Chapter 12:

Harry's Trial

That night, Godric appeared to him in his dreams. He said, "Harry, I am beginning to worry about you. Some of the things that you did and said today concern me."

Harry shrugged, "Necessity, Grandfather. I have to let them know that I am serious, and that I will do whatever is necessary to rid the world of Voldemort and his Death Eaters."

Godric sighed, "Just don't go too far, Harry. It is difficult to turn back from that path once you journey down it."

Harry snorted, "For normal people I am sure that it is. However, I am hardly normal. I will not stop until I have hunted down and killed Voldemort and every last one of the Death Eaters. Then, from there I will not stop until I have overturned the Ministry and inserted Muggleborns or unprejudiced purebloods like the Weasleys into power. The racial minded purebloods will rule the wizarding world no longer."

Godric nodded, "Very well, cub. Now, let us begin the preparations for the ritual."

The two began to practice, and continue with the instruction of how to do the Soul Disbandment on Voldemort.

The next morning, Harry went down to breakfast and found that he was on the receiving end of stares from basically every student in Hogwarts. Harry raised his eyebrows for a moment, then scowled. When no one looked away after that Harry growled, "What?"

Once Harry spoke the spell seemed to have been broken, and everyone looked to their own plates, and continued eating. Harry walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Neville and Ginny. Neither said anything to him, but each nodded and gave him a slight smile.

Hermione and Ron came down a few moments later, just as the post owls were arriving. A large tawny landed in front of Harry and delivered an envelope bearing the Ministry's seal upon it.

Hermione looked at it curiously as Harry untied it from the owl. She asked, "Why is the Ministry sending you something, Harry?"

Harry grunted, "I expect that it's a notification of my trial date."

Ron's eyes narrowed, "Trial for what?"

Harry chuckled, "For the use of an Unforgivable and the murder of Draco Malfoy."

Neville sucked in a breath and threw a quick glance over to the Slytherin table, "You killed Draco?"

Harry shrugged, "He had taken the Dark Mark."

Hermione's mouth dropped open. Ron looked disgusted, "They're giving you a trial for that?"

Harry nodded, "That's what the Aurors that tried to come arrest me last night said anyway."

Ginny echoed, "Aurors?"

Hermione asked, "Why didn't they take you away if they came to arrest you?"

Harry chuckled again at the memory of the look on Dawlish's face the night before, "Let's just say that I convinced them that it would not be good for any future plans they might be intending to make to attempt to take me by force. I made it quite clear that I wasn't going to come quietly."

Hermione said severely, "Harry, you can't continue to irritate the Ministry. They could expel you or put you into Azkaban."

Harry shook his head, "You will never learn will you, Hermione? I will do as I please and the Ministry will like it, or I will treat them the same way I do Voldemort and his Death Eaters."

Here, Harry paused, and then said in an almost offhand manner, "Oh, by the way, Snape has been sacked as well."

No one even seemed to pay attention to this remark until Ron spit out his pumpkin juice as what Harry said finally caught up to him, "Snape's gone?"

Harry grinned, "Caught that did you? Yes, Snape is gone. Well, actually he is still technically in the castle, since I gave Dumbledore twenty four hours from the time he recuperates to get rid of him. He has the same timetable for Crabbe and Goyle as well considering they were with Malfoy and Snape last night."

Hermione's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean recuperate?"

Harry shrugged, "I might have been a little rough with him when I was interrogating him last night."

Ron could barely keep the glee off his face as he beamed, "How rough is a little rough, Harry?"

Harry shrugged, "He was unconscious after I left him."

Neville closed his eyes and smiled, "I wish I could have been there for that."

Dumbledore chose that moment to come down the row between the tables to stand in front of Harry. Harry looked up at him and said with barely veiled contempt, "Well?"

Dumbledore sighed, "I have been informed of your trial date, Mr. Potter." The students around him shivered. None of them had ever heard the normally jovial Headmaster sound so forbidding.

Harry shrugged, "I'm assuming that is what I'm holding right here." He showed the unopened envelope to Dumbledore.

Dumbledore's mouth drew thin, "Don't you think that you should open it."

Harry shook his head, "Not really. I'm sure I already know what it says."

Dumbledore replied, "I highly doubt that, Mr. Potter, since I happen to know when your trial date has been set, and I found it highly surprising."

Harry chuckled, "I don't doubt that, but I, unlike you, I have no doubts about the Ministry's efficiency when Fudge is highly desperate to imprison me so that I don't bring him down. So, it comes as no surprise to me that they scheduled my trial for tomorrow. I'm sure if Fudge had completely had his way, and Voldemort hadn't sent an attack against the Ministry the other day, then my trial would have been this afternoon."

Dumbledore recoiled, "You do not seem to be taking this seriously enough, Mr. Potter. You do know that you will be convicted tomorrow, and be sentenced to Azkaban."

At this Harry's chuckled turned into an outright laugh, "I highly doubt that. The Wizengamot may be foolish, but they are anything but stupid. I will be acquitted, and by the end of tomorrow, they will be looking for a new Minister of Magic, for I will finish Fudge. His hours are now numbered. I might have been willing to let him off, but after this, I think not."

Dumbledore turned without speaking again, and walked rapidly away from Harry, as tears sprang to his eyes. He muttered to himself, "How could things have went so terribly wrong?"

Hermione berated Harry, "Harry, you shouldn't show such disrespect to the Headmaster."

Harry snorted, "I'll start showing respect to that old fool when he decides to earn it. Until then I will continue just as things are."

Hermione hissed, "Harry, Dumbledore could expel you!"

Harry laughed, "I think not. This is my school now, and I am the only one that can decide who gets thrown out."

Hermione's eyes narrowed, "What does that mean?"

Harry smiled evilly, "Oh, didn't I tell you? I am the Heir of Gryffindor, and as such the wards of this castle answer to me. No one can harm me inside the walls of this castle now."

Ginny breathed out, "The Heir of Gryffindor?"

Hermione's eyes narrowed, "What do you mean the wards of the castle answer to you?"

"Exactly what I said, Mione. The wards are under my control. If I want someone ejected from the castle, then they will leave or they will suffer the consequences."

Neville asked, "What consequences?"

Harry smirked, "Let's just say that remaining within the wards when I don't want you here will be extremely painful for anyone stupid enough to do so."

Hermione asked, "If that were possible, why hasn't the Headmaster used the wards that way before?"

Harry snorted, "The wards were never completely under his control. They only nominally answer to the Headmaster of the school, and only do that if the Heir of Gryffindor is not present to exercise control over them. So, since I have entered the castle, the wards have not answered to Dumbledore at all, but I couldn't command them either, because I didn't know how, or even that I could. That is one of the main reasons that Dumbledore has went to such an extreme to make sure that I knew nothing of my family heritage. If I had known sooner, then I could have already defied him, and refused to return to the Dursley's long before this."

Hermione appeared as if she was going to ask another question, but Harry cut her off, "I don't have time for this. I need to rest if I am going to be prepared to deal with all the consummate fools that are on the Wizengamot tomorrow." With that Harry stood and exited the Great Hall, and he was not seen by anyone for the rest of the day.

The next morning, Harry arrived in the Headmaster's office in his dress robes. Dumbledore looked him over, and asked, "Why have you come here, Mr. Potter?"

Harry snorted, "I would presume that would be obvious. If I enter the Ministry unescorted, I expect that the Aurors are under orders from Fudge to attack first and ask questions later. However, if I arrive with the Supreme Mugwump of the Wizengamot, then I can hardly be questioned prior to the trial."

Dumbledore nodded, "A prudent decision. Shall we go then, Mr. Potter?"

Harry shrugged, "Whenever, you are ready."

Dumbledore lifted the Portkey and held it out for Harry to grab. Harry shook his head, "No, thank you. Just let me know what the destination is, and I will Apparate beside you."

Dumbledore sighed, "Do you trust me so little?"

Harry snorted once again, "I don't trust you at all, old man. I would think that would have been apparent by now. If I trusted you, then the Dark Phoenix would have never been brought into being."

Dumbledore replied wearily, "The Portkey will drop me directly into the entrance foyer."

Harry nodded, "Very well. As soon as you activate the Portkey, I will follow."

Dumbledore merely nodded in reply and tapped the Portkey with his wand. He felt the customary tug behind his navel and was transported directly into the Ministry. A moment later with a small pop, Harry appeared beside him. The two of them walked toward the check in desk, and the guard on duty said dully, "If you will just hand over your wand.."

Harry interrupted him, "I didn't bring my wand with me, since I have no intention of letting that arrogant bastard that happens to be Minister of Magic confiscate it."

The guard and several others around the room almost jumped in surprise at the vehemence behind Harry's words. The guard gulped, "Very well, Mr. Potter. If you will proceed on your way, then." He nodded to Dumbledore, "Headmaster."

Dumbledore and Harry walked over to the lifts and sank down toward the ninth floor, where they proceeded to walk down to courtroom ten. Dumbledore walked forward and behind the bench to take his seat as Supreme Mugwump of the Wizengamot. The rest of the wizarding high court were already seated and waiting. Harry glanced around and saw that the only chair was the one with shackles on it, and decided to do something about that. He stalked over to the nearest Auror, and before the man could so much as twitch, Harry snatched his wand out of his hands, conjured himself an extremely comfortable looking recliner, and then handed the Auror's wand back to him. Then, Harry casually stepped over and dropped into the recliner and leaned back in it with his feet propped up.

Madam Bones' voice rose in a fury, "That is quite unacceptable, Mr. Potter. You will sit in the chair that we provided for you. There is a level of decorum that must be maintained."

Harry chuckled, "No, Amelia, there is a level of decorum that you think needs to be maintained. I am here to inform this court that the traditions of the wizarding world are about to be torn down around your ears. So, I suggest you get on with this farce."

Madam Bones spluttered indignantly until Dumbledore laid a hand on her arm and shook his head. Then, he spoke, "Well, then I suppose we should begin.""

Fudge spoke up then, "The accused is Harry James Potter, and his inquisitor will be.."

Harry interrupted the Minister snidely, "I know who the fuck everyone is, you pompous, arrogant twit. I don't need introductions or a play by play, so skip the preliminaries and get this over with."

Fudge turned red with rage, "I will not be spoken to in that way, Potter."

Yet, again he was cut off, "I will speak to you in any manner that I please, Cornelius. Since today is your last day as the Minister of Magic, then it is unlikely that you will be able to do anything about it."

Dumbledore cleared his throat, "Is that a threat, Mr. Potter?"

Harry yawned, "Depends on what you clarify as a threat. If you are asking if it is a threat to his political power, yes. If you are asking if I'm threatening his life, then the answer would be no. I somehow doubt Cornelius is significant enough to bother killing."

The entire Wizengamot gasped as Fudge purpled in anger. He opened his mouth, but a slicing motion of Dumbledore's hand cut him off, "That will be enough, Cornelius. We are here to conduct a trial, not for you and Mr. Potter to trade insults. Mr. Potter, you know the charges made against you, how do you plead?"

"Not guilty."

Fudge spluttered once again, "What do you mean, not guilty, Potter? You killed young Mr. Malfoy, and…"

Once again, Cornelius found himself being cut off, "Prove it."

Madam Bones leaned forward, "What do you mean by that, Mr. Potter?"

"Simply what I said. I would like to see him prove that I murdered Draco Malfoy. From what I understand of the facts, there are no witnesses, not to mention the fact that Malfoy possessed the Dark Mark, so I would like to see him bring forth any kind of physical proof. I can guarantee there is none."

Dumbledore steepled his fingers together, "Mr. Potter, are you the Dark Phoenix?"

Harry replied matter of factly, "Of course."

Fudge leaned forward and grinned maniacally, "Then that brings several other factors into play. The murder of Delores Umbridge, the destruction of Malfoy Manor and Umbridge estate, not to mention the murder of numerous other wizards."

Harry laughed, "I hardly think so, Cornelius. You don't have a leg to stand on with those accusations. Malfoy Manor was blown up by one of Lucius' own creations, so that can hardly be labeled as my fault. I went to Umbridge's estate to teach her a lesson, not kill her. The stupid bitch blew her home up with her in it in an attempt to finish me off, since she failed to do so last year with the Dementors and that damned Blood Quill, and the other Death Eaters that I actually have killed were attempting to kill me, so it was only natural to defend myself with extreme force. If your investigators are even remotely competent then they have discovered that none of the Death Eaters that have died at the hands of the Dark Phoenix were killed with any kind of Dark Magic."

Madam Bones asked grimly, "Mr. Potter, what do you mean by that?"

Harry paused, and then with a quizzical look on his face replied, "Mean by what?"

"You said that Umbridge was trying to finish you off after using Dementors and a Blood Quill."

Harry nodded, "Of course. Dumbass's Senior Undersecretary was the one who sent Dementors after me in Little Whinging before my fifth year. She also kept me in detention most of last year, and made me use a Blood Quill to write the phrase 'I will not tell lies' over and over again."

Madam Bones stilled as she gave Fudge a hard stare, "Is this true, Cornelius?"

Fudge did not return her look, but Dumbledore nodded for the Minister of Magic, "Yes, Madam Bones, I'm afraid that it is. Harry has the scar on his hand to prove it."

Fudge made a dismissive gesture, "The fact remains despite all of Potter's useless prattle is that he used an Unforgivable Curse in front of witnesses. That alone is enough to guarantee him a life sentence in Azkaban."

Harry chuckled again, "I'm afraid that I'm going to have to pull the wheels off your little wagon once again, fool. I am yet again, guiltless according to the law. The law states that the Unforgivable Curses may not be used against another human being or magical creature that falls in under the Being division in the Department for the Control of Magical Creatures. Voldemort does not fall under that heading."

Several members of the Wizengamot gasped at the use of the Dark Lord's name, and most of the rest shuddered. Harry snorted, "Grow up. If you will check your guidelines, since Voldemort spent roughly thirteen years as little more than a wraith, and then returned to a body that was created through a dark ritual, he is now classified under the Spirit division of the Department for the Control of Magical Creatures, and as such is not protected by law from the use of the Unforgivables. Hence, using the Cruciatus Curse on Voldemort was perfectly permissible."

Most of the Wizengamot gaped at Harry for at least a full minute, before Madam Bones cleared her throat, "Well, I believe that we have heard all that we need to. It is time to vote on Mr. Potter's fate. All that see guilt, raise your hands." Cornelius and three other members raised their hands. Madam Bones nodded, "All for acquittal?" The rest of the hands went up. Then, Madam Bones banged her gavel onto the desktop, "Defendant cleared of all charges." She stood, "I believe that settles things for today."

Harry shook his head, "Not quite, Madam Bones. Not quite." Harry leaped from his chair, and took two running steps before leaping over the bench and tackling Fudge. He stepped down on Fudge's right arm, as he went for his wand. The bone breaking could be heard over the entire courtroom, Harry yanked Fudge's left arm up, and said, "It seems our precious Minister of Magic has been keeping a little secret." Then, Harry slid down the sleeves of Fudge's robes to reveal the Dark Mark burnt into his arm.

A/N: Sorry about the ridiculously long time that I have taken in updating. For those of you that haven't emailed me about it, then you should know that my schedule is nuts. It seems to be evening out again, so I should hopefully be able to keep a reasonable pace on posts until the story is finished. Hopefully, I should have Chapter thirteen out in a week, but don't freak if its two. Happy reading.