SIRIUS BLACK CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES
Ministry Scandal Exposed – Peter Pettigrew Alive – Dumbledore's Order Under Scrutiny
"The greatest miscarriage of justice in magical history," says Madam Bones.
In an event that will be discussed for generations to come, the Wizengamot has overturned the conviction of Sirius Orion Black, the man once branded as the "Potter Betrayer."
After twelve years of wrongful imprisonment in Azkaban, Mr. Black was officially cleared of all charges following the dramatic testimony of Peter Pettigrew—long presumed dead—under the effects of Veritaserum.
This revelation has sent shockwaves throughout wizarding Britain, shaking the Ministry to its foundations and calling into question the integrity of past trials conducted during the chaotic post-war years.
Pettigrew's confession was nothing short of astonishing.
Speaking under truth compulsion, he admitted to joining He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named as early as 1979—nearly two years before the fall of the Dark Lord.
Acting as a spy within Dumbledore's own Order of the Phoenix, Pettigrew leaked critical intelligence that led directly to the deaths and torture of numerous Order members and their families—including the Potters and Longbottoms.
According to Pettigrew's own testimony, he betrayed the Potters by revealing their location under the Fidelius Charm, and later staged his own death—framing Sirius Black in the process—by murdering twelve Muggles in a London street explosion.
The revelation that Pettigrew spent over a decade living under the alias Scabbers, a pet rat belonging to the Weasley family, has further rocked public confidence in the Ministry and the late Albus Dumbledore's private war council.
In a statement to The Prophet, Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, said:
"This case demonstrates a systemic failure in our justice system—one that allowed emotion and fear to replace investigation and truth. Mr. Black's imprisonment without trial stands as one of the darkest stains on the Ministry's record."
Effective immediately, the Wizengamot has voted unanimously to:
Exonerate Sirius Orion Black of all crimes.
Restore all titles, holdings, and rights of the House of Black.
Award a compensation of 500,000 Galleons for wrongful imprisonment and damages.
Sources within the Ministry have also confirmed that Arthur Weasley, long regarded as a model civil servant, will face an internal inquiry—not for wrongdoing, but to ensure that the harboring of Pettigrew was truly unintentional.
As for Peter Pettigrew, he has been remanded to Azkaban under maximum security pending sentencing.
It is expected that the Wizengamot will recommend the Dementor's Kiss—a punishment reserved for only the most heinous traitors.
The court erupted into applause when the decision was read.
Even Cornelius Fudge—pale and shaking—was forced to sign the release order himself.
When Sirius Black stepped from Courtroom Ten, for the first time in twelve years, he was no longer a prisoner but a free man.
And so ends the trial that changed everything.
Was justice truly served—or has this only opened the door to deeper shadows within our world? Only time will tell.
— Rita Skeeter, Senior Correspondent, Daily Prophet
~
The Free Man
The crowd outside the Ministry was massive—hundreds of witches and wizards pressed against the iron gates, cheering as Sirius Black emerged into the waning afternoon light.
Flashes from enchanted cameras sparked like fireflies.
Reporters shouted questions.
Hands reached out to touch him, to see the man who had cheated both Azkaban and death itself.
Sirius barely saw them.
The noise, the light, the dizzying smell of ink and sweat—it all seemed unreal.
For twelve years, the only sound he'd known was the distant moan of Dementors.
Now, the world was alive again.
Beside him walked Adrian Arclight—his savior, his advocate, and the man who had dismantled a decade of lies with calm precision.
Sirius glanced sideways at him, trying to find the right words.
"You… you believed in me," he said hoarsely. "When no one else did."
Adrian gave a faint smile.
"I believed the truth, Mr. Black, more so i believed in the type of person you always tried your hardest to be."
That earned the faintest snort of laughter from Sirius—his first real one in years.
They passed through the last line of cheering witches, slipping into a narrow side alley that cut between two buildings.
The din of the crowd faded behind them, replaced by the quiet hum of London's late afternoon.
For a few long moments, neither man spoke.
Sirius half expected them to apparate away now that they were free from prying eyes but instead-
Adrian stopped walking.
The air changed—just slightly, but enough for Sirius's instincts to flare.
The young barrister swayed, one hand gripping the wall as his skin rippled like liquid.
"Oi—what the hell—?" Sirius took a step forward, but before he could reach him, Adrian gasped sharply, falling to his knees.
His face bubbled and blurred, his hair lengthening, his shoulders narrowing, his entire frame shrinking.
The transformation lasted only seconds, but when it ended, the man who stood before Sirius was not Adrian Arclight at all, hell he wasnt even a man at all, merely a young boy.
Looking like a first year hogwarts student at best—with sharp cheekbones, straight black hair, and green eyes that burned with an unsettling familiarity.
Sirius froze.
His breath caught in his throat.
No.
It couldn't be.
The boy's resemblance was uncanny—so perfect it was like seeing a ghost.
He looked exactly like Severus Snape.
The same hair, the same smirk tugging at the corner of his lips—only the eyes were different.
These eyes held something... else.
They were eyes he'd seen so many time before, eyes that while calculating also carried such care in their depths.
The boy straightened his now oversized robes, looking up at Sirius with a faint, knowing smile.
"Hello, Godfather," he said softly.
Sirius's knees almost gave out.
"What—what did you just—?"
"It's good to finally meet you."
The words hung in the air like a spell.
The alley was utterly still—no wind, no echo, just the faint pulse of distant noise from the street beyond.
Sirius's heart pounded in his chest.
Every instinct screamed at him to move, to do something—but he could only stare.
He was afterall Godfather to only one person so far as he knew.
But the boy before him now... he couldnt be Harry could he?
No not Harry and yet.
He had her eyes...