As soon as Amelia Bones entered Courtroom Ten and saw Rita Skeeter sitting as close to the floor as a journalist could get, acid green quill perched on parchment, she knew that the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was in for rough week. They probably deserved it, considering it was only now, after eight years, that they actually holding a trial for Sirius Black, but Amelia was still the one who would have to deal with any backlash from the trial.

Personally Amelia blamed Crouch. He was the one who pushed to suspend habeas corpus. He was the one who had personally overseen all the sentencing. He was the one who had, seven years ago, assured Amelia that all of the cases had been reviewed and that there was no need to reexamine the guilt of anyone in Azkaban. Then, when it had come out four days ago that Sirius Black was definitely innocent of at least one of the crimes he was 'convicted' of, Crouch had the audacity to suggest that Black be tried by the now defunct Council of Magical Law. It was enough to make Amelia almost wish that she had gone into healing the way her mother had wanted her to.

Speaking of Crouch, he was sitting on the witness stands as well, although he was far in the back, looking for all the world like he wanted to melt into the wall. Amelia couldn't blame him, considering many of the looks Crouch's neighbors were sending his direction.

Amelia took her place on stands, in the front row with the other interrogators. Up above her the last few stragglers where making their way in. "Cutting things a little close, aren't you?" Umbridge said from the other side of Minister Fudge.

"The trial doesn't start for-" Amelia checked her watch "-six minutes, Madam Umbridge. I see no reason to spend more time than necessary waiting here."

"It is rather an inconvenience," Minister Fudge said. Amelia was painfully aware that he was not bothering to keep his voice low. "After all, everyone knows that Black is a Death Eater. Is it really necessary to try him again because one of his intended victims escaped?"

Umbridge nodded, a smile spreading across her face. It was probably supposed to be endearing or something, but Umbridge's face being what it was, she looked rather more like the toad that had caught the fly than the cat that had caught the pixie. "Indeed, Minister, I think this passes over unnecessary and into potentially dangerous." She gave Amelia a poisonous look. "It reflects rather poorly on the Ministry, doesn't it, retrying Black for everything." Umbridge laughed, a fluttery little laugh that set Amelia's teeth on edge. "It makes it seem like we aren't sure we got the right man in the first place."

Amelia allowed herself a couple of seconds to make sure her voice was completely level when she spoke. "In 1975, when Minister Minchum entered office, he passed Ministerial Decree Number Seventy-Three, which suspended habeas corpus for those accused of collision with terrorist forces, specifically the Death Eaters; established the Council of Magical Law to deal with arrests for terrorism charges; and empowered said Council to convict and sentence those accused without a trial, if they deemed it unnecessary. In 1983, after the war was over, Ministerial Decree Number Seventy-Three was revoked."

Minister Fudge blinked at Amelia, the blank look on his face suggesting that he had understood what she said but was still working out where it fit into everything.

Umbridge gave another fake little laugh. Then she assumed a contrite expression that might have been appropriate on a five year-old caught misbehaving. "I'm sorry, Madam Bones, but you made it sound like Black has already been convicted for everything he's being tried for. In which case-"

"Black was never tried," Amelia cut Umbridge off before the woman could go off on laws Amelia had already had quoted to her sixteen times in the past four days. "If he had been tried by the Wizengamot, maybe even by the Council of Magical Law, the DMLE could simply review his case and move on, but since Ministerial Decree Number Seventy-Three was revoked-"

"Hem, hem," Umbridge said, "Whether or not Black was tried, he is still a convicted Death Eater. He does not have the legal right to demand a trial, even if new 'evidence' of his innocence is uncovered. Imagine if any criminal could force the Wizengamot to try them again and again. We'd spend all day talking to people we'd already convicted."

Amelia took a deep breath and counted to ten. Then she said, "You are correct, Madam Umbridge. Sirius Black does not have the right to demand a trial for crimes he has already been convicted of; however, since habeas corpus was reinstated, other people have the right to demand that Sirius Black be brought to court to determine whether or not he is being lawfully detained."

Umbridge made a motion with her hand as though she were preparing to interrupt again.

"It would be polite to let me finish before you make your objections," Amelia said. "Now, if anyone had called for that a week ago it would have been an open and shut case. Black was convicted and sentenced to a lifetime imprisonment in Azkaban. Now that Pettigrew has been found alive and well-"

"But this is a criminal trial," Fudge said, seeming to finally work through what Amelia and Umbridge were talking about. "It's not a court review to determine if Black's imprisonment is legal. He's being charged with... all kinds of things."

"Yes, Minister," Amelia said. "In the interests of avoiding a court review that could potentially-"

Several seats to Amelia's left, Albus Dumbledore stood up. Throughout the courtroom, muttered conversations broke off as everyone turned their attention to the Chief Warlock. Dumbledore nodded towards a pair of aurors by the courtroom doors. "Bring in the accused."

Moments later, Sirius Black was escorted through the doors. Behind her, Amelia could hear a number of people mutter about how bad he looked, but Amelia had seen him last night when he had been moved from Azkaban to the Ministry holding cells. His hair was still a matted mess, but he had definitely washed his face in the cell sink and he looked a bit less... dead was the only word Amelia had for it.

Black stared at the chair for quite some time, turning his head as though he expected it to do cartwheels. It was only when the aurors pushed him into the chair that he finally sat down. Black crossed his arms in front of his chest, probably thinking that if he did so the chains on the arms of the chair wouldn't bind him but the other auror forced his arms apart, giving the chains the chance to grab hold of Black's arms and bind them tight to the chair.

The aurors retreated back to the courtroom doors. "Criminal trial for the twelfth of March," Dumbledore said, "the accused here before us, Sirius Orion Black, is charged with the murder of twelve muggles, the attempted murder of Peter Pettigrew, accessory before the fact to the murders of Lily and James Potter, breach of the International Statute of Secrecy, affiliation with the insurgent group known as the Death Eaters, and passing classified Ministry information to the aforementioned insurgent group."

"Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe: Tethys Jasmine Vane. Witness for the Defense: William Arthur Weasley, assisted by Frederick Fabian Weasley and George Gideon Weasley."

There was a great deal of commotion from the Wizengamot, as it became apparent that the Witness for the Defense was a boy who couldn't have graduated from Hogwarts yet and that his 'assistants' were considerably younger, maybe even first-years.

"Objection," Minister Fudge said. "The Witness for the Defense cannot be an underaged wizard with no qualifications, it's absurd."

"I second that objection," Umbridge said, "and request that the defense find another Witness, preferably one who has been trained in law."

"William Weasley is of age," Dumbledore said. "There are no legal restrictions on who can assist him. Nor is the Witness for the Defense required to be a professional lawyer. Unless the defendant wishes to name another Witness, I see no reason to delay the trial." He looked expectantly at Black.

Amelia could have told him to be more direct. She had spent enough time with people just out of Azkaban to recognize the glazed look on Black's face as that of someone who had fallen back into bad memoris. He probably hadn't heard a word anyone had said. To Amelia's surprise, Black did not need to be shaken awake by one of the aurors, instead realizing after a couple of seconds that he was supposed to say something. "I'm sorry," Black said. "I didn't catch that, could you please repeat it?"

"I asked if you would like a different Witness for your defense," Dumbledore said, without even the slightest hint of irritation.

"Is there something wrong with the Witness I've got?" Black asked.

"He's got no legal qualifications," Minister Fudge burst out.

Black blinked, staring up at the Minister as though he had no idea who was talking to him. He probably didn't, since Bagnold had been Minister when he had been imprisoned. "I know, he said so in the letter he wrote offering to defend me." Black turned and looked at his right arm. "I don't like this chair."

"So you don't want another Witness," Dumbledore said.

"No." Black looked around, as if he was suddenly aware that the Witness was somewhere in the room with him. "Which one is he? Which ones are they? There was a we."

The oldest boy, William, stood up from his seat by the stands and walked towards Black. The other two followed him. "We're over here, Mr. Black," he said softly enough that Amelia could barely hear him.

"Oh," Black said. "You're looking very young, Fabian. Does that always happen when you die, because-" He blanched, pulling as far back from William as the chair would allow him. "You're not a ghost. Fabian, something very strange is going on. You were-"

"I'm not Fabian," William said. "I'm his nephew, Bill. And these-"

"You're not Bill," Black said. "I've met him. He'd be ten, I think. It depends. How long was I in Azkaban?"

"Eight years," William said. "Er, eight years and four months."

Black did not answer. His face glazed over again, not as badly as it had before, but if he kept thinking about all the time he had missed he might slip off again.

"Objection," Umbridge said. "I question the capability of the defense to pick his own legal council. Black is clearly deranged and-"

Amelia shook her head. Black was acting very much like many of the people newly released from long sentences, slightly bewildered and lacking in mind to mouth filter, but not actually insane. Not like most of the people in maximum security, who would raging right now.

"Permission to speak, Chief Warlock," William spoke over Umbridge's continued tirade.

"Granted," Dumbledore said. "Madam Umbridge, if you would be so kind as to allow the Witness for the Defense to speak."

Umbridge stopped talking. "Thank you," William said. "To my knowledge, there is no way to declare Mr. Black mentally unfit to chose his own Witness; however, he can be declared mentally incompetent to stand trial, in which case the court would be adjourned until such time as a qualified healer declared him fit for trial." William paused for a second, chewing on his lip, before continuing. "In fact, I submit that the defendant is not mentally fit to stand trial and ask the Wizengamot to prove otherwise."

Umbridge looked for a moment like she had been hit with a tongue swallowing hex. "I retract my objection," she said.

"Noted." Dumbledore turned towards the defendant. "Mr. Black, your Witness claims that you are not mentally capable of standing trial at this time. If you agree, then the trial will be adjourned until a qualified healer declares otherwise. Do you agree?"

"Say yes," one of the two assistants, Amelia couldn't tell them apart. "That means you get to spend a couple of months in St. Mungo's and find yourself someone who actually knows what they're doing to represent you in court."

"Yeah, we never would have offered to defend you if we knew that you would pick us over everyone else," the other assistant added.

"Assistants to the Witness for the Defense, I ask you to allow the defendant to decide for himself whether or not he's mentally fit," Dumbledore said. "If you don't, I may be forced to conclude that you have an ulterior motive for declaring Sirius Black mentally incompetent."

"Sorry," the assistants chorused.

"Mr. Black, your statement?"

Black paused, mumbling to himself. Even in the front row, ten feet from him, Amelia couldn't make out what he was saying. After almost a minute, Black looked up at Dumbledore and said loudly, "I'm perfectly fit to stand trial right now."

Amelia did not allow herself to feel more than a fleeting moment of disappointment. It was a lot easier on the Ministry, a lot easier on her, if Black was tried immediately, but Black would probably benefit greatly from even the few hours it would take to have a healer examine him. He had really only spent twelve hours away from the dementors.

"Very well," Dumbledore said. "In that case, I open the floor to the Interrogators for questioning."