Chapter 12: Bonus: the trial of Sirius Black
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Extraordinary assembly of the Wizengamot, 10th of August 1987
Chief Warlock Ad Interim: Tiberius Ogden
Persecutor: Bartemius Crouch Snr.
Defendant: Ted Tonks
Accused: Heir Sirius Orion Black
Accused of: betrayal of the Fidelius Charm; belonging to the terror organization "Death Eaters"; conspiracy and treason against the British Ministry of Magic; murder of wizard, Peter Paul Pettigrew; murder of 12 muggles and breach of the Statute of Secrecy; usage of forbidden Blood Magic; being accomplice in murder of kin, wizard and Lord James Fleamont Potter and witch and Lady Lily Evans Potter; being accomplice to attempted murder of kin, Heir Harrison James Potter.
The Accused has been administered Veritaserum, as well as a high dose of Pepper-Up and Invigoration Draught, to momentarily restore his capacities, after a qualified Mind Healer has deemed him sane and stable, despite the circumstances.
Bartemius Crouch Senior: Witches and Wizards of the Wizengamot, members of the press and esteemed Chief Warlock Ad Interim. I ask of you: what are we doing? Rehashing past wounds, opening them anew, with no proof whatsoever?
It is widely known that this vile monster, Sirius Orion Black, is the wizard responsible for the betrayal of the Potters and the murders of 13 people, one of which was a postmortem recipient of an Order Of Merlin! And who knows how many more atrocities he has committed, under the guiding hand of his Dark Lord!
I motion for him to be tossed back inside his cell immediately!
Tiberius Ogden: Order! Order in the room! I will have you all silenced if you cannot remain quiet.
Crouch, this is not the time for diatribe or harangue. We are here to rectify a mistake, much on your part as on the previous Chief Warlock's. If you cannot handle the situation with dignity and professionalism, I will have you removed.
B.C.S.: Sir, with all due respect…
Ted Tonks: Chief Warlock, if I may second a request of change in prosecutors? My client has been denied a trial six years ago by the same wizard who now wishes to avoid letting truth be known. I believe it might cause an hindrance.
T.O.: If push comes to shove, Mr Tonks, I will substitute prosecutors, rest assured. Crouch, this is your only warning.
Now, let the Accused enter.
Let it be known that the Accused has not been stripped of his title or his familial magic, due to the lack of a previous trial and conviction, therefore he shall be addressed with the proper honorific.
If he is found guilty of the crimes he is accused of, he shall return to a cell in Azkaban, completely tied off from his magic, which he used often inside the prison to transform himself into his unregistered Animagus form, one of a Grim.
If he is found not guilty of the charges, the Ministry will repay the time he has already spent inside the prison of Azkaban and remove the sentence for having not complied with the registration of his Animagus Transformation.
In addition, regardless of the outcome of this trial, an internal investigation will be launched to understand how this wizard was sent to the prison of Azkaban without a trial and to ensure no one else has suffered the same fate.
Let us commence. State your name and your date of birth, please.
Sirus Orion Black: My name is Sirius Orion Black, although I preferred to use the surname Potter-Black, before I was tossed in Azkaban, due to the tie between me and James Fleamont Potter, and to my blood adoption of his son, Harrison James Potter. I was born in London, inside the ancestral Black home, on the 3rd of November 1959. I was Prisoner 390, in Azkaban.
T.O.: Thank you. Regarding the charges you are facing today, how do you plead?
I will remind the Wizengamot that the wizard is accused of: betrayal of the Fidelius Charm; belonging to the terror organization "Death Eaters"; conspiracy and treason against the British Ministry of Magic; murder of wizard, Peter Paul Pettigrew; murder of 12 muggles and breach of the Statute of Secrecy; usage of forbidden Blood Magic; being accomplice in murder of kin, wizard and Lord James Fleamont Potter and witch and Lady Lily Evans Potter; being accomplice to attempted murder of kin, Heir Harrison James Potter.
I will also remind everyone that the Accused has been administered Veritaserum.
T.T.: May I also remind the Wizengamot that my client has taken an Oath, on his life and magic, that he shall be truthful, regardless of the effects of the potion?
T.O.: Thank you, Mr Tonks. Accused, how do you plead?
S.O.B.: Not guilty, on all accounts.
B.C.S.: Objection!
T.O.: On what grounds, Crouch?
B.C.S.: The court was not present for said Oath, therefore it shall be excluded! And we cannot believe he is unable to illude the Veritaserum, given what Dark teachings the Dark Lord might have passed onto him!
S.O.B.: The Dark Lord never taught me anything.
T.O.: Thank you, Heir Black, for the clarification, but that was not yet a question.
Crouch. Whether or not the court witnesses the Oath, it is still binding. The only way someone can illude Veritaserum is through having their own memories and perceptions altered, and the Mind Healer confirmed that Heir Black's mental capacities are sound and untouched. And, if it wasn't already enough, the Goblins have sent an enchanted chair, as a token of good faith, which is inscribed with runes that compel anyone seated on it to tell the truth.
T.T.: In a more direct inquiry, Mr Crouch, what are you so afraid of being told?
T.O.: Gentlemen! Behave at once. Crouch, I will not tolerate such crude behaviour, Mr Tonks, I ask you not to egg Crouch on.
T.T.: Yes, Chief Warlock.
B.C.S.: Yes, sir.
T.O.: Wonderful! I can easily understand why Dumbledore refused to participate in these ordeals, if this is the behaviour that permeates Ministry Officials. But I digress.
I will start in order of the crimes, and you shall answer the questions to the best of your capacities, Heir Black, trying to refrain from commenting further on the matter unless it is with relevant information. Agreed?
S.O.B.: Yes, Chief Warlock.
T.O.: You are accused of betraying the Fidelius Charm that was placed on the Potter Household, in Godric's Hollow. You plead "Not Guilty". Could you elaborate?
S.O.B.: Certainly.
First, the Potter Household was, and to the best of my knowledge remains so, the Potter Palace, the ancestral home.
The Cottage in Godric's Hollow had belonged to an ancestor of James', who had sold it to the Goblins to repay some debts. It was chosen during their hiding due to the property having no direct tie with their family, as Manager Sharp-Eye Riverrun had the funds necessary moved in anonymity once James and Lily requested a hide-out, under the direct supervision of Professor Dumbledore.
Now, since I don't see him around and I haven't heard of his death, I'm assuming my trial is finally happening because he met his reckoning.
T.T.: Heir Black, I suggest you keep these thoughts to yourself, at the moment. The Previous Chief Warlock is otherwise engaged.
I apologise for not having informed my client about the latest developments, members of the Wizengamot.
T.O.: Not a problem, Mr Tonks. Heir Black, please, continue.
S.O.B.: Yeah, okay.
Anyway, when the Fidelius was performed, by Albus Dumbledore himself, Peter Pettigrew was chosen as the Secret Keeper. We circulated the rumour that it was me, just as an added layer of protection and detection, and he hid amongst the shadows as he always did. I was not privy to the secret and had to cut all contact with the Potters until a month or so prior to their deaths. Peter Pettigrew came to me in mid-September and shared the secret with me, completely unprompted from my part. I suspect he was under order to do so, but I cannot understand whose.
Have I elaborated enough?
T.O.: Yes, Heir Black. The information you have given us matches with what we have found after the unsealing of the wills of Lord and Lady Potter.
Crouch, do you have any questions for the Accused?
B.C.S.: Yes, sir. Why did you circulate the rumour?
T.T.: Objection! Heir Black has already stated the reason.
S.O.B.: I don't mind retelling.
The Dark Lord had begun to target both the Potters and the Longbottoms, for reasons that us common pawns couldn't know but I suspect the Headmaster kept close to his chest. Dumbledore was under the impression that he would have chosen Harrison, that he was at the higher risk, so while the Longbottoms were allowed to retreat back into the wards of their ancestral home, the Potters were shipped to Godric's Hollow without much say or choice.
And trust me, Lily was trying to have her voice heard, but he merely put on his grandfatherly act and silenced her worries with honeyed words.
James felt that it wasn't enough, that no matter how far, someone would have found them. He was always good at these sorts of things, sort of feelings, but he never shared much, nor why he had them or what they truly were. So I trusted his gut and spread the word that I was the Secret Keeper, to try and lift the weight from his shoulders. I thought that, if the Death Eaters came for me, then I'd be able to buy them a bit more time, I'd warn them. We had a way to communicate in secret, with two-way mirrors, and I always kept mine on my person, ready for everything. That's why I started the rumour.
To protect them, with my life even.
T.O.: That, too, appears to be in accord with what the wills stated. Anything else, Crouch?
B.C.S.: No other question at the moment.
T.O.: Very well. Mr Tonks?
T.T.: None, Chief Warlock.
T.O.: Moving on. You are accused of belonging to the terrorist organization known as the "Death Eaters". And of conspiracy and treason against the British Ministry of Magic, by association with the former Dark Lord Voldemort. You plead "Not Guilty". Could you elaborate?
S.O.B.: I would have rather died than join those fucking psychopathic assholes and he couldn't pay me enough to be even a fucking inch next to him, much less bear his tacky mark and shitty attitude, the motherfucker.
T.O.: Language, Heir Black!
S.O.B.: Sorry. I have never, nor will ever, take part in the organization that followed the Dark Lord Voldemort. I do not know what else you want me to say.
T.O.: Crouch?
B.C.S.: Have you taken part in any other organization during the duration of the War Against the Dark Lord known as Voldemort?
T.T.: Objection! Relevance?
T.O.: Overruled. Heir Black, answer the question.
S.O.B.: Short answer would be "Yes". I was and still am a member of the House of Gryffindor, I was and apparently still am a member of the House of Black. Both could be classified as organizations, Mr Crouch. My late father had insisted, before I ran away at 16 years old, that I join a group of duellers in France, another organization that took place during the War. I was also training to become an Auror, even though it was not my original ideal job and more than once Kingsley Shacklebolt, my older compatriot who was finishing up as I and James started when we were out of Hogwarts, all at Dumbledore's suggestion, Shacklebolt said that I wasn't that inclined to follow rules, and wasn't exactly the right person to keep them.
But I digress.
All of those are organizations.
B.C.S.: Mr Black, if you could please…
S.O.B.: Isn't it Heir? After all, both Mr Tonks and the Chief Warlock are referring to me as Heir and I had assumed Gramps had not skipped the line of succession just because I was in Azkaban. Besides, the magic of House Black is still with me, so I am its Heir.
T.T.: Heir Black is right, Mr Crouch, please refer to him with the proper titles.
B.C.S.: Heir Black, answer the question.
S.O.B.: You asked if I was part of any organization during the War. The answer is yes. I was part of a group, led by Albus Dumbledore himself, named the "Order of the Phoenix".
T.T.: I fail to see the point of this line of questioning, Chief Warlock. The Will of Lord Potter mentions an "Order", which we had assumed was the name of the non-militaristic group that was opposing the Dark Lord during his reign of terror, attempting to follow the law in all its aspects, without the confines of the Ministry, which may or may not have been breached at the time. None of its previous members were ever charged with conspiracy or treason. We had also assumed Heir Black's involvement with said group, therefore eliminating the possibility of him belonging to the "Death Eaters", which we just proved.
How is further questioning of this point, which is null, relevant?
B.C.S.: It's relevant because this "Order" caused immense damage to the Ministry and to the British Community! It is relevant because their vigilante approach to the War, which the Ministry had handled, was unlawful!
S.O.B.: The Ministry had handled? What sort of story do you tell yourself at night to sleep, old man? The Ministry was running around like headless chickens, screaming at shadows accusing them to be Voldemort himself! Your own son was in his ranks and you tried to keep him hidden. The War stopped only because my brother died! Because my godson was orphaned! You did nothing, you pathetic…!
T.O.: Heir Black, I do understand you are in a complicated mental position, but I must ask you to refrain from vitriol and I must demand we all remain on the topic of the charges. I believe the explanations you have given were sufficient, and I will move forward with the next one.
Mr Tonks, do you wish to ask more of the Accused?
T.T.: No, sir, I do not.
T.O.: Very well. You are accused of the murder of a wizard, named Peter Paul Pettigrew, on the morning of the 1st of November 1981. You are accused of the murder of 12 muggles, on the morning of the 1st of November 1981, and of the subsequent breach of the Statute of Secrecy. You plead "Not Guilty". Could you elaborate?
S.O.B.: Gladly.
I did not kill him, nor did I kill the muggles. Peter Pettigrew cornered me in the muggle street, goaded me and made it sound as if I had betrayed my family, then exploded the scene, cut his own left little finger to leave behind as a grotesque souvenir, hit me with a Laughing Charm, thus altering my mental state so that the Aurors could find me with diminished abilities, and fled before the smoke had dispersed.
But let me start from the beginning. Once I left Godric's Hollow…
B.C.S.: Why were you at Godric's Hollow that night?
T.T.: Objection! His original whereabouts are not relevant to this charge. Perhaps Mr Crouch would like to start with the deaths of Lord and Lady Potter?
T.O.: Sustained. Continue as you were and ignore the question, Heir Black.
S.O.B.: As I was saying, once I left, I went in search of Peter. I had researched the Fidelius in depth with Lily once Dumbledore had suggested they hid with it, despite the great protections and ward that surrounded Potter Palace and most of their other properties. In our findings, we had discovered that only a willing Keeper could share the Secret and that, even in writing it, if the Keeper didn't intend to share it with someone, that someone wouldn't have been able to see or read the words, meaning that no matter the torture, Peter would have been able to keep his rat mouth shut. But he didn't crack under torture, he spilt the Secret uncoerced. So, once I found out what had happened at Godric's Hollow, which I knew because the wards I had placed in case the worst happened went off, I went in search of him. Harry was taken care of, safe in Rubeus Hagrid's arms for the time being and, I had presumed, headed for a safe house or Hogwarts. Back then I trusted Dumbledore, so I went and found the rat, with the intent of making him pay. I cannot say whether I would have killed him or not, but I wanted him to confess.
T.T.: I apologise for the interruption, Heir Black. You accused Peter Pettigrew of being a rat. The same description can be found in Lord Potter's will. Could you elaborate on that?
S.O.B.: I was not the only unregistered Animagus in our dorm. Me, James and Pettigrew decided to start the transformation in our third year and achieved full change in our fifth. While we were at Hogwarts, we thought no one would believe us having performed such magic, and we kept it a secret. Once we graduated, Dumbledore suggested we didn't register, thinking it might be a clutch in the War.
I, as you all know by now, am a Grim. I take the form of an overly large black dog. James was a deer and he would have grown into a wonderful stag if he was given the time. Peter was a rat.
We should have known, we should've seen the signs. He was a fucking rat, of course he wasn't trustworthy. He went on saying shit about Moony, when in reality he was the spy, he was the one telling everything to the Dark Twat. He…
T.O.: I understand this is a difficult topic, Heir Black, but if you could refrain from using profanities and remain on track, I would appreciate it.
S.O.B.: Sorry, Chief Warlock.
T.T.: Why do you claim he had fled from the crime scene?
S.O.B.: I saw him transform in front of me, just as the Laughing Charm hit me. I was bent down in a fit when he disappeared inside the sewers.
B.C.S.: You already admitted to circumventing the Laws of this very Ministry, choosing them to fit your own needs. Why should we believe you?
S.O.B.: I literally did what I had to, to survive. And I am sitting on a chair designed to make me tell the truth, with poison in my blood that is doubling the efforts and a binding Oath on my magic as an incentive. I couldn't lie if I wanted to. I saw Peter Pettigrew disappear into the sewers as the rat Animagus he illegally is. I know he is still alive today. I am telling the fucking truth!
And, for the most part, when I was breaking the Laws of this very Ministry, I was following the orders of the previous Chief Warlock, to whom you responded to. Why should I believe you're giving me a fair trial now, when you were the one to obstruct justice the first time!
B.C.S.: Objection!
T.T.: On what grounds!
T.O.: Overruled! Crouch, control your outbursts. Heir Black, moderate the language. Mr Tonks, please, continue.
T.T.: Thank you, Chief Warlock. How can you be certain he is alive?
S.O.B.: Call it intuition. I find it hard to believe he bit the dust, he is more likely to squat in as the common rat infesting some magical barn. If memory serves me right, I recall the Department of Mysteries creating a device that could find Animagi, if one knew their animal form and had a piece of them. He probably didn't know about it, otherwise he wouldn't have left a finger, but if it is possible, then I think it's it.
I'm not certain, by any means, but I knew him and I know James. James was a bit alarmed, in the last few months, which is understandable. He was locked in a tiny house. But he was angry with Peter, as if he somehow knew something was wrong with him. He once mentioned to me that, if Peter betrayed them, he would find a way to make him pay. His own father, Fleamont, before passing, had given him a family grimoire, different than the Potter one I had already seen. It looked old and much more battered, and I would bet it wasn't entirely Light. James had once confided that he was a bit curious and a lot scared of it, but that it would come in handy, if his dreams did come true.
Peter hated his Animagus form. Loathed it. So, if he is still alive, James would have found a way to keep him in rat form.
And he would have found a way to keep him in rat form for as long as possible, given that Death wasn't estranged from the Potters.
T.T.: Thank you. I have no further questions.
T.O.: Crouch?
B.C.S.: None, sir.
T.O.: Then we shall move to the next charge. You are accused of usage of forbidden Blood Magic, as if was evidenced by the wills of Lord and Lady Potter and by your own admission. You plead "Not Guilty". Could you elaborate?
S.O.B.: It's simple, really. A blood adoption is frowned upon by modern society, but it is not forbidden, or outlawed, or illegal.
B.C.S.: Impossible! Blood Magic is a branch of Dark Magic and Dark Magic is illegal!
S.O.B.: I did not know you had outlawed the Common Cutting Curse, not that you had made illegal the Disarming Charm. In Azkaban, we didn't get the latest news, but I feel I would have realised you had found a different way to keep Dementors in check, since the Patronus Charm should also be forbidden.
All of those, are spells of Dark Nature. As are Therstrals and Dragons and Phoenix, yet they make the cores of Ollivander's wands without issues. Is Ollivander still in business, I feel he must be, the old coot.
T.T.: Regardless, the adoption that ties my client, Heir Black, and Harrison James Potter is not on the list of forbidden Blood Magics. Therefore, I would move to have the charges cleared.
B.C.S.: Blood Magic was performed and the perpetrator must pay!
T.T.: It was performed by Lady Potter herself, as she clearly states in her will, which I believe my client wasn't privy to. She ensured the safety of her son and sacrificed herself for him. How do you propose such an act be punished?
T.O.: Mr Tonks is right, Crouch. You can't persecute a dead witch.
S.O.B.: No, but he can sure try.
T.O.: I will strike the charges on the use of forbidden Blood Magic, since the majority of the laws concerning those were proposed and passed by the previous Chief Warlock and each and every instance is under review for fowl play. I do not wish the accused to be questioned more on the topic. Finally, we have reached the last charges.
Heir Black, you are accused of being an accomplice in murder of kin, as you had both blood relations with the deceased and called them your chosen family, wizard and Lord James Fleamont Potter and witch and Lady Lily Evans Potter. You are accused of being an accomplice to attempted murder of kin, as you had both blood relations with the victim and called him your chosen family, Heir Harrison James Potter, whose magic status I believe is rampant and clear.
You plead "Not Guilty". Based on what I have heard already, I do not believe further questioning to be necessary. Would you elaborate regardless?
S.O.B.: I would have rather died than been an accomplice in their pain. James was my brother, Lily was my sister-in-law. Harry was my whole life, the reason I wanted to survive that bloody war. I would have sacrificed myself, to spare them.
T.O.: I see no reason to continue this trial.
T.T.: If I may, I do have one question, unrelated to the current charges but that I believe might shed some light on the events of the 3rd of November 1981.
T.O.: Ask away, Mr Tonks.
T.T.: Thank you, Chief Warlock. Was Albus Dumbledore informed of your status as Harry's godfather and blood-adopted parent?
S.O.B.: He was. And he knew that, if something happened to James and Lily, Harry would have come to me. Then, to the Longbottoms and, if the worst happened, to Professor McGonagall.
B.C.S.: Your reason for the question, Tonks?
T.T.: The previous Chief Warlock pushed his own agenda, having the Boy-Who-Lived being raised by his muggle aunt…
S.O.B.: He shipped him off to PETUNIA!?!?!?
T.T.: … Indeed. And he orchestrated to unlawful imprisonment of my client, with the defunct Minister Bagnold and with now Head Prosecutor Bartemius Crouch Senior.
B.C.S.: I will not stand for such baseless accusations!
T.T.: Then, by all means, do sit. I am merely illuminating a path.
B.C.S.: How dare you…!
T.O.: Crouch, you will keep your mouth shut! There is already an investigation into your behaviour back then. Mr Tonks, continue.
T.T.: Thank you, Chief Warlock. I have reached my point. But, I cannot help but wonder, what was Mr Crouch so afraid of unearthing today, given his profound resistance to this trial.
T.O.: Indeed. Heir Black, are you aware of any illicit, other than your withheld trial, committed by Albus Dumbledore and Bartemius Crouch Senior?
S.O.B.: Aware is sort of a big word.
His son was my cell neighbour, you know. I don't know how or why, but we shared a wall. I heard everything, from his agony at the Dementor's hands to the ramblings of when he was lucid. He lamented that he had joined the Death Eaters far too young, he was only eighteen when he got tossed in Azkaban, and he had done it to go against his father, in an act of rebellion.
He said that, when the Lestranges had gone to the Longbottoms, he had been made to trail them, to guard their backs, that he didn't even participate. The Dementors pulled their screams out of his mind when they fed from him. But his father hadn't cared, hadn't given him a proper trial either, simply locked him down and threw away the key.
Barty couldn't understand why, he wailed at the sky that he couldn't get why. Once the Death Eaters trials started, his father had told him that he would be fine, that he was a bystander. Then Karkaroff made his name, apparently, and he was tossed in.
For three months he went about that way, crying about how his father had screwed him.
Then, nothing more. One day, his parents both showed up and the next, he was silent. He died a week later.
T.T.: Do you suspect foul play? Chief Warlock, if you could please refrain Mr Crouch from assaulting me!
T.O.: Crouch, sit your ass down. Aurors, by his sides, I'm afraid we will have to detain him sooner than later. Heir Black, please finish.
S.O.B.: I don't suspect it, I know it.
Given my Animagus form, I have a keener sense of smell. And, during their visit, I was the Grim, for my own comfort, as I always preferred to transform as much as I could. I had found that the Dementors left me alone, as a dog, and that my emotions weren't as potent.
Anyway, halfway through the hushed conversation, I got it with the whiff of a potion. I could detect stewed Lacewing flies, Leeches, Bicorn Horn, Knotgrass, Fluxweed and Boomslang skin. Now, I didn't receive an O in my Potion NEWTs, no one other than Lily and Snape did, but I didn't get a T either. I know the ingredients of a Polyjuice.
Not to mention, that one of the parents had drudged in on heavy feet, smelling of cancer and death. Pancreatic, I'd say. The duo that left smelt healthy, while the cancer remained in the cell.
Do with that information what you will.
T.O.: Thank you, Heir Black, we most certainly will.
Aurors, do escort Mr Crouch away, his investigation will be prioritised.
Now. Given the proof and evidence gathered here today, given the already too long time the accused has spent in the prison of Azkaban, given his testimony: I declare the accused, Heir Sirius Orion Black, Not Guilty!
Compensation shall be discussed between the Defendant and the Prosecutor's Office and, due to the heavy imprisonment, I will waive the sentence for his illicit Animagus Transformation.
Congratulations, Heir Black, you are once again a free man.
S.O.B.: I am? I AM! FUCKING HELL, YES! Wait, where's Harry? He's not with that hideous horse of a woman, is he, Ted? Where the fuck is Harry, where are you keeping him? HARRY-