Harriet Potter Year 2: The Dreams of Yesterday
"The distinction between the past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion."
~Albert Einstein
Harriet Potter, Dumbledore's Office-June 9, 1992
Harriet stared at Dumbledore, not understanding. He didn't seem to mind, though, instead, he simply took another candy from his bowl and waited for her thoughts to catch up with her. She stole a glance at her parents, who seemed as incredulous as she did.
"A trial?" Harriet finally repeated. Dumbledore nodded and Harriet's voice grew more hysterical. "Fudge wants to charge me for trying to steal the Stone and hold a trial?" It made absolutely no sense.
"Yes," Dumbledore said quietly, obviously not knowing how else to reassure her.
"But surely Fudge knows that it was Quirrell who attempted to try and steal the Stone?" scowled her father, while her mother stroked her hair to try and comfort her. "Quirrell was there! In the chamber!"
"Harriet's story relies on the fact that Voldemort was attempting to return to power," Dumbledore sighed. "Fudge refuses to believe that. He much rather think that Harriet herself was attempting to retrieve the Stone and, when he tried to stop her, murdered Quirrell-"
"Wait, what?" Harriet squawked. It was one thing to be accused of trying to steal the Stone, but it was another entirely to be accused of murder. "I'm not even twelve!" she gaped at Dumbledore. Was Fudge really that stupid?
"I'm not too sure yet how Fudge will mount his defense," Dumbledore admitted, "However, I can assure you, everything will work out. Amelia Bones-"
"Susan's aunt?" Harriet asked, surprised. She had seen the woman only once on the platform and had to admit that she looked to be a very intimidating woman.
"The very same," agreed Dumbledore. "As intimidating as she may seem, she is nothing if not fair. Regardless of Fudge's motives, she will hear you out completely. Do not forget, as well, that I, along with your parents and Mr. Black and Mr. Lupin, will be on hand, along with any other witnesses Fudge may call."
Harriet made a noncommittal sound in the back of her throat. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach already come to life. "When is the trial?"
"Fudge has called it for next week." Harriet winced and Dumbledore looked at her over his glasses, his eyes sad. "I am sorry, Harriet."
"Its not your fault, sir," Harriet sniffed, rubbing her nose with the back of her sleeve. Dumbledore gave her a soft smile, but said nothing. Harriet and her parents took that as a dismissal, leaving through the Floo without another word.
Harriet Potter, Potter Manor-June 13, 1992
The trial is tomorrow. The trial is tomorrow. Harriet was at a loss to think anything else. She turned over on her bed so that she was laying on her side, allowing her to see the sandwich and glass of water that her mother had placed on her bedside table in an attempt to get her to eat. She wanted to eat (Lord knows, she was starving), but even the thought of food made her stomach churn and her body break out in a cold sweat.
Harriet had been in her bed almost all day, leaving only once to shower, before returning immediately. In addition to her mother, her father had Remus had also stopped by to cheer her up. Sirius, when realizing that she wasn't going to leave her room anytime soon, had transformed and now lay as Padfoot at the foot of her bed.
"Harriet!" It was her mother. "Can you come downstairs? Somebody is here to see you!" Harriet raised an eyebrow and sat up, stretching her stiff muscles. She was extremely curious as to who was visiting her. She wasn't expecting anybody. She turned to Sirius, who had his head up and had perked his ears.
"Do you know who is coming?" she asked him. He shook his head and hopped of the bed, trotting into the hallway. Harriet frowned and followed his path out the door, finding him as a man once again, smoothing out some wrinkles in his clothes. He smiled at her when he noticed that she was out of bed.
He a made a huge show of bowing and offering her his arm. "Shall we, Lady Prongslette?" She resisted the urge to laugh and played along.
"We shall, Sir Padfoot," she couldn't keep her laughter in and let out a few giggles. Sirius pouted at her, making her laugh even more. He lead her to the top of the stairs before letting go of her and dashing downstairs.
"Race ya!" he called over his shoulder. Harriet scowled.
"No fair," she called after him, trying to catch up. "You had a head start!"
She skidding, laughing, into the living room, where Sirius was already waiting for her, smirking triumphantly. She tried to glare at him, but she was too out of breath to say anything at the moment.
"Glad to see you are having so much fun without me," teased a voice. Harriet started then grinned wildly when she realized who the "visitor" was.
"Hermione!" Harriet ran to embrace her friend hugging her fiercely and Hermione was just as enthusiastic. "What are you doing here!"
"Fudge has called me to be a witness in your trial tomorrow," Hermione said carefully, not sure how Harriet would react. Harriet mouthed a silent "oh." Hermione went on. "I didn't really have a way to get the Ministry, so you're parents were kind enough to invite me over for the night." Harriet smiled at her parents, knowing that it wasn't the only reason they had invited Hermione over.
"You don't need to worry, Harriet," Hermione babbled suddenly. "I've been reading up on the wizarding law and there is no way that they could sentence you to anything more than a few years!" Hermione's eyes widened and she rambled on even more. "Not they would probably convict you at all. As angry as Fudge is, its the Wizengamot that makes the final decision and Dumbledore has been the head of them for a long time so he has a lot of influence! Although, you didn't do anything wrong, so even if he didn't exert any of it, I'm sure you-"
"Hermione!" Harriet cut in, staring at her friend with wide eyes. Hermione stopped talking and took a deep breath, her face flushed from talking so fast. Harriet could hear Sirius laughing behind her, but she ignored it. Again, she wrapped her arms around Hermione for a large hug. "Thank you," she told her friend quietly. She didn't need to say what for. Hermione understood completely.
She simply mumbled a shy, "You're welcome."
For the first time, Harriet fully appreciated Hermione and her friendship. That wasn't to say that she hadn't enjoyed Hermione's companionship before, but she wouldn't deny the fact that she had much rather spend time with Ron, who shared a similar sense of humor, love of Quidditch, and disdain for schoolwork. Not to mention the fact that he had been her first real friend (not counting Isaura, but she was a snake, so that made their relationship just a tad more complicated).
But now, sitting cross-legged on the floor in her bedroom with Hermione, a bucket of popcorn between them, doing each other's nails and sharing laughs, Harriet finally understood what it meant to have a real girl-friend.
Right now, she wasn't "Harriet Potter: The-Girl Who Lived" or "Harriet Potter: The Freak in the Cupboard." She was just Harriet, which was who she had wanted to be her entire life.
Harriet scowled and threw popcorn at a particularly teasing comment from Hermione, who retaliated in the same manner. Within a few minutes, the entire room was covered in kernels, each of the girls laughing on the floor, tears streaming down their faces.
"Whats going on-" Harriet's father had stuck his head threw the door to see what all the noise was about, only to find himself hit in the face with a handful of popcorn, courtesy of Hermione.
Hermione sat up, aghast. "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter!"
Harriet's father, however, just chuckled and stepped a bit further into the room. "I'm sorry, too, Hermione," he told her gravely, plucking some of the popcorn off his shirt. He chucked them at her, who squealed and threw her hands up to protect herself. "You're aim is awful!"
Harriet laughed and Hermione scowled, mumbling something about how her aim was perfect.
"Ah," came Sirius's voice. Sirius had stuck his head into the room as well and smirked at his friend. "Here you are." He took in the girls and the TweenWitch Monthly between them and grinned. "I know what you're thinking, James, but no tip from a magazine is going to get your hair to lie flat!"
Sirius was gone for the room quick as a flash, with James hot on his heels. Harriet and Hermione couldn't see what happened after that, but a resounding crash and a high yelp from Sirius assure them that Harriet's father had gotten his revenge.
"You're family is mental," Hermione told her friend tactlessly. "Now I know where you get it."
Harriet stuck out her tongue, then Hermione said, "Give me your other foot," she ordered, "unless you want to appear in front of the whole of Wizengamot with uneven toenails." Harriet quieted. In all the fun, she had forgotten why she had been so anxious in the first place.
"Harriet," Hermione sighed. Harriet didn't let her finish though.
"Are they really going to try me in front of the entire Wizengamot?" Hermione didn't say anything for a moment and Harriet worried that she was never going to answer.
"I don't know," her friend admitted quietly after a moment. Harriet wouldn't leave it at that.
"But your best guess?" Harriet begged. Hermione sighed.
"Fudge isn't happy," she told her friend quietly, "and he's trying to pin you for theft and murder. I wouldn't be surprised."
Harriet felt the pure desperation grow in her chest. "Why?" she demanded. "Why can't he just leave me alone? Dumbledore said that Fudge just doesn't want to admit that Voldemort-" Hermione flinched. "-tried to come back, but then why not say that Quirrell tried to steal the Stone to use it for himself!"
Hermione shook her head. "I don't know," she said carefully, "but remember, Harriet, these past few months haven't been easy on Fudge. Sirius was released from Azkaban as a free man and revealed that he never got a trial. Nicolas Flamel, a highly respected wizard, trusted Dumbledore to guard one of the most precious artifacts in the history of magic, all under Fudge's nose! He's embarrassed and I suppose that this is his way of trying to save some face. If he can prove that you really tried to steal the Stone, it would make Dumbledore look like an incompetent old man and an unworthy headmaster for almost being outwitted by an eleven year old girl."
Harriet blinked. "Thats the worst logic I've ever heard of."
Hermione snorted. "Nobody said that Fudge was voted into office because of his brains."
Harriet's lips twitched upwards and Hermione did her best not to let her laughter escape. When their eyes met though, neither was able to hold in their near hysterical giggles.
Harriet Potter, Ministry of Magic-June 10, 1992
Despite her anxiousness, Harriet couldn't help but notice that the Ministry of Magic was one of the most amazing places she had ever seen, not counting Hogwarts. She stole a glance at Ron and Hermione, both of whom were dressed up in their smartest robes. Judging by their glazed over eyes and their open jaws, they were thinking the same thing.
The were walking down a large, glistening hallway with hardwood floors. If it weren't for her father's hand on her back, Harriet most likely would have walked into something, as she couldn't keep her eyes off of the bright-blue ceiling covered in golden, swirling, ever-changing symbols, which moved as though in some sort of dance to which only they knew the choreography of. She vaguely wondered what they translated into, but, truthfully, she was far too dumbstruck to remember to ask.
Hermione, on the other hand, seemed focused on something else: a fountain. The fountain was located about half-way down the hall. A group of golden statues, larger than life-size, stood in the middle of a circular pool. Tallest of them all was a noble-looking wizard with his wand pointing straight up in the air. Grouped around him were a beautiful witch, a centaur, a goblin and an oldd looking creature with large, bat-like ears.. The last three were all looking adoringly up at the witch and wizard. Glittering jets of water were flying from the ends of their wands, the point of the centaur's arrow, the tip of the goblins hat and each of the small creature's ears, so that the tinkling hiss of falling water was added to the pops and cracks of the Apparators and the clatter of footsteps as hundreds of witches and wizards, most of whom were wearing glum, early-morning looks, strode towards a set of golden gates at the far end of the hall.
"What is that?" Hermione screeched, coming to a complete standstill in front of the figure. Harriet and Ron exchanged glances, recognizing the beginning of a patented "Hermione Rant."
"A fountain?" Ron asked weakly. Hermione gave him a glare, making him recoil.
"I know that, Ronald," she hissed. "I meant what was on the fountain! Its deplorable! The way they depict the wizards to be so superior and make the centaur and the- the- the-" she waved her hand to signify the house-elf and Sirius, realizing that Hermione did not know what the small creature was, supplied it for her.
"A house-elf," he offered. Hermione scowled.
"Right! The house-elf-" Hermione stopped short and looked at Sirius curiously. "Whats a house-elf?"
"A house-elf is a magical creature which is devoted and loyal to the one designated as their master. They serve wizards and witches, and must do everything that is ordered of them, often punishing themselves when they dissatisfy their master." Harriet's mum recited this in a manner that was so similar to Hermione that Harriet looked between the two of them rapidly.
She then turned back to the statue. She had heard of house-elves, of course, but she had yet to ever see one. She frowned at the worshipful look on the elf's face. She hoped that not all house-elves looked like that.
"Come on," said Remus gently, ushering the children forward. "We don't want to be late-"
"Where are we even going?" Harriet asked curiously. For all her worry about the trial, she hadn't even begin to wonder about where it would be held. Remus raised an eyebrow in slight rebuke of her interruption, so she offered a mumbled apology.
"We are meeting Kingsley Shaklebolt," Remus said. "He'll be taking us to the courtroom." Harriet nodded, feeling a bit better, remembering Auror Shacklebolt calm demeanor and large smile. They met up with him by one of the lifts. He greeted them all with a strained smile, saving Harriet for last.
"Ah, Harriet Potter," he said, offering her his hand, "we meet again. I am sorry that it had be under these circumstances."
"So am I," she muttered to herself, before shaking his hand and thanking him for his kind words. He released her and guided the group away from the stream of visitors towards a set of golden gates. Instead of going through them, Auror Shacklebolt led them to small desk at the side labeled Security.
"Hello, Eric," Auror Shacklebolt greeted the wizard in peacock blue robes. "I have some visitors."
"All of them?" said Eric, sounding highly dismayed at all of the people and the extra work. Auror Shacklebolt just chuckled, amused.
"No, not all of them." Eric sighed, relieved. Harriet, Ron, Hermione, Lily, and Remus all stepped forward and Eric scowled again, looking sourly at the auror. Harriet watched as Remus, the first to move forward. Eric held up a thin golden rod and passed it up and down Remus's back.
"Wand," grunted Eric and Remus cheerfully handed the grumpy wizard his wand.
The wizard dropped it on to a strange brass instrument, which looked something like a set of scales with only one dish. It began to vibrate. A narrow strip of parchment came speeding out of a slit in the base. The wizard tore this off and read the writing on it, which was a set of statistics about Remus's wand.
"Yes," said Remus surely, "All correct."
"I keep this," said the wizard, impaling the slip of parchment on a small brass spike. "You get this back," he added, handing the wand back Remus. The rest of the group passed through security, until only Harriet was left. Eric handed her back her wand after the scan.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"Hang on…" Eric said slowly, sitting up and looking at Harriet curiously. His eyes had darted from the silver visitors badge on Harriet's chest to her forehead.
"Thank you, Eric," said her father firmly as Sirius took her by the shoulder and lead her away from the desk and through the gates with the others. Somehow, Auror Shacklebolt managed to maneuver the group through the crowd and into a slightly smaller hallway that was lined with lifts, all guarded by golden grilles.
As they waited in line for a chance on the lifts, several wizards greeted the three aurors and quite a few stared at Harriet's scar. Ron and Hermione, sensing their stares, moved around Harriet, as they often did at Hogwarts, their slightly taller forms doing a pretty good job of blocking the looks.
She shot them each a grateful smile, then frowned.
"Mr. Shacklebolt," she said, trying to call over the hum of the voices. Kingsley shook his head.
"Just a moment Harriet," he said, suddenly disappearing through the crowd of people. For a moment Harriet wondered if he had left them, but a moment later, he appeared, gesturing for them to follow. They did and found themselves ushered into the lift that he had just managed to procure.
"There," he sighed, pressing a button as the doors closed. Harriet felt the lift move upward. "Now, what were you wanting to ask, Harriet?"
"I was wondering, Mr. Shacklebolt-"
"Kingsley," Auror Shacklebolt interrupted. Harriet nodded, surprised.
"Alright, Kingsley," she said carefully. He smiled at her in encouragement, so she decided to continue. "Where exactly are we going?
"Courtroom Ten," Kingsley said quietly. Harriet, seeing the looks on the adults's faces turned back to Kingsley, nervous.
"Whats wrong with Courtroom Ten?"
"Nothing is wrong with it, Prongslette," explained Sirius from the back of the lift. Harriet turned around to get a better look at him. "Courtroom Ten was one of the old courtrooms used after the war to interrogate Death Eaters."
Harriet took in a deep breath and Kingsley reassured her. "Do not worry, Harriet. The methods that were used to interrogate Death Eaters will be nothing at all like how this trial will work. Courtroom Ten was probably chosen due to its size. It's very big."
"Will a lot of people be there?" Hermione piped up. Kingsley took a deep breath.
"Yes," he said carefully watching Harriet for a reaction. When it was clear that she was not about to break down crying, he continued. "The whole of Wizengamot will be there," Harriet raised an eyebrow at Hermione, whose lips were pursed in a thin line, "along with many witnesses and several reporters."
"Witnesses?" Harriet asked, surprised. She had known that was why Hermione and Ron were here, but she had assumed that they would be it. Kingsley nodded.
"Fudge has summoned about a dozen witnesses forth to either to attest to your character or attempt to determine what truly happened that night."
"How long is this going to take?" It was Ron who asked.
"A good portion of the day," Kingsley admitted, making Harriet's jaw drop.
"What about food!" demanded Ron, indignant. Harriet and Hermione snorted as Kingsley explained to Ron that their would be short breaks for meals. Suddenly, an automated voice called over the lift.
"The Atrium." Harriet took a deep breath as the group was lead outside and down the hall. This particular corridor was both dark and musty, reminding Harriet strongly of the dungeons at Hogwarts. At the end, they met an old witch by a large, grimy door.
"Augusta!" exclaimed Harriet's mum, sounding shocked. Harriet blinked, having suddenly recognized the woman as Neville's grandmother. She was dressed quite a bit differently (in smart, black robes) since the last time Harriet had seen her on the train platform
"I needed to bring Neville here," she explained sharply. Harriet blanched: she hadn't realized that other friends from school were here. Who else? Mrs. Longbottom continued. "I also came to offer my services," she said simply. Harriet frowned and Remus, seeing her frown (and those of Ron and Hermione), leant down to explain.
"Mrs. Longbottom used to be an attorney here in the wizarding world. She was quite good, but went into retirement years ago."
Harriet nodded and looked at her father and mother who were talking quietly with Mrs. Longbottom and Kingsley. Finally, Harriet could see that an agreement had been reached.
"Thank you, Augusta," Harriet's mum said. Apparently, Mrs. Longbottom was going to be representing her. Harriet's father looked at her concerned.
"Are you ready, Prongslette?" Harriet nodded quickly, knowing that if she thought about what was about to happen, she would probably throw up. Kingsley opened the doors to Courtroom Ten and they were all lead inside.
Harriet Potter, Courtroom Ten- June 10, 1992
Harriet had to bite back a gasp as she entered the courtroom and saw it for the first time. The room was large and round, with a high ceiling and grimy walls that reminded her of the Hogwarts dungeons. The center of the room was bare (save for a single chair), but the rest of the room was lined with rows and rows of benches, most filled with shadowy-figures and blurred shapes.
The most prominent seats were situated directly across from the door. Harriet recognized Fudge from his picture in the paper. He was a short, balding man, whose mouth was currently set in a tight frown. Next to him, Harriet could make out the familiar, monocled form of Amelia Bones. Neville's grandmother had taken her seat next to them. There were a young man also there (just out of school, Harriet guessed), a quill in his hand and ready to write.
Harriet felt aher mother's hand nudge shoulder and let herself be lead to a row of benches off to the side of the room. Her eyes having adjusted to the dim lighting provided by the torches, she could make out the familiar shapes of others, including Neville, Madam Pomfrey, and Snape.
She settled down between her parents, with Sirius and Remus to the left next to her father, and Ron and Hermione to the right of her mother. After a few more minutes, where everybody seemed to settle down, an unnatural hush fell over the courtroom as Fudge stood up.
He cleared his throat. "Yes," he muttered, before speaking up a bit, "Well. The Wizengamot has been gathered here today to hear the case of Miss Harriet Lily Potter, who has been accused of the attempted theft of an ancient magical artifact-the Philosopher's Stone-and the murder of Professor Quirinus Quirrell. Testimony will be heard from about a dozen witness from each side, at which point Wizengamot will make a decision as to Miss Potter's innocence or guilt. Let the record show that this trial has officially begun.
Fudge sat down and Amelia Bones called the first witness.
"Healer Bernard Barkleberry."
Bernard Barkleberry, Courtroom Ten- June 10, 1992
Harriet bit her lip as the older gentleman carefully made his way to the chair in the center of the room. The chains attached to it shuddered ominously, as if contemplating whether or not he needed to be restrained, before stilling, obviously deciding that he was no threat. The man visibly let out a sigh of relief.
"Please state your name," Madam Bones said firmly. The man fiddled with his collar, sweat beading on his brow.
"Bernard Barkleberry," he said, his voice choking a bit over the last syllable. Amelia Bones raised an eyebrow at him.
"And what is it that you do?"
"I'm a healer," he said, as if unsure of it himself. He placed his hands back in his lap and fiddled with them nervously. "I work at St. Mungo's. In the mental ward."
"Right," Madam Bones nodded, glancing down at a piece of paper. "You have been summoned here today to give your professional opinion on the effects of the Killing Curse on a person's mental health."
From the stands, Harriet almost made to stand up, indignant. That was their defense? That the Killing Curse had somehow made her insane? Harriet wasn't sure whether she should laugh or cry. She decided that both would be appropriate in this situation.
"Yes," Healer Barkleberry affirmed. He sounded a bit more confident at this point.
"And what is your professional opinion?" asked Fudge eagerly. Madam Bones gave him a warning glare, silencing him. Barkleberry watched the exchange for a moment, before clearing his throat in an attempt to get rid of the tension.
"My professional opinion," he began carefully, as though he were waiting for Madam Bones to glare at him, "is that it is entirely possible-even likely-that the Killing Curse has had some sort of adverse effect on Miss Potter's mental state."
"Right," said Augusta Longbottom drily, "and you know this because we have so many other survivors of the Killing Curse from whom you can draw your conclusions."
Barkleberry stuttered as Madam Bones tutted a warning to Mrs. Longbottom. "Now hang on," he argued. "Just because we may not have a case such as Miss Potter's, does not mean that my conclusion is any less sound!"
"And what makes you say that, Healer Barkleberry?" asked Madam Bones, cooly.
"Well," he began, "all we truly need to do is look at other examples of the effects of Unforgivables on wizards and witches. The Imperius Curse, for instance, can do great damage to the minds of its victims, especially at the hands of a very strong wizard."
"And not to mention the Cruciatus Curse," said Fudge bitingly. He gave Mrs. Longbottom a scalding look. "But I am sure you would know all about the effects of that particular curse."
Mrs. Longbottom drew herself upwards, obviously stung by his comment, the reasons for which Harriet did not understand. The courtroom filled with angry hisses (including some from her parents) and even Snape seemed to think that Fudge's words had gone too far.
"Thank-you for your testimony, Healer Barkleberry." Madam Bones spoke sharply. " You may step down. Madam Pomfrey, if you would please approach?"
Madam Pomfrey, Courtroom 10- June 10, 1992
"My name is Madam Poppy Pomfrey," the older woman said confidently. "I have been running the Hogwarts hospital wing for over twenty years."
Madam Bones gave her first true smile of the day, apparently familiar with the healer from her own days at Hogwarts.
"Madam Pomfrey," she began calmly, "You are called here to testify regarding Harriet Potter's mental state. You examined Miss Potter the day her parents went to retrieve her from her relatives, correct?"
"Yes," she said simply. Madam Bones nodded firmly then looked back down to the paper in front of her. "And what did you find?"
Harriet felt her heart skip a beat. Madam Pomfrey wouldn't be able to tell them what her scans had revealed, right? She might not have known much about how medical scans worked, but somebody as thorough as Madam Pomfrey couldn't have missed the sure signs of evidence of the Dursley's treatment of her.
"That information is protected by doctor-patient confidentiality." Madam Pomfrey answered. Harriet let out a deep breath she hadn't even realized that she had been holding. She felt her mother give her hand a light squeeze of comfort.
"We have received special permission from the Wizengamot to override such confidentiality," Fudge told her triumphantly.
"Only for information that is relevant to the current case!" Madam Pomfrey chided fiercely.
"You are correct, Madam Pomfrey," said Madam Bones, interjecting. "Let me rephrase my question. We have just heard testimony from Healer Barkleberry regarding the possibility of the after effects suffered by Miss Potter due to the Killing Curse. Did you find anything in your examination pointing to anything of the sort?"
"No," Madam Pomfrey informed her. "Miss Potter showed no signs of any mental damage or derangement. She was one of the most cooperative patients I've had in awhile. So polite!"
Harriet turned bright red as more than a few of the heads in the room turned toward her, some of the faces wearing small smiles.
"How did you know what to test for?" Fudge pointed out gleefully. "We've never had another survivor of the Killing Curse." Madam Pomfrey shot her the stern glare that had quieted braver men than Fudge.
Harriet wondered if Madam Pomfrey had also noticed that Fudge was contradicting himself regarding the reliability of using the other Unforgivables as a mark for the effects of the Killing Curse.
"I tested using the same standard as I do for the other Unforgivables," she told him sternly. "I also tested for any abnormalities, psychologically speaking. There were none."
Madam Bones nodded and Fudge scowled further. Madam Bones dismissed the healer and called for the next witness.
"Neville Longbottom," Madam Bones called. "Please approach."
Neville Longbottom, Courtroom 10- June 10, 1992
"M-my name is N-Neville Longbottom," Neville stammered, looking incredibly flustered by all of the eyes on him. Harriet tried to catch his eye and give him a reassuring smile, but it didn't seem to help much.
"Mr. Longbottom," began Madam Bones, "we have called you here to help shed a bit more light on Miss Potter's character." She smiled kindly at him. "We are just going to ask you a few questions, alright?"
Neville nodded slowly.
"Alright. When did you meet and Miss Potter first meet?"
"We first met on the Hogwarts Express," Neville offered. Madam Bones nodded for him to continue. "I didn't talk to her for very long-didn't even know her name. I was just looking for Trevor, my toad. I asked her and Ron-er, Ron Weasley, who was there, too-if they had seen him. They said they hadn't, so I left."
"I see." Madam Bones nodded. "But you got to know her a bit better in instances after that, correct?"
"We were sorted into the same house," Neville offered, "and we had some classes together. She-" he paused for a moment, his nerves seeming to catch up with him. "She offered to partner with me in Potions...It's not really my best subject, you see?" He told Madam Bones with a sheepish smile. Snape gave a snort of amusement, which Madam Bones thankfully pretended not to notice.
"I felt bad about her having to put up with me, so I told her I'd help her in Herbology."
Madam Bones nodded. "And this academic partnership is the extent of your relationship with Miss Potter?"
"Well," Neville said, "we see each other in the common room and stuff. Harriet's always been really nice to me. She stands up for me when other people make fun of me, and is always trying to boost my confidence and stuff..." Neville trailed off, blushing brightly (although not nearly as red as Harriet was turning).
"Tell us about the dragon incident," Madam Bones said gently. Neville frowned for a moment, not seeming to understand her. Recollection dawned on his face after a moment.
"Oh," he said, suddenly more nervous. Harriet felt her heart speed up. Neville had promised to keep the true nature of "the dragon incident" a secret, but did that extend to court? Hopefully it did. The last thing she needed was adding illegal dragon smuggling to her already growing list of charges.
"That was just a misunderstanding," Neville muttered, seeming to try and sink into his chair.
"Can you clarify?"
"Sure," he said. He didn't say anything for a minute though, seemingly lost in thought. Madam Bones and Neville's grandmother both seemed rather patient, but Fudge looked about ready to burst.
Wait another minute, Neville, she silently urged. If Fudge blows up, all my problems will be gone!"
"Harriet never got along with Malfoy-ah, Draco, sorry." Neville began, stumbling. "House rivalries and all," he smiled weakly. "They were always bickering and trying to outdo each other and that-that sort of thing." Harriet felt a surge of gratitude towards Neville. He was trying to tell their made up tale and still shed her in as flattering a light as possible.
"Malfoy had already tried tricking Harriet and Ron into leaving the dorm after curfew," here, Neville shot Harriet an apologetic look, knowing that the crime they had managed to get away clean with had now been aired out to dry, "so Harriet and Ron and Hermione thought that it might be a good idea to try and get even. Thats when they came up with a story about an illegal dragon."
"And Mister Draco Malfoy believed it?" Madam Bones pressed. Neville nodded eagerly.
"Yea, he did. Their plan worked, but a little too well." Neville let out a weak chuckle and began to play with his hands. "I b-believed the story, too. I-I overhead Malfoy talking about getting Harriet and her friends in trouble, s-so I tried to track them down and stop them."
"Thats when you all got caught," Madam Bones finished, leaning down to scribble something in her notes, frown on her face.
"It wasn't Harriet's fault, though!" Neville protested, suddenly sounding more confident than he ever had before. Harriet suddenly realized that Neville, although a bit bumbling and clueless at times, was a good friend. "She didn't mean for any of us-even Malfoy- to get into that much trouble!"
"And even after that incident," demanded Fudge, "you still believe Harriet Potter to be your friend?"
Harriet winced.
"Yea," Neville said quietly. Harriet took a deep breath in and managed to exchange gleeful looks with Ron and Hermione. "I was really hurt, at first. Then Ron and Hermione dragged me down to the hospital wing and they all explained to me what had happened. I know I'm not as close to any of them as they are to each other, but...yea. I still think Harriet is my friend. Ron and Hermione, too."
Harriet was almost jumping up and down in her seat at this point. Only her father's hand on her shoulder kept her still. Ron had a huge grin on his face, as well, and Hermione looked both very smug and very pleased.
Fudge, on the other hand, looked sour. Madam Bones thanked Neville and dismissed him. When she called the next witness, Fudge looked infinitely more hopeful.
"Draco Malfoy, please approach."
Draco Malfoy, Courtroom 10- June 10, 1992
"She's absolutely awful!"
Those were Draco's first words as he took a seat in the center of the courtroom. Harriet resisted the urge to hex him (that is, if she could actually learn how; they hadn't gotten that far in Defense).
"You mean Miss Potter?" Madam Bones questioned, after taking a moment to recover from his outburst. Draco nodded fervently.
"Please, Mister Malfoy," Fudge implored, failing in his attempt to not sound too eager, "Tell us more!"
Draco seemed all too eager to oblige. He began listing all of her faults: from her bragging, to her attention-seeking ways, to all of the special treatment she enjoyed. His testimony might have been somewhat useful to Fudge, had Malfoy not made a mistake.
"She smuggled in that illegal dragon, too!"
Harriet could almost hear Fudge cursing Malfoy out in his mind.
"The illegal dragon?" said Madam Bones, amused. "Are you referring to the prank pulled by Miss Potter and her friends?"
Draco gaped like a fish. "It wasn't a prank! There was an actual dragon!" He protested loudly.
Harriet heard some tittering from the crowd, and she resisted the urge to giggle herself. Malfoy looked like an indignant puppy. "It's true!"
"Mister Malfoy, a ministry investigation has already established that there was no dragon."
"But-"
"Enough!" Madam Bones said sharply. Malfoy was silent. "These proceedings will take long enough without you sprouting this drivel for the court to hear. Thats enough. You are dismissed."
Still grumbling about the fact that there was a real dragon, and that no he hadn't been imagining things, Malfoy hopped off of his seat and shot Harriet the meanest glare he could muster. Harriet scowled back.
Harriet Potter, Courtroom 10-June 10, 1992
The interrogations continued in this manner for the rest of the day. After Malfoy, Madam Bones called Remus to the stand, followed by Sirius. At first, Fudge seemed determined to bring in Remus's lycanthropy and Sirius's jail record, but Madam Bones quickly put a stop to his line of thought. According to Madam Bones, they were both being questioned to learn more about Harriet's character, not to unearth skeletons from their closets.
(No guesses there about how they testified.)
Sirius left the stands, glaring quite harshly at Fudge. Next, Harriet's parents were called collectively to the stand. Madam Hooch first told them how happy she had been when she heard that they were awake. Then, they were both asked to confirm that Harriet had written to them about her search for the Stone
("She didn't know what it was when she was looking for it!" They had protested.)
Harriet was worried when Snape was called up to the stands-he was supposed to act like he hated her, after all. She was stupid to be so anxious. Snape played his part brilliantly. He made sure to emphasize the fact he could not stand her, but that she was "far too incapable of pulling off such a heinous crime." He also added that, although he thought her to be an "obnoxious, spoiled, little girl," she was "not nearly as lazy or arrogant as her father and his band of troublemaking idiots."
(Harriet got the impression that he was enjoying this far too much.)
McGonagall came next, offering her explanation of the events that had lead up to the theft of the Stone, beginning with the point in time when Harriet, Ron, and Hermione had run up to her in the hall and informed her that somebody was trying to steal the Stone.
("If only I had taken them seriously," McGonagall had lamented as she went to take her seat in the stands once again.)
Dumbledore's testimony considered mostly of his agreement with Nicholas Flamel, confirmation that he had received an urgent letter from the Ministry requiring his immediate presence, and a statement that only somebody who wanted the Stone-but not to use it- could have taken it from the mirror.
(His eyes never stopped twinkling. Harriet wondered how he did that.)
As Harriet had expected, Hermione's testimony was filled with facts and detail-a typical Hermione response to everything. This might have been a sign of grace under pressure, but Harriet knew better. When Hermione was nervous, she had a tendency to overanalyze everything.
("Really this trial is completely ridiculous. Under the precedent set by Mulligan vs. The Wizengamot in 1927-" Harriet tuned her out after that.)
Ron's testimony outlined the same events as Hermione, with less detail. Unlike Harriet's other friend, he had a tendency to stumble over his words more, but, other than that, his story never changed.
("We did try to go to a teacher! We went to Professor McGonagall! Then we tried Headmaster Dumbledore-no wait, we tried to go to Dumbledore first. Then, after Harriet was taken, we went to Snape-I mean, Professor Snape.")
Finally, it was Harriet's turn.
"Harriet Lily Potter," she said, her voice wavering just a tad as she gave her name for the court. She prayed that nobody noticed (at least, if they did, they didn't comment.)
"Yes, Miss Potter," said Madam Bones firmly. "You are brought here under the charges of the attempted theft of a magical artifact, the attempted murder of-"
"I know the charges," Harriet interrupted. "I rather not hear them again," she said with a small smile. Madam Bones returned it, albeit hesitantly, and nodded, "Understood."
"Now, Miss Potter, why don't you start from the beginning?"
Harriet did. She told the court about how she had first met Fluffy and how they had figured out that the dog was guarding something. She described how they had made the connection with Nicholas Flamel ("I really did see him on a Chocolate Frog Card!" she insisted amidst chuckles). She described going through the trapdoor with Quirrell, his mistake with the potions, and, finally, her confrontation with Voldemort.
"He was there!" She protested, "on the back of Quirrell's head! He was there!"
"The Dark Lord isn't back!" Fudge roared, as the courtroom erupted into a frenzy.
"I'm not saying he's back," Harriet sighed, with the exasperated-ness that only a soon-to-be twelve year old could manage. She rolled her eyes for good measure. "At least, not of all him. Just his face, rather. And thats gone by now, too."
Madam Bones banged heavily on the stand with her gavel. They have those in Wizard Courts, too? Harriet mused.
"Alright, alright, alright." She said firmly. "Miss. Potter, we understand that you believe You-Know-Who to be back, but is it possible that you were mistaken?"
"You haven't been listening," she scowled, annoyed, forgetting all manners that Aunt Petunia had shoved down her throat when she was little. "He isn't back-"
"Yes, just his head-"
"-Actually it was his face-"
"-but is it possible you were mistaken?" Harriet gaped. Could she have been mistaken? She had stared into his eyes! She had felt his hands on her throat! He had tried to kill her in the forest! But obviously, nobody was going to believe that story. And she was far too young to be arrested.
"I guess so," she muttered quietly. Madam Bones nodded.
"Fudge, I find it highly unlikely that Miss Potter attempted to the steal the Stone. It is far more likely that Quirrell attempted to steal the Stone and Miss Potter's actions were simply self-defense. The trauma of the situation must have caused her to invent this ludicrous story of You-Know-Who's face. lAll in favor of dropping the charges, please raise your hands."
Harriet felt as though her heart was in her throat. She watched, not daring to blink, as hands slowly lifted into the air. Thats more than half! She let out a giddy giggle as Madam Bones banged her gavel. "Case dismissed."
Harriet made to get up and embrace her parents, but she was stopped by Fudge's voice. "Wait! There is still the matter of Harriet's custody!"
"Harriet's what?" she echoed, settling back in the chair as an unnatural hush fell over the courtroom.
"Harriet's parents allowed her to get close to a potentially dangerous magical artifact! Had they kept a closer eye on her-"
"You can't seriously be suggesting," demanded Neville's grandmother, "that you separate Harriet from her parents so soon after they were reunited?"
"Under normal circumstances, a full investigation would be launched! We cannot neglect our duties simply because of their 'special' circumstances!" Fudge retorted smugly. Madam Bones seemed incapable of speech for a moment, before finally letting out a resigned sigh.
"He's right." Harriet saw her parents try to rise from their seats, but they were held down by Sirius and Remus. Ron was glaring at Fudge with all the muster he held in his twelve year old body. "In in the interim, Miss Potter can reside with her godfather, Sirius Black-"
"An ex-convict who was just released from Azkaban! Hardly a good role-model!"
"Fine," said Madam Bones, too tired at this point to argue with Fudge's ridiculous demands. "Mr. Lupin is a good family friend-"
"And a registered lycanthrope!" snapped Fudge. Members of the courtroom who were friends with Remus hissed at Fudge.
"Then who would you reccomend?"
"The Dursleys. Miss Potter lived with them for ten years. I'm sure she would be perfectly happy with them for a few months."
"Now wait just a moment-" Harriet's father cried, jumping up from his seat, as the ruling was passed. The courtroom seemed to be reigned with chaos from that point on. Reporters snapped pictures, Augusta Longbottom berated Fudge, Harriet's family protested vehemently. All Harriet could do, however, was sit in her seat and try not to cry.
So much for a great summer.
AN: So thats it for the first chapter of Harriet's second year! Is she really going to the Dursleys? Or maybe not? And whats Dobby been up to since we last saw him?
Please review!
tinyrose65