May 6th, 1991 – 8:00 a.m.
Courtroom Three, Ministry of Magic
The enchanted clock at the rear of the chamber chimed the hour. At precisely eight o'clock, the great doors of Courtroom Three closed of their own accord, locking into place with a quiet but final resonance. Silencing wards engaged along the gallery, and the golden quill of the court scribe lifted from its rest to hover at the ready.
The full Wizengamot had assembled. Members sat robed in deep plum, arranged in ascending tiers of stone. Every seat was filled, and every gaze focused on the matter at hand. This was no ordinary session.
At the center of the chamber, seated in a conjured chair of silver oak, was Sirius Orion Black. He was clean-shaven, his formal robes restored to the dignity of his House, though his frame still bore the lean severity of long imprisonment. His hands rested calmly before him, unshackled. He had submitted to all magical bindings required of the accused, including Veritaserum and an oath of truth freely given.
Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, stood at the central dais in her formal robes of office. Her posture was erect, her expression composed but grave.
"The Wizengamot recognizes this emergency session, convened to address the wrongful imprisonment and conviction of one Sirius Orion Black," she announced clearly. "Let the proceedings be conducted with order, integrity, and adherence to law."
To her right sat Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, notably silent. To her left, Albus Dumbledore, Supreme Mugwump, watched the proceedings with a measured calm. Neither held procedural authority in this chamber today. That belonged to the DMLE.
Across the courtroom, legal counsel had taken their place. Ted Tonks sat beside his wife Andromeda, who had assumed primary responsibility for the defense. Both bore the formal robes of legal representation and wore expressions of controlled determination.
On the lower platform reserved for witnesses and observing Lords, Arcturus Black and Percival L. Myrddin were present in full regalia. Beside them sat Joshua Emrys Myrddin, formally acknowledged heir of House Myrddin, Sayre, Peverell, and Evans. He wore no expression, though the five rings on his right hand marked him unmistakably. The fifth, presented earlier that morning by Lord Black himself, bore the insignia of the Black family, not as heir, but as blood and kin, restored to recognition.
Senior Auror Rufus Scrimgeour stood along the perimeter, arms folded behind his back, flanked by two pensieve technicians and a wand examiner. A Gringotts representative stood to one side with a sealed scroll tube, ready for submission.
From the gallery, members of the Wizengamot observed in varying degrees of interest. Lucius Malfoy sat near the front, perfectly composed, one gloved hand resting lightly upon his cane. Dolores Umbridge, Junior Undersecretary to the Minister, sat stiffly with quill poised, already prepared to object.
Amelia lifted the scroll from her lectern and unsealed it with a flick of her wand.
"We begin with formal acknowledgment of the charges levied in 1981 against the accused. Let the court be advised that the Ministry of Magic recognizes substantial procedural failures in the arrest and detention of Mr. Black, including denial of trial, denial of legal counsel, and absence of formal conviction."
A murmur spread through the upper tier. She raised a hand. Silence returned.
"Today, we will examine new evidence submitted for review, including the last will and testament of James and Lily Potter, verified bloodline documentation from Gringotts, testimony obtained under Veritaserum, and wand analysis confirming spell history. A full memory extraction has also been prepared for pensieve viewing."
She turned her eyes toward the center of the chamber.
"Mr. Black, you have submitted freely to the required oath and administering of Veritaserum. You may now address the court with your account."
Only then did Sirius rise.
A robed official from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement stepped forward, holding a crystal vial of clear, swirling liquid. He gave a short nod to Amelia Bones before approaching the center of the chamber. With practiced care, he uncorked the vial and held it aloft.
"Sirius Orion Black, do you consent to the administration of Veritaserum?"
"I do," Sirius replied.
Three drops were placed on his tongue. He swallowed without hesitation.
A shimmer of pale light passed over him as the Veritaserum took hold, followed by a second glow as the magically sworn oath settled into place. The official stepped back and resumed his position.
Amelia Bones gave a single nod. "The court recognizes full submission to magical truth-binding. Mr. Black, you may now give your account."
Sirius straightened slowly. Though lean from imprisonment, his bearing was steady and his voice clear.
"My name is Sirius Orion Black. I was born on November third, nineteen fifty-nine, to Orion and Walburga Black. I am the last living male of the primary Black line."
"I was never the Secret Keeper for James and Lily Potter," he said, voice even. "At the last moment, I convinced James to choose someone no one would suspect. Peter Pettigrew."
A few murmurs stirred in the upper tier.
"After the Potters were killed, I went after Peter. I found him on a Muggle street. He shouted something about me betraying James and Lily, then created an explosion. When the smoke cleared, he was gone. All they found was a severed finger and twelve dead Muggles."
"I was arrested without trial. I was not questioned. I was not given legal counsel. I was taken directly to Azkaban, where I remained until yesterday."
He paused, breathing through his nose.
"I did not betray the Potters. I loved them like family. I would have died before giving them up."
"I did not kill those Muggles. I did not kill Peter Pettigrew."
He looked up toward the gallery.
"I believe Peter escaped that day. He is an unregistered Animagus, capable of transforming into a rat. At the time, I was too consumed by grief and rage to see it. I had years to reflect in Azkaban. The more I thought about it, the more certain I became that he transformed and fled."
He glanced toward Amelia, then to the gathered Wizengamot.
"You have the tools to verify everything. My wand has no record of casting the killing spells. Gringotts has confirmed my lineage. The will of the Potters is present. My memories have been prepared for viewing. I submit to any examination the court deems necessary."
Amelia gave a solemn nod.
"Thank you, Mr. Black. Your testimony is acknowledged and recorded. The court will now proceed to review the submitted evidence."
She turned toward the pensieve technicians and raised a hand.
"Begin with the wand analysis."
Before the pensieve technicians could approach, a voice rang out from the upper tier.
"Objection," came the crisp tone of Bartemius Crouch Sr., rising to his feet with righteous indignation in his bearing. "These are serious accusations. The witness has just implied gross negligence, if not outright corruption, within the Ministry of Magic and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He casts blame upon a decorated war hero, a recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class, and claims the presence of an unregistered Animagus within our ranks for nearly a decade. And now, after nearly ten years in Azkaban, these claims suddenly emerge?"
He looked pointedly toward the center dais.
"I must ask, Madam Bones. What has prompted this eleventh-hour inquiry? Why now, after all this time? And on whose authority was this trial convened without prior review by the full Wizengamot council?"
A second voice followed immediately, shriller but no less firm.
"Hear, hear," added Dolores Umbridge from her seat near the Minister. "This is an egregious departure from protocol. A convicted criminal is handed the floor without challenge, and we are expected to take his word on the strength of sentiment? This entire proceeding borders on insubordination."
From his chair, Sirius let out a sharp breath but said nothing.
Amelia Bones's expression remained unreadable as she turned toward the objectors.
"The trial was convened under emergency authority vested in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement by precedent set forth during the Grindelwald War," she said, voice cool and unshaken. "Given the nature and strength of the evidence brought forward, and the potential miscarriage of justice, this action was not only legal but necessary."
She let her gaze sweep across the chamber.
"As for the timing, new testimony, legally binding magical oaths, and a sealed will opened under Goblin contract law have made it unavoidable. Furthermore, the accused did not request this hearing. It was petitioned by a member of this body."
Several heads turned toward the lower platform where Arcturus Black sat impassively beside Lord Myrddin.
Crouch's eyes narrowed.
"And which member, precisely?"
Arcturus answered without rising, his voice rough but clear.
"I did."
Murmurs rippled again through the chamber, silenced only when Percival L. Myrddin cleared his throat beside him.
Amelia continued. "Lord Black has provided verifiable documents, magical corroboration, and witness testimony supporting the claim that Mr. Black was imprisoned without trial. The court is now obligated to examine the evidence in full."
She nodded once more to the technicians.
"Proceed with the wand analysis. And let the record show that objections have been heard and overruled."
The golden quill scratched faithfully across the parchment. Silence settled again as the next phase began.
Before the technicians could proceed, another interruption echoed through the chamber.
"Ahem."
Dolores Umbridge rose slightly from her seat, her pink quill twitching between her fingers. A tight smile stretched across her face as she looked down toward the center of the floor.
"If it please the court," she began with exaggerated sweetness, "might we ask how, precisely, Lord Black came into possession of these rather startling revelations? Given that this information was allegedly suppressed for nearly a decade and only now brought forward, the timing appears remarkably convenient."
Her voice carried, sharp and polished. "Surely, the Wizengamot deserves clarification on the source of this sudden insight. We would not wish to establish a precedent that encourages unsubstantiated claims based solely on long-withheld hearsay."
Arcturus Black stood without hurry, leaning lightly upon the ceremonial staff that marked his status.
"The source of this revelation is neither rumor nor whim," he said clearly, voice resonant across the stone chamber. "It came to me through blood. A kinsman of the House of Black, Joshua Myrddin, brought forward records and irregularities that demanded attention. He submitted evidence to me privately, which I then verified through proper channels."
He allowed a pause.
"It was not submitted earlier because it was not known earlier. This court may see convenience. I see correction. The moment truth comes to light, we act."
He returned to his seat. Umbridge frowned but did not respond.
Amelia Bones nodded once.
"The court acknowledges the clarification and reminds all present that motive and timing will be judged alongside material evidence. Proceed."
Umbridge did not sit.
Her voice, saccharine and edged with suspicion, rang out again.
"And this Mister Myrddin," she said, eyes narrowing behind her lashes, "what precisely is his relation to House Black that he should be privy to such... delicate matters? I was under the impression that House Black had but one rightful heir."
Several heads turned toward the observation platform.
Joshua Myrddin remained seated, gaze even. He stood only when Arcturus gestured faintly.
Josh descended the short stairs to the chamber floor, the echo of his steps crisp on the stone.
"My name is Joshua Emrys Myrddin," he said clearly. "I am the formally recognized Heir of House Myrddin, as well as the direct-line heir of Houses Sayre, Peverell, and Evans. I carry their rings, as witnessed in the records of Gringotts."
He raised his right hand slowly. The rings gleamed in the light, unmistakable in design and authority.
"The ring I wear for House Black," he continued, "was presented this very morning by Lord Arcturus, not as heir, but as kin. A mark of blood, not title."
Umbridge sniffed.
"And yet, we are to believe you unearthed hidden truths where the entire Ministry failed to look?"
Josh met her gaze.
"Perhaps because I looked."
Several murmurs broke in the gallery. Arcturus inclined his head.
"Enough," Percival Myrddin said sharply from the Lords' bench. "Casting aspersions upon my heir's name, while he stands here under public scrutiny, borders on slander. Let the evidence speak. Not your tone."
Amelia raised a hand for silence.
"Let the record show Mister Myrddin's status has been affirmed through magical and legal means. Unless further challenge is raised with cause, we may proceed with the examinationof the evidence."
Josh nodded and returned to his seat, his expression unreadable.
Sirius, still seated in the center, offered the faintest smile.
The wand examiner stepped forward, reverently removing Sirius Black's wand from its protective case. With a practiced hand, he passed it through a detection field calibrated for spell residue and historical casting analysis. Colored lights shimmered briefly around the wand's tip before resolving into a pale blue glow.
"No evidence of offensive spellwork consistent with the events of October thirty-first, nineteen eighty-one," he announced. "No traces of the Killing Curse, Blasting Hex, or any known lethal incantation recorded from the wand."
He paused for a moment, then gave a slight bow to Amelia. "The wand is clean."
The pensieve technicians followed, placing the silvery basin at the center of the courtroom. A swirling strand of memory was drawn from a secured vial and added to the contents. At Amelia's nod, a projection spell was cast above the basin, displaying the sequence in full, visible to all.
Sirius's voice echoed over the chamber, recounting the same words he had spoken moments earlier, his tone raw with memory but perfectly aligned with his testimony. The visual showed his confrontation with Pettigrew on the street, the explosion, and the chaos that followed. No discrepancies appeared.
When the projection ended, silence lingered for a long moment before the lead technician stepped back.
"The memory is genuine. No tampering. Emotionally consistent and temporally unbroken."
Next came the goblin representative. He stepped forward and broke the wax seal on the scroll tube with a flick of a clawed nail. "Gringotts confirms the submitted documents as authentic. Bloodline verification conducted on May fifth, nineteen ninety-one. The accused is confirmed as Sirius Orion Black, Heir of House Black, bearing no bloodline tampering or enchantment. No additional heirs legally preempt his claim."
He re-sealed the documents and stepped back.
Amelia's voice rang out once more. "Let the record show that all submitted evidence to this point aligns with the testimony given under oath and Veritaserum. No magical inconsistencies or contradictions have been found."
She allowed a pause.
"Next, we will examine the will of James and Lily Potter."