Stay - Mattheo Riddle

Chapter 101

Snape took a step toward Dumbledore as he glared angrily at the young Potter girl. "Sirius Black showed he was capable of murder at the age of sixteen," he breathed. "You haven't forgotten that, Headmaster? You haven't forgotten that he once tried to kill me?"

"My memory is as good as it ever was, Severus," said Dumbledore quietly. Snape turned on his heel and marched through the door Fudge was still holding. It closed behind them, and Dumbledore turned to Kirra, Theodore, Harry and Hermione. 

All of them except for Theodore burst into speech at the same time. "Professor, Black's telling the truth — we saw Pettigrew — he escaped when Professor Lupin turned into a werewolf —" 

"— he's a rat —" 

"— Pettigrew's front paw, I mean, finger, he cut it off —" 

"— Pettigrew attacked Ron, it wasn't Sirius —" But Dumbledore held up his hand to stem the flood of explanations. 

"It is your turn to listen, and I beg you will not interrupt me, because there is very little time," he said quietly. "There is not a shred of proof to support Black's story, except your word — and the word of three thirteen-year-old wizards will not convince anybody. A street full of eye witnesses swore they saw Sirius murder Pettigrew. I myself gave evidence to the Ministry that Sirius had been the Potters' Secret-Keeper." 

"Yeah well we all know that you're pretty good at making mistakes right Albus?" Kirra suddenly spoke up, causing the three other student to look at the girl in surprise at her rare and off outburst

"Youre going to find a way to make sure that people find out that Sirius is innocent, or I think that it might be time that people start seeing that fact that the person who is actually far from being innocent... is you" Kirra sneered

"what are you talking about?" Harry and Hermione spoke up in confusion

Dumbledore had an unreadable look on his face as he stared down at the messy haired brunette and a small sigh fell from his lips, "I will do all that I can, and for that to happen, we need to make this fast" Dumbledore told her and she hesitated before nodding her head, she didn't trust the man, but she did trust that he may have had a plan that could help Sirius 

"Professor Lupin can tell you —" Harry said, unable to stop himself 

"Professor Lupin is currently deep in the forest, unable to tell anyone anything. By the time he is human again, it will be too late, Sirius will be worse than dead. I might add that werewolves are so mistrusted by most of our kind that his support will count for very little and the fact that he and Sirius are old friends —" 

"But —" 

"Listen to me, Harry. It is too late, you understand me? You must see that Professor Snape's version of events is far more convincing than yours." 

"Snivellus hates Sirius, its biased," Kirra said desperately and in annoyance. "All because of some stupid trick Sirius played on him —" 

"Sirius has not acted like an innocent man. The attack on the Fat Lady — entering Gryffindor Tower with a knife — without Pettigrew, alive or dead, we have no chance of overturning Sirius's sentence." 

"But you believe us." Harry begged 

"Yes, I do," said Dumbledore quietly. "But I have no power to make other men see the truth, or to over rule the Minister of Magic..." Kirra stared up into the grave face and felt as though the ground beneath her were falling sharply away. She couldn't let them take Sirius, not again. He meant the world to her and now her world was getting ripped apart