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Remaking Destiny	By : LadyLaran Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > General Views: 23079 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 6
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or make money from this story.

Chapter List
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Author’s Note – You guys are brilliant, simply brilliant. The reviews I’ve received have been amazing, and I hope I continue to please as this story unfolds. I do know it seems that Callidora is thwarting Dumbledore at all turns, but it will even up eventually to make the plot more interesting. In regards to the issue with Regulus, please be patient. I’ll resolve that issue in a few more chapters, I promise, and I thank that reviewer for pointing that fact out. I wasn’t able to answer you as you’ve got your account set so that messages can’t be sent.
Without further drama, here’s the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!
Disclaimer – I do not own “Harry Potter” nor do I make any money from this story. I just enjoy manipulating the characters for my own evil enjoyment.
Chapter Three: Trials
For such an early hour of the morning, the Ministry of Magic was very full of activity as people went to the assigned courtroom to begin the trials for every Death Eater that had been apprehended. Some of them had given names of other members of Voldemort’s group as soon as they had been caught, hoping to avoid a serious punishment. Once those names had been written down, aurors had been dispatched to bring them in, resulting in very full holding cells.
Callidora Longbottom, clad in a morning dress and robes of the finest black silk, waited in the seat her son usually sat in during meetings and trials. Beauchamp and Augusta were taking Neville to her home and then heading out to take the trip that he’d been wanting to leave on for some time. She didn’t mind taking her son’s position and despite the early hour, the Dowager countess was actually looking forward to what would happen today.
Gray eyes watched as the Headmaster of Hogwarts entered the chambers, looking rather flamboyant in his obnoxiously colored robes. She could not believe he would wear such things given the solemn circumstances that were happening today. Judging from the expressions on her fellow Wizengamot members, the rest of the group was not exactly thrilled with the man’s attire or demeanor.
Callidora knew she had been spotted by the man but before he could move to speak with her, Minister Bagnold came in and addressed the assembled body before the courtroom could fill with viewers and attorneys.
“I thank the Wizengamot for coming this morning, and I will be brief considering the amount of cases we have to listen to,” she told the group. “Due to the current state of affairs, I am extending the wartime status we have been under for some time and am also enacting Article Eleven, which states that during trials held within wartime status, the Wizengamot is there to observe and give a guilty/not guilty verdict. The questioning shall be done by the Minister alone,” she informed them, watching the expressions on the witches and wizards’ faces. “Now, let us allow the people in so we can call the first case.”
The Longbottom Matriarch hid her pleasure behind a calm expression as she viewed the look on Dumbledore’s face. It was blatantly obvious that the man was highly displeased with what the Minister had done, knowing he would not be able to influence the proceedings at all. The Article Bagnold had enacted meant that nothing could be done until she released the Ministry from its current status of being at war.
Millicent Bagnold moved to her table, gesturing for the assembled aurors to open the doors to allow the people into courtroom. After everyone was settled, she addressed the new group.
“The trials will begin momentarily; I have enacted Article Eleven in light of keeping things moving in a swift but fair manner,” she told them. “You are allowed to observe the proceedings in order to report the events to the rest of the magical world, but there will be no noise or drama. I will not hesitate to eject troublemakers so consider yourselves warned. Aurors are on stand by to enforce my decision.”
Callidora watched as the court officers began the proceedings, hiding her pleasure when she spotted Walburga in the audience. That meant her letters had been received, and the family was supporting her as best as they could under the circumstances.
“The first case is now being called,” came the words of the court bailiff. “The Ministry of Magic against Sirius Black, heir to the House of Black.”
It was a toss up as to what caused the low stir from the audience when her cousin’s case was announced. Either it was his name or his appearance, not that it mattered a great deal to Callidora. She was pleased to see that her instructions had been followed to the letter, which she could tell when her cousin entered the courtroom.
Tobias Marchbanks had been at the prison area hours before the trials were scheduled to begin and had been allowed to see Sirius Black to inform him of the situation. A letter, penned by Callidora, had been given to the man to read, which contained a terse explanation and set of orders that he was to follow. She pretty much had informed him of what he needed to do and that she had taken care of issues that were important to his heart. Sirius, knowing Callidora was one of his better family members, had agreed to the conditions and listened carefully to the attorney’s follow up advice.
Gray eyes held a muted look of satisfaction when the young man entered the courtroom, looking calm and collected. Thanks to her foresight, he was dressed in a nice suit and silk robes, both in black to reflect the state of mourning for the House of Black. His hair was tied back neatly from his face, giving him the regal appearance that would help with what had been planned.
“Sirius Black, you are being brought before this court today to answer to the charges of murder and treason,” the Minister told the man after he stood in front of the chair where the accused would sit. “You will be given veritaserum and answer the questions given to you. Do you understand?”
“I understand, Madam Minister,” he answered in a low voice, sitting when ordered to do so. Sirius opened his mouth as a potions master, a trusted member of the Bagnold family, instructed him to do so and was given the required drops needed to put him under the potion’s influence.
“What is your name,” the potions master asked, testing to see if the potion had taken hold yet.
“Sirius Orion Black,” the scion of the House of Black answered in a soft monotone voice.
“What House were you sorted into during your time at Hogwarts,” the master asked again, verifying the results.
“Gryffindor,” he responded.
The potions master turned to the minister, giving a small bow as he reported his findings to her.
“He is under the serum’s influence and is ready for questioning, Madam Minister.”
“Thank you,” she answered, rising to her feet as she focused her attention on the accused in front of her. “Sirius Black, were you ever a Death Eater?”
“No, I am not nor was I ever,” he answered.
“Were you the secret keeper for Lord James Potter’s family,” she asked him, going straight to the heart of the matter.
“No, I was not,” he told her, causing a mild stir behind him that was hushed by a sharp glare from the woman.
“Who was the secret keeper?”
“Peter Pettigrew,” Sirius answered her. “He was chosen because no one would think James would trust him with something of that magnitude.”
“That is why you went after him?”
“Yes, I was going to make the rat pay for what he had done.”
Millicent nodded, going into her next question. She wanted to get this over with, knowing the man was innocent of what he’d been arrested for.
“Did you kill the muggles that were on the street when you cornered Peter Pettigrew?”
“No, I did not. I was about to hex him when he cut his finger off and used a dark blasting hex on a gas line,” he answered. “He turned into a rat and scurried off while I was disoriented from the explosion.”
“Turned into a rat?”
“Yes, he is an animagus and his form is that of a rat,” the Black heir told her. “He was able to use that form to escape the aurors when they arrived.”
Well that made things a bit more challenging, she thought to herself, making notes to give to the auror division. The Minister wanted Pettigrew found and brought to justice for what he had done.
“Administer the antidote,” she told the potions master, who was quick to obey her order. Once the potion was out of his system, the woman looked to the silent man before turning to the Wizengamot.
“There is no proof of any wrong doing on the part of Sirius Orion Black, and I move for a dismissal of all charges. Agreed?”
A vast majority of the wands lit up with a green glow, telling the Minister that her recommendation was approved. She gave them a small bow before turning back to the waiting man.
“Sirius Orion Black, you have been cleared of all charges and are free to go. Please accept the apologies of this court as well as the Ministry of Magic for the treatment you have endured. You also have my sincere condolences for the losses you have sustained and my personal assurance that we will bring the traitor to justice,” she told him.
Sirius rose, giving her a light bow before breaking his silence.
“I accept your apologies and sympathies, Madam Minister. If I may beg a few moments of this assembled body’s time?”
“Of course,” the woman answered, knowing that this had to be something Callidora had probably suggested to her cousin. Given the circumstances, she could give the man a few moments to do whatever it was he needed to do.
He bowed once again, giving her a smile before straightening up. The heir to the House of Black accepted his wand, which had been offered to him by an auror once the Minister had declared the man innocent.
“I, Sirius Orion Black, heir to the Noble and Ancient House of Black, do hereby claim the title left to me by my deceased father, Lord Orion Black,” he called out, wand gleaming brightly as his magic called out while he spoke the ritual words.
An ebony box, bearing the seal of the Black family, appeared on the table in front of the Minister. The woman rose, carrying the box to him. She waited in silence as he opened it and removed a signet ring from the velvet lining that it had rested in.
As Callidora watched, Sirius placed the heavy white gold ring onto his right hand and the signet glowed hotly before cooling. That the man was still alive and the ring was still on his hand was proof that he had been deemed worthy. When the glow died down, both Callidora and Walburga rose from their seated positions and sank into a curtsy, paying tribute to the new lord of their house.
Sirius turned when Callidora raised her head, nodding towards where his mother was. A look of surprise and then soft happiness settled into his eyes for a moment when he realized that his surviving parent had come to his trial and was now showing her support for him.
“Viscount Black of Dyntagell,” the Minister addressed him, pulling him from his thoughts. “Your seat amongst your peers of the Wizengamot awaits you.”
“Thank you, Madam Minister,” he answered, striding up to the raised area where the Wizengamot sat. It didn’t take much time before he was seated beside Callidora, showing unity amongst the family.
“Nicely done,” the older woman whispered in a voice that was too low for anyone but her cousin to hear.
“Thank you, cousin,” he whispered in return, then softly told her that he would hear the rest of her story after the session was over. There was a lot to be shared, Sirius knew, and he hoped that things would continue to go well as it had so far today.
The two sat there, listening to the interrogations as each case was presented to the Minister and Wizengamot. There were a few rare ones that had been blackmailed into becoming a Death Eater and had shared with the group that they had tried to do the bare minimum so that their families wouldn’t be harmed. Those were the ones that received clemency when sentenced, usually in a form of community service in order to allow them a chance to rebuild the faith between themselves and the public.
The first of the more interesting cases was that of Severus Snape, Potions Apprentice and most recently, spy for Albus Dumbledore. Callidora knew of the animosity that her cousin held for the man and had spoken harshly to him about it multiple times over the years as she felt the harassment bordered the hatred their family held for muggles.
The veritaserum was applied by the potions master and once the usual vague expression overtook the prisoner’s face, the floor was given to the Minister of Magic.
“State your name.”
“Severus Tobias Snape,” the ebon haired male answered.
“What was the House you were sorted into during your time at Hogwarts?”
“Slytherin,” the flat voice intoned.
The potions master turned to the Minister, who rose once again to begin the questioning.
“Severus Snape, are you a Death Eater?”
“I am marked as one,” he answered.
The answer was rather telling in a way, Callidora mused. It seemed the young man didn’t identify himself as a Death Eater, which told her that the boy must have been forced into it somehow. Apparently, Minister Bagnold shared her opinion due to her next question for Snape.
“Did you willingly take the mark?”
“No, I did not.”
Millicent remained focused on him, determined to find out why such an intelligent and talented brewer would wreck his future like this.
“Why did you take it?”
“To keep my best friend and sister from being killed due to her blood status.”
She tilted her head, having heard rumors of the bond he’d shared with a certain former lady.
“You speak of Lady Potter, am I correct?”
“Yes, Minister, I do.”
“Why do you call her sister? From what I understand, Lady Potter had only one sibling and that was a sister, not a brother.”
Severus softly revealed something that only a small amount of people knew.
“Lily and I performed a blood bonding ceremony before we started Hogwarts. My mother had the information on the ritual, which we performed once we realized there was a possibility of us being separated depending on the outcome of the Sorting. We both wanted confirmation that nothing could split us up.”
Judging from the sound Sirius made, it was obvious to Callidora that he had not known of the status between the two friends. She would have to ensure that her cousin made amends when the time was right.
“What actions did you take during your time since you were marked?”
“I was instructed to gain my potions mastery as swiftly as possible,” he replied. “My half blood status created some friction within the ranks until my mother’s lineage was discovered. I was left alone after that as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named required my time be spent in study and brewing.”
“Do you have any loyalty to Voldemort?”
“No, I do not and would do all I could to bring him down.”
Bagnold nodded, gesturing for the antidote to be administered. Once she knew the man was free of its influence, she spoke.
“Given you were coerced into taking the Mark, I will grant you clemency. You will spend five years in community service, finishing your potions mastery with the Brewers Guild at St. Mungos. Once the mastery is gained, you will spend time brewing potions needed for the hospital as well as researching possible cures for afflictions that have no remedies at this time. Any new potions you create will be registered to you,” she said to him.
Callidora could see Dumbledore fume for a moment before calming himself. She hid a smirk, looking towards the young man being sentenced. Somehow, she had a feeling they had kept the Headmaster from using the grieving young man.
“I understand, Madam Minister, and thank you for this chance,” Snape said, bowing politely before he was dismissed.
The Longbottom matriarch said nothing as the next name was called. This would be a challenge for both families involved.
Author’s End Note – Now who is next on the stand? We will find out soon enough! I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought of it and if you’re reading on a site that doesn’t give update alerts, look at my profile for my yahoo group link. I post notifications there. See everyone next chapter, Laran.
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Remaking Destiny