Time traveled swiftly for Dennis. Days disappeared while a few short weeks simply evaporated. It seemed he chased every second in order to use it to his advantage. Mornings saw him working both at his job and on his investigation. Afternoons drove him to either planning sessions with Professor Flitwick or to libraries. Evenings got spent compiling notes or completing projects. He completed his work on the Aural Picto-Glasses and made several copies he hid in various locations. One pair he delivered to his mentor at Hogwarts. When time permitted, Dennis relaxed by visiting Peeves, Thomas and Lucia, or one of a dozen other ghosts or pictures at Hogwarts. He desperately tried to distract himself from the impending hearing at the Ministry. Throughout it all, Dennis missed Cameron with a severe intensity.
"Denny, no matter what happens, keep your cool," his father warned on the morning of the hearing as they ate breakfast.
Cameron sat across from Dennis and silently listened.
"I will, Dad," Dennis said, but it did not sound like a promise.
"Son, I'm serious. Your temper's been off these past two weeks."
"Can you blame me?" His son snapped.
"I think that what he means, love," his mother quietly enjoined him.
Dennis shifted his head in time to watch Cameron try to hide a smirk. The dark face brought him a sense of comfort. He went to Nottingham the night before and retrieved his boyfriend. When they arrived at his house, Cameron spoke to his parents about the experience of disapparation, and they convened a small council to debate the merits of the form of travel. The evening focused partially on trying to keep Dennis from pacing himself to death or randomly exploding with anger. His father banned him from the living room since his mood adversely affected the television. Cameron appeared to take it all in with some astonishment since the Creevey parents treated their son no different despite his wizard status. At the close of the night, Dennis and Cameron holed up in his room where he showed his boyfriend various bits and pieces of his magical life. At one point, they sat quietly on the floor staring at the moving pictures of when Dennis first arrived at Hogwarts. More than ever, Dennis missed his brother.
"Sorry. Sorry," Dennis said, but did not sound apologetic.
"Is there going to be one of those magic duels you told me about?" Cameron ventured.
Jill Creevey guffawed at the idea. Duncan Creevey simply frowned and drank his coffee. Dennis shook his head in relieved amazement at the audacity of his boyfriend.
"No," he said. The question offered him a sense of perspective he decidedly needed at the moment.
"Oh, no, Cam! He saves that for strangers he meets at coffee houses," his mother drolly intoned.
"Mum! Really?" Dennis begged with the two words.
Cameron snickered. His father's face did not chance while he set his cup down. The man then glanced at each of his family members and guest.
"Alright, I'm off to the dairy. I'll be on the road, but I'll call in when I get the chance," he said and stood. "Denny, this'll work out the way it should."
Before he could responded, his father leaned over and kissed him on the top of the head. It momentarily stunned the young man. He gazed at his father.
"Jill, maybe we should just call out for supper tonight?"
"You'll get no argument from me there, Duncan," she quickly agreed.
"Cam, good seeing you again. Sticking around for supper tonight?" The patriarch of the house inquired of the guest.
"If you're having eggplant, I'll have Dennis pop me back to Nottingham, but, yeah, I'd like to. Thanks," Cameron stated.
The Creeveys smirked at his answer. With that, Duncan Creevey turned and left the dining area. The remaining three watched him exit down the stairs. Dennis glanced around the table. It sat crowded with the remains of an ample breakfast his mother put together more for Cameron's benefit than his. She rarely cooked breakfast.
"You're going to drive your father to drink," his mother cautioned.
"He didn't start when Colin and I went to Hogwarts, so why now?" Dennis countered and toyed with the last of the eggs on his plate.
"Because you never do anything by half. Are you sure this plan of yours and the professor's is the right way to go?"
"What other option do I have?"
"Dueling," Cameron quipped.
"Hush you! You're only going to get him wound up, and then the telly is going to explode again. You do not want to see Mister Creevey when the telly is down," Jill Creevey rounded on the African-English young man.
"Oh, she is so right about that, Cam," Dennis chimed in. "Dad went totally mental the last time I caused the telly go out. Made me pay for the new on my own."
"You get paid enough now, so I don't see why you're complaining," his mother rounded on him. She turned to his boyfriend. "Did he show you how he gets paid in gold and silver?"
"Yeah, he did. How cool is that?" Cameron happily pounced on the topic.
"'Cept there's not a lot of gold in galleon. Only something like a tenth of a gram can be extracted from it. The rest is pyrite, brass, and chrome… or some combination like that. The goblins are in charge of minting them for the Ministry," he informed his boyfriend and mother.
"Goblins," Cameron whispered and his eyes gleamed.
"And that reminds me, Cam: you're going to see all sorts of… well, different kinds of people and probably some strange animals. Don't stare too hard."
"I'll try," his boyfriend meekly promised, and then stuffed the last bit of a sausage into his mouth.
"Oh, don't sweat it too much, love. Every time I go to the ministry or his old school, my head spins around like wheel." Dennis' mother tried to comfort him. "Wait 'til you see Professor Flitwick! He's just a wee thing no taller than the middle of your thigh, and he…"
"And Professor Flitwick is a pretty powerful wizard as well a my friend, so don't go calling him wee," Dennis upbraided his mother.
Jill Creevey appeared slightly abashed.
"Is Peeves going to be there?" Cameron inquired and deftly shifted the subject.
"No, he doesn't ever really leave the castle," Dennis answered.
"Except to attack strangers Dennis meets in coffee shops!" Him mother half-claimed.
"Mum, the bloke was trying to kill me, and Peeves rescued me. Or did you forget that bit?"
"Oh, no, no. That's all true. I'm just trying to give Cameron a taste of what it's like to be in your world now that he knows what you are."
"You can say wizard now, Mum, and no aurors are going to come popping in to drag me off to Azkaban," he reminded her.
"Gets ruddy strange at times, Cameron, let me tell you. Sometimes his work clothes attack me," she pressed on regardless of her son's admonitions. "And did you see how all them people in those pictures move about."
"That is cool," the dark-skinned young man said with excitement.
Dennis gave up trying to present a reasonable face for the magi world as his mother listed one oddity after another. Half of it did not sound strange to him, but, on the whole, the magical side of life did sound a bit bonkers. Cameron seemed entranced by the topic and listened with a child-like fascination. For fifteen minutes Dennis' mother expounded on her impression of the magical world. While not wrong, it sounded ludicrous.
"Right. You'll see it for yourself in a little bit, Cameron." Jill Creevey abruptly ended her recitation. "You boys run along and get ready to go. I'll clean up the breakfast dishes. Don't take too long. We need to be there by nine-thirty."
"Mum, you do realize I'll get us to the Ministry in less than four seconds?" He reminded her yet again of another fact of his wizarding life.
"But you don't want to be late, Dennis. No sense in making them angry with you right at the start."
"She's got a point, Denny," Cameron gently supported the women. "Plus, if we there a little early, I get to see more!"
Cameron's enthusiasm won the moment. Dennis grinned as he watched his boyfriend. Memories from nearly eight years before assailed him as to when he first set foot in Hogwarts after the giant squid plucked him from the loch. Dennis could not recall exactly how he managed to fall out of the boat, but it all seemed like great fun at the time. Moreover, Colin claimed Dennis made the best entrance into the school of anyone he could name. Several of his new housemates also made the same argument. Hence, he could well imagine the thrill Cameron felt.
"All right," Dennis relented. "We'll be ready in fifteen. Come on. Time to spruce up to impress people who don't know how to dress."
He received an expert roll of the eyes from his mother while Cameron laughed at his comment. The two wandered out of the dining area toward the stairs, and then up them. He held Cameron's hand as though leading him through a maze. When they reached the young wizard's room, the door got closed so they could enjoy a few private minutes alone. The night before they satisfied themselves and tried to be as quiet as they could. Dennis found it an illicit thrill to engage in sex with his boyfriend in his family home with his parents sleeping down the hall. Neither parent made any mention of the their nighttime frolic.
Twenty minutes later they arrived at the Ministry of Magic's Apparation Station. Jill Creevey and Cameron Vall wobbled as they stepped off the platform. Dennis, dressed in a dark suit, dark gray shirt with a black tie, and dress shoes carefully led them to the side. Cameron wore a gray suit with a sapphire-blue shirt and no tie. He looked dazzling in Dennis' eyes. His mother attired herself in a orangish-peach colored pantsuit with a floral print shirt underneath. Her hair sat neatly coiffed on her head. She looked very presentable, but still managed to stand out in the throng of witches streaming through the main lobby of the Ministry. In several respects, Dennis actually preferred her garb.
"Ready?" He asked them after a minute.
"Yeah," Cameron heaved out the word. "That is… wow, what a strange way to travel. Even the second time was… weird."
"See?" His mother grumped although she recovered much faster than his boyfriend. "But it does beat sitting in traffic or pushing through the mobs at the station."
"It's faster, safer, and you don't get nearly as sick as you do on the Underground," Dennis voiced his opinion. "Come on."
He led them to the registry desk and a beaming Imelda.
"I'd recognize you anywhere, Missus Creevey," the elderly witch said through a smile. "Your Dennis is such a sweet boy."
"Thank you," Jill Creevey replied with obvious sincerity, "but you should try having him live under your roof. He wouldn't seem so sweet then."
The two women laughed while Cameron sneaked his hand in to Dennis'. Dennis glanced at him. Like nearly everyone who first visited the Ministry of Magic, Cameron appeared rather overwhelmed. Dennis gave the hand in his a squeeze.
"Now, who is this fresh-faced lad?" Imelda asked while holding her hand out.
"This is Cameron Vall, Imelda," Dennis answered while handing over his wand.
The woman did not even give it a glance as she wrote down the details in her registry book.
"New here, son?" She gingerly asked Cameron.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm, ah…. What should I call myself, Denny?" The handsome dark face asked.
"You call yourself my boyfriend," Dennis squarely told him. Then he accepted his wand back from the desk attendant. "And he's a muggle, Imelda."
"Who'd care about that with his face?" She countered. "Well, it's a right pleasure to meet you, Cameron. Dennis here is one of the best people I see when he comes through. Always stays to hear a word from me. He's a good catch."
"Yeah, he is," Cameron replied, and his cheeks darkened a bit.
Imelda beamed a grandmotherly smile at the two of them.
"Handsome, aren't they?" Jill Creevey inquired with amply pride in voice.
"A very fetching couple if I ever saw…"
"Can we please get a move on?" Another witch behind them asked with false politeness.
"You mind yourself, Madame Islehop! These are visitors what don't know their way around. You be decent or I'll have you fill out the forms again!" Imelda shot the threat at the woman.
The one called Madame Islehop looked shocked, but she shut her mouth. Threatening with paperwork amounted to corporal punishment at the Ministry. No one wanted to go through the same process twice.
"Now, you be good, Dennis. I know this is big day for you, and a good number of us are in your corner," Imelda said with such an instant change of mood it seemed magical in and of itself.
"Thanks, Imelda," Dennis heaved in appreciated.
"Best get moving along before Islehop starts conjuring bats again. Made a frightful mess last time she lost her patience," the kiosk attendant explained to them.
"We'll catch up later," Dennis promised the woman.
She nodded as they walked away from the desk, but not before Imelda shifted into an annoyed expression when Madame Islehop approached. The usual morning crush of witches and wizards going to their offices, attending business with Ministry, or trying to figure out what to do coursed around them. Dennis held onto Cameron's hand while his mother slipped her arm through his left one. He guided them through the bustle of the crowd to his favorite lift and favorite lift operator.
Chet held the door while they entered.
"Today's the day, eh, Dennis?" Chet asked him.
"Yeah. Seems like everyone knows," he replied as the elf slammed the gate shut before more people could enter.
"That him? The one who figured you out?" The elf inquired and jerked his head toward Cameron while other witches and wizards called out their floors.
"This is Cameron, Chet, and he's the one."
The hand in his tightened as the house elf gazed at the two of them with the semi-contemptuous glare common to his kind. Dennis, however, knew exactly what it meant and did not take insult. He planned on explaining it to Cameron later. The lift shuddered as the elf put it into gear without placing a single eye on the control box.
"Don't let 'em push you around, boy," Chet said to him after a few moments. "Don't matter if you're wizard or a muggle, you still got rights."
"Ah… sure," Cameron sputtered.
Several people on the lift started muttering to one another.
"Still new to this, eh?" The elf rhetorically asked and shot a mean look to the people further back. "Just remember, kid: your kind out-numbers ours ten-to-one, so you don't have anything to fear. Dennis' kind won't go to war with you."
Cameron appeared entirely gobsmacked by the candor of the elf and nodded his head. More people started to grumble as the elevator shimmied and shook while en route. The elf ignored them with a professional-grade sniff. The floor demarcations whizzed past the gate as they raced downward.
"Missus Creevey," Chet said and tipped his head to the woman.
"Mister Chet," she replied and smiled at the elf.
Dennis nearly fell over when Chet returned the smile. His horse-like teeth sat in a straight row that somehow made him appear all the more threatening. It only lasted for half a second. More witches and witches whispered to one another. Dennis felt relatively certain most of the people never saw an elf smile.
"All right. Here comes you floor, Dennis," Chet warned. "Be sure to give the Wizengamot a right good kick in the behind. They needs it!"
The snicker that came out of Dennis' mouth could not be stopped for a number of reason, chief among them being the high state of his nervousness. People behind him gasped at the brazenness of the elf. The elf did not look one bit apologetic and perhaps more antagonistic.
"You're one of the good ones, Chet," Dennis said as the lift creaked to a halt.
"Don't I know it."
Dennis laughed with mirth at the house elf's droll rejoinder. The elf nodded to the trio as they began to exit. He kept his hand at the ready on the lift controls.
"Give a hello to Nedwina for me, would you?" The young wizard called out before the lift gate closed.
"She sends her regards," Chet responded, and he shifted one of the levers.
Then the lift groaned, shuddered, and shot backward. Dennis saw the smirking elf disappear into the gloom of the elevator tunnels. He got another reminder of why it paid to be kind to the rank-and-file who worked in the Ministry. Chet delivered him to his floor first before all others, and Dennis believed he saw a few ranking officials in the mix.
"What, um, is… Chet?" Cameron very quietly queried.
"House elf who works for the Ministry. He's a nice guy, and he really seemed to take a liking to you," Dennis stated.
"That was a liking?" His mother blurted as her head swiveled around to take in the austere, black marble-clad hallway of the legal branch of the Ministry.
"Let's head to the courtroom, and I'll explain along the way."
"And explain if it's a rule that all these people have got to like you," Cameron added as he fell in next to Dennis.
Another chuckled ensued, but Dennis delivered as promised. He gave a very quick but concise description of the house elf situation and how Minister Shacklebolt sought to free the elves en masse. He began by giving qualified freedom to the elves working for the Ministry. Gradually, all elves would be freed. Dennis knew Hermione Granger constantly made appeals to the Minister regarding the house elf plight, and her history in the war against Voldemort gave her voice strength. Dennis noted the appalled look on both Cameron's and his mother's face.
"And they like me 'cause I treat them with the same decency and respect I expect," Dennis concluded.
"You'd better," Jill Creevey warned her son.
Dennis did not ignore her, but continued to address Cameron: "And the fact Chet talked directly to you was a sign of respect. Notice how he ignored everyone else? Trust me: those witches and wizards knew Chet was ignoring them. That whole… irritated attitude is a defensive measure 'cause people generally treat them like shit."
Surprisingly, the woman did not lambaste her son for swearing.
"My mum taught me a little kindness goes a long way, and she wasn't kidding," he concluded.
"Of course I wasn't, and I'm glad to see you followed my advice," she said with a satisfied inhalation.
"It also means you're a good person, Denny. Why do think I fell in love with you? And you being a wizard doesn't change that," Cameron said.
His words snatched Dennis' voice from him as emotion took over. He squeezed the hand in his and leaned over to kiss the handsome face and luscious lips. It only lasted a few seconds, but it lent Dennis strength. He caught the surprised but not unpleasant expression on his mother's face. She rarely got to see his sexuality on actual display.
"Right," Dennis sighed with a whiff of happiness in his tone. "Mum, you'll be in the gallery near us. Cam, you'll be sitting at the dock table with Professor Flitwick. You sure you're up for this?"
"Why wouldn't I be?" His boyfriend chaffed.
"'Cause it all so weird… and new to you."
"You were weird and new to me at one time, and look at what happened."
"He hasn't changed all that much, Cameron," Mrs. Creevey quipped.
Both young men chuckled at her comment. Dennis took it as a cue to move forward. The dark hall led to a black door with a bright brass knob sitting in the center. Dennis touched his wand to the knob.
"Dennis Creevey bringing Jill Creevey, my mother, and Cameron Vall, my boyfriend. Both are muggles," he said aloud.
Seconds later the faint report of a latch letting loose floated toward them while the door swung open. He recalled the process from the previous hearing and Professor Flitwick's constant reminders of process and protocol at the Ministry. He often wondered at the extreme levels of security employed in some parts of the sprawling complex. Dennis fashioned a theory the measures formed a sort of residue after Voldemort's attempts to take over.
The arched door opened to the sight of the backs of the gallery seats. Dennis led his guests to one of the portals leading to the interior. He halted.
"Mum," he said to his mother, "follow this aisle 'til you see the stairs. Go on up and find a seat. Sorry no one here's to sit with you."
"This isn't about me, love," she replied and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. "You just make sure they know how unfair this all is and that you won't stand for it."
Dennis smirked at her defiant manner. He watched as she placed a hand on Cameron's cheek. The young man grinned at her.
"There's a brave lad. I wish there weren't all these rules and you two could just be," Jill Creevey quietly declared. "You make him happy, Cameron, and there's more magic in that than all of Dennis' fingers."
"Goes both ways, Missus Creevey. I'm doing this for both of us," Cameron told her.
She patted his cheek again. Then, after dropping her hand, she ambled off in the direction her son indicated. The two watched her depart.
"She really loves you," opined Cameron.
"Yeah, I know. Mum's the best," agreed Dennis. "Ready?"
Cameron squeezed his hand. Then, Dennis aimed for the small tunnel and took his boyfriend into the interior of the courtroom that once held the Muggle-Born Registration Commission run by the despised Dolores Umbridge, once a headmistress of Hogwarts prior to the battle. Dennis steeled himself as they walked into the open space, shaped like rounded rectangle that always reminded the young wizard of a marble football pitch. On one end in the enclosed space sat the dock chair and a table parked next to it. At the other rose the high seat and lectern of the Chief Warlock or presiding officer of the Wizengamot. In the well, Professor Flitwick occupied one of the chairs at the dock table, and a stack of papers and a small box sat before him. When he spied the two enter, he rose and walked to the front of it. Dennis continued to lead his boyfriend to the spot while Cameron's head swiveled to and fro taking in the scene. He stopped and gazed at Professor Flitwick when they reached the man.
"I think in this case is not too impolite to stare," the diminutive man said while extending his hand.
Cameron seemed to automatically accept the gesture while he said: "What? No, it's not that. We got a little person up in Nottingham who's pretty much part of the landscape, so your size isn't strange."
"Then what is?" Professor Flitwick asked and sounded more curious than insulted.
"Trying to figure out the tuxedo is all."
"It never hurts to present oneself with dignity and maybe a touch of flare!"
Dennis snorted.
"Surprised you're not wearing your coveralls over that suit, Mister Creevey," his mentor said in sarcastic tone. "Very unmagical of you."
Cameron took a turn grunting in mirth.
"Regardless, it is pleasure to meet you at last, Cameron. I've heard much about you from that one," Professor Flitwick stated with a small jerk of his head in Dennis' direction.
"He likes you a lot if the amount he talks about you means anything, sir," Cameron rejoined with a proper dose of deference in his voice. "And everything you've done to help him with this… means a lot to me, too."
"He's more than just my former student: Dennis is my friend. What's being done to him and you is a travesty, and I could not just sit idly by. Any right-thinking person would do the same."
Cameron apparently squeezed the man's hand as it caused the professor to momentarily glance downward. Then the man's other hand came up and completely encased the brown one in his grasp. They exchanged a silent moment. Their hands then untangled.
"Where are your parents, Dennis?" Inquired Professor Flitwick.
"Mum's up…" Dennis began and turned his head in a half-circle to locate her. "Up over there. Dad's on delivery duty today, so he couldn't come."
The small man pivoted on one foot so he could locate the woman. When he saw her, Professor Flitwick raised a hand in greeting. Mrs. Creevey returned the gesture. He turned back with a different look on his face.
"Very good, now, as to our plan. I think it would be best if we let Cameron go first," he suggested and turned to Cameron. "If that is alright with you."
"Yeah, sure," Cameron agreed. "Is this a trial? I mean, what with me giving testimony and all. Dennis said it was a hearing."
"Likely a little of both. It's a determination of facts that could lead to charges depending on what extenuating and mitigating evidence we can provide. Your testimony forms part of our strategy to show Dennis did not knowingly or willing violate the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy."
Professor Flitwick gradually lowered the volume of his voice as he spoke. Even though it rose barely above a whisper, Dennis could make out every word. Whether by acoustic design or magic, anything said in the well tended to get amplified.
"So, keeping all this a secret really is that big of a deal?" The young man from Nottingham inquired.
Dennis frowned while his mentor replied: "Oh, very much. For over four hundred years it's served as the backbone of our legal system and the principle means to protect ourselves. Witch burning may sound like a fantasy to you, but it is very real to us."
Cameron's face fell a bit while his mouth formed an oh shape.
"They're pretty serious about this… when it suits them," Dennis griped.
"And that is another prong of our defense," Professor Flitwick followed on the complaint. "Dennis performed some remarkable charms work and found insurmountable evidence the Ministry is selective in how it enforces the rules. Once we present that, it may cause a bit of a… kerfuffle."
"Really?" The only muggle in the trio whispered the word.
"What do you think I've been working on all these weeks?" Dennis asked, but tried to sound comical in his delivery.
"So, them sunglasses you…"
"Shh," the professor hushed him. "Whispers travel far in this chamber, Cameron. Be circumspect in what you say."
"Got it," Cameron agreed. "So, um, tell me how I should tell them 'bout me and Denny?"
Dennis and Professor Flitwick exchanged a quick look. Dennis nodded to the man who resumed facing Cameron. Cameron's eyes flicked back and fort between them with a multitude of queries writ large in his expression.
"It depends on the questions you get asked and who asks them. Our proceedings are different from yours… the muggle variety. Dennis called for a quorum of the Wizengamot…"
"That's the, ah, magical… court?" Cameron stumbled over the question.
Professor Flitwick spent a few minutes expertly explaining the magi court system to Cameron. Dennis heard the most concise and accurate description of the Wizengamot he ever encountered and tried to memorize every word. Cameron listen with a visage of concentration fixed in place. He seemed to instinctively understand the seriousness of the situation. While they either talked or listened, the trio stepped closer to another. Their voices did not travel far.
"So, they really don't understand Denny didn't do anything wrong?" Cameron queried and did not hide his trepidation.
"They believe when he confirmed what you already clearly divined for yourself to be his crime. They will make the argument he could have deflected your accusations or at least obliviated the memories from you. The statute allows for defensive forms of magic in appropriate circumstances," the professor stated, but he obviously disagreed with that conclusion.
"Okay, I think I know what I've got to say…"
"But it's got to be the truth, Cam," Dennis interjected. "Don't make anything up or embellish anything. They'll figure out right fast if you're lying."
"This room… has seen it's share of liars in the past. When they couldn't get the truth out of Voldemort's followers, the Wizengamot placed truth seeking charms everywhere. If you start to lie, your voice will go silent."
Both Dennis and Cameron gaped at the man.
"However, truth will out… as will facts and both are on our side!"
"You really believe that, huh?" Cameron questioned in a skeptical manner.
"We all must, my boy. We all must! Without facts and truth, there is nothing but darkness and confusion. That is where evil breeds, and it manifests as it feeds on lies and distortions. Only the light of truth, the sword of facts, can keep corruption and evil at bay… and I know that with all my heart and mind! I've seen it take shape too often in our history. We must be vigilant in our honesty and apply all our efforts to provable truth. At times, it is all that protects us," Professor Flitwick said with considerable determination and without pause.
When he finished, two very stunned young men gazed at him. The heat of Professor Flitwick's convictions appeared to temper them for the hearing to come. In the back of his mind, it did not surprise Dennis in the least. He knew his friend and former instructor faced discrimination in the past, and it now appeared far worse than he ever imagined. Dennis recalled how Dolores Umbridge began to single out people of mixed blood, muggle and otherwise. He saw real discrimination. The young wizard also heard the stories of what got conducted in the very chamber in which he now stood. Umbridge found a new venue wherein she could spread her vileness. The woman's current residence of Azkaban pleased him to no end. However, disquieting echoes seemed to resonate around him.
"Facts are the torch and truth is the light that turns away the darkness. Evil cannot flourish where people of good heart bear those before them. Remember that, gentlemen. Hold to it," the man encouraged them.
"Yes, sir," the muttered together in unison.
Flitwick held each of them with a steady gaze. His size immediately became irrelevant, as Dennis always knew. He heard the tales of how the man defended Hogwarts using his brilliance and very considerable magical power. Thus, Professor Flitwick appeared to be leading them into a melee.
"That is the mettle of our arguments today, and we can prove what we contend. The first of it arrives in what Cameron can explain of his actions and his reasons for acting as he did. From all I gathered from Dennis, you did not act out of malice, but rather out of concern and simple care."
Cameron bobbed his head as the professor spoke, and then said: "I wish I could talk like you do."
"Oh, no, my good man, the delivery should be as you would normally speak. Putting on airs will lead to suspicion. Present your case simply and to the point as you would in any other setting. Honesty will make the case for you," Professor Flitwick advised. "And the same goes for you, Dennis."
"Yes, sir," Dennis responded.
"Now, I plan to make the bulk of the case since I know how these people think and operate. This… flowery language you remarked on, Cameron, is more acceptable due to my station as an instructor."
They nodded.
"I still cannot imagine how they will react to what Dennis discovered. It will not be pleasant since we are naming people…"
"Hold on," Cameron interjected. "Naming people for what?"
"Naming people who are also involved in a magical-muggle relationship in clear contravention of the statute's rules and, more to the point, the muggle cannot help but know the truth of their partner. This is what we mean by selective enforcement, Cameron. You and he got singled out," the professor stated.
"Why? 'Cause of that stuff the ghost gave him?"
Professor Flitwick cast an accusing eye toward Dennis.
"In for a penny, in for a pound," Dennis blurted the well-worn phrase.
Although he kept his eyes on Dennis, the man asked Cameron: "Did he tell exactly what that might be?"
"No. Said he couldn't or he'd be breaking the trust of that ghost lord," Cameron responded while he shook his head. "Still can't believe some of his best mates are dead folk. I mean, look at the one who came to help him when that bastard attacked him."
"That incident is still being talked about, I assure you, but I'm glad Dennis showed foresight in sparing you the details of his compensation from Lord North. That would further… make your situation precarious. The Ministry is intensely interested in what Lord North bequeathed to him."
"Tell me about it," Dennis muttered as memories of his last interaction with Elaine Thwacklehorn played in his head.
"Do not let that distract you or cause you to overreact, Dennis. Stay focused on the single matter that brings you here today: your supposed violation of the secrecy statute. This is the only subject to be discussed. Do not allow anyone to draw you into conversations about matters immaterial to the hearing," Professor Flitwick gravely cautioned him.
"Yes, Professor," he acceded.
A silence reigned over the trio. Around them they heard whispers. Dennis wondered at the others who attended the hearing. He recognized a few auror faces, but the others also seemed distressingly interested. Many eyes stared at their small huddle. It seemed to the young wizard they could tell a muggle stood among them. How, Dennis needlessly fretted, eluded him since only three people ever wore a pair of the Aural Picto-glasses and could discern magi from muggle. He felt a tug on the sleeve of his jacket.
"Dennis, do not let your mind wander," his mentor instructed him. "Our first goal is to let Cameron lay out the facts of that night. The second goal is to show you did not actually violate the statute. Thirdly, we need to show the law is not equally enforced. When all is said and done, we need to make it clear the Ministry unfairly targeted you. The reason why doesn't matter, but the fact they did does."
"I can see why you wanted him as your barrister," Cameron chuckled the words.
"It may surprise you to learn we do not have a true legal profession in our world. There is too much magic available to discern the truth about matters, so what need do we have for someone to argue our position?"
"Then why are you here?" Cameron adroitly asked.
Dennis angled his head to better see the professor.
"My purpose is to ensure neither the Chief Warlock nor the Wizengamot run roughshod over Dennis' rights," the man said, and his eyes flicked back and forth. "Many a witch or wizard may arrive already convinced of Dennis' guilt simply because the Aurors' Office made the claim. The Chief Warlock might word his questions to reinforce that notion or to get Dennis to trip up and make statements they can manipulate into a confession. This whole… theater is meant to disorient whoever sits in the dock… and it works. I'm here to counteract that effect."
Once more Cameron's mouth formed a small circle, except he did not appear shocked.
"See?" Dennis said to his boyfriend.
"More than I friend I'd say," Cameron replied. "No wonder you're so keen on him."
Professor Flitwick started to chuckle.
"Not like that," Dennis said and snickered as well.
"I knew what he meant," the tiny man intoned.
"What?" Cameron interjected as though just understanding the subtext of the moment. "No. No! Never like that, Professor!
The muggle from Nottingham began to chortle as well. It seemed a minor miracle to Dennis they could find mirth while awaiting the start of the hearing. The few seconds spent laughing together eased his nerves. It renewed his sense of hope they formulated a plan that, while seemingly a long stretch, would actually work to sway the opinion of the Wizengamot. Dennis did not fail to notice the number of people who watched them and also the few who took notes. His curiosity got peaked, but he decided to ignore them.
"All right, now…"
A loud bang and a whistle issued through the chamber. It made everyone jump, and some even verbally started. Just behind that noise came the hiss and rustle of robes as the Wizengamot started to enter through a door behind the Chief Warlock's lectern.
"Quick, take your seats. Cameron, sit next to me at the table," Professor Flitwick quickly instructed.
Dennis went to the high-backed chair positioned on the dais. It singled him out as the defendant in the hearing. Once more he found the seat uncomfortable. A terrible sense of fear seemed to emanate from the leather and wood. He fought against it and wondered if the chair got magicked for just that purpose. However, his sensitivity to magic did not tingle. Dennis chalked it up to his nerves.
The atmosphere in the chamber changed dramatically with each passing second as over forty witches and wizards, most dressed in black robes and some in deep maroon, filed in and started filling the galleries on either side of the high seat. Dennis knew the members dressed in the color of drying blood served as officers of the Wizengamot, and their votes held greater weight than those of council members dressed in pitch. Once more the Chief Warlock, Cyrus Fiawander, opted for robes of deep navy blue. His long gray hair lay neatly tied at the base of his neck. As the Wizengamot took their spots, Fiawander floated upward until he could climb into his chair. Dennis watched Cameron out of the corner of his eyes and saw the effect the display produced in his boyfriend.
The Chief Warlock rapped on the lectern top with his wand three times. Each time red sparks shot out of the end. The sound seemed amplified.
"Good morning, everyone, and our thanks for timeliness of everyone's arrival," the elderly man said in a genial fashion. Then his features appeared to harden. "The hearing today contains a quorum of the Wizengamot at the request of Mister Creevey, who we are investigating for a breach of the International Statue of Wizarding Secrecy. Before we formally begin, does anyone have any questions or wish to make a statement outside of the official record?"
No one raised a hand, spoke, or stood for recognition. The slightly rheumy eyes of the Chief Warlock swept the room. He waited fifteen seconds before he nodded his head.
"Very well," he said in a pleased manner. "I take it you will be acting as counsel for Mister Creevey, Professor Flitwick?"
"We will be presenting together, but, yes, I am acting more or less in that capacity," Professor Flitwick confirmed.
"As before, let the record show Filius Flitwick is acting as a counselor to Dennis Creevey during these proceedings. Is there anyone else supporting the defendant's case?"
Dennis took note that the Chief Warlock began the hearing as if staging a trial. He assumed his call for the Wizengamot to hear his case sparked a retaliatory response. It seemed they wanted him to fear his decision. The advice of Professor Flitwick floated through his mind, and he clung to it. His nerves twanged, and Dennis wanted to giggle in response.
"We have with us Cameron Vall, paramour to Dennis and principle witness of the alleged violation. He is here freely of his volition and wished to give testimony to the facts of this case," Professor Flitwick said without standing since the table would hide his head.
"So noted, and our thanks to you Mister Vall for your participation. I'm sure this must all seem… very odd to you," Fiawander commented.
Cameron took to his feet without any prompting, levelly gazed at the man in the high seat, and said: "No, not really. A trial is a trial, I guess, no matter where it's taking place, and I'm here to set the record straight."
Dennis felt his mouth twitch at the sheer audacity and nerve his boyfriend displayed. It gave him heart.
"This is not a trial, Mister Vall," the Chief Warlock reminded him and the rest of the assembly.
"Sure feels like it to me."
Fiawander stared at him for a few seconds before saying: "I assure you it is not, and thank you again for your participation in these finding of facts."
No one needed to tell Cameron to sit down. The tone of the Chief Warlock indicated the comment period ended. Cameron sat, but his faced forward with a determined expression. Everyone waited on the pleasure of the Chief Warlock.
"Seeing no one else wished to comment before we begin, I declare this proceeding open since all parties are in attendance," he said without a single warble in his voice.
Chief Warlock Cyrus Fiawander tapped his wand on the lectern again, it sounded like thunder, and red sparks flew out of the tip. To Dennis it appeared as though the man called the start of a strange competition in which he would be fighting nearly to the death. A solemn mood settled over the entire chamber.