Harry Potter and the Twist in Time

Chapter 8: The Hearing

Two days later.

Dumbledore and two other Ministry officials rang the doorbell of number 4 Privet Drive. The door opened revealing Petunia and Vernon Dursley. Both of them dressed in their best clothes. For Vernon, it was a neat suit and tie. For Petunia, it was a cocktail dress.

"Let's get this clear," Vernon snarled, "we are only doing this so we can get our son back."

"We cannot guarantee, that you will get your son back, Vernon," Dumbldore replied, "Now let's go. We have decided that the muggle way will be best way to get there. So, just hop into the car."

They stopped in front of the Visitor's Entrance to the Ministry of Magic. The Dursleys stared because the Visitors Entrance was, strangely a telephone booth!

"Now, all of us are not able to fit in all at once," spoke up one of the officials, "Vernon Dursley you come with me first. Then, Petunia you wait with Albus and Noni."

"Are we going to ride in this thing?" Petunia asked disgusted. She was absolutely revolted by anything dirty.

"Why yes," the official spoke up surprised, "it's the only way Muggles such as yourselves can access the Ministry."

With that, Vernon and the other Ministry official stepped in. After a few minutes, the telephone booth disappeared. Then, a few moments later, it reappeared without them in it.

"Where did they go?" questioned Petunia, "what did you do with my husband?"

"He's fine," Dumbledore said, unbothered by the question. "If you step in, you can join him in a few moments."

When they Vernon and Petunia arrived at the atrium they stood there amazed. Vernon stood there watching people disappear and reappear in the fire places, calling it insane. Petunia jumped every time someone Apparated. They headed to the lifts on the other side. Vernon and Petunia seemed relieved that there was at least something, 'normal.'

As they were going down Petunia spoke up, "When am I going to see my son?"

"It's up to the court to decide," replied one of the officials without looking back.

"Court?" yelled Vernon. "You can't take us to court. We are normal people. You can't charge us as freaks."

"You are not being charged as magical people," Dumbledore explained calmly. "However, as the case is against a magical child, the Muggle Liaison Office is handling your case, under Muggle laws. You will charged as a Muggle and sentenced as a Muggle. All the information on this case will be filed with the Muggle Police as well. As is custom for dealing with Muggles, your son has been put in Muggle foster care."

When they entered Courtroom 5 they discovered it was set up in normal Muggle fashion. There was a Judge and a Jury, which consisted of twelve Wizengamot members. Who had experience with the Muggle world. Behind where the defendants sat were, was the audience sat. There weren't many people, just a few witnesses, since the news of Harry Potter's abandonment had not been leaked. The Dursley sat at the defendants table. Their representative was Charles Sigmont from the Muggle Liaison Office.

"This court has come to session," the judge Arden Mable announced, "for charges of abuse and abandonment of Harry James Potter. The defendants are Vernon Ackerley Dursley and Petunia Tulip Evans Dursley. Will the prosecutor step please foreword and give his opening statement?"

"Judge, Wizengamot members," the prosecutor Garnet Hagadorn started speaking. "We are here to talk about the charges against the Dursleys. There is no reason whatsoever to abandon a child. Especially a baby. And this baby happens to be Harry James Potter The-Boy-Who-Lived. Even if he is, as the defendants call him, "a freak." Also, there is reason to believe that they have abused their own son."

"Objection!" roared Vernon, "We'd never abused our son. We gave him everything a growing boy needed. Our boy is NORMAL unlike you, FREAKS!"

"The boy, Dudley Vernon Dursley," Hagadorn continued ignoring Vernon's comment, "is vastly overweight for a sixteen month old boy. They need to be punished for their abusing a young child and abandoning a baby. It is important that the Dursleys learn to look after children, before they are allowed to look after their son again."

"Thank-you Hagadorn," Judge Mable said. "The defendant for the Dursleys please begin."

The defendant, Jay Cahoon, for the Dursleys stood up.

"The never wanted the baby Harry Potter. The Dursleys said from the start, when Lily Evans, Petunia Dursley's sister, attended Hogwarts that they didn't want anything to do with the Magical community. They feel that it was their right to chose whether or not they would bring Harry up. Dumbledore, Cahoon continued, should have realised that before he placed Harry on the defendant's doorsteps."

Cahoon knew it was a weak protest to the charges. But he didn't have much to work on considering that it was a losing case. No one wanted to defend the Dursleys, so they pulled a name out of a wizard's hat. The Dursley's didn't care what would happen to Harry, as long as they got their son back.

"Okay, Hagadorn," Judge Mable said, "Bring out your first witness."

"I call foreward Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," Hagadorn announced. Dumbledore stood up and came and took the witness seat. "Albus, can you please tell us when you first found out Harry Potter was missing?"

"It was the next day. Minerva McGonagall came and told me," Dumbldore told the court. "She went to check on Harry to see if he was alright. When she arrived there, she found him missing. Then, I assume she came straight to me with the news."

"Where did you go next?" asked Hagadorn, "because obviously you didn't know what they did with him."

"I went to the Dursleys," Dumbledore replied, "There was no clue of where he went, so I had to ask them. With some persuasion, Vernon Dursley told me what he did to Harry."

"And where did you find Harry?" Hagadorn questioned.

"In a dumpster, in a dark alleyway in East Side London," Dumbledore answered.

"Now, there were a number of people there with you when you found him. Who were they?" Hagadorn continued to ask.

"They were," Dumbledore said with a smile, "Minerva McGonagall, the Bones, the Longbottoms, Remus Lupin and Madam Pomphrey."

"What state was young Harry in?"

"He was rather upset, Dirty and he was very hungry, of course, since he hadn't eaten for about 24 hours. Little Harry was of missing his parents," Dumbledore said sadly.

"That is all," Hagadorn said sitting down.

Cahoon stood up and asked, "Albus did you ask the Dursleys if they wanted Harry Potter?"

"No," Dumbledore said shaking his head, "but I did leave them a letter telling them of the reasons I left Harry with them."

"Thankyou, that is all," Cahoon said taking his seat again.

Judge Mable spoke up, "Next witness please Mr. Hagadorn."

"I call Vernon Dursley," Hagadorn announced.

Vernon got up on the stand muttering about inconsiderate freaks, and wasting time. "What was that you said Mr. Dursley?" Hagadorn asked with a smile.

"Nothing," Vernon growled, "I don't care what happens to the freak, or any of you freaks, as long as I get my son back."

"Mr. Dursley," Hagadorn said seriously, "you are also under review for whether you and Mrs. Dursley are capable of looking after a child. Now," Hagadorn continued, "can you please tell us what happened the morning you found Harry Potter on your doorstep? And remember, Mr. Dursley you are under oath."

"Petunia found the little freak first," Vernon said scowling. "She went to put the milk bottles out and found him on the doorstep. She, of course, called for me. Petunia was quite upset. This was quite reasonable. I would have been the same if some freak sister of mine left her son on my doorstep. Then I noticed the letter that was left with him. We read it. I told Petunia we were not keeping him," Vernon continued almost yelling, "Petunia wanted him to take him to an orphanage. But I said "no way." We will not Leave it to some other poor soul to look after him and his freakish abilities."

There were angry mutterings all around the court after Vernon's statement. It took Judge Mable had to wait five minutes to get order was restored.

"Thankyou, Mr. Dursley," Hagadorn said quietly, "that is all. I rest my case."

"Thankyou Hagadorn," Judge Mable said, "Cahoon do you want to question the witness, or bring foreward another witness?"

"No, I don't think there is anything else we can do," Cahoon said with a sigh.

"Alright the court will have a recess, while the jury decides on the outcome of this hearing," Judge Mable announced.

AN: Ah a cliffhanger. What is the Dursley's punishment? Will they able to get Dudley back? Find out next chapter.

Prof. M – I am trying to make the chapters longer. But it is not easy for me.

Cheetah