Those eyes || Harry J. Potter

The trial || XXXVIII

Chapter thirty- eight
"The trial"
XXXVIII
☆:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✯☆:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✯☆:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✯☆

Ara awoke at five the next morning unable to fall back asleep due to a nightmare. She crept out of bed with exhaustion falling over her body, her plaid pajama pants keeping her body warm.

Whilst leaving the bedroom, she rammed straight into another body, who seemed to be equally as tired. "Blimey, Ara." Harry caught her before she fell to the ground.

"Morning," she grumbled. "Why're you up so early?" Harry questioned, running his index finger along her broken arms fingertips. "Nightmare," she shrugged.

Quietly, they tiptoed to the kitchen. Ara had expected it to be empty, but it was not. When they reached the door Ara heard the soft rumble of voices on the other side and when Harry pushed it open they saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Sirius, Lupin, and Tonks, almost as if they were waiting for him.

All were fully dressed except Mrs. Weasley, who was wearing a quilted, purple dressing gown. She leapt to her feet the moment he entered. "Breakfast," she said as she pulled out her wand and hurried over to
the fire.

"M-m-morning, Harry, Ara," yawned Tonks. Her hair was blonde and curly this morning. "Sleep all right?" She asked Harry. "Yeah," said Harry.

"I've b-b-been up all night," she said, with another shuddering yawn. "Come and sit down. . . ."

She drew out a chair, knocking over the one beside it in the process. "What do you want, Harry?" Mrs. Weasley called. "Porridge? Muffins? Kippers? Bacon and eggs? Toast?"

"Just — just toast, thanks," said Harry.

"Ara, what would you like dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "Just toast as well."

Lupin glanced at Harry, then said to Tonks, "What were you saying about Scrimgeour?" "Oh . . . yeah . . . well, we need to be a bit more careful, he's been asking Kingsley and me funny questions. . . ."

Ara looked at Harry, his face pale and looking like he would throw up. Now that she thought of it, she was incredibly nervous for today as well. What if Harry was expelled?

Mrs. Weasley placed a couple of pieces of toast and marmalade in front of the two. Both of them barely ate a thing.

Mrs. Weasley sat down on his other side and started fussing with his T-shirt, tucking in the label and smoothing out creases across the shoulders.

". . . and I'll have to tell Dumbledore I can't do night duty tomorrow, I'm just t-t-too tired," Tonks finished, yawning hugely again.

"I'll cover for you," said Mr. Weasley. "I'm okay, I've got a report to finish anyway. . . ."

Mr. Weasley was not wearing wizard's robes but a pair of pinstriped trousers and an old bomber jacket. He turned from Tonks to Harry.

"How are you feeling?"
Harry shrugged.
"It'll all be over soon," Mr. Weasley said bracingly. "In a few hours' time you'll be cleared."
Harry said nothing.

"The hearing's on my floor, in Amelia Bones's office. She's Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and she's the one who'll be questioning you."

"Amelia Bones is okay, Harry," said Tonks earnestly. "She's fair, she'll hear you out."

Harry nodded.

"Don't lose your temper," said Sirius abruptly. "Be polite and stick to the facts."

Harry nodded again, but he seemed more anxious now that everyone was telling him these things.