As quick as the proverbial hare the day of the trial dawned. Bringing with it fear for Harry, the kind only an abused child knows as he prepares to see his relatives for the first time since his rescue and hopefully the last time ever. They were now stood outside the courtroom in the Ministry of Magic waiting to be told to go in. Normally Harry would have been curious as to his surroundings but the feeling of impending doom he was feeling dampened this down. He kept his eyes on the billowing robes of the man in front of him having had his eyes fixed with a charm the day before. Albus had done so after he complained of headaches and consequently forced him to believe that magic is in fact real and that it was his magic that let Albus know his wish to be rescued from his relatives in the first place.
Five minutes of waiting later and they ere finally allowed into the court room, Severus keeping an eye on the young child constantly after all he was there for his safety. Harry barely looked up when the Winzengamot filed in but deliberately looked away when they announced for them to bring the defendants in, the feeling of dread getting worse by the second.
"Mr. Vernon Dursley and Mrs. Petunia Dursley nee Evans, you are charged with Child Abuse. The court therefore administers the right for the use of veritaserum. Even though you are muggles the crime is against a wizarding child and an important one at that. Clerk administer three drops of veritaserum to Mr. Dursley."
"Name?"
"Vernon Dursley."
"What is your relation to Mr. Harry Potter?"
"Uncle, he's the son of my wife's sister."
"What are your feelings towards said child?"
"I hate him."
"Why?"
"Because we were forced to look after him after he was dumped on our doorstep, and he's magic. I hate magic."
"How did you treat him at home?"
"We starved him. Locked him in the cupboard under the stairs. He was our slave. Not worthy of anything or any other treatment."
The Winzengamot's representative stood up again. "Mr. Dursley the court finds you guilty of child abuse. We sentence you to ten years in Azkaban. Clerk administer three drops of veritaserum to Mrs. Dursley."
"Name?"
"Petunia Dursley."
"What is your relation to Mr. Harry Potter?"
"Aunt, he's the son of my late sister."
"What are your feelings towards said child?"
"I hate him."
"Why?"
"Because my good-for-nothing sister and her layabout husband had to go and get themselves killed so we were forced to take him in."
"Do you agree with your husband's statement on how you treated the child?"
"Yes."
"Mrs. Dursley the court finds you guilty of child abuse. We also sentence you to ten years in Azkaban."
"Take them away."
At that moment Vernon tuned and saw Harry in the stands and shot him an evil look, "YOU! How DARE you! I swear if I ever see YOU again I will kill you!" The guards then stunned him at took him away as Harry backed away and curled up in fright behind Severus' back. Severus seeing Harry crying did something uncharacteristic and picked him up and held him close trying to comfort the terrified child.
"YOU! Get you hands off that boy you Death Eater!" Fudge screamed as he walked stiffly towards them. "Harry let go of him and get over here!" Harry look up at him as he tried to pry the child out of Severus' arms. And screamed. Severus took no notice of the child as his attention was currently on the Ministers forearm. He saw it, faint, but it was there. The Dark Mark.
A/N I really wanted to leave it here but I'm not quite that mean.
"Guards! The Minister's a Death Eater! Arrest him!" Snape yelled "The Dark Mark is on his arm!"
Dumbledore was jus coming over when he heard this and grabbed the aforementioned arm. "He's right." looking at the give away tattoo on the ministers left forearm, "He bares the mark. Arrest him."
Fudge glared at Snape and mouthed 'I'll get you back for this!'
In the mean time his assistant Delores Umbridge was shouting "NOOOOO! Our Lord WILL have His vengeance! When he comes back He will reward us for our efforts and you will all bow down before Him!" At hearing this the Aurors arrested her too and also found that she bore the mark.
Snape carried Harry back to Hogwarts (via apparition) before anyone even noticed they were gone. He really wouldn't have carried him but for the fact that Harry seemed to have a death grip on his robes and was weakened by the emotional morning. To him it seemed that Harry had chosen him to look after him and for an abused child it would be hard for anyone to say no, and risk the mental state of said child. With this thought he decided to let Harry sleep in his quarters in a comfier bed and surroundings than the hospital wing.
Albus, being a member of the Winzengamot, didn't get back until late that night as they decided that it would be best to put Fudge and Umbridge on trial immediately. Resulting in them each getting life imprisonment in Azkaban after also being questioned under veritaserum. It was also decided that Albus himself would act as temporary minister until the country voted for the rest of that week, to be announced the next day and starting the day after that.
A week later the country had decided to vote Mr. Arthur Weasley as their new Minister for Magic.