I Object

Italics – from Harry Potter and the Oder of the phoenix

Regular - my divergent story

Harry gasped; he could not help himself. The large dungeon he had entered was horribly familiar. He had not only seen it before, he had been here before. This was the place he had visited inside Dumbledoreʹs Pensieve, the place where he had watched the Lestranges sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban.

The walls were made of dark stone, dimly lit by torches. Empty benches rose on either side of him, but ahead, in the highest benches of all, were many shadowy figures. They had been talking in low voices, but as the heavy door swung closed behind Harry an ominous silence fell.

A cold male voice rang across the courtroom. ʹYou're late.ʹ

Harry answered in an angry voice, 'That's not my fault. I received no notice of change in time. I was brought in early and happened to find out at the last minute that the change had been made.

That is not the Wizengamotʹs fault,ʹ said the voice. ʹAn owl was sent to you this morning. Take your seat.ʹ

Harry dropped his gaze to the chair in the centre of the room, the arms of which were covered in chains. He had seen those chains spring to life and bind whoever sat between them. His footsteps echoed loudly as he walked across the stone floor. When he sat gingerly on the edge of the chair the chains clinked threateningly, but did not bind him. Feeling rather sick, he looked up at the people seated at the bench above.

There were about fifty of them, all, as far as he could see, wearing plum‐coloured robes with an elaborately worked silver ʹW on the left‐hand side of the chest and all staring down their noses at him, some with very austere expressions, others looks of frank curiosity.

In the very middle of the front row sat Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic. Fudge was a portly man who often sported a lime‐green bowler hat, though today he had dispensed with it; he had dispensed, too, with the indulgent smile he had once worn when he spoke to Harry. A broad, square‐jawed witch with very short grey hair sat on Fudgeʹs left; she wore a monocle and looked forbidding. On Fudgeʹs right was another witch, but she was sitting so far back on the bench that her face was in shadow.

ʹVery well, ʹ said Fudge. The accused being present ‐ finally ‐let us begin. Are you ready? ʹ He called down the row.

ʹYes, sir, ʹ said an eager voice Harry knew. Ron's brother Percy was sitting at the very end of the front bench. Harry looked at Percy, expecting some sign of recognition from him, but none came. Percy's eyes, behind his horn‐rimmed glasses, were fixed on his parchment, a quill poised in his hand.

ʹDisciplinary hearing of the twelfth of August,ʹ said Fudge in a ringing voice, and Percy began taking notes at once, ʹinto offences committed under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Statute of Secrecy by Harry James Potter, resident at number four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey.

ʹInterrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic; Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Jane

Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley

Fudge extricated a piece of parchment from the pile before him, took a deep breath, and read out,' The charges against the accused are as follows:

That he did knowingly, deliberately and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, having received a previous written warning from the Ministry of Magic on a similar charge, produce a Patronus Charm in a Muggle‐inhabited area, in the presence of a Muggle, on the second of August at twenty‐three minutes past nine, which constitutes an offence under Paragraph C of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, and also under Section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocksʹ Statute of Secrecy.

Harry interrupted very loudly, 'I object!"

Fudge responded, "What are you talking about."

Harry continued, "Since the only people involved in the incident were my cousin who by default is aware of magic and my neighbor a Miss Figg who turns out to be a squib there was no breach of the Statue of Secrecy. It does not appear the ministry had to send out any obliviators to cover up the incident does it?"

The woman to the right of Fudge leaned forward and asked, "That is an interesting point, and Mr. Minster is it true no obliviators were sent?"

The toad like woman on the left answered, "Madam Bones, that does not matter, the action was done in a muggle neighborhood."

Madam Bones responded, "But it does matter. This is a court. The charge is breaking the statue but the statue by default has not been broken. I move that the charge be dismissed."

Murmuring broke out amongst members until Fudge realized the cause was lost and interrupted and said, "Fine, that charge is dropped."

He continued, "Back to the charge over under age sorcery that is not in doubt."

Harry answered with a smirk, "But I object to that also."

Fudge asked with a sneer. "And on what grounds could you object?"

Harry answered, "Well, since last year, I am assuming the ministry considers me to be of age. It was minster Bagman and minster Crouch along with Headmaster Dumbledore who was the Chief Warlock at the time that forced me to compete in the Tri-Wizard Tournament whose very requirement was being of age. If I have to compete in an of age event sponsored by this ministry then I must be of age."

Fudge responded in anger, "You cheated to enter the Tournament but that does not matter, you are still a child."

Harry answered again, "I still object." He then pulled some paper out of his robes and said, "This is a letter from my god father dated December of last year. It is certified by Gringotts. Since I had to participate in the tournament my god father emancipated me."

Fudge asked, "The only god father you have is an escaped convict and has no legal jurisdictions over you. Now if you know where he is you have a duty to tell this court so we can capture him."

Harry answered, "I can't tell you where he is since the place is under a fidelous charm. And by the way he is not a convicted criminal since he was never given a trial in the first place. He was never legally charged for any crime and never convicted for any crime and never sentenced for any crime."

Fudge sputtered, "I don't care what you excuse is, your god father is a criminal and you show yourself to be delusion and a danger to society if you continue down this path. This is a trial about your underage magic and any emancipation is not recognized by this court"

Harry answered, "None the less it is the truth. But I have another objection. Two years ago I rescued a fellow student from the famed Chamber of secrets. The headmaster's phoenix Fawkes brought the Sorting Hat, out from which I pulled Godric Gryffindor's fabled sword. After the phoenix had blinded Salazar's thousand year old basilisk, I killed it using the sword. In talking with the Goblins they recognize me as an adult since I killed a class seven dark creature. Will this court recognize this?"

The toad looking woman answered, "We would not stoop to recognize the stupid actions of the goblin animals. Nor do we recognize your flamboyant lies that you make before this court."

Fudge continue, "Let get on with this trial. No more lies and tall tales. You are charged with the use of underage magic."

Harry continued, "But I still object. By the ministry's own ancient rules, as the sole survivor to the Ancient and Noble house of Potter I was emancipated and made an adult at the time of my reentry into the magical world when I turned eleven. That is from your own ancient rules."

Fudge answered, "Enough of this nonsense. You most stop the lies, stories and excuses. You are charge with underage magic use. Nothing more nor less. If you have nothing real to add then I ask to this court to render judgment."

Harry continued, "But I have evidence." He pulled the bag off his shoulder and pulled out the remains of the dementor's cloaks that had attacked him. He said, "I present as evidence the remains of the two dementor's that attacked me. My patronus is a bit stronger than expected.

Fudge seethed, "You expect us to believe two dementors attacked you and that your patronus can destroy them. Dementors can't be destroyed. That is a know fact. As for dementors they are safely at Azkaban prison and nowhere else.

There seemed to be the murmurings of agreement from the Witched and Wizards of the gallery so Fudge called, "Let the members vote. Those in favor of conviction raise tour wands."

Harry looked up and saw a clear majority with wands raised.

Fudge continued with a smile. "And those against conviction." Harry saw a much smaller show of wands and realized his worst fears were true.

Fudge with glee said, "The accused has been convicted of underage magic and it is my judgment that your wand be snapped, that you are expelled from Hogwarts. Do you have any final words young criminal?"

Harry solemnly said, "I have quite a bit to say. Since this governing body has so failed to do its duty then I must do mine.

I claim by right as sole survivor my family's title of Lord Potter. I also claim by right of magic the heir to Gryffindor." As he raised his hand the very sword once again made an appearance in his hand."

He continued. "I also claim by right of conquest the house of Slytherin. I defeated the former heir three times. The first time as an infant. The second time when Tom's spirit was processing Professor Quirrell and finally defeating his shade down in the Chamber of Secrets. I further charge that Tom Marvolo Riddle, a.k.a. Lord Voldemort, aka 'you know who', aka 'he who must not be named' with line left when he stole my blood to get a new body.

Further I name, based on the ancient code, Vendetta against Tom Marvolo Riddle and his marked followers and their families. I hereby give notice that those people have forty eight hours to responded to the Goblin know as Griphook who I have named as arbitrator in this conflict. Formal letters demanding surrender will be sent out by Gringotts today. For those families that have not responded to the demand, the House of Potter will go to war. This body will see the direct results of the corruption and ineptitude that this body and ministry have sown.

With a final cry, "Hedwig, lets go" There was a flash of ice as what some would assume was Harry owl appeared on Harry's outstretched arm followed by another flash of ice as both owl and person disappeared.

Albus Dumbledore would arrive at the original court time with Miss Figg but too late to attempt to stop the tragedy of justice that has taken place.

Needless to say the Ministry and Wizengmont were in an uproar for the next two days as news of the trial was read in the paper as Harry had given a copy of the trail and his speech to the newspaper.

No death eater responded to the formal Gringotts letters deliveries and after the two days was up they would pay the price. They did not know that the Goblins could and would provide for a price a list of all death eaters. They were home or confidently meeting with the Dark Lord at Malfoy Manor that night when judgment came. At around nine P.M. Outside Malfoy Manor there was a flash of ice and a human with a snow phoenix and house elf arrived. The elf waved his hands about for a moment ensuring no body could safely leave the manor. Harry did not know it but the power he knew not was not love but righteous indignation given a boost by a familiar phoenix sitting in judgment of evil.

Harry called out seven times, "Fiendfyre" and each time an Icy but fiery buck proceeded out and attacked the house. With the job well on the way to be done the group walked away from the house before Harry twisted an hour glass tied to a chain wrapped around all three. It was used and the group disappeared.

The wizarding world awoke the next morning to shocking news. Many pure blooded manors were smoking ruins. Many death eaters had died at Malfoy manner or in there own homes. The Dark Lord had once again lost his body as he could not escape the unknown wards of a very helpful elf.

Harry Potter and Sirius Black left Great Britain and received political asylum in the United States. In the ensuing chaos the goblins hunted down the dark lord's soul containers after examining the ruined diary that Harry gave them.