Chapter 5 – Convincing Harry Part 1

Poppy was more than happy when she was told about the trial. Now all they needed to do was convince Harry to sue the Dursleys. She immediately called Oliver too tell him about the trial form and to plan how they wanted to get Harry to end his torment forever.

The next morning they put the plan 'Get Harry to sue Dursleys' into action. Oliver started it by waiting for Harry to wake up. He still did not know what happened between Harry's ride on the Hogwarts Express at the end of the school year and his arrival in the hospital. Lying behind Harry he slowly stroke his lovers hand.

He was close to falling asleep himself when he felt Harry stir. Oliver was fully awake within seconds and wrapped his arms around his lover a bit more. Neither of them would like the next topic much, but both knew that they had to speak about it some time soon.

A few minutes later Harry was completely awake as well and Oliver asked his questions, "What happened? Why did they suddenly change? Didn't you say that they were afraid?"

Harry shook a bit. He did not want to think about it, but knew that he would have to speak about it sooner or later. He only wished that it would have been later rather than sooner. But that could not be changed now. Oliver wanted answers now and Harry knew from experience that he would ask him until he got his answers.

"I told Ron and Hermione about… about me being gay. You remember how I told you about how I thought they would react?" here Harry stopped for a positive sign from Oliver which he immediately received. Oliver remembered only too well. He had predicted that his friend Hermione would be shocked and might want to quit their friendship. Harry knew how homosexuals were viewed by muggles and Hermione was muggleborn. That did not stop him from hoping that she would be ok with it. They both thought that Ron would be cool about it from the start. After all Fred and George as well as Charlie were gay and Bill was bi. What problem would come from that background?

"Well Ron took it bad, very bad. He is the reason that Uncle Vernon found out… He… he called me a fag at Kings Cross after we left the train and my uncle overheard him… Hermione reacted as I thought she might, but…"

Oliver was shocked to say at least. Ron Weasley being homophobic with one of the most tolerant families? He immediately went about calming Harry. It would not do well to have him all hysteric about it. Oliver tried to get his lover to stop talking, but all Harry had to add for Oliver to know what happened next was: "It was like before I got my Hogwarts letter again. Only this time I knew that I had something to lose."

He could not believe his ears. Back to the treatment of before Harry's first year? All he wanted to do at that moment was to jump up and send a letter to Voldemort telling him were the Dursleys lived. Taking things in his own hand and inflict the damage to the Dursleys himself also appealed, but he knew that Harry needed him here at the Hospital and not torturing his relatives. He calmed down when he remembered that he had to get Harry to sue the Dursleys. Oliver wet his lips before he started to explain his lover about the kind of trial they had found.

"Harry, Poppy found a trial that would make it possible for only the people attending to know about what happened and none of them would be able to speak about with anyone outside of the room the trial was taking place. There is no doubt that they would be found guilty and you would never see them again after that. If you want I can ask her for the book the trial is explained in so that you can find out anything you want to know about it. But please think about it. I don't want to see you having to go back to them. If not for you than please do it at least for me. I can't bear to lose you Harry. I was so scared these last few weeks." Oliver hoped that he would get Harry to think about it at the very least. Out of experience he knew that his lover would think about things he could not possibly remember. Therefore he had offered to ask for the book so he could read it through while Oliver wasn't there. He had to go to training after all.

"And when all goes well you might even be able to watch me in my next game. I know how bored you get in the hospital wing, but it must be more so here, without your friends," said Oliver; hoping to distract Harry from the content of their previous topic.

Harry caught the drift and smiled a bit. "That would be nice. I haven't seen you playing in so long. And… I think that it might not hurt to at least look at the book, but I am not sure about doing it…"

"I somehow have the feeling that you are reading more books than Hermione. What she would say to that?" Oliver realised too late that he had spoken about Harry's ex-friends. He hoped that he would not feel bad about it. Luckily for him Harry saw the funny side of it as well, "She would be shocked and than she would try to out do me. I have no doubt that she would also ask me why I am not better at school."

Oliver was glad that Harry could still smile. He hoped that his friends would come to their senses and apologies to Harry. It would be difficult for Harry in the beginning especially after the reaction of Ron, but Oliver had no doubt that Harry would accept Hermione's quickly. He had thought about this possibility after all.

They talked a bit more before Poppy Pomfrey entered the room. She immediately sent Oliver out of the bed and onto the chair next to it.

Poppy hesitated once she was finished with her check on Harry. She wanted to ask whether Oliver could convince Harry or not, but was not sure how to ask.

Oliver saw her hesitation and motioned to one corner of the room. Poppy never got the chance to ask her question once they arrived there as Oliver said, "Harry will have question that neither of us can answer… He can think of questions none of us would even think about. I told him that I would ask for the book it stands in. That will answer more of his questions. And maybe a lawyer to explain any other questions."

"I will ask my brother in law. I'll bring the book as soon as I get it," answered Poppy.

She could see that Oliver wanted to ask something else, but was uncertain whether he should or not. "Mr. Wood. If you have a question than please ask."

"Well… When do you think Harry could leave the hospital? I think it might do him some good if he came out more. I could take him to one of my training sessions," asked Oliver finally.

"I will have to think about it. Harry might seem pretty well already, but he still has some injuries that could get worse again and we both know his attraction to danger. I do not want to risk anything just yet. That goes for today at least, but I will watch his progress over the next few days. Aside from this… I think you are right about it doing Harry good. It will distract him from what happened."

The conversation being finished both went their way, Oliver back to the bed and Poppy to her next patient.

When Poppy came back a few hours later, Oliver Wood lay once again in bed with Harry, but this time both were asleep. She silently went to the drawer on Harry's side of the bed and placed the book there as well as a note saying that if he wanted more information he should ask for it and Poppy would send her brother in law over.

Although she had already had a night to let everything settle down, she still felt quite shocked about it. Compared to Death Eaters Vernon Dursley was the worse evil. No matter how cruel Death Eaters were they would never harm a family member in their care.

When Harry woke up next it was a bit darker on the room and a quick look at the window proofed his thought that it was late evening already and the sun would probably be gone within the hour. His attention was suddenly caught by a book lying on the drawer. He pulled one of his arms out of Oliver's embrace and took the book. The title read 'Seldom used trial forms by Matthew Hunter'. Harry wondered why such a book would lay around in his room, but then he remembered that Oliver had told him about a trial and that he would ask for a book about it. A quick check revealed that the book contained a bookmark. Opening the book he started to read.

Arcanum Iudicum

Arcanum Iudicum is a trial where only those have knowledge over the case in question who were told about it. A vast amount of security spells makes sure that anyone who has knowledge about this trial won't be able to speak about anything that was either said, done or shown during the time of a session. Even truth serums will be overridden as long as the spells are in tact, which can only be broken by the plaintiff. Further charms disable any eavesdropping charms. Once every person that will attend the trial is present the room will be warded against anyone else entering, even animals as small as flies won't be able to pass these wards. These spells are only known to specially trained judges to prevent anyone researching possible counter spells.

As a last security every person attending the trial will be swearing the Blood Honour Oath to keep the content of the trial secret additionally the final decision of the judges and defendant(s) will be kept secret. If not otherwise known already the identity of the plaintiff will be kept secret as well.

Currently only Judge Jimmy O'Sullivan has the needed knowledge to prepare the Arcanum Iudicum.

Harry was surprised that such a trial truly existed. He knew that Oliver wanted him to sue the Dursleys ever since he first told him about the way they treated him and it was only logical that Poppy Pomfrey would want it as well, but Harry had never wanted the public to know. He still did not want anyone to know. The less people knew the better. Oliver knew that very well already. But this trial, the Arcanum Iudicum seemed to be the solution to all of his problems. But he would need more knowledge! Who choose those that would be present during the trial? How did they keep it secret who the defendants were? How many additional people would have to be told?

Harry could tell from the description that it must be seldom used. The Book Title and the fact that only one of – he was not sure how many wizard judges there were, but he thought that there might be a similar amount as in the muggle World – many judges knew about the procedure behind the trial. It would be very difficult to keep it secret that someone wanted this trial and with his luck the whole wizarding world would know in an instant that he was the one. Nonetheless he felt that with this trial he could be able to get over everything and face the Dursleys again in order to get them punished for what they did to him.

Chapter 6 – Convincing Harry Part 2

Now all he had to decide on was how to ask for more information without Oliver getting his hopes up. He still hadn't made his decision final, having too little information on what this meant, but he also didn't know whom to ask.

He was called back into reality when Oliver wrapped his arms closer around him, a sure sign that the older wizard was about to wake up. Laying the book back where he found it he turned around, so that he was facing Oliver, getting the best view of him waking up. As long as Oliver and he shared a bed, he had always loved watching the older boy wake up. It was every time the same; Oliver would wrap his arms closer around him, then he would move his eyes around behind his closed lids before opening them finally and looking at him with still half-asleep eyes. Once he saw no signs of distress on his face, Oliver would ask, "Sleep well?"

And as Harry predicted Oliver once again woke up exactly this way. Sometimes Harry wondered how Oliver woke up when he was alone, but dismissed it immediately in order to answer the question, "Just fine. You managed to keep all nightmares at bay."

"That's good… Wouldn't want you to have a nightmare, would we?" answered Oliver.

Harry could see that he wanted to ask a question, most surely about the book he had found, without revealing that Poppy and him wanted to convince him to do the trial. He had known that Poppy spoke with someone about what happened to him, he also knew that his identity wasn't revealed. None of the two could speak about this while revealing who he was at the same time, not even with hints, no matter how direct they may be. The Oath they took affected the person they spoke to so that they wouldn't be able to put all clues together and connect them with him.

Deciding to relieve Oliver out of his dilemma, Harry said, "By the way, the book you mentioned arrived. There were some interesting things in there. Maybe I'll become a judge or lawyer. It certainly seems interesting enough, maybe if I'd be able to speak with someone I could find out whether it's something for me or not."

Harry saw Oliver relax, upon having is unasked question answered with Harry's obvious interest. Still, Harry was aware that Oliver knew that he was only covering his interest in one specific trial; this wasn't the first time that he did this after all. But they both would play their roles in this. Harry knew exactly what this signified for them. On his part it meant that he wasn't sure about it and didn't want to give his boyfriend hope, for Oliver it meant that Harry was at least considering it, but was still uncomfortable speaking about it. He had started this when Oliver first spoke about suing the Dursleys and it didn't take long for them to fall into this habit. It had been pretty rough back them with Harry feeling pressured into a decision and Oliver wanting the best for him. In the end they got to this talk. Oliver would suggest something specific and Harry would show interest in the overall topic excluding this while secretly finding out more about the specific topic until he had made a decision.

Harry thought that it must be kind of funny to watch this, but he doubted that Oliver thought of it as funny.

"I'll ask Poppy to invite the lawyer, I think it was her brother in law, over. How'd you like that?" interrupted Oliver his musings.

Harry only nodded before lying back down and starring at the ceiling. Now that this was done with he felt bored once again. There was nothing to be done while being confined to a bed.

A second later Oliver once again broke through his thoughts, "That reminds me. I ask Poppy earlier today when you could leave for at least a short time, so I could take you to a training session, so you get a bit colour on your face. Although she said not today and most probably not tomorrow she'll watch your progress over the next few days and tell me when I can take you. She thinks a chance in scenery will do you some good."

"That's great, I haven't seen you playing in a while and the summaries in the Daily Prophet just aren't enough," answered Harry ecstatic.

They continued talking about Quidditch until Poppy entered with several potions in her arms. Not much later dinner came as well and Oliver said good bye for the night since he had Quidditch training early the next morning.

After having spent the rest of the evening until well into the night reading the book, Harry was awoken the next morning when Poppy Pomfrey brought him breakfast and a nervous looking man. Harry could see his eyes popping out when he was recognised and the surprised, "Poppy… is this… in all my life."

Harry first thought was that this must be the lawyer Oliver had been talking about. Ignoring him for the time being, Harry picked a bit on his breakfast until Poppy had left the room. He looked up and checked whether the door was really closed or not before looking at the wizard still standing in the room.

"So you're the lawyer who owns this nice book here?" asked Harry, while holding the book up. He was not worried about the man talking with anybody else about it, feeling the magic of the Oath floating around the man. He'd already wondered after Oliver had sworn to him, but he hadn't found an explanation for it yet. Whether it was the Oath or the occasional magic he felt.

He could see the wizard relax a bit at his question and not much later he got the answer, "Yes that would be me. My name is Theodore Pomfrey by the way."

"Harry Potter, but I think you already knew that. Haven't met a wizard yet who didn't," responded Harry with a sad tone at the end.

Here Theodore smiled and understood why it was so difficult to convince the young man of a trial. Nobody wanted to be seen as weak and many abused thought that they either deserved it or were too weak, on occasion even both and if people expected of you to be strong, to defeat a dark Lord? Poppy had told him, that there would be questions about the book in total, while a closer conversation with Oliver Wood had revealed that it might Harry's way of not raising any hopes of a positive decision.

"I'd imagine not. The majority of the wizarding world is content to live with their immediate life the way it is, but for everything that is outside their little world they tend to look for guidance. They believe what they read and mostly fear of making the wrong decisions. This was visible at the last vote for Minister of Magic, when only Cornelius Fudge and a very old man, who had a stroke before the voting process was completed, were willing to do the job. There used to be a time, when our society was at its best, those in the Ministry wanted the best for our world and didn't fear to make a decision. Today only those desperate for the power want to become it and many that want power use their money to influence people, but I'm not here to debate our political situation," said Theodore, hoping that he calmed the young man in front of him.

Harry looked away before speaking, "No, that's not why you're here. Before we start I want to ask you. How… How much do you know?"

"When Poppy asked me whether there was a trial to keep the content a secret she told me that there was severe abuse, the need for as little as possible people to know and that you are well known in the wizarding world, as well as the part of the Blood Honour. I knew that no matter how much I added the facts up I'd never knew who she was speaking about, although I now realise that only one person would fit all the facts. She didn't mention what kind of abuse went on however or who the abusers are," answered the older lawyer truthfully, now believing Oliver Woods intuition.

Harry still didn't look up when he asked his next question, "The text says that only the people involved know about what happened and are even immune to truth serums about everything concerning the case. How is that possible and does that mean all truth serums?"

"As far as I know all involved will be bound by the Blood Honour Oath with which you are obviously already familiar. And the Blood Honour Oaths overrides even Veritaserum, the strongest known truth serum," Theodore became more and more confident that this might just work.

"How about anyone entering the room and remaining in their animagus form unnoticed. They won't be swearing along with the others present."

"I don't know the incantations of the spells involved, but while I had this trial during my studies we talked about what the spells used did. There was one that kept all people inside the room in and all people on the outside out once cast, until the Judge cancels them. Also all people who enter are checked for an animagus form and any animagi entering are immediately transformed back into their human form, making sure that no one present can evade the Oath. Then there is an unbreakable sound proofing charm that interferes with all spells, charms and devices to listen in on what is said inside the room. At the end of the trial all are forced to swear the Oath or get obliviated if they refuse," Theodore knew that this was more than Harry had asked for, but he doubted that the questions wouldn't have been asked at a later time.

Harry smiled at the answer. While he might not be any closer to wanting to tell anybody, he still could control if anybody talked about it and if the wizarding world truly found out that it was him who was the plaintiff nobody would be able to speak about the content like Poppy had done when she told her brother-in-law, because not both could be talked about. There was only one question left for now, "How many people would be involved in the trial and therefore knew about the content?"

"The Judge of course, two lawyers – yours and whomever you are suing – and the one that writes everything said down, which will only be readable for the people present since special parchment and ink, charmed I'd say, will be used. And at least two Aurors that will make sure that accused stay calm and the decision is carried out. The plaintiff, you, the accused and anybody else already under the Oath," answered Theodore, "If there were people already under a Blood Honour Oath they usually were there for the trial as well as support."

Theodore watched the young wizard in front of him and although he didn't know him well enough to interpret his body language he was fairly sure that this just might end with the decision everybody was hoping for. A good thing was already that it had taken 6 years for a second person to find out his secret, but within a few days another one had been let in on this. He hoped that this meant that deep down Harry Potter was more willing to finally go against his relatives.

Before he could continue this line of thoughts however his hopes were squashed when Harry asked, "What's it like being a lawyer? Is it interesting? It seems an interesting enough field and I'd like to know more about it."

After he had been told by Oliver Wood that Harry might start with other trials to pretend a general interest and Harry's focused interest on only this interest seemed like he was very willing to go through with this, but maybe he just pretended an interest. Or he wants more time thinking about the trial and is truly finding the work as a lawyer interesting with his current information and only wants to know more now that he has finished with asking his other questions, reminded a small voice in Theodore's head the older wizard not to jump to conclusions.

The questioning continued for a few more hours with the two discussing the wizarding law system, when they were interrupted by Oliver entering the room.

The Keeper looked at both their faces to gawk a possible decision made, but all he could see and hear was a discussion about general facts. Before he could say anything more than a general greeting, Theodore Pomfrey stood up and excused himself, saying that his brother and sister-in-law expected him for lunch.

Once the door was closed Oliver went to Harry and looked at him questioningly, asking with all his might how the younger wizard had decided. All he got in response was a sigh. Going over to Harry and taking him in his arms, Oliver wondered what it needed to convince Harry too finally sue the Dursleys.

He was startled out of his thoughts when Harry spoke, "You know it sounds too good to be true. This is more than I ever thought possible, but I don't know whether I'm ready to face the Dursleys this way. I don't know whether I can live with more people knowing. It already seems as if the whole world would be knowing while it's only three single wizards, or witch in Poppy's case, that do. I'm scared Oliver."

The last bit was only a whisper, but Oliver still heard it and finally he understood why Harry was so reluctant. He always cared about what others thought about him and to him it was more than just a weakness to be so defenceless.

"Harry, they'll never be able to hurt you again when you do this and I doubt that any wizard or witch present at the trial will judge you because of this. You were so young when this all started, that for a long time you didn't know better. Your brain just remains with your thoughts from a time when you couldn't defend yourself. You grew up 'knowing' that you couldn't go against your relatives and be the victor so your brain tells you not to try. Every wizard growing up in the wizarding world learns this about Voldemort. No one faced him and survived and so on. You never learned this, so you never learned to be afraid of him. And as far as I know all that work for the law, meaning lawyers, judges and aurors, have to take courses on Psychology according to my mother's uncle, therefore they know this too," tried Oliver to ease him into a positive answer, "And once the Dursley's aren't your guardians anymore you can stay with me. I'm old enough already after all and only have your best interest in mind."

"Maybe," nodded Harry and this was all Oliver needed to know that his lover was willing to do a trial. Things could only go upwards now.

Seeing that Harry had fallen asleep Oliver quickly went in search of Poppy, whom he knew wouldn't leave for dinner for at least another quarter hour, to tell her of Harry's decision before going back as quick as possible, to be there for Harry when he woke up again.

TBC…