Invisible

Chapter 36

Breakfast before Trials

The next morning, Severus got up earlier than normal, then moved to the dining room to sit deep in contemplation for over an hour. He knew despite what Harry said, he would still be feeling let down. He had to get Harry to understand he'd done what he had to do. At the end of the day, Harry was a teenager, and he hadn't grown up while experiencing the emotions he should have. Instead, all he had ever felt was negative feelings. Severus couldn't imagine how he'd grown up; Harry never spoke about his life. He shuddered just imagining it, being ignored by his own family, wandering around like a ghost and feeling empty. Harry hadn't deserved that at all, and he wished he'd done more than break James Potter's nose. The fact that his feelings were playing a part in this didn't help matters any. He wasn't a man who fell for someone easily. To make matters worse, it was someone who could be the age of his son...Who was his ex-best friend and enemy's son, at that.

Speaking of the Devil, Harry made an appearance just then. He looked exhausted, and it was obvious Harry hadn't slept well. The food appeared on the table as Harry almost fell into the chair, blinking sleepily.

"How are you feeling?" asked Severus, putting his empty coffee mug on the table, having just realized it was empty. He'd somehow drank the entire mug while sitting there deep in thought.

"Tired," confirmed Harry. His night hadn't been a peaceful one. He'd had horrible nightmares about Eileen and Severus treating him how his parents had. It didn't help that he was remembering things from his childhood which he'd forgotten about.

"Nightmares?" asked Severus, wondering if Harry would ever confide in anyone about what he'd truly gone through. It didn't seem like it, as Harry trusted Eileen and himself tremendously, yet he hadn't said much of anything to them.

"Yeah, not the ones in the Malfoy dungeons though—for once," said Harry, although after last night, he'd have preferred them. Picking up his fork, he began eating, thinking the conversation was over.

"I understand you and my mother spoke last night?" questioned Severus, picking at his own breakfast. He'd rather not eat cold food, and it wasn't the same heated with magic afterwards.

"Yes," murmured Harry quietly. The only highlight of that evening had been the cake. Nobody had celebrated his accomplishments with him. He'd felt over the moon for a while, until his mind dwelt on everything Nick had said again. The smart side of him knew what Nick said wasn't true, but the side to him which was still a child, still hurt over what his family had done to him, thought it might be. They'd deserved everything they'd gotten, really. Then Eileen had opened his eyes in a way nobody else ever had. She had rather bluntly told him it was a lot of codswallop. She had then proceeded to remind him that Lily was working in the school as a teacher and James was working as an Auror who was very high up in the ranks and received quite a lot of money for his hours. They couldn't possibly be worried about money, unless they were spending a lot of it on things they didn't need.

"Did you come to any conclusions?" asked Severus, staring at Harry. The boy's eyes expressed everything he felt. They were so similar to Lily's, yet so different...Lily's had never had the dark jadedness to them like Harry's did. He had been through too much to view the world with childlike wonder and innocence.

"I'm not giving the Potters anything," said Harry, stiffening his shoulders in a way which said he believed an argument was about to come his way. "They are both working good jobs, so they should get enough to live decently on. I'm not about to be made feel guilty for having money. It was the other way around for years, and they didn't give me a Knut." Roxy and Nick had been given pocket money of course. Yet Harry? As always, he had been forgotten.

"Are you expecting an argument, Harry?" asked Severus, suppressing his amusement.

"I don't know," said Harry truthfully. He honestly didn't know anymore.

"I see," said Severus. Those two words gave a lot more away than Harry liked to think. The boy didn't know how things were anymore, where he stood. So he had been hurt by Severus' actions yesterday, just as the man suspected.

Harry cleared off his plate, moving it away slightly and filling up a cup of coffee. He'd had some orange juice, so it was time for something to keep him awake. As he did so, he wondered what they would do that day—or if Severus was going to be going somewhere again. He knew he was being petulant, but he just wanted someone to put him first, to go against the world for him and him alone, but it seemed as though the 'someone who would' was pretty elusive to him.

"Dolores Umbridge and Cornelius Fudge have been arrested," said Severus. The paper wasn't there yet, but he'd bet his Galleons that was on the front page.

"Fudge?" asked Harry, confused and finally having his full attention on Severus.

"Yes. He approved the Blood Quill's usage at Hogwarts," explained Severus. "Would you like to go to the trial?"

"Why?" asked Harry, baffled. Why would he want to attend their trial? They meant nothing to him.

"To see justice done. I am attending. Since I was the one who made the allegations, they will want to question me," said Severus. "A few of my Slytherins were hurt during her bid for power." Severus could see the guilt in Harry's eyes, so added, "It's not your fault, Harry. I certainly don't blame you."

"I should have thought of the others instead of just being self-centered," said Harry, swallowing harshly.

"After what Potter put you through, you are entitled to be selfish, do you understand me?" said Severus, his voice cold and hard. Harry may not have used the word selfish, but it was implied.

Harry slowly allowed himself a small smile and nod. "Okay," said Harry, and strangely enough—he did feel better.

"You shouldn't feel guilty anyway, since you told me straight away. It's not as though students suffered further because of it," said Severus.

"Yes, Sir," replied Harry.

"Good morning," said Eileen as she joined them. She looked well rested—at least one of them got a decent sleep. "You look exhausted, Boys. Didn't you get a nice sleep?"

"Not really," murmured both men, slightly disgruntled at how cheerful Eileen sounded.

"So what are you learning today?" she asked, sitting down. As she did, yet another plate appeared, along with a fresh pot of coffee for them all.

"Reading this morning, and brewing in the afternoon. That is, if the Ministry doesn't get in touch," said Severus.

"Why would they get in touch? And why so soon?" asked Eileen, buttering a slice of toast while staring enquiringly at her son.

"They will want to know how I found out. It's the Minister of Magic they have arrested, Mother. They will need to have him proven innocent or guilty, and then if he is guilty, they will need a new Minister of Magic brought in," said Severus. "Idiot that he is, he should never have agreed to it. This is a bad time to be swearing in a new Minister of Magic." It would have to be someone magically powerful, someone not susceptible to the Imperius Curse—otherwise they might as well just hand over the Ministry to the Dark Lord.

"Why is that?" asked Harry, confused.

"With the Dark Lord around, there won't be many volunteers to be Minister. Those who do want the position are either in his pocket or suicidal. Everyone knows the Ministry will be targeted; it's just a matter of when. We need someone strong, Light, and able to fight off mind control," said Severus.

"Oh," said Harry, feeling stupid. Of course, Voldemort would take control if given half an opportunity. The question was, though, was he ready to take such action? The man he'd met wasn't. He was still weak, and his followers weren't exactly strong. The ones who had been strong were in Azkaban or Kissed.

"That's what he was doing the last time. He wanted control, and the best way to do that is by gathering as many followers as possible, breaking into Azkaban to free his people there, overthrowing the Ministry, and finally, taking over Hogwarts. Once all of those are done, the world doesn't stand a chance," said Severus. He had been a Death Eater, he knew Voldemort's plans, and they'd never changed. Apart from once…years ago, he'd put all other plans on hold to kill a newborn child, just because of a prophecy which stated that the child would have the power to destroy him. It might still be in his plans—he most likely still wanted to kill the Boy-Who-Lived...Well, Nick actually, since he was under a wrongful assumption. After that, his plans would probably be the same again. Azkaban, the Ministry of Magic, then Hogwarts.

"Isn't there way to make sure he can't do that?" asked Harry while feeling, simply put, alarmed. He couldn't fight the Ministry, and he couldn't fight Hogwarts, either! He knew most people fighting would be either blackmailed or under the Imperius Curse.

"The Dark Lord is powerful. We do what we can, but that's only so much," said Severus, taking a large drink of his black coffee. It was conversations like this that brought back how little Harry realized what he was getting into. He wasn't going to keep it from the teenager though. Harry needed to know, needed to be prepared to do what he must to keep himself alive at the end of all things. He wasn't training Harry to defeat Voldemort, he was training him to survive and kill.

"Dumbledore has some sort of Order, right?" asked Harry. He had every intention of asking why one of them didn't step forward and become Minister.

"How do you know about that?" inquired Severus, surprised.

Harry stared at the tabletop for a minute as if contemplating whether to tell them or not, then explained, "James…used to tell stories to Nick at night. I used to listen by the door. I remember being caught one day. He just told me to go to bed, and went straight to Roxy's room to read her the Tale of the Three Brothers again."

"He told Nick about the Order?" asked Severus in horror. Did James Potter's stupidity know no bounds?

"Yes," said Harry, baffled by Severus' stunned question.

"Did he mention names?" asked Severus, his voice still holding that stunned tone to it.

Eileen continued eating her breakfast as she listened to her two boys talk. She didn't interrupt them, as she knew what the Order was, but Severus had never gone into details about the who, where, or when. Information, he said, was a dangerous thing, and quite frankly, Eileen understood that all to well. She also knew a lack of information was just as dangerous.

"He mentioned the Bones family, Lupin, Black, and Moody a lot, as well as Dumbledore of course…mostly about the fighting they'd done to keep Voldemort at bay," said Harry.

Severus just shook his head. Really, he wondered how the Hell Potter was alive with such stupidity at play. Then he got to another matter, "You should stop referring to him by his name," he warned, his voice full of caution.

"Why?" asked Harry. His coffee was finished, so he poured himself another one. He was so tired he could sleep again right then, even with the coffee.

"During the last war, he put a geis on his name...Anyone stupid enough to say it was visited by Death Eaters immediately and killed. It's how he managed to get so many of the Order during his last reign of terror," explained Severus.

"A geis?" asked Harry curiously. He'd never heard of anything like that before.

"Yes. No matter what wards you were under, how secure your home was, it shredded all protection, wards, and spells you had up. It let them go right to you. If you do use that name, they will more than likely find their way here, and I won't take that chance. Do you understand?" asked Severus.

"Unless, of course, it was the Fidelius Charm," inputted Eileen. "But only the strongest witches and wizards can cast it."

Severus nodded his head, conceding Eileen's point.

"I understand," said Harry, making a very big mental note not to use the name ever again. He'd rather chop off his own arms and legs than let anything happen to Eileen or Severus.

"Good," said Severus, satisfied that his point had gotten across.

"Excuse me," said Harry, getting up and hurriedly making his way out of the room. Neither Eileen nor Severus had to think much to realize what was going on—Harry had drank three coffees and an orange juice, so he needed the toilet, obviously desperately.

Mother and son shared an amused smirk which was wiped away when the mail came.

"Told you," said Severus, smirking wryly. There was an official-looking letter from the Ministry of Magic stamped with the word 'URGENT' on it.

"Indeed," said Eileen in mock sweetness, using her son's favorite word against him.

Severus snorted in amusement, opening the Ministry letter first. Well, they didn't pussyfoot around. The trial was a lot sooner than he had imagined, ten o'clock—they weren't giving people much time at all. Parents had to pick up their children from Hogwarts, sign them out for the day, and get them to the Ministry in time to testify for Umbridge's trial. As far as he knew, each parent had agreed (insisted, actually) to allow their daughter or son to testify. The outcry had been loud; they weren't happy at all, and it had mostly fallen on Dumbledore's overly-burdened shoulders. For once, Severus wasn't overly sympathetic to Dumbledore's plight. He should have realized what was going on in his school, with all his bloody ghosts and portraits keeping an eye on the place.

"Anything for me?" asked Harry, coming back in and sitting down. Severus passed over two letters with scribbled handwriting, both from his friends. Harry gleefully ripped them open and began reading.

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Harry, lowering the letter while looking a cross between shocked and gleeful.

"I am assuming you are talking about Nick?" asked Severus, lowering his own letter.

"Yes," said Harry.

"Why would you want to know?" asked Severus, arching an eyebrow.

Harry flushed darkly, not wanting to admit his true feelings, so he settled for, "I don't."

"Yes, you do. I told you, Harry, you have a right to feel that way about them. Especially after all they have done to you." said Severus sternly. It was the first time Harry had outright lied to him, and he was actually upset about it. Another part of him wanted to rise at the flush covering Harry's face. He looked absolutely stunning like that, and Severus was barely able to stop himself groaning or biting his lip. That would be terribly inappropriate, so he shoved those thoughts from his mind. He'd think on them later, when he was by himself, and didn't have to worry about being found out.

"How bad is it?" asked Harry, the flush leaving his face.

"It's bad. He's in a coma, and a magical coma. His magical core has split, he's completely drained. If it doesn't re-attach and start replenishing itself, he will be left a Squib. If that happens, the body could shut down from shock and he could die," said Severus bluntly and honestly. He was one of Dumbledore's confidants whether he wanted to be or not. Dumbledore had been shaken to the core while speaking to him late last night, worried about what would happen with the war if anything happened to Nick.

"Then they might find out about me," said Harry quietly, his face pasty and white.

"They could, though it would be guesswork. Hopefully Potter will make a full recovery," said Severus.

"Can't potions help?" asked Harry, almost desperately.

"Nothing can force a magical core to begin working again, it has to want to do it on its own," replied Severus. "That's why the situation is so grave."

Harry bit his lip, his thoughts churning with 'what ifs' and 'buts'.

"Don't worry about it, Sweetie. If it happens, it happens, and you can worry then. No point in panicking and worrying needlessly," soothed Eileen, her voice breaking through Harry's inner panic.

"Mother is right, Harry. I know it's hard, but there is no point in worrying about it at this point," said Severus honestly. He knew that, regardless of what they said, Harry would worry. He did it all the time—he feared being found out. Severus didn't understand it, but Harry was terrified of it. One day, the world would find out, that much was sure. It was inevitable.

"I'll try," conceded Harry.

"Good. I have to leave for ten o'clock. It's entirely up to you if you want to come or not," said Severus, looking at his watch. "Until then you can read your book while I prepare a quiz for you. You should have enough time to do both if you start now."

"Yes, Sir," agreed Harry, noticing Severus getting into 'Potions Master' mode and respecting the shift.

"Good," said Severus.

Eileen just smiled as she finished her breakfast. She was so happy here, something she didn't think possible. Severus had been right, everything was different now. She had new memories of her childhood home, good memories, ones which wiped the bad ones away. She had genuinely thought she'd only last a few months there before longing for her flat again. It wasn't true, and she loved being there, with both her boys. If only she could come up with a fool proof plan of getting them together. Harry would be turning sixteen soon, and she was thinking of throwing him a party, inviting some of the Potions Masters and their Apprentices, as well as Harry's friends. He hadn't had a party before, and all children deserved them, so she'd have to arrange one for him.

"What are you going to do, Mum?" asked Severus curiously.

"I am going to read the book Harry loaned me," said Eileen. Harry loved the books Luna had given him, and seemed to be getting into a lot of Muggle things. It was why Luna had gotten him some Muggle books. One of them had been about Ancient Egypt and the Muggle beliefs both back then and current beliefs Muggles has about it. Harry had asked her if she would like to read one, and she had agreed.

Severus nodded and summoned some paper, quills, and the book for Harry to read. It was well-worn, as Severus had read it many times. He passed the book to Harry, who took it over to his 'desk' and began reading. He'd been doing this for almost a year now.

It was ten to ten when they left Prince Manor, both men able to Apparate to the Ministry themselves. Harry had already been in the Ministry, so he knew where he was going, and Severus knew the more he did it, the better he'd get. Also, the more a person Apparated, the better chance they had of Apparating blind—to somewhere the person hadn't been before—successfully, which was something that would come in handy during the coming war.

"Let's get going," said Severus. "Courtroom Five." He led the way to the named room.

"This place is packed," said Harry, staring around him in amazement as they headed to their destination. It hadn't been so filled when he'd been there for his Apparation test the other day.

"That happens when someone like the Minister of Magic is brought up on charges," said Severus. "Especially of harming the Boy-Who-Lived." His voice was mocking.

Harry just sniggered in amusement as he had to pick up the pace—Severus was a very fast walker and he had longer legs than him. He bit his lip as he stared at the Potions Master's behind. He really shouldn't have been thinking about the man like that, so shaking off his thoughts, he caught up with the man, lest he be tempted to keep staring and ended up caught looking. It didn't stop his thoughts wandering, as temptation was a bad thing. He was just glad he could control his libido—the last thing he needed was a hard-on in the middle of the Ministry of Magic.

"Could the Minister be innocent?" asked Harry, thinking of anything just to stop his wayward thoughts. Why was he always attracted to older men?

"No. There will be traces of his magic on the agreement, otherwise there wouldn't be a trial. Nobody would accuse the Minister of Magic without proof. It's much too risky to do such a thing," answered Severus as he glanced over at the boy.

He could tell by Harry's face that he'd just asked the question to keep himself occupied. Harry didn't believe the Minister could be innocent any more than he did. However, the glance was when he noticed the two red spots on Harry's cheeks. He'd have done anything to read Harry's mind, right there and then. He had to remember they were in the Ministry of Magic—any thoughts he was having would have to wait for later. Thankfully, his rising bulge deflated, causing Severus to sigh in relief. Really, he hadn't had such reactions since he'd been an adolescent boy! Yet here he was, unable to control his reactions to Harry.

"How long will he get if he does get put in Azkaban?" asked Harry, thankful the heat in his cheeks had cooled.

"That I cannot say. I don't usually keep track of Ministry trials. He's the Minister of Magic though, so I'd say his punishment might be worse than Umbridge's since he's held to a higher standard," explained Severus.

"Yeah," said Harry, musing thoughtfully to himself. He'd only ever been to a trial once; thankfully his Pensieve memories had been enough. He had not been forced to sit and explain everything to a crowd of Wizards and Witches, people who were the Heads of their lines. There were many places Heads of Houses could have seats. The Wizengamot was one of them, and a seat on the Board of Governors was another. Then there was the rare seat on the International Confederation of Wizards. Only a few families in the UK had seats on it, and those seats could very easily be taken away again.

Once again when they entered the room, Harry noticed it wasn't at all different from Courtroom Ten, although it felt warmer, maybe because it wasn't so far down in the bowls of the Ministry. Severus nodded to Dumbledore and took his seat, Harry following him while keeping his eyes down, not wanting anyone to recognize him. He hated people staring at him—he'd had enough of that during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Their stares felt as though spiders were crawling all over him, like they were judging him. He didn't know how Nick put up with it, as it made him sick to his stomach.

Harry pulled out his book and began reading—if he was going to be there, he might as well read to stave off the boredom.

As the door opened, Harry looked up to see Dolores Umbridge being brought in. She looked pale and shaken, and had lost a few pounds in the last time since he'd last seen her. She no longer had on that disgusting pink cardigan she liked to wear. Since she'd been arrested, she hadn't been allowed to wear any of her usual clothes, and if sentenced, she'd have to wear the lovely attire all inmates wore at Azkaban, the white and black striped body suit. She was bound to the chair the second her backside touched it, the shackles wrapping her up snugly—er, tightly.

"Now that the accused is present, we shall begin the trial," said Madam Bones standing up. "Are you ready, Court Scribe?"

Harry knew she was speaking to Percy Weasley, who was charged with writing down everything that was said. Why he didn't use an enchanted quill, Harry would never know. "Yes, Ma'am," replied Percy, pulling the parchment closer to him, nodding like an eager puppy looking for approval and attention.

"We now begin the trial for Dolores Jane Umbridge on the tenth of June," said Madam Bones, her voice ringing around the room. Harry was watching Umbridge curiously, as he wanted to know why she'd done it.

"Interrogator: Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Court Scribe: Percy Ignatius Weasley. Lawyer for the Accused Brian Sanchez." said Madam Bones. They were missing quite a few people, and since Fudge and Umbridge were the accused this time, she was the sole interrogator.

"The charges are as follows," said Madam Bones, placing her monocle on her eye and unrolling a piece of parchment.

"Twenty-eight counts of endangering underage students.

"Use of an illegal dark object, specifically a Blood Quill.

"Twenty-eight counts of torture of children by means of a Blood Quill.

"One count of near-death resulting from the use of a Blood Quill. Victim: one Nick Potter."

Once she was finished with the charges, she rolled the parchment back up and placed it on her desk. Removing her monocle, she faced Umbridge once more. "You are Dolores Jane Umbridge of number two Mould-On-The-Wold, are you not?"

"Yes," said Umbridge nervously.

"How do you plead?" asked Madam Bones.

"Not guilty!" replied Umbridge emphatically. "I had the appropriate permission to use the Quill, so I don't deserve to be charged or sentenced at all!" Umbridge was clearly trying to be haughty, but she was failing.

"So you admit to using a Blood Quill on twenty-eight underage students in your care?" asked Madam Bones for clarification. Perhaps they could save the students from having to testify after all. She could see how terrified they were, sitting beside their parents in the back of the court room. There were a few who were sitting up, paying attention and very bravely staring at Umbridge with disdain.

"I had permission," reiterated Umbridge.

"You tortured children. You didn't seriously think you could get away with it, did you?" asked Madam Bones incredulously.

"I was given approval," replied Umbridge. It seemed as though that was all the toad-like woman was going to say in her defense.

"What reason could you have for torturing any child, let alone Nick Potter?" questioned Madam Bones.

"He refused to learn. Our world rests on his shoulders, and he didn't want to practice the spells I told him to," said Umbridge.

Harry stiffened just hearing her words; he had to stop himself reacting in any other way. Though, he dearly wanted to.

"Now why would you think that?" asked Madam Bones, shaking her head. Really? A fifteen-year-old boy was supposed to end Voldemort's reign? It was the most idiotic thing she'd ever heard in her life.

"He stopped him years ago, so of course he'll stop him again," stated Umbridge.

"If you truly believe that, then what are you going to do now? Your actions may very well have turned Nick Potter into a Squib, or may yet result in his death," said Madam Bones angrily.

"It wasn't my intention," replied Umbridge, looking contrite for the first time since she entered the court room.

"Do you have anything further to add in your defense?" asked Madam Bones. Since Umbridge had admitted it, the students didn't have to be called forth after all. She had never in her wildest dreams expected it to go so smoothly, otherwise she wouldn't have asked to have the students out of school and brought here.

"My actions might just save the Wizarding World! Then you'll all need to thank me," said Umbridge, drawing herself upright.

Bones stood and looked around, meeting the eye of every Wizengamot member. She could almost see the sentence staring her in the face already. Her voice high and demanding she asked, "All those in favor of clearing the accused of all charges, raise your hand!"

The silence was very overwhelming, to say the least. Umbridge was looking around the room in confusion, wondering why they didn't see that what she was doing was for the greater good. Without Nick being trained, they were going to lose. They should have seen her point easily! When not even one person raised their hand, she looked at her lawyer, begging him with her eyes to help her. Her lawyer just shook his head, knowing there was no way she was getting out of this one after she'd admitted to it when he'd told her not to do so. Her doing that was why he'd not opened his mouth to say anything, as he wasn't going to alienate himself to defend her.

Madam Bones nodded her approval before she asked, "All those in favor of conviction?" Her voice was a little lower that time.

Harry began looking around curiously, but he already knew what was going to happen—basically exactly the same as what had happened at the trial he'd previously attended.

This time, however, they moved instantaneously, every single member present raising their hands at once. It seemed as though they were all in approval, they all wanted Umbridge to pay for her crimes against the children, and most importantly, to pay for her crimes against their 'hero'. Even though most of them were still pissed with Nick and the Potters for how they'd treated Harry.

"I did the right thing! I don't deserved to be imprisoned because of it!" shrieked Umbridge.

Finally, the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot stood up. Doing his job, he spoke softly, but everyone was able to hear him as he said, "Dolores Jane Umbridge, we hereby sentence you to thirty-three years in maximum security in Azkaban." Albus was staring at Umbridge in disapproval and anger. He'd let her be a teacher, given her a chance, and in turn, she'd done something unforgivable. She had no idea how true her words were—Nick was responsible for them all, and now he might be a Squib, or worse still die, because of her stupid actions. She was receiving five years for using an illegal dark object, and an added year for each student she'd used it on.

"NO!" shrieked Umbridge violently as she was manhandled out of the room into an adjoining room, where she received her new outfit and was sent directly to Azkaban immediately.

A few seconds later, a pale, shaking Minister of Magic was brought in. Cornelius Fudge was on trial now. The odds most certainly were not in his favor.

Edited By Snow Leopard Pasha 03/06/2018