On Monday, the day for the trial of three Lestranges blamed for the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom had finally arrived.
Although the Dark Lord would deny it in public for all eternity, he could not help but feel nervous about the outcome of the trial. Since he had no way of talking to any of the three accused, there was no way of knowing if Rabastan and Rodolphus despite their overall aversion of torture had partaken in the crime they were blamed for, or if Bellatrix had done it all by herself. While Tom prided himself on knowing those who followed him better than his followers were probably aware of, there was always the possibility of misjudgement, especially concerning extraordinary circumstances such as these. There was just no way of accurately predicting what Rodolphus, Rabastan, Bellatrix, and the late Barty Crouch Junior had thought, felt, and done following the news of the Dark Lord's disappearance a decade prior.
Today, he would finally get his answers.
"It is just a shame that you will not be permitted to wear Muggle clothes this time," Harry chuckled as he was checking his appearance in the mirror, throwing a short glance at the black, moderately expensive robes with its silver lining and rather ordinary cut Thomas Prince had just put on.
"Such a shame that Muggle clothing is banned during Wizengamot sessions," the Dark Lord laughed as he was straightening his robes, making sure that they looked like somebody inexperienced with Wizarding wear had put them on, "oh, the irony. Banning Dark Magic and ancient traditions left and right, but bullying Muggle fashion in high court. That is my kind of humour."
"Exactly," his Equal agreed before turning serious, a very fitting description given the nature of his question, "do you think Dumbledore will confront me about my godfather?"
"He might," Tom said lightly, continuing to right his robes, "but given the nature of the upcoming trial and his various side activities , I think he will be otherwise occupied."
"Hopefully," his Equal sighed, "I am still not sure if our plan concerning my godfather was the right decision."
"We agreed that it is the best decision for now," Tom said, placing a hand on his Equal's shoulder, "everything else would have been either too suspicious or pushed your godfather in the wrong direction. He is a stubborn individual who did his best to distance himself from his Dark roots and his family for as long as I can remember, becoming a puppet of Dumbledore in the process. He will not change, at least not quickly. If you had revealed your true allegiance to him, even if you would have revealed evidence of Dumbledore sending him after Wormtail, he would not have believed you, having suspected foul play due to my bad influence on you. I doubt that Dumbledore would have remained oblivious to your doing. Allowing Black out of St Mungo's on the other hand would have been disastrous for his health and our plan. Persuading him to remain at the hospital gives him time to heal and to think. I know it is frustrating, but for now, it is the best option for all of us sans our beloved Headmaster."
"I know," Harry sighed once again, "still, I wish there would be a more direct way,"
"Well," the Dark Lord chuckled, "we could always abduct your godfather, drag him to Gringotts, have him checked for any magical bindings, invade his mind to remove any alterations, and reveal our illustrious backstory."
"Of course," his Equal joined into his laughter, "and after that, we directly overthrow the Ministry and steal all of Dumbledore's lemon drops."
"Obviously," a familiar drawl echoed through the room, "but please do me the favour and take a reporter with you. That way, at least the press will get it right for once."
"Thank you for the pointer, Uncle Severus," The Dark Lord replied, turning around slowly to face the Potions Master, "do you think I could look any less professional in Wizarding robes than this?"
"Second-hand robes might help you," Severus drawled, narrowing his eyes at the wardrobe of his ward, "I heard that Molly Weasley might be the perfect consultant in that regard. Anyway, are the two of you finally ready to depart?"
After a quick journey through the Floo Network which ended with Thomas Prince once again almost landing on his face, they arrived at the busy Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. Once his wand had been checked and registered by a stuttering, rather red-faced Broadmoor, the three wizards quickly made their way to the lowest level of the Ministry of Magic.
Unlike the usual emptiness and quietness, the black-tiled corridor was filled with a rather noisy, slightly heated crowd of Witches and Wizards who all appeared to be eager to get into Courtroom Ten, although a few Aurors were trying their best at keeping the rowdy mob in place, only allowing members of the Wizengamot, a handful of Ministry workers, and few authorised members of the press to pass. Given the severity and the rather gruesome nature of the crime, the general public had been banned from attending, although the Dark Lord was still asking himself why the children or wards of some of the Lords and Ladies like himself and Harry were allowed to enter. At times, the shire incompetence of the Ministry of Magic still baffled him even decades after first setting foot into the Wizarding community of the British Isles.
While around them members of the Wizengamot were trying to elbow their way through the rowdy crowd, a few words delivered with Severus' notorious drawl were enough to let them pass relatively unharmed, although Tom noted that his robes her hanging off his boney frame at a more slanting angle than before, not that he minded.
When they had finally reached the Aurors, the Dark Lord wished he could have simply blasted his way through the crowd. Given the emotions transmitted over the link, Harry obviously shared his sentiment.
As opposed to the last time, the Aurors let the Lord of the Prince family and his wards enter Courtroom Ten without another word since most were far to busy keeping the crowd at bay, a film of sweat covering the forehead and most of the bald head of Kingsley Shacklebolt while the colour of Trainee Tonks' hair was changing rapidly.
Inside Courtroom Ten, the atmosphere was not much calmer either.
Since most members of the Wizengamot had decided to arrive early, it was already rather crowded. Smaller groups of Witches and Wizards were scattered everywhere, discussing the subject of today's trial with barely hidden anticipation.
Although Dumbledore appeared to be quite eager to complicate Thomas Prince's registration and acceptance as an official ward of Lord Prince, the entry of Cornelius Fudge and Amelia Bones, the latter carrying a large stack of parchments and looking rather tired, forced the Lord of the Light to refrain from his usual schemes.
"Lords and Ladies," Dumbledore began once everybody had taken their place and the doors of Courtroom Ten had been closed, "today, we are gathered here on behalf of Lady Augusta Longbottom to review the crimes committed against her family on November 1st, 1981. Amelia, the floor is yours."
Gracing the Chief Warlock with a rather disapproving, although the emotion was mostly concealed, look concerning his choice of words, Amelia Bones rose from her seat, straightening her back and her monocle, "Lords and Ladies, given the recent revelations concerning the innocence of Sirius Black, it has been decided to review and verify all sentences passed under martial laws, affecting all trials of supposed war criminals between 1970 and 1981. Due to Lady Longbottom's request for clarification regarding the severe harm caused to her family, the first case to be reviewed will be crimes of Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, and the late Bartemius Crouch Junior caught in the act at Longbottom Cottage near Lyme Regis on November 1st, 1981. During the last few weeks, their case has been reviewed extensively during which a few inconsistencies have been uncovered. Therefore, the legal proceedings concerning the capture and conviction of the accused will be evaluated first."
Leaning back in his seat, the Dark Lord could not help but remark how brilliant Amelia Bones' move actually was.
By re-evaluating the moves of the Ministry, regardless of the outcome of the trial of the three Lestranges and the late Barty Crouch Junior, she was trying to restore public faith in the impartiality and the constitutionality of the Ministry, especially the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, of which Amelia Bones was the Head of. By conducting the investigation before the actual hearing of the accused it was guaranteed that the outcome of the Ministry-internal investigation would remain unaffected by the trial of the Lestranges. If the Lestranges had been rightfully sentenced, it would show that the Ministry and its judicial body, the Wizengamot, were unafraid to address misconduct of the executive powers, especially their Aurors, Hit Witches and Wizards, and the remainder of staff of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. If some of the accused on the other hand were discovered to be innocent, conducting the investigation of conduct before the actual trial would ensure that any possible punishment of any of the involved Ministry employees would not be exacerbated.
It was a brilliant move indeed.
Still, the Dark Lord doubted that there would be severe consequences for the involved Aurors, Hit Witches and Wizards, and Bartemius Crouch Senior and his team. After all, they had acted under martial laws and the suspects had been found at the scene of the crime. Therefore, any severe punishment would be rather unlikely. He was sure that most would walk away with nothing but a mild cautioning.
Three hours later, he was proven right.
Save for a few minor fines, most of the involved Ministry employees walked away unpunished since they had rightfully acted under martial laws.
Then, there was Bartemius Crouch Senior.
Because of his explicit refusal to allow the accused to defend themselves as they had been brought to trial in front of one of the legal war committees of the Wizengamot, coincidentally led by Crouch Senior himself, he had violated section 3.32.1 of the Martial Laws Catalogue which granted every supposed war criminal to defend themselves. Since his son had been one of the accused and the discovery of Bartemius Crouch Junior's true allegiance had without doubt been rather shocking in nature, Crouch Senior's sentence had been reduced from a fine of 25.000 Galleons to 8.000, an overall meagre sum in light of the vast fortune resting in the Crouch family vaults. For some wizards like Arthur Weasley, the punishment would surely have hurt quite badly, but for Bartemius Crouch Senior, it was nothing but a slight inconvenience.
Once the last disciplinary sentence, a 250 Galleon fine for an Auror named Savage, had been announced, the Wizengamot hearing was paused for a forty-five-minute lunch break.
Once all members of the Wizengamot had returned, Madam Bones cleared her throat, "Lords and Ladies, now, it is time for the questioning of Rodolphus Lestrange, Bellatrix Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, and the late Bartemius Crouch Junior. Proudfoot, Williamson, please fetch the first of the accused."
A few minutes later, the two tall, bulky Aurors reappeared in the large double door which Tom knew led to a system of holding cells where the Dementors were most likely guarding the three Lestranges. The holding cells were connected to all courtrooms of the lowest level of the Ministry, something the Dark Lord had discovered when Saul Croaker had somehow come across plans of some of the older, lower levels of the Ministry of Magic, passing the information to his Lord. While there had never been any serious plans to invade the Ministry, one could never possess enough information about the enemy.
Only once the Aurors had turned to escort the prisoner to the centre of the courtroom where an old, sturdy, throne-like chair with heavy chairs to restrain the arms and legs of the accused was waiting, did he get a look at the wizard about to be questioned.
Much like Sirius Black, Rabastan Lestrange looked more like a corpse than a living and breathing being. While he, unlike Black, was on his own feet, trying yet failing to keep up with the fast strides of the two Aurors, it was more than clear that pride, shire willpower and the urge to remain dignified and stoic in front of such a large crowd were the only things keeping Rabastan Lestrange upright and walking.
Still, for any outsider it was more than clear that the wizard certainly was far from well.
The seemingly overlarge prison robes which could now only be classified as rags were hanging off his boney frame while patches of white, paper-thin, partially bruised patches of skin were visible through some larger tears in the threadbare fabric. With his left hand, he was pressing his right arm closer to his sunken stomach, the shoulder bent forward at an odd angle, the joint either dislocated or the bone shattered. Because of his askew robes, the Dark Mark on his left arm was laid bare for all those present in Courtroom Ten.
While he was escorted towards the chair with its chain bindings, Rabastan's grey eyes moved over the section of the courtroom designated for members of the Dark families, stopping at the sight of his father. For a fraction of a second, father and son appeared to be sharing a silent conversation, ending with a brief nod of Corvus before a curtain of unwashed, greasy hair obscured the grey eyes of Rabastan Lestrange.
That brief moment was enough for the Dark Lord to determine that his follower was still sane.
Much like Sirius Black, it seemed like Azkaban and its Dementors had not broken Rabastan Lestrange. The eyes were a giveaway. There was still life in them.
"Mister Lestrange," Madam Bones started once the chains had magically wrapped themselves around the arms and legs of the accused, securing him tightly in place, "you are tried here as by request of Lady Augusta Longbottom to determine your involvement in the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom on November 1st, 1981. Per decision of the Wizengamot, you will be tried under regular, non-martial laws given the previous violation of your right to defend yourself under Martial Laws during your first trial on November 2nd, 1981 overseen by Bartemius Crouch Senior. Therefore, I must remind you of your right to remain silent and refuse any magical intrusion of your privacy. Thus, Truth Serums like Veritaserum may only be administered with your consent. The same applies to the pledge of any forms of Magical Oaths or the forceful extraction of your memories-"
"Give me the Veritaserum," the raspy voice of Rabastan Lestrange, attesting to a decade of infrequent use, cut through the words of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
"I beg your pardon," Amelia Bones said after a few seconds of silence, her monocle no longer at its usual place.
Without hesitation, the younger of the Lestrange twins repeated his demand, "Give me the Verita-"
Before he could finish, his bodies began to shake uncontrollably, a series of rather alarmingly sounding coughs paired with the rattling of the heavy chains restraining the prisoner making plenty of Wizengamot members on the ranks of Courtroom Ten flinch given their drastic nature.
"Somebody get him some water," Amelia Bones' concerned voice echoed through the courtroom without being addressed to anyone explicitly. When no one, not even the Aurors moved, the stern but fair witch turned on her heels, grabbing her own goblet of water before crossing the room with quick steps, holding the goblet to the dry lips of Rabastan Lestrange. While the wizard was carefully draining his second goblet, although being careful to not drink too much too quickly, Amelia Bones' stern eyes stopped on the two Aurors guarding the closed door leading to the holding cells, "I told you to give them some water and food before their questioning. While they might be criminals who might have committed unspeakable crimes, they are human beings after all. Should any of them be in a similar condition as Mister Rabastan Lestrange, I will not let this go so easily."
Once Proudfoot and Williamson had left, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement looked down at the accused wizard, her voice sounding rather sincere as she asked, "Better?"
Once her question had been answered with a nod, the stern witch once again tried to clarify what Rabastan Lestrange had said earlier, "Mister Lestrange, please repeat your words."
"I want you to give me the Veritaserum for the questioning," the younger of the Lestrange twins repeated, again without hesitation and thankfully without any coughing.
Once the words had left his lips, whispers erupted all over the ranks of Courtroom Ten while a flood of relief washed over the Dark Lord.
"You were right," his Equal whispered into his ears, so quiet that even the Dark Lord could barely understand the words.
"Thank Merlin," Tom whispered back, his lips barely moving as his eyes were wandering over the crowd. Unsurprisingly, surprise and shock were the most common feelings to be found on the faces of those in attendance, even on the faces of the normally reserved Purebloods. Most were openly staring at the stoic figure that was Augusta Longbottom and her grandson who appeared to be mimicking his grandmother, or the unreadable mask Corvus Lestrange's was desperately trying to maintain. While most were oblivious to the internal struggle of the Lord of the Lestrange family, Tom was more than familiar with the slight twitch of his friend's left eye. Corvus was clearly relieved and had every right to be.
Once Amelia Bones had gathered herself, her stern eyes were piercing the prisoner in front of her, "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely," Rabastan Lestrange replied without hesitation.
"Very well," the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's voice echoed through the large room, "be assured that my questions are solely concerned with the events which occurred on November 1st, 1981 and nothing else."
Keeping an eye on the movements inside Courtroom Ten, the Dark Lord was relieved to see that Amelia Bones produced a small vial containing a clear liquid closed by an untouched black wax seal out of a tightly wared box. The wooden box could only be accessed with three drops of blood of the Head of the department of Magical Law Enforcement herself. Because of the clarity of the Veritaserum and the colour of the wax seal, it was undeniable that the Veritaserum had been brewed by Severus Snape himself. Given the smug expression on the Potions Master's face, the origin of the Potion could certainly not be denied.
"Mister Lestrange, please open your mouth so that I can administer the Veritaserum," the stern witch instructed the accused, her voice having lost most of its previous bite. Once three carefully measured drops had landed on the accused's tongue, his skeletal face, which had previously been distorted by years of pain and suffering, morphed into an expression of absolute peace and tranquillity.
"Please state your full name," Amelia Bones began the interrogation, looking up from her notes.
"Rabastan Coriolanus Lestrange," the younger of the Lestrange twins answered, his words delivered slowly, giving the impression of detachment, like he was very far away.
"Mister Lestrange," Madam Bones continued, "is it correct that you were arrested at Longbottom Cottage near Lyme Regis on November 1st, 1981?"
"That is correct," Rabastan Lestrange replied calmly.
"Was it your intention to torture Frank and Alice Longbottom?" the stern witch asked.
"No," the accused answered curtly.
"Did you go after Frank and Alice Longbottom because of the orders of the Dark Lord Voldemort?" Amelia Bones continued, trying to fish for the reason why the Lestranges had been found at Longbottom Cottage.
"No," Rabastan Lestrange again replied.
"Mister Lestrange, since you did not go after the Longbottoms to torture them on your own behalf nor on the Dark Lord Voldemort's orders," the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement summarised, "would you please enlighten us on the reasoning behind your presence at Longbottom Cottage."
"I was there to save them," the younger of the Lestrange twins stated without hesitation.
The entirety of Courtroom Ten fell silent upon hearing these six words. Disbelief and stock a common expression on most faces.
"Mister Lestrange," Amelia Bones eventually regained her ability to talk, "could you please enlighten us as to what specific reason led you to travel to Longbottom Cottage to 'safe' Frank and Alice Longbottom? Do not refrain from going into detail."
"During the Beltane celebrations of 1980, the Dark Lord informed us, his Inner Circle, that he had been informed by one of his spies that two couples, both expecting a child at the end of July, posed a serious threat to our cause and our Lord's life and therefore must be eliminated at all costs," Rabastan Lestrange began to explain, "at that point, the couples had been identified as the Potters and the Longbottoms, both of which had gone into hiding, most likely protected by the Fidelius Charm. During that meeting, we were informed that the identification of both families' whereabouts was top priority, yet we were forbidden from harming any of the involved since the Dark Lord wanted to take care of the Potters and the Longbottoms himself. Eventually, the locations of both families were revealed to the Dark Lord. The Potters were betrayed by their friend Peter Pettigrew while the secret keeper of the Longbottoms, Mundungus Fletcher, was discovered hiding in a rather shady inn in Knockturn Alley, owning the owner a quite substantial number of Galleons. Since I was not present, I am unaware of the circumstances leading to revelation of the Longbottoms' whereabouts. I was only informed of the outcome of Mundungus' questioning during an Inner Circle meeting in late June 1981. Therefo-"
"Late June?" Amelia Bones asked, her eyebrows seemingly disappearing in her hairline, "the Dark Lord Voldemort was aware of the whereabouts of both families since late June?"
"No, as far as I am aware, Peter Pettigrew revealed the location of the Potters much sooner," Rabastan Lestrange said lightly, "the Dark Lord wanted to wait for his move until Samhain since his magic would be the strongest and most potent, at least that is what we were told."
"Thank you for the clarification," the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement replied, "please continue."
"During that meeting, all members of the Inner Circle were once again reminded to not touch both families. They were the Dark Lord's responsibility and his alone," the younger of the Lestrange twins continued, "nobody with a sane mind would have ever dared to disobey his orders unless you had a death wish. Therefore, the Dark Lord travelled to Godric's Hollow, where the Potters were hiding, alone, since he had somehow determined that they posed the bigger threat than the Longbottoms."
"Where were you during the night of October 31st, 1981?" Amelia Bones enquired.
"I was at home at Lestrange Manor celebrating the festivities together with my brother and his wife," Rabastan Lestrange explained, "during the early morning hours, the Floo suddenly flared up. It was Barty Crouch Junior who had just been informed by his father about the deaths of Lily and James Potter and the defeat of our Lord at the hands of young Harry Potter. As you can imagine, we were devastated."
"Devastated enough to seek out revenge?" Rufus Scrimgeour stepped forwards, obviously having had enough of the slow pace of the questioning, "was that the reason why you tortu-"
"Head Auror Scrimgeour," Amelia Bones' steely voice cut through the words of the Auror like fire through ice, "you are not authorised to ask questions. Please, take your seat. Mister Lestrange, please answer Head Auror Scrimgeour's question and continue with your explanation."
"While we were devastated by the loss of our leader, I, Rodolphus and Barty agreed that we would simply wait how everything would play out. Rash actions would help nobody. Furthermore, this would go against any orders of the Dark Lord since he had explicitly reminded us to not do anything, especially not against the Potters nor the Longbottoms. As I said before, no one would be foolish enough to disobey his commands, even with our Lord supposedly gone," Rabastan Lestrange continued to explain, "Bellatrix on the other hand disagreed with our assessment. While the three of us were discussing the implications of the recent events, she was pacing like a madman, muttering something unintelligible to herself whenever she was not shrieking about the loss of her Lord. At one point, she abruptly stopped dead in her tracks, explaining that ' they must know something about her Lord's disappearance', before simply Apparating away. In retrospect, I am more than ashamed to admit how long it took for the three of us to determine who she had been referring to and that we had to stop her. When we arrived at Longbottom Cottage, we could already hear the agonising screams of the Longbottoms long before we even entered the build-"
"Did you join her?" Rufus Scrimgeour exclaimed, "or are you saying that Bellatrix Lestrange was the sole perpetrator, overpowering and torturing two fully-qualified Aurors at the same time?"
"Scrimgeour, one more word and you will be expelled from this hearing," this time, the words of Amelia Bones lacked any leniency before her attention was turned back to the accused, "Mister Lestrange, please answer the question."
"Yes, I am indeed implying that Bellatrix Lestrange could have easily overpowered and tortured two of your best Aurors at the same time," Rabastan Lestrange replied calmly, "besides of course our Lord, she was one of our best fighters. Maybe even the best. Bellatrix was rarely if ever bested in duels, even when faced with multiple opponents. She was powerful, talented, vicious, and revelled in torture above all. The Cruciatus Curse has always been one of her favourites and her speciality. Everyone who has been on the receiving end of her spellcasting knows that. I know since I had the misfortune several times in my life. Let me tell you that Bellatrix could and would torture multiple people at the same time. When we got into the cottage, the violently twitching and screaming forms of Frank and Alice Longbottom were lying at her feet after one Cruciatus Curse after the other was cast on the two Aurors. With our wands in our hands, we tried to overpower her, Rodolphus yelling at her to stop. Before we knew it, she had already fired Cruciatus Curses in our direction, all three hitting home."
"She cast Cruciatus Curses at her own people?" Amelia Bones asked in disbelief, "at her own husband?"
"Yes," the younger of the Lestrange twins answered, "Bellatrix' ability to distinct between friend and enemy has always been narrow and rather vague to begin with, but on the battlefield, especially when she was in one of her moods , she would curse and torture whoever was standing in front of her wand. At that moment, we were her enemies since we tried to stop her. Although she did not maintain the curses on us for long, none of us could move. Be assured that I tried but my whole body was twitching uncontrollably. Every nerve within me was on fire as Bellatrix turned her attention back to the Longbottoms. I will never forget the screams as she tortured them further and further into madness, yelling at them to reveal what had happened to her Lord without giving them a single chance to talk. Meanwhile, I was lying there, forced to watch, unable to interfere. Eventually, I managed to regain control over my body as did my brother and Barty. Just as we had managed to get back on our feet and collect our wands, the Aurors arrived, stunning us. Before we knew it, we were back on the ground, unable to move, forced to watch as our wands were snapped in front of us. A day later, we were already on our way to Azkaban, sentenced for life imprisonment without ever having the chance to defend ourselves."
"Thank you for your explanation, Mister Lestrange," Madam Bones said after several minutes of silence, "just for clarification, you did not raise your wand against the Longbottoms, harming them in any possible way."
"Apart from the fact that I was physically unable to stop Bellatrix," Rabastan Lestrange replied, "I did not cast a single spell, charm, hex, or curse at Frank or Alice Longbottom, nor did I intend to harm them in any way possible."
"Did your brother Rodolphus and Bartemius Crouch Junior harm the Longbottoms in any possible way," the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement continued her questioning, "at least that you are aware of?"
"No," the younger of the Lestrange twins shook his head, "neither of them lifted their wands against the Longbottoms nor were they at Longbottom Cottage to harm the two Aurors."
"Thank you, Mister Lestrange. That is all," Amelia Bones said eventually, "I will now administer the antidote."
A few seconds later, the eyes of Rabastan Lestrange became clear again as all the pain in the world returned to his body as a new series of alarming coughs escaped his lips. Instead of continuing, Madam Bones once again lifted her goblet of water to his lips, which the accused gladly accepted.
"Mister Lestrange, while the findings of your questioning will be treated as indisputable evidence in court since they were made under the influence of Veritaserum," Amelia Bones said eventually, "I still ask you whether you would be willing to provide us with the memory of the events. It would support the official investigations and could help to further exonerate you."
"Take it," Rabastan Lestrange answered, "but be warned that it is not pretty. At Azkaban, the Dementors made me relive my worst memories time and time again. This memory was without doubt the one I was forced to experience the most frequently."
Nodding her head in understanding, Amelia Bones waved her wand in a complicated series of movements. Moments later, a Pensive materialised on top of a small table. Afterwards, Rabastan Lestrange was instructed to bring the requested memory to the front of his mind before Madam Bones extracted the memory with the help of her wand, placing it inside the Pensive after creating a duplicate for further investigations.
"Lords and Ladies," the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement spoke up once setup had been completed, "given the… drastic nature of the events described by Mister Lestrange, now would be the right moment to excuse yourself should you or your wards not desire to experience what Mister Lestrange was forced to go through."
Eventually, after several elder members of the Light faction of the Wizengamot as well as several underage witches and wizards had exited Courtroom Ten, although Neville Longbottom had stubbornly refused to leave while Severus had not even asked Harry and Thomas , Amelia Bones activated the Pensive, projecting and amplifying the memory in the air for everyone to experience.
While watching the memory, with big eyes of course since Thomas had never experienced anything similar, the Dark Lord's attention was focussed mostly on Bellatrix as Barty informed the Lestranges of his supposed demise. Her reaction, which could be labelled as nothing but unhinged madness, made him cringe internally, questioning himself why he had ever let her become a part of his Inner Circle. Surely, she was a very skilled fighter and possessed the power to back up her skills and utterly loyal to the cause, well, or maybe to her Lord given her openly displayed obsession with him, but that is where it all ended.
Over the years, he had come to the conclusion that Bellatrix Lestrange lacked any bit of rationality, empathy, and sanity normally found in a human being. If something like the infamous Black Madness really existed, a curse which had been supposedly accompanying the Black family for generations ever since they had exterminated the last of the Blythe family, their main rivals, sometimes during the 1470s, Bellatrix would be the prime example. Not being one to believe much in myths and legends, her appalling mental state was probably closer linked to the century-old tendency of cousin marriage faithfully practiced by the Black family than to anything else. Maybe the analysis of her DNA or a closer look at her mind would reveal what was wrong of her. Muggle science could be so helpful at times. Regardless of the real reasons behind her mental instability, the Dark Lord had never trusted Bellatrix with some of the more delicate missions, leaving them to his saner followers. Witnessing her reaction to his disappearance only proved the point that the witch could blow up at any seconds without a second thought of the consequences of her doings.
While her more than lacking mental state had made her a valuable fighter, seeing her torture the Longbottoms and firing Cruciatus Curses at her own husband and two of her fellow Death Eaters opened his eyes. While the Dark Lord himself had never shied away from violence and occasionally torture, what Bellatrix had done to the Longbottoms was just so wrong on so many levels. Nobody, neither friend nor enemy, deserved to ever experience something like that. Death would have been salvation, salvation the Longbottoms had been denied by the insane witch.
Once the memory had finished, many green faces could be seen around Courtroom Ten, even amongst steeled war veterans.
"Lords and Ladies," Amelia Bones cleared her throat once the original memory had been given back to Rabastan Lestrange, "I think it is time for a short break before the questioning of the next of the accused."
Some members of the Wizengamot were already rising from their seats when the raspy voice of Rabastan Lestrange, although interrupted by a new series of violent coughs, echoed through the courtroom, "Madam Bones, may I… may I please… please get to… get to express my thoughts and feelings… on these horrible… horrible crimes?"
"Lords and Ladies, one moment, please," the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement said, eyeing the accused for a moment, "since you were so forthcoming and cooperative, you may speak."
Once the witch had finished, water was once again offered to the coughing Rabastan Lestrange. After his coughs had died down, Rabastan raised his voice, "Lords and Ladies, there are things in my life I regret and things I do not regret. What I regret the most though is the fact that I was unable to stop her. If I could change just one moment, it would be that exact moment. Lady Longbottom, Heir Longbottom, if I may address you directly, I know that whatever I say will not make up for any of the atrocities forced upon your family. Still, I want to apologise for having been unable to stop Bellatrix, for failing you. I deeply regret that your son and his wife, your parents, were so violently taken away from you. You do not have to accept my apology, but I want you to know that I am deeply sorry for everything you had to go through."
While Augusta Longbottom did not answer verbally, the matriarch of the Longbottom line slightly lowered her head in apparent understanding, a gesture which spoke louder than words. It was a sign of change, indicating that the gap between the Light and the Dark might be mendable after all. At least between a few members of each faction. Given the expression of shock and incomprehension on Dumbledore's face, he was certainly not amongst those willing to build bridges.
This became more than obvious when the two Aurors, Proudfoot and Williamson, stepped forward to escort Rabastan Lestrange back to the holding cells and the presence of the Dementors.
"Proudfoot, Williamson, after the recent revelations," the voice of Amelia Bones halted their movements, "I think this is hardly necessary. Given his testimony and his current physical state, Mister Lestrange can remain here for the duration of the trial."
Only a handful of witches and wizards in attendance objected, amongst them the toad-like Dolores Umbridge and Albus too-many-names Dumbledore, stating safety as a vital concern. Silencing both with a few well-chosen words, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement ordered the two Aurors to escort Rabastan Lestrange, a grateful expression on his skeletal face, to a chair on the side where his trembling form was secured with thick robes. While the Aurors were already leaving to fetch the next suspect, Amelia Bones appeared to be halting in her movement before she pointed her wand at Rabastan Lestrange, conjuring a warming blanket.
Maybe, there were still decent people around.
At least, Amelia Bones was.
Ten minutes later, the large double door leading to the holding cell of the lowest level of the Ministry of Magic opened again. The first thing the Dark Lord noticed was that unlike his younger brother, Rodolphus Lestrange was not entering the courtroom on his own feet. Instead, he was dragged along, rather roughly at that, by Proudfoot and Williamson, who had both hooked one of their arms under Rodolphus' armpits. While one of Rodolphus' legs, the right one, somehow tried yet failed to keep up with the pace of the Aurors, his left leg which was sticking out at an odd angle, leaving behind a trail of blood and pus gushing out of what looked like an open, rather infected fracture, was dragged across the floor. Given the rough treatment, his usually immaculate Pureblood mask of indifference was contorted in pain, although somehow, he managed to keep quiet.
Seeing the scene ahead of him, Tom questioned why the two Aurors were not simply using a Levitation Charm instead of resorting to physical means. They were wizards after all. Given the expression of disapproval on Amelia Bones' face and the twitching of Corvus Lestrange's lips, he was not alone with his sentiment.
Oblivious to the disapproving glances, the two Aurors went on to drag Rodolphus Lestrange towards the chair at the centre of Courtroom Ten where the accused was bound with chains. When the heavy chains magically closed around the injured left leg, Rodolphus was no longer able to remain silent as screams of agony echoed through the large marble-clad room.
"Has no one in this country ever heard of the word 'humanity'?" Amelia Bones' furious words cut through the screaming as she stepped forward, her wand in her hand, wordlessly unbinding the chains on Rodolphus' left leg, "you cannot treat an injured man like that."
"But Madam Bones," Williamson tried to defend himself, although slightly cowering in defence when the eyes of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement turned to the Auror, "the protocol-"
"I know exactly what the protocol states, Williamson, should the accused pose a threat, they must be secured at all time, Article IV, Section XI" the stern witch almost spat in answer, clearly despising the way the Lestranges were treated despite their previous sentences as she was citing passages from the official protocol of the Wizengamot , "what you forgot or deliberately ignored though, is that Section VI of the same Article legally obliges us to ensure that the suspects are healthy enough to be questioned by the Wizengamot. This obviously does not appear to be the case with Mister Rodolphus Lestrange here. Now, step back, Williamson. Mister Lestrange, I am afraid that I cannot give you any Pepper-Up Potion since it will only increase the bleeding of your leg while any sort of Magical Pain Reliever will react negatively with Veritaserum if you intend to take the Truth Serum like your brother did. I promise that you will get some Portions and proper medical attention once the trial has finished. Now, Mister Lestrange, would you allow me to clean your wound and to splint the fracture?"
For a moment, Rodolphus Lestrange stared at Amelia Bones as if the witch had lost her mind. He was not alone. The majority of the members of the Wizengamot, members of the Light and Dark factions alike, were joining him.
Still, there were exceptions.
Quite a few Witches and Wizards, especially those with friends and family members in Azkaban, appeared to openly approve of Amelia Bones' action given the slight smiles and nods throughout the ranks of the Wizengamot.
Then, the movement of a wand caught Tom's attention as he observed the careful treatment of Rodolphus' leg. With each incantation, the Dark Lord's respect for Amelia Bones grew. She really was a decent and fair Witch. If he would ever meet the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement without his current charade, he would thank her, although the scenario was highly unlikely at best.
"Better?" Amelia Bones asked once a proper split which would put most of St Mungo's current Healers to shame had been conjured.
"Yes, Madam Bones," Rodolphus Lestrange answered, the gratitude in his rough voice sounding sincere as streams of sweat running down his forehead, the result of the previous exertion and pain, "thank you."
"That is the least I could do," the stern witch smiled before turning serious once more, "Mister Lestrange, like your brother before, you are tried here as by request of Lady Augusta Longbottom to determine your involvement in the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom on November 1st, 1981. Per decision of the Wizengamot, you will be tried under regular, non-martial laws. Therefore, it is your right to remain silent and refuse any magical intrusion of your privacy, although you may demand to take Truth Serums, pledge any forms of Magical Oaths, or allow us to extract specific memories. Your brother Rabastan already agreed to answer our questions regarding his involvement concerning said crimes under the influence of Veritaserum as well as allowed us to extract the specific memory. Given the delicate nature of the crime, we would like to get everyone's perspective. Would you be willing to offer us your account of the events, preferably the incontestable way?"
Instead of outrightly demanding Veritaserum like his younger twin had, Rodolphus' grey eyes searched for his father's reassurance. Once Corvus Lestrange had signalled his son to go on, Rabastan cleared his throat, consenting to the administration of Veritaserum as well as the extraction of the memory of the crime.
Overall, all statements given by Rodolphus Lestrange under the influence of Veritaserum corresponded with the revelations of his younger brother. Once all major points had been covered, Amelia Bones appeared to be especially interested in the involvement of Barty Crouch Junior, questioning the elder Lestrange twin in detail about every move the son of the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation had made following his arrival at Lestrange Manor. Like his younger brother, Rodolphus Lestrange negated that Barty had ever made a move towards harming the Longbottoms, neither physically nor verbally, at least that Rodolphus had been aware of. While Madam Bones once again extracted the memory of the events, she refrained from showing the horrific scenes for a second time. Given how green some of the members of the Wizengamot looked, it was probably the right decision. A lot of people simply could not deal with cruelty and violence. Still, even the Dark Lord agreed that Bellatrix had crossed a few lines to many.
Once the memory had been duplicated, most likely to search for any possible inconsistencies between the impressions of both brothers, the silvery, almost translucid substance was returned to Rodolphus Lestrange. Afterwards, the elder Lestrange brother was also given a blanket and seated next to his younger brother.
While Proudfoot and Williamson turned away, heading for the holding cells to fetch the third and last of the accused, the trembling fingers of Rodolphus Lestrange closed around the skeletal wrist of his younger twin. Since all prisoners of Azkaban spent their time in solitary confinement, the Lestrange brothers had not seen, heard, and been close to each other in over a decade. The moment the skin of the two brothers touched, the magic within Courtroom Ten changed, indicating that two souls that belonged together had been reunited. While it was only a slight change, Tom knew that those with a strong magical affinity and those observing the old ways must have felt it. Given the expression on some faces scattered throughout the room, he was right.
Lady Magic approved of the reunion, even celebrated the event by letting everyone know, or at least those who cared.
Before long, the pleasant and peaceful buzzing of magic was shattered by a loud series of ear-splitting shrieks, "GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF ME, YOU BLOODTRAITORS AND MUDBLOODS!"
The source of the deafening noises soon came into view.
Bellatrix Lestrange looked even more insane than she had the last time the Dark Lord had seen her. While the rage-like robes were hanging off her skeletal, although thankfully magically bound body as she was Levitated into Courtroom Ten by Auror Proudfoot, the rage, madness, and fury inside her eyes was impossible to overlook as she screamed at the two Aurors to release her this instant. While most prevalent within her eyes, the expression of absolute insanity was mirrored on her face as she was shaking her head with her tangled curls, trying to break her binds.
For a moment, the Dark Lord wondered why the two Aurors were using magical means this time when he felt the elbow of his Equal in his ribs, "That looks quite nasty."
Following Harry's gaze, he quickly found what he has looking for as his eyes landed on Auror Williamson and the three deep gashes on his face where Bellatrix' long nails had dug into his skin, leaving behind puddles of blood as he was escorting the trashing witch towards the centre of the room despite the obvious pain the Auror appeared to be in. Once the witch had been secured and the Petrificus Totalus had been lowered, Amelia Bones addressed the injured Auror, her voice drowning the screams of Bellatrix, "Williamson, you should seek medical attention immediately. These wounds do not look too good. Be assured that we can handle this."
Once the Auror had left the courtroom, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement turned to the restrained but still struggling witch, "Enough, Mrs Lestrange! Otherwise, you will be silenced."
To the surprise of the Dark Lord, Bellatrix stopped, staring at Amelia Bones with calculated but still insane eyes.
"Thank you," the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement said, stepping closer to the accused, "Mrs Lestrange, like your husband and his brother before, you are tried here as by request of Lady Augusta Longbottom to determine your involvement in the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom on November 1st, 1981. Per decision by the Wizengam-"
By stepping closer to Bellatrix Lestrange, even as the insane witch appeared to have ceased fighting for now, Amelia Bones had clearly misjudged the situation. Despite her normally calm demeanour, her monocle had left its place as the corners of her eyes were trembling in anger while she was Vanishing the spit of Bellatrix Lestrange from her face with a silent wave of her wand.
"Thought you were clever. Thought you had tamed me," the insane witch cackled in a shrill voice which made the hair on the Dark Lord's arm stand on end, "as if I would ever answer to a Bloodtraiter like you. Mudbloods and Bloodtraiters will never stand above me! You will all pay! When the Dark Lord has returned, you will all-"
"Silencio," Amelia Bones' voice thundered through Courtroom Ten, "given the suspects uncooperative behaviour, especially concerning her recent actions against Auror Williamson and me, Amelia Bones, I demand that the questioning of Mrs Bellatrix Lestrange as per Article III, Section VII should be conducted under the influence of Veritaserum regardless of her approval or disapproval. Chief Warlock, should my demand be legally valid, the Wizengamot will decide on the usage of Veritaserum."
Once Dumbledore had confirmed that Madam Bones' demand was indeed legally valid, every single wand of those eligible to vote was raised in favour of the usage of Veritaserum. Given her continuous struggle, the Truth Serum was administered after the body of the insane witch had been fully bound.
Once the three required drops had landed on her tongue, the mask of rage and fury on Bellatrix' face softened, although not completely. While the eyes of the witch appeared to be clearer, almost saner, there was still something in there, something insane, not even Veritaserum could completely vanish. From what Tom knew, the efficacy and accuracy of most Truth Serums not only depended on the brewing quality of the Potion itself and the questions of the interrogator but also on the perception of truth and reality of the questionee themselves. Therefore, Bellatrix' reaction to Veritaserum was just another proof that her mental state was not quite right.
While the Dark Lord was aware that the Muggles had slowly started to accept, research, and treat mental illnesses, even going so far as to factor in various forms of mental disorders in court, he did not believe that Bellatrix Lestrange should be tried differently, especially not more leniently. In the eyes of the Dark Lord, her distorted perception of reality did not excuse her blatant disregard of any basic forms of humanity as well as her mindless use of torture for nothing but pleasure. While mental illnesses certainly should be brought to attention within the Wizarding world, Bellatrix Lestrange certainly was not the poster girl to do so. Therefore, the Dark Lord remained silent and observed the questioning.
"Mrs Lestrange," Amelia Bones began, her voice lacking any bit of warmth while purposely forgoing any gestures or empty phrases of kindness, "state your full name."
"Bellatrix Elladora Lestrange née Black," the insane spat as if he was trying her best to refuse to answer.
"Mrs Lestrange," the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement continued, "why did you go after Frank and Alice Longbottom? Were you told by the Dark Lord Voldemort?"
"A bloodtraitor like you," Bellatrix spat, here eyes rolling back as she was trying to fight the Veritaserum, "has no right to use His name. You will-"
"Answer my question, Mrs Lestrange," Amelia Bones' impatient voice cut through the beginning tirade, "why did you go after the Longbottoms?"
"They knew what happened to my Lord," Bellatrix' insane laugh-like words echoed through Courtroom Ten, "they knew information on how to find and help him. When my Lord is back, he will reward me and-"
"Mrs Lestrange, while we are all aware how much you will be rewarded ," Amelia Bones' words were laced with sarcasm, "did your Lord actually order you to go after the Longbottoms, or did you decide to go after Frank and Alice Longbottoms yourself?"
Upon hearing the question, Bellatrix' movements stopped as she was trying to remain quiet, biting her lip.
"Your answer, Mrs Lestrange," Amelia Bones enquired, sounding slightly impatient and obviously fed up with the behaviour of the questionee.
"M… my Lord did… did not order me to go after the Longbottoms," the insane witch stuttered, "he… he… he forbade anyone from assisting him with the Potters and the Longbottoms… but… but when I was informed of his disappearance, I just had to help my Master. Since the Potters were dead and he had intended to go after the Longbottoms, they were the most likely to hold any valuable information."
"Impressive deduction," Madam Bones commented, shaking her head, "and you decided that torture was the best way to acquire the information you desired?"
"Yes," Bellatrix Lestrange answered immediately.
"Well, then, Mrs Lestrange," the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement continued, "enlighten me what Frank and Alice Longbottom revealed to you, but please start with what you did after you left Lestrange Manor after Bartemius Crouch Junior informed you of the demise of your Lord."
The picture Bellatrix Lestrange painted the longer she spoke certainly was not a pretty one. Upon arriving and blasting her way through the front door of Longbottom Cottage, she had immediately overpowered the two defenceless Aurors who at that time had just been enjoying a peaceful breakfast reading about the events in Godric's Hollow. After expressing regret that the son of the Longbottoms sadly appeared to be unavailable, she continued to explain how she had tortured the two Aurors before briefly being interrupted by her husband, Rabastan, and Barty Crouch Junior. The way she spoke about her crimes clearly underlined how much she must have enjoyed torturing the five witches and wizards at her feet, how they had thrashed and screamed. Sadly, the arriving squadron of Aurors had prevented her from gaining any vital information.
Once Bellatrix had finished her gruesome tale, more than a few members of the Wizengamot, Light and Dark alike, appeared to be on the verge of being sick, sweat covering their foreheads, some even gasping for air, or closing their eyes. While he had done quite a few gruesome things in his life, even the Dark Lord could not help but feel his stomach turn. While he had tortured, it had never been mindless.
Before he could think more about the differences between himself and Bellatrix, a loud shriek echoed through Courtroom Ten.
Caught up in his thoughts, he had missed the administration of the antidote to the Veritaserum. Furious with the fact that she had been forced to confess her crimes, Bellatrix Lestrange was trying her best to fight off the chains which were tying her to the chair, shrieking at an ear-piercing volume while spit was flying everywhere.
Without hesitation and not bothering for the consent of the Wizengamot, Amelia Bones silenced the insane witch before casting a silent Petrificus Totalus, "Given the indisputable evidence, I think there is no need to postpone this vote any further. Who in this room thinks that Bellatrix Lestrange is guilty of the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom?"
All wands of those eligible to vote were raised as the Dark and the Light factions stood together. In a second unanimous vote, it was decided that she would receive the maximum penalty. According to the British Wizarding criminal statute, the maximum penalty either accounted to a lifetime spent in Azkaban without parole or the Dementor's kiss. Under normal circumstances, the Wizengamot alone would decide which of the two punishments would be enforced. Given the presence of both Augusta and Neville Longbottom, Amelia Bones turned to the aggrieved party, "Lady Longbottom, Heir Longbottom, since you suffered so much at the hands of Mrs Bellatrix Lestrange, I think you deserve the opportunity to voice which punishment you believe to be more… adequate."
"Madam Bones," Neville Longbottom's surprisingly steady and furious voice made one eyebrow of the Dark Lord shoot up, "for as long as I can remember, I have been forced to suffer because she took my parents from me. Every time I visit St Mungo's, I am reminded of what she did to them, what unspeakable crimes she committed. I want her to suffer as long as I am suffering. Since I will never get my parents back, I want to live with the knowledge, for as long as I breathe, that she is punished within the walls of Azkaban. The Dementor's Kiss would be over too quickly."
"Hear, hear!" Tiberius Ogden, an elder member of the Light faction, exclaimed. Upon hearing his words, several witches and wizards started clapping. Afterwards, the final vote to declare the punishment of Bellatrix Lestrange was only a formality as the vast majority of the Wizengamot raised their wands in favour of life imprisonment. Once the decision had been finalised, Auror Proudfoot was told to remove the insane witch.
Once Bellatrix was gone, a noticeable wave of relief appeared to wash over all those present.
"Lords and Ladies," Amelia Bones continued after a moment of silence, "it is now your turn to determine the guilt and sentence of Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange as well as the late Bartemius Crouch Junior."
Over the next few hours, the members of the Wizengamot debated extensively about the charges of the three wizards. Much like he had expected, there were three main points of discussion. Firstly, there was the involvement of Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Barty concerning the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom. Given the recent revelations, it was more than clear that none of the three wizards had ever lifted their wands against the Longbottoms on the first of November of 1981, or ever intended to do so. Therefore, it was hardly surprising that none of the members of the Wizengamot raised their wands in favour of a conviction.
Once the main charge had been dropped, a heated debate arose centred around their involvement in Death Eater activities. While all three wizards were bearing the Dark Mark, none of them had ever been seen at any of the Death Eater raids, or some of their more public missions given the fact that their faces had been covered at all times. Since all Death Eater activities had taken place more than ten years prior and were thus statute-barren, and neither of the three wizards had ever been officially convicted prior to the torture of the Longbottoms, Rodolphus and Rabastan could not be questioned concerning any possible crimes they had committed under the service of the Dark Lord. The only thing they could not deny was their membership of an illegal organisation given the magical tattoo on their left forearms. Once the members of the Wizengamot had reached the same conclusion the Dark Lord had reached months prior, a majority voted in favour of sentencing the three Death Eaters to five years in Azkaban.
Then, however, came the trickiest and most unpredictable of the three charges.
The interpretation of the Bystander Law of 1693.
While purposely failing to interfere with a crime would normally lead to a prison sentence of between three to ten years depending on the severity of the neglect, there had been extreme cases where the criminal had been sentenced to fifteen years in Azkaban. While some members of the Wizengamot argued in favour of dropping the charges altogether since Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Barty had tried to stop the unpredictable witch, others, like the toad-like Dolores Umbridge, argued that the three wizards had either not tried hard enough, or blatantly failed to interfere despite the clear evidence that they had tried to stop Bellatrix.
In the end, Madam Bones called for a vote, resulting in a slight but clear majority in favour of a conviction. Again, the Dark Lord was not surprised. He had expected this simply because of the fact that three battle-hardened wizards had failed to overpower a single witch. Sometimes, the backwardness of the Wizarding world, especially of the British Isles, still surprised him. From experience, the Dark Lord knew that witches could easily be as deadly as a wizard. Gender did not matter. Only power, skills and determination.
When Amelia asked those in favour of the maximum sentence of fifteen years of Azkaban to raise their wands, only a handful of witches and wizards moved, Dumbledore and the toad-like woman amongst them. While the number of wands increased the lower the suggested sentence was becoming, most members of the Wizengamot refrained from moving, their eyes focussed on Augusta Longbottom, waiting for her move.
While all members of the Wizengamot were by law obliged to act and vote impartially, the reality often was different.
"Those in favour of a five-year sentence," Amelia Bones' steady voice echoed through Courtroom Ten, "please raise your wands."
Once the Lady of the Longbottom estate had started to move, a great many followed, sealing the fate of the Lestrange twins.
"Lords and Ladies, you have decided," Amelia Bones eventually cleared her throat, "that given the recently uncovered evidence, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, and the late Bartemius Crouch Junior are innocent of the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom. Given their membership of the illegal Death Eater organisation and the failure to interfere with the crimes of Bellatrix Lestrange, they are hereby sentenced to a total of ten years in Azkaban. Since they have already spent more than ten years in the presence of the Dementors, Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange have served and completed their prison sentence. Therefore, both wizards are free to go."
