The Contract

Chapter 65

There was a sense of suspended disbelief hanging over everyone. Hearing the words but not yet able to process the emotions, or feel anything in the result of the guilty verdict. Everyone was staring at Doge, as if expecting him to suddenly laugh and take it back, despite how inappropriate it would be. After all, he'd been under the Imperius curse...how can you punish someone for someone else's wrongdoings? That was not how the law worked. Each person knew how they'd voted, and couldn't help but be rather confused given the Veritaserum, it should be blatantly a Not Guilty charge.

Then like a game of Chinese whispers, the wizengamot began to buzz as they each whispered to each other. All fifty of them, it was like a synchronized wave, as the head cocked to the side, a nod, a whisper then staring down at those at the other end of the wizengamot, who happened to be Lord Slytherin and of course Lord Lestrange as well as Heir Bill Weasley.

Corvus was in a state of shock, he wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. If he had not been personally involved, he would have seen the manoeuvring for what it was. Yet he did not, too worried for the lives of his son. For if Rodolphus wouldn't go free, it stood to reason that Rabastan wouldn't be either. He'd thought the entire trial had gone well...had they somehow saw through the entire thing?

Lord Slytherin was blank faced, as he heard the words whispered to him. It wasn't as if it was something he hadn't already suspected. Dumbledore himself had tried to come into play today. Fortunately, for all concerned, he was tightly contained in Azkaban and any pathetic attempts at manipulation should easily be contained. He would however, enable him to have Ogden on side, especially if they could prove it to the wizard.

"Very..." Fudge said, he was the Minister for Magic, he didn't have a say in the verdict, nor did he have a say inevitably in their decision on how long a person received for the crimes they'd been convicted off.

"We're contesting the results and are demanding a recount, with myself, Madam Bones and you, Minister Fudge to oversee it," Lord Slytherin spoke, his voice soft and silky, but with a determined undertone.

"Are you implying I would go against my oath?" Doge protested, beady eyes narrowing in displeasure. "Of course, I wouldn't!"

"What say you?" Cornelius looked around the Wizengamot, who all one by one declared they agreed with Lord Slytherin. They 'Aye'd' demanding a recount and to see the results for themselves.

Corvus wanted to sleep, to just sleep. It was too much for him, all the drama, excitement, trickery and deceit. Normally he revelled in it, but this was too personal. He had spent the past year in a state of excited anticipation upon learning there were plans afoot to have his sons legally released from Azkaban. Oh, he was tired, so very, very tired. What alarmed him more was the fact his son didn't even react. It made his eyes sting, when his sons had told him they never expected to get out...he couldn't believe they still felt that way.

"What is going on? Why do you want a recount? You were all there when each gave their own opinion," The Minister whispered hastily to Lord Slytherin, who seemed to have become the de-facto spokesperson for the group.

"We did not do a more modern one, Lord Doge insisted on the old way," Lord Slytherin practically purred the words out, eyeing Doge as if he was something interesting and fascinating, he wanted to tear apart. It disappeared from his face as quickly as it appeared, "We all know he is good friends with Dumbledore...I believe...we believe he's tried to pull one over our eyes and break the law simultaneously."

"Treason," Corvus said, staring at Doge showing his teeth in a facsimile of a smile barely hiding the predator that wants to jump out and rip the old fool to death. A cold hard rage descending upon him, which was a relief, he made no effort to prevent the emotion rendering him completely feral. After all other emotions he had experienced...this was a relief, someone he could direct his ire to, someone he could blame for this mess up.