38

Trials

Time: Several days later

Place: Quiddich Field

"No sign of Scabbers yet?" asked Hermione, looking over at Ron. He had elected to sit several seats away from Hermione, with Ginny and Neville. The weather was much better this time, with the sun shining brightly, and spirits around the field were running high. Quidditch did seem to do that to people. Myrtle hovered nearby, while Sparkle was curled up on Susan's lap.

"No, I even tried Descry Creature the next morning, but still nothing. It's so bizarre. Myrtle checked inside that hole, too, but didn't find any bodies or anything, so that rat has just vanished off the face of the earth."

"Do you have any other ideas?"

Susan shook her head. "Sirius I could understand, he may have had some kind of anti-scrying magic put on himself that interferes with my spell. But a rat? No way."

"We should have been more insistent about getting Scabbers to talk when we had the chance."

"Yeah, but Ron would have… reacted badly, I think. Better not to pushed it as far as he's concerned. And as fascinating a mystery as it is, Scabbers is only a rat, in the end. A long lived rat, yes, but still just a rat."

"I hope you don't think of me that way," said Sparkle. "As just a cat."

"With your background point cost? No way. You're an essential part of the Susan/Sparkle team, you know?"

"It is nice to hear it once in a while, you know."

"What? All those little snacks I get you don't say 'love'?"

"I retract my complaint."

Susan laughed. "As well you should."

"How's the sleep reducer working out?"

"Great! I'm getting so much done at night, those extra eight hours every other day really help."

"Glad to hear it."

"I was thinking about the dementor problem, too. You say you have a knife that can kill them?"

"Yeah, I made it with charges, why?"

"Can I see it?"

"See it? I guess." Susan pulled it out of her Pocket Dimension. Hermione looked it over.

"So why can't you just make an energy version of this knife, like you did for all our other items?"

"Two reasons- first, only I could use it, because it takes all the energy a person can possibly spend to activate that spell. Though maybe it works differently for you, I don't know. But even so, I could only activate it 8 times in a row in a fight, and you saw how many Dementors there were at the last game."

"Okay, that's a problem."

"The second problem is one of intent. The intent of the spell Alleviation is to heal someone. A magical item can be any shape, it's just I want a knife shape so I'm sure it's sticking in them when it activates. Striking with the knife is the activator in this case, with the spell directed outwards. Say I made the knife energy based- I would have to stab them, then activate it. That takes two actions, for one, and which of us is going to get the "benefit" of the spell? I'm not sure, but it's a good guess it would either be a 50/50 chance because we were both touching it, or whoever was touching more of it."

"Then the solution to your problem is easy!" said Hermione.

"Easy. Right."

"It is. Make the knife in two parts!"

"What?"

"First, make the blade. Put the spell on that. You can make that permanent, so whoever touches the blade will get the affect of the spell, right? I mean, I just have to be touching the Tireless item while I activate it, but couldn't the activation be touching it?"

"Yeassssss…" Susan said slowly. "I think I see where you're going with this."

"Then slide the blade into a handle. The handle doesn't have any spells on it, so you can touch it normally. Stabbing with the blade then makes whatever you stabbed start healing, or in the case of a Dementor, disappearing."

"That's… brilliant!" Susan's eyes where shining.

"You could even use it to heal regularly. Just draw it out slowly, and the wound the knife made will heal up as the knife is pulled out."

"Hermione, I could kiss you!"

"Hey, watch it with the kissing," said Myrtle.

"That's okay," Hermione said quickly, handing the knife back. "I wanted to repay you for the item, so I've just been thinking about creative ways to do it, based on what I know about your magic."

"That would seem to do it, I can't think of a fault with your logic. The XP cost though…"

Susan put the knife away and got out her book, where she had replicated the formula and a table in the back. She got out a pencil and started figuring.

She stared at the figure for a while.

"How much is it going to cost?" asked Sparkle.

"If I Fabricate it before hand so it can't be destroyed somehow, about 20 XP. I currently have…" She got out her character sheet. "Eight. Let's see, oh good, I have gotten some cards, maybe I can turn some in."

Her face fell.

"What the heck is this? Three cards, probably to make up for us not getting any in so long, but two of them are worth zero if I turn them in. What a gyp!"

"Isn't that phrase racially unfair to gypsies?" asked Hermione, seriously.

"The- what?" Susan's mind had to shift gears for a second.

"Isn't that where the phrase comes from? Gyp- Gypsies?"

"I honestly have no idea."

"I made out like a bandit," said Sparkle, looking at her own character sheet.

"Wait, you've got one of those too?" asked Hermione, looking down at her. "But your father wasn't from another universe, was he?"

"Of course I was born in a different universe," explained Sparkle. "You didn't think I was from around here, did you? I traveled with Susan's father across several worlds after he rescued me. Ah, I was only a kitten in those days. Good times. It's actually quite a thrilling tale, remind me to tell you sometime. Now, I didn't have a character sheet at first, because I wasn't from his universe, but after I became Susan's companion I… how do I put this… woke up the rest of the way and became a Paragon like her. It's all quite complicated."

"I guess."

Susan was looking it over too. "Dang, you could turn yours in for 5. I was robbed, I tell you."

"How can you tell, anyway? It's just numbers."

"I just sort of know. Card 8 gives me an extra action, card 17 gives me a hint from some external source, and card 34, the only one with a trade in value, lets me add my INSight to a single roll made by someone else. I wonder how that would work on you guys, you don't roll for stuff."

"You've said that before. Rolling. What exactly are you rolling?"

"Dice. I thought that was obvious."

"Explain how that works."

"It's easy. When I want to use a skill I roll the Half Die Level of my stat. So let's say for casting Mercury magic, I roll a d8, because my stat is a 4. Then I add my skill rating, and that's how well I did that task."

"I have never seen you roll dice. In fact if you had to stop and roll dice for everything you would never get anything done!"

"It's a sort of mental thing, it goes on in the background. I'm aware of it, sort of thing." Susan waved her hand near the back of her head. How can I explain this so they understand it?

"Your dad's universe must be a messed up place."

"Hey, you're the ones doing it wrong from my perspective, don't remember."

"Anyway, what's Sparkle got? And it seems she has eighteen experience?"

"I don't spend it as fast," said Sparkle, smugly. "She's always looking for the next spell to learn, like she's gotta catch them all, while I just learn what will benefit our little team immediately. I already learned the most useful buffing spells, so I'm just accumulating them at the moment."

"That makes sense."

"To answer your question though, I got card 14, which just gives me 2 XP right off the bat, card 20 which makes an attack miss someone, and 36, which boosts a mental stat by two before I make a check. Of course I'm going to use card 14 right now."

That card disappeared off the sheet, and her EXP box went up to 20.

"Oh, thank you very much. I would have traded you, you know?" said Susan.

"I have a better idea. Make me the knife, as I can now afford it. I'll let you hold onto it though. No hands, you see?" She flexed her claws.

"You would do that for me?"

"You've never asked, but those Dementor things? I want to see them destroyed just as much as you do. They don't seem to notice me, because I'm from a different world or just an animal or because of my size, but one day they might. Probably the day I'm next to you when you decide to take on a hundred or so of them yourself. We already know I'd be helpless against them, after all, we have the same spells and only two worked. The one is too long, and the other, I suppose I could learn, but how many other undead roam around? I'd rather use the XP to make sure you can do what needs to be done, and end the problem rather then just making it confused for a little while."

"Wow." Susan was touched. "I appreciate your giving up 20 XP for me. You're the best, Sparkle."

"Yes I am. Glad you're finally realizing it."

They all laughed.

"But even I'm not stupid enough to take on hundreds of the things at once!"

"Hahahahahah," said Sparkle. "Yes you are."

Everyone cleared their throats and looked away.

"So, uh, how long will it take to make?" asked Myrtle.

"Seventy hours," said Susan, resigned. "If I work 2 hours a day consistently that's about a month. Good thing I have the time you usually spend in Potion and Charms class to work."

"I guess. Hey, the match is finally starting."

"That's odd," remarked Susan. "His broom looks different, doesn't it?"

"I think it's the Firebolt," said Hermione. "I guess it tested clean for curses after all."

"And he actually gets to ride it here?"

"Why wouldn't he?"

Susan looked at her, face scrunched up.

"What?"

"That's like giving one person in tennis a bigger racket, or making one side of a football team carry fifty pound weights in their pants. I thought everyone used a standard broom so the people on the brooms won the games, not the brooms themselves."

"I guess I never thought of it like that."

"I mean, the seeker for the other side- this Cho person- if her broom doesn't have the same acceleration as Harry's, it gives him a totally unfair advantage in the game."

"One might say your magic was cheating- at life."

"And I would point out how intelligent that person was. That's not the point. Like when Ron lost Scabbers. Did he immediately think "I'll use magic" and go to get Harry's map? No, he did not. It isn't that my magic is better, I just reach for it more easily then other people do for some reason. I mean, you're wizards, but you don't really act like it."

"I've thought about that. It's almost like we have some kind of mental block against it. Like we should solve problems without it."

"That's just crazy talk."

"Oh no, look!" Hermione jumped up and pointed, as three figures, cloaked in black, shambled across the field as Harry went for the snitch.

"Something odd here," remarked Susan.

She watched as Harry whipped his wand out and shot silver at the figures, then accelerated and put his hand over the snitch. The energy of the spell crashed into the figures, and they went down in a tangle of limbs.

"We better see what's up," said Susan, lifting Sparkle onto her shoulder. "As Harry either got really good at casting that spell recently, or those aren't Dementors."

Everyone was streaming to congratulate Harry, but Susan and Hermione walked over to the "Dementors."

Susan sighed. "Really, Draco?" she said, as he poked his head out of the robes. "Did you really think it was the sight of them that chilled Harry's blood so? How little you understand." Let's see, make it good. Oh, I know! "The darkness inside Harry tries to get out and join them. It longs to be free of him, but he holds it back. And pray he continues to do so, because if that darkness ever gets out, well, I shudder to think."

She left him there, gaping at her, as Professor McGonagall came over to sort them out. His eyes were darting back and forth between her and Harry, who was excitedly waving at Susan and Hermione, who waved back.

That evening the Gryffindors had a huge party, which Susan and Hermione stopped at for about an hour to congratulate Harry.

"I still have some reading to do tonight," Hermione said after a while. "I really should be going."

"And I have a new Imbuing to start, thanks to her great ideas, so I'm going to get going too. Well done, Harry, your broom- I mean you won that match expertly."

Harry looked confused.

"Just a sore point. Come on, Susan. Leave the hero his to cheering masses."

"Night, Harry!"

That morning Susan woke up to even greater security around the castle, and was told that once again, Sirius had made some attempt to do something in the Gryffindor boy's dorm room.

"So if he was after some object he didn't get it, got the wrong one, or needed something else," said Susan, sitting with the others at breakfast. "Seems a funny time to return though. The castle is mostly deserted when Broom Ball- I mean Quidditch- is being played. Perfect time for him to slip in and start rummaging around."

"That knife he was holding wasn't for rummaging though," said Ron. "It was for killing."

"What sort of wizard uses a knife? Wands aren't exactly locked up, they're put on nightstands and slipped into bags. He could have grabbed several on the way in or out."

"None have been reported missing," said Harry.

"And you say he just ran away when you woke up?" asked Hermione.

"Did you hear something?"

"Knock it off, Ron, it's a good question," said Harry.

"Yeah, just scampered away."

"What would have happened if he had grabbed, say, my wand?" asked Harry.

"One of several things. He might have politely returned it to you without realizing what he was doing. He might carelessly leave it someplace where it would have been swooped up by a bird, then coincidently dropped at your feet the next day."

"Neat."

"Why Ron though?" asked Sparkle. "From all accounts it seems more like Harry would be the target, not him."

"Yeah, did your family do something to him?" asked Harry.

"Not that I know of. I can't imagine why he would want to kill me. I'm nobody."

"You're not nobody," said Susan. "You're not an unnamed NPC, so you're doing way better then most."

"A what?"

"You know- A non-player- you know what? Never mind. Take it from me, you aren't a nobody."

"If you say so."

"Poor Neville though, look at him."

Everyone looked over to see Neville, sadly eating by himself.

"It was his fault for leaving the passwords lying around," said Hermione primly.

"I thought you cured him of that?" asked Ron.

"I can't cure Forgetful, Ron. I basically just gave him back his sense of limb position, that's all."

"Come on," said Harry. "Let's go sit with him, show there's no hard feelings."

"No hard feelings?" asked Ron. "I could have died last night."

"Somehow I think if you were the one he was after, you wouldn't be here right now. The man did supposedly blow somebody up, along with a ton of other people. Remember? I doubt he would hesitate to kill one defenseless boy in his bed because of manners or whatever," said Harry.

"Yeah, I guess. It was still stupid of him."

"I agree," said Susan. "But the mistake was made, he learned from it, case closed. Come on."

"Hey, Neville," said everyone, sitting down next to him.

"You- you don't have to…"

"Course we do," said Harry. "We're your friends, right?"

"Thanks," he mumbled.

It was now several days later, and Ron was making an effort to be nicer to Hermione. It seemed he was trying to put the whole Scabbers incident behind him, which Harry said was because of a talk Rubeus had with them two days ago.

"What I need to know is, are you going to the village this time?" asked Harry. "And no misdirection, I need to know."

"Do you, now? Sadly no, I will be out that day. It's the day of the trial, after all."

"Already?"

"Time does fly, doesn't it? Hagrid was going to bring himself and Buckbeak on the Knight Bus, but I've been to the ministry building, so we're just going to walk through a Teleportal to get there. I just hope his own testimony, and the precedents Hermione and I researched will be enough. We're not going up against the law, sadly, but against Lucius Malfoy's money."

"You'll lose for sure!"

"Probably. I just want to be seen making the effort. It'll make the illusion that's to come later that much more believable."

"Good luck."

"Thanks!"

Susan learned Animal Speech the next day, figuring it would be more believable for everyone to ask them to touch her, rather then a cat, when she cast the spell. Sparkle was going, in fairy form, to cast Energetic Accumulation on her, in case there were a lot of people that wanted to talk to the hippogriff. Half an hour before the trail was scheduled to begin, she Teleportaled them there, with Rubeus holding Buckbeak's halter.

"Thanks for coming with me," said Rubeus for about the millionth time.

"I'm happy to. It will be an educational experience to see how the wheels of magical justice turn. Where's the courtroom, anyway?"

Rubeus led them to a magical elevator, where he got a lot of darks looks for dragging a hippogriff through the place.

"You would think magically inclined people would be more tolerant of magical creatures," said Susan as the doors closed.

"They know what he's on trail for," explained Rubeus.

"Oh, was it in the papers or something?"

"No, it's just that no other animal comes here except those on their way- to death."

"Ah."

Going into the courtroom Susan had to shake her head. The judges benches were high in the air, forcing anyone on trail to crane their necks to look up at them. The jurors were already seated, and she saw Lucius and Draco sitting to the left. Lucius rose angrily and walked over to her.

"What are you doing here?" he sneered down at her.

"What does it matter?" answered Susan. "Afraid that things go badly for you when I'm around? I wonder why?"

"Nothing you say here will make any difference. That creature is as good as dead."

Susan looked around him at Draco, who looked away.

Maybe not feeling quite up to it, anymore, are we Draco?

"All rise!" The judge came in, then motioned them to be seated. "The matter of Lucius versus Buckbeak- wait a moment, who is this girl?"

"If I may approach the bench, your honor?" asked Susan.

The judge raised an eyebrow and nodded.

Susan felt herself making a Speaking check, getting an 8. Not bad, not too bad at all. I'll take it.

"Members of the court, I am Susan A. Felton, a witness to the alleged attack. I will, at the court's pleasure, cast a spell upon this hippogriff allowing those who wish it to actually understand the beast's words and ask him directly what happened."

"This is certainly unorthodox," said the judge.

"And probably a trick. I would suggest the girl be removed from the courtroom. She obviously has no place here," said Lucius.

"Thus far, she has shown far more respect to the proceedings and to me then you, Lucius. Perhaps it is you I should have thrown out."

Lucius looked shocked.

"You may return to your seat, you will be called at the appropriate time. I will also consider this spell."

"Thank you, your honor," said Susan. She turned back to her seat and stuck the tip of her tongue out at Lucius. He scowled.

"To continue- The matter of Lucius versus Buckbeak will now begin." She looked at Rubeus. "Please state your name for the record."

"I'm Rubeus Hagrid, your honor. Keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. Professor of Care of Magical Creatures."

"Very well. And you, sir?"

"Lucius Malfoy."

"Draco Malfoy."

"I will hear the testimony of the plaintiff!"

Draco got up.

"Your honor. On the day in question I was brought to the edge of the forbidden forest, where the professor introduced us to the hippogriffs. Susan was the only one brave enough to approach one at first, and she showed off by jumping over the fence somehow."

Oh yeah, I activated flight.

"After that she was accepted by him, and he allowed her to fly on his back. They flew for a moment, then landed. At this point we were all encouraged to try approaching one, and it got pretty chaotic. I did everything right, but for no reason Buckbeak just attacked me out of the blue! Susan hurried over and healed my arm up, but now I'm scared to go near any magical creature."

Susan looked at him. Bet you don't want those words getting around school, she thought.

Draco shot her a look. I know you won't spread that around school, you're one of the good guys.

Susan looked away, balling up her fists. Crap, he's right! Curse you, good guy code!

"Is it possible you misunderstood how you were to interact with the hippogriff?" asked the judge.

Wait, isn't that what they call "leading the witness?"

"Maybe. He's kind of hard to understand, and he was really nervous about teaching a class. It was his first one, after all."

"I see. And what about Susan? Do you get along with her?"

Draco looked confused. "I did in year one, but then in year two she humiliated me in front of the Defense Against Dark Arts class. We haven't really spoken much since then, but he did apologize for the year before."

"Humiliated you? I see. She has just revealed she can talk to creatures with her magic, do you think she spoke to him while in the air and goaded him to attack you?"

"I didn't consider that possibility."

Susan was looking over at Lucius, who gave a much too innocent "I didn't do anything" expression.

"Is there any other testimony you wish to enter at this time?" asked the judge.

"No, your honor."

"Very well. I will now hear the testimony of… ah yes, the hippogriff himself, in this instance. I will allow you to cast your spell, Susan."

Susan stood up again. "Your honor, the spell has a very short initial range. Any who wish to hear the testimony of Buckbeak must descend and be touching me as I cast it."

"That does not seem so onerous. Must we remain touching you for the duration of the testimony?"

"No, your honor. Once cast the spell will persist even if we leave the courtroom."

"I understand. Jurors, please descend. I will also make my way there, and I expect the court stenographer will also wish to be included."

A woman typing into a device off to the side nodded.

"Your honor," said Lucius, standing. "Surely you must realize this is trickery of some kind. How are we to know this so called spell of hers works as intended? Perhaps it is in reality some kind of illusion magic, which will only make us think we are hearing the hippogriff's 'voice'?"

"A good point. Can you answer this, Miss Felton?"

"I can prove the words are true, your honor. But to do so I will need a candle."

"This is proving to be a most unusual case. I will allow a short recess that a candle be found and brought here, and for the jury and myself to descend." The gavel came down.

Susan hurriedly pulled her book of magic out of her Pocket Dimension and started looking over True Flame.

It's only grade 2, a baby could cast that from writings.

She finished as a candle was brought in, and she cast the spell over it with a snap. Magical energies swirled around it and a flame came to life on the wick.

"My name is George," said Susan. The flame flickered.

"My name is Susan," said Susan. The flame was steady.

"Draco is my lover, and I shall take no other." The flame flickered.

"I believe I have demonstrated how this spell works?"

"She could be doing that herself!" protested Lucius.

"I invite the court to try it for themselves. Tell me something you know is a lie, but which I do not know is a lie, and tell me something that is true. You will see the flame correctly move, or not, regardless."

So the jurors, one by one, spoke truth and lies until they were satisfied. Susan then had Sparkle cast Energetic Accumulation on her, and explained the spell. After everyone touched her she finished off with Animal Speech, after first of course allowing the hippogriff to bow to her so she could safely approach.

"Can you understand me?" asked Susan.

"I can," said Buckbeak. "What a surprising thing. And apparently I can speak to you now."

"Does this satisfy the court?" asked Susan.

"It does. We shall resume our session."

They all made their way back up to the high benches, and the trail resumed.

"Please state your name for the record," said the judge.

"Now how would I put my name into your language?" the hippogriff asked himself. "I think the closest approximation would be 'Moonlight through rustling leaves and falling onto a still pond as the weather becomes cold.' Yes, that would be it."

"I thought your name was Buckbeak."

"That's the name he may have given me, but it is not the name my father gave me."

The judge was watching the flame. "I see. Can you describe the events surrounding your attack on this boy?"

"Yes."

There was a pause.

"Ah, your honor," said Susan. "I should have been more clear. The spell makes him answer quite literally."

"Understood. Please describe the events surrounding your attack on this boy."

"I was lead out of the forest by the big man and there were many delectable morsels in front of me. The female was the first to approach. She easily cleared the fence holding us in, as though she had wings herself, and I was intrigued. She bowed, as is proper, and then fed me a fish. I allowed her to approach, and then she leapt atop me. She was much lighter then I expected."

I still had Flight going at the time.

"With that we took to the air. After we landed, that boy," he pointed with his beak "Was polite to me for a time, then I believe he insulted me. His tone of voice was quite derogatory, I'm sure of it. Naturally I could not let that pass, and I grazed his arm with a talon. I believe he learned the lesson. After that the female took the wound and the blood away."

Everyone had one eye on the candle flame, which hadn't moved.

"You say you believe he insulted you?"

"Yes. I could not understand him as I can now understand you, but his meaning was clear to me."

"I understand. That is the extent of your testimony?"

"I do not know this word 'testimony'."

"Is there anything else you would tell us that could change our minds in concerning the events you've told us."

"I do not believe so."

"Then the court shall have a short recess while the jury deliberates. We shall reconvene when they have a decision."

"Are we winning?" asked Rubeus.

"I'm not sure. All that stuff Hermione and I researched isn't seeming to come into play here. This isn't exactly how I envisioned this going."

"Probably because they've never had a hippogriff that could speak for itself, before."

"There is that."

Moments later, the jury filed back into the courtroom.

"Have you reached a verdict?" asked the judge.

"We have, your honor. In the case of Lucius versus Buckbeak, we find the accused guilty of attacking without provocation, given the vague nature of the accused's understanding of our language."

"Then the punishment is clear. He is to be kept isolated from his kind and will be sentenced to death by beheading. This court stands adjourned."

They filed out. Lucius, looking smug, came over to Susan. "I had to admit, I was slightly worried your little tricks might win you the day. Still, you'll find that money speaks more loudly then a beast and a trick or two."

"Can you buy justice in the magical world then?"

"My dear girl, you can buy whatever kind of justice you want, no matter where in the world you are. Best learn that now. Come, Draco."

Draco silently followed his father out, and Susan turned to Rubeus.

"I'm sorry, professor. I really thought that would work, but it seems they're too much in his pocket to see real justice done. Still, he won't actually get the satisfaction, in the end."

"I understand," said Rubeus. "Open up one of your portals, and lets go home."