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Cornelius waved Amelia into the second visitor's chair and handed her the letter from Lord Black. She took it and read it through her monocle. She glanced at Brian and back to Cornelius. "Well, a new Lord Black will certainly put the cat among the pigeons. What are the irregularities to which he refers?"
"Sirius Black never received a trial." Brian informed her.
"Indeed," Cornelius said, "which is most troubling." He clasped his hands together and looked at her sharply. "You see the problem?"
She pressed her lips together. "You're going to acquiesce to a full investigation?"
"Yes, under your personal jurisdiction given the sensitivity, Amelia." Cornelius cleared his throat. "When Black was captured at Hogwarts Harry Potter claimed Black was innocent and Peter Pettigrew was alive. Obviously I didn't take him seriously at the time because, well, I believed he had been traumatised by Dementors and a werewolf and confunded by Black because everybody knows Pettigrew died and Black was his killer. However, now that I understand there wasn't a trial…I'm forced to reconsider whether Potter was telling the truth."
"I see," Amelia said mildly, "I rather wish you had told informed me or the Auror office while school was in session. Hogwarts broke up for Summer last week. Potter's probably back with his muggle relatives and I can't see Albus Dumbledore giving up the address."
"Perhaps there were other witnesses present?" Brian asked smoothly. He didn't want to reveal his own knowledge.
Cornelius clapped his hands and pointed at Amelia. "The werewolf? And some other Professor – Snoop?"
"Severus Snape and Remus Lupin." Amelia noted. "My niece was most upset that Lupin had resigned from the school; said he was the best teacher they've had for DADA."
"There was also a boy and a girl with Potter, friends of his." Cornelius added. "I'm afraid I don't remember their names although the boy had bright red hair."
"That would be a Weasley then. Susan should be able to say which as she's in the same year." Amelia said. "I'll pull the original Sirius Black file and get started immediately." She handed the parchment back to Brian. "Perhaps, Minister, we could rescind the Kiss on sight order in the meantime? If Black is potentially innocent, we can't be seen to have executed him without a trial."
Cornelius nodded. "A wise precaution, Amelia. Get it done immediately." He leaned forward. "Amelia, if possible, I'd like this done without involving Albus. He seems to overreact to anything to do with the Potter boy and there seems some evidence that the House of Black could challenge for guardianship of Potter according to the terms of the Potters' will."
Amelia sneaked another look at Brian.
Brian nodded. "Sirius Black was named as a potential guardian in the event of the Potters' deaths. Frank and Alice Longbottom were first which at the time must have made sense – they were married and settled with a baby of their own unlike Black – but now…"
"Indeed," Cornelius said sympathetically, "they're hardly able to take Potter. But if the new Lord Black is suitable we would have to take a claim seriously."
"I understand," Amelia said dryly, rising to her feet, "I'll be discreet."
"Reports to myself only, Amelia." Cornelius waited until she was out of the door before he turned to Brian who had stood at the same time as Amelia. "I'll update you as soon as I receive news. Please convey my apologies to Lord Black for the irregularities and thank him for bringing them to my attention."
Brian shook hands with Cornelius. "I will, Cornelius, and thank you for your time and your efforts to resolve this. Should I arrange for the funds to be transferred?"
Cornelius smiled. "A donation to assist would be appreciated."
Brian left the Ministry smiling; Lord Black was going to be a happy man.
o-O-o
Reg swept into the dining room, did a fly over Remus, and landed next to Sirius. Sirius swiped his hand on a napkin and took the dangling letter.
"Lord Black,
Fudge has taken the bait.
Brian."
"Short, succinct and good news." Sirius passed the parchment to a tired looking Remus.
"Do you think Brian knows you're Lord Black?" Remus asked worriedly. He poked at the fish on his plate uninterestedly.
"Probably," Sirius demurred, "but he won't ask to give himself plausible deniability." He grinned. "I'm sure Fudge is clueless."
"Thankfully." Remus agreed dryly.
Kreacher popped in and slapped a letter beside the werewolf before popping out again.
"Good, the Gringotts mail diversion service is working." Remus said with relief. All other owls except Hooter, Reg and Hedwig would get diverted to Gringotts who alerted Kreacher to collect the letters. He opened the parchment and nodded at Sirius. "I'm to present myself to Madame Bones to give a statement about the events at Hogwarts concerning Sirius Black." He tilted his head. "Tomorrow – she doesn't waste time."
"Good," Sirius said, "because I've lost too much of it already."
Amelia frowned at the diagram on the parchment in front of her – the Unspeakables' mock-up of the street and explosion that Sirius Black has supposedly caused.
The Unspeakable had noted that the spell Black had used would have had to travel through Pettigrew to impact directly behind him. Of course, perhaps the spell had been overpowered, obliterated Pettigrew – although the lack of physical evidence of his demise beyond a finger and a bloodied robe was bemusing – and then struck. But the angles were wrong; the impact suggested the spell had been shot from directly above.
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