In the Ministry of Magic's temporary underground prison, Peter, who had just "attended" the press conference, was tossed inside like a battered rag doll someone had tired of playing with.
The prison conditions were not bad. In fact, they were quite decent. It was simply a room with a bed and a toilet, though there was no bedding.
But in the United Kingdom in June, bedding did not really matter for just one night.
Tomorrow, he would face a formal trial before the Wizengamot. Tonight, he was merely being held here temporarily.
For all that it was called a formal trial, it was really just a formality. After all, he had taken Veritaserum and confessed everything in front of the Ministry of Magic's three top officials, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Slughorn.
That recording had then been played before dozens of reporters. His guilt had been established beyond any room for maneuver.
Rather than a trial, the Wizengamot proceedings would merely be an announcement of his crimes. What awaited him afterward was a sentence in Azkaban for the rest of his life.
The room was locked, though the lock was nothing particularly sophisticated.
The Ministry of Magic staff were not worried about his escaping, because an entire squad of twelve Dementors guarded the entrance. Nor were they worried about Peter escaping the same way Black had-by turning into a rat.
He had no wand, and a barrier that restricted magic had been placed around the room. No magic, including Animagus transformations, could be used inside.
He could not use magic in the room, and Dementors waited right outside. Such arrangements should have been secure enough. With the locked door as well, the Ministry of Magic staff felt that this level of security was sufficient.
They were now more concerned with