The Contract

Chapter 102

"Have you ever feared for your life under the direct care of Albus Dumbledore? And please bear in mind, you've sworn to tell the whole truth?" Lawyer Doge questioned, staring at the teenager expectantly. Naturally she wasn't aware of this particular question blowing up in her face.

"Very much so," Harry nodded grimly, taking in the genuine surprised in the lawyer's face. Clearly, she had expected him to say no, interesting. He shouldn't hate her for doing her job, especially since he wanted to do something similar...he knew instinctively it was because of whom she was representing.

"What?" she blurted out, glancing at Dumbledore her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of this latest revelation.

Even the Wizengamot were paying attention.

Harry remained silent, 'what' wasn't a question he could answer, she could be asking a lot of questions with that single word.

"You aren't referring to the incident where you were kidnapped are you? Because like it or not, Albus Dumbledore wasn't present for that." Lawyer Doge pointed out, still feeling rather wrongfooted with the answer.

"No, no I'm referring to the time I nearly died," Harry said bluntly, not allowing them to simplify what he had been through. Kidnapping didn't cover what he had been through. He had very nearly been murdered, by people who wanted to use and abuse him.

There was a collective wince at the reminder.

"Then for the sake of us all, please elaborate this incident where you were in fear of your life?" gesturing for him in a way that said, the room was his, to speak. The witch looked rather worried, a little sick and tired most of all. Considering how long Dumbledore had been in prison? This had to have happened when the child was eleven or thereabouts.

"I was heading for the library, there was a book I wanted that wasn't in Ravenclaw common room. Curfew was soon and I knew I had to leave quickly to get the book and get back. Then suddenly I didn't care about the book...I felt compelled - literally and magically - to seek out something I didn't know." Harry told them quietly.

Everyone was leaning forward wanting to know what happened, so luckily, they could hear him just fine. All of them wondering what this had to do with Dumbledore and if he had actually tried to kill Harry much earlier than they assumed.

"It wasn't far from the library, but by the time I got there I was beginning to ache something fierce. I had potions to take in order to stop the pain, but the spell made it all so irrelevant. I felt like the actions were my own, even if it wasn't something I'd do. I could barely get to my classes let alone wander the school at night."

Antonio knew all this he was their lawyer, and had elected not to ask about it due to the fact Lawyer Doge had written it as one of her questions. He'd rather her dig a hole deeper for her client, it amused him. With Harry's permission naturally, he didn't want to have Harry knocked off kilter.

"I found myself in front of the Mirror of Erised," Harry paused, not for dramatics sake, but the loud protests and furious words coming from the wizengamot. Unable to curtail their own fury at hearing that such an item had been at Hogwarts amongst children.

"Who gave permission for it's removal from the Ministry of Magic?!"

"That thing was in a school filled with children?!"

"It's dangerous! It could have driven anyone insane!"

"I want the last person that was logged out from and who allowed it!"

"Merlin, the poor boy, he could have entirely lost himself to it!"

"Quiet!" Ogden called out, having to restore order to the wizengamot. "Let us hear what Heir Potter has to say." He was just as shocked and angry that such a dangerous item was at Hogwarts. Considering the child's poor life thus far, Lady Pettigrew was correct, he could have entirely lost himself to it. although, he noticed she was hiding herself in the corner away from his direct line of sight. Poor woman still didn't know whether her son was guilty or not, that sort of unknown limbo was torturous really.