Misadventures in Time Travelling
Chapter 11: The Trial
Hermy woke up to the sounds of Lavender and Pavarti gossiping. She buried her head in the pillows, but could still hear the inane chatter.
"Do you liiiiike anyone," asked Pavarti with a giggling voice.
"There arrreee some pretty cute boys at this school," replied Lavender
"Anyone I know?"
"Cedric Diggory, for one, and despite having a stick up his bum, Percy Weasley is pretty cute as well."
Hermy sat up and rolled her eyes upon hearing the gossip. Girls were very much like boys with regards to somethings, except they were slightly less suggestive. She smirked to herself, imagining Percy's reaction if he heard the two first years.
She smoothed her hair with her hands, and yawning, she was about to get up but heard an interesting piece of gossip and waited.
"Oooo…. Harry, sorry Jamie is pretty cute! He is definitely snoggable," Lavender giggled.
Hermy resented this comment from the two gossiping witches who barely bothered to give Hermione the time of day in the last timeline. She glared at the two witches as she pushed the curtains aside and started to get out of bed.
"Hermy is up!"
"What do you think? You spend a lot of time with him!"
Hermy grimaced and replied defensively, "We are 11, we are too young for this."
Lavender and Pavarti smirked, asking her, "So is he cute or not?"
Hermy jumped out of bed, grabbed her supplies for the day and headed for the showers. Over her shoulder she said to the giggling idiots, "He is okay I guess."
Lavender and Pavarti waited for her to leave the room before saying quietly, "I told you so."
In the shower, Hermy reflected. Could she have feelings for Jamie? Are these feelings of obligation considering that she was technically 18 years older than her classmates and that Jamie was the only to understand. Didn't she feel a slither of something back in the old timeline? Was it Ron and Ginny who had prevented exploration of these feelings previously?
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As Hermy mused, Jamie was interrogated by the boys. He had been unlucky enough to be awake to experience the whole conversation involving girls at Hogwarts and was desperately searching for an unsuspicious way to escape to the shower.
"So, if the girl in Seamus' magazine is an 11 out of 10, … What about the girls in Hogwarts?" asked Dean.
Jamie started to get up, but was pulled down by Seamus as a blushing Neville watched the exchange from his bed on the other side of the room.
"Not that easily… "
"It is so disrespectful and nasty to rank girls like this!" Jamie said with gritted teeth.
He could not believe that the stereotypes of boys were proving to be true. He knew that the boys did not have the best hygiene habits, as shown by the often disgustingly smelling dorm room
"Lav and Pav are 8s, but the pickings for Gryffindor girls are pretty slim. I think that Hermy is about a 5," Seamus stated, looking straight at Jamie, daring him to say something.
Jamie blew up, "You. Are. All. Disgusting. Hermy is so much more than that. She so much more than a number based on physical appearance, the scale of which is flawed…"
Jamie stopped as he realised he was being baited. Dean and Seamus smirked, while Neville looked on apologetically. Jamie stormed out of the room, followed by Neville who apologise abjectly.
"Come to breakfast with us Nev," said Jamie.
"Whaaaat," he stuttered in response.
"Hey Neville," said Hermy.
The trio left the common room and made their way to the Great Hall.
"I am so sorry about those idiots," said Neville, his eyes downcast.
"It is ok. Thanks for your concern. Oh, and I was reading a book yesterday and thought you might like it," stated Jamie, withdrawing a thin book from his pocket and handing it to Neville.
Neville turned it over and looked at Jamie questioningly.
"Oh, it is on wand lore. I picked it up from a second hand shop and thought it might be useful."
As the trio entered the Great Hall, McGonagall ran over to them, puffing.
"You two. Sorry Neville; not you. You will be going to the Ministry today for the trial. Both of you, along with Ron Weasley, will be called as witnessed," Professor McGonagall forced out, with her hands on her knees, breathing heavily.
At that moment Ron Weasley stumbled out of nowhere, still asleep as he made his way to the Great Hall for breakfast.
He jumped as Professor McGonagall called to him, "Mr Weasley! Follow me please; it is now time for the trial."
Ron groaned, replying "What about breakfast Professor? I am starving!"
"I have some small snacks in my office that you may consume," Professor McGonagall replied, all but rolling her eyes at Ron's apparent greed.
Neville left the small group, with Ron's eyes following his every move enviously, while the others followed Professor McGonagall towards her office. They entered her office and were greeted by a table laid with muffins, fruit and nuts. The professor tapped her foot impatiently as she watched the young students eat their breakfast, and then as they (mainly Ron) stored food for later in their pockets. The tall, grey haired witch removed the lid from an ornate metal jar and offered it to the students, who all removed a spoonful of emerald green powder.
"Ministry of Magic," called Professor McGonagall as she threw her own handful in the flames.
The professor disappeared and soon was followed by Jamie, Hermy and Ron.
…. Page Break …
Hermy stumbled out of the fireplace, falling in front of a long passageway with at least 20 majestic fire places on each side, which had to be at least 2m tall each. She looked around and saw witches and wizards, wearing business robes, striding with purpose along the busy walkway. She could not help but smirk as she remembered the last time she had been at the Ministry- infiltrating Voldemort's supposed centre of government. She exchanged nods with an also smirking Jamie.
Their smirks faded as their focus switched from adventure and mutiny to sadness and loss. What had happened to the Cattermoles and other poor Muggleborns who were on trial. What happened to the 'average' worker who had to deal with the stress and oppression every day?
They shivered and continued to follow as McGonagall guided the group to a welcome desk which was set in the middle of the walkway between the fireplaces and a grand entry hall.
She looked at the half asleep witch at the desk, who was absently-mindedly tapping a tune with her absurdly long pink fingernails and barked, "Minerva McGonagall, Harry Potter. Mr Potter; I had to use this name as it is on record at the Ministry. Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger here for the trial of Sirius Black.
"Come on, we do not have all day. Hand your wands over to be checked," McGonagall ordered briskly, handing her wand over and then receiving it and a name tag back.
Hermy bit her lip and handed her wand to the welcome witch, attempting to look nervous as it was supposedly her first time at the Ministry. The witch yawned and placed the wand on an ancient looking set of scales, with a slit cut into the bottom. She lazily pressed a button, and gears whirred inside of the machine as it spat out a long piece of paper.
"Holly. Phoenix feather. 11 inches. Been in use almost one year. Please put this badge on and keep it in for the whole time you are in the Ministry," the witch said robotically, handing Hermy a badge.
As Ron handed his wand over with boredom (having been to the Ministry many times with his father), Hermy looked at the badge, which read "Hermione Granger, trial witness," as she placed the badge on her robes.
McGonagall hurried the group through the entry way, passing by a hideous looking statue. The statue, once destroyed by Harry and his friend on their mistaken rescue mission at the Ministry was in its original state. Hermy and Jamie looked at it in disgust, seeing the proud, "strong" macho wizard with vacant looking witch huddled into him. They shook their heads as they took in the magical beings looking up at the wizard with admiration.
Jamie pursed his lips and grew increasingly agitated as they walked past the statue, and fearing that Jamie was about to blow their cover, leant in and whispered with a grin, "Do you think we could stage another rescue meeting, or have the final confrontation with Voldemort here to get rid of it for good?"
Jamie snorted, and replied, "Hmmm…."
"Come on… You know you want to. What about a giant statue of the Boy-Who-Lived?" Hermy giggled as McGonagall looked at the pair with exasperation as they entered an elevator.
"Level 10, Courtroom 10," she muttered as she pushed the large round button on the wall.
The Hogwarts five were joined in the elevator by a strange assortment of wizards. McGonagall sighed as the students openly gawked at the wizard levitating a smoking crate, at the wizard with a unicorn horn and at the many fluttering paper planes flying above their heads. The elevator seemed to last forever as the young witch and wizards settled, realising that they held the fate of a man who could prove to be innocent in their hands.
They solemnly walked out of the elevator, dragging their feet as they walked along a dark corridor. They were met at the door by an auror wearing full dress uniform who ushered them into a small waiting room.
"You will be called at some time today. You will not be allowed in the courtroom until you give witness. Afterwards, you will come straight back and DO NOT DISCUSS anything. You will be monitored by another auror to ensure propriety" the auror ordered.
The group filed into the grim, dull looking room quietly under the watchful and suspicious eyes of the auror. They sat down on hard, uncomfortable chairs. Jamie pulled two books out of his pocket handing one to Hermy, while Ron lay on the floor in an attempt to sleep and McGonagall sat writing. They were joined in the room by a ragged Remus Lupin, who refused to meet their eyes.
An hour passed before McGonagall was called into the courtroom to bear witness. The teens shifted their weight uncomfortably, their every attempt to talk thwarted by the stern auror. Despite the discomfort, Hermy and Jamie fell asleep, leaning on each other.
Hermy woke from her nightmares of a leering Voldemort who had struck Jamie, laughing as he watched Hermy holding his broken body.
"Hermy, are you okay? You were yelling in your sleep," McGonagall asked with concern in her voice.
She continued when Hermy sleepily nodded, rubbing her eyes, "It is time for you to witness. It is past lunch time. I do not know who they think they are, keeping children for so long without a feed!"
The auror rolled her eyes, and huffed. She took Hermy by the arm and guided her towards into the room. The auror walked Hermy into the centre of the amphitheatre and pushed her down to sit in a hard backed wooden chair. Hermy looked around her with nervousness. She could see old, imposing witches and wizards sitting in the seats looking down at her, some with barely concealed derision and others with total disinterest. She could see a gaunt Sirius Black being held in chains metres from where she was sitting.
Hermy gulped, starting to experience flashbacks of her previous experiences in this room. Images of Umbridge filled her mind, hate arising as Hermy remembered her trial for underage magic. She remembered the feeling of despair and of possibly misplaced joy as Dumbledore strode in, as the hero. Hermy physically shuddered as her body recalled the Dementors prowling the room as Umbridge presided over the trial of the Cattermoles, accused of stealing the magic of squibs.
"Miss Granger…" a voice said, coming closer to Hermy. "Are you okay?"
Hermy looked up and saw a kind looking, middle age witch with a monocle looking at her with concern. She gulped and nodded.
"Enough of this… delaying tactics," said a sickly sweet voice. "Let us get this travesty of a trial over and done with."
Hermy glared at the toad wearing pink. She vowed that she would overcome the foul woman who had yet to physically torture her in this reality, but who had left lasting emotional scars.
"Yes, yes, yes Delores. We will get onto it now. Albus? Will you start the questioning?" placated a still stupid sounding Cornelius Fudge.
Hermy further examined the room and saw the illustrious leader of the light sitting at the far end of the amphitheatre, seated on what could only be describe as a throne. He was surrounded by sycophants, who were torn in their desired to gaze at the Light, the defeater or darkness, or their nervousness of the close proximity to the feared murderer."
"Miss Granger, there is no need to worry," Dumbledore said quietly, his eyes twinkling as he gazed upon the young girl. "Please tell the Wizengamot exactly what happened the night of September the first."
Hermy gulped, her eyes wide. To Dumbledore, she appeared to be a scared young girl, who shook at the thought of testifying in front of so many purebloods as a simple Muggleborn witch. Others watching grew sympathetic for the young girl being forced in her first encounter with the wizarding world to testify.
She stuttered, "Err…"
"Spit it out Miss Granger," ordered Umbridge with her voice growing even more sickly sweet.
"Delores, let her be," said Dumbledore calmly. "Miss Granger, take your time and tell us what happened."
Hermy bit her lip, and without her eyes leaving the hunched body of Sirius Black, said in a halting voice, "It was the Sorting. I read the books but it was so much better. I was sorted into Gryffindor, which was amazing because it is the house of the brave. I had read ALL my books, and even more and really wanted to prove myself worthy of a most amazing opportunity so I HAD to do it."
She took a deep breath after saying most of the last part in one breath, and continued, her gaze unwavering, "So I picked up my wand to show Jamie what I read. I guess I waved my wand a bit too much and almost hit Ron's rat. That is when it happened. BAM."
Members of the Wizengamot jumped as Hermy came out of her almost stupor to yell. Umbridge rolled her eyes and used her hands to prompt Hermy to hurry up and finish her account.
Hermy smiled apologetically at the impatient Umbridge, thinking "Clip clop. Clip clop. Clip clop."
She continued speaking with increasing animation, gesturing wildly, "BAM. This old FAT man with front teeth bigger than mine used to be APPEARED out of nowhere. He was super twitchy and had a finger missing."
She gazed at Dumbledore, appearing to still look innocent, albeit somewhat excited by her story. She could feel tendrils entering her mind, as she allowed only images of the Sorting to play across her mind, joined by a sense of nervousness and a crush towards Jamie. Dumbledore nodded.
"You cannot expect to believe this… Mudblood," jeered Umbridge.
"DELORES, if you cannot control yourself, you can leave. That is DESIPICABLE language for such an august body as the Wizengamot," ordered a stately looking Dumbledore who had risen from his throne. "Madam Bones?"
"I see no reason to discount her account. She seemed to be telling the truth and has nothing to gain from lying," Madam Bones said with authority. "It supports what we were told by the others AND what we saw in the Pensieve earlier."
Hermy watched as the other members of the Wizengamot nodded and started to talk amongst themselves. Dumbledore nodded at an unseen person, and Hermy was guided out of the room by the auror. They entered the room and Hermy re-joined the group. It seemed like hours, perhaps only 10 or so minutes, until the auror returned.
"You may now leave. Thank you for your service to the Ministry. You will be notified of the results of the trial as soon as a decision has been made," the auror said in a monotone.
The room slowly entered as the witnesses stretched their legs after being stuck in that small room for the majority of the day. Hermy, Jamie and Ron followed McGonagall silently, yawning as they followed her like ducklings. One by one they made their way back to Hogwarts via the Floo, greeted by a tray of sandwiches sitting on the table in the office.
"Eat quickly and make your way to bed. It has been a long day," McGonagall gently uttered.
They ate, the plate of sandwiches being replenished as it was emptied and slowly made their way to the tower. It was 10 o'clock before they made their way back to their dorms. Students looked up with little interest as the group entered the tower, their eyes returning to books, games of Wizarding chess or other pursuits.
Hermy made her way straight to bed, and ignoring the pleas of Lavender and Parvati, closed her curtains. She placed a silencing charm on the bed and slept restlessly, tossing and turning. Previously buried memories had been released.