Disclaimer: The Harry Potter universe belongs to the proverbial Duchess of Magic, JK Rowling, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Warner Bros and some other high falutin' companies. No matter how much I whine about not owning anything related to the HP universe, other than a few fanfic plots, I do not profess to own - and would never dream of making any money off - JKR's wonderful world... Damn it!
Chapter Fifteen – Where is Peverell?
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Though staying up late listening to the wireless Harry, Luna and Sirius were up early the next morning to arrange an early morning appointment in the Ministry.
With Sirius's permission, Harry sent a messenger Patronus to Bones at a few minutes past 8.00am, asking if they could visit via floo for a long chat well before the Wizengamot session.
A few minutes later, a lynx-shaped messenger Patronus arrived and, in Bones's 'etherealed' voice, said, "My office floo will be opened for you and yours at 8.15am. The same password as last time."
Luna immediately dragged Harry up to their room after first calling to Sirius, "Dress up, you old dog! We're visiting the Minister."
After then realising why Luna was dragging him up the stairs - it wasn't for more sex, after all - Harry sighed and resolved himself to having to dress upmarket wizarding for the morning at least.
Because she had the time, Luna was making sure Harry was dressed his best. Of course, for Harry, he thought that meant the Black with green piping near-formal robes as they had the Potter and Peverell crests on the breast. Those weren't the ones she wanted him to wear.
Instead, she had him wearing the deep red robes with Chinese Fireball dragon-skin boots. However, she also had the Potter and Peverell crests stitched to the breast with the crests reversed in order as they were on his Black with green piping robes he'd worn the last time visiting the woman. Dobby was very happy to affix them before he put them on.
She also made sure to use a fairly liberal amount of Sleek-Ezy she massaged into his hair, before it was properly combed and tied back with a crimson red acromantula silk ribbon into a ponytail. She, of course, combed it.
Once she deemed him presentable, he moved to stand before the full height mirror to look. "Wow, Luna!" he softly said. "You do nice work!"
She just smiled back as she was finalising her own dressing requirements. Hers was a witch's informal robe and a pair of kitten-heeled court shoes, supposedly becoming quite popular with young adult witches of late. On her head she wore a small matching fascinator of the same material as the robes. However, Harry had been more interested in the black lacy sheer underwear she wore until she covered it with the robes and was mentally focusing on that.
"Mind out of the gutter, Love," she said as an aside.
He just sighed. Getting involved in a sexual relationship with a Seer had its drawbacks.
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―==(oIo)==―
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When the two teens rejoined Sirius down in the welcoming parlour with its floo, Harry looked to Sirius to see him wearing his own high class robes with the plum purple of a set of Wizengamot robes under his left arm.
He whistled and said, "Niiiice, Padfoot."
Sirius grinned and returned, "Same with you two; Harry, Luna. Ready to go?"
Harry checked the time and saw they had almost a half minute. "Yep. Now we just need to wait for the correct time."
"Seconds away," said Sirius.
Harry gave a nod and walked over to the fireplace. A pinch of floo powder and, on Sirius's firm, "Now," tossed it into the grate.
Coming out the other end as graceful as he could he stepped aside to allow for Luna coming right behind him.
Again, he had wands in his face from a decent spread, Bones included. He said, "Lady Bones is soon to marry Edward Carmichael."
That had the wands lower as Luna came through next. A long moment later and Sirius came through. "I'm the last," he said, straightening up.
Bones waved her wand at the floo, both shutting it off and locking it down again.
"Welcome," she said. "Thank you for coming both early and promptly."
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―==(oIo)==―
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The meeting was all about the 'official' announcement Riddle was dead, together with his real history he'd already shared with the woman. And that she would then be announcing 'Lord Peverell' was to be, as per the law, awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class. He immediately tried to refuse it. However, she told him he couldn't; that the law stated he was to be awarded one for defeating a dark lord.
"That's dragon crap!" he said. "If it was true, then Harry Potter should have been awarded one back soon after the thirty-first of October, 1981. He wasn't, was he? There was no award."
She looked back in surprise. A moment later, she said, "However, he didn't kill Vol- Riddle, did he?"
"But you did not know that, at the time, did you?" he shot back. "Until Heir Potter announced straight after the Tri-Wizard Tournament... for which he then suffered a year of ongoing abuse and taunting by both the Ministry and the media and on top of the year he suffered as a recipient of scorn and derision for being dragged into the Tri-Wizard Tournament against his will and where everyone... every person, except Hermione Granger and Luna Lovegood... went so far as to call him delusional and a liar... abuse you, as Director of Magical Law Enforcement, never put a stop to as you bloody well should have!... you all believed Riddle was dead; and that Potter killed him in 1981. As such, your argument is specious and flawed.
"Do you wish to try again? Or, do you accept I'm correct? Besides, you just said the award is awarded for defeating a dark lord, not for killing them. And you at least admit to him doing that."
He sat there, staring back at her with some level of anger; daring her to contradict him.
She didn't. Instead, she sat at her desk, forward and with her hands cupping her forehead, blocking her face from view.
Finally, she sat back up a little straighter, but still forward. Her expression showed her frustration at what she heard. "Albus Dumbledore, as Mister Potter's magical guardian, blocked Mister Potter from receiving it."
Harry gave a snort of irritation. "Firstly, you said the Order of Merlin cannot be refused. As such, it was against the law for Albus Dumbledore to refuse it on Heir Potter's behalf. If he did refuse it, why was he not arrested and charged for refusing it, then the Order awarded to Heir Potter anyway? Or, is Albus Dumbledore's middle name 'Above-the-law' as I'm more inclined to believe?
"Secondly, Albus Dumbledore was never Mister Potter's magical guardian. That position was always held by Lord Black here." And gestured to Sirius. "As Lord Black was never convicted before he was dumped in Azkaban, his magical guardianship of Heir Potter was never legally stripped from him. That is why he was automatically accepted by Gringotts as Regent for the House of Potter, yes?"
Before Bones could respond and turning to his godfather, he asked, "Did you illegally attempt to refuse Heir Potter's mandatory Order of Merlin, First Class, Lord Black?"
"No, I did not," smirked Sirius.
Turning back to Bones, Harry said, "There you have it, Minister. Heir Potter was denied the Order of Merlin by a man who had no right... both as not being the true magical guardian and, as you posit, by it being illegal to deny the awarding of said Order as per law.
"As you... and I mean the government of wizarding Britain here... have already created the precedent not to award the Order of Merlin when the law stated it must be awarded, I feel quite comfortable in refusing it. If you try to prosecute me for not accepting it I will merely point out that Heir Potter awaits the awarding of his Order of Merlin, First Class, before you can even consider awarding me one. So, want to try yet again?"
"Damn it," she mutter-sighed.
"Laws exist for a reason, Minister," he more calmly, but just as firmly, stated. "And to set aside a law because it is... inconvenient... at that time you feel justifies setting it aside, brings with it the understanding that if you set aside a law, you open yourself to it becoming a precedent to set it and others aside at a later time. Once it's a precedent, it now renders that law you temporarily set aside as next to useless. And without law, without it applied in even the cases you find it inconvenient to apply it, the term for such a society as is left as a result is called 'anarchy'.
"For much too long you... and again I'm referring to the government and, more especially, the Wizengamot... have allowed Albus 'Above-the-Law' Dumbledore to merely state something is for the Greater Good to set aside law. Therefore, I'm left to ask, how is setting aside law 'For the Greater Good', as Albus Dumbledore demands, if doing so brings with it the eventual recognition you have anarchy?"
Without waiting for a respoinse, he continued, "The DMLE is not the only Ministerial body responsible for maintaining law; so is the Wizengamot, whether in judicial or legislative format... and so is the Minister. When you set aside the law supposedly 'For the Greater Good', you are in effect stating the law is evil. Do you believe that?"
With a sigh she eventually and simply replied, "No."
"Then why set it aside because Albus Dumbledore claimed it to be for the Greater Good to do so?"
"I was not Minister at the time―"
"Ah!" he said, cutting her off and flicking an index finger upright. "But you were the Regent for the Noble and Most Ancient House of Bones. Such a position automatically granted you a Seat upon the Wizengamot until such time as your niece, Susan, took up the Headship of your House. Why did you not refuse Dumbledore's claims and actively work against him for the betterment of your society, as you were obligated by your position as Regent to do?"
"I'd have lost my job as Chief Auror of the DMLE," she grumbled.
"Then you should have lost it!" he irritably snapped back. "What point was there for you to keep it if you did not use it to do your lawful duty? You took the easy route, not the right route.
"By doing so, you demeaned both yourself and your position. You know that, don't you? When an incumbent plays politics with their job, when their job is not supposed to be one of politics, they demean it and themselves."
Her thunderous, but silent, expression back had him roll his eyes. "Glare at me all you want. If you want Lord Hardwin Peverell to accept the Order of Merlin, First Class, you need to clear up a couple of things for me first."
"And what would that be?" she demanded.
"What would those be," he countered. "First; the Order of Merlin, First Class. You said you automatically earned it defeating a Dark Lord. However, that's not entirely true, is it?"
With a sudden look of puzzlement she said, "Pardon? What do you mean?"
"If you earned the Order of Merlin, First Class, for defeating a Dark Lord; then that means anyone who defeated Riddle in battle would have automatically earned one.
"Heir Potter's parents, for a start, defeated him to the point where they handily drove him off on no less than three occasions. Dumbledore's also done it on a great many occasions, as well. Supposedly, so did Neville Longbottom. So, why weren't they awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, for each of those defeats?"
Still slightly confused she replied, "No. Defeat is just a... polite way of saying 'killed'."
"But they don't mean the same thing, do they?" he countered. "For example, if you and I were to play a game of chess and you beat me, then you would have defeated me in a form of battle. However, I would not also be dead, would I?"
"Well, no," she replied. "But what does that―"
"One moment," he interrupted. "Was Albus Dumbledore awarded his Order of Merlin, First Class, for defeating Gellert Grindelwald... or for killing him?"
"Put that way, for killing him, of course," she replied.
He grinned back and said, "And, yet, Albus Dumbledore has never claimed to have killed Gellert Grindelwald; he has only ever claimed to have defeated him. So, why was he awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class?"
"Because he was only being polite," she replied. "He killed him."
He smiled, "Did he? Who... who has that evidence... who told you that?" Leaning forward as she looked back in confusion, he asked, "What if we were to prove to you that Grindelwald is, in fact, alive?"
Frowning she replied, "That's impossible."
"What is?" he asked. "That we can prove that Grindelwald is alive; or that Dumbledore didn't kill him?"
"Either," she snapped. "Both!"
With a shrug, he sat back and said, "Proving Grindelwald is alive would, of course, prove Dumbledore didn't kill him, wouldn't it? Well, we can do that."
"How?" she demanded.
"You've already got Dumbledore in custody, right?"
"Yes," she warily returned.
With his smile widening into a grin, he replied, "Here's how..."
Then he explained and Bones was shocked at how easy it would be; that was, after Sirius presented to her a wizarding photograph of Grindelwald holding a copy of the Daily Prophet dated only a year ago. After that - and her subsequent rant at how everyone had been misled - she was, as tournament poker players put it, 'all in'.
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―==(oIo)==―
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After the short meeting - where Harry, as Peverell, still wasn't prepared to accept the Order of Merlin, First Class, for killing 'Voldemort' - Bones's three visitors headed back to Grimmauld Place for a quick preparation job. At least, Harry would not accept the Order of Merlin until Dumbledore's deceit was made public and 'Harry Potter' received his first.
And, unknown to Bones, Harry... as Peverell... was going to make an entrance.
Harry's entrance was going to be a combined prank and a way in which to rattle Albus Dumbledore enough to knock him off his game. He was going to mock the man in a prank so over the top Harry and Luna could barely get Sirius to help; he was laughing himself sick.
They had to call in Remus to come and help. However, the trouble with that plan was that - while Remus was initially and in order shocked, appalled and speechless - he quickly developed an understanding of what would happen and ended up joining Sirius in a dose of laughing so hard he ended up on the floor red in the face and crying with tears running down his cheeks; making him just as useless as Sirius as an assistant. They ended up having to call on Dobby to help.
Dobby didn't have the same reaction, though he thought his rightful master was worthy of being even more worshipped.
He did help, though. Some of what they wanted to accomplish needed both elf magic in general and elf time dilation magic to accomplish. Harry could use it in combat, but he couldn't use it in other ways; though Dobby, of course, could.
Luna was also quite amused, but she recognised what Harry was attempting to accomplish - having Dumbledore seen as what he truly was, a manipulative old man who relied on his ill-gained reputation to have people do what he wanted them to do. It was, after all, why she insisted he order and pick up a set of pure white robes. Take Dumbledore's reputation away from him and his entire stance collapsed like a poorly erected house of cards in a sensitive balance; and Harry intended to be the breeze that knocked the whole lot down.
With the outfit he was going to wear finished in time - when they originally didn't think they'd have a chance with it until Dobby helped, but still thought it was worth the attempt - the four of them, plus Dobby, stood back to look at it.
"Sweet Merlin," Sirius finally said. "That will definitely 'out Dumbledore', Dumbledore."
Grinning, Remus said, "He'll probably even be jealous... Less the hat, of course."
After a quick check of her mechanical watch, Luna said to Harry, "Go change. We don't have much time."
Harry gave a nod, kissed her on the cheek and had Dobby move the robes from where they'd worked on them in the parlour to his and Luna's room so he could change into them. Of the five of them, with the exception of Dobby, Luna's efforts and knowledge of ancient runes and enchanting meant she did the majority of the actual work. Harry and the two ex-Marauders only came up with ideas, some of which Luna did her best to try and accomplish in the limited time they had.
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With her three guests - Harry, Luna and Sirius - quickly leaving after their meeting, Bones started setting things up at her end. She had no idea 'Peverell' was going to dress outlandishly, but she knew he'd definitely be doing something that would rattle Dumbledore's irritating constant faux-serenity. She just hoped it was good enough.
Tapping her rune stone connection with her Senior Undersecretary, she called him in.
Sticking his head in the door, Diggory asked, "Ma'am?"
She asked, "Have our Acting Director of the DMLE, Master Auror Proudfoot, join me would you?"
"Yes, Ma'am," he replied, pulling out.
When the man walked in ten minutes later, it was clear he was due for a decent break. It appeared he hadn't even gone home the previous evening to sleep. The trouble with that was, she couldn't give him that break. There was still far too much work that needed to be done that couldn't be delayed and he needed to be here to do it. What she was going to ask him to do would add more work for his aurors, but only for a few of them.
"Samuel," she said. "I have a favour to ask. It's a biggie and it's against Dumbledore."
Surprised at the use of his first name, Proudfoot was a moment before he simply asked, "What do you need, Ma'am?"
"At the commencement of the Wizengamot meeting at 9.30am, shortly thereafter I want you to bring Dumbledore to the meeting," she replied.
"He's going on trial, already?" he asked.
"In a manner of speaking," she cagily returned, before then deciding the man needed to know - earned the right to know - more. "There is an incredibly big lie about Dumbledore that everyone believes is the gospel truth. It isn't and I've been shown proof it isn't. However, Dumbledore will do everything he possibly can to have people not know the truth of it. I wouldn't put it past him obliviating one and all just to ensure this truth doesn't come to light.
"As we currently have the man in custody we can treat him as the prisoner he is so he can't be doing that mass obliviation.
"I want you to bring him down to the Meeting as if he's being brought to trial. I also want you to force him into the defendant's chair and chain him down. That means manacles, chains, the full works. Got all that?"
"Yes, Ma'am," replied Proudfoot. A moment later he hesitantly asked, "May I inquire as to what the big lie is?"
She thought only a moment before she firmly replied, "Dumbledore did not kill Gellert Grindelwald."
It was a long moment before Proudfoot goggled back in shock. It took a few seconds for it to percolate through his mind what she'd told him. He was that tired.
"Weeellll... fuck!" he quietly declared.
Rather than tell him off for his language, she just gave a wry smile back.
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―==(oIo)==―
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"Hear ye!" intoned the Master of the Court, a Master Auror. "All rise to make welcome Her Majesty's loyal Wizengamot, sitting in Emergency Session, this Nineteen Hundredth and Seventy Ninth sitting of the Courts Magical!"
As the packed room of visitors and media all stood, the witches and wizards who formed the make up of the Wizengamot all entered from the antechamber behind the tiers of the Wizengamot Seats and made their way to their Seats; including Sirius. The current Chief Warlock, Miles Ogden of the Noble and Ancient House of Ogden, was last to enter and find his seat.
It was quite noticeable how many of those Seats were also empty; nearly a quarter of them, but not all of them considered to be for Dark Houses.
As soon as he sat, Ogden looked around to ensure himself all the Members who would be attending were sat, then picked up and gave the gavel before him a single bang on the block on his small desk provided for it. "Be seated," he firmly stated.
That gave the 'audience' permission to sit, except for the auror detail in places around the chamber.
Within the tiers of the visitors' gallery sat Luna Lovegood. As the VIP guest of Member Lord Sirius Black, she was sat only one extra seat away from Neville Longbottom, who was there as the 'VIP guest' of Member Augusta Longbottom, his proxy. He was under a minor glamour, but Luna knew it was him. Remus was sitting one row back as a VIP guest of Lord Peverell.
Today was the first time Neville had attended the Wizengamot, other than to install his grandmother as his proxy as required by law. Dumbledore had 'volunteered' himself to be the Longbottom proxy, which was quickly shot down by both Longbottoms when he first put it forth.
However, since that first attendance, the young man had not been 'permitted' to return. Dumbledore had blocked him each time he'd tried to argue he should attend.
Luna, though, had attended on quite a few occasions. Always, she'd gone as Sirius's personal guest; which is why she was accorded a VIP guest slot. She attended so often there were many who thought she was Sirius's 'witch on the side', or would one day become his actual wife.
It helped to stop any suitors from approaching her or her father for her hand, but did have a negative effect on Sirius's love life. In return and contrary to Sirius's wishes, she'd informed certain witches of the truth as to her and Sirius's relationship and that they weren't to tell Sirius that she'd told them. It amused her that she was acting somewhat as a 'sex negotiator' for him, but she was accepting of the risk of others finding out about their true relationship for Sirius to get... relief.
Today that meant there were many, who also were often VIP guests, to recognise her as being like them; a regular and not one to worry about. Even Longbottom wasn't surprised to see her there; even if he wasn't, until then, a regular himself.
Once the noises of people sitting mostly died away again, Chief Warlock Ogden said, "Minister Bones. Under your authority as Minister you have gathered us this day to sit in Emergency Session. For what purpose have we been so gathered?" His Seat was one which had an automatic voice enhancement charm, which allowed him to be heard clearly across the entire chambers.
The words were both for the record and a formality. There was little doubt, in anyone's mind, just why they were all there that day.
Standing, Bones said, "Chief Warlock, fellow Members of the Wizengamot, invited guests both international and domestic, gentle witches and wizards and those currently listening in real time via the WWN through the WWN transmitter currently active in this chamber... I have summoned and stand before you to announce and confirm that the dark wizard, the so called Dark Lord known as Lord Voldemort, is dead."
While it was noticed how many listening to her flinched when she said 'Voldemort', it was nothing to their reactions to when she told them Riddle was dead. The gasps and shudders from her mentioning his supposed name shifted a moment later to cheers from those in the room, almost all from the audience sitting in the visitors' gallery opposite.
Luna watched as Longbottom, the Lord, didn't verbally react. Instead, he tensed slightly and leaned forward. He was staring with intensity at Bones and not paying anyone else a damn bit of attention. As such, he didn't see Luna looking to him with an amused expression. Neither did anyone else, really.
Ogden let it go on for about twenty seconds before he raised his gavel and rapped it on its block a few times. That had the noises quickly quiet down again.
"Minister Bones," he said. "Will you present that evidence... that confirmation?"
"I will, Sir," she returned. She then gave a quick gesture to one of the aurors standing next to a door and awaiting her signal. That auror gave a silent nod back, turned to the door, opened it and gestured within.
A moment later, a 'legged' solid hospital stretcher was levitated within. There was clearly a body on it, but it was only outlined with a draped plain white sheet with its edges nearly reaching down to the floor, entirely covering it.
Once it was in the middle of the floor, the 'escorting' Healer wearing Saint Mungo's Healer's robes which designated him a Master Healer, moved forward and folded back the sheet at the head end until Riddle's entire face was shown. Then the Healer stepped back and waited for further instructions.
Meanwhile, those watching were getting quite excited and aggravated. As soon as the sheet was folded back, there were even a couple of muffled screams. Longbottom's only reaction was a slight gasp and a start before sitting up straighter.
Again, Ogden had to bang his gavel a couple of times to restore at least what was somewhat order.
When the noise quieted enough to allow her to be heard, Bones said, "Chief Warlock, fellow Members of the Wizengamot, invited guests both international and domestic, gentle witches and wizards and those currently listening in real time via the WWN... I present, as evidence of him being deceased, the body of the dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort."
Surprisingly, this time there were not as many flinches at mention of the dreaded name. People were already in enough shock.
Not waiting a jot she then called, "Master Healer Stanwyck... do you confirm the body before you is that of the one who called himself Lord Voldemort?"
Again, only a few flinches.
With a firm nod and voice the Healer replied, "It is. Using forensic magics it has been confirmed that this body is that of the one known as Lord Voldemort."
Then he, the Healer, reached into his robes as he walked around to stand before the Wizengamot Scribe and offered up a short stack of documents. "I hand to the Scribe a copy of the Declaration of Death Certificate, together with written testimony as to the nature of the man's death."
"Verbally, Master Healer," said Bones. "How did he die?"
"He was struck with a Piercing Curse, Pecutio, to the middle of the forehead," replied the Healer, after handing over the documents before walking back to where he first stood.
Gesturing with an index finger to Riddle's head he said, "The power of the curse was strong enough to pierce right through the frontal bone of the skull, through the brain and exited out through the parietal bone at the back of the skull, just above the lambdoid suture where the parietal bone meets the occipital bone. Death would have been instant."
Having already been handed a copy of the Death Certificate, Bones gave a nod and said, "There is an apparent error in your parchmentwork, Healer."
Frowning back, the Healer quietly asked, "Oh?"
With a nod, Bones said, "You have put down the deceased's name as Tom Marvolo Riddle."
That had quite a few give gasps of shock or surprise.
"That is correct," the Healer returned. "Our forensic magics told us that, too. However, it is that name which is his true name; the one given to him at his birth."
"His true name?" she pressed.
"Tom Marvolo Riddle," replied the Healer. "Offspring of one Thomas Hardwick Riddle, muggle, and one Merope Gaunt, no middle name, witch of the Ancient House of Gaunt."
As a great swell of noise broke out, it was only his own shock that had Ogden delay before banging his gavel and demanding silence again.
Once he had it and before he could tell folks off for it, one of the Members, a witch, exclaimed, "Wait! So that's not You-Know-Who?"
"It is, Madam," the Healer firmly returned. "Lord Voldemort, the name by which he is... was... known, is a false name. I can only surmise as to why he changed―"
That was a far as he got before the noises of outrage - those appalled the name was a lie and those flatly decrying the Healer was lying - rose too high for him to be heard.
Instead of demanding to be heard, he simply turned his attention to Ogden and, with a cocked eyebrow silently asking 'Well?', waited.
Ogden had to bang his gavel quite a few times before he had quiet again. "E-nough!" he snapped. "E-nough! Or I'll have you removed from these chambers!"
That had the last few pockets quiet again. No one wanted to find themselves tossed from this quite momentous Meeting.
"Master Healer Stanwyck," called Bones. "Explain your reasoning."
The Master Healer nodded and immediately described how magical signatures were recorded within the WEA for examination purposes and how the magical signature of the body before them matched that of one Tom Marvolo Riddle kept on record by the WEA.
And then explained how the magical signature of the body before him was compared with both that magical signature and the magical signature they had on record for Voldemort at the Saint Mungo's. They matched.
That had everyone listening shocked, awed, angry and a few other emotions. That was irrefutable evidence.
"And, finally," said the Healer. He spun about, drew his wand and, with his back to the Wizengamot, fire-wrote the name TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE just above head height in the air in nine to twelve inch high letters.
"This is how he came up with the name," said the Healer, before he then performed the same charm he'd been shown by Bones, who'd been shown by Harry, who'd been shown by Riddle himself back in his second year at Hogwarts.
The letters shifted about until they finally spelled out I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.
Once done, the Healer turned back around to face the Wizengamot and said, "The entire name, together with the 'I AM' at the front, is an anagram of his birth name... his true name... Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was a half-blood in the true sense of the term; a child born of a magical and a muggle, not even a muggle-born.
"The Dark Lord could only be considered a lord as he had loyal followers. However, he most certainly was not a true lord in that he was not of a noble line."
Surprisingly, there was not again a great ruckus of noise. Everyone was too stunned to react. The Healer stepped back to the body and flipped the sheet back over to cover the face and allow the sheet to once more drape over the head end of the stretcher.
Finally, one wizard from the Seats asked, "And just where is the one who killed him? Where is Lord Peverell?"
"Lord Peverell will be with us, shortly," replied Bones. "However, I first want to bring in another; the one who has been telling us since the death of Heir Potter that Lord Neville Longbottom was supposed to be the one to kill Vol― Riddle."
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―==(oIo)==―
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All around wizarding Britain, it was as if the world had stopped. In places like Diagon Alley the shops were, for the most part, open. However, everyone was gathered around the nearest wizarding wireless to listen in on what was happening within the Wizengamot that day.
Almost everyone had wanted to attend and be in the gallery. However, there was both only so much seating and people had, in places, other commitments. Some had shops they had to open, some had to visit those same shops, some had to work in the Ministry and some had to go overseas. Some had to stay at home to look after little ones and others wanted to find out if listening to the session on the wireless could be something they'd quite like to do at another time. And some just had the wireless on to listen to in the background, but wished they'd switch back to music.
At The Burrow in Ottery St Catchpole, Molly Weasley was listening to the wireless in the kitchen with her two youngest, Ron and Ginny. Ginny was 'practicing' her knitting under the watchful eye of her mother while Ron was busy scarfing down yet another helping of 'elevenses', morning tea. He was on his fourth.
Switching her attention to her son, as Ron tried to casually reach for let another wedge of his mother's pumpkin pie - of which he'd already eaten almost half - she slapped his hand away, picked up his empty plate and magicked it into the sink.
"Hey!" he complained. "I wasn't finished!"
"No," she agreed. "You were well beyond finished. You've managed to put away almost half of that pie and it's not even a proper meal time. Now, be silent while I listen to the radio. If you need to make noise, the gnomes in the garden are becoming a nuisance again."
With a huff Ron shot to his feet, glared silently at his mother for a moment while she wasn't looking at him and stomped his way up to his bedroom.
As he climbed the first set of stairs he heard his mother say, "Knit, perl, knit, perl, dear. Not knit, knit, perl, perl."
At Hogwarts, the students were also gathered around wizarding wirelesses and listening; that is, except for those who couldn't be bothered with the happenings of the Wizengamot and were doing assignments, playing chess, playing exploding snap or what-not.
As expected, the staff - less Dumbledore - had immediately realised that the students would be up and either celebrating, commiserating or outright denying that the Dark Lord was killed and being quite vociferous up to full-on physically defending their belief the Dark Lord was not dead. For some students, that also meant they needed to be informed of the death of a 'loved one', such as a father, who had died as they were a member of Voldemort's supposed Inner Circle.
They knew the Gryffindors, especially, would taunt the Slytherins and that could have easily led to wands drawn and combative magic cast. As such, the teaching staff needed to get on top of it before it became an issue. For that reason they first made sure, through head count, that no student was outside their common rooms. Those that were, even if they were in the library at the time, were ordered back to their common rooms for the remainder of the night.
The next morning each House was 'read the riot act' by their Head of House about what punishment would await them if they decided to ignore their warnings not to get into any confrontation. They were told it would not matter who started a confrontation, all participants would be equally and suitably punished.
That led to a breakfast in the Great Hall were not one word spoken in anger or taunting occurred between the four House tables. The punishment they were all warned would befall them was of such severity none of them misbehaved. What helped was that the children of the Inner Circle Death Eaters and some other DEs had already been sent home for bereavement leave. They'd been advised that one or both of their parents, and or a sibling, were confirmed deceased.
Now most of the remaining students had retreated to their common rooms and were listening in to the live transmission from the Wizengamot. For many of them, they shortly understood why their missing Headmaster was missing and where he was to be found.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Back at the Wizengamot chambers and before anyone could say anything, Bones gestured to the same auror as before; who had returned to standing by the door. The auror again gave a nod and again opened the door.
This time, two large Senior Aurors came in with Dumbledore between them, gripped by his arms and manacled. He did not look happy. They were followed by two more aurors who both had their wands out, but safely pointed down and away. They were clearly treating the old man as a very dangerous criminal.
While they were doing that, Stanwyck had moved the re-shrouded body and its stretcher off to one side, but not too far away.
Surprisingly, the old man was still wearing his gaudy muted-fuchsia-coloured robes with his wizard hat perched on top of his head. However, his beard was free of the two gold rings he often had it gathered with, allowing his beard to hang free and open. Further, his 'head' hair was only tied back with a simple ribbon. And there was no sign of his wand, money pouch or similar accoutrements.
Unknown to anyone bar the aurors and Bones all his charms, except the ones that animated the colouring on his robes, had been stripped away. Though still on his person his hat was no longer a portkey, neither was his beard, neither was his belt. And he'd been scanned for and had removed potioned items, including a false tooth that contained a powerful condensed neutraliser to Veritaserum.
As he was escorted in a few steps, Dumbledore spotted Bones and tried to stop. He only managed to quickly adopt a serene expression and exclaim, "Ahhh!―" before he was firmly yanked forward and dragged towards the prisoner's chair.
Shocked, Dumbledore had to quickly shuffle forward before he was dragged off his feet.
When he saw to where he was being dragged, the accused's enruned chair with its golden chains, he tried to stop himself. "Now, Amelia!―" he tried.
Still ignoring him, the two aurors manhandled him into the chair, which immediately caused the chains to rattle and bind him in place. Not until then did the aurors release him.
"Amelia!" he exclaimed, showing shock and disappointment as to his treatment. "What is the meaning of this?"
While Dumbledore was being dragged in and forward, before being firmly placed into the accused's chair, there was quite a bit of noise from both the Members and the gallery. Not a few were quietly showing their displeasure at the handling of Dumbledore; one many thought of as their hero.
Ignoring him, Bones clearly stated for the Members and those listening, "Mister Dumbledore - due to him dangerously casting Fiendfyre in the midst of Diagon Alley before immediately apparating out and leaving the Fiendfyre to run rampant and uncontrolled, placing the lives of a great many witches and wizards... including children... at great risk - was placed under house arrest at Hogwarts until such time as a trial could be arranged for him for his reckless endangerment of our citizenry.
"Mister Dumbledore was informed when told he was under conditional house arrest that, if he breached that conditional arrest, would be caught and placed into a DMLE holding cell until his trial. Though given the courtesy of house arrest for his criminal act, Mister Dumbledore did breach that conditional arrest last night. He was subsequently caught and incarcerated in a DMLE holding cell... as he was most fairly warned would happen.
"As he breached the conditions of his house arrest, by established law Mister Dumbledore is to be considered a flight risk. As such, he is lawfully bound while out of those cells."
"Now, Amelia―" the old man tried.
Bones ignored him and verbally rode right over the top of whatever the old man was going to say.
"However, we are not here to sit in trial of Mister Dumbledore just yet," she explained. "Mister Dumbledore was brought here so that, contrary to what he has been telling everyone, he could see for himself that the one known as the dark lord is dead... and that it was not by the hand of Lord Neville Longbottom."
As the Healer began to step back to the body to uncover the face again, Dumbledore said, "Now, Amelia. I assure you... the dark lord is not dead."
Just as the Healer was about to once more flip the sheet back, he froze in surprise before turning to look more fully at the old man. "You, Mister Dumbledore, are an idiot," he firmly stated.
Then, before Dumbledore could look his way and rebuke him, the Healer did flip the sheet back.
Turning again to Dumbledore, he said, "I... am a Master Healer with more than twenty years of experience. You... aren't even a medi-wizard who can make such a call." Gesturing to the body he said, "That man is the one everyone knew as Lord Voldemort. And... as an expert in what constitutes living and dead... I assure you, he is dead!
"A piercing curse through the brain tends to render one very dead. Would me casting a Life Signs charm on the body prove it to you?"
Choosing to ignore the Healer, considering the man a lost cause and irrelevant anyway, Dumbledore turned his attention to Bones again. "Amelia, my dear. I assure you, unless killed by young Neville, Voldemort will return."
"Why would you think that, Albus?" she smirked.
Clearly at least a tiny bit irritated, he said, "I prefer... 'Headmaster Dumbledore', Amelia."
"I don't care," she said. "Here, you are actually Prisoner Dumbledore unless I state otherwise. And, if you're going to call me 'Amelia', I'm going to decide to call you 'Albus' if I want to... Albus. Or would you prefer I address you as Prisoner Dumbledore?"
As he frowned, he decided to ignore her disrespect and said, "Voldemort has created―"
His intent by using the name was to make people both gasp in shock and see how he was 'brave' enough to use the name with perceived impunity.
Suddenly cutting him off, she snapped, "You mean Tom Marvolo Riddle; don't you, Albus?"
Himself shocked, Dumbledore was a few moments before he stuttered, "E-errr... You... know... his real name?"
"Yes, Albus," she snidely said. "And it may have saved many lives if we'd known that years ago. How long have you known his real name?"
With at first a mental beratement of himself for letting slip he knew Riddle's true name, he gave a sniff of condescension and replied, "That is not important. What is important, here, is that Voldemort will be―"
"We... the Wizengamot... will decide what is and is not important, Albus," she interrupted. "Again. For how long have you known Riddle's real name?"
"And I say again it is not important," he firmly returned.
She smiled back, but it was not a pleasant one, and said, "Very well, Albus. This is not yet your trial, so I will not have Veritaserum forced on you... for now."
Ignoring the old man's look of slight horror, she turned to the rest of the Wizengamot and said, "I remind you all that Albus Dumbledore is considered, by our laws, as a half-blood. Therefore, he is not exempt from the forced use of Veritaserum when he refuses to answer questions put to him during trial. If he refuses to answer even one single question directly and fully during his upcoming trial... then, when the time comes, I will be demanding he be dosed with Veritaserum as per the law."
That elicited a few mutters and murmurs from the Members and quite a few more louder remarks from the gallery, both 'for' and 'against' Dumbledore being dosed.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Down in the DMLE, work was still going apace with the still ongoing hunt for Death Eaters; with the added 'bonus' of the hunt now including those who were unMarked, but major financial backers of Riddle and his 'insurrectionist movement'.
A wizarding wireless was still on, but there were only those taking a well-earned break who were listening in on what was going on a few floors below them.
Saint Mungo's was another place where the wireless was on throughout the building but people were still working. Admittedly, there were now very few entering 'Casualty', the Emergency Treatment Centre, but there were still patients to attend. Most of those over the past couple of days were aurors who'd had to fight and capture Death Eaters who resisted arrest.
However, just as with aurors within the DMLE, there were still those Healers and other staff who were on 'down' times and were listening in.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
"Now, Albus," said Bones. "Let's try again, shall we? From just when were you aware that the one who called himself Voldemort was actually truly named Tom Marvolo Riddle?"
Dumbledore just sat there and glared back.
"No?" she asked. "I checked the records in Lady Marchbanks's office of the WEA before I came here this morning, Dumbledore. Tom Marvolo Riddle was a student of yours back in the late thirties and early to mid forties. He was even Head Boy back in 1945. As such, you knew exactly who he was.
"I'm also left wondering why Minerva McGonagall, who was two years behind him at Hogwarts; and Rubeus Hagrid, who was three years behind him; have also never mentioned that. Could they have, perchance, forgotten?"
"What are you attempting to imply with that line of questioning, Amelia?" he lowly demanded.
"It's a little, but very significant, fact that all other students who attended Hogwarts at the time seem to have forgotten, Albus," she returned. "I'm asking if you have an explanation for that?"
"I do not," he firmly replied.
"You do not?" she pressed. "As in you do not have a response you want to give me, right?"
When Dumbledore didn't respond to that question, she just smiled at him before she said, "That'll be yet another question I add to the list of those questions I'll be asking you once I can get Veritaserum into you."
"Minister, that's enough," said one of Dumbledore's supporters off the Wizengamot. It was Doge. "You will cease this... muggle hunt... of Albus Dumbledore, immediately."
Barely glancing in Doge's direction, she said, "I am unsurprised you were the first to leap to Dumbledore's defence, Member Doge; though I must ask why. You must be at least somewhat cognizant of what this man has truly done; information you know would paint Dumbledore in a bad light if it ever came to light."
Doge huffed and snapped, "I do not appreciate your implication, Minister. Need I remind you, you hold office only at our forbearance?"
"And need I remind you that this session of the Wizengamot is currently being transmitted via the WWN to every wizarding wireless set throughout the country?" she sneered back. "And... need I remind you that this meeting is currently being attended by the International press, not just the Daily Prophet?
"Your actions... your words... here today are being judged by the entire populace, Member Doge. And, within the day, they will be judged on the International stage. I am well prepared and quite comfortable with my words being so judged; are you with yours?"
It took a moment for Doge to begin to reply. His expression showed he'd forgotten about both the international press and the WWN transmitter. "I―" he began.
"Enough," said Ogden, quite firmly. "Madam Bones, if you have evidence to present to this body regarding any illicit or illegal deeds by Albus Dumbledore, this is not the time to air them."
"Hear, hear," said a few others.
"I believe we have waited enough for the arrival of Lord Peverell," he continued. "Just where is he?"
Standing just inside the main doors to the chamber under his invisibility cloak, since stripped of the beacon and mage sight charms Dumbledore had managed to affix to it through the weaving into the material of tiny matching black threads which had since been removed, Harry thought, 'I do believe that's my cue.'
He quickly exited the room, cast a Notice-me-Not charm on himself and removed the cloak.
Quickly checking himself over to ensure all was as it should be, he stepped back through the doors, deactivating the Notice-me-Not and activating other charms that were on stand-by at the time.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ