"Oh! My god! He admitted he's a Death Eater!"
Regulus Black's very first sentence caused a stir in the courtroom.
"You admit you're a Death Eater?"
The Chief Judge, a witch, looked somewhat tense at this moment.
"Do you need me to repeat what I just said, madam?"
Regulus Black's words might as well have been: Are you an idiot? Was I not clear enough?
"I think we can proceed with the verdict. Send him to Azkaban for life imprisonment!"
Minister Fudge couldn't wait to voice his opinion—perhaps hoping this would become one of his career achievements.
In truth, if Fudge hadn't spoken up, some of the judges might've indeed acted on impulse and gone straight to sentencing.
However, as judges of proper standing and discernment, sharp judgment is the bare minimum of their professional integrity—so Fudge's comment was promptly ignored.
Now that they had regained their composure, several judges began to reconsider Regulus Black's earlier words.
"Please explain clearly—what did you mean by 'before death'? What do you mean by 'resurrected'?"
The room instantly fell silent. All the wizards were now focused, trying to determine whether the accused Death Eater was lying.
Minister Fudge tried signaling with his eyes to a judge he was close with, but received only a slight shake of the head in response.
Regulus Black maintained his usual cold and distant demeanor. Looking at the Minister of Magic, who behaved like a clown, he prepared to teach them all a lesson.
"Since you've asked so sincerely, I shall be merciful and enlighten you."
Regulus Black straightened his black aristocratic suit slightly, adjusting the lace on his cuffs and lapels.
"Over a decade ago, when Voldemort ruled the magical world, many members of pure-blood families either voluntarily or unwillingly joined the ranks of the Death Eaters. I believe some of you were involved in that very trial and should remember—among them were many who joined for all sorts of reasons. They weren't inherently evil, but were forced by circumstances, often to protect their families."
"As for me—I had just graduated from school back then. I joined the Death Eaters for the sake of my family. Unlike my older brother, I didn't have the courage to betray our family, abandon my duty, and forsake our honor for the sake of his friends. He even endangered our family by standing on the front lines against Voldemort."
"My death... he bears much of the responsibility. He kept appearing in Voldemort's line of sight, and so the entire Black family was dragged down because of him. You probably have no idea how many compromises I made with Voldemort just to save that foolish brother of mine."
Regulus Black's voice echoed through the Wizengamot courtroom. Rather than immediately defending himself, he began by blaming his older brother, Sirius Black—with purpose. As the saying goes: "Explanation is just another form of covering up." Some things can't be clarified with an explanation. If he gave his own version of the story, others might doubt it. But if he framed it in a way others wanted to believe, they'd be more than willing to accept it.
"You're wrong. Sirius Black was a Death Eater. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing twelve Muggles on a street."
"And he also killed Peter Pettigrew. Not to mention, he betrayed his friend James Potter and his entire family."
Two different voices spoke up—clearly judges who had participated in Sirius Black's trial back then.
"I'm sorry, but I have no idea about what you're saying—because I was already dead by then. What I do know is that, at least before I died, Sirius Black was still a member of the Order of the Phoenix. And the Peter Pettigrew you mentioned was in fact a formal Death Eater. He was the one who leaked information to Voldemort. My foolish brother handed him the role of Secret Keeper—and that's what got me killed. I didn't even know why Voldemort wanted to kill me. I died completely unprepared."
His words immediately caused another stir. Members of the Wizengamot began whispering to one another—expressions of doubt and shock were everywhere.
After a while, one of the female judges finally remembered to ask the most pressing question.
"I'd like to know—how did you come back to life? As for your brother Sirius Black, we'll discuss that later."
"Voldemort had a cave where he stored many Dark artifacts. After I died, my body was discarded there. I've existed as a Yin Corpse for more than ten years. It wasn't until yesterday that I was resurrected. I don't know the exact reason why. After that, I summoned my house-elf, Kreacher, and returned to the old Black residence."
"Yin Corpse! You don't mind if we examine your body, do you?"
The one speaking was the same female judge from earlier. Judging by her behavior, she was likely from Ravenclaw. She had been the first to raise questions before. As she spoke, she stepped down from her seat and walked over to Regulus Black, raising her wand.
"Oh... my god! How is this possible? Body temperature is faint, no heartbeat, blood circulation is nearly still... It seems you've consumed some food, yet your digestive system is functioning normally…"
"You—go fetch that house-elf."
Minister of Magic Fudge took the opportunity to exert some authority, waving for the Aurors to carry out the order.
"My five senses function normally. I still have standard physiological responses. Strength, stamina, and endurance are virtually unlimited—but if I exceed normal limits, I will injure my own body."
Regulus Black added this calmly, but the smile he gave the female judge was filled with deeper meaning.
Looking at his handsome face with that wicked grin, the young female judge felt her heart skip a beat. She steadied her emotions with effort before returning to her seat and began discussing the situation with those beside her.
"This court accepts your earlier statements. However, since you have already admitted to being a Death Eater, you cannot avoid trial."
The Chief Judge's stance was clear—they would proceed with Regulus Black's trial as a Death Eater. Although his previous claims had been acknowledged, it did not change the fact that he must still face judgment.
"I cannot agree with your view. What stands before you is a Yin Corpse. The person I used to be has already died once. As a Yin Corpse, I was only just resurrected. It's as if I were a newborn—I haven't done anything yet, and you're already trying to burden me with past crimes?"
Regulus Black glanced around the courtroom and saw that many of the judges were now harboring different thoughts about his unusual condition.
"Do you truly believe it's fair to try the new me under such circumstances?"
There was a long silence before the Chief Judge finally spoke again.
"But no matter how you frame it, you are still Regulus Black. Whether resurrected or not, since you were a Death Eater, then it is only logical that you be judged accordingly."
"No! You're wrong. Let's put aside my reasons for joining the Death Eaters—surely you heard all sorts of justifications from others during the trials more than a decade ago. And throughout my time as a Death Eater, I played more of a symbolic role. I committed no evil acts. Even now, I am fully cooperating with your investigation, because I have a clear conscience. I believe that, after more than ten years since Voldemort's fall, the members of the Wizengamot can evaluate my situation with reason."
The Minister of Magic looked visibly uneasy. It was clear that no one present was paying him any attention—all were ignoring his presence completely.
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