Sorcerer Supreme at Hogwarts (English Versión) Chapter 79 79: "Guilty and Innocent"

"Guilty and Innocent"

Stephen grabbed Wanda, who had been bothering the Golden Trio, and dragged her along to search for the dog Sirius in the forest with him.

They could have used tracking spells or guiding magic to find him faster, but living in Hogwarts was starting to affect them.

"We've been searching for two hours. Why don't we go back and continue later? I'm hungry," Wanda complained as she walked sluggishly behind Stephen.

"You should've caught him when he was right in front of you," Stephen said rcilessly, not even looking at her.

"Ah," Stephen suddenly exclaid, stopping in his tracks.

"What? Did you find him?" Wanda asked, looking around expectantly.

"No… but I just rembered where he might be," Stephen said as he turned around and started walking back toward Hogwarts.

"Seriously? And you're saying it now, idiot?" Wanda huffed, annoyed, as she ran after him.

Wanda and Stephen quickly headed toward the Whomping Willow, which, instead of attacking as usual, lowered its roots in an attempt to show affection toward them.

"Hello!" Wanda said happily, smiling at the massive tree acting like a friend.

"Let's move," Stephen urged, walking swiftly toward a hollow space beneath the tree.

This passage led them to the infamous Shrieking Shack in Hogsade.

There, standing defensively and growling at the intruders, was Sirius Black in his black dog form.

"Easy there, puppy. We're here to help," Wanda said calmly, showing her empty hands.

"Growl..." The dog, however, didn't care. The mont Wanda tried to step closer, he bared his teeth, ready to attack.

"Ugh, how annoying," Stephen muttered, visibly irritated, and quickly bound Sirius in shining chains, leaving him on the ground, struggling to break free.

"You're getting dangerous. I hope you don't have to fight any won," Wanda teased, making a face as she looked away.

"I'm just tired. You're carrying him," Stephen stated, turning on his heel and walking off without waiting for Wanda's response.

"Hey—wait... Oi!" Wanda could only shout as she watched Stephen's back disappear around a corner. "Tsk. I actually didn't want to catch you because you stink," she muttered, using magic to lift the large dog with one hand while covering her nose with the other.

Ever since the siblings had acquired their new bodies, their magical powers and senses had sharpened, as their bodies and mana were directly connected.

In the world of Hogwarts, as a wizard grows, so does their magic. Therefore, if Stephen, Wanda, or Natasha were to reach the Flal couple's age, they might end up with bodies similar to Thor's.

Or maybe they already did. After all, Thor wasn't born strong—he beca that way as he grew. However, he relied purely on hand-to-hand combat, whereas the Flal twins specialized in magic.

As Wanda carried the dog, Stephen sent a ssage to Alia to inform her they had captured Black.

That's why, upon arriving at the castle entrance, they found several Aurors waiting alongside Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Hey, Shack. Are you on duty?" Stephen asked with a grin, seeing the tall man dressed in rather flashy robes.

Kingsley, a mber of the Order of the Phoenix, knew Sirius, and Stephen trusted that he would ensure his safe arrival to Alia.

"Hello, Instructor Stephen. How are you?" Kingsley greeted amiably, as he was familiar with Stephen from Auror training sessions.

As Stephen and Kingsley conversed, Wanda arrived, floating Sirius—still in dog form—bound in bright chains with her magic.

"Here. I think you should give him a good bath," Wanda said, keeping her distance from the dog, who glared at her in irritation.

"So this is the rumored twin sister. She looks strong," Kingsley comnted, observing Wanda, whose resemblance to Stephen was undeniable.

"Tsk. Stop being so nice and get going. See you at the trial," Stephen said, hurrying the Aurors along.

"Then, we're off," Kingsley said with a smirk before bidding them farewell.

As the Aurors departed, Stephen and Wanda walked leisurely back to their rooms.

"Sigh... Well, one less thing to worry about," Stephen said with a relaxed smile.

"You work with the Aurors?" Wanda asked, intrigued.

"Yeah, for a while now. I'm an instructor," Stephen replied, glancing at her.

"Hmm," Wanda humd, a small smile forming on her lips.

"What?" Stephen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," Wanda replied, quickening her pace as her grin widened.

"Hey. I hope you're not getting any weird ideas," Stephen said, narrowing his eyes.

"How could you think that about your poor little sister?" Wanda teased before dashing ahead.

"Hey! I'm serious!" Stephen shouted, running after her.

—--------------

Sirius Black's trial was arranged quickly. Stephen had planned for it even before the school year started, and with Alia's help, they had been preparing for it from the beginning.

Of course, there were opposing voices, particularly from Fudge and Barty Crouch. The latter was one of those responsible for imprisoning Sirius Black without trial, and if Sirius was proven innocent, he himself would have to face judgnt.

Harry was called as a witness, not for Voldemort's attack, since he was just a baby and mories from that ti would be inconclusive even in a Pensieve. The reason for his testimony was to recount the tis he had encountered Sirius Black throughout the year, emphasizing that, despite having many opportunities, Sirius never attacked him. He was also supposed to testify about Ron's rat, confirming that it had always been hidden with the Weasley family.

Ron and the Weasley family were also called to corroborate the sa.

Harry waited outside the courtroom, accompanied by the Flal couple, the Weasley family, and the hired lawyer.

For this trial, they had hired two lawyers: one to defend Sirius Black and another to protect the rights of the Weasley family, in case anyone attempted to bla them for harboring a criminal.

"Don't worry, Ron, Harry. Your brothers will be by your side," Perenelle said as she watched the nervous boys.

"They're only calling you as witnesses," Molly added, trying to reassure them.

"Although Ron might be accused of hiding a criminal and sent to Azkaban," the twins teased. "Percy too," they added, earning a deadly glare from their mother.

Ron visibly tensed, and even Percy, standing behind him, felt a cold sweat run down his forehead.

"Ignore them. That won't happen," Arthur said calmly.

"Wait, what do you an by 'my brothers will be by my side'? Where are they?" Harry asked, looking around for Stephen and Wanda.

"Don't worry, you'll see them soon," Nicolas said with a mysterious smile.

"Alright," Harry replied as an Auror called him inside.

Harry walked through the door, feeling a bit nervous, while his grandparents waited outside. They knew Stephen had taken care of everything.

Upon entering the courtroom, Harry stood a few ters away from Sirius, who looked at him with guilt from the chained chair. Although the chains barely restrained him, they seed more symbolic than restrictive.

Harry t his gaze but was interrupted by Peter Pettigrew, seated to Sirius's right in another chained chair—except his chains were much tighter.

"Harry! Tell them I'm innocent! I never hurt you! I was just hiding out of fear of Sirius Black!" Peter pleaded as the chains tightened around him.

"Sirius Black was imprisoned for 12 years. Being afraid while he was in Azkaban sounds absurd to , Mr. Pettigrew," the Flal family's lawyer stated firmly.

"I-I... but he's dangerous," Peter stamred.

anwhile, Sirius remained silent, looking at Harry with a mix of hope and guilt. His lawyer had advised him to speak only when necessary, so he endured Pettigrew's lies in silence.

Following his lawyer's instructions, Harry averted his gaze from Sirius to avoid any accusations of being in collusion with him. He observed the audience, noticing the faces of Malfoy, Dolores Umbridge, and even Dumbledore.

However, what caught his attention the most were two blonde heads waving at him from the center, whispering loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"Whispering. Harry! Over here! Hi!"

"Whispering. Four-eyes! What an ugly outfit!"

It was Wanda and Stephen, seated in the section reserved for noble houses.

Every noble magical family in Britain had a seat in the Wizengamot. Stephen occupied the Potter family's seat as its representative, after convincing Harry to appoint him. Wanda, on the other hand, represented the Flal family, though they officially had no seat in Britain—only in France. Stephen had "persuaded" the right people to secure one.

"Order in the court!" Alia shouted, striking the gavel and shooting a stern look at the Flal twins to make them stop interrupting.

"Mr. Potter, is it true that you saw Mr. Black seven tis this year and that he never attempted to harm you?" Alia asked, getting straight to the point since the trial's outco was already predictable.

"Yes. Even when I mistakenly wandered into Knockturn Alley, he guided out," Harry answered.

"In his Animagus form, correct?" Fudge abruptly interrupted.

"Y-yes," Harry replied, sowhat nervous but following the advice not to lie.

"A form he failed to register, violating the laws established since 1692," Fudge declared, glaring at the court with severity.

"And who's this chubby guy?" Wanda whispered to Stephen—but everyone in the room heard it.

"Ahem." Fudge cleared his throat, trying to regain control. "Clearly, he remains guilty of other cris," he continued, ignoring the suppressed laughter from so attendees.

"Let remind you, Minister, that the penalty for failing to register one's Animagus form is usually a fine or, at most, five years in prison. My client has already spent 12 years in Azkaban, which seems like an excessive punishnt for such a CRI," the lawyer emphasized, stressing the last word while Fudge returned to his seat with a dark expression.

"He may not have attacked because of the security provided by the Flal family. We know they protect their young well—unless the adopted son is not deserving of such care," Umbridge said, casting a fierce look at the Flals.

"Oh, Harry has all the protections my grandfather makes. Even one of his buttons could explode and easily destroy Knockturn Alley, especially if there are fat, ugly, pink toads around," Stephen replied mockingly, hiding an insult.

"Hahaha! Fat, ugly, pink toad?" Wanda repeated, glancing at Umbridge with an obvious comparison and laughing openly.

This enraged Umbridge even more, and if she could, she would have cast Unforgivable Curses at that very mont.

The trial continued with intensity. Stephen and Wanda's words had managed to unsettle Umbridge and Minister Fudge, but Alia maintained control of the courtroom with a firm hand.

"Mr. Pettigrew," Alia began, ignoring the furious glares from the opposition, "can you explain how you managed to remain hidden for so many years without being discovered, even by the people in the house where you resided?"

Peter, sweating profusely, stamred, "I... I was just another rat. No one paid attention to . I lived in silence, without causing trouble. All because I was afraid of Sirius Black."

"Mr. Pettigrew, is that true?" Sirius's lawyer interjected. "Because according to our testimonies, you deliberately sought out influential people to hide. You even chose to live with the family of a Ministry of Magic director, didn't you?"

"That's a lie!" Pettigrew shouted, trying to stand up, but the chains held him down. "I didn't know who the Weasleys were at first. It was pure coincidence."

"An interesting coincidence," Stephen comnted from his seat, crossing his arms with a smirk.

"Order in the court!" Alia repeated, glaring at Stephen. "Mr. Pettigrew, can you explain why you chose to reveal your identity recently, after years of hiding?"

Peter looked around, desperate. His eyes darted over the tribunal mbers, to Sirius, and finally settled on the Flals, who watched him like a cornered prey.

"I had no choice," he finally murmured. "They caught ... they found ."

"They?" Alia asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The Flals!" Peter exclaid, pointing at Stephen and Wanda. "They forced . They threatened . They're dangerous!"

Wanda scoffed in amusent, while Stephen tilted his head with a falsely surprised expression.

"Mr. Pettigrew," Alia continued, ignoring the accusations. "Can you explain why you chose to betray the Potters instead of continuing to be their Secret Keeper?"

The question fell like a bucket of cold water. Peter began trembling, unable to respond imdiately.

"I... I was scared," he finally confessed. "Voldemort was too powerful! If I refused, he would have killed . I had no choice."

"So instead of protecting your friends, you decided to sell them out to save yourself," Sirius finally spoke, his voice deep and filled with restrained anger.

"It wasn't my fault! I couldn't do anything!" Pettigrew shouted, turning to Sirius. "You don't understand what it was like to live under his shadow!"

"I understand perfectly," Sirius replied harshly. "But unlike you, I never betrayed my own."

The courtroom fell silent after his words. Even the tribunal mbers who had remained neutral began exchanging glances, considering the implications of Pettigrew's confession.

"Mr. Potter," Alia resud, turning back to Harry. "Do you have anything else to add regarding your encounters with Mr. Black or Mr. Pettigrew?"

Harry swallowed nervously but spoke firmly. "Yes. Ron's rat, Scabbers, was always with us. But when Sirius escaped from Azkaban, it actively started trying to run away."

Alia nodded, satisfied with the response.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter. You may take your seat."

Harry stepped down, feeling a massive weight lift off his shoulders. As he passed by Stephen and Wanda, both smiled at him reassuringly.

"You did well, Harry," Stephen murmured as Harry returned to the Weasley family's side.

"Now, let's proceed with the final review of the evidence and the verdict," Alia announced, striking her gavel.

At the center of the courtroom, Sirius and Pettigrew waited—one with calm resignation, the other trembling in fear.

—--------

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