Potter Sibling Trilogy Plus One Book 2 (continued from Book 1)

Chapter 3 - The Ministry

~Harry's POV~

The next day, me and Hollie go with Mr Weasley and head to the tube.

"Trains, underground," he says, surprised. "Genius these Muggles."

It's obvious he's never been in a tube station before because he tries going through a barrier without a card.

Hollie giggles as he moves back and swipes his hand over the card slot before trying again.

"No, Mr Weasley," she giggles.

He turns back to look at us so I show him my card and he watches as I put it into the slot and it pops out the other end opening the gate which he goes through.

"Ah!" he says.

I put the card back through so I can to through the gate and then Hollie follows.

We keep with him until we reach a phone box on a street corner.

"Here we are," he says before he opens the door. "I've never used the visitor's entrance before. Should be fun."

The three of us climb into the phone box, which is a tight squeeze.

"Right. Good. I'll just get my Muggle money."

He takes out some coins and puts them into the coin slot before turning round.

The box shakes a little before it starts moving downwards until it stops and Mr Weasley opens the door into a large corridor full of people.

We follow Mr Weasley through the magnificent building and we both look around us at all the hustle and bustle going on. He leads us to a lift and we get in with a few others.

Before the doors close, Kingsley enters and moves behind Mr Weasley. He whispers something to him.

"Merlin's beard," Mr Weasley says. "Thank you, Kingsley. They've changed the time of your hearing."

"When is it?"

"In five minutes."

I expect the lift to go up but it moves backward and then down until it stops and the doors open.

"Department of Ministries," the lift says.

Mr Weasley looks back at Kingsley before he leads us out of the lift.

"And I'm confident, Minister, that you will do the right thing," I hear a familiar voice and see Lucius down the hall talking to Fudge.

"Yes, but we must be..." Fudge replies before they see us.

We stare at them and they stare at us before Mr Weasley leads us away and we stop outside a door.

"Remember, during the hearing, speak only when you're spoken to. Keep calm. You've done nothing wrong. As the Muggles say, truth will out."

He turns to me.

"Yes?"

I look at him and nod.

"I'm not allowed in I'm afraid. Good luck."

The two of us go into the room and Hollie is led to the witness box whereas I'm led to a seat in the centre of the room.

The Minister bangs his gabble.

"Disciplinary hearing of the 12th of August into offenses committed by Harry James Potter, resident at Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey. Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Mag..."

"Witness for the defence," Dumbledore shouts and I turn to see him enter. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."

He comes round to the right hand side of me and walks toward the Minister.

"You got our message that the time and place of the hearing had been changed, did you?" Fudge asks.

"I must have missed it," Dumbledore replies. "But by a happy mistake, I arrived at the Ministry three hours early."

There's chattering.

"The charges?" Dumbledore asks.

"The charges against the accused are as follows: that he did knowingly and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions produce a Patronus Charm in the presence of a Muggle. Do you deny producing said Patronus?"

"No, but..."

"And you were aware that you were forbidden to use magic outside school while under the age of 17 unless in self defence?"

"It was in self defence," Hollie shouts but Dumbledore puts his hand up to shush her.

"Yes, I was, but..." I stutter.

"Witches and wizards of the Wizengamot..." Fudge begins as he looks around the room.

"I was only doing it because of the Dementors," I explain and there's quiet chattering.

"Dementors?" Madam Bones asks. "In Little Whinging?"

I had looked up members of the Wizengamot the night I arrived at Headquarters. Hermione had given me a book so I knew who was who.

"That's quite clever," Fudge says. "Muggles can't see Dementors, can they, boy? Highly convenient."

"I'm not lying. There were four of them, if I hadn't..."

"Enough! I'm sorry to interrupt what I'm sure would be a very well-rehearsed story but since you can produce no credible witnesses of the event..."

"Pardon me, Minister," Dumbledore interrupts. "His sister was there."

"I said credible witness, Albus. I'm afraid Miss Potter, being his sister, cannot be as such."

"There is another," Dumbledore says.

Hollie is dragged out of the witness box and Mrs Figg is placed in it.

"Please describe the attack," Bones asks her. "What did they look like?"

"Well, big, cloaked - everything went cold, as though all the happiness had gone from the world."

"Now, look here," Fudge says. "Dementors don't just wander into a Muggle suburb and happen across a wizard. The odds are astronomical."

"I don't think anyone would believe the Dementors were there by coincidence, Minister," Dumbledore says.

Somebody clears their throat and another woman speaks.

"I'm sure I must have misunderstood you, professor. Dementors are, after all, under the control of the Ministry of Magic. And it's so silly of me, but it sounded for a moment as though you were suggesting that the Ministry had ordered the attack on these children."

"That would be disturbing indeed, Madam Undersecretary," Dumbledore says. "Which is why I'm sure the Ministry will be mounting a full-scale inquiry into why the three Dementors were so very far from Azkaban, and why they mounted an attack without authorization. Of course there is someone who might be behind the attack."

He steps forward.

"Cornelius, I implore you to see reason. The evidence that the Dark Lord has returned is incontrovertible."

"He is not back," Fudge shouts.

Dumbledore sighs before he turns walks around.

"In the matter of Harry Potter, the law clearly states that magic may be used before Muggles in life-threatening situations."

"Laws can be changed if necessary, Dumbledore."

"Clearly. Has it become practise to hold a full criminal trial to deal with a simple matter of underage magic?"

There's more whispered chatter.

"Those in favour of conviction?" Bones asks.

Slowly a few hands go up, including Fudge's.

"Those in favour of clearing the accused of all charges?" Bones asks.

Many other hands go up and the Minister looks round, none too happy before he picks up the gabble.

"Cleared of all charges," he says before he hits the gabble down and gets up to leave.