Kingsley escorted them to the door and then returned to the Auror Command Headquarters. After that, Dumbledore twisted the iron handle on the door and led Kael inside.
Once the door was opened, the noise instantly became louder.
Kael couldn't help but look around. The walls of the trial room were built from a type of black stone, and near the ceiling were a few small windows. Weak sunlight spilled in from outside, making the room feel quite oppressive.
Rows of empty seats gradually elevated on either side of him, filled with people whispering among themselves.
"Albus, you finally arrived." Fudge rushed over, "Now there's a troublesome matter. I don't know if the owl managed to contact Blake... but if he can't be present, the retrial will be meaningless."
"Don't worry, Cornelius," Dumbledore said calmly, "He's already here."
"What..." Fudge instinctively looked behind Dumbledore.
Accompanied by a burst of flame, Phoenix Fawkes appeared out of thin air, flapping its wings and landing on Dumbledore's shoulder.
At the same time, it brought another tall and thin, pale-faced man—Sirius Black.
He was still in his old form: hair and beard in disarray, wearing dirty and ragged clothes.
Moreover, his complexion was also very pale; his legs trembled as if he might collapse to the floor at any moment.
Kael fully understood Sirius's current state... this is common for someone being brought along for the first time by a Phoenix using Disillusionment.
Upon seeing Sirius, Fudge finally breathed a sigh of relief, previously worried that Sirius Black wouldn't show up; otherwise, this retrial would turn into a joke.
Fortunately, he was here.
Fudge glanced at Dumbledore inexplicably, then turned and returned to the high stand.
With Fudge no longer blocking the view, others in the room also saw Blake's face. The chatter grew louder, and the vast trial room seemed as lively as the Quidditch Pitch during a match.
Kael even heard someone shout for the Auror to catch the fugitive... Didn't this person know why they were here?
"Silence!" Fudge said loudly, "Now that everyone is here, let's begin."
The trial room fell silent instantly.
Sirius took a deep breath and, under everyone's gaze, walked step by step to the chair in the center.
"I don't understand, Minister," a cold voice said, "You caught the fugitive. You can directly throw him back into Azkaban or hand him over to the Dementors. Why waste time conducting a retrial?"
"Don't rush, Barty..." Fudge replied slowly, "I've received compelling evidence indicating that Blake is very likely innocent."
As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding area was filled with another wave of discussion.
"Nonsense!" Barty Crouch's face turned as sour as if he had been slapped, "Twelve years ago, the entire street of Muggles knew he betrayed the Potters and even killed Peter Pettigrew who had come to confront him."
"But as far as I know, they only heard someone shouting, yet no one actually saw it," Fudge said, "And if I tell you that Peter Pettigrew is still alive..."
"Impossible!"
"Nothing is impossible." Not paying attention to Crouch's worsening complexion, Fudge shouted towards the door, "Bring him in."
The door was pushed open again, and Delixius walked in from outside.
Everyone looked at him, but noticing he was the only one entering, their attention shifted to the cage in his hands wrapped in chains.
Crouch frowned, watching Delixius open the cage and empty out a half-dead rat from inside.
"Don't tell me this is Peter Pettigrew!" he asked coldly.
Fudge said nothing, only looking at Dumbledore as if seeking confirmation.
"Leave it to me." Dumbledore said, stepping forward and pulling out his wand.
"Revealing!"
A blue light landed on the rat, and it began to twist rapidly, growing bigger. A head emerged, followed by limbs...
Moments later, a short man appeared before everyone, with sparse hair disheveled, a large bald spot, and a sharp nose and beady eyes retaining rat-like features.
The third wave of murmurs swept over the room, and some wizards exclaimed and stood from their seats, clearly recognizing the person before them as Peter Pettigrew.
"Impossible..."
"Isn't he dead..."
"Damn, what's really going on..."
Crouch stood up too, his face as dark as if it could drip water.
A group of Aurors went over, starting to verify Peter's identity.
Kael noticed that at the moment Peter transformed back, Sirius tightly clenched his fists, his eyes brimming with deep-seated hatred, panting heavily as if wanting to kill the man before him immediately.
But fortunately, he held back.
"Ladies and gentlemen..."
Soon, Auror Command Headquarters Chief Scrimgeour put away an empty Magic Potion Bottle and announced loudly, "He is indeed Peter Pettigrew himself."
"Very good..." Fudge said.
Without looking at Crouch, he followed protocol, continuing by himself.
"Everyone is now present, so I hereby announce: Due to the witness's death being unsubstantiated, we will commence the retrial concerning the incident on November 1981, where Sirius Orion Blake allegedly betrayed the Potters, blew up a street, and killed twelve Muggles.
"Interrogators: Minister of Magic Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Ministry of Magic Law Enforcement Department Amelia Susan Bones, Minister of Department of International Magical Cooperation... Barty Crouch! Trial Recorder: Scade Bert Wimper."
"Witness: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." Dumbledore stood and announced.
As Kael hesitated whether he should stand up too, a formless force suddenly seemed to press against him. It felt as though someone had laid a hand on his shoulder.
Kael glanced at Dumbledore and seemed to understand something, so he continued sitting without moving.
Fudge quickly glanced in this direction but said nothing, nodding to Dumbledore, "Please provide your testimony, then, Witness Mr. Dumbledore. When did you discover that Peter Pettigrew was alive?"
"Thanks to an excellent student who, with keen insight, uncovered a deeply hidden Animagus..."
Dumbledore pointed his finger towards Kael, turning him into the focus of everyone's attention momentarily. But they seemed more interested in what Dumbledore would say next, so most only glanced at Kael briefly before looking away.
Dumbledore stood there and repeated what he'd previously told Fudge.
During this, the interrogators showed varied expressions.
Some were surprised... some were angry... but most were still skeptical...
Especially upon hearing Dumbledore claim that Peter was the Secret-Keeper twelve years ago, and he betrayed the Potters while framing Blake, Crouch stood up once more.
"Evidence!" he rudely interrupted Dumbledore, "Peter hiding the fact that he's alive might be due to fearing retribution from Death Eaters, which doesn't prove he did everything."
Saying this, he looked towards Peter Pettigrew, seemingly expecting him to speak in his defense.
But he quickly became disappointed, as Peter had remained sluggishly slumped on the ground, unresponsive and silent, even when others called out to him.