Chapter 6
Miriam was shoved forward through two wooden doors. As soon as she entered the room she could feel the hate that seemed to radiate within the room. The hate was directed toward her. She couldn't help but scan the crowd hoping to find one person she recognized. Her tears began to fall once again. She was about to call out for someone to help her when she was pushed forward onto a chair.
She let out a scream which only she could hear as the chains slithered toward her and attached to her ankles. Two slithered up her body and attached to her wrists.
"Why?" She cried out.
The lower half of the room burst with excited conversation as they watched the witch struggling.
A man moved toward Miriam with what looked like an old fashioned camera and took a picture of her. Her attention quickly moved from the camera to the sight of a blond woman talking to a feather that seemed to zoom across a bit of paper. She was mad… just as the guards had said… she had gone mad. She wondered what she had done.
"Order!" Albus stood once more.
He looked down at the dark witch below.
Miriam wondered if he was God. As afraid as she was of the situation, there was something about that man with the long white beard and deep blue eyes that calmed her. She had the feeling he was good.
Her thoughts on the idea of God quickly turned however when he turned his blue eyes upon her and looked down with a frown. She suddenly felt guilty, though she did not know why.
"You Bellatrix Black Lestrange have been brought here today to stand trial against the many crimes you have committed over the years."
Miriam wanted to call out that she was not this Bellatrix person; however, for some odd reason when she went to speak, the words would not come out.
"You were sentenced to life in Azkaban for the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom using the Cruciatus Curse and your involvement with the murderer known as Voldemort," there was a gasp as Albus said his name, "Tom Riddle."
Miriam felt ill. The way the old man seemed to look down to her made her want to crawl away.
"Since your escape in January of 1996 you have been charged with the murder of Sirius Black, numerous muggles, attempted murder of Harry Potter, breaking in entering to the Ministry of Magic and most recently, the attempted murder of Ms. Miriam Andrews, a muggle woman."
Miriam tried to call out again, "But I am Miriam!" However, her voice was not heard. Some invisible force was silencing her.
The old wizard only continued, "You have been sentenced without further trial to the dementor's kiss to be given four days from now."
A relived sigh came from where a young man sat in the audience. Miriam looked over to the blond youth with confusion. She wondered why she boy expressed such relief.
She looked from the boy to the old man. She looked up at him with pleading eyes. He only shook his head at her and turned away. She wondered what was so horrible about a kiss.
She looked around the courtroom at the other people present. To the right a tall blond woman sat looking at her intently. Miriam could just make out tears glistening within her eyes, though none had fallen. She looked toward the woman and tried to express sort of plea. It was clear that this woman held some feeling for her. The woman turned to a young man who Miriam assumed to be her son and whispered something to him. He gave a nod and escorted his mother out of the room.
Miriam's momentary hope had disappeared and the chains around her legs and arms seemed to wrap even tighter. Then, whether it was from weakness brought by not having eaten for many days or from fear, Miriam collapsed and her world once more went dark.