Hope In Hiding (Book 2 of the Lost Potter Series)

The Hearing

Harry's trial at the Ministry was the next welcomed break in the monotonous schedule. Well, welcomed in the sense that it was going to happen, not welcomed as in anyone in particular wanted it to happen.

The night before Harry was certainly on edge, but he tried his best not to show it. Olivia, who read his face easily, decided it was best not to push the subject.

While she decided it was best not to say anything to Harry about the trial, the girls couldn't help but speculate as they settled in after dinner how it would go.

"How do Ministry trials work, anyway? Is there a designated judge and jury?" Hermione started the conversation off with no mention of Harry, though the other two knew the origin.

Olivia shrugged, "I'm not sure what you exactly mean by judge and jury, but it's basically you sitting in a room and being asked questions while a lot of officials decide your fate."

"How do-" Ginny stopped herself as she thought through what they were talking about, "Nevermind, forget I said anything."

Olivia smiled slightly, "His trial will probably be different from mine, though."

Hermione fluffed her pillow up behind her, "How so?"

"Well for starters, he's going to be going in there with pretty much everyone already liking him," Olivia thought back to her own trial, "Since most of the officials are in Mr. Malfoy's pocket, they'd already heard the story from him so I wasn't given much credit."

"That seems unfair," Ginny pointed out, though she knew little of any justice system.

Olivia laughed hollowly, "Welcome to my life. Anyway, Harry is also innocent of any laws, so that should help."

Now it was Hermione's turn to be confused, "Wait, didn't you act in self-defence? Don't they have special rules for self-defence?"

Olivia shrugged again, "If they do, no one informed me. Even so, I doubt those would've gotten me far, as I did cast the killing curse with intent to kill. That right there should've gotten me lifetime in Azkaban."

"Maybe self-defence rules were why you only got 20 years," Hermione speculated, not wanting to carry that topic on, "And in Harry's case there are designated self-defence clauses, so he should be fine. Right?"

Olivia nodded, "I doubt Harry will have much of a problem. He wasn't even arrested before the trial, so they obviously don't think he's going to repeat the action."

"Who arrests people? The aurors?" Hermione continued her questioning as an interest ont he magical justice system emerged.

Nodding, Olivia elaborated, "I was lucky enough to be arrested by Kingsley and Tonks, who was still in training at the time. They interrogated me and everything," Olivia shuddered at the memory, "I wouldn't recommend it."

Ginny sat up, "Wait, Tonks helped arrest you? Is that why you two never talk to each other?"

Olivia nodded again, though this time not as assured, "She tried to be nice to me but I was a terrified eleven year old who realised I was about to be thrown in prison for defending myself so I didn't take any of it well." She let out a deep breath, "She tried apologising to me at one point, but it's just all memories that I don't want to remember so I shut her down."

Ginny was the first to notice the tears form in Olivia's eyes and was quick to shut down the conversation, "I'm sorry we brought it up."

"It's fine," Olivia tried to smile as she wiped the tears away, sniffling as she did so.

"If you ever want to talk about it," Hermione stopped herself, "about any of it, we're here for you."

Olivia just nodded, now beaming in gratitude as the tears just kept flowing, "Dang it you two, I didn't feel like crying before bed."