Several heads nodded, but others frowned, whispering uncertainly.
Dumbledore lifted a calming hand. "The truth requires testimony. Today we shall hear from those who encountered this supposed Animagus."
The doors opened again.
Three young figures walked into the courtroom: Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, and Harry Potter.
Eira's eyes followed them. She had seen the famous "Boy Who Lived" in newspapers, but in person, Harry Potter looked… ordinary. His dark hair was a mess, his round glasses slightly crooked. He seemed smaller than she expected, shoulders tense as though the weight of every gaze pressed upon him.
Beside him, Hermione Granger walked with composure, her spine straight, chin lifted. Ron Weasley looked pale, freckled face strained under the weight of so many watching eyes.
Fleur leaned in, her voice dropping into a mischievous whisper. "Alors… c'est lui? This is the famous Harry Potter? I imagined someone tall, dashing, heroic. But he looks more like a schoolboy who's lost his timetable."
Eira rolled her eyes, lips tugging at a smile. "He is a schoolboy, Fleur. What exactly did you expect?"
Fleur gave a delicate shrug, her expression caught somewhere between disappointment and amusement. "The books and stories spoke of him as if he were radiant as a Veela—some even claimed he had wings and could fly. One even called him the second Merlin himself." She tilted her head, studying Harry with unabashed curiosity. "But standing here… he seems painfully ordinary. Far too ordinary for such tales."
Eira chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Stories are written to be sold. They'll turn anyone into a legend if it makes for a better tale. Potter just happens to be their chosen myth."
The girls' whispering was cut short as Dumbledore addressed the chamber.
"These three students were witnesses at the time of Sirius Black's most recent capture. Let them speak."
Fudge scoffed loudly. "Children! We are asked to trust the word of children, whose memories can be tampered with at will?"
Sirius snarled, "Their word is worth more than your Ministry's lies, Fudge."
The chamber quivered with whispers as Sirius Black lifted his head, gaunt but unflinching. His grey eyes burned with defiance.
"I can prove it," he rasped, his voice carrying over the restless crowd. "Peter Pettigrew is alive. He's an Animagus—a rat. And I am not the only one who knows this. Two Hogwarts professors can testify. Severus Snape, and Remus Lupin."
A shocked murmur rippled through the Wizengamot. Minister Fudge slammed a hand down on the arm of his chair, his face going red.
"A werewolf," Fudge spat, rising half out of his seat. "Merlin's beard, you bring us a werewolf's testimony? You expect us to weigh the words of such a creature in this court? A danger to every wizard and witch present—dragged in as a witness?"
Gasps and hisses spread through the chamber. Some nodded in agreement, others shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
Dumbledore rose slightly, his presence alone quieting the uproar. "Control yourself, Minister," he said, his tone calm but iron-clad. "Prejudice has no place here. Professor Lupin's condition does not strip him of honesty. His account will be heard."
Before Fudge could retort, Harry stepped forward, fists clenched. His voice shook with anger but carried clearly.
"I saw him. Peter Pettigrew. He was Ron's rat—Scabbers. I swear it. He transformed right in front of us."
The chamber erupted in gasps.
Umbridge's shrill voice cut through. "Silence! Insolent boy, you do not speak out of turn before your elders!" Her smile curled like poison. "Be a good child and let the grown wizards handle the truth."
Harry's face flushed red, but Hermione touched his arm, whispering quickly. He bit his tongue, glaring at Umbridge but stepping back.
The Chief Warlock's gaze swept across the chamber before settling on three students sitting tensely near the front. "Mr. Potter. Miss Granger. Mr. Weasley. You were there on the night in question. Please recount what you witnessed."
Hermione then spoke, her tone crisp, precise.
"It happened in the Shrieking Shack. Professor Lupin forced Pettigrew to reveal himself. We all saw it. He admitted everything—that he betrayed the Potters, that Sirius was innocent. He begged for his life. He ran when given the chance."
Gasps rippled again. Amelia Bones adjusted her monocle sharply, eyes narrowing in interest.
All eyes turned to Ron, who trembled under the weight of their expectation.
"H-he… he was my rat," Ron stammered. "I've had him since I was little. He used to be Percy's before me. M-Missing a toe. Just like Sirius said. And that night… he turned into Pettigrew. I swear it."
Lucius Malfoy sneered faintly, lips curving as though amused. Several of the Wizengamot members leaned back, clearly unsettled.
Fudge slammed his hand again, sweating. "Rubbish! Lies fed to children! If Pettigrew is alive, where is he now? Produce him!"
Harry burst out, unable to hold back:
"He escaped! He ran from us that night! That's why Sirius came after him—because Pettigrew was the real traitor!"
"Silence, boy!" Umbridge hissed again, but Harry's voice rang in the chamber, echoing.
For a moment, silence stretched heavy. The weight of conflicting testimonies, of old prejudices and political tensions, hung thick in the air.
Sirius finally lifted his chin, voice deep with conviction.
"I am not the traitor. I never betrayed James and Lily. Pettigrew did. I was thrown into Azkaban without a trial—thirteen years wasted in that hellhole because the Ministry was too lazy, too arrogant, to look for the truth."
His words cut through the chamber like a blade.
High above, Dumbledore inclined his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "The testimonies are clear," he said, his words cutting through the stillness. "The question now is this—will this court honor the truth… or will it cling to the mistakes of the past?"
The sound of murmurs, rising arguments, and quills scratching over parchment filled the air as the Wizengamot broke into factions. Some eyes flicked to Sirius with suspicion, others with dawning realization.