AUTHOR'S NOTES: This chapter is short I know, but I thought that where I ended it worked better than going further.
Read, review, and show your love!
Chapter 3 Decisions
Former judge Mary Clark had just finished making herself a mug of tea when someone knocked on the door. Opening the door, she was only slightly surprised to see ADA Casey Novak standing there.
"Casey. What brings you here?" Mary asked, curious.
"I need advice," Casey said when her mentor stepped aside so that Casey could enter the apartment.
"Professional or personal?"
"Personal," Casey replied, sitting down on the couch. "I guess you heard about the Potter case."
Mary nodded as she fixed another mug of tea. "Hard case, I imagine."
"Judge Clark… if I tell you something unbelievable… do you promise not to automatically throw me in a nuthouse?" Casey asked as she took the offered mug of tea.
"First of all, Casey," Mary said, smirking. "You need to start calling me 'Mary'. As for the 'something unbelievable'… I promise to believe you."
Casey felt reassured, but was still unsure of how to say it. "I, uh… I'm a witch."
"That's it?" Mary said, sipping her tea.
Casey looked taken aback. "You're not surprised?"
Mary grinned. "I told you my youngest son went to a private boarding school. I just didn't add that it was for wizards."
"You're a witch?" Casey asked, stunned.
"Oh, heavens no," Mary replied. "I'm a muggle. Making my son, Greg, a muggleborn wizard. So now that that's out of the way… what did you need advice on?"
"The wizard courts can punish a wizard that attacks muggles but it can't prosecute a muggle who attacks an underage wizard," Casey said, drinking her own tea.
"It's not right, I agree," Mary replied. "But what can you do?"
"That's what I keep thinking."
Catching on, Mary said, "You're thinking about returning to the wizarding world."
"Exactly," Casey said, nodding. "I want to figure out some way that we can combine magical and muggle law."
Leaning back in her chair, Mary contemplated the quandary. "Casey, you're a fair yet strong prosecutor. You stand for what you believe in and you don't back down without a fight. With a wand in your hand… I imagine there's nothing you couldn't accomplish."
----------
Getting back to her office, Casey was surprised to see Albus Dumbledore standing by the door. "Pretty brazen move coming to see me given what you did to Harry."
"Do you mind if we talk?" Dumbledore asked, politely, as he stepped into the room and closed the door.
"Make it snappy. I'm packing up my stuff," Casey said, going to her bookcase and retrieving a small, thin wooden case on the top shelf.
Dumbledore nodded. "I'd like to offer you a job, Miss Novak. I have already employed a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but the staff change has left me without a potions master."
"Why me?" Casey asked, doubtfully.
"Your grades in Potions were the best I've ever seen," Dumbledore replied. "And I know that you wish to affect changes in the wizarding legal system but that does not mean that you can't… explore other avenues in the process."
"I admit… if I hadn't become an ADA… I think I'd probably already be teaching Potions," Casey said, opening the wooden box and pulling out a beautiful olivewood wand.
"I am aware that I have done… unforgivable things," Dumbledore said, sitting across from Casey. "But I placed Harry with his aunt because I sought to take advantage of a blood protection."
"I know about that," Casey replied, looking the headmaster in the eye. "Harry told me when I asked why he wouldn't press charges against you."
Dumbledore sighed. He knew it was a long shot but he'd hoped that she might consider the offer. "If you wish to continue your focus on muggle law, then I will return to Hogwarts," he said, standing up. "But should you change your mind… you know where to find me."
Just as Dumbledore was about to close the door behind him, he heard Casey ask, "How soon do I need to be there?"
---------
"You're really leaving?" Fin asked as he stood in Casey's office watching her magically pack the last of her belongings.
"I just think that I need to get back to being a witch," Casey said, as the last of her things shrank and flew into the boxes on the floor.
"But we could still use you here," Fin protested. "You're good at your job."
"Vernon Dursley was tried here because the wizard courts couldn't try him," Casey reiterated.
Fin looked beaten, but he nodded. "I understand. You go do what you gotta do, Casey. I'll make sure they hold your job for you."
------------------------
Hermione stood with the rest of the Weasley family under a flashing banner that read 'Welcome Home, Harry!'.
Harry was due home with Mrs. Weasley, Sirius and Tonks any moment and Hermione was anxious to see exactly what damage Vernon had done.
The front door opened and Hermione let out a small gasp as Harry came in sitting in his wheelchair. Behind him came Sirius and Tonks, Mrs. Weasley and a woman that only Hermione and Bill seemed to recognize.
Stepping forward, Bill held out his hand to the mystery woman. "Good to see you again, Casey," He said before kissing the back of her hand.
Casey blushed. "You too, Bill."
"Aren't you US Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak?" Hermione said, her eyes alight with curiousity.
Casey turned to Hermione. "You know about me?"
"First pureblood witch to go to muggle law school in America," Hermione rattled off easily. "You worked with the Special Victims Unit in Manhattan New York."
Casey was impressed. "Wow. Didn't know I was so special."
"You put Vernon Dursley behind bars," Fred Weasley said, grinning.
"Dudley too," George added. "That makes you special to us."
"Alright, alright," Molly said, fussing. "Everyone into the garden. There's not enough room to do this party properly in here. Go on, shoo! Out with you!"
Everyone headed outside where two long picnic tables were set up. Platters and trays of food magically appeared and as Casey sat down near the head of the table by Harry, she started feeling more at home than she'd ever felt in New York.
It was suddenly nice to be back in the wizarding world.