Anon:No I don't actually. It's just that life is this miserable thing that we all have to endure for too long, and all life is suffering. Suffering until we don't exist anymore, and then the suffering ends. Harry and Cho are good people, so they must suffer. However as this is fiction, they may yet end up happy together, but I wonder if I will have anything to do with it, as I'm running out of time for this fic. I'll do my best.
This is chapter fifty nine… I shold have been done by now, but I'm not, and I'm sorry. I'll try to knock out some more chapters soon. Take care everyone.
Chapter 59: The Two Letters.
Harry sat on a bench in the corridor outside of storage room #473 as Dumbledore and the Ministry officials observed the events that had taken place that fateful day inside the room itself. Apparently Dumbledore hadn't expected the Ministry officials to arrive for a few days, with the mail cut off, but somehow the Ministry had found out and sent these two men to investigate, and they were not too happy about not being informed about that discovery of the body until several days after. Dumbledore stated just before he had led them into the storage room that Harry had been sat up, and that he was in the process of investigating who was behind the scheme. From what Harry could tell, they didn't look any too impressed.
After a short time, the Dumbledore and the Ministry officials exited the room. Mr. Primfold had turned pale, and look like he might vomit, he turned to Harry and began shaking. Mr. Primfold, looked shaken as well, but less so. He turned to Mr. Primfold.
"Gordon, perhaps you should go back to the Head Masters office, I'll finish up here before we leave." Mr. Walsh stated. Mr. Primfold nodded, then looked at Harry again with a look of fear on his face, and ran off down the corridor. Mr. Walsh then turned to Harry with a grim look on his face.
"Well Mr. Potter, what do you have to say for yourself?" He asked strait forward. Harry lowered his head.
"I didn't do it. I know what it looks like, but I swear that I didn't do it." Harry said sincerely. Mr. Walsh looked him over for a few minutes as if studying him for a sign of a lie.
"Perhaps Mr. Potter, but the evidence against you is quite overwhelming. I've gone over your behavior this year. According to school records, you attacked three students on the train ride up here, you attacked a girl on the Quidditch Pitch, which I know that Quidditch is a rough sport, but from what people said you were excessive in your brutality. To add to that Allen Miller said that you threatened him and Padma Patel before her body turned up missing, and now… now we have this." Mr. Walsh said pointing at the storage room. "Is there any reason… other than the fact that you claim that you're innocent?" Mr. Pinfold asked. Harry looked up at him with a depressed expression on his face.
"How can you think me guilty? I helped defeat Voldermort last year at…" Harry started but paused for a second as Mr. Pinfold shuttered at the Dark Lords name. "… at the Ministry of Magic. So why would I do something so evil?" Harry asked. Walsh stood firm.
"Yes, well… that will be discussed at the hearing concerning the incident at the Ministry. It's a separate matter." Walsh said. Harry scratched his head in confusion.
"What hearing, my court hearing for this? Harry asked pointing to the storage room. Mr. Walsh shook his head.
"No Mr. Potter, A few Ministry officials, and some concerned citizens in the Magic world have lodged a challenge to what Dumbledore and yourself claimed what happened at the Ministry over the summer. They claim that your story is exaggerated, if true at all. You will have to prove your case in court." Mr. Walsh said in a monotone. Harry was shocked, and Dumbledore looked equally distraught.
"What are you talking about Mr. Walsh? I was there, and so was Harry. We both saw what happened. The Death Eaters led by Voldermort attacked Harry and his friends at the ministry, and tried to steal the prophecy. How can you doubt that?" Dumbledore asked.
"I don't doubt that so much Dumbledore, but a challenge has been lodged against you. Potter has been accused of having you under the imperious curse, and forcing you to tell lies. He has you to back up his story, and his friends, but they are a bunch of children, so some consider their testimony to be not as credible. In addition, Luscious Malfoy is also a credible member of this world, or at least he is thought so in some circles, and still has champions in higher places. What of the adults that you said were there, but refuse to name? You need to bring them in as witnesses. You have mentioned that you are a part of a secret order that was set up to defend people from You-Know-Who if he ever returned. But without adult witnesses, your story is questionable. The Daily Profit aside, anyone can refute your version of the events if you lack proof, and we haven't really had an incident since then. The Society of Truth, Uniformity, Purity, Intellectualism and Domination, has openly stated that they do not believe that the events happened as you have stated. They are bringing their concerns to court, and with what I've just seen, you need to bring your witnesses forward." Mr. Walsh finished in an emotionless tone.
"That society is a racist organization led by a bigoted thug who was kicked out of this country long ago for trying to cast false blame on the half bloods and muggleborne students, how can anyone in the Ministry allow such an organization to bring up such nonsense?" Dumbledore asked infuriated. Walsh nodded his head.
"I agree it is a despicable society, and perhaps under other circumstances its protest would be thrown out, however… they do make good points about the lack of witnesses. We need to talk to adults that were there. When can you have them ready to testify Dumbledore?" Mr. Walsh asked.
"I can't. I can't expose the Order, its secret. Many are under cover, and exposing them would put them in great danger, and others are in Eastern Europe, and cannot be pulled off assignment. We would lose many leads that could bring us to the Death Eaters and their master." Dumbledore explained.
"Dumbledore, you must see the situation from my perspective. A girl has been killed, brutally. Potter has been abusing students since before he even arrived at Hogwarts, and now I see these images of him committing the act. What do you think you would do in my shoes? Just let him stay here? Act like nothing happened?" Walsh said, with a bit of a raised temper. Dumbledore shook his head.
"Just give me time to find the real killer." Dumbledore pleaded.
"Potter has to be kept away from the other students, if something were to happen to him because of my letting him stay here, well than that would be my job, not to mention on my conscious. I don't completely believe that he did this, but… well, I have no choice. Mr. Potter will be confined to a guest room for the next few days, and after that we will be escorting him to the Ministry of Magic, where he will be kept in a cell until the incident can be settled. Dumbledore, have you considered that Potter might be under the imperious curse? Maybe if you are right about him returning than he can control Mr. Potter. Maybe You-Know-who is forcing him to do this?" Walsh asked. Dumbledore nodded, the thought had occurred to him. We have to keep him away from the others. He will have his homework brought to him in his room, as well as his food. No visitors. Come Tuesday night we will take him to the Ministry, and by the next week, you should have your witnesses ready to come to his defense about the battle of the Ministry."
"Your making a terrible mistake Walsh… what about protecting Harry from Voldermort?" Dumbledore complained, as Mr. Walsh cringed at the name.
"There are Aurors all over the ministry these days; security has been strengthened to extraordinary levels. Mr. Potter will be well protected. While here, if he promises not to attempt to escape I will not put him in chains, and even allow him to fly his own broom when we leave for the Ministry. That, I'm sure you'll agree is more than fair Dumbledore." Mr. Walsh said. Dumbledore nodded.
"Any more questions for me Dumbledore?" Mr. Walsh asked.
"I was only curious to know how you found out about the incident so fast?" Dumbledore said.
"A letter was delivered to the Ministry, informing us, in great detail of Mr. Potters… indiscretions." Mr. Walsh said. Dumbledore nodded.
"I see, a letter by Owl?" Dumbledore said.
"No Dumbledore, a letter by person. Some hooded man actually came to me as I was leaving the Ministry, informed me of strange events going on here, and gave me the letter about Potter."
"And who was he?" Dumbledore asked.
"I don't know, he wore a hood and left hastily. We checked the letter to see if it was cursed, but it wasn't, anyway the Minister sent me here. Now what's it too be Dumbledore? Are you going to fight us over this?" Mr. Walsh asked. Dumbledore gave a sigh.
"Very well Mr. Walsh. I'm against the whole idea, but I know circumstances being what they are… you have no choice. But I need to speak to Harry alone for a few minutes." Dumbledore said. Mr. Walsh nodded, and left promising to be back in half an hour. Dumbledore plopped down hard on the bench in which Harry sat, and gave an exhausted sigh. He than turned to Harry.
"I… I've been over every inch of that room. Looked at you from top to bottom, to see anything that might be able to let me know it was someone else. I couldn't find a thing. The only odd thing about the room is that there is a window in the wall, but I found nothing that I can prove your innocence with. I'm sorry Harry, but for now… you will have to go with what the Ministry officials say. Dumbledore said apologetically. Harry looked up at him.
"Professor, you said that the walls had memory. Couldn't you show that I was asleep in my room, and that… well that I didn't come down here?" Harry asked hopefully, trying to come up with some evidence to clear him self.
"One of the first things I tried Harry. Somehow… the walls have lost their memory of that time. There is noting there. All the way down to the storage room I tried to discover any proof that you were framed, but I found nothing. Likewise in Padma Patel's dorm room, I found nothing. Potential witnesses were all asleep in both Houses. I'm sorry Harry, but I promise you I will not stop looking, until I find proof, and I will find proof, just give it time." Dumbledore said sincerely. Harry had another pressing concern he needed to ask Dumbledore about.
"What… what about the challenge that the society made? What about the appearance in court? What's to happen to me then?" Harry asked hesitantly. Dumbledore's eyes lowered.
"I suppose that I have no choice Harry. I'm going to have to pull several Order members out of secrecy; I know I'll be able to convince the Ministry then." Dumbledore said with a twinge of regret. Harry stood up in a panic.
"But that would put everyone in danger! You can't do that just for me. Please Dumbledore; you have to find another way." Harry pleaded.
"I'm sorry Harry, but there is no other way. You are the one who will defeat Voldermort, and you have to remain free to do so. The witnesses are credible, and it will cause the societies challenge to collapse. They cannot believe that you have everyone under the imperious curse, and you will be out in a few days. And it will put some in danger, but I will have them withdraw from their spying missions first to lesson the danger. I'm afraid through no fault of your own; that the secret Order of the Phoenix will no longer be secrete any more. But we will still manage. You see I… " Dumbledore continued but was cut off by Professor McGonagall, who had entered the corridor unnoticed.
"Head Master, we have a problem. There is a man from the Daily Profit who is demanding to see you. He says he has word that Harry Potter had killed a student and it is deliberately being kept from the press. He has a permission pass from the Ministry of Magic, and demands that the public has a right to know if you are keeping things from them. He also says that if it's true, and you don't speak with him that he will be writing to say that you're putting your students in danger." McGonagall said in one exhausted upset breath.
"What? This is preposterous. How did a newspaper man get Ministry permission to do this?" Dumbledore said upset. "Come on Harry we're going to have a chat with this cheeky fellow." Dumbledore said standing up, and marching down the corridor.
Dumbledore and Harry arrived in Professor McGonagall's office to find the stout, grinning newspaper man waiting for them with quill and parchment in hand. Harry recognized him instantly as Tristan Grimbold, the editor of the Daily Profit who said that he always had supported Harry, when Harry gave him his autograph at Diagon Alley.
"Ahh Professor Dumbledore, Mr. Potter. It's good to finally see you again." Mr. Grimbold started. "Now I'm here because…"
"I've been told why you're here Mr. Grimbold, and I'm quite frankly appalled. Mr. Potter here has not put anyone under the imperious curse, and to threaten to print such a thing is a travesty." Dumbledore said quietly but frankly.
"Now Dumbledore, you refused to see me and the organization fielding a challenge to the Ministry right now has come to us, expressing their concern that people have been convicted on the evidence of mere children, with no adult witnesses claim that you were under Potter's control, and that he was the one trying to steal something in the Ministry. Actually Dumbledore if these children did go there in the dead of night, and you sent them…" Mr. Grimbold started.
"I did not send them there!" Dumbledore said calmly.
"Of coarse… than is it normal for under age children to take off from your school in Scotland and head off unsupervised to England in the dead of night… without your knowledge you or your staff Dumbledore?" in an airy voice.
"I… that's not it, Voldermort attacked the Ministry of Magic, and they went to rescue Sirius Black." Dumbledore said caught a little off guard by Grimbold stab at teacher supervision at Hogwarts.
Well in any event, you can see the confusion that might arise in some people, children battling Death Eaters in the Ministry. At first our readers were quite content to take the story without question, The Harry Potter battling death eaters, but now they have started having reservations about many of the people involved, and who is being blamed, and even… if your summation of events is even that accurate." Grimbold stated. Dumbledore gave him a loathing look.
"I'm just doing my job to make the news you know." He said defensively.
"No. It's your job to report the news… accurately. Everything happened exactly as was said. And we will be proving that in an upcoming court case raised against us. If you want accurate reporting on the story, than cover that and you'll see this sick societies story fall like a house of cards." Dumbledore said evenly. "Until then, I don't think that Harry or I can comment on it."
Grimbold gave a smirk, and started writing something down.
"Interesting, now how about Harry Potter's attack on students at this school of late, including one death I believe, one horrible death of a poor dear little girl." Do you have any comment on that?" Grimbold asked. Dumbledore looked bitterly over his half moon spectacles' at the man.
"So the Ministry has sent you to make determinations, and accusations before anyone has had their day in court, or even been charged with a crime, is that it?" Dumbledore stated more than asked. "Since you seem to have all the information, were given it by the Ministry, and seemed determined to make up your own version of the story, than why do you even bother asking me questions?" Dumbledore inquired. Mr. Grimbold frowned.
"Now, now Dumbledore… I don't do any false reporting… I'm giving you a chance to explain your side, and I haven't been given any information by the ministry. I was sent information this weekend about the happenings here at Hogwarts. And just for the record… I think that the public has a right to know weather you keep your students safe or not, on attack on the train, one near death on the Quidditch Pitch, and now a horrible death in the school, I wonder if your even fit to protect these students from harm." Grimbold pressed in a dark tone. Dumbledore slammed his fist against the stone wall in rage, and his eyes winched in pain for a fleeting moment, but he recovered instantly.
"Now you listen to me Grimbold! I'll have you know that…" But something stopped him dead in his thought, and he looked as Grimbold stunned, looking as if he was trying to reflect on something he had just said. "What… what do you mean you weren't given any information by the Ministry? They sent you here… didn't they?"
"I had permission to come here from the Ministry, I had to obtain a pass from them, but I made the decision to come here myself. And they didn't supply me with any information; I was sent the information by letter." Grimbold stated hotly. Dumbledore's eyebrow lifted.
"But… all owls are subject to search, the Ministry would now have allowed you to see a letter like that, at least not without verifying it first, and they themselves have only just arrived. Who sent you the Owl?" Dumbledore asked, now in a very moment for him, confused.
"It was not sent the letter by owl; I was approached in the street by a hooded man. He handed me the letter, and told me about Potter attacking the students on the train, and Quidditch pitch, said you were under the imperious curse. Of coarse I didn't believe him at first, but he told me to interview, a very sick girl in St. Mungoes named Cindy Miggins, who has suffered brain damage. Apparently, from what her parents told me, she was attacked by Harry Potter. They were waiting for the results of an investigation before going to the press, but were eager to talk with me since the Ministry have been… dragging their feet on the issue, and you appeared to be stonewalling them. At least that's how it looks from my point of view. Naturally with this, I had to investigate further, so I apparated over to Hogsmead, and walked here to investigate." Grimbold finished. Dumbledore eyed him suspiciously for a moment.
"Who was the man who gave you the information?" He asked.
"I don't know, he was wearing a hood over his face, but he seemed very intent to give me this information. Said the information came from inside Hogwarts itself, well like I said, I hardly believed it, but decided to go see about the Miggins girl out of mild curiosity, and it looks like a good idea after all. Seems there is a great deal of truth to what he was saying. Now… do you want to go on record Dumbledore?" Grimbold asked. Dumbledore remained silent for a moment, before he spoke next.
"No… and neither does Potter. If you want to find out about what happened, then you need to go to the court. Good day sir." Dumbledore said directing Professor McGonagall to show him the way out of the castle. Mr. Grimbold left with an unhappy look on his face. Once Grimbold was away, and only and Harry and himself were in the office, Dumbledore sat in one of the wooden chairs in the room, and gave a sigh. He sat in silence thinking for a bit, until Harry asked a question.
"Sir… what does this mean?" Harry asked nervously. Dumbledore looked at Harry with a sad expression on his face.
"It means that I must do as you suggested, and trust the operation of events in Eastern Europe to those under my command, and it means… that I will have to start organizing the members of the order of the Phoenix tomorrow for the court case, and it also means… that at least in the papers for a while, that you shall have to play the villain for a while Harry, I'm sorry, it's not fair, but that git Grimbold is right, until the court case, we don't have anything but our word that it's what happened. And now that I think about it, I was negligent in letting underage students leave school to battle adult death eaters, something I and the order should have been doing." Dumbledore stated.
"Come on, we won the battle, and you and the rest of the order were there too. And we snuck out." Harry said.
"Precisely Harry and it was because I had been influencing you to break the rules in a way. And I of course would not have thought ill of you going, being the one who is destined to fight Voldermort, but… what business did I have taking such pleasure in other children going against him. Mr. Wesley, Miss Granger, and Miss Lovegood. Just children and what business did they have going after the most powerful dark wizard in the world. I was so impressed with their skill that I forgot about their age. Children have no business going to war in my stead. I'll always regret that." Dumbledore said with a self loathing tone.
"Come on sir, we snuck out, and you couldn't have possibly known, we didn't fight in your stead, you didn't know that we left, and we went to rescue Sirius, even though he turned out not to be there." Harry said trying to console Dumbledore.
"Just the point Harry, I should have taken more of an interest in the security of the school, and in you and your friends in particular. I should have trained you in occlumency, and not Professor Snape, and I should not have made so many mistakes that I did throughout last year. I must be slipping in my old age, but now I'm going to fix it. I'm going to make sure that students cannot take trips out of the school at a whim, and now I'm going to make sure that I stay in the country, and I'm going to make sure that your going to not stay in that cell, because I'm going to convince the Ministry officials to not treat you like a criminal and put you in a more comfortable room that you should only have to stay at for one night when your absolved by the testimonies of the Order members. I'm going to make sure that your vindicated Harry because the night before you leave I'm going to talk directly with the new Minister of magic, and I'm going to be there waiting for you when you get there. I'm going to fix this I promise" Dumbledore finished. The door suddenly squeaked open, and Dumbledore turned to see Mr. Filch peering at him with a concerned look on his face.
"Yes Mr. Filch?" Dumbledore asked.
"Sir, the Ministry officials would like to make sure Potter gets to his room now." Filch said in a casual tone. Dumbledore nodded, and ushered Harry to the door. No use delaying the inevitable. Harry thought.