The Ombrelune dormitory was quiet in the late afternoon, the faint scent of simmered valerian root still clinging to Eira's robes from that day's Potions class. She had left her cauldron spotless, Professor Velasco's approving nod still fresh in her mind. Outside, the early winter sun painted long shadows across the Beauxbâtons gardens.
Her desk was a small island of order—inkpot, quills neatly aligned, and a stack of neatly folded parchments waiting to be answered. She had barely settled into her chair when a soft pop broke the silence.
A folded bundle of parchment dropped onto her desk, released from the talons of a sleek white hawk that wheeled once before vanishing through the open window. The hawk was one of the White family's specially trained messengers, bred to cross countries faster than any owl could manage. The thick, slightly yellowed paper and the glint of the enchanted binding cord told her instantly—it was from Britain, and sent by Emma.
The Daily Prophet.
She frowned. The White family's subscriptions were normally directed to the manor in Britain, not her dorm room in France. Unwinding the cord, she smoothed the paper out. The bold black headline leapt at her:
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IS SIRIUS BLACK INNOCENT… OR THE MAN WHO BETRAYED THE POTTERS?
By Cassandra Meadows, Investigative Correspondent
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Her eyes narrowed. She had expected the newspaper to be yet another piece about her—how she dressed, where she went, what she did—but instead, a flicker of curiosity stirred.
The first paragraph was sharp, almost accusatory—not at Black, but at the Ministry:
For thirteen years, the wizarding public has accepted without question that Sirius Black—once heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black—was guilty of betraying James and Lily Potter to You-Know-Who. This betrayal, we were told, led to their deaths and the attempted murder of their infant son, Harry Potter. For thirteen years, the narrative has remained unchallenged. But recent inquiries raise troubling questions: Was Black ever given a fair trial? Was any trial held at all?
Eira's brows lifted. "Interesting "
The next columns moved briskly, quoting unnamed sources from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement:
Several Ministry records confirm what has long been whispered—Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban without formal hearing, without the standard investigative procedures applied even to the most notorious of Death Eaters. The Lestrange family, for instance, was given a full Wizengamot trial despite overwhelming evidence against them. Why was Black denied the same?
The article continued with the official version of events: that Black had been found at the scene of an explosion, laughing, wand in hand, with twelve Muggles dead. But the tone remained skeptical, noting inconsistencies in witness statements and the speed with which the sentence had been carried out.
If Sirius Black is guilty, why the haste? If innocent, why the silence for thirteen years? And why have these questions only surfaced now, when whispers of unrest within the Ministry grow louder?
Eira turned the page. A side column traced the fall of the Black family:
The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black was once among the most respected pure-blood families in Britain, with ties to nearly every other old wizarding line. But the family's stance on blood purity fractured it from within, leading to disownments, scandals, and now—seemingly—the disgrace of its last male heir. Yet some sources claim that not all members of the Black family turned to the Dark Arts. Could Sirius Black's alleged betrayal have been a final act of defiance against those beliefs—or is that, too, a Ministry invention?
The final paragraphs returned to the core question:
In a time when our Ministry prides itself on upholding justice, can it afford to leave such a case unexplored? The truth about Sirius Black's guilt or innocence may rest not only on the evidence, but on whether we have the courage to question a decision made in haste, in the heat of fear. The wizarding world deserves to know: Was Sirius Black truly the traitor we were told he was… or has an innocent man languished in Azkaban for over a decade?
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Eira set the paper down, the ink still faintly smelling of printing charms.
For thirteen years, no one had dared to ask this. Now, suddenly, it was front-page news. She tapped her fingers lightly against the desk, thoughts spiraling.
Who pushed for this?
She knew enough about Cornelius Fudge to be certain it wasn't him. If the Ministry had truly failed to give Black a trial, the revelation would strike at its credibility like a Blasting Curse. Fudge, ever obsessed with public image, would do everything possible to keep that buried.
Which meant this had come from outside his control.
Her mind immediately settled on one name: Dumbledore. He had been Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot at the time of Black's imprisonment. If anyone could quietly encourage a journalist to reopen the case, it was him.
But why now?
Her quill hovered over a scrap of parchment as she scribbled notes in her tight, precise hand:
• No trial for Black → deliberate bypass?
• Lestranges & others got trials → selective justice?
• If Black innocent → Ministry loses face, Fudge vulnerable
• Possible Dumbledore influence—why? Protect Harry Potter?
The more she thought about it, the clearer it seemed: Dumbledore knew something. Perhaps not the whole truth, but enough to make him question the official story.
And if he was moving to expose it now, then something—or someone—had forced his hand.
She sat back, staring at the paper again. Sirius Black. A name that for thirteen years had been shorthand for betrayal and disgrace… now dragged into the light with a question mark beside it.