Unexpected Comfort

Don't Make Up an Elaborate Story

A.N.: Listen, guys, I'm not even gonna try and explain why this took so long, just... Life and COVID, do I really need to elaborate more? Fair warning, I'm cutting this chapter into two parts. There's just too much that I want to get in here.

The chapter starts off directly where chapter 9 ended. It will shift to a couple of different perspectives but will be easy to follow. So without further ado, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. Let me know your thoughts on Dumbledore; Did he get what he deserved? Do you think Hermione got what she deserved?

A.N. 2: My idea of the newly introduced Irma Fortescue has the overall look of one of my favourite YouTube Vloggers, Dre Ronayne.

A.N. 3: I was shocked to learn that Rufus Scrimgeour is older than Voldemort! Like, Holy Shit y'all! He would have been NEWT level when Tom started at Hogwarts. Not sure why this made my mind blow but it did. 

1/26/23: Just changed the title of the chapter and fixed some formatting. The title comes from the song "Popular" by Nada Surf (1996)

♌-----------------HP----------------- ♡ -----------------SS-----------------♍

He was in chains! They had the nerve to place him, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore: Order of Merlin - First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, in chains like he was some common criminal. When this farce of a trial was over he would make them pay for treating his esteemed self in such a way. He was the defeater of Grindlewald, Lord of Light and the most popular Headmaster in recent memory, the nerve of Harry Potter and Severus Snape to accuse him of such misdeeds was ridiculous.

A bright flash of light blinded him for a moment and he just knew that the picture would be gracing the front page of the Daily Prophet in an evening edition of the much-loathed, widely read paper. And to think that he'd had such high hopes for Rita when she was his student.

The banging of the gavel pulled him from his thoughts abruptly; this ridiculousness was trying at best but he would do what he must get to Harry Potter, he refused to call the child anything but that, back under his control. They had no hope of defeating Voldemort without him, no one else knew that Harry Potter had to die to bring an end to Voldemort. And if he played this situation right, no one would be any the wiser and he could still play the sad, broken Grandfatherly Headmaster.

He just needed to bide his time and everything would blow over after a couple of weeks, just like it did after the Tri-Wizard Tournament. His eccentric behaviour paired with his benevolent appearance had worked a charm for him. Yes, he just needed to bide his time and everything would settle back into the way it was meant to be.

♌-----------------HP----------------- ♡ -----------------SS-----------------♍

Scrimgeour banged the heavy gavel against the desk, his lion's mane hair in even more disarray since the Auror guards had brought Dumbledore into the room. He remembered the man as his Headmaster, he'd had to be leery of him, he was after all, a Slytherin and if there was something consistent about Dumbledore, it was his dislike and distrust of Slytherin, even then.

He let his gaze scan the crowded courtroom puffing up his chest and straightening in his chair. He would not look weak before this man, not after seeing how easily he seemed to cow those in power. He would not be like Cornelius, kowtowing before anyone with power and a spare bit of coin.

"This Judicial body will come to order! Court Scribe Percy Weasley and overseeing the court transcription of this trial are Aurors Tonks and Dawlish." His voice was a harsh almost growl. His replacement as Head Auror, Robards stood from his seat.