Candidate Rebirth
AN: There will be, within a few chapters, ONE more MAJOR setback in recovery, but not as bad as White Heart, so angst level will soon be dropping.
AN2: It has been pointed out Chloe's name doesn't quite fit pattern of the other candidates, and all I can say is whoops, too bad! I would like to point out that Chloe wasn't fully mentally formed into her body, which is why she didn't already HAVE one at the start unlike the others.
AN3: any objections if Chloe's HDD is quite a bit different from standard?
Chapter 4: Trial and trial by combat.
Four months had passed on Earth, and a trial was just starting.
A trial that had caught the attention of the media, as they don't often find a case of child cruelty and murder this bad.
Unknown to most in the audience, an old man with eye-watering robes was also in the audience. He was concerned. Most of his devices had died, and later exploded in the most spectacular fashion, except two. The two that had survived were created using soul magic, a branch of magic he tended to despise, but had it's uses to do good. One was a tracker, and the other was something to detect the physical health of the subject.
The blood based versions had either exploded or stopped working. The simply enchanted ones had as well.
With a sigh he turned towards the trial. (EN)
The prosecution had stood to start her case, and did so by stating the charges "Vernon and Petunia Dursley are charged with multiple counts of child abuse, and one first degree murder charge, all in relation to the young boy found dead at their house."
The judge turned toward the defense, and in a somber tone asked, "How the defense plead?"
"Not guilty your honor," the solicitor replied uncomfortably.
He knew he his clients were screwed.
"Very well, would the prosecution call their first witness?"
The coroner that had performed the autopsy took the stand. He was a middle age man, whom was wearing his scrubs.
After being sworn in, the questioning started, "Would you state your name and occupation for the court?"
"Timothy Smith, Coroner."
"Your report stated that the boy died from thirst, and infections from various wounds, what wounds were there? And in your professional opinion, where did they come from? And are there any other injury's on the boy beyond the cause of death?"
The man on the stand was serious, and he replied, "yes that's correct. The wounds that were infected were a patch of missing hair and skin on the scalp that had burns surrounding it, this was most likely caused by being hit by a hot hard object."
The prosecution interrupted, and said, "People's exhibit two your honor, a frying pan with a bit of flesh and hair stuck to it, which are consistent to the boy's.
Vernon Bellowed out, ignoring his lawyer's suggestion that he be quiet, "It was the freaks fault! He shouldn't have burnt our breakfast!"
"Enough Dursley! Further outbursts will cause you to be in contempt of court," the judge declared.
"Sir, could you retract that? That could easily be taken as a confession, and he might make more."
The defense was about to insist that the judge uphold it, when the judge agreed.
Petunia paled as she realized that if her husband didn't shut up, they would be found guilty on all counts.
The coroner the continued his testimony, about the broken ribs, and arm. The hand shaped bruises.
More evidence, in the form of pictures of the injuries was submitted, as well as measurements comparing Vernon's hands to the hand bruises.
And through it all, Vernon wouldn't shut up. He was eventually removed as he started insulting everybody involved.
Petunia by that point was sobbing in her hands at her husband's temper.
After the coroner stepped down, the police investigator that did the actual investigating at the house took the stand.
There was more evidence of child abuse, from the roughly carved "Freak's room" in the cupboard, obviously carved by the child, the bloodstains, the lack of toys, books, or other possessions, to the fact that the bed was made out of slabs of cardboard on the floor and a thin blanket, and finally to the fact that there was no less than five locks of various types on the outside of the cupboard, all of them had been needed to be broken to get the body out.
The evidence of murder was self explanatory, the fact that they left the boy in a boiling hot house locked in a tiny cupboard, without food, water, or a place to relieve himself.
The solicitor tried to argue for his clients, but he really had no arguments for any of the evidence.
So he tried to bring in a character witness to help, and he really only found one willing.
Marge Dursley.
It was a disaster from the defense perspective, she was rude, overbearing, and blatantly said they should have killed him when they found the boy on their doorstep.
The defense attorney decided to throw in the towel at that, as the judge ordered an investigation on the woman he had brought in as a witness. He had known from the start that the case was virtually hopeless, but his clients wouldn't allow him to attempt to strike a deal, and his male client acting out just made it worse.
The jury was out for a record breaking thirty seconds.
"Has the Jury reached a verdict?" the judge asked, and inside he was pissed at the defendants.
"We have your honor, Guilty on all charges," the leader of the jurors said.
The judge nodded, and ordered Vernon brought back, with a warning that additional charges of being in contempt of court would be brought upon him if he starts acting out again.
The judge stood up and slammed the gravel to settle everybody, and said, "Petunia, and Vernon Dursley, you have been found guilty of an unknown number of child abuse counts, and First degree murder. I personally am disgusted at how you treated the boy, whether or not he is related to you. As we don't know the full extent of the emotional and physical abuse you two have heaped upon the boy, combined with you leaving him to die, I am sentencing you to seven consecutive life sentences, with no possibility of parole. Your son will be given to child services, in hope that the damage you have caused him can be reversed. Case dismissed."
Vernon started shouting that it was all the freak's fault, and jumped out to attempt to attack the judge, and Petunia just started weeping. She had lost everything, her home, her freedom and her son. At least she isn't getting tasered like her husband she realized.
The recently tasered Vernon, and Petunia were led to the vehicle that would send them to their new home.
Dumbledore left the trial, which was a rather quick one all things considered, worried that he wouldn't be able to reestablish the bloodwards when he found the boy, a boy he knew had to still exist since two devices said he did.
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Vert marched to her sister's room a day after she got her sister moving again. She needed to help her sister, and she decided to push her.
Her combat abilities at least. Chloe needed confidence, and the best way she could think to build it, is to show her that she, while not strong already, can become strong, and with the fact that the combat fields don't have too many people, and those that are there would understand beginner mistakes, it shouldn't be too hard for her to be there.
In Vert's left hand was a green hooded cloak, and after knocking on the door, and being called to enter, she tossed it at her sister.
"What?" Chloe asked in shock, and fell silent at the stern expression that her sister had, the current turn of events had shocked her out of her wooden state.
"Get dressed, and put the cloak on, it should help with your nervousness about being around strangers. Today we are going to get you some practical experience with some enemies of your own 'weight class', instead of myself whom is above your current level," Vert commanded.
Chloe complied, as she hadn't seem her sister in this mood before, and was befuddled by it. After she was dressed, Vert went into her HDD and flew her sister off to the closest field.
Upon landing Chloe took a look around. There were blobs with dog ears and tails, walking flowers, and even some monsters that looked like they came from Dudley's Space Invaders game.
"Chloe, I took some missions for you to complete, and I will only jump in to help IF and only IF you need help. This is your time to show yourself that you have potential. I already know you do. Now in order to complete the missions, you have to kill ten dogoos, which are the blobs with dog ears and tails, five tulips, which are the walking flowers, and find three medical herbs, which I will show you what to look for. Any extras you kill would be great and give you some extra experience," Vert explained.
Chloe was nervous, but didn't say a word of protest, as she realized that her sister was simply trying to help, and to break her of White Hearts words, and so she cast a quick firebolt at the closest dogoo.
It went strait through the first one and exploded on a second, killing both. Looking at her hand in shock, she didn't see another spawn behind her until Vert skewered it.
"Pay attention sister," Vert admonished a sheepish Chloe.
Confidence added, Chloe used her weapon for the first time in actual combat, and found it was less tiring, but also less powerful, taking two or three blows to kill the dogoos.
Ten dogoos pass before she knew it, and was actually starting to have fun, when one hit her from behind. It staggered her a few steps, and into the path of a tulip. Which knocked her down. Vert was about to help when the tulip was blasted by a firebolt, and the dogoo by what looked like a blade of wind.
"That's new," Vert muttered to herself.
Laying on the ground, in an area temporarily cleared of enemies, Chloe muttered, "Ow..."
Placing a Nepbull by her sister's head Vert commented, "You need to pay attention to your surroundings, nice recovery though."
"Agreed. Hello Lady Vert," a new voice pitched in. "Taking a day off to help a new adventurer?"
Vert smiled at the young woman approaching her, and nodded. "You could say that Iffy, but it would only be part of the story."
IF looked at the downed girl, whom was trying to catch her breath speculatively... until said girl got up, and her hood fell, and before she could put it back up her face was exposed.
IF gasped and asked, "Is she your...?"
Vert nodded, and said, "Yes, but keep it quiet for now. Chloe, here is a good friend of mine, her name is IF, Neptune and I simply call her Iffy though."
"Ummmm," Chloe said nervously, then continued, 'Ni-nice to-to meet yo-you I gue-guess."
IF looked at Vert in askance, and during that distraction Chloe grabbed the Nepbull and ran to finish her quests.
Vert sighed, and simply said, "Long story, and its hers to tell."
IF nodded, and then both turned upon hearing a loud scream.
They saw Chloe running from a giant dogoo.
A very pissed giant dogoo.
One that Vert took out in one blow.
Chloe leaned against a tree and caught her breath, but Vert could tell by the smile on the girl's face that the excursion did its job. It gave the girl self confidence, with the added bonus of teaching her caution.
She had also gained five levels, and that was actually pretty impressive since she started out a bit stronger than Vert had expected.
Vert looked at Chloe, whom was apparently so tired now she fell asleep against the tree she was resting against and smiled. Now, she felt, she was on the right track.
Gathering her sister in her arms, Vert transformed again and, after giving IF her farewell, flew back to the Basilicom.
Chika, waiting for her sisters to come back smiled at the wiped out form of the younger, and the small smile that adorned her face, and relaxed.
The two dressed Chloe for bed and tucked her in. They hoped that this would be the last major setback in their sister's recovery.
They were wrong.
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EN: low knowledge of legalities in America, much less Briton, leads me to improvise.