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"Unfortunately, I didn't know at the time," Dumbledore responded somewhat sadly. "James, Peter, and Sirius enacted the switch with the utmost in secrecy, telling no one else of what they had done. I learned nothing about it until after Sirius escaped from Azkaban."
"And if I had known," he continued after a moment's thought, "I would have counseled against it. I had known all four boys since their entrance into Hogwarts, and knew that Pettigrew was not quite made of the same stuff as the other three. Although I had no idea he was a traitor, I knew that should he be captured, Voldemort would learn of the Potters' location immediately—Peter was not the type to resist Voldemort's torture to protect his friends." Harry noted the flinches from around the room at the mention of Voldemort's name, but Dumbledore either did not notice, or ignored them. "I feared he would give up any information, do anything to avoid continued mistreatment at the hands of Voldemort, regardless of whether Voldemort knew he was the secret keeper. At the time, we were aware of a leak in our ranks, but we suspected the wrong friend—Remus Lupin was our primary suspect in part due to his status as a werewolf and the known association of a number of werewolf packs with the forces of Voldemort. I deeply regret our lack of vision in this matter."
With Dumbledore's statement, all noise in the Wizengamot chamber ceased, giving over to contemplation of what had been revealed. It appeared the British legislative body as a whole was not happy with the situation, but with the testimony they had just heard, they could not deny the need for a trial for Sirius.
With any luck, Jean-Sebastian reflected grimly, heads will roll over this—especially Fudge's. The fool was told of this over a year ago and denied all possibility of Sirius' innocence, doing nothing to ensure justice was done.
Glancing over at Harry, Jean-Sebastian saw a mixture of hope and longing in the young man's face. Knowing what he did of Harry's background with his relatives, Jean-Sebastian reached out and squeezed the young man's shoulder, reassuring him that all which could be done for his godfather would be done. It was time to drive the point home and leave this place—his time dealing with British politics and their Wizengamot had left a sour taste in Jean-Sebastian's mouth.
"Minister, you have the testimony of my charge that Sirius Black is alive and means no harm to him and that Peter Pettigrew is not only still alive, but also the real betrayer of James and Lily Potter and the murderer of those twelve Muggles. Harry, will you agree to be put under the influence of Veritaserum to confirm your statements?"
"Absolutely," came the resolute reply.
His eyes were still pinched with displeasure as he glared down at Harry, but for the moment, the British Minister made no response.
"Until such time as Mr. Black receives a proper trial for his actions, the French Ministry has made an offer of asylum to him. He will be treated for his time spent in Azkaban and has agreed to return to Britain to stand trial."
Ten minutes previous, such a statement would have set off a firestorm of indignation from the assembled members of the Wizengamot; however, the revelations about the true situation rendered the chamber silent—no one would risk their reputations, or the reputation of the body as a whole, by raising an objection to such a reasonable and lawful suggestion.
"In addition, although I will take up Mr. Potter's guardianship for now, once Mr. Black has been exonerated—and we are certain he will be—he will once again take over his rightful duty. Please keep me and the French Ministry informed of the time of his trial so we can return him to Britain."
"Ambassador," Dumbledore interjected from Jean-Sebastian's side, "I give you my word as Chief Warlock that Mr. Black will be given a trial."
When Jean-Sebastian bowed in response, Dumbledore continued. "Given what I suspect is the state of his health after his long incarceration and his time on the run, perhaps it would be better to delay the hearing until he is feeling somewhat recovered from his ordeal. Perhaps sometime in September would be prudent?"
"I will speak to our healers and have them provide an update of his condition."
"Thank you, ambassador." Dumbledore turned his gaze on the Minister. "Minister, since Sirius is now the guest of the French Ministry, it would be prudent to alert the Muggle authorities that he is no longer sought after. Please liaise with your counterpart in the Muggle government."
Although he appeared like he was trying to swallow a whole grapefruit, Fudge nodded his head curtly.
Dumbledore then gazed around the silent Wizengamot chamber. "I would also like to step from my role as Chief Warlock and state as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards that the ICW supports the actions of the French Ministry and the ambassador in the matter of Sirius Black's asylum in France and the marriage contract enacted between Harry Potter and Fleur Delacour. As the ambassador mentioned earlier, the ICW has voted overwhelmingly for support in these matters."
He paused to let the import of his statements sink in. "Now, if there are no further matters to discuss, perhaps we should adjourn these proceedings."
Appearing to wish nothing more than to remove himself from the site of his embarrassing defeat, Fudge acquiesced most ungraciously with a muttered agreement, coupled with a sharp rap from his gavel. In moments, he had gathered his belongings and stalked from the room, his faithful pink puppy hard on his heels.
As the assembled members began to file from the room, Jean-Sebastian turned to Harry and Dumbledore, shaking both of their hands firmly. The expression of surprise and embarrassment on young Harry's face was amusing, while slightly concerning to Jean-Sebastian. Harry, it appeared, badly needed a measure of confidence and care, something he was not receiving from his relatives. Jean-Sebastian's family, although the marriage contract had been a shock, had fully committed to providing that to the young man, an effort which Sirius would certainly join enthusiastically.
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