Disclaimer: I own little to nothing of what it is named/referred to and am making even less from it.
Chapter 29.
Anna had been almost entirely hidden from her view up until the moment when the child heard her name and turned towards Amelia herself. The sight that met her shocked her more than she liked to admit; after all she should have known what to expect. She certainly hadn't been behind the ridiculous conditions that were placed on the holding of the child, those had come from above her, but she had known about them. In addition she'd had Arthur warn her, however judiciously, that the child was not faring well, yet still the sight of the young girl before her now made her breath catch in her throat. She knew the woman before her wasn't to blame, certainly no more so than she was, but at the same time she knew that she would struggle hugely with herself should the panel find in favour of sending her back to the hospital on a more permanent basis. She knew she covered her surprise quickly, after so long she had become an expert at it and moved on swiftly. It seemed that Anna quickly grasped what was happening as the young Gael translated for her and then in turn translated what Anna said back into English.
"You'll get to see Daidein and Moony after lunch," she said, aware that she probably botched the pronunciation spectacularly. She explained to them what she had explained to the rest of the panel and the two representatives, that she wasn't about to let them rip the child apart in their usual fashion. She would ask what questions were going to be posed, and she certainly didn't intend to have the child on the stand for any longer than was strictly necessary.
By the end of lunch she felt that they had at least made a little progress, that Anna was comfortable enough around her to answer the questions she posed through the translator as well as she could. Whether this would still be true when they placed her in a room full of people she was not sure, but all she could do was hope. Entering the Panel's Waiting Room she found them all milling about with cups of coffee, their nervous excitement almost as palpable as that of the group she had just left.
"Is everybody here?" she asked, knowing all the while that she wouldn't have been called from her office if they weren't all present. They went out and took their seats before she stepped out and was faced with the reality of how packed both the public and press galleries were, and how much she wished she could have been granted the authority to shut them out for this afternoon alone. As they settled she took the time to covertly gauge the mood of the four men who were once more seated before her. Percy Weasley was doing his best to be unreadable but his blatant frustration, at what she couldn't tell, showed through. Arthur was rearranging the paperwork on his desk while the two men he represented sat in silence by his side. The Potion Master's nimble fingers manipulated a pen, spinning it over and over again, while his partner drummed restlessly on the table next to him. Her attention was drawn away from their stereotyped behaviour as an expectant hush fell across the room.
"Good Afternoon," she began. "Unless anyone has any pressing questions then I think we should get on." As nobody raised any objections she continued. "In that case, can I ask that Madam Maria Slack, Mr Dien Campbell and 246.01 be called to the court room please?"
Amelia had always expected that both parties' reactions to each other would be quite informative; however, even knowing Anna's eagerness to see the two men who had been her temporary guardians, she hadn't expected the meeting to be quite so dramatic. If she had not met with them previously she had little doubt that, like the others in the room, her attention would have been entirely consumed by the appearance of the child. Instead, she watched the change in expression that came over the three year old's face as she caught sight of the couple fighting so hard to win custody of her. It was almost indescribable the way in which her face lit up, a smile spreading across her face, changing her appearance almost entirely. An instant later Anna was running across the floor towards them as though the hounds of hell were at her heels. The two professor's faces told almost the opposite story of revelation; the air of nervous excitement that had surrounded them earlier evaporated as they were faced with the reality of what she had been put through, as though it was written as plain as day upon her tiny face. They were obviously equally keen as the child to have some sort of physical contact as they knocked their chairs onto the floor in their eagerness to meet her around the desk. The toddler was talking nine to the dozen as she ran, the flow of Gaelic sounding as melodious as babbling brook and equally as incomprehensible. The young translator looked to her, as if to check whether she wanted him to retell what she said, but she shook her head a little knowing that it would be a virtually impossible task. The point was nullified in any case only a few instants later when events took another turn.
Out of the corner of her eye Amelia saw the woman next to her move, but was too absorbed in the approaching reunion to notice what it was the Undersecretary was about to do. The first indication they got of what it was she was doing was when she called out "Protego", and the shimmering barrier appeared separating the two parties. She glanced to her right and saw Umbridge with her wand still drawn but immediately turned back as Anna reached out to touch the barrier, only to withdraw rapidly with a yelp as it gave her a shock. The two men looked up towards the bench as Anna, seemingly totally perplexed tested the barrier with her hand again.
"Lower your wand this instant Dolores! Or I will have you removed from the hearing immediately." The Court Porters had their hands at their wands and stepped forward, showing they were ready to take action if it were necessary.
"There should be no contact between the applicants and 246.01," the other woman ground out, lowering her wand but not the shield she had cast. Amelia tore her gaze away from the toad of a woman next to her and back towards scene before them that was tearing her heart apart. Anna's anxiety was obviously increasing as she turned to look at them, looking to the faces familiar to her for some kind of explanation as to what was going on, before trying once again to reach her prospective parents. When she turned around again there were tears pouring down her face.
"Duilich! Ma 's e do thoil e!" she sobbed.
"Sorry. Please," Mr Campbell translated without needing to be asked, as the toddler broke down completely falling to her knees as did the two men before her; so close yet so far out of reach.
She was certain that she had never seen such blatant pleading in anyone's eyes as she saw in Severus Snape's eyes as he glanced up at her and echoed Anna's cries.
"Please."
The child's distress grew rapidly until she was nearly hysterical and it was hardly any wonder that she choked and began fighting for breath. The mediwitch tried to remove her from the barrier, and succeeded in managing to hold her close to her so that she could not hurt herself any further, but Anna continued to struggle against her.
"Take it down Delores. We're not going to be able to discuss anything with the child so distraught." The official representative of the Minister looked at her for a moment, as if contemplating her options before removing the barrier. Madam Slack let her go and she hurled herself at the two men, anxiety replacing her earlier excitement. Her cries were soon muffled by layers of fabric as she buried her face in Snape's shoulder, almost seeming to try and smother herself with them. There were a few moments of awkward silence on the part of the panel as they watched something akin to a family reunion. Anna was firmly wrapped in the Slytherin's embrace while Lupin knelt next to them, stroking both their backs softly, speaking haltingly in broken Gaelic.
"It's ok… It's all right little one…" Mr Campbell translated quietly.
"I must object…!" Umbridge said after a further moment.
"Objection noted," Amelia replied without letting her finish, but she did realise that she would have to do something. She thought for another moment before speaking to the whole room.
"If I could have everyone's attention…" Both men as well as the translator and the mediwitch looked up at her. "I realise that 246.01, Anna, really isn't in any fit state to be questioned quite at the moment and I certainly don't think that removing her from proceedings is going to help sort that.
"Given that, I propose that she should remain with the applicants for the time being on the proviso that they refrain from speaking with her, in English or Gaelic." They nodded their agreement readily. "And in the meantime, we can speak with Madam Slack."
With her pronouncement complete, everyone involved jumped into action. Remus Lupin stood and held out his arms to receive the child who was unsettled momentarily before taking an equally tight hold onto her new protector. As all three of them took their seats, Arthur Weasley poured a glass of water and produced a handkerchief, both of which Anna was readily plied with. Amelia could still feel the irritation radiating off of the woman sitting next to her, but chose to ignore it and after Maria Slack had taken her place on the stand immediately plunged into the usual rigmarole. Having received the agreement of the panel and the two representatives previously she questioned the mediwitch herself garnering much of the same information that she had found out earlier. The other woman seemed nervous, and she could understand her hesitation; after all she had been responsible for the care of a child who had obviously not been eating or sleeping well, not to mention the attire and hair cut which had been imposed upon her. She advocated herself well though, all the time seeming to place her concern for what happened to Anna foremost. Her anger at the way both she and the child had been treated by the authorities was also obvious, though she managed to restrain her tongue into civility. Throughout her questioning, however, it was fairly obvious that most of the people in the room's attention still wondered frequently back to the three people huddled together protectively under the watchful eye of Arthur Weasley, who frequently glanced towards them and around the room while making notes on what was being said.
After twenty minutes, when the mediwitch had answered fully all the questions she had been asked, it seemed that Anna had calmed somewhat. Despite occasional sniffles she seemed far more content sat upon Lupin's knee, one hand firmly holding Snape's while she had the pinkie of the other in her mouth. As Maria Slack stood down, she rearranged her papers before addressing the court.
"Right, I think we can ascertain what we need to from the child where she's currently seated…"
"Excuse me." The objection, for once, did not come from the Undersecretary on her right, but from Harold Fusby, the Head of the Department for Social Responsibility, on her left. "I'll think you'll find that it is not at all appropriate for any child to be questioned while in such close proximity to his or her parents or any other interested party for that matter." His tone was clipped and businesslike, like everything else about this grey man. Amelia would acknowledge that the point he made was an accurate one despite it being inconvenient. Again she thought for a moment.
"Would you be happy if Mr Campbell here was to have her sit on his knee?" Fusby did not look best pleased but did at least seem willing to concede the point. Campbell stood from where he had pulled up a chair to the now packed applicant's table. "It might be an idea if you were to explain that you aren't going to take her very far: that we need to ask her some questions, but that Professors Lupin and Snape will not be far away." He did this and, although obviously hesitant, the girl allowed herself to be transferred into his arms.
After the scene on her entrance to the room it seemed rather beside the point to ask her the questions that she and the panel had so carefully formulated that morning, but none the less she started at the top of the list and worked her way down.
"Is there anybody here you recognise? Look around properly." The young man dutifully translated her words and waited as the young girl in turn looked around her. A moment later she answered very seriously, sighting firstly and foremost Daidein and Moony. She also reported to recognise Arthur Weasley, Albus Dumbledore, Maria Slack, Dein Campbell and the Head of Magical Law Enforcement herself. She asked about what she had missed most over the last two weeks and the answer had come much more swiftly. She had missed her father, but just as quickly that she had also missed Daidein and Moony very much. "And Albus," she added after a moment. There were various other trivialities that various members of the committee suggested she ask, but finally they came to the telling questions.
"Do you realise that your father can't look after you anymore?" There was a long pause after the translation before she received an answer.
"My father's gone. He's not where I am anymore. I need someone else to look after me." The simple poignancy in what she said seemed to have as big an effect on some of the other panel members as it had on her not so professional side.
"Is there anyone who you would like to look after you now?" Amelia asked after a moment.
"Daidein and Moony." The answer was quick and decisive and the translation was all but unnecessary.
"Thank you," she said quietly using her professional control to ensure that there was no fluctuation in her voice. Anna asked a question in response to this, and for once the translation was a moment in coming.
"Can I go home with Daidein and Moony now?" The tone in Mr Campbell's voice made it clear that he understood what the answer to this question was going to be.
Even in years to come, the detached fashion in which Anna responded to her carefully worded reply would astonish Amelia. If she had been older, she would have said that the behaviour was stoic; the bitten lip and the restrained tears as she nodded dolefully in acceptance. If anything, Remus Lupin seemed more openly distraught as Maria Slack stepped forward. She and the interpreter took the child's hands and silently left the room. Once more, she rearranged the various pieces of parchment in front of her, in what appeared to be becoming a nervous habit, before deciding that there was no point in procrastinating any further. She cleared her throat and the hum of conversation that had filled the room died out.
"Having heard the cases both for and against Professor Remus Lupin and Professor Severus Snape's application for permanent guardianship of individual 246.01, I now adjourn this hearing to resume at a later date, when the panel has reached a decision. Dismissed." With that, the entire press section of the room emptied out of the door far faster than she thought possible. She would like to know what perspective their reports would take, especially one Rita Skeeter. However, the panel had been staying in the Ministry without any contact with the outside world for the last week and would continue to until they had reached a verdict, so she would just have to wait.
Having ensured that the rest of the panel knew they were to meet at 9 o'clock the following morning, she let them go as well, returning to her own office to deal with some of the other work that was gathering on her desk. Amelia slept badly that night, tossing and turning in the strange bed that was virtually the only piece of monastic-like room she had been given to stay in. Breakfast was consumed solitarily before she returned to the waiting room that would house their deliberations. She had tried at several points during the proceedings to establish in her own mind who was likely to land on which side of the fence and how long it would take them to get the majority vote which they needed for a verdict.
"Well I only hope that we can get this over and done with today. Some of us have actual jobs we should be doing," Richard Underhill was murmuring impatiently as he helped himself to coffee when he entered.
"Yes, and some of us have five kids at home who they really ought to be looking after, but sometimes it's about priorities. I'm sure your darling company will cope without you somehow," retorted Margo Vale uncharacteristically sharply.
"Calm down, calm down," Amelia said, shutting the door behind her, feeling as though she was back teaching first year recruits. She took a seat at the large round table that had appeared in the centre of the room and indicated that the others ought to do the same. When she was certain that everyone was present and seated she began.
"Now we all have an opportunity to discuss what we've heard and what we think the implications of the evidence presented are. The rules state, as far as I'm aware," she added, throwing glances at both Umbridge and Fusby, "That we're allowed one vote a day and that that cannot be taken without a minimum of six hours of open discussion." Both of the other ministry workers nodded shortly in agreement. "So without further ado I suggest that we get started. Perhaps the best option would be for us to take turns to bring up any points we feel to be especially important." There seemed to be general agreement to this and so, turning to her left to look at Margo Vale she gestured that she should begin.
"Well…" She seemed nervous as she looked around the group. "I can't really see any point in discussing it. As far as I'm concerned, Anna, and I REFUSE to refer to that little girl as some number, made it perfectly clear what the only decision we could make is." Her statement was vehement to say the least.
"What she made clear…" countered Edwina Barclay, sternly, "was what she wanted. That is not necessarily the same as what is best for the child, which as far as I'm aware, is what we are here to decide."
"Quite right," agreed Fusby. "And I for one cannot comprehend quite how anyone could think that a single gender couple could ever be what was best for any child. Never mind two men. Especially these two men." Homophobia was plain to hear in every word he ground out.
"I happen to quite like 'these two men'," Finknottle said almost lazily, leaning back in his chair. "Remus seems a sweetie and even Severus has an odd kind of charm of his own."
"I'm certain you wouldn't call him a 'sweetie' if you saw him on a full moon," Umbridge pointed out. "Non-humans should have no rights to reproduce, so why on earth should we give this one a child by choice?"
"He's perfectly human 95 percent of the time." Edwina Barclay got there before Amelia did. "An unfortunate incident when he was a child that had a rather unpleasant consequence shouldn't necessarily be held against him. It seems that they have several points in their favour apart from Anna's obvious preference for them."
"I thought you said that…?" Umbridge queried.
"What I said was that just because the child would like to be looked after by them doesn't necessarily mean that it's the right decision. However, her opinion should be taken into account when considering the rest of the evidence provided to us," the witch finished succinctly. Amelia decided that she rather liked this woman who seemed to be doing by far the best job of remaining emotionally detached, apart from Underhill who seemed relatively uninterested in the heated discussion that was still raging around them.
At this point in time, the Head of Magical Law Enforcement wouldn't have liked to have to predict the outcome of the hearing, but what she did know was that it would be a hard fought battle on both sides before any kind of consensus could be reached. Despite her fears however, by the end of that day when they each cast their votes in private, there was a large enough majority to enable her to announce a verdict the following morning.
A/N: Well this is progress – and the next chapter's half done…
Mucho thanks go to Rachel who's been beta-ing for me of late.
PLEASE (please please please please please) let me know what you think of this.
Thanks for reading
Linds
xxx
