A/N: Again, I'm sorry about the delay, writers block. After the climax
things just don't seem to come as smoothly.
Chapter 12: The confession
Friday of the following week came far too quickly for my liking. The days that otherwise might have crept by slowly, now that I was back to the mundane task of filing reports for the International magical cooperation department seemed instead to speed by like separated bolts of lightening. Each warning me of what I was about to do. The impossible
It was common knowledge throughout the ministry, indeed throughout the entire nation, that once a case was sent to the department for the disposal of Magical Creatures, it was hopeless. The committee consisted of the same wizards that had been used before the days of you know who, and the department head Adalfus Viejen I swore was older than the ministry of magic it's self.
All of these committee members were heavily pre-disposed against magical creatures of any kind. It had been hundreds of years since they had failed to execute a beast sent to them for sentencing. After all "Disposal of dangerous creatures" was the entire purpose of the department.
I had never truly considered any of this before. The department for the disposal of magical creatures had been nothing more than a standing joke. What went on there was none of my concern. It was far below me to worry about such trivial matters as what became of a hipogryph or a theseral, or even a werewolf. Now, with Celia, all that had changed.
The feeling that was stronger than guilt, or curiosity, was not dying out as I assumed it would. With every moment it grew, so that soon it was much stronger than nervous lightning bolts that came with the days leading up to the sentencing hearing. It was as I suspected, or perhaps as I feared. Love had blinded me from everything I had treasured before.
And so it was love that led my feet, however slowly, down the fifth corridor. I stopped beside courtroom 10 where the hearing had been scheduled to take place. The incoherent mutterings of separated conversations inside the courtroom told me that the hearing had not yet begun.
I opened the door and slipped in beside the back wall, careful to remain as inconspicuous as possible.
I took a moment to view the room. This room was identical to court room 11 in which the initial review had been held. Though, I noted that the room was quite a bit more crowded than courtroom 11 had been.
Wizards and Witches, some I did not even recognize, were forced to push through each other for seating. Though almost no one seemed uncomfortable with this arrangement. Indeed all of them were whispering excitedly to each other and gazing anxiously at the door as if waiting for the curtain to rise on some bizarre play.
Two Wizards joined me in the back, standing only a few feet from the wall I had nearly plastered myself against to allow more people to file in. One man had a rather large camera draped about his neck, the other carried a small notebook with a quill.
Reporters. I knew Fudge couldn't keep the story out of the press for long. The first werewolf execution in nearly 100 years was obviously front-page news. I barely had time to wonder if Fudge had been able to keep his "Special interest" in the case hidden, when the room fell silent.
The door had opened. Committee members were beginning to enter the court room
The committee took quite a while to be seated; this was no surprise as most of them were over the age of seventy-five.
Finally Viejen, (requiring it seemed, the effort of all the other committee members combined), reached the podium at the front of the room. At his arrival, the court fell silent.
'Bring in the defendant' he said exasperatedly.
At these words a door just slightly to my right was opened. One of the guards I had seen at the dungeon door entered first, dragging Celia behind him with the rope that was still attached to her neck.
The rope, hardly seemed necessary as she was walking quite willingly. Her eyes were steadily fixed on the floor. She appeared a good deal thinner since the last time I had spoken to her, and I could see through the curtain of thin blonde hair that she was sporting large bruises on her cheeks and forehead.
As she passed me, I expected, (or perhaps hoped) for some sign of recognition. None came. Her eyes remained glued to the tiles on the floor as if her head had become too heavy to lift.
The tall guard that had been at the first court review trailed behind them. He was fingering in his belt, the blade of an axe, the shine of which, nearly matched the glint of triumph in his eye. The executioner.
Of course Mcnair was currently in Azkaban, having been discovered as a death eater. His replacement, however, seemed to have inherited his infamous ruthless nature.
'Sentencing hearing 26th of June.' Viejen sighed in a reedy, exausted sort of voice.
'Offences committed by Celia Oswald number 13 Charad Street' Here he directed attention vaguely to Celia who's eyes were still pressed to the floor.
'Defendant admits to the rupture of the Code of Magical Beasts amendment ...' His voice dragged on. I fidgeted impatiently. Waiting.
'...Thereby knowingly endangering the well being of herself and others. Confession to these crimes entered on the twelfth of June.' He paused for a long while. My heart stopped. There was always the fear that he wouldn't say it. That he wouldn't ask. It was required. However I knew by now that the right amount of gold from the right people could... But he would say it. No amount of gold could stop a mandate of the court. Still I couldn't be quite sure that he would ask...
'Is there anyone present who can give evidence that the defendant is irresponsible for her own actions, and therefore cannot be executed for the aforementioned crimes of which she has been convicted?'
'Yes. I can.' I said quickly, but very clearly so that they would not have an excuse not to hear me.
A less serious person might have found the sight that followed my statement comical.
Viejen made an indistinguishable noise at the sound of my voice, dropping his many papers on the ground and not bothering to pick them up. The mouths of over half the committee members hung open in either surprise or horror or a combination of the two. The onlookers began to whisper loudly and excitedly to each other once again.
Celia, for the first time, lifted her head from the floor and turned it to the back of the room. Her expression was different from the committee members. She did not seem quite surprised, but rather more confused and apprehensive then I had ever seen her.
'Er... very well,' Viejen said after a few moments. 'Will you...ehm... please approach the bench and...er... give your name for the record.' He was now bent down and fumbling to pick up his notes. This was obviously the last thing he could have expected.
I walked forward, blinking as the reporter from the prophet snapped a picture. I silently congragulated myself on appearing so calm, while my heart and pulse were both pounding so quickly that I could easily have had a heart attack and dropped dead on the spot.
Celia's eyes followed me steadily on the long track from the back of the room to the front. When I passed her, she opened her mouth as if to speak, but I looked at her and shook my head. It was not wise for a beast to comment in this court, even if it was capable of legitimate thought. Her eyes darted to the floor again
'Your-your name then...' Said Viejen as I approached the bench still apparently flustered
'Percy Ignatious Weasly.' I said
'And how do you know the defendant?' Viejen asked
'Through her father.' I said shortly. I was suddenly very aware of the many eyes fixed on me.
'...And what is her father's name.' Viejen asked as if he didn't know. Even if the daily prophet had not been privy to the bombshell dropped at the initial court review, a high standing official like Viejen would certainly have read the court transcript from that night that I had written myself
'Cornelius Oswald Fudge' I said.
The reaction was as I expected. There were several rather loud gasps as a flurry of voices once more took hold of the court room.
'Order in the court...' Viejen said. Still, it was a few moments before the commotion completely died out.
'Very well then... tell us what you know.'
I swallowed. I had planned this moment in my head since the past week. I knew what to say. I knew what I had to do. The things I would tell them about Fudge would completely absolve Celia from guilt. Even though speaking meant my career was over, I had to do it.
Then why was it so difficult for me to open my mouth.
'Well?... Speak up boy.' Viejen said impatiently.
I nodded dumbly. Then, with a glance at Celia for reassurance, I began...
Chapter 12: The confession
Friday of the following week came far too quickly for my liking. The days that otherwise might have crept by slowly, now that I was back to the mundane task of filing reports for the International magical cooperation department seemed instead to speed by like separated bolts of lightening. Each warning me of what I was about to do. The impossible
It was common knowledge throughout the ministry, indeed throughout the entire nation, that once a case was sent to the department for the disposal of Magical Creatures, it was hopeless. The committee consisted of the same wizards that had been used before the days of you know who, and the department head Adalfus Viejen I swore was older than the ministry of magic it's self.
All of these committee members were heavily pre-disposed against magical creatures of any kind. It had been hundreds of years since they had failed to execute a beast sent to them for sentencing. After all "Disposal of dangerous creatures" was the entire purpose of the department.
I had never truly considered any of this before. The department for the disposal of magical creatures had been nothing more than a standing joke. What went on there was none of my concern. It was far below me to worry about such trivial matters as what became of a hipogryph or a theseral, or even a werewolf. Now, with Celia, all that had changed.
The feeling that was stronger than guilt, or curiosity, was not dying out as I assumed it would. With every moment it grew, so that soon it was much stronger than nervous lightning bolts that came with the days leading up to the sentencing hearing. It was as I suspected, or perhaps as I feared. Love had blinded me from everything I had treasured before.
And so it was love that led my feet, however slowly, down the fifth corridor. I stopped beside courtroom 10 where the hearing had been scheduled to take place. The incoherent mutterings of separated conversations inside the courtroom told me that the hearing had not yet begun.
I opened the door and slipped in beside the back wall, careful to remain as inconspicuous as possible.
I took a moment to view the room. This room was identical to court room 11 in which the initial review had been held. Though, I noted that the room was quite a bit more crowded than courtroom 11 had been.
Wizards and Witches, some I did not even recognize, were forced to push through each other for seating. Though almost no one seemed uncomfortable with this arrangement. Indeed all of them were whispering excitedly to each other and gazing anxiously at the door as if waiting for the curtain to rise on some bizarre play.
Two Wizards joined me in the back, standing only a few feet from the wall I had nearly plastered myself against to allow more people to file in. One man had a rather large camera draped about his neck, the other carried a small notebook with a quill.
Reporters. I knew Fudge couldn't keep the story out of the press for long. The first werewolf execution in nearly 100 years was obviously front-page news. I barely had time to wonder if Fudge had been able to keep his "Special interest" in the case hidden, when the room fell silent.
The door had opened. Committee members were beginning to enter the court room
The committee took quite a while to be seated; this was no surprise as most of them were over the age of seventy-five.
Finally Viejen, (requiring it seemed, the effort of all the other committee members combined), reached the podium at the front of the room. At his arrival, the court fell silent.
'Bring in the defendant' he said exasperatedly.
At these words a door just slightly to my right was opened. One of the guards I had seen at the dungeon door entered first, dragging Celia behind him with the rope that was still attached to her neck.
The rope, hardly seemed necessary as she was walking quite willingly. Her eyes were steadily fixed on the floor. She appeared a good deal thinner since the last time I had spoken to her, and I could see through the curtain of thin blonde hair that she was sporting large bruises on her cheeks and forehead.
As she passed me, I expected, (or perhaps hoped) for some sign of recognition. None came. Her eyes remained glued to the tiles on the floor as if her head had become too heavy to lift.
The tall guard that had been at the first court review trailed behind them. He was fingering in his belt, the blade of an axe, the shine of which, nearly matched the glint of triumph in his eye. The executioner.
Of course Mcnair was currently in Azkaban, having been discovered as a death eater. His replacement, however, seemed to have inherited his infamous ruthless nature.
'Sentencing hearing 26th of June.' Viejen sighed in a reedy, exausted sort of voice.
'Offences committed by Celia Oswald number 13 Charad Street' Here he directed attention vaguely to Celia who's eyes were still pressed to the floor.
'Defendant admits to the rupture of the Code of Magical Beasts amendment ...' His voice dragged on. I fidgeted impatiently. Waiting.
'...Thereby knowingly endangering the well being of herself and others. Confession to these crimes entered on the twelfth of June.' He paused for a long while. My heart stopped. There was always the fear that he wouldn't say it. That he wouldn't ask. It was required. However I knew by now that the right amount of gold from the right people could... But he would say it. No amount of gold could stop a mandate of the court. Still I couldn't be quite sure that he would ask...
'Is there anyone present who can give evidence that the defendant is irresponsible for her own actions, and therefore cannot be executed for the aforementioned crimes of which she has been convicted?'
'Yes. I can.' I said quickly, but very clearly so that they would not have an excuse not to hear me.
A less serious person might have found the sight that followed my statement comical.
Viejen made an indistinguishable noise at the sound of my voice, dropping his many papers on the ground and not bothering to pick them up. The mouths of over half the committee members hung open in either surprise or horror or a combination of the two. The onlookers began to whisper loudly and excitedly to each other once again.
Celia, for the first time, lifted her head from the floor and turned it to the back of the room. Her expression was different from the committee members. She did not seem quite surprised, but rather more confused and apprehensive then I had ever seen her.
'Er... very well,' Viejen said after a few moments. 'Will you...ehm... please approach the bench and...er... give your name for the record.' He was now bent down and fumbling to pick up his notes. This was obviously the last thing he could have expected.
I walked forward, blinking as the reporter from the prophet snapped a picture. I silently congragulated myself on appearing so calm, while my heart and pulse were both pounding so quickly that I could easily have had a heart attack and dropped dead on the spot.
Celia's eyes followed me steadily on the long track from the back of the room to the front. When I passed her, she opened her mouth as if to speak, but I looked at her and shook my head. It was not wise for a beast to comment in this court, even if it was capable of legitimate thought. Her eyes darted to the floor again
'Your-your name then...' Said Viejen as I approached the bench still apparently flustered
'Percy Ignatious Weasly.' I said
'And how do you know the defendant?' Viejen asked
'Through her father.' I said shortly. I was suddenly very aware of the many eyes fixed on me.
'...And what is her father's name.' Viejen asked as if he didn't know. Even if the daily prophet had not been privy to the bombshell dropped at the initial court review, a high standing official like Viejen would certainly have read the court transcript from that night that I had written myself
'Cornelius Oswald Fudge' I said.
The reaction was as I expected. There were several rather loud gasps as a flurry of voices once more took hold of the court room.
'Order in the court...' Viejen said. Still, it was a few moments before the commotion completely died out.
'Very well then... tell us what you know.'
I swallowed. I had planned this moment in my head since the past week. I knew what to say. I knew what I had to do. The things I would tell them about Fudge would completely absolve Celia from guilt. Even though speaking meant my career was over, I had to do it.
Then why was it so difficult for me to open my mouth.
'Well?... Speak up boy.' Viejen said impatiently.
I nodded dumbly. Then, with a glance at Celia for reassurance, I began...
