𝗷𝗮𝗻𝗲, harry potter

˗ˋ 68

CHAPTER SIXTY EIGHT
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-: fifth year :-

── IN WHICH JANE BEARS
WITNESS

. . .

She had only glanced his way once since entering Courtroom Ten. He couldn't blame her - his focus had solely been on the members of the Wizengamot until Dumbledore made his presence know. And now, Jane was staring up at Fudge with only a flicker of interest directed towards anyone else - the biggest had been towards Umbridge and the pink pin on her plum coloured robes. It was the only individuality that any of them showed.

Jane had taken the seat to the left of Harry, Dumbledore sweeping his robes around him and standing just behind them, allowing for their attention be focused on solely the witness, who was gripping the sleeves of her jacket rather tightly.

Harry couldn't help but wonder if that morning was the first contact she had gotten with the wider wizarding world. He wanted so desperately for it to not be - the room was dark and cold, and the rest of the underground Ministry structure was no better. Maybe, if it was possible - and if she wanted to be around him - they could go to Diagon Alley, or she could come up to Hogsmeade for a visit during the school time and if he arranged it with Flora, who seemed to be a good friend of Dumbledore, she could come up to the school

He wanted to show her the Leaky Cauldron, introduce to her Hippogriffs and Unicorns and to Sirius and Remus, bringing her back to to Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Hopefully, if all went well with the trial and he didn't end up kicked out of Hogwarts, they could catch up at the end of it.

"You are Jane Everleigh. Daughter of Wendy and Edward?" Amelia Bones had a file in her hand and had an expression of shock so great that she was forced to move her monocle away from her eye so that it didn't fall out.

"Yes." Jane nodded.

"You are on our records for births in 1980.. but after the death of Wendy and Edward there are no more. You are not a student of Hogwarts, but you are in the care of Florence Adley." Amelia read out, recognition of names flickering in her eyes. Harry felt a thudding in his heart. Her parents were dead - she didn't even get a chance to know them.

But it seemed like Jane was very much aware of this, and nodded her head. "Yes. I do not attend Hogwarts. After the death of my parents I grew up in the Adley Foster Home, where many Squib children grow up once abandoned by their parents. Or in my case, when I was orphaned." She spoke diptomatically, with a knowledge of her answers that appeared almost rehearsed.

"So you're a Squib." Fudge clapped his hands together and drew the attention back to him. "Well, thanks to our previous witness we know that Squibs can see Dementors. So, Jane, what were you doing on the evening of the attack? I am assuming you know what Dementors are."

"I had the opportunity to frequent a library with all the knowledge I could need."

Clever girl.

It was a simple sentence, but she had quickly given a basis to a lot of her knowledge. And she had instantly deciphered that Fudge was nowhere near a nice person.

"Well.. I see. Carry on." Fudge waved her onwards. Harry was starting to get the impression that other than Fudge and that utterly delightful Undersecretary he had, the members of the Wizengamot were all rather interested in Jane. And Dumbledore as well, who was watching her careful beneath crescent-moon spectacles.

"I came to Little Whinging when Florence fostered me from the home. She formally adopted me at a later date. At the beginning of the summer, I met up with Harry - purely coincedentally - and because I was new and didn't know anyone else, we began to spend every day together." Jane began, her fingers twisted around her bracelet.

"And what did you do on these days? Did you know he was a wizard?" Fudge pushed. "The statute of-"

"I am aware of the statute." She seemed to dismiss his authority instantly, interrupting him all over the place as opposed to waiting and listening. But, Harry supposed, she had only come in contact with the world of magic a week or so ago, and a name like Cornelius Fudge she would only associate with something acute to a fairytale. If Harry knew her like he thought he did, Jane wouldn't care if he was the Minister of Magic. "Harry didn't show my any magic or inform me that he was a wizard until the attack. Flora didn't inform me either, and was planning on doing so properly at a later date. Harry didn't have any intentions of telling me anything."

"You were not going to tell Miss Everleigh anything." Fudge's attention moved towards Harry. "Is this correct Mr Potter?"

No.

"Yes. I wasn't going to tell Jane anything. I was aware that Florence - um - Miss Adley was a witch, but she wanted the adoption to have gone through before she told her." Harry was telling the truth about that. But he did want to tell her and was thinking about how he could. But he would not reveal so.

There was silence as this was all hurriedly written out. Then, Fudge continued. "You moved to Little Whinging on the 20th of June, and you met Mr Potter when he returned from his term at school?" There was a look of displeasure at the mention of this, and from the looks of it, he would rather not think of the nightmare that faced him upon Harry and Dumbledore's 'claims' that Voldemort had returned. "And how much time did you spend together?"

"Every day." Jane replied quickly, no hesitation. "We went on walks, spent time at the manor, visited nearby towns and went to the beach on Harry's birthday alongside Flora. On the evening of the attack, we were returning from another walk and bumped into his cousin. When we were passing through the tunnels when suddenly all the light went.. and it was cold, really cold. The Dementors were on either side, coming towards us and almost Kissed Dudley when Harry cast the Patronus."

She had done her research. If Harry didn't know it was somewhat forced onto her, he would have been happy that she got the opportunity to explore some of the components of his world.

That was what she was incredibly good at, after all.

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