PART 1
Chapter 1: The Invasion
A heavy oak door slammed shut, and all who were present fell suddenly silent.
'Please be seated.' The small gathering of witches and wizards viewing the trial sat down on the long benches on the upper platform of Courtroom 8, which was situated in the basement of the Ministry of Magic.
The accused sat in a small chair in the centre of the room, the arms of which were covered in long chains, ready to bind him should he attempt to escape. A few wizards and witches were congregated around the chair on the bottom platform, and all wore what appeared to be black robes, although it was difficult to tell as there was limited light; a few small lanterns were bathing light into the viewing gallery, and little else was visible.
The man sat shaking uncontrollably, petrified that the hearing was about to commence. His scraggly hair covered a tired face, but his eyes were still visible; his pupils were slits and were an eerie shade of silver. His robes were worn and ripped in places, and he looked ill. Beads of sweat rolled down his face and this was not due to the humid atmosphere of the warm July afternoon. Dumbledore could have sworn he saw a black mark on the man's left arm, but dismissed it.
The Minister for Magic stepped forward from the scattering of wizards on the bottom platform. The others flicked their wands and sat in an array of chairs that had appeared; they were the important people of the trial, as they alone decided the man's fate.
'Disciplinary hearing of the nineteenth of July.' The Minister spoke slowly and with a calm voice; as he recited his speech a quill on a small table began scribbling notes of its own accord onto a blank piece of parchment. 'This hearing has been called after offences were committed that violated the Decree for the Abolition of Dark Magic, by Gregory Pickerton, who currently has no official residence.'
The hearing started with evidence presented by some of the wizards who sat on the chairs at the bottom of the courtroom, and Pickerton was interrogated in the cruellest way: moving images and detailed documents accounting for the murders of nine Muggles by means of the most horrific use of Dark magic were shown to all who were present. The evidence against Pickerton was immense, and as the hearing proceeded all he could do was stare at the light emanating from the lamps on the stone walls, his silvery eyes shimmering like the silvery wispy clouds outside the Ministry of Magic, glowing with the light from the full moon.
The hearing lasted most of the evening, and by the time the verdict was read out–he was found guilty by the majority-the lamps were burning out and fading, just like the man's wishes of ever returning to his normal life.
'You shall be escorted immediately to Azka-' The voice was interrupted by a commotion outside; a harassed-looking witch stormed into the courtroom, panting for breath. 'Excuse me…Minister…outside…quickly.'
'We are in the middle of a trial, Susan.'
Unfortunately, the Minister never got to respond, for at that moment, a tall wizard raided the courtroom, lifted his wand, and shouted: 'AVADA KEDAVRA!' A bolt of blinding green light ejected from the tip, and the room was immersed in light and energy; the spell had missed its target: the Minister. When all had calmed, the Minister charged towards what he thought was the man, only to find he had missed him, and flew across the hard floor on his front. The spectators ran from the top platform, shooting curses and jinxes in all directions. As they were all too busy charging for the door in order to halt the man in his tracks, they failed to notice that Pickerton had vanished, unnoticed, from the courtroom. They also failed to notice the strange whirring sound; the source of which was a strange and ancient artefact that stood in the back corner of the room.