*Following in the Footsteps of Padfoot* - By Angel Ally
"Virginia Elizabeth Weasley, you are being brought before the Wizengamot as of the twenty-forth of January under the accusation of participating in the service of the Dark Lord." announced a cold voice, and the green eyed redhead looked up to see her elder brother, Percy, learing at her over the balcony of the court.
"Yes," answered Ginny sadly, keeping back tears as a once admired member of her family watched her expressionlessly.
"Interrogators,Percy Ignatius Weasley, Minister of Magic; Imogen L. Percivus, Head of the Azkaban Province" a grey-haired woman with disfocused eyes stood up and glared at Ginny,"Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecutary for the Minister. Court Scripe, Phillip John Fudge," a toad-like woman, formely a teacher at Hogwarts and a thin man with unkempt red hair stood up and bowed.
"Witness for the defence," Percy paused, taking a deep breath which sounded like a sigh, "Harry James Potter." A black-haired boy with glasses winked at her, though looking slightly nervy. She smiled weakly.
The many people seated on raised benches all around the courtroom began whispering breathlessly; the smile vanished from Harry's face and Percy scowled down at him.
"Very well. Where were you, Virginia Weasley, on the night of Saturday the twentieth, approximatly ten o'clock?"
Ginny stood up and held her head high, "At nine o'clock that night I was at home during the storm with my cat Ashanti when I heard a load racket. I ran to the kitchen window and saw the image of a skull rising high into the sky. I went out with my wand to investigate. I ..."
"Why did you not report this to the Ministry?" demanded Percy, interrupting Ginnys speech, glaring.
Ginny looked down at her bare feet, "I never thought." The Wizengamot resumed their muttering; whispered travelled around the room, loosing her more confidence.
"Please continue," signalled Percy, and Ginny swallowed and continued her tale.
"I was walking for ten minutes when something lept out of the bushes. I turned to see a length of greying blonde hair before the person placed me under the Imperious Curse."
"And ..." smiled Umbridge sweetly, as though encouraging a small child to read a story, not prompt an eighteen year old girl to finish her court case during a trial.
"Thats it." finished Ginny, raising her hands to show there was nothing there, "I was under an Unforgivable Curse - I blanked out."
Percy looked enquiringly at Harry, who rose from his chair, "Virginia Weasley is right - when under the Imperious Curse, you do tend to blank out and not notice what is happening around you. I should know."
More whispered flooded throughout the court; people still believed that Harry was an ungratful liar, even though it had been four years since the Daily Prophet had started on him. Harry sat back down, looking triumphant.
"We believe there was a witness who claims to have seen the happenings that occured on the set date," announced the Minister, and the whispers ceased, "Phillip J. Fudge, would you please go fetch the witness?"
The thin red-haired man stood and scurried out of the courtroom and through the large oak doors; he returned several minutes later with a blond-haired boy who was grinning slyly. Draco Malfoy grinned at Ginny, who smiled back uncertainly. Draco took his seat as Percy addressed him.
"Full name?" he declared, scowling at Draco, who merely smiled.
"Draco Grantham Wulfric Lucius Malfoy." he recited in a silky voice, staring straight into Percy's blue eyes with his cold grey ones.
"And what relation are you to Virginia Elizabeth Weasley?" Asked Percy coldly.
"I am a resident of a neighbouring flat near to Ginny here." answered Draco.
"And your story?"
"On Saturday I was aware that my father Lucius was experiencing pain in his right arm recently at went out to seek "Medical Attendance". I followed him. A little way ahead of the path he was taking he lept into the bushes. I continued up the path and eventually got a clear sight of Ginny, her wand out, poised to attack. My father lept upon her and attempted to strangle her. Without suceeding, her placed her under the Imperious curse and she ran on ahead to a large clearing where the Death-Eaters were assembled in a ring. My father joined them, with Ginny standing in the middle of the circle. There was a crack and a creature appeared ... and I ran." Draco finished, taking a deep breath.
"Thank you Draco Malfoy. That will be all the evidence ..." began Umbridge.
"Wait!" Called Ginny desperatly, "I haven't finished my tale." Umbridge moved her hand to signall for Ginny to explain.
"Well, I don't know who long I was under the curse for, but I suppose I was fighting it over because suddenly I broke out of it. I turned, and this ... this ... thing was standing over me with gleaming red eyes, one fingernail on my forearm. I struggled and escaped."
"Show us your arm, Weasley!" Cried Percy suddenly. Ginny looked up at him, confused.
"You heard me!" he shouted, "Show your arm!"
Ginny obediantly rolled up the sleeve of her robes to reveal a skull with a serpent protrouding from its mouth; however it was unfinished.
Gasps and murmers were travelling around the room again; Ginny let her sleeve fall back over the ugly mark engraved upon her skin. Percy looked disgusted.
"Has the Wizengamot come to a verdict?" he spat. A man with a long black beard rose from the topmost bench and nodded. Percy looked at him.
"Guilty."
Ginny screamed as two Dementors came gliding in through the doors and grasped a scabby hand tightly around each of her wrists and dragged her away, kicking and screaming. Harry and Draco stood simultaneously and tried to pull her back, but chains grew out of the arms of their chairs and fastened themselves around their necks, pulling them back until they were trapped.
Percy shuffled his papers a though nothing had happened as Ginny gave a final scream before the heavy oak doors slammed shut.
"Virginia Elizabeth Weasley, you are being brought before the Wizengamot as of the twenty-forth of January under the accusation of participating in the service of the Dark Lord." announced a cold voice, and the green eyed redhead looked up to see her elder brother, Percy, learing at her over the balcony of the court.
"Yes," answered Ginny sadly, keeping back tears as a once admired member of her family watched her expressionlessly.
"Interrogators,Percy Ignatius Weasley, Minister of Magic; Imogen L. Percivus, Head of the Azkaban Province" a grey-haired woman with disfocused eyes stood up and glared at Ginny,"Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecutary for the Minister. Court Scripe, Phillip John Fudge," a toad-like woman, formely a teacher at Hogwarts and a thin man with unkempt red hair stood up and bowed.
"Witness for the defence," Percy paused, taking a deep breath which sounded like a sigh, "Harry James Potter." A black-haired boy with glasses winked at her, though looking slightly nervy. She smiled weakly.
The many people seated on raised benches all around the courtroom began whispering breathlessly; the smile vanished from Harry's face and Percy scowled down at him.
"Very well. Where were you, Virginia Weasley, on the night of Saturday the twentieth, approximatly ten o'clock?"
Ginny stood up and held her head high, "At nine o'clock that night I was at home during the storm with my cat Ashanti when I heard a load racket. I ran to the kitchen window and saw the image of a skull rising high into the sky. I went out with my wand to investigate. I ..."
"Why did you not report this to the Ministry?" demanded Percy, interrupting Ginnys speech, glaring.
Ginny looked down at her bare feet, "I never thought." The Wizengamot resumed their muttering; whispered travelled around the room, loosing her more confidence.
"Please continue," signalled Percy, and Ginny swallowed and continued her tale.
"I was walking for ten minutes when something lept out of the bushes. I turned to see a length of greying blonde hair before the person placed me under the Imperious Curse."
"And ..." smiled Umbridge sweetly, as though encouraging a small child to read a story, not prompt an eighteen year old girl to finish her court case during a trial.
"Thats it." finished Ginny, raising her hands to show there was nothing there, "I was under an Unforgivable Curse - I blanked out."
Percy looked enquiringly at Harry, who rose from his chair, "Virginia Weasley is right - when under the Imperious Curse, you do tend to blank out and not notice what is happening around you. I should know."
More whispered flooded throughout the court; people still believed that Harry was an ungratful liar, even though it had been four years since the Daily Prophet had started on him. Harry sat back down, looking triumphant.
"We believe there was a witness who claims to have seen the happenings that occured on the set date," announced the Minister, and the whispers ceased, "Phillip J. Fudge, would you please go fetch the witness?"
The thin red-haired man stood and scurried out of the courtroom and through the large oak doors; he returned several minutes later with a blond-haired boy who was grinning slyly. Draco Malfoy grinned at Ginny, who smiled back uncertainly. Draco took his seat as Percy addressed him.
"Full name?" he declared, scowling at Draco, who merely smiled.
"Draco Grantham Wulfric Lucius Malfoy." he recited in a silky voice, staring straight into Percy's blue eyes with his cold grey ones.
"And what relation are you to Virginia Elizabeth Weasley?" Asked Percy coldly.
"I am a resident of a neighbouring flat near to Ginny here." answered Draco.
"And your story?"
"On Saturday I was aware that my father Lucius was experiencing pain in his right arm recently at went out to seek "Medical Attendance". I followed him. A little way ahead of the path he was taking he lept into the bushes. I continued up the path and eventually got a clear sight of Ginny, her wand out, poised to attack. My father lept upon her and attempted to strangle her. Without suceeding, her placed her under the Imperious curse and she ran on ahead to a large clearing where the Death-Eaters were assembled in a ring. My father joined them, with Ginny standing in the middle of the circle. There was a crack and a creature appeared ... and I ran." Draco finished, taking a deep breath.
"Thank you Draco Malfoy. That will be all the evidence ..." began Umbridge.
"Wait!" Called Ginny desperatly, "I haven't finished my tale." Umbridge moved her hand to signall for Ginny to explain.
"Well, I don't know who long I was under the curse for, but I suppose I was fighting it over because suddenly I broke out of it. I turned, and this ... this ... thing was standing over me with gleaming red eyes, one fingernail on my forearm. I struggled and escaped."
"Show us your arm, Weasley!" Cried Percy suddenly. Ginny looked up at him, confused.
"You heard me!" he shouted, "Show your arm!"
Ginny obediantly rolled up the sleeve of her robes to reveal a skull with a serpent protrouding from its mouth; however it was unfinished.
Gasps and murmers were travelling around the room again; Ginny let her sleeve fall back over the ugly mark engraved upon her skin. Percy looked disgusted.
"Has the Wizengamot come to a verdict?" he spat. A man with a long black beard rose from the topmost bench and nodded. Percy looked at him.
"Guilty."
Ginny screamed as two Dementors came gliding in through the doors and grasped a scabby hand tightly around each of her wrists and dragged her away, kicking and screaming. Harry and Draco stood simultaneously and tried to pull her back, but chains grew out of the arms of their chairs and fastened themselves around their necks, pulling them back until they were trapped.
Percy shuffled his papers a though nothing had happened as Ginny gave a final scream before the heavy oak doors slammed shut.