It Only Takes a Drop of Blood
Chapter Thirteen: The Trial
Grimmauld Place was busier than a fireplace in the lobby of the Ministry in the days that followed Pettigrew's capture. Sirius came to attention every time someone stepped through the door and set his mother off, but no word came until Wednesday evening's Order meeting.
"We were able to charge him on Monday with being an illegal Animagus, but then a solicitor turned up for him," Kingsley reported.
"Malfoy's?" Arthur Weasley asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Court appointed, actually," the larger man said with a weary sigh. "I doubt Malfoy wants to get involved in this mess. He managed to delay the charges and proceedings, saying that since Pettigrew is dead, he can't be charged with anything. Rufus filed a petition to declare Pettigrew alive, so we can officially charge him."
The hoarse voice of Remus Lupin interjected. "Why didn't they release him?" Several incredulous faces snapped to his. "Not that I want him free, obviously!" He rolled his eyes. "It's just, that'd be the first thing his solicitor would try, right?"
Kingsley nodded. "He did, but as Pettigrew was caught in an incredibly illegal act by several respected Aurors, Proudfoot included, there was no squirming his way out of it. We were able to hold him on 'suspicious activity' until the petition went through."
"And when is the trial, Kingsley?" Dumbledore asked, peering at the Auror over his glasses.
"Friday," he said. "A judge will examine our evidence and proof that he is in fact Peter Pettigrew before he'll be legally alive. Hopefully, they'll start asking questions about November 1st and his alleged murder."
"Will that be enough?" Sirius asked, his haunted eyes piercing Kingsley's. "Will that be enough to prove my innocence?"
Kingsley shook his head. "Not quite," he said softly. "You weren't just accused of killing Pettigrew, but also the Muggles. We'll need to prove that Peter was the only one who fired a spell that day and that it was his spell that killed the Muggles."
Sirius gritted his teeth and was about to snarl something at the Auror when Remus placed a hand over his fists.
"Be patient, Sirius," he murmured under his breath. "It's likely to come out though, right?" he said loudly, directing his attention at Kingsley.
The dark man nodded. "Yes," he said. "All the witness statements were very clear that only one spell was cast and we have Pettigrew's wand in custody. That should be enough to prove that Pettigrew was the guilty party." He looked sympathetically at Sirius. "Just give it time. We have to go through the process, the right way."
"Attention, attention please!" Cornelius Fudge called, silencing the multitude of voices echoing about the chamber. "The accused is present and we are ready to begin."
Remus fidgeted in his seat, shifting off a splinter that was trying to find its way into his right buttock. His mouth was dry and clammy hands clutched at his best set of robes. This was it. The moment he'd been waiting for, for the last two years.
Peter Pettigrew, the sniveling coward, was shivering in his chair. As soon as he sat, the chains had sprung to life and wrapped themselves around him-a stipulation of the prosecution. Wormtail had already tried to flee once and had been labeled a flight risk. Remus felt sharp jab of perverse pleasure when the chains tightened imperceptibly against the rat's struggles. He deserved every bit of this.
"Scribe, are you ready to proceed?" Fudge asked, looking down the row to where a dumpy looking wizard sat, quill in hand.
"Yes Minister," the man grouched, fresh ink dripping onto the parchment.
"Members of the Wizengamot," the blustering man started, "we are brought together today to judge if the accused sitting before us is in fact Peter Pettigrew, a man who has been legally deceased since November 1st, 1981."
Muttering sprung up amongst the witches and wizards in the stands.
"To verify this man's identity, we now call Mr. Pettigrew's mother, Enid Pettigrew, before us."
Remus watched as a short witch in a simple black robe came through the door of Courtroom 12. She was older, her wispy gray hair framing the wrinkles around her face, but it was the same woman he remembered seeing meet Peter at the train station every year.
Enid Pettigrew was a kind-hearted woman, always giving out smiles and hugs to Peter's friends, inviting them over for tea. She'd been so proud of her son, despite the overwhelming success of his friends. He also remembered how distraught the poor woman had been after Peter's assumed death. Whatever else, Mrs. Pettigrew did not deserve this.
The wizard was shaken out of his reminiscing when Mrs. Pettigrew's gasp echoed through the room.
"Peter!" she cried, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. "It is you, oh my dear boy!"
The witch rushed to hug her son but a nearby Auror held her back, shaking his head and whispering to her.
Remus looked to the crowd, where the whisperings had cropped up again. The Minister was pale and his voice shook slightly when he spoke, "Mrs. Pettigrew." He paused. "Are you identifying this man as your son, Peter Pettigrew?"
The witch turned wet eyes to the Minister and gave a quick nod. "Yes," she said firmly. "A mother never forgets the face of her child."
"Very well," Fudge said. "All those in favor of approving the request to declare this man as Mr. Peter Pettigrew and to overturn the death certificate dated November 1st, 1981, please raise your hands now."
As expected, an overwhelming majority of hands went up and within seconds, Peter Pettigrew was legally living. Mrs. Pettigrew's muffled sobs echoed throughout the room as she was escorted out. Remus saw the relief on her face and a pang shot through his chest. If things went according to plan, the woman would likely never see her son ever again.
"Minister, on behalf of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, I would like to file charges against Mr. Peter Pettigrew," a firm-faced wizard said, levitating a thick scroll of parchment to the Minister's bench. His robes were neat and of good quality. That and the emblem on them identified him as the leading solicitor for the DMLE.
Fudge passed the scroll to the witch sitting next to him. "What are the charges, Mr. Finch?" he asked.
"Of being an Illegal Animagus, sir," the solicitor said calmly to the harsh whispers of the court. "Several Aurors witnessed Mr. Peter Pettigrew transform from a brown rat into a wizard at 12:33 p.m. on October 8th, 1995. When the Aurors asked for his registration paperwork, Mr. Pettigrew transformed back into a rat and attempted to flee the scene."
The whispers grew louder and Remus couldn't help but let his lips curl in satisfaction. As the evidence against Pettigrew mounted, the rat began to sweat heavily, panting through his mouth.
"In addition," Mr. Finch continued, "the Improper Use of Magic office has verified that no applications or registrations were processed prior to the filing of Mr. Pettigrew's recently dismissed death certificate. None of the currently licensed Animagi, including Professor Minerva McGonagall who was Mr. Pettigrew's Head of House while at Hogwarts, were informed or aware of Mr. Pettigrew's intention to attempt the Animagus transformation, as required by law for anyone intending to become Animagi. Therefore, it is clear that Mr. Pettigrew willfully disobeyed critical laws pertaining to the proper training and registration of Animagi."
Fudge looked to the witch at his elbow and she nodded. "The evidence is accepted," he said with a grimace, "and the charges are filed." Pettigrew whimpered, his beady eyes shifting wildly in his skull. "Counselor, are the Aurors who witnessed Mr. Pettigrew's transformation prepared to come forward?"
"They are, sir," confirmed Mr. Finch.
"Then bring them in," Fudge gestured. The door creaked open and a group of Aurors marched inside. Remus recognized Kingsley as he towered over most of the others' heads. One man stood in front, his coiffed hair standing to perfection.
"Sirs, please state your names and occupation for the court record," the Minister intoned.
"Reginald Proudfoot," the first man said, his chest puffing out. "Auror with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." The others announced themselves as well and Remus winced as his nervous shifting was halted by the sinister prick of that splinter.
"Auror Proudfoot, did you witness the accused transform from and into a rat on October 8th, 1995?" Fudge asked.
"Yes sir, I did," the Auror blustered. "So did my team."
The Minister confirmed this quickly. "And did your team confirm that Mr. Pettigrew's transformation was the result of being an Animagus and not another transfiguration spell?"
"Yes sir," Proudfoot said. "His wand showed no evidence of human transfiguration and no one in the vicinity shot spells at him."
Fudge nodded. "I believe we've heard enough. Counselor, do you have any additional evidence to present to this court regarding the charges placed before us?"
"No, sir," Mr. Finch said.
"Then does the accused have anything to add in his defense?"
"No sir," said a reedy young wizard. He stood slightly behind Wormtail's chair, his quiet presence barely making an impact on the room. Remus raised an eyebrow. This was Wormtail's court appointed solicitor? Kingsley had made him out to sound a bit more impressive than this. "But Mr. Pettigrew would like to remind the court that the years prior to his presumed death were full of suspicion and fear and he was friends of several people targeted by You-Know-Who during that time period. As his form is that of a small rodent, Mr. Pettigrew felt that it was in his best interests to keep his skill quiet, in order to protect himself from any attacks upon his person."
Fear crept into Remus' stomach and, for a moment, he could hardly breathe. Before he could stand up and disprove Wormtail's lies, the DMLE solicitor countered the statement.
"I would like to remind the court," Mr. Finch said, "that if Mr. Pettigrew knew that registration could entail revealing his form to the public, he must have been aware of the laws pertaining to Animagi. In addition, only current members of magical law enforcement may avoid registration on grounds of personal protection, of which Mr. Pettigrew has never been a member. Furthermore, the laws pertaining to Animagus training and registration were created to protect Animagi from the exceedingly dangerous magic required to perform the transformation. If Mr. Pettigrew was concerned about his own safety, he should have followed the proper procedures in place for his own protection."
Remus felt the tense feeling in his chest recede at the nods coming from the crowd and the stern glares shot at Wormtail.
"Members of the Wizengamot," Minister Fudge announced, "on the charge of learning and performing an illegal Animagus transformation, please raise your hand if you find the accused not guilty." None raised their hands. "Please raise your hand if you find the accused guilty." Nearly the entire courtroom's hands were raised.
"Peter Pettigrew, we hereby find you guilty of the charge of being an illegal Animagus. As such, you will be sentenced to no less than 10 years in Azkaban for your crime," Fudge ruled. "If there is nothing else, councilors…"
"Actually, Minister," Mr. Finch said, stepping forward. "As Mr. Pettigrew is officially alive, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement would like to call Mr. Sirius Black's conviction into question."
Remus jumped as the room exploded into noise. His heart thudded in his chest and he dearly hoped Sirius had stayed at Headquarters as ordered. Hopefully the business end of Molly's wand had kept him inside as they'd hoped.
"Quiet! Quiet, please!" Fudge called, his voice projecting over the crowd with a hasty Sonorous. When the crowd calmed, the minister removed his wand from his throat and continued. "Please explain yourself, Mr. Finch."
"Certainly, sir," the solicitor said. "According to witness accounts of November 1st, 1981, Mr. Pettigrew cornered Sirius Black on a crowded street. After shouting at Mr. Black, a spell was reportedly thrown and Mr. Pettigrew and several Muggles were killed. All that was remained of Mr. Pettigrew was a finger. However, since Mr. Pettigrew is alive and, if you look to his hands, has all his fingers intact, could it not be surmised that the reported events of November 1st are mistaken? In addition, as Mr. Pettigrew is clearly alive when Mr. Black was sent to prison for his murder, I move to overturn Mr. Black's conviction."
Again, the room exploded with the sounds of protesting witches and wizards. It took Fudge several minutes to calm the crowd, while Peter sat there, struggling against the chains.
"You make some valid points, Mr. Finch," the Minister bit out through gritted teeth. "Mr. Pettigrew, can you enlighten us as to the events of November 1st, perhaps?"
At his solicitor's nod, Peter licked his lips, eyes flitting to the corners of the room as sweat dripped down his forehead. His thin graying hair stuck to his scalp and thin shoulders trembled through the worn shirt. "Yes-sir," Wormtail said. "I'd just found out-what'd happened to Lily and James and H-Harry…"
Remus's fists clenched as the rat related the same stupid story he'd told them in the Shrieking Shack all those years ago. He and Sirius had seen through the lies but with these people, people who didn't know Peter as they did, there was a chance that they'd believe the rat's story. He worked the soft fabric of his robes into his hands, rubbing them to keep his clammy hands dry.
"… and I t-transformed into a r-rat and hid. I-I thought he'd c-come after m-me, just like he d-did with L-Lily and J-James!" the rat whimpered.
"Mr. Pettigrew," Mr. Finch said, looking calmly at the man, "may I ask why you decided to stay in hiding for fourteen years? Mr. Black was arrested that day and most of You-Know-Who's supporters were captured within a few months."
"W-well, I-I was a-afraid!" Peter cried, his voice gaining more confidence. "Everyone thought I was dead and if I transformed back into a human, I'd get in trouble for being an Animagus. S-so I stayed a-away. I d-didn't want to go to A-Azkaban. B-Black, he'd k-kill m-me!"
Mr. Finch's shoulders tightened slightly. "Mr. Pettigrew," he said slowly, "are you telling me that you lived as a rat for fourteen years?"
"Y-yes," Wormtail stuttered.
When the solicitor turned on his heel to face the court, Remus saw the glittering of his eyes. "I would like to enter into evidence the results of the Priori Incantatum conducted on Mr. Pettigrew's wand upon his incarceration on October 8th by the arresting Aurors." Mr. Finch floated another scroll to Fudge's bench.
"I shall summarize the evidence for court," said the solicitor. "In the process of determining if Mr. Pettigrew cast silent transfiguration spells, the arresting Aurors found evidence of several spells performed by Mr. Pettigrew's wand, all of which would have to have been performed by a human hand. If Mr. Pettigrew stayed a rat, as he claimed, then would we see such a volume of spells come from this wand?"
"Mr. Finch," Fudge drawled, "I do not see how this evidence is relevant to the question of Black's innocence. Mr. Pettigrew is well within his rights to perform spells with his own wand."
Mr. Finch cleared his throat and the curl to his lips was more than a little vicious. "Ah, but Minister, would those rights include Dark spells and Unforgiveable curses?"
The courtroom broke out in gasps and shouts. Fudge grabbed at the scroll and his eyes scanned down the list of spells recorded. "The Imperius Curse?" he read, color leaving his skin.
"Amongst others," said Mr. Finch. "Clearly, Mr. Pettigrew is a man with a dark past and may not be the hero we believe him to be. In regards to Mr. Black's sentence and Mr. Pettigrew's testimony, I believe that there is enough circumstantial evidence against Mr. Pettigrew's character to ask that he give his statement once more under Veritaserum." The white of the Minister's face was shading more furiously to red. "In the interests of justice, Minister Fudge."
"Yes, of course," Fudge bit out.
There was a flurry of movement, as the potion was acquired and administered to a straining Wormtail. The moment the truth serum hit the rat's tongue, the man went still and a glassiness fell over his eyes. Remus leaned forward, ears straining to hear every word.
Mr. Finch cleared his throat. "Are you Peter Pettigrew?" he asked.
"Yes."
"I need you to tell me about the events of November 1st, 1981," the solicitor said. "What happened in the Muggle street?"
"Sirius was after me, he knew what I'd done," Peter said tonelessly. "I shouted at him, blamed him for Lily and James. He pulled his wand out to attack me, but I already had mine behind my back. I used a blasting curse to break a hole through the street down to the sewer line and cut off my finger. Then I transformed into a rat and used the sewers to get away."
The entire gallery was silent, all eyes riveted on Wormtail's confession. "Did Sirius Black fire off any spells that day?" Mr. Finch asked quietly, his voice echoing up to the highest row of viewers.
"No," Peter said. "He was too slow."
"Did you kill the Muggles in that street?"
After a beat and a flicker of Peter's eyes, he answered, "Yes, I suppose I did. The spell had to be strong enough to make a hole to the sewers."
"Mr. Pettigrew, why was Mr. Black after you in the first place?" the solicitor asked curiously.
"I was the Potter's Secret-Keeper," Wormtail said, his eyelids fluttering. "I told You-Know-Who where to find them and he killed them. Sirius came after me because I betrayed the Potters."
Remus sagged in his seat as a final explosion of noise rocked the courtroom. He sat there, letting the voices climb over his head and spill throughout the cavernous space. Never had he imagined that he would actually be able to sit and hear the traitor confess his crimes. He'd hoped, for Sirius and Harry's sakes, but Remus knew that it would likely never happen.
So the werewolf sat there, mind no longer on the trial itself, as he pictured his friend's face in mind when he told him the news. The proceedings went on as Mr. Finch asked final questions about Wormtail's involvement in You-Know-Who's activities and any other crimes he wanted to confess to. Remus hardly paid attention to a word, already well aware of his former friend's activities.
At last, Wormtail's head sagged and Fudge called the courtroom to order.
"Mr. Pettigrew, you have been accused of several crimes too numerous to mention," the minister said, his face gray and sagging, "including the use of the Imperius Curse and murdering twelve Muggles with a blasting curse." He turned to the court. "In the charges facing Mr. Pettigrew, please raise your hands for a verdict of not guilty." Not a single hand went up. "A verdict of guilty." As before, every hand was raised.
"This court of the Wizengamot finds Mr. Pettigrew guilty of all the charges against him," Fudge declared. A cheer rose up from the crowd.
"Minister Fudge?" Mr. Finch called out over the din. "Regarding Mr. Black?"
The gray complexion of the minister's skin turned almost pasty-like and Remus couldn't help but take a little satisfaction out of his discomfort. He cleared his throat and silenced the crowd. "In the matter of Sirius Black's sentence of life imprisonment in Azkaban for the murder of Peter Pettigrew and twelve Muggles, I propose a clearing of all charges."
"Seconded," said Madame Bones, her round monocle glinting.
"All in favor?" Fudge asked. After counting the hands raised, he added. "All against?"
Remus didn't breathe or move in those few seconds. His entire body froze as he waited for the official verdict to come out of the man's lips.
"Sirius Black is cleared of all charges."
A/N: So, yes. :) Hi.
Firstly, I'd like to apologize for the wait. Inexcusable, I know, but I've been busy. On the plus side, it's only been a few months since the last update? I tried to finish this chapter during the break but my brain was consumed by binge-watching Castle and then work started again and I had no life.
I also wanted to apologize on the length of this chapter. I totally intended for it to be longer than 3.5K, but after spending the better part of a day writing it, the ending I came to just seemed to work better. If you can believe it, the previous version of this chapter was a letter where Sirius described the trial to Harry in about a page. When I started working today, I decided that what I'd written sucked and I needed to include the trial for a little dramatic pause. So here's a small interlude, if you will. Also, sorry if there are errors in spelling/grammar. I just wrote it today and posted it straightaway.
The next chapter should pick back up with Harry at Hogwarts, if all goes to plan. In addition, here's where things start really changing in my fic. I've gotten many a grumpy review over the last few years (ouch, I'm sorry it's been this long) that I'm copying OotP because nothing seems to change. Well, haters, be prepared to get owned. Now that Sirius is free, things are going to start happening. Hopefully y'all are still reading and are on this lovely little ride with me.
Cheers and thanks for reading!
- G
(If you have the time, I'd love to hear what you thought of the chapter!)