Chapter 8
The full ministry council was assembled. Dressed in their judgement robes they waited in silence for the prisoner to be brought in. The bewitched chair below them waited in the middle of the dark room for it's next occupant. It's chains rattled with anticipation. Hermione, the Weasley's and other Griffindor students sat as witnesses in stunned silence. They looked to one another for comfort. Hermione sat close to Ron, her hands wrapped around his arm.
Suddenly, the chamber door flew open. Two Aurors came struggling against their prisoner. The prisoner yelled and fought against them. The Aurors seemed to be in pain also as they were receiving some unspoken curse from the prisoner. The prisoner wrenched himself free from his captors and fell forward on the chamber floor.
"TRAITORS TO DUMBLEDORE!" He yelled and tried to raise his hands but the Aurors were on him again and forced him into the chair, which sprang to life and bound him.
"VOZDESILENCCIO!" The Minister of magic yelled and the prisoner was silent.
Harry was barely recognizable to the others as he sat bound in the chair. His hair was longer and dripped with sweat his eyes flashed with rage toward the people in the room. He was screaming something at all of them but no sounds came from his mouth. Hermione clutched closer to Ron.
Finally, exhausted Harry lowered his head and the trail began.
"Harry Potter, You have been charged with the attempted murder of Albus Dumbledare and conspiracy in the attack on Hogswarts last year. How do you plead?" The Minster of Magic said as he leaned forward toward Harry.
"THE MINISTERS ARE THE TRAITORS!" Harry's voice was returned to him. "It was them that sent Dumbledore after the Horcuxes. YOU GAVE HIM THE INFORMATION THAT LED HIM TO HIS DEATH. YOU ALWAYS FEARED his POWER SO YOU HAD HIM DESTROYED!
Harry was silenced again.
The minister continued calmly. "WE are not on trail. I hope you understand the seriousness of this situation Mr. Potter. We have evidence that you aided the entrance of the Death Eaters to Hogwarts that you tried to poison Dumbledore before his death and that you had planned to take control of Hogwarts School with the Dark Magic you practiced there in secret."
Hermione shook her head in tears.
"True it was with the Ministries aid that Albus Dumbledore was able to find the Horcrux ring. And then he took you to the cave to find what we thought to be another, but of we thought of all wizards, Albus Dumbledore was up to the task, but he took you with him. And he failed. And we discovered large amounts of Emarale Potion in his body, which no one could drink alone. Now, How do you plead?"
Quietly the chains that bound Harry slipped to the floor and Harry rose from his seat calmly.
"Do you think I'd allow myself to be tried before this pathetic court?" Harry said. His eyes gleamed in a way his friends had never seen before. "You have no idea what I've been practicing. You see I've learned from the best, Voldemort and Dumbledore."
The minister tried in vain to restrain him once again, with no effect.
"I would rather die than see Dumbledore's murderers go unpunished." Harry said.
Harry raised his hands and all the spectators in the court where pushed to the side. He had no wand but his power caused the court to recoil in fear.
"NOW, FEEL TRUE JUSTICE!"
Before Harry could finish his curse Voldemort appeared on the floor. Harry flew backward into the wall and fell.
Voldemort addressed the court. "You can no longer control this boy he must be dealt with."
Harry rose again blind with rage trying to attack anyone in the courtroom. And again he was stopped by Voldemort. The ministers huddled together in fear, terrified by the curses Harry had conjured without a wand that were now filling room and randomly attacking everyone.
"Stop him Lord Voldemort!" the minister screamed.
Voldemort turned back to Harry and without emotion said, "Avada Kedavra"
And Harry was dead.
Draco looked anxiously at Snape as he examined the scenario Draco had created on his tablet. Snape studied the final hours of Harry Potter's life as predicted by Draco Malfoy with care.
"What do you think Professor Snape? Do you think it's plausible? Do you think the Dark Lord will use it against Potter?"
Snape lowered the tablet as he watched Harry fall beneath the Dark Lord's curse again and again.
"You don't need to call me Professor now, Draco. I don't believe I will ever hold that title again. Severus will be acceptable now that we work together."
"Severus?"
"Hmmm." Sevrus Snape said in his low smooth voice. "Yes, Draco, It is plausible. The Dark Lord would like nothing better than to regain power in the presence of the Ministry. And charges against Harry would more than easy to bring. They have never trusted him. Without Dumbledore I believe they fear him. But there is one flaw."
"What is that? SSSseverus?" Draco asked.
"I think you over estimate Harry's loyalty to Dumbledore."
"No, he's a Griffandor. He'd die before he'd allow Dumbledore name be disgraced." Draco said as he moved I to look at the tablet again.
"I saw it when we studied Occlumency together two years ago. Harry's obedience to Dumbledore has caused him a great deal of pain. Even more so over the past year. I question if he would defend his name so violently."
"Are you sure?"
"It was a memory he tried very hard to conceal from me." Snape replied "but, yes I'm sure."
"I don't understand why you aren't putting together these scenarios since you spent so much time swimming around Potter's brain." A frustrated Draco said.
"So I take it you feel confident in locating the Hogwart Defense Charms and Spells then." Snape said as he pushed the map of Hogwarts toward him.
"No, sir." Draco said as he drew out another blank tablet to start again. "It's getting frustrating. We must have created 50 possible scenarios for the days after Potter comes of age but none of them meet the Dark Lords request. None of them stand out, none of them are certain enough for action."
"So we must try again. My knowledge is yours. Now we have deduced some things. Potter will never officially join the Ministry of Magic. He knows they are going to use him and they will sacrifice him to save themselves. He won't return to Hogwarts, without Dumbledore he is not safe there. Remember Potter is scared and alone. Try to put yourself in his place what would you do? Try again."Snape said.
Severus went back to studying the layout of Hogwarts Castle. For years Severus had tried to discover the charms that protected the students at Hogwarts. Now that the castle was under repair from the attack last summer the Blood Loyalists had a rare opportunity to enter the castle and apply counter curses to make entry easy in the future. Professor McGonagal was not prepared to take over as Head-Mistress of the school. It was weeks after the attacks before she allowed anyone into the school to survey the damage. She had little time to study all the papers left behind by Dumbledore. Parents demanded the school be reopened in the fall. Without Harry Potter most parents were convinced that the school was safe. Professor McGonagal was pressured into letting the workers in for repairs. She was unable to check all the people entering the castle for security. Some parents still doubted Dumbledore always had the best interest of Hogwarts students in mind. They felt his loyalty to Harry Potter had put their students at risk. With Dumbledore gone many voiced their confidence in her ability to run Hogwarts safely. Minerva McGonagal did she best but was overwhelmed and Severus Snape knew it.
Lord Voldemort entered the room were Draco and Severus worked. All outward signs of the weakened Lord Voldemort were now gone. He appeared strong and whole.
"Draco leave us." Lord Voldemort commended.
Draco left with a bow.
"Severus as you know some of my Horcruxes were destroyed and me spirit will never be complete again. This, in the past, has given Potter and advantage. This situation must change before we meet again." Lord Voldemort said as he sat next at the table with Snape. "Harry's belief that he is unconditionally loved by his parents and friends must be shaken. You began the process for me when you allowed him to see his father in the past as an unkind person. I commend you for that, but now we must turn our attention to his remaining friends and lead him to doubt Dumbledore as well. His spirit must be broken before we meet again. And we don't have much time."
"How can I serve you, my Lord." Snape asked.
"You know his friends, the Weasleys. You must find a way to make them doubt Harry's intentions. The articles in the Daily Prophet about him are not enough. I want, when Harry sees them again, to know that the Weasleys fear and distrust him. And we don't have much time."
"I will find a way, my Lord." Severus said
Draco Malfoy and Servrus Snape sat in a small office adjoining Voldemorts and poured over scenarios for the days following Harry Potter's coming of age.