DISCLAIMER! This Harry Potter story was written for fun. All rights belong to the wonderful lady (JK Rowling) who gave the world Harry Potter to read and enjoy. New Movie is coming in April! Hurrah! Yeah, for Fanfiction – a great place to stretch your imagination and enjoy someone else's creativity too!

Chapter 6: Questions…everyone asks questions

In the immediate aftermath of the court decision and arrest of Albus Dumbledore, there was general confusion among the members of the Wizengamot, and the visitors attending the trial. Where was Harry Potter? Was he safe? What happened to the headmaster?

Madam Marchbanks watched carefully as Ted Tonks and his client, Samuel Abbot, made their way out of the well of the chamber and into the hallway. Glancing toward the Wizengamot members, she spotted Lady Longbottom and her grandson still in their seats rather than attempting to leave in the crush of people at the stairs to the private hallways for Wizengamot and government officials. Andromeda Tonks was long gone but whether she left or hid under a glamour was unknown. The goblins formed a phalanx and waited out the stampeding wizards though an unknown witch approached them to sit and talk for a time.

Climbing the stairs, Griselda made her way to Augusta Longbottom's seats and had a long discussion with the woman and her grandson about the day's events. Marchbanks also questioned Neville closely about his experiences at Hogwarts and with his grandmother's permission, the boy told harrowing tales of abuse by the potion's professor and the Slytherin students, disappearing DADA professors each year, and the boy's dread for returning for his fourth year.

Only after the chamber was almost silent did the dowager and her grandson leave for the atrium to use a floo to return to their home. Marchbanks headed for her office in the Educational Testing Department to review examination reports for the past few years compared to twenty and forty years before.

Ted Tonks made certain that interested reporters only asked Samuel appropriate questions. There remained a single reporter for the Daily Prophet, a pair of reporters for Witch Weekly, and Xenophilius Lovegood for the Quibbler Magazine. No photos were allowed but each reporter assured the two wizards that the photos from the courtroom were much more interesting than any headshots of Mr Abbot. When he saw his wife walk by wearing a familiar glamour and Ted directed Samuel to the nearest floo with the recommendation of closing the floo at home and in his office.

Nodding his head, Samuel agreed, "I'll close them off, but I have to go to the office…this will bring in more orders now that the world knows that Harry Potter killed the basilisk."

Minor Change of Scenery:

At Longbottom Manor, Lady Longbottom sighed with relief to find the missing teenager safe in her lounge seated at a desk with his usual muggle notebook and biro. First, she congratulated Heir Potter on his performance in front of the court, the Wizengamot members, and the general public. Then she sat down, removed her hat, and called for tea with a special decanter beside her teacup. Downing a shot of brandy to calm her nerves, Augusta looked at the two teenagers and warned them, "We have to remain hidden until after your birthdays in twenty days. Shall we move to the farm or just tighten the wards here? Dumbledore could muscle his way through after two or three days of banging on our door…"

Smiling, Potter said, "He doesn't know I'm here."

"He might figure it out after sending his followers to check with your other friends," Augusta replied.

Neville said, "But the headmaster doesn't have as many loyal minions now – one is in the gaol in France, and the others are scared they'll be arrested by the DMLE too."

The teenager added, "Mr Weasley – Ginevra's dad – voted against Dumbledore today when Madam Marchbanks called the question about her verdict. The Weasleys won't help him."

Augusta nodded and continued Neville's line of thought, "Griselda joined the line of witches that want his guts for garters. She's wondering what is going on at Hogwarts."

Harry paused and added, "And McGonagall is gone. There's no one in the Deputy Headmistress job to get the school ready or visit the new muggle-born students…"

Augusta frowned before summoning an elf for parchment, quill, and ink. "I'm going to write to the Governors now and ask those questions. Dumbledore is going to be very busy shortly."

CHANGE SCENERY HERE: Special Editions

The same day as Harry shared his memory in front of the Wizengamot, the Daily Prophet published a special edition that included photos of the memory played for the Wizengamot. While they weren't the best quality photos, they did show the size of the basilisk that pursued the young wizard around the Chamber of Secrets. And worse, the photos included a headshot of the spirit of the teenage Dark Lord taunting his adversary, Harry Potter before the boy-who-lived vanquished the evil wizard for the third time (according to a goblin press release).

In the press release, the goblins included the specifications for the Projection Pensieve 3000 that allowed a wizard to display memories in the air above the bowl with an audience. The Pensieve provided full-colour images and sound, and the images could be stopped, backed up, and presented in slow motion. When used as a regular Pensieve with the viewers entering the bowl, they could stop the image and walk around the different scenes. The endorsement by Harry Potter was simply icing on the birthday cake for the Gringotts device offered for sale.

Almost as an aside, the newspaper reported that the court settled the lawsuit with prejudice in favour of Samuel Abbot. A few small pictures of Samuel Abbot, Albus Dumbledore and a very stern Griselda Marchbanks were included under that article. The newspaper gladly included the information on how to contact Gringotts to place orders for the parts of the basilisk for sale that day. And the reporter added a question – would Gringotts sell souvenirs of the monster? Items such as bits of bones or hide? And would Harry Potter's memory be available for more photos to be collected?

The editor of the Daily Prophet already thought of creating an entire book of the battle with the background of the entire second year. 'But who do I go to for permission? Dumbledore said he is the boy's guardian but don't think that'll last long. Maybe something for Yule holiday sales will be best.'

In a special financial supplement called 'The Daily Profit', the reporters worked with goblin press releases about projections for the increased value of the basilisk parts since there are now photographs of the Boy-Who-Live killing the monster. No one noticed that the press releases were ready immediately following the court presentation. One reporter did notice the goblins had additional press releases available regarding the economic impact of the discovery that the Dark Lord wasn't completely dead. She wrote an article that the editor of the paper used as filler on page 2 of the Daily Profit and in the special edition of the Daily Prophet.

Scenery Change: Fighting in Gringotts

Sowsbreath, Account Manager for the Potter Vaults, stopped and backed up against the wall of the hallway, his hand on the hilt of his knife as he studied the goblins and wizards around him. Several had noticeable sneers on their ugly faces, but none had their hands on the hilts of their weapons or wands. Goblin knives focused goblin magic as well as the sticks of wood that wizards twirled about their heads. He hissed in frustration as his sense of danger continued to scream 'danger!' in his heart and spirit.

'Some gryhiglzehwe must be plotting to take my job with Potter vaults…not likely…and I get the gold from the sturrdel-basilisk too! My fees will go sky-high! As reward for my profits this year, I'll get a piece of that pure gold to chew or Ragnock won't see his share of my fees,' Sowsbreath swore, his eyes darting left and right. 'Whitebeard is in a cell at the DDD ministry today, but he'll be back tomorrow. He'll pay to keep me happy and to keep the vault door open.'

Rather than continue toward his office, Sowsbreath retraced his steps to his den and summoned a dozen of his kin to act as guards. Paying their salaries for the next few days was a minor inconvenience compared to losing his head in a battle with some ambitious goblin.

'Now, how do I get word to Whitebeard about moving to take control of the basilisk sales? He'll expect the lion's share of the profits, but I'll only give him 20%...maybe 15%... he is old anyway and can't live forever,' Sowsbreath reasoned.

Feeling more confident with a dozen battle axes at his back, Sowsbreath made his way to his office where nothing was out of order and there were no assassins. The goblin stared silently for a few minutes at the papers on his desk before beginning his work, certain his enemies inside Gringotts plotted against him.

CHANGE SCENE: Minister Fudge Doing the 'Twist and Shout'

Cornelius Fudge had never been ambitious when a young man. But after thirty years in the same department at the ministry (Games and Entertainments), he'd collected a few bribes for tickets to Quidditch matches in different countries (he saw no advantage in travelling to another country when Magical Britain was superior to every other society on the planet) and managed to arrange for his wife to visit Corfu one summer. Then he forgot to send her a portkey to return, and she'd vanished into the local population.

When the Dark Lord died in 1981 and the ministry made an extra effort to look efficient and honest with the trials of the last Death Eaters, he found himself thrust forward and into the chair of the Minister for Magic when Millicent Bagnold decided to retire in 1983. If he had thought about it, he'd never figured out she wanted a feckless individual to follow her to protect her reputation, schemes, and bribes. And that plan worked well until the autumn of 1992 when Cornelius decided to station Dementors around Hogwarts to hunt for Sirius Black. Disaster struck on 1 September when the Dementors boarded the Hogwarts Express and kissed four students – Susan Bones, Zacharias Smith, Ernie McMillian, and Cedric Diggory. Cornelius never saw the coordinated and relentless battle plan aimed at him until his attorney explained to him that every Hufflepuff in Britain was after his hide. The successive lawsuits chipped away at his vaults, his retirement account, and his political capital. Even Lucius Malfoy didn't understand the relentless attacks.

The shouts in his office on this July afternoon didn't mean anything to him – some undersecretary was shouting about Harry Potter and a basilisk while another screamed that the Dark Lord had been seen in the Wizengamot that morning.

'Basilisks weren't real creatures, were they? The Dark Lord was dead…dead and forgotten…how could he have been seen?' Cornelius wondered.

When he stepped into the hallway, reporters swarmed around him with questions that left the wizard confused and breathing very hard.

'Can't they leave me alone for one afternoon?

When he ordered his security detail to throw the reporters out, they refused, citing orders from Madam Bones to protect the rights of reporters to uncover the truth. Shuddering to think about asking Amelia Bones for anything, up to and including oxygen from the air around him, Cornelius knew she'd let him suffocate before she opened a window to allow fresh air into a room.

'I need a vacation,' he decided. Then he remembered he didn't have any galleons left. McMillian's lawsuit stripped him of much of his wealth. Then McMillian used those funds to pay for lawsuits by the Smith and Diggory families. Madam Bones filed the last lawsuit in May – it would be heard by the Wizengamot in August and Cornelius feared she would take his last robes, his meagre furniture…someone whispered that she would sell his soul to the goblins to work in their rock quarries underneath London for a century or more.

'Maybe if I hide at Saint Mungo's they'll forget about me,' he decided before using the floo to go to the hospital. The casualty department sent him to a healer who specialised in magical exhaustion, but that witch sent him to the fifth floor where a pair of wizards in white coats escorted him into a padded chamber before they stripped him of his fancy robes, fed him a potion that made him forget his name, and then dumped him in a bed in the Janus Thickey Ward for his week-long vacation.

Undersecretary Amos Diggory assumed the duties of the Minister for Magic for the rest of the summer. One of his first actions was to fire Dolores Umbridge – again. (This was the fourth time she'd been fired in the last twelve months).

CHANGE SCENE: Questioning Dumbledore

Albus Dumbledore awoke naturally after being taken into custody and he struggled to sit up. He was dressed in his clothes without his flashy outer robes. Worse, his shoes, belts, rings, bracelets, broaches, hat, and wand(s) were missing. On his ankles were a pair of manacles linked by a heavy chain. A second pair encircled his wrists.

'Magical suppression? How inappropriate!' he decided. Looking around his cell, he noticed one light in the ceiling far above him, a door with a peephole, a table without any chairs, and the cot, a pillow or blanket.

He rose and shuffled to the door, raised both hands to bang on the panel until the peephole opened and he could see part of the face of another wizard.

"My good fellow, I need the use of my hands to answer the call of nature," Albus began to say when the Auror waved his wand across the opening and the elderly wizard felt an uncomfortable twinge before the urgency vanished.

"How dare you!"

The peephole closed and though Albus banged on the door on and off for two minutes, no one else came to the door. Shuffling back to the cot, he sat down and then lay down again, sleeping again for a time.

The door opened and Albus struggled to sit up again while two Aurors walked in; one waving his wand to release and summon the magical suppression bracelets from his hands but left the chains on his legs. A chair was conjured at the table and a breakfast tray appeared with a cup of tea. Not hurrying to the table, as Albus shuffled across the floor, the Aurors stepped away to prevent any move by the old man to 'fall' against them and grab a wand. Sighing with disappointment, Albus sat at the table, ate the food, and tried to engage the two Aurors in conversation.

"May I have a copy of the Daily Prophet?"

"When we leave the cell, one will be delivered," one Auror replied.

"When will I be released?"

The second Auror sounded bored when he explained, "You haven't been questioned yet. The director intends to give you her personal attention and it'll depend on her day.

"She must release me after 48 hours if she hasn't questioned me," Albus replied cheekily.

The door slammed shut, the tray disappeared, and the Daily Prophet appeared with the lurid headlines of The Hogwarts Basilisk – The Coverup Continues!

'Oh dear, this isn't good.'

When Dumbledore rose to shuffle about, the conjured chair disappeared.

'Merlin, I'll have to sit on the cot the test of the day.'

Late in the day, the door opened and the same Aurors returned to provide another chair and supper. Once he'd finished the meal, one Auror again cast the spell that relived Dumbledore's natural functions and the other approached him with magical suppression cuffs again.

"Are these really necessary?" Albus complained.

"Without doubt, Mr Dumbledore," replied Amelia Bones as she stepped into the cell.

"Amelia! I am so glad to see you. Can we dispense with the dramatics and resolve whatever issue brought us to this unfortunate moment?"

Her face remaining as expressionless as any well-trained pureblood, Amelia Bones said, "Mr Dumbledore, let me begin this preliminary interview by asking you an important question."

"Certainly, dear girl," Dumbledore replied. "Ask away."

"What is your actual, real name?"

"What? What do you mean? My name is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."

"Is that your final response to my question, Mr Dumbledore?"

"It is the only response I can give you…that is my name."

Now Amelia frowned and shook her head, "I don't believe you. Therefore, I order you held for 48 hours while my best Aurors investigate your answer."

"What? No! That's my name! You can't hold me!"

Her face a blank mask once again, Amelia replied, "I believe I can Mr Dumbledore."

"You'll regret this! I promise that you'll regret this!"

One of the Aurors said, "Mr Dumbledore, you just threatened the Director of the DMLE. That is another charge to be investigated."

Staring at the trio in his cell, Albus sat down on his cot and remained silent as Amelia and the two Aurors left the cell, closing and locking the door behind them.

The second day of his incarceration followed the same pattern of breakfast, newspaper and silence for the majority of the day, with supper and then silence again for the night.

The third day, at supper, Director Bones appeared again and she informed him, "Mr Dumbledore, my Aurors investigated your birthplace, spoke to your brother, and to Bathilda Bagshot and in every investigation, we found that your parents named you Albus Percival Dumbledore. All your records at Hogwarts list you as Albus Percival Dumbledore so we have nothing proving you are Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore."

"I changed my name with the ICW after the war," he explained and was surprised when Amelia waved the response away.

"Today, I want to ask you about your claim of being the magical guardian of one Harry James Potter," Amelia explained.

"Where is Harry? He is in danger wherever he is! He must live with his family in the summer for his protection," exclaimed Albus.

Unmoved by the wizard's claims, Bones asked, "What is your basis for claiming to be the magical guardian of Mr Potter?

"I can't tell you anything except that the Wizengamot gave me the responsibility in November 1981."

"So, if I look, I'll find a resolution buried in some bill that month to award you the position as guardian?"

"Trust me, it is there," Dumbledore said.

"And who is this family you say he must live with?"

"I can't reveal their names. It would endanger them."

"From whom?" she asked, her unhappiness with Dumbledore's answers beginning to show.

Sighing sadly, the wizard replied, "You know the individuals who are misguided and might harm innocent muggles without any protections."

"Muggles? Harry Potter lives with muggles?"

"You must trust me," Dumbledore repeated. "…for the Greater Good."

Bones frowned and said, "Mr Albus Percival Dumbledore, I find that you are withholding information that is critical to an investigation. I order you held for 48 hours to allow my investigators time to uncover the truth in the matter."

It was 43 hours before Amelia appeared again in Dumbledore's cell. He was very uncomfortable in dirty robes, and he was bored out of his mind with only the Daily Prophet to read. During this interview, Amelia revealed there was no paper trail of anyone at any time giving Dumbledore legal guardianship of Harry Potter. When the headmaster would not explain further, she told him he would be investigated for kidnapping a magical child and placing that child with dangerous muggles.

Once again, she announced that he would be held for another 48 hours while her investigators spoke to everyone involved.

"Aurors will visit with Minerva McGonagall and with Arabella Figg for certain," Amelia informed Albus who could not prevent a small smirk appearing on his face.

It was only 40 hours before Amelia appeared again, hissing with anger at the headmaster and informing him that McGonagall confessed her role in the kidnapping of Heir Potter and implicating Rubeus Hagrid as well.

"And Arabella Figg died alone in her house you paid for with Potter money just a street over from Privet Drive. Your secrets are coming to light, Dumbledore!"

The old wizard, who had been provided with some clean clothes finally and allowed to shower in a small bathroom in the DMLE, sighed but said nothing.

"Now, tonight, I want to know how you claimed ownership of the basilisk carcass," she said. "Tell me, what legal precedent did you fall back on for ownership of the monster?"

Thinking for a moment, Albus spewed some notions of being headmaster at Hogwarts gave him a claim for the carcass.

"But were you claiming the basilisk for yourself or for Hogwarts?"

"There's no difference between myself and Hogwarts now," Albus replied. "That basilisk is mine! I still believe that Samuel Abbot stole it from me."

"Didn't Harry Potter kill the basilisk?"

"Yes, that's the boy's story."

"I saw the memory of the battle," Amelia said. "And you saw the pictures in the Daily Prophet of the boy standing beside the carcass with the sword in his hand."

"Yes, the sword of Gryffindor that I sent to help him," claimed Albus.

"But you didn't actually kill the basilisk, yourself?"

Dumbledore frowned and refused to answer so Amelia Bones again informed Albus that he would be held for 48 hours while Aurors investigated the truth of the matter with the slaying of the basilisk.

SCENE BREAK TIME PASSED

It had been nine days since Albus was first taken into custody by the DMLE. In his mind, he swore to gut the department and fire very Auror, secretary and floor sweeper on this floor of the Ministry for Magic when he was released and returned to the Wizengamot.

When Amelia entered his cell again, she asked him about sending Alastor Moody, Sturgis Podmore, and Mundungus Fletcher to break into the warehouse and processing centre for Abbot Labs.

"Abbot stole my basilisk! I had to ensure that he was not chopping it into pieces and shipping it out of the country to avoid the taxes," Albus replied.

"Avoid taxes?" Amelia asked.

"Yes, if smugglers can get their potion ingredients to Belgium or Spain, those governments allow British smugglers to sell their potion ingredients without any problems."

"How do you know this?"

"Uh…it is common knowledge among the potion trappers in Hogsmeade. They harvest silk and venom from the spiders in the Forbidden Forest that shows up in Spain every summer."

Pinching her nose to stave off a headache, Amelia Bones felt her hatred for this wizard amplified by the poachers he'd just betrayed. His brother's ale house would be raided and spied on for the next twelve months while Aurors gathered evidence to move against the potion trappers avoiding taxes for the ministry."

"I am going to hold you for another 48 hours Albus Percival Dumbledore. My Aurors will speak with the known potion trappers and see if there's any foundation to your accusations. Mr Dumbledore's ale house in Hogsmeade will be investigated."

"But I am missing my entire vacation! The ICW will investigate you for this! For denying my freedom!" protested Dumbledore. "At least let me have clean undergarments!"

Eleven days passed and July was about to end. Albus Dumbledore had clean underclothes but swore to burn every garment he wore once he got out of this cell and returned to his chamber above his office at Hogwarts. 'The elves will fill my bathtub four times the first afternoon! And Minerva will have…she's not there. Oh dear, the muggle-born not being recruited this summer.'

When Director Bones appeared toward the end of the eleventh day, she sat down and asked, "What do you remember about a muggle-born student named Tom Riddle?"

"Tom Riddle has nothing to do with the stolen basilisk."

Looking at the old wizard with some concern for his mental state, Amelia said, "Mr Dumbledore, everyone in the Wizengamot saw and heard Tom Riddle in the memory of Mr Potter's misadventure in the Chamber of Secrets. The spirit of Tom Riddle was there! The boy named himself and showed everyone how he made the nom de guerre from his muggle name.

"His name de guard? I don't understand."

Bones explained, "Tom Riddle created a pseudonym to use during his insurrection. With the reveal of his origins, many of his followers have fled Britain."

Dumbledore remained silent as Bones continued, "Tom Riddle was a student at Hogwarts in the late 1930s and 1940s…during the last years of the war with Grindelwald and the Muggle's second world war. Once he graduated from Hogwarts, he vanished but reappeared in the late 1950s and you wouldn't hire him as DADA professor. He formed a political group that you managed to get outlawed and then began acting as a terrorist who called himself Lord Voldemort."

"Mr Dumbledore, do you have anything to say about Tom Riddle?"

Shaking his head, Albus said, "Only that he is not dead, and he will return. You have to release me to prepare Harry Potter for the inevitable battle between those two wizards."

"Why do I feel that you are still withholding information again. Information that is critical for my investigation. I order you held for 48 hours to allow my investigators time to uncover the truth in the matter."

"Wait…no!" cried Albus. "I can't take being confined here another day!"

"Take the prisoner back to his cell, Auror Proudfoot. And leave the magical suppression cuffs and wrist bracelets in place. He can sit for another 48 hours before we speak again."

)Author's Note: Okay, this is abuse by the 'police' and that bothers me greatly. But, will let the story stand as is).

Scene Change: Rats and the Sinking Ship

Three days after the great memory reveal in the Wizengamot, the Director of the DMLE met with the Senior Auror to review the reports generated by events that day and in the subsequent aftermath of revelations. Amelia Bones had been changed by the death of her niece the previous September and she tolerated none of the Aurors slacking or abusing their position. Sitting across her desk were Rufus Scrimgeour, the current head Auror and his most senior Auror, Gawain Robards.

"Robards pulled the information together on the sudden disappearance of the former Death Eaters," Scrimgeour told his boss.

Looking up from the parchment, Amelia nodded before returning to reading the report.

Martin Parkinson and his family left the country with an expensive international portkey that took them to Rome the same afternoon as the memory was shown in the Wizengamot. Stanley Goyle and his wife and children left by boat the next morning. William Crabbe and his family retreated to an Irish farm they owned and could vanish into other European countries at will. Irish portkeys were accepted by most governments where British portkeys were seldom allowed entry.

"Rats fleeing a sinking ship, it seems," Bones commented.

"There's a sudden request for family leave that caught my attention," said Scrimgeour as he pushed over a parchment bearing the name Paul Selwyn, a senior Auror they'd never suspected of sympathies for the Death Eaters. "The man left by apparition yesterday and crossed the channel into France but kept moving until he was across the border in Italy. However, his wife and children leave the country for Belgium this afternoon via a ministry portkey. Daddy must have gone ahead to find accommodations."

Bones frowned and said, "The Belgians will keep Mrs Selwyn in meetings for a week at least before allowing her to move on with her children."

"Do we care where they go?" asked Scrimgeour and was satisfied to see his boss shake her head.

Robards added, "And Narcissa Malfoy reports the disappearance of her husband, Lucius Malfoy. The wizard never returned home though he was seen leaving during the presentation of Mr Potter's memory of the events in the Chamber of Secrets. She's had no word from him, and the Malfoy vaults have not moved."

"And Gringotts will never report where any vaults are transferred," Amelia said. She frowned and asked, "Any ideas why they are running away?"

Scrimgeour stated, "These wizards all claimed to be under the imperious when they became Death Eaters. I think they're afraid 'he' will come back and take revenge on them for deserting his cause."

"Or they can't stand the notion that Lord Voldie-shorts is less than a half-blood. His mother was a squib and his father a muggle," added Robards.

"Which calls into question the wizard's motives," Scrimgeour said. "There's no blood purity position for a muggle-born."

"He just killed everybody and left Magical Britain crippled," Robards whispered angrily.

Bones frowned and waved away the conversation. "The DMLE doesn't care about the vanishing 'former' Death Eaters. Do forward the criminal and arrest records for each wizard to the ministry in the country where they land. And let those governments know, we don't want them back."

Robards asked, "Boss, what's the story with Dumbledore?"

The director smiled and explained, "Just when I get to the end of an interview with Mr Dumbledore, he clams up about an important piece of information and I am forced to order more investigations."

She sighed and added, "That means his 48 hours in holding begin all over again. I'll keep him in lock up for a couple of weeks."

End of Chapter