Chapter 276

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"I'll start with a simple question, but the main one everyone wants to know" Mrs. Stoppard began to say, "Sirius Black, are you or were you ever a follower of You-Know-Who?" she asked.

And upon hearing this question, everyone leaned forward anxiously and nervously waiting for Sirius' answer.

"No, I'm not, never was and never even thought of being a follower of Voldemort" Sirius said, causing almost everyone to gasp in surprise as much at his answer as at him saying the so-forbidden name again.

And in the next instant, with euphoric and excited looks, the journalists took their quills and began to write.

"I see... And you were the real keeper of the Potters' secret?" Mrs. Stoppard asked again.

"No, the real secret-keeper was Pettigrew" Sirius replied, spitting out the bloody rat's name but he quickly calmed down, "I had Lily change the keeper at the last moment because I thought it would be the best option and because I thought that way we could play the biggest prank of our lives"

"Hmm, and how could changing the keeper result in the 'biggest prank of your lives'?" Mrs. Stoppard asked confused.

"I knew that everyone would think I was the keeper of the secret, and so I also knew that Voldemort would send his followers after me, and my plan was that even if I got caught I wouldn't spill the beans because I wasn't the one who guarded it, and with that we would have fooled even the greatest Dark Lord of all time" Sirius said with a bitter smile on his face, which soon changed to a hateful look, "Only it was all for naught in the end , for the one we chose to be the keeper was a traitor"

"And no one but you, the Potters and Pettigrew knew about the secret-keeper change?" Mrs. Stoppard asked, and Sirius nodded.

"Yes, only the four of us knew about the change"

"Hmm" Mrs. Stoppard hummed thoughtfully, "And according to those responses of yours coupled with Pettigrew being alive I'm right in assuming you didn't kill those 12 muggles either, right?"

"Yes, I didn't kill those muggles, they were killed by Pettigrew, who blew up the street and used the explosion as a cover to cut off his own finger and escape in his Animagus form which is a rat" Sirius replied, and turning around he stood pleased to see Pettigrew's pale complexion.

Pettigrew wanted to open his mouth to deny Sirius words, but the stares he was getting from the Aurors made him chicken out.

But Pettigrew wasn't the only one pale at Sirius' words, in fact, Fudge was just as bad as he was, and the look in his eyes made him look like he'd just been punched in the stomach by a troll after being forced to eat hippogriff feces

"Well, your answers were... illuminating" Mrs. Stoppard said, not really having expected things to turn out this way when she agreed to be the judge in Pettigrew's trial.

'Yes Emmeline, accept being the judge, what bad or strange can happen? It's not like Sirius Black is going to walk into courtroom and reveal some truths that will shake the wizarding world' Mrs. Stoppard thought with a weary sigh, wanting to rub her temples.

But all her inner debate about her choices in life has been interrupted by someone.

"How did you escape Azkaban?" a journalist asked, causing many people and even Mrs. Stoppard to turn to him, before turning to Sirius.

And Sirius looked at them and kept silent, not wanting to reveal that he was an illegal Animagus.

"I think it would be best if Mr. Black answered that question at another time... and in private" Dumbledore said folding his hands in front of his face, with this being the first thing he had said since the questioning began.

"I agree" Amelia stood up and said.

"But everyone would like to know how someone managed to escape Azkaban" another scowling journalist said.

"I'm sorry, but this matter concerns the public safety of the British wizarding community, and it would be better if it wasn't written about in every newspaper in the world" Amelia said, staring coldly at all the journalists who were in the courtroom.

And being stared at by the Head of DMLE herself was enough to make these journalists go quiet.

But Skeeter, who was excitedly watching the trial, was no ordinary journalist, and she prepared to launch her barrage of venomous questions, but for some reason she couldn't open her mouth.

Panicking, she started to raise her hand to see what was wrong, but she couldn't even move.

Being frozen in place, Skeeter desperately tried to break the spell or curse someone had cast on her, but the only thing she could do was breathe and move her eyes.

And a few seats away were Nick and Penny trying not to be noticed by anyone, with Penny looking up at Skeeter's desperate gaze with a satisfied smile.

And Nick, who was beside her, wisely decided not to ask the reason for her happy look.

"Ahem" Mrs. Stoppard cleared her throat to get everyone's attention, "Seeing as there's no reason for us to question Mr. Black about his breakout from Azkaban, at least not right now…" she said looking at Sirius implying that this matter would be resolved at another time in a more private place, with Sirius nodding grudgingly.

Satisfied with that, she continued, "I think we can turn the floor over to his lawyer, that is, if she wants to ask any questions relevant to the case" she looked at Andromeda.

Andromeda considered for a moment, before looking at Sirius and seeing that he was uncomfortable being in front of so many people talking about events that brought back such painful memories.

Looking at everyone in the courtroom again and seeing that most were no longer looking at Sirius with fear or anger, but rather shock, sympathy or pity, Andromeda came to the conclusion that she didn't need to ask anything to help prove Sirius' innocence, since that they already got the reaction they wanted.

"No Your Honor, I have nothing to ask," Andromeda said, and Mrs. Stoppard nodded.

"So you can take a seat in the witness area," she said, and even though nothing was said about dropping the charges against Sirius, that simple sentence was enough to make the shoulders of everyone in the group involved in the plan relax.

And getting up, Sirius and Andromeda walked over to the witness seats, taking a seat next to Amelia and Moody.

"Continuing the trial, I would now like to hear the testimony of Mrs. Bones" Mrs. Stoppard said, as Amelia got up and walked over to the seat Sirius had been sitting on a few seconds ago

"Since you're only here as a central witness and one of the accusing parties, you won't need to take truth serum or take a magical oath," she said to Amelia, who just nodded, already used to the protocols of a trial.

"Well then, tell us about Peter Pettigrew's capture and about how..."

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-Hogwarts, Wooden Bridge - Golden Trio-

Tak tak...

Tak tak tak...

Tak...

Tak tak...

Tak tak...

Ta--

"Harry, will you calm down?" Hermione said exasperatedly turning to her friend.

Harry, who was sitting on the edge of the bridge leaning against one of its supporting pillars, stopped, realizing that in his reflective and nervous state he had unconsciously begun to tap his wand on the bridge floor.

"Sorry Mione" Harry said to Hermione who was sitting beside him, tucking his wand into the pocket of his robe.

And right after saying that he started looking at the landscape, and without realizing it he started drumming his fingers, making Hermione sigh.

"Dude, we understand you're worried, but you need to relax," Ron said to Harry, standing with his arms crossed against another of the pillars.

"Sigh, I know, but how do you want me to calm down when the man who betrayed my parents is probably on trial right now?" Harry asked his best friends, leaning on the bridge's wooden railing while frowning.

And hearing Harry's question, Hermione and Ron didn't know what to answer and could only look at the floor, trying to imagine themselves in Harry's place.

And as they did so, they realized that they would probably be reacting just as, if not worse than he did, with Ron admitting to himself that he probably couldn't sit still just waiting to hear some news, and that he would have tried somehow know what was going on in the ministry.

And while the two thought about it, Harry looked at his hands lost in thought.

'I just hope that Pettigrew is convicted of his crimes' he thought, and then a look of hatred appeared on his face, 'But him spending his life in Azkaban is not enough for me... I want him to suffer... a lot'

And with that vengeful look of rage and hatred Harry clenched his hands tightly until his fingers turned white, and if anyone sensitive to magic had been near him that person might have sensed just how volatile and angry the magic that was leaking from him was.

End.

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(End AN: I hope you enjoyed these chapters!)