Chapter 25.6- Doom Days

“So, Wizards and Witches, let us see that justice is done today and put a guilty man back where he belongs.” He rounded up to substantially less in the way of applause but I did not allow that to make me more confident than I should have been. They could clap one way and vote the other. It was the votes I needed.

“Now, the petitioner may open his case” He said.

“For my case, I shall call a single witness, Sirius Black himself” I said, and he took a step forward before a chair and dock appeared at the podium a few steps away from Dumbledore. He walked forward to the seat and took it. An aide of some sort appeared to make him take a magical oath to tell the truth. That was one thing the ICW Judicial Process had over the British one. Actual magical oaths to prevent lying on the stand. Of course, you could still tell half-truths or phrase things cleverly but that was the name of the game.

“Good, now we may begin” I said with a clap of my hands.

“Please state your name for the record” I started

“Sirius Orion Black”

“What is our relationship, Mr. Black”

“I am your Godfather” He said next. It was a bit of an irrelevant question but as expected, the ministry stooge did not bother objecting.

“How did you get into Azkaban, Mr. Black?”

“I was arrested by aurors and taken to a ministry holding cell for a few days and then Barty came to my cell to tell me I would be tossed in Azkaban. The next day, some people came over and took me to the island.”

“Good. Now do you remember your Azkaban cell?”

“I see it every time I close my eyes”

“I won’t ask about the cell to spare you the pain, but I do want to know who your neighbors were”

“The cell opposite mine had Bellatrix Lestrange. The cell to the left of mine was Antonin Dolohov, and the cell to the right was Augustus Rookwood. To Bellatrix’s left was Rabastan, and to her right was Rudolphus.”

“How can you remember them all so clearly?”

“They all screamed when they came. Everyone screams for the first few years, I think”

“Did you?”

“I did.”

“Hmmm. You were an auror, were you not?”

“I was”

“Did you ever serve at Azkaban?” I asked. I had coached him on what answers to give.

“Yes I did. Every trainee does two rotations at the Prison a month.”

“Did you ever see suspected Death Eaters held in the prison as a result of the Death Eater Act?”

“Yes”

“What level were they held at?”

“The bottom level. They had the fewest dementors because they still needed to be mostly lucid to stand trial”

“Not the kind of place people like the Lestranges, or Rookwood would be placed, do you think?”

“Objection: The question calls for the Witness to give his opinion which he is not credible to do” Forswythe rose and said.

“Sustained” Dumbledore ruled.

“Apologies. What level were convicted death eaters kept?”

“The top level. With the most dementors and the least protection from the elements”

“Was that where you were held?”

“Yes.” He said clearly.

“What did Mr. Fudge say when he visited your cell?”

“He spoke no words to me, but he did leave behind a newspaper and that was what made me escape.”

“Why? What could have been on the newspaper to make you want to escape?”

“It was a picture of the Weasley family, and in the picture was a rat with a single finger missing” He said.

“If you see that picture, would you recognise it?”

A/N: Stopping here to ask if you guys want to see the rest of the trial or just a summary?