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(3.5) Harry

A/N: Some passages have been directly taken or slightly altered from J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". If you recognize the text, it's probably from/based on the book; therefore, all rights go to the author for those sections.

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The walls were made of dark stone, dimly lit by torches. Shadowy figures had been talking in low voices, but as the heavy door swung closed behind me, an ominous silence fell.

A cold male voice rang across the courtroom. 'You're late.'

'Sorry', I apologised nervously. 'I-I didn't know the time had changed.'

'That is not the Wizengamot's fault', said the voice. 'An owl was sent this morning. Take your seat.'

I dropped my gaze to the chair in the centre of the room, the arms of which were covered in chains. Percy's grip tightened briefly before my shoulder felt bare. The loss of his comfort sent a shiver down my arms. He had moved to the side where witnesses were to sit, which left me to sit in the one resembling a torture device.

As soon as I sat down, Fudge began. 'Disciplinary hearing of the eighteenth of August,' Percy Weasley began writing down what the rigging voice said at once, 'into offences committed under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Statute of Secrecy by Harry James Potter.

'Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Percuval Ignatius Weasley—'

'—Witness for the defence, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore,' said a thundering voice from behind me, 'and Perseus Jackson.'

I turned my head so fast, I cricked my neck. My headmaster, hopefully still, strode into the room. His flowing robes and calm demeanour captured the eyes of the figures in the rows of seats above. Fudge stumbled a bit before reading off the charges from a piece of parchment.

'The charges against the accused are as follows: That he did knowingly, deliberately, and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, having received a previous written warning from the Ministry of Magic on a similar charge, produce a Patronus Charm in a Muggle-inhabited area, in the presence of a Muggle, which constitutes an offence under paragraph C of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, and also under section thirteen of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy.

'You are Harry James Potter?' Fudge asked, glaring at me over the top of his parchment.

'Yes', I said.

'You received an official warning from the Ministry for using illegal magic three years ago, did you not?'

'Yes, but—'

'And yet you conjured a Patronus on the night in question?' said Fudge.

'Yes,' I repeated in frustration, 'but—'

'Knowing that you are not permitted to use magic outside school while you are under the age of seventeen?'

'Yes, but—' I tried again.

'Knowing that you were in an area full of Muggles?'

'Yes, but—'

'Fully aware that you were in close proximity to a Muggle at the time?'

'I only used it because we were—' I began to argue angrily.

The witch with the monocle on Fudge's left cut across the room with a booming voice.