Cursed Child Years 1-4 | Marauders Era

19 | Don't Mess This Up

Don't Mess This Up

The trial was to start in a few minutes. The dress Elizabeth had decided to wear was simple, yet formal. The grey fabric was less like graphite and more like silver, shimmering in muted tones with a ribbon, as thick as her hand, wrapped around the waist to meet itself in a complex bow just beneath her hair.

When she got to the Ministry of Magic, she looked for an available elevator and pressed the button for level ten. She was to be going to level ten, the floor below the Department of Mysteries, and the trial she was attending was taking place in courtroom 3.

When the elevator dinged and opened its shafts, she got out and walked down the empty grey bricked corridors. They were dimly lit by torches spread across the wall, and it reminded Elizabeth of the dungeons. She was suddenly engulfed by a sudden coldness as she came to the doors where the courtrooms were. The people around her didn't seem to be as shocked by the cold as Elizabeth was. She found courtroom three and stepped inside.

Already sat down were Mr Nott, Walburga and Orion Black, and her mother and father. She did everything she could do to avoid them spotting them. Professor McGonagall had only agreed that she could go to the trial if she attended with the student. They sat in a row to the back of the room. There were rows of benches surrounding a gap in the centre of the room. There was a hallway that led to the centre of the room, and a single chair was placed in front of where the Minister of Magic would be sitting. Barty Crouch.

After what seemed like an eternity the hallway door opened, and an Auror led Amos out and sat him roughly in the chair. Amos looked thin. She hadn't seen him in a while, but she knew that his sudden weight loss was probably from either his sister's death or his recent imprisonment because of her death. The fact that people believed Amos Nott had willingly killed his sister. . .

A pair of shackles were tightened around Amos' wrist and the chair so he was secure. His jaw was more defined and his blonde curls had grown and were now around his ears.

"Are you aware of the allegations you are here under?" the minister asked.

"Yes."

"Well, for those who do not, you, Amos Nott are under the charge of the murder of Lucinda Nott." Her name had made Elizabeth tense and McGonagall placed a hand on her shoulder.

"How do you plea to this accusation?"

"Not guilty," Amos said. His voice croaked but held firm.

A man who Elizabeth did not recognize began to give a bunch of reasons as to why Amos was not guilty and shouldn't be sent to Azkaban prison. After a few moments along with a murmur of agreements, he called Elizabeth's name and she stood up, aware that all eyes were on her, including her parents.

"Miss Selwyn, do you believe Amos Nott is capable of taking a life?" the man asked.

She shook her head and then realized she had to verbally answer. "No. Loo- I mean Lucinda and Amos were always very close. Joined at the hip, until she left for Hogwarts. I can bet with my life that Amos would rather have died in her place than harm her in any way," she said, her voice firm.

The man nodded. "Do you know as to why Miss Nott was called back to the manor where she was killed?"

"Her father sent her a letter saying that there was an emergency or something along those lines, and she told me she would write me when she found further information. I was told by my professor at the time that everything seemed to have been fine and that there was no reason for her to have been called from school. As far as I am aware, her father wished to reprimand her for something, as he often did," Elizabeth said, glancing at Lucinda's father.

"Please elaborate, Mrs Selwyn."

She looked at her professor for guidance and when she got a nod in reply she continued.

"Lucinda's father would always curse his two children. He often threatened to kill the two if they embarrassed him too much. There was a trial last year because there were rumours of him killing their mother. It wouldn't surprise me if he did kill Loo. He was the first name I thought of yesterday when I was told there was a suspect on trial for her murder," Elizabeth admitted and now quite nervous as he, the Blacks, and her parents glared daggers at her.

"Thank you, Miss Selwyn."

Elizabeth took this as her cue to sit down, so she did without further hesitation.

She could feel her mother and father's eyes on her but held her chin high and smiled down at Amos, who was smiling back, though it looked as if it pained him to do so.

"I think maybe, Minister, we have the wrong Nott in the chair," the man said.

The Minister of Magic rolled his eyes before continuing. "Yes, yes, thank you now. Those in favour of releasing Amos Nott of the charges against him raise your hand."

Twenty-three hands went up.

"And those who think he should be sentenced with life in Azkaban?"

Nineteen hands went up, including his fathers.

"I, Minister of Magic, inform you, Amos Nott, that you are free of all charges and will be released as you will." After a long pause and some clapping, he carried on. "But your father will take your place in the trial for Lucinda Nott's death."

Two Aurors acted before anyone could do anything. They cast a spell that bound him with long, thick ropes, immobilizing him.

"Now, several households have offered to house you whilst your father is on trial, namely Euphemia and Charlus Potter, Walburga and Orion Black, Elladora and Divicci Selwyn, and finally Molly and Author Weasley. Please choose a selected household to stay with until you begin your time at Hogwarts and in the summers."

Amos looked to Elizabeth, and she nodded for him to choose. Obviously, it was only between the Potters and the Weasleys. Both were very shocking to hear: As a pureblood supremacist household, they would've been expected to look the other way, both having nothing to do with the Nott family. It made sense now why her parents and the Blacks were here.

"The Potters."

Elizabeth's smile grew wider as he said the name and his shackles dropped to the ground with a click. After a moment of Amos's father being taken by Aurors, Elizabeth ran over to where Amos was and pulled him into a loving embrace.

The Potters, who Elizabeth had not spotted till they made their way towards the three of them, smiled widely at the two children and said she could always come to visit Amos and James and she was always welcome anytime.

After around fifteen minutes of her and Amos catching up, they said goodbye and promised to write to one another. McGonagall and Elizabeth flooed back to Hogwarts to find that it was already ten pm.

Elizabeth thanked McGonagall and went to bed. The girls were already asleep, somehow, and for the first night in a while, she fell into a dreamless sleep.

~~~