A/N: Disclaimer time. The Harry Potter characters and world belong to J.K. Rowling. It's her sandbox, I'm just borrowing her pail and shovel for a short time.

Chapter 13: A Marauders's Fall From Grace

Bones Estate. 7:35 am

Amelia Bones had been the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for the past 8 years. She had worked her way up through the Auror ranks, eventually becoming Head Auror at the height of the first war against Voldemort, and had figured that she would continue in this job for many more years. But fate had stepped it and tossed a Joker into the deck. A Joker by the name of Barty Crouch Jr.

His father, Barty Sr., was the head of the DMLE at the time, and when Jr. had been outed as a Death Eater, in front of the entire Wizengamot no less, his father had no choice but to step down, and Amelia, who had been next in line, had been promoted to the top job. A job that was arguably even more powerful that the Minister himself.

Madame Bones, or Lady Bones, when people had to be formal, lived with her niece Susan, whose parents, along with Amelia's husband Edgar McMillan, had lost their lives in the war. Edgar McMillan, who had also been an Auror, had been killed in a late night raid on a Death Eater hideout some twelve years earlier, and his brother Mitchell along with his wife Allison had both been murdered only days before the Dark Lord fell. So Amelia had taken Susan in and raised her as her own, even going so far as to blood adopt the baby. She had also re-claimed her maiden names of Bones. Not because she was ashamed of the McMillan name, far from it. But because she was now the last of the Bones line. One of the Original Thirteen Houses, and her obligations to maintain the family name took precedence.

It had been difficult for her at first. She had lost her husband only a year earlier and now without any preparations, she was an instant mother. It had been hard that first year, but with the help of her house elf Tilly, and the gradual awakening of her motherly instincts, things had gotten better, and by the time of this story, she never thought of Susan anymore as her niece, but rather as the daughter that she was. A daughter who was currently attending her first year at Hogwarts.

Amelia was currently sitting in her living room drinking her first of many cups of coffee that day when her floo flashed to life. In it was the head of Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. "Amelia, thank the gods you're up. You have to come in right away. There's been an escape from Azkaban."

Amelia Bones spilled her coffee. "What?" she asked, "Who? When?"

"Sirius Black escaped sometime between the last cell check at 2 am and 6 when the guards went to their morning rounds, and they have no idea how he did it."

Bones couldn't think straight. How could Black, or anybody for that matter escape from the prison? He was in the maximum security wing surrounded by Dementors. "Cornelius, have they searched the prison and the surrounding grounds itself? Maybe he just got out of his cell but is still on the island?"

"No, no." Fudge sputtered. "That's the first thing they thought of. He's nowhere on the island."

"Alright Cornelius, I'll come in right away. Give me…" she looked up at grandfather clock in the corner of the room. "fifteen minutes to get dressed. I'll meet you in your office at 8."

"Good good good." Fudge stammered, "I'll see you then." and pulled his head out of the floo, breaking the connection.

"Shit!" she swore as she got up. "What a way to start the day." She then called out to her house elf. "Tilly."

A small, greenish creature popped into the room. She was wearing a light blue toga like outfit with the Boned family crest on it. "Yous called Tilly Mistress?" she asked.

"Yes Tilly. I have to go into the Ministry early, so could you clear all this up," gesturing to the tea tray the elf had brought into her earlier, "I have to go get dressed."

"Right away Mistress." The elf replied and went to gather up the tray.

"Wait a second." Amelia said, stopping her just before the tray disappeared. She reached over and grabbed a croissant off the tray and stuffed half of it in her mouth. "Now you can take it Tilly. Thank you."

The elf bowed, smiling as she did so and then both elf and tray disappeared. Amelia started off to her bedroom to get dressed, not knowing that the escape of Sirius Black earlier that morning, and what she would find on her desk when she went into work later, would set in motion a chain of events that would rock the Wizarding World to it's very foundation.

ooo000ooo

Hogwarts: Headmasters Office

As Amelia Bones was getting dressed, Albus Dumbledore was also getting the news of Blacks escape from the Minister. Fudge told him that to protect the school he was going to assign a squad of Dementors to guard the school, but Dumbledore had forbidden it in no uncertain terms.

"Cornelius, this is a school. Not Azkaban Prison. You know my feelings about the Dementors. They are the vilest things that inhabit our world, and if you think that I will permit you, or anyone else to place them anywhere near the children of this school, then you should go to St. Mungo's and have yourself checked out by a mind healer." Dumbledore told him in cold voice

"Now see here Dumbledore," Fudge sputtered, he face reddening, "I am the Minister of Magic, and I will not be spoken to like that. I decide where the Dementors go, not you!"

"Yes, you are the Minister of Magic Cornelius, but I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts." and then after a pause added, "I am also the Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot, and if you try putting those foul abominations anywhere near this school, then I will call an emergency session of the Wizengamot to inform them of your actions. Or have you forgotten that most of the members either have children or grandchildren attending Hogwarts right now? Do you honestly think they'll permit you to endanger their lives?" he asked.

"Dumbledore, the Ministry has complete control of the Dementors. They'll be told to never enter the school grounds unless Black is spotted. There's no danger to the students." Fudge retorted, his voice raised.

Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "Cornelius, you are deluding yourself if you think the Dementors are under the Ministry's, or anyone else's control. They stay at Azkaban because they choose to. Nothing more."

Fudge started to sputter again in protest, but he was cut off by Dumbledore.

"The only thing that will stop them Cornelius is the Patronus Charm which 95% our population can't do. So think carefully Minister before you do this

Minister. Think very carefully."

Fudge didn't bother to reply to this final statement, he simply turned, and grabbing a handful of floo power, threw in the fireplace and said, "Ministry of Magic: Ministers Office." and disappeared into the green flames, leaving the Headmaster alone in his office.

"Bloody fool." Dumbledore muttered to himself.

ooo000ooo

Amelia got to the Ministry with 5 minutes to spare and went directly to the Ministers office. There she found Fudge ranting to his Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge over the fact that Dumbledore flat out refused to let him station the Dementors at Hogwarts. Really! She thought to herself. First Black, then Fudge, all before 8 o'clock But Umbridge? There should be some sort of law against that. "Good morning Cornelius," she said, ignoring the toad like woman next to his desk. "Any more news about Black?"

"Nothing new Amelia. I've recalled all the Aurors that were on leave to help in the search for Black, but so far they haven't found anything. They don't even know how he got out of his cell."

Amelia nodded and asked, "What was that I heard when I walked in about the Dementors? Have they been causing trouble as well?"

"No no. I want to place a squad of them around Hogwarts to protect the school in cause Black shows up there. Harry Potter is at the school this year, and he probably wants to get back at Potter for finishing off his master, but Dumbledore wouldn't allow it. He practically threatened me when I told him! Said he bring the whole thing up before the Wizengamot. Me! The Minister of Magic! Who the bloody hell does he think he is?" Fudge ranted.

"Exactly." Simpered Umbridge.

"He most likely thinks he's Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot, AND, the person whose head everyone will demand on a pike if one of those damn things attacks a student. That's who." Amelia replied in a dry voice.

Fudge glared at her. "That's hardly the point Madame Bones," Umbridge said. Headmaster Dumbledore needs to remember that he is not the Minister of Magic, and that he doesn't give orders to the Ministry."

"I don't agree with Albus on everything, but on this Cornelius, I do. Dementors pose a far greater threat to the school than one escaped Death Eater. Send some of the Auror to the school if you're worried. They can even patrol the grounds while they're there." She paused at this to let him think about it for a few moments, and then continued. "It's not that you want to increase the security at Hogwarts that he objects too, it's the Dementors, and the fact that the students would be helpless if they came onto the grounds." She replied, ignoring Umbridge's presence again. A fact that wasn't lost on the toad like woman.

"I think you should do what you planned Minister." Umbridge began. "Dumbledore has to be reminded that YOU are the person in charge of the Ministry, not him." She said in a sickening voice.

Fudge dropped his head into his hands. "I just don't know what to do here." He muttered.

"Well," Amelia said she said after a full minute had passed, "let me know what you decide to do, would you? I want to know if I should pack up my office or not."

Fudge's head shot up. "What…what do you mean Amelia?" he asked. "Why would you have to pack up your office?"

"Because if you send Dementors to Hogwarts, in a weeks time, knowing Albus Dumbledore, you won't be Minister of Magic anymore, and, as I'm next in the line of succession, I'll most likely be voted in as Interim Minister until they can call elections. So, I'd like some advanced notice." She replied.

Fudge started to sputter again, and Umbridge had opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off. "If you need me Minister, I'll be in my office going over the reports of Blacks escape. If not, then I'll see you at our regular meeting at 1 this afternoon. Good Morning." She then turned and left Fudge, who was still sputtering, and Umbridge, who still had her mouth open, alone in the office.

ooo000ooo

When she entered into the DMLE's Heads outer office, she found her secretary Abigail at her desk. "Abigail, what are you doing here so early? I didn't call you."

"The Minister's office called me Ma'am. They said you'd be in early and that you'd likely need me."

Amelia sighed. "Well they needn't have done that. I would have survived for a hour till you came in at 9, but thank you for coming in early."

"No problem." Abigail replied with a smile. "I put the report about the Black escape on your desk. There isn't much there though."

"That's fine." She replied as she started towards her office door. "Oh Abigail, you didn't think to make coffee did you?" she asked her secretary hopefully.

"Already done. Extra strong, just the way you like it."

"See, I knew there was a reason I hired you. You make the best coffee in the Ministry." Amelia said opening her door, and shrugging off her outer cloak as she walked in. She only got a few steps into the office though, when she spotted the cage sitting on her desk with what looked like a dead rat in it. "Abigail, could you come here please." She called.

Her secretary appeared at the door moment later. "Yes?" she asked.

"Why is there a cage with a dead rat on my desk?" she asked her.

Abigail looked at the desk, but saw nothing but a few papers and the report folder she had left there earlier. "What cage and rat? There's nothing there Ma'am but the folder I left, and a few papers."

Amelia looked at her for a second. "You don't see the cage sitting in the middle of my desk?"

"No Ma'am I don't. Should I call Ministry Security?"

"No. Is Rufus Scrimgeour in the building yet?"

"He checked in fifteen minutes ago. He should be in Auror Headquarters. Should I call him?"

"No, go down there yourself and tell him what I found, but tell him I said to come up here quietly. Understand?"

Abigail nodded her head. "Right away Ma'am." And left to get the Head Auror.

"And stop calling me Ma'am." She muttered under her breath as she went outside to the outer office to wait for Scrimgeour.

While she waited, she started thinking back to when she hired Abigail. It was right after getting the job as head of the DMLE. She had gone through 11 secretaries in a week before she found the rather shy Muggleborn girl who was barely 4 months out of Hogwarts. Abigail Peters had been in Ravenclaw and near top of her class, and Amelia was convinced that the Ministry had only hired her for the secretarial pool so that other Muggleborns couldn't say that the Ministry only hired Purebloods. The girl was never supposed to get a position as the secretary for a regular department head, let alone the head of the DMLE, and there were more than a few Pureblood feathers ruffled over it.

It was because of this that she had her first run in with Deloris Umbridge, newly promoted to the jog of "Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic"

** Flashback – October 1983 **

Amelia had been about to enter her new office one day when she heard a sickeningly sweet voice call her name. "Amelia, I wonder if I could have a word with you?"

As she turned to see who had called to her, her first thought was that the woman…(was it a woman?)…looked like a giant toad wearing a hideous pink cardigan. "Yes? What can I do for you Madam…?"

"I'm Deloris Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge…."

It was strange, Amelia thought later. She could have sworn she heard the sound of a team of horses rise up and scream in terror as Umbridge said her last name.

"I just wanted to have a small word about the girl you hired as your secretary."

"Alright, come into my office, we can talk there." They went into the inner office and Amelia cast a privacy charm. She had an idea what this was going to be about, and she didn't want her new secretary to hear it. "Now, what about her?"

"Well you are aware she a Mu…Muggleborn are you not?"

The fact that Umbridge almost said "Mudblood" was not lost on Amelia, but for the time being she decided to pretend she missed it. "Of course I'm aware of it. What of it?"

"Well, surely there must be someone better, someone more appropriate that you could have found for such a high profile appointment? Someone more like us?" Umbridge replied in the simpering voice that would become her trademark.

"Someone more appropriate? Like who? I went through 11 secretaries before I came to Abigail, and they were all inbred imbeciles who were probably only hired because they either knew someone who worked here already, or they're related to someone who works here."

"But…but those girls were all from very prominent Pureblood families!" Umbridge said, fury clearly evident in her voice.

"So they were Purebloods. So what? They were all either idiots, or they expected to be able to have the job, and not have to do any work. Either way, I don't have the time or patience for that kind of tripe. I want a secretary who not only knows what they're doing, but is willing to do they're job…and I found her. Her name is Abigail Peters. You don't like it? Too fucking bad. Deal with it!"

Now Amelia Bones did not as a rule, talk like this to anyone. Even when she was very angry. But for every rule there are exceptions, and the squat bigoted twat in front of her was one of them. She had picked up a great deal of very colorful language in her years as an Auror, and while she seldom used any of it, she never forgot it either.

"You ….you can't speak to me like that. I'm the Senior Undersecretary to Minister of Magic, and if you don't apologize to me this instant I'll…."

"And I am Lady Amelia Francesca Bones. Head of the Ancient House of Bones, one of the original Twelve Houses of Magic...and you….well I don't know what the bloody hell you are. But I do know you're nothing more than the Ministers private gofer."

As she said this, all the color drained out of Umbridge's face.

"Furthermore. Don't you EVER address me by my first name again unless I give you leave to do so. People who work in the Ministry, even ones from minor houses like yours should know better than to address their betters in such a familiar way."

By this time, Umbridge had her head down, but Amelia saw that she was absolutely seething, but didn't dare say anything at the dressing down she was receiving, and being called a member of a minor house made it ten times worse. Amelia had been taught the all about the Original Twelve by her father. He told her of the history, and especially the customs dictated when addressing a member of one of these houses, and while her father no more believed in all that "nobility" crap than she did, she could as they say 'Walk the walk, and talk the talk' when necessary.

"So why don't you go back to your office, and keep you nose out of business that doesn't concern you. Madam Senior Undersecretary to Minister of Magic."

** End Flashback **

Amelia was startled out of her memories by the door to her office opening. "Amelia, are you alright? Abigail said you found a suspicious package on your desk when you went in?"

"Yes Rufus I did. I called you because you're better with magical detection charms than I am, and whoever did the ones on this one must have tied it into my magical signature, and there are very few people capable of doing that."

"Well lets see it then and see if I can find something." Scrimgeour replied, drawing his wand and approaching her inner office door which was still open.

He looked at the desk and saw nothing but a folder and papers, just like Amelia's secretary. "It's still there?" he asked.

"Yes." And then noticed the envelope leaning up against the cage for the first time. "What about the envelope leaning against the cage?" she asked.

"Can't see that either." He replied as he waved his wand over the desk. "Magicis Revelio." He said softly, and after a moment said. "The only magic I'm detecting are the privacy and locking charms on your desk. There's nothing else registering. Is there anything written on the envelope?"

"Just my name, and Read me BEFORE touching the cage." She replied.

Scrimgeour rubbed his chin in thought. "I don't know what to recommend to you Amelia. On one hand, it could be a trap, but somehow I don't think so. Anyone with the power to do something like this could have done something much more simple. I think they just wanted to make certain that you were the only one to see it, at least at first."

Amelia thought about this and realized her old friend was right. Plus there was something she hadn't considered before. Whoever had left this here had gotten into the Ministry, and into her office without tripping the wards, left the cage, left her office. Again without tripping the wards, and then finally gotten out of the Ministry, all without being detected. She made a decision and reached out and picked up the envelope.

"Amelia NO!" Scrimgeour started when he saw what she was doing. But it was too late. She had the envelope in her hands…and nothing happened.

"Amelia that was stupid as hell. What if it had been cursed?"

"Then I would have fired you for giving me bad advice." She replied with a smile. Slowly she opened the envelope, removed the letter inside and started to read it.

To Scrimgeour it seemed like she was reading for hours with only the occasional glance at her desk. He assumed she was looking at the still unseen cage. Finally she went to her chair and slumped down in it. Scrimgeour thought she looked a lot paler. "Are you alright Amelia? Should I call for a healer?" her secretary Abigail asked, concern clearly etched on her face. Later, Amelia would realize later that this was the first time Abigail had addressed her by her first name since she had started working for her.

"No, I'm alright. It wasn't cursed…it was just a shock." She pulled out her wand and tapping the invisible letter said, "A Traitor Revealed."

Rufus Scrimgeour and Abigail Peters watched and the letter, the envelope, and the cage with the dead looking rat popped into view. Silently she handed the letter to Scrimgeour. "Read it out loud Rufus, I don't trust myself."

Rufus looked at the letter, cleared his throat and began.

"To Lady Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE.

First let me apologize Lady Bones for breaking into your office. If there was any other way, I could have trusted, I would have done it.

The unbreakable cage before you contains an illegal Animagus named Peter Pettigrew. Yes. THAT Peter Pettigrew. He's not dead, though I was sorely tempted let me tell you. When you wake him up, you'll find out that among other things, he is a Death Eater, and has been since BEFORE Voldemort supposedly died. He was also, despite what everyone believed at the time, even Albus Dumbledore, the true Secret Keeper for the Potter's the night James and Lily died. You see, James Potter thought it would be too obvious to use Sirius Black as Secret Keeper as everyone knew the two were as close as brothers. So between the three of them, they came up with the idea to use Sirius as a decoy, and Peter as the real Secret Keeper.

It was a good idea, but they didn't know that Pettigrew was a Death Eater and a spy in Dumbledore's Order of the Phoenix. Two day after the Fidelius Charm was cast on their cottage, the rat led Voldemort right to them.

Sirius knew there was no way Voldemort could have found them unless the Secret Keeper had betrayed the secret, so after seeing that baby Harry was alive and safe with Rubeus Hagrid, he took off to find and kill Pettigrew. He finally tracked him down in Muggle London, but before he could curse the traitor, Pettigrew, who was holding his wand behind his back, pulled out a knife and cut off one of his fingers, all the time shouting about how Sirius had betrayed James and Lily to everyone within hearing distance.

He then fired a reducto curse into the pavement near him which as you know hit a gas main. Whether or not he knew about the gas main, I don't know. My guess is no, based on the look of surprise Sirius said he had on his face, but that doesn't really matter does it?

Anyhow, Sirius was blown off his feet by the blast, but otherwise unhurt. Peter then changed into his Animagus for of a rat and disappeared into a sewer and left Sirius to take the blame. He was unknowingly aided in this by Barty Crouch Sr., then DMLE head, who decided that the evidence of Sirius's guilt was so overwhelming that he didn't need to be given a trial or to be questioned with Veritaserum, and he just chucked him into Azkaban without either.

That's right. He condemned the Head of an Ancient and Nobel House, one of the Original Twelve, to life in Azkaban with a trial. This can be confirmed by trying to look up the trial and questioning records that don't exist, and by questioning Pettigrew with the Veritaserum that Black wasn't given.

Now, as to Sirius's escape. I must confess that I was behind that. Normally I wouldn't tell you how I did it, but I know if I don't, you'll likely drive yourself crazy trying to figure it out. You see, Azkaban and your office weren't the only places I broke into last night. I also broke into Hogwarts and "borrowed" Albus Dumbledore's Phoenix Fawkes.

As I'm sure you know, Phoenix's will never do the bidding of a dark wizard, or someone who intends harm. He looked into me and saw that I knew Sirius was innocent, and decided to help me save an innocent man. But even then, he also looked "into" Sirius to make sure that "I" hadn't been misled. It was only then that he flashed us out to where Sirius is being kept until recovers. Only when we see the story about Pettigrew's capture, and confession, will Sirius come forward.

Now comes the part where I "respectively request" you do something a certain way. You see, I know a lot about Cornelius Fudge. He is far more concerned about how this will look in the paper than he is about doing the right thing. So I would strongly "suggest" that you "officially" question Pettigrew with Veritaserum, and get him before the Wizengamot without telling Fudge beforehand. Otherwise he'll stick his nose into It, and try to f…muck it up.

Oh, one final thing before I close this. Just before I stunned Pettigrew and left your office, I woke him up while wearing a glamour to look like 11 year old Harry Potter. I figured this would really freak him out.

A Friend of Sirius Black

P.S. When Sirius finally turns himself in, don't bother asking him who I am because by then I will have asked him to give an unbreakable vow never to reveal my identity. Sorry.

Bloody hell!" said Rufus Scrimgeour and Abigail Peters almost in unison after he finished. "What do you want to do Amelia?"

"Who's down in Auror Headquarters you can trust completely?" she asked.

"Kingsley Shackelbolt is down there. Shack is like you Amelia. I would trust him with my life."

Amelia thought for a few moments. Finally she said, "Go and get him. The two of you can act as witnesses, also bring along with a sealed vial of Veritaserum. I don't want anyone saying that the potion could have been tampered with beforehand." Then turning to Abigail she said, "Abigail I'll need you to act as the official stenographer for this interrogation. Can you do that?"

"Yes Ma'am, absolutely." she replied.

"Good. Rufus? Not a word to ANYONE. Go."

ooo000ooo

It took Scrimgeour ten minutes to collect Shackelbolt from the Auror Headquarters and get them back up to Amelia's office. In that time, the DMLE head had prepared for the interrogation that was to take lace when they returned. She had conjured a chair for Pettigrew, one he could be chained into to prevent escape, and had gotten a pair of magic suppressing manacles from her desk. These were different from non magical handcuffs in that they could either be attached so that the persons hands were locked together, or they could be left separated, but would still suppress their magic.

When the two Aurors returned, Amelia told Shackelbolt that both he and Rufus were going to be witnesses to an official interrogation that was going to take place.

"Pardon me Director, but if this interrogation is official, then why is it taking place here in your office rather than in an interrogation room down in Ministry lockup?' Shackelbolt asked her.

"Because Kingsley, I want to prevent interference from the Ministers Office."

"What kind of interfere…" Kingsley began.

"Later Auror Shackelbolt." Amelia told him as she grabbed the cage from her desk, and took it over to the chair she had conjured earlier. She opened the cages door and unceremoniously dumped the rat out onto the floor. Then taking out her wand, cast the Animagus reversing spell on him.

At first nothing happened, and for a brief moment, Amelia thought she might end up looking like a fool. But suddenly a blue light enveloped the rat, and it began to change. Slowly the rodent began to morph into the shape of a man. A short, very dirty looking man who looked to be going bald. Once the transformation started, it only took about 5 seconds to complete, and there before them lay Pettigrew.

"Director," Shackelbolt began, "this is impossible. I know this man. That's Peter Pettigrew. But it can be. He's dead."

"No Kingsley, he's not dead as you can see." Amelia replied.

"But he was supposed to have been killed ten years ago when…..that means Black…Director?" he asked Amelia. A look of shock on his face.

"That's what we're here to find out." She grabbed the manacles and tossed to Shackelbolt. "Search him and then shackle in the chair before I enervate him please."

Kingsley knelt down and started searching Pettigrew, finding two wands, a rather large knife, plus another dagger strapped to his leg. During the search, he also discovered the dark mark burned onto the inside of the mans left arm.

When he had completed the physical search, he stood, pulled out his wand and said "Accio portkeys." Two small objects came out from hidden places in Pettigrew's robes. Satisfied, Kingsley knelt down and snapped the manacles onto Pettigrew's wrists, but leaving them separated, so that when he levitated him into the chair a few moments later, he could chain his arms onto the arms. "He ready Director." Kingsley told Amelia.

"Thank you Kingsley." She pointed her wand at the seated, (and now bound man) and said "Enervate."

ooo000ooo

When Peter Pettigrew woke and opened his eyes he knew he was in deep shit. Because there standing before him were three people he definitely didn't want to see. He knew all of them from during the war. They had all been Aurors at the time, and all had known the Potters. Oh yes. He was in very deep shit.

"Good Morning Mr. Pettigrew." Said Amelia conversationally. "We've going to have a little talk about the night James and Lily Potter died. You don't mind do you? Good." She said, not waiting for him to answer. "Rufus, administer the Veritaserum."

Scrimgeour pulled a small vial out of his pocket and broke the magical seal that was on it. "Open you mouth." He told Pettigrew in a voice that said Open it or I'll do it for you! Peter opened him mouth and Scrimgeour dripped three drops of the clear liquid into it. Instantly Pettigrew eyes clouded over, and his face went slack. "He's under Director." he told Amelia.

Amelia nodded to Abigail, who picked up her parchment and quill and prepared to start writing.

"This interrogation is taking place on September 3rd 1991. The time is 8:45 am.

The Interrogator is Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Also present are Head Auror Rufus Scrimgeour, Auror First Class Kingsley Shackelbolt, and acting as official stenographer, Abigail Peters, Executive Secretary to Amelia Bones."

Amelia turned to address Pettigrew. "State your full name for the record."

"Peter William Pettigrew." He answered is a slightly slurred voice.

"Are you a Death Eater Mr. Pettigrew?"

"Yes."

"Were you the Secret Keeper for the Potters the night they were killed?"

"Yes."

"Is Sirius Black a Death Eater?"

"No."

At this answer, Kingsley was heard to suck in his breath.

Amelia continued. "Is this something you just believe, or know to be a fact?"

"A fact. Sirius hated the Dark Lord and would never have betrayed James. They were like brothers."

"You have the Dark mark on your arm. Were you under the Imperious curse when you got it, or did you take it willingly?"

"I took the mark willingly."

"Why did you become a Death Eater?"

"I didn't think the light side could win, and I didn't want to die fighting for a lost cause."

"How did the Dark Lord find the Potters?"

"I was the Secret Keeper for their house, and I led my master to them as he ordered."

"Is the Dark Lord alive or dead?"

"I don't know."

"What did you do after the Dark Lord was defeated by Harry Potter?"

"I ran. But Sirius came after me."

"What happened when he caught up to you?

"I started screaming that Sirius had betrayed James and Lily and then cut off one of my fingers and let it drop to the ground so it would be found later. Then I sent a Reducto into the street near me so that I could change into my Animagus form of a rat and escape in the confusion."

"Did you know there was a gas main under the street when you cast your spell?"

"No."

"Do you know that twelve innocent Muggles were killed in the gas explosion?"

"Not then, but I found out later."

"Are you sorry they were killed?"

"No. They were just Muggles. They weren't important."

Amelia had to take a few moments to calm herself after the answer. She wanted to reach out and strangle the traitorous rat. Finally when she composed herself she asked. "Does anybody else have and questions for this…man?"

Everyone said no.

"Interrogation ends, 9:02 am."

The room was deathly silent. Nobody said a word for nearly a full minute. It was Scrimgeour who broke the silence. "Amelia, what do we do with this, thing" Indicating Pettigrew. "We can't put him in lockup of Fudge will find out."

"I was thinking about that Rufus while you were down getting Kingsley, and I have a solution. As Head of the DMLE I authorize you to use the Imperius

Curse. After Pettigrew is given the antidote to the Veritaserum, Imperio him, and make him change back into a rat. I'll keep him here in my office in the cage till we can set up a trial tomorrow."

Scrimgeour smiled. The solution had a certain poetic justice to it. "Kingsley, take the manacles off him, and then give him the antidote please." he told the other Auror.

Shackelbolt did as he was told and as soon as Pettigrew's eyes cleared, Scrimgeour pointed his wand at him and said "Imperio." Pettigrew's face went slack again. "Change into your Animagus form."

Pettigrew seemed to hesitate for a few moments, he was trying to fight the curse. But he really had no chance. Scrimgeour was a far more powerful wizard than he was. He changed. Rufus bent and scooped him up and dropped him back into his cage, and Amelia locked it again. Scrimgeour released the curse.

"The cage is unbreakable Mr. Pettigrew. I don't suggest you try changing or there will be a real mess in my office." She told the rat man. Then addressing the others in the room. "What happened in this office is not to leave this room. No one is to know, not even the leaders of bird clubs. Understood?"

Amelia asked, looking directly at Kingsley as she said the last part. He simply nodded. "Good. Now, everyone get back to work, and thank you."