━━━━━━━ Harry ━━━━━━━

I woke up early the next morning to the scent of fresh French toast. Although it was only 5am, Grinwauld Place was buzzing with the voices of the Order. I quickly changed and ran downstairs, no way was I going to let them hold another meeting without me.

When I ran downstairs however, there was no meeting going on. Most of the Order was sitting around a table and just, laughing. It seemed out of place almost. With the threat of Voldemort looming high, there hadn't been much time for joy. Percy was in a deep conversation with Sirius which I hadn't expected from them, but when he saw me he got up.

"Harry! How are you?"

"Ummm," How was I? That was a good question that I honestly didn't know the answer to. I felt almost numb, as if everything that had happened in the past week was nothing more than a dream. "I'm fine. A little nervous I guess."

"That's good, you should be nervous. It means your minds working like it should." He smiled and ruffled my hair and I didn't really mind. He took his hand away and shoved it into his pocket.

"Anyway... tell me what happened yesterday."

Percy was there with me so it was a little weird for him to be asking. Then again, this was Percy. "Well, we flew to Privet Drive..."

He cut me off. "Flew on what?"

I distinctly remember flying on something big and hairy but that was impossible. "On brooms obviously. Ron threw up off the side."

Percy seemed lost deep in thought for a second. "Hmm, and what happened at Privet Drive?"

"My uncle, I think something happened to him." I couldn't explain it. Even though it had only happened yesterday, my mind seemed foggy. Almost as if a certain mist was blocking out my memories."

"He fell down, tripped out of a window. Only once. Don't worry though, the best doctor I know is looking after him. Hes sort of a god when it comes to medicine." Percy smiled at me again, this time there was no warmth behind it.

"Why are you asking me these weird questions."

"I'm just trying to figure out if you're really okay, after yesterdays trauma and all." Something was going on but I was too out of it to place my finger on it.

That's when Mrs. Weasley broke the awkwardness and called me over.

"Harry darling, come and sit. You're going to need a lot of energy today and I have the perfect solution for that." Her solution was a whole royal breakfast. My skinny ass could not.

Snape rarely showed up to Grinwauld place, especially since he always happened to get dog shit in his shoes on every visit. But today he was sitting with the rest of the Order. Sirius must have promised to behave.

Something patted me on the back. It was Mr. Weasley.

"Harry!" He was awfully loud for 5 am. "You ready for today buddy? After your appeal I promised to take you, Ron, and Hermione to get ice cream sundaes at the Boars Head! How does that sound?"

"Oh... well thank you Mr Weasley. You don't have to do that."

"I insist Harry, Molly keeps adopting more and more children and this is the least I can do for them."

"Can you blame me Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley hit him on the behind with a spatula. Something I wish to erase from my memory. "Every child deserves a good family."

Thankfully I had finished my breakfast and got out of there as fast as I could. I darted up the stairs and practiced what I would say to the jury with Hermione and Piper before Mr. Weasley told us it was time to go.

The journey to the Ministry was quite uneventful, although we did apparate into a toilet which wasn't the most pleasant. Percy somehow didn't get his shoes wet but I didn't question it.

Then things got a little crazy.

A stumpy little man ran up to Mr. Weasley. He was sweating. "Oh Arthur!" he said desperately, without looking at Harry."Thank goodness, I didn't know what to do for the best, whether to wait here for you or not, I've just sent an owl to your home but you've obviously missed it — an urgent message came ten minutes ago —"

"I know about the regurgitating toilet," said Mr. Weasley.

"No, no, it's not the toilet, it's the Potter boy's hearing — they've changed the time and venue — it starts at eight o'clock now and it's down in old Courtroom Ten —"

"Down in old — but they told me — Merlin's beard —"Mr. Weasley looked at his watch, let out a yelp, and leapt from his chair."Quick, Harry, we should have been there five minutes ago!"

So we ran, Mr. Weasley leading the charge. We ducked into a hallway, ran down another hallway until we got to a dead end. Only it wasn't a dead end, it was an elevator.

"Come on kids — quick! File in!" We stood there in the smushed in elevator for a while as it slowly moved down to our floor. The second it opened, Mr. Weasley grabbed my arm and ran.

We ran down a few more hallways as Mr. Weasley counted off. "Courthouse 7... Courthouse... Courthouse 9... Aha! Courthouse 10!"

He straightened my collar as I took a few deep breaths. "Alright — Harry and Piper in, Perseus," He pointed at an old crusty bench. "Sit."

"Aren't — aren't you guys coming with — ?"

"No, no, we're not allowed. Just the defendant and their lawyer. Good luck!"

I swallowed hard, turned the heavy iron door handle, and stepped inside the courtroom.

The large dungeon we had entered seemed familiar. It was the one I had seen in Dumbledore's memories, during Sirius's trial. The stone walls were dark and dimly lit by torches. In the shadows I could see the shapes of wizards and witches although I couldn't see any of their faces. The courthouse looked like a poorly built Minecraft throne room. Yes, I know what Minecraft is. I might have lived under the stairs but I'm not stupid.

When we walked in, the court was alive with voices but as soon as the door swung closed behind Piper, an eerie silence fell.

A cold male voice rang across the courtroom."You're late."

"Sorry," said Piper confidently. "We didn't know the time had changed."

The voice softened. "Of course, of course. No need to apologize. Please, take your seats."

Piper stalked up to the front but someone stopped me as I tried to follow her. They turned me around and pointed to a chair in the middle of the room. The chair was covered with chains which I had seen spring to life and bind the person sitting in it in Dumbledore's memory.

When I sat gingerly on the edge of the chair the chains clinked rather threateningly but did not bind me. Feeling rather sick I looked up at the people seated at the bench above, where Piper had disappeared to.

There were about fifty of them, some looking down at me with disapproving glares, others with frank curiosity. They wore plum colored robes with a silver W on the side of their chests.

In the middle of the bench sat Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. The last time I had seen him, he was wearing a bright green bowler hat but he seemed to have disposed of it today for a wizards hat. On one side of his sat Piper, her hair in two braids she smiled warmly at me. On the other side of Fudge sat a witch but her face was covered in shadows. I gulped. She did not give me the same warm smile Piper had.

"Very well," said Fudge. "The accused being present — finally —let us begin. Are you ready?" he called down the row.

An eager voice I could swear I recognized rang back down the row. "Yes sir!"

I leaned against my chair to see who it had belonged to. At the end of the first row bench sat Ron's older brother, Percy. I looked at him expecting some form of recognition but none came. He stared down the piece of parchment under his nose, the quill in his right hand slightly trembling.

"Disciplinary hearing of the twelfth of August," said Fudge in a ringing voice, and Percy began taking notes at once, "into offenses committed under the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery and the International Statute of Secrecy by Harry James Potter, resident at number four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging,Surrey. Interrogators: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic;Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Under secretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Percy Ignatius Weasley —"

"— Witness for the defense, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," said a quiet voice from behind me. I whipped my head around so fast, I practically broke my spine.

Dumbledore was gliding along the floor in his long midnight blue robe. His expression was calm as usual. He never seemed to show any negative emotions.

The members of the court were muttering. All eyes were now on Dumbledore. Some looked annoyed, others slightly frightened.

"Ah," said Fudge, who looked about as red as a tomato. "Dumbledore. Yes. You — er — got our — er — message that the time and —er — place of the hearing had been changed, then?"

"I must have missed it," said Dumbledore cheerfully. "However,due to a lucky mistake I arrived at the Ministry three hours early, so no harm done."

"Yes — well — I suppose we'll need another chair — I —Weasley, could you — ?"

"Oh no worries." said Dumbledore pleasantly. He gave his wand a little flick and a chair appeared out of thin air.

That's when it hit me like a semi, the reason the hearing had been changed was to make sure Dumbledore didn't show up. It was rigged against me from the start. The Ministry was doing everything in its legal power to keep me out of Hogwarts. That feeling of belonging that had begun to grow in my chest disappeared without a trace. No one wanted me.

"Let us move on to the charges." said Fudge shuffling his notes, he had not been counting on Dumbledore appearing. "The charges against the accused are as follows: That he did knowingly, deliberately, and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, having received a previous written warning from the Ministry of Magic on a similar charge, produce a Patronus Charm in a Muggle-inhabited area, in the presence of a Muggle, on August the second at twenty-three minutes past nine, which constitutes an offense under paragraph C of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, and also under section thirteen of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy."

He stopped for a second. "You are Harry James Potter, of number four, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey?" Fudge said, glaring at me over the top of his parchment.

"Yes."

"You received a warning from the Ministry for using magic three years ago did you not?"

I swallowed a lump forming in my throat. "Yes, but — "

"And yet you conjured a Patronus on the night of the second of August?" said Fudge.

"Yes, but — "

"Knowing that you are not permitted to use magic outside school while you are under the age of seventeen?"

"Yes, but —"

"Knowing that you were in an area full of Muggles?"

"Yes, but —"

"Fully aware that you were in close proximity to a Muggle at the time?"

"Yes," I was starting to get angry, "but I only used it because we were —"

The witch covered in shadows next to Fudge cut across him in a booming voice."You produced a fully fledged Patronus?"

"Yes, because —"

"A corporeal Patronus?"

"A — what?" I hated court.

"Your Patronus had a clearly defined form? I mean to say, it was more than vapor or smoke?"

"Yes," I was beginning to feel desperate. "it's a stag, it's always a stag."

"Always?" boomed the witch. "You have produced a Patronus before now?"

"Yes, I've been doing it for over a year —"

"And you are fifteen years old?"

"Yes, and —"

I didn't understand why they never let me finish a single sentence. I looked up at Piper and Dumbledore but neither met my gaze.

"You learned this at school?"

"Yes, Professor Lupin taught me in my third year, because of the —"

"Impressive," said the witch, staring down at me, "a true Patronus at that age . . . very impressive indeed." The witches and wizards around her broke out into a chorus of voices.

"SILENCE!" yelled Fudge. His face was getting red again. "Whether or not this boy can produce a fully fledged Patronus makes no difference to his case. In fact, the more impressive the worse it is, I would have thought, given that the boy did it in plain view of a Muggle!"

The wizards and witches who had just been on my side not even a moment ago were nodding along in agreement. To put it simply, it pissed me off. My head was still a little cloudy so I don't remember what exactly irked me to speak out of turn.

"I DID IT BECAUSE OF THE DEMENTORS!"

That silenced them.

"Dementors?" Said the witch in surprise. "What do you mean, boy?"

"I mean there were two dementors down that alleyway and they went for me and my cousin!"

"Ah," said Fudge again, smirking unpleasantly as he looked around at the court, as though inviting them to share the joke. "Yes. Yes, I thought we'd be hearing something like this."

"Dementors in Little Whinging?" The witch said in surprise. "I don't understand —"

"Don't you Amelia?" Fudge laughed. I wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face. "The boy is obviously lying and thought that dementors would be the perfect cover story seeing as how Muggles can't see them. Highly convenient, highly convenient . . . so it's just your word and no witnesses. . . ."

"I'm not lying!" I said loudly, over another outbreak of muttering from the court. This was starting to become to much. My head started spinning. "There were two of them, coming from opposite ends of the alley, everything went dark and cold and my cousin felt them and ran for it."

"Enough, enough!" said Fudge with a very supercilious look on his face. "I'm sorry to interrupt what I'm sure would have been a very well-rehearsed story —"

Dumbledore cleared his throat, interrupting Fudge mid sentence which he did not appreciate. "Actually there was a witness, other than Dudley Dursley of course."

"We haven't got time to listen to more." Fudges smile had turned upside down. "I wanted this dealt with quickly. So, there we have it folks. The boy is very obviously guilty. Down to his bones. For his crimes against the Ministry I expect the highest form of punishment for a minor in his position which is expulsion from Hogwarts and banishment from the Wizarding World for life — "

"NO!" Piper's voice cut through the courtroom like a knife. She was standing up now and a strange pink mist seemed to surround her. "Harry Potter is innocent, and I know this because I was the witness."

The courtroom fell into chaos.

Thinking back to that night I remembered her standing there, watching me face the dementors. But her whole existence seemed surrounded in a cloud. As if those memories weren't real, as if they were sew-ons. Still, I remembered her. There's no way my memories could be fake.

"And why should we believe you?" Fudge sneered at her. "Harry would have mentioned you if you were truly there. So I repeat my question, why should we believe you?"

"Because," Piper took a deep breath and the pink aura surrounding her intensified. No, what was I thinking. There was no aura. "I need you to believe."

Fudge laughed, obviously not in a very believing mood. "Let's put this to a vote now shall we? All voting not guilty stand up."

No one stood up.

Fudge turned back around, an obvious smirk playing on his face. "As you can see, the defendant is obviously guilty. Case clo—"

"I believe."

In the back of the last row stood a woman. I had seen her before but now I couldn't understand how I could have missed her. She had perfect blonde hair that matched her porcelain skin. Unlike the rest of the witches and wizards who donned plum colored robes, she wore a green blouse with sheer sleeves. Definitely a Slytherin in her Hogwarts years. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

"Fine," Cornelius Fudge laughed, he had turned around to face me. "We have one. I'm sorry to disappoint you young boy but it seems you expulsion from Hogwarts is im—"

Like magic, one by one, the witches and wizards all around started standing up. The only one left sitting had been the Fudge.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "You wanted a vote, Minister? Well there you have it."

Fudge glanced around at them all, looking as though there was something large stuck in his throat, then lowered his own hand. He took two deep breaths and then said, in a voice distorted by suppressed rage, "Very well, very well . . . cleared of all charges."

Excellent," said Dumbledore briskly, springing to his feet, pulling out his wand, and causing his chair to vanish. "Well, I must be getting along. Good day to you all."

And without looking once at me, he swept from the dungeon.

When I had finally come to my senses and got out of my chair, the courtroom had already been cleared of everyone except Piper and the strange women in the green. As I was walking towards the door I heard a snippet of their conversation.

"Thanks mom, I don't know how I could have gotten out of that without you."

"Who other than your mother to give your charmspeak a little boost. You are my second favorite daughter after all."

Strange. I didn't know Piper had a witch for a mom. Maybe that's why she was so good at convincing others. However she definitely didn't seem to have any magic powers beyond that. Maybe she was a half blood? Even then she should have full witch powers or none at all like a squib, right? I didn't think anything else of it.

I pulled open the huge metal door and outside on the bench sat Percy and Mr. Weasley, just as we had left them.

"See!" Percy grinned and waved his hands around like a crazy person. He must have spent too much time sitting on that bench. "I told you Piper was the best! Everything worked out just fine!"

"Yeah," I smiled and that's when it hit me. I was going to be allowed to stay at Hogwarts. "It really did."