DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter is not mine. Sadly my imagination is not that great.

AN: Thanks for everyone's support for this story. I am very happy and grateful that so many people like my 'little baby' and this only makes want to write more.

With this chapter, we start to see the beginning of the payback planned by Florence to the ones who wronged her and Harry. I hope that you like how this is going and, like always, you are welcome to share your opinions.

IMPORTANT: I am aware that usually a trial does not proceed the way that I wrote it in this chapter and the following ones. I have never been in a courtroom or anything related to that and the only knowledge that I have about this matter is through the TV and movies.

Some character from Harry Potter once said that 'wizards have no common sense' and I thought: well, if they don't have that, there is not a great stretch of imagination if other things are very different too. Right?

So, people, just go with the flow and ignore any inconsistencies that you may find in this trial when compared to real life. I know it is different and maybe even improbable but I will leave it that way as it works best with what I have planned for this story.

I hope you enjoy this chapter.

''Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.''

– Robert A. Heinlein

CHAPTER 10

Harry Potter's funeral the next day was a grand affair. People from everywhere on the country had come to say their last good-byes to the Boy Hero and the media were in attendance as well to photograph the service for The Daily Prophet other newspapers. Florence was happy to note that the attending reporter was Sarah Silvers, the same witch who had written the announcing article about Harry's death the previous day.

Most witches were crying openly before and during the ceremony, and everyone seemed to be truly grief-stricken about this tragic happening. Almost everyone that is, Florence corrected as she glimpsed certain people that she had no wishes in seeing at the forefront of the crowd, while an official from the Ministry conducted the burial ceremony.

Florence had to exercise all her restrain when she had first seen them. Never before had she been so happy and thankful for her mastery of Occlumency and her considerable self-control. Her only wish at that moment had been to curse each and every one of them to oblivion time and again until all her hurt and anger diminished to a bearable level.

Albus Dumbledore had arrived at the Godric's Hollow's graveyard sensibly dressed in heavy black robes and his expression was expertly of one who was truly mournful for this situation. After him, the whole Weasley's brood (except Percy) followed with Hermione Granger among them.

It was clear to see, at least to Florence, who was actually sincere in their feelings of grieving.

The father of the family and the four older sons showed true sorrow in their faces and Florence knew that they were sincerely sad that Harry had died.

The same could not be said however about the mother and the two younger children and their muggle-born friend.

Molly Weasley acted for all to see as if she was burying one of her own children. Florence believed that the woman was trying too hard and making a nuisance of herself with her fabricated hysterical behaviour.

Ginny was actually truly crying, though her reasons for it were not the most appropriated ones in this situation. Florence didn't even have to read her mind to know that the girl was grieving her lost chance at being rich and the future Mrs. Potter.

Hermione Granger was trying and failing to appear grief-stricken about her best friend's death. Like her version from Florence's world, this Hermione was not a good actress and if one looked carefully enough, they could see that she seemed more annoyed than anything.

Lastly, Ron Weasley was not even trying in acting upset. He simply stood there beside his family with an expression of utter boredom on his face as if he couldn't get this over with fast enough to go do something that he actually cared about.

There were other people there that Florence had known in her world and was happy to note that they seemed truthful in their sentiments. Minerva McGonagall stood silently and with dry eyes although it was clear that the witch was mourning in her own way. Other professors were present as well to pay their respects to their students, though the one that surprised Florence the most was Severus Snape.

She had not been sure what the man's reaction to her letter from the previous day would be and had spent some time wondering about it. The man could have taken in the content of her letter in silence and mulling over it contemplatively in his mind or he could have just as well destroy her letter – not the one from Lily though, she was certain that that piece of parchment was safely guarded like a well- secured rare jewel – and start cursing everything in sight in his rage at the impudence of some mysterious woman knowing so much about his life.

Thus it was a rather pleasant surprise to Florence that the Potions Master was present at the ceremony and seemed sincere in his sentiments and at the same time inconspicuously maintaining his distance from his employer as he did not seem very happy with the old man at the moment.

Florence watched all this silently with her glamoured brown eyes. She had taken care of all the necessities for the funeral service however she did not acknowledge herself to anyone – except Madam Bones and Beryl Cross with a nod of her head – and was glad that no one had enquire about the one responsible for it.

There were some people (including the Minister of Magic, demonstrating what Florence sarcastically deemed the British short-term memory) who made some small speeches – meaningless in Florence's opinion, as most of them never knew Harry personally – during the ceremony but her greatest irritation was Dumbledore who was the last one to speak. He declared a seemingly heart-felt speech about how Harry Potter was a young beloved hero and a great example to his generation with careful hidden appeals to fight against the Dark and that now that the Boy Saviour was gone, Dumbledore was the only one able to stand against the Dark Lord.

Her own feelings aside, Florence was astonished of the way that the old man always tried to turn any given situation to his benefit, even the death of a child at the hands of his own family under the watchful eye of the Headmaster was a good enough circumstance to further his manipulations and shake off his own blame in the same breath.

Florence was one of the first people to leave after the ceremony ended. She'd come back later to properly pay her respects to Harry when she was alone and calmer. Her patience was reaching its limits and she knew that if she didn't leave immediately, she would surely do something that she would later regret and jeopardize her plans.

For now, those people must be completely oblivious of what awaited them in the near future and for that Florence needed to continue incognito for a little while longer.

The next few days passed smoothly to Florence. She met with her barrister, Gonzalo Castillo, a few times to take care of the charges that she wished to press against the people who had wronged Harry Potter. Florence was only waiting for the beginning of the trial of Harry's murder to advance with the legal charges.

She had met with Slowfire as well to go through her vast wealth. She had more gold than she could ever spend in her life – even with the prolonged life of the Mistress of Death – however she planned in using much of that money in her later plans for Hogwarts. She knew that if she didn't make investments and such, eventually her fortune would dwindle to almost nothing and even if she didn't like to admit it, she knew that money was power and the more gold you have, the more power you'll get and she was not afraid in using it for her ends.

Apart from his barrister and globin accountant, Florence's only company were the Peverell house elves and Ignotus. The small creatures were beyond happy to cater to every need of their new mistress and Florence was as content to let them have their way. For her it seemed like she had never left from the original Peverell Manor as Ignotus remembered all their past conversations and the house elves behaved in the same way she remembered and that was something that reassured her greatly. If nothing else, she'd always have her home: the only place in the whole world where she had ever felt completely safe and happy.

The day before the students would go back to Hogwarts via the Express after their Winter Holidays was chosen to be the beginning of the trial of Harry Potter's murder. This way everyone could attend it – professors and students alike – without jeopardizing the already planned classes at the school.

The general belief was that it would be something simple and quick. Vernon Dursley had already practically admitted to the crime and anyone who had more knowledge of the circumstances about the Boy-Who-Lived's tragic death – meaning Dumbledore and his selected supporters – didn't have any intention in rectify any misunderstandings that the population may have.

Surprisingly (or not), Albus Dumbledore had returned to his place as Chief Warlock the following day of Harry's funeral. It seemed that the old wizard was not so out of favour as he had made the public believe, after all. Sure, Cornelius Fudge and his entourage didn't cease in their underhanded tactics to banish him from the political arena and do their very best (or worst, depending on one's point of view) to blemish the image of the adored Headmaster.

Nevertheless, it appeared that all the Ministry's efforts were mostly for nothing. The long-time venerated wizard had somehow – though Florence didn't have any doubts how he had done it; she knew that the old man controlled almost half of the Wizengamot and these people eagerly followed his words as if it was gospel – easily regained his political power like nothing disagreeable had previously happened. Even though Florence had no evidence, she believed that Dumbledore had willingly stepped down (even if it not had seemed so) from his high position in July of 1995 and let the press and Ministry alike do as they wished to further his own wicked plans. Whether it was something to do with Harry Potter or another reason altogether she wasn't sure, however Florence understood that whatever it had been the purpose it had already been accomplished and Dumbledore was once more the revered and powerful wizard that the sheep of the British Wizarding World looked upon to.

If I have my way that will change soon enough, Florence vowed to herself as she made her way to the courtroom ten at the Ministry of Magic. Ironically, the same one where only months before Harry had been unfairly tried for using underage magic in front of his cousin Dudley.

She had decided to arrive early so she had the opportunity of taking a seat in the front row of the public stand and thus have perfect view of the central floor and the stands where the members of the Wizengamot were starting to take their designated seats. That place was also perfect for her to make her grand entrance when the moment was right.

Today was the day when everything would begin to irrevocably change in the Wizarding World; there would be no going back after she did what Florence had planned to do in that courtroom. She was looking very much forward to the reactions of everyone, especially Dumbledore, when she claimed the Potter Seat that the old man had unlawfully occupied for fourteen years at the Wizengamot was permanently out of his grasp and that he would have no right to even a Knut of the Potter fortune.

For a second she wished that the old man would have a heart attack upon hearing this shocking information. However, she decided that would be too light a sentence for the main instigator of hers and Harry's lives of misery after all and hoped that the old man stayed conscious through it all.

Meanwhile, she saw the Minister and his loyal toady minion, err, his Senior Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge (Florence valiantly fought back her automatic reaction to take out her wand and kill the nasty woman at that precise moment), take a seat at a table perpendicular to the Wizengamot stand. Quickly strutting after them, Percy Weasley took his own seat and prepared to take his task as a scribe of this trial. All of them appeared eager to watch the trial, though Florence was sure, for different reasons.

A few minutes later, Amelia Bones threw a meaningful look and an almost inexistent nod in Florence's direction after she was seated on the right of the Chief Warlock, and waited for the proceedings to begin. The courtroom was filling to its complete capacity as no one wished to lose the trial of the year. If only they knew, Florence thought to herself, smirking behind her hand.

No much longer after, the courtroom was mostly silent and the trial could get underway.

''Ladies and Gentlemen, we are here today to attain the truth about Harry Potter's horrifying death,'' Albus Dumbledore started, no twinkling eyes in sight, showing a grief-stricken face, which only a few present could honestly claim to know as a fake one. ''Vernon Dursley is for now the main suspect, although Madam Bones has informed us just recently of new evidences to this case.''

Florence could perceive a small amount of annoyance coming from the old man at not being informed more in depth about these new important evidences, though she doubted many more people could see the same.

''Now I'd like to…'', he continued, but was swiftly cut off.

''Excuse me,'' Florence declared, her voice carrying easily around the room and not sounding apologetic at all, standing and advancing a step to be seen more easily by anyone. She looked the old man right in the eye, unafraid that he could use Legillimency on her.

''Miss, are you aware that you are interrupting an important trial?'', Dumbledore questioned reprovingly, turning his full attention on her and hiding his irritation at being so blatantly disrespected in front of everyone.

''Yes, sir,'' she was quick to respond, standing calm and collected even with every eye in the room upon her person. ''I'd like to claim my Ladyships before this trial begins as is my right.''

Dumbledore showed clear surprise at that. Definitely, he wasn't aware that there would be anyone present at the time able to claim any Lord/Ladyships. The only ones that he could think of were still too young to do such a thing and he didn't recognize the young woman at all. Though, he had no choice on the matter; as she had stated, it was her right.

''Very well, Miss…?''

''Lady Florence Peverell,'' she said proudly, gleefully smirking on the inside when she saw the old man widening his eyes minutely in recognition of the old Pureblood name.