Harriet Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 3

The next day Harriet and Arthur were on their way to the ministry.

"Trains. Underground. Ingenious, these Muggles." Arthur said.

While people got through he put his hand like everyone else but it didn't work. He tried to do it again but it didn't work again.

Harriet took her card and pushed it then did the same thing. Then he went through and Harriet did the same thing.

So they kept going and stopped in a phone room.

"Here we are. I've never used the visitors' entrance before. Should be fun. Right. Good. I'll just get my Muggle money. Terrible. Lost a lot of Galleons trading on the potions market." Arthur said.

While they went down Harriet looked up.

When they got out they were at the ministry. Harriet looked around a bit.

"Daily Prophet, ladies and gentlemen. Anybody for Daily Prophet? Dumbledore: Is he daft, or is he dangerous?" someone said.

Then they headed to the elevator.

"Morning, Arthur." someone said.

"Morning, Bob." he said.

Then they saw paper come and looked like birds. Harriet looked at them confused.

"Interdepartmental memos. We used to use owls. Mess was unbelievable." Arthur explained.

Then Kingsley came and whispered something to Arthur.

"Merlin's beard. Thank you, Kingsley. They've changed the time of your hearing." he said.

"When is it?" she asked.

"In five minutes."

A few minutes later they were where they needed to be.

"Department of Mysteries." the elevator said.

While they were on their way they saw the minister talking to Lucius.

"And I'm confident, minister, that you will do the right thing." Lucius said.

"Yes, but we must be..."

Then they looked at Harriet and she looked back. Then Arthur gently pushed her to keep going.

"Remember, during the hearing, speak only when you're spoken to. Keep calm. You've done nothing wrong. As the Muggles say, truth will out. Yes?" Arthur said.

She nodded.

"I'm not allowed in, I'm afraid. Good luck, Harriet."

So she headed to the court room and sat down.

"Disciplinary hearing of the 12th of August... into offenses committed by Harriet Lily Potter... resident at Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Mag..." Fudge started but was interrupted.

"Witness for the defense. Albus Percival Wulfric... Brian Dumbledore." Dumbledore said.

"You got our message that the time and place of the hearing... had been changed, did you?" Fudge said.

"I must have missed it. But by a happy mistake, I arrived at the Ministry three hours early. The charges?" Dumbledore said.

"The charges against the accused are as follows: That she did knowingly... and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions... produce a Patronus Charm... in the presence of a Muggle. Do you deny producing said Patronus?" Fudge said.

"No, but..." she started.

"And you were aware that you were forbidden to use magic outside school... while under the age of 17?" he continued.

"Yes, I was, but..."

"Witches and wizards of the Wizengamot..."

"I was only doing it because of the Dementors. And the person that saw that was my cousin who knows I'm a witch. Aunt Petunia is my mum's sister." she said.

"Dementors? In Little Whinging?" Madam Bones said.

"That's quite clever. Muggles can't see Dementors, can they, girl? Highly convenient." Fudge asked.

She twitched a little at the word 'girl' again.

"I'm not lying. There were two of them, and if I hadn't..." she started after she was back to her old self.

"Enough." he started with a hand up. "I'm sorry to interrupt what I'm sure would have been a very well-rehearsed story... but since you can produce no witnesses of the event..."

"Pardon me, minister, but as it happens, we can." Dumbledore said.

Harriet was surprised to but then remembered Mrs. Figg was there and a squib. So when she saw her she got up and sat down somewhere else.

Dumbledore winked at Harriet.

"Please describe the attack. What did they look like?" Madam Bones said after Mrs. Figg sat down.

"Well, one of them was very large and the other rather skinny." Mrs. Figg said after she sat down and waited.

"Not the kids. The Dementors." Fudge said.

"Oh, right, right. Well, big. Cloaked. Then everything went cold... as though all the happiness had gone from the world." she said.

"Now, look here. Dementors don't just wander into a Muggle suburb... and happen across a wizard. The odds are astronomical." Fudge said.

"I don't think anyone would believe... the Dementors were there by coincidence, minister." Dumbledore said.

Then someone cleared their throat.

"I'm sure I must have misunderstood you, professor. Dementors are, after all, under the control of the Ministry of Magic. And it's so silly of me, but it sounded, for a moment as though... you were suggesting that the Ministry had ordered the attack on this girl." she said.

"That would be disturbing indeed, Madam Undersecretary... which is why I'm sure the Ministry will be mounting a full-scale inquiry... into why the two Dementors were so very far from Azkaban... and why they mounted an attack without authorization. Of course, there is someone... who might be behind the attack." Dumbledore started.

Then he walked over to Fudge.

"Cornelius, I implore you to see reason. The evidence that the Dark Lord has returned is incontrovertible."

"He is not back." he said.

Then Dumbledore turned around and started walking in a circle.

"In the matter of Harriet Potter... the law clearly states... that magic may be used before Muggles in life-threatening situations."

"Laws can be changed if necessary, Dumbledore!"

"Clearly. Has it become practice to hold a full criminal trial... to deal with a simple matter of underage magic?"

They all sat there quietly for a few minutes until Madam Bones said something.

"Those in favor of conviction?" Madam Bones said.

Some people raised their hand.

"Those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges?" she continued.

Everyone else raised their hand. Mrs. Figg did a little. Fudge pointed around.

"Cleared of all charges." he said.

Harriet smiled and started to walk to Dumbledore.

"Professor."

But he left without looking at her.