Hello my doves. Sorry about the late post. Computer issues ended up deleting this entire thing before I could post it. Thanks for the person who reminded me of the anniversary of this story. I will mention again that I don't edit nearly as much as I should. My computer does have an autocorrect function. That means sometimes the computer makes up his own corrections. I normally catch 9/10 of these false corrections but I don't get them all.
Sorry for the kind of boring inquiry. The next chapter should be a little bit more interesting. We are going to start moving towards the third task . . .
O~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~O
Harry tried not to be nervous as he approached the chair. He let a sigh of relief as Alex followed him to the chair. When he sat down Alex remained, standing off slightly to the side with his hand planted firmly on Harry's shoulder. The judge noted it with a quirked eyebrow but said nothing.
"Mr. Potter."
"Yes sir." Harry perked up, trying to look him in the eye.
"We will begin with you version of the events that lead to the death of the basilisk. Take your time and please be as precise as possible." The judge stated, with a softness in his voice that he did not previously have.
"Okay," Harry began. "Well it started with a lot of people being petrified. No one knew what was happening. Then Hermione, my friend, got petrified. We were too curious for our own good. So when we had the chance we were studying to see what would could cause petrification, which was before she got petrified. Then Ginny got taken."
"Ginerva Weasley, the victim in the incident report." Mr. Dawsen cut in.
"Right," Harry acknowledged. "We figured out that it was a basilisk."
"How did you figure out it was a basilisk when your teachers could not?" Umbridge interrupted again, derision cutting her tone.
"I suppose it is because we had more time on our hands to study. After all, they were doing their duty to try and protect the children in their care. They also had to keep classes and the rest of the school working." Harry said, trying to use the same tone Mr. Dawsen had been using. Though it sounded less significant in his unpracticed tone it did make Umbridge go an unpleasant shade of puce. "Well, Hermione is really clever and she figured out how to snake was moving. She is really great at puzzles, one of the best in our class. She figured out it as moving through the pipes and where the entrance must be." Harry purposefully left out the part about his skills in speaking with snakes.
"We went to Professor Lockhart because he was always saying that he could defeat it if he knew where it was. We took him to the entrance and went through it." Harry purposefully left out the part where they forced him at wand point. It hardly seemed to be in his benefit to admit that. Seeing as it was probably illegal. "When we got down into the chamber Lockhart turned on us. He tried to obliviate us with Ron, Ron Wealsey's, wand. But it was broken and ended up hurting him and causing the wall to break and separate us. So I went to fight the snake alone. I fought it and I killed it."
There were a lot of details that Harry was excluding. Alex had given him that packet of questions and answers. One of the few things that was stressed during the entire things was that there were certain details that he shouldn't bring up if he could help it. His ability to speak to snakes was one. He was also not to spend any real time talking about the battle. If he did he would have to mention Riddle, the diary, and possession. It seemed that Dumbledore had left most of those details out of the report. It would look bad if anything they said was different than the official report. Also, it would make people nervous and believe there was a lot of dark magic he may have been involved with.
Keep it short and if you think it sounds bad, leave it out. That was the last note at the end of the page.
"You killed a basilisk?" Harren asked, incredulous.
"With some help!" Harry turned a bit to look at the man as he defended himself. "The headmaster's phoenix, Fawkes, blinded the basilisk. Then it was just a blind poisonous snake. It gave me a sword and I stabbed it. I got bit as well."
"And you survived?"
"Well Fawkes was there. When I got bit he cried on me."
"Are we truly supposed to believe that a boy defeated a basilisk with just a sword?" Umbridge purred.
"Mr. Potter has given his true account of what happened that day. Do you doubt him?" Alex cut in.
"Well Mr. Potter has not demonstrated himself to be a . . . honest figure. After all, he did cheat his way into a tournament."
"Madame Umbridge!" Alex boomed, he wasn't shouting but his voice ricocheted around the chamber as if he had. "I am sure that you do not mean to imply what you are implying. Mr. Potter has maintained his innocence in regards to the tournament and his headmaster agrees that he does not have the skill to create the deception that placed him in the tournament. Surely you are not meaning to disparage the character of Mr. Potter?"
"Of course not." She replied after a heavy pause. "However if there were a way to . . . make sure that what is being said here is truth?"
"Madame. I am sure, you would not be suggesting the use of a truth potion? After all, we are all aware that it is illegal to give a child a truth potion, regardless of any reason. It is considered a great crime to do so in a capital trial. To do so in a simple inquiry? Well that would be quite a scandal, wouldn't it?" He sneered lightly, not enough to be considered a direct attack. Every one watched as the undersecretary was forced to purse her lips and nod in agreement.
"Then I suppose we can put this matter to rest. Seeing as Mr. Potter's testimony matches the official statement from the headmaster. The statement from the victim Miss Weasley also matches. Shall we move on?"
"Mr. Dawsen," The judge reprimand heavy in his tone. "This is not your court. It is mine. When we are talking about presumptions I would remind you that you cannot dictate when this court moves on." Alex nodded his head and stepped back slightly in deference. "However, you are correct. All testimonies match and there is no dissenting account. Therefore we will work under the assumption that what Mr. Potter is being truthful here and is the official slayer of the beast."
"Thank you." Mr. Dawsen acknowledged, a small smile indicated his victory.
"It should be noted that Mr. Potter is under aged. Due to the law FRRH 12.6 the transactions of a minor must be under 1000 galleons unless there is guardian approval." Harren said with a little smirk. "If these transactions are done improperly then they are to be in control of the guardian, and in some cases the government."
"That is, unless the minor is emancipated. Mr. Potter filed and received emancipation months ago."
"On what grounds?"
"Mr. Potter is the heir to the Lordship of the Potters. It is not uncommon that a young lord will take control of their own financials. That is the case with Mr. Potter, due to the fact that his relatives are muggles and have no understanding of our financial systems."
"That is only with permission of the guardians. Did they agree to this?"
"Instances in which guardian approval is not necessary have happened in the past." Alex turned towards the judge.
"To gain emancipation without parental permission there are two occasions. One is when the guardians are derelict of duty or the permission of magic, ministry and school." Judge Fennis remarked, shuffling through his papers again.
"Yes, your honor. And the needs for the second instance have all been met and approved by the ministry." Alex explained. "The Goblet of Fire is a vessel of magic. When it chose Mr. Potter is accepted him as an adult in his own right. When the Headmaster of his school and Bartimus Crouch, a ministry official, refused to remove him from the competition they acknowledge that he was adult enough to be forced into a competition that commonly results in death. The petition was made to the Department of Social Documentation and was granted." Alex explained. A paper floated over to the judge. Harry recognized his own scratched on signature at the bottom.
"All seems to be in order." The judge acknowledged.
"I believe that the biggest question is to why Mr. Potter would give something so valuable to his professor. I would like to hear it from Mr. Potters own mouth." Harren sneered.
"Well, to be honest I didn't know what to do with it at first." Harry shrugged. "I didn't want it to go to waste or just rot away. Then I remembered reading about some of the things Professor Snape had done in potions research." Harry took a moment to glance at the man in question. Professor Snape was stoic as he watched. He made a little jerk with his head to direct Harry to turn around again.
"He did a lot of things with antivenins and other healing potions. I figured that if anyone could do great things with basilisk parts, it would be him. I told him to sell the rest of it so that he could have money for research. I don't think that professors get paid much." Harry explained, trying to keep close to the story he was supposed to say.
"And you did this without coercion and hinting?" Harren said in disbelief.
"Yes." Harry angrily exclaimed. "I was the one who approached him!"
"Really?"
"Yes!" He nearly growled. He could feel his temper rising. Alex's heavy hand rested on his shoulder, staying him.
"Mr. Harren. Again you ask repeated questions lead by your preconceptions." He sneered. "Mr. Potter has answered your questions and gave his account. If you have any evidence that he hasn't been honest present it now. If your only belief is that no one would be generous to Professor Snape or just assume that anyone would use these potions for bad then please stop asking questions."
"How dare you?"
"How dare I? You are accusing a teenager of lying and corruption!" Alex hollered back.
"Gentlemen!" The judge interrupted. He gave a heaving sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Really now, this inquiry has gotten completely off tracks. These questions are bordering on the inappropriate. Now we will a present ourselves with decorum. I fear I have heard enough from both sides. We will take a ten minute recess so that I can go over the documentation and the commentary."
There was shuffling as Harry stood from his seat. He moved back to his table as the people in the gallery shuffled out the doors. Probably to go to the bathroom or inhale a snack.
"Good job Harry." Alex commented as they made it back.
"Really? I didn't think I did that well."
"You did fine enough. I have no doubt. They showed their hand too much and I know Judge Fennis saw it as well." Alex slumped in his seat as those at the other table left to take their break.
"Who is that lady next to the minister?" Harry asked. Watching her simpering near the Minister.
"Umbridge. That bitch." Alex cursed quietly. He waved away Snape's angry look. "She works under the minister. Has a title that basically means nothing. She is as evil as the minister is stupid."
"Alex. Watch your mouth."
"You agree!" Alex waved a hand.
"Not out loud within the same room." Snape hissed back.
"Fine fine. Just don't worry about her Harry. She likes to pretend she has power. Her only talent is to suck up to those who do. There are only three things that get you power from this current ministry. Money, beauty or intelligence. She is severely lacking in all three." He said with no small amount of smugness.
"Something you have in common."
"Oh come on, you think I'm pretty and you know it!" Snape just grunted instead of an answer. "And you must think I am intelligent, else you would never have liked me."
"Why does she seem to hate me?" Harry pondered.
"She dislikes anyone and everyone that isn't a rich pureblood or the minister. In this instance, I believe it is not personal. The only reason for this farce of an inquiry is so that the ministry may steal the profits. In their mind it would be better that a child and an ex-death eater don't get the money and they do. Not that they could say it so plainly. She is just frustrated that she cannot say all the bigoted things she wishes to." Alex explained.
"Umm Mr. Dawsen?" Harry said after another moment. "I thought that you were a tax lawyer. I didn't think that you did things like this."
"I'm afraid Harry, that I was quite the wanderer when I finished school. I dabbled in just about everything. It took me quite a while to settle on being a lawyer. An even longer time before I managed to end up in tax and contract law. By the time that happened I was well qualified in most types of law, including trials and inquiries."
"All rise!" Came the shout. Everyone had made their way back into the room and stood as the judge entered again.
"Well then," The judge called everyone's attention after he swept in and sat down. "After reviewing the testimonies I have determined that there is no reason to believe there has been any misconduct from the defendants. All the required paperwork and precautions have been taken. There seems to be no instances of coercion or any reason to believe there will be any in the future." There was a low murmuring through the room and Fudge had to try hard to keep the grimace from his face.
"However there is one final matter to discuss. There is a petition for a portion of the profits to go to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry due to the even taking part upon its grounds. Defense?"
"May I see the petition?" Alex asked, allowing the page to flutter into his hands. He peered at it for a moment before sending it back without a word or sound. "This petition is for the seizure of assets gained on private property. However that is not entirely correct because the incident happened in the Chamber of Secrets."
"Is the Chamber not on school property?"
"While it is within the grounds it is distinctly not school property. When the school was founded the four creators took up their own places of residence on the property. It was written into the schools charter that those spaces were technically not school property but to be inherited by the family of the founder. Since there is no heir for the Slytherin family for over one hundred years the property technically reverts to public land. If it were to become the land of the school they would need to file for it." The Judge paused as he contemplated it. Off to the side a witch handed him a large tome. He flipped it open, dragging his finger across the page. He pause midway down a page, tapped twice, and then flipped the cover closed with a resounding bang.
"You are correct." The judge finally announced. "This petition is denied. Very well, this inquiry is finished. Any other issues will be brought to court after the necessary evidence has been submitted. Inquiry adjourned." The people began to shuffle out.
"Was it him?" Snape asked the moment Alex returned from the table.
"No it was Swiftfoot."
"Which means it might as well have been." He griped, slamming shut his note book. They stood, taking a moment to tap Harry on the head to replace the disguise. Harry tried not to yawn as they wandered off to the elevators. It had been a long day and the only thing that had kept him from falling asleep as they went through all the legal stuff was his nerves. In comparison the trip back to the atrium and portkey back to the school.
"Well off you pop." Alex shooed him away.
"Thank you Mr. Dawsen."
"My pleasure Harry. Always glad to help." Both men waited until Harry had climbed before turning back towards the dungeon.
"So the Headmaster is using Swiftfoot as a proxy." Snape muttered as they walked.
"We don't know that for sure Severus." Alex shrugged.
"You disagree?"
"Not particularly. And so what if he did? He did not get the money. Even if he had, the petition would have made it so that the money went only to the school and school related functions. That's hardly a bad cause."
"No, but I'm am not frustrated about that. It seems the Headmaster is still determined to play puppet master. As he has done for Potter for the last three years and as he has done for me since I asked for his help." He scowled, pausing to let Alex sweep into his private chambers.
"The Headmaster thinks that he is fighting a war. And considering everything, he has every reason to think that." He gently placed his hand on Snape's inner arm, resting delicately over the mark that had been darkening steadily over the months. "He has won by manipulation. Its habit for him now."
"That is no excuse."
"No. It's not." He agreed. He watched as Severus sat in an armchair near the fire. He circled behind it and rested his fingertips on the man's temples. He pressed down, massaging his head lightly. The potions master was prone to migraines due to the amount of curses he was subjected to during the first war. This seemed to be one of the few things that helped. "In this instance there is not much to do. You have no proof and even if you did, it would be seen as an overreaction." Snape 'tsk-ed' in response. "There are far more things to be concerned about than the Headmasters manipulations. You have children to be concerned about."
"When did you become so down to earth? This coming from the man who has gotten into fist fights over puppies." Snape smirked.
"Must you always bring that up?"
"Until the end of my life and maybe even into the afterlife." He hummed.