After seeing that the jury's opinion had largely shifted in Sirius Black's favor, Fudge immediately decided to end the questioning and move into the voting stage.
This was one of the Ministry of Magic's ways of influencing judicial decisions.
While it was true that judicial authority in the British wizarding world ultimately rested with the Wizengamot, and every major case had to be decided by a vote of the Wizengamot jury, that didn't mean the Ministry had no influence over the outcome.
After all...
The Ministry organized the trial itself.
It decided how the proceedings advanced.
It was like two people racing on the same track.
Whoever had gone farther when the race stopped would be declared the winner.
Now imagine one of the runners also had the authority to decide when the race ended.
He could simply wait until he was ahead...
Then immediately call for the finish.
As long as the difference in ability wasn't overwhelming, there would always be a way to secure victory.
At this moment...
That was exactly what Fudge was doing.
Hearing that it was time to vote, the members of the Wizengamot once again broke into quiet discussion, exchanging opinions about the case.
On the defendant's bench...
Sirius stared nervously at the tips of his shoes.
His heart felt swollen inside his chest, pounding violently beneath his ribs.
He had expected the trial to last much longer.
He wondered whether he had made a favorable impression.
In truth...
He had barely spoken.
Perhaps he should have explained in greater detail why he had insisted on changing the Secret Keeper.
How Peter had deceived them.
How he'd tracked Peter down only to be framed himself.
Twice...
He looked up toward Fudge and opened his mouth to speak.
Twice...
His pounding heart robbed him of breath.
Each time he merely inhaled deeply before lowering his head once more to stare at his shoelaces.
The whispers gradually ceased.
Sirius wanted to look up at the judges.
But somehow...
Studying his own shoes felt much easier.
Much safer.
Fudge turned toward the jury.
"Now then..."
"Members of the Wizengamot."
"Those in favor of declaring Sirius Black innocent, please raise your hands."
Sirius looked up.
His eyes widened in disbelief.
Aside from Bartemius Crouch...
Almost everyone raised a hand.
A few members hesitated at first.
But after seeing so many others vote in favor...
They slowly raised theirs as well.
Fudge immediately moved to the next matter.
"Peter Pettigrew..."
"Charged with betraying James and Lily Potter."
"Destroying an entire Muggle street, resulting in numerous Muggle deaths."
"And framing Sirius Black, causing his wrongful imprisonment in Azkaban for thirteen years..."
Lewis noticed that when Fudge mentioned "wrongful imprisonment," Bartemius Crouch's already grim expression darkened even further.
Even Snape rarely looked that frightening.
Fudge finished listing the charges before declaring loudly,
"Those who find these charges proven..."
"Please raise your hands."
One hand after another rose into the air.
There were many.
More than seventy percent.
Sirius's breathing quickened.
He wanted to count them carefully.
But before he could finish...
Fudge continued,
"Those who believe the charges are not proven..."
"Please raise your hands."
Crouch looked around.
Six or seven members looked back at him.
They were all his staunch supporters.
None of them had raised a hand during the previous vote.
But from their expressions...
Crouch saw hesitation.
His own hand twitched slightly.
In the end...
He never raised it.
Seeing that...
A victorious smile appeared on Fudge's face.
"Mr. Crouch."
"You refrained from voting both times."
"May I ask whether you have any objections regarding this case?"
Something seemed lodged in Crouch's throat.
For several seconds...
He couldn't answer.
"Very well."
Fudge's voice carried unmistakable relief.
He had no intention of pressing further.
"Then I shall take your silence as agreement with both verdicts."
Crouch drew two deep breaths.
Suppressing his anger with visible effort.
His voice sounded strained.
"Of course."
"Excellent."
"We have reached a unanimous conclusion."
"Sirius Black shall be declared innocent and immediately released."
"He will also receive appropriate compensation."
"The exact amount will be discussed after today's proceedings."
"And now..."
"We must determine Peter Pettigrew's punishment."
Turning toward Gianna, Fudge said,
"As Deputy Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement..."
"I would like your recommendation."
"According to current law..."
"What sentence should Peter Pettigrew receive?"
Gianna immediately realized...
This was the final stage of the battle.
The sentence imposed upon Peter wasn't merely about Peter himself.
It represented the Ministry's judgment of Bartemius Crouch.
Would they merely slap Crouch across the face...
Establishing her own authority symbolically?
Or...
Would they utterly crush the man who still wielded enormous influence inside the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?
The answer...
Depended on her next sentence.
If she chose the latter...
Peter had to die.
Only a death sentence would eliminate any future possibility of overturning the case.
If she chose the former...
Peter would likely receive life imprisonment instead.
Gianna paused.
She glanced toward Fudge.
Then made her decision.
"He betrayed his closest friends."
"He willingly served the Dark Lord."
"He murdered innocent Muggles for personal gain."
"He framed an innocent man."
"His crimes reveal a complete loss of humanity."
"Simple imprisonment in Azkaban is no longer a sufficient punishment."
She raised her voice.
"I therefore recommend..."
"...that Peter Pettigrew be sentenced to receive the Dementor's Kiss."
Had Lewis not warned her that Voldemort would eventually return...
That Death Eaters would once again emerge...
And had the first graduates of the Society of Erudition not yet entered the Ministry...
Gianna would never have made such a harsh recommendation.
But with Lewis's "prophecy" in mind...
Everything was different.
Crushing Crouch too early would inevitably trigger a fierce backlash.
Yet...
When Voldemort returned...
When the Death Eaters resurfaced...
The wizarding world would descend into chaos.
At that point...
Stability would become everyone's greatest concern.
Those advocating strong action against the Dark Lord...
Would naturally gain overwhelming public support.
Both she...
And Crouch...
Occupied the same political position.
Both were hawks.
Both advocated uncompromising resistance against Voldemort.
When the crisis arrived...
Why would people support an aging former hero...
Instead of a younger, rising leader?
Therefore...
The best course of action was to defeat Crouch before that day came.
Even if she suffered temporary backlash...
The coming crisis would wash it all away.
Meanwhile...
Fudge's attitude clearly showed that he wanted to eliminate Crouch completely.
Supporting this decision would strengthen her temporary alliance with the Minister.
Sure enough...
Fudge looked extremely pleased.
Turning toward the jury, he declared,
"I personally support Deputy Director Proudmoore's recommendation."
"Does the Wizengamot have any objections?"
"If you agree..."
"Please raise your hands."
Silence filled the courtroom.
The Dementor's Kiss was an unimaginably terrifying punishment.
But Peter Pettigrew's crimes...
Were equally horrifying.
"Isn't the Dementor's Kiss too severe?"
Dumbledore suddenly spoke.
"Wouldn't life imprisonment be more appropriate?"
Gianna glanced toward him.
The greatest white wizard in history...
Simply couldn't bear to see anyone receive such a punishment.
He had always opposed the Dementor's Kiss.
But instead of arguing directly with Dumbledore...
She turned toward the other members of the Wizengamot.
Speaking solemnly,
"Everyone..."
"Think carefully about what you witnessed."
"What if..."
"It had been the Dementors who captured Sirius Black instead of Lewis Green?"
"What would have happened?"
As Deputy Director of Magical Law Enforcement...
She had previously opposed sending Dementors to capture Sirius.
No one else could have delivered those words more effectively.
Everyone already knew the answer.
Without question...
Had the Dementors captured Sirius first...
There would never have been a trial today.
He would already have suffered the Dementor's Kiss.
Fudge's expression stiffened slightly.
Those words indirectly criticized the Ministry's earlier decision.
Even so...
They persuaded many people.
One after another...
Hands rose throughout the jury.
More.
And more.
Crouch still refused to raise his own.
This time...
No one cared.
"Then the decision is clear."
For perhaps the first time in his career...
Fudge's face displayed genuine coldness and resolve.
"The sentence..."
"...shall be carried out immediately."
"Wait!"
A voice suddenly echoed through the courtroom.
It was...
Sirius Black.
"Mr. Black?"
Gianna looked genuinely surprised.
"You object?"
She could hardly believe it.
Hadn't Lewis said he'd already convinced Sirius?
Peter Pettigrew burst into tears.
Staring blankly at the man beside him.
Once...
They had been friends.
Hope suddenly returned to his eyes.
Sirius looked at him with utter disgust.
Then deliberately turned away.
"I am willing to exchange every Knut of my compensation..."
"...for one request."
Curious eyes throughout the courtroom focused on him.
"I want permission..."
"...to watch the execution up close."
"I want to personally witness him receive the Dementor's Kiss!"
Sirius roared.
As though releasing thirteen years' worth of injustice and hatred in a single breath.
Gianna let out a long sigh of relief.
"Good..."
"For a moment I thought you were asking us to spare him."
She looked toward Fudge.
The Minister nodded without hesitation.
"Of course."
"I believe Mr. Black's request is entirely reasonable."
"There's no need to exchange your compensation for such permission."
Members of the Wizengamot nodded one after another.
After everything Sirius had suffered...
Simply asking to witness the execution...
Was more than reasonable.
If he had requested to carry out the sentence himself...
Many present probably wouldn't have objected.
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