Chapter Thirteen -- Trials

No windows, only torches lit the dim, large hall. Underground and slightly cold, everyone kept hats on their heads, bald or not. The seats curved in a "U", and had various levels like a stadium. Each person had a clear view of the chair, which sat in the center of the room, chains on its arms.

Dumbledore rubbed his temples, while a fear danced in his stomach, not allowing him to sit comfortably. He had a bad feeling....

One man between two dementors entered the room. Everyone fell silent, watching him with either great interest or loathing. The dementors sat the man in the chair, and tied the chains around his wrists. It seemed rather pointless, considering he never tried to fight the tide of events.

"Remus Lupin," Minister Gregory Mysticus announced. Though Dumbledore was sad to see that Crouch was no long working on trials, he knew he'd much rather have his friend Gregory work on Remus' case, rather than Barty.

"You have been charged with the murder of a student at Hogwarts School by the name of Seamus Finnigan. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty, Minister," Remus replied, his voice brave, though clearly flustered by the dementors and the trial.

Mysticus nodded. "You do realize that if you are found guilty, then your charge will be more severe than if you plead guilty?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well. Can we bring up the first witness?"

Dumbledore sighed, stood up, and smiled. "Ready when you are, Minister."

Mysticus nodded. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I do."

"Okay then. Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts School. It is true that the defendant is a registered werewolf?"

"Yes, sir."

"May I ask why you felt the need to higher him as the teacher for the Dark Arts then? At the least, Care of Magical Creatures!"

The people laughed, and Dumbledore chuckled. "Well, Minister, Remus Lupin is quite brilliant. He was a top student when he attended Hogwarts, and would always be willing to tutor other less skillful students. He is a natural teacher. We needed a Dark Arts teacher, after Gildroy Lockheart had a bit of a...problem, and he did wonderfully."

"Did you know there could be a danger to the students, Headmaster?"

"Thought never occurred to me. You see, my Potions teacher, Severus Snape, creates a highly difficult potion for Remus, which allows him to not become violent during his transformations. He is a perfectly lovable wolf during the full moon."

"Of course. Would you say that Remus Lupin could be a violent man?"

Dumbledore had to laugh. "Heavens, no! He's a kind, good-hearted soul who only wants to make people happy."

"So it is not possible for him to have a grudge on a student?"

"Highly doubtful."

"I see.... Well, did you know the victim?"

"I know all my students. Seamus was actually much like Mr. Lupin. Kind, sensitive, a wonderful friend. Not a bad bone in his body, as far as I'm concerned. I cannot imagine him doing something that would upset someone so much as to make them hurt him."

Mysticus nodded. "Alright. Stay here, please Headmaster, in case we need you again. You may step down. Next witness!"

Dumbledore walked away and sighed.

A tall man walked out from where Remus had entered. He walked up, snarled as he passed Remus, and stood in front of the Minister.

"Severus Snape. Potions teacher at Hogwarts School. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"I do," Snape promised.

"Right." Mysticus turned to some papers in his hand and began the questioning. "You were in charge of creating a potion to calm the defendant. Is that correct?"

"A highly difficult one, I might add. Yes, I made it. Made it well, too, if you don't mind me being rather blunt."

"Of course not," Mysticus smiled. "So, you're saying that the potion worked?"

"Worked? It worked wonders! While other werewolves ran around like lunatics, Lupin was curled up in front of his desk, usually asleep. You could have cut off his tail and he wouldn't have touched you."

Mysticus nodded, and turned back to his papers, shuffling them around a bit, and then turning back to Snape.

"You weren't particularly fond of the defendant, were you, Mr. Snape?"

"Professor Snape," he automatically corrected. "And that is beyond true. I have loathed that man before the beginning of time."

"Would you--did you--ever forget to bring the defendant his potion? If you cannot remember, please just say so."

Snape shook his head. "Never once have I forgotten to bring him that potion. And until the other day, I have never heard of it to fail."

"Did you always deliver the potion yourself?"

"For a long time I had, but this year, a student in my house, Slytherin, offered to deliver the potion to Lupin every night."

"And did this student deliver it the night of the murder?"

Snape nodded. "He did. Gave it to him to deliver myself."

Mysticus smiled. "Thank you for your time, Professor Snape," he said, emphasizing the "Professor". "Usually, I would ask who this other person was that delivered the potion and question him, but since it is a student..." he turned to Dumbledore. "Do you agree?"

Dumbledore nodded, and Mysticus clapped his hands together. "Right! Okay, Professor, you can step down."

Snape walked away, gave a terribly evil smile to Remus, and left the courtroom.

"Next is the Auror who inspected the victim and arrested the defendant. Please, step up!"

Nixon walked up, patting Lupin's shoulder warmly, causing Lupin to look up with a small smile.

"Hang in there, bud," Nixon whispered. He stepped up to the witness stand, and recited the oath.

"You inspected the victim, correct? Can you tell us about it?"

Nixon nodded. "The young boy was lying on his bed, which had been absorbing his blood, obviously.  It was clearly an animal attack. His stomach had been shredded, so you could clearly see where the animal had slashed his claws. It looked as though there was no struggle. The gashes were deep, penetrating into his intestines."

"You keep saying 'animal', Nixon. Does that mean you don't know what attacked the boy?"

"If you want *my* opinion, it was a wolf."

"What did other analysts say it was?"

"Wolf."

"Thank you, Nixon. You are dismissed. Our last questioning will be for the defendant." Mysticus turned to Lupin, made him swear to the oath,  and began his first question. "How long have you been a werewolf?"

"Since I was a child," Lupin answered hoarsely. "The Whomping Willow was placed on the Hogwarts grounds for me," he added.

"I see," Mysticus said quietly. "You state in your report that you usually remember what you do as a werewolf. Are there times that you don't remember what happens?"

Lupin nodded. "Of course. Aren't there times you wake up and don't remember what you did the night before?"

"Only when I'm hung over," Mysticus laughed.  "Now, is it possible that you just don't remember attacking a student?"

"No," Lupin said forcefully. "I'm positive that I would have remembered."

"Alright then. It also says in your statement that you did NOT receive the normal potion which Professor Snape so kindly provides for you. Is that true?"

"Yes."

"So it was impossible for you to be tame?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember anything about that night?"

Lupin nodded. "I had somehow convinced my wolf intuition to go to the Forbidden Forest. It was a bit of a struggle, but I finally got there. I knew I should go there, because it was safer than anywhere else."

"So you never went throughout the castle?"

"If you're implying," Lupin angrily answered, "that I entered any sort of dormitory, you are highly mistaken. It might have taken some persuasion, but I only got the wolf to go to the forest. I did not go anywhere else."

A man suddenly stood up from the left side of Lupin, rather high in the seating arrangements and shouted, "Would yer bet yers life on it?"

Turning to look at him, Lupin answered, "I am!"

"Would yer bet me life on it?"

"Bet your life on it? I wouldn't do that. I couldn't."

Mysticus cocked his head. "Why not?"

Lupin shook his head. "I would never put someone else's life on the line."

"And yet," another person on the right side of Lupin yelled, "you do not hesitate to invite yourself to a place full of children!"

"I was safe!" Lupin yelled back, face glowing red. "As long as I have my potion, I'm fine!"

Murmurs filled the underground room, and Mysticus hit the gavel and shouted, "Order! SILENCE!"

The crowd slowly fell quiet. Sighing, Mysticus then, said, "I believe we heard all we need to decide what the sentencing is. All those in favor of--" Mysticus sighed, "--life in Norsip, involving a transfer to the new Azkaban, say 'Aye'."

A large echo screamed, "Aye!" and Mysticus continued.

"All those against?"

Fewer people, Dumbledore and Mysticus included, said, "Nay!"

"The court has ruled. Professor Remus Lupin, you have been sentenced to life in prison."

^*^*^

"Life in prison..." Harry repeated off of the letter that Dumbledore had sent him. "How could they?"

Hermione ran her fingers threw her hair and leaned back on the chair. "I don't know, Harry. They're all so afraid of werewolves, they'll do anything to get them contained somewhere."

"They're all a bunch of bloody, arse-faced bastards!" Ron yelled and kicked a small wood chair. Hermione smacked his shoulder. He muttered a sorry and turned back to Harry. "Don't worry, Harry. Dumbledore will get him released. He has to!"

"I don't know," Dean said quietly. "It all seems so final. I doubt there's much Dumbledore can do to fix all this." Dean received a deadly glare from Ron and Hermione, but Harry was just staring blankly into the flames, Ginny watching him intently.

Then, ever so quietly, Harry commented, "It's a full moon tonight."

Hermione forced herself so smile, then sang softly, "Don't go out tonight, it's bound to take your life, there's a bad moon on the rise..."

The corners of Harry's mouth tugged softly, but he never completely smiled. Instead he announced that he was going to bed, and after assuring Ginny that he was okay, slowly ascended up the spiral stairs.

"When's the trial for Sirius?" Hermione asked Ron, once she heard Harry's door close.

Ron shrugged. "I'm not sure. Not even sure he gets a trial, but since Minister Mysticus and Dumbledore seem to be friends, Dumbledore can probably somehow work something out."

"Poor Harry," Ginny whispered. "Sirius is like his father. And, as for Remus--"

"He's innocent," Hermione finished hotly. "It just makes me so mad! Two innocent men are locked up right now, and it's not fair!"

Dean sighed. "Life isn't fair. It hasn't been for a while." He stood and walked to a window, watching the clouds uncover the bright, full moon, surrounded by a ring of light. "It's snowing," he told them, and they all watched the illuminated snow fall to the dark ground.