bioinnovel Chapter 224 The Truth Revealed
Chapter 224 The Truth Revealed
Chapter 224 The Truth Revealed
Belvina and Lupin forcibly carried Sirius back to the crowd, bringing him before the minister and the principal. "Minister, Professor, Peter Pettigrew has revealed the truth from thirteen years ago," Belvina said. "Sirius..."
Blake, he was framed.
Cornelius Fudge spoke first, feigning surprise: "This is appalling, absolutely shocking. My God, we almost put innocent people back in Azkaban again."
Just as Sirius, caught in the middle, was about to bite back, Belvina immediately pinched him in the ribs—a subtle yet effective move.
Dumbledore said, "Yes, Cornelius. We all made a fatal mistake thirteen years ago, and we cannot allow innocent people to be wronged again thirteen years later."
"Of course, of course, Albus," Cornelius Fudge said, a hint of excitement in his eyes. "I'll take my men back to the Ministry of Magic first thing tomorrow morning, interrogate Peter Pettigrew carefully, and then hold a meeting to reopen the old case from back then."
Then Fudge looked at Sirius and said kindly, "Sirius, don't worry, I, Cornelius Fudge, swear to Hogwarts that I will get justice for you."
Little Star was disdainful of both the minister's oath and the Ministry of Magic's reopening of old cases.
But Sirius couldn't express his disdain, because Belvina's wicked little hand was hovering under his ribs.
Finally, Sirius Black merely let out a strange, unintelligible sound, which could be considered as a way of thanking Cornelius Fudge for upholding justice.
"Sirius," Dumbledore said solemnly, "I am very sorry for what happened back then."
Upon hearing this, the surrounding Aurors, strikers, and law enforcement officers were all taken aback. Dumbledore was apologizing to Sirius! Tonight has been full of surprises, one after another, it just won't stop!
Back then, Dumbledore testified to the Ministry of Magic that Sirius Black was the Potters' confidant.
This is Sirius's most serious crime, far more serious than killing Peter Pettigrew and twelve Muggles.
Sirius muttered, "This isn't your fault. You didn't know about changing the secret agent. I'm the one who killed James and Lily, if it weren't for my supposedly brilliant suggestion..."
Before Sirius could finish speaking, Belvina's wicked little hand had already reached for the soft flesh under his ribs and was spinning it around vigorously.
Some things can be said, some things cannot be said, and some things should only be said in certain situations.
In front of everyone at the Ministry of Magic, Sirius Black claimed that he indirectly caused the deaths of James and Lily, which was unacceptable.
Firstly, it would make some people feel at ease thinking that although Sirius Black was wronged in prison, he deserved it.
Secondly, it would reduce Sirius's sympathy points, and his well-intentioned but misguided actions would lower his tragic image, which would be detrimental to winning Wizengamo's votes.
It wasn't that Belvina was being petty and judging others by her own standards, but rather that she was well aware of the Ministry of Magic's unfathomable depths, which even the entire River Tais could not fill.
"Minister, Professor," Belvina said calmly, her expression unchanged, "my brother, the only male member of the Black family, has been wrongfully imprisoned for twelve years. The Ministry must give us an explanation."
Belvina's hand remained under Sirius's ribs, to prevent him from making any more pronouncements.
Belvina continued, "If the officials in charge of the case had been more serious and careful, Hogwarts might have had one more student named Black this year."
This sentence is like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.
If the officials in charge of the case back then had been able to clarify the matter, Sirius Black wouldn't have been wrongfully imprisoned.
If Sirius Black hadn't wasted his time in Azkaban, the Black family might not have dwindled in number, and they might have had two children by now.
Thinking of this, the group of gossipy Aurors, strikers, and law enforcement officers all looked at Sirius Black, a big question mark rising in their minds: Twelve years wasted, is Sirius Black still doing well?
If Sirius Black develops health problems due to the influence of the Dementors, wouldn't the noble and oldest Black family have no choice but to marry into the family?
In that case, wouldn't the blame for the Black family's paternal line ending fall on the Ministry of Magic?
Who was it? Which bastard was in charge of investigating Sirius Black back then? Was he brainless to make such a grave mistake?!
Suddenly, everyone remembered the name "Barty Crouch," his past role as the head of the Department of Law Enforcement, and the various rumors of discord between him and Belvina.
During her time at the Ministry of Magic, Belvina was always approachable and down-to-earth, and she almost never made enemies in public, except for Barty Crouch and Umbridge.
Initially, everyone thought that Belvina was hostile to Barty Crouch because Crouch was in charge of the capture of Death Eaters and had sentenced Sirius to life imprisonment.
Only now did the Ministry of Magic employees present realize that Belvina's hostility towards Barty Crouch stemmed from Crouch's wrong judgment, which resulted in an innocent person being imprisoned in Azkaban!
Damn it! It's Barty Crouch again! Why does his mess always drag the Ministry of Magic into this?!
Some people began to curse Barty Crouch in their hearts for being a heartless son, while others were filled with righteous indignation and wished they could immediately return to the department and personally greet Barty Crouch's family.
Only a small number of people remained calm and rational. Barty Crouch did indeed make a wrongful conviction, resulting in Sirius Black's imprisonment for twelve years. But merits are merits and demerits are demerits. We cannot completely deny Barty Crouch's wartime achievements because of Sirius Black's wrongful conviction.
Listening to the murmurs around him and looking at the expressions on the faces of the people in front of him, Cornelius Fudge smiled contentedly, a smile as bright as the winter sun.
The minister smiled and looked at Sirius, but Sirius looked around at the Ministry of Magic employees with a puzzled expression. He couldn't understand why they were looking at him with such pity and sympathy.
Also, Sirius had something else he couldn't understand: why were some of the men looking at Belvina with such intense gazes?
What do they see in this crazy woman?
"Belvina, Sirius," Cornelius Fudge said solemnly, "you two can rest assured, the ministry will give you a satisfactory answer and will never let a hero bleed and weep."
Then, Fudge patted Sirius on the shoulder affectionately, like an elder in the family, and said, "Sirius,"
"You should stay at school and recover during this time. You will need to appear in court to testify when the case is reopened."
Then, Cornelius Fudge turned his gaze to Belvina and continued, "When I get back, I will immediately set about thoroughly investigating the wrongful conviction from back then, clear Sirius's name, and reveal the truth to the public."
As for what happened to Buddy Crouch, Fudge didn't mention it, and he won't bring it up.
This incident effectively ended Barty Crouch's political career; the best outcome would be his retirement as Director of the International Department of Magical Cooperation.
At that moment, Felix and another member of the law enforcement team carried the limp and powerless Peter Pettigrew over.
Peter Pettigrew has a heavy weapon at his wrist and ankle, with his left and right arms attached to Felix's right arm and the left arm of another teammate, respectively.
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Albus, I'll have to trouble you to provide another empty room," Cornelius Fudge said to Dumbledore.
"Of course, Cornelius, Hogwarts has an obligation to cooperate with the Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore said. "I think we can temporarily imprison Peter in the dungeons."
Then, Dumbledore waved to Hagrid from afar, and when Hagrid came closer, the headmaster continued, "Our gamekeeper, Professor of the Protection of Magical Creatures, Rubeus Hagrid."
Cornelius Fudge nodded. He had seen Hagrid before, so he didn't need Dumbledore to introduce him.
"Hagrid keeps Thestrals, so we can have him harness the Thestrals to the carriage early tomorrow morning, which will make it easier to transport Peter back to London," Dumbledore continued.
"Ah, thank you very much, Professor Hagrid," Cornelius Fudge said with a smile. "Would you mind telling me how you raise Thestrals, Professor Hagrid?"
Having said that, Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge turned and walked toward the castle. Hagrid followed behind the headmaster and minister.
He excitedly shared his experiences and insights on raising Thestrals.
The Aurors, the batters, and the law enforcement team also left, surrounding Felix and Peter Pettigrew, and returned to the castle in a grand procession.
The once bustling venue suddenly became deserted.
Belvina released her grip, no longer looking at Sirius.
She said, "With Peter Pettigrew caught and so many people testifying, this matter is finally over."
Belvina suddenly felt much more relaxed. Even if Peter Pettigrew had the ability to escape or be rescued, it wouldn't affect clearing Sirius's name of his crimes.
"I hope the Ministry of Magic will reopen the case as soon as possible, and I hope there won't be any setbacks and everything will go smoothly," Lupin said. "If anything else goes wrong, I'm really going to yell at them."
Belvina shook her head and said, "It's obvious that the trial will have twists and turns, but it won't affect the outcome. Even a dying person will still struggle a little."
Meanwhile, Belvina and Lupin were still discussing the aftermath of the case, expressing their concerns about potential problems during the trial.
Sirius Black ran quickly to Harry's side. The dog father and his eldest son looked at each other speechlessly, unsure of how to interact.
Sirius Black had never raised children before and was a rebellious boy; Harry had lost his mother at a young age and lacked experience interacting with his parents: Sirius Black and Harry were practically familiar strangers.
The silence between Dog Dad and his eldest son lasted for a while before Sirius finally broke it.
"Harry, when you were little, I mean when you were very little, I held you many times," Sirius said. "Your first toy flying broomstick was a gift from me. I remember you loved it so much back then."
"I still like it now, I mean Firebolt," Harry said. "I'm sorry, Sirius, I don't remember anything from when I was a kid."
It would be a miracle if Harry could clearly remember things from when he was one year old.
Just then, Snape, dressed in black, floated by like a groundbat, saying in a glib tone, "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Miss Granger, the three of you have violated curfew. Therefore, Gryffindor loses ten points, ten points each."
Before he finished speaking, Snape had already drifted away, giving Lupin and Harry no chance to explain.
Upon hearing Snape deduct points from Gryffindor as usual, Belvina suddenly burst into laughter. This was the Severus Snape she knew.
Adding points to Gryffindor's score? Impossible, absolutely impossible!