Chapter XIV
"Why, hello, Mr. Flower. Care to join me in a dance?" She bowed before the poppy and gently took it into her hands. "A Tango perhaps? No? A Waltz then" She started moving in the familiar way soon engrossed by the powerful feeling the dance gave her. 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2 , 3, Left turn, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, Right turn... Why is this so easy for me? Why do I feel so familiar with it? "Say, Mr. Flower... Have we ever done this before?"
"State your name, age and marital status."
"Ronald Weasley, 24, married"
"Do you know why you are here, Mr. Weasley?" Ron looked furious. His hands were handcuffed and for the last ten hours since he was arrested he had been treated like the worst kind of criminal.
"No, I do not!"
"You are being accused of the attempted murder of Mrs. Hermione Weasley which resulted in permanent damage to victim's health." The head of the Wizengamot was speaking in a monotone voice. He was charmed to be objective. It was a habit introduced after the war when numerous unfair trials were held. The Ministry had become so paranoid that they had started to arrest innocent people for being Death Eaters. "What do you say in your defence?"
"I didn't do it!" He looked at the people seating above him. His family was there so was Harry and... Malfoy? What the fuck was he doing here? Their faces were hard to read, unlike the faces of the members of Wizengamot who sneered at him in contempt. Ron shuddered.
"Can you prove it? What exactly you were doing between 3 and 3:30 pm on the 30th January of 2004?" The wizards tone didn't change a bit, and Ron thought for a moment.
"I believe I was home at that time." He said cautiously.
"Why you weren't working that day?"
"I took a free day from work, the news from the previous day had made it impossible for me to concentrate" He chose his words carefully. He knew he had to play it right.
"And what was this news?"
"I found out my wife was cheating on me with my brother." Ron hung his head trying to look as broken as he could. Malfoy snorted. George looked at Ron shocked. That lying piece of scum! He knows we weren't doing anything! The old wizard looked at Malfoy reproachfully.
"Can anyone prove your alibi?"
"No I don't think so, no."
"Did you, or did you not buy a bouquet of twenty-three roses that can be seen on the other side of the room?" Ron turned his head around and saw a marvellous bouquet of big burgundy roses adorned with a black "1" on white piece of paper. The kind he always bought for Hermione.
"No, I did not."
"Can anyone confirm that you indeed didn't buy the bouquet in question?"
"Ask any bloody florist you want! I did not buy this bouquet!!"
"State your name, age and marital status."
"Aurora Goldbucket, 56, widow." The modest middle-aged witch in a tweed outfit said. She looked very trustworthy noted Ron with a sudden need to puke. He felt as he was being framed big time. I've never seen this woman before...
"What is your profession Madam Goldbucket?"
"I am a florist at the Three Flowers, a flower shop in Diagon Alley."
"Could you please look at the evidence number 1 and tell us if you have seen it before." The witch looked at the bouquet and asked whether she may look closer. After receiving a positive answer from the judge, she walked over to the roses. It really was quite unforgettable, twenty-three raw burgundy roses in a wicker basket. She went back to her seat and nodded at the venerable wizard.
"Yes, I do recall this bouquet. I sold it few days ago."
"Could you be more precise?"
"Well I work there on the weekends and we don't have fresh flower on Sunday and those roses were certainly fresh when I was making the bouquet, so it had to be Saturday. That would make it..." She counted silently in her head. "The 30th, am I right?"
"You have sold this basket on Saturday the 30th January 2004, is that right?"
"Yes, it is."
"Can you describe the person to whom you have sold the flowers?"
"Your honour, I don't think I have to describe him..." The judge looked at her with his eyebrows raised. "He is sitting right over there." And she pointed her finger right at Ron. Ron's jaw dropped.
"Now that is a right piece of bullshit! Who do you think you are! Why are you lying?! Who paid you?!" The witch looked at him, shocked. She didn't have the slightest idea what this man was talking about. He bought the bouquet. She remembered him!
"Mr. Weasley this is the first warning. Behave yourself or you will be charged with a penalty of thousand Galleons." The judge's voice was strict but he still was impassive. Ron sighed and sat back on his bench. This was getting him nowhere.
"State your name, age and marital status"
"I am Jean Michelle Laroche! Age 33, 'appily unmarried." The funny Frenchman said with a strong accent.
Now who the fuck is this guy? It's getting better every minute. They can't tell me that they are going to believe anything this... person says! Ron was dumbstruck. He felt as if he was in a circus. He hoped the show will end soon.
"What is your profession?"
"I am a very secret photographe!" He shouted, obviously very proud of himself.
"... Could you tell as something more about what it is that you do?"
"I am 'ired by ze detectives. Zey pay me for ze evidence."
"What kind of evidence?"
"Ze evidence of ze mysterious wayz of ze cheating 'usbandz and vifez of courze!"
"Could you please look at the evidence number two given to you by the guard and tell us whether you recognize it or not" Laroche nodded and took the pictures from the guard and smiled.
"Mais oui! Zey are magnifique, are zey not? It iz quite obvious that it waz me who took zem." He looked very happy with himself. Ron couldn't believe this guy. Not only there was more evidence but there was also a clown recognizing it! Circus, circus, circus...
"Can you please tell us why did you take these pictures?"
"I waz 'ired to follow Ron Weazly very clozely and collect every evidence zat could prove zat 'e cheats on 'iz vife. Ven I saw 'im buying flowerz I thought 'e waz buying zem for 'iz mistress Lavender Brown. Zis iz vy I took ze pictures" Ron face fell... Okay... So this guy actually knew what he was talking about except... how could he have taken pictures of him when he wasn't there?"
"Who hired you?"
"Draco Malfoy" Oh great! So Malfoy's at the party too! How... utterly splendid...
"State your name, age and marital status"
"Draco Malfoy, 24, free"
"What is your profession?"
"I am a lawyer, and the co-founder of M&R Legal Office." Malfoy's voice was cold and indifferent. As always.
"Did you hire Mr. Jean Michelle Laroche to follow Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Lavender Brown?"
"Yes, I did."
"Why?"
"His wife has asked me to take her divorce case. We needed evidence of his adultery."
"How did Hermione Weasley know that Mr. Weasley had committed adultery?"
"She walked in on him and Miss. Brown while they were having a sexual intercourse. That was in November. We came to an agreement in January and this is when I hired Mr. Laroche." Ron felt faint. Hermione went to Malfoy of all people and told him everything about their life? Was she completely bonkers?
"Can you look at the evidence number 2 and tell us whether you recognize it or not?" The wizard said for the third time his voice even more monotone that before. Malfoy took the pictures.
"Yes. These are the pictures I got from Mr. Laroche on the 30th January."
"Can you describe what do you see in the pictures?"
"They show Ronald Weasley buying the evidence number 1 at the Three Flowers in Diagon Alley." Who is behind it? Malfoy? He could be... After all that has happened between them he wouldn't be to shocked to discover that Malfoy would step as low as putting him in prison to get his revenge.
"After hearing the testimonies of the witnesses the Wizengamot is calling Mr. Ronald Weasley once more." Said the dull looking witch who was announcing all of the witnesses.
Ron stood up and walked to the centre of the room while being held by two guards.
"After hearing the testimonies what do you say in your defence?"
"I didn't do it."
"The evidence is stating otherwise." Ron's face went red.
"Well SCREW the evidence! It's fabricated!"
"This is the second warning Mr. Weasley. By the next one you will be charged with a penalty. Now, what would make you think the evidence is fabricated."
"I've never been to Three Flowers!"
"But we have evidence that indeed you were there on the afternoon of January the 30th."
"Come on! We're wizards! Ever heard of Polyjuice potion? It's quite simple you know? My wife made it when she was twelve. Everyone can make it if they wanted to!" And if they're too stupid to brew it they can also buy it on the black market, isn't that true?"
"Yes, Mr. Weasley, that is true, however you cannot provide us with sufficient evidence that it wasn't the real you who bought the bouquet."
"Ask me under the Veritaserum if you must! I have nothing to hide in this matter, not anymore!" He was seething now.
"The Wizengamot will now confer"
The wizards started muttering to each other for a few minutes and then the dull witch said:
"By the order of the Wizengamot, bring the Veritaserum!"
A short guard went to a small cupboard in the corner of the room and took a small vial from it. He walked to Ron and spilled three drops on his tongue. Ron swallowed and felt his head go clear.
"State your full name and the names of your parents."
"Ronald Billius Weasley. Molly and Arthur Weasley"
"Did you buy a bouquet of twenty-three roses at Three Flowers on the 30th of January?"
"No."
"Did you instruct someone else to do it?"
"No"
"Did you try to kill your wife?"
"No"
"Where were you on the 30th of January?"
"Home"
"Why didn't you go to work?"
"I was pretending to be shaken up by my wife cheating on me with my brother."
"Did you see your wife do anything indecent with your brother?"
"No."
"Why did you pretend you did?"
"I wanted to win our divorce case, on which I was she was working already. After listening to Malfoy it turned out that I was right."
"List all people who had access to any parts of your body that could be used to prepare the polyjuice potion in the recent days."
"Lavender Brown and Colin Creevey"
"Who are they to you?"
"Lavender Brown is my lover, Colin Creevey is the reporter who was at the reception and to whom I went in order to make him write a story about my wife cheating on me."
"This case is being postponed after further notice. Ronald Weasley, you are obliged to be present at the next hearing. However, until then, you are free to do as you wish."
The fairies sparkled, the bear laughed and Hermione continued to dance with Mr. Poppy, oblivious to the world outside of her meadow...
End of Chapter XIV