Author's Note:
Hey guys, sorry for the long wait on this chapter. My computer died on me and I only got it back today. This chapter is also about 4.1k words, so I hope you guys enjoy it.
I'll start uploading more frequently from today. I've been having a hard time writing each chapter over the past few months, but I'm going to try to upload as many chapters as I can going forward.
Thanks for your patience and for sticking with the story.
Hogwarts: Neville's Insert Chapter 106
Neville paused. His eyes narrowed. Slowly, he pulled the object free.
It was a wand. Smooth. Pale. Almost bone-like.
For a moment, Recognition struck. "…Wait." His mind raced. "Isn't this…?" he simply stared at it. "Voldemort's wand."
Neville held it in his hand, turning it slightly as memory after memory surfaced. This was the twin to Harry's wand. The reason Harry had survived in the graveyard. Twin cores. The Priori Incantatem effect. Two wands that could not properly fight one another.
He turned the wand slowly in his hand, eyes narrowing as memory lined up with what he was seeing. "It makes sense he has it," Neville muttered. "If I remember correctly, Peter was the one who returned it to him."
He glanced down at the unconscious man strapped to the chair, his expression growing more thoughtful. "But…" His thoughts shifted quickly. "If I free Sirius using Peter… Voldemort won't get this back."
He fell silent. For several long seconds, he simply stood there, turning the yew wand between his fingers as possibilities began forming in his mind. The earlier irritation drained away, replaced by cold calculation.
"…Then the question is," Neville murmured, "how do I make sure he does?"
…
Tuesday, 13th December 1993 – late at night, Room of Requirement
The Room of Requirement was quiet except for the low crackle of the fire beneath the cauldron and the soft bubbling of the potion.
Hermione, looking slightly tired, leaned over the edge of the cauldron. Carefully, she tipped the finely ground Jobberknoll feathers into the potion. The powder touched the surface and immediately dissolved. IT LET OUT SOME SMOKE AND A small EXPLOSION
Harry, standing a few feet away watching Hermione brewing the potion, frowned slightly. "Is it supposed to do that?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said. "The book says it should." Hermione didn't look up at harry. She stirred the potion counterclockwise and watched as the liquid inside the cauldron changed color, shifting from a pale grey into something clearer, though it still held a faint cloudy tint. A thin line of smoke rose from the surface before fading into the air.
"That should do," she murmured after another moment. She reached down and turned off the fire beneath the cauldron. The flames vanished immediately, leaving only the lingering warmth of the metal.
Harry stepped closer and glanced down at the open potions book on the table beside the cauldron. He scanned the page for a moment before looking back at the potion. "Uh… is it supposed to look like that?" he asked. "It says here it's meant to be perfectly clear."
Hermione folded her arms and gave him a tired look. "Of course it isn't perfectly clear," she said. "Honestly, Harry, what did you expect? That we'd brew Veritaserum perfectly the first time we try?"
Harry scratched the back of his head. "No… not really," he admitted. "I'm just asking if it'll work."
Hermione sighed and leaned closer to the cauldron again, examining the surface carefully. "It should," she said after a moment. "It's not perfect, but it's close enough."
She gave the potion another slow stir before continuing. "The Ministry's version is much stronger. This one won't be quite as potent, but three or four drops should still be enough to make someone answer honestly. It just might not last very long."
Harry nodded slowly, looking slightly relieved. "Well… it should last long enough for us to ask a few questions at least, right?" he asked.
Hermione gave a small nod. "It should."
For the past month, the three of them had spent nearly every night inside the Room of Requirement brewing the potion.
Veritaserum wasn't something that could be rushed.
The brewing had to follow the lunar cycle exactly, which meant they had to wait for a new lunar cycle to begin. They started on the thirteenth of November, and most of the work could only be done at night while the moon was visible.
Missing even one step, or adding an ingredient at the wrong moment, would ruin the entire potion.
Hermione handled most of the delicate brewing.
Neville prepared the ingredients and kept track of the timing, while Harry mostly helped wherever he could.
The three of them had been using Hermione's Time-Turner after every brewing session, going back five hours so they could still sleep and attend classes the next morning without anyone realizing they'd been awake half the night. It was exhausting.
Especially for Hermione. Between brewing, homework, and all her electives, she looked more tired than usual lately.
Neville had suggested she drop a few classes, and after some convincing she'd finally agreed—but only after the potion was finished. If she dropped them now, she would have to return the Time-Turner.
just then Behind them, the soft sound of fabric shifting came from the far end of the room. The Nab-Sack lay open on the floor where Neville had left it earlier. After a moment,
the looked back to see Neville's head appeared at the opening, followed by his shoulders as he pulled himself out.
He fully stepped out of the nab sack and brushed the imaginary dust from his shirt before walking toward them. "Hey," he said. "Is the potion ready?"
Hermione nodded as she reached for a small glass vial. "Yeah," she said. "Just finished." She carefully laddered in the potion into a thin glass vail.
Neville stopped beside the table and glanced into the cauldron. "Good," he said. "Because Peter's awake."
Hermione paused slightly before corking the vial. "Actually…" she said, corking the vial, "we might need four drops instead of three."
Neville looked up at her. "Why?"
"The potion isn't perfect," she admitted. "It's a little cloudy. That means it's slightly weaker than it should be."
Neville looked at the cauldron for a moment, then gave a low whistle. "Don't sell yourself short, Hermione," he said. "This is impressive."
Hermione looked up at him.
"Honestly," Neville continued, gesturing at the potion, "I doubt most seventh-years could brew Veritaserum this well, especially on their first attempt."
Hermione's ears turned slightly pink at the praise. She looked down quickly and finished sealing the vial. "Well… I didn't do it alone," she muttered. "You both helped. And the book had very detailed instructions." she muttered, handing the vial to him.
Neville took it and slipped it carefully into his pocket.
Harry closed the book in his hands. His expression turned serious. "Alright," he said. "Let's get this over with ."
Hermione nodded slightly.
Harry started walking toward the Nab-Sack.
Neville stepped in front of him before he could get far. "Yeah… before we get to that," Neville said. He reached into his sling bag and pulled out a small vial, holding it out to Harry. "Here. Drink this."
Harry looked down at it. "What for?"
"It's a calming potion," Neville said simply. "So you don't try to kill Peter halfway through the questioning."
Harry frowned slightly and turned the vial in his hand. "…Neville."
Neville raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Harry held the vial up so Neville could read the label. "It says Sleeping Draught."
Neville looked at it. Then he let out a quiet chuckle. "Right," he said, taking it back. "Wrong one." He slipped it into his bag and rummaged around before pulling out another vial. "This one."
Harry looked at it for a second, then shrugged and uncorked it. He drank it in one quick swallow and handed the empty vial back.
Neville nodded once. "Good." He turned toward the Nab-Sack. "Let's go."
…
Neville stepped onto the ladder and began climbing down into the Nab-Sack. Harry followed behind him, with Hermione coming last. The wooden ladder creaked softly as their weight shifted down the rungs. A moment later Neville's boots touched the wooden platform below.
The inside of the pouch was as wide and empty as always. Pale walls curved upward until they disappeared into the soft ambient glow above. Floating lights drifted slowly across the ceiling, casting an even light across the open space.
The air was cool and still.
The chair sat near the center of the cage.
Peter Pettigrew was strapped into it.
His wrists were bound tightly to the armrests. His ankles were secured to the footrest, and the strap across the headrest held his head firmly in place. A blindfold covered his eyes.
Even with the blindfold, it was obvious he was awake.
The moment the sound of footsteps reached him, Peter jerked violently against the restraints.
"W-who's there?" he blurted.
His voice trembled.
"Hello? Is someone there?"
Neville didn't answer.
Harry and Hermione stepped off the ladder behind him.
Peter twisted his head slightly, trying to listen.
"Please—" he said quickly. "Please don't— I didn't do anything, I swear—"
His breathing started to quicken.
"You've got the wrong person! I'm just a rat, I didn't—"
Then he froze.
For a moment the room went quiet.
Peter's head tilted slightly.
"…students?" he whispered.
Neville said nothing.
Peter's voice rose suddenly.
"No—no, listen—listen, I can explain—please, just let me go and we can forget this ever happened—"
The chair rattled as he pulled uselessly against the restraints.
"Please! I didn't mean to— I mean— I didn't—"
His words collapsed into panicked rambling.
A dark stain slowly spread across the front of his trousers.
Harry frowned, crossing his arms as they stood outside the cage.
"Bloody hell," he muttered under his breath.
Hermione's face twisted with disgust. She lifted a sleeve over her nose.
"Merlin…"
Neville didn't even glance at them.
Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small vial Hermione had given him.
Hermione stepped closer to his side and lowered her voice.
"Try three drops first," she whispered. "If it doesn't work, add the fourth."
Neville gave a small nod.
He uncorked the vial and walked toward the cage.
The door creaked softly as he opened it.
Peter heard the sound immediately and began thrashing again.
"Wait—wait—what are you doing—" he babbled. "Please—listen to me—this is a misunderstanding—"
Neville stepped inside the cage.
He carefully avoided the urine dripping down from the chair, grimacing slightly.
'Right. I'm definitely calling Tinky after this,' he thought.
Behind him, Harry watched Peter struggle with a hard expression.
Neville stopped beside the chair.
Peter tried to twisted his head toward him but his head was restrained . "Please—whoever you are—listen—"
Neville flicked his wand.
Peter's jaw snapped open against his will.
The man began struggling even harder against the restraints.
Neville ignored him. Carefully, he tilted the vial. Three clear drops fell onto Peter's tongue. and Neville stepped back.
Peter swallowed instinctively. For a few seconds nothing happened. Peter still thrashed against the restraints.
Just as Neville was about to add the fourth drop—
Peter's body suddenly went still.
He stopped trying to fight the restraints. His breathing slowed, and the panic drained from his face.
Neville released the magical hold on Peter's jaw.
Then he reached into his bag again and pulled out a folded piece of parchment.
Harry noticed the neat rows of writing covering it.
"What's that?" Harry asked quietly.
Neville unfolded the page and glanced at it.
"It's easier if the questions are prepared beforehand," he said simply.
Hermione nodded slightly. "That way we don't forget anything important."
Neville gave a small nod in agreement, then looked back at Peter.
"Alright," he said calmly. "Let's begin."
"What is your full name?"
Peter answered immediately, his voice dull and unfocused.
"Peter Pettigrew."
Neville continued without pause.
"Are you an unregistered Animagus?"
"Yes," Peter said in a dazed tone.
"What animal form do you transform into?" Neville asked.
"A rat."
Neville's eyes moved briefly across the parchment before he asked the next question.
"Were you, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin friends while at Hogwarts?"
"Yes," Peter said.
Neville simply nodded and continued.
"Were James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin Animagi?"
Peter answered immediately.
"No. Remus Lupin wasn't."
Neville's brow furrowed slightly.
"So you, James, and Sirius were Animagi?"
"Yes."
Neville glanced down at the parchment again.
"On November first, nineteen eighty-one, did you fake your death?"
"Yes."
"Did you cut off your own finger before transforming?" Neville asked.
"Yes."
Neville looked down at the parchment one last time before asking the next question.
"Was Sirius Black the one who betrayed the Potters to Voldemort?"
"No," Peter said.
Harry's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at peter.
Neville continued. "Did Sirius Black kill the twelve Muggles?"
"No. Sirius didn't kill them,"
Neville glanced at Peter "Then who did"
Peter said flatly. "I did ."
Hermione shifted slightly beside Neville.
Neville's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why?"
"To frame Sirius."
Neville opened his mouth to continue. "Why did you want to frame—"
"Did you betray my parents to Voldemort?" Harry's voice cut across the room, sharp and tight.
Peter said nothing.
Neville didn't even look at Harry.
Harry frowned and glanced at Hermione and Neville. "Did the potion wear off?" he asked quietly.
Hermione shook her head slightly. "He doesn't know who you are, Harry," she explained. "So he doesn't know who's asking the question."
Neville sighed softly and continued. "Did you betray the Potters by revealing the location of their home to Lord Voldemort?"
"Yes," Peter said.
Harry's jaw tightened, but the calming draught kept Peter completely steady.
Neville moved to the next question. "Were James and Lily Potter placed under the Fidelius Charm before their deaths?"
"Yes."
"Were you the Potters' Secret Keeper?" Neville asked.
"Yes."
Harry's hands clenched into fists.
Hermione glanced at him briefly, but she didn't say anything.
Neville continued. "Who suggested that you be the Secret Keeper for the Potter family?"
"Sirius did," Peter said.
Neville asked the next question without hesitation. "Did Sirius know about your plan to betray the Potters?"
"No."
Neville glanced briefly at the parchment before continuing. "Then why did Sirius suggest you to be the Potters' Secret Keeper? Were you James's best friend?"
"No. Sirius was James's best friend," Peter said. "He suggested me to be the real Secret Keeper while Sirius would act as the decoy."
Neville nodded slightly and continued. "Is that why Sirius was after you? Because you betrayed the Potters?"
"Yes."
Neville's eyes moved down the parchment again. "Why did you betray the Potters, if James was your friend?"
Peter answered in the same flat tone. "Because I was afraid. The Dark Lord was winning. I believed he would find me and kill me if I refused. I chose to live."
Harry stared at him. "You… chose to live?" Harry said quietly.
Hermione looked at Harry and muttered softly, "Oh, Harry…"
Peter's eyes remained unfocused. "Yes."
Harry let out a short, disbelieving laugh that wasn't really laughter. "My parents were your friends," he said, his voice shaking despite his attempt to stay calm. "They trusted you."
Peter blinked slowly. "Yes."
Harry looked away from him, his jaw tight. The monotone answers somehow made it worse—there was no emotion, no apology, no attempt to defend himself. "Coward."
Neville let out a quiet sigh and continued with the questioning. "Who cast the Fidelius Charm on the Potters' home?"
Peter stayed silent.
Neville waited. Several seconds passed.
Harry frowned slightly. He looked at Peter, then at Neville and Hermione. "Did the potion wear off or something?" he asked quietly.
Neville shook his head. "No. He isn't panicking yet, so it hasn't."
He looked back at Peter. "Was the Fidelius Charm cast by James Potter?"
"I don't know," Peter said.
"Was the Fidelius Charm cast by Lily Potter?" Neville asked.
"I don't know."
Neville's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Was it cast by Sirius Black?"
"I don't know."
Hermione frowned. "That doesn't make sense," she said quietly. "The caster has to be present when the Secret Keeper is assigned. He should know."
Neville nodded slightly. "Someone must have removed that memory," he said.
Harry muttered under his breath. "…Dumbledore."
Neville didn't comment.
Neville made a small mark on the parchment with his quill.
Then he continued. "Who was named as Harry's guardian if James and Lily died? Did they assign someone to take care of their son if something happened to them?"
Peter answered without hesitation. "Yes. Sirius was Harry's godfather. He was to raise Harry if anything happened to James or Lily. Lily also named Alice Longbottom as his godmother."
Harry froze.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Silence filled the room.
Harry stared at the floor.
Then the potion's effect wore off.
Peter suddenly began shouting and struggling against the restraints.
Neville calmly folded the parchment and slipped it back into his bag.
With a quick flick of his wand he muttered, "Stupefy."
A flash of red light struck Peter.
The chair went still again, and Peter stopped fighting.
Neville lowered his wand.
Neville pulled a small vial from his sling bag—a sleeping potion—and called, "Tinky."
There was a soft pop beside him.
Tinky appeared and bowed deeply. "What can Tinky do for you, Master Nevy?"
Neville gestured toward Peter.
"Can you clean him up again?"
Tinky nodded immediately. "Tinky will take care of it."
Neville handed the elf the sleeping potion. "Give him this before you leave," Neville said. "Make sure he drinks it."
Tinky nodded again. "Yes, Master Nevy."
Neville then looked back at Harry and Hermione. "Let's get out of here first."
They both nodded. The three of them turned and left.
…
Neville climbed out of the Nab-Sack first and turned back, offering Hermione a hand as she came up the ladder. She took it and stepped onto the floor beside him. Harry climbed out behind her and pulled the pouch closed.
For a few seconds none of them spoke.
Hermione was the first to break the silence.
"We have to free Sirius," she said quietly.
Neville nodded once. "Yeah. We do."
Hermione looked relieved for about half a second before continuing.
"Then we should take Peter to the Ministry," she said. "If we hand him over to the Aurors and give them the Veritaserum testimony, they'll have to reopen the case."
Neville shook his head immediately.
"No."
Hermione blinked. "No?"
"We can't hand Peter over," Neville said.
Harry frowned. "Why not? We just proved Sirius didn't do it."
Neville leaned back against the table and folded his arms.
"Sirius never even got a trial," he said. "They threw him straight into Azkaban. If the Ministry suddenly admits they locked up an innocent man for twelve years without a trial, do you know how big a scandal that is?"
Hermione frowned slightly. "They'd have to correct it," she said.
Neville gave a small shake of his head.
"No, Hermione. Governments don't like admitting they made mistakes that big. Especially when it involves Azkaban."
He gestured lightly with his hand.
"They didn't just arrest some random wizard. They threw the heir of the Black family into prison without a trial while he was innocent."
Hermione looked thoughtful.
Neville continued.
"They won't want that getting out. Best case, they quietly reopen the case and drag it out for months. Worst case…" he shrugged slightly, "…they make Peter disappear and bury the whole thing."
Harry's frown deepened.
"That sounds a bit extreme."
Neville glanced at him.
"Does it?"
He paused for a moment.
"Then there's another problem," Neville said. "We brewed a potion that's highly regulated. We can't just walk in and say Sirius is innocent because we used Veritaserum."
Harry crossed his arms. "Then what?"
Neville looked up at him.
"I did some digging over the past few weeks," he said. "On the Black family, Harry."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You researched the Black family?"
Neville nodded. "Yeah… the Black family isn't just some old pure-blood family. The Blacks were one of the oldest and most prestigious pure-blood families in Britain."
Harry blinked. "Huh?"
Neville nodded slowly.
"They called themselves the Ancient and Noble House of Black for a reason. For centuries they were one of the central families in wizarding Britain. Ministers, Wizengamot members, patrons of magical institutions… their name shows up everywhere if you start looking through old records."
Hermione leaned forward slightly, curiosity replacing her earlier skepticism.
Neville continued, sounding a little more confident.
"Most pure-blood families are connected somehow, but the Blacks were at the center of it. Malfoys, Lestranges, even the Weasleys distantly. Half the old families married into them at some point."
Harry frowned. "So what does that have to do with Sirius?"
"It means," Neville said carefully, "that throwing the heir of the Black family into Azkaban without a trial would have been… politically inconvenient. If people start asking why the Ministry ignored their own laws, it doesn't just make them look careless. It makes them look corrupt."
Hermione's eyes widened slightly. "And if the truth comes out…"
Neville nodded grimly. "Then the Ministry would have to admit they imprisoned an innocent man for over a decade."
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Which they won't want."
"Exactly," Neville said quietly.
Neville then continued.
"Also, there are only two living descendants of the Black family who aren't in prison."
He raised two fingers.
"Andromeda Tonks… but she was disowned for marrying a Muggle-born."
He lowered one finger.
"The only one still officially part of the family is Narcissa."
Neville then looked at Harry.
"We've actually met her once."
Harry tilted his head slightly. "Huh? We've met her before… who?"
Neville looked at him.
"Draco's mum."
Harry blinked.
"Wait… Malfoy?"
Neville nodded. "Exactly."
Hermione's eyes widened slightly as she followed the logic.
Neville continued calmly.
"With Sirius locked in Azkaban, the Black fortune and all the family holdings default through Narcissa's line."
Harry frowned.
"So… the Malfoys basically control it?"
"More or less," Neville said.
He tapped his finger lightly against the table.
"I asked Gran about it a while ago without mentioning Sirius directly," Neville said. "The Wizengamot seat and the Hogwarts governor position Malfoy keeps bragging about? Those belonged to the Black family."
Hermione's brow furrowed. "You're saying Lucius is only holding those positions because Sirius is imprisoned?"
"Exactly." Neville nodded. "He's basically acting as caretaker until Draco turns eighteen."
Harry looked irritated. "So if Sirius gets cleared—"
"Lucius loses everything connected to the Black estate," Neville finished.
Silence settled in the room.
Hermione slowly crossed her arms. "That would make Sirius a problem for the Malfoys."
Neville nodded. "Yeah."
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "So what are you saying?"
Neville met his eyes. "I'm saying if word even starts spreading that Sirius might be innocent, Lucius Malfoy might try to make sure Sirius never leaves Azkaban alive."
Harry went still.
Hermione looked uneasy.
Neville let the silence sit for a moment before continuing.
"There's something else."
Harry looked up again. "What?"
Neville leaned slightly against the table. "The Fidelius Charm."
Hermione immediately focused. "What about it?"
"It's a really advanced piece of magic," Neville said. "It isn't taught at Hogwarts, and not many witches and wizards can cast it."
Hermione nodded slowly.
Neville continued. "I'm pretty sure unless your parents were generational prodigies, they wouldn't have been able to cast it when they were twenty-two or twenty-three. Your parents were hiding from Voldemort. Do you really think they'd risk casting a charm like that themselves when a mistake could get them killed?"
Harry didn't answer.
Neville continued quietly. "They wouldn't have taken that chance. They would've asked someone they trusted. Someone they knew could do it properly."
Hermione's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Dumbledore."
Neville nodded once. "Most likely."
Harry frowned. "He must've been the one who cast it."
Hermione looked uneasy now. "But why would he erase Peter's memories of him casting the spell?"
Harry closed his eyes for a moment.
"To get to me," he said quietly. "With Sirius out of the picture, he'd have custody of me."
Neville continued calmly.
"And with my parents gone soon after, that left you without a place to go to."
Harry stared at the floor.
Neville went on. "But if the memory was removed, Dumbledore could honestly say he didn't know who the Secret Keeper was. That gives him deniability if Sirius was ever found not guilty."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"And it would also explain why he didn't defend Sirius when he was captured. Dumbledore could simply say he didn't know Sirius wasn't the Secret Keeper."
The room fell quiet again.
Harry looked frustrated now. "So what do we do then?"
Neville rubbed the back of his neck. "That's the problem."
Hermione looked at him. "We can't just leave Sirius there."
Neville shook his head. "No. We can't."
Harry crossed his arms. "Then what?"
Neville sighed softly. He stared at the floor for a few seconds, thinking.
Finally he looked back up.
"…Let me think."
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