Wander || The Order of the Phoenix || DISCONTINUED

Chapter 6 - The Hearing

 "Disciplinary hearing of the 12th of August into offenses committed by Harry James Potter resident at Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey and Elizabeth Lily Potter resident at Number 12 Maple Drive, Bromley, Kent. Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic-"

"Witness for the defense." A voice interrupted from behind Harry and I, we both snapped our heads towards the door we had previously entered to face a very calm-looking man. "Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."

The room we were in was large and circular, a court of fifty witches and wizards sat in front of us, each of them looking between Harry, Dumbledore and myself down their noses. As Dumbledore spoke whispers echoed throughout the room, no one had expected Dumbledore to be our witness, not even Harry and I. I looked at Harry with confusion rushing through my face, which was duplicated in his expression. Dumbledore? Why Dumbledore? It didn't matter, I was thrilled to have one of the most famous wizards in the world on my side.

Although the rumours of the three of us hadn't helped, the court hated us. They were sat in a way so every one of them could be seen, towering above Harry and I. In the middle of the group was the judge, or as everyone else called him, the Minister of Magic. He his head turned to Dumbledore, and he sat up in his seat.

"You got our message that the time and place of the hearing had been changed, did you?" Cornelius asked, disappointment edged in his voice.

"I must have missed it." Dumbledore admitted, looking around at each witch and wizard in the room except Harry and I, we had been blanked out all together as everyone seemed more interested in Dumbledore. "But by a happy mistake, I arrived at the Ministry three hours early." A smile peacked at Dumbledore's lips, showing he found the disappointment from the Minister slightly funny. "The charges?"

"The charges against the accused are as follows: That both students did knowingly and in full awareness of the illegality of their actions produce a Patronus Charm in the presence of a Muggle.” The Minister answered, more confidence gaining in his tone as whispering erupted yet again throughout the Wizengamot. Cornelius looked down at Harry and I, his eyes burning into mine. "Do you deny producing said Patronus?"

"No but-"

"It was because-"

Our voices were drowned out by Cornelius, there was no way we could win the case if we couldn't even explain ourselves. At that moment, a sickness sank in my stomach. Knowing I would have to go back to that orphanage for three years before I could leave if we lost made me nauseated.

"And you were aware that you were forbidden to use magic outside school while under the age of 17?" He continued, not waiting for an explanation."

"Yes, I was but-"

"Of course, but-"

Again we were rudely interrupted by the Minister, he was determined to make sure Harry and I were to be expelled from Hogwarts.

"Witches and wizards of the Wizengamot-"

"We only did it because of the dementors!" I yelled out, fed up of being interrupted. If we were going to win, we would have to fight. They needed to know the truth before accusing us of using magic for nothing.

Whispers burst out from the court as people questioned my statement. "Dementors? In Little Whinging?" A witch from the crowd spoke. She was one of the younger witches and wizards, fifty to sixty years old, her hair covered in a ridiculous black had which was worn by every member of the court, including the Minister.

"That's quite clever." The Minister stuttered and he held up his hand, telling the witch to stop talking so he could instead. "Muggles can’t see Dementors, can they, girl?" He was talking directly to me other than Harry, who was sat next to me, watching the court. " Highly convenient."

"She's not lying." Harry defended me. "There were two of them and if Elizabeth and I hadn't-"

"Enough." The old wizard held up his hand to silence Harry. "I’m sorry to interrupt what I’m sure would be a very well-rehearsed story but since you can produce no witnesses of the event-"

"Pardon me, minister, but as it happens, we can." Dumbledore interrupted, everyone turning to look at him.

Of course! I thought, the lady Harry was talking to said she was told to protect him. Dumbledore told her to. But, she was a muggle, wasn't she? She wouldn't have seen the dementors unless she was a witch.

Or a squib. A non-magical person who is born to magical parents.

The women entered the room to a court filled with silence, waiting for her to replace us in the seats in front of them. Harry and I were rushed out of our seats and sent to sit on the opposite side of the courtroom, near the exit while Mrs. Figg sat in front of the Wizengamot.

"Please describe the attack." The women from earlier asked the squib sitting in front of her. "What did they look like?"

"Well," Mrs. Figg began. "There was a girl and two boys, one of them was very large and the other rather skinny."

"Not the children. The Dementors." Cornelius told her, a little bit of irritation in his voice.

"Oh right, right." The woman chuckled to herself. " Well, big. Cloaked. Then everything went cold as though all the happiness had gone from the world."

"Now, look here Dementors don’t just wander into a Muggle suburb and happen across a witch and wizard. The odds are astronomical." The Minister said, still unable to believe that the dementors were in the muggle world.

"I don’t think anyone would believe the Dementors were there by coincidence, minister." Dumbledore told him.

"I’m sure I must have misunderstood you, professor." Another lady spoke, her robes were identical to the other members of the Wizengamot, except her colour. Which was bright pink with a small pearl hanging from it.  "Dementors are, after all, under the control of the Ministry of Magic. And it’s so silly of me, but it sounded for a moment as though you were suggesting that the Ministry had ordered the attack on this boy."

"That would be disturbing indeed, Madam Undersecretary, which is why I’m sure the Ministry will be mounting a full-scale inquiry into why the two Dementors were so very far from Azkaban and why they mounted an attack without authorization." Dumbledore gently demanded, his approach was surprisingly calm, if it was me I would have blown up by now. "Of course, there is someone who might be behind the attack." Dumbledore paused, silence bouncing off the walls as Cornelius leaned forward. Dumbledore approached him, talking directly to him. "Cornelius, I implore you to see reason. The evidence that the Dark Lord has returned is incontrovertible."

"He is not back." Cornelius hissed back, anger flaring through him. He calmed down before speaking, Dumbledore walked back to the previous spot he had stood in, defeated but not giving up.

"In the matter of Harry and Elizabeth Potter the law clearly states that magic may be used before
Muggles in life-threatening situations." Dumbledore explained.

"Laws can be changed if necessary, Dumbledore." The Minister replied, he was not budging on the case at all, he wanted Harry and I expelled, nothing was to stop that from happening.

"Clearly. Has it become practice to hold a full criminal trial to deal with a simple matter of underage magic?" Dumbledore fought back, determined to win against the old man.

A eerie silence fell upon the room and Dumbledore raised his arms, as if to say, am I right?

"Those in favor of conviction?" The woman from earlier asked, a few witches and wizards raised their hands, including the Minister. "Those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges?"

Every other witch and wizard in the court raised their hands, including a confused Mrs. Figg, who then lowered her hand immediately. We had won. Harry and I exchanged looks, both of us grinning from ear to ear, amazing that we had actually won the case.

The Minister looked around, distraught across his face. Then, with a small voice he spoke "Cleared of all charges."

Dumbledore walked away as chatter filled the room, ignoring both of us as he left.

We won.