Chapter 16

"All rise, Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore presiding!" said the voice of the court scribe.

The court room was full. All members of the Wizengamot were present, and as many people as could fit in the gallery were crammed in. It is amazing how fast the rumour mill works at times.

Black and Pettigrew had been brought to the Ministry on Monday morning. It was now only Wednesday morning. While the Daily Prophet had told everyone about the arrests, the paper had not been informed of the time and place of the emergency Wizengamot session. Yet here everyone was.

Albus looked around the room, noting all members of the Wizengamot present. His gaze took in the remainder of the room. There were a number of notables in the gallery, Narcissa Malfoy for one, Remus Lupin, Augusta Longbottom, Mad-Eye, Andromeda Tonks. He briefly glanced at Skeeter, quill at the ready. There was blood in the water.

"Bring in the accused," he said calmly, waving the room to be seated.

Heads turned and muttering started up as two Aurors brought Peter Pettigrew into the room and sat him in the Accusation Chair. Chains snaked out of its arms, immediately pinning him into the seat.

Albus stood.

"The charges are as follows: Multiple counts of espionage during the war; Betrayal of a fidelius charm leading to the deaths of James and Lily Potter; murder of twelve muggles using a Blasting curse; faking own death; unregistered animagus; torture and murder of Bertha Jorkins; attack upon a retired Auror; attempted resurrection of Voldemort."

Dumbledore stopped speaking. The courtroom had erupted over the last item. They'd got jumpy during the early part of the list, but the concept of resurrecting Voldemort was unthinkable to many. There was a good percentage of the wizarding population that did not believe that Voldemort had merely been disembodied anyway. They believed him dead. They wanted him dead. Anything else was unthinkable.

The Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge rose from his seat on the council.

Albus nodded to him, "The court recognises the Minister."

The noise in the room ebbed away.

"I have been shown irrefutable evidence that the accused was in the process of resurrecting He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. It is true that on 31st October 1981 Voldemort did not die. He was only disincorporated. This fact is not open for discussion in this court. The Ministry will issue a full statement on this subject later in the day."

Fudge sat down again. This time the room was silent. Except for the sound of the court scribe and Rita Skeeter's quills.

Albus stood again. "Due to the seriousness of these charges, the court rules to use Veritaserum." Two aurors administered the dose. Pettigrew tried to prevent taking it, but two aurors quickly overpowered one man tied to a chair.

"Were you a spy for Voldemort during the war?"

"Yes." Pettigrew whimpered. That alone was fifteen years in Azkaban.

"Did you give Voldemort the location of the Potters?"

"Yes." The public gallery gasped.

"The day after the Potters' death you ran and faked your own death. Why?"

"Because Black would have known it was me. He passed the fidelius charm to me. He found me. I had to run. No-one knew it wasn't him. I escaped by blowing up the street. I cut off my own finger and left it at the scene."

"Where did you go immediately?"

"I don't remember where I went at first, but I hid in my animagus form."

"You have not registered your animagus?"

"No, neither did..."

Albus used a charm to silence him.

"Keep your answers to the questions at hand, Mr Pettigrew. Only answer the questions asked. Did you remain in your rat form after that?"

"With the odd exception, yes. No-one knew I was still alive. I could not be seen."

"In June 1994 you traveled to Albania?"

"Yes."

"You discovered the wraith form of Voldemort?"

"Yes."

"You also discovered Bertha Jorkins, who you tortured for information then killed."

"I gave Jorkins to Voldemort. He tortured and killed her." There was silence in the courtroom. You could have heard a pin drop. It was the casual way he'd said it.

"You killed a unicorn to feed its blood to Voldemort to bring his wraith form to substance?"

"Yes."

The court erupted again. Albus was surprised that Skeeter's quill didn't catch fire.

"You then returned to England?"

Pettigrew nodded.

"On 1st September last, did you and Barty Crouch Jr attack retired Auror Alastor Moody in his home?"

All eyes swivelled to Barty Crouch Snr. He looked older, slumped in his seat in the gallery. The truth had come out about him having hidden his son. Crouch Junior had been given the Dementor's Kiss last week. Crouch Senior was under house arrest while the Wizengamot decided his case, it was complicated. He had been given permission to attend this trial.

"Yes."

"You can confirm that Crouch then spent the next five months at Hogwarts under Polyjuice?"

"Yes."

"Where were you during this time?"

"I was staying in Little Hangleton in Riddle House with the Dark Lord."

"You travelled from there to Hogwarts to meet with Crouch on 22nd February?"

"Yes."

"What did you meet him about?"

"Our Master set us a task. Him a task. It had not been done."

"What was the task?"

Pettigrew fought the veritaserum. Albus could see the muscles in his face contorting as he tried not to speak his next words. To try to evade their meaning being understood.

"To create a Portkey."

Albus made his questions smaller, simpler to answer.

"Where would this Portkey take someone?"

"The graveyard in Little Hangleton."

"What item did you hope to convert into a portkey?"

"The Tri-Wizard cup."

"Did you succeed? Is the Tri-Wizard cup a Portkey?"

"No!" screamed Pettigrew in frustration.

"Who did you hope would use this portkey?"

"Harry Potter."

Once again, the court erupted.

The people in the courtroom rose to their feet before the Wizengamot returned to the room. They had deliberated. It had taken all of ten minutes.

The Dementor's Kiss. Pettigrew was screaming when he was taken away.

Albus rose to his feet. Every eye in the room was on him.

"Please bring in Sirius Black."

Sirius Black entered the courtroom between two Aurors. He wasn't restrained. He'd had a shower. He looked haggard though. Tired. Hounded. He stood in the centre of the room.

You could hear a pin drop. In that silence a single man stood in the gallery. Sirius looked over to him and smiled sadly.

"Sirius Orion Black," said Albus, "The Wizengamot acknowledges a miscarrriage of justice in not giving you a trial. The Wizengamot holds itself fully accountable for that. I, as Chief Warlock, am accountable for that. The Wizengamot extends its fullest and deepest apologies, and exonerates you of all charges that have or may be laid against you regarding the events of 1981."

"I personally apologise unreservedly. You are a free man. The Ministry has kept your wand in its vaults until now. It is returned to you."

Albus reached down to his desk, opened a box, approached Sirius and bowed deeply as Sirius took his wand.

"Thank you, Albus," whispered Sirius hoarsely, tears in his eyes.

There were plenty of tears around the courtroom. Hatred and anger had turned to horror in the face of twelve years in Azkaban for an innocent man.

Rita's quill scribbled furiously.

The courtroom's public gallery had been cleared, much to Rita's annoyance. One man had still been there as she was ushered out of the room.

The Wizengamot left the room, more than one deeply bowing to Sirius on their way out. Only Albus was left in the room to witness Sirius gruffly hugging a very awkward Remus Lupin and then bursting into tears.