Morning broke over Hogwarts with golden light filtering through the tall windows of the Great Hall. The enchanted ceiling mirrored a clear summer sky, but the tension in the air was anything but ordinary.
Owls flooded in as usual, but this time they carried more than breakfast post and sweets from home. They carried the story that would shake the foundations of the wizarding world.
A shrill screech echoed as dozens of owls dropped copies of the Daily Prophet onto the students' tables. The moment the first headlines were read, silence fell across the hall.
"Sirius Black Innocent—Peter Pettigrew Alive!"
"James Potter Returns After 13 Years in Hiding!"
Gasps erupted.
Ernie Macmillan nearly dropped his goblet. Lavender Brown squealed. A first-year shrieked so loudly that even Peeves, who had been mid-flight under the rafters, paused in shock.
All around, students snapped open newspapers, eyes devouring every line:
"In a stunning revelation at the Wizengamot hearing late last night, it was confirmed under Veritaserum that Peter Pettigrew—long believed to be murdered by Sirius Black—is alive and has been masquerading as a rat in the Weasley family for over a decade."
"Sirius Black, who escaped from Azkaban weeks ago, is now cleared of all charges. He was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit."
"James Potter, who had been presumed missing since the night of Dark Lord's fall, has returned to the public eye. His whereabouts remain closely guarded by the Ministry and Hogwarts staff."
"Witnesses included Albus Dumbledore, James Potter, and several members of the Wizengamot. Testimonies were heard late into the night, and magical law enforcement has now taken Peter Pettigrew into custody on charges of treason, murder, and collaboration with the Dark Lord. He is being transferred to Azkaban."
Excerpt from the Daily Prophet – Front Page
"Sirius Black Cleared — Peter Pettigrew Sent to Azkaban"
In a stunning turn of events, Sirius Black has been officially declared innocent, with the true traitor, Peter Pettigrew, captured and immediately transferred to Azkaban Prison under heavy guard.
The Ministry of Magic, under the firm guidance of Minister Cornelius Fudge, oversaw the late-night Wizengamot hearing where the truth was finally brought to light. The Daily Prophet commends Minister Fudge's decisive leadership, without which "this long-standing injustice might never have been corrected."
Minister Fudge stated:
"Justice has been served, and the Ministry remains vigilant in protecting the truth."
James Potter, long presumed absent from the public , has also been confirmed to be appeared . More details on his miraculous return remain classified
The Great Hall erupted into chaos.
"Wait—what?! Peter Pettigrew was the rat?!" shouted Seamus Finnigan, eyes wide.
"You mean Ron's rat?" said Dean Thomas, pointing mid-bite with his toast. "Scabbers?!"
Ron Weasley, sitting two seats away, had turned a deep shade of crimson.
Fred and George were already grinning like devils. Fred leaned over and puckered his lips with a dramatic mwah sound. "Oi, Ronniekins! How many times did you kiss dear Scabbers on the nose, eh?"
George added, clutching his stomach with laughter, "I think I saw him snogging that rat back in second year! Passionate, too—must've been love at first squeak!"
The Gryffindor table burst into cackling laughter.
"Shut up!" Ron barked, pushing away his plate. "It's not funny! I didn't know!"
Fred wiggled his eyebrows. "Well, he knew, mate. Thirty-five years old and sharing a bed with you every night!"
"That's disgusting!" Ron groaned, scrubbing his face as if trying to erase the memories from his skin. "Oh, Merlin's armpits, I fed him from my hand! He watched me change clothes! That creep!"
George whistled. "Bet he even enjoyed it. That's a whole new level of ratty behavior."
Even Percy, usually too dignified to participate in such teasing, had to hide a smirk behind his tea.
Hermione leaned toward Ron, trying to comfort him. "It's not your fault, Ron. None of us knew."
But Ron was beyond reason. "He slept in my pajama drawer, Hermione!"
Across the hall, other students were deep in speculation.
"So if Sirius Black didn't betray the Potters… does that mean he was actually good all along?" asked Hannah Abbott to her friends at the Hufflepuff table.
"And James Potter—he's really reappeared ?" whispered Susan Bones. "He was missing this whole time?"
At the Gryffindor table, Harry Potter sat motionless.
The newspaper lay open in front of him, the words blurring in his vision. His hands trembled slightly as the memories of the last weeks pieced themselves together again—with new meaning. The fear. The hatred. The constant belief that Sirius Black had betrayed his parents.
But he hadn't.
And the man Harry had sworn to hate—the one whose name had burned with rage in his heart—had been innocent all along.
He stared down at the ink-stained words.
"Sirius Black exonerated under Veritaserum testimony. Pettigrew confirmed alive."
Sirius was innocent.
Harry's throat tightened. He felt a swirl of guilt and disbelief, but also—somewhere deep inside—a strange relief. A hope that maybe the world wasn't as cruel as it had seemed.
He felt someone sit down beside him. It was Cael, present as always, holding his own copy of the Daily Prophet.
"You okay?" Cael asked, voice low.
Harry didn't respond for a moment. Then he nodded, slowly. "I don't know. I think… I think I have to rewrite everything I thought I knew."
There was a pause. Then, from across the table, Ginny leaned forward. "But… you don't look ok you can visit the hospital wing . "
Harry shook his head "I am just a little overwhelmed ."
Hermione gasped softly. "That means… you could see him. You could talk to him."
But Harry didn't smile. His expression was unreadable—torn between joy, uncertainty, and pain.
"I don't even know what to say to him," Harry whispered. "Thirteen years… I've imagined what he'd be like. And now he's real."
Across the room, Dumbledore entered the hall, trailed by Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Flitwick. A few students stood and clapped for him. Others whispered and watched eagerly. But Dumbledore only raised a hand and said warmly, "Please, eat. And remember—truth, no matter how long buried, always rises."
There was applause, and then chatter resumed. But Harry remained quiet, fingers brushing the headline.
Sirius was innocent.
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Author's Note
Hello, dear readers!
I just wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt thanks for all the love and support you've shown since the very beginning of this fanfic journey. Your encouragement has meant the world to me.
A special shoutout to some of the amazing people who've stood by this story through every chapter:
Gan-Dirstender, Archi_boy, Gran-L, Wyatt_Fullmer, X1380, abc_logan, Etharth, Kamalpreet_Dosanjh, DaoistNMcLgx, and my friend NoNameOrLife — thank you for your constant support and encouragement.
To everyone else reading, even if I haven't mentioned you by name, please know your presence is deeply appreciated. Every read, like, and comment fuels this story forward. If you ever have thoughts or reviews, I'd love to hear them — they help me grow and improve.
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With gratitude,
– The Author