Chapter 8 The Clown-like Minister of Magic
"Oh! God! He admits he is a Death Eater." Regulus' first words caused a stir in the courtroom.
"You admit you are a Death Eater?"
The chief judge, a witch, looked somewhat tense at this moment.
"Do you need me to repeat what I just said, ma'am!"
Regulus' words were practically asking, are you an idiot? Wasn't I clear enough?
"I think we can pass judgment now; send him to Azkaban for life imprisonment."
Fudge was eager to express his opinion, perhaps this would become an achievement during his tenure.
However, in fact, if it weren't for Fudge's intervention, the judges present might have acted impulsively and made a direct judgment.
But as a group of qualified judges, keen observation is the most basic professional quality, so Fudge's voice was ignored by them.
At this point, some judges who had reacted thought of Regulus' earlier words.
"Please clarify what you meant by 'before death'? What do you mean by 'resurrection'?"
The courtroom suddenly fell silent, all the wizards prepared to scrutinize whether the Death Eater in the defendant's seat was lying.
Minister Fudge was signaling to the judges he was close to, but was met with a slight shake of the head in denial.
Regulus maintained his usual aloof demeanor, looking at the clown-like Minister of Magic, ready to give them a lesson.
"Since you sincerely asked, I will generously tell you."
Regulus Black slightly adjusted his black noble outfit, straightening the lace on his sleeves and collar.
"Over a decade ago, when Voldemort ruled the magical world, many members of pure-blood families, either forced or willingly, joined the ranks of Death Eaters. I believe some of you participated in that trial, and you should know that many Death Eaters joined for various reasons; they were not truly evil but acted out of a helplessness to protect their families."
"And I, having just graduated from school at the time, joined the Death Eaters out of family considerations. Unlike my brother, who could betray the family for his friends, abandon his responsibilities, betray his honor, and even disregard his family's safety to stand on the front lines against Voldemort."
"My death is largely his responsibility; he always appeared in Voldemort's sights, which led to the entire Black family being implicated. You probably don't know how many compromises I made to Voldemort for this foolish brother, just to save his life."
Regulus' voice echoed in the Wizengamot courtroom. The reason he did not first defend himself but instead blamed his brother Sirius Black was intentional; the so-called "explanation is a cover-up." Some things cannot be clarified by explanation; the answers one provides will naturally be doubted by others, while the answers others are willing to believe will be held as truth.
"You are wrong; Sirius Black is a Death Eater, sentenced to life imprisonment for killing twelve Muggles on a street."
"And Peter Pettigrew was also killed by him, and he betrayed his friends, the Potters."
Two different voices arose, clearly indicating that these two judges had participated in the trial of Sirius Black years ago.
"I'm sorry for what you said! I don't know, because I was already dead before this. As far as I know, at least before I died, Sirius Black was still a member of the Order of the Phoenix, while Peter Pettigrew, whom you mentioned, was a formal member of the Death Eaters. He was the one who informed Voldemort; my foolish brother gave the position of the secret keeper to him, which is why I died. I didn't even understand why Voldemort wanted to kill me at that time; I died without any preparation."
This statement immediately caused a commotion, with members of the Wizengamot engaging in private discussions, each displaying expressions of doubt and shock.
After a while, one of the female judges finally remembered that they needed to know what happened afterward.
"I want to know how you were resurrected. Your brother Sirius Black's case needs to be discussed later."
"Voldemort has a cave where he keeps dark magical items. After I died, he discarded me there. For more than ten years, I have existed as a corpse until my resurrection yesterday, the specific reason is unclear. After that, I summoned the house-elf Kreacher and returned to the old Black residence."
"Corpse! You don't mind if we check your body, do you?"
The one who said this was the female judge from earlier, clearly from Ravenclaw, as she was the one who raised the question first. She left her seat and approached Regulus Black, raising her wand.
"Oh... my goodness! How is this possible! Weak body temperature, no heartbeat, blood flow almost stagnant.."
"You all, go bring that house-elf over."
Minister of Magic Fudge also showed his authority, waving his hand for an Auror to take action.
"My five senses are normal, and my physiological responses are also normal. My strength, endurance, and physical ability are almost limitless, but exceeding normal limits could harm my body."
Regulus' words were a supplement, but his smile towards the female judge was meaningful.
Seeing his handsome face break into a charming smile, the young female judge felt her heart being captivated. She struggled to stabilize her emotions, returned to her seat, and began discussing opinions with those around her.
"This court accepts what you just said, but since you have admitted to being a Death Eater, you cannot escape judgment."
The chief judge's attitude was to continue judging Regulus as a Death Eater. Although his previous words were acknowledged, he still could not escape the fate of judgment.
"I cannot agree with your viewpoint. Before you is a corpse, a former human who has already died once. As a corpse, I have just been resurrected, like a newborn. I haven't done anything yet, and you want to assign me a crime?"
Regulus Black looked around and found that many judges had different opinions on this special situation.
"Do you think it is fair to judge me, a newborn?"
After a long silence, the chief judge finally spoke again.
"But no matter what, you are still Regulus Black, regardless of whether you have been resurrected. Therefore, since you are a Death Eater, it is logical to judge you."
"No! You are wrong. Setting aside the reasons I joined the Death Eaters, I believe you heard many reasons from other Death Eaters over ten years ago. During my time as a Death Eater, I was always in a supportive role and never committed any evil acts. Even now, I am actively cooperating with your investigation because I have a clear conscience. I believe that today, over ten years after Voldemort's downfall, you in the Wizengamot can view my situation rationally."
The Minister of Magic seemed a bit restless, as the people present appeared to disregard him, all ignoring him.