Prue had seen many others been lead down this corridor for questionings. You're a collaborator. You've passed information to the Death Eaters. You have tortured and killed muggles, and a countless number of witches and wizards with muggle blood, or simply because they weren't collaborators and refused to be. She'd never once imagined she would be walking down that same corridor to Courtroom Ten. The name was legendary among her friends. Real ones, not ones who'd suddenly decided not to be friends after they'd heard what she was convicted, arrested, accused of doing. Three different words to describe the same thing. Arrested at her home late one night when she was trying to make sense of her best friends death and the removal of their son from the wizarding world. The imprisonment of her husband because he'd blown up half a street and killed thirteen innocent people. She'd never have believed it of him: yet there were eyewitnesses, each claiming the same thing. He had moved his wand first, by all indications of the fact. She couldn't see how it could be true. You tortured and killed muggles in the name of You-Know-Who. The accusation rang around her head as she was lead by the two Aurors that had dragged her out of her house when she had just started to put things back together. The worst of it was Prue hadn't been able to do a damn thing about it, either. So here she was, Courtroom Ten, the Courtroom Ten.
The Aurors both smirked as they stood outside the door. Prue remembered at one of Professor Slughorn's parties back at Hogwarts that she'd once sworn she'd never be an Auror, only an Unspeakable. They were supposed to live more exciting lives, anyhow. You used the Unforgivable Curses to control others around you to do You-Know-Who's bidding, and were among those who hoped to find a trace of him alive. Prue frowned in thought. She certainly had been among that particular crowd. Didn't mean she was any more a part of it than her grandfather was, and he'd made it quite clear that he was on the opposite side of the fence. His loyalty couldn't be questioned, but hers certainly could. You were in the Slytherin House at school, you stood a more than certain chance of being arrested and sent to Azkaban without a trial, just like her husband. Except the only difference was, was that her husband had been in Gryffindor. Prue stopped herself thinking about it as she pushed open the door.
It was a different perspective she found herself in now. She saw the faces of the Wizenmagot clearly staring down at her. Some astonished, others waved, while still more glared in open dislike. She certainly wouldn't be relying on her connections to get her out of this one. Prue headed towards the chair stood in the very centre of the courtroom. She would most certainly be chained there, arms and legs both, as her husband had been, as many of those who had been accused and sent to Azkaban had been. Very rarely, like in the case of Ludo Bagman, the accused got off said charges.
'Produxi Prudence Diane Black, accused of the passing of secret information between Death Eaters for You-Know-Who's advancement. Other charges include the torturing and killings of muggles and muggleborns, the uses of the Unforgivable Curses and controlling the actions of several other innocent people under the influence of the Imperius Curse, making them commit acts against nature that no witch or wizard would be capable of otherwise. For these, how do you plead?'
'Not guilty,' Prue said ignoring the use of her first name. Even at Hogwarts, she'd never used that title. Only her grandfather had ever had the nerve to call her that, followed by the rest of the said names.
Prue tried her very best to concentrate solely on Crouch. He would be the one that administered the verdict. She saw his face change in ripe disgust: he was in the perfect position to rise to Minister for Magic. He had no use for people that showed no remorse for crimes they'd supposedly committed. Not even for his own son, who he'd happily given to the Dementors. Prue had heard all about that trial, all right. He'd also been the one to send Sirius to Azkaban without a trial. All the more reason for her to hate him. But then to her surprise, she heard her grandfather say his name as witness to the defence.
'Produxi has proven herself to be a very valuable asset to both the Ministry for Magic and the Order of the Phoenix,' her grandfather declared, 'She has uncovered spies and Death Eaters where we would not previously have thought to look. Yet the Aurors have turned in her direction. Shouldn't it not prove by itself that she is not amongst their number? But no, you shall always need more evidence to the fact. Consider this: Produxi was also a member of the Order of the Phoenix. I most certainly let no one join that I do not trust to do the job well. She was more than efficient at the role of spy, alongside another name you will have tried and released on my word.'
Alongside another name you will have tried and released on my word, the comment echoed in Prue's head. The other spy was Severus Snape. In school, he'd had a major crush on her. Prue frowned, but then, he'd also had a crush on Lily. Practically given up on her in their fifth year when it became apparent it was never going to happen. But it seemed she was only an excuse not to have to think about Lily, on an account of what her grandfather had told her since. It didn't make her feel any better for it.
'Do you not deny that while your judgement was good on this particular occasion, that it might be slightly biased on this one?' Crouch demanded of him, in a voice fairly dripping with anger.
'I have every faith that Produxi was acting as an agent belonging to the Order of the Phoenix,' Dumbledore said confidently, 'A little biased? She is my granddaughter. No grandfather would hope to think any grandchild could be capable of brutal murders such as the ones you have accused her of. But Produxi would never willingly raise her wand in violence to anyone without provocation.'
'Without Provocation,' Crouch sneered as Prue knew he most certainly would, 'So under the right circumstances she could raise her wand in violence. And, believe me, if I am much mistaken—her school records certainly prove otherwise. Detentions for bullying other students, sometimes sending them to the Hospital Wing. This does not look like it was done without provocation.'
'All students can be immature at that age,' Dumbledore allowed, 'Produxi more so than others, considering who her friends were.'
'James and Lily Potter, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black,' Crouch snarled, 'Yes, I see who her friends were. Look where Sirius Black is now and what happened to Peter Pettigrew. Her friends Lily and James are both dead. Sirius is in Azkaban, is he not? We have evidence here, very good evidence in fact, that Produxi Black has indeed committed the said crimes.'
Prue looked to her grandfather who was still arguing earnestly with Crouch. It was going to get him nowhere, she realised sadly. Her school records went against everything he had said. Yes she'd bullied other students without provocation, but in her mind, they'd deserved it. These seemed like early symptoms that she was indeed a Death Eater. Crouch certainly did make his case well enough. So did many of her accusers, and then there were the eyewitnesses that did indeed report instances where she had committed these crimes. Even Mad Eye Moody mad loud claims in her defence, but in the end it seemed to be doing her no good at all. Well most of it is true anyway, Prue thought sadly. Doesn't mean to say I found it entertaining what I was doing, It wasn't like I had much choice, anyway, if I wanted to play spy. But Prue had been a damned good spy and that was why she'd been kept on with what she'd been doing. Her grandfather didn't like it much but he stomached it. So did Sirius who had turned a blind eye to what she had been doing. You've no idea what its like, he'd said to her once. No idea whose family is going to end up dead next, not knowing if you're the one behind it and you could have done something in advance to prevent it from happening. She glared up at Crouch who had seemed to've finished his arguments with Dumbledore, having already made up his mind the moment she walked through the door to Courtroom Ten.
'All right then,' Crouch said coldly, 'Those in favour of conviction?'
Now Prue could freely look around the courtroom to see who was raising their hands and who wasn't. The small portion that had waved at her upon her entrance didn't raise theirs. But it didn't mean that the rest wouldn't. And so, the rest of the courtroom did just that. Hands were raised everywhere she looked, some looking smug, others probably wishing they hadn't. Those that didn't look either smug or otherwise were sporting looks of outright disgust. Apparently an accusation was enough to hang someone on.
Dementors burst through the door. They glided across as the entire courtroom grew as cold as a winter's day. All the worst memories marched through Produxi's mind all at once.
Sirius kissing Parisa at Hogwarts. A thousand different faces screaming. The blinding green light as witches and wizards both crushed to the floor, dead. Sirius hauled away by the Dementors. Prue's hopes sank rapidly as she desperately tied to remember her escape plan. She certainly wasn't going to Azkaban, she wouldn't, she couldn't. Her lip trembled as she tried to remember happier times. The Christmas dance with Sirius. The first time we kissed. Happiness flooded through her as she desperately tried to remember, to hold onto the thought because she knew full well that she was guilty of most of the crimes she'd been accused of.
'Expecto Patronum!' Prue announced as the phoenix rose out of her wand and charged the Dementors, 'I'm afraid I won't be going to Azkaban today. I wasn't prepared to go to Azkaban when I came in here, either, and would never have let myself get captured by your pathetic Aurors if I hadn't been drunk in the first place. Don't bother looking for me, because you most certainly won't find me.'
After Prue made her speech she felt slightly better. She turned and winked at Mad Eye and Dumbledore. Dumbledore didn't look the slightest bit surprised at what she was about to do. So, taking a deep breath, she disapparated just as the Aurors reached her.
Authors Notes: Yes I know this seems vaguely Mary Sueish. But give me time to prove you wrong, okay? I know Sues have many traits, in fact, most of the ones I've displayed here. Nevermind though, to prove my point, go back and read the prequel. It's called Double Double Toil and Trouble. If you still think it's Mary Sue after that I most certainly don't blame you for thinking it. If you don't want to read something like this, then you shouldn't have started.
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Amanda Halliwell