Chapter 37

Lee then proceeded to show Dumbledore memory after memory of him killing, torturing, or just hurting people. Dumbledore just watched in silence as Lee cut down wizard cops, wizards, and muggles for various reasons and in various situations. After that he and Dumbledore reappeared back in the room.

James and Sirius looked like they were ready to squeeze the life right out of Lee but Dumbledore just asked, "You kill the innocent, to protect the innocent?"

"Yes. You may tell everyone that we just kill for fun but there wasn't a single murder that you saw that wasn't justified…except for the ones that were for me to just practice killing and torturing people."

"But you didn't need to kill those people."

"Death is the only permeant solution."

"Yes, yes it is."

"Any other questions before they kill me?"

"What was the point of showing me all those actions that you did?"

"I wanted you to see what I truly am. I wanted you to see how we are different. You do nothing and expect the world to be perfect. I do something to make the world perfect. That's the difference. I want this to teach you to do instead of just talk. I'm totally fine with you doing what you want to, but do it in a way that it gets done. Stop walking around with your hands raised. If you want the world to be equal and free, then fucking do it, Albus. Go and get your hands dirty and accomplish what you want to accomplish."

"Would you help me accomplish my dream?"

"Only if you actually went ahead and did something to help the world instead of sitting back and watching."

"I haven't forgotten our deal."

"Good. My life literally depends on it."

"Very funny." Dumbledore replied as he led Lee back to the council room.

Kingsley told the council members everything that he saw and the people seemed for sure to want to give Lee the death sentence. However, Dumbledore got up to do his speech and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, what you see in front of you is two individuals.

"One of us is on trial today. One of us has murdered innocent people. One of us has tortured innocent people. One of us has taken the life of a little girl. Both of us believe in our ideals deeply, but only one of us is strong enough to do what is necessary.

"I am weak. I am old. I do not carry the conviction to do what is needed. Perhaps that is a good thing, but the world is not the place that I wish it to be and I believe that is my fault. I have failed in my ideals. I wanted a world where everyone is free and equal, but all I do is talk. Lee taught me that.

"Lee is Voldemort's adopted son. He was dropped off at an orphanage at just 2 days old. He grew up in an orphanage where he was beat and taunted by his fellow peers. He grew up in a way that none of us did. Then a man came to him and told him that he can have anything he wants. He can be powerful, rich, and be loved. That little boy followed him."

Lee jumped up, realizing that Dumbledore was trying to get the council to feel sympathetic and not punish him, "Albus! Don't you dare -".

However, Kingsley shot a Silencio spell at Lee and told him, "Please do not interrupt Mr. Dumbledore."

Lee tried to scream over the spell but an Auror member forced him into his seat and Dumbledore continued, "This boy was brought to a castle where he was confronted with the darkest sorcerer of our history. He was forced by Lord Voldemort to learn how to hurt, torture, and murder others in order to get what he wants. And do you know what would have happened if he didn't cooperate? He would have been tortured himself by the hands of Voldemort.

"Yes, he is a murderer, but he was forced to be. He didn't grow up to have the chance to be anything else. He had no choice to be anything but that. Trials are supposed to be judged by the person's peers, but none of us are his peers. There is no one on this earth other than him that has had to do what he has done. No one has grown up in a castle with Lord Voldemort. I do not know what Lee would have been if he wasn't left on that doorstep of the orphanage at the tender age of just two day old. He could have been a lawyer, a doctor, an Auror, or he could have been right where he is now. But I don't believe he would be here.

"I taught him Alchemy for 6 months, and I can tell you that the real Lee Anderson is not the one that is not on trial. I have seen the real Lee Anderson sitting at the Hufflepuff table. Talking to his friends Kate Rimmons, Matt Clearwater, and Lori Seethes. I remember seeing him flirt with Kate, help Matt on his Transfiguration work, and tell Lori everything is going to be okay when she felt bad. If you ask Hermione Granger about him, she'll tell you about a boy who talked to here, made her smile, and was a good friend that she could always talk to. She'll tell you that she could always find him in the Library.

"Our Potions professor, Lily Potter, could tell you how Lee was always on time to every detention he served with her. She'll tell you how he never asked for less detention. He accepted his punishment and promised to pay back his crime. His crime by the way, was just being a smart mouth. Just like Sirius Black or James Potter was in their time. He accepted his punishment and never let Lily Potter ever shorten his punishment because he wanted to pay his way to safety.

"That is the real Lee Anderson. Not the murderer or the son of Lord Voldemort. I am the prosecution for this trial, but I cannot justify death for Lee. He is just a boy who was forced to be Voldemort's pawn and when he went to Hogwarts, he was allowed to be the real self and he was a good person with morals, ethics, friends, convictions, and someone who many people at Hogwarts are thinking about right now as they haven't seen him all day." Dumbledore finished.

A woman on the left side said aloud, "But he attacked you twice at Hogwarts."

"Yes, but that was because he was commanded to. Lee will never tell you this, because he can't. He was forced to take an Unbreakable Vow to do every order that Voldemort gives him. Voldemort ordered him to kill me, and he had to or he would have died. Nothing you have heard today that Lee has done was done by himself. Every, single, action, was an order from Lord Voldemort."

"It is true." Kingsley remarked. "Everything I saw that Lee did was commanded by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Lee never hurt a single person, wizard or muggle, if he wasn't commanded to by Voldemort."

A man on the right side remarked, "But if we let him go, then he'll just continue to obey his master."

"No, Mr. Holloway, he will not. As you see, this morning Lee arrived back at Hogwarts. I was worried he was under orders to hurt students by Voldemort so I had him come to my office where I took him to a field in Northern Scotland. I told him that I knew the truth and we battled one more time. He almost defeated me, but his conviction let up for just a half a second and was able to stun him before his superior skills defeated me." Dumbledore stated. He was exaggerating the truth to paint Lee in a light where he is a very powerful wizard who can be used by the Ministry to fight against Voldemort.

Dumbledore continued and said, "He begged for me to kill him, as he was told by Voldemort that if he failed to kill me then he was just going to kill Lee himself. I didn't kill him, and he asked for a trial instead. That is why we are here, he asked for this trial. He believes that he needs to be punished for his actions. Even though he was forced to commit those terrible actions, they were his doing and he feels he must face the punishment. That is the absolute truth, ladies and gentlemen.

"A boy, just 16 years old, who feels he must repent. This is a greater man than me. He is stronger than me in more ways than one. He does not deserve to die at the trial he requested. He is a good person with a heart that has been corrupted more than any politician in history. Now, the part you will be most interested in hearing.

"I did not just give him this trial, I had him make a deal with me. I told him that if he was not giving the Kiss at this trial, then he would have to take a job protecting innocent children. He quickly agreed. Do you see? He took the deal immediately. Not because of the trial, but because it's a win-win for him. Either he gets to be face the punishment he deserves, something not a single one of us is strong enough to face with courage, or he gets to do something where he protects innocent children. Minister, what is Lee's main ideal?"

"He wants to make the world safe for the innocent. He repeatedly explained how he wanted to make the world where the innocent were never hurt by those who had power and those who did hurt the innocent were hurt to the extent where they never hurt the innocent again. Very similar to the platform that I ran when I ran to be your Minister of Magic and won."

"Mr. Potter," Dumbledore asked. "What about you?"

"He was an innocent boy who was abused his whole life by those with power and now his whole philosophy is about protecting the innocent. At first I thought that he deserved death, but now I see he is just an abused boy who has been forced into something he's not." James responded. The things he said were lies in his eyes, but he could tell that Dumbledore did not want to kill the boy even if he does deserve it.

"I believe I will rest my case." Dumbledore said as he sat down.

"We will commence our vote. All those in favor of the Dementor's Kiss, raise your wand hand. Okay, about 10. All those in favor of no Kiss. Overwhelming majority. All those in favor of no punishment. Slight majority. Very well. Lee Anderson, you are hereby found not guilty on all crimes committed prior to this date and time. You may return to Hogwarts immediately or converse with the members. I bid you all a good night." Kingsley remarked with a slamming of his gavel.