Manor Court

DISCLAIMER: That part of this world and those characters you’ve seen before belong to their Creator: JKR. The rest is mine - although I cannot quit my day job as I make no $$$

A/N: And now, part two…

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: MANOR COURT

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 th , 1993.

“If I may,” Dumbledore said rising, “as Chief Warlock, I feel I must speak with you before we begin.”

“The Court is in session,” Harry returned. “It will not be spoken to while in session lest it be said it may stand compromised.”

“In that case, I question the basis for calling this Court into session.”

“While that matter has been duly presented and argued before this Court prior to this assembly, and ruled upon, this Court will grant you this leeway. But, do not try this Court’s patience. Disruptive behavior and such falls clearly within the scope of Article 21 and it can be dealt with. Do you understand?”

“I am aware of the jurisdiction of Article 21, hence my question. After all, as I understand it, the Ministry is named as party and the scope of your jurisdiction does not extend to matter beyond the boundaries of your Estate.”

“That is the general rule, Sir. An exception exists where a resident of the Estate or a person in residence and under the protection of the Estate should have a grievance with another Estate, the Wizengamot or any other governmental body duly recognized as officers of the Realm and the Queens' Peace and further presents evidence or argument that an adequate redress is not possible or practical without this Estate’s backing, is that not correct.”

“It is. It’s seldom ever been used.”

“Which is not the same as saying that this Court lacks jurisdiction, Sir. You will note that between this Bench and the Wizengamot Section, there are enough votes to constitute a Quorum either in person or by proxy and more than enough to properly convene a Court of the Wizengamot under the Charter. This was not a fortuitous accident, Sir. Naturally, the Petitioner will need to state his beliefs as why he should think redress in the normal manner is unavailing.”

“I stand corrected.” Dumbledore sat down. It was clear he was not happy with any of this.

“Madam Advocate, are you ready to proceed?”

“We are, Milord.”

“Madam Bones, you have been advised that the matter before this Court, while directed at the Ministry, is not directed at the current Minister, Administration or Department of Magical Law Enforcement?”

“I am so advised,” Madam Bones said.

“You may proceed, Madam Advocate.”

Dumbledore saw Miss Greengrass rise with a folder and step up to the lectern. She had been chosen by the others to serve as Advocate because she was the only one who seemed to understand the “legal stuff.” Hermione had a grasp on the confusing topic as well, but it infuriated her to no end whereas Daphne accepted it. She had spent a fair amount of time with Mr. Tonks getting ready for this day.

“This is the Petition, duly filed before this Court by the Petitioner, Lord Sirius Orion Black Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Black…”

“What!” the Minister yelled over the shocked voices of the crowd. “What madness is this? He’s a mass murderer! He’s an escaped convict! He himself tried to destroy Gringotts a little over a month ago! The orders are to detain him if possible but not to spare the use of lethal force to catch him!”

“You are out of order Sir!” Harry shot back. “For the record, are you saying that were we not here it is the position of the Ministry that the Petitioner be immediately and summarily put to death?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying! I signed the order myself!”

“Be seated!” Harry looked at the others and whispered and for a moment the court seemed to confer. “Very well, Madam Advocate, the Manor Court hereby rules unanimously that there are grounds for the convening of this Court and presentation of Lord Black’s Petition. By the word of the current Minister of Magic, it is clear that Petitioner cannot seek redress through the Ministry or before the Wizengamot as to attempt to do so would endanger his life and expose him to summary execution, something this Court finds… distasteful. This Court further states that the Petitioner has resided upon the lands of the Estate of House Potter since on or about August 6th, 1993 and has been under House Protection since that Date. Jurisdiction of this Court pursuant to Article 21 is therefore clearly established and decided. The Petitioner may approach and take his seat at the Manor Advocate’s table. Does the Chief Warlock seek to contest this ruling or may we proceed?”

“I cannot contest the ruling. I am satisfied that Article 21 confers jurisdiction under these circumstances,” Dumbledore said. For all his other flaws, he had stood in opposition to the Ministers “shoot to kill” order. “However, I would be remiss were I not to point out that you and three other members of your panel are underage and not yet old enough to be seated in the Wizengamot…”

“And two of our members are seated members of the Wizengamot and Proxy holders for other members, Sir. Moreover, under Article 21 all that is required is that the Convening Manor be headed by a recognized Head of House by magic. Lord Longbottom and Ladies Abbott and Bones and I all wear our House Signet Rings, and therefore meet the requirements under Article 21.”

“Under unusual circumstances,” Dumbledore began.

“The rings recognize us as Heads of our Ancient and Noble Houses or valid Regents. Gringotts does as well. Are you saying that you as Chief Warlock do not despite the fact that those are the requirements of the Charter and have been unchallenged for a thousand years? Are you rewriting the Charter as it were? If so, who gave you such authority?”

There were hostile grumbles from within the Wizengamot box. “I stand corrected,” Dumbledore said reluctantly before sitting down.

Sirius Black then entered. Many did not recognize him as he looked nothing like the pictures in the Daily Prophet. The Minister along with many others looked on in shock as he passed the railing and took his seat beside Mr. Tonks.

“Proceed with your opening, Madam advocate.”

“Thank you, Milord. Milord, members of the Court, esteemed members of the Wizengamot and Ministry, ladies and gentlemen: we shall attempt to prove the facts in support of the following:

“First, that on or after November 2nd, 1981, the then Ministry of Magic acting through its then Head of Magical Law Enforcement Bartimius Crouch and with the knowledge of the then Minister for Magic Millicent Bagnold did engage in a course of illegal conduct whereby they deprived the Petitioner of his liberty without just cause and without recourse and in so doing whether through reckless misconduct or criminal intent sought to engage or had the effect of engaging in Attempted Line Theft and Line Assassination through the illegal incarceration without parole of the last in direct line of descent Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Black. Furthermore, by design in 1981 and through design or neglect since such time, the Ministry through various agents has conducted a campaign of slander against Lord Black bringing unjustified dishonour to his name and done in such a manner as to evince a willful disregard for the truth.

“We will show that the following statements generally believed about Lord Black are false, having no basis in fact:

“First, that he was Secret Keeper for James and Lily Potter on or about October 31st 1981. He was not.

“Second, that he was either a Death Eater or in league with Death Eaters and the one who called himself Lord Voldemort on or about October 31st 1981. He was not and never had been.

“Third, that he betrayed James and Lily Potter’s location to aforesaid Lord Voldemort leading to their death. He did not.

“Fourth, that on or about November 2nd 1981 he killed a Wizard by the name of Peter Pettigrew. He did not.

“Fifth, that on or about November 2nd 1981, he killed a dozen Muggles and injured two score or more through the casting of a blasting curse. He did not.

“Sixth, that he committed a gross violation of the International Statue of Secrecy on or about November 2nd 1981 by casting magic in front of Muggles. He did not.

“These are the allegations the Ministry had made against him at the time and might well have justified his incarceration at that time had there been any basis for them. We shall show there was no such basis. Petitioner’s interrogation will be placed in the record and could not justify detention at the Ministry, much less incarceration. It was a travesty of justice, to say the least. Moreover, even if it could be justified under the Emergency Acts then in effect, the Ministry by intent or gross negligence failed to comply with those acts. He was guaranteed a trial before the Wizengamot within one year of incarceration. No such trial was ever held.

“Most recently, that he has escaped from Azkaban Prison. Petitioner freely admits to this and if called to testify will so admit under oath. But we wish to state that escape from Azkaban is not a crime…”

“It is so!” the Minister said. “We made it a crime back in August!”

“I stand corrected. However, it was not a crime on July 21st 1993, that being the latest date the Petitioner made good his escape. It is the long custom of our people not to hold a person to account for a crime when such actions were not a crime when they were committed.”

“The Ministry concedes that point,” Madam Bones said.

“What?” the Minister protested.

“It was not a crime when he escaped, Minister. It’s as simple as that and I’m not about to waste this court’s time pursuing a losing issue.”

“Minister,” Harry asked, “need I remind you that you are neither a party nor advocate in these proceedings and that such outbursts are out of order, or should I have you confined to your quarters for the duration of this Proceeding for contempt of this Court?”

The Minister sat down. No one was giving him a friendly or supportive look.

“Are you done, Madam Advocate.”

“A little more, Milord. Petitioner further asserts that the most recent allegations against him regarding and incident at Gringotts on or about August 10th 1993 are also false and that any criminal acts that may have occurred on that date and in that place, in addition to being under the jurisdiction of the Goblin Nation, were furthermore the acts of others and specifically acts of individuals in the Ministry itself.

“Finally, in view of the fact that statements as mentioned earlier have been made publically by Ministry officials since November of 1981 and as recently as a few moments ago and that as such statement were reported in the Press, that the Ministry as willfully or recklessly engaged in a campaign of slander against the Petitioner causing him great damage and suffering.

“Petitioner prays this honourable Court demand of the Wizengamot and Ministry that he be allowed the trial denied him so as to clear his good name and that he be compensated for the nearly twelve years of unlawful incarceration and the besmirching of his name.” Daphne then sat down.

“Madam Bones?” Harry asked.

Madam Bones stood and took her place behind the Lectern. “Milord, members of the Court, esteemed members of the Wizengamot and Ministry, ladies and gentlemen: I would like to begin by stating the obvious. The Petition deals almost entirely with activities that occurred back in 1981 and any facts adduced should not be deemed as indicative of actions by any persons in those positions today.”

“So noted,” Harry said. “Assuming there’s no new evidence.”

“Furthermore, I am willing to concede two points presented: First that Petitioner never received a trial for his actions that led to his incarceration. I had no knowledge of the facts as a result of my own career prior to Petitioner's… um… escape?”

“He prefers to see it as release on his own recognizance,” Daphne stated earning a laugh from most in attendance.

Madam Bones actually smiled. “After such time I did check the records and found that there had been no trial at any time since his apprehension. Naturally, as he was no longer in custody, a trial since his self parole has not been possible. As such, his imprisonment beyond that point in time as allowed under the Emergency Acts can be questioned and could be deemed unlawful since such time. That being said, I will not concede that his arrest, detention and incarceration back in November 1981 was itself unjustified and unlawful and call upon Petitioner to prove those points, for it is his point to prove and not the Ministry’s point to disprove. I am also willing to concede that the Ministry has no jurisdiction over anything that occurs within Gringotts Bank. That point is well settled law and if any crime did in fact occur in that bank, then the issue lies solely between the Goblins and Petitioner or whomever such other parties might be who violated Goblin Law assuming any such violations occurred. It should be noted that this matter remains pending elsewhere. As to the issue of slander; it is an essential element that the alleged slanderous statement must themselves be false and made under circumstances where the alleged slander either knew such statements to be false or uttered them in reckless disregard of the truth. It is the Petitioner who must prove those points, and not the Ministry who must disprove them.” Madam Bones then sat down.

“Very well. We shall take a half hour recess,” Harry said. “Refreshments are available in the town square just across from the court.”

Dumbledore was back in his seat. He had tried to find Harry during the recess, but apparently if Harry was enjoying refreshments it was not in the town square with the rest of those in attendance. He saw none of the principals. But they were in the courtroom when he returned, aside from the judges or adjudicators. They filed in when most everyone had returned.

“Court is again in session,” Harry announced. “Madam advocate, are you prepared to call your first witness?”

“I am, Milord. The Manor Advocate calls Professor Severus Snape.”

“I object,” Madam Bones stated. “For what reason?”

“The Court takes it that you’re objecting to the relevance of such witness and testimony?” Harry asked.

“I am.”

“Very well. Madam Advocate?”

“He’s called as a precaution and in a preliminary matter in his expert capacity as a potions master,” Daphne said. “There are two potions, neither of which were confiscated earlier, that will be presented for his analysis. They were prepared here at the Estate in anticipation of this Proceeding and, if needed or if requested by the Ministry, they can be administered. But the Petitioner believes it necessary that they be verified as being what they are by a Potions Master.”

“I reserve my objection, Milord.”

“So noted. Professor Snape? Please come forward to be sworn.”

Professor Snape did not look happy, but did as requested. He faced the clerk.

“Do you swear that the testimony you shall give shall be the truth to the best of your knowledge and belief?”

“I swear,” he said.

“Milord?” Madam Bones asked. “How can we ascertain the veracity of his testimony or anyone’s with a mere oath such as that? Wouldn’t it be wiser to require a Wizard’s oath?”

“This Court has no reason to expect him to lie about his craft,” Harry said. “For reasons of security, wands have been placed in safe keeping and while their use may be allowed under specific circumstances, it would not due for any to hold one on the stand. Moreover, the witness chair contains a Goblin truth orb. Should he lie, we will know.”

“May I ask how you came into possession of such a thing?”

“I asked a Goblin if I could borrow one,” Harry shrugged.

“And we’re to take your word…?”

“That could be consider contemptuous, Madam. But no. The Court sees you point. Professor, take your seat and you are requested to lie in response to the first question. Don’t worry. This isn’t one of their pain inducing items.”

Snape did as asked.

“Please state your name for the record.” Daphne said.

“Harry Potter,” Snape sneered in reply. Immediately the seat and the Professor glowed red for a moment.

“No ill effects, Professor?” Harry asked.

“Not really. I felt nothing, but the light was… disconcerting.”

“Can we proceed, Madam Bones?”

She nodded and sat down.

“Again, you name for the record?” Daphne asked.

“Severus Tobias Snape, Professor of Potions at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Head of Slytherin House.”

“You are a Potions Master?”

“I am.”

“How does one attain a Mastery in Potions?”

“The first step, naturally, is to qualify for NEWT level potions while in school. One must then attain and Outstanding on their Potions NEWT and receive a recommendation from their Potions Professor or another Potions Master that they be considered for an apprenticeship under a certified Master and they must be accepted for such apprenticeship. In other words, having the requisite Outstanding does not mean one will be accepted. Apprenticeships are not a Knut a dozen. Then one must complete their apprenticeship to the satisfaction of their mentor and receive recommendation to sit for the Mastery Examinations, which to be honest make the NEWTs look pedestrian. There’s a full day of written exams followed by a full day of oral examination by a panel of three Masters followed by three days of practical examinations. If successful, you are then granted your Mastery.”

“How long does this take?”

“It varies on a variety of factors the most important being earning the recommendation of the Mentor. It can take a while.”

“How long did it take you.”

“I attained my Mastery in 1980, a little more than two years after finishing Hogwarts. It was faster than most.”

“And what did you do after attaining your Mastery?”

“I obtained employment overseeing the preparation of potions for a supplier who supplies St. Mungos and Apothecary shops. Mind you, they do make their own, but not in bulk. The job afforded me the chance to conduct research into new potions.”

“When did you become Potions Professor?”

“I began in the fall of 1982.”

“Is that all you do?”

“No. It does require time, naturally as do my other duties with the school. But I continue in research. Most recently I developed a potion I call Wolvesbane Potion, although that is not one of the ingredients. It’s currently in testing but is already proving useful.”

“What does it do?”

“If taken properly, it allows a person suffering from Lycanthropy to retain their minds as it were when they transform during a full moon. Now don’t misunderstand. A Werewolf under this potion is not rendered safe. He merely retains his human consciousness and therefore is in control of the beast. Should he the human decide to attack, he will. But it does allow the human to decide, rather than the beast to do so, and the beast will always do so otherwise.”

“Have you taken on an apprentice?”

“I did before I came to teach. Teaching Potions does not require taking on apprentices. To be honest, you cannot truly do justice as a mentor while also teaching classes to students.”

“Changing topics. As a Potions Master you can detect potions?”

“That is a simplistic question and the simple answer would be ‘yes’ but it’s also inaccurate.”

“Could you explain?”

“Certainly. For those who go on in Potions past their OWLs, one of the first series of lessons deals with the use of the Detection Charm. We start off using it to detect poisons or poisonous concoctions as these are the easier to detect. It’s coupled with lessons on devising and brewing antidotes as this is a basic skill expected of potioners, even if it is impractical.”

“Impractical?”

“The spell will tell the caster what the ingredients are and in what concentrations within the concoction. Naturally, the caster must be familiar with the ingredients otherwise all she knows is that 17% of this potion contains an unknown ingredient. Still, knowing the ingredient a Potioner may know of an ingredient or ingredients that would counteract its harmful effects and should know how they must be combined to create a true antidote and not another poison. Most beneficial potions are potentially toxic if they are not properly prepared. Likewise, an ill prepared antidote could easily do more harm than good. Assuming that the Potioner knows the ingredients, knows the proper counter ingredients and knows how to brew them together to produce an antidote and has them readily available, all of this takes time and in reality the victim would have either recovered or passed on before the antidote is ready. That’s not to say this skill is useless. If you know the poison and already have its antidote, that’s always the best route to take. But you cannot hope to be so lucky. In most cases, it is best just to shove a beazor down the victims throat as this will work far more often than not.”

“And this detection spell works on all potions?”

“Naturally. Again, its utility is based upon the casters pre-existing knowledge of ingredients and potions. If they don’t know all the ingredients, they’re stuck. Even if the caster knows all the ingredients, if they don’t know the potion in question they’re stuck until they can consult a learned reference.”

“And as a Potions Master…?”

“The Master is expected to be very knowledgeable in both ingredients and the Potions they make. Basically, we’re expected to be familiar with just about all there is in most standard references.”

“So if I handed you some potions, rare though they may be, if they were covered in a standard reference you could tell us what they are?”

“I should think so.”

“I am going to present you with six vials containing two potions. They are in standard references and are at least discussed in NEWT levels. I assume you could verify they are what they are?”

“Not without a wand.”

“You will be allowed your wand for the purpose of your testimony, Professor,” Harry said. “Be advised that should you attempt to use it for any other purpose, my elves are authorized to stop you and they can be… enthusiastic. You will return your wand to them when you are finished. Is that understood?”

He nodded. He really wanted to curse Black, but he also knew enough about elves not to try.

An elf first brought a tray forward with six vial on it. He was surprised at the vials and said “Where’d you get these?”

“The vials or what’s in them?” Daphne asked.

“Assuming they contain what I think, I should ask both.”

“The vials were made here at the estate following Ministry specifications,” Daphne said. “The potions were also made here at the estate with locally grown ingredients. Do the vials mean anything?”

“They do,” Snape nodded. “They are single dose vials. That means they are designed to contain a single dose of a given potion. Their shape is dictated by Ministry regulations and based on the shapes I’d say the three on my left are Veritiserum and the three on the right are its antidote.”

“And what is Veritiserum?”

“Simply stated it’s a truth potion. Naturally, it’s not that simple. A person under its influence will speak what they believe is the truth in response to questions. They won’t volunteer the truth and they will say what they believe the answer to the question is. The flaw being, they do not speak the objective truth and if they think the question asked for something different from what the questioner thought, they will answer it the way they think it was meant to be answered. It takes training to frame a question that gets the desired response.”

“Objective truth?”

“The true truth. We know the world is round. But if a person honestly believed something different when asked what is the shape of the world, they will tell you what they believe even if everyone knows they’re wrong.”

“I see. So looking at the bottles, you’re saying it’s Veritiserum and its antidote?”

“No. That’s what vials like that are expected to contain. They could contain anything. Only using them or a detection charm can confirm that they are or are not what they appear to be.”

An elf handed Snape his wand.

“Can you perform the charm and tell us your conclusions?”

“It’ll take a couple of minutes.”

“Take your time.”

After a few minutes Snape looked up. “They are what the vials indicate. These three are Veritiserum and the other three are the Antidote.”

“May I ask the Advocate why the Manor has these?” Madam Bones asked.

“Petitioner will agree to questioning under Veritiserum if his testimony is not persuasive. There may be other witnesses as well in need of such questioning. It is not the intent of the Manor to compel such questioning. But, we felt it was necessary that there would be no question as to the potions being used. They will be kept secure until asked for.”

“I would like one of my Aurors to verify this,” Madam Bones said.

“That is acceptable,” Daphne replied.

“So be it,” Harry said. “One of your Aurors can accompany the elf to the storage facility and verify it is secure.”

Snape had handed his wand back to the elves and the vials had been taken away. Shacklebolt followed the elf carrying the vials out of the courtroom.

“Do you have any further questions for this witness, Madam Advocate?” Harry asked.

“A few on a separate topic as presented in our Motion this morning.”

“I remind Madam Bones both of the limited nature of this questioning and the limited degree of cross examination that this Court will allow,” Harry said. Madam Bones nodded. “Proceed, Madam Advocate.”

“Professor Snape, are you or were you a Death Eater?”

“I must protest!” Dumbledore said. “Severus Snape was one, but this matter has been before the Wizengamot and dealt with. He has my full confidence!”

“Your protest is noted. The scope of this examination has been argued and decided and is limited. You will answer the question, Professor.”

“I was one.”

“Did you know others who were Death Eaters?”

“I did.”

“Was Sirius Black one?”

“I cannot answer that.”

“Why not?”

“I cannot say with any certainty. I knew many who were Death Eaters, but it does not follow that I knew all who were. Some of those revealed later were not known to me to have been Death Eaters at the time.”

“To your knowledge, was Sirius Black a Death Eater?”

“No. To my knowledge he was not. But it does not mean categorically that he was not one. He may have been. I just would’ve been unaware of it.”

“No further questions.”

“Madam Bones?”

“Your ruling limited my cross to Death Eater information explicitly elicited on direct, Milord. Much as I’d like to pick his brain on that, he only discussed his knowledge or lack thereof regarding Sirius Black. I have no questions.”

“You may step down, Professor Snape.” As Snape made his way back to his seat in the Gallery, Harry said: “Call your next witness, Madam advocate.”

“The Petitioner calls Ronald Weasley.”

As Ron made his way forward they could hear someone in the gallery say “What have you done, Ronald?” The chuckles had more than died down by the time Ron was sworn in and seated.

“Please state your name for the record,” Daphne said.

“Ron Weasley.”

“As in Ronald Bilius Weasley?”

“Yeah. ‘Though I don’t like that middle name much.”

“You attend Hogwarts?”

“Yeah. Third Year Gryffindor.”

“I am going to have you shown what we will mark as Petitioner’s Exhibit ‘A’ for identification,” Daphne began. An elf brought forth a small cage that was first shown to Madam Bones.

“I’m going to object on the grounds of relevance,” she said.

“The exhibit ultimately goes to the issue of whether Sirius Black did the things people think he did back in ‘81,” Daphne replied.

“I can’t see how that thing could be related to that,” Madam Bones replied.

“The court will note your objection,” Harry said. “It reserves ruling. Some leeway must be allowed as there was not prior notification to respondent as to evidence. The same leeway will be allowed for the Ministry’s case. Naturally, if this leads nowhere, the objection will be sustained.”

“I would like a standing objection…”

“Again so noted and ruling reserved.”

Madam Bones nodded. The cage was brought over to Ron.

“It’s Scabbers,” Ron said.

“Excuse me?” Daphne asked.

“Well, it looks ‘lot like him. Scabbers. My pet rat. Or he was my pet rat. Thought he scampered not long after getting back from our trip to Egypt. Is he alright? He’s not moving. Then again, he looks like he’s sleeping and Scabbers sleeps a lot.”

“It looks like your pet? Can you be more certain? Some would say all rats look alike.”

“Well, that’s not so, is it? Besides, Scabbers was missing a toe on his left front paw and so is this one. This one’s got the same coloring as Scabbers, where he has fur. Scabbers was losing his fur like this one and in the same places. I’d say it’s Scabbers. He’s not dead, is he? No. He’s breathing.”

“He was stunned. Thank you.” The elf brought the cage over to the Manor Advocate’s table and placed it as far away from Sirius as possible. Sirius was glaring daggers at it. “You say he was your pet? How long?”

“Well, he was my brother Percy’s first. Percy gave him to me just before I started Hogwarts. He made Prefect, you know, and Mum and Dad gave him a post owl he named Hermes so he gave me Scabbers ‘cause the owl might’ve eaten him.”

“Do you know when your brother got the rat?”

“Not really. He had him a while before he gave him to me. Long as I can remember at any rate.”

“No further questions.”

“That’s it? That was easy!”

“Madam Bones may have some,” Harry said.

“Actually I can’t think of any at this time. I’d like to reserve the right to recall him, if necessary.”

“So noted. You may step down.”

Ron had done exactly as it was hoped he would do. Harry had debated about letting him in on the secrets, and he still was in the dark about the future knowledge. But Ron was Harry’s best mate and Harry thought Ron would really be upset if he found out about this now rather than sooner. Daphne had prepared her questions so as not to reveal that Ron knew what was going on and Ron had done well in not doing so. It might have been more dramatic had Ron been kept in the dark, but Harry did not want that potential rift.

“I call Percy Weasley to the stand,” Daphne said.

After Percy was sworn, seated and identified himself for the record, and was a little too eager to mention he was Head Boy, Daphne continued. “Ron said you gave him Scabbers.”

“I did. Just as Ron said it was before his First Year and after I got my post owl.”

“When did you get him?”

Percy seemed surprised. “Gosh! Don’t really know. I was little. I remember Mum having a fit ‘cause there was a baby in the house. It was Ginny. She was the baby. She was born August of '81 so… Well, it must’ve been that winter after.”

“Did you buy him?”

“Hardly. I though Santa had left him.” People laughed. “I was little!” Percy protested. “Still believed in him and I wanted a pet and there Scabbers was in the snow outside the house. Mum wanted me to get rid of it but Dad knocked out a cage for him and I was allowed to keep him.”

“So we’re talking the Winter of ‘81 to'82?”

“Could’ve been the next year, but I think it was that one. Mum didn’t want it near the baby and she never saw a kid that walked as a baby. Once they started walking she called them little monsters.” This got a laugh.

“No more questions.”

“I reserve the right to recall,” Madam Bones said.

“You may step down,” Harry said.

“I’d like to call Rubeus Hagrid to the stand.”

The chair expanded as Hagrid sat down after being sworn.

“Please state your name for the record,” Daphne began.

“Rubeus Hagrid. Keeper of Game, Grounds and Keys at Hogwarts. Jus' started as Professor of Care of Magical Creatures. Always wanted ter do that.”

“How did you get that job?”

“Professor Kettleburn retired and Professor Dumbledore asked me.”

“Do you have any qualifications?”

“Course I do. Got a Mastery in it, don' I? Well, kinda honourary one. Did all the work an' was ‘prenticed an’ all that. But ‘though I know the spells, I canna be usin’ a wand so…”

“Why not?”

“Snapped mine when I was in school. But Dumbledore kept me on an' let me study beasties which was all I was really interested in anyways. Got my NEWTs and got ‘prenticed. Took a while 'cause of the wand thing. But 'ventually nuff Masters said I should have it so I got it 'bout twenty years ago. I was helpin’ out already an' ‘ave been ever since. Weren’t actually teaching the courses, but I tutored those what asks fer it.”

“What about non-magical creatures?”

“T'ain’t bird nor beastie what lives near Hogwarts I don’t know. Wouldn’t be much o' a Gameskeeper if I didn’t. Students ask, you know?”

“You mean you know what they are?”

“More ‘an tha’. Can tell ya anythin' ‘bout them. Can even fix 'em up if they’re hurt an’ stuff.”

“You’re going to be shown what’s marked as Petitioner’s Exhibit "A” for identification.“ The cage was brought back to the witness box. "Can you tell us what that is?”

“A rat in a cage,” Hagrid said. “Pretty sorry lookin' one at that. Probably a Brown Rat, also called a Norwegian one, ‘though don’ ask me why ‘cause it ain’t from there at all. Most common rat about.”

“You heard the testimony that this rat’s been a pet for eleven years at least?”

“Aye. Odd that. Rats don' nearly live that long. Might be why this one looks th' way it does.”

“Are rats magical?”

“Nope. Not a one. An' there’s not a magical beastie what looks like one. I suppose it could be made magical some. Maybe charms and such. But they ain’t magical otherwise.”

“How long would a rat like this live normally?”

“In the wild, ‘bout a year er maybe two before sammat eats it.”

“Can they live longer?”

“Aye, if there’re no beasties ‘bout what wants a rat fer dinner. An’ if it’s fed and if it don’t get sick and such.”

“How long can a rat live as say a pet?”

“On ‘bout three or four years. Maybe a little longer but not much. Think the record’s 'round six er so. Not anywhere’s long as this one’s been about. An’ that still assumes nothin' eats it. Plenty ‘round Hogwarts what would eat a rat, an’ not jus' all the cats ‘round the castle. Probably wouldn’ last a month in the forest. But these rats prefer to stick close ter humans. They like the leavin’s an' such.”

“So an eleven year old rat would be a bit odd?”

“Probably a record, assumin' it ain’t been magicked.”

“No further questions.”

“I reserve the right to recall the witness,” Madam Bones said.

“You may step down,” Harry said to Hagrid.

“Petitioner now calls Professor McGonagall,” Daphne said.

Professor McGonagall was soon seated on the stand. After the introductory questions and questions about her Mastery in transfiguration were out of the way, Daphne continued: “We heard earlier from Professor Snape that there’s a detection spell used in advanced potions work. Is there something similar in Transfiguration?”

“Not a single spell,” McGonagall said. “There are several. There’re a couple that can tell you whether or not something has been transfigured, but you need to use a different set of spells to figure out what it was originally, assuming you don’t want to just turn it back. We begin teaching that in Sixth Year.”

“Is there a reason why there’s not one spell that’ll do the trick?”

“There’re many different forms of transfiguration. Inanimate object to inanimate object is the earliest form we teach and of course even there it can be different classes as it were. Changing a matchstick into a needle is one and one of the easiest for the base object and target object are similar in size and shape to begin with. Greater differences require different spells and may well cross into a different class altogether. This requires different detections charms to determine the base object - the original one. There are four spells that can be used to make the initial assessment that an object either is or is not transfigured. Two are strictly used on inanimate targets - that being an object that is believed to have been transfigured. One spell will tell you that what you are dealing with was once another inanimate object and another that it was originally an animate object like a beetle that has been transfigured into a button. Then there are two spells for suspected animate objects. Again, this will only tell you basically what it began as. Once that base determination is made, there are other spells that let you discover what the original, base object was.”

“So if I were to ask you to make such a determination, it might take some time?”

“It could if I had no suspicions about its original status. It could still take some time if the suspicion was wrong.”

“What I’m going to do is ask you to determine if the rat that is exhibit A is really a rat, can you do that?”

“That would be fairly straightforward. It would take less than a minute. If it’s not a rat, detecting what it once was is the time consuming part or at least it can be.”

“I am going to present you with Exhibit "A” and ask you to tell us first if this is really a rat."

“Professor,” Harry said, “as with Professor Snape, you will be allowed your wand under the same conditions. It is to be used as Manor Advocate asks and for no other purpose.”

“I understand.” She soon was muttering some spells.

“Can you tell us if Exhibit "A” is really a rat?“ Daphne asked.

“It’s not. Not originally. I can say it is a complex form of animate to animate transfiguration. The base object was very different in size, mass and structure. I can only guess what that might have been which would mean… It can’t be!”

“Professor?”

She was again casting some spells. “This is an animagus,” she announced. There were gasps from the audience although most of the younger students seemed to have no idea what that meant.

“How did you figure that?”

“My initial detection told me it was formerly an animate object - an animal of some kind. That original animal was much, much larger than this rat. Changing the mass of an animal is very difficult and well beyond the abilities of most wizards. But remember I said discovering the base form is easier if you have a suspicion as to what it may have been. This rat is much, much older than it should be. While it was possible that it was another animal, I was left with something that could live eleven or more years. That rules out a fair few that I’m aware of. Many of the ones that I couldn’t rule out based upon lifespan are far too large. Cats can live that long and that would be a fairly simple transfiguration for a Master, if somewhat ironic. But then I thought why would a cat or any animal matter? How could that help understand what went on? And I then thought animagus. It’s a simple enough spell and it either tells you the animal is or is not an animagus.”

“And what is an animagus?”

“The base form is a witch or wizard. It is complex magic and takes a long time to master. It’s also dangerous to try. But if successful, that witch or wizard can change at will into a specific animal and what that animal is, is specific to that witch or wizard. I am one, as I assume everyone who’s had me as their professor is aware. My form is a cat. I was skeptical of my suspicion in that… well, I’m not aware of anyone who’s a rat. Could be a foreigner, I suppose.”

“And how would you be aware of such a thing?”

“In addition to the dangers associated with attempting to become an animagus, it is a magic that can be abused. It can be used to spy on others or escape the scene of a crime or such. Naturally, the form dictated just what kind of mischief the witch or wizard could get themselves into. But because some forms lend themselves towards mischief, all animagus in Britain are required to register their forms with the Ministry.”

“Is it possible that there may be some who have not registered?”

“I suppose it is. Scofflaws are not unheard of.”

“But this is an animagus?”

“Of that I have no doubt.”

“Can you tell us who it was or is?”

“Not without forcing it back into its base form. I can do that, if you like.”

“You may be asked to later. I have no further questions.”

“Madam Bones?” Harry asked.

“Professor McGonagall, you are certain that the rat is an animagus?”

“That much I am certain of.”

“And you’re not aware of a person with a rat form.”

“I am not. I can’t say I have the registry memorized but I’m not aware of any rats on it.”

“So this could be anyone?”

“Well, aside from anyone you see in this room, I’d say that’s possible.”

“But rats only live four years.”

“As I said, its longevity was of interest. An animagus takes on the form of the animal, but in many other ways it remains its base. The mind is that of the original form to a large extent. Moreover, your lifespan is not altered to conform with that of the animal. While eleven years may be impossible for a rat, it’s perfectly possible for a human. Human seemed to be the best possibility and it is.”

“But you can’t say who it was or is I suppose?”

“No.”

“No more questions.”

“I would next like to call Professor Lupin. He’s our Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, but he’s being called as a material witness and not as an expert.”

“I can think of no objection,” Madam Bones said.

Lupin was sworn and introduced.

“Now, if you could Professor, I’d like you to identify the rat labeled as Exhibit ‘A’.”

“I don’t believe it,” Remus exclaimed. “It’s Peter Pettigrew!”

There was a commotion from the gallery as several people seemed shocked at this revelation.

“How can you say that?”

“I could say it’s logical,” Remus said. “I know that Peter Pettigrew was an animagus and that his form was that of a rat. I know that the last I had heard he had not gotten around to registering his form. We have here a rat animagus that seems to be unregistered. Conclusion: it’s Pettigrew. But, as I knew him back then and knew he was an unregistered animagus and had seen his form on many occasions, I know this is him. There are a few unique markings on his tail that’ve been there from the off. My friend James thought it might be some form of scaring caused by an off job of transforming which I guess makes some sense, but I don’t know that for certain. But the markings were distinct and this rat has them. It’s Pettigrew.” He deliberately left out that the thing smelled like Pettigrew.

“How did you know Pettigrew was a rat animagus?”

“He was my friend at school and still was afterwards, or so I thought. Now I’m not so sure. He succeeded in becoming an animagus Fifth Year and both told me and showed me just as my other friends did.”

“Other friends? And who were these other friends?”

“James Potter and Sirius Black. James was a Stag and Sirius a big, black dog of some kind. Never could figure out what kind. James said it must be a mutt.”

“And they didn’t register their forms?”

“They weren’t about to while they were in school. McGonagall would’ve had kittens, pardon the pun. She was quite serious in saying we shouldn’t try such magic until we’re older and that even then we should do so under competent instruction. If things went bad, they could go really bad and you’d find yourself in the Permanent Spell Damage Ward at St. Mungos. They were planning to register after they finished school. I think James did. A stag wasn’t a particularly useful form. Muggles hunt stags for one thing. Sirius was told not to…”

“By whom?”

“Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He put it on his application to become and Auror and was told to keep that to himself. A dog can be useful for stealth.”

“And Peter? Was he also told not to?”

“Not that I know of. He didn’t sign up for the Aurors or hit wizards. Didn’t go to work for the Ministry at all as far as I recall.”

“How do you know that James Potter and Sirius Black did reveal these abilities?”

“I was there when they applied to be Aurors. I was applying as well. Well, the Ministry was in even more desperate need of Hit Wizards so while we all qualified for Auror training, we were assigned to the Hit Wizards. We were all asked about any special abilities. When James said he was a Stag Animagus, the Hit Wizard who was processing us in laughed. Told him it was a bloody useless ability in their line of work and to go register if he hadn’t already done so. Sirius, on the other hand, was told not to.”

“And you?”

“I’m not an animagus. Not everyone can do that, you know.”

“And Peter? What did they tell him?”

“They didn’t. Peter didn’t have the marks in school to apply.”

“You are aware that everyone seems to think Peter Pettigrew is dead…”

“Yeah, and that included me. But that is Pettigrew, I’m sure of it. Don’t ask me why he’s been a rat all this time and living as a boy’s pet. To be honest that’s just creepy. But it’s him. Of that I’m as certain as I can be.”

“No further questions.”

“Who was Sirius Black assigned to as a Hit Wizard?” Madam Bones asked.

“He worked under Mad-Eye Moody most of the time once we were sent to the field. That’s the one eyed chap next to you, Madam Bones.”

“You lot were always cheeky buggers,” Moody growled.

“Did you work for Master Auror Moody?”

“Early on,” Remus nodded. “Really wish it had been longer. He might be a cantankerous son of a bitch and have the social skills of a wet cat, but he was the best there was.”

“Why only early on?”

“I was reassigned to the Continent. We had a team operating out of Paris and Milan to get after Death Eaters who were either trying to recruit or were thinking the Continent was a safe place to Holiday or were going after our own citizens.”

“No further questions.”

“You may step down.”

“Begging the court’s indulgence and noting the time, I would like to resolve the issue of the odd rat once and for all,” Daphne said. “I would like to bring in a holding cage, place the rat in it, seal it and allow Professor McGonagall to cast the reversing spell on it to force the rat into its base form.”

“Oddly enough, I have no objection,” Madam Bones said.

It took a few minutes for the cage to be brought in. It was large, large enough to hold a man. It had bars to keep the man in but also screens that could keep a rat in as well. An elf removed the stunned rat from the small cage and placed it in the larger one, sealing the cage with magic.

“Professor McGonagall, if you please?” Harry said.

McGonagall was handed her wand for a second time. She looked a little nervous and unsure when she approached the cage almost as if she was doubting she could do this or unwilling to find out that this was true. While she had been told about Sirius’s innocence, she had not been told all the details. Thus, she did not know that Pettigrew was a rat animagus and now she was uncertain if she could believe it.

“I never would’ve believed it,” she said still hesitating to cast the spell.

“Could you explain that statement?” Harry asked.

“Pettigrew was affable enough, but a bit shy. In fact, he was more shy than Lord Longbottom given that Lord Longbottom while not trying to stand out has been running a Herbology study group practically since he arrived here. Pettigrew would never have… And magically? He’s among students I would never believe capable of achieving an animagus status and certainly not as a Fifth Year. He didn’t seem that… talented.”

She then cast the spell. There was a flash of light within the cage and the rat seemed to explode as it grew several times over and transformed. In moments, the rat had been replaced by a shabbily dressed, short balding man.

“That’s him,” McGonagall said with more than a hint of disappointment. “Didn’t age too well, did he? But that’s Peter Pettigrew.” McGonagall then gasped. Harry could not see what she was looking at from his perspective. “And he has the Dark Mark!” There were gasps from throughout the room. Harry and the others behind the bench leaned over to get a look. Pettigrew’s left sleeve was bunched up and on the underside of his bared arm there was what looked like a faded tattoo of a skull and a snake. Harry had not seen this mark before. It was clear the two older gentlemen had. “That’s it, alright,” Malcolm Davis said. “Calls into question a lot of things, I should think. Can’t say I recognize the bloke, but that’s a Dark Mark. Whoever else he is, he’s a Death Eater.”

“Milord?” Daphne asked.

“Make your recommendations, Your Grace,” Mr. Davis said. “My recommendation would be to take it under advisement for now, unless you are resting your case.”

“I’m not. But given the hour and the fact I can’t get through my next witness today, unless we all want a very late dinner, I was going to recommend adjourning once I submit my motion.”

“Let’s hear it then,” Harry said.

“First, I ask the Respondent if they dispute the identification of this man and will offer any evidence that this is not Peter Pettigrew?”

“I’d like to ask him that himself, preferably under Veritiserum,” Madam Bones said. “But unless he can refute it… I will accept that it is Peter Pettigrew. He certainly resembles the man we’ve all thought was dead…”

“I was simply going to point out that there cannot have been a murder if the victim never died.”

“So noted,” Harry said. “We reserve ruling on that until after the close of evidence. But I dare say you may have a point. Of course the not quite so dead Pettigrew in this Courtroom does not answer all of the questions raised in your Petition.”

“It doesn’t. But I believe it places those questions in a more favorable light.”

“We reserve comment on that statement, Madam Advocate. Is there anything else? Madam Bones, do you disagree with Madam Advocate?”

“Not at this time,” she replied. “But I reserve the right to counter that assertion if the evidence warrants.”

“So noted. As to the respondents previous objection regarding the relevance of Exhibit ‘A’, that which was formerly a rat and the implied standing objection to all testimony regarding said rat, the objection is overruled and Exhibit ‘A’ is admitted into evidence. This court stands in recess until nine o'clock tomorrow morning. House Potter hopes you all enjoy your evening.”