I'm not asking a man, Mr. Black. I am commanding a werewolf." There was a murmur from the audience. Roarke and Remus exchanged worried glances. "Under section one of the Werewolf Act of 1783, it declares that all lycanthropes will henceforth be defined as beasts, not beings. Furthermore, under section five of The Control and Treatment of Dangerous Creatures Act, it states that any beast must show identifying markings upon order. The werewolf is a beast and the tattoo is clearly an identifying mark."

Sirius stood still for a moment before turning to Liam. Roarke covered her mouth with her hand, worried that Liam, or Sirius, might become violent. But that didn't happen. Sirius spoke quietly, and Liam only nodded. One by one, Liam undid the first few buttons on the front of his robes. When he reached the middle, he pulled back the material exposing his chest.

"I said remove the robe!" Quamar demanded.

"He has revealed to you the portion of his body that you wished to see!" Sirius raged.

"It is important to our line of questioning that we see the rest of his body."

Roarke gasped, and Sirius expressed the fury she was feeling. "You can not expect him to stand here naked!"

"I will only say this once more. Remove the robes!"

The silence that filled the room was deafening. Sirius turned to Liam, an apologetic look on his face. Liam was pale, his eyes wide. Roarke watched, horrified, as Sirius dropped his head in defeat. Having lost the support of his solicitor, Liam sought the only other friendly face in the audience for comfort. Roarke's eyes locked with his in a brief, but tense moment. When he turned away, dejected, Roarke grabbed her father's hand in need of any reassurance that things would be all right.

Liam mechanically unfastened the remaining buttons and pulled the robe off his shoulders. Liam held his head high and stared unblinkingly at the Gargoyle. His hands paused at the waistband of his trousers, the muscles in his bare forearms taut with tension. Whatever Liam was feeling, Roarke was positive she was feeling it, too. The anger, the fear only added to the inhumanity of the situation.

"Liam, don't," Sirius commanded. "Your honors, he has done as you requested and removed the robe. I beg of you to allow him some dignity and stop this now."

"It will become apparent to you in a moment, Mr. Black, that it is vital to this case for us to prove that your client is, in fact, uninjured except for the bite wound." Quamar explained.

Sirius narrowed his eyes at Quamar, then turned to face Liam. "Mr. Zetter, do you swear that there are no other marks of any kind on your body? No other visible wounds?"

Liam looked at Sirius, uncomprehendingly, but said, "I swear."

"There you see," Sirius pointedly said, "you have his word that this is the only mark or wound on his body. There is no need to take this any further."

"And what is that worth?" the witch Dowerby asked. "The word of a werewolf."

"Whatever the word of a Werewolf may or may not be worth, Mr. Zetter has given you what you wanted: evidence that the only scars from the attack are clearly visible on his chest." Sirius voice was edged with steel.

Dowerby was about to protest once more, but Quamar placed a giant hand on her shoulder and stopped her from commenting. He faced Sirius and smiled maliciously. "Let it stand that the witness and his solicitor have both sworn under penalty of law that there were no other injuries – no other wounds received from the attack on November eleventh.

Roarke blinked. Panic rose in her heart. She hoped Sirius knew what he was doing.

"Your Honors," Sirius started. "I feel I must - "

"You must take you seat, Mr. Black. Our questions are for the werewolf." Quamar dismissed Sirius without ever pulling his eyes off of Liam. "Now, Werewolf, explain to us how you received such a precise and perfect bite."

Liam was noticeably shaken by the preceding events. He looked up at the gargoyle in confusion, the fear he had managed to hide up until now clearly showing on his face. "What?"

"Your wound – how did you get it?"

Liam swallowed and looked to Sirius for help.

"You will look at me when speaking."

Liam took several deep breaths, obviously trying to steady his nerves and pull his thoughts together. "Oliver, I mean, Mr. Kent – he – er..."

Roarke bit her lip, tense and anxious. Liam wasn't thinking clearly. That's why the gargoyle had demanded Liam remove his robes. He wanted to break down whatever mental readiness Liam had worked for – and it had worked.

"We went back to Mr. Kent's flat where he – he attacked me."

Roarke knew that was a mistake. Sirius had reminded Liam time and again to not refer to the event as an attack. The Ministry would pounce on it if he did. Sure enough, Quamar took the opportunity given to him. "Attack? You have four small wounds on your chest. Surely that wasn't an attack. Had you been attacked, you would have other marks on your body."

"What I meant was...attack meaning bite. He bit me." Liam fumbled.

"How?"

"With his teeth! How do you think?"

Quamar nearly came over the bench he was so angry. "Do not raise your voice to me, werewolf! Your attitude and tone of voice is unacceptable!"

"Your honors," Sirius said, darting to Liam's side. "Would you allow Mr. Zetter a moment with me to gather his thoughts and focus on his testimony? I'm sure he is... troubled and only reacting without properly thinking things through. If you give us a moment, I'm certain he will apologize in due respect."

Tanner nodded, but Quamar wouldn't have it. "He will apologize now and we will continue with the questioning."

Sirius looked into Liam's face and said something quietly to him. Roarke was on the edge of her seat with fright, and only slightly relaxed when Liam turned to the interrogators and said, "I apologize. I should have responded more respectfully." His voice was flat and mechanical. Roarke could tell that Liam was using Sirius' words, and not his own.

"Now then," Tanner said, without waiting for Quamar, "will you explain how you came to be in the presence of a fully transformed werewolf?"

Liam's jaw was set. "Oliver – Mr. Kent made a potion."

"What kind of a potion?" Quamar asked, sitting up fully.

"Something I had never heard of before. He said he was introduced to it in Romania – that the locals there use it all the time."

"And what was in this potion?" Tanner asked.

"I'm not sure. Mr. Kent said it was a secret. All I knew what that it had mushrooms in it – hallucinogenic mushrooms. We bought them earlier in the day."

Roarke's eyes were on her father now. Remus had never been told this part of the story, of that she was certain. And it was certain from the shock on his face that he didn't approve of Liam's behavior at all. Furthermore, it was clear that the members of the Wizengamot didn't know this part of the story either.

"Mr. Zetter, are you saying Mr. Kent gave you a mind-altering potion?" Tanner asked after a pause.

"Yes, he did. And I willingly drank the potion. After the strange day I had, I figured this was at least the one bit that might be fun."

Remus shot a glance at Roarke. "Did you know this? That he takes drugs?"

"Daddy!"

Remus only scowled, shaking his head is displeasure.

"Are you certain it wasn't Wolfsbane potion that the Accused gave you?" Quamar tried.

"I'm certain. Wolfsbane is wretched. I mean the stuff tastes like – crap," Liam censored himself. "This was soothing. Besides," he looked up at Quamar with a piercing glare, "Wolfsbane is lethal to humans. Had I taken Wolfsbane before I was bitten, I would be dead."

Ha ha! Nice catch, Liam. Take THAT you pompous, big-headed gargoyle!

"Did the Accused take Wolfsbane?" Tanner questioned.

"Not that I am aware of."

"What do you mean, you don't know!" Quamar roared. "You were with him all evening!"

"I saw him drinking a potion, yes. But I assumed he was drinking the same stuff I was drinking. From the relaxed mood he fell into, I had good reason to believe he was just as high as I was."

Quamar wouldn't have it. "This is preposterous! You have no proof that you took any potion of any kind. This is a fabrication invented by your solicitor to make us believe you had no knowledge of the Accused condition!"

"I'm not lying!" Liam said forcefully. "You wanted to know how I ended up in a room with a werewolf? I'm telling you. I took a potion that made me high. I watched my so-called friend transform into a wolf. I thought I was tripping and that I was imagining things. It was only minutes later, after he took a bite out of me, that I realized I wasn't hallucinating! I swear that is the truth!"

"And you willingly sat there and allowed him to bite you?" Quamar argued.

"Hell no! I thought it wasn't real! He came up to me, and I was laughing, all tripped out, and then he bit me. I may not have been in my right senses at the time, but I could still recognize pain."

"But the precision of the bite – surely you recognize that it is impossible for a werewolf to attack with such purpose unless he is under the influence of the Wolfsbane Potion!" Dowerby interjected.

"Like I said, I never saw Oliver take Wolfsbane Potion. My mind was all messed up that night. Had I not awoken in St. Mungo's with 'werewolf bite victim' written on my chart, I would have passed off what I saw as a total hallucination."

"But you must suspect that he did take it! How else could he attack you so precisely?" Quamar suggested.

"Objection!" Sirius bellowed. "You are asking Mr. Zetter to make an assumption based on events he witnessed while under the influence of mind altering drugs. You can not expect anything he remembers from that evening to be clear or accurate."

"But we will hear his opinion never the less!" Quamar shouted at Sirius.

"That's just it – you're asking for opinion, not fact! Mr. Zetter was called here to provide the facts of that evening. He is not an expert on the behaviour of religious zealots out to populate the world with werewolves."

"Very well," Quamar said, grinning ruthlessly. "We will take your advice, Mr. Black, and call an expert who knows exactly how a werewolf behaves while under the influence of the Wolfsbane Potion, and how one behaves when he is not." Roarke saw Sirius exchange a very quick look with her father.

Quamar scowled at Liam. "You, werewolf, are dismissed."

Liam glanced at Sirius for a confirmation that he was, in fact, finished. Sirius signaled for him to return to his place at the side of the room. He picked up his robe, looking as if he had failed, and sat down next to Sirius. Roarke shifted in her seat, hoping to meet Liam's eyes, to give him reassurance, but Liam kept his gaze resolutely down.

Quamar's voice bellowed from the stand. "Providing expert testimony as to the effects on Wolfsbane, we call Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."