CHAPTER 19
Wednesday, May 20 – 4:15 pm
There was an audible gasp as several people, including Roarke and Remus, turned to get a look at the thin, severe man that entered the arena. Snape, dressed in his usual black robes, took his place in front of the interrogators, looking cold and arrogant.
Roarke watched her father in concern as he observed Snape. Remus shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he covered his mouth with his fingers, his eyes squinted in thought. "This doesn't look good," he murmured without pulling his gaze from Snape.
"Please state your name for the record."
"I am Severus Waldimar Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"Professor Snape," Quamar started, "How long have you been the Potions Master at Hogwarts?"
"For thirty-five years," Snape said haughtily.
"As a Potions Master, your responsibilities are more than just teaching, are they not?"
" I prepare numerous potions, both mundane and esoteric, as is needed by the school."
"And as the Potions Master, you have been required to brew many complicated and complex potions?"
"Indeed. The students in recent years, much to my displeasure, tend to get themselves into more trouble, necessitating specific potions to help them alleviate any discomfort their foolish pranks might have inflicted. It's not the most important work I've ever been asked to do, but my skills at potion brewing can not be denied."
"Have you ever been asked to brew the Wolfsbane Potion?"
"Yes," Snape hissed.
"And when was that?"
"Many years ago, Headmaster Dumbledore employed a werewolf as the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor. I provided him with Wolfsbane in order to protect the students from any harm."
Remus tensed next to Roarke.
"Dumbledore employed a werewolf as a teacher at Hogwarts?"
"Indeed, he did."
"Were you opposed to the appointment?"
"Certainly, so were many of the staff."
"But you brewed the potion anyway?"
"It was either that or risk the death or infection of a student or member of the staff."
Remus scowled and shifted in his seat, agitated.
"Did you observe the werewolf in his transformed state after he had taken the potion?"
"Yes, on his first full moon at Hogwarts. I checked on his condition to ascertain whether the potion worked, as it was my first attempt at brewing it. It was imperative that no one would be in danger. The Headmaster had made alternative arrangements in case the werewolf didn't respond to the potion as we expected."
Quamar grinned, showing his yellowed misaligned teeth. "Would you describe for us the behavior of the wolf as you observed it?"
"Certainly. He sat on the floor, curled up like a sleeping dog. He was almost a caricature of a family pet. It was rather obscene, actually. A cursed monster curled placidly by the fire." Snape did not so much as glance in Remus' direction. "Quite a different scene from when I last saw a transformed werewolf."
"Yes," Quamar leaned forward in interest. "It is our understanding that you have come face to face with a fully transformed werewolf in his natural state and managed to escape unharmed."
"That is correct."
Roarke could neither help but notice the look of surprise on her father's face nor the fact that Sirius and he were making fierce eye contact. Remus gave a signal for Sirius to say something, a mix of anger and fear resonating from his body language.
"Please describe for us what you saw," Quamar urged.
"Objection!" Sirius said at Remus' bidding. "Snape is not an expert on werewolf behavior."
Quamar glowered at Sirius. "He has witnessed a transformed werewolf both with and without the aid of the potion. He can accurately describe the differences in the behavior he witnessed."
"You must realize," Tanner said reluctantly, "that we can use Professor Snape's testimony to draw a parallel between how one werewolf behaves and another."
Sirius looked from Remus back to Tanner. "But you must realize that every werewolf behaves differently. The parallels are impossible to draw conclusions from."
Quamar rolled his eyes, agitated. "You only object to this line of questioning, Mr. Black, because the incident reopens old wounds for you."
Sirius blinked.
"Professor Snape will answer the question. He will describe the events as he remembers them, and he will provide us with the information that we need."
Sirius ran an unsteady hand through his hair and looked at Remus again. Roarke was puzzled. "Daddy? What are they talking about?"
Remus swallowed. "Something that happened a long time ago."
"With you?"
But Remus didn't answer. He was too focused on what Snape was saying. "In my sixth year as a student at Hogwarts, I was lured into the lair of a fully transformed werewolf as part of ...a joke." Snape's lip curled, and he glanced momentarily at Remus.
Roarke gasped. Remus sighed and closed his eyes.
"I was told I would find a surprise," Snape continued. "Indeed, I was surprised when I came face to face with the snarling, vicious, blood thirsty monster."
"Daddy!" Roarke grabbed her father's arm. "What is he saying? He's lying!"
"Roarke, we'll discuss it later," Remus said through clenched teeth.
"Fortunately for me, one of the jokesters realized the implications of killing another student, and intervened to save his own skin. That his intervention saved my life, I do acknowledge. It was obvious that I had been sent into the werewolf's lair so that he could feed."
"OBJECTION!" Sirius yelled. "Snape, you know that isn't the truth!"
Snape turned to face him, an icy look in his eyes. "What I know is that my life was put in danger by what you affectionately referred to as a 'prank'. Interesting, don't you think, that no one, other than you, thought it was funny?"
"Gentlemen," Tanner said. "We are not here to discuss the reasons behind the event. All we need is the description of the werewolf."
"As I said," Snape continued, keeping eye contact with Sirius, "he was raging, wild, and completely out of control."
"Professor, were you listening to the previous testimony while you waited in the holding room?"
"Yes."
"Good. Can you clearly see the wound on the werewolf's chest?" Quamar asked, pointing to Liam.
"Yes."
"Will you describe it for us?"
Roarke glanced at her father in confusion, not understanding where Quamar was going with this line of questioning. Apparently, Remus was just as puzzled as Roarke was. Not only that, but the look on Sirius' face showed just as much uncertainty.
Snape squinted at Liam. "I see four small puncture wounds directly surrounding a tattoo."
"In your opinion," Quamar sneered, "is that the type of wound that would be inflicted by a werewolf who hadn't taken Wolfsbane Potion? A raging, out of control werewolf as you described?"
"Objection!" Sirius exclaimed. "Snape is a potions expert. He is not a mediwizard or expert in the area bite wounds! This line of questioning is purely speculation."
"Yes, Mr. Black," Quamar said, much to everyone's surprise. "If you recall, I did ask for his opinion."
With no way to further object, Sirius relented and sat back down. Snape, however, gave a sneer and offered up his answer. "Gentlemen, a werewolf in the control of his curse is more than a wild creature. It is bloodthirsty and vicious. No. This wound is not consistent with what I have observed of a werewolf not bound by the wolfsbane potion. I would guess by the precision and position of the bite wound that there was no struggle at all."
"Objection!" Sirius shouted again. "This witness has no actual knowledge of what occurred the night Mr. Zetter was bitten!"
"Mr. Black," Quamar growled, "I grow irritated at your need to object to every statement made by the witness."
"Then instruct the witness to answer only the questions he is asked."
Quamar glowered menacingly at Sirius before turning his focus back on Snape. "Professor, in your opinion, does it appear to you that the werewolf struggled when he received his wound?"
"Objection!" Sirius said, producing a ferocious stare from Quamar. "That question has nothing to do with the behavior of Mr. Kent or the purpose of this trial! Allow me to respectfully remind the Wizangamot that Mr. Zetter was incapacitated by the mind-altering potion he had been given, as his testimony indicated." There was silence from the panel of judges. Sirius took the opportunity to question Snape. "Professor Snape, as a potions expert, how would a human behave if under the influence of a mind altering potion, such as the one Mr. Zetter described for us earlier? And before I hear an objection," Sirius said, glancing up at Quamar, "I will remind this court that Mr. Zetter was indeed human when he took the potion before he was bitten."
"Mr. Black, you are out of order!" growled Quamar.
Tanner spoke up. "I'd like the witness to answer the question."
Snape inhaled deeply, thinking. "A mind altering potion would cause hallucinations. The recipient of such a potion would be incapable of distinguishing between reality and the illusions of his mind."
"Would his altered perceptions make him slow to respond to stimulus in his environment?"
"Why else do people take such unless potion?" Snape sneered.
"Yes or no will do."
Snape frowned. "Yes," he said with a hiss.
"And how long would it take a human under the influence of this potion to register pain or even acknowledge that he has been injured?"
"That would depend on how strong the potion was."
"Generally – how long?"
"Anywhere between several seconds to several minutes, depending upon the potency of the concoction."
"From what you have said, is it possible to draw a conclusion that the lack of evidence of a struggle in Mr. Zetter's injuries may be solely because Mr. Zetter was in fact incapacitated? That Mr. Zetter did not realize immediately what was happening to him and therefore did not struggle at all?"
Snape glared at Sirius. "That is possible."
"Thank you," Sirius said with a smile.
Quamar shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Are you finished, Mr. Black?"
"Yes, Sir." Sirius glanced over at Roarke and Remus hoping that he had managed to turn the trial around. He sat down next to Liam giving in an assuring pat on the back. For the first time, Roarke allowed relief to settle in her chest. But that feeling didn't linger long, for Quamar wasted no time in resuming his case.
"Good, because we have further use of Professor Snape's mastery of potions. Since the werewolf known as Oliver Kent will not offer us truthful information about the events of this alleged attack, we ask that the Professor administer Veritaserum."
There was an audible gasp from the audience. Roarke looked at her father.
"They can't!"
Again Remus didn't say anything, giving Roarke the impression that her father was keeping even more information from her.
"Your Honor," Snape said softly. "I must point out that Veritaserum is lethal to lycanthropes. You will remember that when you first suggested that the need might arise to administer the potion to Mr. Kent, I clearly stated that..."
"I remember your objection, but under the circumstances, we are left with no other option."
"Just a moment," Tanner said, turning to face Quamar. "When I agreed to allow your committee to run this trial, there was no mention of the possibility of administering deadly potions to the accused."
"There was no mention of it because Veritaserum is not deadly to lycanthropes."
"Due to the extreme toxicity of the potion and the nature of the tainted blood of the lycanthrope, all evidence points to the contrary."
"And that is where your information is wrong, Minister. All evidence does not point to the contrary."
"Are you suggesting that you can prove Veritaserum isn't lethal to a werewolf?"
"Yes," Quamar said with a nasty grin.
Beside her, Roarke felt her father stiffen. His face went pale and his hands were balled up in fists. "Daddy? What's wrong?"
Remus didn't have a chance to answer her before Quamar turned in his seat and looked directly at him. "Werewolf number UKW 1961-2584, please come forward," he mocked.
"Daddy?" Roarke said, taking her father's hand. Remus only pushed it away in frustration. He rose and walked down to the center of the courtroom. Roarke looked at Sirius, trying to find some clue as to what this was all about, but Sirius appeared just as perplexed as she was.
"So nice to see you again, Mister Lupin," Quamar taunted. "I trust you will be more cooperative with us today than you were the last time you stood before this committee. If memory serves me correctly, my predecessor was placed in the same situation I am in today and was forced to use Veritaserum to extract the truth from a werewolf once before."
Remus met the gargoyle's eyes evenly. "I spoke the truth to the committee. It was not, however, what the committee wanted to hear, and so they ordered me to submit to the administration of Veritaserum."
Roarke couldn't believe what she was hearing. She shook her head and tried to get Sirius' attention. He looked up at her, bewilderment on his face. Alone in the center of the room, Remus stood, unwaveringly calm.
Quamar leaned back in his chair, pleased with himself. "Mr. Tanner, I offer you Remus Lupin as proof that Veritaserum is not fatal to werewolves."
Tanner's eyes darted from Quamar to Remus in confusion. "Remus, please, is this true? You've taken Veritaserum? You've survived it?"
Remus swallowed hard. "Yes," he said quietly.
Again there was a gasp from the audience, followed by hushed whispers.
"When?" Tanner asked. "I've never heard of such a thing."
"And you wouldn't have," Quamar said. "When Mr. Black was cleared of all charges, the file containing all information regarding his case was destroyed." Tanner still looked confused. "Isn't it obvious?" Quamar asked. "After Sirius Black was arrested, the committee questioned his only surviving friend, a werewolf, about Black's involvement with Voldemort."
Roarke's glanced from her father to Sirius. Remus stood very still, avoiding Sirius' eyes. Sirius, stunned, sagged weakly against the railing behind him. Roarke's own heart thudded rapidly against her chest.
"Remus," Tanner said, "is this true?"
"Yes," he said.
"They gave you Veritaserum?"
"Didn't we already make that clear?" Quamar said, annoyed by Tanner's lack of belief. "The point is this: Veritaserum is not deadly to all lycanthropes. Therefore, I see no reason why we shouldn't proceed with administering it to the accused."
There was silence in the courtroom as Tanner looked from Remus to Quamar, then to Snape and Oliver. His gaze finally rested on Quamar's aggressive face. Roarke held her breath in anticipation until Tanner nodded, giving his approval. The crowd began murmuring as Snape was instructed to dispense the proper amount of potion to Oliver, who had been brought back to the center of the room. While the guards held Oliver in place, Remus walked over to the side opposite from Sirius to wait. Roarke noticed that the two friends stared at each other intensely, a mixed look of apology and worry on their faces.
"It is done," Snape's voice sounded once Oliver had consumed the full amount of potion.
"Thank you, Professor," Quamar said. "Now then, werewolf, tell us the real reason behind your journey to England."
Oliver sputtered, his face showed obvious signs of pain. "I already told you," he snapped. "The Maker sent me."
"To do what?"
"To pass on his powerful gift."
"You mean, to infect the population with lycanthropy?"
"No. It is a gift. You would be honored to receive it."
Quamar did not like what he was hearing, and he made that fact known to Oliver and the entire courtroom. "I want the truth!" he demanded. "Did you attack your friend while under the influence of Wolfsbane Potion?"
"I never attacked anyone!"
"Enough! Professor Snape!" Snape stepped forward. "Are you certain you gave him Veritaserum?"
"Yes."
"Well, it's obviously not working! What was the dosage?"
"If I may," Snape said, putting a finger to his thin lip. "The potion will only bring out the truth as the recipient knows it. It is very likely that the potion is indeed working, but that this is the only truth Mr. Kent is aware of."
Quamar scowled. "I didn't ask for your opinion. I only asked for the dosage amount."
"It was three drops."
"Which wasn't enough. Give him another!"
Snape froze. "I beg your pardon?"
Quamar nearly rose out of his seat in anger. "I told you to give him another drop!"
"Sir, that dosage is too much, even for a human."
"GIVE IT TO HIM! I will have the truth!"
Snape stiffened into a formal stance. "Respectfully," he bit out, "I will not kill this ...creature. The court may do as it wishes." With that, he set the vial on the desk before the enraged gargoyle, and stepped back.
Quamar looked for a moment as if he would smash the vial against the stone floor in his rage, but instead he turned to a guard and bit out a harsh order. The guard tipped the contents of the vial into a goblet, and approached the captive gingerly, clearly trying to recall whether or not the werewolf curse could be passed while in human form. He freed Oliver's hands and passed the goblet to him carefully.
Oliver Kent reached a trembling, yet determined hand up and took the goblet. "I fear no truth!" he declared, and downed the contents in a swift gulp.
Every eye in the room was focused on Oliver as he shook violently in his seat. The goblet fell to the floor and shattered. Oliver's head whipped from side to side, a harsh cry escaping his throat. He grabbed at his throat, gasping for breath, wheezing and coughing. The color drained from his face, the lack of oxygen turning his lips blue. Still gasping, Oliver lost his balance and toppled over onto the floor, the chair crashing down along with him. He inhaled at long last only to emit a sharp scream of pain.
Sirius and Liam were now on their feet, backing up away from Oliver. Roarke watched in horror, her hand covering her mouth, at the scene in the center of the room. Oliver was now coughing ferociously and was soon spitting blood. His body shook in agony as sharp heaves ripped from his throat. He worked his way up onto his knees before vomiting violently.
Nearly everyone in the room covered their eyes in revulsion. Roarke, however, caught sight of Quamar who never took his eyes off of Oliver for one second. In fact, he looked almost enthralled at what was happening.
When Roarke returned her attention to Oliver, his body had started convulsing. A mixture of blood and vomit and spit oozed from the corner of his mouth as he lay quaking on the floor. The intensity of his shaking reached its zenith, and with one final piercing scream, Oliver's body stilled.
No one moved. No one breathed. They waited to see if Oliver would start back up again, knowing that he wouldn't. Time seemed to move in slow motion as realization dawned that Oliver was indeed dead.
"Guards," Quamar said quietly, but forcefully. "Remove him."
Roarke forced her eyes closed. She couldn't look, couldn't watch them haul him away as if he had been simply a dead animal. She waited until she heard a door close before daring to look. When she opened her eyes again, the center of the room was empty.
"Mr. Quamar," Tanner said through clenched teeth. "Since you have managed to kill the accused werewolf and the only person capable of telling us the full truth of that evening, I suggest that you declare this Court adjourned." It wasn't a recommendation, but rather an order.
Reluctantly, Quamar nodded.
"Your Honors," Sirius spoke up quickly. "I request that you remove all travel restrictions currently in effect for Mr. Zetter and allow him to go free."
"Granted," Tanner spoke firmly before Quamar could even object. Roarke's eyes fell on Liam. His face was pale, shocked, bewildered. Sirius guided him out of the room quickly, signaling to Remus as they passed him. Not knowing what to do, Roarke sat still until her father rejoined her.
They sat side by side, not talking, for a few seconds.
"What happened?" she asked.
"They killed him."
"I realize that! But Daddy," she turned to face him, "why did you let them do that? Why did you tell them you had taken Veritas -"
"Because I have," Remus cut her off.
They sat again in silence, neither one knowing what to say or do. Frustrated and worried, Roarke stood, not even looking at her father. "I need to find Liam." She exited the courtroom without a glance back at where her father still sat.
Wednesday, May 20 – 4:15 pm
There was an audible gasp as several people, including Roarke and Remus, turned to get a look at the thin, severe man that entered the arena. Snape, dressed in his usual black robes, took his place in front of the interrogators, looking cold and arrogant.
Roarke watched her father in concern as he observed Snape. Remus shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he covered his mouth with his fingers, his eyes squinted in thought. "This doesn't look good," he murmured without pulling his gaze from Snape.
"Please state your name for the record."
"I am Severus Waldimar Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."
"Professor Snape," Quamar started, "How long have you been the Potions Master at Hogwarts?"
"For thirty-five years," Snape said haughtily.
"As a Potions Master, your responsibilities are more than just teaching, are they not?"
" I prepare numerous potions, both mundane and esoteric, as is needed by the school."
"And as the Potions Master, you have been required to brew many complicated and complex potions?"
"Indeed. The students in recent years, much to my displeasure, tend to get themselves into more trouble, necessitating specific potions to help them alleviate any discomfort their foolish pranks might have inflicted. It's not the most important work I've ever been asked to do, but my skills at potion brewing can not be denied."
"Have you ever been asked to brew the Wolfsbane Potion?"
"Yes," Snape hissed.
"And when was that?"
"Many years ago, Headmaster Dumbledore employed a werewolf as the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor. I provided him with Wolfsbane in order to protect the students from any harm."
Remus tensed next to Roarke.
"Dumbledore employed a werewolf as a teacher at Hogwarts?"
"Indeed, he did."
"Were you opposed to the appointment?"
"Certainly, so were many of the staff."
"But you brewed the potion anyway?"
"It was either that or risk the death or infection of a student or member of the staff."
Remus scowled and shifted in his seat, agitated.
"Did you observe the werewolf in his transformed state after he had taken the potion?"
"Yes, on his first full moon at Hogwarts. I checked on his condition to ascertain whether the potion worked, as it was my first attempt at brewing it. It was imperative that no one would be in danger. The Headmaster had made alternative arrangements in case the werewolf didn't respond to the potion as we expected."
Quamar grinned, showing his yellowed misaligned teeth. "Would you describe for us the behavior of the wolf as you observed it?"
"Certainly. He sat on the floor, curled up like a sleeping dog. He was almost a caricature of a family pet. It was rather obscene, actually. A cursed monster curled placidly by the fire." Snape did not so much as glance in Remus' direction. "Quite a different scene from when I last saw a transformed werewolf."
"Yes," Quamar leaned forward in interest. "It is our understanding that you have come face to face with a fully transformed werewolf in his natural state and managed to escape unharmed."
"That is correct."
Roarke could neither help but notice the look of surprise on her father's face nor the fact that Sirius and he were making fierce eye contact. Remus gave a signal for Sirius to say something, a mix of anger and fear resonating from his body language.
"Please describe for us what you saw," Quamar urged.
"Objection!" Sirius said at Remus' bidding. "Snape is not an expert on werewolf behavior."
Quamar glowered at Sirius. "He has witnessed a transformed werewolf both with and without the aid of the potion. He can accurately describe the differences in the behavior he witnessed."
"You must realize," Tanner said reluctantly, "that we can use Professor Snape's testimony to draw a parallel between how one werewolf behaves and another."
Sirius looked from Remus back to Tanner. "But you must realize that every werewolf behaves differently. The parallels are impossible to draw conclusions from."
Quamar rolled his eyes, agitated. "You only object to this line of questioning, Mr. Black, because the incident reopens old wounds for you."
Sirius blinked.
"Professor Snape will answer the question. He will describe the events as he remembers them, and he will provide us with the information that we need."
Sirius ran an unsteady hand through his hair and looked at Remus again. Roarke was puzzled. "Daddy? What are they talking about?"
Remus swallowed. "Something that happened a long time ago."
"With you?"
But Remus didn't answer. He was too focused on what Snape was saying. "In my sixth year as a student at Hogwarts, I was lured into the lair of a fully transformed werewolf as part of ...a joke." Snape's lip curled, and he glanced momentarily at Remus.
Roarke gasped. Remus sighed and closed his eyes.
"I was told I would find a surprise," Snape continued. "Indeed, I was surprised when I came face to face with the snarling, vicious, blood thirsty monster."
"Daddy!" Roarke grabbed her father's arm. "What is he saying? He's lying!"
"Roarke, we'll discuss it later," Remus said through clenched teeth.
"Fortunately for me, one of the jokesters realized the implications of killing another student, and intervened to save his own skin. That his intervention saved my life, I do acknowledge. It was obvious that I had been sent into the werewolf's lair so that he could feed."
"OBJECTION!" Sirius yelled. "Snape, you know that isn't the truth!"
Snape turned to face him, an icy look in his eyes. "What I know is that my life was put in danger by what you affectionately referred to as a 'prank'. Interesting, don't you think, that no one, other than you, thought it was funny?"
"Gentlemen," Tanner said. "We are not here to discuss the reasons behind the event. All we need is the description of the werewolf."
"As I said," Snape continued, keeping eye contact with Sirius, "he was raging, wild, and completely out of control."
"Professor, were you listening to the previous testimony while you waited in the holding room?"
"Yes."
"Good. Can you clearly see the wound on the werewolf's chest?" Quamar asked, pointing to Liam.
"Yes."
"Will you describe it for us?"
Roarke glanced at her father in confusion, not understanding where Quamar was going with this line of questioning. Apparently, Remus was just as puzzled as Roarke was. Not only that, but the look on Sirius' face showed just as much uncertainty.
Snape squinted at Liam. "I see four small puncture wounds directly surrounding a tattoo."
"In your opinion," Quamar sneered, "is that the type of wound that would be inflicted by a werewolf who hadn't taken Wolfsbane Potion? A raging, out of control werewolf as you described?"
"Objection!" Sirius exclaimed. "Snape is a potions expert. He is not a mediwizard or expert in the area bite wounds! This line of questioning is purely speculation."
"Yes, Mr. Black," Quamar said, much to everyone's surprise. "If you recall, I did ask for his opinion."
With no way to further object, Sirius relented and sat back down. Snape, however, gave a sneer and offered up his answer. "Gentlemen, a werewolf in the control of his curse is more than a wild creature. It is bloodthirsty and vicious. No. This wound is not consistent with what I have observed of a werewolf not bound by the wolfsbane potion. I would guess by the precision and position of the bite wound that there was no struggle at all."
"Objection!" Sirius shouted again. "This witness has no actual knowledge of what occurred the night Mr. Zetter was bitten!"
"Mr. Black," Quamar growled, "I grow irritated at your need to object to every statement made by the witness."
"Then instruct the witness to answer only the questions he is asked."
Quamar glowered menacingly at Sirius before turning his focus back on Snape. "Professor, in your opinion, does it appear to you that the werewolf struggled when he received his wound?"
"Objection!" Sirius said, producing a ferocious stare from Quamar. "That question has nothing to do with the behavior of Mr. Kent or the purpose of this trial! Allow me to respectfully remind the Wizangamot that Mr. Zetter was incapacitated by the mind-altering potion he had been given, as his testimony indicated." There was silence from the panel of judges. Sirius took the opportunity to question Snape. "Professor Snape, as a potions expert, how would a human behave if under the influence of a mind altering potion, such as the one Mr. Zetter described for us earlier? And before I hear an objection," Sirius said, glancing up at Quamar, "I will remind this court that Mr. Zetter was indeed human when he took the potion before he was bitten."
"Mr. Black, you are out of order!" growled Quamar.
Tanner spoke up. "I'd like the witness to answer the question."
Snape inhaled deeply, thinking. "A mind altering potion would cause hallucinations. The recipient of such a potion would be incapable of distinguishing between reality and the illusions of his mind."
"Would his altered perceptions make him slow to respond to stimulus in his environment?"
"Why else do people take such unless potion?" Snape sneered.
"Yes or no will do."
Snape frowned. "Yes," he said with a hiss.
"And how long would it take a human under the influence of this potion to register pain or even acknowledge that he has been injured?"
"That would depend on how strong the potion was."
"Generally – how long?"
"Anywhere between several seconds to several minutes, depending upon the potency of the concoction."
"From what you have said, is it possible to draw a conclusion that the lack of evidence of a struggle in Mr. Zetter's injuries may be solely because Mr. Zetter was in fact incapacitated? That Mr. Zetter did not realize immediately what was happening to him and therefore did not struggle at all?"
Snape glared at Sirius. "That is possible."
"Thank you," Sirius said with a smile.
Quamar shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Are you finished, Mr. Black?"
"Yes, Sir." Sirius glanced over at Roarke and Remus hoping that he had managed to turn the trial around. He sat down next to Liam giving in an assuring pat on the back. For the first time, Roarke allowed relief to settle in her chest. But that feeling didn't linger long, for Quamar wasted no time in resuming his case.
"Good, because we have further use of Professor Snape's mastery of potions. Since the werewolf known as Oliver Kent will not offer us truthful information about the events of this alleged attack, we ask that the Professor administer Veritaserum."
There was an audible gasp from the audience. Roarke looked at her father.
"They can't!"
Again Remus didn't say anything, giving Roarke the impression that her father was keeping even more information from her.
"Your Honor," Snape said softly. "I must point out that Veritaserum is lethal to lycanthropes. You will remember that when you first suggested that the need might arise to administer the potion to Mr. Kent, I clearly stated that..."
"I remember your objection, but under the circumstances, we are left with no other option."
"Just a moment," Tanner said, turning to face Quamar. "When I agreed to allow your committee to run this trial, there was no mention of the possibility of administering deadly potions to the accused."
"There was no mention of it because Veritaserum is not deadly to lycanthropes."
"Due to the extreme toxicity of the potion and the nature of the tainted blood of the lycanthrope, all evidence points to the contrary."
"And that is where your information is wrong, Minister. All evidence does not point to the contrary."
"Are you suggesting that you can prove Veritaserum isn't lethal to a werewolf?"
"Yes," Quamar said with a nasty grin.
Beside her, Roarke felt her father stiffen. His face went pale and his hands were balled up in fists. "Daddy? What's wrong?"
Remus didn't have a chance to answer her before Quamar turned in his seat and looked directly at him. "Werewolf number UKW 1961-2584, please come forward," he mocked.
"Daddy?" Roarke said, taking her father's hand. Remus only pushed it away in frustration. He rose and walked down to the center of the courtroom. Roarke looked at Sirius, trying to find some clue as to what this was all about, but Sirius appeared just as perplexed as she was.
"So nice to see you again, Mister Lupin," Quamar taunted. "I trust you will be more cooperative with us today than you were the last time you stood before this committee. If memory serves me correctly, my predecessor was placed in the same situation I am in today and was forced to use Veritaserum to extract the truth from a werewolf once before."
Remus met the gargoyle's eyes evenly. "I spoke the truth to the committee. It was not, however, what the committee wanted to hear, and so they ordered me to submit to the administration of Veritaserum."
Roarke couldn't believe what she was hearing. She shook her head and tried to get Sirius' attention. He looked up at her, bewilderment on his face. Alone in the center of the room, Remus stood, unwaveringly calm.
Quamar leaned back in his chair, pleased with himself. "Mr. Tanner, I offer you Remus Lupin as proof that Veritaserum is not fatal to werewolves."
Tanner's eyes darted from Quamar to Remus in confusion. "Remus, please, is this true? You've taken Veritaserum? You've survived it?"
Remus swallowed hard. "Yes," he said quietly.
Again there was a gasp from the audience, followed by hushed whispers.
"When?" Tanner asked. "I've never heard of such a thing."
"And you wouldn't have," Quamar said. "When Mr. Black was cleared of all charges, the file containing all information regarding his case was destroyed." Tanner still looked confused. "Isn't it obvious?" Quamar asked. "After Sirius Black was arrested, the committee questioned his only surviving friend, a werewolf, about Black's involvement with Voldemort."
Roarke's glanced from her father to Sirius. Remus stood very still, avoiding Sirius' eyes. Sirius, stunned, sagged weakly against the railing behind him. Roarke's own heart thudded rapidly against her chest.
"Remus," Tanner said, "is this true?"
"Yes," he said.
"They gave you Veritaserum?"
"Didn't we already make that clear?" Quamar said, annoyed by Tanner's lack of belief. "The point is this: Veritaserum is not deadly to all lycanthropes. Therefore, I see no reason why we shouldn't proceed with administering it to the accused."
There was silence in the courtroom as Tanner looked from Remus to Quamar, then to Snape and Oliver. His gaze finally rested on Quamar's aggressive face. Roarke held her breath in anticipation until Tanner nodded, giving his approval. The crowd began murmuring as Snape was instructed to dispense the proper amount of potion to Oliver, who had been brought back to the center of the room. While the guards held Oliver in place, Remus walked over to the side opposite from Sirius to wait. Roarke noticed that the two friends stared at each other intensely, a mixed look of apology and worry on their faces.
"It is done," Snape's voice sounded once Oliver had consumed the full amount of potion.
"Thank you, Professor," Quamar said. "Now then, werewolf, tell us the real reason behind your journey to England."
Oliver sputtered, his face showed obvious signs of pain. "I already told you," he snapped. "The Maker sent me."
"To do what?"
"To pass on his powerful gift."
"You mean, to infect the population with lycanthropy?"
"No. It is a gift. You would be honored to receive it."
Quamar did not like what he was hearing, and he made that fact known to Oliver and the entire courtroom. "I want the truth!" he demanded. "Did you attack your friend while under the influence of Wolfsbane Potion?"
"I never attacked anyone!"
"Enough! Professor Snape!" Snape stepped forward. "Are you certain you gave him Veritaserum?"
"Yes."
"Well, it's obviously not working! What was the dosage?"
"If I may," Snape said, putting a finger to his thin lip. "The potion will only bring out the truth as the recipient knows it. It is very likely that the potion is indeed working, but that this is the only truth Mr. Kent is aware of."
Quamar scowled. "I didn't ask for your opinion. I only asked for the dosage amount."
"It was three drops."
"Which wasn't enough. Give him another!"
Snape froze. "I beg your pardon?"
Quamar nearly rose out of his seat in anger. "I told you to give him another drop!"
"Sir, that dosage is too much, even for a human."
"GIVE IT TO HIM! I will have the truth!"
Snape stiffened into a formal stance. "Respectfully," he bit out, "I will not kill this ...creature. The court may do as it wishes." With that, he set the vial on the desk before the enraged gargoyle, and stepped back.
Quamar looked for a moment as if he would smash the vial against the stone floor in his rage, but instead he turned to a guard and bit out a harsh order. The guard tipped the contents of the vial into a goblet, and approached the captive gingerly, clearly trying to recall whether or not the werewolf curse could be passed while in human form. He freed Oliver's hands and passed the goblet to him carefully.
Oliver Kent reached a trembling, yet determined hand up and took the goblet. "I fear no truth!" he declared, and downed the contents in a swift gulp.
Every eye in the room was focused on Oliver as he shook violently in his seat. The goblet fell to the floor and shattered. Oliver's head whipped from side to side, a harsh cry escaping his throat. He grabbed at his throat, gasping for breath, wheezing and coughing. The color drained from his face, the lack of oxygen turning his lips blue. Still gasping, Oliver lost his balance and toppled over onto the floor, the chair crashing down along with him. He inhaled at long last only to emit a sharp scream of pain.
Sirius and Liam were now on their feet, backing up away from Oliver. Roarke watched in horror, her hand covering her mouth, at the scene in the center of the room. Oliver was now coughing ferociously and was soon spitting blood. His body shook in agony as sharp heaves ripped from his throat. He worked his way up onto his knees before vomiting violently.
Nearly everyone in the room covered their eyes in revulsion. Roarke, however, caught sight of Quamar who never took his eyes off of Oliver for one second. In fact, he looked almost enthralled at what was happening.
When Roarke returned her attention to Oliver, his body had started convulsing. A mixture of blood and vomit and spit oozed from the corner of his mouth as he lay quaking on the floor. The intensity of his shaking reached its zenith, and with one final piercing scream, Oliver's body stilled.
No one moved. No one breathed. They waited to see if Oliver would start back up again, knowing that he wouldn't. Time seemed to move in slow motion as realization dawned that Oliver was indeed dead.
"Guards," Quamar said quietly, but forcefully. "Remove him."
Roarke forced her eyes closed. She couldn't look, couldn't watch them haul him away as if he had been simply a dead animal. She waited until she heard a door close before daring to look. When she opened her eyes again, the center of the room was empty.
"Mr. Quamar," Tanner said through clenched teeth. "Since you have managed to kill the accused werewolf and the only person capable of telling us the full truth of that evening, I suggest that you declare this Court adjourned." It wasn't a recommendation, but rather an order.
Reluctantly, Quamar nodded.
"Your Honors," Sirius spoke up quickly. "I request that you remove all travel restrictions currently in effect for Mr. Zetter and allow him to go free."
"Granted," Tanner spoke firmly before Quamar could even object. Roarke's eyes fell on Liam. His face was pale, shocked, bewildered. Sirius guided him out of the room quickly, signaling to Remus as they passed him. Not knowing what to do, Roarke sat still until her father rejoined her.
They sat side by side, not talking, for a few seconds.
"What happened?" she asked.
"They killed him."
"I realize that! But Daddy," she turned to face him, "why did you let them do that? Why did you tell them you had taken Veritas -"
"Because I have," Remus cut her off.
They sat again in silence, neither one knowing what to say or do. Frustrated and worried, Roarke stood, not even looking at her father. "I need to find Liam." She exited the courtroom without a glance back at where her father still sat.
