Dark Impressions 2
Chapter 1: The Burying of Hatchets
Ernie MacMillan ends his jog into the Chief Auror's office carrying a simple shoe box under his arm. The distinguished box, emblazoned clearly with the silver Paul Smith name, becomes eminently obvious to Delia Ramone. Delia, a recent addition to the ministry's ranks of Aurors, can't ignore the name on the box before drawing her eyes to meet Ernie's. With a welcomed break from her mind-numbing reports on her latest arrest of a murderous witch stalking London's muggle streets, she recognizes the face of Barrister MacMillan from his countless hours defending some of the criminals she'd personally apprehended. Before she can ask, Ernie fires out his purpose.
"I have an appointment to see Chief Auror…"
He's cut off by Harry Potter exiting his office. Carrying three scrolls, marked clearly for the Minister of Magic, he places them in a basket for delivery. Seeing Ernie, he exclaims seeing his old Hogwarts classmate.
"Ernie! Delia, can you deliver these to the minister when you go to lunch? Thanks. Ernie, you're early."
Ernie only shakes his head.
"Afraid not Harry, I'm 35 minutes late. I got held up downstairs on the Harwich Trial."
As Harry nods in understanding, afraid to ask how badly it went for Ernie. The Edwin Harwich trial was mostly a show trial as it was practically public knowledge he was doomed to spend the rest of his natural life in Azkaban for the murder of three muggles and a wizard who happened to step in to defend them. Harry feels bad that Ernie was chosen to defend the man, when no one else wanted to tarnish their names by trying to defend a killer of his apparent level of guilt; but Ernie made it his duty to defend those who were unable or unwilling to defend themselves in court. Harry feels so bad he can only nervously sputter out the obvious question.
"So…um…how did the trial go?"
Ernie reaches out and shakes Harry's hand as they walk towards his office.
"Oh! He's been sent to Azkaban. There was never a doubt of the outcome, Harry, he knew that. He got twenty years, but he can be paroled if he straightens himself out. Azkaban has changed a lot since we were kids, you know. He showed he was genuinely remorseful for his actions, and I was able to prove he was an alcoholic. So with treatment, the weight of his actions will severely weigh him down while he serves his time. He told me he wanted to pay his dues, and knew this was the only outcome he could hope to get. At least it wasn't life."
As they walk in, Harry motions for Ron and Delia to join them.
"I'm aware that the chief parties against this are either not with us anymore, or have dropped their resistance to having her return."
Delia clears her throat before speaking.
"The quill recorder needs for you to speak all names for the official records."
Nodding Harry continues.
"Yes, all parties who previously opposed Constance Marie Hollander's pardoning for the years leading up to the end of the Dark Lord's reign, have since either withdrawn their opposition, or have passed on. Now all her actions afterwards are still up for debate and scrutiny, she is not absolved from those alleged crimes, namely the assault on Ministry officials."
Ron seethes out in repressed anger.
"And don't think I've forgotten that she stole my wand!"
Ernie, having spent every waking moment after that Battle for Hogwarts preparing for this day, interjects his usual calmness in Constance's defense.
"For the record, every alleged assault was done in defense of extraordinary methods to capture her."
Turning to Harry, he adjusts his blonde strands and stares intently as he refutes his charges.
"Did you not throw a roof…an entire roof…on top of where she slept? She and Susan Bones would have been killed had it not been for her quick reflexes."
Ron immediately answers sheepishly.
"Look! That was my fault, not Harry's. My wand went wonky and grabbed the top of the house instead of the window and…"
Ernie cuts him off.
"Look, she never killed any ministry official over the past fifteen years while on the run. The six people she did kill were in self-defense, and were bounty hunters operating without official ministry orders. I have already submitted my proof. The law clearly allows for the self-protection and defense against those who utilize deadly force without ministry approval. If anyone else was attacked without provocation and killed the person while defending against lethal spells, would this even be an issue of innocence? My client is guilty of only self-defense and evading an unjust order for arrest. She is willing to submit to your interrogation in a neutral location, but not here at the ministry."
As Ron and Delia begin to angrily voice their objections, Ernie intercedes by continuing in a stronger tone.
"AND…in a gesture of good will, faith, and intentions, she has given me these wands to turn in, so that they may be returned to their lawful owners."
Handing the box to Ron, Ernie dips into his coat pocket and extracts Ronald Weasley's lost wand.
"She wanted me to personally return this to you Mr. Weasley."
Ron jumps from his seat and swipes his old wand from Ernie's grasp, like a treasured heirloom, as Ernie continues.
"Ms. Hollander's actions have NEVER been murderous or lethal in nature. These are the exact definitions you use to justify imprisonment, and she has never been a threat to the public unless they have attacked her first. Look Harry: she wants to come in and stop running. It's obvious that she can keep this up to her dying days. She had at least eighteen recorded opportunities where she could have killed aurors rather than disarm them. She's an exceptional witch who tricked the Dark Lord and mustered a significant force of wizards behind everyone's backs…including yours. You have sworn testimony not just from dark wizards who were defeated by her plans, but other notable wizards who knew her role in the Battle of Hogwarts. Headmaster McGonagall has provided sworn testimony confirming Constance's orders from then Headmaster Albus Dumbledore; that should be enough for you of all people! With no one voicing their opposition, can we please call a truce and rescind the arrest order?"
Harry glances around the room at his aurors and notices Ron's disgruntled but acceptance of rescinding the arrest orders, while the fire in Delia's eyes as she fishes out her old wand from the box will never be satiated.
Desperate, Ernie baits Harry on the last trump card he had left, saving it for the right time.
"The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is ready to green-light the recall of the arrest order; they just want you to buy off on it first."
Harry putters out a weak laugh, knowing that Hermione was undoubtedly behind that push. Ron nods his support while the embers still burned brightly in Delia's eyes to resist, making her shake her head no. Motioning to hand him the box of wands, he opens it up to find his old wand proudly waiting at the top of the stack. After parting company ten years ago, he recovers his old wand and tucks it into his top pocket. Feeling the strong emotions emanating from Delia, he stands and walks Ernie out of his office silently. As they enter the lift, he slams the door closed before Ron or Delia can follow. As his finger waivers, he finds it difficult to choose either the button for the lobby or the floor above to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. With Delia's anger and hatred burning intensely, the lift pulls away leaving his two best aurors staring in bewilderment, unsure where Harry was heading.