Alrighty then! I hope you like this next chapter. It's quite a bit longer than the others so enjoy :D
Once again I do not own anything that appears in the books but what doesn't, completely belongs to me and my imagination.
So yes I have transcribed some lines from the films but not all of them and I have twiddled a bit with them to make it fit into the situation.
ENJOY!
Chapter 6
Harry woke on the morning of his trial with dread tainting his every thought.
If this doesn't go well then I'll be expelled from Hogwarts.
He hardly spoke and was so preoccupied that he didn't notice how distracted Fred was. He felt like a zombie, he didn't even reply to the well wishes of his friends.
He barely ate the food that was put before him at breakfast. But here he was, sitting alone in a chair in the middle of a huge room, at least one hundred faces staring down their noses at him, longing for the comforting smell of Mrs Weasley's cooking.
The banging of a gavel snapped Harry out of his reverie as Fudge began to speak.
"Disciplinary hearing on the 12th of August, into offences committed by Harry James Potter, resident at Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whingeing, Surrey. Interrogators Cornelius Osborne Fudge, Minister for Magic –"
"Witness," Fudge was cut off by a booming voice as Dumbledore strode grandly into the room, "for the defence. Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore." Dumbledore walked past Harry, throwing him a sideways glance but no more. Harry's hopeful smile quickly died.
"Ah so you are here Dumbledore –" Fudge began.
"Now is not the time for small talk Minister. What are the charges?" Dumbledore spoke again, coming to stand on Harry's left side.
"Oh yes of course." Fudge blundered, being thrown off by the headmaster's brusque manner. "Charges against the accused are as follows. That he did knowingly, and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, produce a patronus charm in the presence of a Muggle. Do you deny producing said patronus?" He directed his question directly to Harry with an accusing look.
Harry flustered for a minute.
"Well no –"
"And you are aware that you are forbidden to use magic outside school while under the age of Seventeen?"
"Yes but –"
Cornelius cut him off with a triumphant look on his face.
"Witches and wizards –"
Suddenly another voice rang out through the hall.
"Second witness for the defence." High heels punctuated her words as she marched into the room. Harry watched with relieved amusement as Fudge's face drained of all colour and gasps echoed around the room. She spoke again. "Samantha Josephine Eliza Harlow."
Samantha was garbed in a velvet, knee-length; forest green dress with a v-neck neckline and it hugged her figure perfectly. It was floated slightly when she walked in her black, ankle-boots with thin, but large, heels. Over her attire she wore a dark green, almost black, travelling cloak that shimmered when she moved. It was tied around her neck and billowed out from behind her as she moved forwards. Not exactly what an Auror usually wears to work.
Harry noticed that, unlike a few days ago, when he last saw her, her hair was down, showing how it was wavy and it reached just below her waist as it spilled down her back. When the light hit her hair it shone golden.
A pendant gently hugged her neck.
"Miss Harlow!" Cornelius stuttered almost apologetically. "I had been told that your hibernation months had begun."
Samantha smirked coldly as she came to place herself by Harry's side, winking at him with a much warmer smile before turning her piercing gaze back to the Minister who had removed his glasses and was looking at her in shock.
"I have delayed my 'Hibernation Months', as you called it Cornelius, because this case needed my attention, so I am here to fight for justice. Forgive me if I offend you in this hearing, for I shall only be sharing my views. It is not personal."
"Of course." Harry noticed that Fudge never made eye contact with Samantha and was immensely pleased that she was there with him. "But I am afraid that we have all of the evidence we need so –"
"Cornelius." Samantha spoke loud enough to cut the Minister off, fixing her calm gaze upon the pale man. Those gathered all stared at this young girl; their gazes flicked between her and the Minister worriedly. "Let the accused speak." She said firmly.
"My dear –" Fudge began to object but Samantha cut him off as she took a step forwards and glared at the man who sat in front of her.
"I said. Let. Harry. Speak." She enunciated each word clearly and with purpose. Cornelius flinched at her tone but didn't argue any further. He sat back in his seat and prompted Harry to speak with a timid gesture of his hand.
"Thank you." Samantha said before turning to Harry with kind eyes. "Now, Harry. Tell us of the events on the day concerned?"
Harry took a deep calming breath and spoke straight to Samantha but loud enough for the entire room to hear.
"I was at the park a mile or so from My Aunt and Uncles house when my cousin arrived. He was teasing me and just when I started to get angry the sky began to cloud over and everything went really cold. We both became scared and ran back towards the house when it began to rain." Sam nodded for him to continue as she knelt in front of him.
"What happened then?"
"Well, we were going through a tunnel that runs under a road when ice began to appear everywhere. The lights began to cut out as the ice broke them. A dementor came into the tunnel and grabbed me. I told Dudley to run, but he slipped on some ice and as he was about to get up another dementor appeared and grabbed him as well."
"Preposterous!" Cornelius burst out, standing from his seat as yells of protest began to pop up everywhere. "Dementors? In little Whingeing? Nonsense! Miss Harlow, please tell me that you don't believe this spiel?" Cornelius spoke to Samantha whose back was facing him.
Samantha pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration and winced at what she was about to do.
As shouts of agreement went up all over the room, witches and wizards raised their hands and began to stand from their seats.
Heaving in a huge breath Samantha stood, whirling around to face the assembled jury.
"BE QUIET YOU BLITHEIRNG IDIOTS!" She yelled frustrated and instantly there was silence as the men and women stared open mouthed at the young Auror.
Harry also sat there in a state of shock but when he looked to the side at Dumbledore he saw that his headmaster was standing with a serene, if not slightly amused, expression.
"Can you not see that he is trying to speak? Don't you dare interrupt again or I shall personally silence you all myself!" She shouted, pointing a slender finger imperiously at Fudge who had opened his mouth slightly as if to speak. Almost immediately those who had stood, sat down with a frightened or disgusted look on their faces.
A shaky cough could be heard from the back of the room and Fudge's eyes latched onto the lone figure who was sitting as far back as possible in the spectators seats; coughing in order to try and cover up his laughter.
"Professor; do you find something amusing?" Cornelius snapped.
"Not at all Minister." A low voice drawled.
Harry snapped around in his chair to see Snape looking right back at him and hastily averted his eyes. He should have expected Snape to be there if Samantha was.
"Well Severus, I am afraid that this is a closed trial. If you are not a witness or a member of the jury you cannot be here." Cornelius had gathered some confidence and was using it all now.
"Minister, you know full well that I cannot leave Miss Harlow unattended, it is my duty to keep an eye on her at all times." Snape suddenly spoke very seriously.
"Oh I understand, but Dumbledore is here, surely you trust him to keep an eye on your ward? Besides, no one here desires to hurt our young friend." Cornelius gave Snape a look that clearly showed his distaste for the interruption.
Snape stood and as he descended from the spectators seats he spoke.
"It has been made clear to me that no one but myself should be trusted to ensure Samantha's safety." Once he reached the floor he walked forward to stand by Sam's side. "With that being said; third witness for the defence, Minister. Severus Tobias Snape." He seemed to hiss his middle name through his teeth and Harry thought he saw Sam give him a sympathetic look.
"Very well." Fudge spat unpleasantly. "Weasley?"
"All written down sir." Percy said attentively.
"Now, let's get on with the trial." Fudge coughed once and then fixed Harry with his beady eyes. "Potter, I regret to say that I cannot believe you unless you have a witness of the event –"
"Yes well Minister, as it so happens he does have a witness." Snape drawled, his expression becoming smug when he saw the shock in Fudge's eyes.
Harry was also in shock, not because a witness had been found, but because Snape was actually defending him.
Harry heard the door behind him open and he turned in his seat to see a timid Mrs Figg being escorted in by Shacklebolt.
He felt Sam gently touch him on the arm and he looked up as she gestured to the spectators' seats.
He stood and followed as Samantha and Snape ascended the few steps to settle themselves in the front row. Sitting next to Sam, he smiled a little when she bumped him in the shoulder with a reassuring grin.
He barely paid attention to the conversation that began, because he feared for the worst. He didn't want to hear them say that he was expelled, he couldn't bear it, and so he distracted himself by observing the faces of the jury.
Most were impassive; some seemed to be scared as they began to believe that this was all true; but one woman in the jury was openly glaring at Samantha.
"Samantha?" Harry whispered quietly.
"Yes Harry, I know." She sighed. Her blue eyes flickered momentarily in the direction of the woman.
"Who is she?"
"That is the High Inquisitor, Dolores Jane Umbridge." Sam put on a posh voice as she spoke before snorting. "She's a right toad if you ask me." Sam murmured, a sneer appearing on her face as she spoke. Harry just grinned.
"Samantha." Snape spoke mildly.
"I am merely repeating your wise words Severus." She said as she observed the scene with an innocent look on her face.
"As wise as my words may be, I would appreciate if you kept them from being heard by the toad herself." Snape raised an eyebrow at Sam.
"Oh darn it; I was planning on making a hoodie with 'Toad' written on the back and giving her as an impromptu present. What a shame." Sam mused.
Snape cracked a small smile as Sam nudged him in the shoulder playfully. Harry chuckled silently, but his head was reeling as he saw what Snape could be like if he relaxed. Suddenly his attention was drawn to the jury again as he heard the words:
"Those in favour of conviction?"
He felt his heart clench in his chest and he held his breath. Sam's hand came to rest gently on his knee and she squeezed slightly before pulling it back to rest in her lap. His eyes scanned the room as a few hands appeared; he noticed that the Minister's hand was raised, along with that of a certain Dolores Umbridge.
"I wish she'd just go eat a poo covered fly and stay out of everyone's life." Sam seethed but was silent as soon as someone spoke again.
"Those in favour of clearing the accused of all charges?"
More hands than the first time went up in the air and Harry felt as if he were floating. He had been cleared.
He was going back to Hogwarts.
He felt a relived smile spread across his face as he heard those final words, spoken grudgingly by Fudge.
"Cleared of all charges." And as if it were the sealer on the verdict, the gavel slammed down and Harry felt his heart unclench in pure and utter relief.
"Too right." Sam spoke quietly, a smug grin on her face.
Harry saw Snape roll his eyes before heaving a large sigh and standing. Sam instantly stood with him, gesturing for Harry to do the same.
He made his way slowly down the stairs and waited for Sam to lead the way.
"Come on Harry, Arthur will be tearing his hair out with worry out there." She winked at him.
He grinned and walked side by side with the tall blonde, watching as people nodded to her and greeted her. Harry was pretty sure that he saw some people bow to her.
He looked up (yes up) at Sam and saw that she was gritting her teeth in frustration. She definitely didn't like the attention.
As they exited into the corridor, Harry saw Dumbledore striding off.
"Professor!" He called. "Professor Dumbledore!" But he didn't turn around and he quickly disappeared around the corner.
"Don't worry about it Harry, he was probably in a rush to get somewhere. He is a very busy man after all." Sam said from behind him.
"Harry!" Arthur rushed up to him, a broad smile on his face. "Oh, Harry! I heard that they cleared you!" Harry nodded frantically a smile on his face as happiness became his prime emotion once more. "Ah, fantastic my boy!" Mr Weasley exclaimed, clapping Harry on the back. "I saw Dumbledore, go in and I thought that alone would give you a leg up but then, oh ho then—" He waggled finger " I saw Sam and Severus and I knew with those three together there was no doubt that you'd be cleared." He gushed smiling proudly at the duo behind him.
Sam nodded back politely.
"Right, well we best be getting back! Molly will be so happy to know that you've been cleared." He then turned to look at Snape and Sam. "You two are welcome to join us for lunch."
"I wish we could Arthur, but I'm afraid it is my time to… hibernate." She grimaced.
As Harry watched he saw how Snape's face was blank but his dark eyes held great sadness which he tried to conceal by not keeping eye contact with anyone. Sam however, did not try to hide her sadness and, having only seen her happy and joyful, it seemed almost unnatural to see her sad, with a crease above her eyebrows and her mouth pulled down slightly at the corners.
"Of course." Arthur nodded sadly.
"However, we will accompany you to the exit, if that's alright with you?" Samantha said with a bright smile.
"Shall we?" Arthur said with a wide sweeping gesture.
Sam nodded and all four walked side by side to the lifts.
There was a small silence but Sam had to get something off her chest.
"You look a lot like your son." She said, turning to Arthur.
"Which one?" He asked with a laugh.
"Fred." She smiled before amending, "and George of course."
"Really?" Arthur said.
"Really." Sam told him and Harry once again saw the sadness on her face, but in her eyes there seemed to be a sadness of a greater depth than before.
After they entered the lift the silence was filled with a rundown of the trial.
They exited the lift together with Arthur exclaiming and laughing as the story was told but Harry and Snape walked along in silence.
They had to stop when they reached a large crowd, yet, as they stood there Snape and Sam tensed simultaneously.
"Sev?" Sam asked breathlessly, her eyes trained forwards casually, but her heart beat ferociously inside her chest at the sight she had just seen.
She subtly slipped the hood of her cloak over her head, swiping her hair into it as she did so.
"Just keep your head down little one." Severus reassured her. Sam seemed completely used to the endearment and Harry was forced to remember Hermione's theory; She is the closest thing to a daughter he has; it's possible that she is the only person he has to call family. Harry looked up at Arthur in confusion to see that he too was tense, his hand was in his pocket, gripping his wand.
Following his eyes, Harry saw that Arthur's gaze was trained upon a man standing a few metres off. Harry couldn't see anything threatening about him, but as he watched, the man lifted the right sleeve of his cloak to scratch his lower arm and Harry saw the unmistakable shape of a dark mark etched into his skin.
He snapped his gaze forward and gulped. Fred's words were the ones that came to him at that moment: Apparently there are Death Eaters employed to kill her. They've been hunting her ever since her parents' death and they could be anywhere now.
"Arthur, where is the closest exit?" Severus spoke calmly, nothing about him appeared tense, yet as Harry looked, he could see that Snape had a hand on Sam's lower back and his other was also in his pocket; wand at the ready.
"We have to go through this crowd but the fireplaces are our quickest exit."
Snape nodded.
Harry subtly patted his left trouser pocket and was reassured to find that his wand was there and he pulled it out, slipping it up his jacket sleeve, prepared to use it if necessary.
"Harry, Sam, stay close to each other." Severus said quietly. Harry was shocked to hear that Snape used his first name but as soon as he felt Sam's hand slide into his, he focused.
"Stay close to me Harry." She murmured; her cool eyes surveyed the gaps in the crowd and bean to calmly pull him through them, leaving Arthur and Severus behind them.
A wizard holding a stack of papers in his arms crossed their path and tripped on his own feet, taking a rather large fall and spilling the papers everywhere. Sam froze before stepping over the man pulling Harry quickly behind her; with a flick of her wand the man's papers began to stack themselves again behind them.
"Thank you Miss Harlow!" The man called out. Sam gasped under her breath and swore loudly before whipping her wand out.
A shield of magic consumed the two teens just as a dark spell nearly collided with them.
"What the—?" Harry yelled, stunned that they were being attacked in the middle of the Ministry.
"Not the time Harry!" Sam said heatedly.
Arthur ran through the quickly dispersing crowd and called out over the heads of the witches and wizards as he reached a fireplace.
"Samantha, Harry! Over here!"
Suddenly, amongst the screams that had rung out through the crowd a powerful yell ended the string of enchantments that had been aimed at Sam and Harry.
"Stupefy!" Snape yelled and it was followed by a thud as the Deatheater was thrown into a wall.
Sam whipped around, her hood falling back around her shoulders, hair spilling down her back and a fierce look in her eyes.
She raced forwards, ripping her hand out of Harry's, as she raised her wand at the Death Eater who had his wand directed at Severus' back.
"Petrificus Totalus!" The bright white ball of light shot from the tip of her wand and hit the Death Eater directly in the head, he froze on the spot before falling to the ground, stiff as a board.
"Samantha! Go to Arthur!" Snape cried angrily.
"Not without you!" Sam yelled back running so that she was standing back-to-back with Severus.
With an effortless flick of her wand, several Death Eaters were flung backwards into the crowd who had gathered around the edges of the fighting.
A Death Eater who had been standing silently in the throng let out a furious yell and stormed forwards, instantly beginning to spar with Samantha.
Their duel lasted mere seconds before he was hurled over the heads of the spectators. Samantha hadn't even broken a sweat.
Severus stunned his opponent and grabbed Samantha's hand dragging her towards where Harry had run to Arthur, they stood with their wands poised.
All was silent as the spectators stood in fear.
A cruel, crackling laugh broke the silence and a tall man stepped from the masses and strode forwards.
The duo stopped running and whirled around to face him.
His dark hair flew haphazardly across his pale face, his flat, grey eyes boring into Sam's equally fierce ones.
"Dolohov." She spat.
"Oh, Samantha it has been too long my dear has it not? And Severus, always loyal to your ward aren't you?" He chuckled darkly and Harry felt shivers cascade down his spine.
Arthur sucked in a breath through his teeth and openly glared at the man who had killed his wife's brothers.
"My, my! What do we have here?" Antonin teased. "Arthur Weasley. How's your wife?"
Arthur strode forwards furiously, but Severus held him back.
"How dare you?" He yelled.
"Arthur, get Harry out of here!" Snape commanded and pushed the man back to where Harry stood still.
"I think it's time you gave up Harlow. This has been going on for too long and it can't be very nice having to hide your entire life." He pouted.
"Not on your life Dolohov. You know that I can kill you without a second thought, I don't see why you insist on saying that you can defeat me." Sam spoke firmly and from the confidence she emitted, no one doubted her words.
Antonin's calm face condensed into a horrible sneer.
"So be it." He snarled.
He raised his wand and yelled every curse he could imagine. He was met full on by two wands to his one. Severus and Samantha stood side by side, fighting together and protecting one another.
"Expelliarmus!" Sam yelled as Snape cried "Sectumsempra!"
Dolohov cried out as both spells hit him square in the chest. His wand flew from his grasp as he collapsed to the ground, blood began to puddle around him.
"Let's go!" Snape hissed and pushed Samantha in the direction of the fireplaces.
Sam full out sprinted towards Harry and Arthur; Severus covered her head with her hood as they ran.
Needless to say, it wasn't over yet.
A dark curse flew inches from Sam's face and Severus spun to face the Wizard who had cast it, instantly engaging himself in a heated duel.
Sam kept running, occasionally throwing articulate curses behind her until she reached Harry.
Witches and Wizards had run to stand with their backs to the walls. They watched the scene before them with petrified expressions. None of them raised their wands, none wanted to have any spells directed their way.
They reached the fireplace and Arthur grabbed Harry and Sam, attempting to push them in and to safety, but Sam dug her heels in.
"I'm not leaving without Severus! The whole reason I'm being protected is because people are jealous of my power, I'm going to show them what they should be jealous of." She said fiercely to Arthur and before he had time to argue she shook herself from his grasp and strode forwards, pushing her hood back once more.
Her wand was smooth elm wood with phoenix tail feather running through it and as she raised it at the Deatheater that was currently sparring with Severus, it warmed in her grasp and she felt exhilaration echo through her body.
"Incarcerous!" The Deatheater was suddenly bound in ropes and fell to the ground.
Snape wasted no time, he instantly ran in Sam's direction.
When he reached her, she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the fireplace.
Arthur, seeing that Sam was with Severus, grabbed Harry by the back of his jacket and dragged him into the fireplace, and they were whisked off to the place Arthur's mind conjured up in green flames.
When Sam and Severus were mere steps from safety, several killing curses hit the walls around them. Cracked tiles rained down upon them.
At least seven Deatheaters had evaded being harmed and were now approaching the duo.
Sam took a deep breath as she raised her wand, a fire spread within her like it hadn't in a very long time.
"Stupefy!" A red ball of light shot from the tip of her wand, but she wasn't finished yet, with a final cry of "Dividicatem!" She disappeared into the fireplace, Severus close behind her.
The new blue ball of light shot forward and collided with the red one, enveloping it completely; a great 'crack' rebounded off the walls as the stunning spell began to split into seven.
Seven individual balls of light collided with the remaining attackers.
Seven Death Eaters fell simultaneously as their target escaped to safety.
Okay WOW so this would have been up last night but my dad was nagging me to go to bed. I know, I'm 15, it's the holidays and I'm still being made to have a bed time :(
Nevertheless, there you go! I hope you liked it and I will try to update the next one soon.
Lots of love
From
Alicia
xxxx