Beast ;)

Trial and Abandonment

Arthur’s note: I’ll dedicate this story to cmacduval for commenting, liking, and fanning. :)

I stretched languidly, loving how my skin was no longer painfully tight. I wasn’t at a hundred percent yet, but I was pretty close.

Just in time for the trial. Goody. Plus the full moon was coming up tomorrow, so Remus would be sluggish, and I’d have trouble sitting still. Double goody.

I gave Harry’s hand a squeeze as we walked into the Ministry building. I’d love to give him a pep talk, but words evaded me. He squeezed my hand back.

When we entered the court room, a familiar face caught my eye. One of the judges was the woman who had been with the child I saved. She gave me a nod, relaxing me. At least I had one judge guaranteed to take my side.

Pettigrew took the stand. He claimed to have been under the imperious curse and forced to do the Dark Lord’s bidding; said bidding, he elaborated, had left him disturbed and in need of help.

Playing the insanity card aye? Coward.

Harry and Remus took the stand, both explaining how Peter had betrayed Lilly and James Potter, killed a street full of muggles, faked his own death, and pinned it all on poor Sirius. Remus offered up pensive memories of the night in the Shrieking Shack.

Once Peter’s guilt had been proven without a doubt, we came to the part of the trial I was dreading—why Pettigrew had attacked me.

I could see the debate racing through his squinty eyes: whether or not to rat out his master (no pun intended) just to get vengeance on me.

Umbridge made his decision for him. “Do you know something about the creature? Something about how dangerous she is? After all, no one can blame you for wanting to..dispose of something that could harm others.” Her voice took on a sickeningly sweet, sympathetic tone.

Long, yellow teeth spread into a slow, devious smile. If he was going down, he was taking me with him. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

“Oh, do tell,” Umbridge was practically purring now. Toad.

He lifted his chin importantly.“Her father is none other than Fenrir Greyback. The blood of the most dangerous werewolf alive runs through her veins.”

Gasps all around. Heads spun to look at me. Beside me, I heard Remus suck in a sharp breath.

“Is this true dear?” Toad-woman asked me.

I shrugged, nonchalant. “I can only vaguely remember a time when I wasn’t on my own. I don’t remember ever having parents. But if I was his daughter, I doubt he would’ve just let me run off.”

“This is not Rika’s trial,” said the woman whose child I’d saved. “And her parentage has nothing to do with the task at hand. I believe we have all the proof we need to judge Pettigrew, so let us judge.”

The stares didn’t stop but judge they did.

Pettigrew got life in Azkaban.

Sirius was officially a free man.

My world should have been great right now.

Should have been.

Except for the stiff way Remus carried himself as we hurried to escape the press.

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When we got home, I quickly slipped up to my room. No one noticed, all too caught up with Sirius’s celebration. I curled into bed, closing my eyes and trying to convince myself that everything was going to be okay. In no time at all this whole Greyback thing would blow over.