The Devil's Advocate
"Whilst I cannot lie to the court, I do resist the implications of what you are saying. My dislike for the accused is, I believe, thoroughly documented but my dislike of him is not confirmation that I believe he is guilty.
If anything it was my belief that he was incapable of such acts, acts I thought would be deemed necessary in the face of war, which made me believe he was a pathetic little boy riding the coat tails of another's legacy
I urge the court to consider the fact that I was wrong. Whilst Potter has never exhibited the brutality and machinistic nature of his enemies he was prepared to fight, fight for freedom, yours included. His inner conflicts have been a huge burden. Harry Potter never wanted to be a murderer but he was placed in a situation where to my eyes it was inevitable, technically at least. Is it murder in a 'kill or be killed' situation? Are you here today to announce your support for the late Tom Riddle, for his war and for his actions that have forced a young adult to become a soldier, with a lot of pressure from a great many people who currently sit in this room? You're all set to condemn him for something you did not dare do yourself. Stand up for yourself. Let no one else dictate what your personal freedoms should be.
I consider myself rather indebted to Mr Potter. You say he has committed murder. I think he saved my life, and many others."
Minister Fudge smiled. "As unfortunately you would believe, being yourself a certified Death Eater. You yourself narrowly escaped incarceration for brutal acts but so openly supporting the latest reincarnation of a Dark Lord really does confirm that you are a danger to wizarding society. You have clearly not learned from your past and desperately want to give subservience to dark wizards. I suggest to the court that we have two imprisonments sentenced today."
The figures all nodded. And two sets of eyes locked on the Minister's with a great fury, one with a despair that comes with helplessness and one with the threat of challenge. Harry's blank expression peeled back and he smiled coldly.
"You should be careful Minister. If you tell someone something enough they start to believe it. Do you really want to create a Dark Lord Harry Potter? I do everything with such impulsiveness and force, but if I wanted to… I'm convinced I'd be good at it. Prison would be just the right sort of motivation for destroying you. After all, I've noticed that saving you doesn't reap that many rewards. One could call it negative reinforcement, no?"
The guards were kind enough to have them share a cell; there was a wager on who would be killed first.
