Chapter 12
Back in Courtroom Ten
During the next three days, July 27-July 30
John and Paulina met with a latent (Squib) solicitor who specialized in family law. Paulina took from her beaded handbag "Transfer of Guardianship of a Minor" that John and Paulina, and Petunia and Vernon, had signed. The Potters told the solicitor that he was being hired to obtain the Potters' guardianship of Harry in no-magic Britain.
John then had to correct the solicitor when he mentioned the Dursleys attending whatever hearings the judge set. John said, "Less than ten minutes after the Dursleys signed this, they were arrested by the goblins. All three of them now are dead."
Then John said to the solicitor, "We have one last thing for you." John nodded at Paulina, who reached into her beaded handbag and pulled out Harry Potter and the Scary Inferi.
John snarled, "Get those books gone!"
During this same three-day period, the last of the three magical bindings on Harry's core was removed, by John and Paulina taking turns.
Paulina used the Episkey healing spell on the now-uncursed lightning-bolt scar on young Harry's forehead. John, Paulina, and young Harry were, all three, teary-eyed when Harry's forehead was clean and unmarked for the first time since 1981.
The Potters returned to the medical clinic at Gringotts, this time to hire goblin healers to remove the tap on Harry's magical core that powered the magical wards on Privet Drive; and also to remove the health-monitoring charms that Dumbledore had put on young Harry.
(This same magic-tap, and those same monitoring charms, had remained on older Harry till he had been killed at the Battle of Hogwarts. John and Paulina were not pleased with the bearded meddler when they figured this out.)
Also removed this day by the Gringotts medical clinic: the owl-mail redirect on Harry.
As soon as the Potters returned to Potter Manor, Harry received his first owl-delivered letter: eleven-year-old Susan Bones wishing Harry, "Happy eleventh birthday!"
Of course Harry wrote Susan back, telling her, "See you at Hogwarts!"
The Potters hosted the Grangers for dinner at Potter Manor. Excited Hermione had the equivalent of a "sugar rush" (which was ironic, given her parents' profession) during the Grangers' tour of Potter Manor.
When John, Paulina, and Harry escorted the Grangers into the Potter Library, Hermione took a step inside the doors and stopped, her face filled with wonder. (Later, John almost needed a harnessed dragon in order to drag Hermione out of the Potter Library.) Paulina was quick to tell the girl that it was dangerous to read, and even to touch, any book with a white P or a red P on the spine; "And don't even think of reading the Potter grimoire!"
Hermione's favorite activity at Potter Manor was, no surprise, reading in the Potter Library. Her second-favorite activity in Potter Manor was chatting with the talking portrait of Lily Potter.
After those three days
Tuesday, July 30, 8 a.m.
Courtroom Ten, the Ministry of Magic
As John walked through the tenth-floor corridor within the Ministry, heading toward Courtroom Ten, he thought, Sometimes Dumbledore is predictable.
Dumbledore had learned last Saturday, July 27, that John was now Harry's magical guardian. The next regular session of the Wizengamot was this Friday, August 2. But in between those two dates was tomorrow, Wednesday, July 31—Harry Potter's eleventh birthday.
If Harry walked into Gringotts today and asked Axefrenzy, who was the Potter account manager, for the Potter Heir ring, Axefrenzy would refuse. But tomorrow? Axefrenzy would hand over the ring—if asked; and Harry would don the Heir ring—if he knew to ask for it; then afterward, Harry would be protected from mind-whammies except for potions and the Imperius. However, while the Heir ring could not neutralize mind-whammy potions, it would detect them in Harry's food or drink, which was almost as good.
If tomorrow John was Harry's magical guardian, John and Paulina would take Harry to Gringotts, Harry would claim his Potter Heir ring, and Harry would be protected from mind-whammies. Simple. Straightforward.
But Dumbledore did not want Harry to be protected from mind-whammies. Dumbledore wanted Harry unprotected from mind-whammies, kept away from Gringotts, and kept ignorant of what services that Gringotts could provide for Harry if he asked. Alas, all these bad things would happen if, before tomorrow, the Wizengamot would make Dumbledore be Harry's magical guardian again, then Dumbledore would hand Harry over to Arthur and Molly Weasley.
Between Molly (the opinionated, loud, and blindly loyal to Dumbledore) and Arthur (the henpecked), young Harry would be blocked from entering Gringotts from July 31, 1991 until he had five ginger-haired grandchildren.
Fuck that, John thought.
Albus Dumbledore was predictable. Predictable Albus Dumbledore had called for a special session of the Wizengamot today, the day before Harry's birthday. Dumbledore would claim that John had been sent proper notice to attend the special session—and John had no doubt in his mind that Dumbledore could wave around some sheet of parchment to "prove" that John had received proper notice.
But John had received no such notice; and fully expected that if he received such a letter at all, it would not be till some hours from now, when it would not matter.
But because Dumbledore was predictable, John, since six in the morning yesterday, had sent a Disillusioned house-elf into Courtrooms Seven and Ten, at ten-minute intervals, to see if anyone was gathering there. Sometime between thirteen minutes ago and twenty-three minutes ago, Fudge, Umbridge and other people had walked into Courtroom Ten.
Now John was himself about to walk into Courtroom Ten. Thirteen minutes ago, John had sent a messenger-Patronus to Madam Bones that told her about the odd gathering in Courtroom Ten; John suspected that Amelia's notification, like John's own, was "lost."
The last time that John/Harry had walked into Courtroom Ten, in August of 1995, he had had no plan what to do. But this time, John had a plan ready.
Paulina was smart enough to make the plan, and John was brave enough to carry out the plan. But the plan would not be needed unless Dumbledore and Fudge both did something stupid.
Now John opened the door to Courtroom Ten, took two steps into the room, cast a Tempus, and said loudly and cheerfully, "Sorry I'm late." (Tempus said the time was 8:03.)
Fudge looked unhappy. "We're still waiting on someone."
Indeed, there was no sign of the bearded bloviator in Courtroom Ten. If Dumbledore did as he had done for thousands of meals in the Great Hall, everyone in Courtroom Ten would be forced to wait between two and twelve more minutes before Dumbledore bothered to show up.
Just then, the doors were yanked open. Amelia Bones, with her short, gray hair slightly messy, rushed into the courtroom. She glared at Fudge as she strode over to the seat for the Ancient House of Bones.
John said, "Now that we're all here, let's get started."
Fudge said, "Erm..."
A whingey man in plum-colored robes asked, "Why are we here, Cornelius?"
It was John, not Fudge, who answered the question: "I'm John Potter, an American wizard. Six days ago, I became the Potter Regent. Also for the past six days, Magic has made me the magical guardian of Harry Potter. I did this because Harry's previous magical guardian, whose name you all know, was stealing from Harry's trust vault and was letting Harry's no-magic relatives starve him and beat him."
Everyone in the courtroom gasped, hearing this.
"And who was Harry Potter's magical guardian until six days ago? Albus Dumbledore, your Chief Warlock. Who by an amazing coincidence, is who called a special session this morning—on this, the day before Harry Potter's eleventh birthday. Dumbledore somehow neglected to notify Amelia Bones and myself about this special session."
"Hem-hem," the Pink Toad said. "You're lying to us. Tell us how you are here this morning, if you weren't notified about the special session."
"I won't answer your question, madam, as it would put Harry Potter's safety at risk."
John thought, Hey, it's a good excuse for Dumbles, so why shouldn't I use it?
Amelia Bones said, "I confirm that I was never officially notified about this special session, and learnt about the session only after Regent Potter sent me a message-Patronus."
John looked at Fudge and said, "Since Dumbledore called this special session and, at the least, he has a conflict of interest here, I ask you to adjourn this special session right now."
Fudge nodded. "This sounds like an excellent—"
Umbridge said, "You'd take the word of this American wizard over a proper British wizard like Albus Dumbledore?"
Fudge said, "You're right, we should wait to hear what Dumbledore has to say for himself."
John shrugged. "I asked you to dismiss today's session not for my sake, but for yours. Remember this, later on."
The Wizengamot seat-holders muttered, hearing this.
Amelia Bones said, "Regent Potter, please continue with what you were saying about the conflict between you and Chief Warlock Dumbledore, before you were"—she shot a glare at the Pink Toad—"interrupted."
John gave Amelia Bones a brief head-bow, then said, "In 1981, Dumbledore as Chief Warlock sealed the wills of James Potter and Lily Potter, so you in the Wizengamot wouldn't know that nothing in the wills allowed Dumbledore to be Harry's guardian. Then the Bearded One called in favors—and whaddayaknow, he became Harry's guardian."
The courtroom was silent. Amelia Bones was scowling. Fudge looked indecisive.
John continued, "Harry is not even eleven yet, and already Dumbledore has stolen 428 thousand galleons from his trust vault." John heard muttering among the other people present. "Now Dumbledore has called all of you here to hear him speak pretty words—words which never mean what you think they mean—then he'll call in more favors and he'll make promises. What Dumbledore wants you to do, at the end of all this, is to take Harry away from me, who is Harry's cousin, and to give Harry back to the thief, Albus Dumbledore, the supposed Defeater of Grindelwald."
Amelia Bones asked, "Dumbledore is the supposed Defeater of Grindelwald?"
John grinned. "Ask Dumbledore sometime, where Gellert Grindelwald is buried. The Bearded One never has given the New York Wand a straight answer, and your British propaganda rag never asks."
As people in the courtroom muttered, the double doors into the courtroom opened.
Dumbledore was wearing lavender and yellow-green robes with hopping blue bunnies on them. He said, "Cornelius, I'm here now. We can—"
John said, "Thief Dumbledore, you're late. Take a seat."
Dumbledore stared at John. The bearded man stood there openmouthed.
All this time, John had been standing. But even as he was telling Dumbledore to "take a seat," John now was walking across the courtroom floor to stand by the prosecutor's table. Which was twenty feet away from the chains-chair, which was where Dumbledore would try to make John sit.
John said, "Minister Fudge, I ask again that this special session be adjourned."
Amelia Bones said, "I so move."
Augusta Longbottom said, "Seconded."
Umbridge said, "No. This American has been telling lies about Albus Dumbledore, and the Chief Warlock deserves a chance to answer."
Dumbledore looked at John and said, "You have been telling lies about me?" His tone of voice added the words I am so disappointed in you.
Ignoring Dumbledore, John said, "Minister Fudge, there is a motion on the floor for adjournment."
Fudge said, "Boy, maybe you do things differently in the USA, but here in Wizarding Britain, you don't slander a hero without giving him a chance to reply."
John smirked at the colossal historical irony of Fudge speaking such words.
Fudge continued, "I rule the motion to adjourn is invalid."
Then Fudge asked, "Chief Warlock Dumbledore, why have you called for this special session?"
"Cornelius, this youth, John Potter, who is barely adult in years, has kidnapped Harry Potter and has hidden him away from me, who is the boy's Wizengamot-appointed magical guardian. I ask the good wizards and witches of this chamber to compel John to return Harry Potter to me, so that I can return to giving proper guidance to the Boy Who Lived."
John said, "It's breathtaking, so many misleading statements and bald-faced lies in so few words. What you failed to mention, Thief Dumbledore, is that the Potter wills have given you no authority for what you've done."
"Neither have the wills given you authority, John my boy. You were years away from beginning that American magical school of yours when my good friends James and Lily died. You cannot claim that they named you as Harry's guardian."
"You're right, Thief Dumbledore, their wills said no such thing. But what you don't mention is that both wills name as first choice for guardian, Sirius Black, who was thrown in prison without receiving a trial"—the crowd murmured—"despite the facts that A, Peter Pettigrew, not Sirius Black, was the Secret Keeper for the house of James and Lily Potter; and B, Sirius was Harry's oath-sworn godfather."
Amelia Bones looked angry at Harry's words.
Fudge said, "It doesn't matter. Clearly Black found a way to work round the rules. He deserves Azkaban till he dies."
Amelia Bones said, "Chief Warlock Dumbledore, Regent Potter says you are unfit to be Harry Potter's guardian because you've stolen money from his vault, you left the boy with abusive Muggles but you never checked up on him, and you threw his rightful guardian, Sirius Black, in prison without a trial, despite his innocence. How do you respond to these accusations?"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "Amelia, for the past ten years, everything I have done has been for the Greater Good."
Almost everyone in the courtroom nodded in agreement, except for Amelia Bones, Augusta Longbottom, a wizard who resembled Daphne Greengrass, and Lucius Malfoy.
Speaking of Lucius Malfoy, now he raised his wand—or rather, his silver snake-head cane—to be recognized. "Cornelius, may I speak?"
Fudge smiled. "Tell us what's on your mind, Lucius."
Malfoy said, "The House of Potter is an Ancient and Noble House. The boy himself is only a half-blood; but still, he deserves to be raised by a magical family of many generations, not by newcomers like someone from Elder House Dumbledore. I point out that Harry Potter's grandmother, Dorea Black Potter, was an aunt to my wife Narcissa. I ask that custody of Harry Potter be taken away from this American youth, then custody of the boy be given to Narcissa and me."
"Out of the question!" Dumbledore thundered.
John said, "It doesn't matter. Magic made me Harry Potter's guardian, so Magic must think I'm better qualified to raise him than anyone else. Which means, I'm handing Harry over to neither Albus Dumbledore nor Lucius Malfoy, no matter what motions you Wizengamot guys vote on today."
Umbridge said, "Don't defy us, American boy, or you will regret it."
John laughed scornfully. "The question is, why should I obey you? You in the Wizengamot are known to American magicals as a herd of bribe-taking morons, with only a few exceptions."
John bowed his head to Amelia Bones.
John continued, "Everywhere else but here, you guys are known as jokes! When Voldemort's murderous minions are brought before you, you give them either wrist-slap punishments or no punishments at all."
John gave Lucius Malfoy a meaningful look.
John continued, "Whereas the only effective way to punish killers is by killing them. Anyway, you guys in your plum-colored robes—I don't respect the majority of you, so I have no plans to obey the majority of you, and I advise you not to push me on Harry's custody."
An old and "wise" voice said, "John my boy, everyone deserves a chance to repent and to make amends."
"There you go again," John replied.
Now John looked at Fudge. "Can we end this waste of time now, please? You're cutting into my time teaching Harry about Quidditch."
Dumbledore said, "Cornelius, I have much work to do before 1 September, and young John here is keeping me from my work. I make a motion that John Potter be ordered to turn Harry Potter over to me by 11 p.m tonight, lest he face a one-million-galleons fine, as well as suffer ten years in the maximum-security wing at Azkaban."
"Seconded," Arthur Weasley immediately said.
Perhaps Dumbledore expected John to panic then, or to grovel. Instead, John sneered. "Remember, Brits, I did warn all of you."
John drew his holly-and-thunderbird-heartstring wand and pointed it at the ceiling. "I call upon Magic to judge me, and to judge those in this room who plot to take Harry Potter away from me. Judge our lives, and judge our worthiness to be Harry Potter's guardian. So mote it be." Bright light flashed.
From the ceiling of Courtroom Ten came two voices, a man's and a woman's, that spoke in unison: "Six shall be Judged."
Six people slowly rose into the air from where they were standing or sitting: Amelia, Dumbledore, Fudge, Lucius Malfoy, Umbridge, and John himself.
Amelia Bones's face looked confused: Why am I part of this? Fudge looked scared, Malfoy looked bored, Umbridge looked angry, and Dumbledore was giving John the disappointed-grandfather look.
As soon as John's upward movement stopped, which was ten feet above the floor, John's vision was blocked by purple sparkles that swirled in front of his face.
About five minutes later, the purple sparkles disappeared, and John could see again. However, he still floated in the air, and he could not speak.
The others had purple sparkles swirling around their faces. The sparkles disappeared from the face of Amelia Bones next, Lucius Malfoy right afterward, and from Fudge and the Pink Toad a few minutes later. The four others, like John, could move their eyes and could make faces, but could not speak.
John and the rest of the unsparkled five who floated in the air, as well as all the onlookers on the floor, had to wait a long time before the swirling purple sparkles disappeared from around Dumbledore's face.
From the ceiling, the bodyless man's voice and the bodyless woman's voice again spoke in unison—
"John George Potter, your faults are few and minor. You were forced to become the Potter Regent because of an ongoing crisis that was caused by Albus Percival Dumbledore. We find nothing for which to punish you, and we find you and your new bride to be worthy to raise the boy, Harry James Potter."
John slowly dropped down to the place where he had been standing.
"Lucius Abraxas Malfoy, you have murdered fifty-three nonmagical people and fifteen magical people; many people in this room are related to magical people you have killed. Your claim of 'But I was Imperiused!' was a ridiculous fiction, but you bribed Cornelius Fudge to officially accept this excuse, without him forcing you to take a magical vow or to take Veritaserum. You are unworthy of the Lord Malfoy ring, so it leaves your hand now; and you have so blackened the heart of your son Draco that the Lord Malfoy ring will not recognise him as Malfoy Head of House till he is twenty-five—if he lives so long. You are a disgrace as a father to the son of your loins; you are thus unworthy to be a guardian to Harry James Potter. You also are unworthy of life; DIE!"
Lucius Malfoy, who had been floating ten feet in the air, now fell down into the Ancient House of Malfoy chair, as onlookers screamed. The Malfoy chair tilted, dumping the blond-haired man onto the floor. Malfoy did not move or stand.
The man's/woman's voice continued, "Dolores Jane Umbridge, you have murdered people to enable you to take the office you hold now. You are a bully. You have no kindness in you, despite your simpering pretensions. Today you have schemed how you can murder John Potter, then can give custody of Harry Potter to Lucius Malfoy, in return for payment from Harry Potter's vaults. You are unworthy of life; DIE!"
Umbridge fell down to the Senior Undersecretary's chair and lay there unmoving. The Pink Toad's face stared vacantly at the ceiling.
The voices said, "Cornelius Oscar Fudge"—now Fudge looked panicked—"you are lazy, you seek out those who flatter you and you have sold your office to Lucius Malfoy, Thaddeus Nott and others who regularly hand you sacks of galleons. You do not care whether Albus Dumbledore or Lucius Malfoy is awarded custody of the boy, Harry Potter, so long as the eventual guardian is willing to slip you coins or to owe you favours. You are unworthy to be Minister for Magic."
Up until then, Fudge had been wearing his Minister for Magic badge of office: a flat, round, gold medallion that was attached to the two ends of a gold chain. Now Cornelius's gold chain/gold medallion disappeared from around his neck.
But since Cornelius was still alive and healthy, he looked relieved as he slowly dropped. He did not drop straight down, but moved sideways as he dropped, to land on the chair for the Elder House of Fudge.
Now the voices said, "Amelia Susan Bones, the desire for justice burns in you like a Fiendfyre flame. You work harder than your Aurors, and you are incorruptible. You do not seek the position of Minister for Magic, which is one more reason why you are worthy of that office."
The gold chain/gold medallion that had disappeared from around Cornelius Fudge's neck, now appeared around Amelia's.
Amelia Bones likewise moved as she dropped. She was placed on the Minister for Magic's elevated chair.
Of the six magicals who had been brought up and their heads subjected to swirling purple sparkles, two were dead, and three were Judged but alive. Only Dumbledore's Judgment remained to be heard.
Now the man's/woman's voices spoke angrily: "Albus Percival Dumbledore, you would take Harry Potter away from family who would care for him, solely so you can resume stealing from his vaults, and so you can work to cause his death to further your glory. We are sorely wroth with you.
"Albus Percival Dumbledore, you shall be put into a between-dimensional space in which no time passes, until John Potter and Paulina Potter enter the lobby of Gringotts London. Then you shall emerge from the between-dimensional space into the lobby of Gringotts London. After this, you will be at the mercy of the goblins and their laws."
With a flash of purple light, Dumbledore disappeared from the spot in the air where he had been floating.
John thought, Whoa. That is unexpected.
Amelia Bones—who was now Minister for Magic Amelia Bones—called for a vote on Dumbledore's motion (that required John Potter to give Harry Potter to Dumbledore by 11 p.m.) But Minister Bones did this after she shared her opinion that it would be "unhealthy" for the seat-holders if the Wizengamot would vote to take Harry Potter away from John Potter.
Dumbledore's motion failed by a two-thirds vote.
When Minister Bones adjourned the special session, John flooed to Potter Manor, to tell the morning's tale to Paulina and to Harry.
It was Paulina that pointed out that Dumbledore now was in stasis, and would remain in stasis until John and Paulina entered Gringotts—whether the newlyweds entered Gringotts this morning, this afternoon, tomorrow (Harry's eleventh birthday), or on the last day of August.
John and Paulina decided to enter the basilisk tunnel now, and to explore the Chamber of Secrets, now that Dumbledore no longer would be aware of such explorations.
John and Paulina felt bad, leaving Harry alone in Potter Manor except for house-elf caregivers. But hopefully it would not take too long to find whatever it was that Antonia wanted John to find in the Chamber of Secrets.
