"So in Skyrim lycanthropy isn't a curse, it's a blessing?"
"Depending mostly on your own point of view, but yeah."
"And with the proper training you can control both your transformations AND yourself while you're transformed?!"
"Yep. There are even a few totems that can be used to pray to Hircine to make the transformation even stronger."
"I don't know if I should be amazed or horrified..."
"I will be personally offended on behalf of my wife if you are not amazed." Harry said in a lighter tone than what he had been taking with Remus back at the Leaky Cauldron, as they approached an unassuming telephone booth on a rundown street.
"So THIS is the entrance to the Ministry of Magic?" Harry asked curiously, changing the subject.
"Hm? Oh yeah. It's not the main entrance of course, most employees either just Floo in or Apparate. But for visitors like us this is the way to go."
Remus then led the way into the phone booth, leaving the door open for Harry as the Boy-Who-Lived squeezed in beside him. Remus then dropped some change into the slot, and dialed a number before a voice spoke to them.
"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and the purpose of your visit."
"Remus Lupin, werewolf, and Harry Potter, here to attend the trial of Sirius Black." Remus spoke clearly, before two badges dropped down in the coin return slot.
"Please wear your badges at all times, and enjoy your visit to the Ministry." The voice told them, before the booth slowly began to slide downwards, like a Dwemer lift. Except Harry had to admit this one was far more smooth.
Harry and Remus quickly pinned the badges to their robes as they continued downwards, before the lift opened up into a massive hall that put any Harry had seen in Skyrim to shame.
Fire places lined each side of the hall, the ones on the left with a steady stream of witches and wizards coming through them, while the ones on the right had lines of people waiting their turn to depart. The floor was made up of dark polished wood, while the ceiling was peacock blue with numerous shifting golden runes floating around it.
As the booth came to a stop on the floor, Harry and Remus both stepped out as they strode across the hall with purpose, Harry pointedly ignoring the looks he received, and the muttering that followed him.
Halfway across the hall was a brilliant golden fountain that depicted a wizard, witch, centaur, goblin, and something Harry thought might have been a house elf. The duo strode past the fountain and continued until they approached a large golden gate, where there was a wizard standing at attention as he watched every single witch and wizard pass him by.
"We need to stop and register our wands before going further." Remus told Harry as they both approached the security guard.
"Names and business." The guard asked as soon as they approached, his hand outstretched.
"Remus Lupin and Harry Potter, here to attend the trial of Sirius Black." Remus said while immediately handing over his wand, before the guard looked down at Harry pointedly.
"The last time I surrendered my wand due to Ministry regulations, it didn't end too well." Harry stated, making the guard furrow his brow irritably.
"It's only to do a check, make sure it's your actual wand." Remus whispered to Harry, who reluctantly surrendered it to the guard.
The guard placed Harry's wand on an instrument that looked like a scale, which began to vibrate slightly before producing a slip of paper.
"Holly, eleven inches, and phoenix feather core. Been in use for a little over a month." The guard read off the slip, before returning Harry's wand to him.
"Thank you." Harry said stiffly, returning the wand to his pocket while Remus had his weighed.
"Don't get YOUR kind here very often." The guard sneered at him as he returned Remus's wand.
"Special exception for the trial." Remus quickly replied, before leading Harry further into the Ministry.
"Was that normal?" Harry asked him quietly, not at all referring to the wand weighing.
"That was actually a bit more civil than normal. Which is why I wanted to hurry along before that changed." Remus answered quietly.
"And I thought the Silver Hand was bad." Harry muttered as he learned just how deep the stigma against werewolves went in this world. At least Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun respected the Companions and their beast blood, though it was mostly due to the protection they offered Whiterun as their home.
The duo entered one of the gated lifts that were beyond the gates and checkpoint where they had to weigh their wands, where a couple other people squeezed in with them before the lift began to move. Not just up and down, but even forward, back, and to either side.
After making several stops where wizards, witches and flying parchment left and entered, they finally made their stop at level 9, The Department of Mysteries.
"Here for the trial?" A wizard on the lift with them asked they all got off of it.
"Yeah. I'm here to give testimony." Remus answered as they followed the other wizard's lead, heading not for the door that was straight ahead, but through the one on the left that took them even further downwards.
"Figures. What about the little one? He looks like he should be in Hogwarts right now." The wizard asked while looking at Harry pointedly, making him bristle from how he had been called.
"That's Harry Potter." Remus said dryly, making the other wizard pause.
"Are you really?" He asked, to which Harry slowly nodded.
"Indeed." Harry said with a chilly tone.
Apparently the wizard had heard about what Harry did to the Dementors of Azkaban, because he wisely kept his mouth shut as they entered the courtroom where the trial was about to be held.
The room was filled with witches and wizards wearing plum colored robes with a big silver W embroidered onto them, while a select few stood out amongst them with differing attire. One was Cornelius Fudge, wearing robes similar to the ones Harry had seen him wearing before, Rita Skeeter in her usual catchy attire, and then there was Albus Dumbledore himself, as flamboyant as ever in his shimmering purple robes.
Aside from the two of them, there was also a group of people sitting in some stands off to the side, where Remus directed Harry as they too took their seats.
Not wanting to be swarmed with attention, Harry kept his head down and lowered his presence as he analyzed the entire courtroom, and those in it. Harry may not be able to put names to faces before him, but he knew that the Wizengamot was amongst, if not THE most influential faction in wizarding Britain.
Soon enough, Albus started banging a gavel and the entire courtroom fell silent almost instantly.
"Bring him in." Albus stated in the most serious voice Harry heard him use yet, and the door on the opposite side of the courtroom opened to admit a trio of people, Sirius and two others that flanked him. One of which Harry recognized as Moody.
Sirius was placed in the chair in the middle of the courtroom, before the chains on the chair sprang to life and tightly bound him in place. The only thing Sirius could move was his head.
"Sirius Black. You stand accused of being within the service of Lord Voldemort(everyone but Harry, Sirius and Remus flinched at the name), acting as a spy for Voldemort, and directly causing the deaths of James and Lily Potter, Peter Pettigrew, and twelve innocent muggles. How do you plead?" Albus asked while reading off the list of charges.
"Not guilty." Sirius immediately answered, to no one's surprise.
"Please tell the Wizengamot why you plead not guilty."
"Because, I never betrayed James and Lily. When they went into hiding under the Fidelius Charm, I was planned to become their Secret Keeper. But, at the last minute, I convinced James and Lily to secretly make Peter Pettigrew their Secret Keeper instead, since I was the obvious choice."
"So you claim that Peter Pettigrew was the one who betrayed James and Lily?"
"Yes, I do. And when I confronted Peter about his treachery, he gave that dramatic speech about me being the traitor, and then blew up the street to make it look like I did it. I'm even willing to bet that he is still alive to this day."
"Really? And how would Peter have remained alive, and hidden, all this time? The Ministry would have undoubtedly discovered him by now, or Voldemort's remaining followers would have. After all, I think it would be safe to say that the most devoted of his followers would blame Peter for sending him after the Potters to begin with, which was the cause of his downfall."
When Albus finished speaking the other members of the Wizengamot began muttering amongst themselves, and Harry was able to catch little snippets of their conversations as they did so. Some sounded interested, others doubtful.
"Because!" Sirius said loudly enough to get their attention back on him. "Peter was able to hide because he, myself, and James all became unregistered Animagi while we were still in school. Though I will not state the reason WHY we went through the process, illegally, I will say that my form is that of a large black dog, James was a stag, and Peter was a rat. I firmly believe that Peter faked his death, and has been in hiding from both the Ministry and Voldemort for the past decade in his rat form."
The muttering started up again as the Wizengamot discussed what Sirius had told them, before Albus spoke up once more.
"Very well." Albus stated firmly to get their attention.
"Now that we have heard the testimony of Sirius, shall we listen to the testimony of his friends and acquaintances?" Albus asked them, and soon several other people began giving their statements about Sirius as well, specifically if they thought he was capable of being a Death Eater.
"I....suspected him, before the death of James and Lily." Remus said as he gave his own statement.
"However my suspicion was based solely on the fact there had to be someone close to us acting as the traitor. Like Sirius, I never would have suspected Peter capable of betraying us. The four of us were as close as brothers in school but none more so than James and Sirius."
Harry noticed then that Sirius and Remus shared a glance with one another. Nothing suggestive or inappropriate, but a look between men who didn't share blood, but were brothers all the same. It was the same look he had seen men give each other before going into combat countless times before.
They were saying that no matter what, they had each other's backs.
"Ehem."
A fake cough broke the silence after Remus gave his statement, drawing attention to a woman who was seated near Fudge that reminded Harry distinctly of a toad.
"While I am sure everyone appreciates your....sentiments. The fact is that we are here to discuss the facts, and nothing else. So if you have nothing factual, then please retake your seat before we have to have you removed. After all, the likes of you shouldn't even be here to begin with." She stated as if everything she said was only natural, before dismissing Remus like he was a dog.
And the more Harry looked at her, the more he could see that familiar gleam in her eyes.
She was just like the elven bitch.
If there was one person Harry could never forgive in either Skyrim or wizarding Britain, not even Voldemort would compare to his hatred of her. Elenwen.
Elenwen was a High Elf from the Summerset Isles, and a high ranking member of the Thalmor. And if even that were not enough of a reason to hate her, then how about the fact that she had been the one to lead the Thalmor to slaughter the village that raised him after arriving on Nirn?
To Elenwen the killing of Men was not a noble calling, nor her duty as someone who hunted down worshippers of Talos. She did it for the pleasure.
She saw the races of Men as beneath her, and took great pleasure in stomping them out like they were nothing but vermin. And Harry felt equal, if not more, pleasure in removing her head from her shoulders when she led an attack on him due to how strong he was becoming.
The look in the toad-like woman's eyes as she spoke to Remus, it was the same exact look Elenwen had when she slaughtered his village. Like she was looking at something that wasn't even sapient, but a beast or something even lower.
Harry hated her instantly.
"Who is she?" He asked Remus as he retook his seat.
"Dolores Umbridge." Remus breathed out quietly.
"From what I've heard, she recently became Undersecretary to Fudge, which also resulted in her gaining a seat on Wizengamot. Unfortunately she has a blatant hatred for anything not fully 'human', and has apparently been trying to push through stricter regulations regarding half-breeds and non-humans."
"Including werewolves?"
"Especially werewolves."
"Now then." Albus spoke up after Remus returned to his seat, as the final person to give his own testimony regarding Sirius.
"We have heard the testimonies of those closest to Sirius before his imprisonment, now let us hear the testimonies of those in charge of the investigation. Amelia, if you please."
At his urging, a woman stepped forward that was accompanied by a pair of Aurors.
"Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." She stated clearly as she introduced herself.
"Ever since this case was brought to our attention, my Aurors and I have been working tirelessly to investigate the truth of the matter. We first delved into the files of this case when it was first made, immediately after the death of the Potters when the warrant for the arrest of Sirius Black was made.
"According to the file, the evidence was so overwhelming when he was arrested that Sirius Black was sent directly to Azkaban as there would have been no point in holding a trial. Not to mention that this all took place in the aftermath of the fall of You-Know-Who, so no one in the Ministry had the time to deal with a case that was presumably open and shut.
"Upon investigating though, we learned that several memories were taken from the muggles who witnessed the confrontation between Black and Pettigrew, for the sake of using them as evidence before the muggles were Obliviated. As the case never made it to trial though, they were stored for evidence and later forgotten about.
"Upon reviewing these memories through a Pensieve though, we started to discover numerous discrepancies with the official story and what these muggles witnessed.
"The first was that the official story stated that Peter pettigrew was the one who chased down Sirius Black after the death of the Potters, and confronted him on the street. According to the memories we viewed though, the muggle noticed Pettigrew trying to avoid being noticed until Black tried to approach him, prompting Pettigrew to make his declaration.
"Secondly was that Sirius Black was the one who blew apart the street with a blasting jinx, killing Pettigrew and twelve muggles. The memories we viewed did in fact show Black drawing his wand, but he never made any movement nor incantations to cast any spells. On the other hand, one of the muggles noticed Pettigrew holding his own wand behind his back, waving it right before the blast occured that killed several of them and supposedly himself.
"This led us to interrogate Black's wand, as we still possessed it in our custody as well. And sure enough, Black did NOT cast a Blasting jinx before he was arrested. Nor did he have enough time to try and cover it up before being apprehended.
"After viewing these memories, we also conducted an investigation on the mind of Sirius Black himself. He allowed us access to his mind via Legilimens, which led us to verify that nothing in his memories contrasted his story. Nor did any of his testimony vary when he was questioned under the use of Veritaserum."
"Thank you Amelia." Albus said as soon as she finished giving her statement regarding the investigation into Sirius's story.
"We have all heard the testimonies of Sirius, those closest to him, and that of Madam Bones and those under her. Now I say it is time we cast our votes on the matter. All those in favor of conviction?"
Harry furrowed his brows as several individuals raised their hands in favor of convicting Sirius, despite everything they heard, including Umbridge. Thankfully though, there were less than ten that did so, and Harry made sure to commit the faces of those ten to memory.
"Those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges?" Albus asked next, and every single remaining member of the Wizengamot raised their hands in an overwhelming majority.
"Very well. I hereby declare Sirius Black to be innocent of Death Eater activities, the crime of killing Peter Pettigrew along with twelve muggles, and the crime of betraying the whereabouts of the Potter family to Lord Voldemort(everyone shuddered again)! He shall be released immediately, granted his position as head of the house of Black, and paid a suitable amount in reparations for his unjust sentence! Are there any opposed?"
Albus paused his declaration as he glanced around at the members of the Wizengamot, but none voiced their disagreement with his ruling.
"Then let it be!" He declared one final time, before bringing his gavel down.
*BANG!*