"So, Peter Pettigrew betrayed the Potter family ; he blew up a street, causing the deaths of numerous Muggles ; and he framed Sirius Black , leading to his unjust imprisonment in Azkaban for thirteen years ..."
Allen noticed how much Barty Crouch's face had darkened, almost to the point of tears, when he heard him say he was "wrongfully imprisoned."
After Magic Minister Cornelius Fudge finished listing the charges against Peter Pettigrew , he loudly declared, "Those who support the validity of these charges, please raise your hands."
Sirius Black suddenly looked up.
Hands went up one by one, and the number was not small... it was over seventy percent!
Black's breathing quickened, and he wanted to count them properly, but before he could finish, Fudge said, "Those who are against the allegations being unsubstantiated, please raise your hands."
Crouch looked around and saw that there were six or seven other people watching him.
His hand moved slightly, but ultimately did not lift it.
A triumphant smileinvoluntarily appeared on Fudge's face , "Mr. Crouch , you didn't raise your hand either time? What do you mean...?"
Crouch pressed his lips tightly together and said nothing.
"Alright," Fudge's tone was visibly relaxed, "so I can assume you have no objections to the verdict given for either of them?"
"Of course." Crouch uttered the two words in one breath, as if he had exhausted all his energy.
"Good, we've now reached a consensus on the decision. Sirius Black has been acquitted and should receive reasonable compensation; the details of that will be discussed after the meeting. As for Peter Pettigrew , he must be punished."
"Now I want the jury members to vote," Fudge said loudly , "Those of you who, like me, believe that Peter Pettigrew's crimes deserve punishment with the Dementor's Kiss , the harshest sentence in Azkaban , please raise your hands!"
Fudge scrutinized the jury members with a serious expression. He had his own selfish reasons; this case was irreconcilable, andhe needed to subdue Crouch's authority and completely defeat this old rival who hadonce posed a serious threat to his ministerial post .
The jury fell silent; The Dementor's Kiss was truly terrifying.
Professor Dumbledore suddenly said,a punishment like suckinga man's soul too extreme?Whydon't we just sentence him to life imprisonment in Azkaban ?"
Fudge looked at Dumbledore , the greatest White Wizard whohad ever lived;he knew he was kind-hearted and had alwaysopposed cruel punishments like the Dementor's Kiss .
He didn't directly reject Dumbledore's offersaid in a deep voice, "Everyone, think of the Potter family,think of the images you just saw in the pool of thoughts !"
Fudge's tone was extremely harsh, whichcaused Professor Dumbledore ,who was concerned for the Potter family and Harry, to remain silent.
" What if Black had been captured by the Dementors instead of Peter Pettigrew ?" he asked meaningfully.
Undoubtedly, Black's successful escape from Azkaban had greatly angered the Dementors . When they finally caught Black, what awaited him would certainly not be a trial like today, but the Kiss of the Dementors .
Several witches among the jury members raised their hands first; women, though soft-hearted, are the most prone to hating evil.
In their thoughts, they recalled images they had seen before:handsome Sorcerer in a dark prison, hopeless, growing weaker and weaker with each passing day...
Black's former state was so pathetic,and Pettigrew was now so disgusting!
Gradually, more and more people raised their hands. They looked at Peter Pettigrew with utter disgust, as if they were looking at a pile of mud .
Umbridge's eyes twitched; although she didn't have the right to vote, she had just been the first to raise her hand.
Mr. Crouch still didn't raise his hand, but this time Fudge closed his eyes and ignored his suggestion.
"Then, execute it immediately." An unprecedented look of determination and coldness appeared on Fudge's face.
"Wait!" shouted a voice.
Actually, it was Sirius Black !
" Black , do you have any objections?" Fudge asked in astonishment. He never imagined Black would be the one to object .
Pettigrew , in tears,stared blankly at Black , a glimmer of hope appearing in his eyes.
Black glared at him with disgust, turned his head away, and said loudly, "I'm willing to trade all my compensation for a right."
Everyone was watching Black .
"I want to trade this for the right to watch the execution up close! I want to watch his soul be devoured by the Dementors !" Black yelled , apparently unleashing thirteen years of pent-up anger.
"As long as he doesn't keep him alive, there's no problem," Fudge reassured himself . "Well, I think Mr. Black's request is reasonable and can be granted to him. Of course, he should also receive the compensation he deserves; after all, his misfortune was caused by the negligence of members of the Ministry of Magic ..."
The jury members nodded one by one; putting themselves in his place, it wasn't hard to understand Sirius's current feelings .
The glimmer of hope in Peter Pettigrew's eyes faded, replaced by an overwhelming despair and fear.
Shortly afterward, two Dementors entered the courtroom and headed straight for Peter Pettigrew .
At first, as if in a final struggle, Pettigrew thrashed violently and howled like a madman.
But this effort would be in vain; those iron chains bound him tightly to the chair.
As the Dementors drew closer, Pettigrew stood frozen with fear, his eyes fixed directly on their heads.
The chains on Black fell one by one; he was free.
But he didn't move from his spot.
Black watched as the Dementors advanced toward Peter Pettigrew , lifted their hoods revealing a large hole, andbegan to suck Peter Pettigrew's soul out piece by piece.
Black let out a long howl, very similar to that of a wounded wolf.
She felt her chest shatter, and hot tears streamed down her face like two torrents.
He knelt down, his forehead touching the ground, and muttered to himself.
All the wizards present were moved to tears.
My initial aversion to witnessing Peter Pettigrew's Dementor Kiss seemedto have significantly diminished.
Below, kneeling and looking disheveled, lies this Male Wizard, once full of youth and exuberance.
Having lived a young and beautiful life, she reflects on how innocent she was, and how she spent thirteen years unjustly imprisoned in darkness.
Allen, sitting below, naturally felt pity, but a powerful sense of crisis welled up in his heart at the thought of witnessing a Dementor sucking the soul of a human .
Perhaps relying solely on the Patronus Charm to ward off Dementors wasn't the perfect method.
He needed to learn, research, and find more effective ways to deal with dementors .
Professor Dumbledore silently watched Black, his ten fingers clasped together , thenglanced at Peter Pettigrew .
Peter Pettigrew , his soul drainedwas now just an empty shell; he had no self-awareness, no memories, nothing... and no hope of recovery, he was simply alive.