Chapter 280: Trial (modified)

"Very good," Fudge said. "Everyone is here, let's start. Are you ready?" He asked loudly towards the end of the bench.
Alan followed his gaze and saw another witch sitting at the end of the bench, but she was sitting too far back on the bench, her face was shrouded in shadow.
Nevertheless, it can still be seen that she is staring at the parchment in front of her, holding a quill pen in her hand and preparing to record.
"Judgment on February 12," Fudge said in a loud voice, and the witch hurriedly began to make notes, bowing her head.
"Thirteen years ago, the death eater Sirius Black betrayed the Potters and killed Peter Pettigrew." The Minister of Magic looked around and continued calmly and forcefully.
"Interrogator: Connelly Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic; Barty Crouch, former Director of the Magic Law Enforcement Department. Trial Recorder: Dolores Jane Umbridge—"
The woman in charge of the record suddenly raised her head and leaned forward, revealing her true face.
She looks like a pale toad.
She was short and fat, with a wide, slack face and a big mouth drooping downward.
Her eyes are large, round, and slightly convex.
The little black velvet bow on her short curly hair resembled a big fly. It was as if she was about to stick out her long sticky tongue to catch it.
Allen couldn't help wondering what kind of situation would enable Umbridge, who was only a trial recorder at this time, to board the post of Senior Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Magic two years later.
"Defendant Witnesses: Albert Harris, Severus Snape."
Alan turned his head in surprise, watching his brother and the potions professor walk in from a corner.
Albert strode, composed and looked extremely capable. Professor Snape followed behind him with a gloomy expression.
Seeing Professor Snape, Allen couldn't help but look at Principal Dumbledore on the stage.
Dumbledore was now looking at Professor Snape through the half-moon glasses on the crooked nose, his long silver beard and hair gleaming in the light of the torch.
"After we discussed it, it was better for you to sit in the audience first." Mr. Owen said softly. "It's not a last resort, you don't have to play."
Allen nodded, knowing from the bottom of his heart that this was his father's love for him, and perhaps it was part of the deal between him and Fudge.
After Albert and Professor Snape stood still, Fudge ordered the Auror to bring Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew into the deliberation room.
There was a sound of footsteps, the door at the corner of the dungeon opened, and four people walked in—Blake, Peter, and two Aurors.
"Hmm..." Fudge groaned, stretched out his wand and shook it slightly, and a chair that was exactly the same as the center of the previous deliberation room appeared.
The Aurors pushed Black and Peter onto the chairs, and the chain bounced instantly, binding them tightly.
Fudge rummaged through a pile of documents, pulled out a piece of parchment from the pile of documents, took a deep breath, and read it aloud—it was the original trial against Sirius Black.
After he finished reading, there was silence in the court.
"Sirius Black," a voice said abruptly.
Allen turned his head and saw Mr. Crouch stand up in the middle of the bench next to him.
He looked very serious and said solemnly: "You have been imprisoned in Azkaban for thirteen years and never thought of appealing. Now, you tell us that you are innocent and Peter Pettigrew is not dead?"
"Yes, you didn't give me a chance to appeal, you just invested me in Azkaban, did you?"
Sirius glanced at Crouch contemptuously. "And Peter Pettigrew, he appeared in front of you. Didn't the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic tried all means to confirm his identity last night?"
Hearing Sirius's full of sarcasm, the members of Wissengamo, dressed in purple-red robe on the podium, couldn't help whispering.
Barty Crouch's lips turned pale and pressed tightly.
It was not until Fudge spoke again that the podium fell silent.
"Please provide the results of last night's trial." Fudge said solemnly.
Lloyd came up with the Pendant, and Danyan followed behind him, holding two bottles in his hand and some parchment.
The members of Wissengamer, headed by Professor Dumbledore, looked at these testimonies and materials, and searched the memory of Sirius and Pettigrew.
Allen noticed that the two women among the Wizengarmo members had tears in their eyes when they looked at Sirius Black.
"Peter Pettigrew, why did you feign death to escape?" Crouch saw that Pettigrew's feign death had already been fixed, and couldn't help asking again.
"I deceived everyone, but I have a reason." Although Peter's voice was full of fear, he was still quibbling.
He emphasized the rhetoric he had made in the Forbidden Forest again.
Sirius straightened up angrily, but was pulled back into the chair tightly by the chain.
"Become a rat and live in a wizard's house for thirteen years~EbookFREE.me~ just to avoid a prisoner in Azkaban. This is really strange."
Before Sirius could speak, a fussy, shrill voice sounded like a little girl—it was Umbridge.
Umbridge suddenly put down the pen and stood up, with a smirk on his face, the expressions revealed by those two big round eyes were extremely cold!
Ellen didn't miss her previous eye contact with Fudge.
Really a born politician.
Allen sighed in his heart, although Umbridge feels very offensive, but he can climb to a high position in a short period of time, and it is really extraordinary.
There was a whisper in the room, and the members of Wisengama nodded while discussing, obviously Umbridge's words moved them.
Peter Pettigrew hesitated, and in front of the reality of his life, any explanation seemed ridiculous and pale.
He was curled up in the chair, his face pale, and his cold sweat was dripping.
"Umbridge, the court has not allowed you to speak." Crouch stood up and said coldly.
Umbridge sat down obediently, but the look in Fudge's eyes revealed a look of credit.
Fudge nodded slightly impenetrably.
Crouch still wanted to ask, but Fudge was one step ahead.
"Since the evidence is conclusive, let's vote." Fudge said quickly, turning to the right. "Attention jury... Please raise your hand if you agree to Sirius's acquittal..."
Except for Crouch, most of the jurors raised their hands, and some people raised their hands after hesitating.
Blake's inflated heart held him so hard that he could barely breathe. Both times he took a deep breath and lowered his head to look at the shoes on his feet.