Amelia Bones lifted the next scroll from her stack, still sealed in goblin wax.
"The court now turns to the matter of the last will and testament of James and Lily Potter. This version was secured in a private vault under Sirius Black's authority, filed independently of the Ministry and Gringotts official archives."
She let that statement settle before continuing.
"This is a fourth, possibly fifth copy. It was created by the Potters as a failsafe, should their formal wills on file with the Ministry, Gringotts, or their individual legacy vaults be sealed, tampered with, or withheld from execution by any party."
A low wave of murmurs moved through the gallery and across the benches.
"It was submitted to this court under the joint authority of House Black and the legal counsel of the Tonks family," she added, glancing at the defense table.
Before she could break the seal, Albus Dumbledore rose from his seat.
"If I may, Madam Bones," he said, his voice calm and composed. "In light of the evidence already reviewed, the Veritaserum testimony, the memory projection, the wand analysis, and the Gringotts confirmation, it may not be necessary to read the will aloud."
He looked out over the court, thoughtful.
"Harry Potter is still a child. This will, while legally relevant, may contain private instructions not suitable for public airing. The court has ample cause to clear Mr. Black's name without breaching the privacy of the boy's inheritance."
The pause that followed was long enough to become tense.
Arcturus Black rose to his feet, leaning heavily on his ceremonial staff.
"This will is not a courtesy," he said, voice gravelled with age but unshaken. "It is a legal instrument, sealed under ancient law, and withheld until now through oversight or interference."
His gaze turned sharply toward the upper tier.
"If it confirms what my grandson has claimed, then it must be read. To refuse now would be to show intent to continue the miscarriage of justice that has already shamed this court."
Andromeda Tonks rose next.
"The original wills on file with Gringotts were sealed under magical contract and were to be opened upon the deaths of both Potters. They were not. That failure alone warrants this court's attention. This copy was placed in a private vault by James Potter himself and entrusted to Sirius Black. It was meant to be submitted if the others were blocked."
Ted Tonks stood beside her.
"No wartime edict remains in place to justify the continued sealing of a magical will. We are no longer at war. There is no legal cause to deny its reading."
Amelia turned toward the high bench.
"Do you formally object to the reading, Supreme Mugwump?"
Dumbledore held still for a moment, then gave a single measured shake of his head.
"No, Madam Bones. I do not."
"Very well," she said. "The objection is withdrawn. The reading will proceed."
She rested the scroll on the lectern, unbroken but no longer ignored.
Amelia Bones laid the scroll gently on the reading dais. With a tap of her wand, the seal broke, and the parchment began to unfurl under its own power, guided by a soft golden glow. No voice echoed aloud; instead, the text projected clearly into the air for all to read, framed by a faint ward of authenticity.
To whom it may concern,
If this will is being read, then contingencies that have been put in place should be activated that shall keep with our last will and testament.
Filed August 1st, 1990, by Lord James Charlus Potter of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter, Senior Auror, and Lady Lily Evans Potter, both being of sound mind and body.
It is our wish that in the event that both of us are to perish, our son Harry James Potter shall be placed into the care of his godfather, Heir Sirius Orion Black.
Should Sirius also have perished or been rendered unable to serve in this role, guardianship shall pass to his godmother, Alice Longbottom, and her husband, Lord Frank Longbottom of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom, much as their son, our godson, would have come to live with us under similar tragedy.
Failing that, custody shall pass to our closest living relative by blood and magic, Lord Percival L. Myrddin of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Myrddin.
Should none of the above be possible, guardianship shall be offered in the following order:
Professor Minerva McGonagall
Professor Filius Flitwick
Edgar Bones
Andromeda Tonks née Black
Elphias Doge
Emmeline Vance
Caradoc Dearborn
Marlene McKinnon (posthumous removal if confirmed deceased)
Under no circumstances is our son to be placed in the care of Petunia Dursley née Evans or her husband Vernon Dursley, as they have demonstrated both a personal disdain for James Potter and a virulent hatred for the magical world.
Additional individuals to be explicitly barred from any custodial or legal authority over our son include:
Severus Tobias Snape
Lucius Abraxas Malfoy
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Furthermore, let it be stated that in recent months we entered magical hiding under the protection of the Fidelius Charm. Peter Pettigrew was chosen as our Secret Keeper, with the full knowledge of Sirius Orion Black, in an effort to obscure our location from Voldemort and his followers.
At the time of writing, we had begun to suspect a mole within the Order of the Phoenix and feared that elements of the Wizengamot were being held in magical stasis or misled through external influence.
This document is filed in accordance with the laws of Gringotts, under sovereign magical contract. Any attempt to seal, alter, or ignore its instructions shall invoke the curse-breaker clause of Willbinding Accord 776-B.
Signed in witness,
James Charlus Potter
Lily Evans Potter
The light faded. The parchment rolled closed, sealed once more by its now-exhausted charm.
Amelia turned slowly back to the Wizengamot.
"There is your answer."
For a moment, no one spoke.
The silence that followed the will's reading was dense. It was not stunned, not shocked, but watchful. The kind of silence found before a duel begins. In the highest tiers of the Wizengamot, even the most veteran members avoided eye contact.
From the center bench, Albus Dumbledore slowly rose.
His expression remained calm, his beard tucked neatly against the deep blue robes of his station, hands folded lightly in front of him.
"There is no doubt that the will presented has been lawfully filed and, by all appearances, genuinely executed," he began, his voice gentle but clear. "However, I must question whether a full reading was strictly necessary. The submitted testimony, wand evidence, and bloodline verification already corroborate Mr. Black's innocence. Prolonging these proceedings with testamentary material of this nature may invite undue confusion or misinterpretation."
The words were wrapped in civility, but the implication beneath was unmistakable.
Before he could continue, Andromeda Tonks rose from her seat, her voice sharp with measured control.
"Respectfully, Chief Warlock, that statement borders on obstruction."
She did not raise her voice. She did not need to. There was steel in every word.
"This will was lawfully filed under sovereign magical contract, reinforced by multiple redundancies precisely to ensure its directives could not be ignored. The fact that its primary custodial instructions were violated for nearly a decade is not irrelevant. Nor is the identity of the Secret Keeper. If this document had been read ten years ago, Sirius Orion Black would not have spent a single day in Azkaban."
Ted Tonks added, "Furthermore, the will names Albus Dumbledore among those explicitly barred from custodial authority. That alone warrants careful examination."
Arcturus Black leaned forward slightly, his voice gravelly with age but clear as cut glass.
"I second that observation. This document did not merely corroborate testimony. It named names. It named you, Albus."
Murmurs spread in earnest now. Even Lucius Malfoy looked briefly surprised.
Amelia Bones raised one hand, restoring order with a single, practiced motion.
"The court acknowledges the gravity of the will's contents," she said. "This document would have, if read in a timely fashion, prevented the very miscarriage of justice we are correcting today. Its sealing, suppression, or mishandling, whether intentional or not, must be investigated separately. However, it is germane to these proceedings."
She gave Dumbledore a level look.
"With respect, Supreme Mugwump, the court will determine what is or is not necessary."
Dumbledore inclined his head and resumed his seat.
Joshua Myrddin glanced across the room to Arcturus, who gave him the faintest nod.
And from his place in the center of the floor, Sirius Orion Black sat motionless. For the first time since entering the courtroom, a flicker of something different passed across his features.
Hope.
Before the silence could settle too long, Dolores Umbridge rose to her feet, clearing her throat with a sharp, practiced "Hem-hem."
She smiled with all the warmth of frostbite.
"While the will certainly makes for compelling reading," she said, voice sweet and poisonous, "this court was not convened to debate the boy's living arrangements. The matter before us is the case of Sirius Black. Not the future custody of Mr. Potter. Let us not allow sentiment to distract from proper procedure."
Her quill hovered in the air beside her, already scribbling notes at a furious pace.
Andromeda Tonks stood calmly, folding her hands behind her back.
"Madam Umbridge," she said coolly, "the new evidence brought to light today cannot be divorced from its implications. There are three actions this court is now obligated to take in light of what has been proven."
She held up one finger.
"First, the formal ruling to remove Sirius Orion Black permanently from Azkaban's registry, and the restoration of his rights, property, and position in accordance with Wizengamot law. A full exoneration, not just in fact but in law."
She raised a second.
"Second, a proper investigation into how a wizard of ancient blood and legal standing was imprisoned without trial. How the Ministry failed to enforce even its most basic legal procedures. How the will of two war heroes was sealed, hidden, or outright ignored."
Minister Fudge shifted visibly. He cleared his throat and stood before she could continue further.
"Yes, well, yes," he said, adjusting his cuffs with visible discomfort. "The Ministry regrets this oversight. I was not in office at the time of Mr. Black's detention, and the transitional period following the war was… chaotic. Mistakes were made. There were assumptions, yes. Regrettable ones. But the war strained every branch of government. Surely we can understand that some matters-"
"Minister," Andromeda interrupted smoothly, "if you are admitting fault, then compensation is in order."
Fudge blinked.
"Compensation?"
"We request, on behalf of House Black, an award of fifty thousand Galleons for every year Sirius Black spent unlawfully imprisoned. Including the current year. That totals five hundred thousand Galleons. In addition, we request that his wand be restored to him at the conclusion of this trial and that a formal statement be issued by the Ministry, clearing his name publicly and identifying him as a war hero, wrongfully condemned."
The chamber stirred.
Fudge sputtered slightly but found no footing for a coherent objection.
"I... well... there are procedures-"
Amelia Bones turned toward the Minister with icy finality.
"The request is valid. The Post-War Clemency and Compensation Act is still in force. The Wizengamot recognizes the motion and sees no grounds for delay."
She glanced at the clerk, who was already recording the declaration.
"The record will show Sirius Orion Black is to be compensated accordingly, and his wand returned. A statement of public exoneration will be issued by the Ministry within forty-eight hours."
Fudge sat down, red-faced.
Andromeda raised her third and final finger.
"And third: the matter of Harry James Potter. The will clearly dictates who is to be granted guardianship. And given that it was ignored once, the court must not do so again."
That line landed like a thunderclap.
The gallery erupted with noise.
"He's not fit-!"
"He's barely out of Azkaban!"
"What about the arrangements Dumbledore-?"
"He's the Boy-Who-Lived, not some common orphan!"
"Who's going to teach him control-?"
The chaos swelled with every voice until Amelia slammed her wand against the lectern, casting a wave of magical silence through the hall.
Ted Tonks stepped forward now, standing beside his wife.
"No one here is arguing that Sirius Black, in his current state, is ready to raise a child alone," he said evenly. "But that does not mean the boy can be left where he is. And the will provides further options. We have already spoken with Lord Myrddin regarding the next course."
Sirius glanced up, startled.
And before anyone else could interject, Percival Myrddin stood.
"My House accepts guardianship of both Sirius Orion Black and Harry James Potter," he said firmly. "One is a man denied justice, the other a child denied family. I will not let either be thrown to the wolves of public opinion or Ministry politics."
He paused, letting the silence stretch.
"This court has the will. It has the law. And it has my word."
Malfoy rose sharply from the plum-robed ranks, eyes narrowed.
"You would take in a convicted criminal and the most politically sensitive ward in the realm? That is reckless beyond measure, even for you, Myrddin."
Percival's smile was thin.
"Reckless would be ignoring a will filed under sovereign magical contract. Or trusting those who've already failed the boy once to do better without consequence."
Umbridge sniffed, scribbling more furiously than ever.
"And what of Dumbledore's arrangements-?"
"They were not legal," Andromeda snapped. "They were not authorized by the Potters or the law."
Dumbledore said nothing.
Amelia Bones nodded once.
"Let the record show that House Myrddin has formally claimed guardianship under the terms of the Potter will. The Department of Magical Child Welfare will finalize the necessary documents within seventy-two hours. All objections to that process must be raised through the standard appeals procedure."
She let her gaze sweep the room.
"No further interruptions will be entertained."
She paused.
"And with that, this court finds the matter of Sirius Orion Black concluded. He is free. He is exonerated. And he is not alone."