Chapter 484: Truancy Troubles?
Chapter 484: Truancy Troubles?
Peter's peculiar behavior quickly drew the attention of those around him, mainly because his current state was extremely abnormal.
If it weren't for Scrimgeour having already checked the other's identity beforehand, some people might even think he was Dumbledore in disguise, created through the use of a transformation spell.
Or perhaps he was under the control of the Imperius Curse...though this idea seemed a bit far-fetched, it wasn't impossible.
Before long, Scrimgeour approached once more.
However, as an Auror and not a Healer from St. Mungo's, he was unsure what to do in this situation and could only resort to using a few detection spells out of habit.
"There doesn't seem to be anything wrong," Scrimgeour shook his head. "I believe he may have undergone some sort of shock and is temporarily unable to accept what has happened, resulting in his current state."
Fudge breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, his greatest fear had not come to pass.
"I propose we postpone the retrial!" At that moment, Crouch suddenly spoke up. "It's clear that he is currently unfit to undergo questioning. I believe we should send him to St. Mungo's first and resume the retrial when he is capable of communicating normally."
On the steps behind him, several people immediately raised their hands in agreement.
"I concur..."
"I agree as well..."
"Let's send him to St. Mungo's first."
There was a significant number of supporters for this suggestion.
Fudge narrowed his eyes. "Barty, I don't think that's necessary," he said.
The reason he had suddenly initiated the retrial was to catch Crouch off guard, so of course, he wouldn't agree to a postponement.
"Amelia..." Fudge turned to a bespectacled witch beside him and asked, "If I recall correctly, in a situation like this, we should be able to use Veritaserum, right?"
Amelia Bones, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, remained silent for a moment before nodding. "Yes, that is correct."
Although Veritaserum was not typically used as a standard trial procedure, it could be administered if the person being tried refused to cooperate or was unable to do so.
It could also be used directly in cases of significant impact.
And it seemed that Little Peter Pettigrew met both of these criteria.
"I object!" Crouch exclaimed angrily. "I do not deny Head Auror Bones' expertise in the Wizarding Laws, but I believe you may have overlooked one crucial point, Minister—that is, we need the agreement of more than half of the jury members to administer Veritaserum.
"So, let's put it to a vote right now. I believe we should send Little Peter Pettigrew to St. Mungo's."
As he spoke, he raised his hand first.
On the raised platform behind him, several people gradually raised their hands in agreement, but the number was not large, only about a third of the total.
"Don't forget..." said a person sitting behind Crouch, "Veritaserum also has its drawbacks. If Little Peter Pettigrew's memory has been altered, then his statements would also be unreliable. Sending him to St. Mungo's would allow us to examine his memory as well."
Soon after, more hands were raised.
There was no need to count; it was clear at a glance that the number of people who objected to the use of Veritaserum was greater.
Seeing this, Fudge panicked and started looking at Dumbledore frequently.
However, neither Dumbledore nor Sirius Black spoke, choosing instead to observe silently.
Soon, the results were in.
Out of the hundred jury members present, fifty-nine were against the use of Veritaserum.
"The number of objections exceeds half," Amelia said. "The proposal to use Veritaserum is rejected. The trial will continue."
Fudge grew even more anxious. He didn't understand why, when he had planned everything so meticulously... First, he would publicly expose Little Peter Pettigrew's faked death, then he would use Veritaserum to uncover the truth of what happened all those years ago, and finally, he would deliver a crushing blow to Crouch.
But why was this well-laid plan encountering such a significant hiccup?
Now that Veritaserum was off the table, who knew how long it would take for Little Peter Pettigrew to recover if he were sent to St. Mungo's? If it took months, or even just a few days, it would give Crouch time to prepare, rendering Fudge's trump card useless.
He looked at Dumbledore again, seeking help.
But Dumbledore still refused to meet his gaze.
"Also..." the man said with a smug look on his face after the tables had turned, "Have you forgotten about Black's prison escape?"
"But he did it to clear his name," an elderly witch said. "Dumbledore has already explained that he saw Little Peter Pettigrew's Animagus form in the newspaper and wanted to..."
However, before she could finish her sentence, she was rudely interrupted. "Regardless of his intentions," the man said coldly, "the fact remains that his actions severely damaged the credibility of the Ministry of Magic. Because of him, we receive at least three Howlers every week.
It seemed that in his heart, he had already assumed that Little Peter Pettigrew was the innocent one.
Suggesting that Dumbledore had modified memories and given false testimony... How dare he!
Some people's faces turned grim.
Even Crouch frowned, seeming to find this suggestion a bit inappropriate, but he ultimately remained silent and calmly said, "So, let's proceed to the second vote. Should we pause the retrial and send Little Peter Pettigrew to St. Mungo's first, and examine his memories..."
"Oh, sorry, just a moment, please."
At this moment, Dumbledore, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up.
He stepped forward and positioned himself in front of everyone.
"Mr. Bagman, I understand your concerns," Dumbledore said. "Of course, you are right. Before the most authoritative examination, I also have no evidence to prove that I did not modify Peter's memory."
When Bagman saw Dumbledore step forward, he felt a bit flustered, but upon hearing these words, he breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.
No matter what, as long as it couldn't be proven that Peter's memory was intact, there was no way this retrial could continue.
Even Dumbledore wouldn't act so arbitrarily, as it would mean deliberately undermining the authority of the Wizengamot. He wouldn't and couldn't do such a thing.
Bagman was quite confident about this because the man standing there was Dumbledore, the greatest white wizard.
Fudge's heart sank.
But just when everyone thought the retrial would come to an abrupt end...
"However, we don't necessarily need Veritaserum," Dumbledore said calmly. "All magic leaves traces, especially magic like the Fidelius Charm that involves the soul. When a wizard decides to hide a secret in his soul, that secret stays with him for life and can never be erased."
"What are you getting at?" Bagman asked, looking distracted. "If you want to give a lesson, I suggest you take that student back to Hogwarts with you..."
"Oh, you misunderstood," Dumbledore said. "I just wanted to tell you that no matter how deeply hidden, magic is never absolutely safe. There's always a way to find some traces, and the Fidelius Charm is no exception."
"That's impossible!" Crouch exclaimed. "To my knowledge, there is no way to break the protection of the Fidelius Charm."
"That's true in normal circumstances," Dumbledore acknowledged. "But when the Secret-Keeper himself goes against his initial intention and causes the secret to no longer need protection, then the charm becomes breakable.
"Fortunately, I happened to meet a good friend before coming to the Ministry, and she agreed to help me with a small favor."
He looked at Fudge and said cheerfully, "Cornelius, could you let her in, please? I believe she's waiting outside the door."
"Oh, of course, no problem," Fudge hastily replied.
The heavy door was opened once more.
A figure clad in a black robe stepped inside. The edges of the robe's sleeves and hood were adorned with a circle of golden magical patterns.
"That robe... It's a Silencer!" someone exclaimed.
Kyle's eyes widened in surprise, and he felt a buzzing in his head.
He never expected that the person Dumbledore was talking about would turn out to be Diana!
"I'm glad you could make it," Dumbledore said with a smile. "I'll leave it to you from here."
"Sure," Diana nodded, glancing at Kyle intentionally or otherwise.
Kyle quickly shrunk back.
Technically, his presence here amounted to truancy.
Although he had been brought here by the principal, the fact that his mother had caught him red-handed still made him feel a bit nervous.
...
(End of Chapter)
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