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Ever since the emergence of the heir Peverell, everything has been going downhill for me. At least I managed to pay off the debt to his house by giving him my worthless wife, whom even Draco despised.

And that damned boy had the audacity to make her a lady of the Ancient and Noble House of Ashwood! Such disrespect.

I should have accepted Avery's proposal to kill him in his first year, but now it is too late. I know he is not someone we can handle.

He must have grown stronger since his first year, when he beat up that Burke boy in the great Hall wandlessly.

The trial of Black revealed a few things to me.

1. Heir Peverell did not care about the light and dark sides, as he had done business with me on last occasion, and remained passive throughout whole trial.

2. The Black family was now indebted to heir Peverell, as the trial was a surprise and was conducted with utmost secrecy. Not even the ministry officials knew about it, so Minister Millicent Bagnold and Amelia Bones must have been involved. And there was only one person who could make them do his bidding, or I am paranoid.

3. Crouch was going to Azkaban, which was good news for me. He was a thorn in my side for too long.

4. Dumbledore was behaving strangely, asking for the Minister's feedback during the trial. He openly threatened Avery, which was unlike him. That was not how he conducted the death eaters' trials in the past.

The next course of action for me was to wait and watch. I should have supported Fudge, as he was the perfect puppet for me, but Dumbledore betrayed him. I still don't believe it. And Weasley as his second? I haven't laughed that hard for decades.

Anyway, I should go now. Charles might be waiting for me.

I was shocked by what I witnessed. I could not believe my eyes when Narcissa Malfoy, the cold and haughty wife of Lucius, kissed Heir Peverell in the middle of the trial of Sirius Black, who was proven innocent!

The moment they entered the courtroom together, I felt a surge of alarm. She looked much younger than before, as if she had shed a decade of her life. But when I saw them leave together, hand in hand, I knew it was true.

I was certain that it was because of him that she looked younger. And yes, I was envious of her. Which lady would not be?

We were of the same age, and now she looked like a fresh-faced beauty. I felt a pang of jealousy.

I was sure she had divorced Lucious. She could vote too! That was another privilege that Heir Peverell had bestowed upon her. He had made her a lady of the Ancient and Noble House of Ashwood, one of the most powerful and influential families in the wizarding world.

Would he make me younger too? I wondered. I could make a deal with him, offer him something in return, what does he need? After all, it seemed that he had a preference for mature women. My little Astoria had a lot of competition.

I hate Mondays. You have to wake up early for the classes, and guess what? It was Potions, the worst subject ever. Harry was still sleeping, because he had stayed up late. We both had, actually. Scabbers had disappeared. We had searched the whole dorm and couldn't find him. I had lost my only pet, and I didn't think Mum would buy me another one.

I was sitting in the Great Hall, when a commotion started at the Slytherin table. Students were crowding over the Daily Prophet and shouting something. This could be seen on every table.

I looked over to Wood, who had just received the Daily Prophet from an owl. Students gathered around him, and I slipped past them and read the headline of the newspaper: "Hero Wronged by Crouch".

There was also an image of a black-haired, malnourished man. His name was written just below: Sirius Black.

"Stop all of you, I will read it out loud," said Wood to all of the students.

"In a trial organized by Madam Amelia Bones and Minister of Magic Millicent Bagnold, who found out that there was no trial for Sirius Black, who was accused of killing thirteen Muggles and Peter Pettigrew, and leaking the location of the Potters, and being a Death Eater, he did not receive a trial and was directly sent to Azkaban," Wood paused, as there was a serious atmosphere. I looked as Harry had arrived at the Great Hall and was standing beside me.

Wood continued, "They decided to do a fair trial, as everyone deserves one. The trial was set yesterday, in the presence of Chief Warlock and Supreme Mugwump Albus Dumbledore, and all the lords and ladies. It was found that Peter Pettigrew, who was hailed as a hero, was alive and had taken the form of a rat, as he was an illegal Animagus, and lived with the Weasleys as their pet. He was arrested by Aurors inside the Gryffindor dorms of Hogwarts, a night before the trial, beside the bed of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley."

Ron Weasley! That was me! My name was on the Daily Prophet, I was famous!

Everyone in the Great Hall was looking at me. Why? Oh, maybe they wanted my autograph now?

Seamus looked at me and said, "You kept a man as your pet. I saw you kiss him in the dorms."

Shite, I didn't focus on that. Everyone was laughing at me.

.

I saw students crowding around Wood and got closer to hear what he was saying, I stood beside Ron who looked really sleepy. Wood was reading the Daily Prophet, which had a headline about my parents and Ron's rat.

That rat was a man, a Death Eater who had betrayed them. Ron looked red with shame and anger as everyone in the Great Hall laughed at him. Wood continued, "Both Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew were given Veritaserum by Aurors, and it was revealed that Pettigrew was the one who had killed thirteen Muggles and betrayed the Potters, while Sirius Black was innocent. He had been sent to Azkaban without a trial by Barty Crouch Sr, who is now facing his own trial next Saturday.

Sirius Black was given 50,000 Galleons as compensation from the Ministry, but is that enough? It was also revealed that Sirius Black is the godfather of Harry Potter in the trial. Look for page 13 for more information on this trial and pettegrew's fate."

I couldn't think straight. My parents, who had sacrificed their lives to save me, had been betrayed by someone they thought was their friend. And their true friend, who suffered for twelve years in prison because of that betrayal, was my godfather. How could this be?

Everyone looked at me, as if expecting me to say something. Tears were streaming down my face as I ran as fast as I could towards the Gryffindor common room.

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Sup, next chapter on 28-29, seeya