A Touch of Snow
"Would the parties please announce themselves?" A woman wearing a rich red robe was speaking from a raised bench at one end of a wooden panelled room. Directly below her was a number of long tables spread out in the centre of the room, with a large many chinned man in a suit while a long necked giraffe like woman was to his far left. A stern faced clerk was opposite them while behind sat a man dressed in an officers uniform; watching them both like a hawk.
She knew both of them would be trouble, she had spent some time going over the file and found that they were an unruly couple. They liked to come across as respectable but the man had a hot temper while the woman, a sharp tongue. She wondered just how they had gotten through their first hearing without being held in contempt, though from the dock officer watching them it was doubtful they had not remained peaceful.
"Vernon Dursley. My Lady." The larger man rose to his feet and bowed at the woman before him, trying to make an impression from the bench closest to her left. Quizzical blue eyes watched him the entire time. After he had sat back down on the hard backed green row; the other woman, who was closer to an oddly shaped box which had room for twelve people, stood up.
"Petunia Dursley, My Lady." Her words seemed somewhat exaggerated, it would have been dramatic if not for the fact the rest of the room was pretty much empty. The woman on the bench above, resting on a much larger chair with a green fabric front, nodded. Behind her was a huge golden crest, showing a lion and all the flags in the United Kingdom with Latin phrases twirling around them; the royal crest. The symbol of the court's power.
"You're both representing yourself?" She questioned, this was quite rare considering it was the High Court after all and unlike them she was representing it. With her white horsehair wig, shining crimson robes complete with long running black strap she gave the impression of an imposing regal woman. Despite age wrinkling her skin and thinning her face she was still seen as tall and slender, it gave her a way of looking down on others quite unlike any other.
"Financial implications have forced both of us to forgo counsel." Vernon Dursley tried to speak in a rich authoritative tone, the woman's eyes rose slightly from their wrinkled nest.
"In other words your barristers made off with all the money, now this is an appeal which is being instigated by you Petunia Dursley. You seem to have chosen the wrong place to sit, regardless please outline the nature of your appeal." Her tone was clear and imposing, a silent reserved judgment laced it and there was something about her rounded wrinkled face which gave her an air of impartiality. With her wig made her seem almost featureless, though dull blond hear was creeping down to make a presence of humanity known.
"While satisfied with the monetary agreements from out divorce I am not happy with the current custody arrangements." Petunia announced in a shrill tone with a glare directed at her now ex husband.
"I am told you have full custody with visitation arrangements for Vernon Dursley to see his son. What is the problem?" The deal seemed fine, perfectly legal and the file said the mother wished to keep full rights to her son and she had them, what on Earth could be the problem?
"Yes but I don't believe I am entitled to full custody for the other one." Her tone fell and she spoke as if she was talking about some terrible disease or affliction she had been burdened with.
"You're nephew?" Was the question from the bench while her stomach churned in revulsion.
"Exactly, I feel that my ex husband should take custody." She began but was suddenly interrupted.
"Which I have no desire to take, nor is the boy any of my concern. He is not my son, nor is he a relative." Vernon was protesting before Petunia could even finish.
"Oh please you agreed to take him in, you should keep him." Came the barbed response,
" I wanted him to go an orphanage, you said keep him."
"I thought it would be best and I would not have done it without your permission. You caused me to keep him, that makes him yours." Petunia hissed darkly.
"Your nephew, your problem." Came the snappy retort.
"Enough you will direct all response to me and not each other or be held in contempt." The Judge interrupted both of them just before a full scale argument developed, flaring at both parties as if they were particularly poisonous insects.
"Now I must be wrong here, but are you two seriously arguing about who should not have this child?" She asked in a hopeful voice, she had never heard a case like this and the hope of mishearing or clarification was open.
"No I am arguing Petunia should have it and the trial Judge agreed. " Vernon began in a smug tone.
"Preposterous! It is your responsibility. Equity." The woman declared triumphantly, the robed woman placed a hand in her pocket and withdrew gold rimmed spectacles. A moment of adjustment was needed to gain focus.
"Miss Evans equity in law refers to the incorporation of morality or fairness. I fail to see how it moral or fair for you two to argue over who should not have this child and therefore will not be brining Equity into that aspect of your appeal." She cut of the giraffe necked woman there and then, her speech taking on a low scolding like quality while glancing back at the file.
"I am not seeing a report on your nephew, his name is Harry James Potter correct?" She asked slowly signalling for response which would not take an hour in argument.
"That's its name." Petunia confirmed and the Judge glared at her from behind thick lenses.
"If you wish to bring up either morality or fairness, I suggest you refer to the child as a human being and not with a simple, dismissive and of course venomous it," She requested almost gently while Vernon Dursley sat where he was smirking, one hand on the table in front of him and half leaning towards his wife in a leer.
"Sit up straight Mr Dursley." Came a sudden demand and he complied immediately, not wanting to get on the bad side of a woman who could make his life very difficult with little more than a word.
"Before I go on let me just say I am disgusted with the fact both of you claim to be loving parents in your first hearing and yet try to pass off a young vulnerable child no older than two years on anyone who would have him. It is ridiculous and it has earned you the attention of Social Services who will be receiving orders to carry out regular and constant visits until the time any child under your care reaches the age of eighteen." This time her voice was higher and brimming with annoyance, perhaps even disgust.
"You can't." Petunia flared up, the dock officer behind took a few steps towards her. His eyes not leaving her furious demeanour.
"I was under the very strange impression I was the Judge in this case, now sit down if this was the Court of Appeal the Lords would have thrown you out by now. So shut up." The Judge took a long breath.
"Now I am afraid to tell you Petunia Dursley the law is clear on this point..." The woman tried to continue as the woman before shot daggers at her from below.
"Wrong, the choke case supports me." Petunia interrupted with an air of superiority which earned her a furious gaze. One which bore right through her and may have even caught a glimpse of a damaged and revolting core.
"Chhokar v Chhokar is a case that would only support you if firstly the child was property which he is not! and secondly if you had invested time, care and money into him; none of which I believe you have done or will do." Was the contempt filled correction, she meant to continue before a creaking of wood brought in a much needed interruption.
"Evelyn." A voice crept into the room from the door, a door at the far end of the raised bench where the Judge was sitting. A man instead was there, looking horrified and looking over the adjacent Jury box at the separated couple with revulsion.
"John! Have we forgotten the rules of court? About not interrupting." The sitting Judge glared at older man, he was slightly larger than her but not overly so. In fact he almost he had a handsome quality in his smooth wrinkled face and colour toned skin, however it was diminished slightly by the emotion in his absorbing hazel eyes.
"I'm sorry Evelyn, Lord Greengrass had sent through this file." His words crept from thin lips hidden behind a greying beard around his mouth and hooking up into his brownish hair. He was also wearing robes but in a more relaxed way, as if he was a younger man.
"Lord Greengrass, what does a Law Lord of that persuasion need to send us?" She asked, Lord Greengrass was currently the head Judge in the other house of Judicial Lords, the one that dealt with a very different type of person.
"It concerns one Harry Potter, may I suggest you adjourn?" The other Judge inquired and was received by a nod and she turned back to the two parties.
"I shall rise until late today, by then I shall have made my ruling." Her vow echoed once around the room.
"Be upstanding in court." Came the well timed Clerk and with that Judge Evelyn Snow rose from her chair and walked out of the room, the other Judge; John Taylor handed her a thick brown file.
"What on Earth do the Wizarding Law Lords need? The only time they get involved is when they want advice, a defendant or the mandatory yes we exist play for every High Court Judge! So what's so special?" She asked the moment the door was closed and the two of them were walking in a wide carpeted hall with a vast array of side doors.
"Harry Potter seems to be the problem, from the news reports I have concluded he is the manifestation of our Lord and saviour while also being a valiant crusader leading a fight against forces darker than himself." Came the answer and this time he was met by a bored inconclusive look.
"If your mid-life crisis, which has lasted way past your middle age, has decided to put you upon the path of becoming a comedian then let me know because I want a one way ticket to a non extradition country and a funeral manager." Evelyn Snow growled with a sickly sweet smile, her husband shuddered while she removed her wig to reveal short hair of dull blond. She looked like a reasonable human once more.
"Now going back to the original unfunny point, what the hell are you talking about, he's a one year old, how can he be any of those things?" Her question was followed by an opening of the file. It was thick and filled with a variety of reports, most of them were newspaper cut outs.
"Oh he stopped one of their Dark Lords, and a lot of speculation follows." The answer was said almost casually in his deep reassuring tone , though his wife was no longer listening and instead was reading the file. A few awkward lingering moments past for Judge John Taylor,
"Why did we never have kids?" He asked to the open room,
"We did try, remember? Though life got in the way." Evelyn remarked only half listening, frowning every few seconds to query or focus on a particular article. John for his part began toying with his beard,
"Maybe we should have them." He suggested and didn't need to look to know his wife's eyes had raised quite considerably.
"It's a bit late for that one, late being a less than objective term. Now why on Earth are you considering this, I'm reading a Wizarding file which might as well be a manual on astrophysics for all the sense these people can make, so I need to focus." She told him with an air of irritation
"I know but I feel like we've missed out, like we could have had a family." The dreamy mutterings received a very odd look.
"Ok well if you're lamenting the loss of our youth then maybe, just maybe you can get over this crisis. Or not, I can dream."Evelyn continued with a deep sigh.
"Oh I'm not in a crisis, I just want to catch up with all the years I might have missed." The next response did not merit an answer, instead she allowed him to continue for a few moments longer.
"And seeing those two treat that child like an unwanted thing was just plain awful... and a dispute over this could go further. Imagine that poor boy growing up knowing his Aunt and uncle went up to the Lords themselves to dispose of him." These ramblings were ignored mostly by his wife but an odd look of conflict spread across his face.
"Either way he'll be growing up with one of them, dear me. Maybe, well I can't see..." The man became nearly silent, something Evelyn had no difficulty in accepting. A few long moments passed before she had finished reading it, though the man before her had already left and re-entered the room by the time she had finished.
"Ok well I think I have enough measure of this... John what's this?" She had no time to finish before being handed a document, it was certainly a Judicial Order of some kind but there was no title; some kind of covering letter most likely.
"An order for Harry Potter to be removed and placed into foster care." Her husband answered, "Well it will be when I fill it in."
"John on what grounds do we order this?" She asked with confused eyes,
"It's very clear they don't want him, I believe abuse will occur regardless of your decision because if we find in favour of one the other appeals. This could go very far and I don't want the boy put through it." He argued and there was a very deep sigh from his wife.
"That's not a legal reason unless you have a suspicion of ongoing or current abuse based on the available evidence and other than the fact both parties are terrible human beings there are none it. Also I'm the sitting Judge so you have no authority, however it is a moral reason , but the law doesn't allow us to do act on our own morals. Something a lot of defendants are very happy about considering my sentencing standards. " She told him with a raised eyebrow, liking his morality at least.
"Why would they care? No one will know unless they make a fuss." He reasoned and for a moment he had a point but it all fell down at one hurdle.
"Because they're not stupid, they know if we make such an order the other boy must be declared at risk to. They fought for him remember, actually fought to keep him as well. No John we're just going to have to hope everything works out, it's almost a shame putting a child into foster care is near impossible for a parent or career." Evelyn muttered to herself rising to her feet.
"Look I'll find a way to deal with this but I'll need the signature of the sitting Judge." He reasoned and to humour him she signed it, though a dark feeling spread through her as she did. Giving her signature over in the past had resulted in a new car, a kitchen extension and flying lessons, once.
"Now I'm going to get a coffee, a cake and maybe a read of every paper because being in a courtroom with those two is possibly the most torturous experience of my day so far. Coming?" she offered.
"No I think I might make a few calls, I'll talk to you soon Evelyn." With that the man vanished leaving his wife puzzled, confused and very worried.
Afternoon
"I apologise for the delay but I had another matter, are we all ready to proceed to my ruling?" Evelyn questioned once she had returned to the courtroom, though this time both parties were smiling.
"Yes, I would like to drop my appeal?" Petunia Dursley spoke smiling sweetly, Evelyn frowned, removed her glasses and leaned forward.
"You wish to accept the judgment of my earlier peer?" she asked in a clear tone seeing both parties were a lot happier this time around .
"I do." Petunia answered sitting down with nothing more than a shrug of her shoulders, Evelyn ran a hand across the strip of white fabric around her neck.
"You accept that you are responsible for the welfare of Harry James Potter?" She inquired gently, the woman's eyes flashed slightly. It was just wishful thinking that she was not disgusted with the mere mention of her nephew's name.
"No, I have made other arrangements." The cryptic response was nothing if not troubling.
"Well I would like to see some record of these." Evelyn Snow was bound by legality but at the same time a child's welfare was pressing in on her mind.
"Of course your honour." She gave a false smile before sitting down. Her husband said nothing throughout.
"Then I declare there to be no case to answer, the appeal is dismissed." With that she rose and the reasons for the almost creepy change of tone began emerging within her mind.
"John?" She questioned when arriving back in her chambers, yes her husband was standing to the side of an oak desk, just looking out of the window onto a busy high street. He looked somewhat happy and Evelyn noticed her television set, which was kept to the far corner of her chambers had been moved. The bookshelves which made up the majority of her walls, covering the white panelled wood, looked untouched and they were normally the only reason the man would enter the room.
"Evelyn." He turned slowly and she saw his arms were full, maybe he was holding one of the heavy law books on her desk, moving things around or perhaps mulling over some files. Then she saw him bouncing on one foot, something that was clear on her red and yellow stared carpet.
"What on earth have you done?" His hands were full, but not with a file or book but instead a sleeping toddler of all things was in his arms. At that moment a woman wearing a thin black entered the room, saw what was going on and froze.
"Umm would you take the boy my dear, I need to have a conversation with my wife." The man passed off Harry to Evelyn's clerk who couldn't rush out of the room fast enough. It looked very much like the room was shortly going to become some sort of warzone.
"What in the name of God did you do?" she asked with the worst in her mind, at least until the dots began to connect. Slowly but surely what happened came together.
"I couldn't just leave him to suffer." The man reasoned trying to look awkward as his wife glared at him full force.
"How the hell did you manage to do this without... you used my signature didn't you?" She muttered justifying her feelings of worry and confusion in a sentence. Her husband withered slightly under her furious gaze,
"I said I'd find a way to deal with it and I have." He continued to the undying fury of his spouse.
"How? How did you do this? Something like this would require years of effort..." Evelyn wondered and then she sighed.
"Culminating in a Judicial order,." Her husband ended awkwardly, "It's going to work out Evelyn, I mean we both want a family."
"John we have been married twenty five happy years," She began using his last name, the one she had refused to adopt.
"Umm we've been married thirty four years." He pointed out as his wife laid both hands flat out on her desk,
"I am aware, now we did not have children, maybe we should have done. We didn't and you decide to adopt a child now when both of us are on the bench and not to mention the child is also some wizarding prodigy. I'm just making sure these are the facts." Her hands clenched around the edge of her desk while her eyes narrowed focus to become full force fury.
"Yes," He commented uneasily as his wife took a deep breath.
"So leaving out the fact you didn't tell me you were planning this, please explain to me why you thought this was a good idea before I throw you out of my window." Her request was spoken with a gentle air of anger which sent shivers through John Taylor's bones.
"He needed a home and we can provide, both of us are still young judges with at nearly twenty years left on the bench. We always wanted a child but never delivered and we're too old to have our own, and why shouldn't adopt this boy?" His question was rhetorical and years of being a barrister before a Judge emerged once more for the first time in a long time.
"He was going to go a woman who hated him or a man who hated him more, so why not go to the only person in that courtroom who gave a damn about him. We can raise him, and when he becomes of age he will go to a magical school. We both know they're such things." He spoke slowly, loudly before being cut off.
"All Judges in the High Court and above are made aware, clerks are not so firstly keep your voice down and secondly remember we have at least nine years before we will even go to such a school."
"So do you want me to hand him back to Petunia Dursley?" Evelyn glared at her husband before silently conceding he had a point.
"I agree the woman would not have taken care of him and yes we always wanted a child but you just did this... on a whim." She exclaimed, maybe her judgment was being affected by his past.
"I want to live life to the fullest and a family is fulfilling."
"You said that about your trip to Vegas, last year." Came the barbed retort.
"Ok I admit I have been..." He tried to begin in an appeasing tone to combat the near violent voice his wife was using. She looked ready to jump and start clawing for his eyes at the slightest provocation.
"In a mid life crisis well past middle age, for nine years to be almost exact. Though I will say adopting a child without even consulting me is perhaps the worst thing you've done to date. I can't honestly think of something you can do to top it; don't try!" She growled with a shaking head.
"I wasn't trying to hurt you Evelyn, I was trying to protect a young boy from hatred." He spoke so softly he saw his wife's anger falter ever so slightly.
"I tried to help and maybe be and you can help." His wife just glared.
"Judge John Taylor, one day I'm going to kill you. Now getting Harry back here and letting me see him then maybe that day won't be today."
A few moments later Judge Evelyn Snow was holding a baby Harry Potter, her long fingers running across his small smooth face, pausing for a few moments over a lightning shaped scar. He was so peaceful and she couldn't help a smile.
"Fine John we'll keep him. Though I'm still going to kill you." She said softly as a young Harry Potter slept in her arms, unaware his future had just changed completely.
Well this story will be continuing my work in the legal genre, a genre I'm seeing very little of around fan fiction but I digress. I hope you've enjoyed the opening chapter and if you're wondering just who Judge Snow or Taylor are I'd recommend Conflict of Interest where HHJ Snow appears and Tricks of the Dead where Lady Justice of Appeal Evelyn Snow appears (set after conflict of interest)
Thank you for reading
Apple.