Chapter 43 – And I'm Still Waiting For A Why
Note: Chapter Title from Little Mix's song 'Case Closed'
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters.
Now that that's out of the way, let's begin…
Last time,
"Whatever happens tomorrow will determine what Hogwarts is like when you are there. I hope it all goes well. Though, if everything on that list of accusations is true, and I know some of it is, then I'm not really sure what constitutes it going well anymore. All I know is, this war will end. And for your safety, that's the most important thing."
When he's finally got her to eat the bowl of food, Sirius kisses his grand-daughter on the head. "I love you, Delphi."
Now,
At 11:30am on the 27th of April 1997 the entire student body and teaching staff of Hogwarts heads into Hogsmeade together. They find the place already packed with people in all directions, but based on the speakers and screens around the place, they know they won't miss anything. The Headmaster heads towards the front, people parting to let him through, watching him with suspicion.
Draco, Pansy, Remus, and Blaise are in Madam Puddifoot's with the witnesses, all of them having headed down earlier. Inimicus stands in there too, he and his reapers all in their outfits.
At 11:45am, the Minister arrives. Draco notices and goes out to greet him, escorting him to his seat along with Mad-Eye, the Auror Scrimgeour had elected to have with him on stage. Many other Aurors are around the place, naturally, to keep the peace. Inimicus had agreed to have Tonks in with the witnesses in case something goes wrong. She's less than pleased to find Voldemort in there, for all that he appears to be pouting about something. Though, with the Reapers in the room, none of the witnesses seem all too concerned about the Dark Lord. Perhaps that is what he's pouting about.
"So, how do you feel about all this?" Scrimgeour asks Dumbledore who smiles serenely.
"Whatever happens is the will of the people, that is the point of a democracy, Rufus."
Moody frowns, "Can they prove those claims are true?" Albus looks at his hands and elects not to answer.
At precisely 12pm, Inimicus joins the Minister, Moody, and Dumbledore on stage.
"We meet at last," Scrimgeour greets, "I must say, I've been curious since the reports of your activities first came to my attention."
Inimicus nods to him. "Hopefully, Minister, this is the last time we meet. After this I should no longer be needed in this capacity." Scrimgeour nods his agreement to that as he retakes his seat. Inimicus stands centre stage, pulling his wand out and pointing at his throat, casting an amplifying charm and hoping his voice disguiser doesn't make listening too painful an experience when coupled with it. He nods to Pansy, dressed as Addens, who activates the screens. Silence falls as people turn to their closest screen or, for those within viewing distance, to the stage. "Thank you all for coming out, I'm sure we can all agree this is an important occasion. And, although I am grateful for your attendance, it is certainly not a joyful event. Because I stand here to accuse a man we all trusted of several crimes. But more importantly, I am here to provide evidence, so you may all decide his guilt or innocence. Before we begin, I believe it only fair that Dumbledore be given a chance to speak."
Inimicus steps back, nodding to Dumbledore who steps forth, casting his own amplifying charm. "All I wish to say is this: Any and all actions I have taken have been because I believed it was in the best interests of our world. And whether or not you decide these actions make me guilty of a crime, it will not change that the intent behind them was pure. I only meant to give you all the best and safest world I could." Dumbledore retakes his seat, a solemn silence, and many nods from the crowd, follows his words.
Minister Scrimgeour steps forth, "The first charge you laid was that Albus Dumbledore knowingly and wilfully endangered his students, in one instance leading to the death of a student. If you will present your evidence of these events, and the danger they posed, beginning with the incident in 1976," He requests before retaking his seat.
Inimicus recasts the amplifying charm. "In 1976, as I'm sure many of you are aware, 36 Death Eaters showed up in Hogsmeade having been obliviated. There was a battle in what was then called the 'Dark Forest' but is now known as the 'Forbidden Forest'. That battle was between Gryffindor students and the Death Eaters." Murmurs are heard from within the crowd. "What you will not be aware of, is that Dumbledore had been warned about the Death Eater presence, and that they intended to raid the school. He refused to do anything in response, and as such the students protected the school themselves. Had they done nothing, 36 Death Eaters, at the height of the First Wizarding War, would have raided Hogwarts, because the school's own Headmaster refused to take action."
"Do you deny this, Albus?" Scrimgeour asks him through the charm so that all can hear.
Dumbledore sighs, "No, I do not. But they were not within the bounds of the school, lawfully speaking I had no right to act."
"So you thought leaving our kids in danger was the best option?!" Someone shouts from the crowd.
"Did you even report it?!" Another audience member yells out in question.
Inimicus turns to Dumbledore, apparently requesting an answer. "No, I did not. It was all over by the morning after it was brought to my attention."
"I want to know more about the battle, all of Gryffindor against 36 Death Eaters sounds like pretty good odds," Moody requests.
Inimicus looks down to Draco, standing as Amans by the side of the stage. He heads into Madam Puddifoots.
"Yeah so we kind of weren't expecting him to admit that so readily," Remus tells Sirius who huffs.
"Remus, if I show my memory of that battle, it'll show your whole thing with the thing and the thing thing thing!"
"Can't I show mine and Remus show his of the Grindelwald thing?" Peter asks.
"We need Remus' testimony for another incident, we don't want them all coming from the same place," Blaise, as Tutamen, explains. "No one else can provide a memory of that."
Amans tilts his head to the side, "That's not true. All right, Pettigrew, do this, I'll be back."
Tutamen escorts Peter to the stage. Inimicus looks to Tutamen who just nods for him to go with it.
"Mr Pettigrew was present for the battle and an active participant in it," Inimicus states.
"How can we be sure what he says is accurate?" Scrimgeour asks.
Inimicus pulls out the pensieve, "We're all going to see it as well."
Peter pulls his memory from his head and puts it into the pensieve, then sticking his head into it, the pensieve charmed to show the memory so that everyone can view it just as in the courtroom.
The memory begins when Gryffindor house reached the tree line of the forest and ends with the Death Eaters being obliviated for the second time in Hogsmeade.
"Were any of the students injured? We saw nothing more than scrapes there," Scrimgeour questions, though he looks unimpressed with Dumbledore as it is.
"One student was fatally injured," Peter replies after thinking for a moment. Inimicus hides his surprise at this. "I don't know if you know about the incident, but at the time Minerva McGonagall had been de-aged to a teenager and was a fifth-year student in the school until she was re-aged. She was stabbed during the battle and would have died if one of the students hadn't had her take the potion Professor Slughorn had brewed to re-age her."
"If they had this potion, why wasn't she already re-aged?" The Minister asks.
Peter sighs, "Minnie decided she didn't want to be re-aged, she wanted to grow up again at a normal rate." The crowd seems very shocked about that, all of the current students thinking about how close they came to never having Professor McGonagall as a teacher. "When she was dying, a student ignored said wishes, figuring she'd rather be aged again than die and hoping that the fact she wasn't injured when she was first de-aged would mean she wouldn't be injured if she got re-aged."
"A fifteen-year-old girl essentially died in that battle!" Someone screeches from far away.
Scrimgeour nods as he considers it all. "I think it is time we move on to the next incident," Scrimgeour decides, "Thank you for your input, Mr Pettigrew." Peter nods, returning to Puddifoot's. Scrimgeour pulls out the Prophet's list of accusations. "The next incident was in 1991, yes?"
Inimicus nods, "Yes. In 1991, Dumbledore decided to set a trap for Lord Voldemort within the school." Harry sees Dumbledore wince slightly out of the corner of his eye and has to hold back a completely inappropriate chuckle.
"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had not yet returned in 1991," Scrimgeour interrupts.
"Not in a corporeal form, no, but before his death in 1981 Voldemort created several horcruxes. As such his soul, for lack of a better word, survived. He was possessing the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor of that school year."
Scrimgeour blinks before looking to Dumbledore who nods. "I see. Continue."
"Voldemort was present within the school for the entire school year trying to steal the Philosopher's Stone which Dumbledore had hidden within the school, knowing Voldemort would come after it. We have a Hogwarts Professor willing to corroborate all of this." Scrimgeour nods so Inimicus looks to Tutamen who goes and fetches McGonagall.
"Professor McGonagall," Scrimgeour greets. Minerva inclines her head politely. "Would you please tell us your version of these events."
McGonagall takes a breath, "The first I heard of Albus' intent to hide the stone within the school was in a staff meeting a few days after school had begun for the year. Albus had a few of the teachers install certain safeguards to prevent anyone from reaching the stone. A few of the students discovered that Voldemort was indeed coming for the stone and attempted to warn us," She recounts, no longer afraid to speak Voldemort's name after having spent almost an hour sitting in his company and knowing that, somehow, Inimicus has him corralled. "In the end the students went after him themselves to prevent him from getting the stone after they discovered that Albus had left the school on business."
"He left the school while all this was happening?" Scrimgeour can't help but exclaim, sending a displeased look to the man in question.
"Yes, Minister."
"Was anyone injured?"
Minerva nods, "Two of the students were hurt and the Professor who had been possessed died. Voldemort escaped. Though, he did fail to get the stone."
"Do you deny any of this?" Scrimgeour asks Dumbledore who shakes his head.
"I do not."
"Thank you, Professor McGonagall," The Minister tells her, she nods, leaving the stage, sending an apologetic look to Dumbledore who smiles in a forgiving way. She breathes easier after that, sitting within the café once more.
"The final incident, 1994. I assume this refers to the Tri Wizard Tournament, the inclusion of an underage wizard, the death of Cedric Diggory, and the fact that it was all a set-up by a disguised Death Eater in a successful bid to resurrect You-Know-Who?"
"It does," Inimicus confirms.
"Yes, well, I think we all know what happened there."
"And we're still mad about it!" Hermione shouts from where all the students are sat. Harry holds back the chuckle at that as well.
"With all due respect, Minister, the published articles referring to the incident left out one particular detail. And that's that the underage student in question was unwillingly entered but forced to participate." Scrimgeour looks to Dumbledore.
"That is all true," Albus admits, beginning to resign himself to the fact that this might not go his way.
"All right, well, he's admitted that," Scrimgeour says, rubbing at his forehead as he shakes his head. "I believe the next accusation was about placing and leaving a child in an abusive household with full knowledge of said abuse?"
"On the night of the 31st of October 1981, while everyone celebrated Voldemort's defeat, Dumbledore placed Harry Potter with his Aunt-in-law and her husband. While at the time he did not know this Uncle would abuse Potter, he had someone living on the street and watching over him. She reported the abuse to him several times, but he insisted Potter was safest there and would not move him, despite multiple family members being available to take custody."
"Do you have this person who reported the abuse?" Scrimgeour asks.
"We do indeed," Inimicus replies, nodding to Tutamen who goes and retrieves Arabella Figg from the café.
"Your name, for the record, if you please, ma'am," Scrimgeour requests.
"Arabella Figg, Minister," She replies.
"And what is your involvement in all this."
"I helped Headmaster Dumbledore in the first war against You-Know-Who, and once it was over, I moved to Surrey on request of Dumbledore so that I could watch over young Harry."
"And you witnessed this supposed abuse?" Scrimgeour asks.
Arabella nods, "Poor boy was beaten and starved. They used to leave him with me anytime they would take their Son out to do anything fun, they didn't want to be seen with Harry, didn't want him to enjoy himself. Constantly had him slaving away in the Garden. Didn't get him glasses until he was eight, though the school had told them he wasn't learning to read proper because he couldn't see."
"You told all of this to Dumbledore?" Scrimgeour asks.
"I did, told him about all the times I tried to get him better and feed him when I was babysitting. He believed me, I'm sure of that, but he seemed to think Harry was safe there."
Scrimgeour looks to Dumbledore.
"I believe what I said was 'safer'," Albus corrects, "Harry was under the blood protection of Lily Potter from when she sacrificed herself. Knowing that Voldemort was still out there in some form, I felt he posed a greater threat to Harry than the Dursleys did."
"Harry's not even related to Lily Potter!" A student shouts.
Scrimgeour turns to Dumbledore again, "How could he be under a blood protection if they were not related?"
"I…performed a blood adoption after the incident occurred so that the protection would take effect."
"Y-You what?" Inimicus questions disbelievingly. "Just when you think you've uncovered everything," He mutters irately.
"Yes, I'm beginning to share in that feeling, and having witnessed Mr Potter's memory of Godric's Hollow, I can confirm that no blood protection would have taken place because Lily Potter did not protect Mr Potter that night," Scrimgeour reveals to everyone. Dumbledore looks surprised by that, genuinely surprised. "That boy suffered years of abuse for no reason."
"I'm curious why you cared to protect him from Voldemort in that respect only to lure Voldemort to Hogwarts in Potter's first year anyway," Inimicus comments, though he doesn't appear to be addressing anyone, just wondering it aloud to himself.
"Thank you, Miss Figg," Scrimgeour says to her, indicating for her to return to the café. Inimicus helps her off the stage before Tutamen takes her arm to escort her back. "Dumbledore kidnapping a child."
"I had the mother's permission to remove the child from her God-Father's care," Dumbledore immediately interrupts.
"Which you gained afterwards, you still had a man knocked unconscious to take said child from his arms, and you threatened the mother, which, I'll get to later!" Inimicus shoots back. Dumbledore sits back quietly.
"Please bring forth your proof," Scrimgeour requests of Inimicus who looks to Tutamen. Tutamen looks awkwardly back to the café, relieved to find Draco has returned, but shocked to find Jamie with him. "Please state your name," Scrimgeour requests.
Inimicus stares in shock as Jamie climbs up onto the stage. Considering how they parted, he can't imagine why she agreed to help. He also doesn't know why Remus isn't doing this but he assumes it has something to do with why Peter came up at an unexpected time as well.
"Jamie Lupin, Minister."
"And what's your role in all of this?" He asks.
"My Father was the kidnapped child's God-Father, and I was present for the assault and Dumbledore taking the child. I was young at the time, I cannot consciously recall the incident with any clarity, but the memory is there."
Scrimgeour nods, "I see, and you are willing to show us your memory of this?"
Jamie nods back, "I am." Inimicus hands her the pensieve. She draws the memory out, placing it in the pensieve and sticking her head in.
"Pete?" Jamie hears her Daddy call.
"Uncle Wormy!" Jamie calls out when he doesn't answer. Her Daddy suddenly pulls her behind him, Jamie knows this means there's danger about.
"He's not here Remus." Jamie sees Albus sitting there, she knows him and she knows her Daddy doesn't like him. Daddy pulls her closer and she sees him holding Hermione close too.
"What happened? Where is he?" Daddy asks, Jamie cuddling his leg, becoming scared that maybe something bad happened to Uncle Wormy like it did to her Daddy ages ago.
"Sirius killed him, and twelve Muggles."
"What the devil are you talking about Old Man?!"
"He was the spy."
"YOU'RE LYING!"
"I WISH I WERE!" Jamie doesn't know what any of this means, but it sounds bad, and Uncle Padfoot doesn't do bad things so it can't have been him. "It had to be him, he was the secret keeper," Albus tells her Daddy.
"James, Lily…"
"I'm so sorry Remus, they're dead."
"Harry?!" Her Daddy asks desperately.
Albus sighs, "He's alive. It might interest you to know that last night we also lost Miss Meadowes and Mr Fenwick."
Jamie watches as her Daddy falls to his knees and wonders if Albus is someone she's supposed to go to when Daddy starts getting scared coz he looks like this before he gets scared sometimes. Except it's different, because he doesn't look scared. Her Daddy looks sad. "How could…there must be a mistake, Sirius would never!"
"I know you cared for him Remus, but you knew this was a possibility."
"They made Severus Harry's God-Father," Daddy explains, "He'll look after him until Del's out."
"Out of where?"
Jamie looks around for Uncle Wormy again when her Daddy starts sobs slightly. "Gaol, it's complicated."
"Complicated or not, Harry's already going to a safe place."
"What are you talking about?"
"Lily's put a spell of protection on him, it will only work so long as he's in close proximity to her blood relatives."
"You-You can't mean Petunia…Sir, that giant ham of a man she's married to will make life hell for him!"
"I don't have a choice Remus."
"Del's his mother!"
"And I'm sure she will want him to be safe, no matter what." Jamie turns back, finally concluding that Uncle Wormy isn't here. She's never seen her Daddy look like this before, it's like sad pain. She doesn't like it. "Tom is dead."
"WHAT?!" Jamie startles slightly when her Daddy suddenly shouts.
"The war is over Remus, we won," He tells him.
"No Old Man, you won."
"I didn't want this Remus!"
"YOU CONTROL EVERYTHING ELSE, IF YOU TRIED THEY'D STILL BE ALIVE!"
"THEY PUT THEIR FAITH IN THE WRONG PERSON!" The two men look at each other, breathing heavily before Albus takes a breath to calm himself, "If it were anyone else I'd admit none of this, but you have a low opinion of me anyway. I made a mistake a long time ago Remus and my sister died because of it," He says, Jamie sees movement behind her Daddy and turns, seeing a pirate. He's got one eye and a bad leg and everything! Only she doesn't think her Daddy will find it very cool at the moment. "Every decision I have made since has been to protect people so that no one else has to deal with that, and I know I failed here, I failed them. But the rest of the wizarding world is safe again, for now. We both know Voldemort is not a man but some non-human spiritous apparition, he will be back and when he returns, his Son is the first person he will go after."
"But Harry isn't his son, he's Tom's."
"Yes, but we've seen before, parts of Roana within Tom. Something of the host remains and, given the obsession with which he searched for Harry, if it will be anything, it will be that. He'll be after Hermione as well."
"I'm her God-Father, I can protect her," Daddy growls, Albus raises an eyebrow, Jamie looks between them both in fright, holding onto her father's leg tightly.
"Like you protected the others?" Albus shakes his head, "No, it's clear she isn't safe here. I failed to protect the others, I will not fail her too. I'm sorry Remus, truly, I am. But I'm doing this for the greater good."
Daddy looks afraid, "Doing what?"
Jamie sees the pirate move forward. "Stupefy!" The pirate casts and Daddy falls to the ground.
"DADDY!" Jamie screams. Albus moves forward to pick up Hermione, but Jamie grabs at his arm. "NO YOU CAN'T TAKE HER! DADDY'S S'POSED TO LOOK AFTER HER! YOU CAN'T TAKE 'MIONE!"
Albus holds Jamie back with one arm as he picks up the baby just as Hermione starts crying. "Thank you for your help, Alastor."
The pirate looks at Albus with a frown, "I'm still not sure this was the right thing to do."
"Neither am I," Albus replies. "Come, Remus will wake soon, Jamie will be fine," He says, looking at the child who has abandoned attacking him and started hitting her Father's face in an effort to wake him up.
The two leave, Hermione crying all the way.
Jamie comes out of the memory, gripping the edges of the pensieve tight. She forces herself to let go and step back from it.
"Thank you, Miss Lupin," Scrimgeour tells her. Jamie nods to him, glaring at Dumbledore as she leaves the stage.
She walks into the café, she hadn't had a chance to go there after arriving because she'd been called up immediately. Remus instantly pulls her into a hug.
"Are you okay, Baby Girl?" Remus asks.
Jamie nods, though tears stream down her face. "I tried to stop him," She says, "I didn't remember that before. H-He just took her anyway."
"It's not your fault, Jamie," Remus assures her, hugging her close.
"Dumbledore forcing a child to ingest a substance to which she is allergic?" Scrimgeour asks Inimicus, a resigned tone to his voice.
Amans has already lead Dannie to the stage, her parents waiting at the base of it.
"And what's your name?" Scrimgeour asks, trying to be more delicate than he had been to the other witnesses in deference to her age. He notices Dumbledore staring at her in abject shock.
"Danielle Smigin, Minister, Sir," Dannie replies.
Scrimgeour blinks in shock, "A-Aren't you dead?"
"Inimicus helped fake my death so my parents and I could get away. Even if we just accepted my expulsion, my parents weren't confident enough in Headmaster Dumbledore's promise to leave us alone after that."
Dumbledore looks to Inimicus, "Bit extreme, isn't it?"
"And what you did wasn't?" Inimicus replies. Dumbledore nods his assent to that.
"What is it that Dumbledore had you ingesting?"
Dannie takes a deep breath, looking to her parents who nod for her to continue. "Wolfsbane, Sir. I'm allergic to Newt's Eye, it's one of the main ingredients."
There's a shocked silence throughout the town. "You're a werewolf?"
"Yes. Headmaster Dumbledore said I could attend Hogwarts only if I were taking Wolfsbane. He wouldn't relent on that even when we discovered I was allergic. It…I mean we could understand why, if not for the fact that he knew there was another way to control the wolf," Dannie explains, looking troubled by that.
"What other way?" Scrimgeour asks in shock as Dumbledore rubs at his forehead.
"It's all in this book," Dannie explains, holding up the book Remus and Severus had published of all the group's research. "There's a way to meld the wolf's mind with mine. We'd started doing it and Dumbledore had seen that the wolf was docile during the full. It wasn't until after we ran from here that it finished. Inimicus sent Remus Lupin to help me. Now I'm fine on the full, my parents can be around me, anyone can be around me. I've never attacked or hurt anyone."
"You knew this was possible?" Scrimgeour asks Albus.
"I knew it was theoretically possible, I'd never heard of a case of it truly working. The wolf I knew was still quite volatile," Albus explains.
"Yes, because it had been repeatedly tortured by Death Eaters," Moody can't help but point out, "That's like suggesting all humans must be paranoid because I am."
"The wolf turned out to be a spy who had betrayed us," Albus reminds Moody.
"Already showing free will and intelligent thought," Inimicus points out, "And you did not know that at the time either way. All you knew was that Auror Moody had confirmed the wolf was intelligent and could be reasoned with."
"How do you know these things?" Alastor can't help but ask.
"Because people trust me," Inimicus replies, "Quite frankly, many of them trust me more than they trust him," he says, gesturing to Dumbledore.
"Thank you, Miss Smigin," Scrimgeour tells Dannie who nods and quickly gets off the stage, taking her parents hands.
"Thank you," Dannie's Father says to Inimicus who nods as Amans leads them back to the café.
"Lengthened imprisonment with no further crime committed," Scrimgeour prompts.
Inimicus nods, "Yes, I'll remind you of the kidnapped child. In Jamie Lupin's memory, Remus Lupin explains that the infant's mother is in Gaol. Her original sentence was only a year long. But, while she behaved well and followed all the rules, her sentence was suddenly a life-time. Dumbledore made it so."
"Why would he do that?" Scrimgeour asks.
"Why don't we ask her?" Inimicus asks, Amans already leading Del over.
"And you are?" Scrimgeour questions as pleasantly as possible under the circumstances.
"Delilah Black, Minister," Del answers.
"And what Inimicus claims, this is true?" Del nods. "Please, tell us what happened."
"I had been at a café with my daughter, Jamie Lupin, and two of Hermione's Godfathers. I was arrested for causing a disturbance when I got into a heated argument with the café owner about whether or not another customer should be made to leave just for breastfeeding. Remus and Severus went to get my brother, James Potter, but he was already dead. While they were gone, Dumbledore came to see me. He told me that my brother and sister-in-law were dead, that my Husband had been arrested for murder, and that he'd hidden my children away in the Muggle world. I asked him what in the hell he thought he was doing, and he told me that Voldemort wasn't gone. That he'd be back, and, in all likelihood, he'd come after my kids. He said if I was released, the kids would be returned to me, and that's why I had to stay imprisoned. He came to see me many times over the years, always assuring me that the kids were fine, were safe, and that they would only remain that way if I stayed in prison. I was in there for fifteen years before my kids, among others, had been taken hostage by Death Eaters, this happened a few months ago. Dumbledore came and told me, said I should join the rescue mission, and suddenly my sentence was rescinded, and I was released."
Moody looks at Dumbledore in disbelief. Evidently, he hadn't known that bit.
"Ms Black, did you not hide your children from their fathers in an attempt to protect them from Voldemort's ire as well?" Dumbledore asks her.
Del nods, "Yes, I did. But they truly were safe when they were with me. You told me they were okay, but they weren't, were they?"
Dumbledore shakes his head, "I knew Harry was not. I knew nothing of Hermione until earlier this year."
Scrimgeour nods, "Thank you, Ms Black."
Del nods, leaving the stage and returning to the café.
Scrimgeour sits silently in thought for a moment. Everyone waits. He lets out a breath before he pulls out the Prophet list again. He freezes for a moment, then pinches the bridge of his nose. Finally he sits up again. "The accusation that Dumbledore helped Gellert Grindelwald during his first attempts to overthrow the Ministry."
"That is not entirely accurate!" Dumbledore protests. He looks at Inimicus who nods for him to continue. "We had no intention to overthrow the Ministry. We planned a revolution but it was to be handled as peacefully as possible. It wasn't until after our partnership broke down that his twisted side revealed itself."
"And what was it this revolution was supposed to do?" Scrimgeour asks.
Dumbledore sighs, "To end the International Statute of Secrecy," He admits. There's an uproar in the crowd. Inimicus raises a hand, requesting silence. "I have since then come to realise the importance of it, and seeing as we never went through with the plan, I committed no crime."
"Perhaps not a crime with this plan but attempting to create global hierarchical order led by wise and powerful witches and wizards that dominated Muggles is perhaps not the most stable plan?" Inimicus points out, "Besides, I'm not accusing you of committing a crime in your attempts to aid him. But am I wrong that it was those attempts that lead to the final accusation?"
Albus looks to his hands, pain in his eyes as he shakes his head, "No, you are not wrong."
"That final accusation, is that you murdered Ariana Dumbledore, your fourteen-year-old sister, while you, Grindelwald, and your brother Aberforth were engaged in a duel. Aberforth was attempting to stop you from going through with your plan, and it got violent, is that correct?" Inimicus challenges Dumbledore.
"For the most part. There was a duel and Ariana died, I have never been sure which of us killed her," Albus explains regretfully.
"Then perhaps I can fill in that gap for you. You see, you killed Ariana, she died, but as I'm sure you are aware, in life her magic was powerful but unstable. Betrayed, as she had been, that anger allowed her spirit to manifest, and as the years went she gained power until finally she possessed a man in an attempt to kill you. That man came to be known as Lord Voldemort. Not a Dark Wizard, not willingly. A spirit who had stewed in anger for so long she had lost her mind almost entirely."
"That is quite the claim," Dumbledore tells him, the first show of anger they had seen all day.
"I do not make it blindly," Inimicus replies. "You want proof? Perhaps it is time you heard it from her."
Confusion is clear throughout the gathered audience, and those on stage. Tonks and Amans escort Voldemort onto the stage, staying by his side as guards on stage.
"Holy fuck!" Someone from the crowd shouts.
"I promise you all now, he has taken the unbreakable vow. Until he has finished speaking in this, he cannot bring harm to anyone," Inimicus assures them all.
"Is it true?" Mad-Eye asks Voldemort when Scrimgeour does nothing more than stare in shock.
Voldemort's red eyes change to an ethereal blue. He looks to Dumbledore, rage on his face. "Hello, brother," dual voices say, one quite clearly a woman's.
Dumbledore stares in horror as tears fill his eyes. "Ariana."
"Not anymore. She died a long time ago. So desperate to be free, to be with him, you didn't care," Voldemort snarls.
"Guilty, I plead guilty," Dumbledore tells the Minister, wanting this to stop, wanting her to stop speaking words he cannot bear to hear.
"Don't want to face me, Albie?" Voldemort asks.
Dumbledore closes his eyes, a hand at his mouth as Inimicus nods for Voldemort to be escorted off the stage.
"Erm, if he's finished testifying, does that mean he can hurt people again?" Barnabus' photographer asks. Just as he speaks, they hear screams as Voldemort opens his mouth, black smoke exiting the body in a column. Once all gone, the body drops to the ground, disintegrating into ash. Tutamen jumps onto the stage, pulling out what seems to be a misty marble. He holds it up, muttering an incantation.
"Et tolle tibi libertate." The smoke is drawn into the marble, blackening it until it is full.
"Guess we don't need the final testimony after all," Inimicus comments, looking at Dumbledore. Inimicus walks closer to him, "You know, I never doubted that your intentions were to help. My doubt lays in whether your judgement could be trusted any longer, considering how much power and sway you hold in this world. Your students are tired of living in fear of what catastrophe will hit the school next." Inimicus turns back to the crowd. "That giant box behind me sorts things. There are stacks of small slips all around, he has plead guilty, but this was always supposed to be up to all of you. Once you have written either guilty or not guilty, it will be entered into the box and sorted into those two piles. We shall see soon enough."
There's a flurry of activity and soon thousands of pieces of paper are flying over head into the box behind them. It's twenty minutes later before papers stop flying. The witnesses all come out to join the crowd and hear the results. Inimicus gives it another minute in case of late comers. Then he turns to Moody. "Would you do the honours?"
George climbs the ladder to the top of the box, grabbing a slip from the largest pile, handing it to Moody who grabs and takes it back to the stage. He looks at it, nodding sagely. Inimicus nods for him to make the announcement.
"Guilty."
