„Oh, my dear..." (Mattheo Riddle ff)

how to (actually) get away with murder...

P.T.

„How's that even fair? The whole fucking jury is ministry people!" Mattheo whispered. 

I just elbowed him. „Shut it, the judge is coming!"

„All rise!" the usher called out as the door swung open. 

We rose and watched the judge with his assistants walk up to their table. His arrival let the frosty temperature in the room drop even more. 

I tried not to shiver and held onto Mattheo's hand firmly. 

The whole massive hall was deadly quiet. Not a whisper, not a cough, nothing. Dozens of people were seated up on the ranks. Down here, next to Mattheo and me, the other defendants with our lawyers, across from the prosecution. The judges table was at the very front of the hall, next to the clerk, the usher and the jury. 

I didn't know any of the members of the jury, but Mattheo was right. All ministry. 

So we're our so called lawyers. All ministry. 

And the two prosecutors, one man and one woman. Both ministry. 

„All wands must be authorised before being used in this courtroom, as well as every spell has to be directly allowed before being spoken. Legilimency can not, and I repeat, not be used." the judge explained after he had sat down. 

Snape and I shared a subtle look. 

The judge paused, and eventually nodded. „You may be seated." And we sat.

I let my eyes trail over the ranks of the audience. Most of the spectators I didn't know, but there were some familiar faces. 

First of all, fucking Dumbledore? Okay...

Flitwick, McGonagall, Sprout... Well, I get it. 

The minister himself... I guess we should be glad he was only in the audience and not the jury. 

Some of the other faces I recognised from television or some newspaper, but most of them were complete strangers. So was the jury, since I didn't know any of the members. 

„I don't feel comfortable with Dumbledore watching us." Mattheo whispered, his eyebrows scrunching up in a frown. 

„Me neither." I whispered back. „But we better put on a nice face." 

The judge read out a few more rules before officially starting the process. „Ladies and gentlemen. This is the case of the Ministry vs. Riddle, Malfoy, Nott, Thorne, Snape and Zabini. We may start now." 

The clerk rose from his seat, looking at our side. The defence. „How do you plead? Guilty or not guilty?" 

One after the other, our lawyers nudged us to stand up. 

Mattheo was first. „Not guilty." he said, and sat down. 

„Not guilty." Draco and his mother were next. „Not guilty." 

Then it was Theo's turn. „Not guilty." 

And then myself. „Not guilty." 

Then Snape... „Not guilty." 

„Not guilty." Finally, Blaise and his mother. „Not guilty." 

„Very well. We may now start to hear the opening statements. Prosecution, please. Begin." 

The female prosecutor stood up, a stack of papers in hand. 

„Dear members of the jury. The ministry will show today, that the men and the girl over there..." She made an open gesture with one hand towards us. „That these people are responsible for eleven deaths, two weeks ago, at Malfoy Manor."