With no other choice, Dylan reached out and touched the edge of the toilet.
The moment his hand brushed against the cold porcelain, a sudden pull came from his navel, as if something had hooked onto him.
Then, he heard a whooshing sound as everything around him blurred and sped past. In the blink of an eye, he was standing squarely on the floor of the Ministry of Magic Atrium.
Dumbledore arrived right after him, giving Dylan a light pat on the shoulder from behind.
They registered their wands together, then stepped into the lift to go down. The lift descended slowly, stopping at the floor for the Minister's office. As they did, Dylan happened to glance at a huge poster of Fudge hanging on the wall.
Fudge, wand in hand, was looking off into the distance, a look of great importance on his face, as if he was about to do something truly groundbreaking. But anyone who actually knew Fudge and the current state of the British wizarding world wouldn't believe it.
The lift continued its journey downward, finally stopping on Level Nine, the Department of Mysteries. The courtroom, however, was on Level Ten, which the lift couldn't reach directly. So, Dylan and Dumbledore had to walk.
As they made their way to the lower level, Dumbledore brought up Sirius Black.
"I hear from Remus and Sirius that your Divination skills have improved quite a bit," Dumbledore said with a hint of curiosity, his bright blue eyes fixed on Dylan.
"Oh... well, I suppose that's true," Dylan said with a chuckle. "I've been learning a lot from Professor Trelawney."
"Ah... she's been a good teacher for you, then," Dumbledore said, walking ahead of Dylan down the stairs. He stroked his long silver beard, lost in thought for a moment.
After a pause, he asked, "Do you have any plans for the summer holiday?"
"Not really. You know me, I'm not a huge fan of Quidditch, so I'm not planning to go to the World Cup."
The words tumbled out of Dylan's mouth, and he immediately regretted them. He realized Dumbledore wouldn't have asked if he didn't have something he needed help with. Dylan, however, had no desire to become the next Newt Scamander or Harry Potter, getting caught up in a mess of troubles. He had plenty of his own experiments to work on this summer. Besides, he needed to keep an eye on a certain ghost's fading.
Dumbledore's steps faltered for a second, and he waited for Dylan to catch up. When they were walking side by side, he smiled and patted Dylan on the shoulder.
"It's good to hear you're free. I'll be sure to stop by and visit then."
Dylan's face fell, and he pursed his lips. He'd been right.
He followed Dumbledore straight into Courtroom Ten. The chamber was already quite full, with nearly every seat taken. Dylan followed Dumbledore to a pair of empty seats in the front row, a spot reserved for the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. Dylan was only able to sit there by Dumbledore's good graces.
"You know, I used to be the Youth Representative for the Wizengamot," Dumbledore said, looking around the courtroom with a nostalgic sigh. "I was a student when I cast my first vote here as a youth rep."
After Dumbledore's time, the Ministry of Magic had never reinstated the position of Youth Representative. Dylan looked at Dumbledore, confused. Was he just trying to show off his past, or did he have an ulterior motive? He couldn't possibly want Dylan to be the next one, could he?
Dumbledore seemed to read his mind. He gave a mischievous wink, patted Dylan's shoulder, and said nothing more. His gaze then shifted to the entrance of the courtroom. A wizard had just entered, and Dumbledore stepped forward to greet him with a warm hug.
"Cornelius, it's been a while since we last saw each other."
"Indeed, Albus. I've missed you very much," replied the wizard. It was Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, and even though they had seen each other recently, he wore a clearly fake smile.
Behind him was a short, plump woman in a pink outfit. Her name tag clearly read "Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister."
"Minister, the criminal Sirius Black has arrived," Umbridge said in a high-pitched, girlish voice.
Dylan followed her gaze. A slightly overweight man, looking quite relaxed, walked into the courtroom wearing only a jacket. It was Sirius Black.
The moment he entered, a low buzz of whispers spread through the room. To some of the wizards present, Black was still the murderer from a dozen years ago, the madman who had killed thirteen Muggles and blown up an entire street with a single spell.
A tall, black wizard followed behind Sirius, gently nudging his side with a raised wand. "Time to go, Sirius. And by the way, you've gotten a lot fatter than you used to be."
Sirius pushed the wand away, walked forward, and grumbled, "Even if I'm fatter, I'm still not as big as you, Kingsley..."
Once Sirius stood in the center of the courtroom, Fudge stepped up to the podium, cleared his throat, and announced the start of the trial.
"Fourteen years ago, Sirius Black, a Death Eater, was sentenced to life in Azkaban for the murder of the Potters, a violation of the International Statute of Secrecy, and for blowing up an entire street, resulting in the deaths of thirteen Muggles, as well as the murder of Peter Pettigrew."
"However, new evidence has surfaced which suggests that Black may be innocent. It has been confirmed that Peter Pettigrew, who was believed to be dead, is in fact alive, and that he is the real Death Eater and the true culprit behind these crimes!"
A commotion erupted in the courtroom. The Wizengamot members at the podium whispered to one another, their voices rising in a noisy murmur. Many of them had heard whispers of this before, but hearing Fudge say it aloud still felt surreal. A fourteen-year-old case was being overturned. The man thought to be the murderer was now innocent, and the one hailed as a hero, awarded the Order of Merlin, was the real villain.
"That's impossible!"
A sharp, wailing voice came from a corner of the courtroom, instantly capturing everyone's attention. A frail, bedraggled old woman sat slumped in a chair, her face haggard and her hair clinging to it in matted clumps. She was Peter Pettigrew's mother.
"My son couldn't be a Death Eater! He was so, so..."
She trailed off, unable to find the right words to describe her son.
"Madam Pettigrew, we don't recall inviting you to this trial, and you are not a member of the Wizengamot," Fudge said to her calmly.
"Don't you dare tell me that! My son is definitely not a Death Eater!" Madam Pettigrew's voice rose to a shriek, her face contorted with fury. She pointed a gnarled finger at Sirius in the center of the room. "He is! That man is the murderer! He killed my son, and now he's trying to frame my poor boy! It's disgraceful! Shameless!"
The pathetic-looking old woman stumbled toward Fudge, then turned to Dumbledore, throwing herself at him and sobbing.
"Peter was just a boy! I'm sure he was tricked by that murderer, that Black fellow! I could tell from their school days that Black was no good! Oh, Merlin! My poor little Peter has been so wronged! He was so cruelly murdered by that rotten killer, and now he's being framed!"
Dumbledore stood and helped the emotional Madam Pettigrew, gently guiding her away from him. His tall frame towered over her.
"Madam Pettigrew, we must always have proof for our claims," Dumbledore said gently. His eyes first went to Fudge, then swept over the Wizengamot members, finally resting on Dylan.
"Dylan."
Hearing Dumbledore call his name, Dylan knew it was his turn to step forward. Just as he stood up, the disheveled old woman, as if possessed, lunged at him and grabbed his arm, begging in a tearful voice. "Tell me, Peter is innocent, isn't he? Isn't he!"
Dylan scowled. If not for the crowd, he might have been tempted to use an Unforgivable Curse. He shook his head, sidestepped her grasp, and walked to the center of the courtroom. He exchanged a knowing glance with Sirius.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to show you what I saw."
With that, Dylan raised his wand, lightly touched the tip to his temple, and slowly pulled out a strand of silvery memory. The shimmering thread floated in the air, glowing softly.
Just then, Dumbledore waved his hand, and a sphere of clear water appeared, floating toward Dylan. It was a memory receptacle taken directly from his Pensieve; clearly, they had planned this step in advance. Dylan gently placed the thread of memory into the water, then waved his wand again. The water stretched and flattened in the air, expanding into a clear, reflective screen.
On the screen, a scene began to play out.
Sirius, in his human form, held a rat—the very rat that was Peter's animagus form. Then, a flash of a spell, and the rat in the light slowly transformed, taking the human shape of Peter Pettigrew.
A collective gasp swept through the courtroom. The wizards' faces were filled with disbelief. They had no idea Peter was an Animagus! This was a clear violation of wizarding law. Every Animagus must be registered with the Ministry!
"This isn't real!"
Madam Pettigrew shrieked again, but no one paid her any attention. The scene on the watery screen continued. As the conversation between Sirius and Peter unfolded, the truth of what had happened was revealed little by little. Finally, Peter confessed that he was the real murderer.
A deep silence fell over the courtroom, and even the sound of breathing seemed magnified.
In the end, Dylan chose not to show the part where Lupin transformed into a werewolf. He only showed Peter running away and even attempting to attack him.
"Alright, I believe the facts are quite clear," Fudge said, clearing his throat, ready to wrap things up. "Please cast your votes. If you agree that Sirius Black is innocent and that the fugitive Peter Pettigrew should be captured, please raise your hand."
However, someone objected. It was Madam Pettigrew again.
She screamed, "This can't be! Where did this little wizard come from? Have you all been in on this together? You're all lying!"
"Madam, we understand your feelings, but the facts are right in front of us," Dumbledore said gently, a hint of pity in his eyes.
"No, I don't believe it! Liars! You're all lying to me! Peter was a good boy..." The crazed woman wept, trying to gain sympathy with her tears. But the wizards in the courtroom weren't buying it.
A witch on the Wizengamot looked at Dylan. "It seems you can also cast a Patronus Charm. I saw you using it to guard Peter."
Dylan nodded.
Seeing this, many of the wizards, including the witch, gave Dylan a look of approval and a small nod.
"I think we can all agree on who to believe: a talented and clever young wizard who can cast a Patronus, or an unregistered Animagus," someone in the crowd said.
Immediately, many people agreed.
"He's right, that's it exactly."
"I knew that Peter fellow wasn't just a regular rat!"
With a mountain of evidence, the vote was quickly tallied. Nearly every wizard present voted in favor. The consensus was that Sirius Black was innocent, and the fugitive Peter Pettigrew should be captured immediately.
Upon seeing the result, Madam Pettigrew's face drained of color, and she collapsed onto the floor, screaming hysterically.
"I knew it! You're all in it together, just to trick an old woman like me! Merlin! Open your eyes and see!"
Fudge frowned and gave Kingsley Shacklebolt a look. "Take Madam Pettigrew out."
Kingsley stepped forward, half-helping, half-dragging the still-screaming old woman out of the courtroom. As her cries faded away, the chamber grew quiet once more.