Lumos

Chapter 7 The Hearing

We walk in and this place is bigger than I expected. It's dark in here, only lit by some torches along the walls. People are in the benches in front of us are full of people, who fall silent as the door closes behind us.

"You're late." A male voice comes across the room.

"Sorry," Harry says. "I- I didn't know the time had changed."

"That's not the Wizengamont's fault. An owl was sent to you two this morning. Take your seats."

I look at the two chairs in the middle of the room. The arms of the chairs have chains on them. We are not criminals. I shouldn't be here in the first place. Harry walks towards the chairs and I follow him. He sits down on one and when nothing happens I take a seat on mine, sitting on the edge like Harry.

Looking up at all the people, I can see who they are roughly so, including Percy Weasley. He isn't too far away from Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic.

"Very well," Fudge says. "The accused being present- finally- let us begin... are you ready?"

"Yes, sir," Percy says, looking at his parchment, with his quill in hand.

"Disciplinary hearing of the twelfth of August into offenses committed under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Statute of Secrecy by Harry James Potter, resident at number four, Private Drive, Little Whining, Surry."

All of this for underage magic he used to protect himself and Dudley with. Dudley isn't worth this.

Fudge goes on to name everyone here, but me. In the middle of the names, Fudge is interrupted.

"Witness for the defense, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." I turn with Harry to see Dumbledore walking in, "And Sage Lily Potter."

I hope he can sort out this mess.

"Ah," Fudge says catching our attention. "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. However, due to a lucky mistake, I arrived at the Ministry three hours early, so no harm down." He says cheerfully.

"Yes- well- I suppose we'll need another chair- I- Weasley, could you-?"

"Not to worry, not to worry." He says, taking his wand out, and flicks it and an armchair appears on the other side of Harry's.

Everyone is talking quietly, but Fudge makes the quiet again. "Yes, well then. So, the charges. Yes."

He was hoping that Dumbledore wouldn't show up. He's all flustered since he was caught off guard. If Fudge wasn't treating this like the end of the world and made me come, that would have been funny.

Fudge reads out the full charge and starts to question Harry. "Are you Harry James Potter, resident at number four, Private Drive, Little Whining, Surrey?"

"Yes,"

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

"Yes, but-"

"And you conjured a Patronus on the night of the second of August?"

"Yes, but-"

"Knowing that you are not permitted to use magic outside of school while you are under the age of 17?"

"Yes, but-"

"Fully aware 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?"