AN: I'm looking for a back up beta at the moment as my regular beta's got some RL stuff going on. If you're interested, please let me know in either a PM or a review. Thanks!
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.
Warnings: See first chapter.
BBBRRRINNGG!
Harry sat up in bed. There was nothing in the room to remind him but he knew instantly that it was the day of his court case. He'd not been able to think of much else since he'd received the letter but try as he might, he couldn't think of a solution to his problem.
No legal solution, anyway.
He couldn't prove that he was telling the truth and because of the way the facts had been twisted by reporters and politicians, the chances that he would be believed were microscopic.
He sighed. He could understand that people were scared but the Ministry's and the Wizarding World's way of dealing with the problem – sticking their heads in the sand and hoping it would go away if they didn't look at it was not only pointless but also dangerous. Their refusal to believe in the threat meant that the vast majority of people were taking no security precautions, leaving them wide open to attack from Voldemort powerless to defend themselves when the attacks did occur.
Cornelius Fudge would be responsible for a massacre if he didn't face the facts and accept the truth – a war was on the horizon and the people needed to know, needed to prepare themselves for the horrors that they would soon have to face.
But there was nothing that he could do to convince the politician or the Wizengamot to believe him.
He'd entertained a brief hope that Dumbledore would manage to find something that would make the Wizengamot believe him but as the days went past and he received no correspondence from the Headmaster, that hope began to dwindle.
If only he could remember more about that ritual…
He'd tried as hard as possible but it was useless – he just couldn't remember a name.
If he'd had access to Hogwarts' library or to his own books then maybe he would've been able to find something but seeing as the Dursleys had figured out his ability to pick locks last year, there was now a combination lock replacing the padlock Vernon had previously employed to keep Harry away from his 'freak's supplies'.
The only reason he'd been able to actually spend some time trying to think of a way to win the case or have it thrown out was because Vernon had decided to pay Marge a visit and, showing a rare display of intelligence, had excluded Harry from the visit, remembering the way the previous one had gone.
Harry had breathed a sigh of relief when he'd heard that he wasn't to be going. His temper had already been stretched due to his own self-loathing as well as the lingering anger towards Ron and Hermione that he hadn't quite been able to suppress and he was perfectly certain that he wouldn't have been able to keep himself under control if the cow had begun insulting his parents again.
The charges against him were extensive enough already without adding underage magic to the mix.
The teen stood, collecting toiletries and clothes before moving to the bathroom. It never hurt to make a good impression and he needed every bit of help he could get.
He had planned as best as he could to ensure that he would get to the Ministry on time and without racking up any more charges.
He'd hidden the court case from his 'family', nicking the money for a ticket to Central London from Petunia's purse. Dudley helped himself often enough that she had automatically assumed it was him and Harry hadn't caught any hell for it. His clothing had also been carefully thought out. He was using Muggle transport therefore it was impossible for him to wear robes. But, if he showed up wearing Dudley's hand-me-downs, he'd be giving the press even more fodder to write about. He could just imagine Rita Skeeter's Quick Quotes Quill. It would probably spit out some rubbish along the lines of;
The boy-who-lived seems intent on continuing his erratic and frankly worrying behaviour, today choosing to attire himself in dirty, unbecoming rags in what is no doubt another bid to get himself noticed. It is truly sad that Mr Potter deems it necessary to go to such lengths for attention.
Harry shook his head. Thinking about Skeeter would only irritate him and he needed to be as calm as possible if he was going to have to deal with the Minister and his toadies.
Still, it was satisfying to think that he'd managed to avoid giving the reporter another thing to focus her acidic tongue on.
Sirius had noticed his lack of flattering attire and though his Godfather hadn't commented on it, the Animagus had privately gifted him with a few decent sets of clothing. It was bittersweet to think of, as was everything that had to do with Sirius lately, but he still appreciated his Godfather's care. Sirius had been the first parental figure he'd known and he cursed Bellatrix Lestrange for the state she'd left his Godfather in. Sirius was on his deathbed and Harry would never get to see him again. They had managed to form a close relationship despite the damage that Sirius's incarceration had done but soon the man would be gone and Harry would have no one.
He didn't even know if he'd be able to say goodbye. He would have to try and get to Dumbledore to ask him but if the Headmaster acted in the same manner that he had the last time Harry had been in a courtroom, he'd be lucky to get the chance to discuss his defence with the wizard.
Nothing to do about it now except get to the Ministry as quickly as possible so that he had the best chance possible of cornering the Headmaster.
"Well, what do you think Hedwig?" The black-haired teen turned to the owl. "Do I look presentable?"
He had chosen to go with presentable but comfortable and was wearing black jeans and a green turtleneck.
The snowy owl hooted approvingly and Harry laughed.
"Nice to know. Now, I would normally tell you to go to Ron's but seeing as that's now impossible, do you think you could find a nice place around London?"
Hedwig jerked her head.
"Good. Find me at the end of the day, ok?" He opened the window.
The owl took flight, soon becoming all but invisible to his eyes.
Harry turned, stooping to pull up the loose floorboard he used as a hiding place. The only things there were extra rolls of parchment and quills that he'd hidden there the previous year. All of his things were locked with his trunk in the cupboard under the stairs. However, Harry had managed to keep his wand by hiding it in his pocket and showing the Dursleys one of Fred and George's fake wands.
He retrieved it from where it had lain since he'd gotten back, smiling at the warmth as it greeted him.
He ran through a mental checklist.
Wand. Clothes. Hedwig. And finally, money.
He had everything he needed.
It wouldn't be possible for him to lock the front door but then, Privet Drive was a safe neighbourhood and besides, there was nothing he could do about it now.
He would have to walk for a while and then take both a bus and train, meaning that he'd have a considerably long wait before he actually got to the Ministry but that was hardly a huge inconvenience. He'd probably use the time to try and will himself into remembering something about the ritual he'd read about. It was a long shot, a very long shot, but it was all he had and, if nothing else, it would help to pass the time.
Gwirioneddau Cudd
Harry walked towards the telephone box that hid the Ministry's entrance. The alleyway had not become any more glamorous in the time since his previous visit.
He sighed in remembrance.
He had been so reckless. It hadn't even occurred to him that he'd be signing the death warrants of both himself and the five who had followed him into danger. He hadn't thought of their inexperience, their lack of magical power in comparison to Death Eaters who showed no mercy to children.
No, his mind had been fully occupied with visions of Sirius. He'd spent the entire time between his disastrous exam and their arrival at the Hall of Prophecies with his imagination showing him increasingly horrible tortures that he had been sure Voldemort was inflicting on his poor Godfather.
A hearing, a rescue mission and now a trial.
It seemed as though he was destined to associate the Ministry of Magic with bad memories.
The teen lifted the receiver and dialled the following code;
62442
Magic. Not the most original of passwords but he supposed it worked.
The automated female voice asked him to state his name and business.
"Harry Potter. Attending Hearing in Courtroom 10."
The requisite badge was issued and the female voice reminded him to present his wand for registration at the Atrium's security desk.
The telephone box began to move, stopping once it reached the Atrium.
Harry opened the telephone box and stepped out into the golden hall.
The Atrium was crowded enough that Harry managed to get to the security desk unnoticed.
The same badly-shaven wizard who'd been there the previous year, Eric Something, scanned him for weapons and registered his wand.
"Eleven inches, holly with phoenix core, in use for five years?" The wizard read.
"That's correct." Harry said, making sure to keep his head low. He was trying to avoid being recognized and with the way the man had reacted the first time they'd met, he'd make a fuss if he realized who he was speaking to.
Thankfully, the blue robed man let him pass without any real attempt to see is face. It seemed he'd caught the wizard in the middle of his newspaper.
The teen moved quickly to the lifts and darted into an unoccupied one, pressing the door close button as soon as he got in, ignoring the protests from all the people behind him.
Harry walked out of the lift, studiously avoiding the door at the end of the corridor. Now was not the time for him to be thinking of June. He needed to keep a clear head for the ordeal that lay ahead of him.
He turned right, walked down the flight of stairs and stopped.
There were four Aurors waiting at the entrance for Courtroom Ten and it took no stretch of the imagination to ascertain their purpose.
He knew three of them.
Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alastor Moody and Nymphadora Tonks were standing in front of him along with a wizard he didn't know. There was no emotion in any of their faces and Harry could see that he wouldn't be escaping any of them. So unless the unknown wizard was an Order member he didn't know, Harry wouldn't be getting to talk to Dumbledore.
Moody seemed to be the one in charge – something that made sense. Fudge probably trusted the grizzled man to care for nothing more than Harry's suspected Dark Wizard status.
Moody gestured, an indicator for Shacklebolt and the unknown wizard to restrain him.
"Potter, you're being taken to one of the Ministry's holding cells. You'll be required to hand over your wand and will be accompanied by two Aurors at all times. You pitched up early boy. If you'd come in at the appointed time, you'd have been able to avoid this." Moody looked irritated by the end.
Harry said nothing. Defending himself was pointless – he would be put in a cell regardless.
Tonks took over then. "Do you know what the charges against you are?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, I do."
Moody nodded. "Nothing left to talk about. You'll be escorted back here in an hour."
Kingsley urged him forward.
They went down a flight of stairs and turned left into a long, gloomy corridor. Harry looked around, seeing unoccupied cells to either side. It seemed that he would be alone in the cells – besides the Aurors.
The stranger stopped at the end of the corridor and pulled out his wand, unlocking the door.
It was small, black and filthy.
It looked like a hole had simply been dug out of the wall.
Harry stopped right after he'd entered. He refused to go into that darkness.
Both the Aurors glared at him. "What's wrong?" Shacklebolt asked. "Why have you stopped?"
Harry gave the man an incredulous look. "I'm not going in there, you're nuts. You have no idea what's been left to die in this place – think of the germs. And look at the architecture! I'm liable to need tunnelling equipment if I go much farther."
"Mr. Potter –"The unknown Auror stepped forward, wand lit, and Harry finally got a good look at him.
The man was tall and intimidating. His eyes were light, made striking by the contrast of his dark hair. His skin was pale and he looked to be in his thirties.
The teen immediately felt that this wizard was powerful and unused to having his orders disobeyed.
Well, he was going to have to get used to it. Starting now.
"Look, I'm not asking for much. I'm in the cell. Can't you be satisfied with that?"
Kingsley all but ignored the conversation, leaving the decision in the hands of the other Auror.
Harry frowned. Everything he'd been told had implied that Shacklebolt had authority in the Auror department and the man was known for his mercy. Why, then, did he seem content to allow this unknown man to call the shots? Who was this person?
The teen sighed. He wouldn't get any answers now, and by the looks of things, it would soon be unimportant.
He had no defence, no way out of the court case looming before him and if the Auror in front of him got his way, he'd probably be eaten by his cell before he even got to Courtroom Ten.
"Potter, I'm uncomfortable with you being so close to the entrance."
Harry scowled. "Well, I'm uncomfortable with being in this cell on my own. What if it eats me?"
"Potter!" The man looked thoroughly fed up. "Nothing will eat you. That cell is empty."
Harry looked into the cell then turned back to his guards with a raised eyebrow. "You sure about that?"
"Yes, Potter. Shacklebolt, help me with the kid, please."
Kingsley was clearly out of his depth. Harry had always been polite and subservient in his presence before and the change had clearly taken him off guard.
"It might be easier if we just let him be. He is in the cell, after all."
The pale Auror looked obstinate. "I don't want to give him special treatment. He's just another kid, regardless of what he did when he was a baby."
Harry interjected. "You treat all kids like this? I find that hard to believe."
The unnamed wizard's attention went back to him.
Kingsley sighed, relieved to be able to fade back into the background.
"What do you mean, Potter?"
"I mean the way you're treating me. You've just thrown me into a cell. A dark cell that I'm understandably not too keen to go deep into. I don't like the dark and I'd prefer to be near to a light. Ergo, I'm staying near you. For a normal child, or even a teenager, you'd probably give them a light. You'd probably not have stuck them in a cell in the first place. But with me, compassion's evidently unnecessary."
The wizard looked taken aback.
"Alright, Potter. I don't believe that you're actually scared of the dark but, you're welcome to stay near the cell's entrance. Happy?"
"Ecstatic. Thank you for allowing me this concession."
The teen knew that the sarcasm was probably unnecessary and that he should apologize. After all, the Auror had allowed him to do what he wanted.
I'll apologize if I don't get stuck in Azkaban, he bargained with himself.
He checked his watch.
10:26 A.M.
The black-haired teen thought back to the letters he'd received from the Ministry. There hadn't been a time, he was sure of it. He could just sit in darkness for an unknown amount of time but he'd prefer to know when he would be summoned and besides, another conversation would help the time pass faster.
It was better than nothing – and besides, the man had treated Harry better than the teen had expected. Granted, he'd not been the most pleasant of people, but Harry would take what he could get…
"Um. Hey, what time's the court case?"
The teen was ignored.
He sighed and tried again. Maybe if he was louder…
"Hello? Excuse me?" His voice echoed in the deserted prison.
"Yes, Potter?"
Kingsley. It seemed that the stranger had decided to ignore him.
"Do you know when I'll be able to get out of here?"
"The hearing starts at 11:30, Potter. You would have been informed that in the notification letter."
Harry sighed. Another hour, then. How boring. One last try to get to Dumbledore before I give up.
"What about my representative? Don't I get to speak to them?"
"Potter, your representative knows where you are."
No chance of talking to Dumbledore. Hopefully he won't have decided that it's best for me to rot in Azkaban until Voldemort somehow appears in front of me to kill.
Azkaban pushed his thoughts back to Sirius. He scowled, realizing that he now had nothing to take his mind off his godfather besides the equally depressing thought of his possible incarceration.
I hate my life.
Gwirioneddau Cudd
Harry was shaken out of his thoughts by Kingsley. The man didn't speak, simply nudged him towards the door. Harry got the message easily enough. It was time.
He stood with some difficulty due to his bound hands. Neither Auror helped him but he was able to get to his feet with some work.
The unknown wizard unlocked the cell and pulled it open. Both he and Kingsley had their wands pointed at him and Harry, keeping this in mind, moved slowly out of the cell and down the corridor.
When they got to the top of the flight of stairs, the stranger sheathed his wand and grabbed hold of Harry.
This puzzled the teen at first before he realized – the passage was narrow. The stranger had grabbed hold of him because he was worried about spells ricocheting.
They bypassed Courtroom Ten and walked down two more corridors, ending in a passageway parallel to the one outside the forbidding Courtroom. Harry, recalling memories from his fourth year trip into Dumbledore's Pensieve realized that he was being escorted in through the prisoner's entrance.
The room was full but the teen did his best to ignore all the people staring at him. He schooled his expression into impassiveness and kept his gaze trained on the floor.
The two Aurors led him to the accused's chair and sat him in it.
Unlike the first time he'd been in the room, this time the chains sprang to life and secured themselves around him.
Harry waited until everyone in the room had had their fill of gawking at him and had given their attention back to the Minister before looking up.
AN: Please do remember to review. It's the type of motivator I need to complete chapters =).
Also, I will be posting on Archive of Our Own under the same penname. I will probably be posting there first in future and then on this site.