A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Y day camp all week!(But there's a lot to read! 14 pgs!)! 130 little ones!! YIKES! Yeah it'll be a while I'm going away next week to Duquesne! FUN FUN FUN! Meeting all the professors! So no access to a computer, I'll have to do it old school... huh thug! Notebooks! Oh yeah! miss Thug! UPDATE SOON! BV IS GETTING ANGRY!
CHAPTER 11:
The Trial
"So, BV, excited about going back to the states?" Andrea asked as the girls boarded on the train back to London.
"So ecstatic! All my buddies from Vincentian that said I'd never make it at Hogwarts! WAIT! Guys I need a picture! Evidence you know!" BV said quickly.
"Check it out!" Marietta shrieked, "It's a muggle camera!"
"Yep!" BV said smiling, "Now... Man! I wish Rhonda was in here! Cho squeeze closer to Marietta, you too Andrea...... Good... Hold still... big smiles... one... two... three..." The camera clicked and a the flash went off.
"What was that?" Marietta asked.
"Muggle camera's have these things called flashes. The camera flashes to give the picture enough light to develop properly." Andrea explained. Cho and BV smiled at Marietta.
"Man, I'm tired!" Cho exclaimed.
"Why, don't you go find Mr. Potter?" Marietta teased.
"I'm sure he'd make a great pillow!" BV grinned.
"YOU TWO QUIT IT!" Cho yelled.
"Oh look there's Harry!" Andrea said.
Cho whipped around, "Where?" Andrea started cracking up. Cho's cheeks became very red. "I can't believe I fell for that!"
"Well, you did!" Marietta said with a smile. Then yawning, "I'm changing outta these robes, then going to bed."
"Good, idea." Andrea said.
"Night, sleepy heads!" Cho said smiling. Marietta pulled off her thick Hogwarts robes to reveal a pale blue tennis skirt with a thick cream sweater on top. Her brown pigtails got a little fuzzy from the static on her robes. Andrea slowly pulled hers over her head. She had a pair of dark blue jeans on with a white turtleneck with a blue tee-shirt over it. The tee read, "make the stupid people shut up!"
"Nice, Andrea, nice." BV complimented.
"BV, follow the shirt!" Andrea said curling up into a little ball.
"Why! I've never been so insulted in my life!" BV said.
"Good! That ego of yours needs to deflate a bit!" Andrea said smiling, "Good night." BV smiled as Andrea and Marietta fell fast asleep.
"So Cho, what happened last night?" BV asked grinning slightly.
"It was fantastic!" Cho exclaimed lying back into BV's arms, "He was just standing there and it... happened, that's all."
BV whispered, "What happened?"
Cho shivered, "I... I um... I went for it, I um... kissed him."
"You did!" BV shouted in a hiss of a whisper.
"I did! It was so perfect!" Cho whispered sighing contently. "Then I chickened out!" She said giggling, "I kinda gave up realizing I was running on a crazy out of control road in life. I was unsure and back into the shoulder."
"Gotta keep going." BV said stroking Cho's black hair, "He loves you too much, trust me I know."
Cho leaned back and looked up at BV, "And how might this be?"
"Harry and I are acquaintances from the time he helped me with my ankle. He's rather persistent!"
Cho smiled and said, "And a rather good kisser,"
BV looked down at her with a skeptical gaze, "I wouldn't know."
"Of course not!" Cho said giggling, "I would though!"
"I'd hope so!" BV said smiling. Cho began to fall asleep, "Night, Cho, Night."
"Night, BV." Cho said quietly drifting off. BV pulled out her wand.
"Accio, CD player." BV whispered and suddenly her purple Discman came flying out of her bad. BV opened the lid and checked that her mixed CD was in there. BV liked random songs, no one particular artist, no one style. She had everything from the cha-cha slide to Bach on the CD. She hit number one, Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On pulsed in BV's ears. She looked outside and watched the snow fall slowly and steadily. A few hours later she was prodding Cho awake, "Come on you, time to get up, almost there."
"Five, minuets, Lauren!" Cho whined.
"I'm not Lauren!" BV firmly stated. Cho looked up puzzled and saw it was BV not Lauren.
Cho's cheeks turned crimson, "Sorry bout that!"
"That's okay, HEY ANDREA! MARIETTA! Here we are!" BV called out. Marietta jumped up hitting her head on the shelf above them! Andrea rolled over and unfolded her turtleneck in an attempt to cover her ears! "Come on Andrea! Up!" BV ordered. Andrea rolled over and slowly stood up as the train came to a stop.
"Thanks, BV, I'll miss ya see you in two weeks. Good luck in court! Remember she deserves it! She had it coming!" Andrea said hugging BV.
BV answered, "Thanks. Good luck sugar plum fairy."
"CHO! OVER HERE!" A woman called out.
"Gotta go guys! See Ya!" Cho called out, "COMING LAUREN!"
"See ya guys" BV said, "I see my Mom over there! Bye!" BV tailed Cho. She stood right behind Cho.
"There you are Cho!" Lauren scolded then totally changing tones, "Hello, Bridgette Viktoria, how nice to meet you!"
Cho whipped around, "BV! What's going on?"
Lauren, annoyed, said, "I'm going to America because....?" She rolled her wrist around aimlessly.
"You're representing BV?" Cho asked.
"Yes, and why do you call her BV?" Lauren asked
"Bridgette Viktoria, B for Bridgette, V for Viktoria!" Cho said agitated.
"Don't take that tone with me missy!" Lauren snapped back! BV was suddenly realizing why Cho was glad about Lauren leaving. "Come on you two, Scott's right outside waiting." The girls grabbed their trunks and were off.
As soon as Cho broke through the barrier she screamed out, "DADDY!" She ran towards a tall man with jet black hair, he wasn't Asian like Lauren and Cho, but white. BV smiled, 'maybe this is why Cho likes Harry so much! He looks like her dad!' she thought grinning.
"My, my, Miss Cho! Look at you! It looks like you grew since September!" Her father exclaimed picking her up and turning around with her.
"Daddy! Come off it, I'm still 5'1!" Cho argued laughing hysterically.
"Scott!" Lauren hissed, "We are in public!"
"Sorry, Hon," Scott said letting Cho down grinning at her. "So Laur, is this Bridgette Viktoria?"
"Yep, BV, this is Scott, Cho's stepfather." Lauren said.
"Lauren, why don't you just call him my father, has Shin Lio ever done anything for you? No! He ditched you during your pregnancy with me! Daddy married you and raised me as his own, more than you've done!"
"Cho! That's not your call!" Lauren yelled.
"You wanted me dead! I was an accident!" Cho snipped.
"No, I wasn't expecting you when I was." Lauren argued.
"Shoulda shut those legs hmm?" Cho asked maliciously.
"Cho! That's why Rhonda doesn't come over! You're acting like a bitch towards me!"
"Watch who you're calling what!" Cho spat, "What's your nickname again?"
"Okay ladies! Who wants to go out someplace to eat?" Scott said interrupting.
"I'm not sure Lauren wants me to come!" Cho bickered.
"Cho!" Scott yelled, "Enough, you two won't have to see each other till summer, even then it's hit and miss!"
"Sorry Daddy." Cho whispered.
Scott gazed lovingly upon his daughter, "That's alright Cho, just keep it to a minimum. Dinner ladies?"
"Whatever, Scott," Lauren said rolling her eyes.
BV looked up and Scott was looking at her, "Oh I don't care, " BV spit out.
"Cho Baby, it's your call."
"Oliver Garden?" Cho asked.
"If that's okay with everyone else...?"
"Fine by me," Lauren said, "Just let's get back by 5 or so I have to get my affairs in order for court and still pack!"
"Don't worry Lauren, I schedule for Jessica to come to the house tonight and give Cho a brush up voice and harp lesson. She's coming at six." Scott said smiling.
Cho asked, "BV? Olive Garden fine?"
"Sure, but really, Mr. Chang, you don't have to do this!" BV argued.
Scott looked at her bemused, "Your right we don't have to... but we want to!"
"I guess I shouldn't argue then!" BV said exasperated.
Cho grabbed BV and hugged her saying, "No arguing! Come on!"
.....................Later
"Hey, BV, if you don't mind Cho's Harp and voice teacher is coming soon, just to brush Cho up a bit before her concert. So you can sit in the sitting room and listen to her if you want or I'm sure Cho wouldn't mind you up in her room." Scott said approaching BV an little while after they all came home.
"Oh, well maybe I'll start my homework and listen to Cho." BV said smiling, she really wanted to hear Cho sing and play harp.
"Okay, mind if I join you?" Scott asked indicating a pile of papers on his desk inside the office behind him.
"I don't care, it's your house." BV said shakily.
"You're just like Lauren, except your sarcasm is a bit fearful!" Scott chuckled.
"Yeah, I guess it's just I don't wanna be a bitch towards you." BV said, "It'd be rude to be too sarcastic towards you when I'm a guest in your house."
"Hey, BV, if you haven't realized it already I'm married to the queen bitch. Self acclaimed by Lauren, she considers herself the hugest bitch, I guess that's why she does so good at attorney-ing!" Scott chuckled. "So nothing you do could be bitch-ery than Lauren. Man I came up with two new words!"
BV laughed and said, "Okay, sure, let's go!" She grabbed her books and unrolled a piece of parchment as Cho began to play scales on her harp. "hey, Mr. Chang! Cho has her own harp?"
"Yeah, it cost us an arm and a leg! Lauren's two salaries for two years." He chuckled at his play on words.
"Lauren works two jobs?" BV asked amazed.
"Two careers! Professional lawyer, professional dancer in the Witch Dance Academy Adult Tour." Scott beamed proudly.
"Witch Dance academy? Never heard of it!" BV exclaimed.
"Yeah a lot of people haven't! It's some extra thousands coming in. Well needed thousands." Scott said unsteadily.
"I see," BV blushing remembering her rich upbringing.
"You're from money, BV?" Scott asked looking at her blush.
BV's beautiful face scrunched up, "Yeah, Reinheart's were very weathly."
"kinda like the Malofoy's, when Lauren was dancing Jr. tour she was on a team with Sissy Malofoy. Lauren despised her, she had the money from her marriage by 18 she had two children who were spoiled pure bloods, she had the perfect life. When I met Lauren she was 15, pregnant, intelligent with a child and carrying another, a hard working woman who got shoved into the adult world too fast."
"That's gotta be hard." BV sympathized.
"Yeah, well Lauren vowed she'd do what Sissy did too! Find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! She started concentrating hard on her classes, she became a lawyer right after she graduated, she kept dancing well and signed the second largest contract to the England Adult tour, just shy of Minervia Mc Gonagall's one-hundred and twenty five thousand dollar contract per year. She really worked for what she wanted." Scott said almost in wonder and awe.
"Wow!" BV gaped in amazement, "I couldn't imagine two by the time your 15!"
"Yeah, Lauren couldn't either!" Scott said.
"Wait? If Lauren had two children Cho must have a sister or brother somewhere!" BV exclaimed.
"Yeah, her sister." Scott said smiling looking over BV's shoulder. BV turned around and came face to face with an older Cho Chang. "BV, this is Soi Chang, Cho's sister." Soi came in and sat down, "Hello, nice to meet you." Soi said sitting elegantly and crossing her legs.
"Wow!" BV whispered, "Hi, I'm BV, BV Reinheart."
"BV? What's that short for?" Soi asked her soft voice very unlike Lauren and Cho's.
"Bridgette Viktoria." BV said still amazed at how elegant and so Cho looking Soi was. Soi sat there in a soft purple suit with a soft cream colored blouse underneath.
"Soi is an intern secretary for the Department of Mysteries." Scott said beaming at his older daughter.
"That's cool!" BV said grinning.
"Soi, quit it! She's so much like Lauren, no need to act proper." Scott said smiling.
"Good!" Soi said pulling off black stilettos and propping her feel up on the stool in front of the rocker. "God, Daddy, so many freaking things going on there! They seriously need more help! I'm on overtime for the next three weeks, then fourth week night shift from 7 till 5 then I have to come back at three for the overtime night shift! Beauxbaton is nailing us with work! All classes have an essay, I've got a fifteen page, or three scroll essay for Transfiguration!" Soi complained yet ever so softly. She began to rub her swollen looking feet.
"That many mysterious to file that you couldn't start writing then?" Scott said with a playful grin!
" No, a lot of raids in a lot of departments leading to Mc Calley. So gotta do alota work on looking up dirt, it's gonna turn nasty, Daddy. I think they'll call Lauren in on this one, prosecution of course." Soi said removing her pantyhose. "Hey, is Cho playin for you two?"
Scott said, "Oh, no, Jess is here. That concert is coming up soon."
"Oh, God! Daddy, I'm sorry, I can't go, it's on Christmas eve right?" Soi said looking up with tears in her eyes.
"Yeah, so....? Oh......." Scott said drifting off.
"Well maybe if I cut early..." Soi said
Scott said, "No, Soi don't do that!" BV bent her head and began to work on her Charms essay, Scott and Soi argued for a while.
BV didn't noticed they stopped until Soi asked, "What are you working on BV?"
"Charms essay for Flitwick." BV said biting on her quill tip.
"Need a hand? I love charms class!" Soi asked with a hopeful gaze.
"Soi goes to Beauxbaton while Cho went to Hogwarts, Lauren didn't want the teachers comparing and calling the one Cho when it was Soi and visa versa." Scott explained.
"Sure!" BV said knowing Beauxbaton had a pretty good Charms program, actually one of the best after Vincentian and Hogwarts. Soi went to it, she read the topic and what BV wrote so far. She began to sputter ideas at BV and concepts faster than BV could write. In a matter of 20 minutes BV was done. "Thanks, Soi!"
"Hey, Mr. Chang! Soi! And.. I'm sorry I don't know you." A face said peering between the wooden doors separating the two rooms.
"Oh, BV, BV Reinheart." BV said shaking the young lady's hand.
"Jessica Lambert, Cho's Harp and Voice teacher. Are you related to that Stacey Ramsey-Reinheart that they're trying to convict of being a death eater?" Jess asked releasing BV's hand.
"Yeah," BV said unsure.
"Your doing the right thing testifying, you know." Stated Jess as she looked down into BV's eyes. "Anyway! Cho's doing well, Scott, I think I'll start her on a good Concerto in the summer or a pretty cannon, Pachebel's maybe. So were going to start voice lessons, so..." She raised her voice, "you'll wanna clear off so Cho's screeching doesn't shatter your ears!"
"SHUT UP JESS!" Cho screamed.
"She's gonna work on that I Can Make The Difference, Lauren sent to her and I think we'll work on O Holy Night for the W.D.A. midnight mass." Jess said smiling.
"Oh alright, Lauren wanted you to work on her cantering for the Beauxbaton graduation. She's cantering Dwelling place, the Gloria, and Angie and her are doing the breaking of the bread. She's solo for Ave Maria. I know she knows it but we should brush it up for June. Or Soi will be made fun of.." Scott raised his voice, "Cuz Cho can't sing!"
"SHUT UP DADDY!" Cho screamed.
"AWH, guys quit picking on her," Soi softly pleaded.
"Your sister is way too much fun not to pick on!" Jess laughed closing the doors.
"So is Cho really that bad?" Asked BV rather puzzled.
"Actually quite the opposite! Cho thinks she's really bad so we joke with her that she is and she believes us!" Soi chuckled. At this Cho's voice began to ring through the doors and lulled over BV making her rather sleepy.
"AWH, so pretty." BV muttered her head lolling on her shoulder.
"And sleepy, huh?" Soi joked.
Scott said, "Yeah, it's pretty wait till she's doing the final part to this song!"
A moment past and then Cho's voice powerfully rang, "FALL ON YOUR KNEES OH HEAR THE ANGEL VOICES. OH NIGHT DIVINE, OH NIGHT DIVINE, WHEN CHRIST WAS BORN, OH NIGHT, OH NIGHT DIVINE!!!!!!!!! Oh night, Oh holy night Oh night divine."
"Wow!" Whispered BV in wonder and amazement, "She's good!"
"Yeah, takes after Mum, Huh?" Soi asked her father.
"Yeah definitely Lauren's voice." Scott said quietly.
...... Later that night.......
"BV?" Cho asked sitting up on the floor a beam of moonlight caught her pale face.
"Huh?" BV asked prompting herself up against the pillow on Cho's bed.
"Are you scared?" Cho asked.
BV contemplated this idea, "Not really, remember when you guys asked me the same thing? I shouted that I would. Cho you have no idea how much hate I harbor towards her. She was selling my body to be a tool of seduction a tool of deception. That's not right, I have to stand against that! And I promised Andrea! She pointed out a good point, Stace is the reason I'll never have Daddy walk me down the aisle, Pierre around to watch out for me!"
"Yeah, I'm proud of you, BV, your in for a hard time, but I've seen you make it outta of em a lot more than anyone else." Cho said sleepily. BV heard her soft snores.
She whispered, "You have no idea what I've made it through."
THE NEXT DAY
"BV, honey, wake up!" Lauren cooed in her ear. "Come on, shower away!" BV groaned and rolled over. "BV, come on don't make a scene!"
"What time is it?" BV groaned at Lauren.
"5:30, now up our flight's at 6:45!" Lauren snapped. BV rolled out of bed nearly stumbling over Cho. She walked into the Chang's lavishly decorated bathroom. The walls were a pale white with blue borders. There was a double sink and a stand in shower with frosted glass. BV climbed into the shower and turned the water hot then cold and then hot again. Her body quickly got the message and woke up. She climbed out fifteen minuets later. She opened the door and there was Soi standing there in a dark blue robe.
"Morning, BV." Soi said circling behind BV and looking in the mirror, "Oh Lord! My hair's a freaking rat's nest!" Soi said weakly attempting to bat her fly away hair down.
"Good, luck!" BV wished as she walked back to Cho's room. She pulled out some jeans and her Vincentian swimming sweatshirt. She went down to the kitchen and saw Scott sitting there mulling over the morning paper. "Morning, Mr. Chang!" She called out.
"Good morning BV!" Scott Chang said looking up from the daily prophet, "Ready for your flight?"
"Yep, my trunk is still in the car!" BV said smiling.
Mr. Chang grinned, "Good job, honey, Lauren will be down in a minute." At this Lauren appeared dressed like a teenager would. What shocked BV is that it didn't look weird! Lauren looked like a normal teen. She had to remind herself that Lauren was only 32 or something like that! Lauren wore tight low ride blue jeans with a pink top with some weird imaginary shop name on it and a white long sleeve tee shirt underneath it. She wore her black hair in several braids pulled back. "Only you, Lauren!" Scott commented following BV's stare.
Lauren smiled and said, "Ready BV?"
BV nodded, "Ready, thanks for having me guys!" She said as Soi came down and sat in the kitchen next to her father.
"Oh! Scott, Cho's permit, let me get it! You can have fun teaching her in my Audi, it holds up pretty good in the snow, better than your jalopy that you've been teaching her in!"
"Oh, Lauren! It's not a jalopy! It's a Honda, it's fine, it holds in snow, sure not as good as your Audi, but it holds up!" Scott argued.
Lauren smiled, "Whatever that girl still needs her permit!"
Soi laughed, "Hey, Mum, you really want Cho driving your Audi? She nearly wrecked my Ford Focus. You know that turn at Sleety Park? She nearly killed the post there!"
"Yeah well that was in June when she just got her permit! She's had it for six months!" Lauren argued, "Besides, she wrecks my Audi she knows she's dead! That car cost me way too much for her to wreck it!"
"Just go get the permit, Lauren, I'll make sure she doesn't wreck it!" Scott said.
"Okay." Lauren said, "Bye Honey," She kissed Soi's cheek, "See ya Scott," She hugged him and gave him a deep kiss. "I'll call when we get there. Come on BV." BV waved goodbye and went out on the cold porch and into the snow. BV got in the car and fell asleep and didn't wake up till Lauren awoke her a half an hour later. "Ready?" Lauren asked as they walked towards the airport terminal. They entered and went through all the check points. Finally they sat down in their seats. Lauren pulled out papers and pulled out a clip board, clearly ready to work. BV pulled out her mixed CD and headphones. She fell right back asleep. They arrived in New York City just shy of 5:20 eastern time. "stupid, jet lag!" Lauren cursed, slowly climbing to her feet. They hailed a taxi to take them to the Plaza Hotel. "Sheesh! Dumbledore provides us well!" Lauren gasped seeing the Plaza Hotel. BV loved seeing the city again. Her parents raised the kids there until BV went to Vincentian and then the Reinhearts moved to suburbs of Buffalo. Lauren and BV removed their trunks from the cab and Lauren paid. It was evident Lauren was either muggle born or half and half, she had no trouble with muggle money. She seemed to even take out time to figure out how American money worked. She definitely blended into the bustling New York City crowds.
"Man Lauren, how long did it take you to figure out how the money worked?" BV asked amazed.
Lauren smiled, "Not long, I'm a dancer, I've been here before! New York City Ballet, I've performed on Broadway before too. So NYC and I go back some time."
"You danced on Broadway?" BV asked totally shocked.
"Yeah, it was right after Cho was born I was 17. Cho was two and Soi was about to be three." Cho really took a liking to Central park, I really wanna bring her back sometime." Lauren said in a daze.
BV smiled, "The city is a magical place, sometimes it feels more magical than Hogwarts and Vincentian."
"I Know!" Lauren exclaimed, "London and Paris are the same for me!" Lauren stepped up to the desk. "Hello, reservations Lauren Chang and Bridgette Viktoria Reinheart?"
The girl snapped her gum, "Seven days and six nights temporarily?"
"Yeah." Lauren said agitated.
"Hold on, some one left something for Miss Reinheart for that room." She reached under the desk and pulled out a blue bag, she reread the tag as she handed it to BV. "Here you go, here's the key to your room, 728, seventh floor." Lauren reached out and grabbed the key.
They walked to the elevator and while waiting for the car Lauren warned, "Don't open it yet, BV. I don't know who knows you're here, I thought only Dumbledore did, apparently not!"
"Apparently not," muttered BV reading the tag, "OH MY GOD! It's from Professor De Anna!"
"WHO?" Lauren asked rolling her trunk into the elevator.
BV smiled, "She's the head mistress of Vincentian!"
"Oh! I guess Dumbledore told her you were in town!" Lauren said, "Okay you can open it when we get to the room. They arrived and BV opened the package there were some of BV's favorite snacks and a wine bottle with a tag on it saying :
"Lauren Chang,
Thanks BALlie for representing her! D."
"OH THAT'S WHO THAT IS! Alright!" Lauren said smiling.
"BALlie?" BV asked.
Lauren smirked, "Never mind, never mind. Where do you wanna go for dinner?"
"Hard Rock Café?" BV suggested.
"Cool with me." Lauren said, "Let me change shirts and stuff..."
BV interrupted, "No that's especially cool for the Hard Rock!"
"Oh!" Lauren said a blush creeping across her face, "I thought it was semi formal."
"Quite the contrary!" BV said laughing!
THE NEXT DAY.........
BV entered the room next to Lauren and was seated next to Kevin, Lauren's aide. Stacey's attorney entered with Stacey by his side. Stacey looked pale and scared. Not like BV remembered her. This Stacey had flat black hair with dark crimson highlights in it instead of the curls of crimson and curls flying everywhere. Stacey now had emotionless colored eyes instead of the blue spirit filled ones. She looked like a death eater now!
"Hey, Kevin, Jasper, Stace is desperate!" Lauren whispered.
"Yeah I know!" Kevin snickered back. The courtroom filled up with people mostly media.
"PLEASE STAND, The case of the people vs Stacey Ramsey-Reinheart, the honorable, Judge Brian Stevenson presiding." The judge entered and so did the jury. The officer looked at Lauren and she stood up.
"The prosecution calls Miss Bridgette Viktoria Reinheart to the stand, your honor." Lauren said sitting down. BV got up and walked towards the stand. Her black pants swished around her boots and her jacket fluttered around her soft blue blouse. She rounded the cherry rail and stood in the witness box. A ministry official came up to her and stuck out a bible.
"Please place your left hand on the bible, raise your right hand, and repeat after me, Miss Reinheart, I promise to tell the whole truth."
"I promise to tell the whole truth." BV firmly stated.
"And nothing but the truth."
BV looked at Stacey, "And nothing but the truth."
"So help me God!"
"So help me God." Bridgette said.
Stacey's attorney stood up, "Miss Reinheart did you ever see Stacey with the death eaters that attacked you?"
BV considered this, "No, but the death eaters were in cloaks and difficult to distinguish many characteristics."
"But I asked did you ever see Stacey with them?" He repeated.
"I OBJECT!" Lauren shouted, "Badgering the witness, your honor!"
"Sustained, counselor, careful she did answer your question no need to ask it again!" The judge ordered.
"Miss Reinheart, has Stacey ever approached you and asked if you wanted to be a death eater?"
"No." BV flatly said.
"So, Stacey has been a trustworthy sister-in-law...."
"I OBJECT!" Lauren screamed, "YOUR HONOR!, he's calling upon the witnesses opinion."
"She has a point, "The judge said, "Sustained, councilor, watch the questions."
"But, your honor! It is important to see the relationship between the witness and Ms. Ramsey Reinheart."
"Find another way councilor, she's a young woman, not to be tested like this." The judge said.
"Alright, Miss Reinheart, on the night your brother was murdered did you see Stacey with the death eaters?"
BV was waiting for this question, "Yes, I didn't see her face, but it was her voice that killed my father, my brother and performed an unforgivable spell on me and..."
"And?" The attorney prompted. Lauren looked up and stared at BV.
"And my mother and her unborn child." BV said knowing full well she was committing perjury. A gasp spread through the courtroom.
"ORDER! ORDER!" The judge called banging his gavel.
"No more questions, your honor." Stacey's attorney said sitting down. Lauren stood up closing her folder. She walked towards BV and smiled.
"Miss Reinheart, so Stacey's voice was the voice that performed the spells that killed your brother, and your father. The spells that hurt you, your mother and her unborn child?"
"Yes," BV said firmly.
"Miss Reinheart, were you ever approached by death eaters of any sort?" Lauren asked staring at BV.
"Yes."
"On what occasion?" Lauren asked.
"It was the day of the Vincentian Honors Convocation. I was on my way back to my house and was grabbed from behind by a death eater and forced into the empty Arithmancy class room, where he attempted to rape me." BV said starting to tremble. She went against Lauren's rule, 'short and simple.'
"Could you recall that night for us?" Lauren asked with a grin on her face.
" I was on my way back from the awards ceremony late because I was talking to my mother about our move back to Austria. Stacey had vanished by that point of time. The whole ceremony she stood in the back of the auditorium. I was finding my key to open the door to my house when I was grabbed from behind and thrown into the wall. I was then dragged into the Arithmancy classroom where he tried to rape me, but another death eater called Thompson came in and told him the Dark Lord was ready, Michaelias the death eater attempting to rape me," BV rushed as Lauren patiently nodded, " wasn't open to the idea but pulled me up and the two of them began to drag me away saying I was going to be a death eater. I protested and I quote Michaelias, "Oh yes, you are, Stacey said you'd make a great addition to our forces, she was right " Then a girl from Santa Barbara stopped them by kicking the one and telling the other one off."
"What was the girls name?" Lauren asked with a glint in her eyes.
"OBJECTION! Irrelevant!" Stacey's attorney argued.
"Your honor!" Lauren said exasperated, "The girl could be a minor death eater herself!"
"I'll allow it, be careful Ms. Chang." The judge said leaning back in his chair.
"Her name?" Lauren prompted.
"Rachel Rivers." BV said firmly. The crowd muttered and whispers flew everywhere.
"Order!" The judge said smacking the gavel. Lauren's mouth was kind of open and her eyes wide in amazement.
"No.. um.. no more.. um questions." Lauren spit out slowly.
"I have one more your honor," Stacey's attorney said rising, "Miss Reinheart, you are associated with Rachel Rivers?"
"Only for the fact I tutored her friend Jed Flaraski when Santa Barbara was competing against Vincentian in a Quidditch tournament hosted by Vincentian." BV said, "Otherwise we would have never met."
"Why's that?"
"We're just not friendly material." BV said shrugging.
"That's all." He said disappointed.
"No more from me." Lauren said shoving papers into her folder.
"Miss Reinheart you may step down. Court is in recess and will resume in one hour." The judge said banging his gavel.
Lauren stood up, "BV here, now." She lowered her voice as she ushered BV outside, " Don't say anything, stay nearby... closer, they want pictures. Don't let them, cover your face with this." Lauren said handing BV the black folder with all her papers. Lauren grabbed BV's wrist and they began to walk quickly.
As soon as the doors opened cameras began to flash and voices calling out, "Bridgette! Miss Reinheart! Over here! Miss Reinheart!" Lauren clamped her arm around BV and guided her into a nearby room.
Slamming the door behind her she said, "Kevin, it's becoming ruff! It's only first day of testimony too! If this keeps up BV could get hurt."
"I'll talk with the judge about a restraining order against the media." Kevin said sitting down. "So Lauren, how do you think it's going, I mean I haven't done high profile cases like this so I don't really know."
"It's not high profile, it's steep charges. To accuse one of being a death eater is a serious accusation. It's proving to be pretty easy though. Stacey keeps getting caught in her own traps! So is Jasper." Lauren said removing her reading glasses and rubbing her forehead.
"Hey Lauren?" BV asked, "Why did everyone go ballistic when I said Rachel was the one who saved me?"
Lauren rubbed her hand, "Well, hon, she's another doggy character! She's been accused of some things at Santa Barbara, petty stuff, until they realized what she was stealing."
"What was it?"
"Ingredients for the Avada Kedavra potion." Lauren said.
BV laughed, "I highly doubt that! Number one it's a mythological potion! Two she wouldn't be smart enough to know about it, let alone the ingredients in it!"
"True! So BV! Good job testifying, you had me worried when Rivers came up, but you really killed their case especially with that quote from Michaelias. Now BV seriously do you believe she is one?"
"Yes, I really do, I remember she wasn't concerned when we told her death eaters came to the house and it seemed really insincere when she heard about Pierre and Daddy." BV said starting to tremble.
"Oh, BV! Relax, we'll get her! I've only lost two case back when I was 18 and raising two toddlers!" Lauren laughed wrapping BV up in her arms. "We'll get her." Lauren whispered.
THE NEXT DAY
The next day started like the one before except Lauren and Kevin had to practically barricade around BV to protect her from the media. After the judge sat down Lauren stood.
"The prosecution calls Mr. David Thompson to the stand." Lauren said and afterwards sat down. He took the oath and sat down. Stacey's attorney approached him and said to the judge:
"I have one question." The judge nodded and gestured for him to continue, "Mr. Thompson do you ever recall Mr. Michaelias saying..." He looked down at his notes, " saying, "Oh yes, you are, Stacey said you'd make a great addition to our forces, she was right."?"
Thompson stared at him for a moment, "I don't recall that wording exactly, but something very similar." BV looked over at Lauren, Lauren was grinning from ear to ear. Next to BV this was her second star witness!
"No more questions, your honor." Stacey's attorney said. Lauren stood up and took off her glasses.
"Mr. Thompson, do recall Stacey at any of the death eater meetings?" Lauren asked.
"Well of course, she was one of his favorites." Thompson said casually.
Lauren continued, " What does it take for one to become a minor death eater?"
Thompson looked up at her puzzled, "To become one Ma'am?"
"Yes, Mr. Thompson, to become a minor death eater?"
"Oh there's a whole long process..." He drifted off.
"Could you explain the process to us?" Lauren asked.
Thompson sat back, "Well first one must be nominated by a death eater. Then the Dark Lord will see the so called requirements that person has, their strengths if you will. I was chosen because of my gift with illegal charms. Then the Dark Lord will decide and if he wants them, regardless of their consent he will send a three tag team to collect the person."
"So Miss Reinheart was nominated by?" Lauren asked looking like a five year old who was told Christmas was a few days early.
"Stacey there." He said pointing.
"What were the plans for the day Miss Reinheart was to be "Collected"?" Lauren asked.
"Stacey would watch the honors convocation from the back of the auditorium and tell Michaelias and myself when the ceremony was over and then we'd get in our place and wait."
"Where was this place?" Lauren asked.
"Outside the girl's house. Michaelias would grab her and drag her into a room while I told Stacey, who reported to the Dark Lord, who would let us know when she was needed." Thompson said almost unsure.
"Are you positive about that? You sound unsure." Lauren asked raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, I'm sure I was trying to recall that correctly, I've been on several collecting trips." Thompson said confident in his answer.
"Did Michaelias rape Miss Reinheart?" Lauren asked.
"I OBJECT!" Stacey's attorney shouted, "Irrelevant."
"Sustained, watch the questioning Lauren, keep on topic!" The judge said quietly.
"No More questions." Lauren said sitting down.
"COURT ADJOURNED FOR TODAY, TOMORROW WE WILL DECIDE THE VERDICT!" Judge Stevenson called out.
'One more day and Stacey will be locked up and forced to live each day regretting what she did to Pierre and my father.' BV thought walking out of the courtroom protected by Kevin and Lauren.