Disclaimer - Don't own.
A/N next chapter!! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed I really appreciate it!! ^_^
Chapter twenty six ~ The Verdict
"What happens if they find her guilty?" Harry muttered, as him and Ron sat outside the courtroom door.
Ron turned to him, angrily. "They won't, they can't! I mean she has Dumbledore on her side!"
"Maybe Dumbledore isn't as strong as he was."
"What do you mean?" Ron demanded.
"Dumbledore hasn't got much influence in the ministry any more Ron, you know he hasn't. If they find Hermione guilty, well then there is nothing he can do about it."
"But Harry, she can't go to Azkaban."
"Sorry to burst your bubble Ron but she can. I mean can you name a time when anything has ever got right for us, ever?!" Harry said.
Ron thought for a moment or two. "How about first year when we saved the philosopher's stone?"
"You ended up in the hospital wing, and the stone was destroyed anyway."
"Yeah but we stopped you-know-who getting it."
"Name another."
Ron sat thinking for a few more minutes. "How about when you won the triwizard cup?"
"You fell out with me for half the year, because you were jealous. A supporter of the Dark Lord was posing as our DADA teacher, and um.let me think Cedric died."
"Yeah but you gave the money to Fred and George and they started their joke shop. How about when we found Sirius in third year?" But Ron realised he had over stepped the mark.
Harry stood up. "That is the worse thing that has ever happened, was finding my godfather. He would still have died right, but I wouldn't have cared, I wouldn't have known him! But now, after getting to know him, looking upon almost as a father, it was like losing my parents all over again. You don't know what that's like."
"Huh? My sister almost died in second year consumed by you-know-who, and my father last year attacked by that snake!"
"You're missing the key word here, Ron. ALMOST!" Harry shouted, as he marched off down the corridor.
Ron shook his head, and stared worriedly at the door.
He looked at his watch, it appeared time had gone back, rather then forward, he shook it angrily, scared as he looked around the room. Had they really gone back in time. But then again, maybe it was supposed to do that. But it was muggle after all, Hermione had charmed it to make it work at Hogwarts. It was then Ron realised the battery's had gone.
"Bloody hell, I only put them in a year ago, stupid muggles can't do anything right!" He grumbled.
He didn't like sitting on his own outside the courtroom, he stares round glumly trying to will Harry back.
Then as he stood up, the twelve members of the Dark Order, who were also on the jury, poured back into the courtroom. Ron watched nervously, as the heavy door closed on him, blocking his sight of his frightened friend.
Inside the courtroom.
Hermione stood up to face the verdict. She swallowed, attempting to rid herself of fear, it didn't work. Lucius grinned as he too stood up. She already knew the verdict before he opened his mouth. Her mind went strangely numb as two guards stepped forward, escorting her from the courtroom. She didn't put up any resistance, there was no need. She could not fight the entire ministry, most of them were followers of the Dark Lord anyway. She managed a glance at the sober form of Albus Dumbledore as she was carted from the room. He looked glum, but forced a reassuring smile on to his old face as their eyes met. His eyes said more then words ever could. He was a apologising for not having the ability to save her, telling her to be strong and remember who she was, and what she was fighting for. But most importantly he was promising to help her, promising to get her out of Azkaban. All that in a single glance. Her head turned away as she was taken from the room.
Ron jumped as the guards pulled her past him.
"Hermione!" He shouted. She grasped his hands, but was pulled out of his reach by the guards.
"Ron!"
A/N next chapter!! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed I really appreciate it!! ^_^
Chapter twenty six ~ The Verdict
"What happens if they find her guilty?" Harry muttered, as him and Ron sat outside the courtroom door.
Ron turned to him, angrily. "They won't, they can't! I mean she has Dumbledore on her side!"
"Maybe Dumbledore isn't as strong as he was."
"What do you mean?" Ron demanded.
"Dumbledore hasn't got much influence in the ministry any more Ron, you know he hasn't. If they find Hermione guilty, well then there is nothing he can do about it."
"But Harry, she can't go to Azkaban."
"Sorry to burst your bubble Ron but she can. I mean can you name a time when anything has ever got right for us, ever?!" Harry said.
Ron thought for a moment or two. "How about first year when we saved the philosopher's stone?"
"You ended up in the hospital wing, and the stone was destroyed anyway."
"Yeah but we stopped you-know-who getting it."
"Name another."
Ron sat thinking for a few more minutes. "How about when you won the triwizard cup?"
"You fell out with me for half the year, because you were jealous. A supporter of the Dark Lord was posing as our DADA teacher, and um.let me think Cedric died."
"Yeah but you gave the money to Fred and George and they started their joke shop. How about when we found Sirius in third year?" But Ron realised he had over stepped the mark.
Harry stood up. "That is the worse thing that has ever happened, was finding my godfather. He would still have died right, but I wouldn't have cared, I wouldn't have known him! But now, after getting to know him, looking upon almost as a father, it was like losing my parents all over again. You don't know what that's like."
"Huh? My sister almost died in second year consumed by you-know-who, and my father last year attacked by that snake!"
"You're missing the key word here, Ron. ALMOST!" Harry shouted, as he marched off down the corridor.
Ron shook his head, and stared worriedly at the door.
He looked at his watch, it appeared time had gone back, rather then forward, he shook it angrily, scared as he looked around the room. Had they really gone back in time. But then again, maybe it was supposed to do that. But it was muggle after all, Hermione had charmed it to make it work at Hogwarts. It was then Ron realised the battery's had gone.
"Bloody hell, I only put them in a year ago, stupid muggles can't do anything right!" He grumbled.
He didn't like sitting on his own outside the courtroom, he stares round glumly trying to will Harry back.
Then as he stood up, the twelve members of the Dark Order, who were also on the jury, poured back into the courtroom. Ron watched nervously, as the heavy door closed on him, blocking his sight of his frightened friend.
Inside the courtroom.
Hermione stood up to face the verdict. She swallowed, attempting to rid herself of fear, it didn't work. Lucius grinned as he too stood up. She already knew the verdict before he opened his mouth. Her mind went strangely numb as two guards stepped forward, escorting her from the courtroom. She didn't put up any resistance, there was no need. She could not fight the entire ministry, most of them were followers of the Dark Lord anyway. She managed a glance at the sober form of Albus Dumbledore as she was carted from the room. He looked glum, but forced a reassuring smile on to his old face as their eyes met. His eyes said more then words ever could. He was a apologising for not having the ability to save her, telling her to be strong and remember who she was, and what she was fighting for. But most importantly he was promising to help her, promising to get her out of Azkaban. All that in a single glance. Her head turned away as she was taken from the room.
Ron jumped as the guards pulled her past him.
"Hermione!" He shouted. She grasped his hands, but was pulled out of his reach by the guards.
"Ron!"