Trial & Punishment
Disclaimer: JKR owns all! No money made here.
Summary: Answering the Wizengamot Challenge on WIKTT. Someone is on trial for Murder.
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"Order! Order!" The gavel banged repeatedly as the previous prisoner was dragged away, shrieking, and the next one brought forth. Unlike her predecessor, she was calm, almost unnaturally so. The privileged, or cursed as it seemed to some, in the galleries were shocked to see a look of disdain on her delicate features. They had witnessed literally dozens of expressions since the War Trials had started. Everything from sheer terror to blazing righteousness. But this mere slip of a girl held everyone who dared meet her gaze in contempt.
Finally the room quietened enough for the bailiff, an officious looking little man standing as tall as he could in front of the Interrogator's panel, to be heard. "Trial 843: Hermione Granger is this day, October thirty-first, charged with Murder Most Foul - the Assassination of the Minister of Magic at the instruction of He Who Shall Not Be Named. Head Interrogator shall be Percival Ignatius Weasley, Minister for Justice; counsel for defence is Terry Boot."
The chamber had gone deathly quiet. For years, they'd searched out the killer of Cornelius Fudge who had been found dead in his office six months after the Boy Who Lived graduated from Hogwarts. And now, it seemed, they had found her.
The Minister for Justice leaned forward, peering intently at the face of this alleged murderess. Once, he had thought her to be so full of promise, but now? She met his gaze and sneered in return. He harrumphed and began the proceedings. "Miss Granger. How do you plead to these charges?"
"Considering that Fudge was Voldemort's unwitting puppet," the onlookers gasped at the use of the Dark Lord's name, "and that I embodied everything that his precious Death Eater's despised, I really don't think he would ask me to kill the only person with some control over Albus Dumbledore, do you? These charges are patently ridiculous, as are these entire proceedings and I refuse to take part in this farce you call a trial."
"Let the record show that the accused has entered a plea of Not Guilty. Call the first witness!"
"The Wizengamot calls Narcissa Malfoy."
The crowd gasped as the silver haired woman walked serenely in to the chamber. Only an hour before, her husband had been condemned to the Kiss due to the testimony of her own son. At the time she had been led from the room, sobbing and cursing her offspring. Now the only evidence of her previous distress was a slight redness to her eyes. In short order, she took her seat in the witness stand, and the Minister for Justice began his questioning.
"Mrs Malfoy, do you recall where you were on the afternoon of November 13, 1998?"
The soon to be Widow Malfoy looked puzzled, "November 13th? Oh, yes. Black Friday. Such a tragic day." She paused to pull a white handkerchief from her sleeve and dab moisture from the corner of her eye. "I was at the Ministry to see Minister Fudge. Such a dear man. The world is lessened by his absence." She dabbed at her eye again.
A snort of derision from the accused was drowned out by her sole defender. "Objection, Your Honours, the witness is colouring her statements. This trial is about Fact! Not sentiment."
The Minister for Justice looked down his nose at the man standing below his exalted position. "Overruled. Mrs Malfoy, please continue. You stated that you had a meeting with the Late Minister Fudge. What was the purpose of this meeting?"
Narcissa looked around bewildered, as if the answer were obvious. "Why, to discuss the donation my husband and I were making to St Mungo's Children's Ward, of course. The good Minister approved it immediately."
"And what happened after the meeting?"
"Minister Fudge had another meeting, so I bid him farewell and left his office. It was on my way out that I saw her." Narcissa pointed imperiously at the accused.
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"And what was Miss Granger doing there, Mrs Malfoy?"
Terry Boot stood and called out, "Objection, Your Honour, Conjecture. Having had no prior contact with my client, the witness cannot know with certainty my client's motives for being there at that time."
" Overruled. Answer the question, Mrs Malfoy." Terry threw his hands up in disbelief at this and resumed his seat.
Narcissa smirked and answered, "She was muttering, Your Honour."
Percy blinked. "Muttering?"
"Yes, Your Honour. I do not know why she was there, but she was muttering darkly and pacing fiercely. I shudder to think what she might have been saying but I'm sure that I would not care to know, being of such a delicate nature myself. It was probably something evil and dirty." Some in the gallery gasped at the obvious insult implied in that statement. They, at least, disapproved of the radical views taken by the more extreme of the pureblood families.
The Minister for Justice ignored it and continued with his questioning. "And did Miss Granger see you?"
"Oh, yes, Your Honour. She looked up as I went to converse with the Minister's secretary, Millicent Bulstrode. Oh, Your Honour, the look she gave me! I've never seen such bitterness and hatred in a young witch. But the look that girl gave me would have frightened a vampire. I had nightmares for weeks after."
"Thank you, Mrs Malfoy, that will be all."
Narcissa rose and made to leave, but was halted. "A moment, if you will, Mrs Malfoy." The Counsel for the Defence was pulling some parchment from a leather briefcase. Narcissa glaned toward the Minister for Justice and then resumed her seat at his direction. Terry approached the stand with parchment in hand. "Mrs Malfoy, I realise that you've had a very trying day, and on behalf of my colleagues I'd like to extend my gratitude for your time and patience."
Narcissa inclined her head in thanks.
Terry continued, "Yes, the trial of your husband earlier today was a ghastly affair, but not exactly an unfamiliar situation for you, was it?"
Narcissa was outraged, "I beg your pardon, sir!"
"Twenty years ago your husband stood accused in this very room, accused of the very same crime he was convicted of here today."
"Yes, but unlike today, Justice was served! He was found innocent as he deserved!" Cried Narcissa indignantly.
Terry hung his head in mock shame, "Of course. How foolish and insensitive of me to neglect that detail. Twenty years ago, Lucius Malfoy was found not guilty of aiding You Know Who by way of Imperious. And who gave that verdict?"
Righteously, she answered, "The Minister for Justice at the time. Cornelius Fudge."
Terry gave her a broad satisfied grin. "Cornelius Fudge! Tell me, Mrs Malfoy do you recognise this record?" He handed the parchment to her.
After looking it over she replied, "Yes. This is from the Daily Prophet. One of their Public Works Announcements. This one is for the reconstruction of a bridge that was destroyed during the First War. Fudge Bridge enabled the Hogwarts Express to resume service."
"Could you read me the date of the announcement, please?"
"I don't see what..."
"The date, Mrs Malfoy."
Narcissa opened her mouth as if to protest further, but then sighed in resignation. "January 17th."
"And the primary funds contributors?"
She looked to the floor in disgust, "Narcissa Malfoy on behalf of Cornelius Fudge."
"And on what date of that year was your husband's trial?"
Narcissa sneered at him, "I don't rightly recall."
Snatching back the parchment, Terry said triumphantly, "Then allow me to remind you. It was January 19th. Forty-eight hours after he received a vast sum of money from you, Cornelius Fudge set your husband free!" He spun and addressed the Wizengamot. "Your honours, I move that Narcissa Malfoy's testimony in this matter be labelled inadmissable due to bias as a result of her inappropriate dealings with the deceased!"
The court was in shock as they tried to process the news that their once beloved Minister of Magic had been corrupt. It was a difficult thought to process for most of them. Fudge's death had galvanised the Wizarding World into defying the Dark Lord and his followers. The transformation from martyr to corrupt politician was a hard one to fathom.
After much discussion amongst the Wizengamot, a decision was was reached. "Motion passed. The testimony of Narcissa Malfoy is invalid. Furthermore, the witness is to be taken into custody to be tried on charges of corruption. Bailiff! Remove Mrs Malfoy from the room and call the next witness!"
Amidst the following commotion, the bailiff could barely be heard. "The Wizengamot calls Millicent Bulstrode."
