He's Not Dead Yet
There is no Monty Python humor in this chapter; absolutely none. And when I say 'none,' I mean there is a certain amount. More than I'd care to admit.
Anyway, this chapter is primarily to investigate reports of cannibalism and necrophilia in…This chapter is primarily about Sirius' trial and its aftermath.
I do not own either Harry Potter or the Monty Python Flying Circus.
It's Only a Bloody Parking Offence
As it turned out, the case of Sirius Black had garnered quite a lot of attention; which was only natural, of course. When Harry headed downstairs to the bar, he noticed that it was swarming with reporters and journalists. Under the protection of his Invisibility Cloak, Harry was able to slip out unnoticed to where Red was waiting.
"Hey, Harry," she said with a smile, "Ready to turn some heads?"
"Sure am. Got our seat tickets?"
"VIP section."
"And your dad's defending Sirius?"
"Yep, he's got everything ready and is talking with Sirius right now."
"Right, well, let's be off."
They loaded into Red's dark green Chevrolet and set off to the Ministry; Harry asked why Red didn't just Apparate there and she replied that she didn't have a license; besides, she was claustrophobic and Apparition had always caused her to panic. Soon enough they parked and headed straight over to where the run-down old phone booth stood; they entered the telephone booth and dialed M-A-G-I-C. Once the lift had descended, and they had donned their little silver pins, the two made their way over to the check-in counter and had their wands registered.
"Here for the Sirius Black trial?" the little wizard inquired. They nodded. "Courtroom ten."
Harry and Red made their way down to the courtroom and were shown into the VIP stands. Naturally, Harry's presence drew a bit of attention; luckily, Red was able to fight off any reporters by informing them that it was illegal to solicit comments from a minor without the express permission of his legal guardian. Of course, Dumbledore was also surprised when he saw Harry in the courtroom; however, he clearly couldn't speak with the boy as the trial was about to begin.
"Attention, attention, everyone," the Minister declared. "I call this court to order. Let it be written that this trial of the magical community of Great Britain versus Sirius Orion Black is called to order on this Monday the 16th of August 1993. Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic, presiding. Bring in the defendant."
Sirius was led into the courtroom and placed into the chair that magically chained him in. Instead of looking nervous, Sirius just sat there calmly and smiled up at those assembled.
"About time I got this trial," he said.
"Does the accused have someone to speak in his defense?" Fudge asked.
"I do, Minister. Mr. Hamilton Bayly of Bayly, Black, and Prewett will be defending me."
Mr. Bayly was shown in and the trial began.
"Minister Fudge, Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot, the Right Honorable Madam Bones, Chief Warlock Dumbledore," he greeted. "Today is a momentous occasion, as we fully intend to see the correction of a dreadful miscarriage of justice against the soon-to-be Lord, Sirius Orion Black. His title was inherited upon the death of his grandfather Arcturus, a few years ago." There were some mutterings amongst the Wizengamot at the revelation of Sirius being a Lord.
"Hem-hem!" came an unwanted interruption from a familiar toad-like figure in pink. "I beg your pardon, Mister Bayly, but I think you are mistaken. It is well-known that Sirius Black was disowned from his family. Therefore, the title of lordship to the Black family is to be passed to the closest male descendant, which would be the young heir of the Malfoy family."
"Correction, Madam Undersecretary," Mr. Bayly retorted sharply. "My client was never officially disowned, though his mother, the late Walburga Black, attempted to convince Lord Arcturus Black to do so. Therefore, my client is the undisputed heir to the Black lordship."
Umbridge looked very put-out. Harry figured that she wasn't too thrilled about being put in her place by a Squib such as Mr. Bayly.
"Duly noted," the Minister said. "Will the prosecution please step forward?"
There was a moment of silence.
"Where is Auror Scrimgeour?" Amelia asked with a sigh of frustration.
Suddenly, the aforementioned Auror came hurrying into the room.
"So sorry I'm late, I couldn't find the kosher Floo exit," he said. "Don't bother to recap, Madam Bones, I'll pick it up as we go along."
"Right," Amelia said with a roll of her eyes.
"Will the prosecution please read the charge?" Fudge continued.
"Is a charge strictly necessary, Minister?" Scrimgeour asked.
"The Press is here," the Minister hissed.
"Oh! Oh, sorry. You are Sirius Orion Black?"
"Yes," Sirius replied.
"You are hereby charged 1) that you served as a member of an illegal organization known as the Death Eaters, 2) that you willfully betrayed the location of James and Lily Potter whilst serving as their Secret-Keeper, 3) that you committed the murder of Peter Edmund Pettigrew, and 4) that you murdered twelve unidentified Muggle bystanders. How do you plead?"
"Not guilty on all counts."
There were more disconcerted mutterings.
"Duly noted."
"Madam Bones, if I may?" Mr. Bayly proceeded.
"The court recognizes Hamilton Bayly speaking on behalf of Sirius Black," Amelia said.
"Certain events have led to evidence that proves my client is innocent of at least the charge for accessory to the murders of James and Lily Potter."
"May we see this evidence?"
"Certainly, ma'am. Call Exhibit Q!"
"Q?"
Mr. Bayly looked startled for a moment.
"Sorry, did I say Q? I meant A. Call Exhibit A!"
It was Josiah Prewett who entered with the aged parchment.
"Does the court recognize this?" Mr. Bayly pressed. "It is the joint will of James and Lily Potter. In addition to revealing that it was not Mr. Black who was the Secret-Keeper, it also sheds a great deal of light onto the guardianship of one Harry James Potter."
Dumbledore decided that it was time to intervene.
"I must protest!" he said. "That will was sealed and as young Mr. Potter's Magical Guardian I cannot allow the contents of that document to be read."
"You are forgetting, Chief Warlock, that the contents of a will may be used as evidence in a trial. Also, it should be noted, an heir of a Most Ancient and Most Noble House may access the contents of his or her parents' will if that person is over the age of eleven. Furthermore, this will also indicates that you have no grounds to claim guardianship for young Mr. Potter. I request the right to read this document. As Mr. Potter is here today, I ask his consent."
"Granted," said Harry from the gallery.
The court listened, enraptured, as the Potter will was read. Several of those present were shocked to discover that they had been considered as suitable guardians for Harry. Albus Dumbledore was beginning to feel uneasy.
"There's still the charge of murder regarding Pettigrew and the twelve Muggles," Lord Ogden pointed out. "Black did give an explanation in The Quibbler, but I feel we should have it stated in the record exactly what happened."
"The prosecution would like to call in the Auror responsible for apprehending Mr. Black as a witness to the murders," Scrimgeour declared. "Call former Auror Pan-Am."
The former Auror dashed into the room and began to hit anyone he could reach with a truncheon, including Sirius and the Aurors guarding him. The Aurors managed to get the clearly mental man into the witness box.
"There will be plenty of time for that, later on," Scrimgeour said. "Former Auror Pan-Am, do you recognize the defendant?"
"No, never seen 'im before in me life!" He then looked over at Scrimgeour who was trying to nod discretely. "Oh, sorry, yes."
"Former Auror Pan-Am, could you tell the court, in your own words, what happened?"
"Oh, yes! I was proceeding in a northerly direction up Alitalia Street, when I saw the deceased…standing at an upstairs window, baring 'er bosom at the general public. She then took off her…" Scrimgeour was now frantically shaking his head. "Wait a tick! Wrong story. Oh, yes! There were three Veelas in a railway compartment! And the ticket in…" Once again Scrimgeour shook his head. "No?! Anyway, I clearly saw the deceased…"
"The defendant," Amelia corrected.
"Defendant! Sorry. I clearly saw the defendant…doing whatever he's accused of…uh, red-handed! When kicked, uh, cautioned, he said…" He pulled out a small notebook and began to read. "'It's a fair…cop, I done it all. Right. No…doubt about…that.' Then, bound as he was to the chair, he assaulted myself and three other Aurors, while bouncin' around the cell. The end!"
"Thank you, Mr. Pan-Am, you are dismissed," Amelia said.
"Thank you, Madam."
As he was led out, he flailed wildly in his attempt to hit the Aurors escorting him. Scrimgeour was looking uncomfortable as his only witness obviously lacked credence.
"I think we can safely rule out Mr. Pan-Am's testimony," Fudge said.
"Mr. Black," Amelia inquired, "do you have any objection to being questioned under Veritaserum?"
"None," he answered.
Sirius was quickly administered with three drops of the truth potion.
"What is your name?" Amelia asked.
"Sirius Orion Black."
"Were you ever involved with the Death Eaters?"
"No, I would rather have died."
"What happened on the day of November 1st 1981?"
Sirius then related exactly what he stated in the article. By the time everything was wrapped up, the courtroom was nearly in an uproar. People were calling for blood for the incarceration of an innocent man. With a smile of satisfaction, Fudge announced that Bartemius Crouch Sr. and ex-Minister Millicent Bagnold would be tried for their actions. Before the trial could be concluded, one of the Lords stood up.
"Before we conclude, I would like to bring up a critical point that we are at risk of overlooking."
"The court recognizes Lord Richard Acton," Fudge announced.
In the gallery, Red whispered to Harry that Acton was a respectable and trustworthy man; what he was about to say would probably be for their benefit.
"Ladies and Gentlemen," Acton said, "while I admit that Crouch and Bagnold should be brought in to face the consequences of their negligence, there is another party that should be brought forward for his involvement in the incident in question."
"And who might this person be?" Dumbledore asked.
Acton smirked.
"Why, none other than our Chief Warlock."
There was some outraged spluttering from the Dumbledore supporters that was quickly silenced.
"Lord Acton," Amelia said, "could you explain?"
"Simple, Madam Bones," Acton continued. "Chief Warlock, is it not your responsibility to see to it that every person brought in by the Aurors receives a trial?"
"Well, I…" Dumbledore started.
"And, was it not explicitly mentioned in the Potter will, to which you were a witness, that it was Pettigrew, not Black, who was the Secret-Keeper?"
"Well, yes, but…"
"If that is the case, why did you not see to it that Mr. Black received this trial twelve years ago?"
"It was a hectic time for all of us!" Dumbledore shouted. "To say the least of all the work I had to do with my status as Headmaster of Hogwarts, Supreme Mugwump of the ICW, as well as being Chief Warlock; I am up to my ears in work."
"Perhaps, then, it would be wise for you to relinquish some of those titles? I never did think it a good idea that one man should wield so much power. Even if he has good intentions, it does not change the fact that one individual is not capable of dealing with so much responsibility. Also, I would like to point out that Albus Dumbledore has failed to properly execute the Potter will. As the witness, he should have seen to it that the benefactors received their due, as well as seen to it that the Potter Heir was placed with one of the designated guardians; which I do not believe has happened."
"Mr. Potter," Amelia Bones turned to the stand, "could you please come forward?"
Harry stood up and moved to address those assembled.
"Yes, Madam Bones?" he asked.
"Do you reside with any of the approved guardians on the list mentioned in your parents' will?"
"No, ma'am."
"Who is it that you do reside with?"
"My mother's sister and her family."
"How is it that you came to be there?"
"The Headmaster-excuse me-the Chief Warlock, placed me on the doorstep of their house the day after my parents were killed."
"What is your opinion of your relatives as care-givers?"
"Well, ma'am, I would prefer if my statements be given in private and that there be an examination of my medical records. All the evidence should indicate what kind of 'care-givers' the Dursleys are."
The bitterness in his tone had many people look about uncertainly.
"Thank you, Mr. Potter, we shall ask for your statements later," Amelia dismissed him back to his seat. "I move that, in light of the current evidence, Albus Dumbledore needs to decide which obligation is most important to him as he should not have all the ones that he currently possesses."
"Amelia," Dumbledore protested, "I really don't think this is-"
"While we are in court, you are to refer to me as 'Madam Bones,'" she snapped.
"Very well, Madam Bones; is this really necessary?"
"Yes, it is. There will be a full enquiry about this on Saturday. There will also be an investigation into the matter of your usurpation of the status of Magical Guardian for Harry James Potter and what exactly your actions caused.
"As for the case of Sirius Orion Black," she continued, "All those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges?"
Just about everyone raised their illuminated wands in support. The Death Eaters chose not to give a response in order to save face. With that decision made, Fudge spoke up.
"Sirius Orion Black, you have been found not-guilty and are cleared of all charges. We would also like to offer restitution. As you were never actually dismissed from the Aurors, we grant you all the wages you are owed as if you were working 24/7 for twelve years. Furthermore, in light of the contents of the Potter will, you are named as the legal guardian for Harry James Potter. You may claim this guardianship after being checked by a Mind-Healer at St. Mungo's to deal with the after-effects of your illegal stay in Azkaban, at no cost to you."
"Thank you, Minister," Sirius said. "I would also like to request that the fine for an illegal Animagus be taken from my reimbursement and to go through the process of registering with the Ministry." Many people nodded approvingly at Sirius' statement. "I would also like to go on record offering my thanks to the present Ministry administration for overseeing that justice was done today."
Fudge seemed to puff up at the good publicity this would garner for him. Red and Harry exchanged secret smiles; everything was going just as planned. Fudge would eat up the praise and would certainly try to get on good terms with the newly-acquitted Lord Black.
The court being dismissed, Harry decided to make a show of approaching Sirius who pulled him into a hug and tearfully declared how sorry he was for letting him down by chasing after Pettigrew. The action caused quite a stir with the Press, but Red stepped in and snapped at all the reporters that only one media outlet had the paid rights to Mr. Potter's name and image and that there would be a lawsuit for anyone who printed anything without Mr. Potter's consent. Of course, that declaration didn't stop the 'aw's that came from the elderly women present who saw the joyous reunion of a young man and his godfather. Before Sirius and Harry left, they were accosted by Lord Acton who requested that Sirius come round for tea some time. Naturally, Sirius said he would be happy to.
The following day, Harry and Sirius were escorted to St. Mungo's Hospital, courtesy of Red and her Chevrolet. Sirius needed to go on a potions regimen to restore his health; he was also instructed to see a Mind-Healer at least once a week to deal with the trauma of twelve years in Azkaban. Seeing as they were there anyway, Harry was taken for a routine check-up. Healer Mondegreen, who met with Harry, was shocked to discover the boy's condition. Not only had Harry not received standard vaccinations, he also had physical evidence of abuse, including malnourishment and scars; there also seemed to be a binding on his magic that needed to be immediately removed as well as various illegal enchantments such as a ward against mail from anyone other than several persons. Needless to say, those medical records soon found their way into the hands of Amelia Bones.
In a magazine called The Quibbler, a new article was published. Beneath a photograph of a rather nervous-looking Albus Dumbledore was a heading that read:
Dumbledore: Demented or Dark?
By Xenophilius Lovegood
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is known throughout the magical community for his many achievements; the most famous of which was his defeat of the Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in 1945. Dumbledore has had a sterling history as a professor (and later Headmaster) at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards.
However, could the power that this great man possesses have finally gone to his head?
No witch or wizard in the history of magical Britain has ever had as much power or influence as Mr. Dumbledore. This leaves one to wonder if this is a good thing or a bad thing.
At the recent trial of Sirius Orion Black, who was proven to have been innocent all along, it was indicated that Dumbledore was involved in the illegal incarceration twelve years ago. Suspicions were aroused when the Potter will was presented as evidence; the will mentioned specifically that it was Peter Pettigrew who was the Secret-Keeper and not Black. What then followed was a list of families who were deemed suitable guardians for the Potters' infant son, Harry James Potter. The will was witnessed by none other than Albus Dumbledore.
If Albus Dumbledore knew that Black was innocent, why didn't he get him a trial?
Upon being questioned, Dumbledore asserted that "it was a hectic time" and that he was "too busy."
Something seems fishy here.
The Potter will also states, quite forcefully, that Harry Potter was to never be placed with his mother's Muggle relatives.
So, what happened?
Dumbledore, who witnessed and sealed the will, had himself declared as young Harry's Magical Guardian and then dumped the savior of the wizarding world on the doorstep of his Muggle relatives' house with nothing more than a letter.
This gross negligence certainly didn't fly with the Ministry when it came out at the trial. Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, called for an enquiry that would see Albus Dumbledore choose which of his responsibilities was most important to him as having the position as Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, and Headmaster of Hogwarts is too much for one man to handle.
Then, of course, there is what else was revealed at the enquiry regarding Albus Dumbledore's guardianship of Harry Potter.
Not only had Dumbledore not followed through with the instructions in the Potter will, he also committed an act of child endangerment. The reason Harry Potter was never to go to his Muggle relatives was because Lily Potter (nee Evans) was in dispute with her sister Petunia because of the latter's hatred of magic. Petunia Dursley (nee Evans) had made it perfectly clear what she thinks about the magical world, and that opinion was inflicted on an innocent child for twelve years.
At the enquiry, a record of Harry Potter's medical files was presented. It turns out there was only one documented visit by Mr. Potter to St. Mungo's for a standard check-up since he was placed with his relatives; this one visit took place the day after the trial of Sirius Black when young Harry had decided to escort his godfather to the hospital to receive treatment for his time in Azkaban. While there, young Mr. Potter decided to have his own health checked and the finds were startling. Healer Mondegreen, who gave Mr. Potter his check-up, was released from his Healer's Oath and permitted to give a statement regarding his patient.
"I never saw it coming," said Mondegreen. "The boy had all the signs of abuse. There were small signs, such as malnourishment, and larger, direr evidence. From what I saw, Mr. Potter had various bones that had been broken and then healed incorrectly; the age of the injuries pre-dates Mr. Potter's eighth birthday. It was also apparent that Mr. Potter's nose has been broken numerous times over a seven year time period. Then there were the scars; and I don't mean the tell-tale one on his forehead. From what I could see, someone had beaten the lad with a belt…regularly. The fact that Mr. Potter wears glasses is not owed to a hereditary trait as one would believe; it seems that his eyesight was damaged through spending excessive periods of time in a small, dark space; this was followed by incorrectly-prescribed glasses that only damaged his vision further."
But this wasn't all. What Healer Mondegreen then discovered is truly shocking.
"There was a powerful set of binding on his magical core. We all know that some magical parents place binding on their children to keep down their accidental magic; however, this went far beyond the norm. This binding limited Mr. Potter's magical power levels by ninety-five percent. The fact that Mr. Potter should have little more power than a Squib and yet works at an average power level is nothing short of startling. Once I unbound the lad's core, I discovered something truly fascinating. It seems our dear Mr. Potter is a Metamorphmagus."
(For those who do not know what a Metamorphmagus is, see page 20)
"There were also a series of illegal spells on Mr. Potter; including a tracking charm, a health-monitoring charm, and an anti-mail ward. There was also a type of ward I couldn't identify that had an origin in Blood Magic."
If the nature of these illegal charms and wards is any indication, it is likely that Albus Dumbledore was the one to place them; this also means that he knew what was happening to Mr. Potter.
This leaves us with a question.
Is Dumbledore going senile or turning Dark?
For information about Albus Dumbledore, see page 40
For a personal interview with Harry Potter about his life, see page 17
For details about the trial of Sirius Black, see page 12
Mr. Lovegood soon found himself in need of buying a new printing press from how his magazine was selling these days. Entering into that deal with Harry Potter was possibly the best business decision Xenophilius had ever made.
Author's Note: I would like to apologize for not writing the enquiry regarding Dumbledore or the interview Harry gave to The Quibbler; I was just too lazy to do that and I'm sure you can gather enough of an idea from the article above.
I'm still not sure where I'm going with Draco at the moment; I'm not going to redeem him, but I'm not sure about destroying him completely.
I do know how I'm going to have Harry finish off old Voldy. I'm not going to tell you, though, because it's a surprise.
Regarding the Horcruxes; I fully intend to deal with them in a future chapter (the Christmas one). Harry is going to stop by Gringotts to drop off the locket and diadem and will bring up the matter with Ragnok.