Wizengamot
When Harry left the office, Percy already awaited him.
''Kingsley said you'd manage the paperwork", Harry said.
Percy nodded, slightly piqued. ''Yes, the Minister hoped you'd say yes."
He pulled over a dozen sheets of paper from the dop drawer of his desk.
''These are the temporary contracts for Ron, Hermione, and you. As soon as you've handed them back to me - signed, of course - you'll be employees of the ministry, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Auror Office. The contract duration is until the end of August, so, if you lot decide to finish your education - which I strongly recommend - your employment ends at that date. If you wish to stay although your education is only patchy - which I absolutely not recommend - you'll get proper contracts."
Harry took the contrats, reduced them with his wand and put them in his right back pocket.
''Do you have any questions?", Percy asked, opening a memo.
''Ehm, yes. When do I start? And what about my apparition test?"
- ''The day after tomorrow, 7 o'clock sharp. Just come in and see Piers Proudfoot - he's the new head of Auror Office. Regarding the test, you can do that any time you want to."
Percy quickly checked his watch. ''Trial starts at half past two, and it's eleven now. So, actually, you can do the test right now. Just go down to six and ask for Julianne Singh."
Harry nodded and rose from his chair. ''Okay. I'll see you later, Percy."
Percy was already deeply busy with the next memo.
The Apparition Test Centre turned out to be quite a small room with only four desks, of which only two were occupied. Just when Harry entered the room, a skinny, big wizard rushed past him, mumbling nervously under his breath: ''Another couple splintered, what's wrong with people this week...?"
Julianne Singh was a tall, dark witch with countless gold rings on her long fingers.
''Ah, Mr. Potter. I've been expecting you for a couple of days."
- ''Yeah, well. I'd like to do the test. Shall I come back later, or...?"
Mrs. Singh shook her head. ''No, that's quite alright, I'm needing a bit of fresh air anyway. Herbert, hold the fort", she said to her remaining colleague, took her handbag and left the office. She walked so fast that Harry nearly had to run to keep her pace.
''You've taken apparition lessons at Hogwarts, I take it?", Mrs. Singh asked breezily.
''Yes, with Mr. Twycross", Harry said. ''But I only turned seventeen last July and then I was too - busy - to do the test."
- ''You may call it that way."
They reached the lifts.
''You were among the last who were taught by Twycross", Mrs. Singh said.
''He's dead?"
She shrugged. ''Dead, disappeared...all we know is, he hasn't come to work since November."
Harry and the examiner entered the lift.
''Have many people who worked here disappeared?"
- ''A lot. Most were officially arrested because of their blood status or because they said inconvenient things. Twycross's parents were both pure-blood and that man was always afraid to say anything inconvenient...but they didn't seem to care."
She stopped talking when three elder witches entered the lift who mustered Harry with big eyes. People here don't trust each other any more, Harry thought. That was no surprise after what had happened here last year. Unwillingly, he had to think of the many unfriendly nicknames which he and the other sixth-years had given Twycross when they were nerved by his lessons.
They left the ministry through the visitor's entrance.
''Where do I take the test?", Harry asked while the phone box moved upstairs.
''We have a special area for these purposes", Singh said. ''You can't apparate into the ministry any more - for safety issues - and it was always quite disturbingly, because of the noise. I'll take you by side-by-side apparition and explain the procedure."
The surface greeted them with heavy rain.
''Merlin's beard, I should've brought my jacket", Singh said grimly. ''Almost twenty years at the ministry, and I'm still fooled by the weather from Magical Maintenance. However..."
She stretched out her arm, Harry took her elbow and they disappeared.
Harry found himself in a thickly grown forest that was completely silent apart from the birds that were singing in the trees.
''No rain here", Mrs. Singh said satisfied. ''Follow me, Mr. Potter."
While they wandered through the forest, Harry realized slowly that he had been here before.
''Isn't this where the World Cup was?"
Mrs. Singh nodded curtly. ''Indeed. With all the Anti Muggle Spells that were installed here, it would be foolish not to use it anymore. It's ideal for our purposes."
- ''I've been here last year", Harry said. ''After we were at the ministry."
He could see him in front of his inner eye, as if it were yesterday: Hermione, who wept bitterly when she told him that Yaxley was at Grimmauld Place while they were sitting next to Ron with his splintered shoulder.
''I remember that", Mrs. Singh said. ''It meant hell at the ministry for weeks. Everybody was questioned to find out how you managed to get in."
- ''Polyjuice Potion", Harry said. There was no point in hiding it.
''That's what they found out immediately", she replied. ''They still went on with the questioning. Some people were sent to Azkaban because of it."
- ''What happened to the Cattermoles?", Harry asked, feeling queasy.
''Oh, they're fine. Cattermole came back to work yesterday. Apparently, they settled to Malta."
They reached the place where the big gold stadium had been four years before. Now, it was only a big, empty lawn.
''A great game", Mrs. Singh said nostalgically. ''Were you there, too?"
- ''Yep. VIP box", Harry said shortly. It had started in that lodge, when Barty Crouch Jr. had stolen his wand.
''I was seated nearly at the bottom", Mrs. Singh said enviously. ''Well, it was only Bulgaria versus Ireland...let's see how England manage this year. However, Mr. Potter...the test. Your task is to disapparate from here to where we started."
- ''Ehm, to the visitor's entrance?"
- ''Merlin's beard, no! Only back into the forest. All right? Good, I'll see you there. If something...happens, just call me, okay?"
After that, Mrs. Singh turned on the spot and disappeared with a loud crack. Harry sighed deeply. This place offered many bad memories. Winky, weeping over Mr. Crouch's tissue, the Dark Mark at the sky, the Death Eaters who levitated the helpless muggles...it was good that he'd only come here to leave again. He didn't fear to fail the test. Harry had taken Dumbledore from the south coast of England to Hogsmeade, compared to that, this here was a mere hopper. Focusing on the forest, he turned on the spot and stepped into nothingness.
He apparated right behind Mrs. Singh who nearly fell into the bushes.
''Excuse me", Harry said sheepishly.
''Professional risk", Mrs. Singh said. ''Eh, well, you passed. Or do you miss anything? Eyebrows still there? Fingernails? - That's how it should be. Now all I need to do is sign your license-"
She pulled a red form out of her bag, tipped it with her wand and gave it to him.
''Congratulations, Mr. Potter."
She gave her watch a quick look.
''Merlin's Beard, half past one! I wanted to take lunch ages ago... can you make it back to London on your own, or do you want me to take you?"
- ''I'll manage, thank you, Mrs. Singh."
- ''Well, then this is where we part. Only eh...would you mind if I take a picture of the two of us? For my daughter?"
For the first time in a week, Harry felt a little smile appearing on his face.
''No, I don't mind at all."
As he had a full hour to himself before the trial would start and his stomach was grumbling greedily, Harry took a hasty lunch at Grimmauld Place (Kreacher had anticipated his needs and prepared sreak and roast potatoes) before he returned to the ministry's visitor's entrance. While driving down with the lift, he nervously pinned the badge that said Harry Potter, Trial to his chest. Trial was to take place in courtroom ten, in the same room in which Cornelius Fudge had once tried to get him expelled from Hogwarts. Like then, the walls of the corridor in front of the courtroom were grey and empty, but unlike three years ago, he wasn't late, he was early. More reassuringly, he didn't feel the cold and depression he had felt here on his last visit, when he had impersonated Albert Runcorn to get the locket. Just when he started to ask himself where all the dementors would go now, he heard someone approaching from the lifts.
''Potter!"
- ''Hello, Professor."
Professor McGonagall looked as she always did: her hair bound back as strictly as the look she gave Harry, nothing hinted to the fact that they had fought in a horrible battle alongside each other a week ago. They shook hands.
''Are you here as a witness?"
- ''Yes. You're here as a judge?"
She shook her head. ''I'm only here to testify. Regarding the Carrows, I'm definitely too biased to serve as a judge."
Professor McGonagall eyed him critically. ''You left very fast after the memorial, Potter."
Harry merely nodded.
''Well, I understand that this is not easy for you", she said briskly. ''But there is nothing you have to accuse yourself of. It wasn't you who let the elder students take part in that battle."
Before Harry could think of an appropriate answer, they were disturbed by the arrival of other witnesses.
''HARRY!", Hagrid bellowed through the corridor, pulling him into a tight hug that made his ribs hurt alarmingly. He wore his best, terrible, yellow-red tie and an old, brown suit.
''You look good", Harry said with a bright smile.
''Not me way ter run aroun' like this", Hagrid said. ''But if it helps ter get the Carrows behin' bars, I'd wear anythin'."
- ''I'd sign that any time", Neville added before he hugged Harry too, endangering the status of his ribs only slightly.
''I bet you've been waiting for this a long time", Harry said, but Neville shook his head darkly.
''If it turned out like I wanted, they'd already be dead. You weren't there last year, Harry. Youd didn't see what they did- well, I was there. I saw it, and I felt it."
Hagrid looked shocked. ''Galloping Gargoyles, Neville, slowly, eh? We don' want ter start like You-know-Who!"
He turned towards Harry. ''How are ye, Harry? Now, as it's over?"
- ''It's not over, Hagrid", Harry said, decisively ignoring the first part of the question. ''There's still Death Eaters on the run, and it's not over until we catch them."
He suddenly remebered what Snape had told them in their first Defense lesson with him: Fighting the Dark Arts is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before. He wondered what the next head would be, but he was sure it couldn't be worse than Voldemort.
Harry went on shaking hands: Professors Sprout (with unusually clean hands), Slughorn (wearing his usual lemon-green vest and sweating slightly), Flitwick (tiny and in a tailcoat) and Sinistra (who had never exchanged a word with him before) all shook his hand and asked how he was, and he lied to all of them by saying ''Fine, thank you." Finally, McGonagall took him aside.
''What are you going to do now, Potter?"
- ''Well, for the time being, I work here."
She put that aside with a scowl. ''I know that, Potter. Kingsley told me about this offer and I didn't believe one second that you wouldn't take it. But what about your education?"
- ''I'm not sure if I'm able to go back to Hogwarts, Professor", Harry said.
''Nonsense", she said. ''As far as I know, Hogwarts always was good for you, Potter - just like you've been good to the school."
Harry winced slightly over the unexpected compliment, for he couldn't remember another occasion on which Professor McGonagall had ever praised him.
''That was before the battle, Professor."
- ''Nonsense", she growled again. ''We teachers are also coming back, aren't we?"
Kingsley's arrival spared Harry the answer. The new Minister for Magic wore, like his companions, the plum robes of the Wizengamot with the silver 'W' on his chest. Following him were the other judges. Harry knew most of them: Mr. Weasley, Percy, Hestia Jones, Elphias Doge, Madam Marchbanks and an elder wizard, who had to be Tiberius Ogden, and also three middle-aged witches whom he had never seen before. Mr. Weasley opened the door to the courtroom with his wand, while Kingsley stopped next to Harry.
''Congratulations for passing the test, Harry."
- ''Thanks."
- ''You'll be the last witness on the stand. Just wait next to Minerva and the others- what is she doing here?"
Harry whirled around and realised instantly whose appearance had taken Kingsley's attention: among the observers, who slowly flooded into the room, was a blond witch that wore juwelled spectacles and a disgusting handbag made of crocodile leather from which she drew a long, green feather at this very moment. Accompanying her was grimly looking, bearded photographer.
''She's back with the Prophet, I take it", Harry said darkly.
''Rita Skeeter back with the Prophet", Kingsley moaned. ''Like we didn't have enough trouble already...well. Just stay with the other witnesses until you are called to the stand. We'll talk later, Harry."
Kingsley pushed himself through the observers, who made way for him and Harry respectfully, and sat down with the other judges, while Harry turned right and sat down next to Neville. The only sources of light in the courtroom were the torches on the grey walls which threw a spooky light. While the benches were filled, Harry felt the collective looks of the observers on himself. Some of them he knew: many members of the DA were present, among them Ernie Macmillan, who came over and shook both Neville's and Harry's hands with a serious expression on his face, Terry Boot, who waved them hello, and Seamus Finnigan, who raised his hand and sat down next to his mother in the front row. She wasn't the only parent Harry saw in the crowd: many parents of Hogwarts students who he believed to have seen once in a while on platform nine and three quarters were there. Rita Skeeter sat next to Seamus's mother, quill and paper ready. Her photographer picked his nose. The athmosphere in the room was grim, nobody spoke a word, only the ten judges whispered quietly from time to time.
Finally, when the big clock over the doors jumped to half past two, the doors closed themselves and Kingsley rose from his chair.
''Bring them in", he said calmly and four aurors led the Carrows into the room. Both wore the grey uniform of the inmates of Azkaban and licked their lips nervously when they were pushed into the chairs in front of the judges. As soon as the aurors let go of them, the chains at the chairs closed themselves firmly around their wrists and ankles.
''Trial from 9th May 1998", Kingley said while Percy was protocolling eagerly, ''regarding violations against paragraph 1b of British Wizarding Law and article 1 of the International Wizarding Convention by using the Cruciatus curse against Alecto Barbara Carrow and Amycus Ares Carrow, resident 34 Gardiner Street, Edgington, Northumberland. Leading the questioning: Kingsley Vincent Shacklebolt, Minister for Magic, Arthur Bilius Weasley, Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amanda Jillian Tudgeberry, First Undersecretary to the Minister. Clerk, Percy Ignatius Weasey, Junior Assistant to the Minister for Magic.
The charges against the accused are as follows:
That they knowingly, on purpose, and in full awareness of the illegality of their actions used the Cruciatus curse against multiple students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry between 1st September 1997 and 2nd May 1998. Furthermore, that they taught the Cruciatus curse to multiple students, and that they used the Cruciatus curse against Harry James Potter on 11th June 1997.
Your are Alecto and Amycus Carrow?", he asked them.
''Yes", they said.
''What do you plead on?"
- ''Not guilty, Your Honour", Amycus said, licking his lips. His sister nodded eagerly.
''We are only victims of the Dark Lord ourselves, as we were under the power of the Imperius curse."
Next to Harry, Neville clenched his fists so strong that they became white as chalk.
''The court calls its first witness", Kingsley said, who didn't seem to be bothered at all. ''Court calls Professor Minerva Isobel McGonagall."
Professor McGonagall rose from the bench and swept past the Carrows to the stand.
''Professor, please tell the court what you know about the actions of the Carrows during the last school year", Mr. Weasley said.
''I saw them torture dozens of students with the Cruciatus curse", McGonagall said. ''Some of these students are present here today. I also know that Mr. Carrow taught this curse to all his students from the 5th year on and that he forced them to use it against first-years and students who had violated the school rules."
- ''And do you believe that the accused were under the influence of the Imperius curse?"
McGonagall snorted like a furious dragon. ''Not at all. Both of them have been passionate minions of Voldemort for years."
Half of the observers winced when McGonagall said Voldemorts name, Rita Skeeter lost her quill, and Alecto and Amycus stared at her full of anger.
The witch next to Kingsley cleared her throat.
''Professor, can you give us concrete examples of these incidents?"
McGonagall straightened herself. ''Indeed, Miss Tudgeberry. On 12th April they used the Cruciatus curse to torture seventh-year student Michael Corner in front of the assembled students and staff in the Great Hall at breakfast. Mr. Corner had freed a first-year who had been chained to the wall over the night. On 1st May I was present when Mr. Carrow used this curse against another seventh-year, Terry Boot, also in the Great Hall, after Mr. Boot had informed the students of Mr. Potter's, Mr. Weasley's and Miss Granger's successful robbery of Gringotts. He also used physical violence against Mr. Boot."
Harry shot a glance over to Terry who stared at Amycus without blinking.
''Thank you, Professor", Miss Tudgeberry said.
''Do the accused wish to ask the witness questions?", Kingsley asked.
Amyus rattled with his chains. ''Yeah, I have a questions. How can the old toad accuse us if she has used the Imperius curse against me? And why is Potter with the other witnesses and not in Azkaban, as he should be, because he cruciated me?"
The observers started to murmur to each other while Rita's Quick-Quotes Quill ran about her notes like a speed skater.
''Professor McGonagall and Mr. Potter did indeed use these curses", Kingsley said calmly after the murmuring had stopped. ''But they will not be prosecuted for these incident, as all violations made by the defenders of Hogwarts during the battle fall under the act of grace for the defenders, because they happened self-defense during battle."
Harry tried very hard not to show any emotions on his face, because it hadn't been self-defense when he had cursed Amycus, it had just happened. He had been so full of wild rage that he hadn't been able to distinguish between right and wrong any more.
''No further questions, sir", Amycus mumbled.
After McGonagall, the other teachers were called to the stand, and all of them confirmed her testimony and mentioned further occasions on which the Carrows had tortured students. Hagrid himself stated that he had been hexed by them himself on his Support-Harry-Potter-party, but he had knocked them out and managed to escape with Grawp.
''How did you do that without a wand?", Tudgeberry asked critically.
''Must be 'coz of my giant's blood, ma'am", Hagrid shrugged. ''What's more, some of them helped me. Neville over there, for example. I think they used memory charms so that they believ'd that I made it on me own."
- ''Thank you, Mr. Hagrid", Tudgeberry said. Harry had to grin unwillingly, he had never heard anyone calling Hagrid this way.
''Do the accused wish to ask the witness questions?", Kingsley asked.
''Filthy half-breed", Amycus spat out.
''WHATCHA WANT?!", Hagrid roared, but as he made one step towards Amycus, the Death Eater whined weakly and pressed himself deeply into his chair and so Hagrid left it at that.
Neville was the next one.
''They made our life hell", he said loudly and pointed to his scars. ''This one Alecto gave me in my first ever lesson Muggle Studies with her. This one", he pointed on another one on his cheek, ''her brother gave me in Defense after two weeks. They also used the Cruciatus against Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood, and me when we tried to steal the sword of Gryffindor from the Headmaster's Office."
Harry noticed how Mr. Weasley winced slightly, apparently Ginny hadn't told him about it.
''I saw how they cruciated nearly every single member of the DA, among others Michael Corner, Terry Boot, Colin Creevey, and Parvati Patil. They cruciated me again when they kidnapped Luna Lovegood from the Hogwarts-Express."
Neville cleared his throat.
''Did you see them teach the curse to your classmates", Kingsley asked.
''Yes. They wanted to teach it to all older students, but many of us denied to learn it and had to face it ourselves. But there were some who wanted to use it. Especially Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle."
- ''Thank you, Mr. Longbottom. Do you belive that the accused were under the Imperius curse, as they claim?"
Neville shook his head. ''They enjoyed every single second in which they could give us hell. They did it, because they wanted it."
Tudgeberry went through her papers and then gave Neville a sharp look.
''Your parents are Frank and Alice Longbottom?"
Rita Skeeter rammed her elbow into her photographer's side, so that he made a hasty picture of Neville, who proudly said: ''Yes, that's right."
- '''And although these two here used the Cruciatus curse against you on multiple occasions you didn't stop causing trouble for them?"
- ''No."
Tudgeberry nodded slowly. ''Impressive. Impressive indeed. Thank you very much, Mr. Longbottom."
- ''Do the accused wish to ask the witness a question?", Kingsley asked.
Neville stared at them, but they only shook their heads without looking at him.
''Thank you, Mr. Longbottom. Court calls Harry James Potter to the stand."
As Harry stepped forward, the observers started to whisper again and a lightning flashed over his faced as he passed the photographer, but when Kingsley cleared his throat, nothing remained but the scratching of Rita's quill on the paper and the rattling of the Carrow's chains.
''Mr. Potter, please tell this court what you know about the illegal activities of the accused."
- ''The first time I met them was the night Dumbledore died", Harry said, slightly surprised of how calm his voice was. ''They were on top of the astronomy tower when Snape killed him, and they escaped with him and Draco Malfoy. During that escape, Alecto used the Cruciatus against me before I duelled Snape." He cleared his throat. ''After that, I only met them at the night of the battle, in Ravenclaw common room. Alecto used her Dark Mark to summon Voldemort to Hogwarts and was stunned by Luna Lovegood. When Amycus came along, he wanted to blame the Ravenclaws for calling Voldemort for nothing, because he didn't notice me, as I was hidden."
The crowd murmured furiously.
''And before you ask: I'm completely sure that they were not under the influence of the Imperius curse."
- ''Thank you, Mr. Potter", Tudgeberry said and adjusted her spectacles. ''Do the accused wish to ask the witness a question?"
Again, they shook their heads.
''Mr. Potter, you may go", Kingsley said and Harry went back to his seat. ''Court calls the first witness of the defense, Charles Ironius Yaxley."
Two aurors brought in Yaxley, whose brutal face was already begging to become gaunt after one week at Azkaban.
''Mr. Yaxley, what do you have to say in defense of the accused?"
- ''They didn't break any laws", Yaxley said coolly and the observers started to scream loudly. Kingsley waved his wand. ''SILENCE!"
People started to stop talking, although they still eyed Yaxley hatefully.
''Go on, Mr. Yaxley."
- ''In the period in which they used the Cruciatus curse - which I don't deny - this was perfectly legal, acoording to Educational Decree Number 33 which was passed by this very ministry. They had every right to use this curse as part of corporeal punishment. I have to know it, as I was Head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement at this time."
Miss Tudgeberry leaned towards Yaxley and put off her spectacles.
''One may see it that way if one shares your interesting understanding of the law, Mr. Yaxley, but that would only denote paragraph 1b of British Law, not article 1 of the International Magical Convention, for this Law is more important- and it was definitely not out of use at that point."
Yaxley shrugged. ''It's not relevant anyway, because they were under the Imperius curse."
- ''That's what you believe?", Mr. Weasley asked.
''Of course, ...sir."
- ''Do the accused wish to ask the witness a question?"
- ''Eh, no", Amycus said as Yaxley vehemently shook his head.
''Then Mr. Yaxley will be brought back to Azkaban immediately. Do the accused wish to present further witnesses for their cause?"
- ''No, sir", Alecto crowed.
''Then it is time that this court comes to a verdict", Kingsley said.
The room went deadly silent, even Rita now looked eagerly up to the judges.
''Who thinks the accused should be cleared of all charges?", Kingsley asked and nobody moved.
''And who is for a conviction?"
The judges's hands shot up. Kingsley hammered his judge's gavel down.
''In the name of Magic the accused are found guilty of all charges and are sentenced to a life-long sentence in Azkaban prison."
The crowd started to applaud and cheer, Neville next to Harry hammered his fist on the bench, but Amycus was beside himself with rage and roared around, while his sister screamed wildly as the aurors led them out of the courtroom.
''The Dark Lord will return, more powerful than before! And then you'll pay! All of you!"
Her mad eyes found Harry, who looked at her contemptuously.
''And you'll pay, Potter! We'll get you! One of us will get you!"
Then they were out of the room and that was the last what Harry saw of Amycus and Alecto Carrow.