The Ministry's central courtroom was carved from ancient stone, every wall heavy with centuries of judgment. Shadows clung to the arches like lingering ghosts of the wrongly condemned. On the highest balcony, enchanted torches flickered blue, reacting to the tension coursing through the air.
The chamber was full.
Aurors lined the walls. Wizengamot officials whispered behind their raised collars. The air buzzed—curiosity, fear, disbelief, outrage—woven together in a suffocating tapestry.
At the center of it all, shackled to a cold iron chair, sat Sirius Black.
He looked like a ghost wearing the memory of a man—gaunt, hollow-eyed, hair in matted waves around his shoulders. Azkaban didn't leave bruises you could see. It left fractures in the soul.
Only one thing about him still burned: his eyes. Wild, bright, stubbornly alive.
Despite the weight of the room, he sat upright.
Because today—finally—someone had spoken for him.
Mavis Potter-Silverthorne sat in the front row beside her parents, wide-eyed and still, her little hands clutching Elarisse's robes.
She didn't fully understand the political machinery grinding around her, but she felt the truth humming from Sirius like a star on the verge of collapse.
And she wasn't the only one.
Madam Amelia Bones brought the courtroom to order.
"Wizengamot members," Bones said, her voice ringing clear, "we are here to reevaluate the conviction of Sirius Orion Black, currently imprisoned without trial for the murder of twelve Muggles and the betrayal of James and Lily Potter."
A ripple of discontent rolled through the gallery.
Lucius Malfoy, seated beside the Silverthornes, lifted his chin sharply.
"Without trial," he repeated under his breath, every syllable sharp as a blade.
Nymphadora Tonks—pink-haired and restless—stood behind Bones with Kingsley Shacklebolt, both serving as the magical enforcement overseeing this hearing. Remus Lupin stood a few feet from Sirius, pale but steady, his hands clenched behind his back.
Bones's gaze swept the room.
"You will hear evidence from multiple sources," she continued. "If any of you attempt to disrupt this proceeding, you will be removed."
Her eyes cut directly toward the corner where several traditionalist members sat glowering. They shrank back.
Sirius is brought forward.
The Aurors unshackled one hand so Sirius could drink the truth potion willingly.
Elarisse Silverthorne stepped forward, robes shimmering faintly with starlight, her presence commanding immediate silence.
"We petitioned for Veritaserum to be used voluntarily," she said. "Not forced. Not coerced."
Sirius let out a short breath—half relief, half disbelief.
Elarisse faced him gently, "Mr. Black, do you consent?"
He gave a sharp, exhausted nod, "Yes."
Kingsley administered the draught. Sirius didn't flinch.
Within seconds his expression softened, eyes growing unfocused. The truth settled around him like a shackle made of light.
Bones stepped closer.
"Sirius Black. Under Veritaserum, answer clearly. Did you betray the Potters?"
"No," Sirius replied instantly, voice stripped bare of emotion.
A gasp swept the chamber.
Remus closed his eyes—relief and grief twisting through him like vines.
"Who was the Secret Keeper?" Bones asked.
"Peter Pettigrew."
A roar of disbelief erupted. Some shouted. Some cursed.
Bones slammed her gavel.
"Order!"
Tonks conjured a containment ward to hush the crowd.
"Explain," Bones demanded.
Sirius inhaled, his eyes distant as memory clawed through him.
"James and Lily wanted me to serve as Secret Keeper," he said. "But it was too obvious. Voldemort knew I was closest to them. I suggested Peter instead. He was the last person anyone would suspect." His voice cracked. "I thought—Merlin help me—I thought it would keep them safe."
Mavis felt a cold ache bloom in her chest.
Lucius's jaw tightened. Even he—proud, aloof—looked sickened by what he was hearing.
Elarisse's eyes shimmered with sorrow, and Alaric placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.
Sirius continued.
"The night they were killed, I knew what had happened the moment I saw the ruins of the cottage." His breath shuddered. "I went straight after Peter."
Remus whispered, barely audible, "I should have trusted you..."
Sirius didn't seem to hear.
"He was waiting for me. Loud, crying to the crowd about betrayal. About how I'd murdered my best friends. Before I could speak—before I could stop him—he blew up the street."
Bones leaned forward.
"And the bodies?"
"His. All they found of Peter was a finger. He cut it off himself. Then he ran off in his rat Animagus form."
A cold stillness swept the courtroom.
Elarisse steps forward and raised her hand. Her voice was soft but unbreakable.
"There is an ancient magical binding," she said, "between a child and a designated magical godparent. If Sirius Black had betrayed James and Lily Potter, the bond would have killed him instantly."
Whispers filled the air.
Lucius lifted a parchment. "We have documented proof the bond existed. Signed by the Potters and witnessed by Albus Dumbledore."
Bones motioned to see it. Lucius handed it to her with precise dignity.
She scanned the document—and paled, "This... this is valid. And binding."
Remus exhaled in a trembling rush, shoulders bowing as years of doubt crumbled.
Tonks shot Kingsley a wide-eyed look, "He couldn't have betrayed them. Not and lived."
Kingsley nodded gravely, "This alone is exonerating evidence."
Tonks stepped forward, holding a sealed memory vial.
"This was recovered from an Auror archive," she said. "Overlooked during the original incident. It contains eyewitness testimony from a Muggle who survived the explosion."
Bones blinked. "A Muggle survived?"
"Yes. She died years later, but her memory was stored. She saw a 'small man with a rat's voice' scream at Sirius before causing the blast."
Tonks handed over the vial, "Her words, not ours."
The courtroom erupted again. Bones ordered silence.
Kingsley's deep voice carried calm authority.
"For seven years, Sirius Black had no trial. No questioning. No opportunity to defend himself." He looked directly at the Wizengamot. "This is not law. This is negligence."
No one dared respond.
Finally, Bones allowed Lupin to step forward.
"Sirius," he said softly, "under Veritaserum—did you ever intend harm toward James or Lily?"
"No," Sirius whispered, "I loved them. They were my family."
Remus's face broke, raw emotion spilling through every line.
"And Mavis?" he asked quietly, glancing at the small girl watching Sirius with aching confusion.
Sirius blinked, the potion making him incapable of lying.
"She is theirs," he murmured. "I would die for her."
Mavis's breath hitched. Her hand found Elarisse's and squeezed.
Lucius looked away, the moment too intimate even for him.
Bones rose to her full height, "The evidence is conclusive."
She turned to the Wizengamot.
"All in favor of overturning the conviction of Sirius Black?"
Robes rustled. Dozens of wands lifted.
"Against?"
A handful, barely more than three.
"It is decided." Bones struck the gavel.
"Sirius Black is exonerated of all charges. Remove his restraints."
For the first time in seven years, chains fell from Sirius's wrists.
He stared at his freed hands as though they belonged to someone else.
Remus stepped closer, trembling.
"Sirius..."
Sirius met his gaze—and the two men collapsed into a fierce, shaking embrace.
Mavis scrambled off her seat, darting toward them—but Alaric gently caught her shoulder.
"Let them have this moment first, little star," he murmured.
She watched, with wide shimmering eyes, as the two broken friends clung to each other, the weight of a decade's grief cracking open.
As Aurors escorted the crowd out, Lucius muttered under his breath,
"Astonishing. The Ministry nearly executed an innocent man without trial."
Elarisse gave him a quiet look, "It happens more often than you think."
Mavis finally approached Sirius, small and unsure.
He knelt—slowly, painfully—to her height.
"You're Mavis," he said, voice rough. "I... I'm supposed to be your godfather."
She didn't hesitate.
She threw her arms around his neck.
Sirius froze—then melted, shaking as he held her close.
He whispered into her hair, "I'm so sorry I wasn't there, cub."
Mavis clung tighter, "You're here now, Uncle Padfoot."
And for the first time in seven years, Sirius Black believed he might survive the future as tears of joy fell down his cheeks.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW9AZNzNuGY
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