Hogwarts, a Scholar Becomes a God

v6 Chapter 76: the dust settles

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"Okay, that's what happened thirteen years ago. Let's ask the Magic Law Enforcement Division to provide the results of last night's trial."

Fudge tapped the table with the little wooden hammer he had, and an Auror came up with a Pensieve, another Auror behind him, two bottles and some parchment in his hand.

The members of Wizengamore, headed by Professor Dumbledore, looked at these testimonies and materials, and at the same time did not forget to carefully probe the memory of Sirius and Pettigrew.

Judging from these evidences, the whole thing can be said to be clear at a glance.

"Peter Pettigrew, why are you feigning death to escape?"

Seeing that Peter Pettigrew's criminal facts were already settled, Crouch couldn't help but ask again.

"I deceived everyone, but I have a reason." Despite the fear in Peter's voice, he was still trying to quibble.

He reiterated the rhetoric he had made at the Fire Dragon Park.

But which of the people present are not human beings, it is simply wishful thinking to try to get away with such flawed reasons.

"It's very strange to turn into a mouse and live in a wizard's house for thirteen years, just to escape a prisoner in Azkaban."

Before Sirius could speak, Umbridge's strange tone sounded like a step.

"I advise you to be honest, tell everything you know, and say, is there any other messenger behind this!"

She stood up with a smirk on her face, and the expression revealed by those big round eyes was extremely indifferent.

Clark had not missed her previous eye contact with Fudge.

What a born politician.

Clark sighed in his heart that Umbridge was able to climb to a high position in a short period of time.

Her words not only directly nailed Peter Pettigrew's guilt, but also expanded the words, trying to involve other people.

Peter Pettigrew faltered, in front of the reality of his life, any explanation seemed ridiculous and pale.

He was curled up in the chair, his face was pale, his body was shaking like a sieve, and the cold sweat was dripping.

Seeing this, there was a murmur in the room, and the members of Wizengamore nodded while discussing. Obviously, Umbridge's words touched them.

This time, Crouch couldn't sit still. He was the one who tried Sirius Black's case back then. According to Umbridge, his suspicion was the greatest.

So he stood up and said coldly, "Umbridge, this case is not over yet. The specific circumstances have to be decided by all the wizards in Wizengamot. It's not your turn to talk."

Umbridge sneered, but sat down obediently.

Although she has been appointed as a senior deputy minister, that's just to put it mildly. In fact, she's just a senior assistant to the minister and doesn't have much real power.

But when she sat down, she looked at Fudge with a look of taking credit.

Fudge nodded lightly, imperceptibly.

Crouch also wanted to question Sirius, but Fudge took a step ahead. "The evidence has been presented, the prisoner has been interrogated, and the witnesses will speak."

Snape and Harry came to the front, and there was an interlude in the middle, Harry was too nervous to open his mouth because he was facing this situation for the first time, and Snape finally told what he knew first, and then By Harry.

After listening to the words of the two, Crouch wanted to stand up and ask questions, but Fudge didn't seem to want to give him a chance to speak, and said directly, "Okay, since the evidence is conclusive, let's start voting."

He stood up, leaned forward, and looked at the Wizengamot members, "Jury please...raise your hand if you agree to Sirius' acquittal..."

Except for Crouch, most of the jurors raised their hands, and a few raised their hands after hesitating for a while. Only Crouch and a few sporadically sat still. there.

Harry, who was watching, was very excited. If Blake was innocent, it would mean that he could finally get rid of his uncle and aunt's family.

Black, who was sitting on the trial chair, looked at the red-robed wizard who was looking down at him in the circle, and the raised arm, his heart was beating violently, as if it would explode at any time, so he couldn't get through it. gas.

He had to take a deep breath, then looked down at the shoes on his feet.

"Judgment passed!" Fudge knocked on the table, "so, about Peter Pettigrew betraying the Potters; blowing up a street and killing a lot of Muggles; framing the innocent Sirius Black and imprisoning him in Azkaban Thirteen years..."

Clark noticed that Crouch's face was almost dripping when he heard "Innocent Sirius."

Fudge had finished accusing Pettigrew of Peter Pettigrew, and said loudly, "Raise your hand if you agree with the accusation."

Sirius Black jerked his head up.

This time, more wizards raised their hands, and they raised their hands faster.

They raised their hands one by one, and there were quite a few... almost more than 70%!

Even Clark could hear Blake's rapid breathing. He wanted to count, but before he could finish, Fudge said, "Raise your hand if you don't agree with the accusation."

There was silence, and Crouch looked around, as did six or seven others.

His hand moved slightly, and he finally knew that he was over, but he still didn't raise it.

Seeing this, Fudge couldn't help showing a triumphant smile on his face. "Mr. Crouch, you didn't raise your hand twice? You mean..."

Crouch pursed his lips and sat in his seat without saying a word.

"Okay," said Fudge, with a palpable joy in his tone, "then may I take it that you have no objection to their sentence?"

A group of dead silence, and then two words popped out of Crouch's lips, "Of course."

After speaking, Crouch was a little shorter, and his spine, which had always been straight, bent down, as if these two words had exhausted all his strength.

"Okay," Fudge nodded in satisfaction, "now, we have agreed on the outcome of the trial."

"I declare—" His voice became louder and louder, "The trial of the case thirteen years ago was not established, and Sirius Black was acquitted and should receive reasonable compensation. The specific compensation content will be discussed after the meeting."

After he finished speaking, he took the lead in applauding, and the jury bench also burst into applause.

Peter Pettigrew trembled with fear at the applause.

"As for Peter Pettigrew, he will get the punishment he deserves!"

Everyone cast a glance at the shivering Peter, as if staring at a piece of meat on the chopping board.

"Now I call the jury to vote," Fudge exclaimed. "Raise your hand to anyone who shares my opinion that these crimes by Peter Pettigrew should be sentenced to life in Azkaban!"

Fudge glanced solemnly at the jury members, and also noticed that Clark, who was beside him, gave him an admiring look.

What Clark had said to him in the office not long ago reverberated in his mind.

"Minister, although the proposal to give Peter Pettigrew a kiss can indeed make the case never turn over again, and even undermine Crouch's majesty, I think this proposal does more harm than good to you.

Everyone has the mentality of rabbits and foxes, and wizards are no exception. The kiss of the dementor is too cruel and too terrifying.

As the head of the Ministry of Magic, in this position, the so-called prestige and strength are not the most important thing, that can be done by others, and the attitude of tolerance and friendliness can make you more popular. "

As if in response to this sentence, Umbridge, who was sitting beside Fudge, stood up unexpectedly and refuted him.

"Minister, I don't agree. I think Peter Pettigrew's crimes should be sentenced to the ultimate punishment of Azkaban - a dementor's kiss."

Umbridge's remarks silenced the jury, and "The Dementor's Kiss" was truly mind-blowing.

"Sucking people's souls, wouldn't this kind of punishment be too much?" Professor Dumbledore, who had been silent for a while, suddenly said, "I think according to what the minister said, life imprisonment in Azkaban is enough. "

Fudge glanced at Dumbledore and knew that the greatest white wizard of all time must be unbearable, and he had always opposed such cruel punishment as the Dementor's Kiss.

"Clark guessed right." Fudge's heart moved, and found that Dumbledore's reaction at the moment was exactly the same as Clark's guess.

At this time Umbridge was still performing on stage, and she said in a deep voice: "I know the 'Dementor's Kiss' is cruel, but everyone, think about the Potters, think about what you saw in the Pensieve just now. picture!"

Umbridge's tone was extremely heavy, which reminded people of the Potters, and even Harry, who had a good impression of this aunt with poor senses.

Under the influence of her words, several witches in the jury raised their hands first. Although women are soft-hearted, they are also the easiest to hate evil.

They thought of the picture they had seen in the Pensieve before, the handsome wizard looking desperate in the dark prison, getting thinner and thinner...

How pitiful Blake was, and how disgusting Pettigrew is now!

Gradually, even some wizards raised their hands, and they looked at Peter Pettigrew's eyes as if they were looking at a pool of mud, disgusted.

Even Sirius Black, who was tied to a chair, shouted loudly at this time, "I am willing to use all my compensation to replace a power. I want to exchange for the right to observe the execution in person! I want to see him with my own eyes. Dementors **** souls!"

Black looked at Peter Pettigrew and said loudly, as if to vent the anger accumulated over the past thirteen years.

But his remarks also made some swaying members of the jury frown.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

As more and more people raised their hands, Fudge stopped the farce in time by banging on the table.

"Law is law, we are the Ministry of Magic, not a gang of dark wizards!"

He looked at Sirius, who was in anger in the audience, and said according to what Clark told him:

"Mr. Black, we are very considerate of your experience, which is why we have compensated you.

But even if we sympathize with your experience, it does not mean that you can use the so-called waiver of compensation to influence the judgment of the law.

Even in the case of a misjudgment, Mr. Crouch didn't sentence you to 'Dementor's Kiss'!

Would you have the chance to sit here again today if he hadn't let you go? "

Fudge's righteous words calmed Blake a lot. Of course, how much of this was because of the spiritual suggestion that Clark had planted in his heart before, is unknown.

The biggest thorn he saw was resolved, and he continued to speak to everyone present.

"Peter Pettigrew's behavior is truly hated, and I'm no exception, but that's not what drives us out of our minds.

We are law enforcement officers and those in power. In our position, the most important thing is to keep calm and look at each case objectively and fairly, instead of arbitrarily deciding the life and death of a person based on personal likes and dislikes.

That's irresponsible to criminals, and it's irresponsible to ourselves! "

Fudge's voice was as loud as thunder, and there was a sense of righteousness in his words, which made many of the calmer wizards present couldn't help but nod their heads.

"I'm not saying this today to plead for Peter Pettigrew, this scum is not worth it.

I just want to tell you that it is wrong to arbitrarily deprive a person of his life, and human nature exists in each of us.

If we rely on our superiority to think that we can kill these criminals at will and abandon our humanity, then what is the difference between us and a criminal like Peter Pettigrew? "

Umbridge's eyes flashed, his lips were slightly parted, and he showed a look of sudden realization. It seemed that he was completely baptized by Fudge's remarks, and he was completely on the same line with him.

She took the lead in raising her hand, "I agree with the minister's point of view, just now I was ill-considered and controlled by negative emotions. Here, I want to conduct a profound review, and at the same time thank the minister for his comments on me. educate."

Umbridge's counterattack was the straw that broke the camel's back, and the remaining wizards raised their hands as they shouted "I agree with the minister."

Mr. Crouch still did not raise his hand, but this time, Fudge simply turned a blind eye, ignoring his comments.

"Then, I now declare in the name of the Minister for Magic:

Peter Pettigrew betrayed the Potters, blew up a street, killing a large number of Muggles, and framed the innocent Sirius Black, causing him to be imprisoned in Azkaban for thirteen years.

According to his crimes, Pettigrew Peter Azkaban is sentenced to life imprisonment, to be executed immediately!

Aurors, take Peter Pettigrew down to Azkaban!"

Fudge's face showed unprecedented determination and ruthlessness.

"Wait!" a voice suddenly shouted.

It was Clark!