Fragments of Us
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warnings: None for this chapter
Chapter 61 – An Altered Reality
Fudge looked over the top of his spectacles, which were perched on the end of his nose.
"Ms. Morgan, thank you for coming here to testify this morning. We understand that you are still recovering from the effects of your injuries. If you find that you need a break at any time, please speak up and we will accommodate you," Fudge said, his tone and manner extremely solicitous.
Remus and Kingsley exchanged an amused look. Kingsley leaned over to Remus and whispered, "What do you figure? Polyjuice?" Remus chuckled. "Let's wait and see if he uses a hip flask in an hour or so." Remus turned the mirror slightly so he could see Sirius' face. As he suspected, an amused grin greeted him before both men turned back to the proceedings.
"Ms. Morgan, as you are testifying under the influence of Veritaserum – at the request of Mr. Malfoy's solicitor, we will be asking specific questions of you rather than asking for narrative as we did with Ms. Tonks. To begin, I will ask you one or two questions to make sure the Veritaserum has taken effect." Fudge cleared his throat. "Please state your full name for our records."
"Katherine Elisandra Morgan," Kate said, her voice calm and clear.
"And where do you reside?"
"Currently, I have a suite of rooms at The Leaky Cauldron, here in London."
"You have no permanent residence?" Fudge queried.
"No," Kate replied. "It has not been a priority thus far."
"I believe, Mr. Jarvis, that the Veritaserum has been brewed to current standard and is in effect for this witness at this time. Would you agree?" Fudge turned toward the Prisoner's Dock.
"So it would appear, Minister," Jarvis said.
"Ms. Morgan, were you present at Hogsmeade Station on the evening of March 3rd?" Fudge asked.
"Yes, I was."
"And how did you come to be there?"
"During an earlier phase of our investigation, Auror Tonks, operating undercover, learned of a proposed plan to possibly move escaped Death Eaters to a safer location, using Hogsmeade Station as a gathering point. She relayed this information to the Senior Auror in charge of the investigation."
"That would be Kingsley Shacklebolt, is that correct?" Fudge clarified.
"Yes," Kate replied. "Auror Shacklebolt put together a tactical response team to ensure that we could act if the proposed plan took place."
"And did you, in fact, find the transfer in progress when you arrived?"
"Yes."
"Who was present?"
"Lucius Malfoy was inside the station building. Augustus Rookwood, Rudolphus and Rabastan Lestrange, Mulciber, Antoine Dolohov and Malodorous Spear were all outside in the immediate vicinity of the station building," Kate responded.
"And who was in the Ministry party?"
"In addition to myself, there was Auror Tonks, Remus Lupin and a curse-breaker affiliated with Gringott's Bank, by the name of Bill Weasley."
A rather high-pitched cough was heard from the Wizengamot seating area. Fudge turned in acknowledgement. "Yes, Undersecretary Umbridge?"
Attention turned to a plump, squat woman who nodded – almost reverently – at the Minister before speaking.
"Forgive me, Ms. Morgan, but I believe you mentioned the name, Remus Lupin; is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Really, do you mean to tell this Court that a known werewolf was permitted to participate in a law enforcement action sponsored by this Ministry?" Umbridge's simpering voice could be heard clearly throughout the Chamber. Kingsley placed a firm hand on Remus' arm, feeling the trembling that was coursing through the other wizard.
"Yes," Kate's voice was steady and firm.
"Umbridge made a show of widening her blue eyes and she placed a pink-nailed hand over her heart before speaking again.
"My, my, I must say that I am astounded! Why ever would this happen?"
"Remus Lupin has been an uncompensated field operative for the Aurors for some time. His circumstances are such that he can infiltrate areas not easily accessible by the MLE. He is also an expert duelist and has augmented our forces on more than one mission in the past," Kate explained.
"Remus Lupin is a Dark Creature, Minister and, as such, was removed from a teaching post at Hogwarts. Surely, there is great risk involved in exposing Ministry employees to …"
"Enough!" Fudge spoke sharply. "This is a trial, Dolores, not a forum to air anyone's personal agenda. Remus Lupin's presence at Hogsmeade Station that night appears to have greatly strengthened the MLE unit's numbers. From all accounts, he fought tirelessly and expertly. It was not full moon, Dolores and therefore, he posed no risk. Oh – and far as his teaching post is concerned, he resigned; he was not removed. There's a difference. Now, have you other questions directly relevant to the charges against the accused?"
Umbridge looked positively stung by the Minister's comments, as well as the tone in which they were delivered. Her mouth closed with a pop and the little pink bow in her hair wobbled dangerously as she shook her head.
"No, Minister," she said, her voice quavering.
Remus turned an incredulous face toward Kingsley, whose own jaw was slack at what had just transpired. He leaned close to the Auror. "No visible hip flask," he whispered.
Kingsley recovered sufficiently to respond, "You're familiar with a Muggle contraption called an I.V. hook-up?" Remus nodded, one eyebrow raised in curious amusement. Kingsley continued, "Well, I'm thinking he just might be using one of those!"
"Shh," sounded softly from the mirror and both wizards looked over to see a very disgruntled expression on Sirius face as he placed his index finger to his lips.
"Alright, Pads," Remus whispered and they turned their attention back to the trial.
"Ms. Morgan, why was Mr. Weasley involved?"
"Bill Weasley is an excellent curse-breaker with several years experience through his work at Gringott's," Kate replied. "In an early stage of our investigation, we discovered a 'safe house' of sorts in Totland where former Auror Spear had been located. Like Mr. Lupin, Bill Weasley has been an uncompensated operative for awhile. We detected the presence of protection spells with some elements of Dark Magic. We brought Mr. Weasley in to assist in identifying and potentially countering these spells."
"So is it safe to say that these 'operatives' come in after actual Ministry personnel have discovered issues that fit their expertise and determine a need for their assistance?" Fudge asked.
Kate nodded. "Yes, Minister."
"Let us return to the actual incident," Fudge continued. "Upon your arrival, did you personally observe the accused, Mr. Malfoy, casting spells at other individuals present?"
"Yes. Mr. Malfoy was out of sight in the station building, casting spells and hexes against our team engaged in battle with other Death Eaters."
"And what did you do when you observed him thus?" Fudge queried.
"I cast Petrificus Totalis to render him unable to continue casting," came the unemotional reply.
"You cast no Unforgivable?"
"No, I did not. They are illegal," Kate responded.
"Indeed," Fudge replied. "Tell the court, if you will, how Mr. Malfoy was able to attack you if you had cast Petrificus Totalis."
"Mulciber terminated the spell," Kate testified.
"Describe, if you will, the attack you experienced at Mr. Malfoy's hand."
Kate drew a deep breath. This was a painful memory and the compulsion to tell it – courtesy of the Veritaserum – should significantly reduce the emotion tied to it.
"I had taken powdered Hellebore as part of a potion to render myself invisible. This was done to help offset what we were certain would be a higher number of Death Eaters. Mr. Malfoy noted the direction from which spells I cast were originating and when he got closer to me, the Hellebore had begun to dissipate and I was no longer invisible. Mr. Malfoy used Levicorpus to lift me from my location behind a shrub and move me to a position that was closer to him."
"Did you sustain any injury as a result of that spell?"
Kate nodded. "Minor bruising and lacerations, a deep muscle bruise to my shoulder and a sprained ankle."
"Indeed," Fudge muttered, glancing toward the Prisoner's Dock. "Pray, continue, Ms. Morgan. What happened then?"
"Mr. Malfoy cast the Cruciatus Curse," Kate replied quietly.
"Once?"
"Three times," Kate stated. There were gasps of shock from various members of the Wizengamot.
"And did Mr. Malfoy say anything before, during or after casting this Unforgivable?"
"I believe so, Minister, but I remember only fragments of those minutes. I believe he referred to Harry Potter and my role as his Godmother. I also recall that he mentioned the name of Sirius Black," she recalled.
"Black! Why would he say his name to you?" Fudge asked, his face registering his surprise.
"I knew Black at Hogwarts; we were in the same year. We had a relationship," Kate stated.
"What type of relationship?" Fudge inquired.
"An unfortunate one," Kate replied, her voice cold. "We were teenagers, Minister and became romantically involved, as children do at that age."
"And when did that relationship end?"
"It was a gradual deterioration in the two years after we graduated. It officially ended, I suppose, the night he handed James and Lily Potter over to Voldemort," Kate finished, tasting the bitterness those words left on her tongue. "But Ministry records should clearly document their investigation of me in the days after Black's arrest," Kate added.
Fudge shuffled a pile of parchment that lay before him, murmuring, "Of course, of course, Ms. Morgan. That activity was well documented. To conclude, please tell us what happened after Mr. Malfoy cursed you."
"I don't know," Kate confessed. "The Cruciatus rendered me unconscious. I awoke in unfamiliar surroundings, and found myself under the care of a Healer. It is my understanding that the location of this facility is not to be released as I am still recovering there and it has been determined that my life is in some danger. The Ministry wishes my exact location to remain a secret."
Fudge nodded. "That is accurate; I signed that order, personally."
"Are there any questions from the members of the Wizengamot?" Fudge turned to survey the officials assembled behind him. Many faces reflected sincere sympathy at Kate's story, but no one offered any additional queries.
"Very well," Fudge turned toward the Prisoner's Dock. "Mr. Jarvis, have you questions for this witness?"
Jarvis rose and walked behind the two chairs to the steps. Moments later, he appeared in front of Kate, having Disapparated from the Prisoner's Dock to the Chamber floor. Kate jumped at his appearance and Fudge's face flushed in anger. "I will tolerate no further theatrics from you, Mr. Jarvis," he fumed.
The solicitor shrugged. "Forgive me, Minister, I merely wished to begin my cross-examination promptly. I do, indeed, have questions for this witness. I also have a request, Minister," he paused. "I would like a replenishing dose of Veritaserum administered prior to commencing my cross." Jarvis reached into his robes and pulled out a small vial similar to that which Severus Snape had brought with him. Raising it in Fudge's direction, he said, "I happen to have a dose here, with me."
Kate froze, as did Remus and Kingsley. Remus glanced at Sirius' reflection and saw the blood drain from his face.
"No, Mr. Jarvis. That is not how the court process works at the Ministry of Magic. I cannot vouch for the integrity of the serum you hold in your hand and, therefore, it will not be used here today. Certainly, having stipulated the brewer for the serum administered to the witness for this trial, you would have no objection to re-administering his potion?" Fudge's eyes narrowed as he awaited the solicitor's answer.
Jarvis shuffled his feet a bit; obviously giving consideration to his next comment. "None, Minister. Why, this potion is from the same supply. I merely wanted to avoid a delay in the trial while we wait for Professor Snape to return."
Fudge glanced to his right and, almost immediately, the dark figure of Severus Snape was making his way to the Witness chair. "No need to wait, Mr. Jarvis. Severus was kind enough to remain for just such an occurrence," he announced.
Jarvis paled, but recovered quickly. "How prescient of you, Minister," he oozed as he slipped the vial back into his pocket.
"Indeed," Severus murmured, withdrawing his wand. He approached Kate, standing close to her as he whispered, "Do not be concerned, Kate," and performed a series of intricate wand movements. He then stepped back and turned to face Fudge once again. "There is no need for additional serum, Minister," he stated, his deep voice reverberating throughout the Chamber. "The original dosage is still in full efficacy; my serum has an effectiveness of four hours, per standard dose."
"Ahem, ahem," Dolores Umbridge waved in accompaniment to her cough.
"Yes, Dolores," Fudge acknowledged her interruption.
"Minister, I find myself wondering, if Professor Snape's assertions are true, why he gave an additional dosage to Mr. Jarvis for use here today," she sat back, blinking rapidly, a self-satisfied smile on her chubby face.
Kate saw Snape straighten his shoulders.
Fudge looked down at Severus. "Interesting point. Why did you leave the dose with Mr. Jarvis?"
Snape raised his eyebrows and responded, "I didn't." He paused and turned to Jarvis, raising his hand, palm-up and extending it toward the wary solicitor. "I would be more than happy to analyze it, however, and report my findings to the MLE. Obviously, someone has tried to take shameless advantage of you, Jarvis. Whoever has attempted to do so should be censured. As my name was brought into the matter, Minister, I'm afraid that I must insist," he finished, black eyes glittering in triumph, his hand still outstretched.
Fudge cleared his throat. "Surrender the vial, Mr. Jarvis. The Court Officer will give you a receipt. Thank you, Severus. Can you please re-take your seat?"
Severus accepted the vial from Jarvis, inclined his head and shot Kate a sidelong glance before moving back to his secluded place in the gallery.
Fudge turned his attention to the solicitor, who, still pale and obviously angry, stood next to Kate. "You may proceed, Mr. Jarvis," he advised him. When Jarvis remained where he was and did not speak, the Minister added, "Now, Mr. Jarvis, if you please."
Jarvis started slightly then glanced briefly at his client who was seething in his chair. The solicitor took out a silk handkerchief and mopped his brow before turning to face Kate.
Ms. Morgan," he began, pushing the damp cloth back into his pocket. "Let's go back in time a bit, shall we?"
Kate remained silent, awaiting his first question.
"You were an Auror back in the late 1970's, is that correct?"
"Yes," Kate replied.
"And you were involved in a relationship with Sirius Black at that time, were you not?"
Kate nodded. "Yes, I've testified to that already, Mr. Jarvis."
"Simply confine your answers to 'yes' and 'no', as appropriate," Jarvis snapped. He took a breath and then continued. "You and Black were both Aurors at that time, yes?"
"Yes."
"Did you live in Ministry housing?"
"No."
"Did you have your own flat?"
"Yes."
"Did you live alone?"
"No."
"With whom did you share this flat?"
"Sirius Black," Kate responded.
"Ah, Sirius Black," Jarvis said, walking around to the back of the Witness chair and placing one hand on either of the two carved edges on either side of Kate's head. "You were living together as a couple at that time, were you not?"
"Yes," Kate seethed inwardly at this line of questioning and glanced at Fudge to see if her anger was reflected in his face. It was, but as he had introduced Sirius' name in his direct questioning - however inadvertently he had done so – Jarvis legally had the right to pursue that line of testimony in his cross-examination.
"You were romantically involved with each other?"
"Yes."
"Sexually involved?"
Kate attempted to remain silent, but the Veritaserum prohibited her doing so. "Yes," she hissed.
Fudge spoke up. "Mr. Jarvis, I fail to see how this very personal line of questioning applies to the matter at hand."
Jarvis came around to stand beside Kate's chair once again. "I will make that perfectly obvious in a moment, Minister."
Fudge glared at him. "Move along and make your point, then, Mr. Jarvis. This court is completely disinterested in the romantic entanglements of its Aurors. All of this occurred over a decade ago, for the love of Merlin!"
There were murmurs of agreement from the members of the Wizengamot, which were not lost on Jarvis – or Malfoy. The solicitor continued.
"You stated that your relationship gradually deteriorated over a period of time, did you not?"
"Yes."
"And what precipitated that deterioration?"
"There was a sense of mistrust at that time. There was a traitor leaking information about James and Lily Potter to Voldemort. Suspicion ran high – even amongst those of us who were closest to each other," Kate responded.
"You did not trust your lover?" Jarvis almost jeered.
"I did for awhile, but eventually I did not," Kate said.
"And what precipitated your loss of trust in Black?"
"His actions were odd. He would disappear for days at a time. He was nervous, short-tempered, aloof. When questioned, he had no explanation."
"He was cold, indifferent?"
"Yes, both."
"He did not tell you where he was going or who he was seeing?"
"No, he did not."
"You asked?"
"Yes. Repeatedly."
"Did you believe him to be the traitor?"
"Not at first."
"Eventually, then."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"He led Voldemort to James and Lily Potter. He killed Peter Pettigrew and 13 innocent Muggles," Kate felt her emotions begin to rise and breathed deeply to control them.
"How did you find out about his arrest?"
"I was there."
"Did he see you?"
"Yes."
"Did he speak?"
"No. I left."
"Where did you go?"
"Back to our flat."
"Why?"
"I wanted to see if I could find something to explain what I had just seen. I wanted to see if there was something I'd missed that could have given me an answer about why he'd…"
"…turned traitor?"
"Yes."
"Did you love him?"
"Yes."
"When you were brought in for questioning, did you love him still?"
"Yes."
"Why were you re-assigned to Washington, DC to work with the American Ministry of Magic?"
"I could no longer stay in England. Those who knew of my relationship with Black suspected that I was in league with him. My life was untenable."
"Did you know he had escaped when you returned to England?"
"Yes."
"Yet you returned to London. To the Ministry. To your old job with the MLE. Why?"
"Because I missed my home." Kate thought that this was true enough as she felt no ill effects from the Veritaserum.
"No romantic entanglements over the twelve years you were in America?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I was not interested. I had my work."
"You loved Sirius Black."
"Yes, although I did not want to."
"I will remind you to stick to 'yes' or 'no' answers, Ms. Morgan."
Kate remained silent, waiting for his next question.
"Why did you return to London?"
"To protect my Godson," Kate replied.
"To rekindle your relationship with your former lover," Jarvis barked.
"No!"
"Ms. Morgan, please. Do you think this court is stupid? You resumed your life in London because your former lover tracked you down and convinced you of his innocence. You resumed your affair once you were here in England. You operated as part of a covert operation designed to divert the blame for the Potters' deaths from the proper wizard to another. You worked in league with known agitators – and with Sirius Black to frame Lucius Malfoy. You became pregnant with Black's child and kept that news secret from your direct superiors at the Ministry." Kate put her face in her hands, her emotions overcoming her. Fudge exploded, pounding his gavel loudly, until the wood split in two. No longer able to use the gavel, Fudge unsheathed his wand and pointed it at his throat, muttering, "Sonorous". He drew a deep breath and then called, "SILENCE!" in a voice that shook the room.
Nothing was heard in the aftermath, but the sound of Kate's quiet sobs. Fudge whirled in the direction of Jarvis, cancelling the Sonorous charm before speaking again. "I warned you, Jarvis. I will not do so again. Further theatrics such as those you just displayed will result in a contempt charge against you." He took a deep breath and looked at Kate.
"Ms Morgan, would you like a moment to compose yourself before we continue?" Fudge's voice was almost gentle.
Kate wiped her cheeks and looked up at the Minister. She shook her head. "No, Minister. Thank you. I would rather speak to what Mr. Jarvis has accused me of, if you would permit it."
Fudge nodded. "By all means. After all, Mr. Jarvis wants us to believe that he was actually asking you for information. Clearly, he can have no reasonable objection to you providing it to us all now. Go ahead, Ms. Morgan."
"I spent 12 years living with the guilt of having been involved with Sirius Black," Kate began. "Yes, I loved him and yes, I was involved with him both in school and for a short time after we became Aurors. I was young and impressionable. I'd lost my family. He was exciting, a rebel. It happens. He betrayed us all by turning two people we loved dearly over to the most compelling force of evil to inhabit our world for centuries. He lied to me; he lied to all of us. He laughed when he was arrested and led off to Azkaban. He laughed. Yes, I loved him, but it was not because I wanted to, I assure you. I accepted a position with the US Ministry because I wanted to escape. Cowardly, I know, but there you have it. My life was a shambles. Everything I thought I knew turned out to be false – and everyone I loved was either dead, a traitor or among the missing. I was left with nothing here and so, I left. For 12 years, I pushed Sirius Black to the furthest corners of my mind. When I returned to London it was to protect one person from that former life: Harry Potter, my Godson. Yes, he is also Sirius' Godson, Merlin help the boy for that! I hope he never discovers the connection as he's certainly had enough to live with in his short life without being burdened with that. I will die before I allow Sirius Black near Harry Potter. Sirius Black is nothing but an enemy now – a Dark Wizard in league with Voldemort. My past relationship with him is just that – in the past. When I returned to London, I became involved with a wizard assigned to the Muggle British Consulate. I became pregnant. Mr. Jarvis is correct in that. My lover was killed two weeks before the Hogsmeade Station incident. My child was killed as a result of the Cruciatus Curse inflicted upon me by Lucius Malfoy. I miscarried the following day. 'Sirius Black's child'! Not in this lifetime. No one but a Dark Witch would willingly carry the child of that Death Eater and, I assure you, I am most certainly not a Dark Witch." Kate paused and took several deep breaths before continuing. "Now, Mr. Jarvis may ask me why you should believe me and I can only tell you that I am testifying before you under the influence of Veritaserum and, therefore, I cannot lie. I would not lie. I wonder what my testimony might have been like had I been allowed to consumer the Veritaserum he wanted to administer prior to my cross-examination. I suppose you will find out when Professor Snape provides the MLE with an analysis of the serum. Either way, I don't believe Mr. Jarvis has the right to cast aspersions on anyone's honesty or integrity. To address his final accusation, I assure you that I have participated in no effort – organized or otherwise – to falsely accuse Lucius Malfoy of anything. I believe the true charges are sufficiently monstrous to give him the end he deserves. That is not my choice, however, nor is it my purview to pass judgment on him. It is yours." Kate turned to Fudge. "Thank you. I have nothing else to say."
The silence that greeted the end of Kate's remarks was complete. After a moment, Fudge looked over at Malfoy, who sat in his chair as if stunned. His gaze shifted to Jarvis, whose face reflected anger, apprehension and defeat.
"Mr. Jarvis, have you anything to say for yourself or for your client?" he asked.
Jarvis shook his head.
"Does your client wish to take the stand in his own defense?"
Jarvis shot a quick glance at Malfoy, who glared at him malevolently but gave a barely perceptible shake of his head. Jarvis looked at Fudge. "The defense rests, Minister."
"Members of the Wizengamot, we have heard testimony from individuals intimate with the events that led to the charges against Mr. Malfoy. We have seen for ourselves a probable attempt to compromise the key witness against the accused by virtue of a potential introduction of an unknown potion. I would like to put this matter before you all for a decision. All those in favor of a conviction on all charges, please raise your hands."
Kate, Kingsley and Remus held their breath and watched the assembly anxiously. One by one, every member of the Wizengamot save Dolores Umbridge raised his hand.
Fudge brought his fist down on the desk before him. "Guilty on all counts." He turned toward the Prisoner's Dock. "Lucius Malfoy, rise and hear your fate."
Malfoy rose, his chin thrust out and his head held high.
"Lucius Malfoy, you have been convicted of crimes meriting immediate transfer to Azkaban Prison. It is the judgment of this court that you be immediately transported to that facility where you will remain for the rest of your natural life. There will be no possibility for commutation of your sentence. Officer, please take the prisoner to the holding cell pending transport to Azkaban."
Kate sat, stunned. In the gallery, Remus and Kingsley looked at each other with similar expressions. Suddenly remembering the mirror, Remus turned it toward them.
It was empty. Sirius was gone.