Chapter 7
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything.
Author's note: Please review! Thank you! Sorry for the delay *kicks self* I'm not normally this slow, but I have had a busy week.
Harry was quickly able to go home and Dudley went home to his mother with a promise to keep quiet till they had their evidence in order. Dudley had confessed that he owed Harry a debt and he would respect their wishes despite the affects it would have on his family's life.
Remus, James and Sirius devoted a week to the whole case, trying to get good solid evidence and ensuring they had a fool proof and quick case, they didn't want to put Harry through much stress.
On a Monday morning James woke Harry up and sat on his bed "Harry." He said gently as his son woke properly.
"Yeah?" Harry asked.
"I've rung some friends of mine and we've sorted it out. Your hearing is today at twelve o'clock. Vernon has been sent a letter and has a spell upon his house where he can't run away. He'll be there, as will Petunia and Dudley. Petunia is on trial with your Uncle but her charges are less. I'll be right beside you the whole way through, I promise." James said.
"Oh… okay… dad-"Harry cut himself off.
"Yeah?" James asked.
"I just… I never thought I'd ever see justice for what they did to me all those years. It feels odd."
"Good odd?" James queried.
"Very good odd. Relieving… but kind of not because it isn't over yet." Harry admitted.
"Okay. Well, I'm just so glad I'm back so I can get justice for you and give you the life you deserve." James smiled and ruffled Harry's hair "Now, get into your smart clothes, have some breakfast, and we'll go to the ministry." James said and left.
A few hours later Remus, Sirius, James and Harry were walking through the ministry and were led to the room they were to go to before the trial started. It was under the 'wizarding-children-care' department so they would have a different judge than the judge Harry had the last time.
"Harry Potter?" A woman called out, she looked kind and was wearing bright colours.
"Yes?" Harry asked from where he sat between Remus and James.
"Hello, I'm Georgia, I just came to check that you're okay." She said.
"I'm fine." Harry said.
The witch conjured up a chair and sat opposite him "Things like this can bring up some bad memories, I just wanted you to know that at any time in the trial if you need to take a break that is absolutely fine. Your dad can stay close to you throughout for support. And we are all here to protect you, no harm will come to you." She said.
"Thanks." Harry nodded shyly.
"Not a problem. We all have your best interests at heart and we want it to go smoothly and we don't want you to feel upset, so just so you are aware if you need to talk to anyone privately to get some feelings out I am here for that." She said.
"Okay." Harry nodded in understanding; he tapped his foot in nervousness as he knew the trial was going to be soon.
"Do you trust me?" she asked.
"Well… I have no reason not to." Harry said.
She held out a hand for him to shake. He took it in a sign of trust and she said "It's about to start."
He stood up and gripped onto the sleeves of James and Remus.
"It's alright." She said when she saw this. They all entered the large room, the ministry people were there, The Dursleys had a lawyer sat in his place and Harry's lawyer was Sirius so this would be a good fight.
Harry sat down in his seat and the trial begun, the judge introduced the topics and charges once Petunia and Vernon were sat in the centre on the tough chairs. They weren't tied down but the chains were ready just in case.
Vernon glared constantly and Petunia just sat there with a face like a cat's backside. Dudley was sat in the stands nervously.
Harry was called to the box and he and James stood up. James sat right beside Harry in the box.
Vernon looked like he was almost growling at Harry.
"Mr Potter junior, can I please ask how long you were abused by Mr Dursley for?"
Harry delved into some information and kept his courage up. He was asked a few questions which he answered well and then he was asked for some memories. A witch helped extract them and they tapped the pensieve so it would project Harry's memories to the audience of jury and such.
The first memory was of Harry at the age of seven. He was being dragged by his small arm by Vernon, who was followed by Dudley and Petunia.
"That school is asking questions! You have to make friends; they will investigate because they think you're mental! Why won't you be normal and make friends?" Vernon growled.
"Nobody likes me, Uncle, I'm sorry! But I can't help it! Nobody wants to be my friend!" Harry said desperately.
"Well you will have to try harder to make friends, won't you?" Vernon asked.
"No, I can't!" Harry said, close to tears now.
Vernon turned the stove on and Harry started screeching now and Vernon pressed the boy's hand onto the stove. Harry screamed and cried.
That memory faded and was replaced by another. This time Petunia was leading a four year old Harry by his jumper; she then pushed him into a cupboard and locked him in. Little Harry sighed gently then cuddled up to a blanket.
That memory faded and many more replaced it, some of Vernon whacking and beating Harry, some of the chores he was made to do. The people who witnessed these acts of violence on the child looked absolutely horrified; it was one of the worst cases they'd seen in a long time.
Harry was shaking at the end and had his face buried in James' shoulder, he wasn't feeling good, he felt horrible and he had felt every single blow that little him had received.
"It's alright, Harry, you're doing really well." James said as his arms encircled Harry in a comforting hug. He just wanted to take the pain away from his son.
James helped Harry back to his seat. Sirius stood up and said "I went to the Dursley's house under polyjuice potion; I had the appearance of Harry so I could bring some more recent evidence but I didn't want Harry to actually have to do that so I went in his stead." Sirius waved his wand and the memories of the violence he had receiver played.
Once it was finished Sirius said "Harry has received years of child-labour, neglect and brutal violence from the hands of Mr and Mrs Dursley. The after-effects have been shyness; Harry is not a confidant boy and he, at the beginning of James' return, wasn't well-adjusted to physical contact. He has had nightmares about his past, and I know that these people need to get what they deserve. No child should have to go through any of this at the hands of the people that are meant to care for them. We can't go back and rescue that little boy from hell, but we can get him justice." Sirius proclaimed.
Many were nodding. Sirius sat back down and the bumbling lawyer of the Dursley's stood up.
"Mr Dursley, what do you have to say?" he asked.
"This is nonsense! Those… images… were faked!" he said.
"That isn't possible." The judge stated.
"B-but! He deserved it!" Mr Dursley shouted.
"How? How did a five year old boy deserve that?" Even their own lawyer seemed to hate them.
"He was a freak! He bought shame over my family! He was never my child! Why should we have that burden? We thought maybe we could make him normal if we stamped that horrific… magic out of him!" Dursley shouted.
"My son is not a burden!" James shouted.
"Then why didn't you care for him?" Vernon screeched.
"Because I was dead!" James shouted back.
"Dad…" Harry tugged at his dad's robes and the man sat down and put his arm back around his son protectively.
"Mrs Dursley, have you anything to say?" the lawyer asked.
"N…no." she whispered.
"Okay, that is all I have to say." The lawyer sat down.
A break was called and Harry, Sirius, Remus and James were sat eating lunch in the waiting room.
"That's the hard part done." Sirius sighed.
"Not… not really." Harry said.
"Hmm?" Sirius asked, confused.
"I think… the hardest bit is right now, waiting for the result. I don't know why… it's just… I knew what was going to happen in those memories. But I don't know what the result will be." Harry said quietly.
"It'll be a good long time they serve in Azkaban, it has to be." James said reassuringly.
"I hope so." Harry said.
