Disclaimer and Author's Note: I do not own Harry Potter. I do own the Staff Draconis and the things I have mentioned before. I hope you're enjoying this.
5. Winky's Testimony
Harry felt the air leave his lungs in a painful burst, he felt as if he had been socked in the stomach. He gasped it back in but still felt winded. A house-elf would know all of Dumbledore's secrets. Harry felt his heart sinking into his stomach with the leaded realization that they were well and truly finished.
The door top the witness stand opened and Harry recognized the figure that emerged as Winky the House Elf from the previous year at Hogwarts. He was also glad to see that she had at last acquired new clothes for herself, rather than the dirty party dress she had worn all last year. She also, for a wonder, did not seem to be crying which was, in Harry's estimation, quite a rare occurrence when dealing with Winky. None of these observations, however, managed to lift the blanket of dread that had settled over Harry.
Winky took her seat and, if possible, her eyes seemed even larger and more bewildered than usual. Sideson nodded towards her and spoke. "Winky, as a house elf, special accommodations have been made to allow you to testify here in this hearing. As you know, the summons is mandatory and can not be refused. There is, unfortunately the matter of House Elf law, which prohibits you from telling your master's secrets. Therefor, under the Warlock Convention of 1732's mandate dealing with the testimonies of Magical Creatures, Subsection C, Paragraphs three through eight, you are temporarily being ordered to accept this court as your master and testify in such capacity."
Winky shook her head. "But Winky is free, you can not make her work unlesses she asks for work."
Fudge leaned forward. "Now see here Elf! This is a court of Magical Law, and you'll follow the guidelines!"
"But sir!" Winky piped up again, "Winky is free, she has been given clothes! She works for money now, and won't have to take work for the court if Winky doesn't wants to!"
Harry was amazed, he had never known a House elf, especially this House Elf, to stick up for themselves this way. Arthur Weasley seemed to be trying very hard to suppress a smile. He turned to Harry and said softly, "We may well win this yet."
Fudge had leaned forward again, his face contorted in rage. "Now then, we've had about enough of this nonsense! Do as you're-" But Sideson cut him off.
Sideson wore a peculiar expression on his face, as if he was trying very hard not to seem pleased. He merely nodded to Winky and said, "Very well Winky. Because you are free, we must ask you to answer this mandatory summons the way a human would. Neither Veritaserum or a Bremus will work on you, so I must simply ask you this. Have you ever known Albus Dumbledore to break the Law?"
Winky began to tremble and she screwed her eyes shut. "Winky is a good elf," She ground out through clenched teeth, "Winky keeps her Master's secrets!"
Sideson did not seem phased, "Have you ever known him to break the law."
Winky began to tremble even more. "Is a good Elf…"
"Have you ever known Albus Dumbledore to break the law?"
Winky was shaking so hard by now that it seemed the chair must be vibrating beneath her. Finally, after almost a minute, her eyes opened wide with a pop. "Albus Dumbledore is a great man and a great Wizard! He has no rights to be here in this hearing!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. No sooner had she finished this proclamation than she disappeared with a pop and a tiny whiff of smoke.
The chamber dissolved into a tumultuous uproar. Once again, the tribunal of judges was huddled in deep conversation, and once again, it seemed to be Fudge against the other two. Fudge became so disgruntled that he sat up in a hurry and stormed out the back of the judge's box. Sideson and Murmoose spoke together for another moment before both sat up calmly.
Sideson took a deep breath to steady himself before opening his mouth and roaring, "SILENCE!"
The crazed babble died to an uneasy silence.
Sideson took another breath. "This hearing is concluded. However, further discussion is required between the judges, so our judgment will be announced tomorrow. Tomorrow's session," he continued, "will be closed to the public, only the press and members of the ministry may attend." Then he stood and vanished through the door at the back of the box, Murmoose quickly following on his heels.
Harry looked over at Mr. Weasley in confusion as they stood to join the throng of witches and wizards flooding out of the room. "What just happened?"
"Well you see, Harry," said Mr. Weasley as he grabbed his shoulder and began to steer him through the crowd, "It's very difficult to compel testimony from a House Elf, as you know, they have a very strong magic of their own. Winky was no doubt aware of some illegal activities taking place at Hogwarts, but as she was employed by, and not indentured to, the school, the trick of transferring her servitude to the court didn't work." He and Harry had emerged into the main corridor, where most of the crowd was heading for the entrance. He instead guided Harry back towards his office. "But she still had her instinct to protect Dumbledore, especially since she liked Dumbledore. This allowed her to call upon some very powerful House Elf magic that is only available when an Elf is about to be forced to compromise her Master or Master's family. She simply vanished, most likely, she's reappeared in Dumbledore's office."
They had reached the office and Arthur pulled the door open.
"But I thought no one could apparate onto the Hogwarts grounds." Harry said.
"House elf magic is very powerful, and its not exactly apparating. There's very little House Elves can't do, they must simply be in the right situation."
Mr. Weasley pulled his wand from his robes and magically created a fire in the offices large fireplace. He pulled a jar full of powder from his desk.
Harry had one more question before they left. "Do you think he'll get off?"
"You know Harry, I think he just might," Mr. Weasley said with a smile. Then he grabbed a handful of the powder and turned to face the fireplace. "Come on, they'll be expecting us at the burrow."
He tossed the Floo powder into the flames and watched them turn green.
Author's note: Please please please please please review! This is really fun for me, and I'm sorry I haven't posted sooner. Once again, we're going away for the weekend, but I promise I'll post the next chapter as soon as we get back. Again, thanks for reading. Oh, and in all honesty, I've got no idea where this is going yet, or what exactly the Staff Draconis is, this is, for all intents and purposes, writing itself, I'm just along for the ride. Also, some of my friends (but none of my reviewers thankfully) have asked me why I have not chosen to name this fic Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I made this decision because that is a title for Rowling's interpretation of year five, I think she'll do the best with it, and it should remain hers. This is my own vision, so I won't go and steal any more of hers than I all ready have.
