Chapter 393: Chapter 393: Life Imprisonment (Edited)
"Yes, James and Lily finally replaced me as their Secret Keeper," said Peter Pettigrew, emitting some hissing sounds and then speaking in a neutral and emotionless tone.
When Peter admitted to being Peter Pettigrew, there was a slight buzz in Courtroom Number Seven. But when he revealed that he was the Secret Keeper for the Potters, the courtroom erupted. However, there was a significant difference between adult wizards and Hogwarts students.
After the brief commotion, everyone restrained themselves, although some couldn't help but raise their fists and middle fingers towards Peter.
Those interested in the Sirius Black case knew there was a crucial point: who the Potters had chosen as their Secret Keeper. With the protection of the Fidelius Charm, it was impossible for anyone to find the Potters, but Voldemort had succeeded, indicating that the Secret Keeper had betrayed them.
Therefore, it wasn't difficult to reach a conclusion: the Potter's Secret Keeper was a Death Eater who joined Voldemort. Previously, everyone thought it was Sirius Black, but now the case had taken a turn.
Fudge easily obtained the confession he wanted, but today he had a more important question to extract from Peter's mouth.
Controlling his emotions, Fudge asked in the calmest voice possible, "So, after He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named died, why didn't you leave and instead hid in the Weasley's house?"
Peter's eyelids twitched a couple of times. "Because I needed to gather information, find the right moment to welcome back my master, or rather, I wanted to help my master rise again with my assistance."
Boom!
At this moment, wizards could no longer contain themselves, and the ceiling of the courtroom nearly blew off.
"Bastard!"
"You've committed heinous crimes, deserving the death penalty."
"Minister, send him to Azkaban immediately, with no chance of redemption."
Peter's actions had undoubtedly struck a raw nerve with the wizards present, awakening the deepest fear in their hearts. Most of the wizards present, aged between their forties and sixties, hadn't lived through Grindelwald's time and didn't know the terror of the first Dark Lord. But they had all experienced Voldemort's era, felt firsthand the suffocating oppression and constant fear of losing their loved ones.
For them, anyone attempting to resurrect Voldemort was their number one enemy. A group of people who couldn't even believe the news of his return, how could they let someone trying to revive him go unpunished?
It was thanks to the respect they held for Dumbledore that they didn't pounce on Peter to beat him. But even with Dumbledore on the scene, the atmosphere was charged with emotion.
"So, have you succeeded in resurrecting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" asked Fudge with this question, and the courtroom fell into complete silence.
"No," Peter responded succinctly and decisively. "The time has not yet come."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They didn't care what the right moment for Voldemort's resurrection was, as long as it wasn't now.
Observing the reactions of the wizards around him, Dumbledore sighed. He had never imagined that the wizarding world would fear Voldemort so much these days. It was as if, with just his return and a command, the Ministry of Magic would instantly crumble.
Dumbledore realized he had underestimated the level of fear others felt towards Tom Riddle. But it was understandable; they didn't even dare to speak his name, even though he was now just a lingering soul. Voldemort's power no longer existed, but his influence remained profound.
Now, Dumbledore regretted not having been firmer in the past and sent those who pretended not to be Death Eaters to Azkaban. But he couldn't blame himself for being lenient, as there were too many secret Voldemort sympathizers in those days.
Both he and the Order of the Phoenix had been cornered by Riddle and his followers. One after another, families loyal to the Order were eliminated, and prominent Ministry of Magic members died in battle. The situation was deteriorating, and it was understandable that pure-blood families wavered in their loyalty.
Dumbledore even thought that if Tom Riddle hadn't believed in that prophecy and had continued weakening the Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix, maybe he and his followers could have directly attacked Hogwarts.
Dumbledore appeared somewhat weak during that time, staying inside Hogwarts without leaving. Mainly because, facing Voldemort, he had no guarantee of victory. If he lost, it would be truly dire, and everything would be lost.
Thinking of this, Dumbledore's gaze became sharp for a moment and then returned to calm and profound. He was starting to support Tom's idea.
He believed that Riddle would undoubtedly return, so why not try to control his return process? That way, he could set a trap and further weaken his power.
The showdown with Voldemort was a battle between good and evil in its entirety. If he could weaken the Death Eater side in advance, Dumbledore wouldn't hesitate to do so.
At that moment, Fudge was very pleased. Either way, he had resolved the Azkaban escape incident: "The fugitive is innocent," and naturally, he was no longer a fugitive, so the escape incident could be closed. Best of all, he had received news: the mysterious one had not yet resurrected. That was really good.
Although he felt very happy and content inside, he showed not the slightest emotion on his face. He looked solemnly at Peter Pettigrew and said, "I believe there is no need to continue questioning. I now ask the jury to vote." Fudge spoke loudly, "Those who believe Peter Pettigrew should be sentenced to life in Azkaban, please raise your hand."
Fudge didn't want to continue questioning; he believed the evidence presented was enough for a conviction. So, he initiated the vote.
The result was not surprising to him. Almost all the wizards raised their hands in favor, and the few who opposed only considered Fudge's sentence too lenient.
"Very well, take him to Azkaban." Two Dementors floated over and grabbed Peter's shoulders, leading him out of the courtroom. Along with the Aurors, they took Peter Pettigrew to Azkaban.
As he watched Peter gradually recede, Fudge displayed a relieved smile. At that moment, resounding applause was heard behind him. He turned and looked at the wizards present, and the applause grew even more enthusiastic.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we must celebrate the success of stopping the dark wizard's plot!" Fudge couldn't contain his joyful laughter.
Dumbledore gazed at Fudge, who laughed like a child, and also showed a compassionate smile. The only person in the room feeling down was probably Amelia Bones. Seeing how Fudge concluded Peter's trial, she felt that her own accusation was reaching new heights.
Her chances of success were unlikely, she thought to herself.
Chapter 394: Chapter 394: The Missing Peter (Edited)
Amelia sighed silently in her mind. Maybe Dumbledore was really getting old? She thought Fudge was like a crumbling house on the verge of collapsing, one that could be knocked down with a single kick. But it turned out that, although Fudge was a crumbling house, kicking it would unleash a bunch of burly men who would brutally beat you.
Amelia was certain that Fudge had solidified his position thanks to his energetic handling of Peter Pettigrew today. Even if an accusation were to be brought against Fudge, it wouldn't pose a real threat to him unless his reputation was truly shaken. It would only attract Fudge's furious vengeance afterward.
Amelia knew she had uncovered the problem, and she was sure that those who had allied with her had also figured it out. When the accusation started, there would be fewer people willing to follow her, making her power even weaker...
There would be no accusation anymore! Amelia made a firm decision, unless Fudge's reputation was seriously affected, she wouldn't intervene.
But how was it possible for Fudge, who was at the peak of his power, to suddenly see his reputation plummet?
...
Kingsley Shacklebolt, a veteran Auror, and Tonks, a rookie Auror, climbed into the carriage pulled by Thestrals. They placed Peter, whom they had forced to drink a potion, between the two of them. Outside the carriage, there were eight Dementors who would escort the carriage to Azkaban.
Once Tonks and Kingsley were inside the carriage, it began to move on its own.
At that moment, perhaps due to the presence of the Dementors, the weather in London worsened. The entire sky darkened, and instead of small raindrops, snowflakes began to fall.
Muggles opened their umbrellas and hurried to their destinations or entered nearby shops to shield themselves from the snow. Above their heads, an invisible carriage sped northward.
It would cross the clouds and head over the waves to Azkaban, an isolated island in the North Atlantic.
When the carriage reached the surface of the sea, a massive cloud of silvery mist suddenly enveloped the entire group. The Dementors surrounding the carriage scattered like insects exposed to light. When the silvery mist appeared, both Kingsley and Tonks realized that something was wrong.
"Get your wand out and aim it at that guy," Kingsley shouted at Tonks, while he himself drew his wand and looked out of the carriage window. However, by that time, the silvery mist had completely covered the window, preventing them from seeing the situation outside.
Just then, a huge cloud of smoke erupted from inside the carriage, obscuring both of their views.
"Oh no, quick - cough, cough!" Kingsley realized the enemy's target and moved towards the carriage door, trying to warn Tonks, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he inhaled a big gulp of smoke and started coughing.
Apparently, a cold wind had entered the carriage. Kingsley immediately sensed that something was amiss; the situation was critical and he had no other option. He used non-verbal magic and pointed his wand towards Peter's remembered position and cast the Reductor Curse (Reducto).
However, there were no scenes of flesh and blood flying everywhere. His spell exploded at the rear of the carriage, creating a large hole through which more cold air from outside entered, dispersing the smoke inside the carriage.
When the annoying smoke cleared, the place where Peter had been sitting peacefully asleep was no longer there; only Kingsley and Tonks remained inside the carriage, looking at each other.
...
"Cornelius, today is truly a good day, even if the weather isn't so great. Why don't we take advantage of the break between trials to have a drink and discuss the matter of Sirius Black's rehabilitation and Peter Pettigrew's Order of Merlin recovery request?"
Trials at the Ministry of Magic didn't occur back-to-back. There were periods of rest in between, whether long or short. After Fudge sentenced Peter to life in Azkaban, he announced a temporary recess. The wizards present grouped into small clusters to smoke, drink tea, and chat. Fudge was no exception; he was looking for a quiet place to get some fresh air when he saw Dumbledore approaching him.
Fudge displayed a surprised expression upon receiving Dumbledore's invitation and promptly accepted.
"Professor Dumbledore, it's hard to imagine that Peter Pettigrew really betrayed the Potters. I always thought it was Black. His entire family is from Slytherin, right?" Dumbledore and Fudge found a secluded spot, took out a flask filled with wine from beneath their robes, and engaged in conversation.
Dumbledore produced a small bag of chocolates and offered two to Fudge.
"The Sorting Hat can sometimes make mistakes when sorting students into houses. Among that group of four, I always thought that Black was sorted incorrectly, but it turns out the Sorting Hat didn't make a mistake." Dumbledore expressed a certain nostalgia. He admitted that prejudices often posed a significant barrier.
During the latter part of the Wizarding War, Dumbledore had always suspected that there was a traitor in the Order of the Phoenix. The prime suspect was Sirius Black, hailing from the Black family.
Dumbledore personally trusted Sirius, but out of caution, he avoided giving him overly important tasks. Sirius's background had caused him many problems. His parents were pure-blood followers, his brother Regulus Black was a Death Eater, and his cousin Bellatrix Lestrange was a veteran Death Eater. With such relatives, how could the members of the Order of the Phoenix fully trust Sirius?
Even one of his best friends, Lupin, was wary of Sirius, and ironically, Sirius also believed there was a traitor in the Order of the Phoenix, with the primary suspect being the werewolf Lupin...
"Perhaps something went wrong, like when it sorted Peter into Gryffindor, making him the only Death Eater from Gryffindor." Fudge shook the bottle of liquor in his hand and burped.
"Maybe, when he was sorted, Peter was truly a brave Gryffindor... People change..." Dumbledore's eyes revealed undeniable sadness.
The Sorting Hat at Hogwarts rarely makes mistakes. It can sort young wizards into their respective houses. But what happens to them during their growth is no longer under the hat's control.
And isn't Peter truly brave? Of course, he is incredibly brave. Not just anyone can infiltrate for twelve years disguised as a rat, and after his resurrection, he alone crossed the English Channel and traveled across the European continent to find Voldemort in Albania. The hardships he faced can only be imagined.
Wasn't that bravery?
While Fudge and Dumbledore conversed, a paper airplane flew into Fudge's hand.
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