"Does anyone have any objections to this timeline?"
"None," Amelia stated calmly. "So, twelve years ago, after You-Know-Who murdered the Potters, the first person to arrive at the scene wasn't an Auror or a member of the Order of the Phoenix, but Sirius Black?"
"That's a strong witness to his innocence," Amelia mused. "If Sirius Black were a Death Eater or a traitor, having witnessed You-Know-Who's demise, he would've sought revenge for his master. That means he would've killed Harry Potter—but clearly, Harry Potter is standing before us now."
"He wasn't killed. Instead, he was safely handed over to others. Only then did Sirius go on to commit the act we all know about... If it was about punishing a traitor, the logic holds perfectly."
"Indeed, Peter Pettigrew was never particularly remarkable during the war. The likelihood of him becoming the Death Eaters' primary target after You-Know-Who's disappearance was low to begin with... You-Know-Who's death was too sudden. You all remember, don't you?"
"I'll never forget," someone said. "Many didn't believe it at the time—it was too abrupt. We didn't even have time to round up the Death Eaters. Those cowards fled faster than anyone, haha..."
"..."
The members of the Wizengamot murmured among themselves, their discussion lending more credibility to Hagrid's testimony.
"Rubeus Hagrid?" The pink-clad Dolores Umbridge spoke up again. "Can you swear that everything you've said is true? No lies, no fabrications—can you take an oath?"
"Oh, I can!" Hagrid growled, clearly offended by the doubt. "I swear every word is true! If I'm lying, let a dragon bite my head off! I'd even drink Veritaserum to prove it!"
"Calm down, Hagrid," Dumbledore soothed. "Of course we believe you. That was just a routine question."
"Albus is right, dear," Madam Marchbanks, an elderly witch Harry recognized, said with a smile. "No need to get so worked up. Forget about Veritaserum—we never use it as a standard practice. In some ways, it's worse than the Imperius Curse."
Madam Marchbanks' words drew murmurs of agreement.
In wizarding society, Veritaserum was considered an extreme measure, forcing someone to reveal their deepest secrets and stripping them of free will, guilty or not.
"I don't care about that, madam!" Sirius suddenly shouted. "I'll take Veritaserum and confess!"
"I believe I've already explained, Sirius," Barty Crouch said calmly. "A strong-willed individual can resist Veritaserum's effects, so any testimony gained from it would be unreliable."
"If you insist, Crouch," Dumbledore said with a chuckle, "then let's call the next witness. I suspect many of you have been eagerly awaiting this moment."
As he spoke, Dumbledore winked at the Wizengamot members, who responded with good-natured laughter.
"Call the witness, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said with a hint of humor. "In all my years with the Wizengamot, this is the first time a witness hasn't been escorted in from the corridor."
The laughter grew louder.
The case being tried in Courtroom One today carried significant societal weight. Truthfully, if not for its impact on the Ministry's reputation, the trial itself would be straightforward— the doubts were clear, the evidence overwhelming. Never had there been such a clear-cut case, devoid of any suspense.
The real reason so many renowned wizards and high-ranking Ministry officials had gathered to observe was simple curiosity.
They wanted to witness firsthand the spectacle of a deceased soul testifying—not just read about it in the papers but see the fabled magic of a shaman's ritual, said to be nothing short of miraculous.
There was no unnecessary flair—though, to the wizards in the stands, Harry's actions might have seemed flamboyant enough. From his small bag, charmed with an Undetectable Extension Charm, he pulled out a massive log, taller than half a man and as thick as an adult's waist. With a wave of his wand, he began carving.
It was worth noting that, despite not being on holiday, Harry was usually restricted from casting spells outside Hogwarts. However, after becoming a full-fledged Hogwarts professor, the Ministry had issued a special decree allowing him to cast spells freely outside school without needing to sign the Trace agreement.
After all, it would be absurd for a Hogwarts professor to be barred from casting spells outside school. The British Ministry would never tolerate being mocked by their French counterparts—especially not by Beauxbatons!
In mere seconds, the log transformed under Harry's carving into a complete Ancestral Totem. He then hoisted it, driving it into the courtroom floor with surprising strength—no one could fathom how such a small figure wielded such power, especially considering the floor was solid marble.
Just as he had demonstrated in class, Harry summoned a burst of special-effect light, and James Potter returned to the world.
However, James' living perceptions still influenced him. Unlike in Harry's classroom, where he had circled the room, he merely smiled and nodded to the Wizengamot members and the jury in the stands.
The courtroom erupted into whispers. People pointed and murmured about the translucent figure glowing with an eerie blue light in the center of the room. Though everyone tried to keep their voices low, the combined chatter of so many created a chaotic din.
"Silence!"
A ringing bell restored order.
"James Potter," Dumbledore said gravely, "do you possess your own consciousness? Are you under the influence of any unknown magical forces? Can you prove you are free?"
As expected of a century-old wizard, Dumbledore cut straight to the concerns that might cast doubt on James' testimony.
"Of course, Professor Dumbledore, I can prove it," James said cheerfully. "On my first day at Hogwarts, during Gryffindor's first-year flying lesson, I crashed my broom into the third-floor castle window. Professor McGonagall had me cleaning toilets for half the term."
"Oh, a classic Gryffindor," one Wizengamot member muttered.
"...And I had a friend with a furry little problem. We got along quite well—need any more proof, Professor? I've got plenty of secrets."
"Hmm, I came willingly at Harry's call. If I didn't want to, he couldn't force me to appear. My mind is clear, my actions swift, and most importantly, I have no reason to lie, do I?"
"No need," Dumbledore nodded. "It's important to preserve a father's dignity in front of his son."
His words drew knowing smiles from the crowd.
"I believe James Potter's soul is free and willing to testify, and I vouch for him," Dumbledore said calmly. "Any objections from my colleagues?"
Silence.
"Then the trial continues," Dumbledore said, his tone turning serious. "James Potter, according to Sirius Black, you secretly changed the Secret-Keeper before your death, and the final Secret-Keeper was Peter Pettigrew. Is that correct?"
"Yes," James replied calmly, having recounted this before. "It was Peter who betrayed us. He gave the address of the Potter house to Voldemort, and that's why Lily and I died."
The undeniable weight of testimony from the dead left no room for doubt.
The crowd began murmuring again, while in the center of the courtroom, the clanging of chains grew louder. Mary, Peter's mother, was struggling violently in her chair, the effects of the calming draught seemingly worn off.
Though silenced by a Muffliato Charm, her frantic movements drew attention.
"Ugh, really..." Fudge glanced at the agitated old witch with disgust. "Let her speak."
The Auror complied.
"Lies!!!"
"You liar, James Potter! You heartless wretch! My son lost his life for you, and now you're stripping him of his last shred of honor! You liar! You beast! You deserve to have your head bitten off!"
"I knew it! I always knew you and that Black filth were no good! I should've kept my Peter far away from you, far from you vile lot!"
"I curse you! I curse you all to a miserable death! You, him, and that little wretch will all die, just like that woman! A miserable death!!"
The old witch's face was streaked with tears and snot, her bloodshot eyes burning with the most venomous hatred. If not for the chains binding her, she might have lunged forward and torn flesh from the living with her bare hands.
"You're saying I'm framing Peter?!" James roared, his voice drowning out Mary's shrieks and curses. "Who would know better than me who killed me?! Don't I want to watch my son grow up, to give him a perfect life?!"
"Mary Pettigrew! I finally see why Peter turned out the way he did—he's just like you! I can't even say which of you is more despicable! You and your son have no conscience, no trace of kindness! That's why you can lie with your eyes wide open!!"
"Enough! Silence that witch!" Mary's piercing curses became too much for Fudge, who barked the order.
This time, the Auror was less gentle. The force of the Silencing Charm sent Mary crashing back into her chair, and the chains tightened, wrapping her in layers until she couldn't make a sound.
"Why would I lie?" James, floating in midair, surveyed the stands. "If Sirius had truly killed me and Lily, I'd hate him more than anyone and want him to pay—but it wasn't him! It was Peter!"
"I'm sorry, James," Sirius choked out, his voice breaking. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't come up with that stupid idea, if I hadn't thought I was so clever, if I'd just told Dumbledore and discussed it with him..."
From the moment James' soul appeared, Sirius' gaze had been locked on his friend, unable to look away. Tears streamed down his face as he tilted his head back, slamming it against the chair in an attempt to punish himself with the pain, only to be restrained by an Auror.
Even when Mary Pettigrew's insults were at their worst, he hadn't looked away or retaliated.
"Never—never—punish yourself for a traitor's mistakes, Sirius," James said, landing beside his friend and looking at him with sorrow. "It's not your fault. Trusting someone is never a mistake. The one who should apologize is Peter, who betrayed that trust."
Sirius, sobbing uncontrollably, couldn't respond.
"I've learned how Harry's lived these past twelve years," James continued, addressing the stands. "He was sent to live with Muggle relatives who despised him. He went hungry, wore no new clothes, and was treated like a house-elf, forced to stand on a chair every morning to cook breakfast for them... No father wants to see his child live like that. None!"
Suppressing his anger and grief, James recounted Harry's tragic twelve years, deeply moving many of the more emotional wizards in the stands, who wiped tears from their eyes.
"That's why I'm here to testify," James' voice echoed through the courtroom. "I want the person responsible for our family's misery to face justice. I want him stripped of the honor he doesn't deserve, exposed as the coward and traitor he is!"
"I beg you—please deliver the fairest judgment!"
"Sirius is innocent! Peter is the criminal who destroyed everything!!"
A soul cannot shed tears... but at that moment, everyone could feel the sorrow in James Potter's heart.
His tears flowed as they had in life.