As It Was *Complete*

95. Justice

"Sue?" Lance and Rita both gasped. 

Hermione nodded. "Yeah. We might have to sue individually, so that would be what eight court cases?" 

Draco whistled. "That is a lot of legal aid needed. A lot of money."

Pansy smirked and waved her hand. "Don't worry about it. When we win, the paper will also have to cover our legal fees so t won't cost us a knut." At that moment Lance choked on his tea. 

McGonagall and Remus were smiling as Sirius and Severus looked rather smug. Kingsley was trying his best not to smile. "You can't be serious. On what grounds could you sue the paper?" Lance asked. 

"Oh well," Maddi started. "There's defamation of character, reporting false accusations -"

"Taking photos of us while in school without permission of us or the Headmistress," Theo added. 

"Publishing defamatory material," Astra continued. 

"As well as slander and liability," Hermione smiled. "But that off the tops of our heads. I am sure Ms Thomas could think of plenty more."

"Now we cannot afford for those legal fees," Kingsley said. "We are still in the process of rebuilding the Ministry, and it is taking up most of our funding."

"That's a shame," Blaise shrugged. 

"And then there is the case of Bathilda Bagshot," Astra added making Harry tilt his head in confusion. 

"I'm sorry the case for whom?" Lance asked nervously. 

"Ms Bagshot," Astra smirked. "See, we did a little digging, and it turns out that Harry is actually related to Bathilda Bagshot."

"You know the genius who wrote, Hogwarts: A History as well as several other books," Hermione explained. "You see, during our time on the run, Harry and I went to visit Ms Bagshot and we were met instead with Lord Voldemort's snake who attempted to kill us both."

"That is hardly my fault," Rita Skeeter sneered. "When I left the old bat, she was very much alive."

"But as a result of the spell you put her under, she was left vulnerable. You published that you had been to visit her, even giving her address out," Astra snapped. She held her finger out pointing at Rita. "You are the reason that Bathila's shields were down around her house. You are the reason that the Death Eaters were able to get to her. You are the reason she is dead. You may not have killed her, but you are just as guilty."

"And you think the Wizengamont will see it that way?" Rita smirked. 

"They will with all the evidence we have gathered," Hermione smiled as she glared at the woman. 

"What evidence?" Rita and Lance gasped. 

"The fact that Ms Skeeter had slipped Bathilda Veritiserum to spill her secrets, she stole photos and trinkets from the house to use in her book. You extracted her shields too. You see Ms Bagshot was getting on in years and her memory was beginning to go. So Dumbledore and Sirius put certain measures in place to ensure her safety. One such measurement was...?" Astra turned to Sirius who had never looked prouder. 

"Camera surveillance. We have recordings from that day showing you using a memory spell on Bathilda to make her take down the shields and then wiped her memory of the encounter, so the poor woman thought they were still up. You also break into the home, uninvited and steal from her, use more memory modification spells and put her to sleep, leaving her vulnerable. The Death Eaters arrived less than an hour later and killed her."

"Now we don't have proof yet," Astra said in a sing-song voice. "But someone had to tip the Death Eaters off that the shields were down, and you were the only one there that day," she glared at Rita. "Did you let them know? Did they pay you?"