Chapter 26.4- Doom Days

“Yes.” Bones finally said after looking at me for a while.

“Then that will be all for this witness” I said, taking a seat.

“Any re-examination questions?”

“Yes, Supreme Mugwump.”

“Madame Bones, is it within the rights for the Minister of Magic to prepare a trial without informing you?”

“Yes. Technically.”

“Then that will be all. I move to discharge this witness” He said.

“Granted. Defence, you can call your next witness”

“I move to call the British Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.” He said. Just like with Bones, he applied that Fudge not take the oaths customary for a witness. In this case, while I expected Bones to be generally honest, I knew that Fudge would have little if any reservations around lying through his teeth. I could only hope that he had some dignity around at it at the very least. For his own good, not mine. It wouldn’t look good to tear apart my own Minister on the stand.

“Please state your name and position for the record”

“Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic.”

“Can you tell us why Sirius Black was placed in Azkaban?”

“I must emphasize that I was not the Minister of Magic at the time, and that his incarceration were actions taken by my predecessor’s Millicent Bagnold and Bartemius Crouch. What I can say is that his suspicion as a death eater meant that he could lawfully be detained in the prison until an aappropriate trial could be held” He began. Halftruth

“I see. So when did you find out that he hadn’t received the trial he ought to have received”

“I found out in Winter 1991, and immediately began making plans to hold the trial. He was still being held in custody pending trial which was legal under the Death Eater Act and so we scheduled a trial for July. I went to his cell that same month while making my annual visit to the Prison and told him about the trial.” Lie.

“And then what happened next?”

“He escaped from Azkaban” Truth

“Do you think your informing him about the trial made him escape?”

“Yes” Lie

“Why do you think that is the case?”

“He feared that he would be placed in the Veil if found guilty” Lie

“What do you have to say about Sirius Black’s performance today?”

“I would almost have believed it if I wasn’t aware of the power of the Blacks, and most especially Sirius Black who was a top-rated Auror while at the same time being you-know-who’s right-hand man” Lie

“So you think he found a way to lie under oath?”

“The Blacks have dark magic as black as their name. Maybe he obliviated himself or altered his memories, or did something else, but I have no doubts that Sirius Black killed Peter Pettigrew, over a dozen muggles, and betrayed the Potters to you-know-who” He was screaming now. Okay, enough.

“Objection” I said rising.

“What are you objecting to, Mr Potter?”

“The witness should plainly state who he refers to when he says you-know-who. I, in fact, do not know who, and I am certain that most of the distinguished representatives here are in much the same state.” I said with a glib smile.