Never In his Life

Chapter 6: Harry's Trial

Harry woke up way earlier than usual. It was his trial today, if he lost, he'd get expelled and his wand would be taken away. "Harry, dear, what do you want for breakfast?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Toasts, please." He replied, glancing sideways at Tonks who was rather a bit sleepy. 

"M-m-morning, Harry," she. Her hair was blonde and curly this morning. "Sleep all right?" 

"Yeah." 

"I've b-b-been up all night," she said, with another shuddering yawn. "Come and sit down. . . ." 

"You haven't slept at all?"

"Almost, got duties for the order, " she sipped her coffee, "Be quick, we are leaving soon! You'll go with Mr. Weasley, and I'd be following in an invisibility cloak."

"Do you expect things to go well today?" Harry said curiously.

"Madam Bones is fair. She's gonna hear you out, her niece Susan is the same year as you. If they charged you guilty, which will unlikely happen, at least you can spend more time with Sirius!"

Mrs. Weasley shot her a warning glare.

"Just kidding! Anyway, don't forget to be polite. Good luck!" 

Mr. Weasley looked at his watch, "It's time, let's go!"

Before they left the room, "Don't lose your temper. Be polite and stick to the facts." his godfather added abruptly.

Harry nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It looks like they changed the time and location. The trial starts at eight o'clock now and it's down in old Courtroom Ten—"

"Quick, Harry, we should have been there five minutes ago!"

"Why have they changed the time?" Harry said breathlessly as they hurtled past the Auror cubicles; people poked out their heads and stared as they streaked past. Harry felt as though he had left all his insides back at Perkins's desk.

"Those courtrooms haven't been used in years," said Mr. Weasley angrily. "I can't think why they're doing it down there — unless —but no . . ."

Mr. Weasley stumbled to a halt outside a grimy dark door with an immense iron lock and slumped against the wall, clutching at a stitch in his chest.  

"Go on," he panted, pointing his thumb at the door. "Get in there."

"Aren't — aren't you coming with — ?"

"No, no, I'm not allowed. Good luck!"

Harry's heart was beating a violent tattoo against Adam's apple. He swallowed hard, turned the heavy iron door handle, and stepped inside the courtroom.  

"You're late." said Minister Fudge, "The accused being present — finally —let us begin. Are you ready?" he called down the row.

"Yes, sir."

"— Witness for the defense, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," said a quiet voice from behind Harry, who turned his head so fast he cricked his neck.

"Ah," said Fudge, who looked thoroughly disconcerted. "Dumbledore. Yes. You — er — got our — er — message that the time and —er — place of the hearing had been changed, then?"

"I must have missed it," said Dumbledore cheerfully. "However, due to a lucky mistake I arrived at the Ministry three hours early, so no harm done." 

After that, the Minister asked Harry many questions, he answered them all. He could be a woman that looked like a toad going against him.

"Those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges?" said MadamBones's booming voice.

Harry's head jerked upward. There were hands in the air, many of them . . . more than half! Breathing very fast, he tried to count, but before he could finish Madam Bones had said, "And those in favor of conviction?" 

Fudge raised his hand; so did half a dozen others, including the witch on his right and the heavily mustached wizard and the frizzy-haired witch in the second row. 

Fudge glanced around at them all, looking as though there was something large stuck in his throat, then lowered his own hand. He took two deep breaths and then said, in a voice distorted by suppressed rage, "Very well, very well . . . cleared of all charges."  

"Excellent," said Dumbledore briskly, springing to his feet, pulling out his wand, and causing the two chintz armchairs to vanish. "Well, I must be getting along. Good day to you all." 

And without looking once at Harry, he swept from the dungeon. 

"HARRY!" called a voice, "THAT WAS AWESOME! YOU ARE CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES!"

"Calm down, Nymphadora," said Harry once he walked out of the courtroom.

"Don't call me Nymphadora!" she screamed, kissing him lightly.

He was taken back, why was Tonks...

"Auror Tonks! You look awfully close with Mr. Potter. Is there any explanation?" said Madam Bones in the corridor.

"No, madam, we are just friends."

"Are you? I suggest otherwise." she raised her eyebrow, "I'd rather not interrupt a pair of young couple, good day to you!"

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"This is how Madam Bones is, wait until she marries uncle Sirius." said Tonks, "Anyway, you are free, now, LET'S CELEBRATE!"

A/N: Some of the text in this chapter are from the order of the phoenix book.