(October 11, 1991)
(Savrin POV)
A week had passed in the blink of an eye, and already it was Friday. After getting the rat from Godric a few days ago, Savrin had ripped into Peter's mind to get all the information he could, while at the same time trying to keep from turning the fat waste of flesh into a mindless vegetable. It wouldn't be possible for the Wizengamot to interrogate him if he had done that.
It took a few hours of going through Peter's mind to get answers to a number of questions, the most prominent being that Sirius was indeed innocent. A note of relief was that Peter hadn't touched any of the Weasley children over the years, though he had spied on them while they were in a state of undress. Peter particularly enjoyed watching Molly Weasley dress, and sickeningly, the little girl that had yet to attend Hogwarts who was only ten years old.
Salazar, Godric, Helga, and Rowena had all been there for the "interrogation", and after learning everything from Savrin, they all made vows to rip the rat to pieces. In fact, Helga had gone a step further and had brutally beaten the rat over and over while healing him between each beating.
Salazar had done some interesting torture curses in Parseltounge that left the rat convulsing for hours on end. Rowena, having a daughter of her own did not take the news well, and had castrated Peter, and after getting Savrin to fix him, had done it again. She repeated the action six times.
As for Godric… well, he was apparently not only gifted in combat, but in causing pain. Even Savrin learned a few things after watching what Godric had done to Peter, some of which were too much for the others to witness.
Most of the week leading up to now had simply been torturing the rat, as Savrin had gotten all of the information he needed that first night, and aside from some personal research of the world, there was nothing worth mentioning.
Deciding that Arcturus had waited long enough, Savrin gathered up any pertinent information that he had gathered regarding Sirius Black, Lily and James Potter and their son Harry, Peter Pettigrew, and of course the information on the Ministry officials relating to said people.
Looking to the corner of his office, Savrin saw a small metal cage that housed what looked to be a rat, and he couldn't help but smile as he moved to pick it up. "Don't you worry, Peter. Soon enough, all your problems will come to an end." Savrin said to the rat, who looked to be trembling in fear as it stared up at him.
With the school day now through and the weekend just starting, Savrin decided he would be able to get away to deal with the whole Sirius Black ordeal. He would be going as himself, and seeing as how he had already informed McGonagall that he, or rather, "Dumbledore" would be unreachable for a day or two, he was in the clear to go do whatever he wanted. The fools in the Ministry would have to solve this without Albus too many names Dumbledore, regardless of his many positions.
Jumping through space, Savrin appeared in 12 Grimmauld Place, ignoring the wards that had been there just like he had last time. 'These people and their wards… They don't even compare to the mages of Genesis.' He thought sadly as he moved through the halls.
"TRAITORS! HALF-BREEDS!" A voice screeched from a large portrait hanging at the end of the hall. "Whoever thought it was a good idea to make so this portrait could speak needs to be dismembered." Savrin whispered to himself.
With a wave of his hand, the portrait was engulfed in flames, however instead of turning it to ash, when the flames disappeared, the portrait showed the woman, but she was as still as could be. "What have you done to Mistress's portrait?!" A weak gravelly voice demanded.
Looking to the origin of the voice, Savrin saw a small house elf that honestly looked as though he had seen better days. "I've put her to rest. Now run along. You're unpleasant to look at." Savrin answered honestly, feeling a little revulsion at the sight of what was an elf in this world.
Back in Genesis, Elves were some of the most powerful spiritual beings, and their strong bodies reflected that. However these house elves that were basically slaves, were nothing like their otherworld counterparts, and it sickened Savrin to see them.
That was why he had chosen to ignore the house elves at Hogwarts, for he felt genuinely sick when they were around him, and to stop himself from doing something that could be very bad, he had asked Elysia to keep them away from him, which she was all too eager to do.
"What is-?! Oh… it's you, Savrin. This way, please." Arcturus said after entering the hallway and seeing what had caused the portrait of his daughter-in-law to freak out this time.
When he first saw the portrait after coming back to Grimmauld Place, he hadn't thought anything of it, but after it began screeching at him, he realized that it was just as insane as the person it was depicting, thus he had tried to remove it, however the permanent sticking charm stopped him from doing so.
He had been tempted to destroy the damn thing, but even he couldn't bring himself to destroy the last vestige of a member of his own family, even if he loathed her. So when he saw the portrait still and unmoving, he hadn't even blinked in anger, instead the corner of his mouth turned upward into a half-smile.
Both of them walked into a large room with some couches and chairs placed around for sitting. Taking the largest chair beside the fireplace, Arcturus gestured for Savrin to sit in the chair opposite his own.
"Are you on the Board?" Savrin asked, getting straight to the point. "I am. Do you have the rat?" Arcturus responded, and it was only then that he noticed a small silver cage attached to Savrin's right-side, and inside of it was an ugly little brown rodent.
"We'll get to the rat in a moment. I want to know how you are progressing in the Governors." Savrin said, putting off Pettigrew for the time being.
"It wasn't very hard. Cylus Edgings gave up his seat, and after putting my name down as a candidate, I was voted in unanimously. Even Lucius voted me in, however I suspect that is because he still thinks his son will inherit the Black fortune." Arcturus explained simply.
"I thought most of the seats on the Board of Governors were passed down from family to family. How did you convince this man to give up his seat to you?" Savrin asked curiously.
According to Rowena, it was the descendants of the families that they had put on the Board that fucked things in the school over. If the seats could just be given away like that, it made him wonder why things were still as shitty as they were.
"Most of the old families that passed the seats to their children have died out, but of course there still needs to be twelve members on the board, so naturally they are voted in as they are needed. The seats can still be passed down to the families of the old members, but in this day and age, most of them have been voted in. House Black did once have a place on the Board that had been handed down throughout the ages, but most of its members found the job to be too tedious for their liking. My brother for instance, sat on the Board for the Black family, however he gave it up after serving for a single year. He said something about it taking up too much of his time." Arcturus answered.
"Can you vote members off the Board?" Savrin asked, wondering if it was going to be difficult to rig the board in his favor.
"Of course. It's actually how I suspect Lucius became chairman of the Board as quickly as he did. He paid six or seven of them to cast their votes in his favor, and he either removed the members who would have spoken out against him and replaced them with people he could pay off, or he threatened them with his wealth." Arcturus answered again, not minding the questioning all that much, though the questioning did raise a question of his own.
"If you didn't know that members could be voted out, how did you expect me to add a few members that would side with you?" Arcturus asked curiously.
"Accidents happen all the time. It isn't unheard of for entire families to suddenly disappear in this day and age." Savrin answered darkly, reminding the Lord that he was not someone to be crossed. "I… see. You are indeed correct." Arcturus agreed warily.
"How many of the Board members can you buy-off, and how soon can you get it done?" Savrin asked, then placed the cage containing the rat on the small table in front of Arcturus, causing the Lord's eyes to focus on it for a moment.
"It will take me a few days to figure out which members are in Lucious' pocket, then I can turn them away from him or get them voted out. Should only be a week or two. I suppose I could always get you to deal with any that don't agree with me…" Arcturus said grimly, deciding that that might be his only option if he wanted Sirius' freedom, and to continue breathing himself. He wasn't sure how Savrin dealt with failure, but he suspected that it would not be pleasant.
"I'll deal with any problems that you can't handle, say for instance that they try to remove you from the board. However, going forward I want to do as little as possible on the Board, so I will leave that up to you to handle however you see fit." Savrin informed him, making Arcturus nod in understanding.
Before they could move on to the rat in front of them, Savrin placed a stack of documents on the table in front of Arcturus. "What's this?" Arcturus asked as he reached out to grab the top piece of parchment.
"Over the last month and a half I've checked over the school, and these are my findings. The teachers, their salaries, equipment, food, upkeep on the castle, the resources that are purchased, and everything else you can think of. Page 2 shows how much the school is spending per quarter. I want you to compare that with what the Board is given and see if anyone is skimming funds. Pages 4 to 24 illustrate acceptable new school uniform designs for girls and boys. Submit them in a meeting in the next few months, then decide which ones you want the school to have. Page 25 explains the new course outline, and the books that should be taught in which years. I will submit copies of each book for you to submit at a later date to the Board. Page 30 shows the plants the school grows for potions or for food, and it also details the lack of income the school should be making on the potions the students make. There is a lack of information regarding where the completed potions the students make go, and I want you to look into that as well. I've also submitted a form for the year after next to add a few new teachers. I expect you to find the funds for such a thing. Read the rest later and we'll talk about them at a different time." Savrin said, concluding the bare outline to his 100 page revision of the school.
"I… I see." Arcturus said as he briefly scanned over a few of the documents.
"Now, about the rat here. I need you to call the members of the Wizengamot into order. I'm sure that won't be too difficult for someone with your connections. I for one don't believe they will take you seriously if you claim Pettigrew is alive and that your grandson is innocent, so here is what I want you to do. Call the Wizengamot to order while claiming it's for an important meeting to discuss something. Be vague about it. Call the press and have a few Daily Prophet reporters there as well. I'll go to Azkaban and get Sirius, that way there won't be any risk of something happening to him. I'll also bring Pettigrew as well. Come time for the trial, there won't be any hiding the truth." Savrin explained, making Arcturus frown in response.
"Do we really need to go so far? With Pettigrew here, the proof is undeniable." Arcturus said, finding it hard to believe that he would need to go so far as to break Sirius out of Azkaban just to give him a trial. Sure it would look bad for Cornelius Fudge, Barty Crouch Sr. and the old Minister for Magic, Millicent Bagnold, but if Sirius died in Azkaban just when the real traitor was arrested, that would look very suspicious.
"Based on the information I've gathered and my informants have gathered, the current Minister for Magic seems like too much of a bumbling moron. He's liable to order your grandson's death without thinking." Savrin said, believing that wholeheartedly.
Based on the letters he had exchanged to Fudge, giving the man advice on his own job, Savrin believed him woefully inept, and was kind of shocked that the people of this world trusted someone so incompetent to lead them. It did not bode well for the people.
"Call the meeting of the Wizengamot to start in the morning. By then I should have Sirius and be waiting in the Ministry building. Based on Fudge's reaction to Sirius disappearing from Azkaban, you should know whether or not we made the right decision." Savrin instructed, getting a nod of understanding from Arcturus.
"Before that, I want to see him. I want to be absolutely certain this is Peter Pettigrew." Arcturus spoke up when he thought Savrin was going to leave. "Very well." Was all Savrin had to say before he opened the cage and pulled the surprisingly docile rat out and placed it on the floor.
Pulling his wand from his sleeve, Arcturus cast Revelio on the rat, and before his very eyes it morphed and changed into an ugly, fat, short, man with patches of missing hair atop of his head. Unable to stop himself, Arcturus stepped forward and struck the pudgy man with as much strength as he could gather, the blow sending the man sprawling to the floor.
"Can you change him back? I don't think I'll be able to stop myself from killing him if you don't take him away from me." Arcturus asked as he cradled his right hand.
In response to the question, Savrin waved his hand over Peter's prone position and once more he began to morph, only this time it was back into the rat he had been before. After putting Peter back in his cage, Savrin decided now was the perfect time to see just what made Azkaban so terrifying.
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On a small island in the middle of the North Sea stood a tall building that was feared across all of Britain, and looking down at the things guarding the building, Savrin could understand why.
'What kind of cheap knock-offs are these?!' He grumbled internally as he stared at the beings that were known as Dementors. When he had read about these creatures during the times he had snuck into the Ministry of Magic, he imagined beings similar to banshees or ghosts, but now that he was looking at them, he couldn't help but note the similarities these creatures shared with his own race, the Zetrics.
"Why does it feel like the creatures of this world are poor imitations? First it was those ugly little goblins that control the currency of this country, who aren't even green! Then those pathetic excuses for elves, who are no more than slaves, I might add. Ugh! Despite their connection with magic, they're the lowest beings on the totem pole. Their mentality probably has something to do with why they are so short and hideous. And now these… things. They feed on peace, hope and happiness, but what happened to feeding off of magic? It's no wonder they look so malformed." Savrin ranted to himself as he thought about the beings he had encountered thus far in the world. So far he was not impressed.
Deciding that now was as perfect a time as any, Savrin flew down to the grim-looking tower, then approached the first Dementor he happened to see. "Excuse me? I have a few questions for you." He said once he was close enough to almost touch the thing.
The way it spun around and floated a good distance away, Savrin could guess that it hadn't registered his approach. 'So they don't have magic sight. Another deformity.' He told himself as he stared at the piece of the hood that hung over it's eyes.
"Don't tell me you're as stupid as the books say. You can understand the words I'm saying, correct?" Savrin asked, once more not receiving an answer. At least not a helpful one. "INTRUDER!" It managed to shout in a deep guttural raspy voice, then it began to howl, which sounded more like a dying pig than Savrin would have liked to hear.
Before Savrin could try and calm the thing down, more than twenty Dementors flew out of the tower and began flying in circles around him, all the while they howled and screamed. Having had enough of them, Savrin appeared in front of the first one he had tried talking to, then in an instant, his body changed from humanoid to a black shadow that completely encompassed the large wraith.
The other dementors flying around him seemed to freeze in the air as they tried to process what they were seeing, and when they finally realized just what was happening to their fellow soul-sucking companion, it was already too late.
Black tendrils shot out of the black mass and wrapped around their necks like nooses, then began dragging them in. No matter how hard they tried to get away, it was pointless. One after the other they were all sucked in, and before they knew it, they were gone.
"Ugh! *Blargh!* *Retching noises* I. Fucking. Hate. Dementors!" Savrin said angrily as he tried to get the taste of the foul creatures out of his system. He would have just tried killing them without eating them after finding out how gross they were, but surprisingly, once he started, he just couldn't stop.
That wasn't to say he was forced to eat them, but rather in the sense that it was literally the only way he knew of to kill them. Surprisingly, they didn't have souls, nor did they have magic, at least not in the typical sense.
They used the magic that they siphoned off of their victims, which proved that they were more similar to the Zetrics than he had thought, and that they didn't just feed off of sunshine and rainbows. For some reason, no magic Savrin knew would have destroyed them completely, however, there was nothing he had found that a Zetric couldn't devour, and apparently soulless wraiths were not exempt from that list.
Looking up at the tower before him, Savrin sensed the few hundred Dementors residing inside of it, and a dark thought crossed his mind. 'I'm going to have to eat every one of those things, aren't I?' He rhetorically asked himself.
Letting out a long drawn out sigh, Savrin continued on his way into the tower. Moving unseen by anyone, Savrin crept down the hallways, peering into the cells whenever he sensed someone inside. He knew what Sirius looked like from the newspaper in the Ministry records, so he knew what to look for, but reading the surface thoughts of the prisoners helped confirm they weren't him.
After searching through most of the cells in Azkaban, Savrin finally found Sirius hunkered down in the corner of his cell. The rags he was wearing were falling off at the seams, and he looked every bit like a man who hadn't been properly fed in a decade.
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(Sirius Black POV)
In his cell, Sirius was in a daze as he stared at a wall. For the past ten years, he had been lamenting about everything that had happened to his best friend, and he couldn't help but blame himself for it. Just like every other night, Sirius was reprimanding himself, when to his surprise, a light appeared in front of his eyes.
"What's going on? Who's there?" He rasped out in a dry voice. He was still being blinded by the bright light when he felt a force latch onto him, then for a moment it seemed as though he was falling, but the feeling only lasted an instant.
When the light disappeared and he managed to blink his eyes enough to get used to the much dimmer light, he found himself no longer in the cell he had been very intimate with for so long, but rather in another place, a place he knew very well, and once had also seemed like a prison.
"Sirius…" Said a voice. Turning around quickly, Sirius saw his grandfather, Arcturus sitting on a couch with widened eyes. Standing next to the couch was a man Sirius had never seen before, but the aura of power and dread he was giving off let him know that whoever he was, he was not to be taken lightly. Sirius was about to say something to his grandfather when he noticed a little cage on the table containing a rat. A very familiar rat.
"I'll admit, I've had this dream three thousand six hundred and nineteen times, but never was it here. Still, you were always so helpless, Peter. And I enjoyed it every single time." Sirius said as he moved towards the little cage with a murderous glint in his eye. Before he reached the rat, however, he found himself slamming into the floor with a crushing force bearing down on him, keeping him from moving.
"This isn't a dream. And if you do anything to ruin my plans, I won't hesitate to end your miserable little life." A voice spoke softly, however the words were anything but comforting. Sirius was just beginning to panic when the force pinning him to the floor disappeared, and he found himself back on his feet in the same spot he had arrived at.
"Sirius, let me explain what is going on before you do anything to get yourself killed!" Arcturus said quickly as he moved to stand between Sirius and the rat on the table. Sirius watched dumbly as his grandfather turned to the man standing beside the couch before he said, "Please take the rat away and give me a few minutes to let him know what's going on. I'll be quick."
Sirius was confused at the way his grandfather spoke to the man. In the years he had known the man before he went to prison, Arcturus was always commanding people to do his bidding, and people always did as he ordered them. However, when listening to the way he spoke to the man in front of him, his grandfather sounded scared, almost pleading even.
'Who is this man?' Sirius wondered. "You have five minutes before I take him away from here. You'll probably get a message of his escape sometime tonight and be asked if you know his whereabouts. I want you to be able to swear by magic that you have no idea where he is." The strange man stated, his words only confusing Sirius even more.
When the unknown man disappeared with Peter in hand, Sirius wanted to protest, but the warm embrace from his grandfather stopped any argument. "Oh Sirius. I'm sorry I ever doubted you." His grandfather said, sounding almost as sad as the time when his grandmother, Melania died in 1976.
"What's going on?" Sirius managed to ask after a moment of confusion. Pulling himself away from him, Arcturus' face turned from sad to grim before answering, "Clearing your name. I sent the letters to the Wizengamot a short while ago, as well as a few to the Daily Prophet. I'll be heading to meet Fudge after this, and in the morning we'll have your trial. With Pettigrew in our custody, and with a proper trial this time, I'm certain we can clear your name, and give a few people a black-eye in the process."
Sirius still didn't understand how his grandfather knew about Pettigrew being alive, but it didn't matter at the moment. The important thing was that he was free.
"Listen to me, Sirius. This is important. The man who was just in here, his name is Savrin Kincade. He is more powerful than any witch or wizard alive, and is helping us so long as I help him with his plans. Do not upset him in any way, and do everything he asks. He is the one who captured Pettigrew, and he is the one who broke you out of Azkaban. If you want to remain free and alive, don't cause any problems. Soon enough you will be cleared, then you will be free to move about the world. But until then. Listen to him." Arcturus said seriously, driving home the point that whoever this Savrin was, he was not to be messed with.
The fact that he was responsible for capturing Pettigrew already cemented Sirius' willingness to obey him for the time being, but to hear how scared his grandfather was of the man, really let Sirius know to be on his best behaviour.
"I'll do as he says." Sirius said, his voice still raspy. "Kreacher!" Arcturus called out, summoning the little house elf. "Yes master?" The house elf asked after popping into existence beside them. "Bring me fresh water and some food. Quickly." Arcturus ordered.
Less than a minute later Sirius was gulping down a glass of cold water, and once it was all gone, he began devouring the bowl of porridge in front of him.
"We don't have a lot of time, so I'll be brief. The trial will be in the morning, and once it is over, I will explain everything that has happened. For now just do as you're told and remain with Savrin until then. The Ministry will probably be up in arms when word of your escape gets out." Arcturus told him as he continued to eat the food placed before him.
Swallowing the food in his mouth, Sirius asked, "Why break me out? Why not just go to the Ministry and prove to them my innocence?" They were good questions, but now wasn't the time to explain, so the short version would do.
"The Ministry messed up. We believe they would rather you die then let it get out that they made a mistake. There is no guarantee you would have lived to see a trial." Arcturus said quickly. His grandfather's words brought Sirius up short, and he couldn't help it when his eyes widened at the thought of the Dementors coming to silence him before he got the chance to gain his freedom.
"It's time." A voice said from beside them, causing Sirius to turn his head and see the man his grandfather warned him about. He had never heard of this man before today, but if he had to keep his mouth shut and do what he was told for one night, he thought that was something he could manage.
"Where will you take me?" Sirius couldn't help but ask. "You'll find out soon." The man said before he turned to Arcturus. "You had better get going to the Ministry. They will be finding out about his escape in a few minutes." Savrin said, getting a nod of understanding from Arcturus before the man began moving out of the room. Before Sirius could ask another question, he found himself being enveloped in shadows before the room shifted.
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(Arcturus Black POV)
Things were going well for Arcturus, despite the problems he was causing at the Ministry. Savrin had been correct when he said the Ministry would be up in arms about Sirius' escape, and the way Fudge was handling it led Arcturus to believe that Savrin was also right when he said Sirius wouldn't have survived the night had he not been broken out of Azkaban.
Fudge had given the Dementors the go-ahead to give Sirius the Kiss as soon as he was captured, which did not bode well. He'd have thought the Ministry would like to interrogate Sirius to figure out how he escaped their inescapable prison so nothing like this happened again, but that was not at all what was happening.
WANTED posters were distributed within hours, and most officials were burning the midnight oil to try and contain the chaos that was happening. On top of that, the Ministry couldn't actually avoid Arcturus or postpone their meeting, considering how rich he was. More people in the Ministry owed him favors than those who didn't, so thankfully the meeting was still happening.
Arcturus had been very vague as to his true intentions, stating he wanted a meeting to discuss something, but he never actually said what it was. Still, the Wizengamot were already gathering, and the reporters from the Daily Prophet had already arrived.
On top of that, Arcturus made a note to invite a number of people who owed him favors, people who just so happened to be from powerful pure-blood families. He would use their attendance to push the trial even further and maybe get some compensation for Sirius for his time served.
Maybe even get Fudge ousted. That was the least he could do, especially after the idiot gave the Dementors the go-ahead to Kiss Sirius.
"What is the meaning of this, Lord Black? Why have you called me here today?" Asked a tall slender man with golden yellow hair. He wore the finest robes a wizard could buy, and stood with his back straight, giving off the presence of nobility.
"Hello, Lord Greengrass. It is a pleasure to see you again." Arcturus said smoothly as he dipped his head in greeting.
"Dispense with the formalities. Why am I here?" The tall man asked.
"You're here because I asked. And you'll stay because it is in your house's best interest to attend this meeting. I would also like to remind you of the debt your family owes me. Should you leave now, I will call for the full repayment today." Arcturus explained flatly, not showing any of the pomp or flare he had shown the man only moments before.
If being courteous wasn't working, he would play one of his cards now. It was annoying to play one so early, but he would if he needed to. Taken aback by his words, the tall man blinked owlishly a few times, then recomposed himself before he made his way to the public stands where he could view the proceedings.
'If Cyrus was anything like his father, there wouldn't have been a need for that.' Arcturus thought to himself as he compared Cyrus to the previous Lord Greengrass, who had been a dear friend of his before his passing some years prior. The man had been powerful to be sure, but he knew how to treat his friends, and his enemies.
One after another people entered into the chamber until finally it was almost completely packed. Despite the number of people gathered, none knew of the reason behind the Wizengamot meeting, and it was amusing for Arcturus to listen in as people guessed what it might be about.
Strangely enough, many of the people were guessing it had something to do with the debts owed to House Black. They were half right.
Some wondered if the meeting had anything to do with Sirius Black, seeing as how he had escaped the night prior, but others countered that with the fact that the meeting had been requested before Black's escape.
Once everyone had gathered, Arcturus checked the time. 'Less than a minute remaining. Savrin sure likes to make an entrance.' He thought anxiously. Just as the final seconds ticked down, the doors leading into the chambers opened, and in walked Savrin with Sirius standing right beside him.
Upon seeing Sirius, the room seemed to erupt in chatter as many witches and wizards got to their feet, many of them making an attempt at their wands. They failed. With a wave of his hand, Savrin brought the room to a deathly silence as everyone seemed to freeze in place.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the Wizengamot and honored guests, I implore you to remain quiet and seated as you witness the proceedings here today. To those of you who cannot follow this simple request, I would ask you to bite your tongues and leave quietly while you can." Savrin said to the whole room, then the light from his hand disappeared and everyone was allowed to move once more.
Of those present, none moved to leave the room and no one attempted to reach for their wands. Another thing of note, no one was staring at Sirius any longer, rather they were all focused on Savrin, which Arcturus thought was smart.
'He is the most frightening person in the room.' Arcturus thought, absently wondering if Savrin was going to kill anyone here today. With all eyes on him, Savrin gestured for Sirius to move forward before he sat him down in a chair that was centered in the middle of the room.
As calmly as could be, Savrin brought out a weird crystal that was shaped like a diamond, and after touching the top of it, a white light began to emanate from it before it rose into the air, stopping only when it was a few feet from the ceiling of the room. With his preparations completed, Savrin nodded to Arcturus, giving him the signal that now was the time to begin.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the Wizengamot and honored guests, I have called this meeting of the Wizengamot today, October the 12th, to address a grave injustice that has been committed against the Ancient and Noble House of Black." Here Arcturus paused as he leveled his stare on Fudge, who at least had the decency to look scared.
"On October 31st, 1981 a scion of House Black was apprehended by the Ministry, but unlike every single arrested Death Eater who served Lord Voldemort, he was not afforded a trial." Arcturus paused once more to let his words sink in, but also to allow the reporters standing to the side of the room to write down his words, as well as get the reactions of those present.
"This sets a dangerous precedence if we allow the ministry to imprison people without a trial, especially those who come from ancient houses. We Lords and Ladies have served this country since its founding, so to be so unjustly treated is unacceptable!" Arcturus had to take a few deep breaths to calm himself, knowing that there would be time later to show his anger, but now was not it.
"The man sitting before you is Sirius Orion Black, heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Black. As many of you well know, he escaped last night from the confines of Azkaban prison, where for the last ten years he has been tortured by Dementors for a crime he did not commit. He-" Arcturus' speech was interrupted when Fudge banged a gavel down on the podium in front of him.
"Now see here, Lord Black! You have no proof of his innocence!" Fudge cried out angrily. "And what proof do you have of his guilt?!" Arcturus growled out, almost demanding Fudge to show him proof. Unable to bring forth evidence of such a thing, Fudge kept his mouth shut.
Rather than continue his speech, Arcturus looked to the right side of Fudge's podium and gestured towards a square-jawed witch with close-cropped grey hair, who wore a single monocle over her right eye. She looked serious and intimidating, but that didn't stop Arcturus from saying what he had to say.
"Madam Bones, I trust you have in your possession, a bottle of Veritaserum?" Those in the room leaned forward so as to better hear and see what was about to unfold, for they knew that things were just getting started.
At his words, Amelia Bones, head of the DMLE (Department of Magical Law Enforcement) rose to her feet, then took out a small bottle from a pouch at her waist. Last night she had received a letter, asking her to bring the truth serum for an interrogation, though she had no idea who was to be interrogated at the time.
"Now see here! This is highly irregular, and does not follow the proper protocol! How do we know that it is really Veritaserum?!" Fudge said quickly as he tried to stop what was happening.
"Are you insinuating that the Head of Magical Law Enforcement cannot be trusted, Minister?" Arcturus asked, finding Fudge to be highly inept if he was questioning Amelia Bones of all people. Especially in front of such a large crowd. "O-Of course not! I didn't mean it like that!" Fudge said, trying to backtrack.
Everyone watched Amelia Bones step down and stand in front of Sirius, then witnessed her pour three drops of the clear fluid into Sirius' mouth. Since some wizards and witches could resist its effects while others could not, Veritaserum was "unfair and unreliable to use at a trial", and would have been difficult to use as definitive proof of guilt or innocence. However, in front of so many people, no one was willing to question its use. At least no one sane enough.
"How do we know that's really Veritaserum?" Barty Crouch Sr asked, speaking up for the first time since his arrival.
"If you would like, I would be more than happy to let you test it for yourself. Perhaps the Minister would like to try a few drops as well?" Amelia asked Crouch, who seemed to recoil at the request.
Despite feeling as though the whole "trial" was unorthodox herself, Amelia did not like it when people questioned her. She had strived to be a fair and just witch her whole life, and to be questioned so publicly was making her angry.
Turning her attention to Sirius, Amelia asked the first question. "What is your name?" Sirius answered honestly. "When were you born?" She asked. "November 3, 1959." He answered plainly, sounding as though he wasn't really thinking, which was good.
"Did you ever serve the Dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort?" She asked coldly. In her defense, Sirius had been an Auror at the time of his arrest, so thinking that one of her own could have been a traitor infuriated her. Depending on his answer, she might torture him herself. However his answer was one she hoped to hear.
"Never." Sirius said, and Amelia couldn't help but think that he might have screamed the answer had he not been under the Serum's effect. She paused long enough for the crowd to quiet down, then continued.
"Did you betray James and Lily Potter to the Death Eaters?" She asked. "No. I would rather have died myself than betray them." Sirius said, a portion of his feelings coming through the Serum's effects.
"Who betrayed the Potters?" Amelia asked, truly enthralled now. "Peter Pettigrew." Sirius answered, and at once the room erupted.
Some people shouted "LIES!" while others asked for proof. Eventually the room calmed and Amelia was allowed to continue. "What happened on the night of October 31st, 1981?" She asked, hoping to get some answers that didn't make her want to ask ten more.
What followed was Sirius explaining everything leading up to James and Lily's deaths. He explained how they wanted him to be the secret keeper, and even how they all suspected a traitor in the Order of the Phoenix, which is why he thought it would be a clever idea to let everyone believe he was the secret keeper, but then have Peter take his place. He had no idea he had just turned his friends over to the traitor.
Sirius also explained how he had arrived at Godric's Hollow that night, and after finding James and Lily dead, he had gone after Peter to kill him, and even went into detail about Peter using a Bombarda on a muggle gas line, which caused such a big explosion that it killed twelve muggles. He even went on to explain how Peter cut-off his finger before he turned into his illegal Animagus form, which was a rat.
"That is a great story, Mr. Black, however-" Fudge began, only to be interrupted by Arcturus when he growled, "LORD BLACK! Sirius is my heir, and as such you will refer to him with the title he deserves!"
It may have seemed trivial, but when it seemed as though a Lord was being punished versus a common wizard, it sounded more serious this way. Especially to those in attendance, most of whom held titles of their own.
"Right. Lord Black. I'm sure this is all just a marvelous rendition of a well rehearsed speech. One of the problems with using Veritaserum for a trial is that the victim can answer whatever they believe to be true, so the victim's sanity and perception of reality are key factors during an interrogation. Given how the man has spent the last ten years in Azkaban as you so rightly informed us, his sanity is in question. Therefore, while his answers may seem sincere, they are not necessarily true." Fudge explained, for once making some sense.
"Right you are, Minister. Which is why I thought it prudent to bring the real guilty party forward to answer for his crimes." Arcturus said with a wolfish smile, it looked as though he was going to rip Fudge apart with his teeth.
It was here that Arcturus turned to Savrin and held out his hand, and it was only then that everyone noticed the small cage containing an ugly brown rat. Taking a moment, Arcturus took out his wand and stunned the rat in front of everyone, then took it out from the cage.
"As you all now know, Peter Pettigrew was an Animagus who could turn into a rat. You also know that the only piece of him recovered at the scene of the attack ten years ago was a severed finger. As you all can see, this rat is missing one of its claws." Arcturus said as he held up the rat for all to see, and it was only then that someone from the crowd of spectators made himself known.
"Scabbers?!" Arthur Weasley cried from the audience. "Excellent timing, Lord Weasley. Please come forth." Arcturus said to the red-haired man who now had the attention of everyone present.
Reluctantly, Arthur made his way down to where Amelia and Arcturus were standing. "You recognize this rat, correct?" Arcturus asked coolly. "Yes I do. It's my son Ron's pet rat, Scabbers." Arthur answered honestly.
"And how long has your son had this pet rat?" Arcturus couldn't help but ask. "Well, my son Percy found him almost ten years ago now, and about three or four months ago, he gave him to my youngest son Ron after he was given a pet owl." Arthur answered, sounding a little troubled as he spoke.
"Almost ten years. That's quite long-lived for a rat. Generally they typically only live three years, do they not?" Arcturus asked, sounding genuinely curious. "Indeed they do." Amelia answered for the room.
Though it wasn't publicly known, Amelia had once had a pet rat as a child, and it had indeed died after having it less than two years. Because of their short life span and her attachment to pets, she had decided against getting another one after doing her research on the subject.
Deciding to not hold it off any longer, Arcturus placed the rat on the floor in the middle of the room. "Madam Bones, would you please do the honor?" He asked the head of the DMLE, who was all too willing to draw her wand.
Everyone watched her cast Revelio on the rat, and saw how it began to grow and grow into a short balding man with rat-like features. Those watching the events unfold were on the edge of their seats, and they waited with bated breaths to see what would happen next.
"The serum." Was all Arcturus said before Amelia moved to administer the Veritaserum. She removed the paralysis that kept the former rat frozen, then with nothing but her own strength, she forced the serum in his mouth and down his throat.
"What is your name?" She asked coldly. Despite not yet knowing the truth, the fact that this man had been hiding for the last ten years as a young boy's pet, did not win him any favors with Amelia. "Peter Pettigrew." The balding man answered. "When were you born?" Amelia asked. "September 13, 1959." Peter answered plainly in his high-pitched voice.
"Did you ever serve the dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort?" She asked, though she suspected the answer already. "Yes." He answered, and at once the room erupted into whispers.
"Were you the secret keeper for James and Lily Potter?" She asked, again already suspecting the answer. "Yes. It was Sirius' idea." He said, not knowing that he had already damned himself. "Did you betray James and Lily to Voldemort?" She asked. Without hesitating, Peter answered, "Yes."
When asked what happened on October 31st, 1981, Peter began to tell the story of how he had gone to Voldemort and revealed the Potters location. On top of that, he had been there that night with the Dark Lord, and when Voldemort perished by the hands of the infant, Peter fled the scene before Sirius could find him.
Next he explained how when Sirius eventually caught up with him and they fought and he blew up the muggle gas line before fleeing the scene as a rat. When asked what he had been doing up to this point, he explained how he had been found by a young red-haired boy and was taken in as the family pet.
Arthur Weasley tried to strangle the man when he learned of how Peter would often spy on his wife when she undressed, and actually did try to kill the rat when Peter explained how much he preferred to look at his daughter.
"Is that proof enough for you, Minster?" Arcturus asked Fudge, who at least had the decency to keep his mouth shut during the whole explanation. With the proof irrefutable, Fudge had no choice but to concede to Arcturus, who seemed to be just warming up.
It was here that Arcturus pulled out a few documents from his coat and held them up into the air for all to see. "As you all now know, Sirius is innocent. However, what some of you don't know is, he is the Godfather to Harry James Potter, which these documents will prove. Eleven years ago, he and James Potter made an oath of blood and magic, sealing this fact." Arcturus explained, earning a few gasps from a select few in the crowd who understood what the blood oath entailed, and what it meant.
"The Potter Will was sealed from the public eye by Ministry officials. I want the names of every one who knew the contents of the Will. Furthermore, Sirius will be allowed to meet Harry Potter, and will be in charge of his wellbeing. At least after he has had time to mentally recover from his unjust imprisonment." Arcturus said, this time looking to Sirius who had been given the antidote to the Veritaserum. Arcturus wanted Sirius to know that whether or not he got approved to look after his Godson was entirely up to him. Should he, Sirius' own grandfather deem him mentally unfit to be the boy's guardian, no one would think twice about it, especially after seeing how gaunt and haggard he looked.
Though he was loathed to do it, he needed Sirius to listen to him and take up the mantle as the next head of the family, and if he had to use Harry Potter to do it, he would.
"I expect the Ministry to publicly announce my grandson's innocence, and I expect compensation for being wrongly accused for ten years. On top of that, I want to know why every other Death Eater was given a trial, and yet you felt that my grandson was not deemed worthy of that right." Arcturus paused here and turned to address those in attendance.
"House Black will also be calling in a number of debts owed. You will find out who you are shortly this evening."
For well over an hour things progressed in Arcturus' favor, then once a Dementor was brought in and sucked the soul from Peter, the meeting was finally called to an end.
While the rest of the crowd was leaving the chambers, Amelia approached Arcturus, and this time she was far less pleased than she had been before the meeting.
"Care to inform me how your grandson broke out of Azkaban, and why when you were asked about his whereabouts, you informed the DMLE that you had no knowledge of where he was?" Amelia asked, sounding cold. "I also want to know who this man is." She added as she turned to look at Savrin, who had remained in the background of the trial.
"Of course. Please, lead the way to your office. This will be a long story." Arcturus said, hoping to placate the woman so she didn't try to stick her nose in his business.
Savrin meanwhile followed along with the newly exonerated Sirius in tow, who had yet to stop smiling since Peter was killed. At least he had stopped laughing after Arthur demanded they throw Pettigrew's body through the veil of Death, which had actually met a chorus' of agreement from the spectators.
As he moved in step with Amelia, Arcturus couldn't help but look over his shoulder at Savrin, who was far more reserved than he suspected he would be.
'Oh well. One problem solved, and a million to go.' He consoled himself, deciding that there was no point in thinking about the number of problems he would have on his plate after today.