Whispers of Comfort

"Severus?" Dumbledore said as the potions master stumbled into his office, "dear me, what has happened to you old friend?" Dumbledore asked as he helped Snape into a seat.

"Cru...cruciatus." Snape managed to get out.

"Is that all?" Dumbledore asked, Snape managed to nod. "Wait there." Dumbledore said before he quickly fetched a variety of potions. "Here you go." Dumbledore said as he forced them one by one down Snape's throat. "I apologise Severus but I must be leaving now, I shall return as soon as possible. Fawkes will fetch Madam Pomfrey if you still need help." Dumbledore said before he flooed to the ministry.

"Arry?" Fleur whispered.

"Yeah Fleur?" Harry asked.

"That was fun."

"It was."

"I liked it."

"Me too."

"Good."

"It is."

"Do you want to go another round?"

"Am I still alive?"

"Yes."

"Then you have your answer." Harry grinned before he pulled her closer.

"Is everyone ready? Good." Fudge nodded as he cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank each and everyone of you for all coming here today. Today is an important and historic day, one that shall be remembered, as today we will correct a very important mistake in history. The history of you-know-who and the Potters to be exact." Fudge said, he paused for the crowd's reaction, they did not disappoint him. "Order! Order!" Fudge yelled over the screaming crowds. "Now, I hope everyone is ready as..." Fudge was interrupted when the doors opened to allow Albus Dumbledore to enter.

"Good evening everyone." Dumbledore said.

"Ah Dumbledore," Fudge sniffed. "you are quite lucky, we were about to start the trial without you."

"I do apologise but a small situation had come up at Hogwarts that I had to quickly deal with." Dumbledore said in an apologetic manner.

"Be that as it may, do try and show up on time Albus, there are many things that we all have to deal with yet the rest of us have managed it." Fudge said, a small smirk tugging on his lips. "Now would you please take a seat so we can begin? Quickly please."

"Of course Cornelius." Dumbledore nodded before he took his seat, he pushed any thoughts about Severus out of his mind as he really needed to focus on the here and now. This was an important trial, if Sirius was to go free, and he likely would, then good and bad news could come from it. The good news would be that Sirius, innocent of all of his crimes, could go free and enjoy the life he disserved. It would also mean that Dumbledore could regain a member his order.

But on the other hand this brought with it problems. He did not know how forgiving Sirius was, possibly a lot seeing as Sirius had always looked up to him as the leader of the light and understood that he didn't know that Sirius was innocent. On the other hand he might not, plus then there was the issue with Harry. In the past the boy had always returned to the Dursleys, albeit extremely reluctantly, but he had returned and powered up the blood wards. With Voldemort's return Dumbledore thought this was more important than ever before.

But if Sirius went free there was a high possibility of Harry not going back, in the past Dumbledore might have been able to convince him to do it with a lot of work despite Sirius being free, but recently the boy had changed. If he tried to force the issue then he was not sure how Harry would react, Dumbledore would do his best to keep Harry at the Dursley's but he could not really afford to fight him on this.

"Now," Fudge said. "I do believe that Mr Black has agreed to take veritaserum, correct?" Fudge directed his question to Sirius.

"Yep." Sirius nodded. "Give me, give me, give me now." Sirius said with a hint of impatience. The fact that he was willing to take truth serum had helped him a lot in the opinion of the courtroom.

"I don't consent to this!" Peter screamed, not really helping his case.

"Your compliance is not a factor," Fudge responded in a calm voice. "you are technically dead, as far as the law is concerned, you have the same amount of rights as a corpse. Aurors, do the standard checks for potions then give them both veritaserum." Fudge ordered. The nearby aurors nodded before they checked Sirius and Peter for any spells or potions that could affect the truth serum, this had already been done before but it was supposed to be also done one time in front of the court room to prove that it worked. "Are you Sirius Black?" Fudge asked Sirius once Sirius and Peter had both taken the potion.

"Yes." Sirius nodded in a monotone voice with a blank face.

"Did you go to Hogwarts for your education?"

"Yes." Sirius answered in the same voice.

"Are you a male?"

"Yes." Sirius answered, everyone looked satisfied that the truth serum was working.

"And now you," Fudge said to Peter. "are you Peter Pettigrew?"

"Yes." Peter answered in the same monotone voice and face as Sirius.

"Did you attend Hogwarts for your education?"

"Yes."

"Are you a male?"

"Yes."

"Good, the truth serum appears to be working." Fudge said to the room. "Now Sirius Black, did you betray the Potters on the night of you-know-who's downfall?"

"No." Sirius answered, almost immediately.

"Were you their secret keeper?" Fudge asked.

"No."

"Who was the secret keeper?"

"Peter Pettigrew." Sirius answered, the room burst into a shouting and loud talking which took several moments to die down.

"Did you kill the thirteen muggles that you were accused of killing?"

"No."

"And now on to Mr Pettigrew." Fudge said before he turned to Peter. "Were you their secret keeper?" Fudge asked.

"Yes." Peter answered. The room once again burst into shouting and loud talking but this time it was quickly cut off by several ministry officials and aurors.

"Did you kill the thirteen muggles that Sirius Black was accused of killing?" Fudge asked.

"Yes." Peter replied.

"Where have you been since the downfall of you-know-who?"

"I hid as the pet rat for Percy Weasley, then I was given to the family's youngest son about five years ago." Peter answered.

"Why? Why did you stay with the Weasley family?"

"So I would be fed and cared for, and be able to keep up with the news in the wizarding world."

"Have you committed any crimes besides the ones you have admitted to today?" Fudge asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I stole several galleons from Remus Lupin, James Potter and Sirius Black when I was at Hogwarts, I raped and killed a muggle for my initiation into the dark lord's army, I am an illegal animagus and I tried to kill Harry Potter."

"Mr Black are you an illegal animagus as well?" Fudge asked.

"Yes." Sirius answered.

"Were either of you planning to register?" Fudge asked.

"Yes." Sirius said.

"No." Peter said at the same time.

"Black, explain." Fudge frowned.

"My animagus form was a secret weapon to help me survive the war, once the war was over me and James planned to register our forms so to keep Lily happy because she wanted us both to set a good example for Harry."

"And you Mr Pettigrew?" Fudge asked.

"I thought the dark lord would rule over all so there would be no need to register my form." Peter answered.

"Why did you try to kill Mr Potter? Was it for Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked quickly.

"Dumbledore!" A red faced Fudge shouted after he and most people in the room shivered at the name, he was about to speak when Pettigrew began answering.

"I tried to kill him because he ruined everything," Peter said, his voice still monotone. "and because I hate him for getting rid of my master. I did it for my master."

"Is he back?" Dumbledore asked before anyone could stop him.

"Dumbledore!" Fudge hissed.

.....

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