Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Lights, Camera, Action!
My hair was in a plait. A single long one that ran down the center of my back. Mum had helped me with it; making sure that it wouldn't fall apart halfway through the day. Normally, it wouldn't bug me. I frequently wore my hair back when we had practicals in herbology or potions. It was the surest way to prevent a hair from mistakenly becoming a potion ingredient or to avoid getting dirty when toiling in the dirt. But today, with flashing lights sending black dots to distort my vision, roars of voices overwhelming my senses, and a sea of different faces blocking my left and right sides; I would have liked to have worn it down. Using it as some sort of curtain. Like blinkers on a horse; protecting me from scary sights or distractions. Lord Flint had been clear though. We need to sell a certain image, he had said.
"Miss Weasley! Miss Weasley!" Different reporters called out as they tried to get me to look at them. It was hard not to give in to them. Almost like a reflex. But Flint Senior walked next to, his arm snaked around the back of my shoulders. To outsiders, it would look to be a gesture made to comfort. But I know that it is really a way for him to ensure I stayed close and everyone else kept their distance. "How do you feel about confronting your attacker?"
I'd been listening to questions like this since we had first checked in at the ministry. Are you scared to give your testimony? What are your greatest concerns? How will you manage the first time you'll make eye contact with Mr. Lockhart after the event? It's hard to believe that a case like this would garner so much attention. I couldn't think of any news stories of similar events from Jessie's life that compared to this. Though it might just be because Lockhart is famous. But just like we practiced, I did not respond and Flint Senior kept all of them at bay with his stern gaze. He'll release another statement to the press after today's proceedings. When he has more to say that was more fact-based than personal.
I wasn't the only one getting questions thrown at them. Behind Flint Senior and myself, Mum and Dad walked shoulder to shoulder. The questions hurled at them were similar. What are your feelings as your daughter presents her side of events to the court? Are you concerned about how this may affect her future? The only ones in our party who weren't being targeted by the press were the two taking up the rear. Mr. and Mrs. Pucey, for a reason that hadn't been explained to me, decided it was necessary that they attend. For moral support, Mrs. Pucey claimed. But I had a feeling that them being here was more about making a statement than anything else.
We were afforded a small mercy when we left the atrium. "No one with a press badge is allowed past this point", Lord Flint explained as doors closed behind us. He removed his arm from his person, and I quickly moved to place myself between Mum and Dad. An instinctive move that I hadn't even attended to make. Dad place a hand on my shoulder and squeezed. Not sure why, but it reminded me to take a breath. "A few more reputable reporters will be allowed in the court to witness the proceedings. But I was able to limit how many would be able to attend since some of the testimony is coming from a minor". Flint Senior continued as Mum reached out and started to straighten the ministry visitor's badge that was pinned to my blouse. We all had them. All except Dad since Dad was an employee. "Also, don't worry about the photos they took back there. If any of them is foolish enough to print anything using your daughter's image without consent, they'll be facing a lawsuit". Flint Senior directed the last part at my parents; smirking with glee. Like the prospect of suing someone was a favorite pastime of his.
"How long do you think the court will be in session, Marius?" Mrs. Pucey asked.
"For today? That will all depend on whether Lockhart declares himself innocent or guilty. Although, based on his lawyers I would say it is safe to assume that this will be a long day before the court adjourns", Lord Flint explained. "However, you will not have to stay beyond your daughter's questioning. They'll have her go first so she does not have to listen to his testimony or anyone else's. Sentencing will occur on a separate day. But Holly will not be required to attend".
I perked up a little. "So, I can go back to school after this?" I asked. It wouldn't be long before it was April. I would like to spend my birthday with Fred and George. And that's without mentioning how much we needed to get done before term was over. There were final exams, destroying Horcruxes and the basilisk living in the plumbing. Not to mention that there is a specific Slytherin I wanted to converse with. Letters were nice, but nothing could be better than eye contact and fingertips brushing against my skin.
It's not Lord Flint who answers. "That's something we'll have to talk about at home", Dad said after clearing his throat.
I didn't like the sound of that. "You know, it's kind of hard to study charms and transfiguration when you can't practice any of the spells".
"We'll discuss this at home", Mum stepped up; backing Dad.
Huffing, I looked away. Sometimes it's hard not to miss the independence I once had as an adult. Even with the security that came with having loving and caring parents. And then, just because he was the only person in the group who hadn't said anything yet, Mr. Pucey said, "I think we should go out for ice cream after this".
I covered my face with one of my hands. But not before seeing Mrs. Pucey casting an unamused expression at her husband.
One elevator ride later, and we were filing into the courtroom. It's all I can do to not gawk like a spectator. This place looks nothing like how it was depicted in the movies. Instead of an oval, the room was square-shaped. There were raised seats on all for walls facing the center. That part was true. But it felt more like walking into a chapel than into a house of law and order. The walls consisted of black stone that glittered from the dull light of the torches ensconced to the walls. The room was mostly filled by the time we entered. Witches and wizards dressed in various colored robes chattered amongst themselves as they eyed every newcomer that entered. All of them had a pointed hat on their heads. I wasn't sure if it was my imagination, but for a moment I felt the weight of all their eyes boring into me. And it had me wishing that my school skirt had pockets so I could hide my tremoring hands inside of them.
"They'll want us over here", Lord Flint said as he took charge; completely ignoring the intern that had been sent to guide us to our seats. We followed Flint Senior over to one of the bottom rows that were close to where the judge would be seated. Flint Senior gestured for me to take a seat on the bottom row before he sat next to me. Leaving Mum, Dad, and the Puceys to file into the row behind us. I gulped when I realized that these seats gave us a clear view of the defendant's chair set up in the middle of the chamber with enchanted shackles and all. Oh, Merlin. I thought as my stomach churned. Please don't let me sick. The last thing I wanted was Skeeter publishing an article about how the Weasley girl up-chunked in front of the Wizengamot.
Making the executive decision not to think about who I would be seeing very shortly; I turned my eyes to study the other faces at court. The majority I didn't recognize, but a few stood out. One was the fined-boned and aristocratic-looking Lucius Malfoy who was sitting on the other side of the room. Not talking to anyone; merely staring. Did he know? Did he know that the diary he had tried to slip to Ginny ended up in Lockhart's possession, leading to this whole ordeal? The other was a face I wished to not have to see for another few years. And despite never laying eyes on her before, I knew her at once. Dolores Umbridge with her toad-like figure and grating giggle. I could hear it even from where I was sitting. What could she possibly be giggling about in a courtroom? There was also, to my surprise, Snape sitting off in a corner and scowling at anyone who came to close. Though as I thought about it, it made sense. He must be here to testify too. Snape had walked in on what had been one of the scariest moments of my life. But if he was here, why wasn't McGonagall or Adrian here as well?
"They'll bring Lockhart in before the Judge arrives", Lord Flint whispered in my ear. "When the judge enters, we'll be asked to stand. That is everyone who isn't chained to a chair. "Once court begins, they'll go over the accusations, ask Lockhart's lawyers for his plea, and the court will proceed from there. Do not talk unless you're bided to do so, and answer their question as we had rehearsed".
I didn't need the reminder but nodded my head without giving any lip. Hopefully, things would go fast. The sooner the better. Because once this is over and Lockhart is being guarded under Lock and key in Azkaban, I could finally put this whole mess behind me.
The courtroom fell silent when the closed door creaked open. First marched in two wizards with their wands drawn. They must be Aurors, I reasoned. Because behind them Lockhart was being led in. Behind him were two more Aurors. For a moment, I stopped breathing. Gone was Lockhart's silky conditioned hair. Now, greasy strands hanged around his face in a disheveled mess. His skin was pale despite only being locked away for a couple of weeks. And there were bruises under his eyes. His time in Azkaban must not have been kind.
Cameras started flashing again; forcing me to shut my eyes to block them out. So, I missed it as Lockhart is situated in the defendant's chair. Once I opened them again, the shackles had already been fastened to his ankles, and… and he was looking right at me. It was bone-chilling. A look that promised my demise. The mere sight of it had me quaking. A hand on my shoulder from behind grounds me and I'm able to breathe again; forcing myself to turn my eyes away from Lockhart. I don't have to look behind me to know who it is. There's only one person I know who smells like lilac and freshly baked bread; Mum.
The arrival of the judge followed soon after. "All rise", a voice of a ministry employee called out from somewhere in the room. I needed Flint Senior's hand hauling me up by my elbow to help me stand. The frustration and boredom I'd felt for this whole procedure vanished as soon as I landed eyes on Lockhart. In its place as unadulterated dread.
The judge stood in front of her chair and surveyed the court and all the people inside of it. She did this with a calm practice; nodding her head at the Aurors staying close to Lockhart. Once she was satisfied with… whatever she was looking for, the judge sat down and soon everyone else followed. Just as Lord Flint had helped me stand, he yanked my elbow to get me to sit. The judge allowed a moment for everyone to get situated once more before addressing the whole room. "The accusations we will be addressing today are horrendous, disturbing, and of a delicate nature. Therefore, I expect everyone attending to respect the proceedings of this court. I will not have a circus in my courtroom. The testament that we'll be given from the defendant and the witnesses may be challenging to hear. However, it is my expectation for everyone to refrain from reacting strongly enough to disrupt this court. I will have anyone who does differently removed". The judge let those words sink in for a second before turning her attention to some parchment sitting in front of her. "Gilderoy Lockhart, you are accused of using magic against a student under your care, assault, and harassing a minor. How do you plea?"
The judge's question was directed at Lockhart, but it was him who answered. Another wizard stood up and spoke in a clear a well-enunciated voice. "My client pleas not guilty". He stated simply before sitting down once more.
The judge nodded her head. "Then we will proceed with the trial", she declared as she turned the first piece of parchment over. "From a report from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement written on the night of charges", the judge started to read. It went over all the events that night…. Well, the events that were common knowledge. About a student witnessing me being pulled to Lockhart's private quarters, and how another student had arrived in time to see Lockhart pinning me to a wall. The report then goes on to include instances that involved Lockhart using me as a practice dummy during his classes, and how he had cornered me alone one night while I was serving detention. No need to guess who that information came from. When the judge was done reading, she set the report down and said, "the prosecution may now proceed with questioning. Keep in mind that due to the young age of the victim, we will only be calling on witness while she is participating in court".
Prosecution wasted no time. A balding man with a round belly stood. "Would Miss Holly Weasley please come forward?"
Although I was expecting it, hearing my name had me flinching. "Just as we had rehearsed", Lord Flint reminded me again as he stood up so I could step out of the row we were occupying. Not sure how, but I managed to rise to my feet before I really thought about it.
Once I was away from the rows of seats, the same intern that Flint senior had ignored before was there. With his direction, I lead to a singular that was next to the judge. Once I had sat down, I came to the uncomfortable realization that Lockhart was sitting in front of me and Umbridge was somewhere behind me. I couldn't decide what was worse.
"How old are you, Miss Weasley?" The lawyer from the prosecution's side asked in a calm tone of voice. Although it was loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Um", I started until my nerves stilled me. Come on, Holly. I complained to myself. That was an easy one you knew the answer to. "Fourteen". I managed to get out after finding Mum's face in the crowd and staring at it. I ran my hands over my skirt; trying to dry them after they became unexpectantly sweaty.
"And you are a fourth-year student at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, correct?" The balding lawyer continued as if I hadn't almost forgotten my age.
"Yes". That was another one of Flint senior's rules. Answer yes, not yeah or yup or any variation.
The lawyer turned and pointed with two fingers in Lockhart's direction. "Do you know who that is?"
I nod; eyes flashing back and forth from Lockhart to the prosecution lawyer. I wasn't sure who I was supposed to be looking at. "He's Professor Lockhart".
And on and on it went. The prosecution lawyer walked everyone in the room in the order of events as I had originally told them to the Aurors. He started with when Lockhart first started to use magic on students in class to that night in Snape's office, and finally the night in Lockhart's private rooms. As he went through all these events, he'd ask me to clarify certain points or for confirmation. At times I felt like I was answering the same questions again and again. But things went just as Lord Flint said they would.
When the prosecution was ready to rest, my mouth was dry and my shoulders had started to ache because of how tensely I was holding my posture. The judge offered me water, but I declined; glancing over to Mum and Dad in the process. They were sitting still, almost like statues. But at least they were there.
Then, the defense was allowed their turn. The same lawyer that announced Lockhart's plea stood up. Just like the prosecution, this lawyer went over the same order events. He had questions that he had already asked; just reworded. And unlike the prosecution side of things, the defense dug a bit deeper. Every little detail was securitized to the point that the lawyer was asking for things I couldn't remember. Like he was trying to cast doubt on my creditability. Whenever there was a question that I wasn't quite sure how to respond to, I'd glance over at Lord Flint. As if he would be able to tell me. But of course, in the middle of court, he couldn't say a word. So… when pushed a little too far, I ended up going off-script.
"No, I don't consider myself to be a fan of Professor Lockhart". My voice came out in a snarl. A stark contrast to the detached and timid voice I had been using thus far. "I was never a fan. Even before he pinned me to a wall or used me as a dummy for spell practice. Despite all his books being assigned for his class, I haven't read a single one. Why would I have any admiration for a man who stole all his 'adventures' from other witches and wizards and plagiarized them as his own?"
And a second after I said all of that, my brain caught up with my mouth and I immediately wanted to take it all back. A low murmur that steadily grew louder rippled throughout the room. My eyes widened as I swiveled my head over to Lord Flint, my parents, and the Puceys. Mum's mouth was hanging up while Dad looked like he was still pondering what I just said. The Puceys were not my main concern at the moment, so I didn't try to read their expressions. And Lord Flint… well he looked like he was trying to restrain an exasperated laugh. Like he found what I had blurted out amusing, but wished I had better timing. Or at least, that is how I'm choosing to interpret it. From behind me, a high-pitched and irritating giggle made me cringe. Bah, to hell in a handbasket.
"Silence", the judge called out as she worked to gain order in the room. Even Lockhart's lawyer was gawking at me. But the worst, by far, was Lockhart. He wasn't shocked as he should be, because I shouldn't have known about his intellectual property thefts. He wasn't glaring at me either; for revealing his deepest and darkest secret. Instead, he was grinning menacingly. His teeth gleaming, and something demonic glinting behind his blue eyes. Like a mad scientist who wanted nothing more than to dissect me and pull out all my secrets. And… and I don't think it was Lockhart who was in control of that expression.