Free as a Bird

Aske

It was time for Newt's hearing.

Tina's verdict took a long enough time that extended the deadline, hence the Wizengamot decided to announce the verdict in the end of the day, instead. Now they focused on Newt's case. Newt sat down on the chair, his fingers drumming against the hand rest. It was a compulsive habit.

"Mr Newton Artemis Fido Scamander is charged for a serious crime, due to being Miss Porpentina Goldstein's accomplice in practicing a dark branch of magic" Amelia Bones read out from a scroll.

"The session commences!" Hawkworth hit the gavel again, really hard. A few members of the Wizengamot sighed. They really did feel sorry for the hammer and the gavel which had to go through several rounds of brutal hits.

"Mr Scamander, do you have any witnesses?" Doge asked, following standard procedures.

"I call upon my brother, Theseus Scamander, who was cleared of all charges earlier and he qualifies to be a witness. Then I call upon Albus Dumbledore" Newt stated.

The discussions went on. Theseus provided a lot of examples about Newt and how he wouldn't do such a crime. Albus added to the evidences that he had taught Newt when he was younger and highlighted his resourceful qualities.

"That's all fine and dandy" Cornelius Fudge snarled, "But again, we want to believe you. How can you be credible after being charged for releasing a bunch of dangerous magical creatures in New York a few years ago?"

"They aren't dangerous!" Newt yelled, "They're misunderstood creatures! They deserve a home!" - suddenly the magizoologist was taken back to when Percival Graves or Grindelwald in-disguise had took his case and confiscated it.

"And I suppose the city of New York wouldn't be so feasible as a sanctuary for your creatures" Fudge snorted.

"We're going off topic here" Queenie, who was sitting and observing the trial, suddenly piped up, "Newt is charged for Necromancy and not for setting a bunch of creatures loose! Besides, he already received a travel ban for that. Why bother about it now?"

"Miss Goldstein--"

"Goldstein-Kowalski!" Queenie corrected, literally annoying everyone with her minor corrections. 

"Right, right" Amelia Bones sighed, "We give much more importance to credibility here. We need a reason to trust the accused and their witnesses".

"Oh really? I'll have you know that Newt is the most honest person ever! Take it from me!" Queenie slammed, "I've known Newt for a long time now and I . . "

"Now, now, Mrs Kowalski, or whatever. . " Elphias Doge began, "How can we trust you after you worked for Grindelwald?"

"I. . That was in the past! I never meant for it to happen! Besides, didn't you grant pardon to most of the people who worked under Grindelwald?" Queenie snapped, "I wasn't aware of it! Grindelwald convinced me to work for him and it was a very powerful---"

"Shouldn't you be put in Azkaban, instead?" one of the members shouted, "Shouldn't you be testified?"

"We should conduct a trial for her!" one of the Wizengamot members yelled from the back, clearly shouting out of order and not fully understanding Queenie's defense.

"Order! Order!" Hawkworth tried to grab their attention, but everyone talked at the same time. Queenie and Fudge were having an argument. Albus and Theseus were snapping at Elphias Doge and Newt was busy trying to explain his case.

The courtroom was in absolute chaos. Amelia Bones threw paper balls at the other members to get their attention. Albus was trying to cough the loudest so that he could get order back in the court. Hawkworth had thrown his hammer across the courtroom, giving up entirely. That was before someone had entered the courtroom and slammed the door shut, so hard that everyone went dead silent.