CHAPTER 6
11 January 1982 - Ministry of Magic - 7:25 AM
After a tedious wait in the security line, Tom Riddle was finally allowed inside the Main Entrance Hall. With purposeful strides he marched down into the bowels of the Ministry of Magic to the lowest level, where the Wizengamot would convene to begin the final phase of the Death Eater Tribunals. Today was the much awaited trial for Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jr., for the use of Cruciatus in the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom. Their exposure to the Unforgivable had landed the two victims in the Janus Thickey Ward in St. Mungo's, where they'd be hospitalized indefinitely. Their toddler son, Neville, was currently under custody of his formidable grandmother Augusta Longbottom.
The apprehension of Crouch Jr. had caused a major stir within the Ministry; the son and sole surviving Heir of the current Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement - Barty Crouch Sr.- had been caught red-handed using an Unforgivable against another Lord and Lady of an Ancient and Noble House. Immediate calls for Barty Sr.'s dismissal from the DMLE had been called by various members of the Ministry, some even going far enough to suggest that the father had been covering for the son all along. As unyieldingly ornery as ever, Barty Sr. had denied all accusations and insisted on magistrating his son's trial.
'Because the concept of legal recusal is such a hard one to grasp.' Tom resisted the urge to sneer, schooling his features into his more palatable stoic mask. He made his way to the Lord's Lounge, the waiting area specifically set out for the Lords (and Ladies) of the Wizengamot to convene for small meals and the occasional libation in-between Wizengamot meetings. The Ministry elves had outdone themselves with the expansive buffet tables; serving trays teemed with buttery breakfast rolls, scrambled eggs, rashers, and a dazzling cornucopia of fresh fruits.
Eschewing food, Tom helped himself to a cup of coffee (dash of cream, no sugar) and made his way over to Severus, Daniel Greengrass, and Libra Kolumbiko - Seneschal for House Gaunt. Libra handled all of the legal logistics for House Gaunt and its relevant business holdings, and occasionally served as Proxy when Tom was occupied with his actual day job. The group of three stopped their whispered conversations to greet Tom, with Libra granting him a gentle one armed hug that he gladly returned. Tom granted her one of his rare glowing smiles, expression growing more delighted at seeing her wearing her golden namesake pin, a birthday gift he'd given her a few years prior. Daniel and Severus exchanged knowing looks at the interaction, covering their smiles with sips of tea. Tom and Libra's feelings for each other were well known within their group, with Tom's enduring hesitation being the limiting factor of them becoming a couple. While Libra loved Tom deeply (the feeling was mutual), she was not willing to wait forever for him to finally make a move, a fact Tom was very aware of.
"So, what have I missed?" Discreetly casting Muffliato, Severus immediately launched into an overall rundown, with Daniel and Libra filling in as needed. The general consensus was that Bellatrix and the Lestrange brothers would be facing guilty verdicts, the evidence too damning. The conviction would grant all three life sentences within the maximum security section of Azkaban. With constant Dementor exposure, their life expectancies were capped at five years' max. Barty Jr.'s future was a bit more unclear; some believed that his father would intervene to prevent his son from meeting his end in Azkaban. Some were certain that the rigid Barty Sr. - unyielding in his near-fascistic adherence to the law - would be the one to damn his son to Azkaban. It escaped no one's notice that some members who would be participating in today's trial had recently been acquitted of their own involvement with the Dark Lord. Those members (such as Tiberius Lord Nott) were very eager to get the entire process over with, so as to not shed any additional light on their willful criminal involvement, in spite of their flimsy Imperius claims.
"Not that it bears any additional mention, but I imagine Madam Longbottom is eager to get the Lestranges convicted as well." Daniel said, lightly gesturing to the woman in question. She was sat at one of the tables tucked into the corners of the room, poking at her eggs. Next to her was Sirius, eagerly tucking into his heaping tray of rashers as he read through the Daily Prophet. Feeling the group's stare, he looked up from his paper and gave them a firm nod, pausing to throw a flirtatious wink at Libra's direction. Tom viciously scowled in response, causing Sirius to laugh cheekily. Severus and Daniel exchanged another knowing look as Libra huffed indignantly, moving to obstruct Tom's view of Sirius before commenting.
"Lord Black's current seating arrangement is meant to send a message; he is firmly on the Longbottoms' side in this debacle. It's rumored that Lord Black will also formally expel Bellatrix from the Black family upon the conclusion of the trial. He intends to send a clear message that allying with the Dark Lord - Death Eater or otherwise - is no longer the status quo for the Black family." Tom nodded delicately, already aware of Sirius' intentions. He'd Flooed into Lily's home the previous week, fuming about the upcoming trial. He'd spent the next half hour ranting about the collective insanity of the Lestrange and Black families, and (barring him), how every last one of them were bad seeds. He'd expressed wanting to wash his off Bellatrix and Tom had agreed, but had implored Sirius to consider a more useful alternate solution. After several heated minutes, Sirius had agreed.
"Just as well." Tom finished his cup of tea while the group idly chatted about other topics, before coming to a halt as a Ministry usher alerted them to start entering the courtroom. Vanishing the remainder of his tea and tea cup, Tom followed his group into the Chamber.
Wizengamot - Courtroom 9 - 8:00AM
Finally seated, Tom took some time to survey his surroundings. By his side Libra prepared some parchment, quills, and ink to take her own notes during the trial to be thoroughly reviewed at a later time. They were seated at the top row of box seats allocated to the Ancient and Noble Houses, as part of three levels of box seating arranged in concentric arcs on either side of the Chief Warlock and the Ministry seats. The middle row was allocated for the Noble Houses, and the bottom row for Order of Merlin recipients. Tom repressed a sigh at all the empty seats in the Noble House row, the result of many families that had been exterminated by the Dark Lord and his followers during the Wizarding War. Out of the remaining families, Tom could only rely on Lords Prince and Greengrass.
Though innocuously labeled simply as "Courtroom 9", the Wizengamot Chamber was roughly the size of Hogwarts' Great Hall but circular in shape, with a highly stretched ceiling that loomed center of the room housed The Well, which housed several tables set up for use by the Chief Auror, the DMLE Director, and the Minister, along with their various adjutants. All three bore varying degrees of severe expressions, with Rufus Scrimgeuor's (current Chief Auror) most severe of all. Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore sat behind an enormous judge's bench, situated on a high platform that loomed over The Well. As usual, Albus had abstained from the rich plum robes worn by the rest of the Wizengamot in favor of his usual eccentric faire, looking particularly bold in a rather whimsical mixture of fuschia and canary yellow. Directly beneath the Chief Warlock's desk but on the same general level were seats for the court reporter (who served as bailiff), the court stenographer, and the records keeper.
In front of them but on a lower level was a row of desks allocated to half-dozen or so Ministry officials who held Wizengamot votes by virtue of office. Tom fought back an eye roll at seeing Ludo Bagman sitting in that section looking simultaneously confused and bored, despite the severity of the situation. Why the Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports had a seat he would never know. Sitting next to him with a deceptively placid expression was Raghnall Fawley, current Director of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and Britain's Chief Delegate to the ICW. Grandson of Minister Hector Fawley, Raghnall was as shrewd a diplomat as a stickler for law and order, and Tom knew he would have no mercy for today's defendants. He was slated to retire by September, coinciding with Minister Bagnold's planned exit from the Ministry.
At the center of the Well was the Witness Stand, a raised dais covered in an iron cage which bore multiple chains to keep the prisoner well incapacitated. Surrounding the dais was a thickly drawn Truth Circle, which, in addition to administering Veritaserum, would force the defendant to speak the truth. Directly above was a massive transparent sieve made of glowing white lines that stretched to the courtroom's ceiling. Should the prisoner manage to escape the chains and the cage, the sieve would fall like a net to magically trap and render them unconscious.
Encircling the entire Well was the viewing gallery, an expansive circular balcony blocked off by various charms, wards, and spells to prevent observers from interfering in any way with Wizengamot proceedings. It was open only to members of the press, certain non-voting government officials, and family members and agents of seat holders, with enough seats to accommodate all in attendance. Tom immediately spotted an impeccably dressed Narcissa Malfoy, who delicately sipped a cup of tea while chatting with Violetta Edgecombe.
With a bored expression Tom clasped his hands on his lap, his left hand wrapped around his right wrist. On said wrist was a thick bracelet cuff, visible only to his eye and undetectable by most means, magical or otherwise. Made of a gleaming alloy of gold and mithril, it was ensorcelled with various enchantments that conferred multiple benefits. Its gleaming surface revealed seven identical sections across the entire cuff's length. Each section bore an intricate carving of a snake in proceeding order: a basilisk, a python, a cobra, an ashwinder, a boomslang, a krait, and a runespoor. In fact, if one were able to get a really close look, one would realize each depiction more an exact resemblance to the Exemplars of the Hydra Throne, the true seat of power within Slytherin House in Hogwarts that Tom had occupied for a considerable part of his tenure. An elegant finger traced the cobra (the Exemplar of Scholarly Excellence), awakening its counterpart on an identical cuff on the intended target's wrist. This immediately established a psychically linked thoughtstream with the opposite wearer, allowing them to think-speak freely without detection and interruption.
Severus: "This is looking to be a spectacle. I have never seen this many members of the press in one location. The Prophet's entire staff looks to be here."
Tom: "Indeed, but were you expecting anything less? This is a major trial for four members of a Noble and Ancient and Noble House, all caught committing acts of terroristic violence. That the Cruciatius was used seems gratuitous. Additionally, with the continued celebration of the Boy-Who-Lived vanquishing the Dark Lord, I imagine a guilty verdict will be the only logical conclusion for this trial.:
Severus: "It had better be. All four deserve to rot for their heinous actions against the Longbottoms. What those Lestrange brothers did to Alice…" he released the mental equivalent of a shudder, exuding disgust.
Tom: "Those two deserve worse than Death for their odious actions." He hissed, his tone poisonous. "We will have to be satisfied with Azkaban's vengeance."
Severus: "Indeed. Now, if I may ask; will Sirius be doing something else besides expelling his psychotic cousin from his family?"
Tom: "...Yes, you may assume." He could feel Severus mentally rolling his eyes in consternation before he terminated the connection, the thoughtstream winking out of existence. Tom repeated his action over the krait (the Exemplar of Ruthlessness):
Tom: "I see Rita is dutifully avoiding you, though those cutting looks may be of concern." He felt a responding laugh in his mind. From his vantage, Tom could see a formally dressed Lily in the Order of Merlin row staring resolutely ahead, expression calmly placid. There were quite a few attendees making pointed whispers at her presence, but none dared to say anything to her face. He'd spotted Rita Skeeter in the Viewing Gallery, who oscillated between glaring at the side of Lily's head and gossiping with her neighbors.
Lily: "If she knows what's good for her she won't be accosting me, especially with that Merlin-forsaken Quick Notes Quill. Damn thing is charmed to shimmer with her initials, can you believe the bloody cheek?! I have a nice Unbreakable bell jar that's perfectly suited for annoying little insects." She mentally hissed the last word, drawing a laugh from Tom. He recalled a Sixth Year Lily luring Rita (in her illegal beetle Animagus form) into a charmed bell jar, spelled to rattle intensely whenever Rita tried to escape. Rita had been particularly vicious upon the news of James officially courting Lily, her articles all but claiming that Lily was ensnaring him with Amortentia. An enraged Lily had painstakingly planned and entrapped the beetle animagus, keeping her trapped for three months.
Tom: "I see James is decidedly not looking in your direction."
Lily: "For the best. There'll be enough of a ruckus in here today, no need to cause another." Though her tone was glib, Tom could detect a small twinge of hurt in her tone. They exchanged a few more words before the connection was terminated.
Tom finally traced the python (the Exemplar of Political Acumen), having a brief conversation before terminating the connection. 'Just in time' Tom thought, as the elderly court reporter stood to begin the roll call. He elegantly crossed his legs and assumed a posture of formal relaxation as the roll call began, paying keen attention to the names called. His expression grew imperceptibly glacial at 'Daimon Lord Avery for the Noble House of Avery, five votes'. For his part, Daimon quickly looked away from Tom's direction.
The roll call continued into the Bs, with Sirius standing to speak: "Sirius Lord Black speaks for the Black Seat. Eleven votes." Ten votes an Ancient and Noble House, and one vote for his Order of Merlin, Second Class.
When it was his turn, Tom stood: "Thomas Lord Gaunt speaks for the Gaunt Seat. Twelve votes." Ten for the House status, one for his Ministry position, and the other for his Order of Merlin, First Class.
The pronouncements from Houses MacMillan and Marchbanks (five votes each) soon followed, and the lack of one from House MacKinnon gave him pause (as always). The court reporter called the name three times as a formality, but everyone knew the MacKinnon line had been extinct and unreplaced since 1980. The entire family had been slaughtered by Death Eaters, some of whom, to Tom's great displeasure, were alive and sitting in their Lord's seat.
Lucius was called and stood for his House: "Twenty-two Votes." Ten for his House, with four from Crabbe, Goyle, and Parkinson as his Vassals. He chanced a glance when House Nott was called upon, resisting the urge to curl his lip when Tiberius Nott stood for his House. "Ten votes." Then, Lord Nott turned his head in the direction of Lucius Malfoy and sneered. Lucius soundly ignored him.
The names Peverell and Prince were both called out, with Snape rising to speak for his house: "Severus Snape, Lord Prince speaks for the Prince Seat. Six votes." Five for the Prince Noble House, one for his Order of Merlin, Third Class.
"Obediah Prewett, Esquire, Seneschal and Proxy for House Potter, speaks for the Potter Seat. Twelve votes." The votes would've been thirteen, but since their divorce, Lily's Order of Merlin vote has reverted back to her. Tom cast a critical eye at Obediah, who looked entirely too cheerful at the proceedings. His reservations about the Potter Seneschal and Proxy were shared by Severus and Lily. "He's an ambitious and unctuous weed who's well rooted in James' affairs. His smile is too perfect and his eyes a touch too bright. I don't like him." Lily held no punches in her dislike for the man, though she'd kept the peace for James' sake. For his part, Lord Potter was currently seated in the Ministry box next to the Chief Auror, eyes lightly glazed in boredom.
"The Wizengamot calls Selwyn," said the elderly wizard. "Who stands?"
From a box on the top row two spots over from Lucius, an attractive and relatively young-looking witch stood, outfitted in a fashionable cut of plum robes, hair cut in a fetching blonde bob with an eye-catching pale streak. Mismatched blue and green eyes gleamed in the low light of the chamber. "Cassilda Selwyn, Seneschal for the Ancient and Noble House of Selwyn, speaks for the Selwyn Seat," she said in gentle dulcet tones. "Thirty-two votes." Ancient and Noble, plus four cadet lines from the Carrows, Travers, Warringtons, and Yaxleys. All families that started as offshoots of the Selwyn line before getting elevated to Noble status, before swearing their fealty. The House also possessed five Order of Merlin holders plus a Ministry-seat holder from among their five families. Cassilda made brief eye contact with Tom, eyes briefly widening when he threw her a cheeky wink. She quickly looked away, jaw lightly clenched as Antonius Warrington and Corban Yaxley gawked. None other would have dared be so familiar with Cassilda. But Tom was Lord Gaunt.
After a few names, the court reporter shakily folded his attendance parchment before turning to address Dumbledore.
"The roll call is complete, all Houses have been accounted for." With a quick nod Dumbledore gestured for him to sit and addressed the Wizengamot.
"Good morning, Lords and Ladies of the Wizengamot. Calling the case of the People of Wizarding England vs the defendants Bellatrix Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, and Barty Crouch Jr. Bailiff, you and the on-duty Aurors may bring in the first defendant."
And so began the trial.
AN 1: That was doozy! But quite exciting to write. It was nice to shift to Tom's perspective, which will be continued in the next 1 (or 2) chapter(s).
AN 2: No Dark Marks for Tom and the gang. Since he is not the Dark Lord and there are no horcruxes involved in this tale, the Dark Mark would be redundant.
AN 3: Tom has a (maybe) girlfriend. He really is head-over-heels for Libra, and she in kind. But Tom has some remaining hang-ups which will be expanded as the story continues.
AN 4: Casting is as follows: Miranda Richardson as Rita Skeeter, Colin Firth as Daniel Greengrass, Sophie Okonedo as Libra Kolumbiko, (Gray Haired) Daniel Day Lewis as Corban Yaxley, Alison Doody as Narcissa Malfoy, Dougray Scott as Antonius Warrington, John Hannah as Daimon Avery, Nicholas Hoult as Obediah Prewett, Jeremy Irons as Raghnall Fawley, and Alice Eve as Cassilda Selwyn