The Fearsome Name of Riddle

False Justice

"Expelliarmus!" 

A shout and a blast of red light hit Victoria's hand before she could cast another spell, disarming her and sending wand across the courtyard. Zelda Raywood caught it and held it close to her chest as an eerie silence held over them. No one seemed to know what to say until Obsidian ran across the flagstones. 

"Minerva!" He yelled in a sympathetic tone, dropping to his knees at the Head Girl's side and covering her quivering body with his own. "Minerva, are you alright?" 

Tom moved from the wall and drew his wand, wrapping his free arm around Victoria's shoulders. 

"What's going on here?" Headmaster Dippet stood under one of the archways at the edge of the courtyard, glaring at the lot of them as they all turned to him. "Tell me at once." 

"I couldn't believe it, Professor," Obsidian spoke quickly before anyone could stop him. His voice shook as he seemed to be holding Minerva to the floor rather than checking on her. "Raywood attacked McGonagall out of nowhere." 

"What?" Zelda exclaimed, taking a cautionary step backwards as her hands clutched Victoria's wand. 

"It's true," Tom said, his voice wavering but still calm, "Raywood disarmed Victoria, I can only assume to hide her actions. Such a disgusting curse, to use it in a school, I'm in shock, Sir." 

"This is true, Miss Malfoy?" Dippet asked, walking into the middle of the courtyard, a circle of students around him. 

"Yes, Sir." Victoria shook in Tom's arms, her fear mixing with her shock as she leaned on Tom for comfort. "I- I-" 

"And you boys," Dippet pointed over to Mulicber, Nott, and Avery, "you saw this too?" 

"Yes," Enoch Nott said as he nodded along with the other boys, "came out of nowhere, Sir. If only we could have helped." 

As Dippet discussed the incident with the boys, Obsidian drew his wand to seal their lie in stone. He barely got the tip against Minerva's temple when he got a scare so bad he nearly yelped and gave himself away. Walburga Black knelt in front of him, out of sight of the Headmaster and hidden behind a pillar. 

"They'll check your wand," she whispered, her breathing heavy having clearly seen what had happened and decided to hide from the consequences. "I'll do it, and wasn't here, deal?" 

"Deal." Obsidian gave her a firm nod as he put his wand back into his pocket. 

Walburga shuffled further behind the pillar as she pointed her own wand at Minerva Mcgonagall's temple as she began to groan and push against Obsidian. "Obliviate." 

A thin blue string was drawn out from her head by the tip of Walburga's wand and flicked into the air to disperse, lost forever. Immediately, Walburga backed off and left through the nearest door before anyone could tell that she was there. 

"You liars." Poppy Pomfrey's frustrated shout snapped Obsidian's head around from his completed task. "They're all lying Professor." 

"All of them?" Dippet frowned accusingly as he turned to Zelda and held out his hand in demand. "But the supposed culprit and her friend are not? Wand. Now."

Zelda looked defeated as she handed over the jet black wand in her hand. She knew how it looked and with all of Dippet's favourite high flyers telling the same story, it felt hopeless to resist. 

"But sir," Poppy tried but Dippet waved her to silence. 

"If you wanted me to believe your words as truth, Pomfrey," Dippet sighed as he turned towards her, his long green robes swiping over the dirt and dust on the floor, "you shouldn't have been stealing from school supplies for your experiments in the bathroom. You've not proven yourself to be an honest young lady." 

"Sir." Tears swam in Poppy's eyes as she watched them get away with the most serious crime she'd ever witnessed. Dippet had chosen his culprit and there was nothing she could do to stop them. His want for a swift conclusion would overrule the truth. 

"Miss Malfoy you'll get your wand back once it has been examined," he reassured the true culprit. "You are lucky I was here to clear this mess up, this could have been a messy string of lies. So I thank you boys for your honesty and compassion. Lestrange, how is Mcgonagall doing? Would you take her to the hospital wing my boy?" 

"Of course, Sir," Obsidian agreed, scooping Minerva up from the floor as gently as he could and stood from the floor. "She seems a little woosey, which I suppose is to be expected." 

"Right, yes, get the Matron to check her over," Dippet told him, nodding as he turned to Zelda who was crying silently where she stood. "You should have thought about your consequences before casting whatever nasty curse you used. You'll be coming with me, Miss Raywood." 

"You can't do this sir," Poppy cried, trying one last time to make him see the truth. "Why would Zelda attack Minerva? It doesn't make any sense." 

"Dark wizards rarely do," Dippet warned her as he grabbed Zelda by her upper arm and led her out. "And I'll warn you not to speak these lies in the ministry if your testimony is needed." 

With that, Dippet tugged Zelda into the castle and out of sight as Obsidian followed behind him carrying Minerva. Everything felt frozen. Had they really gotten away with it? No one had known about Myrtle. But this time there had been witnesses, so many witnesses. 

Untouchable. That was what they were. And Poppy knew it as she finally turned and began to walk towards the hospital wing. 

Zelda Raywood would go to Azkaban for the use of an unforgivable curse on the word of Tom Riddle and his friends. A single use of crusiatus curse by a child would not condemn her for life but the rage of Victoria's father at the mere thought that his beloved daughter was nearly framed for such a crime, that got her enough to ruin her. That stain on her record and the horrific nature of the prison left her changed forever.