Okay, I'll be honest; this was originally not supposed to be a HP/FF-7 story. This was, actually supposed to be a HP/Bleach story at first, then it turned into a HP/Yu-Gi-Oh!, and then it turned into a HP/Naruto, but then into "HP as the logical one" where Harry's normally the one to point out all the mistakes of other characters while coming up with plans to deal with his Hogwarts years.

Instead, you guys got this! I didn't take a lot of the elements I had been working with out, so you'll kind of see them in it. Like a slightly Kakashi-like Ron, dueling references, a Toshiro/Byakuya-like Harry, or even Harry pointing out illogical moments. Hooray for you if you spot them!

Chapter 2: Illumination, the Glowing

Harry tossed in his sleep, cold sweat trickling down his forehead all the way down to his neck…

A town bathed in flames stood before his foggy eyes, hazed with racing thoughts and growing fears.

The people of the town; men, women and children all screamed and begging for their lives as he mercilessly end said lives without even batting an eyelash while he cut them down.

Blood stained the snowy grounds and his own black leather boots. He had sworn that the traitors blood would flood the streets for what they had done.

Then came a name. One shouted in anger, but he heard it loud and clear as the person shouting continued to assault his fragile mind with guilt and betrayal. Should the pup not have sided with him? His commanding officer? But the younger male in front of him merely went on as they did battle.

"I trusted you! Why did you kill the townspeople? Why did you hurt Tifa, Sephiroth?" their battle continued as he knew this boy would never truly defeat him. Like Genesis had said to him before, they were monsters, and this boy would not defeat him with noble action, "Sephiroth! Sephiroth, answer me, dammit! Look at me, damn you! Sephiroth!" but his mind was so confused. So riddled with a vague ocean of guilt, and still trying to puzzle out what was his true reason for fighting as he defeated the pup.

Then, while still lost in the mists of his weary mind, he found a searing pain through his middle, and smiled. No more worries, no more guilt, simply rest and atonement… Then, in the darkness that followed, he saw the true monster that had been within him racing forth to continue what it had started through him. But he was not worried, the pup and the blond could handle things.

Yes, he was sure he could leave the rest to them…

Harry awoke as he always did, clutching his head as he sat up, drenched in a cold sweat and shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Thankfully Ron was normally a heavy sleeper, but it seemed that he had been awake this time.

"Bad dreams?" Ron asked groggily, showing Harry that he too had only just awake. Harry groped for his glasses on the nightstand and put them on. Gazing over at Ron, Harry saw that he too was looking a bit peaky and wane.

"Yeah. You?" Harry replied as Ron merely nodded.

The two stared at each other, then around the room for a while before trying to get back to sleep. It seemed near impossible to him, but Harry had accomplished anyway.

Harry awoke earlier than most of the house, going down to the kitchen too see that only a few others were up at the crack of dawn. Mainly Hermione and Ron, both of whom were just entering the kitchen and going for something to drink. Harry however, merely sat at the kitchen table with his hands steeped in front of his face.

"Harry, are you… taller?" Hermione questioned as Harry raised a brow.

"Don't know… maybe…" Harry replied, not feeling taller, but knew that ever since Second Year after the whole Basilisk incident, he had been growing taller by leaps and bounds, standing just as tall as Ron and the twins by the end of last year.

"He's always grown over night, Hermione." Ron said, pouring her a drink and offering one to Harry, who took it with thanks, "Must be why he woke up like he did. Growing pains and whatnot."

"Yeah, that must be it…" Harry muttered, not wanting to reveal his dreams.

"You woke up? When?" Hermione asked as she looked curious while glancing at him over the rim of her cup.

"Around late last night." Harry admitted before bending the truth, "Growing pains must have made my nightmare and woke me up." with that, Harry shrugged, playing it casual as Hermione glanced over to Ron for his reaction, but must have noticed something else.

"Ron, have you… been working out?" Hermione asked as Ron blinked, then looked down at himself, seeing that he did have a bit more muscle than he recalled.

"Well, most of the chores around the house have fallen to me, the twins, and Ginny since the others have gone." Ron admitted, rubbing his arms, "I always draw the short twig, and get the back-breaking work. Though I'm glad to see something good coming from it!"

Then both boys turned to Hermione, gazing at her intently and with the sharpest of hawks as they tried to see if there were any changes in her. However, neither noticed anything different about her.

"Nothing?" Hermione guessed.

"Nothing." the two said, and sat back down without having realized when they had gotten up.

"You two were staring at me so intensely, I could have sworn your eyes were glowing." Hermione said with a shake of her head and laughter.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you've grown." Ron said, patting Hermione's back as she blushed and glanced down at herself. Harry raised as he figured what she must have been thinking about while staring down at her chest, but when him and Ron shared a look, neither choice to voice their thoughts.

"Well, we had better find something to do before the others get up." Harry said, and with that, the trio talked over everything they had gotten while on their early trip to Diagon Alley yesterday.

Mr. Weasley had been nice enough to guide him into the visitor's entrance to the Ministry of Magic (or the Ministry for Magic, Harry never truly cared) three hours earlier and wait with him until it was time. The earlier arrival, or the "just in case" time, was so Harry could get out his nerves before the disciplinary hearing began.

To further the effort of making Harry more comfortable, Mr. Weasley had even guided Harry into the Department of Artifacts for a little look around, saying that it held some things Harry might find interest with his Muggle upbringing.

He and Mr. Weasley walked through the department, noting muggle things that Harry would have normally seen in a museum or in a junkyard. Turning a corner, Harry let out a soft gasp as Mr. Weasley smiled behind him.

"I thought you would like this." Arthur Weasley said as he gazed over what was before them as well. It helped that whenever his children were having a very bad day before their schooling at Hogwarts, he could bring them to the Department of Artifacts. Harry was as close to his son as one could be without blood, and so Arthur placed a hand on his shoulder while giving the teen a smile.

"Mr. Weasley, this is… Wow…" Harry breathed as he couldn't seem to formulate a sentence.

"Call me Arthur, Harry." Mr. Weasley said, giving Harry's shoulder a gentle squeeze, "Because after today, I think you've earned the right."

"Thanks Mr. Weas- I mean… Arthur…" Harry said, the name feeling weird on his tongue as he addressed the man. His eyes soon went back to what was before him.

An entire gallery room covered in weapons! It was every kid's dream to see some of the things up close. It was just so many weapons! Long, short, thin, and wide. Staffs and canes, spears and knives, throwing stars and muggle bombs. There were even these little glowing orbs, like the marbles which Dudley had never allowed him to play with. Glancing down even further were shields and old muggle guns. Though one confused Harry as it appeared to be a gun with an oversized bayonet, enlarged to the size of a standard sword blade.

However, the gun-sword-thing didn't hold Harry's attention for very long as he and Mr. Weasley moved into the room. No, the gun-thing didn't, but something else did.

It was the sight of one of the swords that made Harry swallow a lump in his throat as he walked up to it. The sword was large. It's blade looked crafted like a single genius stroke from a great artist, it's black metal being nearly as tall as him but wider still, with lines in the blade that led up to the hilt, where two holes were in the metal.

He had told no one about his dreams still, not even Sirius, Hermione, and Ron. They were all just too confusing and too jumbled between visions of the now with Voldemort and dreams of the very distant past of another life.

For example, he knew about the long, shadowy corridor that led to the Hall of Prophecies. He figured it had something to do with Voldemort and the talks the Order had about the madman searching for a weapon.

Then there were the dreams of another life. Like the ones filled with blazing flames, flowing blood, and wicked insane laughter from his own throat.

However, the dreams and visions did bother him as much as they had when he had first gone back to the Dursleys in the begin of the summer. No, now he was used to waking up in a cold sweat as he dreamt of clashing metal, a burning town, and a long thin sword bathing itself in blood before it clashed with this same artistic hunk of metal that lay before his very eyes.

It brought to mind the man that he had thought about in the bookstore yesterday. Now, the white feathers in his mind gave way to the man's smiling face so clearly for the first time as Harry reached out a rang his fingertips along the metal. The man was tall, with a broad muscular body while wearing what appeared to be a uniform. His deep blue eyes smiled more than his lips did as he gazed at Harry in his mind's eye.

"Use creates wear, tear, and rust. Now isn't that the true waste, Seph?" the man asked with a bark of laughter before he disappeared once more… Behind his veil of pure, and pacifistic white feathers…

"I see you noticed one of the swords." Arthur said as Harry's eyes turned to him. Arthur gasped softly as he saw that Harry's eyes were glowing with acid green power.

"Yes, I have." Harry replied as his ears began riming with the sound of music. He glanced further into the room to where the music was coming from, and his eyes widened slightly before a small smirk appeared on his lips.

There, taking up it's own space along the back wall was a sword he had once known, long ago. How could he have ever forgot the blade. The still beautiful blade which he walked toward as though in a trance. It was long, thin, and as dangerous as it was beautiful, of this, Harry knew all too well as he moved to stand in front of it with Mr. Weasley at his heels. He felt drawn to it as it sung a song only he could hear, like a siren's melody bringing him in. Standing in front of the majestic sword, the green of his eyes reflected against the silver of the blade, as though his eyes were actually glowing in the dimly lit room.

"I see you've also noticed this one." Arthur Weasley said with a curious gaze locked on Harry, "Ron normally stayed by the larger sword all day talking about how cool it was to not have rusted all these years." Mr. Weasley shrugged, "But that's magic for you."

"Indeed." Harry said, running a hand over the side of the blade, "It's been a long time… my old friend…"

Mr. Weasley said nothing as he watched Harry. Ron had gotten much the same way when he had taken his son to the department for before his first year at Hogwarts. He just supposed the boys had affinities to the weapons as most wizards did for their wands. It was just a shame the boys would never be able to claim the blades, but Arthur supposed it was better than to have the children running around with such dangerous things.

In fact, with the way Ron could get angry with his siblings, he was sure that having the blades never claimed was a good thing.

"Arthur! Arthur, where are you!" a deep voice called out as Arthur turned around to see Kingsley running toward them.

"I'm here, Kingsley, what is it?" Arthur asked as the fairly in shape man appeared out of breath.

"They changed… the time… ten minutes… go!" Kingsley said between breaths as Arthur's eyes widened. He whirled around to Harry, but saw that the boy's eyes were still glowing (much brighter than before!) and that he was still caressing the long blade lovingly like a pet.

"Harry, we've got to go!" Arthur said, taking Harry's hand off the sword and jerking him away from it. Harry scowled darkly as the glow in his emerald eyes dimmed significantly, though all the while he was rushing out of the room, his eyes stayed fixated on the long sword which he knew.

Thankfully, neither adult saw Harry smirk once again when the sword disappeared from it's place on the wall with a brilliant green flare of light.

Oh yes, his lovely Masamune was finally back to him…

Wait… what?

In the chamber of the Wizengamot, Harry felt an unusual confidence fill his being as he sat smoothly before his assembled jury. He leaned back in the elegant chair they had proved him, bringing his hands together over his lap, he suavely threw one leg over the other at the knee and stared back unblinkingly at the entire Wizengamot, though he pinned his gaze directly on Fudge.

"What is with the boy?" one of the members said in a hushed tone that Harry normally wouldn't have heard, "Under normal circumstances, any boy would be shaking in his robes to be standing before the entirety of Wizarding Britain's ruling government. Especially as is in this, it's high court form!"

"Yes, it is rather unusual that he is so calm. However, if I remember correctly, he was Muggle-raised, wasn't he?"

"That must be it! He's ignorant of our power!" the man from before said, "Either than, or he thinks he'll actually get off from this."

"I think it's more of the latter…" one of the women in the back said calmly, "Just look at his eyes. They're practically glowing!"

"… I think they are glowing…"

"Nonsense."

Then as the proceedings were about to begin, Dumbledore barged into the chambers, looking as though he were a cross between greatly amused and slightly annoyed.

"Witness for the defense, Albus Percival Wulfric… Brian… Dumbledore." Dumbledore drawled slowly as he swept into the chambers, his robes fluttering slightly as Harry smirked.

"No wonder the damn kid looks so cocky…" one of the members muttered as Harry's smirk only grew while Minister Fudge's face pale somewhat.

"Y-You… Y-You got our message that the time and place of the hearing had been changed… D-Did you?" Fudge said, looking unnerved.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with that same look of both amusement and annoyance, "I must have missed it." Dumbledore said, "But! By a happy mistake, I arrived at the Ministry three hours early." He paused to let that sink in.

Harry himself was greatly amused just like Dumbledore, however, he was only just figuring out why. It was amusing to see the look of disbelief, shock, and fear on the face of someone who tried see you fail. The Minister had attempted to get Harry to miss his own trial by changing the time unexpectedly just so they could find him guilty in absentia. While this had dampened Harry happy mood greatly, it did not ruin his strange sense of confidence or his newfound emotional control.

"The charges?" Dumbledore asked authoritatively.

Fudge cleared his throat as he brought out reading glasses, "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, I875, and also under Section I3 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy." then Fudge leaned over his high podium to star down at Harry, who resisted the great and sudden urge to scowl and lop the man's head off with the sword he had seen disappear from the Department of Artifacts, "Do you deny producing said Patronus?"

It seemed pretty cut and dry to him, and he wanted to simply be done it as quickly as possible, so he decided to play along. Besides, Fudge couldn't really do anything. The Restriction for Underage Sorcery was lifted for the defense of lives. However, Harry decided to be direct. It would not do to seem to analytical in front of so many unknown wizards, "No, I do not, but –"

"And you were aware that you were forbidden to use magic outside school while under the age of seventeen years?" Fudge interrupted as Harry felt his eyes narrow in a flare of anger.

"Yes, I am aware, but –"

And once again the Minister interrupted, and Dumbledore had to place a hand on Harry's shoulder to keep him from leaping to his feet and doing whatever it took to get at Fudge, "Esteemed witches and wizards of the Wizengamot, I believe we have everything for–"

"I'm afraid we're not yet done here, Minister." Harry said, in a voice that surprised him with it's chilling edge and regal tone. His voice was low and cold, but everyone had turned to him with wide eyes as they all heard him, surprised that he had even spoken, "I believe there are circumstances to this case you are overlooking, and I would be more than happy to inform you of them. That is… if you would be so kind as to LET ME SPEAK!"

A crackle of intense magical power rushed off Harry of a faint green glow around his body. His eyes were glowing brightly as though stars were hidden by the emerald orbs while Harry sat back into his suave position. At the display of power, Fudge had jumped, completely startled at the power the boy possessed to change the very temperature of the room to a near freezing cold. Fudge wasn't the only one, though. Several other members of the Wizengamot had jumped back and toppled their chairs as the chilling blasted of air came at them, changing the temperature in the room while making Harry look like a wintry prince atop his throne.

However, before Fudge could berate the boy for the use of elemental magic (which in his mind was totally done on purpose to startle them) Harry returned to staring at him intensely, and Fudge's voice died in his throat.

"Now then, shall we continue with mockery of a trial, Minister Fudge." Harry said smoothly, but the way he called the man Minister was as if he called him a pompous windbag and Fudge sensed it.

"I will not be spoken to in such a manner, boy!" Fudge yelled back as Harry's emerald eyes flashed dangerous. He was glad that Dumbledore was still placing a firm hand on his shoulder to keep him in place.

"Do not pretend to dictate me as you do your pitiful subordinates, Cornelius Fudge." Harry hissed as Fudge backed away in his seat, "How dare you sit there and demand my respect after the stupidity you've shown throughout the years, you walking pile of foul-ups! You threw Hagrid into Azkaban, just to be seen doing something. You sit there and refuse to take the word of myself, and of Professor Dumbledore here, when you know that Voldemort has returned!" Harry's eyes glowed so brightly that members of the Wizengamot gasped while blood seemed to pound in his ears, "Who do you think gave me this scar on my arm? Who do you think killed Cedric Diggory, you hack?"

The silence was palpable as no one spoke and Fudge's jaw dropped. That was, until the woman in the pink cardigan spoke up, "Cedric Diggory… was a tragic accident."

"Can we get back on topic?" Amelia Bones asked wearily, her wary gaze on Harry's radiating eyes, "Mr. Potter, you said there were facts we had overlooked? Speak them now, please."

Harry took a deep breath to try to calm down. It only worked partway as Madam Bones noticed the glow in his eyes dim somewhat, "My defense is simple." Harry said like a quiet purr of power, "There were dementors. It was, and would be, the only reason in which I cast the Patronus. It was to save both mine own life, and that of my relative cousin, Dudley Dursley."

"The defense of life is a justifiable action which falls under the Exceptions Clause for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry." one of the members muttered to Madam Bones, who nodded.

"But Dementors, Mr. Potter? In Little Whinging?" Amelia asked incredulously, "If you can tell by my tone, I find that hard to believe."

Fudge appeared, of all things, triumphant as he quickly nodded, "Yes, yes! That's right! And it was quite clever of you, Mr. Potter. Quite clever indeed. You see, muggles can't see Dementors, can they, boy? Highly convenient."

"Perhaps," Harry offered in reply as he used his newfound emotional control to remain calm for the moment. He needed to stay on top, "but if you do not believe me, then we can all take a trip to see my cousin in the hospital. Muggles can, however, feel the effects of the Dementors, and Dudley is still probably in recovery from nearly having his soul sucked out back on Privet Drive. But then again, that little trip would only be accordance with an impartial jury, and not this mockery before me."

"You will not speak to the Minister of Magic or of this court like that!" the woman in pink cardigan scolded in a toad-like bellow as Harry raised an eyebrow elegantly.

"Like what, Madam Undersecretary?" Harry asked with an aloof look, "Like a man who seems bound and determined to get me expelled from Hogwarts? Like a high court that seems focus on the simple matter of under-aged magic, life-threatening situation or not, when there are still Death Eaters from the events of last year's Quidditch World Cup on the loose?"

"He's the Minister and deserves respect, and so does this court!" the woman screeched as Harry found his ears ringing in pain from the volume of her voice.

"Well, until I see some improvements, I believe I'll keep my respect to those that have earned such a blessed thing." Harry said coolly as a few raised brows and nodded in approval, "Now then, if the lady in pin is done defending Minister Fudge's over-inflated ego as well as her own, I'd like to why in fact am I seated hear before what I assume is the entire high court for a simple hearing to deal with the even simpler matter of some under-aged magic? Because, it strikes me as a blatant and childish attempt to both intimidate and smear me."

"It seems that way to me as well, Harry." Dumbledore said with the twinkle in his eyes showing brightly, "Though, we may be the only sane ones here."

"Now see here, Dumbledore!" Fudge yelled as Harry's ire only seemed to rise as the man dared to talk to Dumbledore like some toe-rag.

"No, you see here!" Harry roared, his anger channeled like a sharpened blade, "I have HAD it with you and your entire Ministry! Your stupidity and repeated ignorance know no bounds, you inferior dullard!" with that, Harry leaned forward in his chair as he gave the look of a leopard on a very short leash as Dumbledore held him back, but only barely.

"And did you honestly think I don't know that the Daily Prophet is in your control, Fudge? Ever since Dumbledore and myself have started insisting that Voldemort is back, which he is, you have started a slanderous, hateful, and downright false smear campaign against the both of us!" Harry bellowed, his voice echoing off the walls as the blood in his veins pumped through him faster and faster, "Now you sit there, in your pitiful high chair, and want to hold me responsible for using magic in self-defense against creatures which are supposed to be under your control? I think not, you pompous fool."

With that speech finished, Harry settled back into his chair and resumed glaring at the crux of Britain's wizarding government in silence before adding one last thing, "And don't expect me to save you fools when I'm proven right and Voldemort comes for you. I'll end that miserable collaboration's life only when he comes for me. Hopeful, you all will be between us should he dare to challenge me."

However, after that was said, Dumbledore had paled almost unnoticeably at that declaration. He was well aware of Harry's discontent with the government, and his relatives as well for that matter, but to be so angry as to make a statement like that… Even if he didn't mean it as such, Harry had just thrown a very large rock in the lake of politics.

Plus, it did not bode well to have the prophesized Chosen One saying that he would leave the world to Voldemort's clutches until the Dark Lord sought him out himself.

Yes, that did not bode well at all…

Making a mental note to talk to the boy later when he arrived at school, Dumbledore attempted to reverse some of the damage that had been done before it could spread too far by taking a slightly more aggressive approach than he'd originally planned.

"I believe I'm not so blind yet as to see the many injustices that have been made to Mr. Potter both here today and in previous times. It's also easy to tell that certain practices have fallen out of favor while others are held strong. It was once the case during the First War against Lord Voldemort that the Patronus Charm was listed as a measure to watched for, just in case of such an event, and to administer aid to those still suffering the effect of a Dementor. I do believe that particular law was never repelled due to well-documented cases of the victims being saved just in the nick of time. Mr. Potter, was there any such aid provided by an official of the Ministry?"

Harry glanced up at the ancient Headmaster, no longer caring one bit for anything to do with the fools that sat before him, "No, Professor."

"I see. Madam Bones, if you would, please note that the Ministry has faulted in following its own law, and that it is only due to Mr. Potter's prowess at the Patronus Charm that he and his cousin escaped safely." Dumbledore said as Madam Bones nodded.

"Noted." she said as Umbridge, the woman in pink, began sputtering.

"B-But, there is still no evidence a Dementor was even there!" Umbridge protested as Dumbledore turned twinkling eyes onto her.

"On the contrary, Undersecretary," Dumbledore argued, "even if you disregard Mr. Potter as a witness, the very fact that the Ministry failed to uphold its duty to at least send someone to investigate the incident implies that they were the ones who sent the Dementors."

A pin could be heard dropping with the silence that struck the room after those casually spoken words.

"How amusing…" Harry drawled slowly, leaned back like a predator among prey, "So now we've come full-circle and solved the little mystery of why the Dementors were at the Ministry in the first place. You, or someone high-up in the Ministry, have recently tried to kill me… But you failed. And in that failure, you have sat here and tried to criminalize me for protecting myself and my relative? I would curse and swear, but I don't think we need to muck these proceedings any further with vulgarities." Harry said, then leaned forward as he locked eyes with a very nervous and slightly sweaty Fudge, "Perhaps instead, I should just draw my wand now and duel Fudge here in a battle for my honor or something to that effect. Would that be to the liking of this oh so esteemed court?"

"I assure you, Mr. Potter, there's no need for that." Amelia hastily reassured as, unfortunately for her, that one statement put her in direct line of Harry's reaffirmed agitation.

"And I simply must ask; why is that, Madam Bones?" Harry asked silkily as Madam Bones gave him an impassive look, not at all intimidated by the boy's glowing green eyes staring back at her, "Because to me, it seems like I simply cannot trust any of you to keep one idiotic Minister in line."

There was a pause as that sunk in before Madam Bones cleared her throat, "What I mean, Mr. Potter…" the Law Enforcement officer said regally, looking down her monocle at him, "Is that the matter will be investigated to the best of our ability."

Harry couldn't stop himself. He snorted aloud before giving a brief laughter, "I assume you mean just like the Chamber of Secrets incident was investigated three years ago?"

"Well, yes-"

"Because if memory serves me correctly, then it was this esteemed body which threw poor, innocent Hagrid in Azkaban until I proved it wasn't him."

"Well, that is-"

"Or do you mean the investigation you all did on one Sirius Black?"

Fudge paled at that as Harry smirked, "My apologies, there was no investigation done. Sirius Black, escaped Azkaban, broke into the Gryffindor Common Room, and escaped from Ministry custody without a trace into the night." Harry said, but then paused as he snapped his fingers, "Did I mention how that was all after Fudge attempted to sick Dementors on him."

"Why you little-" Umbridge's sickly sweet smile was strained very hard as Harry glanced over the court with a sweeping gaze.

"Or even the incident with the Goblet of Fire? I'm still fuzzy on how my name was spat out as a fourth contender in a Tri-Wizard Tournament?" though by that point, Harry had rolled his eyes as his gaze settled back on a bright faced Amelia Bones before he scoffed rudely at her and waved her off, "Madam Bones, don't insult me or my intellect. To the best of your ability means, quite plainly, that you'll twiddle your thumbs and attempt to sweep everything under the rug while hoping something bigger and more publicized will come along to make the Ministry look better."

Fudge was turning an ugly shade of puce as the supposed Boy-Who-Lived insulted him and his Ministry quite thoroughly while the worst part was: there was nothing he could do about it. Everything the boy had said so far was true, and even Fudge was smart enough to know that the only reason the boy was talking so big and boldly was because at a moment's notice, he could have proof and evidence to back up these claims.

Though Fudge wasn't a politician for nothing. He knew how to deal with the cards he was dealt. The best he could do was damage control now.

"In any case, this hearing has been made. Those in favor of clearing the defendant of all charges?" Fudge said quietly and pompously as he glanced over his fellow Ministry officials.

The vote was nigh-unanimous, and it was already apparent that he had lost. Only a few people had their hands lowered, one of them being Umbridge, Harry noted with distain.

"Thos in favor of guilty." Fudge said, but he merely sighed as he banged his gavel, "Very well. Cleared of all charges."

"Excellent!" Dumbledore remarked, delightfully pleased as he patted Harry's shoulder and turned on heel, "Come along then, Harry."

Harry rose from his seat as gracefully as he could before giving a small bow and smirk. He felt so much lighter, having vented everything he felt towards the Ministry directly to their faces. He wondered what they would do next. Despite thorough outclassing he had given the man, he had the feeling that Fudge would be trying something else soon to get back at him and Dumbledore for their small victory of his administration.

He could only, however, guess at what would be done until it came to pass…