After the recess Jamieson entered the wand as evidence for the defense. He was pleased as many of the members of the Wizengamot looked sharply at Sirius, when it was revealed by a priori incantato in court that his wand didn't have the dark exploding hex that had been registered at the scene. He called his next witness, Henry Smithers.
"I investigated both the auror and muggle records of that night. In my investigation I found Mr. Smithers. Mr. Smithers could you tell the court what it is you do?"
"I'm a muggleborn who after graduation from Hogwarts in '54, went back to living in the muggle world six years later. I'm a medical examiner. It's my job to work crime scenes and examine bodies of the dead to determine cause of death."
"I actually worked the nightclub site ten years ago. I was assistant not lead on the scene, but I can tell you about the conclusions the muggles drew. Contrary to the conclusions the aurors drew, Muggles believe in conservation of mass. The explosion while hot didn't burn long enough to consume a full body. Although seven of the bodies were in multiple pieces ninety-five percent of those bodies were recovered, the remaining bodies were ninety eight percent recovered. That one body, Pettigrew, was less than one percent recovered, and by that I mean one finger, argues he didn't die there."
There was an explosion of sound.
Jamieson turned to Crouch "Your witness."
Crouch scowled. "Mr. Smithers, you say you left the magical world for the muggle in 1960, why?"
"Because by then I'd seen enough bigotry to realize I didn't like the magical world."
"I'm sure as someone who didn't do well at Hogwarts…"
"I graduated eighth in our class of a hundred and five, but you probably don't remember me. I was a rather unremarkable Ravenclaw, but I placed higher than you did with honors in arithmancy. After I returned to the muggle world, I took a couple years to catch up on my muggle education. I went to medical school, then rather than doing an internship and becoming a doctor, I stumbled into forensic pathology and it suited me. I started studying law enforcement. I graduated with honors from Cambridge."
Bartemius Crouch got an uncomfortable expression on his face as if something uncomfortable had been shoved in a very private place. "No further questions."
"Redirect?" asked the Chief Warlock. Jamieson shook his head no. "Next witness."
"For my next witness, I call Sirius Black. At his own request Mr. Black wishes for the court to use veritaserum."
It took a few moments for the veritaserum to be brought in, the stock number and maker verified, then for an auror to give it to Sirius. While that was happening Stephen handed Jamieson the medical recommendations Cassandra had given him. Jamieson read through them then looked hard at Stephen. Stephen nodded. Jamieson refolded then then tucked them into his robe to give to the Chief Warlock.
When Sirius' face took on a glazed expression Jamieson began.
"What is your full name?"
"Sirius Orion Black." His voice had the monotone cadence that veritaserum gave.
"Did you tell You-Know-Who the location where James and Lily Potter could be found Halloween 1981?"
"I couldn't, I wasn't the secret keeper."
A small explosion of whispers were heard throughout the room. The Chief Warlock banged his gavel for silence.
"Who was?"
"Peter Pettigrew."
"Why not you?"
"I was too obvious James and I thought it would be safer for Lily and Harry if I played decoy."
"Did you cause the explosion that killed twelve muggles and injured twenty two others on the early morning of November 4th 1981?"
"No."
"Why were you there?"
"I wanted to capture Peter."
"Why?"
"He betrayed James and Lily to You-Know-Who."
"Did Peter throw the explosion curse?"
Sirius' "Yes" overlapped with Crouch's "Objection! Leading the witness."
Cecil Warrington frowned "Sustained."
Jamieson nodded, and asked Sirius again."For clarity, who threw the exploding curse?"
"Peter did."
"Tell me the sequence of events starting 4 p.m. Halloween 1981 until you found yourself in Azkaban."
"I got off work, went home and changed. I had a date that night I went on my date, then since it was late I went to check on Peter. He wasn't home. I got a bad feeling, so I went to check the Potters. James and Lily were dead. Hagrid had removed Harry from the house and was taking him to Dumbledore. I went after Peter. I caught up with him around one in the morning on November 4th. As soon as Peter saw me, he started yelling how could I do it, how could I betray James and Lily like that, I moved towards him and cast an expelliarmus. He dodged. He cut off his own finger and cast expluso fragmentus hitting the gas main that runs just under the street there. The explosion knocked me back and killed the muggles. My shield saved me as Peter's did him. I saw Peter transform and disappear down into the sewers and tunnels that run under London. The aurors arrived stunned me and took me into custody. When I woke up I was in Azkaban."
"You say Peter transformed, what do you mean?" Jamieson asked.
"Peter is an animagus. His form is that of a rat."
Crouch burst out, "Preposterous."
"I would like to remind Mr. Crouch, that my client is under veritaserum and incapable of telling a lie."
The Chief Warlock frowned at Mr. Crouch and said, "Further outbursts will not be tolerated."
Jamieson wanted the attention on Sirius not Crouch so he said, "Mr. Black, Peter Pettigrew was a barely competent wizard. Are you telling me he mastered a form of magic so complex?"
"Peter got an outstanding on his transfiguration NEWT. All the Marauders did. It was the only one he got. He only got acceptables in everything else. James and I had to help him, but all of us became animagi in fifth year."
"Alright. When aurors arrived at the scene you said 'It's all my fault'. What did you mean?"
"I blame myself for James and Lily's deaths, because I persuaded them to use Peter as their secret keeper. I blame myself for the deaths of all the people in London because I failed to stop Peter, and because I underestimated what he was capable of. But I did not actually kill anyone."
"One last question, many feel that because of who your family was you are a Death Eater. Were you at anytime, at any level, a follower of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?
"Never."
"I have no further questions."
"Very well, Mr. Crouch, do you wish to cross examine? Or has this farce gone on long enough." Cecil Warrington frowned at the prosecuting barrister.
With those words Bartemius Crouch realized he had failed to prove beyond a doubt that Sirius Black deserved what he had gotten. It had slowly sunk in over the last few minutes that in his zeal to punish Death Eaters he had lost his own humanity and put an innocent man into Azkaban. Not just low security where dementors patrolled thrice a day but into maximum security where there were always dementors present except for when the Minister did his annual tour. He had not just raised a Death Eater son, he had become that which he hated. He and Millicent Bagnold had both been vindictively angry and unreasonable where Death Eaters and suspected Death Eaters were concerned. Why had Albus not seen it? Why had he not stopped them? It was only after his son was outed as a Death Eater that the tribunals were stopped.
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