"I have been advised, Adjudicator, that an understanding had been duly reached with my predecessor—had it not? To let this matter rest, as compensation for Mr. Sirius Black's twelve years of wrongful imprisonment..."
Barty Crouch's recommendation to press the charge of illegal Animagus transformation did not catch many in the assembly off guard.
In fact, when recalling the events of the night the Potters were killed—and when he had chased and confronted Peter Pettigrew—Sirius, under Veritaserum, had inadvertently revealed he was an Animagus, making the charge technically valid and its addressing inevitable.
However, the matter had already been communicated to the Ministry before Sirius turned himself in, since, naturally, how he escaped Azkaban would come up and he had to be forthcoming. The then-Minister, Cornelius Fudge, was, of course, shocked by how anticlimactic it was, but regardless, he had promised that the matter would not be pursued.
Fudge, along with Rufus Scrimgeour, the Director of Magical Law Enforcement, had personally vouched that the charge would not be pressed—at the very least, as a small compensation for Sirius's wrongful imprisonment of over a decade. This had also been addressed to Barty Crouch, and he had verbally agreed—but it now appeared that may not have been the case.
So when Barty began going off the rails, Minister Greengrass immediately rose to his feet and addressed the assembly, loud and clear, effectively cutting off his attempt. While the deal may have been communicated with Jameson's predecessor, the agreement was still with a sitting Minister of Magic.
Below, Amelia Bones and Rufus Scrimgeour both furrowed their brows, eyes fixed on Barty Crouch. After all, they had been the ones to mediate between Black and the Ministry before he ultimately turned himself in. To see their former supervisor act unilaterally, blatantly ignoring the agreement they had all reached, left them visibly displeased.
Barty, however, seemed utterly oblivious to the Minister of Magic's argument and to the pointed scrutiny of his two former top employees. His cold, impassive gaze was fixed instead on Sirius Black, who stood in the witness dock looking equally caught off guard. For the first time that day, things had veered off the script he had been given, and he had no idea what was happening.
"Sirius Black, I assume you are aware that the Ministry of Magic has long enforced strict laws regulating the dangerous and complex Transfiguration magic of Animagi, correct?"
"Yes, I'm aware…" What else could he say to answer such an obvious question?
Having answered Crouch, he couldn't help but glance toward the three highest seats, brows furrowing as they landed specifically on Maverick. He wasn't sure whether this was part of the plan or if something had changed that he wasn't aware of.
His confusion only deepened, seeing Maverick sitting so coolly beside Dumbledore, utterly unfazed by the turn of events.
Could it be… that I've been set up? he thought, if only for a brief moment.
No… that can't be. He quickly brushed the thought aside. Besides… there's no benefit for that kid in this—so this must be a variable in the plan.
Sirius wracked his brain, trying to make sense of the situation, but nothing came to him—until he heard Minister Jameson Greengrass repeat his earlier remark.
Crouch acknowledged the minister this time, at least, but then his face turned sterner than ever before he answered.
"The acknowledgment you speak of between Sirius Black and the Ministry," he said, turning from Greengrass to Sirius, and finally to the assembly below, "holds no legal weight here, Minister!"
"Absurd!" came the voice of Amelia Bones from below, almost as if she could no longer contain herself.
"The courtroom has conducted many such proceedings with convicted criminals," she emphasized, "whether for intelligence or otherwise, and has compensated them by lightening their sentences. In fact, I recall you, Chief Adjudicator, presiding over many such hearings... so why are you being different with this case?"
As soon as Amelia finished, Scrimgeour rose next.
"I must object as well," he said. "Besides, it is now blatantly obvious that Sirius Black is not guilty, even if the council has not yet voted. And don't forget… we, the Ministry, held him captive for thirteen years in Azkaban. If anything, this so-called compensation that is overlooking his unregistered Animagus status is, quite frankly, a joke in my opinion—thirteen whole years we took from him!"
Following Scrimgeour, more and more councilors rose to their feet, voicing their objections, and Minister Greengrass, having made his point, no longer addressed the assembly.
At first, Maverick was taken aback by Crouch's sudden, rogue move, but Dumbledore, wise as ever, seemed to understand the motive behind it and quietly explained it to himself as the one-sided debate unfolded.
Dumbledore believed Crouch basically just wanted to go out with a bang. Unlike Fudge, who had struggled to repair a tarnished reputation, Crouch's name had never truly been sullied, but the stain left by his worthless son simply hit him too hard, affecting his psychological mindset.
And he had been brooding over it for more than a decade, and perhaps had moved on, but he had no desire left to remain in politics. At the same time, he didn't want to fade into irrelevance, and he intended his final hearing to be remembered in history.
First, he had overseen proceedings when Fudge was impeached—the first time ever a Minister had ever been kicked out from the Wizengamot. And now, he was determined to make this final trial as fair as possible—at least from his side.
Besides, he knew the council would not vote against Black for something as minor as being an unregistered Animagus, especially after being wrongfully imprisoned for over a decade. The only reason he brought it up was to make a point: that he was just and fair as an Adjudicator.
After the arguments against his recommendation had been voiced by over a dozen councilors, Crouch addressed the assembly once again.
"I do not believe there are any substantive issues with the conclusions I have drawn," he began, still pressing. "Perhaps… you may think I act out of personal grievance, given that I wrongfully sentenced him to Azkaban. But I ask you all to remember: throughout my long career, there is ample evidence of my consistent and unwavering loathing for those who choose to break the laws we have sworn to uphold."
"Of course, it is not a problem to waive the charge as compensation for the many years Mr. Black has spent wrongfully in Azkaban… but my point is this: I want it addressed here, rather than brushed under the rug. Lawbreakers—regardless of their position or perceived justification—have always been the object of my deepest scorn."
It was just as Dumbledore had guessed. Now, Crouch looked less like a judge, and his actions could only be described as an attempt to redeem himself for past errors while simultaneously scoring points for his image before retirement.
Perhaps if Fudge were still the minister, he would have shouted the obvious, but Greengrass let him go on and made no objection once he understood what was happening.
Had the setting been more fitting, he might have even applauded Barty Crouch Sr.'s performance.
"So I leave the decision to you, esteemed councilors," Crouch continued, his eyes alight with a passion. "I urge each and every one of you to give serious consideration to my statements regarding Sirius Black. Do not allow the truth to be obscured by sentiment or misplaced sympathy!"
While Barty's words and actions that day may not have deceived the truly intelligent and discerning among those present, he still managed to hold the people's hearts and the steadfast support of the masses—within the Wizengamot, the Ministry, and across wizarding Britain. He would reture as a man of the law, someone who wouldn't budge for anything.
And frankly, that was all he wanted at this point, and that was why he was putting on such a show, playing rough with Black's case.
"Headmaster, I think you should voice your opinion too…" Maverick said to Dumbledore.
"I believe so," the old man replied, rising to his feet. "First, I firmly believe that Sirius Black bears no legal responsibility for the tragic affair involving the Potters. On that account, he should be cleared of all charges and deemed innocent."
"Of course, we are all agreed that he is indeed an unregistered Animagus, having used this ability without the Ministry's leave. Yet, as many of you, esteemed councilors, have already observed, he has borne the weight of thirteen years' wrongful imprisonment. In light of that grave injustice, I, too, stand by the decision of the former administration—that no further punishment should be sought for so small a matter."
"Very well, then—" With the wisest voice in the chamber having spoken, Crouch pressed on, offering no further argument on the matter.
Then his tone rose, booming across the chamber:
"Let us put this matter to a vote by a show of hands! First—those in favor of declaring Sirius Black innocent and pardoned for the offense of practicing as an unregistered Animagus, raise your hands!"
From the very top, three hands shot up almost immediately, followed by more, row by row, until over forty hands were raised high into the air within the allotted time for voting.
"Sirius Black!" Crouch declared, his expression unchanged, as he looked down at the man before him. "You are hereby declared innocent by the Wizengamot for practicing as an unregistered Animagus. That said, let me remind you: the very first thing you do, should you walk out of this chamber a free man, is ensure your registration as an Animagus with the Ministry."
Sirius scratched the back of his head, nodding repeatedly, when Crouch's voice rose once again, carrying through the hall:
"Next—those in favor of declaring Sirius Black innocent and pardoned of all charges, including, but not limited to: the breach of the Fidelius Charm to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the indirect deaths of James and Lily Potter, the deaths of over a dozen innocent Muggles, and the destruction of public property—raise your hands!"
Contrary to what many had expected, he was the first to raise his hand this time, a decisive gesture of support—swiftly mirrored by Maverick, Dumbledore, and Jameson.
Then, it was like a tidal wave sweeping through the chamber. From the front row to the back, one by one, the assembled witches and wizards rose to their feet, hands shooting skyward in a united show of backing.
Sirius, watching from his place below, swallowed hard. Each raised hand made his heart pound harder against his ribs, a forceful drumbeat of hope.
Fresh from his ordeal in Azkaban, Sirius had once been indifferent to the prospect of either imprisonment or freedom. But in the time he had spent with Maverick and Remus, the embers of hope had slowly reignited within him. After all, he had a responsibility, did he not? James and Lily's son—young Harry—was still waiting, yearning for the care and guidance that only Sirius Black, his godfather, could provide.
"Fifty-five in favor, six abstentions!"
"Sirius Orion Black!" Crouch's voice rang out, his gaze sweeping over the now flushed and exhilarated man below. "Let it be known—henceforth, all charges against you are dropped! By the authority of the Wizengamot, you are declared innocent!"
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