Exams were over, and there were no classes for the entire next week, allowing students to freely enjoy Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.
But Charlie didn't get a chance to rest.
An Owl belonging to the Ministry of Magic flew into the Great Hall and landed precisely beside the plate in front of Charlie. It extended its claw, delivering a letter with gilded edges.
Charlie tore open the envelope and scanned its contents.
A formal summons from the Wizengamot.
Regarding the retrial of Sirius Black.
Almost simultaneously, Harry and Ron also received their respective summonses.
Harry's hand trembled, spilling pumpkin juice on the table. He stared at the letter, his face pale.
"Charlie, if the trial doesn't go well, will Sirius..." Harry's voice was very soft.
"Will he be locked back in Azkaban?"
After Black's official appearance last time, Harry had recognized him and learned that Black was his only godfather.
This retrial held significant meaning for Harry.
Charlie closed the letter, his tone calm: "No."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief; Charlie's words always brought comfort.
"If this trial can't clear his name, he'll probably be executed, not sent back to Azkaban."
Harry abruptly turned, looking at Charlie in horror.
Hermione, who was massaging Charlie's shoulders nearby, frowned slightly:
"It's reasonable for Charlie to be a witness, but why do Harry and Ron also have to appear in court?"
Charlie could probably guess.
"Ron is because Peter was his rat."
"Can you stop talking?" Ron said with a bitter face, looking quite miserable.
Charlie ignored him and continued:
"I requested Harry to be brought along."
Harry was stunned: "Why?"
Charlie didn't answer directly, instead asking: "Do you want to save Sirius?"
"Of course, I do!" Harry blurted out.
Charlie lowered his voice.
"Then listen to me, you do this and this..."
...As Minister for Magic, Fudge was not having an easy time.
Recently, the Ministry of Magic had been broken into, and the Department of Mysteries was a mess. The entire Wizarding World was laughing, calling Fudge incompetent and the Ministry of Magic foolish.
Many below him were eyeing his current position.
If another scandal of wrongly convicting a hero occurred, even if he hadn't presided over the original case, he would still be nailed to the pillar of shame, and his approval ratings would plummet again.
Therefore, he was very unwilling for Sirius to be acquitted.
He needed a witness, a witness who could prove that Peter was not the criminal.
After much thought, Snape was the most suitable candidate.
Snape was also present that night in the Shrieking Shack, and Snape and Black had a long-standing grudge.
So Fudge personally went to Hogwarts.
In Snape's office, the light was dim, and the air was filled with the scent of potions.
Fudge pushed open the door and saw Snape tidying cauldrons.
"Professor Snape." Fudge walked in, a professional smile on his face.
"Sorry to bother you."
Snape didn't even lift his head: "What can the Minister do for me?"
"Regarding the retrial of Sirius Black." Fudge sat down on a chair.
"You know, this matter has caused quite a stir."
Snape stopped what he was doing and turned around.
"Black did something very offensive to you back then, didn't he?" Fudge probed.
Snape didn't respond, looking at him coldly.
Fudge coughed and continued: "That night in the Shrieking Shack, you were also present. I heard Peter Pettigrew was killed, but the scene was very chaotic, right?"
Snape remained silent.
"What I mean is." Fudge leaned forward slightly.
"Can you be sure that the person who died that night was Peter?"
Snape narrowed his eyes.
Fudge quickly added.
"You just need to say you're not sure. I'll handle the rest. I'll say that person was a very bad Dark Wizard, but not Peter. Black wanted to use him to impersonate Peter and get acquitted. That way, your killing incident can also be resolved, and Black won't be able to clear his name, and everyone benefits."
The office was terrifyingly quiet.
Snape just stared at Fudge, not saying a word.
Fudge felt uneasy under his gaze. He tugged at his collar, feeling the temperature in the office suddenly drop a few degrees.
"Professor Snape?" Fudge ventured.
"Do whatever you want." Snape finally spoke, his voice icy.
"It's none of my business."
Fudge was stunned for a moment, then his heart rejoiced.
From these words, Snape clearly didn't want to get involved in this matter.
As long as he didn't actively testify that Peter confessed that night, everything would be under his control.
"Then it's settled." Fudge stood up, the smile on his face a bit more genuine.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Professor Snape."
...Three days later, Dumbledore picked up Charlie and Ron, but Harry was nowhere to be found.
Dumbledore looked at a certain empty spot, a look of bewilderment appearing on his face.
Then he gave Charlie a strange look but said nothing.
He just took Charlie and Ron, using Floo powder to travel to the Ministry of Magic.
The main hall of the Ministry of Magic was even livelier than usual.
Wizards gathered in twos and threes, whispering. Charlie heard keywords like "Black," "retrial," and "Azkaban" constantly drifting into his ears.
Everyone took the elevator to the tenth floor.
It must be said that the Ministry of Magic's reconstruction was both fast and good; there was no trace of Charlie having broken in a few days ago.
"Ding—"
The elevator doors opened.
The courtroom doors were open, its four walls made of Black stone, with torches hanging on the cold stone walls, casting flickering shadows on the surfaces.
The members of the Wizengamot were already seated in the high stands, looking down at the defendant's box below.
Charlie scanned the stands, seeing many familiar faces.
Lucius, Mrs. Augusta, Arthur, and some familiar Pure-blood Family.
Upon seeing Dumbledore, they all rose to show respect.
Lucius also smiled and nodded at Charlie when he saw him.
Charlie quietly said to the empty air beside him: "Sit here."
Then he sat down in the witness box.
Soon after, Sirius was escorted in.
He had cut his hair and changed into clean clothes, looking much more energetic.
Sirius's gaze swept across the entire courtroom, but he didn't see the person he most wanted to see, and he was somewhat disappointed.
Fudge sat on the highest judge's bench, cleared his throat, and struck the gavel.
"The three hundred and seventy-second Wizengamot trial session now begins."
"Mr. Black." Fudge opened the dossier.
"Twelve years ago, you caused an explosion on a Muggle street, resulting in thirteen deaths, including Peter. There were dozens of Muggle eyewitnesses at the scene, and the evidence is conclusive."
"And now." Fudge closed the dossier, his voice deepening.
"You claim that the real culprit was actually Peter, but the only evidence is a body suspected to be Peter's, which is hard to believe."
Low murmurs spread through the courtroom.
Dumbledore stood up, his robes making a slight rustling sound on the floor.
"Minister, the original trial lacked critical evidence." Dumbledore's voice wasn't loud, but it silenced the entire courtroom.
"All accusations came from Muggle identifications. But for Wizards, fooling Muggles is effortless."
Fudge frowned: "But this also doesn't prove that Peter was the murderer."
Dumbledore nodded.
"Of course, Minister, therefore, I request to summon witnesses."
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Greyhounds
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"