Chap. 34: Breakfast, Court, the duel, and home.

Harry woke on the morning of the 4th and was sitting at the breakfast table reading Saturday's The Magic Eye, which he wasn't involved in, but it was still glorious, and it was a scoop, as the Prophet didn't carry it.

On the front page, the headline showed a mugshot of a scowling Lucius Malfoy, with Mildred Knowes scowling at him from underneath, while the headline read:

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Ministry Seizes Escapees' Estates!

All Property & Gold Confiscated!

You read that right, dear reader, after "Harry's Law," as some are now calling it, everyone that escaped on the night of the 31st has lost everything but the clothes on their backs and the Ministry of Magic wants those back as well since they are the ministry's prison uniforms.

All property, both real and personal, as well as any money and vaults once controlled by these families at Gringotts, were immediately seized by warrant on the morning of November 1st, and just as the bank opened. All of those funds, except for those of the Lestranges, which are tied up in a civil suit, are now in the hands and vaults of the Ministry of Magic. The total was said to be in the millions of galleons.

The now knutless individuals are the Avery, Crabbe, Dolohov, Goyle, Jugson, Lestrange, Macnair, Malfoy, Mulciber, Nott, Rookwood, and Travers families. When speaking to an employee at the ministry's tax department, who wished to remain anonymous, they told this paper that these families now, "didn't have a pot to piss in, nor a window to throw it out of."

All of the vaults are now locked down tight, with nobody but the ministry being able to draw from the accounts, except in the case of the Lestranges, which is locked down for everyone until their suit is settled in civil court on the 4th. The goblins are also barred from giving the mentioned families access to any money under the penalty of very steep fines. In the Lestrange's case, one wonders if any of the family will show up for court?

If we, at this paper, uncover more about this situation, we will be sure to let you know.

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Here, Harry opened the paper to page three and bellowed out a loud laugh, as the photo showed Dolores Umbridge being manhandled and carried out of the courtroom after her conviction. Both of her legs were kicking in the air as they carried her away, and one could see up her skirt, but her modesty was saved by a thirty-two-point black star. Really, Harry thought, it was the reader's modesty that was saved, because who wanted to see the fat toad's twat?

Danny had slipped into the trial, using Harry's invisibility cloak, and had snapped the photo at the end.

Again, Mildred Knowes was looking up from underneath with a sneer on her old face.

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Umbridge Receives Seventy Years And One Day!

That's right, fellow witches and wizards, Dolores Jane Umbridge was found guilty on all charges, on the morning of Wednesday, October 30th, by Judge Simmons. Several Hogwarts students testified about her using a blood quill as punishment for them, and the reader should be made aware that these quills, though legal, are only to be used in signing magically binding contracts. However, to use them on school children as a punishment is a crime: child abuse.

She was also found guilty on the charges of embezzlement of ministry funds, bribery, intimidation by threatening students with an unforgivable curse, use of a controlled substance (Veritaserum) on students, and the use of an unforgivable (Imperious Curse) on an Azkaban employee that controlled the Dementors. This last charge also led to a conviction for the attempted murder of Harry James Potter, formerly of Surrey.

She made things worse for herself when she began cursing at the judge during her sentencing and had to be carried out of the court in a disgusting display, as shown above, kicking and screaming, while still trying to claim that she was a persecuted pureblood, even though this paper outed her for what she really was.

The one day tacked onto her sentence means that she will have to serve all seventy years, with no chance of parole. She is now fifty-seven, so she will be very lucky to survive her entire incarceration.

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Here, Harry checked his watch, took the last drink of his tea, and stood to place his dirty dishes in the sink. He was going to have to bring Kreacher here, he thought, now that the elf had changed its attitude toward him.

Once finished, Harry left the manor to apparate to the ministry, as he had a court hearing to attend. Hopefully, Harry thought, nobody would appear, and he would win by default. If Bellatrix, Rodolphus, or Rabastan tried to appear, they would be arrested on the spot, and possibly be given the Dementor's kiss.

Harry took his seat beside Odius at the table in front of the bar and waited for the judge. The Lestranges were being represented by a court-appointed attorney, who was a bumbling imbecile named Bernard "Bernie" Thatcher.

However, when they walked into the courtroom on level two, they noticed a wizard sitting in the seats, at the back, alongside a man dressed in a fine suit. Neither Harry nor Odius knew them.

At ten o'clock, on the nose, the door to the right of the bench opened, and the judge made his way inside, which was when the bailiff said: "All rise!" Everyone stood until the judge sat down, and muttered out, "Be seated."

"I am Judge Penson, and we are here, today, to try the case of Potter versus Lestrange. Is everyone in attendance?"

"No, your honor," Bernie stated as he stood. "Nobody from the Lestrange family showed."

"I see..." Judge Penson began but was cut off.

"Your honor, I am Guillaume Rochefort, attorney for Laurent Lestrange, and we do have an interest in the House of Lestrange."

Judge Penson gave Rochefort the gimlet eye, and asked, "Are you a magical British citizen?"

"No, your honor, we are French, but..."

"I see, then," Judge Penson said, now cutting him off. "What is your claim, as you cannot claim the estate of a magical British family?"

"Rodolphus Lestrange borrowed money from the French Lestrange family in the amount of 2.4 million galleons, your honor."

The judge almost snorted at this, as there were no records of that transfer at Gringotts, and he knew it.

"Your case is with Rodolphus, not Lord Potter, Mr. Rochefort," Judge Penson stated. "You will have to bring a suit against Mr. Lestrange, the same as Mr. Potter has done, to recollect any debt that you think is owed to your client. You may sit down."

Rochefort sat down with a scowl, Harry noticed, and Laurent was arguing with the man in a whisper too low to hear. He was highly upset, which brought a smirk to Harry's face that he quickly quashed before turning back to the judge.

"Now, Mr. Thatcher, you do understand that Mr. Lestrange was properly summoned to appear before this court, and was served in Azkaban?"

"Yes, well, being that..." Thatcher muttered out.

"Mr. Lestrange is a no-show, and loses by default, Mr. Thatcher," pronounced Judge Penson, who then banged his gavel. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Thicknesse, you win by default, and my judgment is for the amount you are suing for, where I award you the total of five million galleons. Thank you, Jury, for your service today. This court is now adjourned." With another bang of his gavel, the judge stood, as did everyone else, and left the chamber as Harry was shaking Odius' hand with a huge smile on his face.

As the two were making their way out of the courtroom, Odius said, "the judgment will be sent to the Goblins by this afternoon, and their vault can be opened in the morning."

"Good," Harry said, "as I believe that there is more than gold hiding in there. Have you contacted the Prophet and asked Cuffe to delay reporting this until Saturday?"

"Yes, why?"

"Because Gringotts will be swarming with aurors for the rest of today, and tomorrow to protect that vault until it's opened," Harry explained. "We think that something very valuable to the war effort is hidden inside."

"Hmmmm," Odius hummed as they left the courtroom; both ignoring the seething French Lestrange at the back of the chamber.

Harry stood from his desk in his office on level two and made his way to the lifts. It was five o'clock, and he had no other business to take care of within the ministry that day, so he looked forward to some rest, and a good supper later on.

Harry caught the lift down to the atrium and stepped out making his way past Eric Munch, whose post was now changing shift, and past the fountain.

"That is as far as you go, Monsieur!" A French voice exclaimed. "No more trying to play adulte wizard; we shall duel and ze honour shall be mine!"

Harry stopped dead and gawked at the stupid Frenchman, although his Mayhaw wand quickly shot to his hand. All around him were shouts, and some screams, as the witches and wizards cleared away forming a circle around the two.

"Put your wand down, Mr. Lestrange," Harry replied, "as I don't wish to hurt you. I will defend myself, and you will, most assuredly, lose."

A violent-looking purple spell launched itself from the Frenchman's wand at Harry, and with a slight twitch of the Mayhaw wand, a mage shield was erected, which the spell absorbed with a crack. This was quickly followed by a sickly yellow spell, which Harry didn't know, that also struck the shield, which didn't as much as flicker, and was deflected into the ceiling causing some of the tiles to fall.

There were many gasps from around Harry, who didn't notice what they were staring at, which was the magical golden balls of light and static electricity dancing around him inside the shield. As Harry took a step forward, a golden crackling glow showed under his foot leading to the floor. He didn't notice the camera flashes either.

Harry was through playing around, so he quickly dropped the shield, and sent a bone breaker at the man's left leg.

A huge red glowing curse left his wand, and as quick as lightning, it impacted against the man's shield, collapsing it and striking the man's leg, and with several loud pops, it broke the man's leg in several places causing him to cry out and drop to the floor.

Harry quickly stunned the man, and slowly walked forward, where everyone backed away from Harry after the grand show of magic he put on, and there were already rumors spreading like wildfire among those assembled.

When Harry looked down at the man, his face seemed to blur and shift.

"Hello, Rodolphus, long time no see," Harry deadpanned. He then picked the man's wand up, which seemed new, and pocketed it. Probably one of the stolen wands from Ollivanders, Harry thought.

"Harry," Tonks shouted as she ran to the scene, "are you all right?"

"'Arry trounced 'im, he did," Eric Munch proclaimed. "Never seen nuffink like it! Wild magic flowin' everywhere! Bloody rolled over 'im, 'Arry did, and showed 'im who's the boss!"

"Yes, Tonks," Harry replied with a smirk while ignoring Eric, "but I did curse your uncle Rody."

"WHAT!" Tonks yelled, and then looked down at the man's face.

"His disguise spell fell just as soon as he did. It only took one curse, breaking his shield charm, and he went down, hard," Harry said. "Might want to get him to a healer, as his left leg's bones are in many different pieces by the looks of it."

Tonks noticed several bones sticking out through the fabric of Rodolphus' trousers at this, and almost honked. That was when Proudfoot slapped a magic restraining cuff on the man and left with him via portkey.

Here, Tonks sighed. "Come with me, Harry, as we'll have to file an incident report. Mr. Munch, since you're a witness, you come as well."

It was now eight-thirty in the evening, and Harry was grumbling as he finished his late supper. He'd had to call Kreacher at the Auror Office, who seemed ecstatic to be told to move to Black Manor and fix supper.

"How does My Lord like his Shepherd's Pie? Kreacher would have cooked more, but there was only enough for that."

"Oh, it's fine, Kreacher," Harry replied, "and great, actually! You did well."

"Kreacher is pleased and will have a glass of brandy waiting for My Lord in his study. When shall Kreacher bes turning down the Master's bed?"

Harry almost snorted and choked at once, where he had to take a large gulp of tea to swallow.

"Thanks, Kreacher, and at about ten will do."

"As My Lord wishes," Kreacher said as he snapped his fingers, and disapparated.

Harry noticed that the old elf had even bathed, and was now wearing a clean pillowcase. Well, Harry thought, at least he wouldn't stink up the house!

Harry made his way to his study, where he opened a book on dark magic, and was trying to figure out the curses that Rodolphus had thrown at him as he drank his glass of brandy.

He found that too many curses had those same colors, and he hadn't caught the wizard's wand movement, so it was a lost cause. As he sat back in his chair, he noticed that it was now ten, so he stood since he needed to call his wife.

When Harry made it to their "temporary bedroom," he found his bed turned down, and there was a chocolate frog laying on the folded-down sheet.

"Huh," Harry remarked as he took off his clothes down to his boxers, and crawled into bed. Next, he fished his mirror from the bedside table and spoke into it. "Daphne?"

"Harry!" Daphne said with a shout as her face showed up in the mirror. "Oh, Harry, I've been so worried! What happened at the ministry? It's already making the rounds."

"Really?" Harry asked, and at her nod, he continued. "We had at least two Death Eaters hiding as French wizards in the courtroom, and one of them was Rodolphus claiming to be Laurent Lestrange from France." At Daphne's gasp, he went on. "He accosted me when leaving the ministry, and there was a small duel. He threw two curses at me, which I easily deflected, and then I shattered his shield charm and broke his leg in multiple places. Next, I stunned him, where his disguise spell fell, and lo and behold, there lie Rodolphus in his place. They took him to St. Mungo's after that, and I would say that he has several aurors outside his door tonight."

"Flint's father," Daphne said, "and you know that he was held back a year," at Harry's nod, she plowed on, "sent a patronus to him in the common room telling about it. He told Marcus to keep his nose clean, and study hard after that."

"What was his father's patronus?" Harry asked.

"A bloody Baboon, if you can believe it," Daphne said with a laugh. "I thought I'd pee myself laughing at it."

"What about Crabbe and Goyle?"

"Their mothers came and took them home," Daphne replied, "so they're gone."

"Good," Harry replied. "Er, uh, honey..., we have a new housekeeper."

Daphne scowled at Harry at this. "Who?"

"Kreacher."

"What! Harry," Daphne complained, "he hates us! What made you think of doing that?"

"Well, believe it or not," Harry said, "we have a good understanding of each other now, and he swore his allegiance to me after we did a chore together."

"What chore?"

"I, uh, er, can't tell you right now, it's a state secret. I'll tell you Saturday, in Hogsmeade."

"You better, mister! However, honey, I was hoping for a female elf," Daphne said.

"Oh, er, well," Harry stuttered, and then it hit him, "go down to the kitchens, and find Dobby. Ask him about Winky, as she's wasting away since Crouch freed the poor thing. See if she'll accept a bonding, but only if she'll drop the Butterbeer!"

"She's a drunken elf? Oh, Harry, that could be a problem," Daphne said, "but I'll go there around lunch, tomorrow.

"Will what happened today be in the papers tomorrow?"

"Most assuredly, Daph," Harry said, "and everyone will learn of it."

Here, Daphne let out an aggrieved sigh. "I'll have to put up with Hermione's demanding questions all day. Anyhow, honey, I have to go, so call for me tomorrow?"

"I will, dear," Harry said, "at about the same time. Take care of yourself, especially now, and do watch out for Astoria, yea?"

"I will, Harry, and see you then," Daphne said as she kissed the mirror, which then changed back to normal.

"Oh, well," Harry said, "tomorrow should be something else."

Here, Harry turned out the light, rolled over, and went to sleep.

A/N: More fun's to come! Thanks for the reviews!