Chapter 7: A Day In Court

DaughterOfIris23 and Dashti-the-dramione-shipper are the betas for this chapter.

HP-BTVS-HP-BTVS

The following Monday brought bad news: Snape got off. Once more, Albus Dumbledore had spoken for the man, and he was released from all charges.

"And Dumbledore can do this...why?" a very confused Xander asked, looking around the room at all the frustrated and resigned faces.

"He's the Chief Warlock. He can do just about anything he wants," Dora answered as she slumped in her chair. Her hair was cycling through various dark, depressed colors.

"What's that when it's at home?" the one-eyed man asked, looking to Minerva.

"He is the head of the court system," she answered primly. "Oh, that man frustrates me so. I hate it when he throws his weight around. He never listens to my pleas to get the Potions Master out of the castle and now it looks like he is going to win again." She was bracing herself for another difficult year.

"Wait, your head judge can just wipe a slate clean? Just like that? No trial of his peers?" Xander asked, flabbergasted. He stared at the magicals in the room. "Doesn't Dumbledore have someone he has to answer to?"

"He is supposed to answer to the Minister, but that idiot is scared that Dumbledore is after his job," Dora replied, her face almost in a pout. "This was supposed to be my big break, but now it looks like a mar on my record. I just want to choke that old goat." She threw herself in a chair and pouted.

"Well, he's not getting back in here. Snape, I mean. I won't let him. I have the right and duty to protect the children residing in my home. He violated them, and he won't be getting a second chance," Joyce said firmly. "Xander, if he shows up again, you can show him the door," she said with a wicked grin. "Use any means necessary."

"It'll be my pleasure," he agreed with a matching smirk.

"Please, don't do anything I'd have to arrest you for," Dora pleaded. "I like you, Xander, but I can't turn the other way just because your cute," she said, blushing a bit, but leering at him as well, which earned her a wink.

"Don't worry, Dora, as long as Xander confines his activities to the castle and Hogsmeade, he's safe. We have autonomy, appointed by King Arthur himself. He wanted us to self-govern ourselves. He said, 'Schools should not be run by governments.' It was one of his more free-thinking ideas. He truly hated oppression."

"Wait, King Arthur owned this castle? I thought it was one of the Founders," Xander exclaimed. "All this history is hard to keep track of," he grumbled.

"No, Godric owned the land, and we built the castle. While it is not a country, per se, it is its own municipal and the Lord of the castle is supposed to be in charge. We try to follow the laws of the country, and that meant, Scotland, but now means Great Britain."

"What about the Wizengamot?" Dora asked, fascinated with the new information.

"They weren't around then. So, it was decided that we'd police our own. There is a dungeon in the lower part of the castle, and I am a noted judge. Although, what I do know of the laws of the land is very out of date."

"Why does the Ministry think they are in charge? Could it be that they pay part of the funds? I know the school receives a grant to make cost meet," McGonagall added her two Knuts worth.

"I'm not sure how the Ministry got it hands in my pie, but Xander is going to do everything he can to get them back out again. The school doesn't need their money. We have our own," Joyce said smugly. "I'm not even going to mention what was done to Sally's home," she added ominously. She had been devastated to learn what they had turned her son's home into. She gave a full-bodied shudder, glad the man was dead and didn't know.

"What? How am I supposed to do that? I don't even know half of what this castle teaches," Xander groaned. Every time he turned around, she was heaping more on to his plate. He'd only been here a short while, and already he was guardian to Harry, Head of Security, King of the Goblins, and now Keeper of the Castle. He didn't know how much more he could take.

"Don't worry, Xander, I'll help, and so will Minerva," the embodiment of Hogwarts reassured him, giving the overwhelmed man a one-armed hug.

"Me too," Dora chimed in. "I'm not sure how, but I'll do anything I can to help."

"Mr. Harris, you are not alone in this," McGonagall stated. She, too, wanted the Ministry out of Hogwarts.

"See, Xander, you'll have all the help you need," came the teasing reply from Joyce. "He always was a favorite of female teachers," she told the other women.

Xander gave a cheeky grin. "Yep, that's me! 'Teacher's Pet'!" he exclaimed. He remembered a great many of Sunnydale's teachers fondly.

"I thought you were 'Teachers Post-Coital Snack'?" Joyce smirked, throwing M. French in his face.

"Traitor!" Xander cried theatrically.

"Now that is a story I want to hear," said Dora, sitting forward in her chair.

"Perhaps another time," Minerva deflected.

"Fine," she pouted. "I'm going to go and see what I can find out; any information could help. Bye, everyone," she stated as she headed to the Floo.

Good-byes were given, and McGonagall turned the topic back to the headmaster. "We need to discuss Albus. You said Severus would not be returning, but what of Albus?" she asked, wondering if her temporary position was permanent. Not that she minded, but she thought she would have more time to prepare. Things would have to be shuffled around to make it work.

"I don't know. I don't like the man," Xander said, folding his arms over his chest. "He reminds me too much of Travers. He treats Harry like he's Buffy, or something. I don't want to tell the horror stories about that man and his 'tests'." Xander really didn't like the old man. He strongly reminded him of the old Watchers Council. Those stodgy old men grated on his nerves something fierce.

"I have a beef against that man too, but, Xander, Dumbledore doesn't have the money the Watcher's Council did," Joyce said, trying to calm him.

"No, but he does have the pull if he can get Snape off without a trial."

"Correct, which is exactly why we should not dismiss him. Until you get Hogwarts back as a sovereign state, we need to keep the status quo," Minerva argued.

"Just how much pull does the Ministry have here?" Joyce asked. It was something she never got the answer to.

"You have to understand; the purebloods of this society hold a lot of power. They control just about everything. If you were to dismiss Albus, they would try to control the school as well," McGonagall explained.

"And this would be a bad idea...why?" Xander asked.

"Because they have no problem… removing muggleborn children so that their heirs do not have to go to school with 'mudbloods'," Minerva stated coldly. She needed them to know the state of what they were dealing with. "They could not do it publicly, but if they had control of the school they could get ahold of where the muggleborns live and pay them a visit. Very few in the Ministry would care."

"Okay, I get that. All right, we let Dumbledore back. But, he needs to follow some rules," Xander said mulishly. "I'm telling you, here and now, if anyone starts killing children, they're going to meet my axe, up close and personal."

"Fine, we'll place Albus on probation. You're right, it's too big of a political headache to keep him out. That, and the public adores him. They might just pull their children if he's not here," Joyce admitted, hating the truth of it. "We'll keep an eye on him, and if he messes up, we'll get proof. Then I'll boot him out."

"And I'll take great pleasure in helping," Xander stated with vindictive glee.

"Who will take his place? I need to know in case things need to be moved around," McGonagall stated, worried that it might be a quick upheaval like this last week had been.

"There are only three candidates, Minerva. Yourself, Xander and me," Joyce assured her.

"Oh, God! I think Snyder just rolled over in his grave," Xander shuddered, and then smirked, just imagining the vile man screaming from his place in hell.

"Well, I think I'd better set things up in case that happens," the transfiguration teacher stated primly. "Xander, I will give you some reading so you do know what the rules are, and what classes are taught."

"Great, homework," the poor man moaned, making the women giggle. With that, the three called it a night.

The time until Yule break passed in a flurry of lessons and spying. Harry had taken to spending more time as an unidentified student. He couldn't change his height much, only by a few inches. So, he continued to pass off as a first-year or a short second or third-year. He snagged robes from all Houses, so he wouldn't be discovered. He learned that most students really didn't talk about him, once the gossip finally turned away from Xander and his new magic.

The whole school had figured it was just a fluke, some sort of accidental magic.

Mostly the students talked about girls, boys, relationships, schoolwork, and other teenage things. He felt a lot better, but knew that if something were to happen, it would turn back to him in an instant. It was a life lesson he would keep with him.

Hermione had received permission for Xander and Harry to celebrate Christmas with her family. They would be staying in the guest room at her house. This caused Xander to meet with her parents and set a few things up. He had the goblins come and put some wards on the house and made sure that they were impenetrable. He informed the Grangers about Harry's former homelife, and that he might be a bit skittish.

They understood, and they said they would help as much as they could. There were a few things that Xander needed to do in the non-magical world that might help Harry in the long run. So, he spent most of the school hours walking to Hogsmeade and catching the Knight Bus back and forth, using Hermione's house as a base.

The lessons between the two kids went well. Both now knew how to fly, and they could do all first-year work wordlessly and wandlessly.

Xander taught Harry magical self-control, since he still tended to blind people with his Lumos. It took a lot of meditation, something neither was good at, but they both could now control their output.

Xander, on the other hand, was learning what magic was and what it could do. His imagination went wild, and he came up with the most ridiculous things, like eating without his hands. McGonagall actually smacked him on the head for that one and told him that he would get lazy and unfit if he continued.

Xander smirked and showed her his workout room. It was an unused classroom that he had the house elves clean out. He had brought back a lot of exercise equipment and worked out every day. He hadn't brought the kids here yet, because they were too busy learning the new magic and control. He planned on starting after the break or next year, hoping that if Harry felt strong bodily, that maybe it would help the kid mentally.

On the 20th of December, many of the students made their way to the train station in Hogsmeade. Harry and Hermione had spent a lot of time with Neville and were discussing having him join them in the extracurricular lessons. He was very excited and said he would have to ask his gran about it, but he was sure that if she knew that it would make him strong like his dad, she wouldn't mind.

When they asked Ron if he wanted to join, he said that he had enough to do without adding more. That and his twin brothers were giving him a hard time about all the studying he was already doing. So, he politely declined, and said maybe next year.

Harry had talked with him, and the redhead said he would tone down the insults. He explained that since he was from a large family of mostly males it was commonplace to throw them back at one another. Now, he knew that that was just a family thing and others were deeply offended by it.

Harry took his word and decided to stay on with him and help him with his social skills, since Xander was making him brush-up on his.

The train ride was pretty uneventful, and soon they were at Kings Cross. Xander became very excited as they reached the brick wall that acted as a barrier between the magical and non-magical worlds.

"This is great," he said, bouncing on his toes in excitement. "I'm going to learn how to do this with my body. That way, no wall would ever be an obstacle again. Never again would I be left out because I couldn't get into a damn room."

"But, Xander, what if a bad guy learns it? They'd be able to get into any house," Harry said worriedly.

"First of all, we won't teach it to them; remember the vow. Second, I'll just have to think up some kind of forcefield that will keep me, and them, out. I promise, I will make it safe before I ever teach it to anyone," he told the very worried looking kids.

After saying goodbye to Neville, they caught the Knight Bus, much to Hermione's dismay, and journeyed to the Grangers. A thin man, about Xander's height, with glasses like Harry's, and a woman, about a foot shorter with thick, curly brown hair, met them as they disembarked. Heartfelt greetings were given, and the small family had a quick discussion on how everyone was faring. Then they turned to their guests.

"Xander, great to see you again. It's been what, three days? I'm not sure how we made it without the Great Xandman," Dan Granger teased the one-eyed man. Xander had been helping around the house, as his carpenter skills were unparalleled. Magic helped a great deal in making jobs that normally took more than one person a single person job. The Grangers had saved loads of money on repairs and now had more to spend on their little girl.

"That's me, the Great Xandman, Carpenter Extraordinaire," Xander said, puffing up mockingly.

"Knock it off, you two," Emma Granger said, smacking both the men in the chest. "This must be Harry. It's so nice to meet you, young man. Xander and Hermione never stop talking about you," she said, offering her hand.

Harry reached over warily and gently shook the woman's hand. "It's nice to meet you too, Dr. Granger. Hermione has said nice things about you, as well."

"Well, come on. Let's get you boys settled," Dan said, slapping Xander on the back and grabbing a trunk, which almost made him stumble.

"Ummm, yeah… you might want to pretend it's heavy," Xander said with a bit of a chuckle.

"Thanks," the elder man stated as he grabbed the trunk again and made it look like it was an effort.

"Hermione, would you show Harry where he's sleeping? It's the guest room at the end of the hall. He and Xander are bunking together," Emma said, gently pushing the children in the direction of the house. They had two guest rooms, but Xander didn't want Harry to be alone in a house he didn't know.

"Okay, Mum," Hermione nodded as she grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him away.

The two men lugged the luggage into the house, left them at the foot of the stairs, and joined Mrs. Granger in the kitchen.

"The confirmation came through today. We need to be there first thing tomorrow," Emma said somewhat cryptically, thwarting little eavesdroppers as they sat at the kitchen counter.

"Sweet. My… people have also confirmed everything," Xander added. "Hopefully, Harry will like his first real Christmas present," he said with a hint of worry.

It had taken a great deal of wheedling, dealing, money and whining to get everything set up as quickly as they did. However, the goblins played a major role in it. They greased a few hands, threatened a few people, and called in a few favors to get the ball rolling.

"I can't believe the changes in Hermione," Emma said, changing the subject. "She's not near as bossy as she was when she left. Does it show in her schoolwork?"

"She's fine, and her work is just as perfect as before. I had a bit of a talk with her. It was a major blow to her ego when she found out that books could actually be wrong. Her favorite book was Hogwarts: A History, but then she met Joyce and her whole outlook changed," Xander chuckled, remembering when Hermione tried to throw the book in the fire.

"Still, it's a bit of a change," Dan stated, worried that it might be too much for his little girl.

"I've been teaching them a special magic, which I'm sure she'd be happy to show you," Xander said, hoping to get the looks of bewilderment off their faces.

"That won't happen," the father said bitterly. "Children aren't supposed to do magic outside of school. I don't think it's fair, as I'm pretty sure that it's only muggleborns that have that restriction."

"I'm sorry, did you just say you can't see what your little girl is learning?"

"Nope," Emma said, just as bitterly as her husband.

"Well, that does it. I'm going to open the school during summer holidays, or a Hogsmeade weekend, for a parent/teacher day. Everyone should see what goes on at Hogwarts. There's no excuse for this," the displaced man huffed, folding his arms defiantly.

"Muggles aren't allowed at Hogwarts," came the cold reply from the father. "Sorry, it's a bone of contention with me. I've always paid close attention to Hermione's education. So, when I was told that I couldn't anymore, because I was non-magical, I almost forbade her from going. Eventually, my wife and daughter talked me around. Women are good that way," he added with a bittersweet smile.

"Don't worry. I understand. And I can tell you non-magicals will be able to come. After all, I own the school," Xander stated as fact.

"They can't. It's in Hog-" Hermione said, joining the conversation as she and Harry came down the stairs.

"And you know how accurate that book is," Xander interrupted, giving her a knowing look.

"However," she debated, "there are muggle repelling wards. Joyce told me."

"I'm sure she can change that. Why are you arguing with me? Don't you want your parents to see what you've learned?" he asked, giving her a pointed look. Sometimes, this girl just argued for the sake of arguing. He was going to break her of that, if only so that she didn't do it to Harry.

"Of course I do," she said aghast. "What kind of question is that?"

"Then stop picking fights," he countered.

"All right, enough," Emma interfered. "We're ordering out to eat tonight. We have an early morning and you two need to get to bed soon. So, what do you want to eat?" she asked the kids.

A short debate on dinner ensued, in which Harry didn't really participate, since he had never had takeout. Soon enough, Chinese was ordered, eaten, and set to digest. The kids were sent to bed, while the adults discussed the next day.

The next morning, everyone got up, got dressed in their best clothes and made their way to the Inner London Crown Court. Xander had asked about congestion charges but was informed that they had never heard of such a thing. He told them he'd tell them about it later.

As they were standing in front of the courthouse, Harry asked, "Why are we here?"

"We're going to punish the Dursleys. It's their day in court," Xander answered, kneeling down and looking him dead in the eye.

"Can't I just be shot of them?"

"No, Harry, they need to be punished for what they did. What if they turn their anger on your cousin? Do you really want that to happen?" the one-eyed man asked. He never got to have his parents arrested for their abuse, and he regretted that to this very day.

"They would never do that," protested the young man. "They'd let Dudley get away with murder."

"That's just a different form of abuse. Don't you see? They are setting him up to fail in life. He will believe that he can do anything to anyone and get away with it. Someday, someone is going to hurt him badly, and even then, he might not learn," Emma said, also kneeling to Harry's level. "You can prevent that just by answering a few questions."

"I'm not sure that will work. He'd just go to his Aunt Marge, and she's worse," Harry argued with a body shudder. He hated that woman more than Uncle Vernon. Her vile words about his family and her vicious dog were five times worse than being hit.

"I'll try to make sure the judge knows that, okay?" Xander said, patting him on the shoulder.

Not wanting to prolong the wait or Harry's suffering, Xander put an arm around the boy's shoulder and shepherded him inside the tall building.

The courtroom was simple: a judge's bench, a witness chair, the stenographer's table, two lawyer's tables, and the galley.

They made it to the courtroom and sat in the front. The Dursleys, minus Dudley, tried to cow Harry, but Xander soon put them in their place with a well-formed scowl.

They sat and talked for a few minutes, when the door in the back opened and McGonagall and Tonks came through.

"Wotcher, Harry!" Tonks greeted happily.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" the small boy asked as they sat behind his group.

"Are you kidding? We're here for you," the pink-haired girl answered.

"It will be most educational to see how non-magicals handle such a case," Minerva stated, looking fondly at the child. She always knew the Dursleys were hateful people, and she wanted to see them brought to justice.

They had barely sat down when the doors opened again and a middle-aged man with graying hair marched in with a younger man. The younger man took a seat in front of his little typewriter, and the man sat down behind the desk on a raised platform where a nameplate declared him to be Judge Matthew Finch.

"Good morning, all. I am Judge Finch. This will be the preliminary hearing for the Crown vs. Vernon and Petunia Dursley, on charges of child abuse and neglect. We will also decide temporary custody for one Harry James Potter. Is the young man in question here?" he asked kindly, looking at the children in the galley.

After a nudge from Xander and Hermione, Harry stood up.

"Here, sir," he said quietly.

"Ah… excellent. Now then, this is going to be rather informal, since it is a preliminary hearing. It's also to make sure that everyone has your best interests at heart. If necessary, we will hand certain proceedings along to criminal courts. However, whatever testimony you give here will be used there. So, don't worry," Finch said kindly, looking reassuringly at the terrified boy.

Xander was pleased with the way the judge handled Harry. He obviously knew his way around children.

"Now then. Mr. Rothsby, would you care to proceed?" the magistrate asked the man representing Harry via the Crown.

"Of course, your Honor. It is my belief that the Dursleys willfully and maliciously abused and neglected one Harry James Potter. Evidence shows that he was kept in a locked cupboard for ten years of his young life. It was only when they thought they were being watched that this changed," Mr. Rothsby stated, shuffling photos and papers on his desk.

A few spectators grumbled quietly, and quite a few of the adults glared at the Dursleys.

The lawyer held up a picture that said 'Harry's Room' up for the Judge to see. "As you can see, your Honor, we have physical proof. The officers that investigated were appalled at the tiny room, where Harry shared space with household cleaning supplies. Including things such as bleach and ammonia. We also have a physician's report of all the damage done to the child over the years. Including a small breathing problem, which has now been corrected, from the harsh chemicals. Mr. Potter will never grow to his true height, and his eyes are damaged from being enclosed in a dark room for many hours. There are signs of broken bones and wear and tear on his organs. We are hopeful that the child will heal with time, but these atrocities need to be addressed."

Harry grimaced at the report. He was still taking a few potions weekly, but Madam Pomfrey said he could stop soon.

"Has the child been removed from the premises?" Judge Finch asked, concerned, looking through the copies of the photos and papers in front of him. They painted a very bad picture of young Harry's childhood, and he wanted to make sure he was out of that damaging environment.

"Yes, your Honor. He is currently attending a special boarding school in Scotland. Mr. Alexander Harris wishes to be his temporary guardian. And is currently within the school, keeping an eye on young Mr. Potter. We have affidavits to show this," the lawyer stated, again holding up the evidence, which in this case were letters from the teachers of Hogwarts.

"And you want sole custody granted to Mr. Harris?" the judge enquired, looking over his reading glasses at the one-eyed man, then turning his eyes back to Mr. Rothsby.

"Yes, sir. Mr. Harris is the owner of the school and is also the Head of Security. It was he who brought this case to the attention of the courts with Dr. and Dr. Granger."

"He is unmarried?" Judge Finch asked.

"Yes, your Honor."

"Isn't there another child in the house?" the judge asked, concerned that one might slip through the cracks.

"Yes, your Honor, but Dudley Dursley shows no sign of abuse," Mr. Rothsby answered, looking at the parents of the child in question. "Statements from the neighborhood show that young Mr. Dursley is a spoiled bully who has never been disciplined in his life."

"Nevertheless, we'll send Social Services to the house to interview the child," Judge Finch stated, making a note.

Petunia stood up and declared angrily, "I would never abuse my son."

"But you would abuse your nephew?" the judge questioned.

"Sit down, Mrs. Dursley," her lawyer ordered, grabbing her arm and forcing her down. "I apologize, your Honor," he mumbled.

"Forgiven. It's your turn. What is your initial response to these allegations?"

The lawyer for the Dursleys stood up, shuffled a few papers, and explained, "My clients believe they did what was best for the unruly child they were given. They maintain that they gave the child clothes, food, and shelter. As he was an undisciplined boy, they felt the need to make sure that he would not inflict harm on their family."

"Do they have proof of these acts of rebellion?" the judge asked, lifting his eyebrow. He saw the reports and noted the child in the galley. The poor boy looked like a firm wind could knock him over. "I see in front of me pictures of a small room with no windows and locks on the door, which, by the way, is against fire safety laws. There are shelves of chemicals in this small space, which is also illegal. There had better be something that will back your clients claims." Not that it mattered; the evidence was overwhelming. However, one must do the judicial dance to see justice.

There was a very subtle change in Mr. Charles's expression, but everyone caught it. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley claim they have managed to negate the need for reports via judicious repudiation and recompense," he said quietly. "They also state that the chemicals were added to the room after the child was moved."

There was a stunned silence.

Eventually Mr. Rothsby cleared his throat and began, slowly, "I've run that phrase through my mind several times, and, like Mr. Charles, I am an Oxford graduate… but I find that translating to 'we bribed and threatened people'."

Mr. Charles remained impassive, seemingly desperate not to let his emotions and thoughts slip through.

"Yes, well… I'm an Eton man myself, and I can assure you that I am, as such, well versed in the ways of deciphering that type of snake-oil sales pitch. And you are absolutely right, Mr. Rothsby," Judge Finch said with a scowl as the Dursley's turned white. "It doesn't matter how you dress it up, you have just stated that the Dursley's have committed criminal acts to cover up alleged criminal acts."

"My clients deny that, your Honor," Mr. Charles said stiffly. "I have a character witness who would like to speak on their behalf."

Finch sighed, "Very well, have them take the stand."

"He does not appear to have arrived," the lawyer said, beginning to sweat just a little.

"You have a character witness who can't even turn up on time? This doesn't exactly speak well of the character of the character witness," Finch stated. "I'm beginning to think this whole fiasco is a bad joke. If you don't produce something soon then this case is going to be turned over to the Crown Prosecution Service. I hope you have more to show me."

"I'm sorry, your Honor. The character witness assured me he would be here on time, and that it was imperative for Mr. Potter's own safety that he—" Mr. Charles was interrupted as the doors at the back banged open, and a tall wizened figure in an immaculate suit strode in.

Albus Dumbledore had arrived.

HP-BTVS-HP-BTVS

Mjimeyg wrote a great courtroom scene like the last part of this chapter, but I don't want to regurgitate that. I hope I did well in not doing that. Once again, I highly recommend you read the original, it's a great read.