personal 2

Sirius stubbornly met the gaze with one of anger and resentment. It was a little too late to come upon epiphany's. If it weren't for Moody he'd be on his way back to the Dementors.

The rest of the chamber was in an uproar, everyone screaming accusations or in some hysterical visitors cases - just screaming. Even the Wizengamot was not left silent at the appearance of Peter Pettigrew.

The accusations from the light side was matched in absolute intent silence, on the other side of the chamber. The Death Eaters and their supporters staring silent murder at the little rat that cost them their lord and victory.

The two most affected in the chamber were Millicent Bagnold and Arcturus Black however.

Sirius watched in pleasure as the Minister paled and sank back from the podium, looking a decade older and ashen faced. There would be no way of silencing him now - and when Sirius could talk … It would not end well for the bitch.

His eyes turned challengingly up to the top seats of the Wizengamot, finding his grandfather yet again. The old man tried to maintain a calm facade, but his eyes were too wide and his posture too stiff - Sirius could easily tell the man was shocked to his core. And by the spreading redness on his face - furious. Now suddenly he was angry that the Ministry had overstepped - another one too late!

"I-I…I R-reiterate my request for my c-client to take Veritaserum!" The young law clerk shouted over the cacophony. Having to repeat himself several times until Dumbledore managed to silence the court and assess his request.

"All those in favor of Sirius Black undergoing Veritaserum questioning?" Dumbledore called out quickly, the lights spreading across the Wizengamot, white for yes, black for no. There were no black lights.

Even those that would rather see him dead - wanted to hear the story now.

There was a brief recess as Veritaserum was called for, and because it had to be triple authenticated by the representative from the department of mysteries. There could be no chances now taken with this trial - the wizarding world was listening.

In the meantime Pettigrew got his own chair to sit in, chained up just as tightly as Sirius. And Sirius finally had his muzzle removed. Working his jaw as he stared at the Wizengamot challengingly. "Hurry up with the Veritaserum already," He barked out, grinning fiercely, "So I can force the truth down the throats of everyone here that tried to sentence an heir of the sacred twenty-eight to Azkaban without cause or allowing him to speak!"

Moody hadn't left the floor and had taken a position next to Sirius' chair. Sirius could feel the silent apology - the old man was watching his back in case someone took matters in their own hands to prevent testimony.

It did actually help. No one would get the drop on old Moody. Sirius definitely had the best guard dog in the building at this moment.

Soon enough three drops were administered and Dumbledore took over the questioning as the Minister seemed incapable of forming words.

"Please give us your name and date of birth." Dumbledore asked first, looking down at his stack of parchments and not meeting Sirius's eyes anymore.

"Sirius Orion Black, the 3rd of November, 1959." Sirius said, feeling numb, the truth serum acting not too unlike an Imperius curse. Having him feel swaddled in contentment as his mouth moved mostly on its own. It was interesting now that he thought of it, that the truth potion only seemed to work for the original memories. Because he certainly could have just as well given another name there…

Food for thought if he could now beat Veritaserum if he concentrated on his other life…

"Were you the secret keeper to James and Lily Potter?"

"No." True for both of his lives, he thought.

Whispers and gasps ran through the chamber as everyone took that in. The confirmation that he did not perform the act he's so heavily despised for.

Dumbledore seemed to age before his eyes as he closed his eyes briefly, before soldiering on. "Do you know who the secret keeper was?"

"Peter Pettigrew, it was my idea, I thought Voldemort would surely come for me, that he'd do anything to capture me and extract the secret, so we'd bluff him out, no one would believe Peter would be chosen as the secret keeper." Sirius revealed in a monotone. The use of Voldemort's names had several shrieks of fear emanate across the visitors gallery.

It took a minute to silence the chamber again as the ire of the crowd turned to Pettigrew - as those who had known Sirius watched in shock and guilt. He could see it on their faces - and honestly, he didn't know if he could forgive them. He wasn't even fully Sirius - more like thirty percent Sirius, 70 percent someone else - with knowledge and a whole other life. Yet the betrayal still somehow stung. Even if it wasn't so much the emotional side anymore as those emotions for the most part were shallow and based on a puzzled together memory. They were getting more dull and distant the less he focused on them. Yet still, somehow, he couldn't let them go.

The cold logical part of him from another world - couldn't stand the betrayal of those he'd risked his life for - or his body's previous owner had in any case. He'd had their backs in war and in many cases saved their lives in battle. And how easily they'd all turned. How many of them had testified here today? Against him.

It's because of them, their complete disregard for him, that he'd been brought into this world into Azkaban - a torture worse then anything he'd imagined.

Even McGonagall had shown up to testify against him. His youthful indiscretions being turned into Death Eater junior stories. The pranks he'd done with the Marauders turned into sole efforts of bullying and cruelty. The Gryffindor head of house taking up half an hour earlier, describing his cruelty that she unfortunately misjudged - all led by a delighted prosecutor in Bagnold.

Only… His one actual malevolent prank on Snape, was not brought up, more to protect Remus than anything done to lessen the blow against him, surely. That he could accept there to be recrimination for. Only that. And yet that wasn't even brought forward. For that alone he could despise his body's original owner. Yet it had been one mistake. Not something to hang an entire life over.

How they'd reorganized their memories to condemn him - his friends, allies, teachers. He took some small pleasures in looking around and seeing the shame-faced members who'd just thrown him under the Hippogriff, and now realized they'd been terribly wrong.

"What happened that day, when you found Peter Pettigrew?" Dumbledore asked, and the chamber became completely silent. Of course now that he'd seen Peter, the great Dumbledore had figured out the events on that day. Always late, never on time.

Even if he wasn't the secret keeper he could still have been responsible for the spell that killed all those muggles, of course. Sirius wondered how many of his 'friends' hoped right now that he was - so they could soothe their guilty conscience.

"I caught up with Peter and he yelled out about me betraying James and Lily, catching me off guard. Before I could cast a spell he cut a finger off and blew the street up, turning into a rat and scurrying off."

More murmurs rose at this, the Wizengamot already having seen the rat - luckily for Sirius, Dumbledore did not pursue that avenue further, which would be revealing his own illegal Animagus form. Perhaps done on purpose by the old man as a way of apology - as surely he'd figured out that if Peter Pettigrew managed to become an Animagus, James and Sirius surely were as well.

No doubt many in the Wizengamot realized much the same - and apparently none had the appetite to call him out on it right now.

"When you were arrested did you go through any questioning at all?" Dumbledore asked next, sounding almost emotional there for a second before he was back to genial old crackpot.

Bagnold immediately jumped up, still ashen faced, "Now see here, Albus! I think we've already found the man to be innocent - there's no need to continue questioning, we should move on to a vote."

"He'll be answering the question, Minister…" Arcturus Black growled, "Go on Albus, continue." The disdain in his voice was clear to all. Now he suddenly cared, apparently.

Fucking old codger.

"You may answer the question now, Heir Black." Dumbledore said softly, completely ignoring the minister, who was wringing her hands, looking for support amongst her allies on the Wizengamot.

She wasn't finding any by the glum look on her face. Sirius took particular pleasure in seeing her career implode. Her swansong into the sunset after having 'won' the war - now tarnished forever.

"I was hauled straight to Azkaban, no questions, no check on my wand, no medical examination." Sirius droned out, and then because the Veritaserum did not control him to the point he couldn't addmore truth, he added the kicker. "Then I was given the Dementors kiss at some point of my incarceration - according to the Warden of Azkaban it was done under orders, and the Minister was aware of the kiss."

The chamber erupted, the entire Wizengamot rising up in anger at the idea an heir could be given the kiss without going through the Wizengamot first. The minister did not have the legal right to order the kiss performed at any point. It was the final and last resort punishment for the worst kind of criminal - not even Bellatrix Lestrange had come close to earning the vote for it. Purebloods considered the soul sacrosanct, dying was returning to the family magic - having your soul destroyed was anathema, not something the Wizengamot would have allowed unless the circumstances were dire.

Bagnold had to duck away from several spells, Aurors rushing in to cover her - as some enraged Wizengamot lords let their wands do the talking for them.

A loud deafening bang came from the chief warlock's wand - settling everything down as he glared the room down, bushy eyebrows drawn together in consternation. "Order! This is the Wizengamot, you will act as befitting your station!"

With grumbling and quite a few swear words, the Wizengamot slowly quieted down - members returning to their seats. Dumbledore quietly ordering an aide to give Sirius the antidote for the Veritaserum.

"I think I speak for everyone in this matter when I say that you have suffered a horrible miscarriage of justice, heir Black." Dumbledore spoke softly," His eyes swept across the chamber. "I put before the Wizengamot the vote to exonerate Sirius Black the heir of the most ancient and noble house of Black, of all charges and furthermore stipulate that he is owed restitution by the Ministry of magic - the manner of which can be decided at a later date."

The lights flared up across the Wizengamot, and the chains across his body receded - he was free. The entire chamber had voted for his freedom. Not even those that hated him, or stood by the minister, dared show their vote against him in such a high profile and far reaching trial. Not with his innocence so obviously proven.

Not when it was all being broadcast live over the wireless for everyone to hear. No chance to use the Daily Prophet to lie and cover it up. They'd had no choice but to all go along with it despite personal feelings.

The chains were now gone and Sirius stood up shakily, refusing to let any more weakness be seen then that, he stared straight up ahead at Dumbledore. Waiting for the question he knew would be asked.

The aged warlock sighed deeply, peering around the Wizengamot. "I feel I must ask, for a curious magical world and for future sufferers of the kiss, how is it that you still stand amongst us with your soul intact?" He intoned quietly. Yet it was still heard across the chamber.

Sirius straightened, eyes hardening as he faced the chamber, "Magic itself knew me, it knew me as Heir to the ancient and noble house of Black. It knew me as JUST!" He roared the last part. Face savage as he glared at the gathered watchers, "It knew me as INNOCENT!" His gaze swept over to the gathered lords and ladies of the Wizengamot, "It knew me… As, PURE!" He bit out. His eyes returned to Dumbledore who was looking at him with an evaluating gaze, "Magic found me worthy. And I was PROTECTED!"

Bullshit. But it sure sounded good, didn't it?

Sirius grinned savagely as the chamber exploded in noise, he was going to make most of them regret it when he was through with changing the world.

His eyes glinted as he repeated something of a mantra in his head, the past and the future meeting with the same goal in mind.

I solemnly swear I'm up to no good