Upon seeing that line of golden words, nearly all the older wizards in the Trial Room subconsciously stood up.
They looked toward the area shrouded in thick mist, their eyes filled with unabashed fury.
As people who had personally experienced that turbulent era, they knew very well that this was the incantation for the Fidelius Charm; once the contract was formed, those words would turn into golden talismans and hide in the soul of the spellcaster.
Many people in this room had only narrowly escaped disaster because of this very method, so they understood it all too well.
Now it could be said with absolute certainty—Peter Pettigrew was the true Secret-Keeper, not Black!
"Damn it!" Curses echoed all around.
Crouch's expression was dark.
Though Dumbledore had testified, up until this moment, he still didn't believe Black was innocent—or rather, he'd preferred to think this was a trap set by Fudge to fool Dumbledore.
After all, back then everyone knew the Potters and Black were as close as one person; no matter how you looked at it, the Secret-Keeper couldn't possibly have been the timid, cowardly Peter.
Yet, they did exactly that, as if they had completely lost their minds—their brains should've been shoved into their heads just now, like that one in the tank.
"Traitor..." Crouch clenched his fists, snapping the quill in his hand with a loud crack.
The murmurs in the Trial Room grew louder and louder.
The dense mist quickly dissipated, and Diana stepped out. "Well then, Professor Dumbledore, I'll leave the rest to you."
"Of course, that's our responsibility," Dumbledore replied with a smile. "This time, it's all thanks to you. Otherwise, I fear Sirius would've been in real trouble..."
"I only wanted to help Lily, not some self-important idiot," Diana didn't spare Black a single glance.
"Also, Headmaster, if I recall correctly, Hogwarts doesn't have any rules allowing fifth-year students to leave school on weekends, does it?"
Dumbledore's smile froze on his face, but he quickly regained his composure. "I think so as well, but this was the Minister's invitation, and Kai insisted on coming, so... ahem, there was nothing I could do."
"Is that so..." Diana glanced toward the corner again.
Kai, who was lowering his head in a desperate attempt to minimize his presence, suddenly shivered. He cautiously raised his head, just in time to see Diana and the other two Unspeakables leaving the Trial Room, taking the water tank with them.
"Whew..." He let out a long sigh and sat up straight again.
After that, the rest of the trial went much more smoothly.
In the face of clear and irrefutable evidence, those who had previously objected all fell silent. Although some still clung to Sirius' escape from Azkaban, Fudge always found ways to muddy the waters and drag things out.
Although he was curious how the man had escaped heavily guarded Azkaban, now was clearly not the time to discuss it.
There would be plenty of time to look into it later.
Finally, to expedite the retrial, Sirius even volunteered to take Veritaserum or submit to Legilimency to prove his innocence.
Fudge agreed, and since it was voluntary, no vote was needed.
Soon, Scrimgeour brought over a small vial.
"I think a single drop should suffice," Dumbledore said. "We don't need to ask too many questions."
"I know," said Scrimgeour.
As a drop of Veritaserum was poured into his mouth, Sirius' cheeks slackened and his eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.
"Can you hear me speaking?" Scrimgeour asked.
Sirius' eyelids fluttered briefly.
"I can hear you," he replied in a low voice.
"I want you to tell us," Scrimgeour asked calmly, "twelve years ago, who was the Secret-Keeper for the Potters?"
Sirius took several trembling breaths and began to speak in a flat, emotionless tone.
"It was Peter Pettigrew. He was the Secret-Keeper."
"Why did you choose him?"
Sirius' eyelids fluttered again. "Because I thought it would be safer. I was the decoy in the open, so no one would suspect the timid, cowardly Peter."
"Who blew up the Muggle street after that?" Scrimgeour pressed.
"Also Peter Pettigrew..."
Under the influence of Veritaserum, Sirius recounted every detail of the process of switching the Secret-Keeper.
To be honest, after hearing how it all happened, most people's first reaction wasn't sympathy—rather, it was the same thought as Crouch... Black really was missing a brain.
They really should've asked those Unspeakables earlier—maybe he could've applied for one.
It should've been simple, but he just had to overcomplicate things. Completely unnecessary.
Still, after cursing him in their hearts, everyone sighed.
No matter what, he had spent twelve years in Azkaban for nothing—he had paid for his foolishness.
When Sirius finished, Scrimgeour, looking conflicted, poured a bottle of Magic Potion into his mouth.
He'd actually considered whether, if Sirius was acquitted, he should be recruited into the Auror Office—but now he thought he might want to reconsider.
After all, being an Auror wasn't just about strength.
After drinking the Magic Potion, the confusion in Sirius' eyes gradually faded. He shook his head and regained clarity.
"I think everything should be clear now." On the high platform, Fudge cleared his throat. "So, all in favor of Sirius Black's acquittal, raise your hand."
Hands shot up, surpassing half in the blink of an eye—even Crouch slowly raised his own arm.
"Ninety-five votes!" Ms. Bones announced in a resounding voice.
"Excellent, excellent." Fudge stood up, smiling. "On behalf of the Ministry of Magic, I hereby declare: the 1981 charges against Sirius Orion Black are officially revoked, his wanted status lifted. He is to be released today as an innocent man and his right to own a wand is reinstated."
Applause erupted in the Trial Room. Everyone stood, clapping with all their might.
Sirius sat there dumbfounded, glancing around at everyone, then at Peter groveling on the floor, feeling an overwhelming sense of unreality—as if all this was a dream.
He... was free?
Sirius drew several heavy breaths, then raised his head to look at Dumbledore, seeking confirmation.
"So what are you waiting for?"
Dumbledore smiled. "If you have enough Galleons on you... well, would you like to stroll through Diagon Alley? It's changed quite a lot in twelve years."
And I've checked—Olivander hasn't gone out hunting for wand materials today. You should be able to pick out a wand for yourself there."
"Of course... of course, Professor Dumbledore." Sirius' eyes immediately grew moist, and he laughed and cried. "I've dreamed of visiting Diagon Alley."
...