For yeats, continued
Recipient: yeats
Author: shaggydogstail
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Though The Heavens May Fall, part 4
Remus let himself back into the flat that evening feeling happier and more hopeful than he had for months. Sirius would be acquitted, he was sure of it, and they'd be together again. He all but danced around the flat, smiling to himself, the same soppy, eager grin he'd worn after Sirius had kissed him for the first time; slightly tipsy on crab apple cider and warmed by the late evening sun.
That night, curled up, contented like a cat in Sirius' bed-their bed-he slept soundly at last, dreams filled with deep grey eyes, warm breath dampening his neck, strong arms encircling his chest, a body pressed up close behind him, and the steady rhythm of Sirius' heartbeat reverberating against his back.
~*~
The atrium at the Ministry of Magic was busier than Remus had ever seen it, swirling crowds pushing and shoving, rumours buzzing as a thousand theories about the biggest trial circulated between the assembled wizarding folk. Remus heard snatches of increasingly wild conversation as he pushed his way through the throng, almost amused that the truth was the only thing stranger than any of the half-baked stories being recounted by everyone who knew someone who had an aunt or a cousin or a neighbour who knew.
Remus had to fight his way through the crowd to get the lift down the to the Department of Mysteries. The corridor was dark and imposing, but there were less people there, and Remus quickly spotted Alastor Moody waiting for him at the bottom of the steps down to the courtrooms.
Moody led Remus into an empty side room near Courtroom Ten. Windowless, and sparsely furnished with a desk and two chairs, Remus guessed it was used for interrogating suspects. He wondered if he was about to face an interrogation.
'Is there a problem?' asked Remus hesitantly.
'I'll say,' growled Moody. 'Black's refusing to testify.'
'He's what?' Remus gaped at him, thunderstruck. 'But why?'
Moody shrugged. 'Your guess is as good as mine,' he said. 'Survivor's guilt, perhaps. Or maybe it's the effects of the Dementors. We were hoping you'd be able to talk him out of it.'
'Me?' said Remus, fraught with confusion and anxiety, until…'I can see Sirius?'
'Aye,' muttered Moody darkly. 'Thought you'd better.'
Remus felt it before the door even opened; the dark, sinister cold crawling across his skin and curdling his blood. He could hear a dull roar in his ears as the heavy wooden door swung open and two tall, hooded figures drifted in, holding a semi-conscious prisoner between them in their death-scabbed hands.
The Dementors threw Sirius to the ground and drifted back out of the room without a sound.
'You've got fifteen minutes,' growled Moody, throwing a bar of chocolate towards Remus. 'You'd best make it count if you don't want them to keep him.' He stumped out of the room, turning the heavy iron bolt in the door as he went, leaving Remus alone with Sirius.
'Sirius?' Remus crouched down on the ground beside Sirius, placing a hand on his shoulder to turn him over. 'Padfoot, are you all right?'
The question seemed ridiculously banal when Sirius turned and blinked up at him with bloodshot eyes. His skin was unnaturally pale save for a livid purple bruise on his temple. 'Moony,' he croaked, the word sounding painful in his throat.
'Here, eat this,' said Remus, scrabbling for the chocolate Moody had left and pressing a piece between Sirius' cracked lips. Sirius chewed it with some difficulty.
'C'mon,' said Remus softly when Sirius had forced down a couple of squares of chocolate, 'let's get you up off the floor.' He hooked his hands under Sirius' arms and half-lifted, half-dragged him up onto one of the hard, straight-backed chairs. Sirius barely had the strength to sit upright, slumping across the table and hiding his face in his hands.
Remus sat down in the chair opposite Sirius and looked at him with a mixture of pain and fear. Sirius had lost weight, his skin and eyes were dull and he was filthier than Remus had ever seen him. If he looks this bad after just a few weeks…Remus shook himself: he wasn't going to think like that.
'Moody says you don't want to testify,' Remus said quietly, trying to keep his tone even and free of accusation. 'Why?'
Sirius raised his head slowly, but kept his eyes cast down. 'I can't,' he whispered. 'It's my fault that Lily and James died. It was my idea to use Peter as the Secret Keeper. If I didn't…if I hadn't…It's all my fault.'
'No, it isn't,' said Remus firmly, gasping hold of Sirius' hands across the table. 'Peter betrayed Lily and James, Peter worked for Voldemort and Peter tried to frame you for murder. You didn't know he would betray us. It's not your fault.'
'I…' Sirius gulped. 'I thought it was you. I thought that probably…you were probably the spy. I'm so sorry, Moony. I let you down again.'
Remus stared at him anxiously. Sirius' hands were trembling beneath his own, and his shoulders were shaking. Locks of dirty, matted hair obscured his face, and Remus couldn't see if Sirius was crying. 'It doesn't matter,' he said at last, and it didn't. He didn't care what mistakes Sirius had made, or what he'd thought of him: nothing mattered except getting Sirius out of Azkaban. 'It doesn't matter, Padfoot,' he repeatedly softly. 'I just want you to come home.'
Sirius looked at him, confusion clouding his grief-stricken features. 'I screwed everything up. I didn't trust you and I let Peter sell Lily and James to Voldemort. I promised them, Moony, I promised I'd keep them safe and I didn't do it. What difference will it make if they let me out? Lily and James'll still be dead.'
Aching, Remus searched for the words to convince Sirius. He wanted to shout at Sirius, to shake him by the shoulders and tell him, It'll make a difference to ME, because I love you and I need you and I can't cope with this on my own. But he was scared that it isn't enough. He swallowed hard. 'What about Harry? Do you want him to grow up thinking his godfather betrayed his mum and dad?'
This, at least, seemed to shake Sirius out of his melancholy. He sat bolt upright, panicked. 'You'll tell him, Moony, won't you? Let him know the truth.'
'Why should he believe me?' asked Remus, forcing himself to keep his voice cool. 'Why wouldn't an innocent man tell the truth at his own trial? Even if he does believe me, what's he going to think when he finds out that you didn't even try to get out of prison for him?'
'I…' stuttered Sirius, eyes wild and desperate, but there was something there-a trace, a spark, a glimmer of energy behind the empty mask of misery and remorse he wore. 'It's not like that!'
'Is it not, Padfoot?' said Remus coldly. He hated himself for adding to Sirius' suffocating guilt, twisting it, using it to manipulate him. It was for Sirius' own good, he told himself, because something had to provoke him into speaking out for himself. 'You promised Lily and James that you'd look after Harry if anything happened to them, and you can't do that if you're in Azkaban. You have to get out for Harry: you owe it to them.'
Sirius bit his lip, apparently thinking hard. 'OK,' he said quietly. 'I'll do my best.'
Remus smiled, relief flooding through him. It was only as he started to relax that he realised that his entire body had been taut with tension. 'Good,' he said. Sirius managed a small, shy almost-smile in return. 'You will be cleared,' Remus assured him, raising his hand to stroke a strand of hair off Sirius' face. 'You'll be home soon.'
Sirius blinked back at him, so vulnerable and frail it hurt Remus to look at him. 'I don't know what I'm going to do,' he confessed weakly.
'It's OK,' Remus told him gently. 'I'll look after you.'
Sirius swallowed heavily and forced a smile. 'I don't deserve you,' he said with a shaky laugh.
'Just…just go in there and tell them the truth,' Remus told him. He leant across the table and kissed Sirius lightly on the forehead. 'I love you.'
This time the smile reached Sirius' eyes. 'I-' he began, but was interrupted by the door banging open and Alastor Moody marching back in.
'Lupin managed to talk some sense into you yet?' he demanded of Sirius.
Sirius nodded. 'Yeah,' he said. 'Yes, he has.'
'Good,' said Moody gruffly. 'I was starting to wonder if I shouldn't reconsider my views on using Unforgiveables on suspects if you wouldn't speak up of your own accord. Right, Lupin, you come with me. Black, you'll have to stay here for a bit, I'm afraid.'
As he spoke, the room was filled with the icy chill that heralded the return of the Dementors. Remus' stomach contorted at the prospect of leaving Sirius with those monsters as they floated soundlessly back into the room, and Sirius seemed to shrink back into himself as they approached.
'Not much longer,' he assured Sirius, dropping the remainder of the chocolate in his lap-for all the good it would do with him trapped at their mercy, but at least it was something. 'I'll see you soon.'
Sirius didn't get a chance to reply, as Moody dragged Remus back out of the room.
'Right there, laddie?' asked Moody brightly, clapping Remus on the arm. He didn't wait for an answer. 'You can go into the court now. The girl's giving her evidence first, before they bring the defendants in. Dumbledore's idea-doesn't want her to be in there while there are Dementors around. Well, off you go then!'
'Right, thanks,' said Remus weakly, fighting back the mental image of Sirius' terror as the Dementors approached him. He turned and walked towards the court, fighting back the overwhelming waves of nausea, suddenly more terrified than he could remember being. This was it.
~*~
The courtroom was packed: the dark, imposing room filled with the entire Wizengamot council, resplendent in their plum robes, and hundreds of spectators. Remus scanned the rows of benches until he found Judith, sitting anxiously near the front of the public gallery. She smiled slightly as he went and sat beside her.
'Hi,' he said. 'Dumbledore get you sorted all right?'
Judith nodded. 'Yes, he brought us in and showed me and Cassie where to go. He's with her now. There was this woman-witch, I suppose-who wanted to see Cassie first. She seemed alright, but…' Judith glanced around the room, bewildered. 'This is all a bit much to take in.'
Remus watched her sympathetically as her eyes flitted nervously around the flaming wall torches, high stone walls and array of witches and wizards in what must look to her to be some sort of bizarre fancy dress. 'I can only imagine how strange it must seem,' he said.
Judith let out a small, ironic laugh. 'I suppose I'm going to have to get used to strange things, aren't I?'
'Well, yes,' Remus admitted. 'But most of them won't be as intimidating as this. How is Cassie?'
'Oh, she seems fine,' said Judith. 'Taking it all in her stride. It's me who's a nervous wreck. But Cassie…she's a determined little girl that one. She wants to do it.'
'It's a brave thing that she's doing,' said Remus. 'I can't tell you how much it means to me. You must be very proud of her.'
'Yes,' said Judith, the anxiety lifting from her face for a moment. 'Yes, I really am.'
Remus smiled and went back to scanning the courtroom. Millicent Bagnold, the Minister for Magic, sat in the centre of the front row of members of the Wizengamot Council. Despite being close to retirement, Bagnold was an imposing figure: tall and broad shouldered with strong, high cheekbones and piercing dark eyes. Her silver hair was wound tightly into a bun, and she stared down her long nose at a sheet of parchment, frowning slightly. Barty Crouch was on her left, talking animatedly and gesticulating wildly at the parchment, but Bagnold waved him away with a dismissive gesture. Remus felt a flicker of satisfaction as he realised that Crouch's influence had obviously been diminished following his son's arrest. He wasn't particularly proud of his schadenfreude, but felt on his occasion that it was justified.
Bagnold looked up and banged a gavel on her desk. A hushed silence fell over the courtroom as two hundred witches and wizards turned in rapt attention. 'Members of the Wizengamot, ladies and gentleman, I call this court to order.' Bagnold's words rang out clear and confident, though she didn't raise her voice. Remus got the impression that she was used to people paying attention when she spoke. 'We are here to try Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black for some of the most serious offences ever brought before this court: specifically, membership in the illegal organisation known as the Death Eaters; conspiracy to murder James and Lily Potter, and the murder of twelve Muggles. Black is additionally charged with the attempted murder of Peter Pettigrew, and Pettigrew with attempting to pervert the course of justice.'
'Our first witness is a young Muggle-born witch. Before the witness gives evidence, may I remind members of the court that she is but a child, furthermore that she became aware of our world only yesterday. I would hope, therefore, that members of this council will refrain from questioning her in a manner more befitting a suspected Death Eater.' Bagnold looked pointedly at Crouch, who did a poor job of hiding his scowl, but restrained himself from speaking. 'Very well,' she continued, 'bring in the witness.'
The doors swung upon and Cassie entered the room, flanked on one side by Dumbledore and on the other by Amelia Bones. Cassie seemed, to Remus' eyes, more small and vulnerable than he'd ever seen her, walking through the imposing courtroom, outfitted in her neatly-pressed tartan skirt, hand-knitted jumper, and shiny patent black shoes. Her eyes were wide as galleons as she looked around, awe-struck at the imposing scene and the hundreds of eyes trained upon her. Judith smiled encouragingly and gave Cassie a slight wave, but the girl didn't appear to see her. Remus felt a twinge of guilt for subjecting a child to this ordeal. It was only the memory of Sirius, half-broken by Azkaban already, that kept him from wanting to call out to make the court let her go.
Bagnold smiled down at Cassie encouragingly as she took a seat between Dumbledore and Bones-Remus was relieved to note that ordinary chairs had been placed before the bench. 'Please tell us your name and address, child.'
'Cassie Smith, 26b Green Street, Peckham,' said Cassie clearly, her voice only wavering slightly as she spoke.
'Now, Miss Smith, I understand you wish to tell us about some things you saw outside your home on the morning of the first of November this year?'
'Yes, miss,' nodded Cassie. She recounted the story she had told Remus, her voice becoming increasingly confident as she spoke. Once or twice murmurs of shock or dissent erupted around the court, only to be silenced by a stern look from Bagnold. Remus felt profoundly grateful that she, not Crouch, was conducting the trial personally, as much for Cassie's sake as for Sirius.'
'Are you certain of this?' asked Bagnold once Cassie had finished speaking.
'Yes, miss,' said Cassie, chin tilted up defiantly. 'I'm certain.'
'Minister, if I might be permitted to speak,' interrupted Crouch in his familiar, oily tone.
'I daresay I shall have some difficulty preventing it,' commented Bagnold dryly. 'Very well, Crouch, what is your point?'
'Just to say, are we really to take this child at her word?' said Crouch. 'She is merely a girl, and the court has been offered no proof of her magical abilities. In addition, her evidence is in direct contradiction of the statements we took from a number of witnesses at the scene.'
Cassie jumped to her feet and glared at Crouch. 'I'm telling the truth!' she shouted. 'I was there, I saw what happened, and you didn't!'
Dumbledore stood and coughed politely, placing a hand gently on Cassie's shoulder to quiet her. 'Minister, perhaps I may be of assistance in this matter?' he said, pausing until Bagnold nodded. 'I have conferred with my deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall. She tells me that young Cassie can be found on her list of prospective students, and will be receiving her Hogwarts letter on her eleventh birthday." He smiled at Cassie. "Which is next June if my memory serves me correctly.'
'I've examined the child myself,' threw in Madam Bones. 'She is indeed in possession of some rudimentary magical powers. I am also confident that her memory has not been tampered with,' she finished with a significant glance at Crouch.
'But the other witnesses!' blustered Crouch.
'Did not see what caused the explosion,' said Bones calmly. 'I have been through the statements thoroughly, and none of the other witnesses had such a clear view of Pettigrew as Miss Smith. I would also add that Black's wand has been examined, and the last spell cast with it was Lumos, which confirms the girl's story about him shining a light down a drain.'
'He could still have done it,' insisted Crouch tetchily.
'Is that so?' asked Bagnold, turning to him and arching an eyebrow. 'I must confess I was unaware that any Muggle deaths have been caused by Lumos. Perhaps you could enlighten me, Mr Crouch?'
Remus couldn't help but smile to himself as Crouch sputtered, but didn't argue. On the floor of the court, Cassie was starting to fidget uncomfortably.
'Please, miss,' said Cassie, raising her hand tentatively. 'May I be excused?'
'Of course you may, dear,' said Bagnold, smiling indulgently. 'The court thanks you for your assistance.'
As Dumbledore and Madam Bones escorted Cassie back out of the courtroom, Judith stood to follow, but turned back to Remus before she left. 'Good luck,' she whispered. 'I hope it works out all right for you, and your friend.'
'Thank you,' said Remus. 'And pass on my thanks to Cassie as well. She was brilliant.'
Judith smiled. 'Yes, she was, wasn't she?' she said, slightly awed.
'Would it be all right if I came to see Cassie after the trial?' asked Remus tentatively. 'I'd like to thank her myself.'
'Of course,' Judith answered warmly. 'I'm sure Cassie would like that too. Though I must warn you that you'll face another hundred and one questions about broomsticks and flying cats.'
'It would be my pleasure to answer every one,' Remus told her, feeling genuine affection for the strange, bold little girl and her mother.
The rest of the morning was taken up with technicalities. Remus sat in anxious silence as statements were read and evidence examined from both the scene of the explosion and Godric's Hollow. Dumbledore, Moody and Bones all gave evidence themselves, as did Arthur Weasley and the two Aurors who'd seen Peter transform in Moody's office. Remus wondered if it didn't make him rather a coward that he was grateful that he was not called to give evidence himself. He suspected that Moody and Dumbledore were deliberately keeping him out of the proceedings as much as possible, whether to protect his own feelings or deflect accusations that he was unfairly biased in Sirius' favour, Remus wasn't sure. As he sat and watched the trial progress, his throat felt so tight he didn't think he could have spoken if he had been asked.
When the court adjourned for lunch, Remus joined Dumbledore and Moody in the Auror's office, anxious to hear their impression of how the trial was going. He felt sure that all the evidence so far was in Sirius' favour, and grateful that Millicent Bagnold appeared committed to conducting the trial fairly, but less confident than he had the previous night. His skin prickled with the same nervous anxiety he felt before his annual interviews with the Werewolf Registry-acutely aware than his future hung on the whims of the Ministry, that he was powerless in the face of a capricious bureaucracy. Peter and Sirius still had to give evidence, and Remus was frightened that Sirius wouldn't be able to tell his story clearly, too overcome with grief and weakened by prolonged exposure to the Dementors.
Remus listened carefully as Moody and Dumbledore discussed the morning's hearing, and the likelihood of Sirius being cleared. His heart sank as Moody reeled off a list of Wizengamot members he felt sure would return a guilty verdict, regardless of the evidence.
''Course, some of them'll just look at the name and that's enough to make up their minds,' sneered Moody. 'Brother was a Death Eater, cousin's a Death Eater, parents were Death Eater sympathisers. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, or so they say.'
'Sirius hated his family,' said Remus bitterly. 'I don't suppose any of them even care that he ran away from home to get away from all that rubbish.'
'Alas, that seems unlikely,' said Dumbledore quietly. 'To believe otherwise would be to suppose that prejudice can be overcome with simple logic.'
Remus scowled to himself, remembering the last time Sirius had seen his mother - Platform 9¾, the start of sixth year. Mrs Potter had fussed excessively over Sirius, pausing only to glance in disgust at the elder Blacks, while James kept up a constant stream of random babbling in a bid to distract Sirius' attention from his mother. Sirius had remained stone-faced and impassive throughout, refusing to cast so much as a glance towards his family, but Remus could barely keep his eyes off them: he'd never felt absolute hatred for anyone before.
Dumbledore shook Remus out of his reverie by passing over a plate of curling cheese sandwiches from the Ministry canteen. Remus took one purely for the sake of manners, but struggled to eat it; the food clung to the roof of his mouth and stuck in his throat. After forcing down three mouthfuls, he was grateful when Moody announced it was time to get back to Courtroom Ten, though his stomach felt like lead as he walked downstairs.
The court was packed as before, but the atmosphere was much changed. The air was thick with tension and the frantic twittering of the audience had been replaced with anxious whispering. The members of the Wizengamot council filed into place in silence, and it took only a cough from Millicent Bagnold to call the court to order. As they took their seats, Remus noted with grim satisfaction that Crouch was now sitting in the back row. Judging by the sulky expression he wore, Remus guessed that Bagnold had relegated him to a less prominent position for his outbursts that morning.
Remus sat and waited in increasing terror as Bagnold went through the preliminaries, clenching and unclenching his fists and forcing himself to breathe. He tried not to look at the pair of stark metal chairs in the centre of the courtroom, chains hanging ominously from their arms, but felt unable to resist the sinister temptation to keep looking, feeding his own dread.
Bagnold's voice rang out sharply across the court. 'Bring in the accused,' she said loudly.
The heavy wooden doors of the courtroom swung open once more and an icy chill crept through the room. Remus couldn't help but shiver, with fear as much as cold.
People in the rows closest to the front recoiled as the four Dementors swept in, bringing Peter and Sirius with them. Remus felt a small amount of relief to see Sirius walk in without help -Peter was dragged across the room, knees bent as he muttered a stream of feeble protestations. The Dementors threw Peter and Sirius to the chairs, the chains instantly springing to life and binding them in place. Remus winced as he saw the chains wrapped around Sirius' arms, holding him down as if he were some common criminal.
The Dementors glided back out of the room without a sound, but Remus could still feel their graveyard chill in his bones. He could barely stand to look at Sirius, who was struggling to sit upright and not cower in his seat like Peter. Always so proud, he reflected, remembering that Sirius never did lose the haughty bearing born of centuries of pure-blood privilege.
Bagnold addressed Sirius first. 'Sirius Black, you have heard the charges against you. How do you plead?'
'Not guilty,' said Sirius. His voice was croaky, but he looked Bagnold in the eye as he spoke. Remus almost smiled in relief and affection, gently chastising himself for doubting that Sirius would be able to testify.
'On all charges?' queried Bagnold.
'On all charges,' confirmed Sirius, still looking straight up at her.
'I see,' said Bagnold. 'Do you have anything to say in your own defence?'
Sirius took a shaky breath before he started to speak. Remus listened, transfixed, as he explained that he'd advised Lily and James to use Peter as their Secret Keeper, certain that the bluff would fool Voldemort. Sirius' voice wavered when he told how he'd panicked when Peter had disappeared at Halloween, finally breaking into muffled sobs as he recounted the moment he'd found Lily and James' bodies in the rubble of their home. It was agonizing for Remus to listen to Sirius - unable to offer help or comfort, or to give him some sign of support; unable to do anything but simply will Sirius to hear his litany of silent encouragement. You can do it, Padfoot, it's not your fault.
'Could you tell the court what happened after you left Godric's Hollow that evening?' asked Bagnold briskly.
'I went looking for him,' snarled Sirius, looking at Peter with venom. 'I realised what he must have done, and I wanted him to pay for it.'
'Mr Black, you have pleaded not guilty to the charge of attempting to murder Mr Pettigrew,' said Bagnold sternly. 'Do you admit, now, that you did try to kill him?'
'I never got the chance,' muttered Sirius darkly. 'When I found Peter he shouted that I'd betrayed Lily and James, then blew up half the street before disappearing into the sewer.' Sirius turned to Peter, straining against his bonds to lean towards him. 'I wish I had killed you,' he told Peter angrily. 'How dare you run off like the vermin you are? How dare you live when you sent Lily and James to their deaths?'
Author: shaggydogstail
Pairing: Remus/Sirius
Though The Heavens May Fall, part 4
Remus let himself back into the flat that evening feeling happier and more hopeful than he had for months. Sirius would be acquitted, he was sure of it, and they'd be together again. He all but danced around the flat, smiling to himself, the same soppy, eager grin he'd worn after Sirius had kissed him for the first time; slightly tipsy on crab apple cider and warmed by the late evening sun.
That night, curled up, contented like a cat in Sirius' bed-their bed-he slept soundly at last, dreams filled with deep grey eyes, warm breath dampening his neck, strong arms encircling his chest, a body pressed up close behind him, and the steady rhythm of Sirius' heartbeat reverberating against his back.
~*~
The atrium at the Ministry of Magic was busier than Remus had ever seen it, swirling crowds pushing and shoving, rumours buzzing as a thousand theories about the biggest trial circulated between the assembled wizarding folk. Remus heard snatches of increasingly wild conversation as he pushed his way through the throng, almost amused that the truth was the only thing stranger than any of the half-baked stories being recounted by everyone who knew someone who had an aunt or a cousin or a neighbour who knew.
Remus had to fight his way through the crowd to get the lift down the to the Department of Mysteries. The corridor was dark and imposing, but there were less people there, and Remus quickly spotted Alastor Moody waiting for him at the bottom of the steps down to the courtrooms.
Moody led Remus into an empty side room near Courtroom Ten. Windowless, and sparsely furnished with a desk and two chairs, Remus guessed it was used for interrogating suspects. He wondered if he was about to face an interrogation.
'Is there a problem?' asked Remus hesitantly.
'I'll say,' growled Moody. 'Black's refusing to testify.'
'He's what?' Remus gaped at him, thunderstruck. 'But why?'
Moody shrugged. 'Your guess is as good as mine,' he said. 'Survivor's guilt, perhaps. Or maybe it's the effects of the Dementors. We were hoping you'd be able to talk him out of it.'
'Me?' said Remus, fraught with confusion and anxiety, until…'I can see Sirius?'
'Aye,' muttered Moody darkly. 'Thought you'd better.'
Remus felt it before the door even opened; the dark, sinister cold crawling across his skin and curdling his blood. He could hear a dull roar in his ears as the heavy wooden door swung open and two tall, hooded figures drifted in, holding a semi-conscious prisoner between them in their death-scabbed hands.
The Dementors threw Sirius to the ground and drifted back out of the room without a sound.
'You've got fifteen minutes,' growled Moody, throwing a bar of chocolate towards Remus. 'You'd best make it count if you don't want them to keep him.' He stumped out of the room, turning the heavy iron bolt in the door as he went, leaving Remus alone with Sirius.
'Sirius?' Remus crouched down on the ground beside Sirius, placing a hand on his shoulder to turn him over. 'Padfoot, are you all right?'
The question seemed ridiculously banal when Sirius turned and blinked up at him with bloodshot eyes. His skin was unnaturally pale save for a livid purple bruise on his temple. 'Moony,' he croaked, the word sounding painful in his throat.
'Here, eat this,' said Remus, scrabbling for the chocolate Moody had left and pressing a piece between Sirius' cracked lips. Sirius chewed it with some difficulty.
'C'mon,' said Remus softly when Sirius had forced down a couple of squares of chocolate, 'let's get you up off the floor.' He hooked his hands under Sirius' arms and half-lifted, half-dragged him up onto one of the hard, straight-backed chairs. Sirius barely had the strength to sit upright, slumping across the table and hiding his face in his hands.
Remus sat down in the chair opposite Sirius and looked at him with a mixture of pain and fear. Sirius had lost weight, his skin and eyes were dull and he was filthier than Remus had ever seen him. If he looks this bad after just a few weeks…Remus shook himself: he wasn't going to think like that.
'Moody says you don't want to testify,' Remus said quietly, trying to keep his tone even and free of accusation. 'Why?'
Sirius raised his head slowly, but kept his eyes cast down. 'I can't,' he whispered. 'It's my fault that Lily and James died. It was my idea to use Peter as the Secret Keeper. If I didn't…if I hadn't…It's all my fault.'
'No, it isn't,' said Remus firmly, gasping hold of Sirius' hands across the table. 'Peter betrayed Lily and James, Peter worked for Voldemort and Peter tried to frame you for murder. You didn't know he would betray us. It's not your fault.'
'I…' Sirius gulped. 'I thought it was you. I thought that probably…you were probably the spy. I'm so sorry, Moony. I let you down again.'
Remus stared at him anxiously. Sirius' hands were trembling beneath his own, and his shoulders were shaking. Locks of dirty, matted hair obscured his face, and Remus couldn't see if Sirius was crying. 'It doesn't matter,' he said at last, and it didn't. He didn't care what mistakes Sirius had made, or what he'd thought of him: nothing mattered except getting Sirius out of Azkaban. 'It doesn't matter, Padfoot,' he repeatedly softly. 'I just want you to come home.'
Sirius looked at him, confusion clouding his grief-stricken features. 'I screwed everything up. I didn't trust you and I let Peter sell Lily and James to Voldemort. I promised them, Moony, I promised I'd keep them safe and I didn't do it. What difference will it make if they let me out? Lily and James'll still be dead.'
Aching, Remus searched for the words to convince Sirius. He wanted to shout at Sirius, to shake him by the shoulders and tell him, It'll make a difference to ME, because I love you and I need you and I can't cope with this on my own. But he was scared that it isn't enough. He swallowed hard. 'What about Harry? Do you want him to grow up thinking his godfather betrayed his mum and dad?'
This, at least, seemed to shake Sirius out of his melancholy. He sat bolt upright, panicked. 'You'll tell him, Moony, won't you? Let him know the truth.'
'Why should he believe me?' asked Remus, forcing himself to keep his voice cool. 'Why wouldn't an innocent man tell the truth at his own trial? Even if he does believe me, what's he going to think when he finds out that you didn't even try to get out of prison for him?'
'I…' stuttered Sirius, eyes wild and desperate, but there was something there-a trace, a spark, a glimmer of energy behind the empty mask of misery and remorse he wore. 'It's not like that!'
'Is it not, Padfoot?' said Remus coldly. He hated himself for adding to Sirius' suffocating guilt, twisting it, using it to manipulate him. It was for Sirius' own good, he told himself, because something had to provoke him into speaking out for himself. 'You promised Lily and James that you'd look after Harry if anything happened to them, and you can't do that if you're in Azkaban. You have to get out for Harry: you owe it to them.'
Sirius bit his lip, apparently thinking hard. 'OK,' he said quietly. 'I'll do my best.'
Remus smiled, relief flooding through him. It was only as he started to relax that he realised that his entire body had been taut with tension. 'Good,' he said. Sirius managed a small, shy almost-smile in return. 'You will be cleared,' Remus assured him, raising his hand to stroke a strand of hair off Sirius' face. 'You'll be home soon.'
Sirius blinked back at him, so vulnerable and frail it hurt Remus to look at him. 'I don't know what I'm going to do,' he confessed weakly.
'It's OK,' Remus told him gently. 'I'll look after you.'
Sirius swallowed heavily and forced a smile. 'I don't deserve you,' he said with a shaky laugh.
'Just…just go in there and tell them the truth,' Remus told him. He leant across the table and kissed Sirius lightly on the forehead. 'I love you.'
This time the smile reached Sirius' eyes. 'I-' he began, but was interrupted by the door banging open and Alastor Moody marching back in.
'Lupin managed to talk some sense into you yet?' he demanded of Sirius.
Sirius nodded. 'Yeah,' he said. 'Yes, he has.'
'Good,' said Moody gruffly. 'I was starting to wonder if I shouldn't reconsider my views on using Unforgiveables on suspects if you wouldn't speak up of your own accord. Right, Lupin, you come with me. Black, you'll have to stay here for a bit, I'm afraid.'
As he spoke, the room was filled with the icy chill that heralded the return of the Dementors. Remus' stomach contorted at the prospect of leaving Sirius with those monsters as they floated soundlessly back into the room, and Sirius seemed to shrink back into himself as they approached.
'Not much longer,' he assured Sirius, dropping the remainder of the chocolate in his lap-for all the good it would do with him trapped at their mercy, but at least it was something. 'I'll see you soon.'
Sirius didn't get a chance to reply, as Moody dragged Remus back out of the room.
'Right there, laddie?' asked Moody brightly, clapping Remus on the arm. He didn't wait for an answer. 'You can go into the court now. The girl's giving her evidence first, before they bring the defendants in. Dumbledore's idea-doesn't want her to be in there while there are Dementors around. Well, off you go then!'
'Right, thanks,' said Remus weakly, fighting back the mental image of Sirius' terror as the Dementors approached him. He turned and walked towards the court, fighting back the overwhelming waves of nausea, suddenly more terrified than he could remember being. This was it.
~*~
The courtroom was packed: the dark, imposing room filled with the entire Wizengamot council, resplendent in their plum robes, and hundreds of spectators. Remus scanned the rows of benches until he found Judith, sitting anxiously near the front of the public gallery. She smiled slightly as he went and sat beside her.
'Hi,' he said. 'Dumbledore get you sorted all right?'
Judith nodded. 'Yes, he brought us in and showed me and Cassie where to go. He's with her now. There was this woman-witch, I suppose-who wanted to see Cassie first. She seemed alright, but…' Judith glanced around the room, bewildered. 'This is all a bit much to take in.'
Remus watched her sympathetically as her eyes flitted nervously around the flaming wall torches, high stone walls and array of witches and wizards in what must look to her to be some sort of bizarre fancy dress. 'I can only imagine how strange it must seem,' he said.
Judith let out a small, ironic laugh. 'I suppose I'm going to have to get used to strange things, aren't I?'
'Well, yes,' Remus admitted. 'But most of them won't be as intimidating as this. How is Cassie?'
'Oh, she seems fine,' said Judith. 'Taking it all in her stride. It's me who's a nervous wreck. But Cassie…she's a determined little girl that one. She wants to do it.'
'It's a brave thing that she's doing,' said Remus. 'I can't tell you how much it means to me. You must be very proud of her.'
'Yes,' said Judith, the anxiety lifting from her face for a moment. 'Yes, I really am.'
Remus smiled and went back to scanning the courtroom. Millicent Bagnold, the Minister for Magic, sat in the centre of the front row of members of the Wizengamot Council. Despite being close to retirement, Bagnold was an imposing figure: tall and broad shouldered with strong, high cheekbones and piercing dark eyes. Her silver hair was wound tightly into a bun, and she stared down her long nose at a sheet of parchment, frowning slightly. Barty Crouch was on her left, talking animatedly and gesticulating wildly at the parchment, but Bagnold waved him away with a dismissive gesture. Remus felt a flicker of satisfaction as he realised that Crouch's influence had obviously been diminished following his son's arrest. He wasn't particularly proud of his schadenfreude, but felt on his occasion that it was justified.
Bagnold looked up and banged a gavel on her desk. A hushed silence fell over the courtroom as two hundred witches and wizards turned in rapt attention. 'Members of the Wizengamot, ladies and gentleman, I call this court to order.' Bagnold's words rang out clear and confident, though she didn't raise her voice. Remus got the impression that she was used to people paying attention when she spoke. 'We are here to try Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black for some of the most serious offences ever brought before this court: specifically, membership in the illegal organisation known as the Death Eaters; conspiracy to murder James and Lily Potter, and the murder of twelve Muggles. Black is additionally charged with the attempted murder of Peter Pettigrew, and Pettigrew with attempting to pervert the course of justice.'
'Our first witness is a young Muggle-born witch. Before the witness gives evidence, may I remind members of the court that she is but a child, furthermore that she became aware of our world only yesterday. I would hope, therefore, that members of this council will refrain from questioning her in a manner more befitting a suspected Death Eater.' Bagnold looked pointedly at Crouch, who did a poor job of hiding his scowl, but restrained himself from speaking. 'Very well,' she continued, 'bring in the witness.'
The doors swung upon and Cassie entered the room, flanked on one side by Dumbledore and on the other by Amelia Bones. Cassie seemed, to Remus' eyes, more small and vulnerable than he'd ever seen her, walking through the imposing courtroom, outfitted in her neatly-pressed tartan skirt, hand-knitted jumper, and shiny patent black shoes. Her eyes were wide as galleons as she looked around, awe-struck at the imposing scene and the hundreds of eyes trained upon her. Judith smiled encouragingly and gave Cassie a slight wave, but the girl didn't appear to see her. Remus felt a twinge of guilt for subjecting a child to this ordeal. It was only the memory of Sirius, half-broken by Azkaban already, that kept him from wanting to call out to make the court let her go.
Bagnold smiled down at Cassie encouragingly as she took a seat between Dumbledore and Bones-Remus was relieved to note that ordinary chairs had been placed before the bench. 'Please tell us your name and address, child.'
'Cassie Smith, 26b Green Street, Peckham,' said Cassie clearly, her voice only wavering slightly as she spoke.
'Now, Miss Smith, I understand you wish to tell us about some things you saw outside your home on the morning of the first of November this year?'
'Yes, miss,' nodded Cassie. She recounted the story she had told Remus, her voice becoming increasingly confident as she spoke. Once or twice murmurs of shock or dissent erupted around the court, only to be silenced by a stern look from Bagnold. Remus felt profoundly grateful that she, not Crouch, was conducting the trial personally, as much for Cassie's sake as for Sirius.'
'Are you certain of this?' asked Bagnold once Cassie had finished speaking.
'Yes, miss,' said Cassie, chin tilted up defiantly. 'I'm certain.'
'Minister, if I might be permitted to speak,' interrupted Crouch in his familiar, oily tone.
'I daresay I shall have some difficulty preventing it,' commented Bagnold dryly. 'Very well, Crouch, what is your point?'
'Just to say, are we really to take this child at her word?' said Crouch. 'She is merely a girl, and the court has been offered no proof of her magical abilities. In addition, her evidence is in direct contradiction of the statements we took from a number of witnesses at the scene.'
Cassie jumped to her feet and glared at Crouch. 'I'm telling the truth!' she shouted. 'I was there, I saw what happened, and you didn't!'
Dumbledore stood and coughed politely, placing a hand gently on Cassie's shoulder to quiet her. 'Minister, perhaps I may be of assistance in this matter?' he said, pausing until Bagnold nodded. 'I have conferred with my deputy Headmistress, Professor McGonagall. She tells me that young Cassie can be found on her list of prospective students, and will be receiving her Hogwarts letter on her eleventh birthday." He smiled at Cassie. "Which is next June if my memory serves me correctly.'
'I've examined the child myself,' threw in Madam Bones. 'She is indeed in possession of some rudimentary magical powers. I am also confident that her memory has not been tampered with,' she finished with a significant glance at Crouch.
'But the other witnesses!' blustered Crouch.
'Did not see what caused the explosion,' said Bones calmly. 'I have been through the statements thoroughly, and none of the other witnesses had such a clear view of Pettigrew as Miss Smith. I would also add that Black's wand has been examined, and the last spell cast with it was Lumos, which confirms the girl's story about him shining a light down a drain.'
'He could still have done it,' insisted Crouch tetchily.
'Is that so?' asked Bagnold, turning to him and arching an eyebrow. 'I must confess I was unaware that any Muggle deaths have been caused by Lumos. Perhaps you could enlighten me, Mr Crouch?'
Remus couldn't help but smile to himself as Crouch sputtered, but didn't argue. On the floor of the court, Cassie was starting to fidget uncomfortably.
'Please, miss,' said Cassie, raising her hand tentatively. 'May I be excused?'
'Of course you may, dear,' said Bagnold, smiling indulgently. 'The court thanks you for your assistance.'
As Dumbledore and Madam Bones escorted Cassie back out of the courtroom, Judith stood to follow, but turned back to Remus before she left. 'Good luck,' she whispered. 'I hope it works out all right for you, and your friend.'
'Thank you,' said Remus. 'And pass on my thanks to Cassie as well. She was brilliant.'
Judith smiled. 'Yes, she was, wasn't she?' she said, slightly awed.
'Would it be all right if I came to see Cassie after the trial?' asked Remus tentatively. 'I'd like to thank her myself.'
'Of course,' Judith answered warmly. 'I'm sure Cassie would like that too. Though I must warn you that you'll face another hundred and one questions about broomsticks and flying cats.'
'It would be my pleasure to answer every one,' Remus told her, feeling genuine affection for the strange, bold little girl and her mother.
The rest of the morning was taken up with technicalities. Remus sat in anxious silence as statements were read and evidence examined from both the scene of the explosion and Godric's Hollow. Dumbledore, Moody and Bones all gave evidence themselves, as did Arthur Weasley and the two Aurors who'd seen Peter transform in Moody's office. Remus wondered if it didn't make him rather a coward that he was grateful that he was not called to give evidence himself. He suspected that Moody and Dumbledore were deliberately keeping him out of the proceedings as much as possible, whether to protect his own feelings or deflect accusations that he was unfairly biased in Sirius' favour, Remus wasn't sure. As he sat and watched the trial progress, his throat felt so tight he didn't think he could have spoken if he had been asked.
When the court adjourned for lunch, Remus joined Dumbledore and Moody in the Auror's office, anxious to hear their impression of how the trial was going. He felt sure that all the evidence so far was in Sirius' favour, and grateful that Millicent Bagnold appeared committed to conducting the trial fairly, but less confident than he had the previous night. His skin prickled with the same nervous anxiety he felt before his annual interviews with the Werewolf Registry-acutely aware than his future hung on the whims of the Ministry, that he was powerless in the face of a capricious bureaucracy. Peter and Sirius still had to give evidence, and Remus was frightened that Sirius wouldn't be able to tell his story clearly, too overcome with grief and weakened by prolonged exposure to the Dementors.
Remus listened carefully as Moody and Dumbledore discussed the morning's hearing, and the likelihood of Sirius being cleared. His heart sank as Moody reeled off a list of Wizengamot members he felt sure would return a guilty verdict, regardless of the evidence.
''Course, some of them'll just look at the name and that's enough to make up their minds,' sneered Moody. 'Brother was a Death Eater, cousin's a Death Eater, parents were Death Eater sympathisers. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, or so they say.'
'Sirius hated his family,' said Remus bitterly. 'I don't suppose any of them even care that he ran away from home to get away from all that rubbish.'
'Alas, that seems unlikely,' said Dumbledore quietly. 'To believe otherwise would be to suppose that prejudice can be overcome with simple logic.'
Remus scowled to himself, remembering the last time Sirius had seen his mother - Platform 9¾, the start of sixth year. Mrs Potter had fussed excessively over Sirius, pausing only to glance in disgust at the elder Blacks, while James kept up a constant stream of random babbling in a bid to distract Sirius' attention from his mother. Sirius had remained stone-faced and impassive throughout, refusing to cast so much as a glance towards his family, but Remus could barely keep his eyes off them: he'd never felt absolute hatred for anyone before.
Dumbledore shook Remus out of his reverie by passing over a plate of curling cheese sandwiches from the Ministry canteen. Remus took one purely for the sake of manners, but struggled to eat it; the food clung to the roof of his mouth and stuck in his throat. After forcing down three mouthfuls, he was grateful when Moody announced it was time to get back to Courtroom Ten, though his stomach felt like lead as he walked downstairs.
The court was packed as before, but the atmosphere was much changed. The air was thick with tension and the frantic twittering of the audience had been replaced with anxious whispering. The members of the Wizengamot council filed into place in silence, and it took only a cough from Millicent Bagnold to call the court to order. As they took their seats, Remus noted with grim satisfaction that Crouch was now sitting in the back row. Judging by the sulky expression he wore, Remus guessed that Bagnold had relegated him to a less prominent position for his outbursts that morning.
Remus sat and waited in increasing terror as Bagnold went through the preliminaries, clenching and unclenching his fists and forcing himself to breathe. He tried not to look at the pair of stark metal chairs in the centre of the courtroom, chains hanging ominously from their arms, but felt unable to resist the sinister temptation to keep looking, feeding his own dread.
Bagnold's voice rang out sharply across the court. 'Bring in the accused,' she said loudly.
The heavy wooden doors of the courtroom swung open once more and an icy chill crept through the room. Remus couldn't help but shiver, with fear as much as cold.
People in the rows closest to the front recoiled as the four Dementors swept in, bringing Peter and Sirius with them. Remus felt a small amount of relief to see Sirius walk in without help -Peter was dragged across the room, knees bent as he muttered a stream of feeble protestations. The Dementors threw Peter and Sirius to the chairs, the chains instantly springing to life and binding them in place. Remus winced as he saw the chains wrapped around Sirius' arms, holding him down as if he were some common criminal.
The Dementors glided back out of the room without a sound, but Remus could still feel their graveyard chill in his bones. He could barely stand to look at Sirius, who was struggling to sit upright and not cower in his seat like Peter. Always so proud, he reflected, remembering that Sirius never did lose the haughty bearing born of centuries of pure-blood privilege.
Bagnold addressed Sirius first. 'Sirius Black, you have heard the charges against you. How do you plead?'
'Not guilty,' said Sirius. His voice was croaky, but he looked Bagnold in the eye as he spoke. Remus almost smiled in relief and affection, gently chastising himself for doubting that Sirius would be able to testify.
'On all charges?' queried Bagnold.
'On all charges,' confirmed Sirius, still looking straight up at her.
'I see,' said Bagnold. 'Do you have anything to say in your own defence?'
Sirius took a shaky breath before he started to speak. Remus listened, transfixed, as he explained that he'd advised Lily and James to use Peter as their Secret Keeper, certain that the bluff would fool Voldemort. Sirius' voice wavered when he told how he'd panicked when Peter had disappeared at Halloween, finally breaking into muffled sobs as he recounted the moment he'd found Lily and James' bodies in the rubble of their home. It was agonizing for Remus to listen to Sirius - unable to offer help or comfort, or to give him some sign of support; unable to do anything but simply will Sirius to hear his litany of silent encouragement. You can do it, Padfoot, it's not your fault.
'Could you tell the court what happened after you left Godric's Hollow that evening?' asked Bagnold briskly.
'I went looking for him,' snarled Sirius, looking at Peter with venom. 'I realised what he must have done, and I wanted him to pay for it.'
'Mr Black, you have pleaded not guilty to the charge of attempting to murder Mr Pettigrew,' said Bagnold sternly. 'Do you admit, now, that you did try to kill him?'
'I never got the chance,' muttered Sirius darkly. 'When I found Peter he shouted that I'd betrayed Lily and James, then blew up half the street before disappearing into the sewer.' Sirius turned to Peter, straining against his bonds to lean towards him. 'I wish I had killed you,' he told Peter angrily. 'How dare you run off like the vermin you are? How dare you live when you sent Lily and James to their deaths?'