A Sirius Summer

12th August 1995

The high vaulted ceiling of the ministry atrium soared above their heads as the elevator slowed to a halt. Harry followed as Mr Weasley made his way to the welcome desk, stopping in front of a board looking clerk who barely even looked up as he asked for their wands. Harry hesitatingly handed his over, watching with interest as the clerk placed it on the scales which buzzed lightly before producing a small strip of parchment. The clerk ripped the parchment in two, handing the lower half to Harry, who saw that it contained information about his wand, as well as the time of his admittance to the ministry and the purpose and time of his hearing. Harry tucked it into the folder he carried that contained the letters he had received over the summer detailing his offences and summons. Sirius had impressed on him the importance of maintaining good records, as the ministry was apt to conveniently forget and change things to suit their needs. It was apparently not uncommon for many legislative changes to occur due to a conveniently lost piece of evidence.

As they approached Mr Weasley's office, a memo shot down the corridor and into Mr Weasley's hand. He opened it and read it in alarm before racing off down the corridor shouting for harry to follow. Harry picked up the memo from where Mr Weasley had dropped it on the desk, seeing that it announced the change in time and location of his hearing. Swearing softly to himself that they did not see this particular trick coming, he raced after Mr Weasley, following him down into the depths of the ministry, where they came to a halt outside the imposing doors of courtroom ten.

Stepping into the dark courtroom, Harry approached the chair, remembering as he sat down the clanking of chains from the pensive memory he had seen last year. He stiffened expecting to be restrained, but nothing happened. Looking up he saw the impassive faces of the full Wizengamot staring down at him.

"You are late Mr Potter." A tall woman stated, she looked like a younger version of Professor McGonagall, her hair tied up in a severe bun as she peered over the top of her glasses.

"I.. I offer my sincere apologies to the court" Harry replied, stumbling slightly as he struggled to remember the correct forms of address he had to use, sending silent thanks that Sirius had thought to prepare him for this. "May I offer in my defence the memo informing me of the change in time and location, and the admission slip I received upon my wand examination, showing I arrived at the ministry in adequate time for the hearing."

The stern lady nodded and a redhead that Harry recognised as Percy scurried down to collect the pieces of parchment, taking them back up to the officials who examined them briefly.

"The court accepts your defence, though it may also be noted that we provided adequate communication of the situation via owl and therefore the blame does not lie with the ministry..."

The court doors slammed open cutting off what the woman was saying and Dumbledore strode in. Harry sighed in relief. With Dumbledore here, his chances seemed even better. The headmaster nodded briefly to the officials before walking to a section of seats to Harry's left that had been empty until now.

"Disciplinary hearing on the twelfth of August," said Fudge in a ringing voice, ignoring Dumbledore's entrance, "into offences 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, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley." He extricated a piece of parchment from the pile before him casting nervous glances towards Dumbledore as he did, took a deep breath, and read,

"The charges against the accused are as follows: That he did knowingly, deliberately, and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, having received a previous written warning from the Ministry of Magic on a similar charge, produce a Patronus Charm in a Muggle-inhabited area, in the presence of a Muggle, on August the second at twenty-three minutes past nine, which constitutes an offence under paragraph C of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, and also under section thirteen of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy.