Dumbledore's voice faltered slightly, as if he hadn't expected Sirius to be so unaware of why he was on trial, or perhaps he was surprised that Sirius was still coherent enough to speak.
After a few seconds of silence, he applied a little more pressure to Sirius's shoulder.
"Yes, he's still alive."
Dumbledore continued, "He transformed into a rat, disguised himself as a child's pet, and lived in hiding for eleven years. He was recently apprehended at Hogwarts."
Sirius stared blankly at the floor, lost in thought.
Dumbledore went on to lay out the crimes that Peter Pettigrew had confessed to.
He was the traitor.
He was the one who led to the death of the Potters.
He was also the one who, on the verge of being captured by Sirius, used a spell to blow up twelve Muggles.
Wizards who hadn't attended the previous trial began whispering, too shocked to maintain the courtroom's decorum.
Moody scowled.
"A filthy scumbag like that deserves a Dementor's Kiss!" the retired Auror said with intense disgust.
"The Ministry sentenced him to life in prison!" Lupin also seemed dissatisfied, but then added, "It might be better for him to live and endure a long torment!"
"Was Peter Pettigrew tried yesterday?" Wade asked.
"It was a secret trial, without so many people present," Lupin replied, trying to control his emotions. "Originally, Peter's trial was after Sirius's, but Dumbledore had it moved up."
Moody nodded. "Only by confirming Peter Pettigrew's crimes can Sirius Black be proven innocent."
He stared intently at Sirius, as if trying to discern some hidden emotion on the skeletal face.
He then added, "If you ask me, Fudge lacks a certain kind of mettle. If it were Millicent Bagnold, she would never have let Pettigrew have the chance to enjoy the rest of his life."
"But Peter Pettigrew is an Animagus," Wade said. "Could he turn into a rat and escape Azkaban?"
Moody shook his head. "As much as I dislike those creatures, I have to admit they're the best guards in the world. No one can break out from right under their noses—even if those things probably don't have noses."
"Since the Ministry knows he's an Animagus, they have measures in place to deal with that," Lupin added.
As they spoke in hushed tones, Dumbledore had already presented the limited evidence—primarily Peter Pettigrew's testimony.
Then, he presented Sirius's wand, which had been confiscated years ago. The Ministry had found it in a dusty evidence room and applied the Prior Incantato spell, checking it spell by spell for more than ten minutes.
The spell that had killed a dozen Muggles never appeared from the wand.
The members of the Wizengamot in charge of the trial nodded at each other and exchanged glances. They had already been briefed on the facts beforehand. Dumbledore's presentation was mainly for the reporters and uninformed audience.
After the wand was checked, the facts seemed to be unequivocally clear.
Fudge then put forward his own theory—
If they were to mistakenly release Sirius Black, he would become a major force in the resurrection of the Dark Lord and would bring danger to the entire magical world.
Fudge didn't actually care whether Sirius Black or Peter Pettigrew was innocent.
For him, stability was what mattered most.
He wanted the magical world to be as calm as a windless lake, allowing him to hold his position securely, occasionally achieve some safe political success, and fill his private coffers to the brim.
He rejected any kind of change.
Peter Pettigrew had been in hiding for more than a decade. Had he done anything? No. He was as good as dead.
But Sirius Black was a ticking time bomb. Fudge didn't know what he would do after being released. This uncertainty made him feel uneasy, and thus, feel threatened.
And if Sirius wasn't a traitor, he was Dumbledore's man, a fact that Fudge couldn't bring himself to say out loud.
Fudge's worries seemed to make some sense, and some people were quietly nodding.
Amelia Bones looked down at the silent Sirius and asked, "Sirius Black, do you have anything to say?"
Sirius remained still for a long time.
Fudge said, "I don't think he's capable of understanding your question, Amelia..."
"I'm guilty," Sirius suddenly said in a dry voice, slowly raising his head.
"They were as good as killed by me... I was the one who convinced James and Lily to change their Secret-Keeper to Peter at the last minute... not me..."
"I made a terrible mistake... I was the one who got them killed... it's all my fault... I am guilty..."
"No, that's not true!"
Harry couldn't help but yell.
Everyone in the courtroom looked at him. Fudge's eyes widened in shock, and he said angrily, "Silence!"
Some people, seeing Harry's appearance, guessed his identity and immediately showed interest.
Harry knew that everyone was looking at him, and he knew that he might be kicked out soon, but he still shouted with all his might:
"You're not guilty! Even if my mom and dad were here, they wouldn't think you're guilty! Voldemort was the one who killed them, not you! It's not your fault that Pettigrew betrayed them!"
Harry calling out Voldemort's name in public caused a great stir. Many people, disregarding the courtroom's order, stood up to get a look at Harry.
"Did you hear that... he said his name..."
"Of course, he's... Harry Potter..."
Wade heard the noisy discussions.
Sirius Black suddenly lifted his head, trying his best to get a clear look at Harry. His sunken eyes suddenly became moist and shone with a bright light, dispelling all the rotten, withered things in an instant.
"...James?" he said softly, his lips trembling.
Amelia Bones had to bang her gavel several times to barely restore order in the courtroom.
"Please be quiet, Mr. Potter," she said. "Otherwise, I'll have to ask you to leave."
Harry immediately sat down, his face as red as if he had a fever. He stared at his toes, unable to believe how impulsive he had been just now.
Lupin patted him on the shoulder.
Over the heads of the rows of people, he and Sirius made eye contact, his eyes also moist.
"All those in favor of a guilty verdict, please raise your hands," Madam Bones said in a loud voice.
Harry suddenly raised his head, his breathing becoming ragged as he watched nervously.
Some people were still turning their heads to look at him, as if they hadn't heard what was being said.
One, two, three...
A handful of arms were raised.
"All those in favor of a not guilty verdict, please raise your hands," Madam Bones said again.
Rows of arms went up, and some people even smiled and nodded at Harry as they raised their hands.
It was more than half!
"Not guilty!"
Amelia Bones banged her gavel and announced, "Sirius Black, you are hereby released!"